Alex continued to annoy the others taking the course, as various members of Special Forces came forward to either slap 'Cub' or 'Double O Nothing' on the back or to offer condolences over his dad. Alex even caught Sergeant Moore smiling in his direction and he wondered what Harry had told him, something embarrassing he could guess..

It got truly freaky on Friday at dinner, when the canteen team produced a special tray just for him. The corporal on duty practically gushed "Its all dairy free and veggie. I know Jon told everyone that you have allergies and that your pa, Tony was a health nut. I got the salad recipe from my sister. She likes healthy stuff too." Alex had forgotten that Jon had been totally accepted here, even though he was queer. He was practically married to Tony and completely open and unapologetic for his life choices. Alex felt the hole in his gut, he missed his dad, the happy and their comfortable home in Lambeth. Alex was glad he was sat on his own. He ate and went back to the hospital where he had been assigned sleeping quarters.

By breakfast on Saturday, which was far too early, Jeff Tybold was curious enough to ask Alex Fletcher Smith the burning question. "Everyone seems to know you. You haven't been told off about anything apart from you hacking SIS two years ago. Have you been here before?"

"Umm, yeah, here and Hereford. My birth father was in the SAS. He died in 1987. His brother brought me and died in 2001. He was a special operations operative, you know under Alan Blunt. I was then adopted and my adoptive dad was a communications specialist who taught Encryption at Hereford occasionally. He died doing something Spooky in Pakistan last year. So most here know me. I came to a bunch of funerals last year, three SAS died with my dad Jon."

"That explains a lot. They all treat you like they're your honourary uncles."

"Well I would not go that far. Be thankful Wolf isn't here. He's the grumpiest bastard in the entire world." Alex kept quiet about the rest of K unit. Snake and Eagle had both greeted him like an old friend, having missed him on his previous visits with Jon and when he stayed with Harry.

Alex wheeled himself around and waved at the few he knew. He kept his head down and studied hard during their seminars and lectures.

Harry Dixon joined him for lunch on Sunday. As Alex had felt much better and had unpacked his prosthetics and had been able to hobble to the practical sessions, firearms, concealed items, electronic espionage (bugging) and finally firearms. The demonstration was by none other than Eagle, who picked on 'Cub' to come forward and have a try. Alex had done this before in France. John Rider had instructed firearms to all and instinctual firing to the chosen few at Malagosto. Yassen teaching Alex had been like having a lesson from his dead father, only one step removed. They had hunted deer in the mountains. Yassen giving him tips on moving more fluidly and silently. He had to be careful of each footfall, training to be extra observant. Alex had enjoyed the fact that the assassin had constantly challenged him.

Alex looked down to the stripped gun. Pieces disassembled automatically as he thought about the end of his autumn holiday.

Eagle looked puzzled at the effortless display of precision "Oh, I didn't know you had any firearms training."

"Oh, Tony was playing a spy or cop or something, I think in March. Filming in the desert. I got dragged along. I was bored to tears and hung out with the firearms specialists. Tony had to practice and I'd accompany him. I learned a lot about cleaning firearms, gun safety and how to shoot. I think Garry might have been ex-SAS. He had a bad limp and could shout almost as good as Harry, I mean Sergeant Dixon." Gary had called him Cub so it was nearly a certainty he'd been at Brecon in 2001.

"They taught you well. Right reassemble it, then you can be first on targets" Eagle kept it at that. Alex had helped Tony learn to shoot in the style of a true professional and had a blast with the firearms guys on set. He'd shot a few targets. It had been fun, safe and fun. Totally different from the occasions when Alex had been the target. He'd have died at Point Blanc if he hadn't been wearing his special ski suit from Smithers. He'd been covered in bruises from the impact of each bullet.

Alex stood, safety glasses on. He had checked his gun was fully loaded and the safety was on. He felt the weight of the gun in his hand. He meditated on his posture and his footing. Yassen had tried to explain it as centering yourself on the balls of you feet. Alex had to centre himself on his knees and then down to the ground. He was painfully aware of the throbbing pain in his left stump but he accepted this pain and then looked at the seven targets, Safety off and then he fired. He broke from his trance as he put the safety back on and handed the pistol to Eagle to check. "Very good Cub, In fact excellent, 10 out of 10 for each target."

Eagle went to talk to Harry Dixon afterwards. "Did you watch Cub shoot? He was in the zone. One glance and seven targets one after each other. I wish I'd timed him."

"5.1 seconds. Not quite a course record but close. If he was able bodied he'd be head hunted by M for special training or as everyone calls them Double O's." Harry sat back. "Its in his blood, he's so like his dad, his birth father, its frightening. John Rider was a legend when I joined. Mostly for getting a dishonourable discharge, but the man was a phenomenal shot. Cub never knew his dad, he died when he was 3 months old. I don't know how much Cub knows about his birth parents but its not our place to ask. Jon and Tony are the only parents Alex acknowledges. We should respect that. Cub will work at Chletenham, Memwith Hill or Fylingdales. Number crunching as he puts it. He might even work for Q. Who knows."

Eagle then asked "What happened to him? Wolf met him on an operation in France. Fox spoke of several operations. You saw him in 2003, you said he was very ill and disabled. Did his accident happen on an operation?"

Harry had read Cub's file. "Wolf knows most of the details of Cub's accident. Two CIA agents pretending to be Cub's parents died. Cub was critically wounded. The fact he was a teenager was the only thing that saved his life. I think Scorpia was involved. The shit hit the fan over us and the Yanks using a teenage agent. I'm still surprised the press never got hold of any of the details. I fear it will come to light at some point, but Cub is protected by his new family. He's a different person. Did you not notice that sad, serious little boy was hurt and grieving when he was here in 2001. No you and the rest of K Unit were to busy hazing him to notice."

Eagle could not answer that. In hindsight, Alex had been too quiet, too serious and too controlled for a normal teenager. He was definitely happier and more relaxed now. Even with his strangely proficient abilities.