"Well, hi, Cub," Eagle said as the four of them were about to leave (ironically). Bear had finally hooked me up to the oxygen, and I was sitting up (after a lot of huffing and puffing and help), the blanket pulled up to my chest to cover the scars. Lion was standing at my shoulder, his stance tense. I supposed he didn't quite trust K-Unit yet. "Fancy seeing you after all these years."

I gave him a tense smile from behind the mask. "You too."

They'd hung around for a little while longer, trying to reconcile what they knew about the situation without giving anything away. I dozed for a little while. Lion stuck close by most of the time; I had a feeling that would be the norm for the next few days. He didn't really like letting me out of his sight. Though it was…a little smothering, it was also…really nice to feel protected.

Bear and Wolf had almost gotten into a shouting match, which, in any other situation, would have been absolutely hilarious. Wolf had argued that I should be in hospital, quite passionately. I was almost touched. Bear had argued that he was perfectly capable of looking after me, and that I didn't want a hospital, not with everything going on.

He refused to elaborate, which just made Wolf angrier, and refused to settle down until Snake offered to check the bigger wounds to make sure everything was in order. Bear didn't look thrilled, but it appeased Wolf, so he put up with it. I made sure to keep most of my scars covered with the blanket, and he gave Wolf the all-clear. Wolf crossed his arms over his chest and muttered something. I was glad I couldn't understand it.

Other than that, though, we got on well enough. They mostly gave me space, though Fox pestered me a little more. Otherwise…it wasn't horrid.

"So…must've been weird when we talked by the lake," Snake said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smiled a little more genuinely, trying not to laugh. "It was. I was…worried you'd recognize me."

"Well, I thought you looked a little familiar—"

"Oh, come off it," Wolf grumbled. "You have the memory of a goldfish. You'd barely remember what we looked like if you didn't see us every day."

Eagle laughed as Snake blushed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "He's right, mate. You'd forget your own name given the chance."

Fix grinned, shaking his head. "We'll let you get some rest." He gave Lion a tepid smile, and Lion nodded. "Sorry to meet on…awkward terms."

Lion hesitated, then nodded again with a small smile. "You as well. We'll get together sometime soon, when Jag's a little healed up." He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I instantly felt calmer.

"You want anything to drink for the road?" Bear asked from the kitchen. Tiger really needed to eat something, so Bear had made something quick in the microwave. "We've got coffee and tea. Water, too."

"We're fine, thanks," Wolf said. He glanced at me. "Heal up. Weird to see you again. Not too horrible, though."

I smirked. "Careful. You might start…to sound human."

He finally smiled, eyes lighting up. "Wouldn't want that. Later, Cub."

Eagle waved and Snake nodded, but Fox stuck around for a minute. He glanced at Lion. "Could I have a minute?"

Lion's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at me. I nodded slightly, minding my throat, and tried to give him a reassuring smile. He sighed, not looking happy, but tousled my hair and went towards the kitchen, sending Fox one last look.

Fox pursed his lips a little, and I fought the urge to laugh.

He sat in the chair by my head. He smiled softly, but his eyes were worried. "I'm glad you're alright."

I nodded. "Me too." I wasn't sure how truthful it was, but…for the moment, it was true enough.

He looked down, folding his hands together between his knees. "Who…who really did this, Alex?"

After a second of searching his downcast eyes, I looked up at the ceiling. "…an assassin."

Fox glanced up, and I could tell, even in my periphery, that he was reluctantly unsurprised. "Shit, kid. What've they had you doing?"

I shook my head. "I can't…can't talk about that." Not so soon after L-Unit.

Fox took it as me pulling the typical "classified" card, though, and pursed his lips. "You don't owe them anything."

I gave him a half-smile. "No. I don't…d-don't want to."

His eyes softened, and he sighed. "Fair enough, I suppose." He paused, glancing at the kitchen. "What did you tell them? About the attack?"

I shrugged. "The truth. A little, at least."

This was dangerous. L-Unit knew about SCORPIA, and…and Fox knew about MI6, and my age, and the circumstances. Putting those together without the right context would paint an…an awful picture, and I couldn't let it happen.

He seemed surprised. "Really?"

I smiled. "I trust them." I did. I trusted them a lot. I just…I couldn't make myself divulge everything just yet. I needed time to get used to each reveal.

Fox blinked. "Well…alright. I guess if you trust them, they're good people."

I closed my eyes, smiling behind the oxygen mask. "The best."

I heard Fox huff a quiet laugh. "That's good. I'm glad you've found them, then."

"Me too." There was absolutely no hesitation on that one.

He patted my shoulder, and I opened my eyes a little to watch him go, feeling exhausted. "I'll come back soon. I want to talk to you some more. I want to know what's going on."

I felt my heart pound a little faster, but nodded slightly. I supposed…Fox knew the big stuff. The worst stuff. Maybe telling him could be a…a practice run of sorts, for L-Unit. "Okay."

"Get some sleep," he said. "You look like you need it."

I quirked half a smile and let my eyes close, leaning back against the sofa. I was still in pain, physical and otherwise, but it didn't seem so bad now.

Lion came back after he'd seen Fox out. "Tiger's gone to bed, and Bear's making you some broth. Think you can take some?"

I hummed without opening my eyes, unwilling to leave the blissful warmth of waning consciousness.

"Jag?"

I hummed again, a bit more aggressively, hoping that it conveyed my utter exhaustion and frustration.

It must have, because he chuckled. "Fine. I'll wake you in a little while."

As I was dozing off, I felt him gently push the hair back off my forehead. "M'glad you're still here, squirt."

I couldn't tell if I smiled or not, but it made me happy all the same.

…

The next day, I felt a good bit better.

I had a feeling my physical injuries, while severe in their own right, had been somewhat exacerbated by the emotional turmoil wreaking havoc on my mind. Now that at least a little bit of it was sorted, I felt a little better. The swelling in my—well, everywhere, really—had gone down some, due to Bear's vigilant ice packs. I could see out of both eyes, now, and breathe deeply.

"Well, it's not infected," Bear said as he cleaned the bullet wound. "That's good, especially after the sepsis scare."

I was propped up on the couch (finally dressed, thank God) against a pile of pillows, under a couple blankets. I hummed in acknowledgement.

Lion was at church, and Tiger was running some errands, finally having recovered from being partially exsanguinated. Apparently we were down to nothing but frozen dinners and some rotten eggs, which wouldn't make the best meal, in my opinion. Bear and I had been watching the tellie in companionable silence before the timer went off, indicating a bandage change.

"How're you feeling?" He asked, glancing at me as I hissed in pain at the antiseptic. "Sorry."

I shook my head, indicating that it was fine. "A lot better. Um…my throat doesn't hurt as much."

"Good. I was worried about the swelling," he admitted, glancing at it. "You've got some pretty bruising, but it looks better. How long was he—" Bear paused. His eyes darkened, and he looked away, shifting. "How long was he…choking you?"

I hesitated, thinking back. Flashes of steel and lines of blood filled my mind, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Not long. Maybe…I dunno. A minute or so. Only with one hand."

Bear nodded. "Okay. Anymore than that and I would've been a lot more worried."

I glanced away.

He finished with my leg and moved onto my side, and I shifted, blushing in familiar humiliation as I lifted up my shirt to reveal my scars.

"I know Lion already talked to you," he said hesitantly, pouring peroxide onto the cloth in his hand, "but I'm going to do it, too. And I think Tiger wants to, later. What the hell were you thinking?"

I shifted, resisting the urge to sigh in frustration. "I'm tired, Bear."

"Well, that's too bloody bad, because I'm tired, too."

I felt my face screw up in frustration and repressed anger. "Like you said, I already talked to Lion."

"You didn't talk to me. And I'm pissed." He paused. "And…and hurt, mate. And worried. And…pissed some more. God, what—you know, just…you've done enough talking. I know you're tired, so just listen.

"When I was fourteen, I told you, I made a big mistake that got me shoved into therapy. I was…angry, and I repressed it, and I hung out with the wrong crowd. I didn't tell you what the mistake was." He took a deep breath, and I waited, my heart thudding in anticipation. "I…I overdosed."

I blinked, not having expected that. Not from…not from Bear, the joyful medic who turned into Mr. Hyde when one of his unit was hurt. Not from him. "What?"

He nodded, dabbing at the wound on my side with careful precision, his eyes far away. "On heroin. The guys I ran with…well, they didn't give a shit about me, to be blunt. I only liked to think they did, and I think I knew that. They'd just gotten a new stash in, and one of them joked that I should try some."

He blinked rapidly, looking away. "I didn't know what it meant. I was fourteen and stupid, and I wanted to do anything I could to feel…you know. Accepted. I thought it was just going to make me dizzy, or floaty, or something. One of the older kids got my syringe ready, and they were being careless. They gave me too much."

My heart hammered, and I had to remind myself that he was here, in front of me, and alive and okay. I resisted the urge to reach out and poke him in an effort to further reassure myself, instead letting him continue.

"Once they realized what'd happened, I was…well, I was past gone. They got out of there as quickly as they could. Didn't call an ambulance, didn't tell me what to do…just…kind of left me for dead, you know?"

They were lucky this was almost a decade ago and that Bear probably didn't remember their names. I was on the verge of being livid, once I pushed through the horror. I knew what it was like to be left alone to die.

"Somebody happened to pass me, and they had a medical background. Just…sheer luck. Pure coincidence. They stabilized me and called someone, and I woke up after they'd pumped me full of Narcan and fluids. My dad was crying."

He sat back, eyes dark and angry. "I was so mad at myself, and at them, and…the anger was just…boiling, you know? And I yelled at my dad and the doctors and the therapists until one day…I dunno, mate. I just got tired of yelling. I got tired of being angry."

Bear sighed, and I kept quiet, afraid to break the moment. "Heroin sucks. One hit and you're addicted. Obviously, I wasn't allowed any more of it, so the withdrawals were awful. And they made me even more irritable and angry than I already was. So I'd spend entire days and nights in the bathroom, feeling like my insides were being ripped out. And I'd be, just…screaming at my dad. I treated him so badly. And he'd sit with me the whole time, no matter what I threw at him.

"I didn't deserve him at all, and he definitely didn't deserve me. I was an ungrateful piece of shit after all that. And…" He shrugged, a faint, bitter smile on his face. "I never got as close as you, but during some of the…the bad nights, I did think about ending it. I thought about going to find some heroin and shooting up and slipping away on the high. It sounded good. And…then I let people help me, and I got better."

The revelation was beyond shocking, and I felt my eyes widen, and my gut twist.

Not Bear. Not…I couldn't reconcile the black thoughts in my mind with…with Bear. Who was so kind and supportive and funny and happy. Who was the first one to really reach out to me, and who sat with me after my nightmare and didn't judge me when I cried or when I sat huddled against the bathtub shaking. Who…who was the first one in a long time to…to really give a shit.

He glanced at me. "I know what it feels like, a little. To think no one's on your side. To think there's nothing left. It's going to be hard, Jag. It—it took a lot of extra work to become a medic. I wanted to, since the person who saved my life was an army medic. They were reluctant to trust me around pain medication and stuff, but…" He shrugged. "I worked hard. I worked my arse off."

He smiled, and patted my shoulder as I stared at him, nausea writhing in my gut. "Look where I am now." He glanced around, a fond expression replacing the bitterness on his face. "I've got an awesome home and my dad and I are good now. Elliot and I were good friends, so much so that…that he died for me, and even though I'll always, always wonder what I could've done to change the situation…I know he did it for me. And I've got Lion and Tiger, and I know they'd die for me, and I'd do the same for them."

He squeezed my shoulder. "And now I've got you. That's only four living people, so…don't go anywhere. I don't have a lot of friends. I can't afford to lose even one. Got it?"

I fought through the shock and the grief and the guilt enough to nod, slowly. "Bear…"

His eyes were shining, and he quickly looked away, standing. "Yep. That's enough of that." He turned away, rubbing at his eyes in one swift motion. "God. Took me ages to tell Lion and Tiger about that. Took you two months. See? Special treatment. Don't abuse it."

He passed me quickly, ruffling my hair in passing, and disappeared quickly into the bathroom. The door shut softly.

I leaned my head back against the pillows.

I was a selfish bastard sometimes.

I closed my eyes, and wracked my brain, and came to a decision.

Bear came back and sat down like nothing had happened, turning on the tellie. "What do you want to watch?"

I shrugged. "Um…I can…" I sighed a little, struggling to find the right words. "I can tell you something. Since…I know that was really hard to…to share."

God. I sounded like a little kid again. I felt myself blush brilliantly.

Bear glanced at me, eyes drawn in confusion and concern. "That wasn't the point, kid. I just wanted you to know you weren't alone."

I fidgeted. "I know, but…but…I want to…" I struggled, again, to formulate my thoughts, frustrated. "I want to…show you that I…I do trust you. A lot. I really do. I just…it's hard."

He eyed me for another miunte, then quietly switched off the tellie and turned to face me. His eyes were open and kind and so supportive, and I didn't deserve him at all. "I don't want you to think you have to. But if you want to…I'll listen."

I nodded, taking a breath, glancing at the blanket over my legs. "Well…a few years ago…my uncle died." I swallowed at the words, glancing at the glass table, thinking of my pictures. "Um…did you…did you get my pictures, from the—the bridge? He's in there."

My heart ached. Those pictures had been through so much with me, and if—if I'd lost them—

"Oh, shit, yeah," Bear said, rising quickly as his eyes pinched in realization. "I'm so sorry, Jag, we totally forgot about them. I'll grab them."

I felt myself sink in relief, closing my eyes and letting out an exhausted breath. Thank God.

Bear returned a second later with the stacked, neatly banded together, and handed them to me. He sank beside me on the sofa. "We did our best to…clean the blood off."

Ah. Yeah. That must've sucked.

There were splotches of faded pink on the white backs, but the glossy fronts of most of the photos were unscathed. The faded paper print of my mum and dad and me had a red stain on the upper corner, but that was the only significant damage.

"Thank you," I said honestly, closing my eyes. "These are…really important to me."

"I noticed."

I flinched. Yeah, I supposed he had, considering what I'd almost used them for.

I leafed through them once, Bear watching the pictures flutter by, and settled on my uncle. Ian and I had just finished climbing a trail on the Swiss Alps, and we were nestled in one of the upper rocks between two of the peaks. One of the guides had offered to take our picture. I almost didn't recognize myself.

With a second of hesitation, I handed it to Bear. "That's me and my uncle."

Bear looked at the picture and smiled, his eyes fond. "You look happy."

I smiled, too. "I was. He was great, but he had to travel a lot, for work. He always took me on trips whenever he had free time. We did a lot of stuff together. We were…pretty close."

Bear looked at the picture for a second longer and handed it back. I put it back and leafed through them again, finding the picture of Yassen. It was a candid shot, and I'm sure if the assassin ever knew my dad had taken it, he'd be livid. But…reluctantly, I was glad to have it. Even if I didn't know how I felt about him…he was still important. A link to the dad that I never knew. "This is…his name was Yassen."

I handed it to him, and he stared at it for a long minute. He brows creased. "This is—"

"Russian assassin Yassen Gregorovich," I confirmed, and he glanced at me incredulously. I quirked a smile at the expression on his face. "Yeah."

"…I'd ask how you know him, but I know you won't tell me. Just…how? How do you have, like…more stories than, I dunno, someone who spends their life doing nothing but travelling the world and meeting people, or something…"

I laughed a little. "No, he…well…it's a really long, complicated story, but…he was a friend of my dad's. He saved my life a few times, and the last time, he…he died for it." I paused. "And he also killed my uncle."

Bear glanced up sharply, lips parted in an aborted question.

I gave him a small, bitter smile. "I have…mixed feelings."

"…I would too," he said finally, staring at the picture for a moment longer before handing it back to me. "Your family sounds complicated."

I snorted, and it hurt my nose. "You've got no idea."

I leafed through the pictures again, and it felt so good to have them back in my hands. "These are the only things I…I always make sure to take with me. I always make sure I have them before my gun, before my clothes…they're…they're really important."

Bear nodded quietly. I figured he realized there wasn't a good response.

I leaned back, my side flaring in pain, and winced. "I… love my uncle, I do. He's…the only member of my family that I ever had a real relationship with. But sometimes…" I swallowed slightly, wincing again as pain flared in throat, but continued. "Sometimes I hate him. When he died…he left me in…in an awful position. I don't know if he did it knowingly or not, but…he did. And it led to a lot of really bad things."

I paused, and Bear continued to listen. "Yassen…I met him shortly after. I didn't know, at first, that he was the one who killed Ian. He helped me, and…saved my life. Gave me advice when no one else would. He said it was because he didn't kill children, but…I like to believe it was because he gave a damn, you know? He was the only one who really…acted like he cared, besides my guardian. And I needed that."

I shrugged, settling back against the sofa, sending Bear a small, embarrassed smile. "I know I probably confused you more than I explained, but…yeah."

Bear raised an eyebrow. "I'll say. But…thanks, Jag. I'm glad you told me."

I smiled. Totally didn't deserve him.

I told Lion and Tiger the same things when they got home, and I didn't deserve them either. Tiger was obviously having a bloody hard time tamping down his curiosity, because he asked a lot of questions (most of which I couldn't answer). After a while, he just stared at the photos, eyebrows drawn in frustrated confusion.

"Yeah, but—but how did they—"

"Tiger, seriously," Lion said, pinching the bridge of his nose. I had to snort in good humor at the exasperated expression on his face, and Bear laughed. "No matter how many times you ask the same bloody questions, the answers aren't going to change. Family's confusing, just…deal with it, mate."

Tiger looked less than satisfied, but he didn't press the issue.

…

They finally let me move to the spare bedroom that afternoon. Bear emerged from their supply closet with a pair of old crutches ("Screw you, Tiger, I told you they'd come in handy one day") and basically threatened to fasten me to the bed if I used them for anything other than to go to the bathroom without help.

My side hurt, but I felt a lot better in the bed than the sofa. I noticed that the window had been nailed shut.

Yeah, okay. I deserved that.

I slept for a couple hours, feeling refreshed, and read one of my books for a while. Tiger brought me dinner a little while later; he kept me company while I ate it, which was nice of him. My side ached after sitting up for a little while, so I finally laid back down when I was done, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Better?" He asked, putting my plate on the nightstand.

"Yeah. Much," I conceded.

He nodded, glancing around the room. "You haven't done anything with the room."

I blinked, following his lead, and glancing around. My duffle was in the closet, and I'd taken out my few clothes and put them in the dresser, but…otherwise, he was right. The walls were bare. I kept my gun in my nightstand drawer, my pictures tucked safely beside it, and I left my books in my duffle most of the time.

I shrugged a little. "I…you know. I didn't know how long I'd be…staying. And I don't have a lot of stuff."

Tiger nodded. "Still. You can do a little bit with it. Have you gotten your paycheque yet?"

"Um…I assume so," I said thoughtfully. "I haven't been able to check it. Could I borrow a laptop sometime to see?"

"Yeah, sure," Tiger said, leaning back. "But once you do, we can take you to get some stuff, if you want. It's looking like a guest room. Move in a little, geez."

I didn't want him to know quite how happy that made me, so I looked down to hide the blush in my cheeks and the smile on my face. "…I'd like that."

He glanced at me, nodding, looking quickly away. "Um…yeah. I picked something up while I was out, by the way." I hadn't noticed the plastic bag at his feet, so I was somewhat confused when he picked it up and set it beside me. "Didn't have any ribbon. Hope you don't mind."

His voice conveyed toneless sarcasm, but I could see the nervousness in his fidgeting hands and his tight shoulders.

I sent him a confused look, then peeked in the bag, hissing as I turned to put it on my lap. I reached in and pulled out a rectangular box.

I blinked. "Tiger…I can't accept this. Seriously. How much did this cost?"

He'd gotten me a phone. And a recent model. He'd also gotten me earbuds to go with it. God, this must've cost a couple hundred pounds, easy.

He shrugged. "I got it on sale; it really wasn't that expensive. You mentioned you missed music, so…yeah. Plus, it bothered me that you didn't have a phone when you—" He stopped abruptly, cutting himself off, and I looked down. My fingers tightened. "Yeah. It bothered me that we couldn't call you. So…yeah."

I was touched. I really, really was. But… "I…still, this is…a lot of money, Tiger. At least let me pay you back when I get some saved up."

He rolled his eyes. "You git. Don't refuse a gift. It's rude." He paused, searching my face, and sighed. "You can answer a couple questions, if you really want to pay me back."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's cheating." It was hard not to sound like a petulant child.

He smirked. "Take it or leave it."

The prospect was nerve-wracking, but I also knew that…if I really didn't want to talk about it, and I said so, he wouldn't make me. That was enough to put me somewhat at ease. "Fine."

He paused, then leaned forward. His expression was blank. "Why…why did you seek out SCORPIA? How could possibly think they could help you?" His voice was neutral, and I could tell he wasn't angry, at least. Just…curious. Maybe a little incredulous.

I'd half expected the question, but it still sent my heart thundering awry. I took a steadying breath.

"I can't…tell you everything," I started. He nodded, asking me to continue, and I took another breath. I leaned back. "I…well…I told you about Yassen, and Ian, and…the…rather odd dynamic." Tiger gave me a reluctant half-smile. "As Yassen died, after he saved me…he told me to go find SCORPIA, and I'd find my destiny." My mind ached at the memory, and I narrowed my eyes. "He thought he was doing the right thing."

"How so?"

I shrugged, remembering the quiet words on the man's bloodstained lips as someone I thought was invincible, unkillable, succumbed to death. "He thought I belonged there. It was…an odd situation. But…he really thought they could help me, and…he'd just died for me. He told me they had answers to questions I'd had for…a long time. So, I…went."

I admitted it quietly, feeling a little guilty and very embarrassed. That had ended brilliantly.

Tiger, after a second of thoughtful silence, nodded. "Okay. I just…you're not stupid, kid. And it was a stupid move. I wanted to understand."

I nodded, too. "I get it. I know it was stupid. They're a bunch of demented, manipulative arseholes."

Tiger barked a laugh, clapping me on the shoulder. "I'm glad you feel that way."

He stood, collecting our dishes. "I uploaded some music, and put in our numbers, but beyond that…go wild. I didn't know what you liked, so I guessed."

I looked at the phone, then at him, and smiled. "This means…a lot. Thanks, Tiger."

He grumbled something and turned away, but I caught the blush on his neck. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't…I don't know, hack into the Pentagon, or anything."

I laughed softly as he closed the door, turning over the box in my hands. It was an older model of the iPhone (A/N: yes yes I realize these books were published in like 2002 but I'm defenestrating canon bc it's 2020 and Alex deserves an iPhone for all the shit he's been through), but all I really cared about was that I could use it to make calls and listen to music.

I turned it on and familiarized myself with the setup, then went to the music app and scrolled through Tiger's selections. I supposed he'd remembered me talking about the music I liked, or he'd talked to Lion about it (because I'd talked to Lion quite a lot about the music I missed) and uploaded a few of my favorite artists. Sabina had made me partial to American music, and I saw a few songs from Green Day, Billy Joel, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Imagine Dragons. I also saw a couple songs by Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran, and a couple other UK artists.

I smiled, plugging in the headphones, hitting shuffle, and laying back.

God, I'd missed listening to music. I'd missed it a lot more than I realized. My right leg still ached considerably, but I tapped my left foot to the steady rhythm, letting my thoughts and anxieties fall away to the thrumming basslines and the even guitar, humming along to the lyrics I knew.

I listened to it until I fell asleep hours later, feeling better than I had in a long time.

…

A frantic pounding on the door woke me in the middle of the night. I barely avoided jumping out of bed in surprise, my side pulling uncomfortably as I hissed in pain. I heard the others sweeping into the hallway as I grabbed my gun from my nightstand.

"Seriously, you always assume the worst," Bear grumbled, still half-asleep, but he looked somewhat alert. "Just stay down. It's probably nothing."

The pounding came again, more insistent this time, and I flinched.

I heard Tiger and Lion shuffling to the front of the flat, and I heard the clink of the chain being undone on the door.

I saw Bear's eyes widen in surprise and confusion as whoever was at the door started talking. Their voice was low and muted, and I couldn't really hear it, but Bear didn't look worried.

I grabbed my crutches and painfully lifted myself out of bed, ignoring Bear's order to stay put. "Jag, seriously, it's fine. It's just some kid. I dunno what he's saying, but I think he's just lost."

Nevertheless, I made my way to the door. "I just want to make sure."

Bear pursed his lips, but sighed in resignation.

He stepped out of the way to let me into the hallway, where the voices became clearer. I felt my eyes narrow at Lion's rising voice, but whoever was in the doorway seemed pretty adamant about something.

"—gonna tell you this one more time, you need to leave," I heard Tiger say, his voice low and dangerous.

"Not until you give me a bloody answer! Is he here or not?"

I felt my eyes widen and my throat close in surprise and muted dread and reluctant joy, but I managed to get the name out all the same as I stumbled into the hallway, locking eyes with the boy in the door. I'd know those blue eyes and that short frame anywhere.

"Tom?"

A/N: *me glowing with pride because I spelled paycheque like a British person*

Also! HAHAHA TOM YOU SLY BOY. We knew he'd come for his best mate ;)

Also also. Geez, everybody's blushing and crying. I swear it's not a romance. Just…an emotionally trying situation with a bunch of (mostly) grown men who don't know how to handle their emotions because and I STAND BY IT male mental health isn't taken as seriously as they need to be please and thank youuuuuuu.

ALSO ALSO ALSO PLEASE READ I HAVE A QUESTION: …will you guys get, like…REALLY mad if I deviate from canon and put Alex's birthday in, like, August / September instead of January / February, which is canon? Like, it'll work if you'll just be traumatized or whatever, but I'd prefer to move it. Just let me know!

THANK YOU to all my wonderful amazing incredible beautiful reviewers!: Cortanacordeliacarstairs, Padfoot's Marauder, Fangirl all da way, LoveRider, reginamare, Guest, ClarenzaK, Gabrielle Nightingale, agent potter, KC, NeleeWW, otterpineapple06, Riderkitty, Ichigo1217, no-time-to-read, seth 8627, Charlie, Buddels, fa6imah.2000, HeroofOlympus24, Gwennwyfar, Mae, Johanna, GLC rider, Weirdo, Guest, and CatsRtheBest!

Cortanacordeliacarstairs (21): LOL good luck on your test! And hahaha I'm glad you think so! I just get so excited when I finish the chapters XD

Cortanacordeliacarstairs (20): ;)

LoveRider: Omg no worries dude! And thank you!

Reginamare: Lol I feel that XD Hahaha no takeout, Alex was sleepy, lol. And hehehehe ;) Ohhhhh nice! I haven't watched Sherlock in a while, but DUDE season 4 just MESSED me up. I think I really like the episode where John and Mary finally have their baby XD it's so cute watching Sherlock try to interact with her. And haha no worries!

Guest (okay, it's 11:02pm here, GMT…): AHHH THANK YOU! Hehehehe I took your advice XD

KC: Thanks so much!

Charlie; I'm so glad you liked it! Hahaha yeah me too. Thanks!

Mae: LOL it totally was. Thanks so much!

Johanna: DANKE!

Weirdo: Your reviews always make me smile :) I'm glad you liked everything! I'm glad you liked K-Unit's debut XD Lion and Tiger in protective mode is the GOAT. Ahhhhh thanks so much! You too!

CatsRtheBest: OMG thanks!

Guest (Will L-Unit ask about SCORPIA again…?): ;)

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THANKS SO SO MUCH FOR BEING AWESOME AND SUPPORTIVE AND WONDERFUL! Please drop a review!