Late June:
Alexander sighed as he woke up only to see that he had fourteen missed calls, all from out of the country.
"That's really strange" he thought to himself and went to call the number back when he heard the doorbell ring from downstairs.
He got up and hurried down the stairs, hoping he got there before Brendan did. As he opened the door he paled, seeing two detectives standing there.
"Alexander Faulkner" one of them asked, pulling out his badge.
"What's the matter" Alexander asked, stepping out on the porch before shutting the door behind him so that Brendan wouldn't hear their conversation if he came downstairs.
"Good morning, I'm Constable Lewis and this is Constable Wright. We're here to inform you of the unfortunate news that your parents have disappeared off the coast of Kolkata last night. We understand if you need time to process this, but is it possible that we can further discuss this inside" he asked and nodded towards the closed door.
"How... How is this possible? I talked to them last night and they were fine" Alexander asked, wrapping his arms around himself from the cold, not wanting Brendan to hear this.
"They went out on an expedition of some sort and never returned to shore. Do you know why they were even in India" he asked, trying to figure this boy out.
"They went to do charity work, for an organization to help victims of human trafficking. They had just donated a large sum of money to this organization, and you're telling me that they disappeared under mysterious circumstances" Alexander asked, suspicious of all of this.
"We understand what you are probably thinking but we need your cooperation in order to have a chance at finding them. Here's my card, I'll contact you later, but take some time to talk to your brother and collect yourself. At the moment we are not presuming them dead, but we don't have much evidence they are alive either" he said, pulling a card out of his coat and handing it to Alexander.
Alexander took it, trying to keep his voice from shaking as he asked, "Thank you. What time should I expect you to call?"
"Probably about twelve. After we can set a time to meet up. Thank you for being cooperative" he said and outstretched his hand.
Alexander eyed it warily before shaking it, before wrapping his arms back around himself. He waited on the porch as the pair left and didn't go back inside until he could no longer see them on the street. He took a deep breath as he opened the door, trying to prepare himself to tell Brendan.
"Alexander, are they really gone" Brendan asked from behind the door as tears slid down his cheeks.
"They are trying everything they can but I don't know if they'll make it back" Alexander said, trying to keep his voice even as he hugged his now shaking brother.
"What are we going to do" Brendan asked quietly.
"You are going to focus on getting ready for school to start back up. I'll take care of the other stuff" Alexander said softly, knowing he only had to hold it together for a little while longer.
"But how are we going to survive" he asked.
"I'll look to see what we have in inheritance and go from there. You'll be included in all legal decisions though. It's your future as much as it is mine" Alexander sighed.
"O-Oh, okay. I'm going to get breakfast" he said and finally let go of Alexander before heading to the kitchen.
Alexander just nodded before heading back upstairs to his room. He shut and locked the door behind him and just slid down the door, letting himself grieve. He didn't want to admit it but, he knew deep down that they were probably dead. He knew they were involved in a lot of things, some which they never told him, but he'd heard their late night conversations. The things they never told him and of the people they worked with in secret.
"Why would they just disappear" he whispered to himself.
Present Day:
"Why would who just disappear" Tom asked softly, watching Alexander who had his head in his lap.
"W-What" Alexander squeaked.
They were currently on the couch in Alexander's and Brendan's flat, and Alexander hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep, leading him to dream about the day he found out about his parents' disappearance.
"You asked, "Why would they just disappear?" Who are they, baby" he asked, stroking Alexander's hair.
"M-My parents" Alexander whispered as he sat up.
"Do you want to talk about it" he asked gently as he watched Alexander pull his knees into his chest.
"No, not really" Alexander squeaked, curling up more.
"Do you believe that they're dead" he asked.
"Sometimes but then others... no, no I don't" Alexander said quietly.
"Why not, baby" he asked softly.
"Because... it doesn't make sense that they would go out on a boat in the middle of the night when they were working in the city. They hated boats for the very reason they disappeared" Alexander sighed, looking over at Tom.
"Did you ever tell Scotland Yard all of this" he asked.
Alexander just shook his head.
"Why not" he asked, really confused.
"I figured if they didn't want to be found..." Alexander sighed, looking away from him.
"What do you know of your parents work life" Tom asked, standing up before lifting Alexander and sitting down in a chair with him in his lap.
"I-I know they did a lot of private charity work but my father was a politician and my mum ran several non-profits overseas" Alexander squeaked as he wrapped his arms around Tom's neck.
"Were they involved in anything that they shouldn't have been? Anything illegal" he asked softly.
Alexander just nodded, looking away from him.
"How did you find out" he asked, just watching him.
"I heard them talking a lot at night" Alexander whispered, "They always talked about this organization that they owed money. I don't know what they did for them but I know a lot of what they were doing is illegal."
"I'm sorry, baby. I wish you didn't have to go through this" he said softly.
"Matthew was one of their contacts. When I was looking for their legal documents, I found his contact info and decided to call him" Alexander sighed.
"What part did Atkins play in all of this" he asked.
"He was my contact for the organization while I was still in school. He was supposed to keep watch over me and make sure that I didn't tell anyone" Alexander explained.
"And yet you did" Tom smiled at him.
"It's not like you gave me much of a choice" Alexander squeaked as he remembered that night.
"No I suppose I didn't, but look what came of it" Tom said softly as he held Alexander closer to him.
"I guess you're right" Alexander squeaked, then blushed slightly as David and Maurice walked into the flat.
"Uhh, mate, what's going on" David asked kind of confused.
"Yeah? Isn't he your case" Maurice asked, smirking at them.
"Indeed he is. What do you want" Tom asked, not moving as his arms slid around Alexander's waist.
"Currently? To know why the hell he's on your lap" David sighed, knowing that they all could get in trouble.
"It's being kept on the downlow and isn't your concern" Tom said tightly, as Alexander squeaked quietly.
"It is our concern. You know the rules" David sighed.
"Wait, you told me it was fine" Alexander squeaked, looking between the three of them.
"It is, baby. Granted no one finds out and these two keep their mouths shut" Tom said and glared at Maurice and David.
"Wow, Tom. That's low, even for you" Maurice laughed, shaking his head.
"I"ll keep your bloody secret but don't implicate us. You want to just use the boy you're supposed to be protecting, be my guest" David snapped.
"Wait, hold up. I agreed to this too" Alexander said, getting off of Tom's lap.
"It doesn't matter. Rules are rules" David sighed, looking over at him.
"I don't get a say in this" Alexander asked as Tom stood up.
"Yes, you do. If it comes to an inquiry there is a loophole" Tom sighed, wrapping an arm around Alexander's waist.
"Yeah, the loophole being your dumbass gets fired" Maurice laughed coldly.
"The other one, though it's not like your noses are completely clean either" Tom snapped back.
"We agreed to keep our mouths shut about that" David snapped.
"We did, but it'd be a goddamn shame if someone told the boss about Katie or Anika" Tom said coldly.
"Don't bring them into this" Maurice threatened.
"Then keep your mouths shut about Alexander and I, if you know what's good for you" Tom replied, trying to stay calm for Alexander's sake.
"Fine, but one word of either of them to her and you're done" Maurice snapped.
"Now, what did you want in the first place" Tom asked.
"To tell you that both suspects have been caught" David sighed.
"Where are they now" Alexander asked quietly.
"They're being kept in a separate building, for your's and Brendan's safety" David explained.
"When will the trial be" Alexander asked, leaning into Tom.
"A couple of months, maybe more. Soon you'll be getting questioned a lot more, by other agents and possibly lawyers, not to mention the press. We're going the victim route, right" David asked.
"Yes, we are not prosecuting him, no matter what comes out about his dealings with them" Tom said firmly.
"Did you contact them," Maurice asked.
"Yes, after I found out my parents were gone. I didn't know about the inner workings of the organization and they threatened my brother's life when I tried to leave" Alexander sighed, looking at the floor.
"Did they ever threaten you personally," David asked.
"Numerous times, that's when I started getting more assignments" Alexander said quietly.
"What were those assignments," David pressed.
"Those aren't important" Tom intervened.
"Protective much? What were the assignments, Alexander," David asked.
"To make contacts or break contact with numerous people" Alexander sighed.
"I'll take that those were euphemisms for what you were really doing" Maurice said, smirking.
Alexander just nodded, wanting to disappear himself.
"We'll do what we can with this information. In the meantime, I have to go find your brother. Alexander, do you know where Brendan is" David asked.
"Probably in his room" Alexander sighed as David crossed the living room and knocked on his brother's door.
"Brendan, you have lessons right now" David said through the door, to no response.
"Brendan? Open the door" Alexander said walking over and opened the door, to see his brother wasn't there.
"Brendan, where are you," Alexander asked, walking in to his brother's bedroom.
He walked over to Brendan's desk and saw a note there. He picked it up and as he read it, tears welled in his eyes.
We told you not to snitch, and this is what happens when you betray us. Want to see your brother again? Turn yourself in, tell them the truth, or he dies.
"Alexander, what does it say" Tom asked softly as he walked over to him.
"Get away from me" Alexander squeaked and ran out of the room and to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
"He seems pretty upset" Maurice said.
"Thanks Captain Obvious, I hadn't guessed" Tom snapped and left the room.
He walked to the other bedroom and knocked on the door.
"Alexander, let me in. I can help you" he said softly.
Alexander ignored him as he curled up in his bed, trying to pull himself together as he felt his life spiralling out of control.
"Baby, please, we'll get him back" he said, opening the door and walked over to him.
"L-Leave me alone" Alexander sobbed as he turned away from Tom.
"Shh, we will get him back" Tom said again as he sat on the bed beside Alexander.
"You're lying. You don't know them like I do" Alexander sobbed, curling up more.
"I'm not lying, I promise" Tom said softly as he stroked Alexander's hair.
"You can't promise what you can't control" Alexander squeaked, leaning into him.
"What I don't know is how they got in here" Tom sighed.
"They have their ways" Alexander sighed, finally calming down somewhat.
"And we have ours. We will find them" Tom said gently.
Alexander just nodded, and curled up more. He squeaked slightly as Tom laid back on the bed, pulling Alexander on top of him. Alexander smiled slightly and as they laid there together, he eventually fell asleep. The lack of sleep over the last few days was finally catching up to him and he was exhausted, though as usual, his sleep was far from peaceful. The typical nightmares played through his head as he slept, with new ones about what would potentially happen to his brother. His brother didn't know anything about the organization or what they did. Brendan was so young, and didn't deserve to bear the weight of Alexander's mistakes. No, those were Alexander's alone.