Dec04, Alex Rider, Mrs. Jones, Snow Globe Title: Snow Globe Author:hpstrangelove Wordcount: 538 Fandom: Alex Rider Pair/Characters: Mrs. Jones Rating: G Prior Days (should be read in order): Dec01, Dec02, Dec03 Beta: The terrific joanwilder
Mrs. Jones, Deputy Chief Executive of MI6 Special Operations, clicked her mobile off, ending the call. For several minutes, she stared at the photo on her desk. It was a picture of a four year old girl and a six year old boy, sitting on Santa’s lap. Santa was holding a snow globe, and both children were looking at it in awe, huge smiles forever captured on their faces. It was the only personal item that she kept at MI6 headquarters.
She turned her head away from the photo and looked out the huge window of her office. Darkness had descended on the city and the evening lights twinkled, reminding her of lights on a Christmas tree. She hadn’t thought about decorating a Christmas tree for many years now, not since….
Her gaze slowly returned to the picture. She still remembered that day as if it had just happened yesterday, that day she’d taken her children to see Santa. They’d painstakingly made a list of toys that they wanted Santa to bring them. But when Santa had shown them the little snow globe, turning it over and back, the children had completely forgotten about their list, they’d been so mesmerized by the magic of the snow falling inside the glass sphere.
It wouldn’t have mattered if they’d remembered to give Santa the list, though. If he’d brought them anything that Christmas Eve, he would have found two empty beds.
Taking a deep breath, she blinked back her tears, trying to get her emotions under control. She usually didn’t get maudlin over her children like this. It wouldn’t bring them back. She couldn’t do anything for them now.
But she could do something for Alex.
The call from Jack Starbright had been disturbing, but not unexpected. Chief Executive Alan Blunt’s continuous use, or rather, abuse, of the fourteen-year-old boy had almost caused her to resign. She had only stayed because of her concern for Alex and of how much worse things might have been for him without her there to keep Alan in check. She’d tried several times to get him to allow Alex to attend some type of grief counseling - even adult agents had that expense paid for them by the company – but since Alex was never officially employed by MI6, Alan wouldn’t allow it. And the Official Secrets Act that Alex and Jack had been forced to sign unfortunately prevented them from seeking help on their own.
Mrs. Jones looked at the photo one last time. It must have been her maternal instinct that made her want to protect Alex from what the future held for him if Alan continued to have his way. It was the only thing that could account for what she was about to do next: ask one of the top international assassins for help.
But Yassen Gregorovich was the only person with enough power whom she could trust to protect Alex from further exploitation. The problem with her plan wasn’t that Yassen was dangerous. The problem was that after the debacle on Albert Bridge, she wasn’t even sure if Yassen would agree to meet with her, let alone refrain from killing her on sight.