They do not belong to me but it would be nice if they did. Needless to say, I absolutely love borrowing them to indulge my own fantasies, especially this one.

Thank you to CreativeGirl29, Teobi, Math Girl, Sueemm, Akimakel18, & LightningWolfHowl for reviewing and making my day. And a big thanks to all that have reviewed, followed, favourited and stuck with this one-shot that's not!

Ch 29

Scott woke to the sound of a distant grumble and stretched lazily, finding with a searching arm, a cold, empty space at the side of him. One eye opened in default action, allowing adjustment to the half-light breaking through a small gap in the heavy curtains. Curtains that reminded him of a theatrical performance, promising a big reveal of the day to any guest brave enough to step foot out of the Egyptian cotton and into an ice-box room. A lazy turn to the right with both eyes fighting for focus confirmed that his bedfellow had left. They had fallen asleep entwined, fully clothed an admission that caused a smile, allowing him a mental pat on the back for restraint, but their limbs had been coiled around each other and there had been barely any part of their bodies not touching. He had fallen asleep first; he was in no doubt that, he would have remembered studying her sleeping form through different eyes. He had fought against it but closed his first while she had animatedly dissected her every action in the last few weeks. He had listened contentedly, cocooned by body heat and with an assurance that any uncertainty could be now put to bed as history.

Kayo had unwittingly allowed the dam to burst, unleashing pent up emotion, her frustration spilling, then faltering before she continued as he held her tighter. With that silent encouragement, confirming the guarantee of his ear, she'd then returned to her beginning, and recalled her conversation with Penelope. A no-holds-barred account of her perceived consequences, the precipice she had teetered over at the point her feelings had been admitted to out loud. Leading to her surety of crossing a line, its non-reciprocation, then she recalled her determination that she had to bury it if she was ever to return home. She'd then laughed, before turning the conversation on a dime, no doubt an attempt to lighten the burden of vulnerability, hiding her initial fears expertly in a hasty retreat, choosing to qualify her reaction to his rescue punch in Perth. The amusement rang in her voice as she admitted it had been shock, compounded by a god awful day which had been driven mainly by the embarrassment after she'd thrown up in front of him. Yes, he had seen 3am in on the clock telling her as he opened his eyes to look into hers, that he wished he had told Penelope to concentrate on her own love life before following her into the lift in Perth. A sliding doors moment, that filled him with regret, but which had earned him a kiss to the cheek for its admission.

He could not be sure if he made it to 4am, he'd drifted several times, lulled by her relaxed voice and a new appreciation of the physical definition of contentment. He could recall nothing in-between that feeling and the dawn chorus now embracing life in multi species crescendo, singing their promise of a new day ahead in well versed harmony. He turned to the left, his preferred side now the right held no lure, latent strands of memory of the previous night, no substitute for a stirring in his body now craving for additional time where it would be just the two of them. A crumpled piece of paper on the floor caught his eye, reluctant to brace for the manors equivalent of a cold shower, he braved an arm to the less than temperate air and retrieved it from the floor.

Gone fishing, bet I catch me a big one.

PS. I love you too. But don't let that go to your head Tracy!

The relief allowed a look of triumphant celebration to adorn his features, he realised if anyone entered the room now he would look slightly deranged, lay there grinning to himself in self congratulation at Kayo's acknowledgement of his feelings in a crumpled piece of paper. Still, for everything revealed in the letter it didn't take long for her failure to deliver the sentiment in person to allow a niggling thread, she wasn't even prepared to face Penelope with him as a couple. He pressed that thought to the back of his mind as instantly as it had arrived. Penelope was in essence an easy admission, in just a few weeks, his under the radar operatives, it seemed, had become firm friends. His invitation to Penelope had been an impulsive request made on behalf of a brother, but he could see it would ensure Kayo had an ally in the lion's den at home. Thoughts of home turned his attention back to the clock which had nudged just shy of half past six. With still a chance Kayo hadn't yet left for her promised enquiries for Penelope, he braved the cold air's shock to the body, got dressed quickly and went downstairs. The call of caffeine would be her driving force, with that in mind headed towards the kitchen.

Considering, Penelope rarely drank the stuff, other than a pre-requisite to round off five courses, Penelope certainly stocked a brand of Columbian blend that packed a punch. The second cup in quick succession did nothing to quell the turbulence in his belly that was now accompanied by a hammering in his chest as his scouting mission confirmed that in the lower sanctum of the house he was on his own. With visual confirmation that Kayo had already left, and with Penelope renowned for being a late riser if nothing warranted her attention before mid morning, Scott's craved company while his hands were clamped fast around the warmth of the mug. Normally a call home would allow familiarity to quell the loneliness but with so much that should be said needing the respect of a face-to-face encounter, indulgent small talk seemed deceitful. Resorting to a third cup while staring out of the window at swallows darting their appreciation of the first bright rays of light, losing himself in their swift agility on the wing, he did not notice he'd had company for over a minute.

"Good Morning Scott, sleep well, I trust?"

The simple introduction to conversation confirmed that Kayo wasn't the only one fishing this morning; there was more in the inflection to the question than she had perhaps intended. There was no-way she had been up to bump into Kayo at whatever ungodly hour she had left, she obviously thought she knew a good reason why he should have slept well but he was darned if he was going to confirm anything without direct questioning. He greeted her, taking in her make-up free face, hair piled on top of her head and slacks indicating she was prepared for a day of travel.

"Very well Penny, thank you. But it wouldn't harm you to invest in a little instant heat for the mornings."

Penelope walked to over to the coffee machine and relieved it of some hot water warming her teapot before filling it again "In the summer months! Frivolous, it would have to be extremely unseasonable to warrant any waste of energy between April and September. You have spent too long in the tropics." Smiling she turned to face him "Another coffee while I'm making some tea?"

"No thanks, teabags Penny? Careful you'll be drinking out of a mug next. Gordon may well be a bad influence on you."

Penny took a seat at the large oak kitchen table, nursing her hands around her freshly made drink. "What's to say Gordon has any influence over me?"

"The fact you felt the need to respond defensively."

Penelope smiled "And you seem a little more relaxed than usual this morning Scott, has Kayo had any influence on you?

He supposed he had asked for it, "You could ask her yourself when she gets up."

Penelope blew across her cup "Nice try, but her bed has not been slept in." Penelope took a sip before placing her cup back onto the table "I called in first thing, to … to.. brief her on shift rotation at the docks before she headed out."

"More like curiosity got the better of you."

"Not at all, and she may have needed some moral support if the evening didn't go as she'd hoped."

Scott grinned "Busted …. as hoped eh? You're not mistakenly divulging that you are her confidante are you?"

Penelope deadpanned "Merely stating the obvious Scott, you'd have to be blind not to see it, even though both of you have managed to skirt around it for weeks. Let's face it, at the rate you were both going there was never a safe wager that you two would finally get together." She stopped to take another sip of tea then adorned her face with her most practised conspiratorial smile, one he had seen deployed to disarm many a soft touch at a charity auction "I've donated time to this, so I've earned some particulars. Intimate details …. well you can leave those to us girls, but for my own sanity, please tell me you are actually together now."

Scott stifled his laugh behind a yawn "So, you'd expect to share any intimate details?"

Penelope smiled her victory "So… there are details that you are reluctant to share. Scott Tracy, do you have a girlfriend or not?"

"In lieu of her being here to confirm it, I think so. Although her waking me this morning would have made it much easier to confirm."

"Ah, I see. In your eyes she did another flit, whereas in reality, she had already confirmed her itinerary for today started with an early start. Could it be that she just didn't want to wake you after, what I can only hazard a guess, was a late night?"

Scott smirked "Does my brother know he's getting involved with an expert interrogator?"

"You brothers last memory of me was not my finest hour. Comfort of a certain kind is sometimes inappropriately craved to make one feel better."

"And comfort of that kind is sometimes avoided to enforce the difference between a past life and the present….. Gordon will be hyped to see you Pen, water under the bridge once he claps eyes on you."

"You have me at a disadvantage Scott; intimate details seem to have been divulged by a blond with a runaway mouth."

Scott saw through her fake indignation. "A blond who thought he'd ruined his chances."

Penelope rose and placed her cup in the sink "He may well get his chance Scott, regardless of whether you feel that at my age it is appropriate. I am finding it very difficult to clear him from my mind."

Scott placed his arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek "I'd be a fine one to lecture you on appropriate. Time for me to get going."

"Not so fast Scott, pick Kayo up at City Airport, report a need to check a maintenance issue and get Shadow remote flown home. You need all the time you can get on your own and arriving home together, I would humbly suggest, is the best plan of action to ensure you two do not make any steps backwards."

Scott smiled at the accusation that held more than a ring of truth about it "A little late for a revised plan, Kayo will head straight back. Happy to take you and Parker"

"Not required, I have made my own arrangements. And I very much doubt it; she travelled to London on her bike. Leave it with me and pour yourself another cup, you have a little time to kill now"

Scott sat on the tarmac a City Airport, under the pretence of doing system checks; he had been sat there for half an hour trying to dissuade eager ground crew, snapping irritably at their last enquiry, to confirm that he needed no assistance. This, if an emergency, would have been an understandable detour, leaving Thunderbird One on full display to collect his girlfriend however would raise more than a few eyebrows if divulged. As that thought crossed his mind his eye caught sight of Kayo forging a pace just short of a run towards him. He greeted her with a peck to the cheek and noticed the flush to her cheek, still early days for comfortable in the cold light of day. As the hatch closed them in privacy her awkward stance gave away her uncertainty.

"Take the hotseat."

Kayo raised an eyebrow before grinning "You are giving up control to me. You may regret it flyboy, always wondered what she could do given the chance."

"Happy to share the fun with someone that loves me." He pressed the note into Kayo's hand "Careful Kayo, there's an old romantic in there fighting its way to the surface."

Ignoring the playful jibe she returned the note to his hand and jumped into the pilots chair, instantly going through the pre-flight checklist before bringing One to life with a roar. Take-off was smooth enough even with her slightly overzealous nudges to the controls, once at cruising altitude Scott unbuckled and stood behind her placing a hand of her shoulder.

"The autopilot may come in handy."

"Is that your way of confirming the joyride has already come to an end? Sorry you thought I'd bailed, my inexperience and the need of a little thinking time. No secrets Scott, I am ready to face this with you as soon as we get home, however if you think with additional house guests it's not the time then it has to be as soon as it's just family. Scott I can't do sneaking around in all good conscience, so until they know, you need to get used to the fact that this thing is on hold."

"Hold?" Scott flicked the autopilot and brought Kayo into a hug "Thought you knew how hard it's going to be for me to keep my hands off you."

Kayo whispered in his ear "Then even with guests we had better find a way to speak with them all. Until they know, I will not be comfortable nor am I willing to risk hurting anyone who may happen across any behaviour that puts us under scrutiny."

Scott took the chair and pulled Kayo onto his lap "Then I guess we make the most of our journey home." He kissed her tenderly, increasing the intensity as her body submitted and her hands ran through his hair. Breaking apart before he could be tempted to really make the most of his journey home he joked "Now, this is the way to fly."

Kayo was mid comeback before either noted the amused grin on the face of a holographic gate crasher. It was a close call who out of the three of them could claim the brighter shade of red, in addition to the unusual shade gracing Kayo's cheeks; she had jumped like a startled cat. Scott knew after everything she had just said the timing couldn't be worse, but of all the holographic representations that could have crashed the party this one did not concern him, whereas she looked like a small child with her hand caught in the cookie jar.

John broke the silence keeping his grin under control "Is there a reason Kayo is sat on your lap?"

Scott whispered in Kayo's ear "One brother down, one to go. And just look at him Kayo I'd say he's not that shocked."

John ignored Kayo hurriedly rising only to be pulled back down onto his brother's knee; he quickly briefed them on the reason for his intrusion, the heads up on additional house guests in the form of Colonel Tracy and the flight engineer that had been missing from the crash site. Words that without any significance to their current status of being caught in the act barely rung any resonance, apart from registering the need to come clean as soon as possible to the others now that one member of the family had irrefutable proof.

John smiled as he saw the evidence of panicked cogs whirring inside Scott's head "Don't tell anyone we need to do it ourselves."

John replied while trying to mask a grin "Don't worry I won't spill. And about time too, thought you two would never get your act together."

Kayo buried her head in Scott's shoulder as John disappeared "Shit! Shit! Scott that was not good, what the hell are we going to do now?"

"Well this for starters." He gently pushed Kayo away from his body and kissed her hard on the lips "This second." He put the comms array on voice only communication "And now I am going to promise you that I will speak to them all as soon as we get home."

Kayo smiled "I'll take John."

Scott laughed "Taking the easy option, I like it. Leaving me with the difficult conversations I see."

"Or maybe I've just realised what a friend John has been and I think I'd like to let him know that I appreciate it and that I love him very much. I know you, you'll head to Virgil first, and I'll meet you there if you want a united front, but first I would really like to speak with John."

Scott kissed her, teasing her with a playful bite to the lower lip "Then I guess we have half an hour to enjoy autopilot before either the shit hits the fan or we find out that every god darned one of them is as insightful as John and we had absolutely nothing to worry about."