It was another couple of hours before she showed any sign of stirring. Virgil had had a chance to get to the local store and was getting breakfast ready when she sat up.

"Morning" he said looking over the counter top at her.

"Bacon?" she replied running a hand through her hair. "Sorry, morning, even."

Virgil couldn't help but laugh, apparently she wasn't much better than he was first thing.

"Yes, bacon" he replied turning back to the grill. "Also eggs and toast" he called over his shoulder.

"Smells great" she said suddenly at his shoulder and smirking as he jumped.

"How did you? Never mind" he brushed it off. "How do you feel?"

"Fine" she shrugged taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Not" he gestured with the spatula at his ribs. "I mean, do you feel dizzy? Headache? Can you get a headache?"

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment.

"I guess I feel like this" she said holding one hand out flat in front of her. It had a tremor to it. "So, not quite right, I guess, but all things considered a lot better than I could be. I have to thank you for that."

"No, you don't" he said shutting off the grill as the toast popped. He put a plate in front of her and took a seat of his own.

"You cook good bacon" she said after taking a moment to just enjoy it.

"That is not a compliment I've ever had before but I will take it" he said. He debated for a moment about the best way to approach what he wanted to say next but finally decided that straight was probably the best way.

"My father has asked to meet you. Today."

"What?" Jasmine looked alarmed.

"I think you've guessed that International Rescue is mostly a family business" Virgil continued completely missing any potential implications of what he'd just said. "He's the head of the organisation, it was his dream really. He knows, of course, about you and what you're doing for us. He was… concerned, when he heard what happened to you yesterday. I think that's why he has decided he wants to meet you in person."

Jasmine looked down at herself. Once again, she was sitting with Virgil in one of his borrowed shirts with no trousers on. She had no idea about the state of her own clothes.

"I should probably get dressed" she said.

Virgil nodded. "Your clothes are in the dryer. I threw them in the quick wash earlier. I hope you don't mind but they smelt like cigarettes and uh, hard work."

Jasmine blinked at that before finishing the last of her breakfast.

"Thank you" she said though she sounded very uncertain. "I am going to go and make myself presentable." She slipped off the stood but then stopped. "Where's-?"

"Oh! Sorry. The washer is just through there and the bedroom and shower are that way he said pointing."

"Great. Thank you" she gave him a tight smile and hurried off.

"Oh!" he called after her. "Your brother called!"

"Really?" She came back out of the utility with arms full of clothes. She quickly crossed to the coffee table and retrieved her comm. "He called a few times then someone answered. Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah" he said unable to decipher whether or not she was mad at him for using her phone. "I just thought if one of my brothers was trying to get hold of me that desperately then they'd want someone to tell them I was alright."

She nodded in acceptance.

"How'd that go?"

"Er" Virgil made himself busy clearing the dishes. "He sort of, well, threatened to kill me."

"Just the once?" she said lightly. Virgil spun back round.

"Isn't that enough?"

She waved off his concern with one hand, her eyes never leaving the message she was typing.

"You're fine. Warren's upset because he thinks I like you. He'll get over it. Besides as long as he didn't give you any details it was an empty threat."

She once again gathered her things and moved off to get changed but Virgil found himself rooted to the spot.

"Do you?" he blurted out. "Like me, I mean."

She looked back over her shoulder, eyes full of mischief and what was clearly an off handed comment on her lips. But after regarding him a moment her expression softened.

"Of course," she said shutting the door before he had a chance to reply.

Virgil blew out a breath before resting his elbows on the side board and putting his head in his hands. It was a couple of hours drive to the Cotswolds and suddenly he now wasn't sure if he was looking forward to it or dreading it.

As it turned out he needn't have worried. Taking Jasmine on a tour of the British countryside turned out to be far more rewarding than just showing her photos of the natural world. Virgil had never considered himself particularly worldly but he suddenly realised what a privilege he had working for International Rescue and getting to go to the places he did – even if he usually ended up there on someone's worst day.

Jasmine didn't even try to hide her curiosity as she craned her neck to see over every bridge or swung round in her seat to continue watching something that had caught her eye. It was endearingly like travelling with a young child – not that Virgil was dumb enough to say so.

Her reply from earlier still nagged at him. The words 'of course' could mean so many things but, as she didn't mention it, neither did he and before either of them knew it they were rolling into the drive of the Cotswold manor.

"So, you said you don't own this one, right?" Jasmine asked.

"No, not this one. It belongs to a family friend. Actually, I think you met her."

Jasmine looked thoughtful for a moment before it clicked.

"Ah, Peony. Miss I-can-talk-like-a-Londoner-only-I-can't-when-my-mind's-on-Gordon."

"What?" Virgil said in surprise turning off the engine. "Gordon and Penelope? No, that must have been part of the cover. She won't so much as talk to him usually."

"Yes, and boys who like girls tend to do things like pull their hair" Jasmine said with a knowing look.

"No," Virgil remained adamant as they got out of the car. "They are literally polar opposites of each other."

"Opposites attract" Jasmine bantered back happily.

Virgil looked up as the oak door was opened.

"I see you made it" Scott said coming over to clap Virgil on the shoulder.

"We did. Jasmine this is my older brother-"

"All American" she said with a grin. Scott's smiled equalled hers and he extended a hand with a laugh.

"Scott" he said by way of greeting. "Father's inside, he's looking forward to meeting you."

Virgil gestured for Scott to take the lead and whispered to Jasmine.

"Told you he'd love it."

She suppressed a laugh, clearly feeling relaxed about meeting more of his family.

To his annoyance Virgil found he didn't remember the house at all. The rescue in the Orkney's had been hellish and had ended, for him, when he'd been hit by part of an exploding power generator. He didn't remember much of anything after that though, apparently, he'd spent a few days here recuperating before being cleared for Scott to fly him home.

It looked as though their father was set up in an antechamber off of one of the reception rooms. This one had a large fire place, unlit for the moment, with two deep armchairs pulled up in front of it. Virgil might not recognise the house but he did recognise the fireplace thanks to Gordon and that photograph. The story behind it went that Penelope had seen Virgil asleep in front of the fire and decided this was a perfect photo opportunity for her new puppy. Sherbert wasn't exactly big now but back then he was tiny and Virgil hadn't woken as the little dog was placed lovingly down. Nor did he wake as the puppy decided to relieve himself.

"Your face looks funny."

"What?" Virgil was startled back into the present. He glanced quickly at his brother hoping Scott hadn't heard but realised that Jasmine had pitched her voice exactly loud enough for Scott to hear as well.

"Your face looks funny" she repeated nonchalantly. "Like you can't quite remember if you left the oven on."

Scott looked quizzically between the two before following Virgil's abortive glance back at the arm chair.

"He's probably thinking about the last time he was here" Scott said helpfully and far to conversationally. How had those two ended up on the same wavelength moments after meeting? It simply wasn't fair.

"We have a photo-"

"She doesn't need to see the photo!" Virgil interrupted; his voice rather higher than he'd have liked.

"You definitely have to show me that later" she said causing Scott to give off one of his million-watt grins.

Virgil was doomed. Barely in the house five minutes and Jasmine had his older brother on her side.

Scott pushed the door open to the antechamber and Virgil could see their father and Gordon inside one either side of the small desk. Jeff glanced up as Scott entered but didn't smile. As he crossed the threshold Scott's shoulders jumped and he looked up sharply, head swivelling as he searched for something.

"What the-" he started but was cut off by the strangled noise Jasmine made as she entered the room. Virgil instinctively caught her has her leg bucked again, every muscle in her body was rigid as she fought to remain standing, in the end only succeeding due to his help. The brief scuffle for her balance drew Virgil forward and as soon as his shoulder came level with the door frame he felt it. A short burst of electricity hit him, like a very strong static shock. Though he'd have said it impossible Jasmine seized further as the second shock passed through her and this time Virgil, with his arms wrapped round her from behind, really was the only thing keeping her upright.

In the few seconds this had taken Scott managed to look from his brother to his father and back again. Both were rooted in place; one trying to give aid, but the other…

Movement to his right caused him to flinch as Kyrano shot out from where ever he'd been hiding and fastened a collar around Jasmine's neck. She didn't try and fight it. She couldn't Scott realised watching the spasms track through her.

"What the hell?" Gordon found his voice first and sprang to his feet, looking aghast at his father. Jeff for his part was as white as a sheet.

"I don't" Jeff started his voice betraying him. "I didn't believe-" He was interrupted as Jasmine suddenly took a wheezing breath. "I'm sorry" Jeff said turning to each of his sons, "but we finally have our answer."

"Answer to what?" Virgil demanded as, in his arms, Jasmine heaved in great lung-fulls of air.

"The DGF" Jeff paused at a snort from Jasmine, "The DGF forwarded me some research that suggested biomechanoids had found a way around the blood screening. That the only real weakness they had was electricity."

"So, you decided to just shock her and see what happened?" There was pure venom in Virgil's voice and thunder on his face. "You know the condition she has, there's no telling what an electrical current would do to her."

"The doctors I spoke to assured me that, other than a slight stinging, she'd be fine. It was the only way to know for sure" Jeff implored his son. "I didn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. But if we were wrong…. It was just too much of a risk."

"And now you know huh?" Gordon stepped up to his brother unconsciously forming a barrier between Virgil, Jasmine and their father. "We all told you she was fine, that we trusted her. We told you she was helping us!"

"When it comes to things such as this, it pays to be sure" Kyrano said, his soft voice in juxta position to his harsh words. "We had a biomechanoid living in the town next to our village. He was pleasant, I took coffee with him two mornings a week. One day his computer overloaded shocking him, he seized just as she did but it was when he spoke that we knew."

"Speak Jasmine" Jeff said and if Scott didn't know better he would swear his father sounded sad. Jasmine seemed to have gotten herself back under control, though she was still relying somewhat on Virgil. Scott felt something inside give as he looked at her, she was clearly terrified.

She shook her head and attempted to back away only to end up pressed against Scott's middle brother.

Jeff's eyes had hardened at her response. Very slowly he rounded the desk and Scott noticed something in his hand.

"Speak" he said again. "If you're not what I say then you have nothing to worry about."

Again she refused.

"Speak!" Jeff barked.

"Nat'at shek tzi ed'ziath" she spat out, only she no longer sounded like the girl Scott had met moments before. Though the tone was still there it was covered by a disturbing electronic burr.

The room froze. Every face in it pinned on what, moments before, had been a girl.

"Speak English" Jeff said.

"Ey'd za" she replied with a glare that could cut glass.

"Speak English!"

"Ey'd za!"

"She can't" Gordon said quietly. "She can't, what did you do to her? What is she?"

"She's a biomechanoid" Jeff said quietly. Very slowly he held up the thing in his hand. Scott had no idea what it was, it looked like a keyless car fob. Jasmine clearly recognised it though as she turned her face away form it. "Why can't you speak?" Jeff asked and just for a second Scott saw a flash of the normal girl they'd all thought she was. For a second, she looked like she thought Jeff was dumb for even asking. But it was gone. She shrugged out of Virgil's grip, the man himself clearly still in too much shock to stop her. Free from her support it took a moment to find her own balance and then she bought up her comm typing on in quickly.

"Stop her!" Jeff demanded sending Kyrano rushing forwards but before he got there she held the device up for Virgil to see.

"Stop, stop, Kyrano stop!" Virgil held out a hand. He read again what was on the screen.

"What does it say, son?" Jeff asked. For a moment Scott thought he wouldn't answer as Virgil seemed stunned by what he'd read.

"What does it say?"

"It says: I am defective."