My last Christmas one-shot, and will lead us into this years!

It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" Alan yelled as he ran down to the lounge waking his brothers up in the process, he skidded across the hardwood floor to the tree and grinned at the stack of presents squeezed beneath it, "awesome," he gasped, then turned at the sound of yawning. "Sorry."

"Every year you do this," Scott rolled his shoulders back as he walked over to join his youngest brother beside the tree, "we can do the presents when everyone else is up."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Recovering from the mission last night. Go and get dressed, I'm going to put a pot of coffee on," Scott shook his head fondly as Alan ran out of the room and he made his way down to the kitchen. As he was making the coffee, Gordon ran through the kitchen and dived into the pool with a cheerful yell, "ah, one person is alive."

Sally smiled as she walked into the kitchen, "Merry Christmas, Scotty."

"Merry Christmas Grandma," he smiled back before kissing her cheek, "did Alan wake everyone up?"

"I heard him that's for sure, but I was awake anyway."

"I'm just going to get dressed, help yourself to fresh coffee."

"I'll take one of those," Jeff's voice entered the kitchen.

"Morning Dad," Scott beamed wrapping his arms around him. "Watch out for Gordon, he'll be out of the pool soon."

Jeff wrapped his arm around Sally, "Merry Christmas, Mother."

"A very merry one it is with you here, son."

Scott got dressed quickly much to Kayo's amusement as she tied her hair up loosely into a half-up ponytail, "don't look at me like I'm mad, I just want to get this day going."

Kayo raised an eyebrow, "by rushing it?"

"No. By making every second count."

"Scott, breathe okay? You're acting like we've got a call out," she sat him down beside her on the bed and re-did his buttons the right way on his shirt. "Now you're ready, let's go," she took his hand in hers and pulled him to his feet.

"You're taller than usual?"

Kayo smirked. "Heeled trainers. If I'm to wear any heels today, it'll be these. No doubt your grandma will want me in a formal dress later."

"You wore a wedding dress not too long ago?"

"That's different," she smirked as his fingers stroked her wedding ring, "I can hear Virgil playing carols already."

"Hmm, Alan really did wake everyone up. I just hope Virgil's wrist is okay after yesterday."

"It's only a small sprain, it'll heal in no time."

Scott and Kayo entered the lounge surprised to see everyone had gathered in there listening to Virgil playing, and Brains was passing around Christmas cards.

"Scott, can we open presents now?" Alan asked from the floor.

"Dad?"

Jeff sighed. "If we don't open them now then you'll just pester me won't you, son?"

Scott rested his hand on Virgil's shoulder, "how's your arm?"

Virgil looked up at him, "sore, but I can play," he demonstrated with a smirk. "And that's the main thing," he rounded off the carol and sat back on the stool as Max handed him a card, "thanks, Max."

Gordon snatched Alan's present out of his hands, "whoa, this is big."

"Give it back, that's mine!"

John rolled his eyes as he sat down in the sofa ring, "every year."

"Gordon, give that back to Alan, you're not five," Jeff ordered.

"Well..." Scott grinned as he sat down beside Kayo in the sofa ring grabbing a mug of coffee from the tray on the table.

The lounge was soon covered in wrapping paper, and opened presents were lying around. A new metronome sat on top of Virgil's piano and Scott was hugging grandma holding a pair of Christmas-themed socks as Alan laughed at him whilst Kayo was looking through a wedding album with John.

Gordon reached under the tree, "hey Dad, there's one here for you. You forgot it."

"Thanks, Gordon. Wow, this is heavy," he got to work unwrapping it missing Scott and Virgil exchange a look. "Is it an engine or something?" He pulled the last bit of paper away and gasped, "oh boys, how did you?"

"I went back and took what I could from the Zero X before returning to Thunderbird 2 the day we rescued you," Scott said quietly. "Alan and I found your room and we couldn't leave your drawings there."

Alan nodded. "And we had to bring back the piece of debris with the ship's name on it, we didn't think we'd find you."

"Come here boys," Jeff knelt down as his sons piled in around him, "I'm never leaving the planet again, okay? I'm retiring from the space business. From now on, I'm a father first, and commander second."

"Does that put Scott back into command mode?" Virgil asked earning an elbow in his ribs.

"I don't want any of you to be commanders, just be a family," Jeff hugged them tightly.

"You're our best gift Dad," Alan sniffed into his father's shoulder and he felt Scott's hand squeeze his shoulder.

"I love you all so much."

Kayo smiled tearfully at Sally and moved to the piano without the boys seeing her, she began to play Silent Night and Virgil looked over his shoulder at her in awe, "don't look so surprised, Scott taught me."

"So that's how you spent your honeymoon?" Gordon winked, "ow!"

Jeff smiled, "and that's what you get son, a pinch."

Kayo left the piano and wrapped her arms around Scott who had walked over to her, "it's what you deserve."

"All that's left to say is Merry Christmas boys, and girls. Let's go and start Christmas dinner huh?"

Scott hung back as the family went downstairs, "I'm so glad he's back, and for Christmas."

Kayo smiled. "And after eight years."

"I can't believe how many Christmases we had without him, Ali is now seventeen. He's eighteen next March."

Kayo nodded, "I know, Scott."

"Well, Merry Christmas sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas, Scott."