Just a little bit of fun and fluff before the serious stuff starts once more. Sorry about this chapter, but I had such fun with my imagination on this one, I simply had to share it!

When grandma insisted on coming along on the shopping trip in order to help Isla to choose an acceptable outfit, and to buy one for herself, Virgil knew that this weekend was going to be one of the longest weekends in living memory. Shopping for clothes with five women? Five?

He determinedly put all considerations for himself out of his mind. There was no way he was going to allow history to repeat itself. He was going to stay by his bride's side until all doubts about Professor Tock, his people, his son and the unexplained death of Colonel Casey's right hand man had been laid to rest once and for all. Even if that meant enduring an everlasting girlie shopping trip. Of course, there was the question of Isla's parents first.

They dropped grandma off at lady Penelope's home, and Virgil drove Isla in their own hired car through the lanes until they reached her parents' home.

Virgil was immediately aware of the subtle GDF presence in the street; two apparent workmen fixing a broken streetlight; but said nothing to give them away. He caught their eye and received an almost imperceptible nod before returning his attention to parking the car. Isla was visibly excited at seeing her parents again.

As they got out of the car, the front door flew open with a bang, and Mrs. Wendy Bennett ran down the path and swept her daughter into her arms.

"My darling baby! Are you alright? Come on inside!"

She looked up and saw Virgil standing quietly beside the car, and her excitement cooled slightly.

"And you are…?"

Virgil gave a relaxed smile and stepped forward, his hand held out in a friendly gesture.

"Hello Mrs. Bennett. I'm Virgil Tracy."

She gave a nod and a smile.

"A pleasure" she replied, sounding slightly uncertain of it. "You had better come indoors."

The twenty-four hours that followed proved uncomfortable for Virgil. Isla's parents were overjoyed to see their daughter was safe, but seemed unsure about himself.

The fact that Virgil's father was about the richest man on the planet, and that their daughter would always be well provided for did very little to soften their attitude, Virgil was relieved to note. They had long come to terms with the fact that their daughter was pregnant by some weird scientific experiment, and that Virgil was the father. That was a fact that they could not refute. What they did doubt, however, was Virgil's suitability as a husband for their daughter.

"But dad, he's International Rescue!" Isla had exclaimed, as though that should solve every fear. Her father, however, was not convinced. He had turned then to Virgil himself.

"International Rescue, huh? You fly one of those great machines?"

Virgil nodded.

"Yes, Thunderbird Two…the uh…the big green one."

"A dangerous job then? Earthquakes, fires, mudslides, volcanoes and stuff like that?"

"Yes, sometimes….most of the time actually."

"So you put your life in danger every day, and you still think you would make a good husband for our only daughter?"

Virgil had had no real answer to that. In the end, he resorted, as ever, to plain, blunt truth.

"Mr. Bennett, people's lives are put at stake every day…even your own. A man can be killed crossing the road outside his own home. That sort of thing we can do nothing about. But the other things…the earthquakes, the fires, the volcanoes…we can help people to survive. Because we can save them, it would be wrong to refuse to try and help wouldn't it? Sir, I wasn't looking to fall in love. I didn't mean to fall in love with your daughter, but I just couldn't help it. I can't…I can't live without her. She has become the missing half of my soul, and I would die without her. She has saved me. I…I can't promise not get myself killed on duty, but I will do my darned best not to, because I want to be the one to grow old with her beside me."

"What would you give up for her, Virgil Tracy?"

"For Isla sir? I would die for her."

"And Isla herself?"

"Will have all the protection of International Rescue to keep her safe."

Isla's father had given Virgil a long, searching stare, and then grinned and pulled him into a quick, back-slapping hug.

"Then congratulations are in order, son. When is the big day? When and where?"

Virgil glanced at Isla with barely concealed relief, and she grabbed his hand.

"Next Saturday, father. On Jeff Tracy's private island…on the beach."

Her mother let out a faint squeak.

"What!? Saturday? Are you serious Pumpkin? How…I haven't even….one week!?"

Isla hugged her mother tightly.

"That's okay mum. We've got this whole weekend to go shopping in London for our outfits. How do you fancy a girlie couple of days in London, shopping for wedding clothes? Money no problem, by the way."

Wendy Bennett grinned at her daughter.

"That sounds great. Just the two of us?"

She was perplexed at the sight of her daughter's giggle, as her handsome fiancé facepalmed.

"No, there will be you and me, the two bridesmaids, and the groom's grandmother…"

"Grandmother?" Wendy looked puzzled. "Not the mother of…"

Virgil shook his head, resisting an impulse to swallow something.

"Er, no ma'am. My mother passed away a long time ago, just three years before nana died. Grandma Tracy is…" his voice petered out, and Isla gave his arm a squeeze.

"Oh I'm so sorry Virgil. I had no idea. What will you and Howard do whilst us girls are shopping then?"

Howard raised an eyebrow as his daughter traded a glance with her young man.

"Oh, Virgil's coming too."

Howard Bennett let out a guffaw and clasped his future son-in-law on across the shoulders.

"You're willingly going shopping with five females, son? You are even braver than I thought! If that is the kind of stuff you are made of, then I have only one thing to say to you."

"Yes sir?" Virgil asked, faintly. Howard grinned widely.

"Welcome to the family!"

Shopping was so not Virgil's thing. Whether it was shopping for groceries with grandma or shopping for wedding attire with his fiancée, it was definitely not his top ten list of favourite things to do.

It did not even figure in his top hundred.

It was one thing going shopping with Isla; just the two of them. But this was more of a procession than a private shopping trip. He found himself the sole male escort of five excited women. It might not have been so bad if Howard or even Parker had come along with them…if only in his role as chauffeur; but Howard had refused outright. It seemed also that Parker had made it clear that since his lady had two members of International Rescue to protect her, and Virgil to drive them around, there was a long list of deferred jobs that had needed doing for some time in and around the mansion…

Parker had spent a great deal of time accompanying his lady on her shopping sprees in the past, and Virgil had seen the barely stifled look of relief on his face at having managed to avoid this one.

Given the choice to stay on Tracy Island, with Howard Bennett at his home, or with Parker at Creighton-Ward Manor though, Virgil would still have accompanied Isla. Having found her, against all the odds, he was going to stay by her side. He didn't care how bored he was, or how much his female companions teased him, he was staying beside Isla. There was no way he was going to lose her. Not now. Not again.

He was slightly amused at the way the ladies went out of their way to make sure he did not see his prospective bride wearing the wedding dress she had eventually chosen…after visiting more than a dozen shops. He had seen all of the choices on their hangers, or on shop mannequins, and when requested, given his honest opinion of them. In truth, he didn't mind what Isla wore to their wedding. She could show up in jeans, or even his old paint-splattered smock if she chose… just as long as she was there, alive and well, and smiling her wonderful smile that lit up her eyes and made his heart flutter in his chest.

Once the dress had been bought, the veil, the stockings, the shoes, and every other consideration of a bride on her wedding day, then came the bridesmaid outfits.

Another round of shop visits, with Penny and Kayo's virtual opposite tastes in dress styles and colours causing many rounds of light-hearted bickering. This time, Virgil was allowed to see and join in with the bickering. He enjoyed that part. He could not remember the last time he had seen Kayo in a dress. Finally, though, the choices were made, and the bride was happy, as were both the bridesmaids.

The two women had finally come to a mutually pleasing compromise that satisfied everybody. Lady Penelope's dress was ankle-length sheer satin with an off-the shoulder bodice, in dusky pink. Kayo had flatly refused to have a long dress bought for her, reasoning that it would be better to buy a dress that she would be able to wear again. Her choice was a dress in the same fabric, in a pale green that complemented Penny's pink perfectly, with the same off the shoulder style bodice. Her dress though would be knee-length, with a lacy, swishy overskirt that complimented her legs and made the white high-heeled ankle-boots she had insisted on wearing with it look…almost…stylish.

Next it was the turn of the mother-of-the-bride, and the grandmother-of-the-groom to find their outfits. That involved another two hours of flitting between stores and boutiques.

The worst, Virgil discovered, was yet to come. The women dragged him round to look at, discuss and buy an outfit for himself. That meant a new suit of course. Virgil liked to dress well, and he was willing to make the extra effort for Isla's sake, but the thought of dragging his brothers round so that they could all dress identically made him put his foot down at once. The wedding would be taking place on the island; and there was no reason why his brothers should not wear their beach-clothes if that was what they wanted.

Grandma pouted, Penny disapproved, but with a twinkle in her eye. Kayo just laughed. Isla slipped her arm through his.

"I want you to feel comfortable, my love." She said softly to him. "I don't want you to feel like you have to dress up like a penguin. My princess wedding fantasy does not include the groom's outfit. You're an artist. You must have given it some thought. What would you wear to a beach wedding in your wildest fantasy?"

Virgil gave her a sideways look.

"Are you seriously asking me?"

She nodded, conscious that their companions were on their way back from the ladies' room. He grinned.

"As a guest, I would love to wear a sarong, but that would give grandma a heart attack. Honey, what would you like to see?"

Isla grinned at him, picturing her handsome Virgil standing on the beach and in her mind's eye putting a formal penguin suit on him. No way. She would be formal, but she wanted her man to be himself.

"Virgil…why not? You could always save grandma's blushes by wearing a pair of white Bermuda shorts underneath your sarong? No shirt, but a large white lei garland."

Virgil grinned.

"In that case, we could buy a sarong and coloured garland for each of my brothers. Make it a sort of Hawaiian theme? I'd love to see dad in a sarong."

Isla giggled and nodded.

"And my dad too!"

They looked at each other and Isla nodded.

"Let's do it!" She said.