I do not own the boys but absolutely love them and I am enjoying borrowing them from time to time to indulge my own fantasies.

Thank you to Akimakel18, CreativeGirl29 & QuestRunner for reviewing with kindness.

CG29 /QR your PM's are a joy and always appreciated, thanks to you both this is firmly resurrected and I feel a whole lot happier for it.

….

Ch 3

Kayo buckled up in the co-pilots seat as Scott performed the pre-flight checks and brought the plane to life, they lifted off over the patchwork fields then Scott made the turn to perform the flyby dipping his wings in goodbye to Penelope. For Kayo this simple gesture brought a feeling of jealousy that she hadn't expected and served only to make the flight home more uncomfortable. The conversation was exhausted after he had listened to her as she apologised for her actions and tried to explain she didn't feel able to talk about her uncle with them as he'd caused them too much pain already. The monologue left her mouth a little too quickly and already she felt defeated in her attempt to keep things normal.

Silence followed for a while, Kayo could tell Scott was reigning himself in, he would not usually accept such behaviour as Field Commander and chasing her to Penelope's was quite obviously something he would normally haul her over the coals for. The fact she'd requested leave from John and not him must be really pissing him off, still unusually for Scott he made the occasional glances in her direction and didn't air his frustration. He chose instead to talk about Gordon's disappointment about not being able to come with him to England, the awkward small talk they were now reduced to felt excruciating and forced.

Kayo struggled to find anything in her that could take pleasure in joining in but now the silence was broken a response seemed expected. "I wouldn't have minded his company I expect I'll be the butt of his jokes for some time to come anyway."

"He'll lay off you if he knows what's good for him." Scott responded eyeing her again with a gaze that pierced through her armour and located something inside of her that needed to stay buried.

"Do you mind if I hit the cabin Scott? Got a headache I need to sleep off before I face the music with everyone at home."

Scott gave her a wry smile "Had a little bender did we?"

"Something like that, don't think I was meant to be a drinker and I can't see it happening again anytime soon."

"They all say that, maybe you just need a little practice. We'll take a break on the mainland at some point and I'll see if we can work on your tolerance."

This was an unexpected direction "Err….. you've had Air Force training flyboy if you think I'm prepared for that sort of R & R then you are very much mistaken… I mean it Scott never again." She rose to excuse herself from the conversation as she felt the heat rising up her neck she was sure had her face had turned the colour of beetroot.

She took the seat that backed onto the cockpit a place of relative safety with the barrier between them and she closed her eyes contemplating how the hell she was going to get over this one. Avoidance seemed key, she had two days before she could hide behind Penelope and excuse her absence from him as some girl time. Her options were limited and the Island was small, still she had to make her apologies to the others and then the perfect place to hide became apparent. Taking out her personal comms she started to commence phase one of get Scott out of your head and let's get back to normality…. distance.

"Hello Kayo, your period AWOL coming to an end." John winked at her mischievously.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"John you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Well apparently it's not in my remit to grant leave… I'll leave that story for another time I take it Commander Tracy's within earshot."

"You should be safe I'm in the cabin, can I come up to see you when I get back?"

"Anytime. Although I think the others would like to see you first. Al and squid didn't mean anything by it you know it's just their way of breaking the tension. Virgil reckons he owes you plenty of hugs and most of his chocolate stash."

"John, no-one owes me anything. Penelope shouldn't have bothered you with the details I was just a little over sensitive."

"If you're feeling it Kayo share it, we all get things off our chest with each other, we wouldn't function otherwise. You seem to find confiding a weakness."

Kayo couldn't help thinking if he'd have seen her last night when she had confided far too much he would have been dumbfounded, what she was feeling she would not be confiding with anyone else.

"John after the family reunion can I spend the night on Five?"

"The rent for an overnight stay is some treats. Virgil's should do the trick." He eyed her in silence, his holographic form trying to find the reason behind a request she had never made before. All he heard was desperation in her tone and all he saw was someone still running from something, if there was anything time on Five could give it was a perfect hiding place he just had to figure out what she was running from. "It'll be nice to spend some time with you Kayo, see you later." John terminated the call and Kayo felt the relief the improvised escape afforded.

Finally she relaxed, closed her eyes trying to avoid her brain sending her back to England, the hug and the comforting smell of Scott's aftershave. Wherever she trained her thoughts they returned to the one place she was trying hard to evade. Eventually the need for her body to overcome the dull headache that had been present since she had woken allowed her to sleep for the rest of the journey home, waking only when her body felt the natural decent of the aircraft. As the wheels touched down she hoped the Tracy clan wouldn't go into full smother mode and meet her in the hanger like the time Alan passed his driving test. Seeing them all one by one and making her peace separately seemed the easier option and a further way of keeping her distance until she had this under control. Her greatest fear became apparent when all that was missing from the welcome home was the bunting. Grandma stood with Virgil, Gordon and Alan at her side and as she descended the steps she was bombarded by a series of hugs then swept away to the house by her younger siblings who were keen to welcome her home with their usual energy. Finally she persuaded them to put her down and allow her some time in her room.

The expected visit from Virgil happened within half an hour and proved a good distraction from the confusion running free in her head. Virgil armed with armfuls of chocolate and a warm enveloping hug proved just what she needed, he lay on the bed beside her dropping Maltesers in to her waiting mouth just like when they were kids only without the competitive edge. On this occasion they seemed to be doled out like a cure for all evils and the comforting nature of the hug now hanging around her loosely with one arm as they lay together while his free hand dished out the joy of melting chocolate with a crunch made her brain for the first time settle and just enjoy the moment. Virgil had a knack for making things a whole lot better with few words; his presence always provided security and his company was always a pleasure, slowly she began to feel at home. A feeling that had seemed lost in the immediate aftermath of her uncle's actions, between her own guilt and his hell bent need to destroy everything she held close to her heart this had been lost to her. Its return helped her to see with a little work some kind of normal may be possible again, she looked up to him smiling as he teased her with another chocolate hovering above her mouth.

"You really do give the best hugs."

"I know." Virgil responded dropping the chocolate on target. A call to dinner roused him into action as if it were the call declaring an emergency "You coming?" He asked sensing her reluctance to move.

"John… I need to see John I think I may owe him the biggest apology of all."

"Ahh …. He told you about the dressing down for overstepping his jurisdiction then."

"Not yet, just the abridged version getting the full low down when I go up, which brings me to the chocolate, fancy donating it to a good cause?"

"Which is?"

"Me."

Virgil left leaving the rest of his stash behind sure that his mission had been a success, Kayo had never normally needed the sort of closeness they had just shared. His certainty that he had delivered exactly what Penelope had intended when she asked him to pick her up enabled him to launch himself enthusiastically into his meal without giving her a second thought, he was certain that the equilibria had returned to the household.

Kayo joined John on five and it was clear that he intended to get a little work out of the way before he was able to spare time to indulge in the chocolate she had brought on instruction. She made her way to his room and found company in one of his many books, books were something tangible that connected them. It had been John who a few months after she had arrived and been welcomed into the family that had noticed she couldn't read and patiently over the year read stories that swept her away. Finally after he had refused to indulge her in the final chapters of one of her favourites she had asked for his help and within the year she had read it to him. The book she had chosen now the one where she had written her inscription thanking him on the very last page. She craved for the history that connected her to them as a sibling to take her thoughts far from those that had recently taken over since she had aired them out loud. The words swam in front of her, sentences merged and needed to be re-read and it was clear even at the greatest distance she could manage that without conversation Scott would invade and take over.

"It's usually customary to turn the pages."

This jolted her out of her reverie and she looked to John and smiled.

"Read to me."

John looked at her noticing that the Kayo that had returned seemed different, a little sadder, she reminded him of the eight year old girl he had read to and helped to find sleep away from nightmares as her reality slowly became replaced by the adventures in the stories he read. He noticed the book in her hands and smiled.

"Which chapter or need I ask? The battle scene was always a favourite of yours, you certainly liked the fact it was a woman that despatched the witch-king of Angmar"

"Houses of Healing."

John settled beside her with the book surprised at her choice rested his head on her shoulder and began to read.