So this started as a one shot. Then people said that they wanted more. This is happening four years before Blood of Innocents and two and a half years before the first rescue, I figured I should probably put a time scale on it all. Anyway, enjoy everyone.

Like his brothers John can see the potential of the island that his father has brought them all to. At the moment all there is to it is a runway in need of some maintenance and an old wooden jetty that looks like it would collapse if one of them so much as set foot on it. As far as accommodation goes all that remains is a series of half collapsed cabins, showing it to be a long abandoned holiday resort.

"What about the machines?" Scott asks. "Where are we going to store them? It'll take a lot to cut into the stone around here."

Jeff turns his eyes towards the extinct volcano that rises on the other side of the island. The boys all follow his gaze.

"That did a lot of the work for us. There's a series of inter-connected caverns and tunnels underneath us. It's going to take a lot of work to stabilise them, and a lot of effort to hide them, but it'll be worth it."

"It would take years if we tried to do it all ourselves," John comments and sees Virgil nod out the corner of his eye. Like his brother John has been thinking about he sheer amount it would take to do this, money and labour, and he knows that were his family to try and do this alone it could take them the rest of their lives.

"I know," his father nods, "much as I hate to have to do it I'm going to get people in to do the work we need. Different companies for different sections so that no one can make any connections at a later date."

John considers it and knows that it makes complete sense. Even though their father does not need the complete approval of his sons he always wants to have their input. Some how, however, he gets the impression that he and Virgil will be doing most of it. Scott's relationship with Hollie is at that stage where the older man is loathe to be parted from her for extended periods of time. Alan is still completing his astronaut training and Gordon has weekly physiotherapy sessions even now to help with the long term injuries sustained in his accident. As the only ones without essential commitments John knows that it will fall to him and Virgil to help with the construction of both villa and underground base.

They spend the next few hours walking around the island, Virgil already has his sketchbook out and is drawing rough images while John takes pictures on his phone. He is dimly aware of Scott and his father talking in low voices, more than likely about Hollie, and he feels a brief flash of envy that his brother has been so lucky.

"So well have a pool, right?" Gordon asks as he peers over Virgil's shoulder. It is a prime position for him to get belted by his older brother, the chestnut haired Tracy never likes people to look at his work until it is finished, but Virgil just shrugs and reaches back to flick Gordon's ear. The red head yelps and shifts back.

"We're on an island in the tropics, Gordon, you've got a whole ocean to swim in." He mumbles, pencil still working furiously.

"It's not the same," Gordon informs him loftily. "Swimming in the sea is completely different to a pool. Besides, how will people actually believe that we're frivolous, spoilt, rich kids if we don't have a pool?"

"We aren't going to be bringing people here," John reminds him.

"No, he has a point," Virgil says, still sketching. "Besides, I've always wanted to swim in a storm."

"That's because you're as mad as he is," John sighs as he watches the glee spread over Gordon's face.

"Well unless we build right on the beach, which we won't be able to if we want to use those caves, we're going to have to have somewhere we can swim so that we can get back quickly," Virgil reasons, flipping the sketch book shut and shoving the pencil into the spiral binding. Usually Virgil is far more careful with his artistic tools, but John supposes that even his brother has to succumb to the practicality of a situation every now and then.

"Time to go, boys," they all hear their father say from further down the beach. Virgil casts a wistful glance at the rich scenery in front of him and then leads the way back to their waiting father.

As it happens the work that John had thought would take years their father wants done inside eighteen months, in line with the completion of Alan's training. Then it will be down to the boys to finish off everything else. All of a sudden John's future looks very lonely.

He is sat in Travellers when he comes to this conclusion, realising that with all the secrecy and the hard work he is going to have little time to himself. Madeline, obviously not at all intimidated by the behaviour of his brothers only days before, sets large mug of coffee in front of him and offers him a soft smile. He tries to return it but it dies before truly forming.

"Oh, John," she whispers, "whatever it is can't be that bad." This time he does smile at her.

"I'm just thinking," he replies, glancing over at the counter where Virgil is flirting with one of the other waitresses. John is sure his brother thinks he is helping by leaving him alone with Madeline, but John neither wants nor needs it. She nods and glances down at her watch before pulling a face.

"Maddie!" A large man with dark hair and darker eyes walks in through the door and pulls her to him, kissing her roughly even as she tries to pull away.

"I'm at work, Adrian," she hisses. John turns his gaze away from the couple as disappointment races through him. At least now he can be glad that he did not make a fool out of himself by asking her out for a drink. A quick glance over at Virgil shows that his brother is watching the couple with a frown and John sees Madeline walk to the staff room and pause when she reaches Virgil. Then she glances back at him, her expression wistful and apologetic, before disappearing to get her coat.

"There's plenty of other girls out there, John," Virgil says as he sits down opposite him. John sighs. "Besides, it's bad enough that Scott's acting like he's married without you falling into the same trap."

"Some of us prefer lasting relationships to sleeping around, Virgil," John snarks, but underneath it there is the agony of a broken heart and a shattered dream. Scott is not the only one of the Tracy brothers to have found love and John sincerely wishes his brother infinitely better luck than he had.

"It can't hurt you," Virgil points out. "Come on, let's go and get some dinner at least."

John nods and the two of them make a hasty exit from the coffee shop, walking past Madeline's man mountain of a boyfriend as they do. Looking at him John cannot help the slide of apprehension he feels. He only hopes that it will come to nothing.

Artemis