It had been an emotional rescue. Jeff had tried to help as much as possible. John, though more accurately EOS, had fed him tasks when they came up, but the feeling of helplessness had still settled within him. He had relayed information to the local authorities, reviewed visual data that required human eyes, and second checked all her communications. It had been scraps, leaving Jeff plenty of time to watch the drone footage and listen to his boys communicate to one another. They were professional, continuing on despite the harrowing sights they endured. It was an aspect of the job he wished he could take away. They weren't always keen, but Jeff had made a counselling service available to the whole family, fully vetted and qualified to deal with their circumstances. It was always there if they needed someone to talk to and help them process the events of any rescue. He hoped at least one of them would be using it after what had occurred today.

Slipping the stylus from its place, Jeff signed off on the mission report, then sent it to the GDF and local authorities with a sigh. His head fell into his hands and he closed his eyes against the world. Taking deep breaths, he tuned into the world around him, letting the sounds take over his mind. The gentle hum of the air-conditioning unit, an electrical buzz from somewhere to his left and the soft padding of bare feet. Eyes still closed; Jeff zeroed in on the familiar sound. Only one of his sons would creep around the place barefoot and no matter how much Gordon tried, he hadn't been this light-footed in years. It was a sound that transported Jeff back years. Before he could open his eyes, the clatter of metal hitting the wood of his desk filled the room.

"Vroom! Vroom!"

A smile crossed Jeff's face as he raised his head, putting the stylus down in the process. A small head bobbled along his desk, just ahead of the toy plane that was being forced along the table by a small hand. There was a small pause in the plane's taxiing.

"Vroom! Vroom!"

Jeff pushed his chair back as he stood, allowing those young blue eyes to meet his. A glance at the clock confirmed Jeff's suspicions. A small guilty smile crossed the boy's face as he continued to roll the plane down the makeshift runway. A few quick strides around his desk, and Jeff slipped his hands under the boy's armpits, scooping his grandson up into his arms. There was a small grumble from the child.

"You should be asleep."

"Fly plane."

"It's naptime, young man."

"No."

The boy shook his head vigorously, taking Jeff back to a very similar time in Kansas, when a similarly aged Scott had refused to nap. If his grandson was anything like his father, then it was not going to be easy to get the boy down again. The slight shift in time zones never helped the child either. Carrying the boy to his room, Jeff placed him on the plane covered bedspread. Immediately, his grandson went to climb down. Jeff grabbed the boy and sat in the bed with him, only to be given a pout when the plane was removed from the child's hands.

"My plane."

"We can play with the plane later. Now, we sleep."

The little boy was having none of it, and started wriggling away from Jeff, who just wasn't quick enough. A small knee landed in a sensitive area, stealing Jeff's breath with a groan.

"Careful there, boy."

Jeff wheezed as his grandson paused in his escape for a second to peer at the older man. Twisting to sit on the edge of the bed, pushing the mild throbbing to the back of his mind, Jeff made a grab for the boy. He caught him, but not before the plane was back in the toddler's hands. He looked down on the child.

"You aren't going to go to sleep, are you?"

"No."

Jeff sighed. His grandson would be a pain later on, having not had a good nap, something Scott really didn't need right now. The least Jeff could do was give Scott some time to rest.

"If you're not going to sleep, why don't we play planes quietly in here?"

At least Scott wouldn't worry about his son's whereabouts if he came to check on him. The lad grinned as Jeff let him wiggle out of his grip. He watched as the child pottered over to the box of toys and dug into it for another plane. Jeff had had a similar box of planes as a child, a passion his mother had a hand in, even if it was only a hobby for her. Scott had shared the interest, which he was now sharing with the next generation. Not that Jeff could blame him. With the most technologically advance machines taking off around him, it would be surprising if his grandson didn't pick up even the smallest interest. Carefully Jeff lowered himself to the floor, finding a comfortable position against the bed. A plastic GDF flyer was brought over and placed in his hands before his grandson darted off to start circling the room. A few energetic laps later and the boy finally realised Jeff hadn't moved. Pausing mid-flight and pointing at the flyer, the child made his demand.

"Fly Grampa. Fly."

Jeff responded with a serious face and a nod. Carefully repositioning the plane's engines so they pointed down, he slowly made the plane rise in a hover. This seemed to be exactly what the boy wanted as he continued his loop around the room before turning and heading straight for Jeff.

"Fire!"

The boy blew raspberries, which had Jeff biting his lip to stop from laughing. His grandson could be so damn cute. As his grandson approached, Jeff played dutifully, pretending to dodge all the bullets being fired at the flyer. He swung it this way and that until it was time to admit defeat. Jeff spiralled the flyer and crashed it into the floor.

"Bang!"

His grandson's face lit up with glee as her flew his plane away at a slower pace than before. A yawn stretched across the child's face and Jeff smiled. He knew it was just a matter of time now. His grandson continued, rolling the toy along a chest of draws before slowly plodding back to Jeff and falling to his knees. The boy was visibly fighting to stay awake now, the last burst of energy ebbing away. The flyer was retrieved and both planes were wafted about in a slow dogfight. Another large yawn stilled the boy's body. His arms fell to his sides and the toys clicked as they hit the ground. Large sleepy blinks broke the boy's gaze, and the flyer was released so he could rub his eye. Jeff opened up his arms.

"Come here, son."

His grandson shuffled forward, and Jeff guided the boy into his lap. His grandson leant against his torso. Wrapping his arms around the boy, he took the plane from the child's hand and held it up before him. It was an old Spitfire. Jeff spoke softly into the boy's ear, whispering all the facts he could recall about the plane. He pointed out the guns and explained the colours and symbols. The child's head had slumped before he had finished the explanation. Quietly placing the toy to the side, Jeff peered down at his grandson. The closed eyes and gentle rise of the chest confirmed he'd fallen asleep.

With the utmost care, Jeff lifted the boy and tucked him into his bed, slipping the blanket up and over his small body. He knelt for a minute, taking in the peaceful form on his grandson. He heart was full of love, not only for his grandson but for the sons he'd put to bed so many times, so many years ago. Brushing his fingers through the child's hair and away from his eye, Jeff leant forward and planted a kiss on the boy's forehead.

Jeff's body complained as he stood, age and time in deep space taking its toll on his joints. Turning to leave, he paused at the sight of Scott leaning against the doorframe. There had been no sound of footsteps that Jeff could remember so he had no idea how long he had been observed. Scott just nodded and Jeff headed out, turning on the forgotten baby monitor so they would be alerted when the child woke. It was only after he had softly closed the door, that Scott spoke.

"Thank you, Dad."

It was barely a whisper, but the relief in that man's exhausted eyes was clear. Jeff placed a hand on his son's shoulder. The man was a great father. Jeff was so proud of him.

"No problem, son. I suggest you have a nap also. He'll have a new bout of energy once he's awake."

Scott sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. Jeff knew how tiring parenting could be, and Scott had a demanding job on top of all that. His son had struggled to sleep before he'd become a father, so Jeff was happy to see Scott nod and head towards his own room, yawning and stretching with each step.