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To say that Andrew was mad was an understatement. He was practically shaking with fury as he spoke to the police officer. "Is he at the station now?"

"Yes, Mr. Ryan. He is." The man on the other end of the phone sounds mildly bored, as if he hears this sort of thing from parents all the time.

"I'll be right there. Do me a favor, and lock him in the holding cell, if you haven't already. Just until I arrive."

The police should know who he was, and he didn't think he request was that unreasonable. Alec deserved it, after all. Being made to sweat and worry about the consequences for a short while.

Yes. They do know who he is. Which is why the man says, "Yes, sir. I will see about that."

"I appreciate that. I'll be right there."

Andrew hangs up the phone. Sighs. Lights a cigarette. Stands up from his desk and goes outside, thankful that he has two cars, while simultaneously angry that Alec smashed one of them, probably to tiny pieces. Does it occur to him to be concerned about Alec's health? Not really. The police would have said if the boy was injured, after all.

Within ten minutes, he arrives at the station, parks, and heads inside, looking around expectantly.

When he comes in a police offers approaches him.

"Mr. Ryan?" he asks.

"Yes?" Andrew said, never a huge fan of the police, but willing to put up with them in this circumstance, "Where's the boy?"

"They're bringing him over. Someone went to get him as soon as you came in." He gestures over to the side. "If you wouldn't mind, we've got some paperwork for you to fill out."

"Good," Andrew said, then frowned. "What does the paperwork entail? Is he being charged with any crime?"

"No. Of course not. It's just to say that you're taking responsibility for him and his actions as he is a minor and you're his guardian. As well as signifying you're accepting custody of him," the officer says. "It's all fairly routine. We'll contact you later regarding the car."

"The car is totaled, I assume," Andrew said, perusing the paperwork carefully before reading it. He wasn't the type to sign his name to something without reading it thoroughly, even if he assumed that what the policeman was saying was true. When he'd satisfied himself that it said what he'd been told it did, he signed the paperwork with his customary sharp signature.

"Just about."

As he finishes saying this, Alec is brought up to the front. He looks a bit battered but nothing bad.

When he sees Andrew, however, his face goes pale.

"Alexander."

The way he said Alec's full name alone should have made Alec even more uncomfortable.

Oh yes.

He just wilts.

"Sir?"

"I was under the impression that you were supposed to ask permission before you took the car. Furthermore, I was under the impression that you were required to be licensed in order to drive, which I'm not sure you are. Finally, the cost of the car you wantonly destroyed was considerable, and rest assured, it will be coming out of your money."

His tone was somewhere between angry and sarcastic, the worst possible tone for him to take.

Alec swallows and does an impression of a guppy briefly before the words, "There was this girl," gets blurted out.

Which doesn't at all explain anything. Especially since he's never mentioned any girl or interest in any girl before.

In the meantime his look of misery just keeps on growing.

"A girl. Fascinating."

He's not going to discuss the fact that Alec hasn't displayed any interest in women in front of the police. That would be unkind and unnecessary. However, from his raised eyebrow, it's obvious what he thinks.

"Go on."

From the police around there's a bit of snickering going on. Which makes Alec's face start to burn up. Which is probably even worse.

"And um... we were talking and I mentioned the car and she wanted to see the car and um...she was very pretty... um."

"I see. And so you decided that stealing the car was a good idea?"

Maybe stealing is a harsh way to put it, but he's not exactly happy at the moment. Far from it.

"What? No! No. No... no. No. No."

The flailing is very evident here, even if it's not happening physically.

"Really? Because I see no evidence to the contrary. And now the car is destroyed."

Andrew is probably giving Alec a more thorough talking to than the police did, in all truth.

He is.

Which is expected from the guardian.

"I... ah..." Alec's really got no good response to that.

"What do you intend to do about it? And I think you owe me an incredibly eloquent and groveling apology."

"Here?"

"Yes, here. The police should be aware that you're not generally as much of a juvenile delinquent as you're presenting yourself as."

He folds his arms, clearly waiting.