Freshly showered and energised from a successful rescue, Jeff was positively glowing as he strode out of the house and sank into one of the chairs beside the pool. He then saw John and Alex deep in apparently intense conversation and watched them in concern for a moment.

"It went well?"

Jeff turned and watched Penny heading towards him.

"Just like old times." Jeff smiled.

"With the added bonus of flowers, no less!"

"Hmm," He shook his head in dismay, "Crazy old bird! Comes wandering happily up to a secure area like that and – Jeez – I very nearly over-reacted!"

Penny laughed in delight, "I'm sure!" She chose a seat opposite him and her smile grew. "So, what did Virgil do with them?"

"Said thanks and tossed them aside when she'd gone." Jeff chuckled and then shrugged, "Well, it could have been one of any number of ploys! Sweet little old lady and her concealed weapon."

Penny laughed harder and then glanced back at the house. "Where are the boys, anyway?"

"Science 101." Jeff replied, "Brains is filling them in on the latest upgrades."

"The EM weapon?"

"Yeah," Jeff waved his hand dismissively, "Oh, he'll bore you with it all when he fits it to your car."

Penny gasped, feigning shock.

"Oh, I'm only joking." Jeff smiled, "Man's a genius and I'd be lost without him."

"Never mind that crap – you called her 'my car'!"

Jeff opened his mouth to protest or perhaps explain and then decided against it. He smiled happily, his cheeks flushing a little, and was then aware of Alex becoming upset and running indoors. It was a welcome escape clause and he turned back to Penny for answers.

Penny shrugged and explained the latest happenings back in London.

"Oh." Jeff frowned in concern and watched John standing quickly to go after Alex.

John wavered as he stood and took a moment to try and get his balance. He lost and sat back down hard on his seat with a groan of pain.

Jeff began to get up to go to John and was stopped by Penny's gentle grip on his arm.

"Don't." Penny cautioned under her breath.

John closed his eyes and forced himself to take some deep, steady breaths. He then stood carefully and, avoiding eye contact with the pair of them, headed inside.

"I think he feels a bit smothered." Penny explained carefully, "You need to give him space."

"He said that?"

Penny nodded and then suddenly smiled, "He also said not to tell you but I'm no good with all that subterfuge and sneaking about."

Jeff grinned at her. "Nah. Not that you need it much to be a spy!"

"Oh, that's work!" Penny defended, "This is family and we shouldn't be …" She watched his smile waning. "What …?"

"Family."

Penny laughed slightly, "Yes."

Jeff looked down at her fingers still curled around his wrist and his smile was restored. "I like the sound of that."

Penny watched him silently, her heart pounding in her ears. "It … it wasn't just me, then?"

Jeff looked up into her face.

"I thought before … at my house … there seemed … well … it was like before and - "

Jeff leaned forward and gently raised his arm to bring her hand up towards his face. He brushed the back of her fingers with his lips and smiled fondly. "Yeah." He whispered, "I felt it, too."

0000

Alan watched in fond amusement as Professor Hackenbacker seemingly danced around the EM device as if he was performing some sort of native voodoo chant. And if Alan hadn't been tuned in since childhood to the scientist's rapid half-stuttered speech pattern, then his words might have seemed equally odd.

Gordon leaned closer to his younger brother and sighed slightly. "Dude? You getting' any of this?"

Alan grinned in delight and nodded an affirmative. Escaping school to train with the Thunderbirds was simply the coolest thing ever and moments like this were exactly why: the sheer gadgetry heaven of a new Brains inc. invention. He was fascinated and hanging on every stammered word the Professor uttered, despite it being wholly against the teenage code to actually listen to an adult in teaching mode.

Brains took a much needed pause for breath and frowned at the small device that sat squarely on his work bench. He then seemed to remember that he had an audience and turned to them with a slight smile of apology.

"So …" Scott rubbed his chin in thought, a distinctly father-like habit that he resented but barely realised he was actually doing. "Let me get this straight … we're putting weapons in the Thunderbirds?"

Brains' shoulders fell. "For defensive pur-pur-pur- requirements only."

Scott laughed slightly, "This thing can all but destroy a small city!"

"In the wrong hands." Brains nodded.

"And we'll use it to do what, exactly?"

Brains frowned in rarely seen annoyance and closed his eyes.

"Have you not been listening?" Alan groaned and stepped forward to peer past his brothers and frown at his eldest. "It's for protection." He indicated the EM device and grinned merrily. "And it's cool!"

"Alan, you didn't see what this thing can do." Scott countered.

"Yeah, I did!" Alan retorted, then suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposedto have used Five's hardware to illegally realign commercial satellite feeds. "I mean … I heard about the Harriers in London and the chopper in Kazakhstan."

"It fried everything." Scott added. "The whole complex. Not just the chopper and it damaged equipment at Northolt besides the planes."

"Because it was being used incorrectly." Brains interjected, "With the right software to focus the beam … the targets can be ti-ti-ti-minute."

"Targets?" Scott shook his head slowly. "We're on dodgy ground here, Brains. I mean … they tried to bring us down by saying we're dangerous and now - "

"We fight back." Alan concluded firmly.

Scott turned to his youngest brother and sighed loudly. "God, that's just what they'd love us to do. We'll be proving them right. Playing right into their hands."

"No." Virgil had been studying the device in interest and contemplating the developing debate that surrounded him. "I'm with Alan on this one. I mean, I don't really get the specifics but, as I understand it, this is just an extension of the anti-detection shield. We can neutralise everything from the smallest spy camera to a missile or even a pursuing craft." He frowned in interest and turned to Brains. "We somehow spread the word that we have this device and give people warning to keep their distance."

"Spread the word?" Scott threw his hands in the air in frustration, "We use this thing just once and the word will be spread alright. And we'll make ourselves the threat we allegedly are!" he spun back to Brains. "And I can't believe you and Dad are even contemplating this!"

Brains regarded Scott in silence for a moment, seemingly choosing his words with care. "We were naïve to have thought that Int-Int-Int-this organisation could exist in the world such as it is and not become a target." He frowned slightly, having apparently already battled with the arguments Scott was presenting. "It's evolution. We adapt or we are done with."

Scott held the elder man's gaze for a time and seemed to see something of the pain that Brains clung to after all that had happened. And he backed off.

Whether through understanding or exhaustion, Scott relented. But knowing he was too fired up to listen calmly, he shook his head to offer an apology and turned to leave. "I need some air."

The three remaining brothers kept their attention on Brains, shifting uncomfortably as they stood before him and waited for him to continue. Then Gordon suddenly sighed and broke formation, ignoring the hissed warnings from the others as he lurched off in pursuit of Scott.

"Wait!"

Scott continued his fast pace regardless, crossing beneath the enormous expanse of Thunderbird 2 and towards the nearest exit out onto the landing strip.

"Scott!" Gordon urged, breaking into a run to catch up with him. "I would have thought that you of all people would want to get one up on those bastards!"

"That would only bring me down to their level."

"Scott!"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Fine." Gordon slowed to a gentle walk and frowned in concern. "But when you do." He called out, his voice echoing around the hanger. "I'll be here."

And with that Scott stopped abruptly. He turned and faced his brother, unexpected tears gathering as he smiled fondly and gave a small nod. "Thanks, man."

Gordon shrugged and watched Scott then spin back towards his escape and disappear out through the concealed side door, a brief flash of bright afternoon sunlight washing across the hanger and Gordon's worried face.

0000

They had sat together in silence for some time now. John too wrapped up in his own problems to think of anything remotely useful to say. Alex still too stunned and upset to form any kind of sensible sentence.

And yet it felt right. It was good to simply be side by side on the edge of his bed, their shoulders touching, and just sit with a comfortable nothing gathered round them.

It took time for either of them to notice how, despite the respective troubles that were seemingly gathering like storm clouds above them, right there in that moment they felt safe.

Alex ceased her intense scrutiny of the carpet beneath her feet and turned to look at him. With a small smile, she reached up towards his face and the movement seemed to pull him from his thoughts.

"I'm so glad I'm here." Alex offered, her voice hoarse from crying and suddenly so loud in the quietness.

John closed his eyes and leaned into her touch as her fingers sank into the hair above his ear.

Alex's smile grew. "And not just because if I was in London I'd be - "

John flinched back from her with a gasp. "Don't say that!" He snapped, harsher and louder than he had intended.

Alex pulled back her hand and frowned up at him, fresh tears gathering.

"I'm sorry." John whispered, grabbing her hand and squeezing her fingers tightly. "I didn't mean to …" he sighed loudly and shook his head. "God, I'm so tired of all this."

Alex watched him warily, seeing him taking a deep breath and wincing slightly at the discomfort it caused.

"Why don't you talk about it?"

John paused and frowned down at her.

"It helps." Alex shrugged.

"Maybe … but it's not me." John replied quietly, then sighing as he was reminded of what Onaha had said.

"I'm not saying you have to talk to me, necessarily … but …"

John groaned instinctively. "Not you, too …"

"What?"

"You're gonna tell me I need a shrink."

"Am I?"

John regarded her in interest and shrugged a little, or as much as he could without causing more pain.

"How about your Dad's friend?" Alex offered, "Your Dad said he's a good listener."

John considered this for a moment and then slowly shook his head. "I don't want them knowing."

Alex frowned up at him.

"I … I can't bear to think that … when they look at me, they'll know … and they'll be thinking – oh I don't know what they'll be thinking but … no." John sighed loudly. "No."

Alex watched him for a moment, seeing alternate waves of pain and sorrow painting a confusing pattern across his suddenly pale face. And somehow knowing that it wouldn't be long before any help might be too late.

Tbc …