Three years after the party that had been the beginning of the end of running from MI6, Alex lay on a sun bed by the villa owned by Paul Roscoe. The billionaire who had been a spectator to the breakdown in the Netherlands was now a close friend of both Alex and Jan. Neither described themselves as boyfriends, partners or significant others, they preferred keeping it to simply lovers. Neither had broached the subject of marriage, still living in the now, never trusting the future. Paul was sort of dating Sabina, who was calling all the shots and said she would marry if and only when she was ready for children.

Jan would be the first to admit, Alex was more complex than Marek, but was wonderful and strange in equal measure. The ex-cop pondered the different life he led now, a friend to the super rich. He was moderately successful as his Gym empire now covered Europe, North America and soon Australia. He had learned to delegate, but using the same formula of hiring young talent, who needing a break. The management plan started by Ria worked. He stood gazing at the man again with long blond hair, manicured nails and a liking for tailored gender neutral suits. His love moved like a cat and adhered to therapy schedules and health plans, maintaining an ideal weight and a minimal stress lifestyle. Life spent on vacation and visiting friends.

Jan's mother adored him and his multinational lifestyle and wider circle of friends. She was visiting them at the weekend, as were Cassian and his equally strident mother.

…..

For 30 years devoted service at the dirty front end of international espionage, Alan Blunt was alone and starting again after 15 months in an open prison for embezzlement of all things. His ex wife had retained the house, her full trust and half of his pension. Would he do anything different if given the choice of reliving his life, he could honestly say he wouldn't. Cissy would have ruined Alex, using that boy had almost destroyed SCORPIA, saved millions of lives and several ecological disasters. One life over many was a easy choice to make, even in the end if it had cost him his home and happiness.

Walking to buy groceries on his meagre budget, the former spymaster was unaware he was under surveillance.

The exCIA agent, now known only by his former nickname, watched from his delivery van. Revenge would wait, but several operatives wanted in on this vendetta. His own money was on Gordon, but the old interrogator in Macau might make a personal house call. Walker was a specialist in tailing, long term stake outs and information gathering, but for Alex he'd get his hands dirty again.

At least he was no longer party to stalking Alex for Cossack. The kid made regular social media updates to keep his ex in the loop. Better for everyone all round. His boss was his idea of the scariest ex on the planet, but Walker did not date anyways,so it was a facetious observation on his part. Thinking about it, Brendan Chase had been a thorough creep as well.

…

In a perfect world, Alex would have made Yassen happy, like he made Jan happy. Even with friends and a strange mix of foster families, sometimes he still wanted to run. On those occasions Alex confided in his first friend as an adult, Marco, not his current therapist. That guy was always grounded and forever trying to make up for doing the only thing he could have done to stay alive when faced by a psychopath. He had often wondered if another one of the guys at the club had been picked to be the school boy escort; would all have died rather than have been let go. It had been far too close staying Yassen's hand when the wise guys delivering him his entertainment. That was highly probably and Marco knew it.

The ex-spy was be owed a lot of favours. Especially from the school from hell, when the guys owing you was in the richer than Midas a category like Paul Roscoe and Dieter Sprintz. Rudi Vries was also very generous with his time, spare change and his contacts. Hugo was a young father now, hands on as his wife worked for his father.

Picking up a prototype Roscoe Communications phone, Alex took a selfie and posted it on the site run by Joe on all things for seven Alumni of Bad Boy High. Life was nothing like he'd expected when he'd stopped running, if he'd placed a bet it would have been on prison, as Columbia was not the only job he'd been an accomplice on. Each time Cossack had played the game of complete controlling bastard in front of witnesses.

Yassen had played with his toy to his own twisted game plan. Alex would never know if it all played out the way Yassen expected, it's not like he could ever ask him. Blunt going down for embezzlement had been the turning point for his own relaxed life goals, he honestly did not care that Ian's legacy had been used for MI6 Special Operations. He would have just sold the house on Cheyne Walk and given the proceeds to charity. Saying that in court had not played in Blunt's favour when used by his defence as a reason for dropping the charges, it had made the judge loose composure. Blunt had embezzled money set aside to help others not himself as the OSA prevented the spymaster saying a word to out the bank as a cover for MI6 off the books espionage.

Alex looked at his finger prints again. Would he have been happy just as Marek? It was a definitely maybe. He stood up and went to give his lover a special off the books type of massage. Mika was probably a better cover anyway, still Alex. He'd been stupid in London, everyone calling him Alex at the Club. He'd only realised his mistake when finding out his flatmates real names, opposed to their more refined and fun escort names. He should have died in Cornwall after the mistake over being Felix and asking to be called Alex. Any handier would have pulled him out then, only the bank never treated him like a fiend agent, just a joke.

As Alex worked his magic on Jan in the tropical paradise, he knew he'd made the right choices for once. He stopped and then looked at Jan. "you wanted to marry Marek. So Mr Ex-cop, do you fancy marrying a washed former teen spy and sex worker? Something small and low key. Just your mum and maybe Hugo as witnesses?"

With a wide and happy smile, Jan simply said "yes, even if it's a secret between us, it's a definite yes!"

"It won't be a secret, I'm taking your name, no double barrel double entendres." Alex smiled and kissed his soon to be husband. He did not tell Jan that both Sabina and Fi had promised to be surrogates if or when they wanted to be parents. That would only need to be discussed in 10 to fifteen years time. Alex inwardly liked the idea of mini Jans. Even the ice cold and calculating heart of former judge of the International Court might melt for future grandkids.