Set before International Rescue started officially but after Jeff went missing.

Gordon is 17, Alan is 13, John 19, Virgil 20, Scott 22

"Look, a mermaid!"

"That's a merman, honey, a mermaid is a woman usually," the woman smiled at her child as she watched the young man swim against the glass waving at them.

"That's so cool."

The young man was Gordon Tracy, he was doing an internship taking a break from his aquanaut training and as soon as the opportunity had arisen to not just be in the water for a full thirty minutes but also interact with the public, he had signed every sheet of paper given to him. This was his fifth month working in Florida and today his brothers would be coming to see one of his shows, he waved goodbye to the child and swam back into the cave which led up to the surface behind the scenes in a pool, he emerged and gasped for air.

"Wow Gordon, you're our most enthusiastic prince," a girl smirked as she removed her tail suit to stretch her legs.

"Well Kelly, we're here for them, the kids. I never tire of it."

Kelly laughed, "what time is your next show?"

"Two hours time, I'm about to grab lunch, you're on next right?"

"Forty five minutes, I'm on my way to do my warm up."

"You'll nail it, you're trying the flip today right?"

"It worked in rehearsal, so fingers crossed."

Gordon hung his tail up and stretched, "wish you luck, I'll see you later."

Kelly grinned, "I can't wait," she reached up to him and he bent over to kiss her, she smiled, "hurry back."

Gordon grinned and left the pool area into the changing room, he slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and unlocked his phone seeing a message from Scott, "awesome. Time to find out where everyone is," he opened a channel with his family as he walked out into the sunshine leaving the aquatics centre behind, "hey guys."

"Hi bro," Alan grinned from where he was sitting at the kitchen table on Tracy Island, "don't worry, I'll be there, John is flying us over soon."

John nodded, "yep, we won't miss it."

"I'm just driving to the aquatics centre now," Virgil's hologram showed him wearing a Bluetooth headset.

Scott smiled, "I'm outside if you want to meet for lunch?"

"Sure thing, where's Kayo?"

Virgil pointed to the seat beside him, "with me of course."

Kayo leaned into the view, "hey merman. How was the show?"

"I'm saving the best for you guys."

"It's so cute you get to live your childhood dream," Scott mocked, "how many times did we hear, 'I want to be a mermaid when I grow up!'"

"Oh shut up," Gordon laughed as he left the centre showing security his pass, "Scott, how close are you?"

Scott snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder, "right here!"

Gordon yelped and the others laughed, "very funny."

A car pulled up into a space outside and Virgil got out with Kayo, they walked over arm in arm and Gordon thought about Kelly back inside, he disconnected the call with Scott and told Alan to join them as soon as he and John could.

"Where do you guys want to go for lunch then?" Gordon asked.

"Do you know anywhere good?" Virgil asked, slipping his hand into Kayo's back pocket, the two had recently become couple and weren't over the first stages just yet.

"Plenty of good places, follow me," they walked down the road and Gordon launched into conversation about a proposed plan the family were working on in spare time, "are you really thinking of doing it?"

Scott nodded, "it was dad's legacy, the least we can do is finish our training and bring it back to life, Grandma supports it too, and so does Penny," he added with a smile, he and Lady Penelope, an aristocrat who lived in England, were in a long distance relationship.

Virgil nodded, "I think we should do it, we all have pilot licenses now, thanks to being on the island."

Gordon led them into a burger bar, "this place is amazing."

"You're going to have a burger before swimming?" Virgil smirked as he slid into the booth with Kayo.

"Nah I'm going to have something small, I'll leave the pigging out to you," Gordon grinned as the waiter handed them menus, "has Brains finished the final craft?"

"Almost, just needs some fine tuning before she can sit up there for good, John can't wait," Kayo smiled, "it'll be sad not to have him on the island."

"He'll be very important to the organisation though," Scott smiled, "I can't wait to fly her, properly."

Virgil snorted as he read the menu, "she's nothing compared to my ship, in comparison she's minute."

"She is not minute, she'll be really important."

While they waited for their food, Kayo tried to get information about the show, she smirked across the table at Gordon.

"Can you tell us about the show or is it a surprise?"

"I'm not telling you anything, but you're going to love it."

Scott smiled, "it's not dangerous is it?"

"Oh yes, it's potentially very dangerous, that's why it's so hard to get a job working there. I only got it because I already had deep sea training and diving experience, if you don't breath properly or inhale too much water etc you could drown."

"What?"

"Scott, relax, I'm fine and all of the other performers have been doing it for years, the oldest person there is in her thirties, she's kinda our tutor. The youngest is sixteen, she's super talented and has her eyes on becoming the lead."

"Who is the lead at the moment, is it Kelly?" Virgil asked.

"Sadly not, she deserves that position but she prefers being the background dancer and singer."

"Oh no, we're not going to hear you sing are we?" Scott smirked.

"Don't be rude, and you might do," Gordon checked the time, "I might have to love you and leave you at this lunch."

"You've still got an hour and a half," Scott looked at his watch, "Alan and John should be arriving soon."

"How are they getting here?" Kayo asked.

"Airport then getting a cab I think, that's what John originally said."

"I'm not picking him up," Virgil said leaning back as their food was brought over, "I'll still be eating."

Scott hummed happily, "this is amazing."

"Which burger did you get?" Gordon asked as he dug into his chicken burger.

"The cheese and bacon with pickles."

"Copycat," Virgil smiled across at him, "you heard what I was getting and decided not to be original."

Kayo laughed as she dabbed burger sauce off her lip, "I'm impressed they managed to do such a good bean burger, I've had some pretty rubbish ones in the past."

Gordon left fifteen minutes before the rest of them leaving behind payment, on the way back he ran into John and Alan who were getting out of a cab.

"Hey guys, good flight?"

John nodded, "just glad we took our own jet, supersonic is the way to go. How are you feeling?"

"More nervous since you're here to watch."

"The man becomes a fish," Alan grinned.

"You know it sprout, well I better go and warm up," Gordon ruffled Alan's hair, "see you guys in the audience."

"We look forward to it, where are the others?"

"On their way, I hope, I left them to deal with the bill," Gordon smirked, "see ya!"

John chuckled, "we still have forty five minutes, want to wander?"

"FAB," Alan grinned, "tell Scott where we are though."

Gordon walked through the entrance to the mermaid pool and went backstage, he passed two other guys one his age and the other he knew was in his thirties and they high fived him.

"Just done a show guys?" Gordon asked.

"Just finished, Fillipe is in your show."

"Si, I can't wait," the young Spanish man grinned.

"See you down there then," Gordon grinned, "I'm about to go and get ready," he dropped his stuff off in the locker room then walked through to the main warm up area to have a shower and oil his legs so he could get the tail on, he sat down on the bench and ran his hands down his shins.

"Hey fishy," Kelly smirked as she came to sit beside him.

"Hey, how did it go?"

Kelly nodded, "it was great and the flip was perfect. However, we had an emergency."

"Shit, what happened?"

"Sofia got cramp fifteen minutes in and we had to help her get out without making it look like an emergency."

"Is she okay now?"

"Yes, she's been having a foot massage, but she won't be doing another show today."

"Awh poor thing," Gordon stood up and got his tail down from where it was hanging up, "I'm so nervous about this show."

"How come?" Kelly stood up and tied her hair into a bun.

"My family are here to see it."

Kelly grinned, "the infamous Tracy family."

"Yep, they've never seen me in mermaid form. I better go and apply my makeup."

"I'll join you, I need to remove mine anyway."

Gordon entwined his fingers with hers and smiled, "you can do my eyeliner then, I still haven't got used to doing it."

Kelly laughed, "hopeless," she sat him down in front of the mirror in his separate room to the women, "how old is Alan now?"

"Thirteen in march."

"Aww his teenage years begin," Kelly tilted his head in her hand as she drew a perfect green line on his eyelid, "beautiful already."

"What would I do without you?" Gordon grinned and he felt her lips press against his.

"You'd struggle to look good underwater that's for sure."

Gordon opened his eyes and smiled, "wow, nice work."

"I've been doing this for ages," Kelly smirked before kissing his cheek, "perfect."

Gordon painted his lips gold then pulled Kelly across his lap, "I'm finished after this show, want me to walk you home later?"

"Awwh, I would love that except I'm going home soon, that was my last show of the day. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Do you want gold lips?"

"You can smother gold all over me if you really want."

"Pucker up," Gordon snogged her and a call alerted over the intercom announcing show 5 to get ready to hit the pool for a quick rehearsal, he broke the kiss reluctantly, "I guess this is me. See you tomorrow my little mermaid."

"'Till then sweet prince," she slipped off his bare knees and stroked his chin before leaving the dressing room, Gordon sighed passionately then added the final touches to his body.

Scott sat down in the front row with his siblings either side of him and looked out at the tank, "that's so deep, and are those, turtles?"

John nodded as he read the program, "yep, the merfolk perform as if they were real and so they work with the wildlife."

"John shh, there are kids in here who do think it's real," Virgil hissed as children around them chatted loudly and excitedly.

John rolled his eyes, "alright alright, they have to swim with any wildlife which approaches them."

"Is Gordon in the program?" Kayo asked reaching across.

"He's in the newbie section," Alan smiled broadly, "but there isn't a photo of him."

Virgil pointed to a photo, "that's Kelly, Gordon's girlfriend."

Kayo looked at the photo of the slender ginger haired girl, her photo was taken underwater and she raised her eyebrows, "I can see why Gordon likes her, she's his type for sure."

Scott sat back, "this will be a memory I'll never forget."

Music started and three girls swam up from a cave, children leapt up from their seats and waved at the performers, but the Tracys were looking for Gordon, the music increased and two men swam out trailing breathing tubes behind them, they slotted the tubes into some pockets in the rocks and began a routine with the girls who began to sing. The storyline was pretty childish but the lights in the tank mesmerised the audience, Gordon swam up to the glass and he waved at his family adding a wink for Kayo who laughed.

"Wow, he's quite graceful underwater," Virgil crossed his arms with amusement.

"How is he breathing?" Scott frowned, "there can't be much air in those pipes."

John smiled, "I had to do a similar procedure when training to be an astronaut, it's all about controlled breathing, he's fine Scott, look."

Scott watched Gordon take a breath from the tube before returning to the intricate dance, "if you say so."

The line of performers bowed then gracefully swam back down to the tunnel leading back to the warm up pool, Scott continued to clap until Gordon's tail disappeared from view.

"That was amazing."

Virgil grinned, "that's why he's our aquanaut, come on, let's go and meet him."

Kayo slipped her hand into his, "that was mesmerising, I'd be terrified to hold my breath that long."

Gordon walked out of the aquatics centre and shook his hair before spotting his family, he ran over and found himself squashed between five bodies, "awwh, did you guys enjoy it?"

Scott grinned, "I didn't know you had that level of artistic form in you."

"Water is my element," Gordon smiled back hugging Alan tightly around his shoulders, "it's nice this day is over though, want to come back to mine?"

John nodded, "sounds good to me. Will Kelly be there?"

"Not tonight, she's going out with her mermaid friends," he got out his car key, "John, Alan, want to come with me?"

"I'll follow in my car," Scott smiled, "I'm parked more or less beside yours Virgil."

"FAB, we'll go in a convoy."

Gordon showed them into the studio apartment, "welcome."

Kayo smiled, "this is fancy, won't you be sad to leave it?"

"When we move to the island permanently? Of course I will, but this job was only ever going to be temporary," Gordon walked over with a tray of drinks.

Virgil smiled from where he was sharing the large beanbag with Kayo, "you're renting right?"

"Yes, I wouldn't have bought anywhere knowing I'd be leaving, unlike you."

Virgil shrugged, "it seemed like a good investment, and it'll be useful."

Scott smiled, "well Gordon, that was an amazing show, well done."

"Thanks for coming to see it, I was so nervous today with you guys in the audience," Gordon tapped his glass against Scott's then with the others, "when do I need to hand in my letter of resignation?"

"Not just yet."