OMG! I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN AGES!

Chapter ten

The only thing that penetrated his numb mind at that current moment was Drew, sitting up suddenly on his bed and staring at Alex with wide startled eyes.

Crystal blue eyes.

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Alex stood staring into those eyes for at least a minute, his entire jaw hanging slack in shock. He tried to speak, but all that came out of his unresponsive throat was a strange gurgle.

Those crystal blue eyes rolled upwards in exasperation, before Drew got off the bed to slam the door shut. The loud noise echoing around the small room was all it took for Alex to snap out of his numb state.

"Dessi?" He whispered. Even after four years, the name seemed to roll off his tongue with ease.

"Hello, Rider. Long time no see."

Dimly, in some far corner of his mind, Alex registered the use of his last name. But at that current moment, he had far more pressing matters. Like –

"Why are you dressed as a boy?" He asked. It was only after those words left his mouth that he realised how stupid they sounded.

It appeared that Desiree agreed with his subconscious; she sent him a cold glare that had never been directed at him before.

"Because I can," she said, her tone causing Alex to shiver.

Something was wrong. This wasn't the Dessi he remembered. She had changed in ways that Alex couldn't begin to understand.

"Dessi? What...what's wrong?" He asked hesitantly.

A sneer made its way across her face. "Really Rider? You expect me to just regale everything to you?" She snorted.

"Why not? That's what you used to do," Alex said.

Something flickered across her face. "I know," she said softly, crystal blue eyes lost in a flashback.

There was a momentary silence before Dessi seemed to shake herself out of some memory. "Look Rider, what do you want?"

Alex flinched slightly at the harsh tone. This wasn't the Dessi he remembered. It was like some shell had encased the girl he once knew, leaving behind the stone cold mask that was currently worn on Dessi's face.

"I want the old Dessi back."

He was unaware that he'd actually spoken; in fact, his lips were so numb at that moment that he was surprised he could speak. But nonetheless, his soft words hung like a shadow in the room, engulfing the silence.

A pained expression crossed Dessi's face, and in the vulnerable moment that followed Alex recognised the girl he'd once knew. Once loved.

"That's going to be rather difficult," she whispered hoarsely.

"Why?"

It was a simple question. And yet, as soon as the single word left his mouth, a tirade of emotions crossed the girl's face. Love, hate, anger, loss, all flickered through haunted blue eyes. A moment that seemed to last a hundred years flew by.

"I grew," Dessi said, "I loved. I lost."

"You gave up," Alex stated.

"So would you!" Desiree shouted. Alex almost grinned in triumph at cracking through the girl's shell. Almost. "I had no-one left in the world! No-one to worry about me, no-one to care whether or not I exist! They only care about whether I'm fit enough to send out again, and again!"

A tear escaped those crystal blue eyes, though Alex didn't think that Dessi noticed. Dimly, he hoped that the rooms were sound-proof against the girl's shouting, but the next moment her voice dropped violently in volume.

"I never got to say goodbye," Dessi whispered, sitting down heavily on the bed.

Hesitantly, Alex sat down beside the girl. When it became clear that he was not about to be physically harmed, he asked, "Goodbye to who?"

Dessi took in a deep breath. "Derik. Dean. Everyone," she choked. "Terry quit when I was under cover. They replaced him and Dean without even telling me. And Jake..." Her breath hitched in her throat, "I wasn't even allowed at his funeral."

"Dessi –"

"No! Don't even think about pitying me, Rider!" Dessi shouted, rounding on Alex with fierce eyes.

"Erm, I wasn't. I was actually letting you know that someone's knocking on the door."

Crystal blue eyes widened in surprise as Desiree turned back to face the door. Someone was pounding rather vigorously on it, demanding to be let in.

"I better get that," she muttered, getting off the bed.

Alex reached out, snagging one of her wrists to pull her back. "You're contacts," he whispered when she blinked at him in confusion.

Dessi shook her head. "If it's who I think it is, I won't need them."

Reluctantly Alex let go of the girl. She walked over to the door, undoing the lock before opening it just a crack. When she'd confirmed the identity of the person on the other side, she let them in before locking the door again.

Alex's mouth dropped as James Olsen walked into the room.

"You!" He shouted in alarm; the next moment he'd flown across the room, intent on getting the man far away.

What he wasn't expecting was for Desiree to move in between the two, grabbing Alex and pinning him onto the ground.

"What the hell is your problem Rider?" She shouted as James looked on in alarm.

"He's dangerous, Dessi! He isn't who he says he is!" Alex yelled back, his face squished against the carpet.

Above him, Desiree shook her head and tutted several times, before moving off Alex and helping him to his feet. Alex couldn't help but notice the restraining hand she left on his arm, nor the warning look she threw James, who was currently glaring daggers at Alex.

"What kind of lies has MI6 been feeding you now?" Dessi asked.

"Lies? What are you –?"

"Rider, sit down on the bed. Olsen, you take the chair. I don't want either of you within two meters of each other until I get an explanation," Dessi said, shoving Alex towards the bed. Alex sat down rather reluctantly, keeping a wary eye on the man across the room. Dessi stayed between the two of them, a solid barrier to separate the two.

"Right. Rider, what the hell was that?" Dessi asked, her voice dangerously polite.

"That's James Olsen. He's dangerous and unstable, and the entire reason I'm here!" Alex cried in exasperation, "He's an ex-CIA agent who tortured one of his suspects into insanity during an interrogation!"

Dessi sighed.

"Olsen? You want to tell Agent Rider here what the MI6 are missing out on?" She asked, turning to face a slightly astounded James Olsen.

"Erm, whatever you say, boss," he said, slightly troubled. Clearly he was doubtful as to whether he could actually trust Alex, but a glare from Dessi sent him into speech. "I'm not dangerous, nor unstable. I never tortured anyone into insanity. And when I was working for the CIA, it was as an undercover operative."

Desiree rubbed her temples, trying to ward away the oncoming headache. "Okay, we're getting nowhere and fast," she muttered before facing James again.

"Olsen, go and find Agent Lake and bring him here. He should be in Willard's lecture."

James nodded respectfully before leaving the room. After locking the door again, Dessi turned to face one highly confused Alex Rider.

"Listen closely Rider, 'cause what I'm about to say I will say only once."

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Mwahahahahaha. Yeah, sorry about the cliffie. But I know I haven't updated in soooo long, I just had to get this up and running. Sorry about its substandard quality...

I'll get the explanation up and running ASAP!

Love Chariots99