Alex was perfectly aware that Eagle was going through a rough time after being benched from the SAS. The man had received his honorably discharged papers a little over a month ago and still hadn't managed to open the envelope to actually read them. Jack had said that he just needed some time to come to terms with what had happened but Alex was of the opinion that the man needed a distraction.
He didn't know what that should be and while stopping a blackmailing reporter had certainly helped to remind Eagle that he wasn't useless, the man was far from healed. It made Alex worry not because he was particularly worried that Eagle would hurt himself but because he was worried that Eagle would hurt Jack. Emotionally that was. But emotional hurt could be just as bad as the physical kind.
Jack had been through all of these terrible things with Alex before. She had been a rock as he'd transitioned back into a civilian. When he jumped under the table at a restaurant at the sound of a backfiring car Jack hadn't been even slightly embarrassed. She had simply glared at the manager until he went away and crawled underneath the table with him in order to properly convince him that someone wasn't out there with a sniper rifle.
Alex had been thoroughly embarrassed later on but she had told him not to be. There was nothing wrong with him and eventually he'd start to feel normal again. He just had to give it time and keep working at. He hadn't wanted to go to a MI6 therapist so she had spent hundreds of hours trying to teach herself how best to help someone who had seen the things he'd seen.
He thought she could work in government with agents and soldiers with psychological discharges. She was that good. So he trusted her that Eagle was going to be okay with time but he still couldn't help but feel protective. He liked Eagle; he could go so far to say that Eagle was family and proved himself to be so. But Jack was Jack, and Jack was his family in the same way that Tom was his family.
Sometimes his thoughts and feelings on it didn't seem rational considering that all of the original K-Unit had become very close in the near two years they'd been working and hanging out together. And yet, there was still a wall that Alex couldn't just dismantle because Eagle had confessed he was looking at engagement rings or because Wolf had managed to get permanent custody of Tom. He had been burned by family before and it would take several more years of healing before complete trust came back to him.
However, Eagle needed a distraction right now and Alex felt like he had to help him. So with not even the beginning of an idea in mind he recruited the ever reliable Accomplice and got to work researching on the internet.
00000
Eagle, Fox, Snake, and Wolf were all sitting on Wolf's couch eating junk food and watching Doctor Who when Tom had blown into the flat, dropped his pack, and tracked mud onto the floors. It was pouring rain outside and Wolf knew without seeing him that the kid was a mess.
"Shoes!" he shouted around a mouthful of Cheetos. "Don't ruin my new flat!" Snake and Fox grinned at each other. Eagle just looked at his empty beer bottle as if the sheer force of his will could refill it.
There was the distinct thunking noises of a pair of shoes hitting the floor and then they saw Tom streak past the doorway of the living room on the way to his room. The music started up after that and Wolf lasted a full minute before he pounded on the wall behind him.
"Turn that down!" he shouted. When the music volume went up instead Wolf sprang up and disappeared. He didn't come back but they were so used to such things none that them of saw fit to comment. Tom had most likely sucked Wolf into the vortex that was YouTube and they would likely see him after only a couple of hours. But the music did stop.
"Alex told me that you received your discharge papers," Snake said cautiously.
"I'm thinking of making him sign a confidentiality agreement," Eagle replied. Fox rolled his eyes.
"C'mon, mate," he said. "The kid's just worried about you." Eagle huffed and got up to limp into the kitchen and get another beer. He was severely disappointed and decided to steal what was left of Wolf's because-I-want-it cake. There was a certain amount of satisfaction in eating it over the sink, knowing that his friend would be giving him annoyed looks for the rest of the night.
"Andy?"
He turned to see Fox standing in the doorway and swallowed.
"What?" he said before polishing off the rest of the cake, licking his fingers, and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Fox didn't even blink at the complete and total lack of manners.
"What are you doing?" Fox asked.
"Stealing Rey's cake," he said ignoring the real question.
"You know what I mean," Fox said. "The papers came a month ago. Have you even thought about the job offer I got you?"
"I don't want to work at MI6," Eagle said. Fox had pulled some strings with his contacts at MI6 at gotten a job offer for Eagle hacking computers. Eagle wasn't actually that good at hacking computers but Fox said they needed someone for the basic, busy work no one else had time to do. Eagle thought it a waste of his time.
"Well, what else are you going to do?"
"I'll figure it out when I'm good and ready," he said a little more harshly than he'd meant to. Fox held up his hands and left the kitchen. There was a sudden banging as Tom's door flew open and then the kid was running back to the front door. Wolf followed him at a much more sedate pace but didn't offer any explanation as to where the both of them were going.
Eagle rejoined his equally confused friends as Wolf shut the front door behind the both of them. It wasn't unusual for Wolf to leave them in the flat alone if he ran to the market for something but he never left without telling them where he was going.
"Did he tell you where they were going?" Eagle asked. The other two shook their heads.
"Tom's with him so it's probably somewhere embarrassing," Fox supplied. Eagle was inclined to agree. The two wayward flatmates weren't back by the time they left and Eagle didn't pay their strange behaviour any mind.
00000
He got talked into a movie that Friday with Jack and Alex. Jack had insisted he go as part of a family night and he wasn't interested in arguing with her. Alex could tell immediately that he didn't want to leave the house and he knew that was exactly why she wanted him to go out. She knew that the worst thing Eagle could do was hide away in the house.
"What are we seeing?" Eagle asked.
"That chick flick thing," Alex replied.
"Thank you for the clarification," the man said and turned to the girl at the ticket window. "Three for that chick flick thing." She gave them an ugly look but guessed the right movie and slid the tickets under the protective glass with far more force than was polite.
They met Jack in the lobby and Alex led the way into the theater. He chose the seats with great care. Something by the aisle so Eagle could stretch his leg out if it cramped because he refused to sit in a handicapped chair. It was in the back by the door in case of either of them had a sudden panic attack. Also being in the last row meant that their backs were to the wall. There was no chance of an enemy sitting behind them.
It seemed a bit paranoid even in Alex's head but he knew that the between the two of them, there were two many chances that they didn't have to take. Paranoia usually led to longer lives for people like them. Alex knew it was difficult for Jack because she wanted to make sure her family got better without them giving up their safety measures.
"Why are we watching this?" Eagle mumbled. Alex rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why Eagle had a tendency to be combative with Jack. He knew the man liked to rile her up with cute jokes and soft teasing. Maybe it was just how they flirted, though Alex had seen them flirting many times and this was not that. Maybe he didn't know what it was because he wasn't in love.
He watched as they had small bickering match, Jack trying to conceal her smile and failing horribly. And then there was Eagle who hadn't been interested in much of anything but the way her lips moved. His eyes lit up when they talked or when they bickered like they were doing now. All of his attention was completely on her and a small smile played on his lips as he watched her bounce up and down in her seat in the excitement of whatever she was talking about.
Alex wondered when Eagle was going to buy that engagement ring he'd been talking about. He was certain it was going to be any day now. Maybe after all the excitement of Fox's wedding finally died down. Regardless, he hoped it was soon. He rather liked Eagle; had even been calling him family for a while now. Eagle's name was on Alex's school papers as being allowed to pick him up from school and sign permission slips and everything.
As the movie progressed it became quite clear that they weren't going to have a good time. The person in front of them had a serious texting conversation going on and the bright little screen was illuminating the entire section. The guy's girlfriend was very angry if the way she was crossing her arms and scowling at the screen was any indication. Eagle leaned forward repeatedly to tell the guy to put the mobile away and the man repeatedly ignored him. The worst part was that the guy's ringtone was still on. It wasn't set loud but it was loud enough. When the mobile dinged again, Jack got up to find an usher. The entire movie theater was staring at the guy.
"Hey, put it away," Eagle said for what was probably the ninth time. Alex didn't much care. The drama they were starting was infinitely more interesting than what was happening on screen.
"Don't tell me what do man," the guy replied and slapped at Eagle's hand which was resting on the back of his seat. He had placed it there to leverage himself as he leaned forward. But as the man reached to slap it away Eagle's instincts kicked in and he grabbed the man's hand and twisted it so hard the man fell to the floor, crying in pain. The sounds attracted the entire theater.
The man leapt up at the same time Eagle did. Alex shot up in preparation of keeping the Eagle from killing the idiot and received a very solid punch to his temple for his trouble. He fell, hitting his head on the seat as he went down.
The man not have any skill but he had plenty of brawn and the punch left Alex seeing stars. He blinked up at the dark ceiling and apparently blacked out.
When he came to, the lights were on, the movie still playing, and Jack was leaning over him in concern. Eagle was being arrested and paramedics were leaning over the man with the mobile. His girlfriend was screaming and it was all really loud. He groaned as a stranger's face replaced Jack's and he felt like he was going to throw up. He probably had a small concussion. He forced himself to sit up.
"He should really see a doctor," the paramedic told Jack a few minutes later. Alex had managed to sit himself down in a seat right next to Eagle. In his confusion he thought they were going to finish the movie. The policeman had taken off the zip ties binding Eagle's wrist so that he could deal with Alex who was being as uncooperative as a two year old and everyone was too afraid to approach him in fear of aggravating the head injury.
Unfortunately, this set off the girlfriend who thought they were letting Eagle go and she started screaming about unfair pigs and suing people. This effectively distracted the policeman and Eagle took the opportunity to try to convince Alex to leave with the paramedics.
"Alex, don't shut your eyes," Eagle ordered grabbing the boy by the wrists and signaling to the paramedics to take him.
"Noooo," Alex whined completely unaware of how much of a fool he was acting.
"Alex you have to go," Eagle said but Alex had latched onto the sleeve Eagle's hoodie and refused to let go. He eyed the paramedics with suspicion and hissed like an angry cat when they came too close. It would have been hysterical had they all not been so worried about the kid's brain. "C'mon, kid."
He tried to pry off the kid's hand.
"Did the popcorn spill?" Alex mumbled.
"Don't worry about that," Eagle replied. The policeman was watching Eagle very intently at this point but he didn't seem mad. He seemed very concerned for Alex who was still being very uncooperative. He had decided to lean his head back and Eagle had to force it back up with a very firm hand on his neck. He got out of his seat and squatted down in front of the boy in an attempt to get him to focus.
"Alex I want you to listen to me very carefully," he said firmly. Jack was right behind him at this point, seeing how much trouble they were all having with the kid. She didn't interfere though. She knew that he could handle it and she trusted him to. "You've been hit in the head very hard. The paramedics want to take you to the doctor. I need you to let them."
"Don't want to," Alex replied, still mumbling. He was starting to fall unconscious and Eagle knew that they had to get to the hospital immediately. But an uncooperative Alex meant that he wasn't going to go anywhere he didn't want to. Not even in this condition.
"You need to buddy," Eagle said. "Or Jack's going to be very sad." Alex gazed directly at him with huge eyes as if that was the worst possibly in the world. Eagle thought it might be playing dirty but he didn't much care if it got him what he wanted.
"Jack can't be sad," Alex said quietly and Eagle nodded gravely. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever done with Alex and this was in a long line of ridiculous things. But trying to get a concussed Alex into an ambulance meant he had to stoop to talking to a teenager as if he was a toddler. Considering the teenager, the moment was very odd indeed.
"Exactly."
The boy nodded and Eagle nodded to the paramedic who was finally allowed to come close enough to help without the threat of being bitten. They bundled Alex into the ambulance and Jack promised to meet the kid at the hospital once the police released her from the scene.
"Are you the boy's parents?" the police officer asked. His name was Jones and he seemed friendly enough.
"No sir," Eagle replied wondering if the limp made people think he was older considering neither he nor Jack were any where near old enough to have Alex as their kid. Unless he was talking about adoption or a situation like Wolf and Tom. "But we are his legal guardians."
He didn't have the patience to explain that while his name wasn't technically on Alex's guardianship papers he was close enough. MI6 wouldn't let anyone but Jack take control unless he married her.
"Right, well," Jones continued, "Everyone was pretty clear about happened and while I think you certainly didn't help the situation I'm willing to let it slide. Mind you though, the guy could decide to sue you in civil court."
"Fine," Eagle replied, unconcerned. He had plenty of connections and it would be a simple matter of using some to find him a lawyer that would scare the jerk right out court.
After that they were allowed to leave. The kid was in the hospital for the rest of the night as they monitored him in case his brain swelled. And when Alex got out the next day he was embarrassed but feeling better.
00000
Tom climbed in through the window the next day. Eagle was eating Ben & Jerry's and watching America's Next Top Model. It wasn't his proudest moment but he had stopped caring a long time ago. Besides, Tom was the last person to question someone's television preferences. Alex was beside him, drooling in his sleep, but jerked awake at the sudden presence of his best friend.
The boy just had that type of effect on people.
"We have a door," Eagle said around his ice cream.
"I wanted to avoid Mrs. Henderson," Tom said referring to the old lady who lived across the street and had taken to giving all of them very stern lectures about family values and Christian morals. Eagle had been very short with her lately, uninterested in being judged and Tom had apparently taken to climbing through windows in order to avoid her.
He could sort of understand where she was coming from though. From the outside, their household was by no means traditional. There was Jack: a free-spirited American woman. There was Alex: an orphan with a bad reputation. There was Tom: an ADHD kid that spent half his time living at their home and half his time living somewhere else. And then there was him: the boyfriend that came and went with a group of friends that had bad attitudes and suspicious mannerisms.
All of this, combined with the attack less than a month ago left Mrs. Henderson thinking they were a bunch of very lost souls bound for hell. No one apparently felt the need to correct her. In fact, Wolf had even gone so far to ask if he'd look good with a stripper tattooed on his arm.
Tom had laughed so hard he had literally collapsed from lack of air and Mrs. Henderson had been so offended she couldn't bring herself to talk to them for a week. Apparently, she was back at trying to get them to church.
"Andy!" Tom continued excitedly, seemingly unconcerned with the state of his best friend. He'd worry over him later after he'd talked about whatever he wanted to talk about. "I got you a job."
"I have a job," Eagle said instinctively.
"No, you used to have a job but then you became a cripple so you can't do that job anymore."
Eagle glared at him and Alex pulled himself together enough to do the same.
"That was really insensitive Tom," Alex scolded but Tom shrugged. Eagle had always known that Tom was a person who liked to get to the point quickly no matter how rude it seemed. At least, that was his tactic when it suited him. And today, it suited him.
"But true," Tom defended himself. "I got you a job. Well, I got you an interview. Well, I got you an application. But I forgot the application at home so you have to get in the car and drive me back so that I can get the application. At least, I think I left it at home. I might have forgotten to bring it home at all."
Eagle blinked at him as the kid took a much needed breath and turned to Alex with a look that said, "If you don't explain I'm going to kill the both of you."
They knew that look well.
"Tom and I did some research and we found some places we thought you might like to look at. Several of them will let you work part-time, on your own hours."
"And where are these jobs?" Eagle asked. Unlike with his teammates he didn't feel any anger at the boys' prying. He wanted to be mad at them but it was just impossible to. With his friends he couldn't shake the feeling that there was mixed motives no matter how unfair that was to them. He knew they wanted him to be okay. And he knew the boys felt the same. But with Alex and Tom it felt less like he was being left behind and more like he being accepted. They were drawing him into their world a little more.
It had been a frightening realization at first but it was starting to feel right too. It was starting to feel normal. A new normal.
"Security companies mostly," Alex replied. "They want you to consult."
"I don't know anything about security consulting," Eagle replied honestly.
"You know more than you think," Tom said, bouncing up and down on his toes. "I've seen you break down a building's weak points in minutes of stepping inside. You'll be perfect! They'll love you!"
"I'll think about it," he said, not promising anything but knowing he would eventually fill out the applications. He wanted to help Jack with the bills and with Alex. He needed a job before he just got angrier and angrier with himself. This seemed like a good start.
He slapped Alex's shoulder in thank you. The boy nodded at him, happy, and also a little high on the medication they gave him at the hospital.
He reminded himself that he had to talk to Wolf about meddling. It was quite clear where he and Tom had disappeared to the day they'd all been at the flat. Wolf had been an integral part in this. In fact, Eagle remembered that Wolf had friends in private security.
"Can I see the applications?" Eagle asked. Tom rolled his eyes.
"Were you not listening to a word I said?" he asked.
"No," Alex and Eagle said at the exact same time. Tom gave them both a look and without another word left through the window he'd climbed through.
A few minutes of silence later and Alex asked a question that had clearly been on his mind.
"Did you punch that movie guy for me Andy?"
"Of course," he said as it was obvious.
"When are you going to propose to Jack?" he asked.
"Soon," Eagle told him. "I promise."
"She likes simple jewelry," Alex told him. "The classic kind of simple not the cheap kind of simple."
"Got it," Eagle said and continued eating his ice cream. Alex fell asleep. He could get used to this, he decided. It wasn't so bad.
And an hour later when Wolf emailed him the applications on a pdf, Eagle gave them a sincere look and gave Bolt Security serious consideration. After all, he had a family to think of now.