Carlos watched his boss. It was obvious that his boss, Simon, was blissfully happy and cheerful. Placing a cup of tea in from of his boss at the end of the day, then asked after the reason for his friend's change from grump to happy bunny. "So, your boyfriend is moving in with you. Its all happening very fast."

"We've been dating for seven weeks and I am positive he is a forever type of guy. I bet by Christmas we'll be arranging our civil ceremony. I never told you I photographed Alex in 2005, asked him to come back to my place. He does not do casual. All or nothing, totally committed to us as a couple. Cooks wonderfully, is fastidiously tidy, my cleaner loves him. Even my sister Stella adores him. He's so different to Serge. Alex never asks about my ex lovers but has been completely honest over his own sexual experiences."

The assistant had worked for the photographer for seven years and Simon Carrington was a famous photographer, but only in arty, fashion and advertising circles. Most knew him from his fifteen years with the virtuoso violinist, with multiple platinum selling albums of covers of film themes, love songs and even rock and pop. "He probably read about your break up with Serge in the gutter press. Back then you were one of the few openly gay couples and that bastard violinist is named as the other man in the Colonsay divorce. I remember the whole 'Billionaire gets caught out during divorce of the decade…. Colonsay Foods heir has secret male lover… Serge Monterey cheats on long term boyfriend… Violinist moves out of London Home and into Billionaire's Monaco Pad'. Need I say more. You gave that interview to the Guardian to get the press off your back. You then went to do six months work for UNICEF making your ex look like complete gold digger. I know you just went to get away from all the negative publicity, but you have to admit Serge acted like a utter prat."

Si could only now look back and not feel the deep hurt from his lover's betrayal and desertion. "The work in San Paulo was my reality check that my comfortable life as a member of the jet set entourage was a house of cards. I chose to ignore the fact that Serge was never faithful, never mine. I have spent the last ten years looking for love and now I have it. Alex is nothing like any of my past lovers. Most will only see him as a boy toy, considering the twenty year age gap, but he has an old soul. I hope to spend the next thirty plus years together, God willing, and I will alway treasure what we have. Alex needed some one like himself; needed a connection to a fellow traveller on the Road of Life. He is one in a million."

"Show me those photos from 2005 then. I want to see 18 year old lover boy."

The boxes of negatives and prints were in an archive store, all had been scanned onto an external hard drive. So boxes and boxes of work were no available on a silver box kept in a fireproof safe.

"Shit, he looks skeletal."

"Yeah, that was him recovering from anorexia. I hate to think what he looked like in two years before when he was on hunger strike."

Carlos pondered that "He tried to starve himself to death?"

"He was very disturbed. He had suffered horrible abuse, his then foster parent knew about some of it but he did not talk about the worst aspects. Alex has told me some, but I think it will talk a long time for all the horrid details to be shared."

Si then thought back to his sister's assessment of his young lover. "You are playing with fire, Simon. I could not imagine anyone more different than your Serge. A self-confessed thief, with major trust issues. He's sharp, too. Conversed with me with the ease and assurance. I think he has an IQ bordering on brilliant. He must had endured an awful childhood and early adulthood to be so guarded and to have found hiding in the underclass preferable to his comfortable upper middle class upbringing."

The Photographer had then told his sister everything he knew about Alex Rider and showed her the files the young ex-spy had supplied to back up his story. "He means the world to me, my Star, so soon. I fallen hook line and sinker, I can't loose him. If he runs, I will run with him." The man had already told his lover that his sister was the one person he told everything to and Alex had shrugged, but not told Si to keep his past secret.

…

Alex arrived at the Cafe in Notting Hill for the lunch arranged by Stella, for her to get to know her baby brother's boyfriend better. They had met the week before at Si's house. She had dropped off her brother's birthday present and been pleasantly shocked that her baby brother had started dating again. Not only dating, but was serious about a man younger than their nieces and nephews.

The woman was sat in the summer sun on the third table north of the cafe's door reading a copy of the Times. It all looked very Parisian, with the roped off tables out front, perfect crisp linen table cloths and contrasting indigo napkins, elegant silverware and glassware and mixed blue and white parasols.

Alex sat and could not help himself "I read your book on Odysseus when I was twelve. For about ten minutes I really considered classics as the most thrilling subject in the world, but alas I then went to play football in the park with my best friend Tom and I was again set on playing footie professionally for Chelsea Football Club."

"And here you are a barman, not a footballer."

"Broke my ankle very badly when I was fourteen. Hurts like a bitch in the cold and wet. Which is of course a big fat whopping lie as I stopped wanting to be a footballer when my uncle was murdered and I decided to play amateur detective. That was when I was drawn into the world of shadows and now ten years later I'm only just daring to walk in the sun again"

"I am not a sheltered academic. I write, teach and live for my subject; but I've had five very passionate love affairs, have never married and scandalise my elder brother Charles continuously, as does darling Simon. The Honourable Charles Carrington, C.C. as we call him is an old stick in the mud. My first lover was a field operative for MI6, this was back in the late 1970's. He was a cold manipulative bastard; after six months I started dating a wonderful actor. Si is a lovely boy, but he dotes on me and asked for my opinion and help with a back up plan, a safety net for the pair of you. He did not betray your confidence lightly, but you have enemies, darling."

Alex smiled and was not disappointed in this strong woman, who was just as Si had described her, forthright, unafraid and ruthless in her protection of her family. "And powerful friends. The CIA and the FSA owe me; not that I would ever call in any favours from them. I also saved the lives of seven boys in 2001, who just happen to be heirs of seven very influential people. I was also the foster son of the talented and very lucky journalist, Edward Pleasure. A man who has detailed files on me, including copies of the official FSA and CIA files." Files that had originally fallen into the hands of Harry Bulman. "I would destroy all in my path to keep Si safe. MI6 and Scorpia forged me into a weapon. It took me years to understand that I am no easily manipulated child anymore. I never asked Si to keep those files secret, I knew he would need to talk to the person he trusted above all others, which is you."

"Well, well, Si still thinks you need protecting. I pity any that try to get the better of you. Now lets eat and tell me all about falling for my dear, clueless brother."

Over sparkling water, croque monsieur and green salad, Alex heard all the hilarious details of Si's childhood.