I DO NOT OWN ALEX RIDER

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've been really busy the last couple weeks. Anyway, here is the final chapter!

Chapter 6- Politics as Usual

Alex barely dodged out of the way. Smoke was clouding his eyes and filling his lungs. He could hardly breath and knew this was one fight he wouldn't last long in.

Skyler prepared for another assult. Alex could just see his dark outline against the orange flames crouched to lunge. Alex shot to the left as he attacked.

"You can't keep dodging me, Alex," Skyler called. "Just stand still and take it like a man!"

Alex gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the taunt. Skyler was right about one thing: He couldn't keep dodging. But he wasn't going to stand by and wait for the end.

"Come on, Skyler," Alex called back. "Lets finish this."

"Fine by me!" Skyler replied.

Man and boy collided. Skyler had the point of his knife inches away from Alex's chest. It was all Alex could do to hold it back. Skyler took one hand off the hilt and aimed a punch toward Alex's face. Alex dodged and rolled to the side. He kicked at Skyler's shin. The man stumbled, apparently about to fall. Alex realized where he was falling and moved forward to grab the man. But it was too late.

Dennis Skyler fell into the raging fire face- first with an ear- piercing scream.

Alex fell back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The putrid smell of burning flesh reached his nostrils, suffocating him. Was this how he was going to die? After all he'd been through, it didn't seem fair that this would be his end.

Then he saw it: a window! How hadn't he noticed it before? He crouched over to it and looked out. It was only two stories up. He'd been in stickier situations. Alex kicked out, his foot connecting with the glass. Glass... He turned back. "RACHEL!" He bellowed. No answer came back to him. "SEAN! DAVIS!" Still nothing. Then...

"Alex!"

Alex looked back out the window. A soot- covered Rachel was outside, but clearly reluctuntly. A fireman was pulling her as far away from the building as possible. "No! I won't leave him!" Rachel was crying.

Alex's lips twitched into a relieved smile. That was Rachel Glass for you!

Another explosion rocked the building. The momentum threw Alex out the window. He caught a glimpse of Rachel's wide- eyed stare before all was dark.

...

Alex's eyes blinked open. For a few moments he didn't know where he was. Then he recognized the machinery and sterile feeling of a hospital room. He closed his eyes, his body aching. Though he was hurt, he knew nothing was broken. Fortunately.

The door opened and Rachel, Sean, and Davis Glass entered. Rachel broke into a huge smile. "Glad to see you're still alive."

Alex laughed... which hurt a lot. "Glad to see you don't hate my guts anymore."

Rachel's face flushed. "Sorry about that. You saved my life and the lives of my brothers. I'll always be grateful to you for that."

"We all will," Davis added.

Sean sighed. "The only problem is that we can't tell anyone about any of this! MI6 made sure of that."

"Welcome to my world," Alex replied.

Rachel stepped closer to him, smiling. The next second, her head was leaning foward, and her lips gently touching his. Much too soon, she stood back up.

Sean gave an awkward cough. "So... Skyler's been replaced. It certainly didn't take those guys in government to gobble up the position."

"Politics as usual," Rachel agreed. She then promptly socked Alex's shoulder. "See you around," she said, then left with her brothers.

Alex watched them go. The moment the door closed, he did the one thing he'd wanted most to do over the last couple days: He fell asleep.