It was a perfect afternoon. The heat of the day was slowly fading into the cool, darkening sky and a gentle wind crossed over the island taking the last of the humidity out to sea.

John sat at the edge of the upper pool and swung his legs round, dipping his bare feet into the cool water. He was tempted to immerse all of his tired body beneath the calm surface but he only had a few moments break.

It was odd. Up on Five, he never missed the fresh air or daylight of being planet side but now he was home he felled compelled to take regular steps outside of the office. Taking a deep breath and letting it ride out on the breeze that pulled at his shirt, John then wondered if actually he was sitting there more for his benefit or for Onahas.

She had watched him like a hawk ever since their flee homeward and he could well understand why. It had taken a long few weeks and several bottles of serious painkillers to get back on his feet the last time.

And then there was the small problem of having almost overdosed. Which was surprisingly easy. John frowned and recalled Onaha's shock. It was a mistake. Just a mistake.

But she'd taken the pills away, just to be sure and said something about not liking the idea of him using them, anyway. And then she'd perused the rest of the supplies the nurse had hastily boxed before their escape from London and had suggested some alternatives. Yes, he needed pain medicine and high doses of antibiotics to protect his damaged kidney and combat the loss of his spleen but she was concerned at the number of chemicals he was pumping into his body. John had laughed then, recalling the bland supplies on Five and the daily supplements he took while on duty there. She had given him a look that he somehow thought his mother might have understood and had offered some changes. She was trying to help and she was, even though it made him feel incapable and somehow guilty.

But it really had been a mistake.

Hadn't it?

Not that he could really be blamed if he did ever contemplate –

No. He closed his eyes and forced the notion to the back of his mind. He was stronger than that.

Wasn't he?

Tears stung the back of his eyelids as he suddenly wondered if he actually was strong enough to climb back up after this one. After all, it was a much harder fall.

The Hood's attack on Five had been terrifying and no amount of time or talking could ever keep the nightmares at bay forever. But there had been a sense of hope somewhere in the midst of all that chaos; he had known somewhere in the back of his mind that they would pull through. Even if others suggested that this was a result of the shock and disbelief that something like that could ever have happened to them, he knew it was something more.

It was faith.

A faith he never spoke of to anyone except the stars.

Faith in what exactly he wasn't sure. But he had spent too many long hours watching his family rescuing people just in time or coming up against impossible odds and emerging triumphant. There had to be something helping them, watching their backs. Something more than simply the brother that surveyed their efforts from way above the Earth.

And that was what now hurt the most. Whatever it was that gave him that sense of hope, whatever it was that he found himself believing in. It had left him cold and alone in a remote Kazakhstan cell.

John shivered despite the warmth of the afternoon and, try as he might, the memories broke free of their restraints and ran rampant inside his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter and tried to force the images away, a sudden dread flooding through him.

"Hey there."

The gentle voice was unexpected and he flinched slightly, turning quickly to see who was approaching and the action pulling at broken ribs and the tight scar that ran up his torso.

"Sorry …" Onaha shrugged and continued forwards from the house.

John offered her a thin smile, his hand instinctively rubbing at the itching scar beneath his shirt.

Onaha came to a halt beside him and watched him in concern. "Is it still bothering you?"

John shrugged slightly and forced himself to leave the scar alone, remembering clearly how painful scratching the irritation was.

Onaha nodded slowly and stepped away from him, walking quickly round the pool and heading for the neatly arranged potted plants nestled amid the tree line.

John swayed his feet in the water, trying to distract himself from the tingling that seemed to throb beneath the strange red line that neatly marked the centre of him.

"Here." Onaha hurried back to him and held out the thick green tip of a strange leaf from one of her plants.

John stared at the leaf and looked back up at her blankly.

Onaha smiled and knelt down beside him. "Open your shirt." She began, grinning as she saw the sarcastic response that sparkled suddenly in his eyes. "Oh, I've seen it all before!" Onaha chuckled softly.

John flicked up one eyebrow in amusement and slowly unbuttoned the thin cotton. He then watched warily as Onaha squeezed the leaf tip and clear-greenish sap oozed forth.

"Oh, come here." Onaha laughed slightly, seeing the disgust on John's face as she held the bleeding leaf towards him.

"But -" John pulled away from her in uncertainty and grimaced as she touched his chest with the leaf. He held his breath as the green gunk made contact with his tender skin and then gradually the cool sap began to work it's magic. "Wo …" John sighed in relief as Onaha spread the cool greenish ooze down the length of the scar and the itching faded. "Aloe?"

Onaha smiled warmly at him and nodded with pride. "You see … I know what I'm doing."

John gasped, "Oh, I didn't - "

Onaha raised her hands, "It's okay." Her smile grew and she placed her hand on his arm. "You do not know me as the others do." She laughed gently, "Which spares you from my nagging, I suppose."

John smiled back at her. She was right. It was rare that he spent this much constant time with his whole family. And it had come as a pleasant surprise to find himself enjoying it.

"It's good to have you here." Onaha continued.

John nodded in agreement and looked down at the rippling surface of the pool. It felt good to be there. The past few days had been strange, to say the least, but their father had been completely clear; he wanted everyone together on the island until the whole situation in the world beyond their sandy borders calmed. How long that would take no one knew but Jeff had been adamant that it would take as long as it needed to.

And it had taken about six days. And then the very public reassurances sent out to a secret organisation began to really sink in. And so they had responded that morning to the first distress call since the Kazakhstan incident and the chaos that had erupted after.

And it felt strange to now be almost alone. Thunderbird One and Two had blasted from the island just after midday and left behind them a house oddly silent. John had monitored the mission and listened to the usual cheeky banter between the brothers and watched the rescue unfold just as it should. And a sense of familiarity settled around him at last.

The first few days he had done nothing but sleep and then he had emerged to find the place unusually calm and quiet as they slowly absorbed all that had happened to them.

Kyrano had spent long hours talking with Jeff and Brains. Scott had seen them sending some sort of memorial wreath out to sea and they could all guess why but it was never spoken of. Penny had called frequently to check up on them and Onaha had provided home cooked goodness and a shoulder for those that needed it.

And Alex. She was so perceptive and had blended into the home as though she had always been there. She was part of things when it was right to be and yet somehow faded into the background when the family needed space.

Normality had slowly crept in early that morning, almost as if this day had begun with a sign that it would be better. At breakfast, Alan and Gordon had been refreshingly loud and Scott and Virgil had risen to their various challenges willingly, glad for the excuse to simply be stupid – but to of course beat them at everything.

"What is it …?"

John looked up from his intense study of the pool water that rippled around his feet and could feel himself blushing. He had been lost completely for a moment and had totally forgotten that she was there. "I …" he cleared his dry throat and shook his head slightly. "I'm really not sure."

Onaha suddenly smiled and stroked her hand down his arm fondly. "They're okay, you know … they're on their way home and they're fine."

"Yeah, I know." John shrugged, "It's not that. Well, it is but … it's just … I don't know what's going to happen … you know?"

Onaha smiled patiently.

"I mean … it used to be clear. There was purpose and meaning and … oh, maybe Scott's right. I'm too much of a routine-aholic."

"A what?"

John laughed gently, "You know. I like my quiet and my stars and my studies and … well … routine. All this uncertainty and chaos is too much for my ordered brain." He looked into her gentle face and laughed again. "God, I'm such a nerd!"

Onaha shrugged slightly. "Perhaps."

"It's like all the rules have been re-written, y'know? All the facts are wrong and nothing is where it should be."

Onaha's smile faded slightly.

"Oh, listen to me!" John chuckled, "I sound like a right crazy!"

"No." Onaha frowned, "No, you are actually making a lot of sense. There is comfort in order. And your way of coping last time was to quickly regain that order. You couldn't do that this time. You couldn't retreat to the reassurance of your world up there above us."

"Wait, I don't - "

"And it has changed you, this whole … experience." Onaha continued carefully, seeing him shudder and again placing her hand on his shoulder to reassure him that she wasn't about to force the memories to the surface. "You came down for your usual break from Five and you were the person you knew as you … now you are someone else."

John held his breath and regarded her warily.

"And you don't like this new version of you."

John's breath left him with a slight moan and tears suddenly gathered.

"I won't pretend to know how that feels." Onaha squeezed his shoulder gently, "But I do know that you need more time."

John nodded silently.

"And perhaps you need more than this," She glanced back towards the house, "Being here and being close is exactly what they needed but you are different."

Again John nodded before then suddenly laughing softly. "Is this your subtle way of saying I need a shrink?"

"Maybe," Onaha shrugged, "Only you can know that."

A gentle bleeping at his wrist comm. then interrupted them and John frowned as he opened the link.

"John, darling."

"Penny?"

"We're making our approach. Permission to land?"

"I …" John's frown grew. "Yeah … sure. But - "

"Brains called me in." Penny explained quickly, "He said he needs to make some modifications to my ca– to FAB 1."

"Oh."

"Didn't he tell you?"

John smiled warmly, "He's been so engrossed in studying that new device of his that he's not emerged from his lab for days, let alone spoken to anyone." Which wasn't strictly true. John had seen the repeated bursts of transmission from the lab to a certain school in Massachusetts.

"I see. Well, we're here now. See you in a mo'."

"Sure. Put her down on the edge of the airstrip and I'll warn Virg to watch out for her."

"Thanks John."

John closed the connection and took a deep breath. He turned and offered Onaha a brief smile of gratitude before climbing to his feet and heading back inside.

0000

Penny wandered inside the house and waved a greeting to Onaha before heading up towards the office. Converted to the command and control centre while the team were still out there, the office was dark save for the pale glow from the numerous monitors and Penny smiled as she saw the single occupant hunched over one of the consoles.

"There's no place like home."

John lifted his head and turned to smile in greeting.

Penny stepped further inside and looked around the dimly lit room. "Perhaps you ought to paint some stars on the shielding or project an image of the Earth there to make it really work."

John's smile grew, "I was simply conserving energy by leaving the lights off."

"Yeah, yeah." Penny chuckled and climbed up onto the central platform. "How far out are they?"

"ETA 12 minutes."

Penny nodded thoughtfully. "Good." She watched him for a moment and took a deep breath. "Where's Alex?"

"Out exploring." John replied and then grinned as he nodded to one of the monitors. A small transponder signal flashed amid the white contour lines of a rough island map and he shrugged slightly, "But she hasn't ventured further than the beach as yet." He turned back to Penny and his smile fell away. "Why?"

"DCI Pryce." Penny answered quietly, "He was found this morning."

"Found?"

"Shot."

John stared at her in horror.

Penny nodded sadly, "I know. It's a dreadful blow." She sighed heavily, "We've got Henry Shaw in protective custody but … Alex's partner Tom has gone missing."

"Someone's doing a clear up."

"Yep. And guess who they'll seek out next."

John closed his eyes. "Shit."

Penny nodded towards the locator beacon and frowned in thought. "I've got people en route to provide cover for her family but Alex needs to be warned."

"Warned?"

Penny shrugged slightly, "We've no other choice. As of the six o'clock news tonight, PC Alex Winter is no more."

0000

The intense rumble of returning craft sinking back into their concealed housing shook through the complex and brought all but one of its occupants hurrying through to the lounge to greet the team. It wasn't something that usually happened but after the first mission since chaos had opened up and almost swallowed them, it seemed the right thing to do.

And soon the five of them emerged noisily from the secret passageways in the control room, still in uniform and grubby from the rescue.

"Hey." John greeted them warmly, standing from his chair to meet them.

"Virg got flowers!" Alan barked excitedly.

"Alan!" Virgil shouted in annoyance, having apparently ordered his little brother to keep that particular gem secret.

"Flowers?" Parker grinned in delight.

"Yeah!" Alan enthused, seemingly unperturbed by the daggers he was being shot by his older siblings. "This little old lady came up to mobile control and gave them to him!"

"Really?" Penny laughed.

Virgil frowned in annoyance, "I was only there for a second – Scott was off securing the area and asked me to help pack up." He turned to the eldest and his frown grew. "I'm sure they were meant for him."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Scott laughed merrily, closing in on his brother and mussing his hair. "You are the prettiest of us, after all."

"Dude!" Virgil warned angrily.

"Okay, that's enough." Jeff cautioned gently, heading through to the kitchenette and grabbing a glass of water.

"Yeah." Gordon agreed, "We ought to be focusing on the serious security implications of the Virgil Tracy fan club."

"Hey!" Virgil defended in annoyance, glaring at Alan who was doubled up in uncontrollable glee.

Scott grinned, eager to take up the challenge. "Not that I think we'll have much to fear from the beige brigade."

Virgil spun at him and opened his mouth to protest.

"Anyone hungry?" Onaha ventured carefully, lifting a large chocolate cake from the fridge and noting the awe-filled silence that now hung in the room. Pleased with the effect her creation had gleaned, she set the cake down on the table and looked round at their stunned faces. "I thought you all deserved a little spoiling."

Alan had now stopped laughing and was staring at the cake in wonder, seemingly caught in the tractor beam of its cocoa goodness. "Onaha, is that - "

Onaha grinned with pride, "As close to chocolate fudge as I could make it."

And that was enough information. With a flurry of excited chatter and eagerness the table was soon crowded. And it was like the past weeks had, just for a moment, faded into a distant memory.

Tbc …