Alex Rider: Life goes on

The end is just the begining.

Alex Rider had been living with Sabina and her parents for a year since the death of Jack Starbrite. To start with he had generally just kept himself to himself. Not being rude, but avoiding conversations and spending a lot of time by himself in the room the Pleasure family had prepared for him, when it was first decided Mr and Mrs pleasure would become Alex's guardians.

But now, after just over a year Alex was beginning to heal. The death of his best and only friend, for a period of time, affected him worst than any physical wound ever had. But finally after a lot of hard work from Sabina and her parents Alex was beginning to get used to normal life again. Finally he was getting the thing he had always wanted in his time with MI6, to lead a normal life. But it had come at a big price.

"Alex" Sabina called from a large modern styled kitchen in the centre of the house.

"Your dinners gonna get cold, we're waiting for you and you know how impatient James gets when he has to wait for food!"

"Yeah you'd better hurry up or I might ... accidentally... eat all your pizza" James laughed and mimicked stuffing down food and then burping loudly.

"Mmmm, sorry Alex too late" he called up the stairs leading to Alex's room.

Alex suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs clutching a half written essay in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Sorry guys but Mr Richmond said I had to have this in by Friday. Couldn't give me a hand would you Sabina". "Your much better at maths than me". He pleaded flashing her a grin.

"We can do it later" Sabina said.

"Right now I'm starved, and I'm not waiting for you for ever"!

"Alright then, suppose a 5 minute break couldn't hurt".

They all dug in and had soon devoured 2 large pizzas, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Your parents can't be back already Sabina it's only 10?" Alex said a confused expression on his face.

"No, they would have keys anyway". Replied Sabina equally surprised.

All three of them, James bringing a piece of pizza with him walked to the door and Sabina opened it.

There was no-one there.

"What's that" James said pointing to a letter and packet on the floor. Alex picked them up slowly.

"It's addressed to me! I haven't had mail since,since..." A flicker of grief briefly passed over his face, "Well never since I've been here". He cautiously opened the letter.

"It's from England" he said with a slight frown.

"Who would want to contact me from England?...unless...".

Suddenly a burst of gunfire came from the gate at the entrance of the house. It tore into the bricks behind Alex, but somehow he wasn't hit.

"Ahhhhh" Alex span round to see James fall beside him knocked to the ground by the force of the shot.