Selene plonked a massive sandwich down on the table beside Gordon then took the offered seat, letting him rest his cast covered leg across her lap.

He picked up the plate and studied the sandwich from all angles. "Sel, that's bigger than my head, how am I supposed to eat it?"

"You'll manage, you gotta keep your strength up."

"There's keeping my strength up and then there's you fattening me up like a Christmas turkey when I can't move enough to work it off. I do actually want to fit back into my suit at some point, you know."

"Fine, ungrateful little shit," she groused good-naturedly and savagely ripped the sandwich in half, taking one part for herself. "Want me to drink the milk shake for you too?"

"No! Mine."

She nodded to his sandwich and he dutifully took a bite.

"Who made sandwiches? Is there any more?"

Selene gave in graciously and handed Alan her half. "Here, eat this, I only had it because fat boy here wouldn't eat it all."

"That's harsh, Sel," Gordon mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.

"I don't care about getting fat," Alan sat down with his half and took a big bite.

"I missed food again, didn't I?"

"Yep, but you wouldn't have had time to eat anyway," Selene lifted Gordon's leg up and scooched out of the way, resting it back down on a pillow.

"Why?" Scott frowned, "did I miss something?"

"Nope, but we will if you don't get moving," Selene pushed him towards his room.

"What? Sel, stop! What are you doing?"

"Get your jacket, it's cold in London right now."

"Why do I need my jacket? I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh yes you are."

"Don't try to argue with her, bro, she's too strong for you," Gordon grinned from his relaxed recline.

"Just give in now," Alan added.

"There's too much to do," Scott grabbed hold of the door frame to stop her as she attempted to drag him through to the hall.

"You need a break, you haven't had a night off in five weeks, Scott!"

"No, we need to do all we can to find Dad!"

Selene stopped yanking on his waist, straightening to wrap her arms around his middle, resting her chin on his shoulder as she hugged him from behind.

"One night isn't going to stop you finding him, you know that as much as I do, but it might make a difference to the son he comes back to."

He turned his head to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, to be blunt, you've been a bit of a dick lately and you need a break."

Alan choked on his sandwich, Gordon snorted out a shocked laugh.

Scott scowled, trying to unwind her arms but she held tight, knowing he'd never force her away and risk hurting her by accident.

"Just stop for a second and think. You're stressed, you're on edge and you're anxious, I understand, we all understand, but you're all supposed to be pulling together, not pushing each other away. You're doing all you can, everyone is, but it's gonna take time, and there is no point spending that time dwelling and worrying."

She felt his ridgid stance relax little by little as she explained herself.

"I know I haven't met your dad, but I've heard enough to know that he wouldn't want to come back to find everyone like this, especially not you. I know you, you're one of my best friends, and I know you're just being you by taking it all on your shoulders and thinking you have to do everything and look after everyone, but sometimes you have to let people look after you too."

He squeezed her arm in acknowledgement, her words sinking in.

"One night," she wheedled. "For me?"

He sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat."Fine, one night."

"Yay!" she let him go. "Now stop being a dick and go get your damned jacket. I'll even let you drive my car."

"Joy," he sloped off to do as he was told.

Selene turned to find Gordon and Alan staring at her like she'd grown a third boob in the middle of her forehead and it was doing a jiggly little dance.

"What?"

"How the hell do you do that?" Gordon gaped.

"Do what?"

"Call him a dick, get a hug and then get your own way."

"I got mad skills, boys, mad skills, never forget that," she began searching around the lounge, gathering up her scattered belongings and tucking them into her suitcase sized handbag. "Where's my phone? Why does my stuff always go walk abouts?"

"Scary skills more like," Alan tried to bat her away as she stole his phone to call her own, following the ringing.

"Are you sitting on it?" she honed in on the muffled vibration she could hear.

"I'd know if I was sitting on your phone," Alan rolled his eyes at her.

"Get up!" she prodded his ribs with her finger.

"So distrustful," he stuffed the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and rolled to the side, refusing to move further.

"It's true, whenever something is lost you always suspect one of us is sitting on it, like we wouldn't know," Gordon agreed, slurping on his milkshake. "Where's the trust, Sel? Where's the trust?"

"I lost my trust when you both promised you hadn't eaten my chocolate."

Selene was on her knees in front of the couch, hands groping around under Alan's butt when Scott returned.

"Lost your phone again?"

"No," she huffed, delving deeper between the cushions, just a little more…her fingers brushed something and she dragged it out. Victory! "I found my phone, someone was sitting on it."

"I can't be blamed for the couch eating it!"

"You can be blamed for anything and everything, Allie," Scott grinned, earning himself a glare.

Selene dropped a kiss on Alan's head. "I forgive you."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Keep telling yourself that, boo."

She tossed her phone into her bag and crossed over to Gordon. "Need anything before we go?"

"Yeah, actually, can you scratch my foot for me?"

"Where abouts this time?"

"Bottom."

"Lift up," she caught his ankle when he swung his leg up and used her long nails to scratch the arch of his foot.

"Oh yeah, that's good…little lower…to the left…right there," he sagged contentedly and sighed.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

She lowered his leg to the pillow. "Little weirdo."

"You love me really."

"Luckily for you," she bent to give him a kiss on his cheek. "Be good you two, we'll be back tomorrow."

"Those boys have you wrapped around their little fingers," Scott teased as they headed down to Two's hanger where her car was stored.

"So do you." She tossed him her keys which he caught neatly in one hand, plucking them out of the air. "Move your butt, or we'll be late."

"How did you even hear about this, and how come I haven't?" Scott munched a handful of popcorn before offering her the tub.

"I have my ways, I know people, people who happened to love the same shit movies that we do."

"This is definitely going to be an experience."

"Oh it really will, just remember, anything goes."

"Got it," he nodded, a smile already forming. That's what she wanted to see, her dude actually relaxing for once. "So, what are we watching?"

Selene grinned evilly. "A little something called Twilight."

"Huh, never heard of it."

"Oh don't worry, it'll be an experience you'll never forget."

She was actually incredibly proud of this idea, and of herself for managing to drag him out of the house at all, honestly it was easier to get John down and home for a week. But she knew that Scott needed the break and this was the perfect thing.

They had found out early on in their friendship that they both had a love of bad movies, the older and crapper the better. Ridiculous sci-fi, bad horror, rubbish actions, cheesy rom-coms, they watched them all and they talked the whole way through. They both had a sharp tongue when it came to yelling at the screen, something John had soon found out about her, much to his disgust. That was why Scott was usually her movie partner, because they both watched in the same way, critically and with zero fucks given.

She'd received a call from a friend who often sent her movie recommendations, inviting her to the start of a new monthly viewing that he thought she'd enjoy. She'd gone along and knew instantly that she had to bring Scott next time.

The movie theater was a small one, a little independent operation that specialised in older movies, cult classics and niche genres, and once a month they held a bad movie night. The audience was small, limited to fifty people, and the hour was late, but that was all part of the charm.

You were actively encouraged to yell, to scream, to make as much noise as you wanted, to insult and swear, to throw popcorn, to boo, hiss and insult. Everything they did as standard. You were even awarded points for the funniest off the cuff comments if everyone else laughed, the prize was a free pass to the next one and the honour of being their mouth of the month.

She'd told him all about it while he had expertly flown and then driven her car to her apartment where they would crash for the night. They had walked to the theater which wasn't too far away, feeling like they needed a change of scenery after being on the island for so long without a break.

It had been a tough month, full on physically and emotionally, leaving them all feeling tired and drained. Selene could perfectly recall the horror she had felt when Gordon's comm had gone dead, when John had popped up, his usual neutrally calm expression one of terror as he announced in a shaking voice that Gordon had activated his emergency signal.

They had all scrambled, leaving her alone on the Island with Grandma and Brains. She had felt next to useless, unable to do more than offer a comforting presence while they waited to hear what had happened to their little darling. Even though the boys had kept in constant contact it had been agonising not knowing what was going on or how bad it was.

The boys had taken Gordon straight to the hospital on Grandma's insistence, Penelope, Parker and Kayo following. John had docked his elevator on the Island the second he knew that they had Gordon and he wasn't needed in Five to coordinate. He'd flown one of their civilian planes, taking Grandma and Selene with him. Selene had held his hand - whenever he could spare it from the controls- and Grandma's the entire time, twisted awkwardly in her seat so she could reach them both. It hadn't been a long flight but it had seemed to take forever.

Seeing Gordon lying unconscious had been as bad as seeing John the same way, if not worse, because their Gordon was never quiet, he was never still, it was completely alien and that had been the scariest part of all.

She'd stayed outside once he'd woken up and been treated, letting his family visit with him, while she spoke to the doctors, making sure that she had every scrap of information possible on his care and recovery process. He was hers and she was going to take care of him.

She'd slipped in once everyone had left him, wanting to give him a little cuddle and some attention.

His voice was weaker than she had ever heard it and it she had only just managed to keep the tears at bay. She'd sat beside him and held his hand while he promised her he'd be OK. They sat in silence for a while, Gordon seeming to doze off and she'd been about to leave when he tugged weakly on her hand.

"I was really scared, Sel."

She scooted closer and held him tighter, resting her forehead against his.

"I know, precious, we all were, we didn't want to think about a world without you in it."

"What am I going to do now?"

She frowned, studying his face. "About what? All you've got to do right now is concentrate on getting better."

"What am I going to do now I can't swim? I can't let it all wash away, I won't be able to get out of my own head."

Her heart broke for him, wishing she could do more than she was.

"I'll help, I'll be there, just as I was for John, you remember? It won't be forever, but while you're stuck on land, I'll be right here beside you."

"You promise?" his pain filled voice was barely above a whisper.

"I promise, baby, I'm not going anywhere, none of us are."

He gave a barely there nod but still winced in pain, the collar around his neck preventing more movement. "Pain meds are useless, I'll never sleep."

"Yes you will, I'll help," she toed off her shoes and took his hand in hers again. "I know it's hard, but relax for me, let me in like we normally do, forget where we are, just close your eyes and rest."

She summoned up her healing energy, the calm, relaxing power that hummed inside her. She pictured roots extending through the ground from her feet, connecting her to the earth. In her mind's eye she pictured his pain, saw it as a burning red covering his body. She let her healing out, let it bathe his battered body with her energy and strength, lending him what he didn't have, washing away the pain and replacing it with love and calm. She couldn't do much permanently, his body would still need to heal itself in its own time, but if she could make it a little more bearable for him, then she would.

She began to stroke his hair, soothing him as she had his brother, unable to deny the comparison. When John had been unwell it had just been him she cared about, now all of them had wormed their way into her heart, she cared about them all more than she thought possible. It was times like these that really brought home the fact that no matter how careful and skilled they were, things could and did go wrong, her boys got hurt and she hated it.

She felt his body relax, heard his soft sigh and soon after his even, relaxed breathing as he slipped into a deep slumber. She stayed with him for another ten minutes until John silently opened the door, coming to collect her. He noticed her shoes on the floor and her hand on his brother and graced her with a tired but welcome smile, knowing she was doing all she could. He raised an eyebrow, his universal sign for 'you ready?' and she nodded.

She gently extracted her hand from Gordon's and brushed a soft kiss to his cheek before she picked up her shoes and tiptoed out of the room.

Gordon had stayed in hospital for a week and she and Grandma had refused to leave the vicinity, taking a room at a nearby hotel so they could be with him as much as possible, there if he ever needed them. The boys had gone back to the island, needing to keep IR ticking over in their absence.

Gordon had only been back a day when Brains had announced that he'd found something. The next four weeks had been a whirlwind of activity, building a new Four, and keeping up with rescues. Kayo and Penelope were hardly ever around, busying themselves with tracking down as much information as possible, and the boys had spend their time scouring space and sea for clues as to the whereabouts of their father, now that they knew there was a chance that he was alive.

Scott had been obsessive in their quest, even more so than John, which was saying something. She knew that he needed a break before he broke. His constant moods had put a strain on the rest of the family, although no one blamed him for it. He was snappy, impatient and liable to take more risks than usual. He needed to get out and she had decided she was just the woman to force him to do it.

They were half way through their bucket of popcorn by the time the movie started, but it had been nice to chat quietly together without everyone else around. She loved all the family equally, but she was the closest to Scott and she didn't even know how it had happened. Scott was a flirt, he had a wicked sense of humour when in the right mood, but he also had a calm side to him that she found relaxing. She had no doubt that John would have gotten her safely out of that tree the night they met, but it had been Scott that had rocked up with the easiest solution and saved her the stress of dangling from a rope like a worm on a hook. It had been Scott that had spoken to her so openly and honestly at Penny's ball, it had been Scott that had noticed when she was uncomfortable and made an effort to include her, it had been Scott that had listened to her about John, who she had trusted enough to oversee her Zero-G training and Scott she could get comfortably drunk with. She'd been right when she had said he was one of her best friends, because somehow he had inserted himself into her life as much as she had his.

The lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled through. Straight away Scott was judging, from the second Bella began talking.

"It's not one of these teen movies where I have to put up with an overly dramatic teenager narrating her way through life, is it? I get enough of that with Alan."

"'Fraid so," she patted his arm.

"I can already tell that I hate her, she's moaning about everything."

Selene nodded. "It's gonna get worse rather than better."

They watched as Bella bumbled her way through ten minutes of nothing, happily munching.

"She's a bit miserable, isn't she?" Scott commented. "Crack a smile will you."

"Not gonna happen," Selene grinned.

"Who's that guy with the hair?"

"That's Jacob."

"He gonna be her boy? Is it one of these things where it's unrequited love?"

"Watch and find out."

"I don't know if I want to."

"You're braver than that, man up."

Selene sipped her drink, then offered Scott some of her chocolate.

"Oh, the typical high-school," he broke off a hefty chunk of the bar and took a big bite.

"Don't have that in England."

"Be grateful…oh, I call bullshit, she didn't even know how to handle a manual truck two seconds ago and now she's driving like a pro?"

"Yep."

"Is she one of those Patty Perfect type of characters?"

"It's a Mary-Sue and yes she is, but you know, she's clumsy so that evens it out and means that other girls don't hate her because she's beautiful."

"Why does everyone keep laughing at everything she says? She's not even funny."

"Why do we laugh at Gordon?"

"Because of his face?"

Selene nodded her confirmation.

Scott was quiet for a few more minutes before he launched right back into it.

"What, so she smells now? Is that why people keep laughing at her?"

"No, she only smells to him and those like him."

"What? How is that possible, does he have some kind of super nose?"

"Something like that."

They sat through Bella pining over Edward's empty seat and the Cullens -who Scott insisted on calling the cool crew- staring judgingly at Bella and Bella stomping her way around the place with a perpetual air of 'how am I even breathing?'

"What? He stopped the truck with his hand? What is he, superman?" Scott was unimpressed.

"Vampire!" someone shouted back from further along the row of seats. Scott swivelled round to face whoever it was that had yelled.

"Vampire? Seriously? But he's acting like a pre- pubescent puppy with a crush on his teacher!"

Several people sniggered at Scott's dismayed reaction. Selene gave him some more chocolate to placate him.

"Why is he in her bedroom? Isn't that illegal? And why isn't she bothered about it?"

Selene giggled, it was so nice to see Scott animated and enjoying himself, even if he was complaining.

"She's not bothered by anything," Selene pointed out. "She has the emotional range of a dried up puddle."

Scott sniggered, as did a couple of other people in the row behind them. They shared some more popcorn, finishing the first tub and starting on the second. They always bought one each but ended up sharing, it was just how they worked.

"So she went all that way for a book that was on Amazon?"

Selene nodded. "Yep."

Scott shook his head. "Weird."

They watched as Bella was surrounded by men who clearly had only one thing on their mind. Edward screeched up in a car and plucked her out of harm's way, taking her to dinner after.

"So she now thinks she knows what he is?"

"Yep."

They watched Bella confront Edward. Selene held her breath as he stepped out into the sun.

"He sparkles?" Scott exploded out of his seat, throwing the empty popcorn tub at the screen. "Stop that! Be a real vampire, burn in the sun. Why aren't you burning? Burn I tell you!"

Their fellow audience burst out laughing, applauding his outburst as Selene dragged him back into his seat.

"How is she so ungrateful for everything?" Scott asked as Bella appeared to turn her nose up at the food the Cullens had tried to prepare for her. "My Grandma would never allow that kind of behavior, and I'm sure her food is worse."

"Because she is the worst. She's a rude, unemotional, plank of wood."

Scott grinned at her, then lifted his arm as if he were hugging someone. "Hi, this is my new girlfriend, Plank."

"Hi, Plank, how you doing today?" Selene joined in, shaking an invisible hand.

"She's a bit shy, so I'll answer for her, she's doing well, had a rough few days but nothing a little sanding won't cure."

" Jasper's side whisper 'does Edward know he's dragging a tree around with him?'" Selene tacked on, acting out the part of the Cullens.

"At least he's drawn a face on it."

Selene cracked up laughing, unable to continue, as did the rest of the audience.

"I bow down to you, Sir Mouth of the Month!" Selene dropped into a curtsey.

"I thank you," he dipped his head in acknowledgement. "That movie really was the worst vampire movie I've ever seen. Even when she's dying she can't drag up an expression, why did everyone like her so much? She was rude, dismissive, stupid and annoying. I just don't get it."

"You and a million others, love. But for its time it was a really popular movie, I'm talking fans everywhere, people picking teams, Edward was the fantasy boyfriend of many a teenage girl and everyone wanted to be Bella." She looped her arm through his as they walked.

"You were right."

"I usually am, but remind me what about this time."

He gave her a look that said he highly doubted her statement. "The fact that I needed a night off."

"I know, I just wanted you to admit it."

He flicked her hand in punishment, making her squeak out a laugh. "Oww, you bully."

"I'm the bully? You bullied me into coming out with you tonight."

"And I was riiiiiiiight. You admitted it, you can't take it back."

Scott sighed, but was still smiling so she called it a win.

"Thank you for bullying me into leaving, I know I've been a bit impatient and short fused recently, it's just been a really tough few weeks."

"I know, love, we all do. And everyone understands how you feel. None of us blame you for being worried."

"I'm not just worried, Sel, I'm scared."

Selene stopped dead, turning to look at him. Scott was never scared, or at least not that he'd admit. His smile had vanished and the tense look was back on his face. Spotting a bench nearby she dragged him over and forced him to sit down.

Taking his hand in hers she held it tight."Talk to me, we aren't moving until you do."

He shrugged, not really knowing what to say. "It's been a long time, you know? What if he's damaged somehow, different? We've changed, we've grown up, we had to, and I suspect he has too. What if he's not the man we knew?"

She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "Sweetheart, you're right, he probably has changed, in fact it wouldn't be normal if he hadn't. Whatever state you find him in, he's going to have gone through some shit and that changes a person."

Scott was quiet for a moment or two, but when he spoke his voice had lost that confidence she was used to hearing. "What if he's not alive? What if we're too late, if we didn't get his message in time? He would have been out there, all alone, waiting for us to come and we didn't. We left him there."

"No! No, I'm not allowing you to think that way. You guys are not to blame for this in any way, shape or form. You all looked for him, you investigated everything."

"Clearly not everything."

"You did everything you could."

Scott looked her dead in the eyes then. "Selene, answer me honestly?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember on Christmas eve when you and John made your little announcement?"

"Could hardly forget it. What about it?"

"Grandma said something about wanting Dad to be there but how he was with us in spirit. I don't think anyone else noticed, but I saw the look on your face. I know when you're hiding something and you were then. You said you'd know when someone was dead because you'd sense them. Have you sensed him? Is my dad dead?"

Selene closed her eyes, not able to stand the look of desperation on his face, pressing her lips together as she thought about how to answer him.

" I can't say for sure…"

"Gut instinct, Sel. Yes or no?"

She shook her head. "No. I haven't sensed anyone around the island at all. If I had to give an answer, my answer is no, I don't think he's dead."

She felt him squeeze her hand tight, heard the huffing release of the breath he had been holding.

"Thank you."

"No, please don't thank me, not yet, because I could be wrong, we don't know where he ended up or what happened, the spirit world doesn't have definitive rules, I can't-"

He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Please stop talking, just let me have this hope, just for a bit longer, because I trust you more than I trust myself right now."

She nodded, understanding, giving him her promise and full support.

"Whatever happens, I'm here for you all."

Scott gave her a brief, tight smile, barely a flexing of his lips and another squeeze of her hand.

"He'll be home soon, he has to be." He laughed, a harsh, humourless sound. "What's he going to think of me, going to pieces like this?"

"He'll think, no, he'll know, that you've done your best, that you've done everything in your power to keep his family together, and he'll know that you not only rose to the challenge but succeeded."

"I haven't done things the way he would."

"No, because you aren't him, no matter how much you might want to be. Babe, you're you, and that's perfect. You don't need to change or to fit anyone's mold but your own."

"It's been eight years, Sel. Eight years we've been trying to keep his dream alive, trying to do our best for him and Mom, saving people so others didn't have to feel the loss we have. But it's been a long eight years, and I'm tired, so fucking tired."

She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tight.

"I know, my lovely, I know."

"I'm tired, I'm stressed out. I feel old, I look old!"

Selene snorted. "Like hell you do.You look as hot as ever."

"I found my first grey hair last week, three yesterday, and another two today. They're multiplying at an alarming rate, I'll be white within a month. I can't cope with that knowledge. I feel like everything is against me, even my own body."

Scott freaking out over this was strange, usually he only got this worked up when his brothers were in danger, never over his own wellbeing. But she could understand it, when all you could rely on was your body and you felt like it was betraying you, it was hard to deal with.

"Babe, you aren't old, you're stressed, when this is all over you won't see another grey for years, " Selene smiled, kissing the top of his still perfectly dark head. "You'll get through this, you're strong, and you know I'll do all I can to help, even if that means buying you a box of hair dye and doing it myself."

He sat up out of her embrace. "Really? You'd do that?"

"I was joking, babe."

"I'm not."

"Are you seriously wanting me to do this?"

"You won't tell anyone?"

"Have I told anyone what we do when we go out drinking?"

He grinned. "No."

"Then you know I got choo boo."

"You wouldn't mind? You won't think badly of me and judge me for being a vain idiot?"

"Urghh you're such a man. You think my hair is naturally black and purple? Hair is part of you and you have to feel confident with it."

He squinted at her. "What colour is it then?"

"Dark blonde, but don't you dare tell anyone. I mean, John probably already knows because nothing is a secret with him and I think he hacked the private albums on my Holobook the night we met so he's probably seen my unfortunate teenage phase, but that's not me anymore, this is, so he can take it or leave it."

"I'm pretty sure he's keeping you."

Selene stood up. "He'd better be, I do a lot of sketchy shit for his brothers."

Scott grinned, letting her pull him to his feet.

"I appreciate your help with sketchy shit, and your silence."

"Come on, you, I know a 24hr shop where we can get you some dye and a great Chinese take out place."

An hour later and Scott was sat in a chair, a towel around his shoulders, eating chicken chow mein from the box as she painted the colour onto his hair with a dye brush.

She had him tipping his head this way and that, making sure she covered every strand of his incredibly thick hair. She'd made sure to buy dye that was designed for a man's hair and would match his perfectly, leaving it looking so natural that no one would know.

She covered the last inch or so, using her glove covered fingers to massage it down to the scalp then covered it all with one of her shower caps.

"There, now we wait for twenty minutes, you can time it." She shed her gloves and flopped down on the sofa, stealing one of his spring rolls and replacing it with one of her chicken balls.

"I feel like an idiot."

"You look like one too. Oi!" The chicken ball hit her square between the eyes, bouncing off her forehead. "I was joking!"

"I'm glad I'm only your backup husband, because you're mean."

"Husband? You've upgraded yourself I see."

He shrugged. "Gotta keep you in the family some how."

"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere," she forked up a mouthful of rice.

"I know."

Selene got up and fetched them both a can of coke, handing him his. He took it but caught her hand as she walked past.

"Thank you."

"It's just a coke."

"No, I mean thank you for this, for helping and not laughing at me. There was no one else I thought I could talk to about this."

"Babe, I'd never laugh at someone wanting to feel better about themselves, especially not you."

She sat back down and then ate in companionable silence until his comm dinged.

"Time to rinse!"

It was a much more relaxed Scott that Selene delivered back to the lounge the next morning, though they all knew it probably wouldn't last long. But his hair looked great in the fact that you couldn't tell anything had been done to it, it's usual rich browns with dashes of auburn were exactly the same.

He'd slept deeply, tucked away in the bed in her work room, and they had both enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at a nearby cafe, mainly because they didn't trust Grandma's cooking.

"Did you have a good time?" Grandma asked when they returned.

"Yeah, turns out I needed it."

"Well I could have told you that, but you boys never listen to me."

"Where did you go?" Gordon asked from his customary spot on the couch, "and did you bring me anything?"

"We went to the movies."

"Well that's boring."

Selene dug in her bag and brought out a couple of breakfast muffins for Gordon. "It wasn't boring, it was fun, your brother is a champion."

"He what?" Gordon mumbled around a huge bite of muffin.

"He is the Plaza Theater's Mouth of the Month."

"Do I even want to know?" Grandma looked confused.

Scott glanced at Selene and grinned. "Probably not."

"And on that note, I'm off. Can one of you call EOS and get her to bring the elevator down? I want to surprise my man."

"I'll do it, she doesn't argue with me," Scott sat himself down at the desk. Selene couldn't help but notice the very brief but fond pat he gave the desktop as he took his seat. It was, and would forever be Jeff's desk and even though Scott had relaxed a bit, it was obvious that he was still anxious and on edge.

Selene had blown them all a kiss goodbye, got cornered by Gordon who requested a drink before she left, and dispensed muffins to Alan and Virgil before she made it to the elevator, which was waiting patiently in its dock.

She could never quite relax in it, especially when John wasn't there, but it was a necessary evil that she had to suffer through to get to her man and his beloved craft.

She didn't bother with her suit as she boarded, it was constricting and she only used it when she had to now. How John kept his on the entire time she'd never understand, but it did do magical things to his already incredible butt, so she wasn't going to complain.

She entered the gravity ring from the elevator dock and once again she was blown away by the sight that met her eyes. The universe stretched out before her, the earth hung below her and the echoes of lunar and solar power seeming to hum in the air even with the thick glass and metal of Five encasing her. She pulled herself away after a moment or two, just wanting to see John.

She went in search of him, checking the kitchen, the bedroom and the gym area but they were all empty. She was about to head for the command module when she heard a noise above her head.

"John is on the viewing platform."

"Typical, I should have checked there first, thanks EOS."

She changed direction, walking a little quicker, now wanting nothing more than a kiss from the most important person in her life.

She rounded the sweeping curve of the ring and stopped dead, shocked by the sight.

"John, baby?"