Gordon stumbled drowsily from his bedroom and rubbed at his eyes. He yawned loudly and frowned in annoyance as he stepped into the brightness of the corridor. Following the sound that had woken him, he padded into the bedroom opposite and saw Scott searching through the drawers.

"John'll be pissed if he knew you were going through his things."

Scott grunted a reply and carried on looking.

"What you after?"

"Aha!" Scott declared suddenly and, his find clutched close to his chest, he charged past his brother and sped back to the main house.

Gordon was now too intrigued. He ambled after his brother's departing figure and then heard several low voices coming from the lounge. His frown deepening, he wandered across to where they all sat huddled together on the sofas.

"What are you guys up to? It's like 4 am or something."

"Five." Jeff corrected, "Morning, son."

Gordon groaned and slumped down onto one of the sofas.

"Did you get it?" TinTin asked Scott.

Scott smiled and held out the small, moth-eaten teddy.

"Aww!" Penny gasped, "How cute!"

"You said something treasured and old." Scott shrugged.

TinTin held the bear delicately in her slender fingers and smiled in wonder. "I wouldn't have put John down as the teddy-bear type."

"Oh, please!" Gordon laughed, "He's got loads up on Five."

"He has?" Jeff grinned.

"Yeah!" Gordon nodded, "But he thought Asimov here was too old to cope with the stress of the flight."

"Asimov?" TinTin echoed, peering doubtfully at the scrawny, balding bear.

Jeff laughed softly, "Yeah. No surprise when his first word was particle accelerator."

They all laughed together and then seemed to suddenly notice the obvious lack of the old bear's beloved owner. Despite being used to long periods of John's absence, this time around was something far different and they all felt it.

"Asimov." TinTin broke the sombre atmosphere and gave the bear a gentle hug. "Help us find John, okay?"

Gordon glanced up at Scott with a 'what the hell?' shrug. He watched his brother shake his head and settled back against the sofa, lost and confused. With a yawn, he then saw his Dad and Penny watching TinTin avidly and he figured this might be something worth staying awake for.

TinTin knelt before the low table and stared at the large atlas that Jeff had opened. She took a deep breath and sat back on her heels. Gripping the bear in one hand and holding the other out over the atlas, TinTin closed her eyes.

And they waited.

Gordon wanted to laugh. Despite being half asleep, he had figured out what all this nonsense was about and he wondered just how much illegal plant the four of them had been smoking together. He caught Scott's eye and saw the warning glare his older brother shot him. And that was too much. His hand over his mouth to stifle a sudden chuckle, Gordon leapt up from the sofa and hurried to seek more like-minded company.

He made his way as far as the corridor that led to the office and then had to laugh. He held his sides and let it all out, his heart pounding from having held his breath for so long.

Alan hurried through the door, his eyes wide and obviously having been spooked by the sudden noise from beyond the office. He groaned and nodded a berated greeting. "What?" He growled.

"Dude! It's too funny!"

Alan scowled at him in annoyance.

Gordon suddenly saw his brother's mind and shook his head in earnest. "No, dude! I wasn't doing anything, I swear!"

"Right."

"No!" Gordon insisted, his continued laughter somewhat unconvincing. "Dude!" He forced himself to calm and then explained what he had seen in the lounge.

"Yeah." Alan affirmed evenly, "And?"

Gordon's smile dropped from his face. "What? You know?"

Alan nodded, "TinTin's trying to locate John."

Gordon's face moved quickly through a confusing blend of disbelief and amusement.

Alan sighed and headed back into the office.

"Wait …" Gordon hurried after him. "You're not … serious?" He watched as Alan reached the desk and shot him a warning glare as he sat down. "Huh?" Gordon urged, crossing the office. "I mean … huh?"

Alan shrugged, "It was Brains' idea."

"It was? What was?"

Alan regarded his brother warily, unsure how to phrase his words so as to prevent further hilarity. "TinTin has ESP."

Gordon's jaw dropped.

Alan chanced continuing, "From her uncle."

And Gordon suddenly smiled.

"Dude …" Alan groaned.

"I'm sorry." Gordon wiped a hand across his face and tried to stifle his smile.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Gordon insisted, a chuckle threatening from deep within him but then receding. "It's just … I'm not quite awake and this is all a bit surreal."

Alan nodded in understanding; "I was a bit cautious at first. Especially after everything that her uncle did."

Gordon suddenly couldn't help himself and a loud laugh barked forth. He covered his mouth with both hands but his body trembled with amusement.

Alan waited impatiently for his brother to get hold of himself and turned his attention to the gently murmuring consoles before him.

"I'm sorry." Gordon had calmed. "I'm sorry."

Alan turned back to him. "We knew something was different about her." Alan reminded him, "And I told you all about the scorpion … and what happened in the bank vault."

Gordon nodded, his nostrils flaring as he bit his lip.

"What, dude?" Alan demanded in annoyance.

Gordon released the giggles and shook his head in apology. "It's just - " he snorted a chuckle, "What are we gonna call her?" He shrugged, "The hat? The cap?"

Alan smiled despite himself. "Okay … ha ha."

Gordon erupted into further laughter.

"How long you been thinking that one up?"

"It just occurred to me." Gordon sighed an attempt to calm, "That's why it's funny."

"It's not that funny."

"Okay." Gordon nodded and wandered round the desk. He sat on the edge and folded his arms, trying to be serious. "Shoot."

Alan shook his head, "You're too gone to be sensible."

"Dudes!"

They both then looked up as Virgil came rushing into the room, a huge grin on his face.

"Like what the hell are the Brady bunch on down there!" Virgil demanded in amusement, "They're doing a séance or something!"

Alan sighed in infuriation.

"I know!" Gordon stood and hurried to greet his brother, laughing in delight. "They're using Asimov to contact the spirits or some such shit. Sprout here says TinTin's gone all Mystic Meg."

"Gordon!" Alan warned.

"What?" Gordon shrugged.

Virgil looked between the two of them and horror filled his eyes. "No way!"

"Way, dude. She's like full on mojo freak girl. It's worse than we thought."

"Gordon!" Alan barked angrily.

Virgil glanced at Alan. "What's his bug?" He asked Gordon.

"Oh, he's just protecting his honey." Gordon replied dismissively, ignoring Alan's squeal of protest. "So … how far had they got when you were there?"

Virgil shrugged, "I guess they were about to sacrifice the bear."

Alan stood and charged round the desk, shoving them both hard.

"Ow!" They protested together and rubbed at their shoulders.

"This is for real!" Alan urged.

Gordon looked at Virgil. Virgil looked at Gordon.

"It's true." Gordon submitted, "Seems even the prof is in on the act."

"Huh?" Virgil raised his eyebrows in interest, "Well, I guess every Hermione needs her Snape."

"What?" Alan demanded angrily and then watched his brothers turn to him in amusement. "Oh, piss off! I am not Harry Potter!"

"No way!" Virgil soothed.

"If you're anyone, you're Ron." Gordon agreed, deadpan.

Alan gasped in horror and flew at them both.

"Boys!"

The three of them froze in terror and spun to see their father burst into the room. He was glaring in annoyance and then suddenly grinned merrily as he made his way across to the desk.

"Did you find him?" Gordon asked quickly.

"Did it work?" Virgil echoed.

Alan stared at his two brothers in horror.

"What?" Virgil shrugged, "You thought you were the first to know?"

Gordon laughed and reached out to ruffle Alan's hair. "You were so the last." He then spun back and slapped Virgil's hand in a high five.

"Da-ad!" Alan whined.

"Hush!" Jeff ordered gruffly and leaned over one of the consoles. "Leave your brother alone."

Alan spun at them and raised the middle finger of a fisted hand, glaring in annoyance as they cowered back theatrically.

Jeff sat down in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. He looked up and saw his three sons all watching him with baited breath. "England." He explained quietly, "She said he's in London."

"She can be that precise?" Virgil urged.

Jeff shrugged, "She seemed pretty sure." He glanced up at the three of them. "It took a lot out of her, though."

"Is she okay?" Alan gasped.

Jeff nodded, "She's sleeping."

"And?" Gordon urged.

Jeff nodded, "Scott and Pen are heading over there." He frowned at the display before him. "It's afternoon there and I thought maybe Alex's MI5 contact would be reachable." He dragged his hands across his face and blinked to keep his weary eyes open.

Gordon groaned, "You look tired, Dad."

"I can keep trying." Virgil offered, "I'm due to take over soon, anyhow."

"Hey!" Alan protested, "It's my shift until eight!"

Virgil stepped closer to Alan and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I think you need to stay with TinTin."

Alan nodded and began from the office.

"Dude." Gordon offered quietly, watching his brother turn back. "I didn't mean any of it."

"I know." Alan shrugged and continued from the room.

Gordon watched him leave and frowned in concern.

"Liar." Virgil smiled.

"Well, I had to say something!" Gordon defended, "Poor guy …"

"You noble thing, you." Virgil patted his back.

"It's bad enough that we talk about these things without him. Let alone that we said he's Ron Weasley."

"Boys," Jeff called and watched them hurry over to him, "We did the right thing. If we told Alan what we knew about TinTin then he might have let it slip to her. It's bad enough that Brains' has been scanning and researching and – shit …" He groaned softly.

Virgil and Gordon nodded sombrely.

"And anyway." Jeff grinned suddenly, "Fermat is so Potter."

"Shit, yeah!" Gordon and Virgil exclaimed together, their laughter then dying off as the claxon that sounded through the house warned off imminent launch and the house rumbled with the power of One firing up.

Tbc …