He had been `dead' for almost two years now. Would it be right to charge right back into the lives of his family as though nothing had happened? He was certain that they missed him as dearly as he missed them, but he was also certain that they would have questions for him about his absence that he could not answer.

It was not that he did not have any valid reason for having gone missing. Going missing had not been his choice, after all. The Hood had shot him down, and he should have died. Unbeknownst to The Hood, however, his plane had happened to crash into the Amazon jungle, whilst the tracker had been ditched into the ocean. He had greatly regretted the decision the jettison his tracker, as he had known at the time that it meant his family would have no choice but to believe him to be dead. That also meant that he had known beforehand that, being dead, there would be no imminent rescue. He was on his own.

As it happened, looking back now, he had spent the first few months being nursed back to full health from his extensive injuries sustained in the crash by the local natives who had found him. They had buried his craft in a deep hole and covered it with brush and leaves, and then taken him away to take care of him. It had been almost a full year before his memory had started to return.

His first memory had been of his darling wife…his second had been of her death.

He had started to remember his boys, one after the other, day by day. Only very recently had his memory finally revealed to him his own biggest secret…that he was the owner and founder of International Rescue. Former Astronaut, Jeff Tracy.

Now he was faced with the biggest decision of his life. Even here in the Amazon he had managed to receive word now and again of the amazing feats of the International Rescue organization, and he knew that his sons had taken up the banner, and had been carrying it in his behalf. They would have had to make major decisions regarding the organization without his presence or input, and from here at least, they appeared to have been doing an amazing job without him.

He missed his sons so much it felt like a physical pain. He missed his old life, now that he remembered it. Would it be fair to drop back into their lives again all of a sudden? Would they expect him to take up the reins once again after being away for so long? Would it be fair to them if he did?

The Hood had destroyed so much, but he had not yet taken down International Rescue, which had always been his most urgent wish. The boys deserved to know that their dad was safe and sound, surely? He desperately wanted to see his sons again…and Tintin…no, she had been about changing her name the last time he spoke to her. Having the same nickname as a fictional ginger-haired adventurous reporter was fine as a child, but as a woman, it had started to annoy her. She had returned to using her full name of Tanusha. He wondered if he would be able to get used to thinking of her as Tanusha from now on? There was so much he must have missed out on, but how could he just descend on them out of the blue like that? There had to be a way to make the transition and the revelation slightly easier for all to take…but how?

Jeff Tracy persuaded the kind natives whom had taken him in so generously to show him where they had hidden his plane.

He found it bodily pretty much intact, but infested with insects and creeping creatures of all kinds. Shuddering with revulsion at the thought of leaping down into an ant's nest of that gargantuan size, he enlisted help to retrieve the cabin section which had broken away from the main body. Once more above ground and divested of its erstwhile lodgers, Jeff plundered what was left of Brains' amazing technology. As always, it was made to last. He managed to scrabble together a two-way radio. Rather of an old-fashioned nature, and certainly a frequency that no one ever used these days…except perhaps for one person living…

In his sitting room below stairs, Aloysius Parker sipped a mug of tea. Not for him the dainty cups and saucers used by her ladyship. He preferred a proper cuppa! He sat over his beloved radio equipment, monitoring frequencies used by his former criminal acquaintances. It always helped to keep up to date with the latest knowledge and trends, after all. He kept an ear on the police frequencies too. He had the ability to listen in on the International Rescue frequencies too, but that was only for emergencies. The old frequencies were rarely used now, just the occasional pinging or popping, but he preferred to keep his ear to them all the same. Sometimes the best way to be safe and hidden was way out in the open, and those old unused airwaves were unmonitored these days, except by one man. A certain Mister Parker.

Mister Parker sat up suddenly, as static burst through one of these frequencies. He worked at his switches, and twitched the antenna, trying to improve the reception. Then, through the static, a voice that he knew was impossible.

"Parker! Come in Parker! Please come in Parker, do you read?"

Ten minutes later, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward was in her boudoir, relaxing with a book prior to going to bed when there was an agitated knocking at her door. Parker, sounding quite excited, and certainly in a hurry.

"Milady! Milady! Please Milady!"

"Please come in, Parker. What is it?"

Although cool and calm by nature, Penelope could feel her pulse quickening. Parker seldom became this excited about anything. The expression on his face was difficult to read.

"Milady…I 'ave some news…I think we are going to the Amazon jungle!"

"What is it? A new assignment?"

She did wonder why John or Scott would contact Parker instead of herself though. That was decidedly odd. But her usually stoical manservant shook his head impatiently.

"No Milady, it isn't International Rescue. It's 'imself!"

"Parker, who do you mean?"

"Milady, it's the boss 'imself! Mister Jeff Tracy Milady! He's alive!"