So I started this years ago, and was going to expand it into a different story entirely. Having taken Madeline from this fic and transplanted her into Blood of Innocents (because I wanted to play with John and I refuse to change the phrasing of that) I decided to change this into something of a prequel. Not that you need to know what happens in Blood of Innocents to understand what's happening here. It's really just a case of John meets a girl.

Disclaimer: I'm not playing with the boys, they're not mine which is a real pity because I would love to have them. I would like that a great deal. Instead I'm having to give them back after I've played with them this time.

Travellers.

John Tracy's blue eyes slide open with the trill of his alarm, drifting over the walls of his hotel room as he tries to figure out why it is that his mouth tastes like a badger's armpit. There is a light pounding in his skull and he can smell stale smoke on his skin.

This is the last time that he goes out with Scott and Virgil. He thinks there might have been tequila in there somewhere, not that this is a surprise where his brothers are concerned, and the blond can more than handle his own but tequila is the one drink that leaves him the worse for wear the next day.

A hot shower goes a long way towards making him feel that much more human and he knows that meeting Scott and Virgil in the hotel dinning room for breakfast will help as well. He has not seen his brothers for months and even with the lingering headache this morning he knows that going out with them was more than worth it. The Tracy family is a close one and John has a feeling that they are only going to get closer as the years go on, especially if their father really has found what he has been looking for.

"Morning, Johnny," Scott greets him in the elevator. This is a man who is far too cheerful for someone who drank as much as he did the night before. "And how's the head this morning?" He claps the blond on the shoulder and John winces a little under the force of it.

"Not bad, where's Virgil?" He deflects the attention from himself and is a little alarmed when Scott shrugs.

"I called him, he said something about twins and told us to meet him down there." John shakes his head, of all of them Virgil would be the one to get laid. "Say, what happened to that little blonde thing you were talking to half the night?" His brother asks suddenly and John shrugs. He certainly remembers her, with her petite features, pixie cut hair and heavy dark rimmed glasses, but it did not go further than conversation and he feels a pang of regret about that.

"Nothing," he shrugs back, following his brother to their table and reaching for the coffee pot as soon as it is placed in front of them. He is suddenly grateful that Virgil is not here yet, at least this time he gets some before his older brother has managed to drink it all.

"Well tell me you at least got her number?" Scott asks incredulously and stares when John shakes his head. "Jeez, what is the world coming to when a Tracy can't get a girl's number?"

"I didn't see you manage it either," John points out.

"I've got Hollie," Scott smiles, "I don't need to." On one hand it warms John to see his brother so happy, on the other is makes him worry. The closer their father's plan comes to completion the more likely Scott is to be dragged away from her. "...I'm not saying that I don't look or anything," Scott continues and John realises that he has lost half of the conversation. "Are you listening to me, John?"

"What? No, all I could hear was buzzing," he smirks. "When did you say father was coming with the other two?" He changes the subject and Scott rolls his eyes at his brother.

"They're meeting us in Travellers at twelve," Virgil says and he slides into his own seat. There is a smugness about him and John sighs, there will be stories later he is sure and he does not think that he wants to hear them. "This is disgusting," his brother says then as he takes a mouthful of his coffee.

"It's not that bad," John says as he takes his own sip and tries to avoid pulling a face.

"Only because you taint it with cream and sugar, Johnny," Scott disagrees. "This is actually vile."

"Hotel coffee is never that good," John reasons. "I'll be interested to know exactly what it is that father wants us to see."

"I think all of us will," Virgil replies.

The three of them fall on their food, devouring the breakfast with far more relish than they did the coffee. Conversation is abandoned for the time being as they take their fill. It has been a while since they have been together like this and John finds a great deal of comfort in the presence of his older brothers.

On their way to meet Jeff and their younger brothers the talk between them is light and easy, almost as though they have spent little time apart and the words flow as they catch up with one another. When they arrive at Travellers it is with relief. This is a small coffee chain that they are all fond of and the rest of their family is already waiting for them when they arrive. Gordon reacts with his typical exuberance, bounding over the chairs with a loud cry.

"Darlings," he exclaims in the worst false British accent John has ever heard. He rolls his eyes and he wonders, not for the first time, what he ever did to deserve such a brother. Scott just laughs, taking advantage of Gordon's momentary distraction to wrap his arm around the red-head's neck and rub his knuckles against his brother's head. Gordon howls and thrashes a little.

"Get off!" He says reaching for Scott's arm as John rolls his eyes at Virgil. The two of them abandon the others in favour of joining their father and Alan at the table. The greeting they receive there is less noisy but no less joyous, gentle conversation until the waitress comes over to pour the new arrivals a cup of coffee.

"Say, isn't that her from last night?" Scott asks, nudging John in the ribs. The blond looks up and meets hazel eyes behind thick rimmed black glasses. She blushes and smiles at him a little shyly, John is suddenly acutely aware of the attention of his family and he cannot help the faint blush that comes to his own cheeks.

"It is," Virgil grins.

"I'm surprised you even noticed," Scott stares over at Virgil, "you were completely entranced by those twins."

John is staring at the small woman as his two older brothers bicker and banter back and forth about the things they noticed last night. The colour is high on her cheeks and she looks so uncomfortable, so unsure, that he leans closer.

"Ignore them," he whispers, "it's not youthey're trying to get to."

"It's alright," she whispers, filling the cups in front of them, "if they upset me I'll just kick them out."

"Could you do that anyway?" He smiles and her answering on is shy.

"Not today," she looks at the rest of the family who have apparently stopped talking and are watching them with interest. "Let me know if there's anything else I can get you," she finishes as she walks away.

"I can think of a few things Johnwould like her to do for him," Gordon winks. John closes his eyes, half wishing that when he opens them again this will all have been a bad dream.

"Boys," Jeff cuts in before the teasing can really start, his tone smiling. "We're here for another reason, remember?" There is a series of nods and yes, sir's, as they turn back to the matter at hand. "As you know, boys, I've been looking for an island that we can base our operations from. I believe I have found it."

From there the topic of their conversation turns into veiled references to the future they plan to create. If John steals glances at the petite blonde waitress then his brothers do not have to know, and if they have noticed then they do not mention it. He is certain, however, that he is in for a great deal of teasing later.