Snake gave Wolf a considering look. “Bear in mind how you treated the poor kid during training, and given the fact that we all know what a friendly and welcoming guy you are with kids, James, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex wasn’t a little nervous of you. Right, Alex?”

            “Utterly terrified of him.” Alex said, absently, scanning the restaurant for possible threats without even being aware of it. Satisfied that there were none, and realising that the conversation he’d had half an ear on was not continuing, he turned back to the table. “Sorry, what?”

            “Well…” Fox was apparently trying not to laugh. “I just – I can’t work out whether you were serious then, or not.”

            “Oh.” Alex thought about it. “No. I’m not afraid of you.” Wolf relaxed minutely. “But, you’re not exactly the most welcoming of people to live with. Though, maybe that’s just me.” He added, and then, not wanting to seem ungrateful, added on top of that, “Though, I guess I haven’t exactly made it easy.”

            Eagle was rarely serious, but he was nothing if not fair minded. “I don’t see how you can have made it difficult.” He said, reasonably. “You were just there, keeping your head down. And, from what I saw of you the first couple of times we came over, your voice and your eyes down as well. Jamie-boy here, though,” he clapped his friend on the shoulder, causing him to splutter on the drink of water he’d just taken, “Was obviously not doing his utmost to be sweet and welcoming.”

            “you could put it that way.” Alex murmured.

            Eagle grinned. Wolf frowned.

            “But, I wouldn’t.”

            Eagle frowned. Wolf grinned.

            “So,” Snake interrupted, as Eagle opened his mouth to defend his point of view. “How are you going to deal with this child abuse thing?”

            Wolf shrugged. “I dunno. Go in, tell the teacher that we get along fine, and hope for the best?”

            “Yes. Because that always works.” Fox said, sarcastically. “I think you’d better plan something a little more detailed than that, James.”

            “I haven’t exactly had the chance!” Wolf defended himself. “I only found out last night, and since then, I haven’t seem him,” he nodded at Alex, “To talk about it!”

            “Well,” Snake said, diffidently, “Alex, you might want to work on calling James ‘James’. Pet names only work for an adult talking to a child. If you start calling him ‘Wolf’, they’re bound to think there’s something strange going on here.”

            “I haven’t…” Alex shifted, uncomfortably, and was glad for the distraction as the meal arrived. Unfortunately, it was only a temporary reprieve, as Snake fixed him with a look which very plainly said, ‘well?’ Alex sighed. “I haven’t been given permission.”

            Wolf frowned. “To do what?”

            “Call you,” he paused. “Um… ‘James’.”

            “Well, you know it’s my name.” he said, shrugging. “If you want to call me that, you can.”

            He wasn’t being particularly encouraging about it. Alex shrugged himself, making a mental note to keep calling them by their codenames.

            “You actually don’t call any of us by our proper names.” Fox observed, after giving Wolf a glare for being so off-putting, which Alex missed, as he attempted to nab a particularly resistant piece of chicken with his chopsticks.

            Without looking up, Alex said, distractedly, “I don’t know them.”

            There was a moment of slightly stunned silence. “You don’t?” Eagle said, finally.

            “No.” Alex finally managed to get the piece of chicken, and ate it with a faint air of triumph. Swallowing, he said, “I guess there’s never been any need.”

            “There is, now you’re living with James.” Eagle said, frowning slightly. “I’m Neal. Neal Smith, if you want my full name.”

            “I’m Matt Harford.” Fox told him, grinning. “Though I’m told I don’t suit my name at all.”

            “I’m David McAllen.” Snake told him, quietly. “Are you sure we’ve never told you our names before?” Alex nodded.

            “He’ll probably just use our codenames anyway.” Eagle grinned.

            “It’s not like I know you well enough not to.” Alex said, reasonably, as he saw it.

            “Go on, Cub.” Eagle raised an eyebrow at him, challengingly. “Do it. Call us by our real names.”

            “Um… why?” Alex asked.

            “Just – for my peace of mind.”

            “No.” Alex said, deciding that blunt was best.

            “Why not?”

            Dammit. “Because…” for some reason, he was profoundly uncomfortable calling adults by their first names; possibly a throw over from the rigid politeness which Ian had drilled into him from an early age, or possibly simply because he wasn’t comfortable enough with them. But neither of these were reasons which would wash with these particular people. “Because… I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

            “Why not?”

            “How old are you, seven?” Alex asked, in a desperate attempt to stall for time. “Because – I might have to work with you, and I might slip up, and call you your real name, and then…”

            “Spurious reason.” Eagle waved it off. “You might be a team member, but we all know that we work in entirely different ways. We’re essentially soldiers. Very good soldiers,” he added, smirking, “But soldiers. You’re a spy. The likelihood that we’re gonna end up working together is pretty slim. So, go on,” the smirk widened. “Do it.”

            “No.”

            “C’mon, Alex, what’s it going to do?”

            “I don’t want to.” He said, firmly, hating that he sounded so utterly petulant.

            “Do it.”

            “No.”

            “Do it.”

            Alex gave into the childish urge which had been nagging at him. “Shan’t.” He just stopped himself from sticking his tongue out at the infuriating man.

            “Do it.”

            “No.”

            “Do it.”

            “No.”

            “Don’t do it.”

            “No. Oh, wait…” Eagle grinned at him, triumphantly. “Dammit.”

            “You’ve got to now.”

            Finally, Wolf intervened. “Oh, shut up, Neal.” He said, quietly. “Cub, just call him by his damn name, if he’s so set on it.”

            “Y’know, James, if you want him to call us by our names, you should call him by his.” Eagle began, but James glared at him.

            “Don’t even think about it…”