I don't own CHERUB: Robert Muchamore does.

Previously..."How DARE you look in my box!"

Hannah shot up from the bed. "Dad!" she started, "we were just-"

"I know what you were doing!" James Sr roared, his face red with fury. "I have made it explicitly clear to you that you never, and I mean never open that box without my permission! And what do you do? You open it! Aargh!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as this time an actual spider crawled out of the box and ran up his leg. Keith ran over to his dad and gazed curiously up at him.

"Dad, who's Ross?"

"What?" James seemed to deflate a bit. "Ross who?"

"Ross in the letter. From Joanna," Keith added at James' confused expression, which cleared after the last part.

"Oh, that Ross. He's me, or I'm him, depending on how you look at it." He smiled at his children's bewildered faces, transforming him from the bad-tempered father they usually talked to.

"So Joanna was your girlfriend?" Joanna asked in disgust. James nodded, smiling at his daughters' expression. "I'm named after a girlfriend of yours?"

"My first girlfriend, Jojo - number one of many." He sighed wistfully, remembering the days when there never seemed to be a shortage of girls around.

Gwen broke into his daydream. "Hang on a minute. Exactly how many girls did you go out with as a teenager?" James' smile reappeared.

"You really want to know?" When Gwen nodded, he continued proudly. "There was Jo, Kerry, Dana, Hannah-"

"Not me, too?" Hannah wailed. Their father grinned wickedly.

"-and some other beautiful ones, who obviously couldn't resist a stud like me."

Gwen snorted. "Yeah right! So you dated all these girls and then broke their hearts? Just like a man." All three girls were standing now and glaring at their dad, whose smile wavered as he wilted under the angry stares he was receiving. "When will they learn that we are not some toys to be messed around with?"

"Pretty fit toys all the same," James Jr muttered. The other James looked at him in surprise as he clapped his son on the back.

"Just what I'd have said, son. You are definitely related to me! I can tell-"

"-that male chauvinism runs in the family?" Joanna cried scornfully. James carried on, ignoring the interruption, which provoked Hannah to say: "they never listen, do they?" under her breath.

"-tell that you are going to grow up just like me." This time Gwen couldn't keep back her laughter.

"What, with more kids than you know what to do with, and with no wife 'cos they've all divorced you? A drinking problem, and no proper job? God, Jamie, I hope to goodness you won't be like him!" Trying to break the ice, Meatball, Terry and Keith started pestering James to explain why they had their names.

"Well, Keith," he started, "When you were born, I," he scratched his head, embarrassed, "I, well I was drunk. Your mum – Simone – wanted to call you Lewis, but I told the mid-wife to put Keith on your birth certificate; after an old...acquaintance...of mine when I was a teenager. Meatball, I've always liked the name Max, and your mother wanted it in full, so you became Maximillian. Kyle is...was my best mate, and I wanted to show that. Sentimental, I know! Terry, the chairman of the...care home where I grew up was called Terence McAfferty-"

"He's the one in the photo!" Terry yelled in excitement. Immediately James stiffened.

"What photo?"

Terry at once realised his mistake. "Um, I found this picture on the..." he stammered.

"In my box, right?" James said sternly. "Give it here." Meekly, Terry handed the whole box and its contents over to his father. To their complete and utter astonishment, James took out the photo and gazed longingly at it, before motioning to his kids to come nearer. Pointing out his old friends, he began to tell them about his childhood...

"When I was twelve, my mum, Gwen, died suddenly from a long illness. I was sent to a care home, while my sister, your Aunt Lauren, went and stayed with her dad Ron, who I hated and will always hate." There were sniggers from the boys, which were silenced by a stern glare from James. "I met someone called Kyle Blueman then, and he was to become my best friend. I got into a bit of trouble with the police when I started going round with one of the gangs at Nebraska House. Eventually, I was drugged by one of the carers and taken to a place known as CHERUB." Here her paused and took a deep breath, aware he was about to break one of the most important rules in his life. "CHERUB is a junior branch the intelligence service, I guess you could say. When I arrived at this place, I met Dr McAfferty and learnt what 'can't talk to orange' meant." He gave a quiet chuckle. "I did a series of tests…" and on and on he went through practically his whole life story. There were slaps and high fives throughout the retelling, as well as laughter and jokes when James recalled some of his more idiotic moments. For one moment, it seemed like theirs was one big happy family again…

I am so sorry for not updating sooner! It's been almost two months! Life's just been chaotic and I can quite understand it if you don't want to read any more…

I hope I satisfied everyone (particularly those who reviewed: thanks!) with this chapter, I need a bit of inspiration for the next couple, like:

What do you want to happen between the family?

What do you want to happen between the families?

Do you want a family reunion?

Do you want a CHERUB reunion?

Do you want it with Meatball as the main(ish) character still?

Anything else?

Thanks, and reviews are much appreciated,

-wolfergirl

Today's Bible Verse: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12