Author's note:

I posted two chapters back to back so check that you've read the previous chapter before continuing with this chapter.

Sam listened in stunned silence as Alex told him everything.

Alex's voice was steady at first, as though recounting facts he'd gone over a hundred times in his head. He told about Ian, the uncle who had raised him, taught him the skills that would land him in the world of espionage. How Ian's death had shattered his world and thrust him into the hands of MI6.

"They told me he died in a car accident," Alex said, his voice low. "But it was a lie. He was killed on a job. And then MI6 came to me. Told me he was a spy and they would need someone to finish the mission. I told them no, told them they were out of their minds but they blackmailed me. They threatened to deport Jack if I didn't do what they asked and forced me into finishing the mission that got Ian killed."

Sam's stomach churned at the idea.

"You remember Stormbreakers?" Alex continued and Sam nodded. "It wasn't just a computer. Those were going to release a virus targeted to kill every school kid in Britain. I stopped it, but... that was just the start."

"Wait", Sam interrupted for the first time. Alex paused and turned to look at him. "You mean to tell me that not only did you save our lives here but also before, along with every other school kid in this country?"

Alex fidgeted slightly, looking uneasy. "Well, kind of…Yeah", he said rubbing his neck. "Shot the prime minister in the process though," Alex noticed Sam opening his mouth to say something and hurriedly added. "By accident! And just a little. But still, you know…One would guess that would've been the end of it, but no. MI6 kept coming back. They always had another mission, another way to push me into doing what they wanted. The next mission I was sent to France. I was undercover as Alex Friend, the son of Friend family…"

As Alex spoke, talking about his missions, Sam's grip on the bed tightened. The more he heard, the more horrified he became. Alex told him about the near-death experiences, the lies, and the betrayals. About watching people die and knowing that sometimes, he was the one responsible.

Alex's voice faltered as he recounted the events in Air Force One, his eyes growing distant. "I watched Yassen die then—the assassin I met on my first mission. He told me things before he... before he was gone. How he had known my dad and that my dad had saved his life."

Sam frowned. "Your dad?"

Alex nodded, giving a deep sigh. "Yeah, I'm getting there. It is…complicated. So, he told me that my dad had saved his life and how he…loved me. Then he said that I should find Scorpia and I did what he asked—I went looking for them and, well you know this already, I joined them."

Alex's expression darkened as he was lost in the memories. "I should have known better. I was so stupid. Believed every lie they fed me. I was so desperate to learn more about my parents, about my dad. And they used that against me. They told me that MI6 was responsible for my dad's death, that he'd been shot during a prisoner exchange. They showed me a surveillance tape about it and everything."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "But it wasn't true?"

"No," Alex said bitterly. "My dad was a double agent. He'd been working undercover for MI6 inside Scorpia. The whole 'execution' was staged to get him out. But I did learn that he was the one who trained Yassen during his time with Scorpia."

Sam nodded along and looked thoughtful. "I guess that would explain why an assassin would save you all those times."

Alex gave a sad, rueful smile. "Maybe. Or maybe it was guilt. After all, it was Yassen who killed Ian." He paused, the weight of his words settling in the air. "Weirdly enough, I don't blame him. There's plenty of that to go around and I guess the real blame goes to Scorpia. You see, Scorpia never forgives and never forgets and when they found out my dad was working for MI6, they killed my parents as revenge. I ended up growing up with Ian, him training me to become—this. Maybe my father would have trained me the same way and I would have ended up here anyway but that is something that we'll never know."

Sam's expression shifted from shock to sympathy as Alex's words settled over him. He shook his head slightly, struggling to process it all. "But wait… How did you get away from Scorpia then? After you joined them?"

Alex hesitated, inspecting his fingernails for a moment. "They sent me on a mission," he said finally, keeping his gaze down. "My first assignment was to assassinate Mrs. Jones."

Sam's eyes widened. "What?"

"They told me she was the one who gave the order to have my dad killed," Alex explained, his voice steady but heavy with emotion. "At the time, I believed them. It was in the footage they showed me. I thought MI6 had betrayed my dad, and... I thought I was doing the right thing by going after her."

Sam furrowed his brow. "But you didn't go through with it? I mean, she's obviously still alive."

Alex shook his head. "No. I failed. MI6 caught me, brought me into custody. That's when they told me the truth about my dad—that he was a double agent and the shooting was staged to get my dad away from Scorpia."

"And then what?" Sam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I found out about Scorpia's ongoing operation," Alex said, his tone tinged with bitterness. "So, I went back to them. To stop their plan. They were targeting school kids again, including me."

Sam's jaw dropped. "You're telling me you saved all of us again? Twice now?"

Alex grimaced lifting his gaze from his fingers and gave a small shrug. "Yeah, I guess so. But it was also about my own survival. Scorpia never planned for me to make it out alive. They were going to kill me along with everyone else. And when that didn't work, they sent an assassin after me. Shot me right in front of MI6's headquarters of all places."

Alex rubbed his chest absently, the gesture drawing Sam's attention. He couldn't help but remember the round scar he'd seen on Alex's chest. "I would've died if I hadn't been stepping off a curb at that exact moment. The bullet just missed my heart. The doctors said being young was the only reason I survived."

Sam's breath hitched, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Christ, I…I mean, of course I saw the scar but hearing it like this I just..."

Sam stared at Alex for a moment in silence, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief. He ran a hand through his hair again, shaking his head slowly. "I can't believe this," he murmured. "I mean, I believe you, but... if I hadn't been there with you…if I hadn't seen what I saw, I'd think you were making it all up. Stuff like this doesn't just happen to people, Alex. It's like something out of a movie."

Alex let out a small, humorless laugh. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly the kind of movie you'd want to star in."

Sam thought about everything he had heard. Everything Alex had been through, him showing up to school injured, having to listen them talking about him, calling him names, after he had saved their lives. Twice, apparently.

"I'm so sorry Alex," Sam whispered and Alex looked at him with confusion. "So sorry for all of that happening to you and—how I—How I treated you before. I was such a jerk. I had no idea. And I just..."

"You already apologized for that Sam," Alex interrupted. "There's no need for you to dwell on it anymore. It's all forgiven. I swear."

Sam opened his mouth to argue, but Alex didn't want him wasting any more time on self-blame and decided to change the subject.

"You know, during my next mission, I actually went to space," Alex dropped in casually.

Sam blinked, his expression shifting to incredulity. "Okay, now you're just making stuff up."

But Alex met his gaze with complete seriousness. "Nope."

"No, you're shitting me," Sam replied, leaning forward in disbelief.

Alex grinned. "I swear. Space. Zero gravity and everything. Crashed into the coast of Australia on the way back to Earth."

Sam stared at him as he tried to process that. "I don't even know what to say to that," he admitted.

Alex chuckled. "Yeah I know. I admit that was bizarre. I was fished out of the ocean by Australians and there I was again, mixed up with intelligence agency."

Alex's grin faded, the lightness in his tone giving way to something heavier. He shifted slightly, his hands resting on his knees. "And they got me to work with them. Lured me in with someone. My godfather, Ash. I'd never met him before, but they said I'd get to work with him. It felt like a connection to my parents again but this time, not from assassin or terrorists."

Sam frowned, sensing the shift in Alex's mood. "And?"

"And it was a mistake," Alex replied bitterly. "Ash...I found out that he was the one who planted the bomb that killed my parents. Traitorous bastard. He was working for Scorpia."

Sam took a sharp breath. "What? Alex, that's... that's insane."

"Yeah, well," Alex said with a stony expression, "Welcome to my life. The guy pretended to care, pretended to help, and then he betrayed me. Left me for dead, actually. But I survived, like I always seem to, and now he's dead."

Sam shook his head, struggling to find words. "I'm sorry to say this but you have a seriously messed-up life."

Alex gave a faint, bitter smile. "Yeah. I know."

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of their breathing. Alex hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly as he debated whether to continue. His latest mission—the one in Cairo—was still too raw, the loss too fresh. The memories of Jack's death threatened to suffocate him every time they surfaced. Did he really want to relive it again, even in words?

Sam noticed the hesitation, the way Alex's shoulders tensed, his jaw tightening. "Alex," he said gently, "you don't have to tell me. But if you want to, I'm here. Whatever it is, I'll listen."

"It was Scorpia again," Alex began quietly. "My last mission. They... they got to me and Jack. Jack wasn't even supposed to be there but I—I was selfish. I let her to come with me. I didn't want to go alone again."

Alex paused, swallowing hard, fighting the emotions and the self-blame that felt almost suffocating every time he thought about it. How could he had let Jack go with him? If he could take that back…

Sam stayed silent, waiting for Alex to continue. Alex took a shuddering breath. "We were captured and there was this man, Razim, who wanted to study pain. And he explained to me that he couldn't hurt me physically because they had other plans for me, but he would use the opportunity to study emotional pain."

Sam felt like he couldn't breathe. He had heard a small bit of it from Walker during their capture and he had an idea where this was going. Sam felt his pulse speeding up, a tightness squeezing his throat as he tried to draw in a breath and listen.

"They set it all up," Alex said, his voice trembling slightly. "They took me away from Jack and she was left alone. She tried to escape and they let her think she could. Let me think it too. But it wasn't real. It was all a trap."

Sam felt a cold weight settle in his chest. Alex continued closing his eyes, the memory cutting through him like a knife, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

"They made me watch." Alex whispered. "Made me watch as... as Jack climbed into a car and Julius, someone wearing my face, pressed the button. Activated the bomb. And Jack..." His voice broke, and he took a shaky breath, trying to steady himself.

"She was gone," Alex said, his voice hollow. "Just like that. And I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Sam's hand gripped Alex's shoulder. "Alex... I'm so sorry."

Alex nodded faintly, his throat too tight to speak. He felt the weight of the room pressing down on him, but also the warmth of Sam's hand on his shoulder—a reminder that he wasn't alone. He felt himself lean into the touch, just slightly. Alex stayed quiet for a long moment, his breathing uneven, couple of tears running down his face. Sam didn't push, simply waiting, his hand still resting on Alex's shoulder.

"But it wasn't over," Alex said finally, his voice hoarse. "They still wanted to use me. Me and Julius. Because we looked the same. They planned to frame me for assassinating the American Secretary of State."

Sam's eyes widened. "What? How—?"

"Julius was the sniper," Alex explained, his voice trembling. "I was supposed to be the scapegoat. The perfect fall guy. They wanted to destroy me and MI6. Make other nations think that a teenage British spy assassinated someone that was part of the American government."

Sam shook his head in disbelief, the sheer scale of what Alex was saying hard to comprehend. "How did you stop them?"

"I got lucky. Escaped and managed to distract Julius at the last second. The shot missed and caused a chaos. People realized there was a sniper, and the scene turned into a frenzy. But Julius slipped away," Alex said bitterly. "Grabbed a weapon from a patrol officer and disappeared into the crowd. I couldn't let him get away. Not after everything he'd done."

Alex's voice dropped and his tone became haunted. "I chased him through the streets. We ended up by the side of the road and he... he didn't see the car coming."

"He got hit by a car?" Sam breathed, waiting where Alex was going with this.

Alex nodded. "It slowed him down, but it didn't stop him. He was still trying to fight, baiting me. He said... he said I wouldn't dare kill him."

Sam's grip on Alex's shoulder tightened.

Alex's gaze dropped to his lap, his voice barely audible. "And after everything, I still didn't want to. I turned away. I was going to leave him there. But then... he went for his gun and I...I had no choice, I also had a gun in my hand and I…"

"You shot him?" Sam whispered feeling numb. He couldn't even start to comprehend it. Shooting someone that had looked just like Alex, someone their age…

Alex nodded faintly, his hands trembling in his lap. His voice was barely audible, choked with emotion. "I shot him."

Alex's breathing grew uneven, his shoulders beginning to shake. "Before, when I… when I killed someone, it was always out of necessity. To survive. With Julius and with Petrov and Quinn…But then with Walker. This time…I, I think I crossed that line"

Alex needed to get it out of his chest. The quilt that pressed inside him like a lead weight. He pushed through the uneven, shallow breaths as he continued. "Just before they found me, I fought with Walker."

The name alone sent a chill down Sam's spine. They didn't know what had happened to Alex after they had left the area and Alex had stayed behind. After seeing the condition that Alex had been brough in, the thoughts about what had happened had haunted him. It seemed that he was finally going to know.

"He confronted me by the lake", Alex told, trying to keep his voice from breaking but failing miserably. "I…He was trying to kill me and we ended up in the lake. I managed to trip him and he fell to the water. I guess he hit his head because he stayed under the surface. And I…," Alex's voice turned into sobs as he struggled to get the words out of his mouth. "—I just left him there."

"After everything he did..." Sam started, but Alex shook his head, cutting him off.

"No," Alex said, his voice thick with tears. "It shouldn't matter. I could have tried to pull him up. Maybe he would have died anyway, I don't know. But I… I didn't even try. I didn't do anything I just…I let him drown."

The weight of everything he'd recounted—the loss, the betrayal, the sheer magnitude of what he'd been through—pressed down on him, suffocating and relentless. Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling over as he buried his face in his hands.

Sam froze, his heart pounding as he watched Alex break down, unsure of what to do. His mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out. After a moment, Sam shifted closer and, tentatively, he started to wrap his other arm around Alex in an awkward, stiff hug.

"It's okay, Alex," Sam said feeling utterly out of his depth but wanting to be there for Alex. "It's okay. You don't have to hold it all in."

Alex leaned into Sam's embrace, his tears soaking into Sam's shirt as the dam finally broke. He cried for Jack, for Ian and his parents, for Julius and Walker, for all the people he'd lost and the choices he'd been forced to make. He cried for the life he used to have, for the innocence that had been stripped away from him piece by piece.

Sam stayed still, holding Alex tightly even though he felt a little unsure of himself, if he was doing the right thing. "Uh… it's okay," he mumbled again, feeling ridiculous for repeating himself but not knowing what else to say.

Alex's sobs eventually quieted, his breathing still shaky as he pulled back slightly. His face was red, his eyes swollen, and as he wiped at his tears with the back of his hand, a faint flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. "Sorry," he muttered, avoiding Sam's gaze. "I didn't mean to... you know, lose it like that."

Sam shifted, but kept his arm wrapped around Alex. "Don't you dare to apologize." Sam tightened his grip on Alex. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Alex let out a shaky breath. "I just... I don't know how to keep going sometimes," he admitted, his voice raw. "It feels like no matter what I do, it's never enough. Someone always gets hurt."

"You've saved lives—my life, Ellie's, Liam's, Will's. And who knows how many more", Sam said quietly. "And we are here for you Alex. You don't have to do this alone anymore, you know that right?"

"Thanks," Alex murmured, his voice still shaky. "For listening. For... being here."

"Any time," Sam said with a small smile, his arm still resting around Alex's shoulder.

Crawley stood at the edge of the group of teenagers and their parents, clipboard in hand, his expression calm and focused as he went over the final details of the departure. Henry, Alex's classmates and their parents milled about the designated area, the air filled with anticipation and a bit of nervousness as they waited for final confirmation that everything was ready for them to leave the camp.

Ben was standing among the group, chatting with some of the parents and Henry. Mrs. Jones had deemed her presence unnecessary and sent Ben in her place to aid Crawley with the group and offer last minute reassurances and answers to their questions.

"It's just… we barely got to talk to him," Liam's mother said, her brow furrowed. "Alex seemed like he was avoiding us."

Sam's father nodded. "I got the same impression. Poor boy. He was polite, but he sure kept his distance. I suppose I can't blame him after everything, but still..."

Ben smiled faintly, his hands in his pockets. "That's just Alex. He's not great at handling gratitude, or attention, really. But I can promise you he appreciates it."

Ellie's mother looked thoughtful, "I hoped to tell him that he's always welcome to our home. Any time. He's done so much for our children, and we'd love to have him over."

"You're right," Will's mother agreed. "Please could you tell him that? If he ever needs anything—anything at all—he shouldn't hesitate to reach out. He'll always have a place with us."

Ben nodded, feeling grateful. It was good to know Alex would have safe adults close to him that would welcome him to their home. "I'll make sure he knows. Thank you, all of you, I'm sure it'll mean a lot to him."

As the conversation lulled, an SAS soldier approached Crawley, standing in position. "Sir, the vehicles are prepped and ready for departure."

Crawley nodded, checking his watch before glancing at the assembled families. "Thank you. Let the drivers know we'll be departing shortly."

The soldier saluted and strode off. Crawley turned to the group, raising his voice just enough to carry over the light murmur of conversation. "Ladies and gentlemen, the vehicles are ready. Please gather your belongings and prepare to leave the area soon."

Will exchanged a quick glance with Ellie and Liam. Then he took a step forward, addressing the group of adults. "We'll go get Sam."

"And say goodbye to Alex," Ellie added quickly.

Crawley arched an eyebrow but didn't object. "Very well, but don't take too long."

"We won't," Will assured him, motioning for Liam and Ellie to follow as he started walking towards the infirmary. "We'll be back in a minute."

Will, Liam, and Ellie approached the door of Alex's room, they paused just short of it, exchanging a glance. The door was closed, and they could hear faint murmurs from inside. Will held up a hand, motioning for them to stop.

For a moment, they stood there, listening. After a few seconds, Will leaned closer to the door, hesitating. Then, taking a breath, he knocked carefully, the sound echoing in the corridor before they heard Alex's clear voice to call them in.

Will pushed the door open, stepping inside with Liam and Ellie close behind. They were met with the sight of Alex sitting on his bed, Sam perched beside him. Alex's crutches rested against the wall, and the tension that they had seen on his face for days seemed to have eased slightly. Alex looked up at them, hoping that his earlier breakdown wasn't still written on his face.

"Hey," Ellie said softly, offering a tentative smile as she stepped closer to the bed.

"Hope we're not interrupting," Liam added, shoving his hands into his pockets as his gaze flicked to Sam and back to Alex.

Alex shook his head smiling at them. "No, you're not. What's up?"

"We're here to get Sam. And, well... to say goodbye," Will replied, returning the smile and stepping further into the room.

Sam glanced at Alex, then back at his friends, giving a small nod. "Right. Guess it's that time."

Sam started to stand up and Alex noticed how the group exchanged glances before Will stepped forward. "We've been talking," he began, his tone slightly awkward. "About everything. You know, what happened. What's going to happen now that we're leaving."

"And?" Alex prompted Will to continue, curious to know where this was going.

"And we don't want to just go back to pretending nothing happened. We know we have to stick to that stupid cover story and all that, but..." WIll trailed off, glancing at the others for support.

"But we want to stay in touch," Liam finished. "Outside of school, I mean. Meet up sometimes. Be friends."

Alex blinked, the words sinking in slowly.

"And we were thinking," Liam continued, "if we plan it right, we could make it look natural to be friends at school too. Like, bumping into each other at events or working on group projects. Stuff that wouldn't make anyone suspicious and over time, people wouldn't think it's anything weird we'd hang out."

Alex's throat tightened, the mix of surprise and gratitude almost overwhelming. He had expected them to go back to their normal lives, believed that this experience would fade after time. He hadn't dared to hope that they would make this much effort, coming up with a plan to make sure nobody would suspect anything, to be able to hang out freely at some point in the future without pretence. After everything, the idea of having more people who genuinely wanted to stick around felt foreign. He had relied on Tom as his only friend for a while now and it wasn't fair, for either of them, and Alex knew it.

"That sounds..." Alex paused, searching for the right words. "It actually sounds great. I'd like that."

Ellie smiled warmly, reaching out to give his hand a light squeeze. "Good. Because we're not going to just let you go through all this alone, okay?"

Will grinned, crossing his arms. "We'll figure it out. Just... don't get too comfortable. We're still have to give you a hard time at school, at least until we can ease into it."

Alex smiled, the tension in his chest easing. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"All right, we should probably head out before someone comes looking for us," Liam said looking around the group.

Alex nodded, glancing at his classmates. "Thanks. For coming by and you know…for everything."

Ellie leaned in to give Alex a quick hug, her touch warm and reassuring. "Take care of yourself, Alex. We'll see you soon okay?"

"Yeah," Alex replied.

As they headed for the door, Sam lingered for a moment, glancing back at Alex. "You'll let us know when you're at St. Dominic's, right?"

"I will," Alex promised.

"Good," Sam said, giving him a smile and one by one, they filed out of the room, the door clicking softly shut behind them.

For a moment, Alex stared at the closed door, the faint sound of their footsteps fading down the hall. The room felt quieter now, but not in the suffocating way it usually did. He leaned back against the pillow, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. And despite being alone in the room, right now in this moment, Alex didn't feel lonely.

Alex stood outside, leaning heavily on his crutches breathing in the fresh air. He was waiting for someone to come and confirm that his ride to London was ready to leave. It had been a few hours since his classmates and their parents had left the camp and now it would finally be his turn to leave this place behind him once again. Alex adjusted his grip on the crutches, shifting his weight slightly to ease the ache in his arms.

Mrs. Jones had come to speak with him earlier, going over the details of the operation from the previous night. Alex knew she didn't have to do that but it seemed that she had wanted to reassure him—once again—that they had finally dismantled Scorpia for good, capturing every operative they were aware of. Alex supposed the knowledge was meant to bring him relief, but he wasn't sure he fully believed it.

Dr. Vann had also stopped by, going through the events of the last few days, probing gently into his mental state. She hadn't said anything, but Alex knew there would be a lot of meetings with her waiting for him in the coming weeks. Then Sarah had done her checks, giving him the all-clear to leave the infirmary. Now, all that was left was to wait for the transport that would take him to St. Dominic's.

A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Hey, Cub."

Alex turned to see Viper, Snake and Jaguar approaching. "Got a minute?" Viper asked.

"Yeah," Alex said, nodding as they stopped in front of him.

"We heard you're leaving soon," Viper said. "We wanted to see you before you head out."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card, holding it out to Alex. "Here. This has all our contact info—mine, Snake's and Jaguar's. If you ever need anything, no matter what it is, you call us. Got it?"

Alex took the card, looking at the numbers and names written on it.

"Thanks," he said, his fingers curling around the card.

Snake crossed his arms, his gaze serious. "We're not just saying this. If MI6—or anyone else—tries to drag you into something you don't want, you let us know. We'll deal with it. Fox is keeping an eye out too just so you know. We all agreed, if anything shady happens, we want to know"

Viper stepped closer, placing a firm hand on Alex's shoulder. "You're tougher than most soldiers I know. But we all need someone to look out for us. We got your back from now on. That's a promise."

Alex swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet their eyes. "Thanks," he said again. "That's…I appreciate it."

"Good," Jaguar said giving a small nod. "Alright, me and Viper got to head out. Take care of yourself, Cub."

"I will," Alex promised, slipping the card into his pocket with a smile.

Viper and Jaguar exchanged a brief look with Snake before turning to leave. Snake stayed behind, putting his hands in his pockets, standing casually beside Alex.

"I figured I'd wait with you," Snake said as Alex looked at him questioningly. "No point in leaving you to stand out here on your own."

"Right," Alex said simply, shifting his weight on the crutches again, noticing the small smirk on Snake's face. He suddenly had a slight idea who his ride to London might be.

The landscape of Brecon Beacons was blurring into streaks of green and gray as car hummed steadily, speeding along the road to London. Alex sat in the back with Snake, Eagle and Coyote. Wolf was at the wheel, his focus on the road ahead, while Ben sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing back to check on Alex.

When they had asked for volunteers to escort Alex to London, the whole K-Unit had immediately announced themselves. Even if one or two of them would have been enough to get the teenager where he needed to go, they all had wanted to come, refusing to stay behind. A little break from the camp was welcome for them too after spending the last couple of days prepping and interrogating captives and detaining the enemy spies among them.

Alex leaned his chin on his palm, his breathing steady. For the first time in days, Alex felt… lighter. His conversation with Sam had done something to him—lifting some of the weight he'd been carrying. Alex stared out the window at the rushing scenery, a rare moment of peace settling over him.

"Oi, Cub," Eagle's voice jolted him from his thoughts. Alex turned his head, meeting the man's playful grin. "You've been staring out that window like you're auditioning for some sad indie movie. What's going on in that teenage brain of yours?"

Alex smirked faintly. "Just thinking. Is that not allowed?"

"Not when you're with us," Coyote said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "We'll have to confiscate your deep thoughts and replace them with K-Unit banter."

Alex rolled his eyes but felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward. "Sounds like a nightmare."

"You've been living one, Cub," Snake chimed in. "Maybe a little lighthearted chatter isn't the worst thing right now."

"Or the best thing," Alex countered, his smirk growing as he glanced at Snake. "Depends on the quality of the chatter."

"Quality?" Eagle exclaimed, clutching his chest in mock offense. "You're questioning the intellectual depth of our conversation?"

Ben chuckled from the front seat, twisting slightly to glance back. "Alex has a point. Most of your 'chatter' is questionable at best, Eagle."

"Hey, I'll have you know I bring charm and wit to every conversation," Eagle shot back, grinning. "Coyote, back me up here."

"Sorry," Coyote said with a shrug, "but charm and wit wouldn't' be the first words I'd choose."

"I'll have you know that I object to that", Eagle stated. "But...seriously Cub. Something bothering you?"

Alex turned to look at Eagle, noting the man's scrutinizing gaze. Despite the humor, Alex could sense the genuine concern beneath it. He shook his head slightly. "No, nothing's bothering me. I'm fine. Just... looking forward to getting home."

Eagle raised an eyebrow. "I think we should be worried about you, calling hospital a home"

"Not St. Dominics," Alex scoffed. "I mean London you bird brain."

Eagle just grinned at him and reached out to ruffle his hair. Alex swiped the man's hand away, glaring half-heartedly, a smile tugging on his lips.

Snake leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as he studied Alex. "You're really fine? You don't have to put on a brave face for us."

Alex sighed, glancing out the window again before looking back at Snake. "I'm fine. Really."

Ben glanced back from the front seat. "You've been through a lot, Alex. No one expects you to bounce back overnight."

"I know," Alex replied. "But I'm not trying to bounce back. I just want... normal. Or whatever version of normal I can get."

Wolf, who had been silent as he focused on the road, finally spoke. "So, what's the first thing you're going to do when you're back in London?"

Alex considered the question for a moment before answering. "I think I'm gonna call Tom," he said simply.

"Tom…? Oh heck!" Eagle perked up, slamming his forehead with his hand and startling everyone with the sudden movement. "The black-haired kid who came to talk to us after you went missing? Shit, how could I forget?"

Alex blinked in surprise. "Tom talked to you?"

Eagle nodded. "Yeah, told us he knew about you training with us and wanted to know what happened. We promised we'd find you but, uh... well, I don't think anyone's told him yet. That we found you. I mean, we've been a bit busy, but—Look, call him now. Here—use my phone." He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to Alex.

"Thanks", Alex took the phone, looked around the faces around him and dialed Tom's number. The line rang twice before a familiar, slightly frantic voice answered.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Tom," Alex said feeling warmth spread through him after hearing the voice of his best friend. "It's me, Alex."

There was a beat of silence before Tom practically shouted, "Alex? Alex! Oh my God, you're alive! Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I can't explain everything right now, but I'm fine. I'm on my way to London. I'll be at St. Dominic's for a bit. I think…I think we need to talk." Alex said, staring out the window as the scenery blurred past. After his talk with Sam, he'd realized that Tom deserved to know the truth—everything. It had been good to share, to talk to Sam about it. But it still bothered Alex a little bit that, Sam knew more about the things he'd been through than his best friend who had stuck by his side through it all.

There was a brief pause on the line before Tom spoke again. "That sounds a bit ominous, mate. I think you're breaking up with me when you say something like that."

Alex couldn't help but let out a laugh. Leave it Tom to know how to ease his mind and pull him back from the deep dark thoughts.

"Nah, you're stuck with me", Alex grinned. "Let me rephrase, I want to talk with you. About what happened."

"In Wales?" Tom asked tentatively.

Alex let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, but not just Wales. All of it. From the beginning. For real this time."

There was a beat of silence on the line before Tom's relieved voice came through. "About damn time I say. Whenever you're ready, I'll be there."

Alex felt a knot of tension in his chest loosen. "Thanks, Tom. I mean it."

"You don't have to thank me, mate," Tom said. "You just... focus on getting to London. I'll come to see you as soon as I can."

Alex nodded, even though Tom couldn't see him. "I'll let you know when I'm settled."

"Good," Tom said. "And Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I've got your back."

Alex swallowed hard, a wave of gratitude washing over him. "I know. Thanks."

After ending the call, Alex handed the phone back to Eagle, who was watching him with a curious look. "Everything okay?"

Alex stopped to consider.

Alex thought of Sam, Will, Ellie, and Liam who had offered their friendship despite everything, promising to find ways to stay connected. They didn't have to do that. They could have chosen to distance themselves, to try to forget all that happened. But they hadn't. They wanted to be his friends.

And Alex though about the soldiers—Snake, Viper, Jaguar and the rest—who had promised him that if MI6 ever came knocking again, he wouldn't have to face it alone. And that thread of hope that had felt like a noose around his neck, waiting for someone to use it against him, now felt more like a lifeline. Something he could grab with both hands, trusting that there were people holding the other end, keeping him steady through it all. Keeping him safe.

"Yeah," Alex said, leaning back against the seat with a smile on his face. "It will be."

And this time, he truly believed it.

Whew it's done!
Thank you all who have read this story. I hope you enjoyed it and also thank you for all the comments, they always make my day :)