Thanks for the prompt SatNavDan

"It's really not that funny, Scott."

"Oh come on Kayo, it's a little bit funny. I mean most people have a fear of the dark or spiders, but butterflies? I've never heard of that fear."

"It's not exactly a fear, I just find them really creepy, like a phobia."

"But they're cute," Virgil smiled as he shared a grin with Scott.

"Will you two just stop laughing?" Kayo desperately stared at the eldest, "you promised you wouldn't laugh, Scott."

"I couldn't help it, I thought you were going to say cockroaches or ants, but the butterfly caught me off guard."

Kayo sighed as they landed back on the island, "you're going to tell Gordon and Alan aren't you?"

"No, I wasn't going to, but they were listening in on the coms," Virgil shrugged.

Kayo groaned and hid her face in her hands, "this is the worst day of my life."

They walked into the lounge and Alan burst out laughing which set Gordon off, then the eldest joined in being triggered by the giggling, Grandma looked sympathetically across at Kayo who was bristling with anger.

"I guess we can forget about the lizards, Gordon," Scott laughed, "we've learned there are much scarier animals."

Gordon lowered his voice dramatically, "it's the butterfly effect!"

"Will you shut up!" Kayo cried in anger and flung a cushion into Scott's face giving him a nose bleed from the force, and she stormed out leaving the others sitting shocked, Grandma shook her head and scolded them.

"Shame on all of you."

Scott held a cloth Virgil had passed to him up to his nose, "what the heck was that about? We were only teasing."

"You don't know, do you?" Grandma sat down on the sofa and the boys looked confusingly back at her, "she has Lepidopterophobia."

"I'm sorry, what?" Alan cocked his head to the side.

"Lepidopterophobia. It's a fear of butterflies, it's not necessarily of the insect directly either."

Scott chucked the bloodied tissue away and leant against the desk, "we rarely see them on the island grandma, she has nothing to fear."

"Phobias are incredibly deep, Scotty," she sighed, "go and talk to her. The rest of you, don't bring it up again or tease her, or I'll tell her what each one of you is afraid of, and believe me, I do know."

Virgil rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "deal."

Scott nodded, "FAB," he left the lounge and walked up to the bedrooms of the house, she wasn't in his room understandably and so he continued to hers, the door was slightly ajar and he knocked gently, "K?"

"If you're here to tease me more, I suggest you do it from a distance," came a blunt reply.

Scott pushed the door open slowly ready to raise his hands in defence in case another cushion was to come flying at him, but what he saw made him stop mid-step, Kayo was hunched over her desk hiding her face in her arms, "I came to apologise. I know why you're afraid of butterflies."

"Good."

Scott walked over to her, "I'm really sorry, I didn't know there was a term for it. How long have you had it?"

Kayo looked up tearfully, "do you remember that mission in Peru?"

"Vaguely."

"I was returning to Shadow and a butterfly followed me inside. You and Virgil were so far ahead, you wouldn't have known what was going on and well, I almost crashed. This giant blue one flew in front of my face and I panicked, it was trapped with me and kept brushing against my skin; face, hand, neck. It wasn't attacking me but I didn't want to hurt it as it flew around the cockpit, then it landed on my dash and I felt like it was watching me, judging me for not letting it out," she sighed, "I landed Shadow on the island, and it flew away."

"And you've been afraid of them ever since?" By this point, Scott had hopped up onto the desk and was holding her hand.

Kayo nodded, "I had scales all over me, but you guys never saw. I've kept it secret ever since because as you say, it's not a common fear."

"I'm really sorry I laughed at you, rather, we laughed at you."

Kayo looked up at him and a tear rolled down her cheek, "thanks for understanding, and I'm sorry about your nose."

"I'm still handsome, right?" he reached out and brushed the tear off her cheek with the side of his finger.

Kayo chuckled as she stood up, "to some degree," she leant against his knees and kissed him softly smiling as his hands found the curves of her waist, she pulled back, "apart from the bugs, it was a nice mission."

"I'm not sure Virgil would agree with you, he's afraid of snakes and well, the Amazon is teeming with them."

"And what are you afraid of?"

"Isolation."

Kayo shook her head, "no, what scares you?"

Scott sighed, "I've never been comfortable around mice, luckily they don't like the island but before we moved here we used to see them quite a lot. Field mice. And well, I was never comfortable around them. I had trouble sleeping as a kid sometimes especially after Mum's death and I'd hear them scurrying around outside the house or quiet squeaks, the noise gave me goosebumps."

Kayo stroked his cheek, "and I'm not allowed to laugh at you for that?"

"You can if it makes you feel better."

"I can't, everyone has a fear of something. What do you mean isolation?"

"I wouldn't be able to live without you guys or the organisation. I hate being with my own thoughts or feeling useless."

"And that's why you came on the mission with us?"

"It's why Virgil suggested I did, and Brains. They could both see that I was at breaking point," he sighed, "I just want to get my dad back now."

"A few more days, and the T-Drive will be ready, that was the Mechanic's deal. Don't get too mad at him sweetheart."

Scott pushed himself off the desk with immediate frustration, "how can you say that Kayo, after what he's done to us, and you?"

"My uncle did that, not him. I trust Brains and when he says the connection has been broken, I believe him."

Scott looked around at her, "but you hated him?"

"And to some degree I still do, but he's your only hope in getting to the Oort Cloud, he wants to see this be a success to make up for the failure before," she placed her hand gently onto his arm, "he saw your father that day, and blames the explosion on himself, he knew nothing about the sabotage."

"Really?"

Kayo nodded, "as soon as the engine is ready, he's leaving the island."

"I think I need to apologise to Brains."

"Why?"

"I was so angry with him."

"You're worried about your Dad, I'm sure he understands," Kayo smiled at him, his face was masked with pain and she could tell he was upset, "he knows what the Mechanic did."

Scott nodded unhappily with a sigh, "I know but I shouldn't have yelled in front of him, this is the biggest thing I have ever got him to do for us."

"I'll come down with you," Kayo entwined her fingers with his and they walked down to the assembly hangar where the T Drive was being built, as they approached they heard voices.

Brains grinned at Lady Penelope's email to him, "she retrieved the Centurium 21, wuh-once we have it, we can move onto the final s-stage."

The Mechanic nodded, "and hopefully no more distractions or interruptions."

"If you m-mean Scott, he's just looking out for his family, they mean everything to him."

"I understand that Brains, but I work better without constant check-ups and orders. I am no-one's servant anymore and he won't be my master, I will make sure of that."

Brains smiled, "FAB."

"Has he always been like that?"

"Like what?" Brains asked turning back to his work.

"Just constantly checking on other people's business?"

"Only since Jeff left, he had to be more than just a brother, he's uh had to be like a father. This organisation is Jeff's legacy."

The Mechanic hummed, "well he'd do well to learn some skills about personal space in the future."

"I do what I can to protect my family against those who might hurt us, Mechanic!" Scott jeered as he ran up the steps angrily, Kayo followed quickly behind and grabbed his arm as he went to throw a punch.

"Scott, no, not here," Kayo held his hand in a tight grip feeling him shaking.

"You really don't trust me, do you? Even though I am helping to build this engine, and allowed Brains to operate on me to get that cybernetic out," The Mechanic squared himself up in front of Scott.

Kayo narrowed her eyes, "lay a finger on him, and you'll have me to deal with."

The Mechanic laughed, "you? I've seen your defence, a lot of graceful flips and that's about it. I'm not here to cause a fight with any of you, I'm here to settle my debt and then be free."

"Free," Scott snorted, "from what?"

"You for one thing."

Scott took a step forward, "if you have a problem with me, say it to my face."

Brains jumped between them, "that's en-enough, please. Scott, with this Centurium we can now move onto the launch stage, and I couldn't have done any if this without the Mechanic's h-help, I want Jeff home just as much as you do."

Scott's frown deepened as the Mechanic smirked, "Kayo?"

"Yeah?"

"We're done here, come on."

Kayo nodded, "don't come between us, Mechanic, you won't win," she wrapped her arm around Scott's waist and they left the hangar.

"Thank you," Brains smiled.

"Pleasure," the Mechanic smiled thinly and got back to work with the other inventor.