He hadn't expected a warm greeting yet the coolness of the one he was met with had caught him off guard. She had shunned acknowledging his presence and when she had finally been persuaded by her grandmother to at least hear what he had to say she had greeted him with a coy attitude. He knew full well that gaining her trust would be an awkward exercise but it was necessary in light of his position. He laid his thoughts open to her in an effort to quell any tension she might feel in anything she may have felt he was holding back. As he felt her awareness brush his he smiled slightly, she was doing just as he expected. It was an odd experience but one he had prepared himself to become used to.

"They put you through a lot when you got sent back here. It must have been torture." Robyn surmised as she probed Boris' memory.

Boris shook his head, "Being questioned twenty hours a day, sometimes connected to lie detector tests and under the influence of sodium pentothal for over four weeks could be considered torture but it was necessary."

"It seems a little extreme but I guess they can't be too careful. Elias was quite high up in the Network wasn't he?"

"He was and his involvement with Lily has sent shockwaves through the entire Network. It was always believed that we were impenetrable to her influence but now it's been brought home that no one is safe. Your mother has a great many allies in any number of guises and places. We might never find them all and to question every member of the Network as thoroughly as I was would be impossible. But, we're digressing. I've come to speak with you about what you might choose to do."

"Do?"

"About whether you would wish to stay here or return home. I have spoken with the Heroes' Council and they are willing to allow you to remain here as they have voiced concerns about your presence in Lazytown. Though Lily herself isn't on the Island and we are almost certain that would never be brazen enough to return here under her own volition we can't guarantee that you'd be one hundred percent safe but you could live without constantly looking over your shoulder. You wouldn't need the same level of protection and would be able to live with more freedom."

Robyn tilted her head, "And if Grumpy lets me go back?"

"I will escort you. I'm due to transfer to Lazytown in three days. Your grandfather cannot keep you here against your will though he is granted first refusal and will have the power to levy strict stipulations regarding your return if you decide to go back. I know you're whole life is in Lazytown and I wouldn't expect you to make a decision straight away. It might not seem like a long time but I can give you three days and I must make it clear to you that whatever decision you make must be yours and made for you alone. Langford tells me that your family are concerned for you but they are willing to accept whatever decision you make."

"I miss them," Robyn sighed softly.

"Then perhaps this might help." Boris smiled understandingly as he handed Robyn the laptop bag he had been carrying with him when he'd arrived.

"I don't understand."

"Pixel has offered to lend Kit one of his laptop computers. This is set up with that web chat program as is Pixel's laptop. All I have to do is contact Langford and let him know when you'll be going on and he can get Kit to log in. Talk to your family; let them know how you are. They'll feel better if they know you're ok. It might not make the choice you have to make any easier but on the other side of that perhaps Nine would assent to taking you on a tour of the Island and show you the sights. At least if you do decide to return to Lazytown you'll have at least gotten an idea of your ancestral homeland."

"From what I've seen so far it's a beautiful place. I'd like to see more of it and learn more about my ancestors. Sportacus never told me much about the other numbers."

"That surprises me yet he never knew much of his grandfather," Nine said as he entered the room. "Eight, his grandfather and my father was a formidable man but not without good reason."

Boris nodded, "I heard a lot about him. He was one of the pinnacle heroes; they still speak of him in the Network training halls. They speak of all of you, every Sportacus. Your family is well respected, there hasn't been a family before or since yours that has had a hero in every generation. Many follow the examples set by your family over our Island's history and have adhered to the principles laid out by you. It's an honour to meet you, sir."

Nine shook Boris' hand, smiling at the evident hero worship taking place. It was refreshing to hear that his family was still spoken of though since Lily had placed a scourge on his family name he wondered if everything that was said about them was still good. He released Boris' hand and walked over to Robyn.

"I never dreamt I would ever enter this house," Boris mused as he surveyed his surroundings, "There's so much history here. Ten generations born here, eight died here. Each father bringing his children into the world with his own hands. It's breathtaking."

Robyn had never heard this before, she'd never been aware of this part of her family's history and she looked about her as well. She'd entered this room purely by chance; every wall was filled with photographs of Sportacus' of every generation since photography had been invented. Painted portraits stood in place of those that couldn't be photographed, their numbers all displayed proudly on their chests from one to ten. Each bore eyes as blue as the azure sky above and they all wore facial hair of varying descriptions. Robyn looked at the photograph of her Uncle and smiled at the sight of the moustache she had always known him to wear, one that she realised was reminiscent of her great great grandfather number seven. She almost giggled when she looked at Nine's photo; it looked as though he had never changed the length of his beard or been without it. He was just as she remembered seeing him in her vision of playing the game with Lily, to her surprise when she looked at the man himself his muscle tone was just the same as it had always been.

"Robyn, why don't you go and set up that contraption in the kitchen? I want a minute with Boris before he leaves." Nine suggested pointing to the laptop case.

Robyn did as she was bid and left the room. She heard Nine close the door behind her as she entered the kitchen and saw her grandmother sitting at the table. As she took the laptop from its case she smiled as her grandmother sat closer to her to study it.

"How does this thing work?" Yuliya asked as Robyn unfolded the laptop and turned it on.

"It's kind of complicated to explain, grandma. I could do a web search for something that tells you."

"Web search? Oh, on that thing I've heard someone talk about. Goggle? Oggle? Oogle?"

"Google." Robyn laughed.

"Close enough I suppose." Yuliya shrugged with a slight smile, "Do you have one of these devices at home?"

"No we don't have one. Pixel's really the only one with a computer and who knows everything about them. We're not entirely modern back home, not like some places. It's nice though I think, we're in no hurry to go kicking and screaming into the twenty first century even though I suppose Pixel would rather we were."

"At least I don't have to feel too old. Do you have one of those small telephones you can put in your pocket and send those little messages with?"

"Not me personally but some of my friends do. You and Grumpy really aren't up to date with modern technology are you?"

"It depends what you consider modern technology. Your grandfather still thinks his airship is a technological marvel even though it was nothing compared to Sportacus' with its talking computer and automated systems or Ché's with his satteltite naggitation thing."

Robyn suppressed an urge to giggle at her grandmother's pronunciation but couldn't keep herself from smiling, "I think you mean satellite navigation."

"Oh I don't know." Laughed Yuliya as she shook her head, "Your grandfather doesn't believe in all these little things to make life easier. He feels they make people lazy but between you and me I think they do help a little."

Robyn's eyes twinkled as she put a finger to her lips; it was her and her grandmother's little secret.