Kayo sighed as she leaned against the wooden beams looking out over the cracked ground, Penelope walked out of the house and joined her with a smile.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess so."

"What's happened? I know it's something."

Kayo chuckled, "am I that transparent?"

"Not at all," Penelope led her to the end of the veranda. "It's Kat isn't it?"

"Not really, it's more Scott," Kayo sighed. "He's..."

"What?"

"It's hard to explain. I know he loves me, but now he's in there chatting with her and all is forgiven."

Penelope nodded, "and the stuff she's been saying about your family has upset you?"

"It upset Scott the most, but now he doesn't seem bothered. I'm also annoyed that I was grounded again when I could've chased down the Mechanic."

"Parker and I will get on that," Penelope smiled. "Want to join us?"

Kayo huffed, "oh yeah, Scott is bound to let me go."

"You never know," Penelope was interrupted by the sound of the youngest Tracys having a scrap. "Oh dear, your younger brothers are bickering. Come on."

Grandma walked into the lounge and shook her head as the two ladies entered the house. "Alright you two, knock it off."

Gordon, who was currently on top of Alan, battled free, "he started it!"

"Watch the hair! You're stronger than you look, fish boy!" Alan complained as Gordon ruffled his hair.

Scott rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry about those two, Kat."

"Hey, no worries. I have a younger brother and he used to drive me insane as a kid."

Kayo took photos and deliberately turned her back on Scott which Virgil noticed, "ease up Gordo."

Virgil put his sketchpad down, "Gordon, you can take my chair. I need to get something from upstairs."

Kayo watched Scott fluff Kat's cushion behind her back and fought against the tears which were forming, "I'll be back in a minute."

John frowned slightly, "are you okay?"

Kayo nodded, ignoring Scott's confused expression in her peripheral vision, "I'm fine."

Virgil waited at the top of the stairs for Kayo, she approached him and he nodded, "I know, come on."

Kayo followed him into his room and sat down on the bed as Virgil shut the door, "what do you know?"

"I was watching you on the rescue, and I'd be feeling the same if I was in your position."

Kayo broke down and closed her eyes as she sat back in the middle of the bed, "it hurts."

Virgil wrapped his arms around her, "I'm sure he doesn't like her like that, little sister."

"They're getting on so well, and they're just sitting so close together downstairs. The way they look at each other," she sniffed. "I want to go back to the island."

"I might not understand the whole situation here, but I know that my brother loves you. He's loved you ever since you stopped the Hood last year, and probably even before then."

Kayo sighed standing up, "I'm taking Shadow out, I need some time alone."

Virgil nodded, "come back though?"

"For you, yes," Kayo smiled as Virgil kissed her forehead then brushed the tears off her cheeks, then she walked downstairs passing the lounge with a sigh, Scott looked up and called her.

"Kayo?"

"What?"

"Where are you going? We're about to have dinner. It's the least we can do for Kat."

Kayo narrowed her eyes, "I'm just going out for a quick flight."

"Are you alright?" Scott caught her arm gently.

"Let go of me Scott," Kayo jerked her arm back and Penelope looked down sadly.

Scott watched her storm out and looked at John, "did I say something?"

"Haven't you just," Penelope muttered before sitting down on the arm of Gordon's chair.

Grandma stood up, "I'll go and get her back."

Kat leaned back against the cushion as Scott sat back down at her feet, she smiled at him, "do you really only come here once a year?"

Scott looked back at her, "we're so busy on the island we can't afford to take breaks, but we certainly love this house."

Virgil walked back in holding a guitar, "found this."

Alan smiled. "Is that yours?"

Virgil shook his head, "no, it's mum's first classical guitar."

"Why haven't you brought that home with you?" Scott asked.

"I didn't know where it was," Virgil sat down in the chair Grandma had vacated and propped his feet up on the footrest. "I remember she used to play for us when we were kids."

Kat watched him play, amazed that this was the same man who had risked his life in harnessing ropes in the cavern only a couple of hours ago, "can I mention this in my article?"

"Mention what?" Virgil looked up with a smirk.

"That International Rescue has a talented musician?"

"Oh, he's very musical," Gordon smiled. "Let's see, he plays the piano, the guitar and played the school organ once at Christmas."

Virgil blushed, "Gordon!"

"Don't conceal it, Virgil," John nudged his brother gently as he leaned against his chair.

"Then I guess you can mention it then, Kat," Virgil plucked the strings gently.

"Does anyone else play?"

Scott nodded, "I can play the guitar and piano, like Virgil."

Gordon raised his hand, "the guitar."

"Me too!" Alan grinned.

John smiled, "I'm afraid I've forgotten my instrumental side, I can sing though."

Kat raised her eyebrows, "impressive."

Grandma walked back in, "she's gone, and she's taken Shadow."

Scott leapt up, "I'll take Thunderbird 1 and go after her."

Grandma clasped his shoulder, "don't do anything stupid."

Scott nodded then smiled sadly at Kat, "I'm sorry Kat, I'll be back soon." He ran upstairs and made his way to the hangar where Thunderbird 1 was waiting, he took off and turned on tracking. Shadow was heading back towards the island and he pushed his ship to full speed allowing him to overtake Kayo's bird.

"Leave me alone Scott."

"Kayo, what's wrong? Please talk to me."

"Land first, then we'll talk. See you in the lounge."

The two birds reached the island and the pilots met in the main room both still dressed in their civilian clothing, Kayo crossed her arms and Scott sighed.

"What have I done?"

"You know what you've done, and you're still doing it. You flirted right in front of me, how could you?"

Scott took a step toward her, "I wasn't flirting, I was reassuring her that she was going to be okay."

Kayo shook her head, "no you weren't. You may have been at first, but just then at home, it was like I was invisible."

"She's broken her legs Kayo, and I was only being friendly."

"Oh yeah, like she's been friendly to us? When you sent Virgil away I stayed, and you ignored me. I left when you began sweet-talking. Virgil found me outside."

Scott rolled his eyes, "Kayo, I wouldn't cheat on you, I would never do that."

"That's what it felt like. Do you like her?"

"No, she's a nice girl but I don't like her. At the end of the day, I wanted to save a life." Scott sighed. "Do you really not trust me?"

"I trust you but.."

"Say it," Scott narrowed his eyes.

"I sometimes doubt your loyalty. I thought we were a couple?"

"Of course we are," Scott smiled. "Kayo, you know that I love you. So much," he held his hands out to her.

"I also heard she squeezed your hand."

"For reassurance yes, she was terrified."

Kayo took his hands and felt them get squeezed tightly, "so, even when I could hear everything you were saying to her, it wasn't anything more than reassurance?"

"Of course not," Scott sighed. "Keep friends close and enemies closer."

Kayo smiled and nestled into Scott's arms, "I'm really sorry, and I love you."

Scott kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry too, and I truly love you. Let's go back to the ranch, want to join me in Thunderbird 1?"

Kayo nodded as she held his hand as they walked back to the hangar together, "that sounds like a great idea."

Scott smiled at her, "good."

Back at the ranch, Kat was getting rather impatient at Scott's delay and Gordon and Penelope had gone for a walk together, their dispute over the charity gala party a week ago resolved over a private conversation that no one had heard.

"I thought he would be back by now?"

John looked at Virgil, "he'll be back soon, and hopefully with Kayo."

"Have I done something? She gave me such a look earlier."

"You're better off talking to Scott about that, it's not our place to say," Virgil smiled as he picked up his sketchpad.

"I see," Kat turned her head to the window and looked out at the purple-tinted sky as the sun went down.

Thunderbird 1 landed and the couple entered the house, Kat glanced down at their hands joined and narrowed her eyes slightly as she understood the situation immediately, Virgil smiled at them and stood up from his chair.

"I knew you'd come back," Virgil pulled Kayo into a hug.

"Kat, could I have a word with you?" Scott sat down next to her.

"You don't need to tell me, I can see it."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have led you to think I was single."

"It's alright, I guess."

Grandma poked her head around the door, "dinner is served. Kat, I'll bring yours in."

"Yes please, thank you very much."

The family sat down in the lounge and John put on some home videos, soon the room was full of laughter and music as they watched clips of themselves singing.

"Isn't this Christmas?" Alan asked.

"Uh-huh. Mum is playing the piano with Virgil, the camera pans around in a second," Scott smiled as he spotted tears in Virgil's eyes.

John laughed, "how old were we?"

Kayo grinned, "I'd say this is about thirteen years ago."

"So I was one," Alan looked down at his feet.

"Yep, that's you in dad's lap there," Scott pointed.

"Scott was ten, Virgil was eight, John was six and Gordon was four," Grandma smiled.

"I was seven," Kayo grinned as she looked up at a younger version of herself.

Virgil watched himself playing the piano next to his mum and brushed away tears, "she passed away the following year."

Kayo rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "she'd be really proud of you brother."

"Thanks, little sister."

Scott smiled, "you see Kat, we really are a regular family."

Kat smiled back at him, "I might not even post that article, you all deserve your privacy."

Grandma laid her hand on Kat's shoulder, "thank you, Kat."

"Thank you for saving my life, you guys really are a great outfit."

Scott grinned at her, "we do our best, it's always best to do things with your family."