A/N: Thank you for the overwhelming response to the last chapter! I was pleasantly surprised by how many people told me I'd forgotten to post the challenge! I'm assuming most of you realized that I was very tired when posting and just didn't realize it. Also, we're up to ten reviews per chapter - how awesome! If everyone who reads this story would simply comment... I'd be totally overwhelmed. Anyone who comments will get a mention in the next chapter.

Thanks to Jayden95, my lovely beta!

Challenge at the bottom. I promise!

-transition-

Alex ran blindly into the woods. Had Eagle realized that he wasn't telling the truth? If so - why? It wasn't as if he hadn't told the same lies a hundred thousand times before. They'd always been accepted. Not only had the lies been accepted as gospel truth, no one ever pried.

His "family secret," as his father had so bluntly put it, was their secret. Alex couldn't tell anyone. No one was supposed to find out.

More importantly, no-one cared. So why were these guys suddenly making a big deal over his treatment? It wasn't that he liked living with his father - he would gladly trade his living situation to something else - but he was certain that nothing would ever materialize, and he'd only end up punished.

"Alex, you know that if something is happening at home, you can talk to us, right?"

Why did these guys care? There was no reason for them too.. Unless they wanted to blackmail his father for money. There had been that one man who... Alex shut that thought down right there. There was nothing that he could do about that.

So what was the problem with these men? Did they want the money from his father, or something? Alex wouldn't put it past them. If they figured out what was wrong... and went to his father... Alex inwardly shuddered. It hardly mattered. The man would just buy them off... or have them relocated. Or something else.

Not paying attention, Alex tripped and fell, sprawling face down into the dirt. He groaned, his body already sore from his previous beatings and RTI training. Alex passed out.

## break ##

Eagle swore as he saw Cub (what was his real name, anyway?) trip and fall on something. On one hand, this was his chance to finally catch up with Cub. He paused, making his movements quieter as he came closer.

Cub had pulled his arm over his head, as if he was protecting himself. But he wasn't moving. Eagle frowned. He'd been desperate to get away from Eagle; what did he think Eagle was going to do? Bin him? They couldn't bin him; he was only there for temporarily. Beat him up? Eagle snorted. Wolf might be pissed at the kid, and Snake would no doubt be unhappy about being called... whatever the kid had called him, but they wouldn't beat him.

They were SAS on active duty, after all.

Gently, Eagle put his hand on Alex's shoulder. No response. Eagle lowered his head, checking for breathing. There was some breathing, so that was good. Eagle groaned as the sky became dark. The last thing he needed was to try and get out of the forest in the dark. Oh, he could do it, but it would be a pain in the ass.

He checked over Cub as best as he could. The kid had just passed out. Feeling like a complete pedophile, Eagle gently lifted his shirt. If the kid's injuries had been agitated, he needed to know. It wouldn't surprise him if he had; the kid had just taken a really bad fall.

Eagle swore softly when he glanced at the bruises. He put the shirt down, having seen way more than he'd wanted too. He had been right - there were no way those bruises were from a car. They reminded him of his own bruises from his childhood that he'd gotten.

But his father's the head of bloody MI6, Eagle. He'd take care of a problem if... Wolf's words rang in his head. Could Wolf be right? The head of MI6 surely wouldn't let someone abuse his son, right? And he certainly wouldn't abuse his son - someone would have noticed.

But what if he would? Eagle thought. And where the hell were all these scars from?

Eagle knew he needed to try and wake Cub up - they were going to have to start making their way back to the cabin, and it would be a long walk - but they had to do it. He knew the team wouldn't bother to look for them until morning. It was an unwritten rule. He sighed, wondering how to deal with this new information.

If he was right - who would believe him? Things would be a lot less complicated if his father wasn't the leader of MI6. It didn't matter, though. Eagle couldn't bear to see someone else go through what he'd been through. He'd make sure Cub got some help if there was any way possible that he could.

Now he just had to wake the kid up.

-transition-

Wolf groaned as he awoke. He checked his watch; it was four o'clock in the morning. But when nature calls, it doesn't really wait for the time. He sighed as he got up, did his business, and then made his way back to the cabin.

He froze. Eagle and Cub were still missing. He checked his watch again. The numbers 4:10 glared back at him.

Okay, now there was going to be hell to pay for the two teenage companions. (Technically, Eagle wasn't a teenager, but he sure as hell felt like it). If they were in trouble, Wolf would perhaps be a little merciful, but... He sighed as he gently shook Snake.

Snake jolted out of his sleep, his foot smashing into Wolf's back. "Wha-"

"Jesus Christ, Snake," Wolf whispered as he spat. "We've got to get up."

"What time is it? Did the sergeant plan a raid? Is RTI going on outside?" Snake asked, half-mumbling. "Did I forget to do some chore?"

"No," Wolf said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. Now he'd have to wake up Fox. "Eagle and the kid aren't back yet."

"So what do we do?" Snake asked as he pulled on a t-shirt. His bones groaned in silent protest; 4:30 in the morning was really too damn early to be up.

"Go find them before they burn down the camp," Wolf said simply, making his way towards the door.

"Wait," Snake said, grabbing his arm. Wolf turned back, sharply. He was the leader and he wasn't used to having his orders questioned. "We need a plan, or we're going to all be in trouble with the Sergeant."

"Fine," Wolf growled as he sank back to the door. "So, start talking. What's your plan?"

-break-

A/N: A double challenge this time, since I forgot last time. So how long until they find Eagle and Alex? And what will happen when they do, in fact, discover Alex's darkest secret?