Warnings: Language.
Disclaimer: This is a work of FanFiction using characters from the Alex Rider series, intellectual property and copyright of Anthony Horowitz.
Alex hesitated with his hand half way to the door before he tapped against it gently. He waited patiently, knowing Ben's car was parked on the road just behind him and he saw a shadowy figure moving its way towards the door through the frosted panel. He took a deep breath when he heard the deadlock being taken off to see surprised brown eyes look out through the opening at him.
Alex didn't immediately move when the door was pulled open and he saw Ben give him a questioning look that he shook his head too and walked in the door.
"Welcome back," Ben greeted with a smile. Alex felt his frown increase and he nodded once.
"I forgot my keys," Alex commented offhandedly. Ben gave him a look that said he knew better than that, before he gestured to the kitchen.
"Coffee?" Ben offered, Alex pinched his lips together and shook his head quickly. "Course work again?"
"Yes," Alex returned calmly as he walked towards the stairs. He heard Ben sigh behind him and Alex turned when he was a couple of steps up the staircase. "What?"
"Nothing," Ben said simply as he pushed the front door closed and dead locked it again. Alex watched him walk back towards the kitchen with a curious look before Ben turned and he wiped the expression clean off his face once again. "Something is different with you."
"I'm not working," Alex said with a lazy smirk. Ben gave him a sarcastic nod and Alex scowled. "Why can't you just stop with the questions?"
"Why can't you just answer them?" Ben countered with an amused smile. Alex glared at him.
"Would you if I started poking questions at you?"
"No, but then I'm not the one acting like an ass," Ben returned with a shrug. Alex tensed at that and raised an eyebrow at him. Ben just took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Is it worth me asking where you were?"
"No," Alex returned simply. Ben took another deep breath and nodded. He pulled a phone from his pocket and held it out. Alex looked at it, recognising the unit as the same used by MI6. "It's tracked?"
"If I say yes, you'll just leave it here," Ben said with a smirk. Alex looked at the phone in his hand warily. "But no it's not."
"Smithers?" Alex asked cautiously. Ben nodded and Alex reached a hesitant hand out for it. "Why did you bother?"
"Why shouldn't I? I assume you have people you want to get in touch with," Ben responded calmly. Alex weighed the item in his hand experimentally before he looked back at Ben with a frown. He wondered to himself why he would need the device, and what Ben wanted for arranging him to have a new one made by Smithers. He knew he gave Ben a badly concealed suspicious look amidst his frown when the man raised an eyebrow at him. He silently cursed himself before he looked away. Ben took a step towards him with a curious expression.
"And that look was for what?" Ben asked cautiously. Alex snapped his eyes back to him with a resilient expression and Ben held up his hands in surrender at the obvious defiance. "Fine."
"Good," Alex said dully. He tucked the phone into his pocket with a lingering look at Ben before he jogged up the rest of the stairs and into his room before he could let anything else involuntarily slip. Alex leant his back against the door and to sit down on the plush blue carpet before he rolled his head back against the wood. He pulled the phone out of his pocket with a sigh and turned the unit on. Of course Tom, Sabina and Ben's numbers were on there, he paused on the main dial number for the Royal & General before he swore to himself and pushed delete quickly. He threw the phone onto his bed with another tired sigh leaving his mouth and ducked his head against his chest.
That first interaction with Ben hadn't been exactly what he was planning after staying the last week in a hotel to clear his mind, in fact it was a long way off. Alex felt annoyance well up in him, both at himself and at Ben for not just being another person he could shake off with a scowl or smug smirk and his fists clenched at his sides. He thumped the floor beside him and froze when he realised that it would be heard below him. He held his breath, waiting to see if there would be a shout up the stairs and sure enough within 20 seconds there was a quiet knock on the door behind him. Alex took a deep breath.
"What?" he asked loudly. He heard a shuffling of feet outside the door.
"Alright?"
"Fine," Alex responded tersely. He thought there would be something else said after that and he waited, keeping his breathing quiet and not moving an inch until he heard the lounge door downstairs close and he leant his head back against the door again as he shut his eyes.
"Just leave me alone," Alex whispered into the darkness behind his eyes as he felt his mind drift into sleep where he was sat.
Ben eased the key into the door with a glance back at the road to see Wolf's car was missing from the normal parking spot. He pushed the door open and Eagle's head peered round from the lounge, the red haired man's face split into a grin.
"Alright Benjy?"
"All good. How's things?" Ben asked as he slid his trainers off and dropped his gym bag on the floor by them. Eagle shrugged and Ben walked towards the lounge.
"Same shit, different day," Eagle said offhandedly. "You know how it is."
Snake looked up from the armchair where he was reading a book when Ben entered with a curious expression, "He back yet?"
"Yes," Ben responded with a shrug. Eagle snapped his head round to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Seven days."
"Rather you than me," Eagle commented with an amused expression, "Did you find out why?"
"Of course not," Ben returned as he flopped on the sofa. "I gave him a phone when he got back, it literally took 10 minutes to get him to even hold the damn thing."
Eagle laughed, "Was it a brick?"
"That's the thing, it was a phone made by the damn gadget guy at MI6. Top of the range everything. His first question: Is it tracked?" Ben exclaimed with a groan, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Snake had a small smirk on his face and Ben gave him a pointed look. "It's not funny."
"It really is," Snake said after a short pause as he closed his book and put it on the table by the side of him. "Do you remember how long it took us to get talking?"
"Not long," Ben responded. "But then we had the army in common."
"Yes. What do you have in common with Cub?"
"Nothing really," Ben returned slowly. Snake gave him an exasperated look. "Alright, work."
"Yeah and what do you work as?" Snake questioned slowly. Ben rolled his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes. It makes you look exactly like the teenager you've been talking about the last two weeks."
Eagle let out a bark of laughter and Ben looked at him with a smirk. Eagle just copied the action and Ben let out a huff of laughter as Snake groaned. "I can't have a serious conversation with you in the room Derek."
"Sorry," Eagle said quickly. "Ben just looks so pissed off. I find it quite entertaining."
"Glad someone does," Ben muttered as Eagle stood up and picked up the coffee mugs. The red head held them up and Ben nodded for one being made for him before he looked at Snake with a deep breath.
"That hot headed streak is going to be your undoing with this situation," Snake commented with a shrug as he leant back in his chair. Ben looked away and took another deep breath.
"He won't answer even one question Quinn. I'm good with people, but one sided conversations don't work too well," Ben explained carefully. Snake gave him an amused look and Ben felt a scowl move onto his face. Snake's look if anything only grew more amused and Ben groaned as he leant back in the chair. "Yeah alright I get it."
"If he won't answer a question, don't ask him any," Snake said carefully as he leant forwards and twisted his fingers together. "You just got to learn how to get around him without asking much."
"How? I don't know-"
"You do know him. You know him enough to know that he is currently doing an arrogant teenager act," Snake insisted. "You also know him well enough to be able to function on assignments. So what's different outside of them?"
"He is!" Ben exclaimed with a foot kicking the coffee table in frustration, "On assignments he is quiet and somewhat funny, he's actually pretty decent to work with. This though? It's like he's doing it just to bloody annoy me."
"He's playing you," Eagle said as he walked in with the coffee cups. Ben looked up at him quickly and Eagle grinned. "I used to do it all the time."
"You don't have too-"
"You need me too. I'm the closest one in family situation to him," Eagle said as he gave Snake a mug of coffee and sat down on the sofa the other end of Ben with a smirk. "If he has no one, which I'm guessing he doesn't if he's saying with you."
Ben hesitated before he nodded, "Go on."
"He's acting like a fucker right?" Eagle asked. Ben nodded once. "Yeah he's doing it to get you to back off. I mean I wasn't a spy obviously, but meeting new people was just like "what the fuck do you want from me?" until I joined the Army. I can only imagine how much his uh, work has contributed to that on top."
"Well that explains the phone thing," Ben said carefully, Eagle nodded his agreement and Ben took a sip of his coffee with a frown. "How do I fix it?"
"You don't," Eagle said simply as he leant back in with seat with a smirk, "If you get on alright on assignments, it'll work out eventually but it's not a slow process or anything. You have to wait for him to come to you and just be there when he wants too."
"Well, that is going to be infuriating," Ben muttered as he edged a look at Eagle. "You don't like talking about this."
"Not particularly," Eagle admitted. "But it kind of needs to be said, otherwise he is going to drive you barmy and as your best mate, I'd be a bit of a twat for saying nothing."
Ben nodded once and looked at Snake who was sat with a small smile on his face. "What do you think?"
"I think Derek is the best person you can speak to right now to at least get a starting point," Snake responded slowly before he looked at the red haired man with a wry smile. "Who knew you had a brain?"
Eagle laughed and took a sip from his drink. "Now you're just being generous. So what do you want to know?"
"Anything that can get him to stop this shit," Ben sighed. Eagle smirked and shook his head with a knowing look. "Then just anything I can do to speed it up?"
"Act like you do normally and if he does anything odd, try not to question it," Eagle said with a shrug. "Unless something drastic happens, there's not really anyway you can speed it up."
"Define drastic?" Ben asked with a smirk. Eagle gave him an amused look.
"Something that catches him off guard or breaks his poise."
"A broken Alex," Ben murmured to himself as he thought over is words he felt a twitch at the side of his lips. "It's twisted, but I find that thought to be terrifying and amusing at the same time."
"Why?" Snake asked. Ben just shook his head.
"Because he'd be so fucking dangerous you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it, except laugh."
Alex stretched out his tired muscles as he ducked into one of the college bathrooms and clicked the door closed behind him after he'd checked the room was empty. He pulled the football shirt from over his head with a sigh and looked in the mirror that ran across the wall over the sinks at his reflection.
He'd removed the bandage from his neck and tilted his head to look at the blue stitches from where the knife had been run over it and the yellow, purple tint from bruising still lingered in places on his chest and face. Alex grabbed his bag from where he'd placed it on the side and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic to clean the small splits in skin carefully as a precaution, getting sick now would put him at a most awkward place with his roommate. Alex acknowledged the fact things were somewhat tense in his situation with Ben right now and he knew that those small moments where they managed to exchange more than just a couple of words were amicable.
Alex leant forward, towards the mirror and poked at the darkest markings on his face. It wasn't caused by someone's fist though and tentatively he poked underneath his eyes with a sigh. He wondered to himself how long this whole situation would hold up with this feeling of lethargy he was currently feeling.
He wasn't stupid enough to believe it was just his insistence at getting back to this part of his life that was causing this amount of tiredness. The tension from the entire situation had already seeped into him, making every interaction feel like a chore when he couldn't sleep for any regular amount of time as he caught up on school work and made sure to avoid those awkward questions from Ben.
Alex unwound the bandage over his chest with practiced ease as he thought about how annoying it was in the man's presence. Alex's carefully arranged thoughts and plans for conversations being over turned when he let a little of the emotion slip or Ben picked up on something about his character that he hadn't known. He hid it well, Alex acquiesced mentally, and he knew Ben was trying to be somewhat discrete but Alex himself turned and ran a mile before it could even play out. He placed the bandage down on the side and poked the stitching over where the most bullet wound was with careful fingers. Strangely, he thought through a sleep deprived brain, it didn't hurt like he was expecting it too. It was just somewhat sore and he tipped some of the antiseptic fluid onto a swab before he took a deep breath and went about cleaning himself up somewhat after the two hour long football practice he'd just pushed himself through.
He froze when he heard the handle being pulled on as he re-wrapped the bandage and he finished the last couple of wraps before tying it off roughly and grabbing his regular clothes from his bag when he heard male talking from outside.
"Bogs are closed!" Alex felt his lips twitch at the sides as he pulled the shirt over his head at one of his teammates complaining. Alex snagged the jeans with a quick hand and pulled them over his feet before there was a response.
"Again?" Another voice called back. Alex stopped for a second when he recognised the voice of one of the remaining students from his senior years of secondary school. "Two guesses who is in there."
Alex sighed as he heard Richard Aston laugh and he pulled his jeans up to his waist and did them up quickly. He shoved his training clothes back in his bag with one hand and placed the antiseptic bottle back on top of the bags contents before he swung the backpack onto his shoulder. He paused with his hand on the lock and took a deep breath before he clicked it open. Richard turned to look at the door with a surprised face that slipped into a smirk.
"Rider. Figured as much." Richard commented confidently. Alex raised an eyebrow at him before Richard turned to the other two boys from the football team. "What do you boys reckon?"
"Who cares?" Cole replied with a short nod of greeting at Alex. For all his height and brawn, Cole was in fact one of the calmer boys on the team. Alex had never had an issue with the guy, they weren't friends as such, just more people that played in a team together. Alex silently thanked the guy who had decided to attend Brookland as the group turned and walked towards the door. "Come on Richie. We're going to the pub."
"Have fun," Alex said with a smirk. He didn't miss the scowl Richard had on his face as the two boys he was with bid him a farewell until the next training session and Alex affixed a scowl on his own face towards Richard before he turned and walked after the pair. Alex didn't move when he heard footsteps behind him and he turned his head with a raised eyebrow to see their newest coach, Sam Foray, walking towards him with an amused expression.
"A word Rider," He said calmly. Alex hesitated and the man gestured for a door to his left. "Now."
Alex eased the backpack on his shoulder and arranged a familiar smirk on his face as he walked towards the coach. Alex didn't miss the man's calm eyes watching him as he moved and he knew that the side favour he was giving had been picked up, Alex immediately sat in one of the seats without being asked to do as such as the door was pushed closed behind him. Foray let out a small laugh and pulled the whistle over his head and placed it on the desk before he sat down.
"How was training?" Foray asked calmly. Alex raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "It's time for you to level with me."
"About what?" Alex asked simply. Foray leant forwards over his desk with a light frown on his forehead.
"About how much pain you were in running sprints. About why you were actually away for so many weeks," Foray said simply.
"A bit of pain is expected. It's nothing I can't handle."
"And where you actually were?" Foray asked. Alex pinched his lips together.
"In hospital recovering from a motorbike accident," Alex returned with a smirk forming on his face as the coach showed complete disbelief in the story. "I'd be careful what you are asking."
"And why is that?" Foray asked as he leant back in his chair. Alex gave him a raised eyebrow look that made his smirk grow bigger.
"You might not like the answer," Alex returned calmly. Foray let out a laugh and he shook his head.
"You never cease to amaze me Rider," Foray admitted with a smile. "I am not sure what it is you get up too outside of this building and quite frankly, I don't care either."
"And yet you still ask."
"You are one of my best players. I'm not particularly keen on you disappearing without a word for a few weeks," Foray returned with a look that knew he was suspicious of activities, Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. "I've heard the rumours that Aston in particular is keen on divulging."
"Aston is a twat," Alex commented. Foray made a non-committal gesture with his hands.
"Maybe but rest assured, I am not believing them. You have the poise and self-control of people I once knew from my time in the Marines," Foray explained. Alex felt the hint of surprise on his face and Foray responded with his own smirk. "No need to be surprised."
"Consider me intrigued, not surprised," Alex commented offhandedly. "What do you want?"
"I want to know you can handle the crap Aston is going to throw at you when I swap you with him in a couple of weeks," Foray said simply. Alex felt the smirk come onto his face for real this time.
"I don't think I'll have too many problems," Alex returned confidently. Foray narrowed his eyes slightly before he nodded.
"Good. One final thing," Foray said slowly. "You aren't planning on going for another motorbike ride before the final are you?"
Alex couldn't help the laugh that left his mouth at the coach's words and he shook his head. "Not planning on it."
"Good," Foray agreed as he picked up his whistle with one hand. Alex picked up his bag from the floor, swinging it onto one shoulder easily as he turned for the door. "Rider?" Alex turned with a raised eyebrow to see Foray leant back in his chair with a somewhat humoured expression on his face. "I've taught many students, in many different areas but very few manage to leave the impression on me you have. You make sure you keep that chin up."
Alex swallowed heavily at those words as the coach stood up from his chair. "Yes Sir."
"It's Sam," Foray returned. Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "My name is Sam. Don't call me Sir."
"Okay," Alex agreed with a somewhat confused tone. "And was that all you wanted Sam?"
"For today," Foray agreed with a short nod that Alex recognised as being a formal greeting. Alex narrowed his eyes before he reciprocated the gesture and walked out of the office without looking back.
Ben stopped as he went to put the front door key into the lock when he caught sight of the TV being on from inside, he peered through the window with a frown before he opened the door quickly. Snake walked in directly behind him and Ben didn't bother to kick his shoes off before he poked his head into the lounge, he let out a sigh at Alex who was asleep on the sofa with a course book open in front of him and a half written page of notes on his notepad. He glanced at Snake and pushed a finger to his lips as he slid his shoes off and stepped into the lounge. Snake appeared at the doorway with his face showing understanding as Ben moved the textbook and notepad off the sofa and placed them on the coffee table as silently as possible. Ben gestured to the kitchen, Snake nodded as he ducked back out of the room and eased the door closed after him. Ben frowned as Alex stirred when the door clicked closed and he crept out of the room quickly, pulling the slide doors across with a cringe at the sound they made. Snake turned with two coffees in his hand and placed them on the table before taking a seat.
"Ever repeat this and I'll kill you, but if my kids end up asleep on their homework like that, I'll be a very proud Dad for their efforts."
Ben gave a small huff of laughter and took a sip of his coffee with a frown. "I never know if I should wake him up. It can't be comfortable."
"If he's at his desk then yeah. On the sofa? Nah," Snake responded quickly. "Sleeping on a desk will hurt. Especially with the soreness he's got to have right now."
Ben leant back in his chair with a sigh. "He's absolutely battered. I figured they wouldn't have just given him tea and biscuits, but he didn't know anything about the operation."
"Who knows. Maybe he'll tell you one day," Snake responded with a sip from his own drink. "Did you find out what was wrong with him?"
"Nah. I have a meeting with Jones tomorrow to clear up some of the last pieces of crap. He's been okay though, bit slow and tired looking, but not as bad as the day he discharged himself," Ben explained in a calm tone. "He's surprised me if I'm being honest. It's like he just wanted to get back to civvy life."
"Maybe he did," Snake acknowledged. "He's still young. You're probably the closest person his age he's likely to meet on our side of the line at this level."
Ben hummed his agreement and turned his eyes to the door when the sound of the TV went off. Snake gave him a questioning look that he shook his head in response to as the doors slid open from the lounge and Alex yawned as he walked through rubbing his head with a frown.
"Alright?" Ben asked in a quiet calm tone. Alex stopped dead and looked at him before his eyes flickered to Snake and back again. Alex nodded and walked to the cupboard that had the mugs in, he pulled the largest one that Ben had already figured to make sure was washed up each morning and tipped himself a drink before he turned to look back at the table.
"Hello Snake," Alex said simply, his expression was plain and his eyes not showing he was asleep a few minutes ago.
"Had a fight with Mike Tyson?" Snake asked in his normal placid tone with a dry smirk as he took a drink from his own coffee. Ben tilted his head to one side as Alex let out a huff of laughter.
"It was pretty one sided," Alex acknowledged with an assessing look towards the Scot before he looked at Ben. "Are you seeing Jones soon?"
"Yeah," Ben agreed as he pulled his phone out. "Tomorrow afternoon. You need anything?"
"Laptop," Alex responded with a shrug. "And an appointment to be cleared to drive."
"Already?" Ben asked cautiously. Alex tensed before a smirk appeared on his face. "Alright I'll ask. Need a lift to the hospital?"
"It's a ten minute walk away," Alex stated with a carefully arranged disdainful expression. Ben levelled him an easy smile, so different from the plain faced expression he would have given prior to the numerous conversations with the others, and Alex narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously for the effort. Snake was looking between them with an amused expression and Alex looked at the medic with an assessing look, Ben knew what was coming.
"How's the shoulder?" Alex asked with a smirk. Ben glanced at Snake to see he'd tensed and the medic shrugged it out quickly.
"Better thanks," Snake returned in his normal placid tone. "Good eye."
"Remember it," Alex commented dismissively as he walked out of the room with his cup in hand. Ben waited until he heard the bedroom door closed upstairs as Snake glanced at the ceiling and shook his head with a small chuckle.
"Well I'll consider that my warning," Snake said with an exaggerated incredulous face. Ben laughed gently. "He does that to you?"
"All the time. Think I should get you all over, will give me a night off."
"It's just him letting you know not to underestimate him. Besides I'm working with Wolf at the moment, I don't think you want to put them together for a few days at least," Snake explained as he placed his mug down on the table. Ben cringed slightly and the medic gave him a small smile. "It's got to be sorted."
"Yeah I know," Ben agreed he glanced up at the ceiling, he looked back at Snake to see careful eyes watching him. "What?"
"It's normal. Remember how cagey we were towards him? He's an operative not a normal teenager, however much he manages to act like one," Snake advised. Ben nodded his agreement and took a long drink from his mug in thought.
"He didn't like the casual approach."
"Casual approach is personal. It will disconcert him more than you acting like an agent," Snake said with a shrug. "He'll deal with it in his own way. I would already say he did."
"His tone changed," Ben agreed. "I wonder how many of these different faces he has."
"Regardless, he's still just one person behind them all- " Snake stopped when there was a knock on the door and looked into the hall behind him. "You expecting someone?"
"No," Ben replied as he stood up, he grabbed the weapon from the table that Sheath had dropped off for his guests protection and he slid the safety off and tucked it into the belt at his jeans before he slid the jacket back over the top. He heard Snake stand up behind him as he walked into the hall and up to the front door. Ben took a deep breath as he pulled the door open to see three people that rung a vague memory in his mind on the doorstep.
"Hello," He said with a calm tone and small smile as he looked each one over carefully, eyes stopping on the dark haired young woman that looked at him curiously behind wet green eyes. He moved his eyes back to the man stood slightly ahead of the other two.
"We're looking for Alex," The man said, he had a slight hint of an American accent on the vowels and Ben gave him a careful eye.
"And you are?"
"Edward Pleasure. He was our ward," Edward explained quickly in a somewhat annoyed tone. Ben frowned and his eyes flicked upstairs. He made a phone gesture to Snake behind the door and he heard the medic move behind him. Ben stood to one side.
"Come in. I'll get him."
Ben showed them into the lounge where the older woman he assumed was Edwards wife sat down hesitantly and the other two stayed stood up. He gave them a confident smile before he turned back into the hall. Snake handing him his phone discretely. Ben leant towards him with a frown. "Can you grab them a drink or whatever? I just want to clear this."
"Course," Snake agreed as he walked into the lounge with a smile on his face. Ben dialled the familiar number and heard the offer of coffee declined as he walked up the stairs. He gave his agent details when they were asked for after just one ring and he was put through to Jones.
"The Pleasures. Who are they?"
"They are there?"
"Yes," Ben responded. "Is it a problem?"
"No. If Alex shows any unrest, I suggest you ask them to leave."
"Sure," Ben agreed, there was a pause and Ben waited for her to speak.
"Daniels. Keep an eye on him."
The dial tone cut in and Ben rolled his eyes at the screen as he knocked on Alex's door and pushed it open without waiting for a response. The blonde turned to look at him quickly and Ben saw for the first time a true wince as he twisted in his seat. He ignored it and felt the frown pull at his forehead, "You have visitors."
Alex raised an eyebrow at him without the normal smirk with a tired confused look in his eye. "Who?"
"The Pleasures," Ben responded simply. He saw the momentary panic that came over Alex's face before it disappeared into the resilient face of indifference. "They're in the lounge. If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen."
Alex just nodded once and Ben shut the door as he left and walked back down to Snake's company. He glanced at the family in his lounge as he walked past and shook his head at Snake.
"Who?"
"His previous guardians," Ben murmured as he sat down, eyes checking the slide lounge doors were open before he gave Snake a serious look. "They don't think it will go too well."
It took him almost five minutes to steel his mind about the announcement of his visitors. Alex took a deep breath when he reached the bottom of the stairs and glanced at Ben who was watching him carefully. He hesitated before he opened the door, ducking his head and grimacing at the thought of what was on the other side. He spared another glance at Ben and the man gave him a reassuring look. Alex immediately twisted the door handle to get away from that expression.
"Alex," Sabina breathed as he first walked in. He felt a body barrel into him and arms that came to hug him around the waist. He looked down to see the dark head of hair and he awkwardly patted her back when he felt a hint of tears through his t-shirt. He looked up again to see her mother sit down again from where she'd stood up when he entered the room. He didn't miss the look of disbelief on her face before her hand covered her mouth, her face turning pale behind it. He swallowed heavily before he looked to the only other male in the room.
Edward Pleasure had a hint of surprise on his face, but it was mostly masked by a furious expression. Alex raised an eyebrow at him, and the man didn't look away as he had done in all previous times and it was with a silent sigh that Alex eased Sabina away from him with gentle hands on her shoulders. He saw the tear stained face look back at him and he felt himself crack a little at the thought he'd caused that, he didn't show it though and just gave her a grim smile. She let out a small sob with a look that screamed I'm glad you're okay that he'd seen so many times on Jack's face that it made him tense. His eyes flicked to Edward who was looking between them with barely restrained fury and Alex nodded towards Liz.
"Go sit down, Sab," Alex said quietly. She hesitated and looked over her shoulder at her father who gave her a scolding look. The silence grew around him when Sabina walked away and sat down next to her Mother with a frown on her face, a thoughtful look that was ruined only by the wetness of her tears on her cheeks. Alex knew she would be confused by this turn of events and he resolved to try to explain it later, even though he was sure she already knew the majority of what was going on. Alex turned his eyes to look at Edward Pleasure when Sabina passed Liz a tissue and whispered something to her in a comforting tone. Alex heard movement through the open slide doors to the kitchen and the sound of a mug being placed on the kitchen table, he really didn't want to have an audience for this. But then, the look at fury that Edward Pleasure was trying to restrain logically provided maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Alex flicked his eyes back to the man that had agreed to take him in when he took a step towards the window. Alex waited for him to speak before he made any effort to move.
"Why Alex," Edward Pleasure started carefully in a tone Alex was sure Edward thought was calm but missed by a long way, "Did I have to receive a call from someone at a military intelligence to tell me you were alive?"
Alex refrained his cringe from the biggest question being the first, and he saw Ben appear in the archway as he leant against the wall with his coffee mug in hand. Alex swallowed heavily, he should have been annoyed but then he knew the tone wouldn't have been missed by the older agent. Alex glanced at his side to see a weapon concealed beneath his jacket and he moved his eyes back to Edward as he turned.
"Answer me," Edward demanded in a louder than normal agitated voice and Alex just watched his face as he thought over an appropriate answer turn redder by the second.
"I have nothing I can say," Alex responded calmly after a long pause. In the corner of his eye, he saw Ben drain the last of the coffee from his mug before he placed it down and stood up a little straighter from where he was leant against the wall. Edward simply pinched the bridge of his nose in front of him.
"How long?" Edward asked as he looked up, his tone quieter now. Alex knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing and he debated telling him the truth. Edward narrowed his eyes and took a step towards him. "How long have you been working for them?"
"This was the first one since we got back," Alex lied, attempting to adjust his stance and letting his hands drop to his side in faux-casualness. He tried to ignore the look Sabina gave him and instead looked at Ben who shook his head minutely in silent confirmation he hadn't pulled the line off. Alex tensed at that and looked back to see Edward looking at his daughter before he lifted his eyes back to meet Alex's with a serious look.
"You are a liar. Why would you do this?" Edward asked in a tone that denoted anger and disappointment at the same time. Alex stared at the man's nose, not wanting to look at the eye's that he knew would portray both those emotions in them clearer that he wanted to see. Alex took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, resolute that he was not answering that particular question with certain people in the house. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long Edward's temper was somewhat short and that eventually he would yell in his frustration. "Why after I worked to get you away from this? I took you into my home. Into my family. I gave you permission to date my daughter. I even arranged for you to have your own place when you told me you wanted to move out. Why after all that did you think of even going back? We gave you everything we could for you to adjust to being a civilian and then you go and do this!"
Alex just changed his eyes to look at a certain point on the wall, hiding the wince as the man's yell rang in his ears. Edward took a step into his line of sight and Alex glanced at him before looking to Ben who had moved so he was stood directly in the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and a plain faced expression. Alex was grateful for the lack of response rather than judgement and he looked back at Edward with calm eyes that showed no emotion of his own. There were minutes of silence and eventually Edward backed down first and looked to his wife.
"Go get the car, Liz," Edward issued shortly. Alex looked at Sabina as Liz urged her to follow her and she shook her head quickly giving her Mother a pointed look. He saw Liz look at him with a lingering wistful smile, before she ducked her head and walked out of the room and through the front door, heels clicking against the laminate floor in the hallway. He knew he wouldn't be seeing her again. Alex turned his eyes resolutely back to Edward Pleasure with an internal sigh as the man's eyes flickered to Sabina before moving back to him. He held a hand up, one finger pointing at him in a threatening gesture. Ben immediately moved forwards and Alex waved a hand at his side, surprised when Ben stopped and leant back against the wall so casually Alex almost missed how serious his eyes were.
"You are to stay away from my family," Edward issued with the finger tapping against his front roughly. Alex tensed completely at the condescending contact and Ben stood up straight as Sabina jumped up from her seat beside him.
"He's my best friend Dad, you can't-"
"I can and I am Sabina," Edward said with a punishing look at her, he turned his eyes back to Alex. "You come anywhere near her and I will ensure the world finds out about you and everything you did at 14. Your chance to ever go back from this will evaporate as quickly as the papers can print."
Alex swallowed heavily and he saw Ben's eyebrows rise ever in response to that threat. Alex looked evenly back at Edward as Sabina walked over and tried to pull Edward's hand away from where that one finger was resting against his chest.
"Dad, please!" Sabina pleaded seriously, something Alex was vaguely surprised at. Edward looked at her for a moment before he balled the hand into a fist and nodded to the door.
"We're leaving," Edward stated as he stepped around Alex, Sabina took no step towards him and Edward stopped in the doorway. "Now Sabina."
Alex looked at Sabina who shook her head resolutely, "I'm not leaving. If he is back there he needs us-"
"He made his bed," Edward cut across in a cold stern tone with a venomous look at Alex before he turned his eyes to Sabina. "Unless you want to make one of a very similar nature, you will go get in the car."
Alex didn't look at her as he heard her breath hitch in her throat beside him, there was no doubting the threat behind the man's words and he knew the response before she even moved. He felt her pull him into a hug that rang with goodbye and leant her head against his shoulder. He didn't move his hands from by his side though and when she whispered I'm sorry by his ear he just nodded mutely. He felt her grip tighten around him as Edward Pleasure took a step towards them and placed his hands under her arms and pulled her away. Alex just watched as she tried to jerk out of her father's grip with a scowl, but Edward just yanked her arm away eliciting a wince on her face. Alex clenched his fists together and he heard a tap on the wall from where Ben was now stood with his arms at the side and tension signs in his stance. It was as Sabina tried to wrench her wrist out of Edward's grip that a hand caught her face.
Alex knew it was an accident when she grabbed her face in surprise but he reacted instantly, taking two quick steps, he pushed Sabina behind him before he grabbed both of Edward's arms, twisting them up and around his back to keep them away from her. He heard two sets of footsteps move immediately. One behind him and a hand that wasn't familiar, but not completely alien, grabbed his shoulder gently.
"Let him go," Ben cautioned in a tone he could only describe as soothing. Alex hesitated before he felt that hand tighten on his shoulder as a repeat warning and he pushed the eldest Pleasure forwards to the floor. Alex took a step back as Ben applied a little pressure to his shoulder as a prompt and he watched with dull eyes as Sabina looked between the two of them, a lingering apologetic look at Alex before she turned and ran out of the door. He turned his eyes back to the man he'd disabled who Snake was talking to quietly and trying to help up from where Alex had shoved him to the ground. Edward levelled Snake a glare and spat a curse word at him. He felt the hand tighten on his shoulder at the reaction and Alex pulled his own scowl onto his face on behalf of the medic.
"I think it's time you left," Ben said from behind him. Alex didn't flinch at how cold it sounded and Edward looked between all three of them before he gave Alex a disdainful look.
"You belong with them."
"Get out," Alex spat in a tone so venomous he almost wondered if it came from his own mouth. Edward turned to look over his shoulder with a distasteful look before he slammed the door closed behind him. There were a few moments silence and Alex wrenched his shoulder from Ben's grip roughly and turned to look at him from the hall. "I don't need your help Ben."
"We both know how much damage you can do," Ben countered in a voice that was so calm Alex felt it drain a lot of his own anger. Alex forced himself to take a deep breath, he felt a frown move into his forehead and he closed his eyes for a moment to regain some composure. When he opened them he leant back against the stairs with a sigh, and gave Ben a plain look. "You're better than me. I would have lost my shit at the finger."
Alex nodded his acknowledgement and looked at Snake, "Enjoy the show?"
"Not particularly," Snake responded placidly. "You want a coffee?"
Alex blinked once in surprise and wiped the expression from his face. He saw Ben's amused smile and he looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Ben let out a light huff of laughter. "We lived with Wolf that episode pales in comparison to some of the shit that guy gets up to."
"Right," Alex responded awkwardly as he glanced over Snake's shoulder at the coffee pot. Snake turned with a shrug and Alex looked to Ben as he gestured with his eyes to the kitchen. Alex frowned and Ben walked ahead of him through the hallway. He paused in the doorway when he saw three mugs of coffee on the table. He took the one by the free seat and leant back against a counter near the window. Ben looked at him with a curious look.
"You want me to report that or not?"
"No," Alex responded simply. Ben nodded his agreement with a thoughtful look on his face.
"You knew that would happen?" Ben asked casually. Alex gave him a serious look before he swallowed heavily and shrugged.
"Something along those lines," Alex looked at the front door with a lingering look before he turned his eyes back with a plain face to Ben who was watching him carefully. "Stop studying me, Ben."
"Just trying to figure out if you're okay," Ben returned easily, Alex spotted no tell and he scoffed.
"I'm fine."
"You're always fucking fine," Ben muttered a little too loudly as he took a drink from his cup. Alex gave him a raised eyebrow look and Ben placed the cup down with a sigh. "Three months of eggshells is going to suck."
"No shit," Alex muttered in return feeling a smirk come onto his face. Ben let out a huff of laughter and Alex felt the responding smile on his face at the sound as he silently let out his own huff. He saw Snake looked between them with a careful eye and Alex took a deep breath to calm his features again.
"When stuff goes wrong, laugh and then run like mad," Ben explained. Snake raised an eyebrow at him with amused look in his eye. Alex saw Ben look at him thoughtfully with a residual smile on his face from the laugh. "I'm not going to look after you."
"I'm okay with that."
"I will get pissed if you don't do the things you need too like eat or sleep," Ben said carefully. Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "But other than that, do whatever the hell you would do in your own place."
"And in return?"
"Don't be a jackass. Treat me like you would any other time I would see you," Ben responded with a shrug. Alex swallowed heavily and pinched his lips together in thought, wondering if acting like he would normally around the man would be okay. He glanced at Snake who was sat in silence as he took a sip from his coffee and wondered why the medic wasn't saying anything in addition.
"You'll do the same in return?" Alex asked as he turned his eyes back to Ben as the man nodded once in response.
"As long as you are doing yourself no harm."
Alex looked at the floor for a second before he raised his eyes to Ben again. "I won't speak to you about stuff."
"Wouldn't expect you too," Ben responded, there was a pause and he gestured at Snake. "I will also attempt to make sure these guys don't bother asking when they are here as well."
Alex wrapped his hands around his mug carefully and narrowed his eyes at Ben with a frown, until he was satisfied there were no lies being told and he stood up to full height and walked for the door. He paused before he exited the room with one last assessing look at Ben as he held up his mug in mock toast.
"Guess that's a deal then."