After almost two weeks in space, Alan was glad to be back on Earth. There was something about space food which got boring very quickly. When he'd off-loaded the "space truckers", as they called themselves, onto Global One, he'd managed to grab a couple of chocolate bars which had tasted like heaven. As usual, he docked up with Thunderbird Five to catch up with John before descending. Alan knew John enjoyed his short visits, and it had become a ritual after long missions.

There had been no one to meet him at the airlock today. Instead, Alan found a tired John floating in the comm sphere, tapping away on a virtual keyboard. Shadows haunted those solemn green eyes, which had frozen Alan to the spot temporarily. Alan felt no shame in wrapping himself around the floating body of his older brother, which flinched before relaxing into the embrace. That's how Alan knew he'd missed a bad one. John was a bundle of stress beneath him, and Alan only left Five after John had promised to come down before the end of the day. EOS had gladly agreed to help force him down, with Alan threatening to tell Grandma if he broke the promise. John could be the most stubborn of them all.

Popping the top on the cola he had stolen from Gordon's mini-fridge, Alan slurped his way to the living room. He spluttered at the sight of his father struggling to get off the floor as his nephew pushed a car along the floor behind him. Cola fizzed up into his nostrils and he coughed.

"Alan!"

The little boy ran full pelt into Alan's legs, giving them an almighty hug before gazing up. Their blue eyes met.

"Play, Alan."

Alan bent down and wrapped his arms around his nephew properly, lifting the boy up and being careful not to spill the last of his drink.

"Where's Scott?"

Alan carried the boy over to his father, before letting him go and helping the old man up. His Dad may have recovered from his time in space but that didn't mean he could keep up with an energetic toddler.

"Still asleep. It was a long one and I thought it best not to disturb him."

"Alan, play."

There was a tug on Alan's hand. Downing the last of the drink, he placed the bottle on his father's desk before turning to his nephew.

"Want a piggyback ride?"

"Yes!"

His nephew bounced around him, almost whacking his head against Alan's. Kneeling, small arms wrapped around his neck from behind and Alan caught the boy's shoes in his elbows. Standing up with a small jolt, to help settle the boy in a comfortable position, he started to stroll around the room in no particular direction. His nephew waved a hand in the air and yelled in Alan's ear.

"Faster. Faster."

"How about I take this one down to the beach?"

"Beach."

"Thank you, Alan."

Alan headed towards the changing room to grab the beach bag. Scott had learnt to be prepared and always had a bag of clothes, toys and long-lasting snacks ready to grab for beach trips. It took away some of the hassle and meant it was less likely for someone to forget something important. After retrieving the bag, he left through the kitchen, raiding the fridge for some real food of his own. Alan was surprised to find sandwiches, which he slipped onehandedly into a box with some carrot sticks. He had to be a little bit healthy or Grandma would have his hide, and not for the first time. Adding some extra bottles of water, he shuffled his nephew higher and headed away from the villa.

The sea breeze blew at them gently and Alan smiled, enjoying it after the recycled air of Thunderbird Three. His neck was relieved of some pressure as his nephew lent back and waved to the passing birds.

"Faster, Alan."

Rolling his eyes, Alan upped the pace once they had reached the dirt path. It wasn't the largest increase in speed, the uneven ground and extra weight forcing him to go carefully, but his nephew was satisfied. Giggles of joy filled the air. Alan slowed as he got to the decline down to the small beach, his lungs complaining from the sudden exercise it hadn't been prepared for.

"Beach. Beach."

His nephew was getting harder to carry now as he wriggled in excitement. Alan gave up the fight to keep him on his back and let the child slip to the ground. The moment he was free, he was off. Alan jogged behind him, glad his nephew was still small and easy to keep up with. Thankfully the boy stopped at the flat rock at the edge of the sand.

"Shoes!"

Alan removed the boy's shoes, socks and trousers, before letting him run on to the sand. He watched as he removed his own shoes and socks, as the child made his way over the volcanic sand. A few strides onto the beach and Alan dumped all the stuff down and chased after his nephew, who was already at the waters edge. His nephew laughed as the waves washed over his feet before running away from the sea as if it was chasing him. He would then head back out to splash in it again. Alan stood beside him, one eye on the sea just in case an extra strong wave came in. He let his nephew go up to his knees, although he never stayed that deep for long. Scott had only ever let the boy swim in the ocean if there was more than two of them about, and only while wearing the right buoyancy aids. They all knew the waters around the beach well, but Scott would not take any chances with his son.

Alan smiled and stepped back as the boy put his hands in the water before throwing them into the air. Spray arched around the boy who filled the air with hearty chuckles. It was a pleasure to see. Before long they had made their way down the beach. His nephew ran over and embraced Alan's legs before peering up at him. It still threw Alan, from time to time, to see the familiar eyes of his oldest brother looking up at him, rather than down.

"Snack please."

"Shall we see what your Dad put in the bag?"

The two of them ran across the sand towards their discarded things. His nephew opened the bag and peered inside. An arm went in and pulled out some dried strawberries. Alan sat down and his nephew fell back between his legs. After opening the packet for the boy, he snatched up the sandwiches and gobbled them down, not realising how hungry he had been. Now they had paused, Alan could relax a little and let his focus wander slightly. The sounds of the beach around him were peaceful. The crashing of the waves against the rocks mingled with the wind and birds to make a soothing atmosphere. No wonder Virgil liked to come down here to unwind and sketch. He could almost forget about the world and the weight of responsibility that fell on his shoulders by being part of International Rescue. Only the gentle brushing of an arm against his leg reminded him of his current responsibility. Grabbing the carrot sticks, he offered one to his small companion. It was happily accepted. They crunched away together, before Alan pulled out the bottles of water. Finishing one himself, he made sure his charge drank a good portion of the other, before swapping it for the deflated beach ball. An excited gasp confirmed he'd made the correct call. His nephew poked the ball as Alan inflated it, and the once the tab was secure, Alan held it out. His nephew snatched it and ran away before Alan could even stand up. Laughter came from behind him making him turn around. There was Scott, his shirt slightly ruffled from where he'd slept in it.

"He was running circles around Dad when I got back."

The deep chuckle from his brother was something Alan had missed over the years. Scott shook his head.

"Thank you, Alan. I didn't mean to sleep for so long."

"Dad! Play ball."

"I think you're wanted."

"I believe you are right. Fancy trying to wear him out with me?"

"What do you think I've been doing all this time? I'm going to sit here and watch you get outrun by a toddler."

Alan grinned at Scott as the man kicked off his shoes and ran after his son. They both knew he would be joining them in a minute. It wasn't just the fact that Alan only got to see his nephew briefly that meant he would be getting up to play with them. It was also rare that he got to spend time with Scott like this, away from work and peril. They were all so busy that quality time together was so rare, and if they did get time off, they were often all exhausted. Alan yawned. They might always be exhausted, but at least they could have this time. Standing up, he brushed the worst of the sand off, before he jogged in the direction of the multicoloured beachball that was making its escape towards the sea.