It had been three years since Alex had first started working for Moriarty and John had gone to war. Alex was all grown up now. She was in a steady relationship with David. Sebastian still didn't trust him. Whenever he saw David with Alex, he would glare at him. Alex would just shove her boss and go off with her boyfriend. Alex was training with Nick one day when Trevor walked in. Alex looked up. Trevor pointed at her.
"Sebastian wants to talk to you." He said.
"Okay." Alex said.
She went to Sebastian's office. He was working on his giant computer. Alex knocked on the wall. Sebastian looked up and nodded at her.
"Come in." He said, standing up.
"Trevor said you wanted to talk to me." Alex said. "Am I in trouble?"
"No." Sebastian shook his head. "I've been impressed with your work lately so I spoke to Moriarty yesterday about bringing your brother home early."
Alex's breath hitched in her throat. "What did he say?"
"He agreed." Moriarty said. "Your brother is coming home."
"Thank you. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you." Alex said. She threw her arms around Sebastian, who stiffened.
"Er...you're welcome." He said. "Moriarty estimates he'll come home in a few months. He'll send for him to be brought home this afternoon."
"How? I mean, won't anyone get suspicious?" Alex said.
"Moriarty has people all over the world. No one will suspect a thing." Sebastian said. "Now, please let go of me."
"Okay." Alex said.
She spent the day excited about her brother coming home. Her mind wasn't on missions or training. It was focused on John. When Alex got home, she paced. She was awaiting the call from him telling her that he was coming home. This wouldn't be news to her, but she would have to fake surprise. She wouldn't have to fake happiness though. She finally got a phone call and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She said.
"Is this Alexandra Watson?" A voice asked.
"Yeah?" Alex said. "Who's this?"
"This is Major Sholto, John Watson's commanding officer." The man on the phone said.
"What's happened?" Alex asked, suddenly worried. "Is John okay?"
"No. He got shot in the shoulder while he was trying to get some soldiers back to camp." Major Sholto said. "He's in critical condition."
"No." Alex whispered. She didn't know that Moriarty had done this to her brother. "Is he going to be okay?"
"We hope. If her survives, he will be coming home." Major Sholto said.
"How long will it take him to heal if he does survive?" Alex asked.
"He would come home within a few months." Major Sholto said. "We'll keep you posted."
"Thank you. As soon as he can talk, have him call me okay?" Alex said.
"Of course, Miss Watson." Major Sholto said. "You're all he ever talks about, you know."
"Really?" Alex asked.
"Yes." Major Sholto said.
Alex hung up shortly after that. She was scared for her brother. She prayed that he got better and returned to her. She needed to see him and not through a Skype screen. Alex paced for the night. She called off work the next day by texting Sebastian and blew her and David's plans to go see a movie off.
Okay. Was what David's text said.
Are you all right? Was what Sebastian's text said.
Yeah, I'm okay. John got hurt. Badly. Alex replied.
Oh...I hope he gets better. Sebastian's text said.
There's something you're not telling me. Alex replied. Sebastian didn't reply for a little while. Seb, what happened?
Alex finally put the puzzle pieces together. This was how Moriarty had planned to bring John home. He had commanded someone in the part of his Network in Afghanistan to shoot John not enough to kill him, but to seriously injure him. She had received such commands herself on missions. She was furious though. How dare Moriarty put her brother's life in danger like that?! Alex caught a cab and went to her work place. She stormed into Sebastian's office. He sighed, seeming to know that she was there.
"I knew you would react badly to this." He said.
"HOW DARE YOU PUT MY BROTHER'S LIFE IN DANGER?! HE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" Alex yelled. "HOW DARE YOU NOT RUN IT PAST ME FIRST?!"
"Alright, well, first I think we should use our indoor voices." Sebastian said.
"HE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Alex yelled.
"He'll be fine, Alex." Sebastian said.
"Of all people, I think you would be sympathizing what I'm going through." Alex said. "You know how this feels."
"And I think that you would know by now that there's barely any sympathy given in this compound." Sebastian said. "John will be fine."
"If he doesn't make it, I'm quitting." Alex said. Sebastian finally looked up at her.
"Are you sure about that?" He asked.
"I think if I lose the person who's most important to me, then you can lose your most important agent." Alex said.
Alex then stormed out and went back to her flat. She kept her eye on the phone all night long. She didn't sleep that night either. The phone rang in the morning and Alex grabbed it.
"Hello?" She said.
"He's stable." Major Sholto's voice said. Alex breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is he going to live?" Alex asked.
"It looks like it." Major Sholto said.
"Thank God." Alex breathed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. We'll have him call you as soon as he can." Major Sholto said.
Alex went to work, but her mind wasn't on her work. She and her friends completed a mission, but Alex had almost screwed it up for them. Sebastian had scolded her and Alex had punched him. Sebastian now had a black eye. Alex hadn't apologized. Everyone was steering clear of her when they had heard it was Alex's work and not the man they were trying to capture. Alex decided that she needed to seperate herself from everyone. She was in one of her moods. She left without even telling Sebastian first. She went home and curled up on the couch, missing John and worrying over him. She knew he was going to be a changed man when he came back. She would be there for him though. He would have been there for her if this had happened to her.
-------------------------------------
It had been several months since John had first gotten shot. Alex came in for work, but would only stay for a little while. Sebastian didn't mind. Alex had earned her fair share of days off. It was finally the day that John could come home. Alex was anxious. She had called the day off, of course. She went to the airport. She awaited John to come excitedly. She knew it would be hours. John had called Alex and told her the flight he would be on and what time he would probably get back. It would be early afternoon, but Alex didn't mind. She just wanted to be with John again. When the flight he was on came in, Alex stood up. She stood up on one of the chairs she was by so John could see her. Her other family members weren't there for whatever reason. Alex had decided now that John was the only family member she cared about and would be there for.
John limped through the airport, scouring the crowd for his sister who he loved so much. He was in his uniform and he was using his cane. He could care less if his parents and older sister were here. He then saw a beautiful woman with golden hair and blue-gray eyes standing on a chair. Their eyes locked. John watched as Alex breathed in sharply. She jumped off the chair.
"JOHN!" She screamed, running towards him.
"Alex." John said. He forgot about his luggage and ran to Alex, abandoning his cane.
Alex jumped into her brother's arms and sobbed into his shoulder. John hugged his sister tightly, never wanting to let go. He was also crying. Alex never wanted her brother to leave her again. She nuzzled him. They weren't aware of the cheers. Everyone seemed to think they were boyfriend and girlfriend. John finally let go of Alex.
"Let me get a look at you." He said, studying his sister. "You're all grown up."
"So are you." Alex laughed. She hugged her brother again. "I missed you so much, John."
"I know. I missed you too." John said.
"I love you." Alex whispered.
"I love you too, sis." John said.
"Never leave me again." Alex said. "Promise me."
"I promise you I won't leave you ever again." John said.
"I'm so sorry for everything I did." Alex said. "I'm much better behaved now, I promise!"
"I know, I know." John said. "Come on. Let's get my stuff and then go home."
"No, you wait. I'll get your stuff." Alex said, going to pick up her brother's cane and luggage. "I'm surprised you could run so far and fast without this."
"I saw you and knew I had to get to you." John said.
"Aw." Alex said. "Oh, guess what?"
"What?" John asked as they went out to Alex's car. Alex put the luggage in the trunk and then got into the driver's seat.
"I have a boyfriend." Alex said.
"What's his name?" John asked.
"His name is David." Alex said. "I'll introduce you to him sometime."
"Okay." John nodded.
Alex drove up to their flat and parked the car. She and John walked in together. John went into his room to change out of his uniform. John came in the living room and sighed, sitting on the couch. Alex sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. John winced.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" He said.
"Sorry!" Alex said. "Does it hurt?"
"Yeah." John nodded.
"Why do you need a cane if you got shot in the shoulder?" Alex asked.
"I don't know. I just started limping as soon as I could walk." John said.
"Can I see the scar?" Alex asked.
John hesitated for a moment. "Sure."
He pulled the sleeve of his T-shirt down enough so that Alex could see. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to stifile her tears. She couldn't imagine what that had felt like when her brother got shot. Despite her job, Alex had never gotten shot in her life and she didn't want to know what it felt like. John pulled the sleeve back up.
"Don't cry, sis." John said. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
Later that night, after they had eaten dinner and caught up a little, John went to bed. Alex slept in her old room. John didn't mind that Alex had slept in his old room. He had brushed off her apologies. For the first time in her life, Alex fell asleep without having to listen to music or waiting until she got tired. She fell asleep as soon and she laid down.
In the middle of the night, Alex woke up. It wasn't because she'd had a nightmare or anything, but just woke up. She didn't wake up for no reason unless something was wrong in the real world. She could hear John in the other room. It sounded like he was panting and crying quietly. She got up and went to his room. He had left the door open, as usual. She went into her brother's room and curled up beside him. John looked down at her and wrapped his arms around her. Alex nuzzled John and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm here." Alex whispered. "I'm here."
"Did I wake you up?" John asked after a few more minutes.
"No." Alex shook her head. "I was up."
"I'm sorry." John sighed.
"You seriously didn't wake me up." Alex said. "Was it a nightmare?"
"Yeah." John nodded.
"Well, you were there for me when I had nightmares. Now I'm here for you." Alex said. "Try to sleep, John."
"I'll try." John sighed. "Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight." Alex said.
John was able to sleep okay the rest of the night. He twitched and figited a little, but was fine otherwise. Alex didn't sleep very well, but she didn't mind. She would go to work tomorrow and work her butt off to make up for all the days off she had taken. But she wasn't going to leave John's side, no matter how tired she was.