Darkness was something he knew well. It had been a part of his life for a long time now. The darkness of space, speckled with the distant stars, it was a friendly darkness. But this darkness was different. It was threatening somehow, where half-remembered horrors from his childhood nightmares crouched hidden, waiting for their moment to strike. Where memories charged, running rampant and unceasing, leaving pain and aching in their wake.

Just there, just out of reach, he knew, was the light. The place where nightmares and forbidden memories could not and would not follow. He could hear voices from the direction of the light. That was Gordon, sounding worried….and Alan. Alan sounding…young. Young and scared. Alan scared? Scared of what? Or of whom?

There, there was Scott, sounding regretful.

"I'll be back Johnny, and we'll talk, okay? I have an appointment to keep with Virge, but I'll be back. Love you little bro. Guys, take care of him, okay? I've gotta go. Dad and grandma are helping Kayo to check and load the jet. I'll see you in a coupla days, alright? Bye Johnny."

Groping almost blindly, he seized onto the reassuring voice of his only older brother. The one he had always run to for help when he was younger. Struggling, John mumbled incoherently, searching for his way back into the light.

Gordon gripped Alan's elbow suddenly.

"Al, he's waking up."

The two watched, as their older brother's eyes opened, and he squinted at them in momentary confusion. Then they saw as memory caught up with him, and John lurched into full wakefulness, sitting bolt upright and ramming his balled fists into his eyes.

"No no no no, tell me it wasn't real? Tell me it was a dream?"

He wasn't talking to them at all. His words were so softly spoken they were sure he was unaware he had even spoken them aloud. Alan pulled away from Gordon's instinctive clutches and threw himself across John's bed and drew his big brother into his arms. John threw his arms around Alan and squeezed his youngest brother tightly. He buried his face into the shoulder of Alan's green tee-shirt; and stayed there. Alan remained still, his brother in his arms, feeling the fabric of his tee becoming damp at the shoulder, although John did not move, nor did he make a sound. Then John finally pulled away with a small embarrassed smile, Gordon grabbed his arm and gave him a quick, lop-sided hug, while John wiped hurriedly at his eyes with the back of his free hand.

"I'm alright guys, really."

Alan and Gordon sat either side of John, on the edge of his bed.

"Grandma said it was a letter, John. Was it really bad news?"

John nodded.

"Alan, do you remember a few months ago, my telling you about my ex-fiancée?"

Alan nodded.

"Yes, Ellie. You said she left you and became a…um…" he glanced briefly at Gordon, then continued, "Er, she went to work in a convent."

John half smiled and lowered his eyes whilst Gordon's opened in surprise.

"You mean she left you to become a…" He broke off, realizing in that instant exactly how damaging that fact alone would be to any guy's ego, let alone a sensitive guy like John. His eyebrows lowered.

"Aw man, that…that really sucks!"

John nodded.

"Yes, it sucked alright. If I'd known she had feelings like that…it might not have come as such a shock, but her decision came right out of the blue…you could say it hit me like a ton of bricks. I really, really…l-l-cared about her."

Gordon exchanged a glance with Alan, then reached across to the table and grabbed the box of tissues. He handed it to John who took it with a noise that was half a laugh and half a sob.

"Was the letter from her, John? Did you hear from her after all this time, and bring everything back?"

John shook his head.

"Not…not quite Gords. At Virgil's wedding I was feeling a bit too nostalgious…you know what I mean? Brains suggested I go to visit Ellie, see how she is and say goodbye properly. I never really actually gave myself the chance to do that back in the day. So I wrote to her convent, asking for permission to pay a personal visit. They wrote back pretty quickly."

"And?" Gordon prompted. John fished a tissue out of the box on his knees.

"She died of an inherited heart-defect eight months ago. She's gone."


Even sleeping, Isla was beautiful. She slept with a serene, almost smile on her face. As Virgil crouched low over her and kissed her softly on the tip of her nose, the smile became deeper, and her eyes opened.

"Good morning, Gorgeous." She said huskily. Virgil kissed her again, on the lips. When they parted, she ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"Are you alright?"

He pulled away slightly and sat on the edge of the bed, the fingers of his right hand entwined in hers.

"I've just had a call from Scott."

She frowned.

"Is everything alright on the island? Is Scott and Gordon still coming?"

Virgil bit his lip.

"Something has happened…"

He broke off and shook his head hurriedly at her look of alarm.

"No Sweetheart, its nothing like that. It's just…there's been a slight change of plans. Scott is still coming, but Kayo is coming with him instead of Gordon. Kayo will keep you company whilst Scott and I go to visit the Hayes' up at the reserve."

Isla frowned slightly, seeing the worried look in her husband's eyes.

"What has happened? Has something happened to Gordon?"

"No, it…it's John. He's received some bad news. It…Scott says it's knocked him for six."

Isla looked upset. She was very fond of her brother-in-law John.

"Did he say what sort of bad news?"

Virgil nodded. The stricken look on his face suddenly gave her the clue. She had seen that look on her husband's face before, when he had spoken of his late fiancée, Connie; Whose parents he was due to go and visit in two days' time with Scott. If John had lost someone, Virgil would know almost better than anyone how it felt.

"Not a death? Who? Can you tell me?"

Virgil sighed and took both her hands in his own and kissed them. Then he shifted himself onto the bed so that he was sitting beside her against the headboard.

"At uni, John fell deeply in love with a lovely young girl called Ellie. I met her once. They were both very much in love."

"I've never heard him speak of her. What happened?"

"They were even talking about getting married…and then out of the blue, Ellie hit him with her new plan to go into a convent and become a nun."

"A nun?"

Virgil nodded.

"She still loved him as much as ever, but she told him she loved God as well, and she felt that she was called to serve God. So, she left him. John has never stopped loving her. Everyone he has met since has been unable to match up to Ellie in John's eyes."

"Was he secretly hoping that one day she would change her mind and return to him?"

Virgil shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"I don't know love. Possibly. I just know she broke his heart, and although he has tried to move on, he has never been quite able to forget her either."

Isla nodded sadly.

"Has she died? Was that his bad news?"

"Scott says John went missing for two days. Grandma revealed he had received a letter from Ellie's convent, and then vanished off the face of the earth. Everyone on the island except for Grandma split up and searched every inch of the island until John was eventually found crouched in the tunnel behind the wall panel of his control room on Tracy Peak. He told Scott he just wanted someplace where he could be alone and undisturbed for a while. He was shocked when he realized he had been missing for so long."

"Poor John. He must be feeling really awful."

Virgil nodded.

"I know Ellie was a long time ago, but to John…"

Isla rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know. There is no time limit on love is there? I guess you understand that more than any of us. You loved Connie, and no matter how much time passes, you will always love her and maybe even wonder how different your life might have been if you had not lost her."

Virgil turned abruptly to look at her, but Isla was smiling lovingly at him, without a trace of jealousy or even wistfulness in her expression. She smiled at him and kissed him gently.

"Virgil, I know you love me very much. I have never doubted that, and I never will. I also know…how can I forget how much you loved and still love Connie? How could I ever expect that to change? Why would I ever want it to? If it weren't for your love for Connie, you and I would never have met. Come to that, if it were not for her, I would not even have ever existed. How could I ever feel any kind of resentment towards her? I only wish I had had the chance to know her myself. To the day I die I will always regret that."

She smiled at him.

"And, so will all the others."

"The others? The other…um…Connie lookalike girls you mean? Are you still in touch with them? All of them?"

"Not quite all…all the ones who you…we rescued, I am, yes. They all send their best wishes for our marriage, by the way."

Virgil was left speechless, and his wife squeezed his hand.

"Are you in a rush to see John for yourself? Did Scott say how he is doing?"

"Yes. They have him in the infirmary for now, sedated and on a drip. He was badly shaking and dehydrated when Gordon found him in the tunnel. Now, Gordo is refusing to leave Johnny's side. Gordon and Alan have both apparently set up camp beside John and won't leave even to eat a meal."

"And yet Scott is still eager to leave them and fly over here to Africa?"

Virgil grinned.

"Oh, you know our Scott. He figures there are enough people on the island to take care of John but no one here to take care of you and me, Hence, big brother comes."

Part of Virgil wanted very badly to rush home to John's side, but Scott was right after all. When was he ever wrong? There were enough people back home to watch over John and comfort him. John for his part, especially under the circumstances, would not be happy to learn that Virgil and Isla had cut short their plans just to rush back to his side. In fact, Virgil knew John would be furious. And a furious John was a scary John. Rare, but scary. He pulled away from his wife and looked down at himself, sniffed delicately at his underarms and grimaced.

"Well, I definitely need a shower. You will want to get up soon my love for we have a little way to go today to get to our destination, but believe me, it will be worth it. You'll need something comfortable for walking in…but reasonably cool and hard-wearing."

"Can I ask where? Or is it another secret?"

Virgil's eyes danced.

"A secret of course!"

Isla rolled out of bed and landed on her feet.

"Well in that case…how about we share that shower?"


The speed and efficiency of Scott's jet notwithstanding, it was a long and wearisome flight from Tracy Island to the massive continent of Africa, and by the time they touched down in Hwange Town airport, Both Scott and Kayo were tired and looking forward to a decent meal and a comfy bed for the night. Scott had several times thought longingly of Thunderbird One, and the quick and easy flight they would have had. The risks however, were not worth taking. Any of the Thunderbirds were apt to attract a lot of attention whenever they landed anywhere, especially an unexpected landing. Kayo had insisted that the security risks were not worth the benefits. After all, she was the chief of Security for International Rescue and Tracy Island.

They found a car waiting for them, a grinning Virgil and Isla in the front seats. They both were dressed in khaki shorts, socks and walking shoes; Virgil wearing a pale faun shirt hanging half-open, revealing a glimpse of tanned stomach and hairy chest. His hair, rather than his usually carefully arranged style, was untidy, fluffy, and distinctly un-gelled.

Isla on the other hand, looked amazing. Her olive skin seemed slightly darker somehow, as though she had caught the sun. Her glossy black hair had grown a little, and it was curling around her shoulders. She was wearing a brilliant white blouse, and a straw hat with white ribbon. She removed a pair of dark glasses as she got out of the car and reached up to give Kayo a hug.

"It's good to see you both." She said, receiving a hug from Scott in his turn. "How's John doing? Will he be alright?"

Scott nodded.

"He'll be alright. We'll be home in a day or two to check up on him. Dad, grandma, Alan and Gordon will stay with him."

Virgil sighed slightly.

"If only to make sure he doesn't go and do something stupid in the throes of his grief like I did!"

Isla flicked Virgil's ear, causing him to wince and turn to give her a mock glare.

"Stop talking like that! If you hadn't `done something stupid' as you put it, I would still be languishing in that underground dungeon of the Hood's…that or dead, and that dotty professor would still be free to play around with people's lives! You told me that of all your brothers, Johnny was the sensible one."

Scott pouted.

"Hey, are you suggesting that I'm not sensible?"

Virgil opened the car door and ushering the girls into the back, he pushed his brother into the front passenger seat.

"Not at all big brother. Just that John has always been by far more sensible than you. Would you like me to give you some examples?"

Kayo and Isla grinned at one another as Scott shook his head hurriedly.

"Nah, let's leave the storytelling for another time. So tell me lover birds. Have you had a good honeymoon?"