Trigger warnings for MCD and POW mention.

He took the stone and closed his eyes.

And wished.

And waited.

A light breeze caressed his cheek momentarily. Jeff opened his eyes to find himself alone. Scott was still in the bed, but the Hood and the stone were gone.

Nothing had changed. Jeff didn't know whether to be angry or relieved that nothing had happened. He should have known better than to trust that charlatan. Jeff sighed deeply and held on Scott's hand tightly. He didn't know how long he sat there staring into space, but he didn't hear John enter the room and was completely unaware of his presence until a hand gently touched his shoulder.

Jeff ignored John's smirk as he tried to right himself on the chair. 'Dad, you're exhausted. Go get some rest at the hotel Virgil and I have this.' He didn't want to leave in case something happened, but he knew John was right. Scott's condition wasn't going to change and Jeff needed a clear mind.

Eventually, between the two brothers, they persuaded Jeff to go grab a couple of hours by playing on the fact he still had Gordon and Alan to think of. It was underhanded, as all three men knew that Gordon would sort Alan out, but Jeff understood that the boys needed their own time with Scott.

By the time he'd escaped the hospital and crossed the road to the hotel Jeff was feeling every one of his 56 years. He stumbled into his room and barely had the energy to undress before climbing into to bed.

He was out before his head touched the pillow.

Jeff had the most amazing dream. Lucy was still with him. They'd gone on to have another three children, the youngest being the coveted daughter. Everyone had grown up and moved out of the farmhouse, but weekends and Sunday dinners were riotous events when everyone came to visit. There were fat happy grandchildren running all over the place.

Before he was fully awake a tear made its way down the side of his face.

'Jeff, you're having a nightmare,' said a voice so familiar it caused his breath to hitch. A soft finger wiped the tear away, then his face was cupped gently. A pair of lips pressed against his and their noses squished together.

He opened one eye and found himself looking into a pair of caramel eyes alive with humour and...alive! Jeff shot off the bed. Unfortunately, he was tangled in the bed sheets and didn't make it fully off the bed before he crashed down, catching his head on the bedside cabinet.

As he blacked out the last thing he saw was Lucy looking at him in horror.

'He's got a lovely lump, Lucy, and a cut that's bled a bit, but Jeff's ok. He'll have a hell of a headache when he wakes up.'

'Thanks, Mum. That must have been a hell of a nightmare for him to react like that. Thank goodness you're here this weekend!'

'Yeah. Looks like he's stirring.'

Jeff didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to stay in this dream with his wife. Unfortunately, it seemed the two women who were talking had other ideas.

'Jeff, dear, open them eyes for me.' Opening both eyes this time, he was greeted with two concerned faces staring down at him.

'Jeff?' Two voices in unison, both he knew well.

Jeff groaned, screwing his face up. Don't throw up, not now! He breathed deeply until the nausea was under control and opened his eyes again.

'Luce?' He reached up and cupped the side of her face, running his thumb over her cheek. Lucy smiled at him. Then frowned. He was crying.

'Jeff! Whatever is the matter?' She looked to Ruth, who nodded and left after patting Jeff's shoulder.

'I - I lost you. You died,' he whispered once they were alone. Lucy immediately enfolded him into a tight embrace and they sat on the floor, Jeff's arms around the only woman he had ever loved, who he had lost 23 years ago.

The emotions and the head injury got the better of him, and soon Jeff was asleep. Lucy carefully untangled herself and went in search of her husband's parents.

There was a coffee on the kitchen table for her. She drank it quickly, with thanks that Ruth had started the brunch off, and she and Grant made their way upstairs. Between them they got Jeff up on to the bed.

Lucy busied herself getting ready, casting frequent glances at her husband. He didn't look well, like he hadn't slept for a number of days, and she pondered his reactions while applying her makeup.

By the time she was ready, Lucy felt she was being watched, and sure enough a look in the mirror confirmed Jeff was awake. It was the weirdest feeling. She felt it in her bones that something wasn't quite right, but sh3e had no idea what. Smiling at Jeff, Lucy told him as she put her earrings in: 'I took the liberty of calling Val and telling her you're going to be off work for at least the next three days. She sends her love.'

Jeff frowned. He worked for the GDF? What had happened to Tracy Industries? He really needed to work out what this new timeline was, but he was afraid to ask. He needed a coffee first.

As if reading his mind, Lucy suggested he get ready if he felt well enough to come down, and she'd make everyone coffee. Jeff nodded, grateful for the opportunity to pull himself together. He looked around the room.

Pictures of all the boys decorated one wall. As Jeff looked he was pleased to see Penny with John and Kayo with Alan. He frowned that there appeared to be no up-to-date pictures of Scott, but then Jeff supposed that if International Rescue had never been started then he would probably still be in the USAF.

The wardrobe had a section of uniforms in it, and Jeff was pleasantly surprised to see he was now a Major General, even if he was surprised to still be working with the GDF. He was even more delighted to see his favourite flamingo shirt, and he grabbed it along with a pair of pants and got ready.

Seeing Lucy had been a shock, coming face to face with his Pa was only slightly less surprising. Grant gripped his shoulder tight for a couple of seconds, the only emotion Jeff knew his dad would display, for which he was thankful. Anything more out of the ordinary and Jeff didn't think he'd cope.

The four of them ate brunch, quiet inconsequential chatter that Jeff was content to listen to. Familiar names popped up, but they were names that had been left behind in Kansas, leading him to surmise that they - he - had never moved.

His parents left after brunch, and he and Lucy settled in the living room, an old b-movie playing. It reminded Jeff of Gordon and not for the first time he wondered where his, their, boys were.

'Jeff, I know that there's something on your mind. You've been acting weirdly since you woke up. What's going on?' He smiled to himself. Still the most perceptive person he'd ever met.

'What would you say if I told you that I have no idea what we've done over the last 23 years?'

Lucy paused. Ever the thoughtful one of the pair, she could see that this was a serious question.

'Are you telling me that your knock on the head has made you forget that much?'

Did he want to go into everything that had happened to him before knowing how this new life was? He reached over and held Lucy's hands in his.

'I'm saying I'm not sure what's going on in our life. So why don't you fill me in?'

Lucy could tell that there was more to this, but Jeff was not one to be pushed. Besides, she trusted her husband and knew he would tell her when he was ready.

'Where do you want me to start?'

'How about you tell me about our boys?'

She sighed. If he really had forgotten then this was going to hurt.

'Alan's doing really well for himself. He's a lead driver for the American Formula One team. He's currently in Italy with his current girlfriend.

'Gordon is in WASP, currently a Commander of a Stingray sub. No partner that I'm aware of. He got over the hydrofoil accident well, and WASP kept him going.

'John's currently on Mars. He's been there two years and he's got another three years to go before he's due home. '

'He made it to Mars!' Jeff broke out into a huge grin. It had always been John's goal, and Jeff was so proud, as he was for Alan and Gordon. They had all followed their dreams.

'And Virgil?'

Lucy looked away and Jeff's heart constricted. He knew it had been too good to be true.

'We haven't seen Virgil for 10 years, Jeff.'

'What! Why?'

'He left the day after the letter came. He blamed you and the GDF.'

'For what?'

But Jeff thought he knew for what, or he had an idea. So much of their history was the same.

'It was when Scott was shot down over Bereznik. Six months he'd been missing in action and then the GDF got word of a POW camp. They sent in an extraction team. The mission was botched. In revenge...they killed Scott as the highest-ranking officer there...'

Jeff didn't hear anything else. This whole thing had been about saving Scott.

Instead, he had condemned his son to death.