A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and thanks to Jayden95 to the beta. All remaining mistakes are mine. I still don't own them. (Listen, I still haven't read Crocidile Tears and Scorpia Rising yet- so how can I have written the series?) XD

Challenge at the bottom. Hope you don't hate the cliffhanger too much... Anyway, in answer to a previous question, Mikey is the sergeant's son-Alex's new (younger) brother. He'll be showing up in the next few chapters.

Hope you all R&R and enjoy! Thanks to all who review. I will probably not be able to respond to them until I get back from NY but please take the time to review now! I do have one more chapter written... So in your review, please let me know when you'd like me to post it, and the date/time that gets the most votes wins!

Wolf sighed as he hung over his bunk. Surprisingly, the K-Unit's cabin was one of the few areas on camp that actually got cell service, and tonight Wolf planned on taking full advantage of it. He punched in a familiar number that he knew all to well, and then he waited for it to ring.

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

Once the phone picked up, Wolf heard his mother's voice answer. "Christine speaking," she said quietly.

"Mom?" Wolf said, grateful for a break early so that he could talk with his mother. While him calling her wasn't uncommon (she did need to know he was alive, after all), he found it difficult to call at other times, and as such was grateful for the chance to talk to his mother now.

The camp had gotten a break from today's activities because of the ruckus Alan Blunt had caused. Fox was using it to sleep, and Snake was perched outside reading a medical textbook he'd managed to bribe the first aid teacher into giving him. Eagle and Cub were somewhere else on another mission, something Eagle had talked to the sergeant about and gotten his approval for.

Wolf respected Cub more now. The kid had been through some serious hell, and was still ready to fight back. That didn't mean, however, that he wanted the kid following him around like a damn personal shadow. Whatever the reason that Cub had picked to follow Eagle around instead of him, Wolf was grateful for it. And deep down, Wolf knew it was because the two could get along well together, and they had one very major thing in common. They had both been abused, and they both refused to be victims of the people who had abused them.

That and they both seemed to enjoy annoying the shit out of him.

"James!" his mother said. "James, it's so good of you to call early! What's up? Are you being shipped out early?"

"No, mom," Wolf reassured her, "we still have four weeks left of our refresher training. But I wanted to call and see how things were going and – to say thanks."

"To say thank you?" his mother asked, and Wolf could picture her scratching her head.

"Yeah, Mom. I know I was a brat as a kid, but you always did me right, and let's just say we had a little… situation here at camp that made me think about just how much I appreciate you."

The silence on the phone was there only for a moment, before he heard his mother struggle to speak. "Well, then," she responded, "You're very welcome. Now, I'm guessing you're calling to tell me about this situation that you're not supposed to tell anyone else, so spill."

And Wolf did.

## transition ##

Getting permission to visit Alex's mother's grave had been easy, especially when the sergeant had found out that Alex hadn't been able to attend his mother's funeral. The sergeant had confided – to Eagle's own ears – that he wished that Alan Blunt hadn't yet left, because right now he would have loved to kill him. "How do you not allow someone to see their mother's funeral?" the sergeant had demanded angrily.

"So, this is where she was buried." It wasn't a question that Eagle was asking, but more of a matter-of-fact statement. Finding the grave had taken a little bit of detective work, because all Alex had known was the town of where she had been buried; Alan Blunt hadn't even told Alex where the graveyard was. Despite this fact, they'd been able to find the grave and there they were.

Cub nodded, sitting as he fingered the white envelope in his hand thoughtfully. "Yup," he replied. The white envelope had been given to Cub by the graveyard owner, who had also preformed Alex's mother's funeral. Apparently, the letter was to be given to Alex upon his mother's death. Alex sighed as he fidgeted, not wanting to open the letter.

"Are you going to read it?" Eagle asked, watching as Cub fingered the envelope.

"I don't know." Alex's voice became cold and detached, and Eagle sighed. It seemed that Cub, like Eagle, had problems with his mother. Although who could blame him? Eagle thought. Alex continued after a minute, his voice in a slightly lighter tone. "But, maybe, yeah. She wanted me to know. But if I faint…"

"Don't worry," Eagle replied, attempting to be joking but also be reassuring, "all SAS members are trained in first aid and CPR, and my cell phone actually gets reception out here. See? Five bars," he added, shoving the cell phone under Alex's nose.

Alex laughed, and Eagle smiled upon hearing the noise. Gently, the teenage boy pried open the contents of the envelope.

Alex,

If this letter has reached you, then I am dead. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that's our last name and if you're opening this letter you probably know by now. Unless your loving father has managed to keep it a secret from you. There are many things you need to know in life, things that I'll never get the chance to tell you, things like the "bird and the bees" talk – although I think by now you've probably had that one in school.

In all seriousness, Alex, I really am sorry for how often I've ignored you. Lately I've been starting to regret it. I've noticed the bruises you have. Please, Alex, please tell someone where they're from. I only ignore them because I can't get help for you myself. I'd love to check into a shelter, but what shelter in their right mind would accept me, wife of the head of MI6?

So many times I wished I'd given you up. Not because I hated you, but because you would have a better life. I was personally relieved when you went off to boarding school, because it got you out of your father's wrath, but I know your experiences weren't particularly pleasant there.

I hope that wherever you are now, you've found someone more caring than your father to care for you. Really, that man needs to be locked up. Not in a jail, in an insane asylum! Alex, please, whatever you do, don't get involved in the spying business; it changed your father. Don't let it change you.

There's one very important thing that I need to tell you, Alex: I'm not actually your mother. I did have a baby, but he died from birth from complications. Helen Rider – your aunt who died a few years back – had a baby who lived. She signed you over to me. I don't know why I'm mentioning this, because we're both dead. I just think you need to know your true heritage (unlike your father, who doesn't even understand what the word "heritage" means – really, he should get a dictionary.)

I hope you get your shot at a happy childhood, Alex. Even though I never showed it, I always wanted the best for you.

Your Mother

Alex sighed as he tossed the letter down into the dirt. "You aren't my mother!" he hissed, stamping his foot on the letter. He couldn't believe it – how dare she sign "mother" after revealing that Helen Rider was, indeed, his mother?

"Whoa, what's wrong, Cub?" Eagle asked.

Cub sank back down into the dirt and handed Eagle the letter. Eagle skimmed it silently, his eyes finally resting on the thing he thought bothered Alex: "Helen Rider is your mother."

"I knew it," Alex said finally. "I always knew – somehow – she really wasn't my mother. It doesn't matter though." Alex sighed as he sank even further into the dirt.

Eagle remained silent, waiting for Alex to speak.

"It doesn't matter, now, though," Alex said. He picked up the letter. "Got a lighter?"

"'Course," Eagle responded, "we can sneak them past the sergeant and they're useful for lighting firewood. Why do you think I hide them so well? Anyway, why?"

"Because this letter makes absolutely no difference to my life. I'm glad she cared for me, but I have a new family now – and I refuse to let my previous life destroy me."

Eagle handed Alex the lighter, and the boy used it to set the letter ablaze.

Alex Blunt's old life had gone up in flames, and his new life had begun.

## break ##

Somewhere, in a British jail cell…:

"Your chances of getting out don't look very good, especially since you've got so many witnesses against you. Why were you so stupid? You're the head of MI6! You're going to be lucky you're even getting a trial," Alan Blunt's lawyer angrily said. "You need to make something happen to ensure that we have a shot in the dark of success."

Alan fingered his prison I.D. thoughtfully. "How do you feel about killing?"

"I'm not opposed to it, as long as it's the death sentence," the man responded.

Blunt rolled his eyes. "Why do I pay you? Killing is a death sentence."

"You know full well what I mean," the man snapped.

"We have to do some clean-up work. I'll tell you who I need 'misplaced' until the trial, and when we win, you'll get your biggest bonus yet."

"I do so like your bonuses, Mr. Blunt. By the way, we really need to be careful about making sure no-one investigates the death of your wife. That wouldn't look very good in the trial either."

Alan nodded grimly. "I completely agree. At any rate – I believe we must plan a course of action – one against Alex and that feathered code named friend of his, Eagle. Without them, the entire case would fall…" Truth be told, he hated his child. He couldn't stand the fact that the kid got to walk around free and that he, Alan Blunt, head of MI6, was convicted. He'd always loathed Alex, simply because the boy existed. Although he never admitted it, he loved his wife and felt like Alex had taken his attention away from her. That, and he loathed children in general.

And, hell, it was fun to see how much torture Alex could withstand before collapsing... Blunt offered a devious smile as he thought about the recent events. His personal favorite memory of Alex was locking him into a closet for three days and only giving him water. The boy had been much more cooperative after that.

"What do you have in mind?" the lawyer asked.

"I don't know yet," Alan responded, "But as they say, when there's a will, there's a way, right?"

And so their discussion as to how to best kill, kidnap, threaten, or torture Eagle and Alex into silence had begun. Soon, Alex... Alan Blunt thought, soon...

-break-

A/N: Your challenge: How soon is soon? How soon will Alan Blunt be able to get out and kidnap Alex? Or will he be able to get out and kidnap Alex and/or Eagle? If he does, how long will he be able to hold them hostage, and how much will he hurt them?

When will Ian Rider show up?

Will Alan Blunt be able to escape?

Please R&R! It always motivates me to update. Let me know what you thought, and if you have spare time respond to the challenges! Also, don't forget to vote for when the next chapter should be updated! Hit that button!