AN: Here's the final chapter, not including the epilogue. Hope you guys enjoy. Kallie xx


Chapter 30

Kitties POV

I stood in the east corridor, Lexi and Oscar spread further down in case she came from a different way. Thinking about it now, I recognised the girl from after school classes, but normally the year groups were never mixed, so it was only fleeting glances I had caught of her. The girl had thick curly red hair like her father that framed a heart shaped face, set with deep emerald eyes, a sharp nose and a sprinkling of pale freckles on her tanned skin, which was unusual for gingers, but none the less true with her. She wasn't hard to miss, what with the corridor being so empty. Typically the class the three of us should have been in was a spy one, and usually we were allowed to go off with our own side projects like this. Admittedly I should have been using the time to get to know Rider, but then again we should actually be working with him. It's not our fault he never bothered to show up or arrange to do anything with us.

I watched her come down the corridor, and I wondered if she'd use the passages to just appear, but then if she knew them, would she be as stupid as to just appear? No, from what I knew (which was very little), she was a lot cleverer than most, far too clever to make a rookie mistake like that. Which could mean only one of two things; either she wanted to talk to us, or she was after her locker which is what Lexi had thought would be the most likely thing. I was stood in front of her locker, showing her that I wanted to talk. It's not like we'd planned it this way at all(!) Sorry, bit of sarcasm slipping in there. She eyed me warily as she approached, noticing me for the first time. Without saying a word, she stepped up to her locker and opened it. She stood in front of it, blocking my view of inside so I couldn't see what she removed from it, but whatever it was it was valuable to her at least as she kept it hidden from me. When she struggled to close it because of the removed object in her hands, I helped her, pushing the door shut.
"What do you want?" She snapped at me when I didn't move.
"To talk," I replied casually. "I've noticed you in class."
"That's where you're wrong," she retorted, screwing her face up in anger. "You're a year 11 and I'm just year 9. I don't have any classes with you."
I shrugged. "That's true, but I've noticed you down in the catacombs with Mr Davenport for his lessons. You're quite a smart little spy, aren't you."
"Smarter than you, yes. I don't walk up to everyone announcing I'm a spy."
"But you're not anyone, are you Amelia?" I smiled as her face changed. "You see, my friends and I have been doing a little project of our own, and we found you. You have quite the reputation. If it weren't for the fact you are a mouse, not a bug or a firefly, you would have quite the reputation. As it happens, you do, you just don't wear it like a suit of armour."

(AN: mouse, bug and firefly are spy terms, mouse meaning quiet and watchful, keeping to the shadows, bug meaning computer/ desk agent type thing and firefly meaning field agent)
"What, like you do?" She snapped at me.
I feigned hurt, laying my hand on my heart. "Ouch, that really hurt. I don't wear my reputation, my reputation precedes me."
"But you have a reputation. Everyone knows who you are Kittie Swan, whereas no-one knows who I am."
"We do," I said, gesturing to Lexi and Oscar who had now come up behind me. "And your father does, doesn't he Amelia."
Panic flittered across her face. "How do you know about my father?"
"Hans? Like I said, we've had our own project. Here's the thing, we heard today he's been arrested for stealing The Snail, but you don't seem that bothered by it. I take it you don't get on with him," I stated. After careful planning, we decided the best way to get her to sort it out would to just state things, not question. Questioning would give her the upper hand, and that was something we needed to keep in order for our plan to work.
She stood quietly for a moment, probably thinking about how she was going to respond. "That's none of your business," she said finally, clamming up.

She turned and began walking away, heading probably to the roof which as Lexi had found, was one of her favourite spots. Unfortunately for her, we had our secret weapon - Oscar.
"I know what it's like to be ignored by your parents, no matter what you do," he called to her retreating form.
"Oh yeah?" She spun round quickly. "Do you know what it's like for them to not notice you except from when you're in trouble?"
"I know what it's like to wish they would come and be your parents again, to cause trouble in the hopes that they will notice your cries for help."
"How?" She asked coming back to us. "Who are you? I haven't seen you around here before this week."
"I'm just here for the week to see Kittie's world. But in answer to your first question, my mum joined the enemy and my dad disappeared. I got put into care, and spent nearly 10 years of my life trying to fight the system in the hopes that someone would notice that I wasn't alright. But then I realised it doesn't work like that. If you want your parents to notice, you have to talk to them. No act of rebellion will help them see from your point of view. You have to make them see by talking to them."
"And it works?"
He nodded. "Yes. Until I stopped running and fighting, I didn't have anything good in my life. Now I have Kittie, I have family and I have my dad. My mum well she's a lost cause, but I have my dad because I talked to him. Someone persuaded me to go and talk to him, and now I'm going to be living with him." He glanced over at me, smiling.

She stood there, obviously thinking. "You know, despite what the evidence says, we're pretty sure your father is innocent. If it were us, then we would fix it, persuade the real thief to own up to their mistake and deal with the consequences, no matter the reason for stealing the painting and framing your father in the first place," Oscar said softly.
"But what if they're scared of the consequences?" She asked in a small voice.
"But isn't it better to own up? I'm sure the consequences won't be that severe if they come forward soon and explain why they stole and framed your father. I would want to be honest."
I was a little glad he was getting through to her. It was nice knowing that my boyfriend could help people and convince them to do the right thing. I was proud of him, and he was right. He had come a long way since the angry, hurt boy I first met. He was a lot calmer, a lot nicer to work with and be with now that he wasn't fighting all the time.

"I think you're right." Amelia looked down at her hands then back at Oscar. "I have to go now. I have something to do. Thank you," she said, looking at him a lot calmer than she had when we started talking to her. She turned and ran back down the corridor, disappearing from view as she turned a corner.
"So do you think it worked?" I asked, slipping my hand into Oscar's.
"Mm I think so," he answered, squeezing my hand gently. "I think once she knew that someone else knew how it felt, she calmed down a lot. It helped having someone who knew and understood."
"Maybe it helped that you're just amazing," I grinned, reaching up to gently tap his nose.
"I guess I am," he replied with a slight humble attitude. "You have made me amazing, make me amazing. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today."
"Why thank you," I blushed. My cheeks reddened as he pulled me into a hug.
"You know I mean it," he said into the top of my head. Gently he kissed it before resting his head on top of mine. "What's say you and me go spend the rest of our free together somewhere alone, in one of the hidden rooms?"
I smiled. "I would like that." I had missed just spending time with him and him alone without family everywhere. We didn't get enough of that at home and when we were fighting, we didn't stick around much. I took his hand and led him down the corridor towards one of the entrances to the passages by the stairwell, leaving Lexi standing there alone.
"Guess I'll go and write this up then," he said to himself, shaking his head.

I sat on a chair in one of the classrooms in the catacombs, completely bored. I glanced at the clock behind Oscars head and sighed. Half 4. Normally I wouldn't mind having class after normal school, that was what I was used to, but today I promised to be home and play with the kids and Oscar and I were good again. I hope the fact we were arguing so early on meant that the arguing we should be having would be gotten out of the way. I firmly believe that everyone has the same amount of problems and bad stuff go on in their lives, just when they had it would depend on how long they live and who they are as a person. I hoped that Oscar and I would stay together. I really did love him and I think losing him would break my heart. I couldn't imagine my life without him. Already I was beginning to think about the future, our future together and wondered what it would be like.

I looked around and noticed that Rider was missing and the orders had specifically included him. I mean, I made the effort when school finished at half 3 to find him, and tell him he had to come to this meeting. It may have involved some harsh words in front of a group of his adoring fans (which he seemed to now be getting annoyed with) but that's water under the bridge. Rose and Carrie were talking and laughing with Elle and SJ at Michael who was being his usual silly self. Lexi was reading some weird Russian novel but from where I was sat, I couldn't see it. In front of me, Oscar was sat listening to his iPod and I assumed he was learning another language audibly although he may have just been listening to music. I wasn't sure. I thought about getting my own iPod out, but I wasn't sure there would be much point, after all the meeting should be starting any minute now.

A door slammed from somewhere close by in the catacombs, followed by running feet. I rolled my eyes and waited for Rider to come bursting through. He really did seem to like making an entrance. The door to the classroom was thrown open as he made himself known, and it hit the wall with a loud bang.
Panting, he brushed his blond hair out of his eyes and grinned like nothing was wrong. "Sorry I'm late," he breathed although it sounded more like words were escaping from his mouth along with his breath. "Lost track of the time. So what's this all about?"
The director frowned and I tried to hide a smile. Then I remembered I was supposed to work with him and I joined her frowning. Oscar looked at me and I shook my head.
"Nice of you to turn up Mr Rider. I've asked you all here because of the situation with one of the spymasters here, one Mr Van Dhrest. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he has been cleared of all charges."
"What charges?" Rider asked, confused. Boy was he out of the loop.

The director blinked and screwed up her mouth, puzzled. "He was charged with stealing Matisse's 'The Snail' from the Tate Modern. That is why you're here, isn't it?"
Rider shook his head. "Nah, I was sent here to meet Miss Swan," he said gesturing at me. "I didn't know anything about a stolen painting. "
"Wait, what?" I interjected, standing up here. "You were sent here just to meet me? A phone call would have done, or you know you could have come to my house, instead of showing up at my school and causing this much trouble."
"Ah but most of the trouble is your fault. If you'd just been honest with everyone and told them you were coming back here for good and leaving MI9 to work with me, then the trouble I apparently caused wouldn't have happened."
I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
Michael chuckled. "You two are so alike." He shook his head, smiling.
"We are nothing alike," I shot back, now agitated.
Michael stared at me. "Seriously Kit, you're gonna deny it?" He shrugged. "Well if you can't see it, I'm not going to explain it."
"Michael!" I shouted, glaring at him. I was decidedly unimpressed and considering these people were my team (old and new) I didn't really care that they knew.

Oscar came up to me and gently laid a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me. "So the charges were all dropped? It was Amelia, wasn't it? His daughter," he elaborated when the director looked at him confused.
"Yes," she replied with a nod. "She confessed and as she's under 16, charge won't be pressed against her either. It also seems like she got what she wanted."
"She just wanted her father to love her and notice her. I don't blame her for reacting the way she did." Oscar's voice was hard and this time I was the one trying to be calming.
"Careful Agent Cole, you're treading on very thin ice at the moment," the director warned.
"Halliday," we both shot back automatically. We looked at each other and smiled when we realised.
Rider rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me I'm gonna have to put up with this. It's one thing being in a relationship but having to watch one... I don't want to."

I glared at him. "Well you won't have to. I don't particularly want you to come to my house, and I don't want to bring the work home with me. The minute I step through my front door I am off duty unless it is an emergency."
"What gives you the right to be so demanding and like that?" Rider spluttered. "You're a spy, Katharine. It's not a 9-5 job."
"It's in my contract," I shrugged, "Or at least it will be."
"How can you do that? How can you negotiate terms like that?"
"You haven't done your homework, obviously. I don't have parents anymore and someone has to look after the house and my family."
"Get a guardian then. My parents are dead too you know, and well so is my guardian but I have new ones."
"But you don't have younger siblings," I pointed out. "For them, their guardian is me well at least until I go to university. I would rather look after my siblings myself than hirer someone. Besides, delightful as they all are, they are terrors, all of them. There's 4 of them and they are all under 8. No respectful child minder or nanny will look after them for long."

Rider blinked. "Oh. But who's looking after them now?"
I glanced over at Oscar. But then I didn't really need to be worried. I had asked Oscars dad but then Edie and Alex had offered to watch them whilst we sorted this out. "Friends," I answered. "Normally it's me or Michael but mostly me. I never tended to stay for the after school sessions, even when my parents were alive. Someone needed to look after them and well I never liked the people my parents hired." I glanced at the clock again and sighed. "So if everything is sorted, can I go home now?"
"Yes Agent Swan, you may. It's Thursday today and we'll end your visit here. Tomorrow you'll be back at St Hopes. We'll provide you will an alibi for it ending early and it will give you a day to say goodbye to everyone there and your old team."

It wasn't until then that it hit home. I wasn't going to be at St Hopes with everyone there anymore. No more strict Mrs King, or Mr Flatley who, as my mum would say is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Used to say. Still getting used to that. The prospect of leaving everyone there made me a little sad, but being back here at Barclay properly would be nice. And spending school away from each other, should make mine and Oscar's relationship better. After all he would still only be next door when he moved out and now we would have a bit more to talk about, like how our day was and what we got up to.
I realised I probably should answer the director. "Thank you," I said with a nod.
The corners of her mouth turned up as she gave a small smile. "I'm pleased with your work agents. Good job, and Frank will be back at work from Monday which should also please you."
Rose and Carrie looked at each other excitedly causing the director to smile fully. "Thank you for stepping up to this task. You are all dismissed and may you enjoy the rest of the evening. I would like to see you all after school tomorrow if that's not too much to ask. I shall try and keep it brief tomorrow so that you can all get back to your busy lives." She turned and strode out of the door Rider had entered, probably going to see what the young spies were being taught this evening.

I grabbed Oscar's hand and began dragging him out of another door. "Michael, Lexi, if you want a lift home I suggest you come now else you're walking," I called back.
Oscar grinned at them and then turned to me. "You think we'll be able to make a showing at the cinema?"
"Dunno, hopefully," I shrugged, everything else now forgotten. "Come on. We still have to feed them all, and bath them and I promised we'd play with them a bit."
He laughed. "Okay, come on then. I'll race you." He turned and began running down the corridor.
"Stop!" I cried out, laughing. "You don't know where you're going."
I was just about to go after him when Rider called "So what about me? I assume we're gonna have to meet up at some point and get to know each other."
I rolled my eyes and picked up a post-it note off the pile and grabbed a pen. Quickly I scribbled down my address, phone number and email before sticking the post-it on Rider's head. "There," I answered. "That's my home address, mobile and email. Have fun."

Before he could respond, I turned and legged it after my boyfriend. At the end of the corridor, I stopped and looked around, my bag hanging off my shoulder. "Oscar?" I couldn't see him anywhere.
Hands grabbed me from behind, snaking their way around my waist. "Gotcha," Oscar murmured into my ear.
I tilted my head back slightly, grinning. "You're getting good. You're going to make one hell of a spy."
"You mean I'm not already?" He asked, his voice teasing.
"Maybe just a bit," I answered, turning to face him. "But to sneak up on me like that means one of two things."
"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow at me, intrigued.
"Well 3 things but two are kinda the same. Either you're getting better, I'm getting soft or I'm losing skills."
"Well in order not to hurt you, let's say I'm getting better, especially if I'm being taught by you."
I smiled. "Boyfriend points scored." I pulled away before I was tempted to rest my head against him and stay like that. "Come on, let's go home and get jumped on. "
"By your wonderful siblings," he added, leading me away.
"You don't have to help you know." I pulled back in the direction we actually wanted to go in. The catacombs could be tricky to navigate.
He shrugged. "I know but I love their big sister, and we're like surrogate parents now. All the worries and lack of sleep without actually having to go through the having kids bit."
I hit him. "Come on you, let's just go home."
"Yes Kittie."

That evening, Oscar and I went out to the cinema (finally). We left Michael and Lexi in charge, with the kids in bed. Surprisingly they all went without much of a fuss, even Cal who was allowed to stay up until 8. He chose to spend the remaining time reading. As for Oscar and I, our evening was spent in the back of a darkened room watching 'The Hobbit'. We didn't really notice the rest of the people in the theatre screen until the end when the noise began as the crowd wanted more. I mean it was one book that they had turned into 3 films. How was that going to work? But we both enjoyed it. We left the cinema and began walking back home, walking hand in hand down the lit streets in the crisp January air. Maybe we would get snow again soon. I smiled and glanced over at Oscar.
"What?" He asked when he caught me staring. "What's wrong?"
I blushed. "Nothing."
He stopped and began tickling me mercilessly. I screamed and thrashed in his arms. "Tell me," he said deeply when he caught me "or do I have to make you?"
I giggled. "Make me then Halliday." We'd begun using his new surname now that it was decided he would be living with his dad. The paperwork was being sorted tomorrow and they'd be collecting his stuff from Carol and David's next week.

"You asked for it Swan." He began tickling me again, running his fingers all over my body. The tickling stopped as his fingers began to explore my body. Holding me tightly, he pressed his mouth hard against mine. I moaned as he gripped me tight, stopping me from moving away. His tongue parted my lips and met mine inside my mouth. Deftly he tugged at my scarf, exposing my neck to the cold. A sharp intake of breath on my part due to the cold was replaced by shock as his lips met my skin. Short tugs were made, probably resulting in bruising later. I moaned and collapsed against him. We had never been this intimate before. It had only been normal kissing.
"Enough," I gasped, the reminder we were in public weighing heavy on my mind.
He pulled away and looked at me. "You'll tell me?"
I nodded, pulling my scarf back in place. "Why'd you have to do that? We're in public Oscar." I stumbled a little.
"Sorry," he murmured, catching me. "I just got caught up in the moment." He looked at me worriedly. "Did I hurt you? Was it too soon?"
I shook my head with a faint smile. "No it was good, just can we just not in public?"
"Have I embarrassed you?" He asked grinning a little. "Good little girl Kittie's not so good anymore and is worried what people will think?"

I hit him playfully. "No it's not that, it's just I'm new at all this. I mean yeah I've dated before but you're the first guy, the only guy who's ever made me feel..." I tailed off, unsure how to phrase it.
"Oh," he nodded understanding. We knew each other well enough that he knew not to push it. "So my dear, what was on your mind that was not 'nothing'?"
I brushed loose strands of my hair back nervously. I never realised I'd be this nervous expressing my feelings. "I was thinking how happy we are, how happy I am with you and that I never want this to change." My hands had decided 'this' needed a gesture, so my hands waved around when I spoke.
"I don't ever want this to change either," he said, catching my hands and holding them tightly. His right hand left mine and scrambled about in his pockets until he found what he was looking for. "I knew you've had enough of people leaving you recently, of saying goodbye to old friends but I don't want to leave, ever." He held up what looked like a ring made of elastics. "Kittie, I promise to be here for you as long as you want me. I promise to stay by your side, to look after you and never pressure you to do anything you don't want to do unless you have to."

I stared at him. "Oscar is this a promise ring?" We hadn't been going out very long and he was giving me a promise ring already?
He shook his head. "Not a promise ring, a promise. Tom made the ring and I'd forgotten about it until now. He said to keep us together and stop us arguing so much. I figured I could give it meaning. I mean we're only 16 and you may decide you don't want to be with me anymore, but I know I will always want to be with you because I love you."
"Y-you do?" This was the first time either one of us had said it to the other. "Do you really mean that?"
He nodded, stroking my cheek. "Yes I do. I love you. You're making me into a better person and I couldn't ask for anyone better." His face was hesitant like he wanted to kiss me but was unsure how I'd react.
I solved that issue by reaching up and pulling his lips to mine. Our embrace was soft before I pulled away. "I love you too," I murmured into his ear. "And I never want you to leave. Never never."

We stood there for a few moments, resting in each other's arms, him still holding the makeshift ring. It was a state of bliss and I knew despite our problems, we would work it all out. We would be amazing together.
A chuckle came from behind and I felt Oscar tense up a little in surprise. He let go and I turned around.
"Don't ruin the moment on our behalf," said Edward still chuckling.
"Oh look what you've done, you've ruined it anyway." Joyce hit him half-heartedly like I do with Oscar. She smiled. "Sorry, Ed forgets sometimes that he's an adult."
"It's alright Joyce," Oscar replied with a shrug. I wonder if he'd ever call her mum.
They lingered in silence for a few moments and I can imagine all of us were feeling awkward.
"Well we'd better get going. The babysitter will be wanting to go home," said Joyce.
I blinked. "Oh you should have said. Michael would have looked after Lily. One more is no problem, especially with 4 already."
"Next time," she smiled. She tugged at Edwards arm and began pulling him away. "Bye, see you Saturday?" She asked.
"Saturday?" I asked back, looking at Oscar for clarity.
"We're going furniture shopping and stuff to get stuff for my room so I can make it my own and stuff."
"You're family, my son and you deserve to have a room that's yours, the way you want it, no matter the cost," elaborated Edward. "Well maybe a bit of a limit on cost," he said, changing his mind slightly, like adults do, especially when money is involved.
"You're both coming over for dinner tomorrow aren't you?" Joyce checked, unsure if our plans had changed due to the kids.
I nodded. "Can't wait," which was a little bit of an exaggeration. Dinner with Oscar's dad and step mum was going to be... weird to say the least.

They turned to leave and began walking back towards home. Oscar took me back in his arms and slid the elastic ring onto my finger. "Tom would kill you if you didn't wear it," he clarified when I looked at him confused.
"Right, and we wouldn't want to upset the 2 year old now, would we?"
"Are you being sarky with me?"
I grinned and turned my head away. "As if I would do that."
Oscar rolled his eyes but didn't say anything more on the matter. He took my hand, playing with the ring slightly. "Come on Swan, let's go home."
We walked back towards my home down the lit streets and the stars above us.

When I woke the next morning, Oscar was draped over me again, sound asleep still. I wanted to lay here in his bed all day, ignoring what was coming. I hated saying goodbye because it meant the end of something, I just couldn't always avoid it. My being awake must have woken him somehow else it was the screaming from downstairs. He moaned and rolled away, pulling the pillow over his head. "It's 5 o'clock. Make them stop."
I rolled my eyes, slipping out of bed. "What a great dad you'll make," I muttered. Unfortunately, muttering around a spy without being heard isn't an easy task.
He sat bolt upright like I'd just burnt him. "What did you just say?" It looked like he was more shocked than upset.
"Nothing," I replied, shrugging on my dressing gown. It was cold and the heating wasn't fully awake yet.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? Did last night teach you nothing?"
I shook my head stubbornly. Like he wanted to hear the musings of a hormonal teenage girl whose dreams for the future definitely included him.

Lightning fast, he scooped me up and deposited me on the bed, pinning me down beneath him. I stared up at him, wondering what he was going to do.
I have to say, when he kissed me, I was surprised, more so when he began kissing my neck again. I closed my eyes, ignoring the screams from the floor below.
He pulled away and gently cupped my cheek, causing me to open my eyes.
"Kittie, I love you, you know that. If we do get married and have kids, I swear I will help you look after them and support you and be there when they start screaming in the mornings. Right now however, they are not my kids, but your siblings and I know I said I'd help you look after them, but screaming at 5 in the morning when we have to be up in under 2 hours isn't really my thing, unless you want me cranky on your last day at St Hopes. So you go deal with them or drag Lexi out of bed to deal with them and then come back to bed."
I grinned, liking the last bit of the plan. "Alright. Will you let me up?"
He climbed off of me and settled back under the duvet. I climbed out the bed and headed across to Lexi. When I reached his door, I pounded upon it. "Your turn to deal with them, I need my sleep. Go stop the screaming or I'll drag you out of bed. I don't care how you do it as long as you do nothing illegal and don't hurt them, but the quicker you do it, the quicker you can go back to bed."
He opened the door sleepily and nodded. "Alright, fine. Go sleep. Miercola."
I sighed happily as he headed downstairs to deal with them.
I crawled back into bed, nestling in under Oscars arm and smiled as the noise stopped. Damn Lexi was good.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. The staff were all now aware I was leaving, keeping me back after each lesson to say goodbye. Mr. Flatley teared up during assembly saying goodbye to me and most people cheered. Some people still didn't know who I was but that was a good thing. Considering I had acted like this shy and nervous girl when I had first arrived, I wouldn't have been known to everyone. I guess maybe I should have kept my cover up a bit more around my classmates and my year group, but I had nowhere near the power here that I had at Barclay. I hope they think I'm just a normal girl who's just had to deal with a lot. I would love to be normal but I highly doubted that would happen.

Saying goodbye to my team was much the same; tears, cheering and each person taking me to the side to say goodbye. But the thing was it wasn't goodbye with my team. Sure I'd be working with someone else for a while, but I'd still see them, and no doubt Honey would be needed at some point. With Oscar especially, it wasn't goodbye. I mean he was still living with us for a couple more days and then he'd be right next door. When I got to Stark, he wished me luck, and get this, he actually apologised for being rude to me and treating me like a child. He also thanked me for making him realise that we weren't just kids, we were the next generation of spies who were pretty darn good. The director also wished me luck and I was half tempted to ask her about my parents but I could save that for another time.

When the bell rang at the end of the day, I was sad. I'd grown to like it here at St Hopes with its twisting corridors and red doors. However, I couldn't wait to be back home at Barclay where I belonged. My only regret was that Oscar wasn't coming too but he was needed here whereas I wasn't. I decided to try and walk home, wanting to be alone in my thoughts which I was without Joe, and Oscar was going over to Carol's to sort out the remaining stuff there. I thought I was alone until I noticed the tread of footsteps behind me, that most people wouldn't have picked up on, but then again, I'm not most people. I carried on like normal, trying to recognise the footsteps, hoping it was someone I knew. They sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn't put a name to them.

As I rounded a corner with a doorway in it, I slipped in, hoping my tail wouldn't notice. They didn't. I frowned as I watched them go past.
"Rider," I called as he spun around, trying to find where I had gone.
He looked at me in the doorway and frowned. "Huh, wouldn't have thought of that instantly and by the time I had you'd probably have legged it away."
"You've been in the States too long." If this is what having a normal life did to spies then maybe it was a good thing I wasn't about to quit yet. I needed the sharp reflexes to deal with the rabble at home. "Why were you following me?"
"To talk. I came to apologise for yesterday and well how I've been to you, but you were wrapped up in your thoughts and I didn't know how to approach you. I didn't particularly want to get beaten up again."
I nodded agreeing. "Fair enough. It takes a brave soul to admit their behaviour was wrong. I accept your apology." I offered him my arm. "Care to walk with me back to mine?"
He stared at it gingerly. "What would Oscar say about you walking arm in arm with another guy?"
I rolled my eyes. "One you're... Well I'm still on the fence as to whether or not you're my friend but I definitely don't have feelings for you. Two, Oscar doesn't own me. I have lots of friends who are guys and he understands. He knows it's only him that I love and will continue to only love until we break up, whenever that may be."
"Oh so you don't think you're gonna last then?" He asked, staring at me.
I glared at him, lowering my arm. "I never said that. I don't want to break up with him ever but sometimes things happen, situations change, feelings change. I still don't like you. Go home and bother someone else Rider."

I turned and carried on walking home. Who needed him and his stupid boyness interrupting me when I wanted to think.
"Alex," he called after me, causing me to stop. "My name is Alex, not Rider."
"I know that, I'm not stupid. I just don't like you. You're rude, cagey, arrogant and well, ignorant."
"You want to talk to me about manners? You keep jumping down my throat for every little thing I do or say. That's rude Swan."
I guess I was being a bit rude, but I'd never met anyone who irritates me that much. However, it was going to be a long year if I didn't make peace with him.
I sighed. "Sorry, that was rude. I have been rude and I'm sorry."
The corner of his match twitched as he tried not to smile. "There, wasn't so hard was it. I'm sorry too for being an arse. I guess I've spent too long in America. I've forgotten what it's like around sassy English girls."
I wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. I chose to ignore it. "Perhaps." I shrugged and looked down at my feet. "Did you want to talk about what we're gonna be doing? I mean, do you have any idea what we'll be doing?"
He shook his head. "Nope. No clue. Never really get told until last minute. All I know is that they don't want me working alone, not after last time. I was reluctant after last time. I don't want anyone else dead because of me."
He turned away. Gently I approached him and touched his arm. "I know what you mean. People have died because of me, but I'm not easy to kill. Oscar won't let me die, and I won't let him. If you show me what you're really like and that you're as good and kind as your file says then I won't let you die either."
"Loyal are we?"
I grinned. "Yep, as fierce as a tigress protecting her cubs, especially when it comes to my siblings." I offered him my arm again. "Did you wanna come back for a bit and talk? I'll introduce you to my family if you like."
He took it this time, gladly. "That'd be good. You just may have to teach me how to act around little children."
I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a fun afternoon.


Summer. I watch Cal, Sophie and Tom play in the waves with Oscar chasing them. I hear their screams from the water as I sit further up the beach with Rider, Charlie and Lexi. Lexi's face is in a book once again but he's a lot more relaxed than he was 5 months ago. Charlie has grown very attached to Alex and I think the same can be said the other way round. Rider is showing Charlie how to build sand castles but he keeps trying to eat the sand instead. At 15 months old he is a terror, and still going through the shove-everything-in-his-mouth phase. Luckily he is being kept occupied by the sand else he'd be toddling off on his chunky little legs. Nana and Papi have gone to get ice cream for all of us, how they'll carry it all I don't know but then Michael is with them. Hopefully he won't eat it all before they get back.

The last 5 months have been... Interesting. Oscar's now actually living with his dad and Joyce and his baby sister Lily. He adores her like he adores my siblings, more so perhaps. It's nice to see him with a family. If it had just been me after mum and dad died I would have been incredibly bored and lonely. Luckily I had my siblings, all 8 of them. Surprisingly, Alec had turned up again and apologised for not being around after the funeral but it turns out he'd had his own stuff to deal with. He'd gotten his girlfriend Elinor pregnant and was scared how we'd react. The twins are 4 months old and would be joining us tomorrow along with their parents. Alec had married Elinor of course, not wanting to leave her alone to raise their kids. I guess he was more like dad than we thought. I love my niece and nephew but I couldn't wait to have children of my own one day. For now, they and my siblings would be enough to look after.

My work with Rider is well... Classified as you can probably imagine. But it's going well. We work well together after all, each picking up the others slack and not getting in the way when we compete missions. Mrs Jones is very pleased with us and is considering setting up a spy programme for children of spies so that the next generation of spies can be trained properly. Of course she doesn't want to create children spies from scratch, just train those who are going to be exposed to it anyway. Turns out the Alex Rider novels really do have truth behind them, but of course the public doesn't know that. The life of a spy is hard work and far from glamorous and exciting as books and films make it out to be. But I wouldn't trade it up for the world. Yes it would be nice to be normal but I wouldn't have met my friends and my family would be a lot different if I was normal.

So that's my report, well, our report of my time just before St. Hopes and up to the day I left with a little bit of an afterword thrown in, not that you probably care. It's a report, fully done (with added personal viewpoint to give a better understanding) completed by myself, Oscar, Rose, Carrie, Lexi and Frank. Of course there's other bits that Johny and Jack got from the SKUL people by reading their diaries. I mean come on, for criminals they're not very tight on their diaries. Sorry, tangent. I hope you now see that I have a complicated life, the complicated life of a teen spy. But I suppose it's worth it.