Prompt: *Hey, I'm requesting hurt comfort prompt list 1 #3 "Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm here now." with Scott. I don't know how specific you'd like the story to be so if you're willing let it be because Reader had a heart event.* Same requester as chapter 1.

I wake up to an empty bed.

It's still slightly warm so I know Scott hasn't been gone too long and I take my time getting up. We might live on a tropical island but tonight I'm feeling the chill.

I had the dream again.

The one where I first met Scott Tracy and his remarkable family. I haven't thought about that time for quite a while, and I shiver. Not with the cold, but something else.

That summer was the best months of my teen life. But just like everything it didn't last long. We decided that I would have the operation, have the pacemaker fitted. It didn't go to plan and I spent a few months in hospital. When I came out Dad's work had moved him to Oregon, and so we went too.

I tried hard to keep in touch but with my worsening health and then college, Scott's family moving abroad and he joining the USAF as he had always promised… and our friendship fell to the wayside, a fact I often lamented.

I was 14 going on 15 when I last saw Scott. I didn't see him again until I was 29. Even then I immediately recognised him. Same eyes. Same dimples. Same helping hand.

By this time I was in Japan, getting back to my Mother's roots. I had a steady job, one that was forgiving of my health issues. It wasn't going to make the world a better place, but I loved it.

I was there when the earthquake struck.

I was there when the tsunami struck.

I was there when Thunderbird One swooped overhead and a blue man flew – yes, flew – down and extended a hand. From my precarious perch on the roof of the building I had been living in. I reached up and grabbed it and the hand locked around mine. I looked up into blue eyes and mine widened.

Of course I knew the Tracys were International Rescue, the whole world knew after the Hood outed them when their father had died, but knowing and seeing…that was different. From the expression on his face it appeared that Scott recognised me too.

'Scott!'

'Yui!'

He pulled me up and held me close as we ascended into One before flying across to the designated safe place. Scott dropped me off and flew off, and I reacquainted myself with his brothers. As I wasn't injured I set to work in the medic tent as all five of his brothers and his sister along with local services tried to rescue as many as possible.

It was tiring work but rewarding in the main. The death toll may have reached almost 20,000 but without International Rescue it could have been so much higher.

Five days iR stayed and helped find people. And I stayed right with them, sharing their joys and their grief. And then it was over. I had no home and no job. My heart had miraculously not played up too much and I had never felt so rewarded for five days of work.

Scott came and found me, that last day, and we spent some time catching up while Virgil, Gordon and Alan finished packing up Two's infirmary.

'How are you, Yui?'

'I'm fine.'

We share a smile and Scott touches my forehead with his. It feels comfortable. It feels right. His hands are on my shoulders and they squeeze gently. I put my hands on his and squeeze back.

'What will you do now?'

'I – I don't know. Everything I had is lost.'

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and took my hand.

'If you want…you can come home with us. With me.'

'I'd like that.'

Of course it didn't' quite go like that. International Rescue returned home and I stayed in Japan. I had people to see, personal things to do and finalise. And so I sorted out the detritus of my life.

Scott came as often as he could, helping where possible or just being there when I needed him. John and I spoke often once Scott had given me a watch comm. All the brothers visited when they could. I met Kayo and Lady Penelope and, while scary, we bonded over the boys and their quirks.

Until finally one day I was all finished. I was ready to move to the island. That was the most perfect day. Scott flew over in Tracy One to collect me and we were met on the runway of the island by everyone. Even John was there. We'd picked up burgers and fries for lunch and we sat round the kitchen and munched and talked.

And then Scott took me for a walk along the clifftop, got down on one knee and proposed.

I am not ashamed to say that I cried.

We had a simple ceremony on the island. Jeff gave me away. Gordon was the officiant. Kayo and Penny my maids of honour. John was best man. Virgil played piano. Alan strummed along with his guitar. We had a handful of guests that the boys knew – Val Casey, Wayne Rigby, Tycho Reeves and Brains, of course. I had no family of my own still alive and no friends either, but while sad that Mom and Dad didn't make it to see this I never once felt alone.

Life settled into a good routine.

Scott and I have our own villa on the island, but spend most of our time in the family home. I have a part time job as Jeff's assistant, helping him with his Tracy Industries work as needed. He has caught up well with life back on earth and is as active as ever with TI as before. Scott still helps but Jeff has taken much of TI off Scott and left the bulk of running iR to him instead.

It's lifted a lot of stress off of Scott's shoulders, his brothers tell me, and as I see the lines begin to smooth as the years pass I can see what they mean.

We have been married for several years now and our family is used to my Brugada syndrome and the occasional upsets my heart gets. Often Scott is the only one around, but when it is at its worst then Grandma and Virgil will be around too.

All of this flows through my mind as I shrug on my dressing gown and pinch Scott's Thunderbird One slippers and pad through the connecting tunnel to the main Villa to see what's going on.

Grandma smiles at me from the command centre and Jeff from the desk. She disappears and Jeff gestures to me to sit and watch if I want. I do want. I am used to seeing Scott in action now, but it took a while for me to be comfortable watching him throw himself into danger – literally sometimes.

MAX comes trundling in with Grandma, and he whistles and beeps happily at me while he produces three steaming cups of hot chocolate. Grandma brings mine over with hers and sits next to me, filling me in on the rescue Scott's on.

It is a simple climber rescue. The man in question has fallen down a narrow crevasse, one that Two will not be able to help with and even One hasn't been able to navigate. Scott's jetpack has been put to good use, the man has been found and as I watch the holographic image of the two men flies out of the crevasse and into One.

Scott reports the man has some mild hypothermia and a badly broken leg. Virgil answers that he's ready for Scott to transfer the man over to Two's infirmary.

I listen to the banter of the two flow back and forth and relax. It's still night time on the island when I hear One's engine and I make my way down to our villa. I make Scott a hot chocolate and leave it on the counter for him and make my way to bed.

I'm tired.

There's a flutter in my chest and as I tumble into bed I am hit with the full force of my heart condition. All I can think about is that I don't want Scott walking in on me like this, that it's not fair on him, but I lose consciousness as the thought forms.

Even in the throes of becoming unconscious I feel the jolt of the pacemaker. This one is my third. Brugada Syndrome burns through them much quicker than most heart conditions.

The next thing I am aware of is a hand carding gently through my hair and the soft beep-beep of a heart monitor.

I take a shaky breath and the hand stills, moving from my hair to cup my cheek. The thumb wipes away a tear I hadn't even realised I had shed.

'Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm here now.'

Scott's voice is low and as soft as his thumb on my cheek. I turn into his hand but I cannot stop the tears.

This time, this one, has shaken me badly. I open my eyes to see Scott smiling down on me and Grandma and Virgil at the foot of my bed. They smile as I blink sleep away and struggle to full consciousness. It takes far longer than it usually does.

The two medics continue conferring quietly and Scott kisses my forehead.

'Sleep, Yui. I'll be here when you wake up.'

His words are a soothing balm and before I can even answer him my eyes have closed.

When I next awake the first think I notice is Scott. He has been as good as his word and has curled up beside me, his head gently resting on my shoulder and his hand loosely holding my free one.

As I look at the man I love I notice new things about him. The grey hairs at his temples have increased. I think it makes him look really distinguished. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes and across his forehead lend him an air of wisdom born of living life to the full. There's a plethora of scars crisscrossing his knuckles and I know that almost every inch of his body has them in varying degrees.

I shift to give him more room and Scott turns into me, still holding me gently even as he sleeps. It's my turn to kiss his forehead and, as expected, his eyes open. I smile at him.

'Hey.'

'Oh, hey! Sorry, didn't mean to drift off.'

'Is ok. You had a busy night. You good?'

'I'm fine, sweetheart. You're the one in the infirmary.'

I chuckle wetly and Scott shifts again to hold me, my head on his shoulder and I am encased in a warm embrace and we both drift off to sleep again.

My heart is getting worse. The attacks more frequent. We both know what that means even if we don't say it out loud. I've had a good life and I have a wonderful family around me. What more could I want?

The next few days we spend relaxing and recovering. Jeff has taken Scott off the rota and I am more grateful than I can say. Scott and I watch cheesy movies and eat rubbish, we laugh and reminisce and plan for our upcoming anniversary.

The family pop over for short visits. No one bats an eyelid if I fall asleep and often I wake to hushed conversations. I find it comforting.

Today, though, something is up. Scott has gone up to the house early and I potter about getting ready to join him. But when I finally get there Scott's not in the command centre. He's not in the kitchen either, but Kayo is and she presses a cup of Jasmine tea into my hand and gestures to downstairs with a grin.

I nod and take the elevator down to the infirmary. Scott is there, as is Grandma and Virgil. And Brains. They are smiling and my heart skips a beat that isn't the Brugada.

Scott takes one of my hands and leads me to a bed, where we perch side by side. I sip my drink as the others gather around me, Brains taking centre stage. He looks uncomfortable but triumphant.

'Yui, Brains has been working on something, something for you.'

'For me?'

'Yes. Brains?'

'Y-Y-Yui, I have been w-w-working on something that w-w-will work better for you than your current pacemaker.'

I sit there with my mouth open. I – I don't know what to say. I never expected Brains to spend any amount of time on my problem, iR is far more important. Scott's grin is getting wider by the second.

'It t-t-took longer than I expected t-t-to get the parts just right.'

Brains shows me something. . It doesn't look quite the same as the previous ones. For a start it's bigger. For another, it is blue…I hide a snigger at the thought that it's Scott's favourite colour…and then I realise the real reason why it's different.

'Oh. It's a heart.'

Brains beams at me as he takes the fist-shaped object back from me. He places it securely into an emesis dish and takes his glasses off and wipes them. I can't breathe I'm that excited to see what he's done for me.

'I made t-t-this from Ca-Ca-Cahelium.'

'Like the 'birds?'

'Y-Y-Yes. It means t-t-that it should k-k-keep going as long as y-y-you do.'

Thank goodness I am already sitting down. I don't think my legs could support me right now if I was standing. Scott slides his arm around my shoulders and squeezes. An artificial heart was something that many scientists had been working on for almost a century.

Only in the last five years had they become viable options, but not for someone of my age.

'I won't need more operations?'

'No, love. Just this one.'

'Brains, how can I ever thank you for this?'

'Y-Y-You don't need to. It has b-b-been my pleasure and honour. I j-j-just wish I had managed to get t-t-this done earlier.'

And just like that Brains is lost, muttering away to himself about how he had to completely redesign the whole device so the Cahelium wouldn't create a charge as it worked…he's already heading down to his lab.

Virgil fondly shakes his head and follows him as Scott, Grandma and I stay and discuss the necessary operation.

I can't believe that Brains has done this for me. For us. This is a gamechanger.

But then we are International Rescue. Changing the game, beating the odds…that's what we do.