AN: I'm Sorry! I know I'm useless, life just has a nasty habit of getting in the way, and I always have been easily distracted! Anyone still reading this gets cyber cookies and a hug should they like one. Hot chocolate is always a viable alternative to the latter.

Disclaimer: I doubt Anthony Horowitz is this hopeless...

"So, what do you suggest?" Tom said to K-Unit after they had read Ben's letter. And ripped Mrs Jones' into tiny pieces. It wasn't that Tom didn't appreciate the sentiment; he did. He just wasn't going to admit it anytime soon, and anyway, ripping up the letter was really quite satisfying. It made him feel that he was getting back, in some small way, at MI6.

"I think you should go. But… not on your own." Snake replied thoughtfully. "Maybe one of us should come with you?" He looked around at his comrades and they nodded their agreement. "That way, well, you can be sure that it is Fox you're talking to. We know him so we could tell you if it's not really…" He trailed off, looking scared.

"What is it?" Wolf asked, alarmed by the look on his friends face.

"I was almost babbling like Eagle. I actually sounded like Eagle. That's bad. It means he's rubbing off on us!" Wolf and Tom took on similar expressions of horror.

"HEY! I am not that bad." Said Eagle, mock annoyed. He knew the others were only joking. "I also think that Snake is right, though it pains me to say so. He should go with you."

"Why me, exactly?" Snake asked, looking bemused at this. Wolf tried to interrupt, but Eagle didn't give him the chance.

"It's obvious isn't it? You're the most subtle out of the group, and best friends with Fox. It gives you an excuse to see him again. You haven't met up in a while. Oh don't look so shocked. Despite whatever you lot seem to think I do come up with sensible suggestions on occasion. Rarely, it has to be admitted, but it has been known to happen." The others gaped at each other. They were often surprised by Eagle, but really, he had to have some brains in there somewhere. He was a soldier after all.

"He has a point actually," Wolf added, nodding to himself. "But if you ever tell anyone I said that, I will deny it unconditionally." Despite his stern appearance, the leader actually had the best sense of humour out of the entire group. Dry humour admittedly, but his ability to say the most outrageous things with a completely straight face could keep the others entertained for hours.

"You may deny it, but I will still know that it is true!" Eagle said with a slight smirk.

It had surprised Tom really, when he first joined the unit, to see how well he really fitted in with the group. Despite the fact that all three of them were at least six years older than him he had quickly found his place within the group, and had soon grown to realise that the horror stories Alex had told him of them were more a matter of perspective than anything else. Yes, they had treated him badly, but he was a kid in an adult's world and they had just wanted to get him out of there- the SAS was no playground. He knew no-one he trusted more than his unit. Except Alex. Who wasn't there anymore.

"Alright, I'll go. Snake, can you get in touch with Fox and arrange for us to meet? And how do I go about getting leave from the Sergeant? I mean, he's hardly going to say that I can't go, but I know I have to have permission to leave the base. And how do I contact MI6?" Realising he was at risk of turning into a question mark, Tom shut up and waited for his unit to answer.

"I'll take you to the Sergeant; I can contact Fox at the same time. The Sergeant will arrange things with the higher ups when he gives you permission to go. Come on Kes," Snake hurried Tom over to the Sergeant's office, leaving Wolf and Eagle to set up a game of poker for the four of them on their return.

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Tom was scared. There was no point in trying to deny it; he was terrified that when he got to the Royal and General he was going to be faced with irrevocable proof that his best friend was dead. He didn't believe it, but he worried that this conviction was rooted in a stubborn refusal to accept the truth rather than in actual intuition. The rest of K-Unit seemed to have an idea of what he was feeling but they didn't pry. They knew that he'd talk to them if he needed to.

Walking up the steps to the "bank" was one of the hardest things he had ever done. He had agreed to meet Snake in a nearby café when he was finished, and Fox would join them at around four.

"Thomas Harris, ID number 158304, here to see Mrs Jones" He told the receptionist on duty. He looked at Tom for a moment before dialling a number and sending Tom through a door just behind the desk, with instructions to take the first left then use the lift to take him to the top floor of the building. Smiling his thanks, Tom made his way up to the office, trying to make up his mind how he felt about meeting the Head of MI6 for the first time. On the one hand, she had given Alex his life back. On the other, she hadn't stopped it from being taken from him in the first place. He knocked on the door.

"Come in" came the immediate response and Tom quickly did as he was told, standing to attention just inside the doorway. "At ease soldier. You must be Thomas Harris." Since this seemed to be more of a statement than a question Tom didn't think it merited a response and was silent. The smell of peppermints- he had never liked the bloody things- was already getting to him, and this was not helping his mood. His stomach felt full of butterflies as he waited to see what Mrs Jones had to say.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, waiting in the café, wondering what was happening with Kestrel, Snake was surprised to see Fox approaching him two hours earlier than planned with a worried look on his face.

"Snake. Is Tom around?" On receiving a negative response to this question, Fox looked around furtively before saying: "Before he gets back, there are some things you should know, and some things I need to ask you…"

Dun, dun, dunnnn...! I know ending on a cliff-hanger is cruel, especially after leaving it so long, but I'm running by the theory that the cliff will annoy me as much as anyone else, so may encourage me to update. Hopefully...