Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds.

Prompt from moonlight-huntress: "Calm down, calm down, you were just dreaming" with Kayo

Her hands were shaking. Trembling. Out of her control in a way that was so, so wrong, because Tanusha Kyrano had to be in control, all the time. In control of her anger, so easily ignited that a stray ember could flare it up, in control of her fear.

And it was fear that had her hands shaking. Trembling like they hadn't done since he'd betrayed her, the kind uncle transforming in the blink of an eye to a monster. A cruel, cruel monster who tore apart the loving family that took her in and poured so much salt on the wounds she was sure they'd never heal - would be raw forever more.

Mr Tracy had kept her secret. Mrs Tracy - Grandma, she insisted - was still keeping it, but secrets had a way of getting out. Kayo knew that, because finding other people's secrets was half of her job. She had to know what she was protecting her family from, after all. There was a ticking time bomb, sands trickling through the hourglass, flames licking along the fuse.

One day, her brothers would find out that she was the niece of a monster. They'd hate her, shun her, banish her and all she'd have left was the same monster.

Except there was no one day any more. Scott's temper was as hair-trigger as hers, and she didn't know how it had slipped out, exactly, but those blue eyes were a white-hot inferno, simultaneously too hot to bear and too cold. She'd been his sister, blessed enough to have those blues gaze upon her with the same love he bestowed upon his brothers, but that love was gone.

"How could you?" he shouted, loud enough to make her ears ring. He'd always had a powerful voice, but this… she'd never heard it like this before. "We trusted you and this whole time you've been sabotaging us! You were our head of security! How much does your uncle know about us? What have you been telling him every time you've left our earshot?"

No, she wanted to interrupt, to cry, but Scott was a steamroller and there was nothing she could do against the full force of the man she'd been so proud to call her big brother. He wouldn't let her call him that any more.

Behind him, the rest of them regarded her. But not with the icy inferno of Scott's gaze. Gordon was nearest, amber eyes aflame with a roar that told her Scott only needed to give the word and the military man he kept shut behind the light-heartedness would tear her apart. She didn't know if she'd stop him if he did.

The other pair of brown eyes, warm like honey, were tainted and dripping with sadness. Betrayal manifested itself as disappointment in the bear of the family, the how could you do this to us a physical weight crushing her even though Virgil didn't move, didn't speak, just stood steadfastly behind his eldest brother like he always did. It almost hurt worse than the accusations Scott was lashing out with no break.

John wasn't even looking at her; razor sharp turquoise was assessing the woman he saw, dismantling her piece by piece as he so obviously tried to work out what he'd missed, why he hadn't seen the Hood in everything she was. How she'd managed to hide it, even from the all-seeing Eye in the Sky. She was nothing but a puzzle to him now, one that had eluded him for so long it was now a personal affront. He wouldn't stop until he'd torn her to shreds.

Worst of all were the baby blues, wide in disbelief and horror. "Why, Kayo?" The words slipped from Alan's lips in a breathless plea to understand - why she was related to his family's greatest enemy, why she'd betrayed them all like that, why, why, why, why, why - and even though Scott's tirade should have drowned them out, she heard them clear as day.

Tears sprang from her eyes, her shaking, useless, hands unable to move to wipe them away, and her vision blurred.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, tongue tripping over itself and a sob interrupting her words. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-"

A hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched hard. It was firm and unrelenting, and instinct had her lashing out even though she knew she deserved it, whatever it was.

"Kayo!" The voice was raspy and female and familiar. "Kayo, calm down."

She blinked, tear-blurred vision obscuring the still ranting Scott and the betrayed wall of Tracys. His words were fading out, fuzzing into background noise as the other voice cut through.

"Calm down."

It was with a hoarse gasp that her eyes flew open, still tear-blurred, but the blue of Scott wasn't there any more. There was purple instead, with silver and beautiful blue eyes that still looked at her with so much love.

"They hate me," she sobbed, curling up into a ball to protect herself against the world. "They found out, and they hate me, Grandma."

"You were just dreaming," the older woman promised her. Slightly wrinkled but firm hands grasped her still-trembling ones and enveloped them with warmth and love. "It was just a dream, dear."

Then Grandma was there on her bed, somehow pulling her close under her arm despite Kayo outgrowing her years ago, and running her fingers through unbound black hair.

Kayo burrowed into the support, the one living Tracy that knew and didn't hate her.

"But they will find out," she whispered, tears slowing but not stopping as reality sank in and it registered that it hadn't happened. Not yet. "And they'll hate me when they do."

Grandma sighed. "Have a little faith in your brothers, Kayo," she murmured, her hand not stopping its gentle strokes through her hair. "They won't hate you. It's not your blood who makes you who you are, it's your choices. And you chose them. You keep choosing them every day, despite your fears, because deep down you know they won't hate you for it."

"But-"

"No buts, dearie. Trust your brothers, and trust yourself. It'll turn out alright when the day comes. I promise."

Kayo wanted to believe her. She wanted to believe her so badly. But her hands were still trembling, her tears were still falling, and she still felt like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Because trust was the problem, wasn't it? They trusted her with their lives - constantly trusted her to keep them safe - but they didn't know who her uncle was, didn't know that the threat was a lot closer to home than they could ever imagine.

And Kayo knew she should tell them, tear the band-aid off and let everything come clean like Grandma kept hinting she should do, but every time the thought crossed her mind, the same fear of rejection paralysed her.

One day. One day, the truth would come to light. She just hoped it was because she'd finally found the courage to confess.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari