It was, Lady Penelope considered, much easier to sound confident about Brain's technology when said technology wasn't currently plummeting out of orbit with you inside.

However, a thousand years of aristocratic breeding came to the rescue, and her voice as she called for calm, as she assured people that they would be perfectly fine was assured and strong.

Like every other person, however, seeing the blue uniform of International Rescue caused her anxiety to almost vanish. International Rescue were here – they would be saved.

It was odd how that worked. Even though she knew the team so well, there was something about them when they were "on duty" that was reassuring; and you knew that you were safe. Idly she wondered how the people would feel if they knew that the inventor of the technology they were being rescued from was the same inventor of the technology being used to rescue them.

She didn't care. Brain's stuff was good. And there had to be sabotage at work for it to fail this badly. Brains would never put innocent lives at stake. Ever. Scott was explaining what would happen. A trip through the atmosphere in Thunderbird Three and then rendezvous with Two who would then transport them to safety.

Penelope felt a slight thrill – she had never actually been in Thunderbird Three before, so this would be an adventure for her.

She shook her head as Scott approached her. "I'll go in the second batch, Scott," she said firmly.

"Are you sure? The second batch is mostly crew, and they would feel better if as many of the passengers went first as possible."

"Quite sure, Scott. I know you'll get us out safely. But take Parker in this first lot."

"No fear, M' Lady," Parker said firmly. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Scott just smiled and nodded. "OK. But you know if anything happens to you, Gordon will kill me."

Her smile back was warm. "Then you'd better make sure that nothing happens. Nothing like facing some brotherly wrath as motivation."

He laughed out loud at that. "You're right about that! OK. I'll leave you in Parker's capable hands then."

Parker huffed. "'Er Ladyship will be fine hwith me," he said. "And Mr Gordon's anger will be nothing as to 'Is Lordship's if hanything 'appens to 'his daughter."

Penelope took a seat on the pile of boxes in the corridor. "That is if he notices," she muttered. Parker ignored the grumpy mutterings from her; the constant state of warfare between the Creighton-Wards and their daughter was an old story to him and it did astonish him that Penelope, usually so clear eyed, was unable to see how much her father did care for her. Still, she was in love with Gordon Tracy, of all people, which (in his opinion) went to show that sometimes the way her mind worked completely baffled him.

Then again, she was also terrified, he could tell, so he busied himself keeping people away from her. The only one that Parker was unsuccessful with was the pesky reporter, who had ducked out of line when she realised that Penelope had stayed behind. His Lady had insisted on speaking to her – pointing out that if she did have any doubts, would she have stayed behind?

Parker agreed. He would have had doubts himself, except he had seen Miss Kyrano flit through, and knew that the problems that the hotel was experiencing were not because of Dr H's technology, but rather sabotage.

He filed that away in his brain to pass onto His Lordship and also to his other Spy Handler. In the meantime, he had to keep Lady Penelope safe.

The cargo bay of Thunderbird Three was not, Penelope decided, her preferred mode of travel. It was safe, she knew that. But it could hardly be called comfortable, and if she never had to undergo atmospheric re-entry in her life again, she would be happy.

John and Alan could, she concluded, keep space and rockets. She would stay within earth's atmosphere thank you very much.

At least, she thought, with all the noise of re-entry, nobody would hear her screaming; her face buried in her knees, her arms around her head (as Scott had instructed them all to sit).

The warmth of the sun and the smell of fresh air made her lift her head, and blink in the sudden brightness. She could see Thunderbird Two as it came into position above them and the lower hatch opened. As she looked up, she could feel her whole face soften and a small smile came to her lips. Gordon was there. He was grinning, his eyes drawn to her as unerringly as her eyes were drawn to him.

He was there, and she was safe and everything was going to be all right. And all she wanted to do was to fling herself at his chest and be enfolded in his arms. Ideally, she would love to be able to curl up with him in bed tonight, listening to his heart beat, it's rhythm going from pounding to calm following their love-making. To taste the salt on his skin, to feel that complete relaxation that came from the aftermath of sex with him.

Oh yes – that would be nice. Idea in fact, but she knew that it probably couldn't happen. Her stay at the Hotel was only meant to be overnight – or as overnight as it got in space. And Gordon was supposed to be at the undersea research base for another week.

But… they were here now, and she was safe and here with him, and that was the best thing about all of this.

Penelope allowed Parker to help her from the seat in the hoist and she gratefully leaned on him, her legs feeling unaccountably weak. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the seat. "Thank you, Parker. I should be fine now."

"Very good, M' Lady. I'll go and get you some water," he said striding off towards the container holding water that the other refugees were surrounding. She had lost sight of Gordon, and supposed he was dealing with any injuries, and ensuring that people were fine.

Therefore, his sudden appearance as he leaned on the hoist was a surprise. "Fancy meeting you here M' Lady," he said, his voice deep in the way it only ever was when they were alone together. The voice of Gordon the man, rather than Gordon the teenager that he usually portrayed.

The reason for that, she still had to work out.

"Gordon! What a surprise," she said, delighted and starting to shift her weight prior to moving into his embrace. However, it was then that she smelled something. Something rank. Her nose wrinkled as she realised the stench was coming from Gordon. "Nice to see you freshened up," she said, somewhat annoyed that her longed for hug and kiss from him would not now happen. Especially with Parker appearing at his shoulder.

His face fell and he flung out his hands. "Hey, I put on a clean uniform!" Dammit – those eyes! How could she resist those eyes!

She smiled as she listened to Parker and Gordon banter and covered her mouth with a giggle at Parker's dismay at forgetting the luggage.

"Never mind, Parker," she said. "It was only for show anyway." She took a sip of the water and looked pointedly at Gordon.

"It never occurred to you to shower before you changed?"

"I tried," he explained. "But Virgil happened to the shower controls." He looked wistful. "A shower would be nice, but I'll probably have to wait until I get home."

"You don't have to go back to the research station?"

"Nope. I'll be back there in another four months for a couple of weeks, but I've got plenty of research notes to write up until then." His grin was sudden, and one that would cause the downfall of angels. "I've almost got enough done to start writing up my thesis. John's not gunna be the only Tracy with a Doctorate to flash around."

"Gordon, I'm so pleased! And if you're not going back down… I was going to visit early next week, but…"

"Could you come earlier?" he asked breaking in.

"Yes," she said simply. "I want to. I would like that." She wanted to go close, to touch him as she gazed into his eyes, but the smell was so strong – almost palpable in the air between them.

"I want to kiss you," he said softly.

"Yes."

"But I won't. Not now. Not when I can't stand my own smell at the moment."

"We can make up for lost time later," she agreed.

Gordon reached out and took her hand, turned it over and pressed a kiss to the palm. "Something on account," he said before turning and bounding away.

Penelope closed her fingers over her palm. "And you can be sure I'm going to collect," she said softly.