This collection of chapters (I hesitate to call it a story) ties into Cross Out. It's side stories, drabbles, and potential events that may or may not occur in the main story. In other words, it's mostly for me to screw around with. I will give a brief summary and state whether it ties into the main 'verse of Cross Out.

This chapter is when Ben and Tom first meet and it does tie into the main story. It occurs about a year before Cross Out itself – so Alex is fifteen.

01

"Alex! Visitor!"

Alex frowned slightly, setting her pen down on her chemistry notes. "Alright!" she called back, pushing to her feet.

Who'd be here? she wondered. Jack'd say if it was Tom or just let him in.

Jack popped her head out of the kitchen as Alex was coming down the stairs. "He's in the living room."

"Who is he?"

"Dunno," the red-head shrugged. "Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, cute… Bit old for you though. Let me know if he's single," Jack teased before sobering. "And I don't think he's from the bank but…" She shrugged again.

Alex's lips pulled into a scowl. "Better not be. I have exams next week." She stalked through the door, startling the man by the fireplace if his sudden guilty jerk was any indication.

He turned quickly, hand twitching toward… something, a weapon she assumed, before he shoved both hands into his pockets. Blue eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Hey C– Alex. How've you been?"

Alex blinked, stopping in surprise. Ben Daniels is in my house? She cocked her head, jaw length hair shifting as she watched him.

Ben shifted uncomfortably. "I know it's sudden, but I didn't get a chance to come over before now."

Alex turned and closed the door with a quiet click. "Why are you here?"

Ben hesitated. "Well, to check on you mostly. And to see if I had hallucinated."

She looked at him. "How's your wound?"

"Fine, he answered. "It's part of what took me so long. That, and actually finding your address."

Alex nodded. "I have exams next week so if Blunt wants something, he'll have to wait or send someone else. That was the agreement."

Ben cocked his head, blue eyes confused. "What? No. I'm… off, not here because Blunt sent me. Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to go out today."

Alex shot him an amused look. "I'm not interested in a boyfriend at the moment." She watched him blink and laughed when he blushed faintly. "Seriously though, why?"

He shifted his weight. "Are you okay? How's your…" He gestured vaguely at her chest, more noticeable now that she was starting to fill out a little. "And Jones told me who that man was… I'm sorry."

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. "Don't be. I had just met him and he was lying to me the whole time. He was the 'security leak'." She rolled her eyes before shrugging again. "And it's fine, mostly. Twinges sometimes, but I was told that's normal so…"

Ben nodded, feeling a little more confident since she hadn't thrown him out yet. "So would you like to get a burger? I figure you could use someone to talk to who would understand and that you might trust at least a little and be comfortable with. Well, hopefully anyway. I mean, I'd like it if it was me, but I'd understand if it wasn't. I just can't really see–"

"Ben," Alex cut in, looking amused. "Are you nervous?"

Again with the slight blush.

I am so glad I got over that crush last year.

"Am I even allowed to talk to you about… any of it? Other than what you were there for?"

"Would it stop you if you weren't?" he asked with a half-smile.

She rolled her eyes. "No, but wouldn't you get into trouble?"

He shrugged. "As long as no one without the proper clearance doesn't hear and I don't talk about it, I don't think Blunt will care."

Alex scowled. "Blunt likes coercion and black mail. He'd use it against one of us, probably me," she said bitterly.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "But Jones already cleared it. She seemed to think it was a good idea, if you agreed. And I don't expect you to just tell me. I figured we could get to know each other, I could answer any questions you have, and maybe we could trust each other as equally skilled agents, maybe friends, like with K-unit."

Alex snorted. "One, I've been doing this longer than you."

"Yeah," he acknowledged. "But you aren't exactly given normal assignments from what I understand."

Alex made a motion with her hand, conceding the point. "And two, have you forgotten the treatment you lot gave me at training?"

Ben winced. "We were jerks."

"That's putting it mildly."

Ben chewed his lip in thought then met Alex's eyes. "Could we start over?"

She shifted her weight, smirking internally when the movement of her skirt drew his attention and he looked dumbfounded at it.

"…I suppose," she answered.

He grinned at her then held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Ben Daniels."

She shook his hand. "Alex Rider."

"You know, the hair looks good on you," he said suddenly.

She blinked. "What?"

He gestured vaguely around his own ear. "You're growing it out. It looks nice."

"Are you always this weird?"

He smirked. "No. That's Eagle's job."

She nodded. "Let me tell Jack I'm going out."

"Okay," Ben nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets again, looking much more relaxed.

Alex peered into the kitchen, smiling at the mess Jack had made just for a sandwich and coffee. "Hey, Jack, is it alright if I go out?"

"Sure," Jack answered then looked at the teen. "Who is he?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Ben Daniels. We… worked together. In Australia. No, I'm not being called in. We're just going out for a burger. Yes, I'll have my phone and yes I'll call if I'm going to be out past nine. Anything else?"

"Yeah." Jack smiled. "Have fun. Try to relax. You haven't since you got back."

Alex rolled her eyes again. "Alright. Bye." She ran upstairs to grab a purse, threw some stuff into it, and went back down to Ben.

"Ready?" he asked, waiting by the door. At her nod, he opened the door for her and followed her through.

"Any preferences?" Ben asked, walking nearer to the street than Alex.

She shook her head, enjoying the mild June breeze.

"How old are you?" Ben asked, glancing at her as they walked.

"Fifteen. Why?"

He stopped in surprise. "What? So you were fourteen when you were with us?"

She stopped and turned to face him. "Yeah. I was still fourteen in Australia."

"We thought you were sixteen! How the hell can they condone using a teen as young as you?"

Alex laughed derisively. "Condone? They blackmailed me into it!" She bit her lip after her outburst. "Sorry. I'm not normally this… talkative." She looked down.

"Blackmail?" He put a hand on her shoulder, one that was quickly brushed off.

"Nothing," Alex said.

"Alex. I'd like to help you, but I can't if you don't talk to me."

"I have it handled. I don't need help. And I'd need to trust you a bit more before I told you more," she snapped.

Ben blinked and let his hand drop.

She sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry. I just… I'm so sick of it, of the crap they made me do. I keep expecting to be called in even though they say they won't."

Ben nodded slowly. "It's okay. And it's a good reason to talk. Like I said, I can understand, at least more than anyone else you're likely to talk to. I just hope you give me a chance."

Alex eyed him warily. "Yeah, maybe… So how old are you?"

"Twenty-three," he answered, overlooking the obvious attempt to change the subject.

She nodded, letting them lapse into awkward silence again.

Ben opened his mouth, paused, and changed what he was going to say. "I have absolutely no idea what to talk about without being clichéd."

"Probably that way for a reason," she commented.

"Alright. What's your favorite color?"

She paused to think. "…Orange?"

"You don't sound too confident of that," he said, amused.

"I guess I don't really have one."

"Why not?"

She shot him a wry look. "Because almost all of them remind me of being injured."

Ben blinked. "How?"

"Red's blood; purple, green, and yellow are bruises; white's in hospital; brown's blood too; blue's hypothermia; pink's abrasions; black's typical bad guy wear; and gray's what color the room I'm locked in usually is. That and Blunt's gray."

Ben blinked again. "That's… really morbid."

She shrugged. "Nearly a year of habit and experience is hard to get passed. And if you say it's another reason to talk, I'll hit you."

He held up his hands, smiling though internally he was faintly worried. "Alright… But it's true." He laughed and dodged back when she swung her purse at him.

"Are you going to have a depressing answer for all of my questions?" he asked.

Alex shrugged again. "I don't know. What's the next question?"

Ben tilted his head back in thought. "What do you tell your friends about when you're 'working'?"

She huffed out a laugh. "What friends? The bank only gave illnesses as an excuse for why I was missing school. Nearly everyone thought I was in a gang, or in jail, or on drugs, or something similarly stupid. I haven't really bothered to talk to any of them since. Not much point. I've got Tom anyway."

"Tom?" He glanced at her slyly. "Who's he? You fancy him?"

"Best friend," she countered, not missing a beat.

"Oh." He started to ask another question when her phone chirped, indicating she had received a text, and she pulled it out.

I see you.

Alex frowned and looked around.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked, seeing the serious look on her face.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Ben gently grabbed her arm to make her look at him. "It doesn't look like nothing. What is it?"

"I know what's going on and it isn't a big deal," she snapped, turning to pull her arm away."

The cell phone chirped again, drawing their attention.

Bit old for you, isn't he?

Ben's head snapped up and he scanned the area, blue eyes narrowed. He let go of Alex and shifted his stance. "I know you can handle yourself, but stay close anyway."

"Let's just keep moving," Alex said, turning to keep going, rolling her eyes.

Ben nodded and followed her.

A third chirp and Alex checked her phone, still walking.

Got you.

Ben wasn't able to read the message, but he did get a warning when he saw her shoulders stiffen. Because of that, he spotted the slight movement of a hedge and lunged forward as someone surged out at Alex.

He caught the dark haired teen's collar just as the boy's hands brushed Alex. There was a strangled cry, a yelp of pain, and a thud as Ben yanked him back, hit a mostly glancing blow to his jaw, and let him hit the ground.

Ben was moving forward to inflict more damage when Alex stepped between the two males. She matched Ben's sidestep, preventing him from going around.

"Alex, move."

She glared at him. "Calm down, Ben. He didn't mean any harm. And don't tell me what to do."

He tried to move her aside but she shoved him, making him stumble back in surprise.

"Back off," she snapped before turning to kneel next to the teen. "Tom."

Dazed green-hazel eyes met hers. "Alex? Did you hit me again? I warned you like you said to," he said petulantly.

"I know. My friend hit you. He didn't know." She huffed slightly. "And I told you not to do anything if someone was with me."

Ben looked between the two. "What…?"

Alex glanced up at him. "This is Tom. My friend. It's… a game we play. He tries to sneak up on my and I need to find him first."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't any of your business. He knows not to do it if I'm with someone, or at least he's supposed to, so I don't know what he was thinking."

Tom groaned slightly, pushing up. "What hit me?"

Alex looked at him. "A professional soldier."

"You suck."

"You were warned. You're lucky he's on our side rather than one of my enemies!" Alex scolded. "You'd most likely be dead if he was! Dead or taken hostage to be used as leverage!"

Tom blinked, shrinking back slightly, cowed.

Alex stood. "I don't want to see you hurt so, please, don't do that again unless you personally know who I'm with and how they'll react."

Tom nodded quickly. "I – I won't. Promise… Sorry."

Alex sighed. "Alright. At least no one got seriously hurt this time."

"But I got punched!" Tom protested.

"You deserved that," she retorted.

Ben decided to step in. "Okay you two. No harm, no foul. Why don't I just take you both out for a burger?"

Tom eyed him. "…Do I get to hide behind Alex?"

"If you want to," Ben answered, a little nonplussed, as he reached down to pull Tom to his feet.

Tom nodded once he was upright and ducked behind Alex, who rolled her eyes.

"If he goes insane," Tom started, ignoring Ben's offended look. "You fight him while I get help."

Alex laughed. "Run screaming like a little girl you mean."

"Hey!" Tom protested, lightly pushing her.

She turned to push him back.

Ben watched in amusement as it quickly devolved into wrestling match, one that Alex won when she tossed Tom with a nimble twist of her hips. She pinned his wrists as she straddled his hips.

Alex grinned up at Ben, more carefree than he thought she could have been even ten minutes ago. "Quick," she directed. "Armpits. He's ticklish."

"No!" Tom hollered, struggling.

Ben blinked then smirked, crouching to help Alex. Just before he would have touched Tom, he pivoted and snapped his arms around her waist, yanking her back against his chest and pinning her arms to her sides.

"Run!" Ben half-ordered, half-teased. "Before she gets the chance to attack again!"

Tom laughed and took off running. Ben carefully and gently tossed Alex to the side before he tore after Tom. He let loose his own laughter when he heard the curses coming out of the girl's mouth.

Tom turned to run backwards so he was able to watch in mingled fascinated horror and amusement as Alex tackled Ben, catching him right in the middle of his back with her shoulder. Tom doubled up with laughter at the surprised look on Ben's face when Alex slammed into him and forced him to the ground.

Alex popped up and sprinted over to Tom, grabbing his arm as she passed.

"C'mon! Run!" she urged, laughing.

Ben got to his feet. "I'm going to get you two!" he yelled, smiling widely, and set off after them.

It was nearly an hour before they stopped playing around and went to get those burgers, though Tom took a rain check when he saw the time.

"You know how my parents have been," he said, smiling wryly at Alex. "Don't want to give them more fuel, you know?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"Why don't we walk you home?" Ben spoke up. He mentally frowned at the looks of surprise they shot him, filing it away to ask about later.

"Um… Okay," Tom responded. "I'm this way," he gestured, turning to walk.

Ben trailed after the pair, listening to their conversation with half an ear while he thought on what he knew of Alex, both from before and what he saw today.

Once Tom was safely inside, Ben looked at Alex, raising an eyebrow.

She started walking, waiting for him to draw even before speaking. "His parents are going through a divorce and sometimes they'll notice he isn't there and start blaming each other. Dinner's in a little while and if he isn't there, they get worse."

Ben nodded. "So that's why he doesn't trust adults much, isn't it?"

Alex glanced at him, surprised. "I guess… That, and he knows what I've gone through so he's skeptical."

"You told him?" Ben asked, incredulity clear in his tone.

Alex scowled up at the man. "Yeah. I needed help so I told him why. That, and he's my best friend, you know? I needed someone to talk to who wouldn't freak out like Jack would."

"What if he says something?"

"He won't. Tom's mental, but he isn't stupid."

"Judging by earlier, I'm not sure I agree."

"That was just Tom being Tom. Most of the time, he's better at reading people than I am. He probably saw you wouldn't actually hurt either of us."

"Then why yell at him?"

"What if he's wrong? And I'm definitely the better at assessing a threat." Alex looked down and her voice quieted. "He has so much faith in me and I'm not sure I deserve it."

Ben put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close though he expected her to pull away. "Considering what I saw on that mission and what Jones and Smithers have hinted at, I'm sure you do."

Alex glanced up at him before averting her eyes again, half-leaning into him. "Wish I were so confident," she said lowly, in a tone Ben was sure he wasn't supposed to hear.

He gave her a little shake. "Have you ever failed?"

"It wasn't exactly an option. Australia was about par for the course," she responded. "I get caught, nearly killed, somehow manage to get away, and stumble my way through stopping whoever it is. It's mostly dumb luck."

"Dumb luck will keep you alive. And it wasn't just luck in that ring. I saw skill there."

Alex shrugged but didn't move to pull away.

"Just how many missions have you been on?"

"Officially? Two, maybe four for MI6. Two for the CIA. One for ASIS."

"Unofficially? And why the confusion with MI6?"

She sighed. "My first and second were MI6. And I suppose my third was too. That led to my fourth which was CIA. My fifth I stumbled onto myself. I got into the sixth on my own too, but… MI6 got me out then sent me back. I got shot after that. Mission seven was… complicated. The CIA pulled an MI6. Australia was my eighth mission. It started with ASIS and you saw how that turned out." (1)

"How do you stumble into missions?"

"By being suspicious and having MI6 completely ignore your concerns because 'you're just a child', not that it stops them from using you. Or you don't trust them anymore and want answers so you leave the country."

Ben blinked at her resentful tone. "You could have just said 'by taking initiative' or something."

Alex shoved away from him, stopping and glaring up at him. "You wanted me to talk and when I talk, you tell me off! Fuck you Ben!" She turned to stalk down the street.

"Alex! Wait!" He jogged after her, catching her arm. Half-expecting her to retaliate, he fended off her blow, catching her wrist. "Would you calm down?" he snapped when she kept struggling.

She glared at him again, tears gathering in her eyes. "Let me go!"

"Alex…" he sighed softly, pulling her out of direct view of the street before enfolding her in a hug. "I didn't mean to sound disparaging. I just didn't know what to say so… I was a smartass."

She sighed bitterly. "You don't believe me."

"Hey, I never said that. Yeah, it's hard for most to believe what you said, but considering your rank, you're only called in on extreme cases."

She huffed slightly, leaning against him as she finally stopped struggling. "…So are you going to run the other way now?"

"No."

"You should. I got you shot."

"You didn't get me shot. I did that myself."

"You wouldn't have gotten shot if I hadn't been there."

"Alex," he gently shook her shoulders. "People get hurt, you know that. I didn't see the man who shot me and that's my fault. If anything, you saved my life. He would have been able to shoot me again if you hadn't been there. I should be thanking you."

She shook her head. "I got you shot after you helped me."

Ben sighed. "Even then?"

Alex looked at him, unconvinced. "I've gotten I don't know how many people hurt or killed. Doesn't that worry you or anything?"

He shrugged. "How many of them weren't trying to kill or hurt you in some way?"

"You, Wolf, the two Americans were killed – though I was their cover, but still – Yassen, those Australian SAS, the Prime Minister, a friend was kidnapped… I'm surprised Tom and Jack are still okay. And I'm not sure how many people I've actually killed."

"Wolf?"

"It was in France. He got shot in the arm."

"I didn't know you had met again."

She rolled her eyes. "MI6 actually sent help, but I think that was because of all the hostages, not me. And, of course, they were 'fashionably late' like usual. And did you know that he already knew I was a girl?"

"He did?"

"Yeah. All he'd say was that he found out at the Beacons."

He nodded slowly. "And the Prime Minister?"

"I accidentally shot him in the hand."

"…At the Science Museum? That was you?"

Alex nodded, eyeing him.

"That was a week after you were at camp!"

She shrugged. "So?"

"You had less than two weeks of training and they sent you on a mission?"

She half-shrugged this time, tilting her head. "Technically, my uncle raised me to be a spy," she said cynically. "And weren't you told my wound was a couple months old when we met again?"

Ben spluttered which Alex took as a no. She shrugged again, not fully certain why he was getting so worked up.

Ben calmed enough to shoot her a look before stealing her phone. "I know you said you've got it handled but I'm still giving you my number so you can ring me. And I expect at least one call a week. Don't think I won't come by like earlier."

Alex stared at him. "Why do you care?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"No one else who knows does." She paused, remember the get well card Wolf had sent her. "Oh, never mind. You fit the pattern… Crappy pattern though."

Ben looked at her like he was beginning to wonder if she was insane. "What?"

"Getting shot then caring."

He blinked. "…What?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "You got shot and now you're here. Wolf got shot and he sent me a card… Apparently, the severity of the wound is proportional to the depth of caring."

Ben frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Why?"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does. You and Wolf didn't give a damn at training, and on the mission you were following orders, but you both got shot on the missions and I hear from you after… Though now that I think on it, how did he know to send me a card?"

"We were told you had appendicitis," Ben answered absently. "Wolf sent you a card?"

Alex nodded. "Why were you told?"

"I was still with the SAS at the time. Actually, I'll be with them again while I recover."

"I can't call then."

"MI6 perk, I get to keep my cell."

She nodded again, slowly. "That tells me how you were told, not why."

"You're still marked as a member of the unit so we were informed you were in hospital. Though I'm going to guess that you had just been shot, not had surgery."

Alex nodded a third time. "Still marked as SAS? I didn't know I was in the first place."

Ben nodded this time, starting them walking again. "A lot of MI6 are marked that way. Cover."

"…I guess that makes sense."

"Anyway, how about that burger now? Serious stuff another time?"

Alex looked up at him. "…Alright."

He grinned and tossed an arm around her shoulders. "So… do you watch football?"

Alex laughed, feeling a little lighter than she had in a while.

End chapter

(1) The missions as I see them: 1 – Stormbreaker, 2 – Point Blank, 3 – when he was a ball boy at Wimbledon at Crawley's request (beginning of Skeleton Key), 4 – Skeleton Key, 5 – Eagle Strike, 6 – Scorpia, 7 – Ark Angel, 8 - Snakehead