Sally stood on the patio outside the kitchen, her eyes cast themselves over the pool and out to sea. The wind was gentle, and the day was pleasantly warm after last night's storm. She always knew who was on and who was away from the island. She never stopped counting five heads. Seven with Brains and Kayo part of the family. The early morning allowed her time to think. It was a time that brought back memories. Of the boys when they were young, getting them off to school in the morning, making sure they had everything they needed when Jeff wasn't around. The early morning rush to see a new grandchild in their mother's arms. Small, pink, and beautiful. Then there were the mornings she'd spent with Grant. Coffee in hand while they planned what they would be doing that day, be it visit to see Jeff during his downtime, or while he was at college. From deciding what punishment a teenage Jeff deserved after being caught sneaking out at night, to the hugs she used to get when he was small enough to want them from Mum. She sighed and headed back inside to the pool supply cupboard and grabbed the large net. Heading back, she held the pole out to the stairs without even checking.

"You'll be needing this."

"Huh?" A startled Gordon gasped. "Oh, thanks Grandma."

She watched the young man run past her with the same energy he had when he was small, slowing as he came to the pool, so he could dunk the net in and start clearing the foliage that had been blown into it. He'd stopped questioning years ago how she always knew he was coming. Always complaining that he couldn't jump out and surprise her. Her little Gordon, with a cheeky grin and messy blond hair. Now it was styled. She still remembered how the boy had mocked his teenage brothers for their hair care! A smile on her face she sat in the kitchen and watched Gordon clear the pool before diving in and starting his morning swim. Years of training and a skint in WASP had embedded the habit. Lucy's water baby. She would be so proud.

There was no set time for Scott to finish his morning run. Some days he needed a longer one than others. Sally knew the man had the weight of the world on his shoulders and pounding it out on the island trails released some of that stress, even if the pressure never truly went away. One thing Sally could do is have the coffee ready. She dropped the old filter into the compost container and placed a fresh one in the hold, along with fresh beans and water. Scott couldn't fathom how she always knew, but Sally always hit the start button at the right time. Placing the mug beneath, she did just that. The machine groaned as the beans were ground. The first mug was always hers, but the second was Scott's. It beeped and she took hers and replaced it with Scott's favourite blue one. Pushing the switch again she got the creamer and sugar, adding a generous amount of each to hers. She took a sip, a smile crossing her face.

"Good morning, Scott."

The coffee machine beeped as a hand fell on her shoulder. The warmth travelling through her body, grounding her.

"Thank you, Grandma."

Her eldest grandson took the drink and lent against the counter to take a sip. Sally regarded the tall man, so much like his father in so many ways. The resemblance was there, as were the subtle hints of his mother, which the boys couldn't see. Sally still swore he grew overnight, not really remembering that in-between stage when he was almost as tall as she was. Scott had been shoulder height, then the next day he had surpassed her, and thanks to the military he knew exactly how to make every inch of his presence known. Lucy's fighter pilot. That little boy who flew toy planes around the house, landing them on every surface and even a sleeping baby Virgil once, before being scolded. He had never lost that thrill for the sky, and with his father's same need for speed, he had been destined for the Air Force. How smart Scott had looked in that uniform, pride beaming from his face! Sally had shed a tear that day, in Lucy's place, as they had waved the young man off. He'd always come home though, arms ready to embrace a brother, father, Grandma. Family always came first for that man.

Scott turned to her and gave her one of his signature smiles, dimples deep and blue eyes sparkling in the morning sun. His mother had always said he'd be a heartbreaker. Sally knew Virgil and John kept a count of those things. It saddened Sally that Scott had yet to find someone to stand beside him, like Jeff had. Someone who could lightened the man's burden while bring a joy reserved for those in love. She hoped all her boys would find it one day. With a nod Scott left the kitchen, the shower his next stop, Sally knew. He'd be dressed and at his father's desk before the hour was up.

This was her way to start the day, her way to keep her boys close. She started on the chores next, the only change in the routine was the roar of Thunderbird One and Two leaving the island, causing vibrations to dance across the surface of the water in her bucket. She dipped the mop back in and continued.

"Good afternoon, Kayo."

"Afternoon Sally."

The woman's soft footsteps were the bane of the boys' lives. Many a time they had jumped a foot in the air when Kayo joined in a conversation unexpectedly. Sally was no better herself, but then she always knew when her family was close. Kayo had become the sister the boys never had; the daughter Lucy always secretly wanted. Lucy would have loved Kayo as her own, accepted her instantly and smothered her like any mother would. Sally knew Lucy would be pleased with Kayo's presence in the boys' lives. They needed her as much as Kayo needed them. Sally knew the young woman better than most, having often spending time together on the island, also left behind by the boys. It happened less so now she had her own Thunderbird. Sally had helped her through her teenage years, been the mother figure Kayo had been desperate for. Not that Kayo would admit it, she was a tough cookie, but a good cookie none the less.

Later that day, after the roar of engines were heard again, Sally retrieved a Hershey's bar from the cupboard and placed it beside the blender with some vanilla ice cream, milk, and tall glasses. She turned as the arms of her youngest grandson wrapped around her waist and she pulled him close. He was still so young, on the cusp of being an adult. The dazzling blue eyes that now peered up into hers, a gift from her side of the family, had seen more than most people see in twice the time. Sometimes it was just too much. Those eyes were tired, but she knew sleep wouldn't come, not straight away. The freckles danced as a smile lit up his face, even if it was too soon to reach his eyes. It'd been a tough rescue.

"Come on Sprout. You can make these things better than me."

She turned, the embrace changing to an arm over the boy's shoulder. He still wasn't too tall yet. Only time will tell if he'd catch up with his older brothers. Alan was soon mixing up the milkshakes, the grinding sound filling the kitchen. Lucy had so many dreams for her little boy. She never got to see his passions bloom, for the same excitable energy that Gordon possessed to exist in him but be directed towards space, or to see him pilot a spaceship at such a young age. He may look more like his mother, but he had his father's spirit. Instead Sally had taken on the role of mother for the boy, who remembered it no other way. The precious young one protected fiercely by four older brothers. Lucy's last gift.

With the milkshakes poured and a straw stuck in each, they headed to the living room together. The projector was turned on to the last channel someone had watched, as they sat side by side, Alan resting against her. The benefit of being a Grandma was it was never too uncool for a hug, and Alan was never one to turn one away when offered. The cool shakes filling a hole and soothed wounds that only time could heal. When a message pinged from Alan's wrist, a friend asking him to join a game, Sally released the boy and cleared away the glasses. Again, she found herself at the coffee machine, making two cups once more, but this time she carried them to Virgil's studio. The room dedicated to art, a room Lucy would have loved, along with the grand piano in the living room. Virgil was staring at the half complete painting with such intensity, his eyebrows crossed, that her entrance had been unnoticed. The frustration in the man's face and tension in his muscles needed to be released, so Sally held the mug beneath his nose. He stepped back but a smile came to his face when his paint-coated fingers brushed hers as he took the beverage from her. He let out a sigh after the first sip.

"How do you always know what I need?"

The warmth in his gaze melted her heart. Placing a hand on his bicep, she led Virgil to the old couch in the corner. Nothing fancy, just the old family couch that he'd insisted came with them from Kansas. Jeff had given in. They sank into the seats and settled into a companionable silence; Virgil's eyes still fixed on his current painting. How many times had they sat here for a heart to heart? It was one of the few places where Virgil would open up to her. The man worried, much like his older brother, born with a heart that cared too much. Things effected Virgil deeply, even if it didn't show on the outside. Another sigh.

"We had to tear a mother away from her dead child."

Sally's hand fell on his knee. There was nothing she needed to say. Virgil needed to work through it. No wonder Alan had been happy to sit with her so long. They all need grounding as times like these.

"She fought me. Screamed like a banshee as I struggled to carry her away. We couldn't retrieve the body before the building collapsed."

"You did all you could do."

"I can't get it out if my head. It just keeps replaying and replaying."

Placing her mug on the floor, Sally pulled the large man into her for a hug. Her hand rubbing slow circles on his back, just as she had done years ago, on that very couch, after Jeff had disappeared, and before that to soothe the nightmares after Lucy's passing. So much pain for one so young. Small sad memories interspersed the happy ones that she had of this couch. A toddler Gordon spilling his juice on the cushion and not telling anyone, only for Virgil to sit in it. The family photo that had been taken the day each boy had been brought back from the hospital and when viewed together show a happy growing family. Each boy had lain on the couch with a fever, sometime two topping and tailing. Each boy had been soothed in her arms, and each one had sat on it laughing. Now it lived with in Virgil's sanctuary, there to bring comfort and memories to the man in her embrace. His strong hands capable of lifting great weight, saving lives with a firm grasp, yet still able to touch tenderly when cleaning a wound, to softly press the keys of the piano and apply paint in swift precise strokes to a canvas to produce a picture beyond words. Lucy had been the first to notice Virgil's artistic potential, and she nurtured it. Placing opportunities in his path that Virgil jumped on eagerly. Lucy's artist. Her painter and musician. Her gentle soul. She would be proud that he'd followed his dreams without giving up on his passion for the arts.

Virgil slowly eased away from her, but the tension was gone from his shoulders even if the sadness was still in his soul. He pushed himself out the seat and applied small dots of fresh paint to his palette. Sally sat back and watched the painting take shape, knowing her presence was still needed. Eventually needs must and they headed down to the kitchen where Virgil whipped up a quick dinner for them to share. Sally didn't follow him back to his studio; he needed some time alone. Instead she headed to the reading chairs in the lounge. Her hand hovered over the novel she had started the previous day, but instead ran her fingers along the spines until she found the right one and pulled it out. The astronomy book was not her usual choice, but it was one Grant had given to John and she knew it contained an old sky map. Grant had loved the stars, even if he never had the inclination to visit them like Jeff had. How many times had she sat out on the porch as he pointed out the constellations to her? Closing the book, she careful spread out the paper.

"Oh, are you going to be using that long, Grandma?"

Sally turned to her ginger grandson with a smile on her face. His telescope was hanging over his shoulder and a blanket was in his hand.

"Don't you have some new-spangled tech to tell you where the stars are? I thought you'd know the sky out there by heart by now."

A small smile crossed John's face as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I do… but I thought I'd take the chart with me, just in case."

"Do you mind if this chart comes with a Grandma attached?"

John laughed, "That's fine with me."

Sally carefully folded the chart and placed to book on the side, before following John out to his favourite spot. The moon was a slither tonight, another reason why John was down from Thunderbird Five. There was no doubt in Sally's mind that he was here to check on his brothers, but John also needed to process the days event. Staring at the stars was his way. John lay down the blanket and set up the telescope, before reaching out his hand for the map. It reminded her of the time the boys had played pirates. John had been forced to dress up, but she had made three maps to three pots of treasure. Scott had paired with Alan, Virgil with Gordon and John had his own. His had been the hardest, but he had risen to the challenge and still beat his brothers to his stash of gold chocolate coins. She had stolen facts from some of his books to make the riddles. John's chocolates had been hidden behind his telescope. Grant had been so excited when John had shown such enthusiasm for the stars. It had been his idea to get John his first telescope. The memory of Grant letting John view Mars through his telescope when they were sleeping over was a precious one. John had fallen asleep in Grant's lap after spending over an hour gazing at the sky. After that it had been Jeff who had sat with the boy on those clear nights, but it was Lucy who had brought them hot chocolate to keep them warm. It was Lucy who read the astronomy books to John at bedtime, who brought the fluorescent stars for the ceiling and brought silver stars to coat John's sixth birthday cake. She had loved her quiet little boy who kept out of trouble and was happy to just sit and read. He had always been her bright little bookworm. Destined to live amongst the stars he loved. Lucy's astronomer. It would make her so happy to see him now, all grown up and content, still using the old map to orient his telescope. Still able to spend hours on end gazing up at the heavens.

Sally lay back and stared up at the night sky. Her heart ached for her son, who was amongst those stars. It had been so long, it felt so impossible, but her heart seemed set on it. Jeff was alive. Every fibre of her body told her that even as she fought to keep the hope contained. They say a mother knows; a mother can tell. Her grandsons were preparing, their hope contained just as hers was. Sally had no idea how long she would have to wait to know for certain if she would see her son again, but her heart told her she would.