"So Alex-" Simon froze as he took in the empty room. His panic subsided as he saw the note in Alex's neat script saying they were at the pool. He wandered down to the therapy pool and saw his patient swimming laps with a vigour that surprised him. He spotted the physiotherapist sitting on the edge of the pool and wandered over.

"How long has he been at this?" He asked Lewis sitting beside the other man.

"Don't know, I saw the note as well. I stopped him briefly to alter his technique but he swims like a demon. At least an hour and he has hardly slowed, I want to know how long he has been doing this without our knowledge." Lewis replied amused as the antics of his youngest patient.

"Three weeks." A grinning Alex announced making both men jump, Lewis twisting around so fast he fell into the pool, pulling Simon with him.

"Can we do combined therapy, Si asks the questions then I task you with picking up a brick from the floor?" Lewis queried, "Or is that breaking patient shrink confidentiality?" He clambered out the pool ungracefully being put to shame by Alex who simply put his hands on the side and pushed his up while twisting to sit on the edge.

"Oh, I'm fine with it, I mean you both probably talk about me to each other anyway." Alex smirked, then looked at the shocked faces of both men, "What?"

"You- Your- But-" Neither seemed to be able to form sentences.

"Shirt Al," Ben announced waltzing in. "Damn have we been found out?" Ben asked throwing Alex a towel to cover his scars. "Dad was wondering what his favourite patient was doing in the pool when he supposedly can't swim. I told him to blame his favourite child."

"But Ben, Alice hasn't met me yet!" Alex shot back,

"Hey!" Ben exclaimed pushing Alex back into the pool but letting himself get pulled in after him causing a water fight to commence. Lewis looked at his most introverted, shy, self contained patient shriek and play with another human being when he was only just adjusting to letting people touch him.

"You get used to it." Simon chuckled.

"Benjamin, you are interfering with my shrink and poking prodding time!" Alex scolded hauling himself out the pool again.

"Did you just reduce my three year degree to poking and prodding?" Lewis gasped faking insult.

"Yes." Alex grinned.

"Are you the one to blame for the swimming?" The physiotherapist asked Ben.

"Yeah, sorry, but he is very persuasive when he want to be." Ben defended himself.

"No, it's good."

"And it means he has no phobia of water, a common side effect of water boarding." Simon added.

"Ah, you have Ben to thank for that. I did when I was just fifteen, it took six days straight swimming until I could doggy paddle." Alex left off the fact that after 6 days Wolf had grabbed him and jumped into the pool. He started floating in the pool bored. "So we starting?"

"How are you feeling today?" Simon asked ignoring the scars for now and liking the effect the swimming obviously had on the normally still quiet boy.

"Bored, excited for tomorrow. Going home." Alex rattled off having expected that question.

"Fetch." Lewis threw the cube into the deep end, Alex swan then dived to retrieve it. "Good."

"Why are you bored?" And the questions continued for nearly two hours when Simon went too far.

"Where did you get the scar over your heart?" He asked.

"Come on doc, it's obvious. I was hit by a ping pong ball." Alex grinned and Ben laughed,

"You're getting there." He commented, "Come on, you'll resemble a prune soon." Alex clambered over to his wheelchair and hoisted himself into it then wheeled himself to the changing room.

"Getting where?" Both men asked,

"Himself, cynical, sarcastic, no nonsense yet no straight answer attitude." Ben replied shrugging, "The Alex I know."

"Oh, so I can take those things of my diagnosis." Simon chuckled,

"Yes, if they're on there then its good."

"What about underselling himself? Being ridiculously modest, shockingly smart, witty, and damn you should hear some on the word association answers." Simon checked,

"Yeah, I've been trying to get him to stop that for years." Ben sighed, Alex appeared out the changing room fully dressed and looking slightly tired. "Come on squirt, dad wants to clear you for the last time. See you later." The two spies left heading up to the room Alex had begun to feel claustrophobic in.

"Alex, swimming? Already?" Dr Daniels was already in the room.

"Heh, yeah." Alex grinned, "So can I escape?"

"Yes, I have a question, where are you going to go?" William asked seriously. Alex frowned, he had realised a few weeks ago that he had no where to go, Simon had noticed his sudden depression but hadn't received a straight answer when he had commented.

"I have looked at assisted living places but." He shrugged, he hated admitting to needing help.

"I have an offer to make." William stated. "We wish to adopt you." He glanced at the faces of the two men this was new to. Both looked to be in varying states of shock.

"Why?" Alex asked sounding like a child.

"You are charming, witty, intelligent, cynical and amusing, you have obviously formed a bond with Ben, he signed the deal a few days ago when he said you were like a brother to him, we decided to make you brothers for real. Lizzie you have met in her visits and Alyssa I am sure you shall love. We want you Alex." The doctor leaned forwards and grasped Alex's hand, for once he didn't even flinch.

"Why? I'm nothing. Broken and used."

"No, you are not, you are a beautiful boy, and now my beautiful boy. If you would like to be." William told him, the response was not what he had been accepting, Alex wrapped his arms around the doctors form and hugged him.

"Thank you." He gasped out,

"No problem kiddo. Now, you do realise that now you can't skimp out on your medicals."

"Aww, but dad!" Alex mock whined, William beamed,

"Only if you want me to be." William ruffled his hair then left the newly made brothers.

"Come here squirt." Ben gathered Alex into his arms laughing in delight. "We have a fitting to go to." He sat back in his wheelchair and the pair wandered over to the prosthetics unit.

"Ah, Mr Alex Winters isn't it." The doctor asked,

"Alex Daniels now." Alex grinned at Ben,

"That's your fourth surname right?" Ben teased.

"Over here, these are the ones you chose last time and have been measure to fit..."

An hour later Alex was standing, supporting himself on two bars, and attempting his first step in months, William appeared next to Ben beaming like a proud father as Alex succeeded.

"You have a surprising amount of muscle for someone who has spent weeks bed bound in and comas." The doctor commented, Alex shrugged as Ben chuckled. When Alex could taken ten steps without wobbling the doctor called it a day.

"Well done son." William beamed kissing the top of his head after the doctor had run through all the rules.

"See you next week." Alex wheeled himself out the room exhausted after all the exercise.

"Now, what is this I heard about you swimming for three weeks?" William asked smirking.

"I was bored, blame me." Alex announced.

"Don't worry, I am. After all Ben did say to blame the favourite child." William laughed as Alex smirked at Ben's exclamation of indignation, this cased the doctor to frown, "I'll get laugh out of you one day." He promised ruffling Alex's hair grinning when he dodged the hand. "Now, come on. We are taking you out for dinner, you get to meet Alice. If you want you can walk somewhere but the chair is coming too." They reached the room and saw two females there.

"Alex!" Lizzie smiled at her new son and hugged him. "Lyss this is Alex, your new brother." A small girl slid off the bed, she had bright red curly hair and bright green eyes that were full of mischief but shy at the same time.

"Hello." She whispered.

"Hey. You can't be the three year old I was told about, you look much older." Alex grinned warmly at her as she beamed at him and giggled.

"I am. I am three and four months." She announced proudly.

"No!" Alex exclaimed mock surprised.

"Why are you in that funny chair?" She asked in a honesty that only small children can achieve. The rest of the Daniels family stiffened as Alex simply picked her up and sat her on his lap.

"So I can do this." He replied and wheeled them down the corridor at a fast speed making Alyssa laugh as they went.

"Alex." Lizzie scolded.

"Sorry." Alex mumbled,

"Speak clearly." She scolded, a small half smile graced Alex face, yet it was tinged with sadness, he hadn't had anyone scold him for years. Ian had been the last one to do that.

"Sorry." Alex repeated, "Come on, want a lift?" He asked Alyssa who nodded eagerly and they raced off.

"We did the right thing." Lizzie commented smiling at their antics.

"Agreed." William confirmed wrapping an arm around her waist before heading to lunch.

"And this is your room." William held open the door the the new bedroom on the second floor. "I'm sorry about the stairs but Luke claimed the downstairs room when he had a bust up knee and you said you didn't mind." He trailed off before sitting on the edge of the bed as Alex explored the room on wobbly legs.

"It's fine, I have legs now anyway." Alex flashed his new dad an amused grin. "I thought you lived in Liverpool."

"We did when Ben was young, we moved down here after he finished college for work. He just kept the accent." The older man chuckled lightly.

"Dad, dinners ready." Ben appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, Lizzie's infamous cooking, we must not let her wait." William stood and left the brothers to talk briefly.

"So?" Ben sounded tentative.

"It's brilliant, have to get used to have a functional family... But I can deal." Alex finally smiled fully, not a smirk, not a sarcastic smile, a full, happy smile one Ben hadn't seen since Alex was put in hospital.

"You know dads determined to make you laugh." Ben added conversationally as they went down the stairs, Ben careful to keep an eye on Alex but not help him.

"You have three options for schooling Alex." Lizzie announced, "The beginning of the year is next week so we can easily enrol you in any of them. The first choice is Brooklands, your previous school."

"No." Alex blurted, he could already see the looks and imagine the nicknames.

"OK, then there is the new school that is specially designed for wheelchairs in case you feel tired and unable to use your legs, and the local school Lyss is attending this year, they have an attached nursery." Liz continued, Alex thought about his options then decided.

"The third. The local school please." Alex replied eventually.

"YAY! You'll be with me!" Alyssa exclaimed climbing onto his lap.

"Yes, you can introduce me to any friends you make if you want." Alex told her with an amused grin that only widened as her eyes went wide and she gasped.

"Really!" She whispered shocked.

"Yeah, I'd love to meet them. Now, did your mum say something about ice cream?" Alex asked easily distracting her.

"She's your mum too." Lyss pouted.

"I know, I just have to adjust to that fact, I haven't had one in so long."

"How long?" Childish curiosity got the better of her.

"Just over 15 years." Her eyes got wider,

"That's... That's..." She tried counting on her fingers, "Older than me!" She finally gave up.

"We can go shopping for your uniform tomorrow." Lizzie smiled at him,

"I have some old shirts and trousers and maybe the odd jumper that may do left over from Brooklands." Alex replied.

"No, they'll be too small now. New clothes for a new start." William smiled at him chuckling. "Now wash and bed. Oh Alex." The teen turned back, "You can contact any friends you have, they'll be more than welcome." Alex nodded gratefully.

"Thanks." He then carefully climbed the stairs before clambering into the bath. When he emerged half an hour later Ben was sitting on his bed.

"I'm meeting with K unit next week, you can meet them, or I can tell them, or you can tell them but they need to know." He said quietly.

"I know, I'll tell you when I've worked things out, I'll call Tom tonight, he needs to know as well." Alex ran a hand through his hair exhaustion pulling at him.

"Come here." Ben pulled his to the bed and sat him down. "Go to sleep. I'll be round after you have gone shopping, I can bring Tom if you want, he is at your house still."

"Ah god, I have to sort that as well. Tell K unit they can stay there next week, saves them all squashing into Wolfs and kicking out the lodgers or paying for a hotel." Alex sighed thinking of all the tasks he would have to do now he was disabled.

"Hey, you'll manage." Ben hugged the teen then ruffled his hair. "Call Tom tomorrow, sleep well squirt."

William silently stuck his head around his new sons door smiling fondly, he looked so innocent when he slept it was hard to believe he had been so mistreated, as he watched a flinch crossed his face, then he started tossing and turning, William slipped in the door and crouched by the edge of the bed, thinking back to what he had seen Ben do when nightmares had occurred he gently ran a hand through his hair jumping back in surprise when Alex shot upright in bed shaking, William sat next to him and simply wrapped his arms around his son. Calming him.

"Sorry." Alex chocked out a few minutes later.

"No, no not your fault, don't ever be sorry." Eventually the blonde teen dropped back to sleep, William leant down and kissed his forehead. "Sleep well." He whispered afraid of waking the light sleeper. Instead Alex seemed to curl closer to the warm body showing his love, gently William extracted his wrist from Alex's grasp and slipped out the room.

Hope you enjoyed that! Please review!