Kayo sighed as she tied her hair up into a high ponytail and zipped up her boots, she hated this day of the year truly hated it and every time it seemed to get worse. There used to be a time when she didn't mind doing this, but as the years went by and her life changed, this day haunted her every Christmas, with another sigh she turned her light off and went down the corridor pulling her wheeled bag behind her, she entered the lounge where Scott was sitting at the piano and she smiled.

"You off then Kayo?"

Kayo walked over and sat down beside him, "uh huh. I hate doing this."

"We all have relatives we don't like visiting."

"Oh knock it off, all your relatives are here."

"Not necessarily, we do have cousins somewhere."

"They're not The Hood."

Scott smirked as he played, "no I guess not. But you'll be back here before you know it."

Kayo rested her head against his arm rubbing her cheek on the fabric of his shirt, "please don't make me go."

"Come on honey, you made a promise to him that despite his evilness you would see him at Christmas."

"I wish I hadn't made that promise now."

Scott kissed her neck then her cheek before rubbing his head against hers, "go on, you don't want to be late."

"I love you, Scotty."

"I love you too Tans," Scott winked as he performed a glissando down the piano before they kissed each other, "I'll be waiting here for you."

"All day?"

"If I have to."

Kayo giggled, "see you tomorrow my love," Scott squeezed her hand until it had slipped out of his grasp and he watched her leave the lounge sadly, he blew a kiss to her then she was gone.

Kayo got into Shadow and took off from the island miserably as she set a course for London where her uncle had been given a day pass to spend with her, the flight was too short for Kayo's liking and before she had even realised it she had landed, and her uncle was standing beside two GDF officers outside her family house, she left Shadow and walked into the house closing the door behind her, and her only living relative.

"Hello Uncle."

"Kayo, how wonderful to see you."

"Don't put on the fake enthusiasm, you know how much I hate this."

"Now now Kayo, family always should meet up at Christmas."

Kayo sat down on the sofa staring into the fire her uncle had lit, "we stopped being family when you left my father to die, your own brother."

"It was a mine collapse neice, I did what I could to survive."

Kayo shook her head, "you could've been an uncle if you hadn't turned to crime and kept trying to destroy International Rescue. They're more than just friends to me, they're my actual family."

"You're a Kyrano Kayo and you always will be."

"Not if Scott asks me to marry him."

"Why would he? Be rational Kayo, he knows you're related to me."

Kayo brushed tears away, "you're wrong. Why can't we just be a family uncle? You've pushed me away for years, why do we keep meeting up?"

"That's what family do Kayo, and we could be close again if you saw the bigger picture of industry instead of this obsession with rescuing. I know you want to be doing more, I'm right and you know that."

Kayo sighed, "I did once, then I fell in love and saw how much I loved rescuing people."

"That's nonsense Kayo. I saw the fire in your eyes when you destroyed me, and when you hunt down criminals who were working for me."

"I told you that ruining your plans was the best part of my job, and I stick by that."

"But do you? Or do you still want more?" The Hood handed her a mug of mulled wine, "I can offer you more, and jobs where your talents can actually be put to good use."

"Never, I'm not betraying my adopted family like that, they've done so much for me. If you wanted to be an uncle, you would've taken me under your care long ago and not turned to crime."

"Maybe I'm bored with crime, that's why I hire others to be bad for me."

"That's bullshit, you've never done anything right."

"I've made us dinner."

Kayo almost laughed at his attempt at being civil, "that's great but come on, you can't win me over with. What is it?"

"I did steak."

"Alright steak then, you can't win me over based on the fact that you've almost killed my friends and have put me in danger."

"I caught your Thunderbird over the fuel tanks."

"And almost put my relationship with Scott in jeopardy. When my secret came out I didn't think he would ever take me as a sister. How can I forgive you?"

"I'm not asking you to."

"Belagant, I don't want to join you but I ask you again would you consider turning to the good side of the law and dropping the crime?" Kayo sat down at the table and helped herself to salt for her fries.

Belagant sat down opposite her, "easier said than done Tanusha."

"But why? You've already been to jail twice, surely you don't want to go back?"

"It's you who puts me there."

"Yes, to stop you from committing crime," she paused, "this is good, thank you."

"I do have a good side of some sorts."

"Just last month you decided to rob the rich, in what way do you have a good side?"

"I have also been trying to stop The Mechanic, he's mad."

"And he's trying to stop you. You're both mad."

"Tanusha, for one day can't we just be a family?" Belagant smiled at her and Kayo sighed, "I won't act out."

"I don't know uncle, it's hard for me to trust you."

"For one day? For your parents' sake."

Kayo narrowed her eyes, "don't speak of them in front of me."

"I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in childhood, I wasn't sure where I was after my brother's death."

"I know, but what you did was wrong. I found Jeff Tracy by accident because he rescued me, you were gone and he took me."

"I'm glad he did."

"Then why take my brothers' father from them? You sabotaged his plane in flight, what happened to Jeff?"

"Tanusha, I honestly don't know, but I haven't seen him since I went after the TV21. I wasn't the only one going after him, there are other criminals in the world besides me."

Kyao poured herself more wine, "hmm, well be it as it may, I still don't believe your innocence."

Belagant shrugged, "well Tanusha, we have to agree to disagree. But for now, cheers."

Kayo reluctantly clinked her glass next to her uncle's, "cheers. Thanks for the meal."

"Merry Christmas. Are you decorating at home?"

Kayo laughed, "wow, casual conversation. Yes, we've been decorating, it is Christmas after all. We've been carolling too, Scott and Virgil went off to the mainland the other day."

Belagant smiled, "sounds lovely."

"Uncle please stop, I can't keep this up. Why are you acting so nice when the rest of the year you almost kill us and rob the world?"

"Tanusha, I do want to change but in order to do that, I need to dispose the others who control me. I'm not on my own, I'm an agent for a much bigger organisation."

"Really? Oh well, another job I can do, stop you and them."

"No. It's too dangerous."

"Why would you care?"

"Believe it or not Kayo, I do actually care about you. You're my only living niece and I've always been looking out for you, it's just International Rescue have always got in the way."

"What of it? They will always be there for me."

"And so will I, I just want you on my side."

Kayo stood up and began to pace, "it's never going to happen, Christmas or not, I can't just forgive you after your friend The Mechanic almost killed my brothers on more than one occasion."

"I try to control him but he never does what I ask him to do, I tell him to get fuel and he decides to destroy a Thunderbird if you appear on the scene. If you remember rightly, I wanted the Thunderbirds for myself not for them to be destroyed."

Kayo nodded, "I do remember that, and yet you didn't actually stop him."

"Yes, and I'm sorry."

Kayo sighed, "I'm going to stay the night but I'm not going to save this day as a successful family reunion. I'm very sorry, uncle."

Belagant nodded, "I understand but I'll keep trying Kayo."

"Don't, because until you truly choose the right side, I am a Tracy, not a Kyrano. Goodnight uncle," Kayo took her bag upstairs and shut her bedroom door with a sigh before tears came into her eyes and she curled up on the bed hiding her face in the pillow. Later in the night, Belagant opened the door gently and walked over to the bed where Kayo was sleeping, he bushed her hair back over her ear and pressed a kiss to her forehead then stood back after tucking the sheets under her chin.

"Merry Christmas Tanusha, hopefully, one year we'll see eye to eye," he closed the door and went to pack himself ready to leave with the GDF the next day.