This is my first ever fanfiction, I guess you could say that this is my trial run so I'm sorry if there's incorrect facts in this or spelling errors which I've overlooked . If all goes well I hope to write a series of one shots surrounding the lives of Ian and Alex as a prequel to the series. It may take a while between uploading because exams and etc. This is part one of my first short story, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer : I am not Anthony horowitz by the way, I don't own the Alex Rider series or any of the Characters in it. These stories are made purely for fun and are not to be published.

Complications : Part 1

When the doorbell rings four times consistently with little time for response on a Sunday afternoon, you know the figure leaning heavily against your door frame has no intentions of a leisurely neighbourhood visit.

Ian Rider glanced up briefly from behind his newspaper which was currently shielding him and most of the kitchen table from view as he quickly summed up his options on whether or not it was advisable to answer the door, knowing that whoever was standing behind it was mostly likely set to make his day off very unpleasant.

He could vaguely hear his nephew shuffling around upstairs as he rooted for the many wonderous sports related treasures that he kept safely stored in a pile of unclaimed laundry and expensive formal wear shoes underneath his bed.

He smiled inwardly remembering Alex's less than impressed reaction to the shoes Jack had brought home for him to wear to the funeral of the crazy cat lady who had lived on their street for nearly fifty years. "I don't think she's going to care what shoes I'm wearing to her funeral if she's dead Jack" had been his only response. Needless to say he got away with not wearing them after a surprise 'football training session' had been scheduled for that same evening, much to his discrete yet uncontained delight.

Ian relived this source of amusement as he made his way to answer the door, pausing only once to check if his gun was securely hidden in the potted plant behind the coat rail though still accessible if ever needed in an emergency.

He peered discretely through the eyehole on the top of the door only to see a hooded figure in sunglasses hunched slightly leaning in towards the doorway, obviously not keen on being seen by nosey neighbours or any other threat that may be present in the immediate area.

Ian cautiously released the latch on the door as he stepped back to assess in full view the mysterious figure that had arrived uninvited at his home in a central London residence with not much room for privacy. His eyes widened considerably as he weighed up the familiar looking man who was grinning lazily at him, almost condescendingly as he waited to be greeted by the man of the house who he considered to be in many ways, an old friend.

"Ash" Ian exclaimed in mild surprise as he remained standing in the doorway, his arm leaning heavily against the door frame for support as his visitor chuckled in quiet amusement at the incredulous look on the Riders' face. "What are you doing here? I thought you opted for a transfer to Australia?" Ian inquired, weighing his friend up taking in his rugged and disheveled appearance, noticing the way in which this man carried himself when out in public, cautious and guarded.

"I was in the neighbourhood, catching up with some old colleagues and thought I might drop by. I'm looking into some overseas financing in London for a couple of weeks and I figured this would be the perfect time to catch up" he explained, his tone casual and unassuming as he stepped over the threshold uninvited as Ian stood his ground examining Ash more closely as he vaguely noticed his obvious weight loss and dark bruises underneath his eyes. Both tell-tale signs of deteriorating health.

Ian experienced a momentary sense of doubt and uncertainty about whether or not is was a good idea to allow this man into his home with such little knowledge of what his occupation had entailed over the last number of years but this brief encounter with anxiety was quickly shattered by the patter of running feet on the stairs.

"Ash!" Alex exclaimed delightedly as spotted the sight of his godfather lurking in the doorway. "Hey kiddo, how's it going?" Ash enquired, smiling down at his enthusiastic seven-year old nephew but remaining passive as he stood leaning against the door frame with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Ok" Alex replied shrugging but still seeming pleased at the sudden rare appearance of his godfather. "School still sucks and football's still great".

"That's always the way. Star pupil I'd imagine to say the least" Ash responded his eyes fixed on Alex, his smile growing a little thinner as he continued to stare down at his now embarrassed godson.

Alex's cheeks coloured a little as he collected himself from the slightly condescending assumption. Ian watched all of this with growing concern as he opted for a distraction from the awkward silence that had now descended upon the three of them.

"Why don't we go to the kitchen and have a drink, It'll give us a chance to catch up" Ian suggested as he motioned towards the end of the hallway and Ash gratefully obliged as he followed Ian to the table and sat himself down at the seat furthest seat away from him as he took in his surroundings, surveying the house with a sense of intensity that Ian couldn't place.

"So, what have you been up to the last few years? I haven't heard much from you since that briefing in Cornwall about two years back. I was almost beginning to think you were avoiding us" Ian suggested jokingly but with a certain element of seriousness as he stared down Ash who was sitting back, slouching in his chair with a certain confidence that made him seem almost unbreakable .

"Oh, I've been doing a bit of surveillance, trying to tie up some loose ends in the security sector. The pay isn't too bad but the nighttime shifts are murder" Ash replied with a hint of a smirk playing around the edges of his mouth. He looked as if he were enjoying some inside joke.

Ian nodded keeping his eyes downcast as he tried not to look too inquisitive. "It must be difficult. Being away from family or friends for work purposes is one thing but complete isolation is another" Ian remarked quietly as he watched for Ash's seemingly indifferent response. As expected he shrugged his eyes distant and unreadable as he finished his glass of wine and almost immediately reached for is third.

Ian was just about to remind him to take it easy when the back door flew open and several shopping bags flew in door landing in a heap beside the fridge followed by a staggering red-headed young woman with wild curly hair. "The line...in the grocery store... went on.. forever!"

Jack stood in the doorway to the kitchen breathless as she regained her balance, her tangled hair shielding most of her face as she stared in shock at the unnoticed and evidently bemused visitor sitting at the kitchen table.

"I'm...so sorry. I didn't realise we were expecting visitors" she explained, her cheeks flushed as she mumbled an embarrassed apology for the minor disturbance with the groceries.

"It's alright Jack" Ian insisted reassuringly, sitting perfectly relaxed and unsurprised by her flustered outburst. "This is Ash, an old friend of mine. He's in town for a couple of weeks on a business conference and he stopped by to stay hello" Ian did not add that he was more than a little relieved that a brief hello was all it was.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Ash reached for her hand, laying on the charm thick as Jack stood rooted in the doorway, blushing uncontrollably. Ian did not miss the way Ash examined her facial expressions for a positive response to his evident flirting before continuing with his serenade style introduction . He sighed inwardly as he watched this, soon realising that it was goings to be a long couple of weeks.

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A couple of days later, Ash and Jack had made it their business to spend as much of their time together as far as possible away from the prying eyes of Alex and Ian and they could not contain their relief at this new development as they quietly celebrated with a game of football and melting strawberry ice cream.

"What do you think she see's in him?" Alex asked curiously as they munched on the end of their cones sitting side by side on the back porch, shielding themselves from the sweltering summer heat.

"I don't know Alex" Ian replied honestly, secretly asking himself the same thing. "They both have one thing in common. They have an immeasurable talent for trouble." Alex smiled cheakily as he thought this over. "No more than we do" he replied confidently, a smug grin spreading across his face, a distant memory resurfacing as he reflected back on their many sky diving trips and exotic holidays.

"Are you implying that I'm an irresponsible adult?" Ian inquired playfully, smiling down at his blond-haired nephew. He enjoyed moments like this when he could just talk to Alex about whatever they wanted without the looming presence of his job surfacing in the conversation.

"No. I'm just saying that you over analyse things sometimes" Alex replied seriously, his eyes focused on something in the distance. "I mean, I always get the impression that you're looking for something every time you meet someone. It's like you're waiting for something to happen that will change everything just so that you can have some peace."

Ian stared at the seven-year old who had just recited the very foundations of his moral beliefs as if it were nothing more than a simple fact of life that needed to be said in order to move on. He quickly hid his astonishment as he slowly realised that Alex was definitely a lot more intelligent than he had ever given him credit for. He was beginning to think he was going to have to be a lot more careful around him when it came to disclosing details about his job.

"Why did he decide leave England anyway? You said he was a bank manager. Don't they get good wages?" Alex asked interestedly, obviously keen to change the subject.

"Yes, he did..." Ian replied struggling to find the words to explain to his nephew. "The job he had just wasn't good for him. He was an old friend of your dads and I think he found it very hard to continue working here after he died. I'm not sure he's ever been the same since" he concluded soberly, watching Alex closely as he absorbed this information.

Ian noted that he was remarkably good and handling difficult situations no matter what the circumstances. In many ways he was just like his father and this worried him to a certain extent.

Just as Alex was about to reply to his uncle's unusually detailed description of a life he never knew, they were interrupted by the sound of Ash's voice calling out to them from somewhere inside the house. They merely looked at each other, not bothering to voice questions about what he could want when clearly they were about to find out either way.

Ian gestured towards the house, inviting him to come in but Alex shrugged in response,clearly unimpressed as he ran off to find the football that had got caught in the ditch earlier. Ian sighed as he stood up, his back aching in protest to the lack of movement it had been given for the last hour as he made his way inside the house.

Ash was leaning confidently against the kitchen counter his arms folded, a knowing smile plastered across his face as he took in Ian's curious expression.

"Where's Jack? I was under the impression that the two of you were spending the morning together" Outside my house Ian added secretly, knowing that Ash's intentions were clearly above the board of 'feelings'.

"Oh she had to run to the store to get some things. She probably got delayed. She said she said she'd meet me here for lunch when she's finished. She must have forgotten that you two were still in" he remarked a little too innocently for Ian's liking.

"Right...well do you want lunch now or will we wait for her?" Ian asked slowly still not sure of what his intentions were. He was looking at him a little too smugly for comfort.

"Oh I'm fine. You help yourself, I'll just make myself comfortable" he remarked turning towards the window with a view of the backyard where Alex was busy playing with a football which was being reciprocated by the wall of the shed.

A cold, hard look entered his eyes as he took in the scene of the undisturbed, morally innocent boy who clearly had no other worries in life than to relish in the path his father had so clearly paved for him. A life of peace and luxury free of the complications and unavoidable casualties associated with MI6.

However at this moment, Ian was utterly oblivious to Ash's cold and distant behaviour towards Alex's presence as the phone in the hallway began to ring with a heightened sense of urgency that Ian could not explain.

"Are you going to get that?" Ash asked casually not moving from his position, a sly critical smile spreading slowly across his face. Ian was however by this time halfway through the house reaching for the phone within a matter of seconds.

Ian's first thought was Jack, as he remembered Ash mentioning something about her getting delayed only to be disappointed when the caller ID indicated an unknown number.

"Hello?" Ian answered cautiously, careful not to openly have his name recorded on an unknown line. However his fears over this were put to rest when he recognised his bosses voice on the other end of the phone line.

"Mr Rider I'm terribly sorry to disturb you while on temporary leave. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Mrs Jones inquired curiously. Was there a hint of suspicion in the woman's voice? "I thought it right to inform you that there have been reports within the last hour of several documents gone missing from storage which had been contained in your account"

Ian felt his blood run cold as he slowly took in the reality of what she had just told him. Files from his account had gone unceremoniously missing meaning that whoever had those files now had intricate details on both his professional and personal life. Which included Alex.

"We'd like you to come in to give us a general idea of what exactly we're looking for seeing as you are the only one who knows exactly what these files contain" she explained reasonably as Ian quickly summed up his options. Mrs Jones quickly caught on to what was bothering him.

"Is there someone there who can watch Alex for an hour?" she asked already knowing what his reply would be as he had used it many times before in his attempt to balance his job in S.O. and his role as Alex's full-time guardian ."I'll figure something out" he replied his voice containing a hint of a strain as he hung up.

Ian stood unmoving in the hall for a moment before returning to the kitchen to where Ash was now sitting in a chair carelessly smoking a cigarette which was half dangling from his lower lip. "Problem?" he asked casually a hint of playfulness entering his eyes as he took in Ian's obvious newly found anxiety.

"I have to run down to the office for a couple of minutes to sort out a few things. Did Jack say when she'd be back?" he asked weighing up his options and deciding to ignore Ash's inconsiderate behaviour in his house as he figured he had enough on his plate without adding a heated argument with a former MI6 employee to the list.

"No. I tried calling her there now but she's not picking up. I presume she's just in an area that has no cell phone reception" he shrugged, seemingly unconcerned either way whether she was or not. "If you want, I could watch Alex for a few minutes until she gets back" Ash suggested, his tone implying a forced sense of indifference as he avoided eye contact with Ian, staring at something in the far off distance.

"No. I couldn't ask you to do that" Ian replied is tone guarded with a hint of defence. He did not feel comfortable leaving Alex alone with this man for any length of time even if he was his godfather.

"It's no problem. He can continue playing outside and I'll continue smoking my cigarette. Like you said it's only for a couple of minutes, he wont even know you're gone" Ash reassured him, lighting up again he continued to stare off into space.

Just at that moment Alex dashed into the kitchen, football in hand as his adrenaline rush came to an end taking in the peculiar site of Ash sitting at the kitchen table smoking like there was no tomorrow.

"Alex, I have to run down to the bank to sort out some things with my account. Would you be okay if I left you here with Ash for a couple of minutes?" he asked looking directly at Alex, making sure he received his approval that it was okay before any decisions were made.

Alex thought for a moment setting his sights once again on Ash who was smoking like a chimney, his cigarette smoke now filling the kitchen clouding his vision.

"It's okay with me" Alex replied finally seeming unconcerned with the arrangement as he figured it was just like any other time Ian had gone away before Jack was around. A babysitter who payed little or no attention to him with motivation to do little else but sit around counting up the hours they were getting paid for.

"Jack should be home soon" Ian stated firmly, reassuring himself as much as anyone else. He grabbed his coat from the closet checking for his phone and wallet as he made his way towards the door. Suddenly he paused his hand resting against the handle. He turned to face Ash.

"Don't let anything happen to him" he warned him just as Alex had made his way back outside to resume his stance with the wall.

"Don't worry Ian. I'll take good care of him. I promise" Ash stated a little too profoundly for Ian to catch his double meaning. He smiled at him lazily gesturing to his cigarette as if it was going to produce a convincing reference for him. Ian took one last look at him before shutting the front door behind him , the quiet hum of his BMW fading into the distance. Ash sat patiently in his chair for several minutes, reflecting back on his own handiwork carried out earlier that morning.

He smiled to himself as he briefly imagined the look on Jacks face when she discovered the slashed tires underneath her car and henceforth the missing battery from her cell phone which had been previously intact earlier that morning. Or better still Ian's incredulous expression when he realised the documents which are now missing from his account all happened to be files relating to the man who was currently sitting at his kitchen table enjoying the view.

It was only when he glanced at the clock to check how much time he had left himself to complete his purpose here that he realised it was finally time. John was going to pay for what he did to him all those years ago, even if it was through the only way he knew it was possible. He had abandoned him at a time when he had needed the support of his friend the most and now his son was going to pay the price.

Slowly and carefully putting out his cigarette, he got up off his chair and made his way towards the utensils drawer. Opening it he took out the sharpest knife he could find, examining it for approval before closing the drawer behind him. Carefully he concealed it under his belt, shielding it from view as he slowly approached the boy with the football who was completely oblivious to his godfather's intentions.

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Ian swore quietly, annoyed with himself as he slowly pulled his car into the breakdown lane. After reaching over to the passenger seat to check his brief case had been securely fastened he realised after a great deal of rummaging that he had left the keys to his office in the top drawer of his desk back at the house.

After pulling over onto the deserted sidewalk a rising level of frustration growing inside him, he took a moment to calm himself closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply as he had been taught to do during moments of weakness.

Everything was going to be fine. This was just a minor glitch in his security breach. It was nothing he couldn't handle. He would find out what was missing, file a report to the investigations department and they would handle it from there.

Another half hour of suspense wouldn't kill them, he thought feebly as he took a U-turn back into the lane he had just left, heading back in the direction of his town house .

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Ash slowly approached the blond-haired boy as he watched him deep concentration, happily kicking the ball back and forth against the side of the house. Alex glanced up briefly as he noticed his godfather approaching him but made no attempt to make conversation as he continued practicing his soccer skills like Ian had shown him.

"That's very good. Can I join in?" Ash figured a best way to gain a kid's attention was to become engrossed in what they were most interested in.

"Do you play?" Alex asked suddenly as he stopped what he was doing long enough to glance swiftly up at him, his chestnut-brown eyes wide and curious peering up at him from under a sweeping fringe of blond hair.

Ash was momentarily stunned as he was instantly reminded of John, and was forced to look away before he could persuade himself not to go through with it.

"I did a long time ago. I use to be the Captain on my school team" he ranted on attempting to distract himself. If he acted relaxed Alex would too and this in return would finally result in his true motive for coming here. Whatever happened, he knew that Ian could never turn him in because that would mean even more trouble for the company and better still the government.

"So Alex" Ash began, using his conversational tone to lure him a sense of security as Alex kicked him the ball back and forth across the lawn. "Does your Uncle do much work around the house? I noticed the tap in the back kitchen seems to be leaking" he asked, keeping his tone measured as he went in for the kill.

"No. He works a lot. He spends a lot of time overseas going to conferences about foreign trade or something" Alex replied seemingly unconcerned about the whole thing.

"Mmnnn, I bet he does" Ash muttered under his breath, secretly envisioning Ian's face if he ever discovered what he was about to do. "Yea, so I was thinking" he continued "that since your uncle does be so busy with work and everything that you and I could fix it for him."

Alex looked mildly surprised by this and Ash quickly added "I'm sure he'd be grateful. I mean it is only a sink and I'm sure he'd be happy that we got the opportunity to bond together" He smiled down at the seven-year old encouragingly as they gradually slowed their pace.

Alex eventually gave in as Ash predicted he would and they slowly made their way towards the kitchen, Ash's eyes never leaving him the whole way there as he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

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Ian was almost about to give up and turn around as he now faced the never-ending line of traffic leading away from the city centre and towards his house when he felt his phone vibrating from inside his shirt pocket.

He answered it on the second ring, praying that it wasn't his boss looking to know where he was. "Rider" he answered into the device, in too much of a crabby mood to pretend to be nice.

"Thank God!" Stated a thoroughly relieved voice on the other end of the phone line as Ian was suddenly brought back down to earth by the startlingly familiar voice which he so often associated with chaos and wild curly hair.

"Jack, where are you? Are you alright?" Ian asked suddenly alarmed for her safety as he quickly remembered what time it was , an inexcusable sensation of guilt washing through him at that sighed obviously irritated by the tone of his voice for which he could not say he blamed her.

"I'm fine Ian, but I've been stuck on the bridge of a deserted flyover with no cellphone and no car for the last two hours! I had to walk ten miles just to find a payphone that accepted 10 pound bills" she carried on endlessly as Ian sat waiting in the endless traffic line growing more confused by the minute.

"Hold on, what happened to your cell phone and where is the car?" Ian asked calmly hoping that this would have the same effect on Jack, but apparently this is the wrong approach to take when comforting women.

"What HAPPENED? What happened was that Ash and I took separate cars this morning to go on a picnic because he mentioned something about leaving early because he said he had stuff to do. So then after we finished later that morning I stayed behind to clean up but when I got to the car I noticed that some cheeky bugger slashed my tires so I has no ride home. Then I tried to call you and only realised about twenty minutes later that I somehow manage to lose the battery out of my phone..."

She ranted on outlining the details of that mornings' picnic disaster completely unaware that Ian was no longer listening. All at once there were a hundred alarm bells going off inside his head. Every one of them pointing towards Ash. Who was now alone in the house with Alex.

"Jack I have to go" Ian said quietly into the phone his voice tight and controlled as his eyes stared straight ahead, pin pricks of fury as he came to the slow realisation that he had somehow been conned. Only now it was Alex who was going to pay the price.

"What? Ian no, you can't just leave me out here!" Jack protested a tone of utter disbelief entering her voice.

"I'll call you back" Ian replied quickly, hanging up before he wasted any more unnecessary time. No longer caring about his briefcase or his wallet, he stepped out of the drivers seat, abandoning his car in a quarter-mile queue long of traffic surrounded by drivers who were now gawking out of their windows to stare at him.

He ignored them as he started to run, suppressing the urge to throw up as reality dawned on him that he had really left a defenseless seven-year old boy in the care of a monster. He fought back the waves of fury and hopelessness which threatened to consume him as he focused on the task ahead. It wouldn't help Alex for him to lose control.

He vaguely remembered an old taxi lane which used to run by the hour on an adjacent route not far from where he was. He glanced briefly at his watch as he sped up his pace. If he made it there in ten minutes he would just catch the next one which was heading in his direction. He just hoped to god that it wouldn't be too late.

To be Continued...

Uploading the next part might take a while but I'm working on it. Hope you enjoyed the first part, please feel free to review and all comments and criticism are greatly appreciated.