Leaving the island on Sunday was heart-breaking. He had spent the day with Gordon, who had helped him with a little physiotherapy in the pool. In the morning the rest of his boys had returned, including John, but they had all needed to sleep. Jeff had watched their return from the gantry. Their movements had been slow as if each blue boot had lead in the sole. Alan could barely keep his eyes open, and the eyes of the older boys were hollow and struggled to focus on anything. It had been a very long rescue and with weak waves from the boys, Jeff made sure they all headed straight to bed. So many lives had been saved because of his boys' courage and skill, but the cost to themselves was clear. The calendar contained few social events and some of those had become no shows thanks to a call out. The changing rooms in the facility were apparently bypassed in favour of their rooms and personal bathrooms, leaving Mum to turn on the robot cleaner to mop up the dirty footprints that now trailed through their home.

His sons had slept long into the afternoon, waking only to say goodbye. Hastily donned clothes and yawns accompanied the farewell hugs he received. He swore Alan almost fell asleep in his arms, making it harder to let go of the teenager. Jeff had missed so much. Mum flew him to the facility and handed him over to the staff after sharing another hug. At least it wouldn't be long until he was back on the island again. His mother would return to take care of the boys, as she had done for so long, though Gordon had helped him leave an array of food in the kitchen for his brothers to find once awake. He smiled knowing he'd helped them even in such a small way, but he had wished they'd been able to spend time as a family.

"Next weekend. You'll see."

Jeff hugged his mother as tightly as he could in the reception of the facility. He could wait five day. He'd already waited longer.

Jeff placed his tablet down at the sharp knock on his door. Nurse Mary poked her head through the crack with an apologetic smile on her face. She was a patient nurse, who had been very kind to Jeff over the months. He gave her a warm smile.

"Sorry to disturb you, Mr Tracy, but there is a gentleman at reception here to see you. He's not on your visitor list. He says his name is Kyrano. Do you know the man?"

"I do know him. Please, let him in. I'd like to see him."

"I'll go get him for you."

Jeff was a little surprised, having not heard anything from his old friend since he'd been back. There was no way that the man wasn't keeping an eye on International Rescue, but it had thrown Jeff when he wasn't there upon his return. Even Brains had braved the unknown and flown to the Oort cloud, but Kyrano had been absent from the island for years according to his sons. The man had left his teenage daughter in the care of Mum and Scott and disappeared within months of them calling off the search. Kyrano was a tough man, had been through a few horrendous things himself, yet had still fought for a better world. It was his knowledge that had kept the island and International Rescue a secret. His knowledge of communication and governments had allowed them to stay under the radar. Jeff had trusted him completely and relied on him just as much as he had Lee Taylor. Kyrano had watched the first launch of the TV21 and been there as Jeff set off for his first rescue in Thunderbird One. He'd worked closely with Brains on the original automatic camera detector, though his sons had decided that technology was now obsolete. It had been a shock to see images of the Thunderbirds online. Apparently it was harder than expected to keep the craft offline with everyone having 4K cameras in their pockets, and the logs confirmed they often did rescues in more populated areas than Jeff and Lee ever had. Apparently EOS monitored the publicity and images available on the web, removing some when required. The world knew a lot more about International Rescue than ever, even the GDF knew where the Island was. Times had changed, and it appeared his friend had as well. The man had left the Island not long after Jeff's accident. He'd left everything on the shoulders of his grieving boys. It was something that he'd never expected. He retired, as Kyrano had called it, though it looked more like abandonment to Jeff.

Mary returned with a smile and let in the mysterious man. Jeff stood up as his eyes took in every detail of his old friend. The grey in the man's hair was evident, with grand streaks of silver sweeping through the styled strands like it was a choice that it was there. He'd aged well, the wrinkles around his eyes and temples were still fine. The man still stood with the same air of silent authority that made everyone listen to him. The man had the biggest heart beneath his serious demeanour, hence why his departure from International Rescue had surprised Jeff. Mary left the two of them alone.

"There's no need to stand for me, Mr Tracy."

"I'm perfectly able to stand, Kyrano, and I've always stood for you."

"Despite my insistence."

"Mum would have my hide if she knew I'd disregarded my manners."

"Dr Tracy is a fierce woman."

"You can say that again."

Jeff sat back in his chair and waved at the empty one beside him. Kyrano stood a little longer before heading over and gently taking the offered seat, the man's movements still as quiet as ever.

"You are quite the man, Jeff." There was a slight softening in the man's features, though he was still alert. "No one should have been able to survive that long in deep space."

"I've always been a record breaker."

"Indeed."

Jeff scrutinised his companion, deciding to skip the small talk, which was something Kyrano did to hide his real agenda, and cut to the important stuff.

"What do you think of the International Rescue my boys have created? Have they done it justice? Do you think they went too far with the social media aspect of it?"

Kyrano's eyes sparkled and a smile came to his face. That was the man Jeff remembered. The observant cunning man who would always know the right time to step in.

"They've done well, considering the circumstances. They have made mistakes, many of which they have learnt from. However, some of them have significant character flaws that they fall for time and time again. I believe they were right to start using social media when they did. The world needed reminding that there were people behind the machines, and they had managed to keep out of the limelight, to the best of their ability, until that point. I believe their AI has been extremely helpful in monitoring and controlling sensitive material."

"I'm glad you've been keeping an eye on them."

"Of course I did, they are like sons to me and my own flesh and blood was with them. Considering it was my half-brother who was threatening their lives it was my duty to keep them as safe as possible."

"Yet you left the Island."

Kyrano had the courtesy to close his eyes. It was his way of preparing himself, thinking through every word to ensure the correct meaning was portrayed. Jeff suspected he was about to hear something very personal to Kyrano, something he may have never spoken to another human being. Those emerald eyes opened and stared into his deep blue ones.

"I couldn't live with the guilt. I watched your boys search for you. They refused to give up, the anguish in their faces haunted my dreams. The way they went out and returned despondent. We had been trying to convince the GDF about Belah, that he was operating as The Hood, and that he was dangerous. Only after they saw the footage from inside the Zero-X did they actually believe some of what I had told them, but it was too late. You were gone. I had intel, Jeff. I hadn't been certain, but there had been a minor security breach at the compound. It had the markings of his work, his techniques, but I hadn't acted on it. If I had, we might have been able to search the Zero-X before take off. We might have been able to stop him, and you might not have gotten stranded."

"You know as well as I that there would have been no guarantee of that. That they would have probably ignored us, just as they had before. Nothing you could have done would have changed the outcome of that day. If anything, it could have made it worse."

"Oh, but the guilt, Jeff. I couldn't live and watch your boys suffer. Every day I was reminded of my failure. I was the Chief of Security. It was my job to manage the information network and analyse possible threats, and yet you were still killed. Your boys held on to hope, while all I could see every time they replayed the footage was how I killed you. How my brother had taken away a great man, a father and a friend. I struggled to do my job, forever on edge, doubting, double checking everything and chasing so many obvious false leads. That's why I resigned. I left quietly knowing Dr Tracy would make sure Tenusha was well looked after. That her education would continue and she would be relatively safe with your boys."

Jeff's mind could see how the events may have caused such feelings in Kyrano, but his heart couldn't get around the fact that he left. How could he leave Tenusha?

"But those boys never blamed you. They needed you to support them, to guide them through their grief and help them continue. Instead you left them to figure most of it out on their own. I never expected you would do something like that, Kyrano."

Jeff couldn't keep the hurt from his voice. A man he'd trusted, who had the skills and knowledge to guide them, has just left them.

"I never stopped watching over them, Jeff. I kept an eye on security threats from afar while they took over. They had others, Dr Tracy and Mr Taylor, who were perfectly suited to help them through."

The man paused to fetch two glasses of water, one of which he offered to Jeff. Jeff took a sip before placing it on the table.

"I had resolved to track down and locate my brother. I needed to stop him from hurting your boys again. His vendetta against you was driving him, and even though you were gone I knew it wouldn't fizzle out, not with the boys continuing International Rescue. I tracked Belah for the first year and a half, interfering with his plans and frustrating him, but I couldn't catch him. I finally managed to trace his finances and wipe them out. With no funds he disappeared off the face of the planet. He hunkered down and I had no idea where. By the time I had finished chasing every lead, every dead end, just over two years had passed since I'd left. They had all moved on, built International Rescue up again without me. John had been performing most of the security duties from Thunderbird Five, but was starting the handover to Tenusha. My daughter was taking my place. I watched over the next months as she settled into the role, with the help of John and Miss Creighton-Ward, she found her feet. She's very good at what she does, so I let her take my place. With my brother in hiding, I headed to my parent's land and started on the upkeep of my childhood home. All the while I had my toe in the water, my contacts still feeding me information. I knew my brother would come back at some point, stronger and more vengeful than ever. Each year, International Rescue grew, responding to more rescues and perfecting their techniques. They were all safe. They didn't require me anymore."

"So you have been watching them the entire time? Just from a distance."

"Yes, until they got the AI. Since she settled into Thunderbird Five, she closed off all my access loops into the network. She secured it tight. I have relied on my contacts since."

"So you didn't know I was alive?"

"Not until the world did."

There was regret in the man's eyes. The realisation that things could have been different. He'd done what he had thought was best and it'd left him alone and away from family.

"So, what do you do to keep yourself occupied?"

A smile crossed his friend's face.

"I should be asking you that. You were the one trapped so far away from everything."

"I mined asteroids for ice, grew algae and kept the oxygen flowing. Nothing too interesting, how about you?"

"Gardening, cooking for my elderly neighbours, training and keeping up to date on current affairs."

Kyrano stood up, his glass of water finished. Just like that, his visit ended. A hand was offered to Jeff, which he shook.

"May I visit again?"

"You may, though I'm hoping to become an outpatient soon."

Kyrano nodded solemnly.

"You could approach Tenusha. Reach out and start mending that bridge. There might still be a place for us old guys on the Island."

"I'll consider it."

"I believe she would welcome seeing you."

Kyrano left with just a light click from the door. His footsteps were still eerily quiet. The man could slip past most people, a useful skill when it came to retrieving stolen files and keeping International Rescue's secrets. He and Parker had been an unstoppable team in those early years. A smile crossed his face at the memories. The ball where he had escorted Lady Penelope for Sir Hugh Creighton-Ward, which had ended in dogs chasing Parker across the lawn while Kyrano slipped into the shadows. Those early days when Jeff's bones didn't ache and he could run around the island with ease. Gravity, and time, could be so cruel.

Forcing himself out of the chair, Jeff headed into the little garden. The wind brushed against his cheek and he closed his eyes. His mind drifted to times gone by. The wind took him back to his Air Force days, where he had stood beside the runway with his comrades, wind trying to destroy his neatly styled hair and dirty his pristine uniform, as the plane before them taxied to a stop. He smiled as it changed direction, blowing straight into his face and taking him back further. Back to his first flights in Mum's precious old biplane, goggles tight over his eyes as the wind stole his whoops of delight. The air stilled for a moment, before becoming gentle, barely moving Jeff's gelled hair. At that moment, he was standing in the rough rocky outcrop, eyes scouting the horizon beyond Mateo Island. That had been the beginning of it all, Kyrano standing behind him with Brains as Jeff gave them a tour of the island he wanted to buy. He'd turned around to see the cogs of Brains' mind turning and Kyrano steadfast. Jeff had spread his arms wide and asked their opinion. Brains had confirmed it was plausible, and the location had many advantages for a rescue organisation. Kyrano had given him a smile and a nod before confirming it would be a good secret base, easy to conceal with very few neighbours to annoy. Opening his eyes to the deep blue cloudless sky, Jeff wondered what he was to do next. International Rescue was running well, Tracy Industries was still an industry leader and yet his sons were isolated and tired. That had never been part of his plan. Sighing, he pottered over to his bench and sat down with a feeling he had much to mull over.