"Scott's lost his favourite hoodie," Virgil informed him, rather randomly John thought, but who was he to argue the small talk his brother deemed necessary? Virgil stared at him, apparently waiting for a response.

"How? He never wears it off base? It's got to be here somewhere."

"Oh, he knows exactly where it is."

"Then I'm confused, how is it lost? The definition of lost is that you are unaware of its location." How long had he been up there that lost now had a different meaning? Was it one of those times where the youth of today - God he suddenly felt extremely old at only twenty-five - took a word and changed the meaning without informing those who still used a dictionary?

"Your girl took a liking to it."

"Oh, I see." Ahh, now that made total sense.

"Yup"

"He's never getting that back, it's gone forever, lost in the same void that consumed three of my T-shirts, one formal shirt, five pairs of socks, two hoodies and a pair of pyjama bottoms."

"Sucks to be you, bro."

"It's a small price to pay. Also, she has one of your lumberjack things," he waved vaguely in Virgil's direction, gesturing to the ever present plaid.

"She does, which one?" Virgil groaned, please don't let it be a favourite. No one else might be able to tell which shirt was which, but he knew, dammit, he knew.

"That purple and blue one that Grandma got you three Christmases ago."

"Oh, that's OK then, I never wear that one, it's a bit too girly."

"That's what Sel said, apparently she was helping you by liberating it."

"Your girl has a very unique idea of what is helpful."

John just nodded, well aware of that fact.

"This means war, Tracy!" Selene's voice echoed through the villa.

"What did you do this time?" Virgil asked him.

"It could be any number of things, my transgressions are apparently many and varied, although I'm hardly ever aware of them myself," John shrugged, not looking the least bit concerned.

Scott strutted into the lounge, now wearing said hoodie along with a smug smile.

John exchanged a look with Virgil, who shrugged, he didn't know how that had happened either but it looked like John wasn't to blame for his girl's current mood.

Peace descended over the lounge as Scott settled at their dad's desk, bringing up the holoscreen to check the news.

John sighed, feeling that he needed to warn his big brother.

"Scott?"

"Hmm?" Scott didn't look up.

"I feel I would be neglectful in my duty if I didn't warn you to watch your back. I don't know what you've done to piss off my witch but her retaliation is likely to be imminent."

"I'm very aware of that fact, but it's a matter of principle."

John sighed, if principles were involved then this was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better. He waited a whole two minutes before he, very subtly he thought, tossed his magazine on the coffee table and stood up, stretching casually.

"I'm gonna head up to the office, call me if you need anything."

"Smooth, bro," Virgil laughed as John made a quick exit.

Selene wasn't far behind, turning up in the lounge about five minutes after John had left.

She scowled at Scott, who gave her a little sarcastic wave. The look she shot him spoke volumes, just you wait, this isn't over.

"Oh for fucks sake!" Scott swore as he scrolled his holobook newsfeed.

"What's up?" Gordon asked, surprised to hear his big brother swearing for no good reason.

Scott turned his phone to show him the screen. Gordon looked but didn't see what the big deal was, it was just Selene, at a cafe with a couple of friends.

"She was tagged into it by someone," Scott grumbled.

"Was she not supposed to be there?" Gordon hedged.

"I don't care about where she is, it's about what she's wearing!"

Gordon got up and walked over to take a closer look, then started to laugh.

"She got yours too, huh?"

" You mean she's raided your wardrobe too?"

Gordon nodded. "Months ago, she took that WASP hoodie I got back in my training days."

"Why is she obsessed with our clothes? Shouldn't she just steal John's? Isn't that how it's supposed to work, not spill over to the whole family?"

Gordon shrugged. "She brings them back eventually, she's taken mine three times, she calls it extended borrowing."

Scott groaned, having visions of never getting it back. He didn't have that many, living on a tropical island they didn't really stray into cool weather wardrobes that often, but that really had been his favourite. He'd bought it on a trip to Paris back in his Air Force days. Dark blue with grey panels on the sleeves, his two favourite colours, it was just right. Not too thick but also not too thin, just large enough to fit in comfortably but not so large that you couldn't tell that he was in pretty good shape underneath the material. It was soft, the softest he'd ever felt, not that he'd admit to preferring soft materials against his skin… the hood was just right, not too large that it obscured his vision while wearing it and but not too small that he felt like his head was being pulled backwards. In short, it was perfect. And that witch had stolen it.

"Does she not have her own clothes?"

"She does, but she often forgets to bring them and since it's generally pretty chilly in England she borrows them when she heads home."

"But why ours? Why not just John's? Since when were we all fair game?"

Gordon flopped back down on the couch. "She just likes our stuff."

"I should have known you'd take her side, so much for sibling loyalty."

Gordon grinned, unrepentant. "She makes me my favourite sandwich, you make me edible food and you'll get my loyalty too."

Selene hadn't meant to stay out so late, but as her favourite saying went, shit happens. One afternoon coffee had turned into two, which had led onto drinks as the evening had worn on. Two drinks had become three and two burgers on the way home, one of which she had sent up to Five courtesy of EOS.

She didn't wake up too bright or breezy, she would rise but she refused to shine, and was still feeling a little fuzzy headed, which probably explained why she didn't notice until an hour after she had woken up.

She could have sworn she had tossed that hoodie on the sofa when she'd gotten home, but it had most definitely vanished. She told herself she was just being silly, but the distinct lack of orange juice in her fridge and the bites taken out of every muffin was a dead give away.

"Scott, are you aware that you have makeup on your collar?" Kayo asked.

Scott just grunted, rubbing at the offending foundation stains, the scent of lilac floating up from the garment every time he moved.

"Is there something we should know?"

"Nope."

Kayo looked at Virgil who just grinned.

Selene accepted the latte from Alan with a smile of thanks, not moving from her spot on the couch, a bag of rune stones on her lap. She'd been gone for two days and, as was her custom now, had appeared without any warning half an hour before. Scott had no idea what was going on with the women of the house and why they felt the need to just magic themselves into being whenever the mood took them, but he was used to it now. Kayo had always been the same, you could enter a room and not know she was there for ten minutes before you spotted her lounging in a corner.

Selene was less the silent ninja type and more the burst into a room singing, announcing her presence with a loud "didya miss me?" making them all jump.

Alan gave Kayo her green tea and placed Scott's to-go cup of black coffee on the desk in front of him. Scott only drank from insulated cups because he was forever forgetting about his drink and going back to it once it was stone cold.

Alan settled down beside Selene, helping himself to a couple of her runes from the bag, studying them for a second and then handing them to her for interpretation.

"Ansuz, Odin's rune. Odin is the all father, the patriarch of the norse Pantheon, father to Thor, Loki, Balder and Hel. One of the lessons of this rune states that you should find your ears before you find your words."

Scott snorted at that and picked up his cup to take a sip.

"This stone symbolises authority, communication and-"

"Shit!"

All three of them span round to look at Scott, who was wiping coffee off his chin and glaring as it dripped down onto his hoodie.

"Damn, I'm sorry, was the lid not on properly? I'm so sorry, Scott."

"You'd better get that in the wash before the stain sets," Kayo advised. Alan and Scott both stared at her in disbelief. "What? I can't know about laundry?"

Scott growled in frustration, peeling off his hoodie as he headed to the laundry room.

The second he was out of sight Selene high five Alan and dug in her bag, pulling out two massive bars of chocolate she gave him one and tossed the other to Kayo, who caught it neatly.

"Nice doing business with you," Kayo grinned, breaking open the bar.

Selene opened her mouth to reply but heard Scott's footsteps coming down the hall and shut up.

"Where the fuck has it gone now?" Scott searched through the dryer for the third time but no, it really had vanished.

"Selene!"

No answer. He tried again, louder this time.

"SELENE?"

Nothing.

Stomping down to the hangers he checked if her car was in her spot. Yep, there it was, which meant she had to be on the Island somewhere.

John floated peacefully on his back, one hand behind his head the other tangled in her hair as he toyed with the soft strands.

"He's going to figure out you're up here sooner or later."

Selene lifted her head from where it rested on his stomach to glance at the silent comm line.

"Yeah, probably, " she lowered her head again, sighing contentedly.

As if summoned by their words Scott's hologram flared into life, appearing in front of them, shattering the peace.

"Bring it back, right now."

"Bring what back?" Selene blinked innocently.

"You know what. Bring it back or I'm coming up there after it."

"I don't think so."

"EOS, lower the space elevator."

John glanced up as EOS's mechanical eye moved closer.

"I'm sorry, Scott, but the elevator is currently undergoing it's twice monthly cleaning of the filtration system, which takes two hours to complete."

Scott's eyebrow rose, clearly not believing her.

"Fine, I'll bring Three."

"Alan is currently on the other side of Jupiter picking up that stranded salvage crew," John reminded him.

Scott huffed impatiently. "Selene, you have two hours to get back down here with my hoodie or there will be retaliation."

"I know not of which you speak."

"You're wearing it right now!"

"I am?" she glanced down at the hoodie she was currently snuggled in. "This old thing? Surely you don't want this? It's a little small for you now, don't you think? You've gotten a little wider around the midsection lately…"

"OK, you've asked for it!" Scott clicked off the call, his hologram vanishing.

"You're pure evil," John grinned, his fingers lightly caressing the back of her neck. "I do wish you wouldn't encourage my AI to lie though, that's not good for her."

"I'm shocked and appalled that you think I'd make my darling daughter lie!"

"How is it that she's only your darling daughter when she's listening to you, when she's not, she's mine?"

"Because that's the way it works, same as Armie is Virgil's whenever he pukes on the floor," she wrapped her arm around his middle, cuddling closer. "Anyway, she wasn't lying, the elevator is undergoing it's filter cleaning, it just so happens that she started it as soon as I docked."

John reached out to the wall of the comms sphere, touching one of the panels, bringing up the log.

"Which was one hour and forty-eight minutes ago."

"Yep, so technically she was telling the truth, she said it was cleaning and it takes two hours, she didn't say there was two hours left."

"So you're encouraging her to be sneaky?"

Selene gave him a look. "Like she needs any encouragement."

"True."

"But I did bribe her too."

"How? What with?"

"My granddad's old dvd collection of documentaries that aren't online yet."

"You're such a good mom."

"Don't tell anyone, especially not Grandma," she warned, lifting her head for a kiss.

Beep!

Scott's hologram popped back up. She glanced over John's shoulder, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"Scott Tracy! Get your arse here right now!" Selene jumped out of the elevator and raced up to the main house.

"I swear by Hades if you've stretched that out with your big, fat man chest, I will kill you!"

"Fat man chest?" Kayo looked at Virgil, who shrugged in response, he'd given up trying to figure out what was going on days ago.

Selene skidded into the kitchen. "Where is he? Where the fuck is your dickhead brother?"

"Lounge I think. Why, what's he done now?"

"You haven't seen him in the last half hour?"

"No, I've not seen him since breakfast, I was working on Two."

"Urghhhh, you're about to be down one brother," she turned and stomped her way up the stairs, Kayo and Virgil hurrying to catch up.

Scott heard her coming and assumed a casual pose.

"Oh my gods! What's wrong with you?"

She slapped her hands over her eyes, trying so hard not to laugh.

"My eyes!" Virgil wailed, doubling over, a gagging noise escaping.

"Kinky, I like it," Kayo commented.

Scott lifted one hand in triumph, gesturing to his chest, a chest that he had somehow managed to squeeze into her favourite corset, although the laces were stretched to breaking point and they could all see his nipples and the dark sprinkling of hair that peppered his pecs.

"You're such a child!"

"Says the woman who stole my clothes first!"

"Says the man who broke into my apartment to steal it back and took a bite out of all my muffins!"

"Says the woman who left the planet with my hoodie!"

"Your nipples are looking at me funny!"

"That's because this corset is making them itch!"

She couldn't help it and burst out laughing.

"You're such a twat! You realise you're wearing that backwards?"

"And you're a sneaky bitch," he laughed. "And yes, I'm aware, but it was the only way I could get it on."

"Truce?" She took off the hoodie and offered it to him.

"Truce," he took the hoodie and turned around so she could unhook the corset, sighing in relief as it loosened , allowing him to take a deep breath, his lungs finally expanding to their full capacity.

"I fucking adore you, you idiot," she laughed, hugging him from behind.

"Yeah, I love you too."

"What the fuck just happened here?" Kayo demanded to know. "You just gave in, just like that? Sel, you disappoint me, I expected better from you."

"He was holding my corset to ransom, what was I supposed to do?"

"Duh, hold him down, cut him out of it and smack him around the head."

"So violent! He's my best friend, you don't beat up your friends!"

"I do."

"But you're special," Selene fluttered her eyelashes at Kayo, who simply shook her head and walked away muttering something about living with lunatics.

"Erm, John?"

"Yes, Alan? What's up?"

"You might want to come down here…"

"Did they kill each other yet?"

"Not quite, but they are both out by the pool, listening to some really old music, something about the dark side of the moon and they have definitely been smoking something."

John sighed, casting his eyes up through the clear ceiling of the gravity ring as if praying for divine help.

"I'll be right down."

Less than ten minutes later and John was standing over two of the most important people in his life and wondering just what the hell he'd done to deserve them.

His girl was stretched out on a sun lounger, fast asleep, Scotts hoodie over her like a blanket. His bare chested brother was on another next to her, a phone between them on the floor- purple so it had to be Selene's - was softly playing Pink Floyd, clouds of fragrant smoke wafting around his head

Scott looked up as the sound of approaching footsteps. John sat down on the edge of another lounger, shaking his head when Scott offered him the hand rolled.

"You know it hasn't been illegal for twenty-five years, you don't have to look so disapproving, you know it's safe now all the dangerous strains have been eradicated. This is the one that Dr Favaro recommended to Gordon when he had his crash and my back has been hurting the last few days. Come on, live a little, no hangover…" he wiggled it in invitation.

Rolling his eyes John accepted the rollie and swung his legs up to recline fully on the lounger.

"We haven't done this in years," he inhaled deeply, coughed briefly then passed it back.

"Not since you graduated and we started with IR full time, Dad would never allow it and I guess since he's been gone we've all just continued to live the way he'd want us to."

John nodded, reaching over for the hand rolled. "If Selene's done anything she's encouraged us both to let go of our rigid control a bit."

"That she has."

They were both silent for a few minutes apart from Scott quietly humming along to the music.

"This is going to sound bad…" Scott began, not looking at him.

John waited patiently for his brother to continue.

"You know I want Dad back so much." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and John nodded.

"Of course I do, I never doubted that."

"But I don't want things to go back to the way they were before, we've all grown up, we've become our own people and we're used to making our own decisions. I don't want to have to go back to hiding in my room to drink a beer or not be able to enjoy a smoke after a long and painful day. Does that make sense?"

To say John was surprised that his usually private brother had decided to open up to him was an understatement, but he didn't let that show.

"I don't want that either. I guess we'll just have to take things one day at a time and work it out as we go," he took another toke and suddenly laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just imagining Selene bulldozing Dad like she does us."

Scott's deep chuckled turned into a full out belly laugh as he pictured it.

"Well one thing's for sure, with her here there's no way things can go back to how they were before, she won't let it. And I don't even think Dad could argue with her when she's got her mind made up about something."

"He's either going to hate her or absolutely adore her," John handed the last inch back to Scott.

Scott smiled fondly at the sleeping witch. "He'll love her as much as we do, he won't be able to help it."

"I should get her to bed, it's getting chilly," John stood up and crossed over to his girl. Carefully he worked his arms under her and lifted her slowly.

"You want this back?" he nodded to Scott's hoodie.

"No, I don't mind her borrowing it, she does it all the time."

One sleek eyebrow lifted. "Then why make such a fuss over it?"

Scott stubbed out the end and laid back down, arms behind his head. "Because it was fun, she's my best friend, it's what we do. Don't you remember last week when I used her fancy hair conditioner? She yelled for an hour then I came back from that rescue in Peru and she'd put a brand new bottle in my bathroom cupboard."

"You're both idiots."

"But you love us."

"Yeah, I do." John paused for a second, trying to remember when he'd last told any of his brothers that he loved them. Months maybe, possibly even a year or more? He couldn't actually remember. He just never felt the need to say it, he showed it in so many ways, they all did. But maybe it was time to start reminding them. He hugged her closer to his chest, giving her a little squeeze, smiling when she grumbled in her sleep and batted at his shoulder.

"She told me earlier that she steals our stuff depending on who's energy she needs that day. If she's in a fun mood she'll steal Gordon's or Alan's, if she needs to relax she'll wear something of Virgil's."

"I did not know that," John glanced down at her face, relaxed in sleep. "What does she need you for?"

"Strength."

John nodded, not knowing what else to say. Finally he settled for not saying anything at all.

"You coming in too?" he asked Scott.

"Not just yet, it's nice out here."

"OK, goodnight."

"Goodnight, John."

John paused as he neared the door and turned back. "Scott?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Scott didn't turn to look at him but his voice was his usual strong and sure tone.

"I love you too."