Chapter 1: Back

24 year old Robert James Choke, also known as James Robert Adams stepped out of the taxi and onto the slightly bumpy road. Cherub was a secret organisation and the location needed to stay secret so Robert wasn't surprised when he saw the look of the taxi driver once they had stopped and Robert payed for his fare at the signs warning people to turn around or face arrest.

AS the taxi driver turned around and sped off in the opposite direction Robert walked up the road a bit further where Zara Asker was waiting in a golf buggy.

"It's good to have you back James." Zara said greeting him with his old Cherub name.

"It's good to be back. It's hard to believe that I've been away for 4 years." James said, going back to his made up name from when he was a Cherub agent.

James threw his luggage into the back of the buggy and climbed into the passenger seat next to Zara.

"You've kept in shape, I see." Zara commented as she slowly turned the buggy around and headed towards the campus and out of the bushes into some light.

"Well there was always the chance that I was going to come back here and I didn't want to be out of shape." James replied.

"How is Kerry going?" Zara asked as she sped up slightly passing the familiar training ground where James spent the worst 96 days of his life and the last 4 days of his training in Malaysia.

James could see 10 muddy kids wearing the light blue cherub t-shirt doing push ups. At least they were training in the middle of spring while James could remember spending Christmas Day huddling up to Kerry as the spent the night in the freezing cold. "Kerry's good, waiting to finish the last week of her job, and hand the keys over before she'll be here."

Zara loved catching up with old Cherub agents from the past and remembered being the mission controller for two of James' missions before she was promoted to the Chairwoman of Cherub. There was days when she wished she could be on missions again but having so many agents in her office again and again was an advantage not to mention that she had all the power over every one on campus.

"How's Lauren, I heard she just got out of college and wants to be a kindergarten teacher?" Zara asked.

"Yeah that's what I've heard; I haven't seen her for about a year since we were on opposite sides of the world and were so busy that we couldn't get time off. Now that I'm here I should be able to see her more, I did see Amy last year when she was holidaying in California with her boyfriend but that's all I've seen out of all the Cherub agents I knew besides Kerry."

"It must be different coming from California where it is always sunny to England where it is usually raining or cold." Zara laughed as she pulled up to the door of the main building.

"Yeah but this is where I grew up and I'll get used to it after awhile. How are your kids going?"

"Joshua has completed basic training and has gone on two missions; he also has your old room. He was pleased with that because you're still his hero. Tiffany is currently in basic training right now and Jonah is amongst the redshirts. You have to say hello to Joshua once he finishes classes. He'll be surprised because I didn't tell him you were coming. Also two agents that you were friends with are working here not including Kerry once she gets here. Leave your stuff in my office since I'm sure that you want to catch up with a lot of people and then at the end of the day I'll get someone to take you to your new house." Zara said as they both stepped into her office.

Zara went behind her desk and pulled out a white t-shirt with the Cherub logo on it, chucked it to James who put it on quickly than went to see him out of her office.

"By the way I think Meryl wanted to see you." Zara said as James left and closed the door behind him.

James walked past a stretch of offices until he got to Meryl's. He knocked a couple of times.

"Enter." Meryl said as James opened the door.

"Welcome back James." Meryl greeted getting up from her desk and went to give James a hug.

"I'm disappointed that I can't give you punishment laps every time you step into this office anymore." Meryl joked as she led James to the couch. "I just wanted to talk before you go off to the dojo."

"Why would the dojo be the first place I go since I'm sure everyone knows how bad I was at self-defence?" James asked suspiciously.

"Someone you know is there, but before you go and catch up with them I want to catch up with you. The last I heard was when you finished college and started assisting at the college while you waited for Kerry to finish so you have a lot to tell me." Meryl said.

"Where do I begin, after Kerry finished I got a job as a part time lifeguard and a maths tutor, while Kerry got a job in advertising then Zara asked if I would like to teach maths here and then Kerry asked if she could be an assistant mission controller, so she'll be working for Maureen when she gets here. Now I'm here." James said.

"James Adams, it's been four years and all you can tell me is that you were a local lifeguard and maths tutor while Kerry was in advertising before you got asked to come work here." Meryl said with a laugh.

"Yep," James replied cheekily.

"I'll have to get more out of Kerry than when she comes in two weeks time. Now get out of here and go to the dojo." Meryl said but didn't start laughing until James had left and shut the door. James and his sister were in the category of most remembered agents and she couldn't tell anyone but at the time James was here favourite since she seemed to tell him off regularly.

James left Meryl's office than the main building heading towards the dojo. He could have told Meryl more but he wanted to wait till Kerry got back before telling anyone their news. He was about to enter the dojo but as he opened the doors that led to the main room he could only think of one person who would be teaching martial arts and that was Bruce Norris.

Bruce hadn't seen or heard James enter the room but his class saw James creep behind Bruce and were trying their best to hide the giggles and smirks. They wanted to see the martial arts instructor get surprised by someone.

Bruce could see the smirks on some of the girl's faces and then there was one boy sitting at the back of the group who was failing to stop laughing. Bruce instantly turned around and grabbed James around the waist and threw James into the crash mat he was standing on.

"Too slow Mr Adams." Bruce said with a grin and hugged his mate.

"Wow I forgot how fast everyone was around here and you wouldn't have known I was there if your class didn't give me away." James replied sourly but gave his best friend a manly hug. It was a long shot that he could surprise Bruce and it was impossible to beat him in any martial arts even if he didn't have a class trying to stop giggling.

"Class this is James Adams, a former agent and a good mate from when I was here, James this is some of Cherubs youngest red shirts." Bruce said getting over the introductions.

The class was dismissed shortly after and the classes for the day had ended so Bruce and James got the opportunity to catch up on lots of this.

"Wow this has to be the longest relationship you have ever had with Kerry, or with any girl." Bruce stated once he heard that James was still dating his ex, Kerry Chang.

"Well it was my last chance with here and once I realised that she was the girl I loved I didn't want to screw it up, you'll see her in two weeks as well so you'll hear a lot more from her." James told him. "Who else is here from back in our days, Zara told me two of my friends were here but wouldn't tell me who."

"He wasn't one of your closer friends, more Laurens but Andy Lagan is working in the junior block." Bruce answered for him.

"Oh, I see what you mean as not one of my closer friends, I mean we did talk once I got friendly with Rat and that but I think he can't get over the time that I punched him." James said weakly. "I'll go and see him once I see Joshua then."

"Joshua Asker, do you mean?" I'll come with you since he still needs to catch up on some of my lessons and then once you see Andy I'll show you your new house."

"Sounds good." James replied and they both headed up to James' old room on the sixth floor.

Authors Note

So that's the first chapter and its short compared to all the other stuff that write but this chapter is mainly a summary. For any of you that haven't figured it out Robert James Adams is James Adams. If you read all the cherub books you would understand the two different names. From now I am referring to James Adams instead of Robert Choke because he is back on Cherub campus. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and Kerry will be in second chapter with some good news.
SpringBabe.