Note: Thank you all for your fabulous reviews, they made me smile! :) I'm glad the last update turned out well for you guys. Now, I know I've said this before, but this particular chapter was hard for me to write. I kept editing and editing and editing and still it doesn't feel perfect. Nevertheless, it's good enough to publish :D

Chapter Eight – Dulce Bellum Inexpertis (War Is Sweet to Those Who Have Never Fought)

-Alex-

If there was another thing I had learned about Addie upon arriving here, it was where she got her stubbornness and temper. Never had I experienced the modern fear of my full name crossing a parent's lips or having limited privileges, but it was hard to imagine that now. When Margot was furious, it was nothing the teen books and movies described.

The family room was dead with silence. Addie and I sat on the loveseat while Margot, Joseph, Ben, and David stood before us wearing various expressions of disappointment and anger. There were two more people, a man and a woman. The man couldn't have been any more than a few years older than Addie and me and he struck me as cocky with the amused look on his face. The woman, on the other hand, appeared to be middle-aged with a short black bob and harsh features. They must have been Brian James and Julia Stark, the rest of the unit.

I remembered the day Margot had been in an argument with David. She'd been yelling and I was sure something had been thrown before Addie had arrived. Now, with her kind face disturbed with stress, she was eerily quiet. After getting in the car, Addie had asked what was wrong but she hadn't received an answer.

"Well?"

I glanced up. David's dark hair was untidy and his arms were crossed. I didn't know what he was talking about and by the silence and discomfort emanating from Addie next to me, she didn't either.

"Do either of you have any idea what you've done wrong?" David went on. He looked back and forth between us. "Or need I remind you that you're still recovering from multiple injuries and a broken leg?"

"My leg?" Addie asked. Her eyebrows knitted together. "Is that what this is about? Are you worried that—"

"Worried?" Margot started towards her daughter. "Addie, you had us going insane not answering your phone. You can't send me a text like that and expect me to just let you two go dawdling off! You're still on crutches—what if something happened to you?"

I closed my eyes and let out a mental sigh. Of course that was what this was about. Neither of us had taken our phones off silent after that physics test and I hadn't made sure Addie properly notified her mother. Hell, I shouldn't have let her leave at all.

"Dawdling? Mom, we were just going to get some ice cream! Besides, if something had happened, Alex would let you know."

Margot glared. "Really? The closest place to get ice cream is McDonald's and you were walking in the opposite direction. How do you expect me to believe that?"

"What if something happened to both of you?" Joseph intervened. His jaw was set and his eyes were hard with displeasure.

"You guys are overreacting!" Addie protested. "I'm fully capable of walking a little more distance than you think…" Then she gave up, obviously too frustrated to speak anymore.

I wanted to say something but I was at loss for words. I didn't want to take Addie's side and upset her parents, but I didn't want to do it the other way around either. In fact, I was starting to realize that what I'd originally thought would be just a nice walk with ice cream had turned into something completely different.

"We'll talk about this later, Addie. Now go upstairs," Margot ordered, pointing up the staircase.

Addie looked offended. "What? Mom, I'm not nine years old—"

"I don't care how old you are, Agent Daniels. Go upstairs." For some reason, the formal address sounded more frightening than her full name. It did the trick though because she threw a poisonous glare at each of the adults and headed towards the stairs. Eventually a slam shook the house.

It was silent again while Margot sat down heavily onto an armchair, burying her face in her hands. Ben took over this time, stepping nearer. "And what about you, Alex? What happened to keeping her safe?"

"Nothing happened," I answered calmly. "I was by her side the whole time and nothing so much as a fly attacked her."

"That's not the point," he snapped while James made what sounded like a disbelieving snort. "The point is that you didn't even bother to check your cell phone while you were taking a fanciful walk on a beautiful afternoon. The point is that you aren't supposed to go anywhere without getting approval from Addie's parents and ourselves."

I shook my head. "What about the swim meet? We were allowed to go to that."

"Yes," said Margot, "but that was before someone had broken into Addie's room."

Okay. I'd gotten something wrong. They were right. But one of the things I hated most about mistakes was how people dwelled on them, especially when they were my own screw-ups. I could get lost in my feelings of guilt thinking about Jack Starbright and my parents and my uncle, but when others went too far into the guilt trip, it bothered me. I didn't need anyone reminding me of what I should've or shouldn't have done.

"At least Addie sent you a text at all," I retorted, trying to keep the annoyance out of my tone.

"But she didn't say where you two were going," Ben pointed out. He was more than disappointed; I could see that on his face. "You didn't think to let us know even when Addie didn't."

"It never crossed my mind."

"It never crossed your mind," he repeated with disgust.

David began pacing back and forth in front of me. "I had to call in Brian and Julia when Margot told me you weren't answering your phones," he said, gesturing to the man and woman behind him. Oh. So they were the rest of Addie's unit. "You know what the first thing all of us thought? We thought Castillo had gotten to you. For all we knew, he could've sent that text himself just to throw us off. But no." He shook his head. "This isn't a joke to us. We're taking every precaution we can to make sure Addie is safe. And you were the first one."

"Don't let us think we made a mistake bringing you here, Alex." I looked at Ben. He thought I was letting him down… Most importantly, he thought I was letting Addie down.

My hands clenched into fists. I'd decided to let them say whatever they needed to if it meant finally leaving the subject alone. I didn't feel like fighting back but I didn't feel like being patronized either. "If you're so worried about her, why don't you pull her out of school? Why don't you put her on house arrest?"

"Because she'd know what's going on," Stark said. Her voice was low and almost expressionless. It was the first time she'd spoken. "Addie's a very smart but stubborn girl. You could say that what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

I'd had enough. "And how is that working out for you?" I was careful to direct my words at David and Addie's parents. A gasp escaped Margot's lips as I pushed through them and went up the stairs.

The last thing I heard before coming to my room was David calling for me and Ben telling him to let me go.

I flopped onto the bed facedown. What was wrong with me? Acting like a child… I'd never meant to upset anyone. I might have resolved that I'd protect Addie… but at what cost? I couldn't make every decision for her if that was what her parents and David wanted. That was the last thing someone like her would let anyone do.

One quick glance at my phone sent guilt washing through me. There were twenty-three missed calls and fifteen text messages, all from Margot, Joseph, David, and Ben. There were voicemails too, but from the look of the angry and frantic texts, they were probably worse. With a sigh, I stood up, mentally formulating an apology.

"Alex?"

Addie was at the door that I hadn't bothered to close, leaning on the frame. Her eyes were full of frustration and exhaustion, sparkling with faint tears. "Were you on your way out?" I shook my head and gestured for her to take a seat in the chair at the desk. After closing the door behind her, she sat down, twisting the ring on her finger and biting her lip. Then she raised her eyes to mine.

"I can't believe it. My parents have never been like this, not even when I was twelve and I ran away because they wouldn't let me go to Las Vegas for a karate tournament."

"You ran away?"

She shrugged. "I was only gone for a day." Then she tilted her head, staring at me. Before I could ask if there was something on my face, she asked, "Did they yell at you? Blame you for letting me walk so far?"

"Sort of." I could see that she was probably going to want every detail and I didn't feel like lying, so I changed the subject. "You get that cast off really soon, though."

"True," was all she said, nothing more. "You ought to come to a kickboxing session with me and Arianna. It's a real stress reliever. I could use it right now. Besides, I'd like to see what you can do."

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I don't know. After what just happened, I don't think we'll be going anywhere anytime soon." I watched her deflate at that, the smile fading from her face. "They just want you to be safe. If you want that leg to heal correctly, you have to let it be. Don't strain yourself."

Addie raised a brow and replied, "Either you've been paying attention during my therapy sessions or you've broken something yourself."

I've been more than broken.

"Well, that and common sense. What makes you think I've broken something? Have I got a limb bent at the wrong angle?" I said innocently and looked down at myself, stretching my arms and legs out.

She didn't laugh. Her eyes were still scrutinizing me. "You've accomplished so much," she said in a small voice. It sounded like she was talking to herself. "And yet you're here… alive." Looking back down at her ring, Addie sighed heavily. "If only I'd done things as big as you have… maybe my parents wouldn't be so fearful and paranoid."

"I don't think that would change their concern for you, Addie." Was she really saying what I thought she was saying? "And saving the world? It's certainly not as fun and exciting as the James Bond films."

"But aren't you glad? Aren't you ever relieved to have found a way to stop all those criminals and murderous plans?"

Now that she had mentioned it, I hadn't even been thinking about that. I could only think of the times I'd basically been given no choice between my life and MI6. I was thinking of all the horrors and deaths no ordinary person had ever seen in the span of a few years. But then, that was it, wasn't it? I wasn't ordinary. And I could never bring myself to truly believe it. "Well yes. There's that too," I answered absent-mindedly.

Addie made a sound and I glanced up. I was startled to find that her face was one of utter astonishment. "Are you telling me you don't care that you save lives?"

"What? No, that's not what I mean."

"Then what is it? 'Cause I can see that there's something that bothers you about all these dangerous missions that you do."

Addie didn't know. She didn't know anything about my past with MI6 and that was obvious from the disbelief and irritation radiating from her. She didn't understand. "You don't understand," I began. I stopped for a moment, hearing my own impatience. "MI6 used me. They almost never gave me a chance at a normal life. I was only fourteen when they first sent me on a mission! I've seen things worse than your childhood nightmares…" And so I told her everything I could… almost. I did my best to recount most of the memories of the sick-minded people and their mad plans to destroy half the world. It all came rushing out; I realized that I'd been eager to tell someone else about the things I locked away. Her face remained stoic though and I didn't understand why. "Honestly, this is why I can't stand MI6. This is why I'm not the same Alex Rider I was four years ago." I waited for her response.

"How are you not grateful for succeeding these missions, let alone having the chance to do them? I've been waiting for something as big as what you've done," Addie said, waving a hand towards me.

"It's not as wonderful as you think it is," I argued. "Haven't you listened to a word I've said?" Without hesitation, I yanked up the front of my shirt and pointed at my heart where the gunshot wound gleamed against my skin. "This is what happens when you're a spy and people want you dead."

Addie stared at me. "I know. My brother was a spy."

I lowered my shirt. I hadn't meant to be insensitive. "What I mean is… if MI6 hadn't manipulated me, if they'd—oh, I don't know—given me some time to be a teenager, maybe things would be different. As a fourteen-year-old schoolboy, I wasn't looking forward to every disaster I encountered. I wasn't even trying to brag to my friends that I was a spy."

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? I thought I told you exactly why I risk my life. It has less to do with my reputation than it does with helping the world and making my brother proud. I don't sulk around whining about wanting to be an ordinary kid. I don't know about you, but I would rather be extraordinary for what I do."

I felt anger bubbling up in my chest and there was nothing to stop it. How had things turned so quickly? I could barely answer my own question with the frustration biting at me. We were misunderstanding each other and it felt like there was no way to settle it. "Well I'm glad to hear that the CIA has been good to you." We both had been driven by different things to go on missions and save the day. Unlike Addie, I'd been driven by blackmail and manipulation.

"Is there no one to be proud of you for what you do? Aren't your friends? Your family?"

Hurt seared through me. "My friends care for me but as for being proud of what I do? I don't do anything for MI6 anymore." At least I hadn't until you came along.

"Really? Why are you here then?" Addie glared at me. "I thought you were supposed to be taking down an international criminal. Or is there something I should know?"

"What you should know is that I was brought here against my will," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm here because MI6 told me I had to be. That's why I wanted nothing to do with them."

"Why?" Addie glared at me. "Is it because you're tired of them 'ruining your life'?"

"My life was ruined the moment I was told my uncle died in a car crash!" I nearly shouted, jumping to my feet. I barely noticed her eyes widen as I continued, "My life was already ruined when I found out he worked as a spy for MI6, when I found out that he'd been shot and the crash was a ruse. My life has been ruined since then and I've tried to put my past behind me."

I breathed heavily as Addie stared at me. My heart was pounding and I had the urge to throw something. "The last thing I've wanted was another mission, another thing to remember every time I look in the mirror. This is exactly what that is. And I regret it… I regret all of it."

Pain flashed across her face but it did nothing to calm my frayed nerves. Her voice trembled the slightest bit as she said, "You know what sucks the most about thinking you've met someone you might relate to? The one thing that you may have in common turns out to be the one thing that sets you apart. Because we're nothing alike."

I could feel the vibrations through the floor as she banged the door behind her. It was odd—as mature as she sometimes appeared to be, she had a childish knack for door-slamming. Shaking the offhand observation from my head, I went to my bed and lay down. I stared at the ceiling and I couldn't help but hear Addie's voice.

Because we're nothing alike.

Over and over again.

Because we're nothing alike.

Nothing.

Nothing.

We didn't speak the next day. Our exchanges were usually "Pass the corn, please" or "David is picking us up today." In other words, we didn't say a thing unless it was absolutely necessary. Addie's parents didn't seem to have caught on because Addie was ignoring them as well.

It seemed like everyone was giving everyone the cold shoulder. It didn't matter who picked us up from school—whether it was Margot, Joseph, or David, the car was always silent. The few times they ever spoke to me sounded normal although I knew nothing was settled between any of us. Even people at school had noticed. I remembered Arianna and Kylie pulling Addie into a corner (none too discreetly) to have what I thought had to be "girl talk." I didn't know if she'd told them the truth or a variation of it but either way, no one was giving me the evil eye. Yet.

The way Addie acted towards me was downright cold. She never looked me straight in the eye and whenever she spoke to me, her gaze was somewhere else. Her voice might have sounded normal to a stranger but it was like she was talking to someone other than me. Part of me wanted to apologize but another said no; if we were going to speak again, the effort would have to be mutual and not one-sided. I wasn't the only one at fault.

That night, when we were having dinner, there was a phone call. The four of us had been silently eating casserole dishes of moussaka (Margot had decided it was Greek Thursday) when the house phone rang. Margot went to answer it and I watched as her face paled slightly. Her eyes darted toward me and when she met my gaze, she turned away, speaking quickly into the receiver before hanging up.

I'd been the only one who'd noticed; Joseph and Addie were busy eating. Margot sat down and seemed to pick at her casserole before she decided to speak. "Alex, David and Ben will be here in a few minutes. They'd like to take you to headquarters." Addie had been in the process of cutting her food but stopped at her mother's words.

"What for?" I asked.

"You'd have to ask them." Margot didn't look at me and turned to Addie. "Did you want anymore?"

She shoved the last bite into her mouth before standing. "No. I've lost my appetite."

They arrived just as we'd finished dinner and I left the house without saying goodbye. The sun was just beginning to set behind the houses across the street while the bluish gray sky bled into a reddish orange as it touched the horizon. I got inside the Chevrolet, greeted by a stony silence colder than the night air. David and Ben were in the front, staring straight ahead.

"I'm leaving Addie," I said, then realized how strange it sounded coming out of my mouth.

"Her parents won't let her out of their sight," David answered from the driver's seat.

I looked out of the window as we drove away and was able to catch a glimpse of one of the windows on the second floor. Addie's lights were on and I could see her moving around behind the closed curtains. I thought about the previous night and something in me stirred, making me wonder if this mission was starting to become more than just saving someone's life to me.

Note: Yes, I had difficulty with Alex and Addie's fight. I didn't want one character to be completely bashing the other. I wanted them both to share faults and misunderstandings, blah blah. I needed some character development and boy did things develop haha. You probably anticipated something different when you read the cliff hanger in the last update but I do hope this made up for it!

I promise that there is action coming and more good stuff! Especially in the next few updates... (;