Kidnapped. Tortured. Hurt. Alex was pulled from the grasp of Scorpia by the people he gave himself up for. Unfortunately, nobody had gathered the extent of his injuries, least of all himself. So when he'd woken up in hospital three weeks later, you could say he was annoyed, even when it seemed Scorpia wasn't quite ready to let him go. (Sequel to Because That Was Expected)

Clink.

The metal fence shook slightly from the disturbing footsteps, catching its framework in the movement, leaving nothing but a memory in its wake. The ground crunched as the boots landed, their soles kicking up dust on the abandoned railway tracks as they ran, jumping the rusted metal in the shadow of the night.

It was late, that much he knew. Well past the appointed time, but he had no choice but to hope they were still there- he needed a way out, and he needed it fast.

The distance he had run was taking its toll on him he realised as he staggered up the second bank to the large field spread before him, the fastest way the pick up point. The mission had been short, but necessary, the only way MI6 had decided would be safe to get the information they needed. Little had they expected-

There, ahead, the chopper waited, its rotors still as he approached, still eating up ground despite the tiredness he should have felt. His mind felt nothing but relief- he could get away, he didn't have to stay there any longer with him, him he had met before in that little room where he did more than stitch him back up. The relief was overwhelming, nearly causing him to stumble before he made himself focus.

It didn't take him a minute to reach it, and throw open the doors, only to pause in the silence. Before him, the man lay, eyes wide and unseeing, catching his gaze just as much as the bullet hole between his eyes. To his left, was the click of a gun, its muzzle pressed to his temple as he froze.

A familiar man chuckled, pushing the gun further into him, pushing so hard Alex could feel the metal sliding into his skin, cutting its way through straight through his skull and into his brain where Three pulled the trigger and his head exploded in a-

Alex sat up sharply, panting hard in the silence. He forced himself to swallow the bile that had risen, the memory of the blood and the intent still present. It was the same thing every night; he kept imagining another mission, another problem he was forced to fix, which ended with him facing Three again, and his own death.

Swallowing again, Alex swung his legs over the side of the bed, heading towards the on suite bathroom of the hospital room.

Such trips at late hours were far from unusual for Alex by this point. Since he'd been taken from the heart monitoring machine (or rather he'd unclipped himself and forged a doctors signature that said he didn't need it) his nightmares had been his own problem, the nurses being blissfully unaware. Most of the time they presumed the late hours and early rising were part of being what he was.

That, he had to admit, was mainly because that was what he had told them.

The water that ran from the tap was cold, refreshingly so as he splashed it on his face, washing away the sweat that had formed there. The same way he had done every night since he had woken almost a week ago from the coma he had been in. It had been a surprise to him how badly he had been injured, he realised when he looked back. The memory of the pain was beginning to fade, as it did with time, but he could still remember the terror, and the belief that he would never make it out of there.

And then, he remembered with a grin, K-Unit had appeared. It's funny, really, how he hadn't expected them. There were so many things that could have happened, and yet instead, they had come. For him.

Of course it hadn't ended just like that, and he'd fainted (which Ben had not let him forget) in front of the SAS teams he had worked with a few times before. Bringing down a helicopter had helped, but not to himself.

Fainted! He scowled to himself as he walked back into the hospital room, switching on the bedside light and settling himself into the bed. Beside him was the work he had been sent from school since the May half term had ended during his stay. Finally, MI6 had found an excuse plausible enough to explain all the others he had been reluctant to give.

It had been decided that he had alveolar soft-part sarcoma. A cancer that occurred in teenagers, and that weakened his immune system immensely. Tom had come by to visit him once, and he'd explained what was going on.

MI6 had decided to move him from Chelsea. He was moving further up north, away from the city centre to start a new life. Alex scoffed. He was moving in with one of the agents they had sitting off duty while they recovered whilst they find a better placement. A babysitter more like. Someone who defiantly didn't like the idea either since he hadn't seen the man at all.

On the top of the pile, was a photo, and Alex paused to pick it up. The red haired womans smile was bright, as bright as he remembered as she stared back at him from the frame. It had been Ben who had told him how she had been found, strung up in the Whitehouse in America. He'd spoken about how the CIA had ran round for the following week like crazy, and how Joe Byrne had even called to offer his condolences during the time he had been out of it.

Apparently, Jones had called round as well. Ben had spoken to her, since he wanted nothing to do with her or Blunt if he could help it.

Before him, the door to the room cracked open a little, light pooling in through the gap. Eagle slipped in with a small smile.

"Hey."

Alex raised his eyebrows, putting the photograph back on the bedside table with a glance. "What are you doing here? I thought you were all staying at Ben's. Well, Fox's."

"Am. Wolf kicked me out when I woke him up with the TV since I couldn't sleep."

Alex nodded. "Still the same nightmare."

The tall man sighed, moving to sit on the chair beside the bed. "I can't help it. You have no idea what it felt like when you vanished on me. I didn't know what to do- if anything happened, it would have been my fault, Cub, my fault. I was the adult and instead-"

"Eagle, I'd already told you what I was going to do! There is no way that any of that was your fault. I knew what I was going into. It is not your fault, in any way."

He shook his head. "You've been saying that every time I come in here for the last four days."

"And each time you fall asleep in that chair, considerably a happier man." Alex rubbed his chin. "Maybe I should start charging and make you call me Doc."

"Sure thing Doc."

Alex looked at him blankly. "On second thoughts."

The man laughed, before leaning back, kicking his feet up onto the bed. "You know, it's funny. The first time you came to camp, the first time we met, you weren't like this."

"I could say the same about you." He shook his head, crossing his legs. "We never had much of a chance to talk, what with everything. And I was only there for 11 days anyway."

"Hm."

The two descended into silence, and it wasn't long before Eagle fell asleep, half on the bed, half in the chair. As the shadows shrunk, the clock on the wall ticking time away to sunrise, Alex worked his way through the work, looking up as Diana Meacher, the nurse came in.

She smiled at him, seeing Eagle on the chair not for the first time. "You always seem to have someone there with you when I come in of a morning, Alex. Before, it was always Jack-"

She paused, cringing as she watched him. Alex sighed, offering her a small smile.

"It's okay. She's gone, Diana, I just need to accept that."

She smiled back, moving in to open the blinds. "You know, it's okay to explode every once in a while."

"Yeah, well that would be messy." He murmured, thinking back to his nightmare where he head had been the things that- "And you'd have to clean it up." He finished, pushing the thought away.

She looked over at him, Eagle choosing that minute to let out a loud snore. "I don't know why you let him sleep in here; he makes so much noise! It's a miracle you ever sleep yourself."

Alex glanced at him before shrugging. "He just needs reassuring, Diana. He still blames himself, no matter what I say."

"Hmph." She turned, walking to the door where she glanced back once more. "And its Miss Meacher to you, Alex."

Eagle snored again loudly beside him, and Alex rolled his eyes, half tempted to throw the textbook in his lap at the man, before deciding it would be unfair on the book. It wasn't it's fault Eagle was an idiot. At the doorway, Fox chuckled, catching his attention.

Alex sighed. "You too? Sorry, but I'm running out of bed space for you to put your feet."

The man waved him off, moving further into the room with a grimace. "Him as well?"

He sighed again. "Am I the only one who understands that none of this is your fault?"

"We know that, kid. It just..."

"Doesn't make it any easier." He nodded, closing the book. "I get it."

Ben grinned, moving to sit in the cleared space. "You ready to get out of here?"

"Oh hell yeah. You have no idea how much I hate this." Alex hopped up, moving to the bag in the corner of the room Ben had brought whilst he'd still been in the coma. He shut the door over as he changed in the bathroom, calling out through the gap.

"You have any idea who I'm going to?"

"No. Sorry kid. I asked around some of the people I've worked with, and unless they're being very hush hush..."

He sighed, pushing it open with a grimace as he walked in, the top still in his hands. Ben's eyes caught on the scars on his chest, before he reluctantly dragged them up. "I need you to check the wrapping on them."

He nodded, standing as the boy turned, offering his back. With a light touch, he ran his hand across the material, pausing only to pull at the underside before stepping away. "Seems tight enough. Will you be okay to wrap it yourself for the next few months?"

Alex grimaced. "Don't think I'll have much choice in that respect. I'll be fine, Ben."

"If you say so."

"After everything?" He grinned and elbowed him in the side. "Come on. Give me some credit."

"For what? Fainting?"

"Oh boy."

There was a cough in the doorway, and the two turned to see Diana holding open the door, a figure behind him. "I believe your free to go now, Alex. I'll just get the discharge papers."

Crawley moved further into the room, his face blank.

Alex scowled. "You have got to be kidding me."

(A/N) I bet you're all like 'Crawley? Why Crawley? Are you trying to bore us to death? This is Crawley- C-R-A-W-L-E-Y!' Well! Do not fear; he's not in this for long! You only have a week to wait for the next chapter :D

So what do you think of the first chapter of the sequel to 'Because That Was Expected'? Let me know how it compares :D