Alex's change of name passed with most of his class congratulating him on being adopted. Alex had a proper family for the first time ever and in three days he was fifteen. What changes the last year had brought.

A week later, the second day of the half term holiday brought another chest infection. A night in hospital and bed rest on oxygen at home. Tony was away in New York and had wanted to return to Britain as soon as he heard Alex was ill.

Jon swore as he replaced the phone headset, it was 6am and he had been called as a last minute replacement lecturer for a day's course in encryption at Hereford. Jon had booked the half term week off as holiday. A car was coming with a driver. Alex would go with him and be looked after at the base hospital. Jon quickly got breakfast and pack up lunch and dinner ready for Alex out of the freezer. There was no way Alex could stomach the high calorie rations served to the army.

Alex slept during the three hour journey to the welsh border, while Jon worked on his presentation. They arrived just before 10 with two Sergeants on hand, one to show Jon to the lecture theatre and one to take Alex to the infirmary. Jon quickly hugged Alex and said he pop in at lunch time to check up on him. Alex was helped into his wheelchair by the driver, who then wrapped a thick blue blanket around Alex's legs. Alex was achy, cold and worn out. He still smiled and said "Hello Sergeant", remembering the man as the soldier who had named him Cub a year earlier.

"Good Morning Cub, Welcome to the Special Forces HQ." Sargent Dixon looked at the boy, who looked like he had shrunk since the last year. Cub was thin, looked terrible and was wheezing despite the oxygen catheter on his nose. The driver picked up a day bag and handed it to the Sargent. "Mr Fletcher-Smith's pack ups, medical notes and prescriptions."

"Pack ups?"

Alex smiled and informed the army man of his orders from Jon. "Dad does not think I could stomach army food. Everything I eat is organic, wheat and dairy free. I can drink water and eat fruit. Nothing else is to be trusted."

The Sergeant was puzzled, Cub the previous year had no problems eating the slop handed out a Brecon. "Righty-o. Off to medical then."

"Yippee." The Sergeant pushed the wheelchair across the quadrant marching fast and into the whitewashed single storey structure which was signposted as base hospital. Alex was reminded stay at Santa Cruz.

The MO was waiting and took the boy straight in to the examination room. Alex would get a full work over then be settled into bed, while his paperwork was checked out. Even though he was here for last minute medical emergency cover, protocols were being observed. It would have been more disruptive and more expensive to cancel the intensive day course in encryption than to accommodate the replacement lecturer's sick teenage son. The MO had noted the Sergeant addressing the child as Cub as he said his farewells. Bronchial pneumonia had been caught early and treated aggressively with a course of intravenous antibiotics. Second reoccurrence of pneumonia since the water boarding of the child by Scorpia. Alex was placed on an blood oxygen monitor and his oxygen saturation was low but not dangerously so, Alex was on the mend. Another day and he'd be up and about. Alex was short and underweight for a fifteen year old. The amputations were in good order and Alex showed signs of good upper body strength. As soon as the nurse transferred him to a bed, Alex slept.

Jon popped in to find Alex still asleep at 12:30. He went back to mingle with his students over the buffet lunch. Alex woke at 2 and ate his packup, soup warmed through in the nurses microwave. Alex noted his oxygen level was still low. The nurse checked his blood pressure and was pleasantly friendly.

The doctor signed off the paperwork and took it over to the CO.

"File for Master Alexander John Fletcher-Smith, formerly Rider, Sir."

"So how is Cub?"

"On the mend. Pneumonia treated with high dosage antibiotics. The drugs probably making Alex as ill as the infection. He'll probably sleep most of today. All the info sent over by SIS and St. Dominic's checks out."

"Any visitors?" enquired the CO, knowing Cub's old unit were on base this week.

"No I don't think Sergeant Dixon will let K-unit know. Alex needs his rest."

"Give the kid some sweets or something to cheer him up."

"The kid won't eat them. Jonathan Smith left strict instructions for only the food supplied was to be ingested. Alex has intolerance to dairy. His diet sheet from St. Dominic's is fairly restrictive."

"Poor kid." said the Colonel.

"Yeah. My kids would eat junk all day every day."

"Good Job, Major." The Colonel was glad the kid seemed to be in good hands. His adoptive father expected the best for Alex.

Tony came back from New York with brand new iPods for both Jon and Alex. He then proceeded to try and mother Alex to death. On the Saturday after Alex went back to school Tony and Alex were off for a little treat. Tony adored the ballet. Alex had never been and was willing to try anything. After the performance was over Tony and a very subdued Alex left the stalls after most of the audience had already left. Tony sighed. Alex was a sports mad 100% fully macho boy, so much like his beloved Jon. "You hated it didn't you?"

Alex looked at his Papa with tears in his eyes. "umm no. I just feel like Pinocchio"

Pinocchio? Tony was perplexed they had seen Sleeping Beauty

They had made it to the foyer when Alex suddenly sat down on the floor and pulled off his prosthetic legs "Pinocchio - I want to be a real boy. Not this!" Pointing at his legs and then at his head "and not psycho abuse victim thing" Alex hung his head in his hands clinging to the despair in his heart. "I hate being weak and ill and different." Alex then almost shouted "I want this fucking nightmare to end. I want my life back. I miss karate and football and skiing and running." Alex continued in a quiet voice "I want Jack to be there for me. What did I do wrong? It was an accident. Its not my fault. None of this is my fault. I liked living with her in Chelsea. I miss my old life. I love you Tony, but watching something so magical, so precise and so beautiful just reminded me of all the doors that have closed and are never going to open again. Its such hard work just walking, but I want to be able to jump and turn. Its like that song in Monty Python Life's a piece of shit when you look at it. What is the bright side of this?" as Alex pointed at the cold metal prosthetics on the floor.

"Oh Alex! You've just made me so happy." said a smiling Tony

The sad introspective tearful boy looked at Tony confused "What?"

"You like ballet?"

"Yes it was brilliant."

Tony sat down on the floor besides Alex and hugged him "Jon loathes it. He loathes all dancing. When I was 18 I took dance lessons for the first lime. I love dancing. I dream about ballet, I too watch it and think if only I'd trained as a child. That door is closed to me."

"So it makes you sad to?"

"In a good way. I remember all the things I'm good at. I love Jon even if he's has no culture what so ever."

"You love me even though I'm broken?"

"I love you precious boy. You're not broken. You are just Alex. My Alex. I would not have you any other way." At this Alex hugged his papa, maybe life did have a bright side after all.