Just for a little while.

We need a break.

Really, Penelope, he needs this as much as we do.

He's driving us up the walls. At least, he'll behave for you.

Please.

The call continued to echo in her mind, each of the Tracy boys' faces asking for a favor only she could offer. Each, save one. That one currently wore an abashed frown that made him look more like a lost puppy than the man still in the late stages of healing. Gordon was stood on her doorstep, still dependently linked to his crutch. The cast had been traded out with a lightweight boot that still looked just as bulky, yet offered the young man an increase in mobility.

"Are you sure it's okay?" The question had been asked by Scott, who had delivered the aquanaut, and it seemed far toosimilacr, now coming from the usually jovial man.

"Of course, Gordon," Penelope took another step inside the entryway, gesturing for him to follow. "As I said before, your family is always welcome."

She was pleased to hear the tap of the crutch on stone and hoped her guest would cheer up now that the formalities were taken care of. Penelope was honestly glad his brother's had requested her assistance, the memory of him trapped in Thunderbird 4 still present at the forefront of her mind. She wanted to do more for him even if it was just a new place to stay for a few days. Since finding the escape capsule, she hadn't seen or heard much from him other than by way of comments from his brothers or Grandma. This way, Penelope could figure out just what he needed and hope she could oblige.

"Scott mentioned a party?" He already sounded much closer to the Gordon she was used to. There was a hint of excitement that only confirmed how right she'd been to plan for their attendance. Any other brother, save Alan, she would have suggested a quiet stay at her estate to help them decompress from life on a crowded island. Gordon needed crowds and festivities as much as John needed quiet open spaces or Virgil, a canvas and picturesque countryside.

"Ah, yes," Penelope led him into the sitting room, a tray of tea and cakes already set out. Parker would be busy getting Gordon's things to his room. "Although, it may not be all that exciting. Investor's galas tend to be more technical discussion than anything."

Gordon lowered himself to one of the settees, letting the crutch rest against it and he gave her a smile that exud ed the relief he felt. "Honestly, Penelope, anything's better than being cooped up. I actually looked forward to shopping trips with Grandma."

She gave him a sympathetic smile, unsure if she was supposed to assume shopping with Mrs. Tracy could be torturous. "Well, then, you shouldn't have too difficult a time. Not to mention the food is exquisite." When his eyes lit with joy, Penelope knew she'd hit her mark. All of his meals had been provided by said grandmother or brought home - cold and subpar from what it had been - by his brothers if they had a chance to stop after a rescue. "Speaking of, I had Parker pick up some pastries from one of the local bakeries. "

"Not gonna lie, Pen," he didn't flinch at the rare use of her nickname, her brow raising at the level of comfort he'd already adopted. "I've been waiting for you to mention these." His eyes shimmered with a boyish joy as he regarded the treats.

An amused smile brushed across her lips, tainted slightly by the memory of the last time he'd been to her home. Today was the beginning of a debt she meant to pay in full, with interest. "Well, I did promise you a cup of tea. I do hope it's to your liking."

Gordon didn't move for a long moment, caught in what she assumed was the manners of a Kansas reared gentleman. Ladies first and all. That wasn't necessary, however, and she let her eyes catch his, offering a smile and nod of permission.

At first, she watched his hands reach out, only to hover over one of the iced danishes. His eyes were wandering over the other trays, indecision abundantly clear as he shifted his hand to another dessert. It was delightful to see the war battling within him for something so simple and Penelope was more than happy to continue her observation. Much closer to the surface now that life was a bit different, she wanted to savor his moments that could have so easily been destroyed by a hateful man. This was Gordon, living as he always had. She was the one changing to accommodate. To appreciate the little things about him.

Gordon finally settled on a brightly colored cheesecake - yellow with an accompaniment of bright, glazed fruit - holding it as though it were a precious thing to be treated with respect and dignity. So not like him. Of course, it was rare for it to just be the two of them in her home. It made sense that he was trying to meet her comfort levels.

Parker, in all his wisdom, had set a plate closest to her side of the table. Atop it sat a tart, mascarpone cream with an intricate assortment of berries and chamomile flowers adding just enough color against the pale filling and almond shortbread crust. It was a special treat she allowed herself once a year, solely because of the memories attached to it. Why her chauffeur had chosen this moment to offer it was not difficult to miss. Her grandmother was the first to introduce the tart on the day Penelope turned ten - a present for her birthday and a tradition passed down by her grandmother before her. Today was a special moment that deserved a happy memory.

"This is amazing!" Gordon exclaimed, just in time for Parker to hear as he returned from delivering the younger man's bags.

"Glad to 'ear it," Parker mused at the excitement over a pastry. Penelope flashed him an appreciative smile, taking a small bite of the tart and delighting in the emotions that swelled. "H'I've taken the liberty to set h'out the suit for mister Gordon."

"Thank you, Parker," Penelope praised, eyeing Gordon as he froze mid bite. She assumed he might be a bit surprised by the fact she was well equipped to take him to a fancy gathering where dress was well above what he had packed. The question of how she'd come by his measurements was probably gracing his mind as well. That was a simple enough request from Brains, who had offered it willingly with a caveat to add some of his own bits and pieces to the suit. Those would be set in a box on his dresser with the garment she'd had custom made by her tailor hanging on the closet door.

"You got me a suit?" Gordon finally found his voice after swallowing the bite of cake. He seemed as surprised as Penelope had expected.

"I do hope you don't mind," she smiled, switching out her own dessert for the cup of tea Parker had finished pouring.

"No, no! I don't mind. just - it's, uh, just been a while since I wore one." There was a hint of pink creeping across his cheeks and his words left her wondering when that last time had been. A list of events began to flow, Scott and Virgil typically there to represent their father's company. Alan would occasionally make an appearance, but even those times were difficult to remember. The only memory she had of Gordon in a suit was at Jeff Tracy's memorial service.

Not a pleasant thought, but one that drove a desire to give him a new, happier memory. So with a reticent smile she broke the strain that had begun to develop. "Just let me know if it's not to your liking. I'm sure Parker could find another."

Before her chauffeur could grunt his disapproval, Gordon was waving off any chance for that to be necessary. "Oh, I'm pretty sure anything you pick will be perfect." He sealed it with a bright smile that told her he meant it.

"Good, as long as you're happy," she wondered if her make up was enough to conceal her own blush as their eyes met.

A gentle clearing of Parker's throat broke the silence and she took a deliberate sip of her tea. "H'I've been given h'instructions regardin' your continued physiotherapy while you're 'ere. Your brothers were quite clear as to when and what was to be done."

Gordon groaned, abandoning his plate on the table in order to run his hands over his face. "Can't even get away from them when I'm a continent away." It was low enough that she knew he hadn't meant to be heard. He caught himself a second later and gave Parker a hopeful look. "Could it wait just a day? I won't tell if you won't."

The request, although pointed towards the older man, was deflected to Penelope as host. "That'd be your call, M'lady."

Gordon's eyes found hers again, pleading for her to save him from the beneficial, yet exhausting task. She smiled, hoping that one day wouldn't hurt. "Well, I'd hate for you to be too tired for the gala tonight. How about you take today off and start back tomorrow, as long as you're feeling up to it."

His smile held some relief, but not nearly the amount she had hoped for. It spoke of how much of his time had been spent trying to regain the mobility of his joints. She wondered if he had been working on his leg as well. Most likely not in a way that would put too much stress on the healing bones, but enough to strengthen underused muscles.

An idea popped into her head that might have already crossed the aquanaut's, he simply hadn't voiced it. "Would you mind if I joined you for your exercises?"

Maybe he hadn't expected this, his smile faltering as he stammered. "Uh, s-sure, if you want. I mean, it's not really all that interesting. Kinda boring." His face was a shade brighter as he stopped talking.

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be." Physio was something she was only familiar with on a more luxurious level, involving massage and much of the difficult work falling to her trainers. Penelope had yet to see what the Tracy family considered treatment for restoring physical abilities, but with the aquanaut's reaction, it couldn't have been as enjoyable. She turned to Parker for her next idea. "Perhaps you could arrange for Charles to stop by after Gordon's session." At the younger man's confused look, she regarded him before continuing. "He does wonders for overworked muscles."

"If you say so," he didn't look too convinced, but that would most likely change once he met the grandfatherly man with hands that could soften stone.

Parker left with his new task, giving Penelope the opportunity to delve into one of the other reasons the brothers had sent Gordon to her. The aquanaut was still recovering from his run-in with the Chaos Crew and he'd begun to develop an anxiety he thought was hidden well enough. She would admit he was doing a fairly good job at the moment, diving back into his dessert as he speared a berry. The talk of physio had sparked something, however, and she could see the tightness in his jaw as he slowly chewed, slower than before. It surprised her how much pushback he was giving to complete the exercises necessary to regain his place in International rescue and embark on a life changing journey.

She would start there. "So, how is the new Zero-X coming?"

That sent a sour look over his face, but it could have been the tea as he sipped it. When he finally shrugged, Penelope could make out the telltale signs of frayed nerves - the pinch of his jaw, the way he wouldn't look her in the eye. It was obvious he had some concerns. Whether they were about his abilities or the ship's, that was what she needed him to work out.

"Brains says she'll be ready in another month," Gordon finally offered.

"A month? So soon." It shouldn't have come as a surprise, the scientist having access to everything needed at a moments notice. What should have been questioned was why it had already taken this long. Then again, Penelope didn't have a vast grasp on interstellar travel. The physical structure could be ready, but the mechanics within might be far more complicated.

"Yep, we've already started training for the launch." This seemed to brighten his mood just a bit. "Lots of technical jargon Brains has us learning incase of catastrophic system failure or something."

"Ah, that's... comforting." Her sarcasm brought with it a sudden, selfish thought. "I suspect you'll be cleared to go by then?" She wanted the answer to be no. She wanted him here and safe. Be it self serving or unrealistic, Penelope was finding the thought of Gordon being outside of their galaxy daunting.

He let out a sigh that had her thinking he might not be so sure about the answer to her question. "That's the plan. Just have to clear the training course."

Despite herself, she gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm certain you'll do marvelously."

They went back to sipping tea, but a dread seemed to hang over the room Penelope wished hadn't been put there by such a simple question. All she'd wanted was to help her friend open up about what was really bothering him. She could see it easily enough, but now she had pulled from herself something just as weighty. For her, she knew he would heal and pass whatever tests the brothers had for him. Then, he would rocket into space to find a father who had been missing since he was, what? Fifteen? Right in the middle of his most vulnerable years. She began to wonder if there was something to that train of thought. If Jeff was alive, there were eight years of disconnect for the two youngest Tracys. Was Gordon dealing with the uncertainty of how his father would handle their arrival after so much time had passed?

"Penelope," Gordon's knowing tone was gentler than she ever thought it would be and she regarded him with a new sense of curiosity as he continued. "I'm okay." A lopsided grin gave credence to his statement. "I know my brothers are worried. Everyone is, but I'm fine. You don't have to fix anything."

This time, she was certain he could see the crimson spreading over her cheeks, Penelope taken aback by the sincerity. She hadn't been mistaken in her deductions that he had a few demons to deal with, but the balmy effect of his words, offered with a smile that met his eyes, made her push her questions away for the time being.

"If you're sure, Gordon?" Penelope offered openly, willing to do what was necessary for the younger man.

He nodded, holding his cup of tea between both hands as though the warmth of the liquid inside were thawing fingers that occasionally trembled with the chill of emotions. "Just being here makes me feel better."

As satisfying as the remark was, Penelope found herself wanting to do more. If it was just the time away from his family or being around a new face, she would gladly oblige him as long a stay as he needed. A bit of venting wouldn't hurt either.

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you like," she started with a smile of understanding. "How are your brothers? They've all been so busy since we found the escape capsule, I haven't had much of a chance to speak at length with them." Which wasn't a lie. The longest conversation had been with Scott in regards to Gordon's visit.

"Busy about sums it up," his lips thinned to hold back any further comment, but it was a dam that couldn't hold back the flood. "Wish they'd stop trying to take care of me and take care of themselves, though."

"Oh?" Penelope could guess, but this was for Gordon. He needed to voice these things.

"I mean, they're having to work extra rescues, then come home to work on training for the new ship. And then, they feel the need to check on me. I can take care of myself, y'know?" He set down the tea, his hands becoming more animated as he spoke. "Virgil and Scott are determined to keep me on schedule for recovery. Alan's been trying to keep me company, but the kid has to recharge. He's usually asleep if he's not saving lives."

"And John?" The astronaut had been on Thunderbird 5 most of the time, which wasn't unusual. He couldn't possibly be causing the blonde more heartache than the other brothers.

Gordon laughed, a smile endearing itself to his face. "Honestly, he was the easiest to deal with. Even let me stay on '5 for a bit. But then, EOS locked me out of the hub for 'bothering John'. He was upset with her, but I know he needs his space as much as I need groups of people."

Penelope nodded, her own smile pulling at her lips. "And all the pranks?"

Now, he had the sense to look guilty as he shrugged, eyes averting from hers to find a spot on the wall. "I mean, it gets boring sometimes. And to be honest, they weren't the worst things I've ever done."

Shaking her head, her smile grew as she collected her treat once more, strategically breaking off a small bit, asking "hot sauce in the ketchup," and placing the tart in her mouth.

"Classic!" The beaming smile was back and she felt a burst of affection for the amusement the memory brought him. "And it was an improvement to the burgers, if I'm really being honest."

The conversations lulled into a comfortable back and forth of daily life. The prodding of the scab that covered whatever was truly bothering her friend could wait. Penelope would be content with the little she had gained. Her own feelings would have to be dealt with another time.

For now, they would enjoy each other's company with tea, her grandmother's dessert, and the promise of an exciting evening.