The Best Day
I didn't know if you knew, so I'm taking this chance to say, that I had the best day with you. Today.
Alex took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh warm breeze that gently tousled his hair. Beside him, Rose Allende and Ben Daniels acted like the mature MI6 agents they were by having a full blown water bomb war.
The hot July weather had been strongly missed by the seventeen year old; the snow reminded him too much of a certain blonde girl who had taken great pleasure in lobbing extremely well aimed snow balls at his face every other minute.
That said, the boy still really missed Desiree Swan. It had been a year and a half now, and with him reaching graduation and a certain life as a spy, the girl's comforting presence was something that Alex desperately craved.
"Alex? Come and help me set up," Jack's voice interrupted his thoughts before he could descent into depression.
With a rueful grin, Alex rushed over to his housekeeper and friend, ducking several times to avoid the stray water bombs that flew in his direction.
"Why can't we get those two to do the setting up?" Alex asked as he unpacked several disposable plates from the picnic basket. They could hear Rose shrieking with laughter as Ben lay on the floor completely drenched in water.
"You know very well that if you want something done in the next ten years, you should never ask Rose or Ben. Especially Ben," Jack added as she pulled out the many rolls of bread that was in the basket, setting them up on plates before going back into the straw basket and digging out packets of disposable cutlery.
Alex grinned. "Fair point."
Eventually the food was spread out neatly onto the blanket which they had spread on the ground. Alex was then ordered to do the impossible task of trying to get Ben and his former protégée to abandon their water war and eat their lunch. It took almost half an hour to even catch up to the two hyperactive and supposedly mature secret agents.
Jack looked up when the three finally arrived back where she'd set up. The woman took one look at the three before immediately bursting out into laughter. Rose and Ben grinned rather sheepishly, while Alex scowled from between the two. Agents Daniels and Allende had thought it would be amusing to dump the entire remains of their water bomb supply onto the boy.
"Next time, you're calling them," Alex huffed indignantly at his housekeeper who was still in peals of laughter. The boy shook his head rapidly, spraying water everywhere and causing Jack to shriek in surprise.
Lunch was a very relaxed affair. Rather unusually for the three spies, no one even once tried to assassinate them, blow them up, poison them, take them hostage, or maim them in some other way or form. Not that they were complaining or anything. It was just a very nice change.
It was after their pleasant lunch that the most interesting event of the day occurred.
Jack had gone to load the car and find the location of the toilets. Ben had decided that it would be fun to antagonize his former protégée. He was currently engaged in running around the park like a maniac as he frantically tried to escape from the younger MI6 agent who had declared war on his life.
Alex was left stretched out on the grass, happily basking in the sun. His eyes were shut, and he was floating in the blissful state of pre-sleep before the sun and all its warmth was suddenly cut off from his face.
Alex opened his eyes and squinted up at the face that was currently staring down at him, swearing to himself that if it was either Rose or Ben he would practice a newly learned and highly painful manoeuvre out on them.
But the person staring down at him was the last person he expected to see. With brown hair framing her face, shorter than it was the last time he saw her, the girl grinned rather excitedly when she realised that Alex had recognised her.
The girl sat down next to Alex just as the boy raised himself off the ground into a sitting position. Alex stared at her in disbelief, though a smile was slowly spreading on his face.
"Sabina? Is that really you?"
Sabina Pleasure laughed. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Yeah," Alex breathed, "Wow, I never thought I'd see you again!"
"Me too," Sabina admitted. "But we're on holiday and my parents left to do some shopping. I was just wondering around when I saw Jack, and she said that you were around! I actually almost tripped over you though..."
Alex laughed. "Well, in my defence, the ground is very comfortable."
"I have no doubt," Sabina mused.
For a while they sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the fresh air, the warm breeze and each others' presence.
"How long are you staying for?" Alex asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Dunno. A couple of months," the girl shrugged.
"So, what have you been up to in the past couple of years?"
Sabina smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Travelling. Spent a year and a bit in Italy. That was pretty good. And we just came from Australia. There was some outbreak of violence or something. I'm not sure what happened. Anyway, dad thought it would be nice to come back to England for a while."
Alex's heart started beating rapidly at the mention of Australia. He knew that the country wasn't a violent place... "What do you mean by the outbreak of violence?"
Sabina frowned thoughtfully. "There were more and more people – I think they were from gangs – being turned in. And their families and friends weren't too happy about it. Apparently they tracked down the...well, snitch I suppose. There was some drive-by shooting; it was on the news. There was this girl that got shot in the process too. So dad reckoned that we should get away while we can...Alex, are you alright?"
Alex mentally shook himself, hoping against hope that a certain AIS agent was not involved in this at all. "Yeah, I'm cool."
"Bring back memories?" Sabina asked sadly, mistaking the boy's sudden paleness. "It did for me. I wasn't too happy about the whole situation, but I had to move on sooner or later, you know?"
Any response Alex had was interrupted by the ever so subtle Ben Daniels. "Oi Rider! Who's your girlfriend?"
Alex groaned and buried his face in his hands as Ben and Rose ran up to the two teens. Sabina looked rather bewildered, though there was a spark of amusement in her expression. Rose just rolled her eyes.
"Great job Ben, now you've gone and embarrassed them," she scolded, adding a punch for emphasis.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For being an insensitive jerk, you moron!"
"Hey! Watch your mouth! I am your superior, you know," Ben said smugly, earning himself another punch.
Alex cleared his throat, catching the two supposedly mature agents' attentions. Then he gestured to the highly confused Sabina. "Guys, this is Sabina Pleasure. She's going to be around for a while. Sabina, these idiots are Ben Daniels and Rose Allende. They are...um...you-know-whats."
Rose raised an eyebrow in question, but Sabina's eyes lit up in recognition. "Same as you?" She asked Alex softly. The boy nodded.
"Nice to meet you," Sabina smiled, turning her attention to the two spies and holding out her hand.
"Same to you," Rose said. Ben nodded with a smile.
"Are you guys ready?" Jack suddenly appeared, almost out of thin air, "The car's loaded, thanks for your help, and if – oh, hey Sabina!"
"Hi Jack."
"I have to get this ungrateful lot back home. You can come along if you want, but we really do need to leave now," Jack said apologetically.
"Oh, no, it's okay. Mum and dad don't know where I am, and I don't want them to worry and end up calling the police or anything."
"Okay. Be careful though!" Jack smiled, giving the girl a hug before turning and dragging Agent Daniels off. Rose grinned at the girl before hurrying off after the two, Ben's complaints drifting back to them.
"Well, that was excruciatingly embarrassing," Alex muttered.
Sabina just laughed. "Don't worry about it. Least you have some fun people to hang around now."
Alex grinned and shook his head, before sticking out his hand. "I'll see you around then?" Sabina eyed the hand, before ignoring it and pulling the boy into a tight hug. To say Alex was startled would be an understatement, but he awkwardly patted the girl on the back before she let him go.
"See you 'round." Sabina grinned.
Well, well, well. The return of Miss Sabina Pleasure...
Thanks for reading!
Love, Chariots99
