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"Sorry. I guess it was just the moment," replied Alex sheepishly. He was concerned he had upset Delos, but after looking at her expression which had changed into bemusement, he knew he hadn't.

"Look, give me a day or two. I'll figure out a way for you two to get together. I'm smart. Unlike you, who apparently has mush for brains when he's captivated by someone."

Alex was unsure if she was referring to her or Nicky. He certainly wasn't going to ask. Never, he knew, ask a question if you don't want to hear the answer. This situation certainly was deserving of that advice. "Thanks, anything you can do to help me would be cool." He wanted to say more, but didn't know what else to say.

"Listen, kiddo. Why don't we bail. It's getting cold here, and I was prepared for an indoor meeting and not the park after dark." She looked around, noticing the sun was setting quickly. The bay area was always cold at night.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe if I go to bed early some brilliant idea will pop up."

"Yeah, right. I'm sure something will pop up," said Delos salaciously.

"In your dreams," bantered Alex, as he stood up to get his bicycle.

"If you only knew. If you only knew," she replied, her face a mixture of humour and pain.

"Want another Starfuck's on the way home? My treat!" offered Alex.

"No, but thanks. I'll just go home and watch a movie or something."

"Why don't you come to my house and watch then? I can show you a few of the things I brought back from England with me. Nothing fancy, but some neat things."

"OK, I'll do that. I can call home when we get there and let them know I'll be late."

"Great!" said Alex as he began to pedal towards the main street with Delos lagging just a few feet behind.

The fog continued to roll in and it became increasingly difficult to see any distance. Fortunately, it wasn't a long ride. They both knew the way, and except for crossing the main street, there'd not be any difficulty whatsoever. Except for some fool who blew through the intersection just as the light changed, nearly hitting them, their return to Alex's home was uneventful and mostly silent. Alex was lost in thoughts of Nicky and Delos. Delos was lost in thoughts about Alex.

They pulled around behind Alex's house and locked their bikes, then walked to the back door and into the kitchen.

"Mom, I'm home! Delos is with me!"

To Alex's dismay his father walked in the kitchen instead of his mother. "Son, we need to talk." Eric paused as he saw Delos there, changed gears, finishing by saying, "But, it can wait until Delos leaves. Remember, your door stays open when you have female company."

"Sure, Dad. No problem. No problem at all," said Alex, not wanting this parental encounter to last any longer than it had to. "We're going to go watch a movie in my room."

"That's fine. I'll speak to you before you go to bed. Enjoy your movie."

"Where's Mom?"

"She's out. She'll be back later, in time for our talk."

Alex wasn't troubled by this because it seemed innocuous enough. "Okay."

Alex bounded up the stairs followed by Delos. They got to his room, went in, and spent some time going through Alex's collection of DVDs and LaserDiscs. He had a combination player that could play his old, vast collection of LaserDiscs and his new collection of DVDs. After much discussion, they settled on Roger Rabbit. It was funny, and also didn't require too much attention.

Delos purred, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way," as Alex loaded the player.

Her dead-on imitation of Jessica Rabbit caused him to laugh. "Oh yes, you are bad. If you were good, I wouldn't like you."

She gave him a raspberry and was ready to rip into another double entendre, but she didn't finish it because the film started. They sat down next to each other on the bed and watched the film, having a thoroughly good time. As the film concluded, Alex realized Delos' hand was in his. He didn't know what to do, so he released her hand, got up, and busied himself taking the disc out and putting it away. He felt decidedly discomforted and disoriented. He liked this small intimacy with Delos, yet it also made him nervous and confused. I just can't stand how this makes me feel. I wonder if I'm in love. Or maybe I'm just being stupid about the whole thing. Alex was at war with himself.

At that moment, he heard a cough at the door. His mother was standing there. "Alex, we need to talk. Are you and Delos almost done?"

Alex knew something was up. This behaviour was most unlike his mother. Something big was happening, and it must be serious if she was interrupting his private time. Usually only his father was a rude, inconsiderate bastard.

Delos saved him the indignity of having to answer. "That's okay, Mrs. Maitland. The movie's over. I'll call Alex in the morning." Delos was peeved that this evening was being prematurely ended by Alex's mother, but she knew that this wasn't a battle worth fighting. "I'll show myself out. Don't trouble yourself on my account."

Delos bid a quick goodbye to Alex, and headed out the door, Amanda Maitland following, apologizing for the interruption. Alex trailed a few seconds later, hoping to catch Delos alone for a second, but it wasn't to be. He was intercepted by his father. "Come to the kitchen, Son. Your mother will be along in a moment."

Amanda came into the kitchen a moment later, having just let Delos out the back to retrieve her bicycle. "Did you and Delos have a good time?" she asked.

"As well as could be expected, considering we were cut short," said Alex peevishly, hoping his bitter tone would be noticed.

"I'm sorry, but this is important."

Alex knew that was true. As seldom as he had friends over, and as seldom as those friends were female, he knew his parents wouldn't have rushed the visit unless they had something serious to discuss. "So what gives?" asked Alex, acidly unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Well, we had a call today from the British Embassy. More specifically your father had a call at work, and I had one at home. It seems after interviewing both your father and me, they aren't satisfied with our answers about Nicky and his dad." She paused, though he wasn't sure if it was for dramatic effect or to catch her breath.

But, before she could continue, Eric began. "They're very concerned about Nicky and his father. It seems they don't exist; at least not using the names they gave. Apparently Nicky's father was supposed to check in after retrieving him. He didn't, so they did some further checking in their computers and have lots more questions. They're going to be detained when the plane gets to England. Someone at the embassy insists you come down and speak with them. I've got the name here somewhere. Anyway, that's what we're doing in the morning."

Alex was worried, and his face must have shown it for his mother spoke again, "Don't worry. You haven't done anything. Just tell them the truth like you told us, and everything will be fine."

"This is what happens when you get involved, Alex. Let this be a lesson to you. You've become involved with some unsavory character, obviously," interjected his father.

Alex knew why Nicky and his dad were not checking out. He wondered if Nicky's dad had any clue that his cover had been blown. He wondered what they'd say about his involvement. This could be serious. He was worried. He didn't know what to do. It was time for him to think.

"I'm going to go to my room and read. I'll see you in the morning," he said, dismissing himself by walking away and up the stairs towards his room.

He wasn't planning on reading, really. He was just going to lie down on his bed and think. He wanted to be sure of what he was going to say, to do, and how to react to anything they might say. He decided on a shower first, so he undressed, entering the shower, turning the water up as hot as he could stand it, and then letting it run over his body until the water temperature began to cool. That was his signal it was time to exit before the water tank was totally empty of hot water. He dried off, got dressed, went to his bed, and lay down, turning on some music, selecting Kitaro's Light of the Spirit for its calming effect.

The hot shower combined with the relaxing music had their cumulative effect and before Alex realized it, rather than planning his story, he was asleep. His sleep was broken by a knocking at his door, the pounding noise irritating him. He cracked open his eyes, and by the light realized it was already morning and he had slept the night away.

"Alex, get up, it's almost time to leave. The embassy's all the way downtown. We've got a hell of a drive."

"Mph. Right. I'm on it," he mumbled, none too convincingly. Alex dragged out of bed, and shuffled to his closet, selecting some clothes he thought were suitable. He threw them on his bed, and went to brush his teeth. He came out, feeling not nearly alert enough for this, and got dressed. Finally, Alex left his room and went to the kitchen to get some coffee before their drive into the city.

"Hi, honey! You're looking handsome this morning," enthused his mother, clearly a morning person.

Alex didn't find being a morning person a good quality in someone. He really thought morning people were an aberration. "Mph. Coffee ready?"

"Yes it is, Mr. Grump," replied his mother, pouring him a cup, leaving room for the overabundance of cream and sugar she knew Alex would put into it.

Alex added a few spoonfuls of sugar and enough cream to make it look like a coffee ice-cream-coloured beverage. He stirred it, and began drinking. As it began to take effect, his eyes started to open from the small slits they were at this hour of the morning. It didn't improve his mood, but he was waking up. He realized, then, as his brain began to function that he hadn't made his plan for today. It was too late, though, so there wasn't any sense in worrying about it.

"Let's go, Alex; we have a long drive."

"OK, Mom. I'm as ready as I'm going to be," replied Alex, as he followed his mother into the garage.

They got into their car and pulled out of their driveway which was now totally devoid of any news people. As with all things, the reporters had become disinterested in the spectacle of Alex as soon as something else had come along.

Amanda pulled on to highway 101, and headed North towards the city. It was a long drive. Conversation was certainly not an option for Alex this early because he preferred not to think. When in the car, Alex often took note of the cars around him and today was no exception: it gave him something to do since his mother didn't like having the radio on. He looked at the cars out of the side mirror, occasionally seeing what was coming up by glancing in the side-view or rear-view mirrors.

"Don't think I'm paranoid, Mom, but I think we're being followed," stated Alex after about twenty minutes.

"Don't be silly, Alex."

"Really. I know you're hot to get me to the embassy, but I'm going to prove we're being followed. Get off at the next exit, and then get right back on the highway again. That's unusual, and if that black van behind us does it, you'll be pretty sure we're being followed."

Amanda was in no mood for this, but she did mentally register that perhaps that van had been behind them a bit longer than was normal. She decided to try Alex's idea, so she got off at an exit that she knew had an easy return to the highway. Sure enough, the black van followed them down. She turned on her right turn signal as she got in the right turn lane, noticing the van behind her did too. At the bottom of the ramp she stopped, and as the light changed, she went straight and got back on. She was rattled when the van did the same thing.

She accelerated the car to almost 75 miles per hour, which on highway 101 wasn't all that impressive, but for Amanda, it was a land speed record. "Alex, get my cellular phone out of my purse and call 911. Hurry."

Alex opened his mother's purse and began to root around. What a fucking mess! She has damn near everything in here. He found an empty brown prescription bottle, loose change, a Palm Pilot, pamphlets for a vacation resort in Palm Springs, a couple old movie tickets, a tiny hairbrush, pens, and pencils ­ who the hell uses pencils anymore? There was also a drift of paper scraps and receipts, a checkbook, a roll of wintergreen Life Savers, a small address book, and one or two of those weird, flat, plastic wrapped feminine products that gave him an inner, disgusted shudder; there was even a tangerine she had obviously grabbed on the way out this morning ­ but no cell phone. "Mom, there isn't a cell phone in here."

"Shit! I must've left it at home."

Alex was shocked. It was the first real profanity he ever heard his mother utter. Despite the situation Alex was tickled enough to giggle.

"What are you laughing about? This is not funny."

"It was just what you said. I never, ever heard you swear like that before. Ever. It just amused me. But anyway, what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to go to the embassy as planned. They'll have security. I'll tell them as we pull in. Try and make out the license, if you can, in the rear-view mirror."

Alex tried, but the vehicle had dropped back far enough it was hard to make out. Distance coupled with the need to read backwards in the side-view mirror, made reading the plate number an impossible task.

They sat in silence as his mother sped towards the exit from 101 into downtown San Francisco. Fortunately, they knew their way around town. They both silently hoped their pursuer did not. They reached their exit, and flew through the yellow light at the bottom of the ramp, squealing the car tires as they made their left. To Amanda's consternation, the van ran the red light, nearly hitting oncoming traffic in its struggle to keep up. The van was no longer making an effort to hide its pursuit. It wasn't long before they reached the embassy, and once they were in sight Amanda slowed down to make sure she didn't alarm the guards on duty. She pulled in to the gate area, the van stopped and pulled into a parking spot about a half-block back.

"Madam, may I help you?" inquired the guard on duty.

"Yes, we have an appointment to see Under-Secretary Reardon. But before we go in, there's a black van back there. It's been following us. I'm concerned."

"Half a moment, Madam," said the guard, pulling out a radio and, they thought, stepping back so they couldn't hear him talk. After a few seconds, they realized the guard was deliberately positioned out of sight of the van. He was talking urgently into the radio, with an occasional hand gesture. After he finished he walked back over to their car.

"Thank you for your patience, Madam. I'm going to talk to you for a moment as if nothing's wrong. Then I'll wave you in. They're expecting you up front. Please drive at a normal speed and get out as if nothing's amiss. We'll be dealing with the van in short order, as soon as you enter the house where it's safe."

"Yes, sir. We'll do that."

They did exactly as instructed, driving down the short, circular drive until the parking area just off to one side. They exited, walking towards the front door, doing their best not to look back. As soon as they entered, but before the door shut, they could see the van was surrounded by police cars with lights on, but no sirens.

A man who looked like a butler, but was more probably an aide, stepped out into view. "Under-Secretary Reardon will see you immediately. This way, please, Mrs. Maitland and Master Maitland."

They followed the man down the hall to a room. They were escorted in and asked to sit. Shortly, another man came in. "I'm Under-Secretary Reardon. I'll be asking you a few short questions before giving you over the Ambassador ­ he's decided to handle this personally."

Despite his assurances that there would only be a few, short queries, Reardon kept them a while, asking stupid, banal, and ordinary questions that irritated Alex. Nonetheless, Alex supposed they were just making sure that everything was in order and that they would be cooperating fully.

"Lastly, do you know anything about that van that followed you?"

"Nothing," said Mrs. Maitland.

"No, but I want to," replied Alex.

"We'll see. The police have taken them into custody and are checking further now. I'm sure the FBI will be called in on this case. Then I wish to ask you..." he stopped as a red light flashed from the corner of a doorway. "Ah! The Ambassador is ready for you. Please, step this way."

Amanda and Alex got up and followed him to the next room. The Ambassador was sitting at his desk. He motioned Alex and Amanda to be seated and dismissed Reardon.

"Good Morning. I'm Derrick Michaels, Her Majesty's Ambassador. First, I would like to thank you for your cooperation in this matter. We are concerned about the boy and his father, though I'm not at liberty to discuss that at this moment. Mostly, we wish to question Alex. We have some questions on behalf of Scotland Yard which we prefer to conduct in private. Mrs. Maitland, if you don't mind would you wait outside the door?"

Amanda didn't look very pleased, but she complied. A few moments later Alex and Ambassador Michaels were alone.

"Would it be alright if I began?"

"Sure," said Alex, hoping it would be easy. The first few questions were repeats of what Reardon had asked them. Alex suspected they were trying to trip him up or look for inconsistencies in his answers. He knew there would be none. He was going to be careful.

"How did you meet Nicky?"

"In Hyde Park, sir. At speaker's corner. He just chatted to me while I listened to one of the speakers."

"I see. And how is it he came to be on the plane with you?"

"I honestly have no idea. I was on the plane, and there he was. You can check with the people at the US Embassy in London. I was escorted the entire time. It was a shock to me. At first, I was a bit alarmed, to be honest."

"So, again I ask, how did he end up with you?"

"Well, we got to talking on the plane. We seemed to have quite a bit in common. He gave some story about going to Los Angeles and missing his flight."

Ambassador Michaels nodded. He knew from the records Nicky was booked on the Los Angeles flight. He was pleased that Alex was telling the truth, at least as far as he was able to tell.

"Next thing we knew, his father was coming to get him and he was a runaway. I mean, I suppose my parents or you would know about that. After all, I'm just a kid." said Alex, hoping that would suffice as an excuse.

"I suppose so," said Michaels. Clearly Alex was still telling the truth. Michaels decided to take a chance. "May I be frank with you, Master Maitland?"

"Yes, of course."

"We want your help. We'd like you to come to London at our expense. We need you. We'd like to lure Nicky out of hiding."

"I thought you said you were going to detain them when they got to London?"

"That was the plan, yes. Unfortunately, they had already cleared customs before we were aware of the fact they hadn't checked in here. They were scheduled on a later flight than the one they took as you may be aware."

"I understand. So if I do this, are you going to hurt Nicky? What do you want him for? What do you think he did?"

"We don't really want Nicky. We want his father. He knows many things, things he shouldn't have known. We have an obligation to check it out. We're calling MI6 to handle it. I think you'll be able help us."

Alex's heart jumped, his blood beginning to race. Nonetheless, it was only a matter of seconds before he answered, "I'll do it with certain conditions, but you'll never get my parents to agree."

"You leave that to us. Now, what are your conditions?"