Chapter Text
Alex pushed open the door to his Chelsea home, throwing his overstuffed backpack haphazardly onto the floor. It teetered for a second before tipping over, stuffed so full that the zipper could not close over the top. The contents inside slid out of the bag into a disorganized heap, becoming a hazard over the foyer, entranceway and base of the stairs.
Alex ignored the tipped over backpack, and marched through the hallway into the kitchen. He waved a stack of papers beside his head, the paper clenched so tightly in his hand that it crimped under the pressure of his grip.
“This is the most ridiculous assignment I have ever got!” Alex exclaimed, tossing the paper aggressively onto the center island counter top.
He slumped down onto a nearby kitchen stool, feeling half-defeated and overwhelmed at the same time. He rubbed his temples with the palm of his hand to sooth the stress that had tightened his forehead, and focused on taking a moment to breath. He tried to use the calming techniques Ian had been teaching him for years. Identify what you can feel, what you could see, and what you could smell. Simple in theory, but rather complex to do in practicality, especially when Alex's mind was so overwhelmed by everything.
“What is so bad about it?” Jack hummed a response as she sent a sideways glance at the stack of paper. She multitasked as she talked, stirring the pot on the stove making dinner. Alex noticed that one of her lawbooks was open next to the stove. She must have been studing before Alex walked in.
“I am the only person in my whole class who can’t do it.” Alex muttered, once again eyeing up the assignment on the counter as if it was a dangerous thing.
To his knowledge, he was the only orphan in his year. His classmates didn’t have to constantly explain why it was his housekeeper or uncle signing off on field trip permission forms, nor did they have to awkwardly make happy ‘uncle day’ instead of ‘Father's Day’ cards. This was just another one of those assignments.
Although, it wasn't created to be alienating, he could help but feel more different and left out than his peers. No one else was sitting in their kitchen wondering how impossible a simple homework felt. Everyone else would be going on with their evening, or excitedly making plans with their parents.
Jack turned around, her sauce covered spoon pointing at him. “Hey-hey it can’t be that bad,” She scolded lightly, somehow picking up on Alex's negative chain of thoughts, “So, just tell them to get you a different assignment? Maybe you can volunteer instead?”
“It doesn’t work like that.” Alex stated, sinking further down on the high top stool. He wished he could find the words to explain it to Jack. After all, it was just homework. Why did he feel like it was a huge mountain to climb? Leaning a new language would be easier than him completing this assignment and getting a good mark on it.
If he brought it up with his teachers, they would think he was trying to get out of the school work. He could see it now.
He would turn in a blank essay. His teacher and classmates would laugh as he showed a PowerPoint slide of nothing. The teacher pulling him aside after giving him a bad mark; 'Rider, everyone else managed to complete the assignment? Why couldn't you? It was an easy 100 points.'
No. His teachers would never understand why this was upsetting. They only accounted for students with normal families. Parents who worked the normal 9-5 work schedule. Parents who could be involved in their child's life and school work.
No. Jack wouldn't understand why this was upsetting. She had a family. Two parents who were always there for her, who actively encouraged her to move halfway across the world to pursue a dream that very few would ever manage to actually achieve.
All Alex had was a housekeeper, and an absent uncle, who was always going off on some grand business trip to some exotic location for weeks at a time. Unless Alex went with him during a half-term or for holiday, Ian's presence often felt more like a distant shadow than a source of actual support. Maybe, Alex was just so different that no one else in the world could relate to him.
The problem wasn't the assignment... it was him.
All the commotion from the kitchen drew Ian out of his upstairs study. He casually walked down the steps, feeling rather good, so good in fact that he had a smile on his face and a slight positive hum buzzing on his lips. All was good with the world, which meant that all was good with Ian. The latest bad guy was going to be spending a long time in jail, and both, England and the rest of the world will be safe for a while. Ian was finally on break and was promised a good two months of much needed R&R. He skillfully sidestepped Alex's discarded backpack, only making a small mental note about 'Teenagers' before making his way into the kitchen.
“I heard that Alex is home,” Ian teased playfully, However, his playful jest was met with silence. He sent a confused look at Alex - who was slumped miserably on the stool- and Jack- who was leaning over the counter with a spoon dripping marinara sauce onto the kitchen titles.
“Why the long faces? It was a joke,” Ian remarked, attempting to lighten the mood as he crossed the kitchen to get to the refrigerator. “You know, since I literally could hear Alex from the third-floor study.”
Surveying the contents of the refrigerator, Ian quickly retrieved a cold bottle of mineral water. He shut the door with his elbow and leaned against the counter, sending a questioning glance at Jack. Jack sighed, as she gestured toward the crumpled packet of papers that lay atop of the island counter.
“Alex is upset about his school assignment,” She explained, with a shake of her head before she turned back to the pot on the stove top. Ian softened his glaze, confusion morphed into concern, as he looked back at Alex. He took note of the annoyed huff, that Alex made as he crossed his arms.
Ian knew that teenagers were known to be moody. He remembered the arguing, and drama between John, him and their father when they were growing up. Moments that were rather average, but his own teenage mind would twist out of proportions. Ian considered his next move carefully, Alex was currently uncomfortable, the last thing Ian wanted was to make the discomfort worse. But, he wanted to offer Alex the support he never got as a child. He took a slow slip of the bubbly water, before shifting onto the stool next to Alex.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ian asked, firmly. He made the assumption that Alex's sour mood must be because he failed an exam, or assignment. Alex had always been a great student and bad grades were never a problem before. Yet, everyone will fail at some point in their life (some people multiple times) it's just a part of growing up and learning. As long as bad grades don’t become a reoccurring habit, Ian wouldn't get upset over one poor mark. Like with everything else, he would encourage Alex to take it in stride and treat it as a learning experience.
“It’s just this stupid assignment,” Alex muttered, picking up his head, and glancing over at Ian. Alex's eyes were red, but it did not look like he had shed any tears. He seemed more frustrated, and nervous then sad or distraught, but there was a slight hesitation in Alex's eyes, a vulnerability betraying him. It was almost as if Alex didn’t want to share his concerns about this assignment with him.
“Well - let’s just see what this horrible assignment is about, hum?” Ian replied, sliding the packet of papers over, and picking them up. As his eyes scanned the page, Ian noticed Alex cringe out of the corner of his eye. Before Ian even had a chance to start reading, Alex started to explain himself.
“I’m the only orphan in the class, and I can’t exactly follow Jack to work.”
“Job shadowing?” Ian glanced at the assignment, summarizing it out loud, “They want you to shadow a parent at their job for a day?”
“I wasn’t even going to ask you,” Alex quickly jumped to defend himself, “You hardly talk about your job to begin with, plus all of the ‘client confidentiality’ requirements. And- I can’t job shadow Jack. I mean- I could- but it would just be me doing chores all day long.”
Jack rolled her eyes at the comment. She took a second to pull the plates out of the top cupboard, setting them down gently on the counter top across from Ian with a small, audible clank as the ceramic plates clicked together.
“Doing your chores would do you good, Alex,” Ian said, thinking out loud, “But, I agree. You can’t shadow Jack.”
“Well - Ian is right. Why don’t you do your chores and help me set the table?” Jack directed, as she pushed one of her long curls back behind her ear.
Alex reluctantly slid off of the high stool and slunk his way over to grab a handful of silverware from the drawer. What followed was a small, tense silence between the three of them. The only sounds came from the bubbling liquid on the stove top, the clattering of plates against the table as Jack set them down, and the small squeak of Alex's shoes against the hardwood floors as he moved about.
Ian watched them set the table, as he pondered his own thoughts. He couldn’t help but notice how sad and defeated Alex looked. It clearly wasn’t something that Jack or him had said that summoned the dark cloud hovering over Alex’s head. Ian took another glance down at the packet of papers. Alex's mood must have something to do with the assignment. Ian took a second to read the paper in earnest.
It dawned on him that it was quite possibly because the school wrote the assignment using terms like ‘spend a day in your father's footsteps’ and ‘learn about challenges of your mother’s profession’. Clearly, whoever wrote this assignment didn’t think about children in non-traditional homes. Tom’s parents were divorced, Olivia had two dads, and Alex had… Well, him and Jack. Maybe, he would take this up with the school about the importance of including inclusion and using more neutral terminology, like parental figure or guardian or even role model. But, that was something for another day.
“You know what…” Ian mumbled out loud, the sound caught Alex’s attention, and he instantly perked up, “I’ll be in the office doing paperwork the next few days. Maybe I can bring you in for a day or two. But, I’m going to warn you, it will be boring.”
“Really!?” Alex said excitedly, his mood shifting exponentially, “I don’t care if it's boring. I’ve always wanted to see where you worked!”
“Oh wow.” Ian said, taken back by his nephew's enthusiasm, “Well, don’t get too excited, kiddo. Let me check first if it is okay to bring you with me.”
Alex nodded, and happily set out to finish setting the table and getting everything ready for their meal.
Ian smiled in response. Yes, this was a great opportunity indeed.