Kayo cradled her wrist slightly in her left hand as she walked out of the training room, she turned the corner and straight into Scott.

"Oh hey, sorry."

"Kayo, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Scott, I was just doing some late night training."

Scott half smiled at her, "you work too hard, give yourself a break."

"Says the man who pushes himself to breaking point every day. I'm fine, really."

"You did really well today Kayo, I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

Kayo rubbed her wrist again, "thanks Scott, I wasn't going to let him get away."

"Is your wrist ok?"

"Yeah it's just..." she was cut off as Scott's fingers enclosed around her wrist and she hissed, "delicate."

"Come with me," Scott took her to his room and sat her down on the bed as he pulled his chair up in front of her to examine her wrist, "you were at the punchbag weren't you?"

"I didn't damage it there, it happened on the mission I think."

Scott looked up at her, "what happened before I got out there, when you hung up on me?"

"I drove into the warehouse on my bike, and he attacked me with the repulser."

"How do you mean attacked?"

"He stopped my bike on the wheel and threw me into the storage boxes."

Scott frowned angrily, "you should've told me immediately."

Kayo pulled her arm back, "and what were you going to do? You were at home still."

"I would've flown out to you."

"And he would've taken Thunderbird 1 or brought you to the ground. Don't be stupid Scott, you wouldn't have been able to do anything."

Scott took her arm back and rubbed the purple bruise gently, "how did you get this then?"

"I fell onto my side in the cockpit and fell onto my wrist, Penelope and Parker came to get me out but I told them to leave me. You know how I feel about people seeing me cry."

"Oh, Kayo."

"Then I had to use all my strength to get the bike up again, the rest you know."

"I'm glad you're safe now," he kissed her hand then softly rubbed it with his fingers, "we're not making a habit of this bad guy business and that goes for you mainly."

"But Scott?"

"But Scott nothing, I was on edge the whole time today. I don't like working with the GDF at the best of times because of their approaches to situations, and today was too much. You're great at undercover work Kayo, but I don't want us working without the GDF knowing we're on their turf."

Kayo nodded, "I finally felt like I was doing something worthwhile today."

Scott tilted his head in confusion, "you're always doing something worthwhile."

"No, I'm not, my job is keeping you guys safe from idiots like Banino, and today I felt like I was actually in charge of my own operation. It was wonderful."

Scott felt his heart squeeze in disappointment, "so you don't like rescuing people?"

"That's not what I'm saying Scott, you know my view on International Rescue. I'm just saying I enjoyed stopping the crime before anything bad happened. This is what I tried to do the other week with that guy who worked for my...The Hood."

Scott raised an eyebrow, "right."

"Yeah him, if he had got those plans..."

"Kayo he didn't, we stopped him with the GDF."

Kayo groaned and stood up from the bed beginning to pace, "this is the problem, you won't let me be me. I love you Scott but I'm not one of your brothers. My ship isn't a rescue ship it's built for speed and quick escapes. Please let me install weapons?"

Scott sighed, "we've been over this sweetheart, and the answer is no. Can you imagine if people found out our ships had weapons, we'd be attacked for them."

"We'd attack them first. Who are you to tell me what I can't have on my ship? Thunderbird 1 has a gun."

"And have I ever used it?"

"I think you should, you could've shot The Hood's ship hundreds of times by now."

"That's not up to us Kayo, I told you this the other day."

"And I said we should change how things are done," Kayo narrowed her eyes, her voice rising slightly.

Their voices carried themselves down the hallway and from the entrance to the lounge, Virgil paused as he turned in their direction to intervene.

"We're not changing anything Kayo, we leave the criminals to the GDF and we save lives."

"Urgh, when are you going to realise that the GDF can't always be there? They've failed on two separate occasions now. I've had enough."

"Kayo?"

"Just forget it!" Kayo pulled the door open in anger and met Virgil, "your brother needs a serious talking to."

Virgil moved back as Kayo stormed past him then walked into Scott's room, "despite you two liking each other, you really clash."

"What do you want Virgil?"

"Well, I've had my question answered already by that display. Are you ordering Kayo about again?"

"I can't Virgil, you know I try but she always goes against the rules."

"She gets her job done Scott, just leave her be."

Scott sighed, "but she could get hurt. Like today."

"Kayo's hurt?"

"Don't jump into doctor mode, she's only bruised her wrist. This guy Banino used a repulser on her whilst she was on her bike and threw her against a wall."

"Is she ok?" Virgil stepped back ready to run after his sister.

"She's fine Virgil, but she wishes she had terminated him as usual. I can't make her see that we don't handle criminals."

Virgil smiled, "Scott, she does her job very well and it saves us a lot of time. Ok, so today's mission wasn't great and of course Ned ruined the timings otherwise it would've gone smoothly, so don't worry about it. You guys all had to jump in, and you only got involved because you couldn't stay out any longer. Had it gone the way you wanted, you would've been fine."

Scott nodded, "you're always right. The timings were off, and Kayo was fine just a little rushed. I should go and apologise."

Virgil smirked, "yeah, and make it a good one."

Scott elbowed him as he went past with a laugh, "jerk."

"I love you too," Virgil watched him go then went to his room to change.

Scott found Kayo in the garden and crossed the space in a matter of seconds to pull her into a kiss, Kayo wrapped her arms around him and pulled him behind the tall rose bushes out of sight from the house.

"So I take I'm forgiven?" Scott asked breathlessly as he stared up at her on the grass.

"Your apology was that kiss to me so yes. You worry too much about me when 99% of the time I'm absolutely fine."

"But that extra 1%?"

Kayo pressed her finger to his lips, "shhh, forget the 1% my love," she kissed him again and he balanced her between his knees, she felt his hand stroke her hair and smiled, "I did think back to today and realised we were interrupted in our plan, everything would've been fine if that Tedford guy hadn't been there."

Scott chuckled, "I still wasn't keen on the whole operation."

"No, I know. But it was Parker who saved the day."

"Hmm that's true," Scott kissed her cheek then sat up cradling her in his lap, "so you had something to tell us?"

Kayo froze, "oh you remembered that?"

"Of course, you sounded upset and the message was urgent. What's the matter?"

"I have to tell all of you at once, not one to one."

"Come on Kayo?"

"No, don't. This is important."

"But John isn't coming down until Thursday."

"I'll have to call him to get here sooner," Kayo felt tears come to her eyes, "sorry."

Scott frowned as he brushed the tears away, "Kayo, what do you have to tell us? Do you know something?"

"It's more about me and my past. And I'm not expecting you to take it calmly. I only hope you'll still love me."

"I'll love you no matter what," Scott rested his forehead against hers in the late sun.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Scott whispered as he closed his eyes.

That night Kayo lay awake in her room, alone and nervous. She rolled onto her side and looked out at the moonlight flooding the sky and a bright star blinked above the island where Thunderbird 5 hung over, Kayo gazed at it for a bit wondering how her brothers would react to the news she had kept back from them for so long before sighing and pulling her old teddy bear onto her chest. Through the walls she could hear faint snoring and sleep talk from her family and eventually she knew she needed someone's comfort, she untucked the duvet from around herself hissing slightly at the night chill and made her way down the corridor to Scott's room, she opened the door and blindly made her way over to his bed to get under the covers, she snuggled against his side and smiled when she felt him roll over to face her.

"Hey," Scott whispered, "either this is a baby brother wanting comfort or my own sweetheart?"

"It's me," Kayo whispered back.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not on my own tonight."

Scott opened his arms for her to cuddle into, "here. Sleep well Kayo."

"Thanks, Scott."

Scott kissed the top of her head then fell back asleep, "goodnight."

Kayo settled into Scott's arms comforted by his gentle breathing and steady heartbeat under her cheek, but how was she going to tell them all her big secret without it destroying the relationship she had built with them?