Voices, distant, but identifiable were the first things John noticed as he lifted from the fog. The pain came next, but the astronaut suspected there were some medications keeping it to a dull ache. The sluggish draw of his thoughts only confirmed that.

"Hey, I think he's waking up!" Alan's voice was unmistakable with the enthusiasm that came with being a teen. Who he was talking to, John wasn't entirely curious.

Until she called his name. "C'mon, John, let me see those gems." Ridley always had a way of making his heart jump, her words encouraging him closer to consciousness. One eyelid peeled open, followed by the other and he had to blink away the blurry faces hovering by his side. "There they are. Welcome back, Starboy."

As his eyes finally adjusted, John realized there was only one figure in the room as Alan leaned over him with a bright grin. Ridley's hologram was right next to him, her spacesuit an indication of just where she was.

"How are you feeling, bro?" The young blonde asked, offering a cup with a hot pink straw sticking out.

The red-head took a careful sip, feeling the cool liquid sooth his dry throat. "Wha- what happened?"

"Oh, a building fell on you, but don't worry, Gordon got you guys out." Alan gestured to the bed on the other side of the room and it took more effort than he liked to turn his head.

Virgil was sitting up, a smile on his face as he waved. "Hey, John, glad to see you awake."

"You okay?" He found himself asking, more concerned with his older brother.

"Of course, just got a scratch. You're the one with the hole in your belly." There was a haunted sadness in Virgil's smile and John hoped to look deeper into their accident, but right now he was content to sink back into his pillow and let Alan watch over him.

"You need anything?" His little brother asked.

"Holoprojector... my tablet…" A hand stopped him before he could continue.

"I can give you this comm projector and your girlfriend," Alan gestured to the beaming captain, who seemed quite amused with his little brother.

John didn't have the energy to argue, no matter how much he wanted to monitor what was happening around the world. Ridley's hologram shifted and he realized Alan had removed her from the side table and brought the projector to sit on the bed.

"Hi," the red-head smiled.

"Hey, Hot Shot. Can't say I like seeing you like this." She was normally so confident, but he could hear the tremor of fear behind her grin.

"I'll try not to make a habit of it."

The room dissolved into the two astronaut's talking while Alan and Virgil kept themselves busy with chess. They were all startled from their activities when the door slid open and Scott led a gurney into the already crowded room.

"Scott?" Virgil questioned, the chess match already dissolving as he and Alan turned their attention to their eldest. "What -"

The room fell silent at the sight of Gordon laid out on the hovering bed. John was trying to process what was wrong, but his mind still felt partially detached with the medications. One thing struck through, clear as day. Genie's couldn't be unconscious, right?

Lady Penelope wasn't too far behind, followed by a large figure he'd never met before. Of the brothers, John tended to know her best, having been in multiple conversations with her regarding her work outside of International rescue. He knew when she'd been rattled simply because he had never seen her look anything other than put together and in control. John almost didn't recognize the woman now as she took up a spot next to Gordon's gurney with tear tracks still on her cheeks.

Scott was standing over him before he could register his brother was aware of his consciousness. "Hey, John! Glad to see you're awake."

The astronaut wanted to know just what had happened, but his voice was lost to fatigue. He was thankful Virgil was on the same wavelength.

"Scott, what happened? What's going on?" There was no missing the frustration. The engineer was all about making sure things worked properly and right now, Gordon looked broken.

Their eldest brother didn't answer, however, his attention moving back to the London agent and their guest. "Lady Penelope?"

At her name, John watched as the protective veil came back up, the few tracks of moisture on her face, wiped away with steady hand. Where he had expected a waver, her voice was soft.

"I made a wish."

OoOoOoO

"And you're sure this is what you want?" Gordon stared into the man's face, already knowing the answer.

He'd awoken to Penelope and Fuse watching over him a day after the events with the Hood. They had filled him in on a few of the gaps, but Gordon was well aware what his mistress had done.

Not his mistress. Not any more and never again. He was free.

It had taken him more than a little convincing to prove to Penelope that he was okay and pleased with her decision. He had originally thought he had sentenced himself to death after taking the other genie's powers. Leave it to her to save his life. And with that choice came so much freedom.

That same freedom was being seen in Fuse as he prepared to leave the island they had been on for the last few months.

"Oi, I said no blubberin'," the larger man teased. "I wanna see the world on my own terms, remember."

"I know, I know," Gordon pouted, "but who's gonna watch ridiculous shows with me?"

"Alan. That kid'll just about do anythin' you will," Fuse laughed, catching the blonde off guard as he pulled him into a crushing hug. "Gonna miss ya, Fish."

"Keep in touch," he squeezed back, finding himself glad they had both survived. "And if you need anything -"

"You're at the top of my contacts. You'll be the first I call." A hand ruffled the blonde waves before pushing him away. "Now go before you get vaporized by the jet blasts."

Emotions were still a new experience for him and he suddenly felt his throat tighten as his friend made for TracyOne's steps. Fuse must have felt a bit as well, turning back to Gordon with a sad smile.

"See ya around, Gordo."

His hand came up and he felt the pinpricks behind his eyes. A thought popped up to intercede and his smile grew. "Bye, Felix."

That sent a grimaced expression over the sappy grin, "Why'd I let you help John with my papers?"

"Oh, you'll get used to it!"

Even through the groans and moans, Gordon recognized the appreciation. They needed to laugh. They'd been given new lives.

Gordon was in the lounge when the jet took off, Kayo on route to Bali to finish setting up Fuse's accommodations. He felt thin fingers slip into his hand as the plane disappeared into the clouds and he gave Penelope a smile he hoped read that he was okay.

"You'll see him for Christmas," she soothed.

"How are you so sure he'll be back by then?" He'd grown to love her way of manipulation and was intrigued by the possibility she had done something to influence their friend.

"I told him we already got him a present." A mischievous grin met hers. "I guarantee it'll be bugging him for months to know what it is."

He laughed, glad that she was thinking towards the future while he worked on one day at a time. A kiss pressed to the corner of his lips and all thought of Fuse was gone. That was the other part he was glad of as he leaned down to capture her lips.

"Getting pretty good at that," Penelope teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I've got a good teacher," his thumb brushed the side of her face as she smiled up at him. Love was an intense emotion when one had a physical heart to feel it. His was currently flipping with the idea of kissing her again. It was interrupted as a different beat filled the lounge, alerting its residents of a crisis in need of their attention.

John appeared over the holocomm, giving the two a knowing grin before he brought up the image of the globe. Scott and Alan made their way down the stairs and suddenly the couple had lost all sense of privacy.

"What's the situation, John?" Scott asked as he took a seat on the couch.

"Two cargo ships collided off the coast of Malaysia and a storm is approaching." The map enlarged to show the two boats as an icon not far off the coast, a cyclone icon quickly moving towards it. "They've requested assistance getting the crew out before the weather turns."

"Alright, you two up for some water extractions?" The brunette addressed his little brother and Gordon.

"Always!" Both shouted in unison, earning eyerolls from the other three.

"Alan, you and I'll head to Thunderbird 2, Gordon, get Thunderbird 4 loaded." The field commander was already heading for his launch tube as he gave the instruction. Virgil was still a ball of grump with how long his recovery was taking, made worse by the fact that John got to head back up to Thunderbird 5 even though his injuries had been more severe. The astronaut had argued that the low gravity would allow for better healing and won.

Before he could run off to his own launch platform, Penelope caught him by the arm and pulled him back into a kiss that communicated more than just "good luck". She pulled away from him and the room swayed just the slightest and he wondered if his grin looked as wobbly as he felt.

"Come back safe, alright?" It was an order poised as a question and he told himself he would never let her down. Scott had indicated during his training that it was always a possibility to not come back at all, but optimism demanded a different thought process.

With a salute Gordon ran towards the fish tank, "FAB, M'lady!"

They were loaded and inside Thunderbird 2 in less time than it took for John to expand on their mission. As long as they made it to the ships before the wind and rain, the rescue would be straight forward.

But International rescue rarely did things straight forward. Gordon and Alan were dropped in Thunderbird 4 while Scott piloted Two, keeping both ships from sinking while Alan went to work getting the crew onto the chair lift and Gordon worked his way inside.

He found a few crewmembers who had been cut off from the entrance and been stuck in the flooded section. A couple trips with spare helmets saw them into the rear of his Thunderbird.

"Alright, everybody." Gordon called over the comm, a smile on his face. "Welcome aboard International rescue cruises. Please feel free to let your captain know how you've enjoyed your rescue. Warm towels and homemade hot chocolate will be available once we're topside. And as always, thank you for choosing to travel with us in your time of need. Now, please remain seated as we get a smooth pickup from our very own-"

"Gordon," the warning was clear in Scott's voice, but he could see the smiles on his group's faces in the back of the sub. He was simply offering a bit of silliness in a bleak situation. "I've got visual. Activating retrieval procedures now."

A loud thud hit the roof as a grapple made contact. Gordon let go of his controls and flipped his seat back, pulling himself up to address the group. "Looks like someone else has decided to fly us home. In the meantime, anyone have any concerns they'd like to share?"

No one moved at first, but when a young woman, closer to Alan's age, waved, Gordon gave her his best smile.

"Um - who are you? I-I mean I've never seen you before." She leaned forward against the shoulder straps and he got the distinct idea she was trying to get a good look at him.

"I'm new, the name's Gordon." He grinned, but her face said she wanted more. "Gordon Tracy."

"Oh! So there are five of you?" She brightened and an audible groan sounded from a few of the other rescuees. "I'm a huge fan! I've been trying to learn everything about you guys!"

Uh oh, he chuckled at her enthusiasm and imagined what was about to happen once they disembarked. Alan might be the best to deflect her to, seeing how their commander wasn't too thrilled with people knowing too much about them.

The sub locked into place and the rear hatch opened with the younger blonde waiting just outside. "Right this way, watch your step."

"Oh, wow!" It was like she hadn't just been inside a sinking ship as she bounced into the module, her eyes roaming around.

Gordon caught Alan's confused look and gave him a wink. "Big fan."

That sent the teen off in as much of a tizzy as the girl, joining her to answer questions and show her around. Gordon simply observed, helping people find places to sit, checking injuries, but mostly watching to make sure everything went smoothly.

Now that he had a family to protect, there was no way he was going to lose them, so when his eyes met Scott's as he stood overlooking the small crowd, Gordon saw mutual understanding.

No one messed with the Tracys.