Silence.

Victor's hands sat poised over the ivories, but nothing happened.

"I can't think of anything to play. I don't know where to start." He said sadly.

"Start anywhere." Scott encouraged.

Victor sat there concentrating, hands ready to play a note, any note. After what seemed an eternity, he put his hands down, and shook his head. He got up and left.

Scott sat at the piano frustrated. Then in one swift movement pounded the keys with all his might. Virgil would have killed him for doing that. He looked up………just in case. But Virgil didn't return.

Victor lay on his bed hands locked behind his head. His eyes just wandered around this suite that supposedly was his. When his eyes came upon the massive bookshelf, he realized that more than half of those books were either about art or music. Then for the first time, he noticed the easel in the corner of the room, splattered with spots of different colors. Does he paint too? He then started to take note of all the artwork on the walls. A scribbled signature that looked very much like the name Virgil T. was on the corner of most of those pieces. He noticed that some were oils, some watercolors and others pastels. He was fascinated that these objects were made by him, well at least according to what the people living here say.

He got out of bed and went to the bookshelf to study the volumes more closely. A large number of the books not art or music related were technology based books, books on flight, navigation, high tech rescue techniques, or other textbooks. When he looked at the diplomas on the wall, he realized that he was a highly educated person. Then suddenly it hit him, and he looked around. Nothing on the desk, nor the nightstand, or even the dresser. There was not a single photograph in the room. He did see the individual portraits on the wall in the lounge, but there was nothing in here showing him with his brothers, or father, or mother. He did find out that she died long ago, but still, won't he have had a photo of her in here? He decided to search out Jeff and ask.

Jeff was in his usual spot behind the desk. Since International Rescue had not been active for several weeks, the workload was immense. During the week between finding Virgil and bringing him home the family had extensive discussions regarding what to do with IR. The problem was that they all unanimously agreed that they wanted to keep IR active, but at the same time they also unanimously agreed that they could not ever go through the kind of grief again. And therein lies the problem. There is no way to keep International Rescue active and not risk any of their lives. They already had more safety devices in place than any other rescue organization. Due to the genius of Brains, their jobs were as safe as possible. And Brains kept coming up with greater and better safety items. But it still does not mean that something cannot happen.

The day before Virgil was brought home, a decision was finally made, to restart IR. The thought was simple. If they closed up shop and became totally isolated, they could still die tomorrow of a tsunami, earthquake, disease, or simply tripping while going down the stairs. At least, by performing a rescue, maybe another life could be saved.

Alan was going to be the first back up in TB5 and he would leave tomorrow. John still suffered from a periodic headache or attack of vertigo. Although occurring in episodes fewer and farther between, it was still one too many if he had one.

"Jeff?" Victor called as he entered the almost deserted lounge.

Jeff looked up, he was not accustomed to being called by his first name by his sons, but he tried not to let that show.

"Yes, Victor?"

He hobbled to the closest chair and plopped down, crutches not being the most comfortable things to hang onto for any length of time. "I didn't notice any photographs in my room and I was curious about it. Didn't Virgil have any?"

Jeff was taken aback at the way the sentence was phrased, Virgil talked about himself as a totally separate person in the past and in the third person.

"Well actually Victor, Dr. Homeworthy told us to try to keep the flood of memories down a bit. He suggested that we put away the photographs for a little while. Maybe bring them out after a few days once you settle in."

"Oh." Was all that Victor said. He got up to leave then turned to ask, "Is it ok if I sit by the pool for a while?"

"Oh sure, go right ahead. But don't be surprised if you run into Gordon down there, he often does laps at night, helps loosen the tight muscles in his back." Jeff replied slightly surprised at the request. It was going to take some getting used to the fact that Victor thought of himself as a guest and not a family member.

Victor turned and left, heading towards the pool.

The pool was currently empty when he got there. He kept the pool and patio lights off, he was enjoying the darkness. It reminded him of Teresa's home. With no electricity, the only light came from candles, lanterns and the fireplace. He laid down on one of the chaises and stared up at the sky. The stars were thick out here in the middle of the ocean with little ambient light to hide them.

He awoke brusquely to the sound of rockets roaring and opened his eyes to the view of TB1 exiting from…..the pool?! He sat awed at the sight of this sleek silver bullet streaking skyward. The sun was bright and he estimated it was about 9 AM. He had ended up falling asleep out here. As he felt the hot air from her jets he wondered if they frequently blast off with someone in such close proximity. He thought it a bit dangerous. But then he realized that they might not have known he was out there. When he got over the shock of such an abrupt awakening, he gathered his crutches and went back inside. He entered the lounge just as he saw a piece of the wall flipping back down. He looked curiously at the 'hidden' doorway. Jeff was seated at his desk and was talking to someone via com. "Gordon, you're clear for takeoff. Once TB2 is airborne give Scott your ETA."

"FAB dad."

Another voice came over the com, "M-mr. T-tracy, I have several v-variations of the d-design that you wanted. When you have a m-moment, could you c-come down to the lab and p-pick out the one that you like b-best?"

"Brains, I have a few minutes now. The boys will be in flight over an hour, so I shouldn't get an update for a while. I'm on my way." Then turning to Victor, "You'll be ok by yourself up here?"

He nodded yes and Jeff left. He sat there just taking in the details of the room. He had been there before, at the piano and when he first entered, but he really didn't look at it. He studied the portraits, particularly himself, in the blue uniform and yellow sash. Teresa had shown him a pair of blue pants and blue boots with a yellow border. She said he was wearing them at the time he was found. It still didn't look familiar. His eyes rested on a gorgeous, aristocratic lady, but as with everything else, did not know her. He wondered if she was family. And if she was, who was she. He didn't think the blond was his mother. Jeff had said that he looked exactly like his mother, so she would have had chestnut brown hair and light brown eyes. This lady had blue eyes and blond hair. She had a royal air about her too. That will just be another thing he will ask Jeff sometime. As he continued to scan the room, his eyes rested on the part of the wall that he saw flipping back down earlier. He decided to investigate it. He stopped a few feet away and looked for any signs of a door or handle and didn't see anything. He got closer and started to feel around the wall. Suddenly the wall flipped him up and into the other side of the wall. He dropped his crutches as he tried to grasp something anything to keep from flipping through the wall. He found himself gliding on a slide face down. He then was turned around and continued the slide feet first but still face down. In the moment that this was happening he got a glimpse of a cavernous room and that he was probably about 100 feet off the ground. He used his hands to try to slow down but not until the lower half of his body cleared the end of the slide.

He found himself holding on to the edge of the slide with his hands just swinging back and forth. He peered down, 'JESUS!!' he thought, 'I'll never survive the fall.'

"HELP!" he yelled with all his might. "HEEELLLLPPPP!"

Using only arm strength, he pulled himself up using every bit of strength he had left. But the slide was slippery and angled, he slid back off as soon as he rested his upper body on it.

Jeff re-entered the lounge expecting an update from his sons on the first rescue since the return of Virgil. He noticed that he was no longer there. He shrugged it off thinking he either went back to his room, or to the kitchen for a bite to eat since he missed breakfast, or maybe to the gym to work on his physical therapy. He went straight over to his desk, "Base to Thunderbird 1"

"Go ahead dad." Scott answered informally.

"What's your ETA?"

There was a hesitation, then Scott got back on the line. "Dad, let me call Thunderbird 2 before I continue." Jeff waited impatiently, wondering why there was the hesitation then Scott needing to bring in TB2 just for an ETA. "Dad, Gordon, I just received a call from that Jonas guy, who called in the original rescue. They got them men out safely, they don't need us after all. We can return to base."

"FAB Scott, I guess that will make it about 30 minutes then. Base out." Jeff said.