Thunderbirds Rewritten

11 - Back to Tracy Island Again

The residents of Tracy Island, minus Brains, Kyrano, and Onaha, easily slept for the next twelve hours.

When they got back home, they were dead on their feet. Alan was dragged to the infirmary by Virgil, but truthfully Alan wanted nothing more than to apologize to John for the handcuffing incident and sleep in the same bed as him. John obliged, just happy that Alan was okay. He kept his head close to Alan's, just to be able to hear him breathing.

Virgil and Scott headed straight to their rooms and promptly crashed into their beds, fast asleep before they even hit them.

Regretfully, Jeff could not sleep yet. He had to put out a notice announcing International Rescue's temporary shutdown due to heavy maintenance on their vehicles. That was their excuse anyway. As he waved goodnight to an exhausted Tin-Tin, who was accompanied by Fermat wanting to check if she needed anything before she slept, Jeff stood and stretched, before doing the same. He asked Kyrano to keep an eye on everything, and asked Brains to look after the Thunderbirds in his absence, to which both readily agreed.

He slept sixteen hours.

~

A few weeks passed now, and Gordon was getting back into the swing of things, as was John. Virgil had signed them off together and Gordon wanted nothing more than to go swimming. Jeff saw the weather was beautiful and thought, why not make it a special occasion? All his sons were together, which was a very rare case, and he had an announcement he wanted to make.

The past few weeks were taxing to say the least. Alan laid out everything and John, true to his word, was in his corner. The boys made a pact to improve and understand that the family dynamic needed changing and the life/work gap needed to be properly spaced out. Jeff was glad to see that Alan was starting to feel more like he belonged in the family, but it wasn't going to be perfect anytime soon – Alan still drifted from time to time, no matter what his brothers did to try and pull him out of it, and he still slept in some days, feeling too exhausted to get up. Baby steps, Jeff thought, mental illness is just as real and probably in some cases more dangerous than physical illness.

He had no doubts, however, about what he had in store for his youngest son.

"Ready to get started Brains?" Jeff asked as he approached Brains by the pool trying to start up the barbecue.

"Y-yes, Mr. Tracy. I've almost f-figured it out," Brains replied.

"Good man. Ah, Lady Penelope, glad you could join us this evening," Jeff said as he watched her reach the top of the stairs.

"Like I said before, any excuse to visit paradise," Lady P replied, smiling. Her smile grew as the boys started to come out and join them, namely Scott and Gordon. The former ready to help set up and the latter to see Lady P who he certainly wasn't waiting for, no way.

"Good evening Penelope," Gordon greeted, bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing it, making her laugh. In the last few weeks as Gordon got better, Lady P visited to keep him company, and they only grew closer. Virgil, the hopeless romantic, wondered if it would take longer for them than it took Alan and Tin-Tin.

After a while, while Scott was still setting up with Brains and Gordon was chatting with Lady P, the rest showed. Parker was dressed perhaps a bit too smartly for the occasion, but Kyrano and Onaha were dressed just right. Alan and Virgil emerged, giggled as a slightly peeved John appeared shortly afterwards. Somehow Jeff had a feeling the two boys were responsible for John's expression, but soon found nothing to worry about as they pulled him in and made him smile and shake his head at whatever their antics were. John left them to grab and inflatable lounger, and then a drink before he gracefully (for the clumsiest Tracy) got on and started drifting.

"Alan, Virge, wanna go?" Scott asked, throwing a ball at Virge, who caught it gracefully.

"I'll join in a bit," Alan replied, while Virgil dropped himself into the pool after Scott and Gordon. Lady P went to the barbecue, smiling at the boys' innocent play of throwing the ball to each other with John floating in the middle.

"Gordon!" Virgil called as he threw the ball to him.

Gordon returned the favor, throwing to Scott who then threw it back to Virgil. Scott and Gordon made eye contact briefly, then turned to Virgil who smirked, then the rest was history. They closed in on John and before he knew it, he was thrown off the lounger and dunked underwater. The racket gained Lady P's attention, who turned to Jeff. "What did you put in these fajitas?"

"That's a Tracy family secret," Jeff grinned. Lady P laughed.

Alan watched as Fermat broke the surface of the water, taking the opportunity to learn how to swim properly. He called it a scientific interest, but Alan knew the kid just didn't want to get caught out again, especially living on an island in the middle of nowhere. Brains pulled him out, talking about how Fermat would soon be swimming like a fish, and Alan congratulated him as he passed.

"What do you think?" Tin-Tin asked from behind him.

Without turning, Alan replied. "He's getting there."

Then he turned and saw what Tin-Tin meant. "Wow, Tin-Tin, you're really umm...blossoming!"

"Ew, did you just say blossoming?" Tin-Tin asked. Alan grinned sheepishly, and she couldn't help but smile at his cluelessness. Boys.

"Gather around everyone!" Jeff called out. The boys jumped out of the pool, each being given a towel by Onaha and thanking her for them. "Tonight is a special night. We're all together because of three special people. Fermat, Tin-Tin, and Alan. The world needs Thunderbirds, but the Thunderbirds need you."

Jeff stepped forward and placed a small badge with the initials 'IR' on it onto Fermat's shirt, and the younger boy gasped as he looked up at Jeff. "Mr. Tracy!"

He moved onto Tin-Tin and placed one on her dress. She grinned. "Thank you sir!"

He then moved onto Alan, who he noticed sucked in a sharp breath as he did. He placed the badge on his shirt, and Alan placed his hand over it to feel it, that it was really there.

"No shortcuts Alan, you've more than earned it," Jeff said. He stepped back and addressed the crowd. "These three young men and woman before me have more than proven their worth in International Rescue. Fermat more than proved his prowess at critical thinking when he made contact with Thunderbird Five and gave back control in a tight spot. Tin-Tin with her persistence to help her team and to keep them levelheaded, more than deserved this opportunity. Alan, with lives on the line, especially that of your own brothers, you more than proved to work exceptionally well under immense pressure, able to take control and guide others safely and with great kindness as a leader. Well done you three. Welcome to International Rescue."

The company around them cheered heartily and Tin-Tin found herself pulled out of the crowd by Lady P while Alan's brothers surrounded Alan and Fermat to congratulate them – all before throwing them into the pool and jumping in after them. Everyone laughed at the antics.

Jeff's phone suddenly rang. "Yes Madame President? Yes I see, of course, straight away."

The villa was silent, except for the dying laughter in the pool.

"Boys," Jeff called, needing them to spring into action. "Sorry Penny, duty calls."

"Quite right," she replied, smiling. Gordon grinned at her as he passed, causing her to roll her eyes at his flirtatious nature.

"Sprout, let's go!" Scott exclaimed as Alan hesitated to follow. The younger brother looked at him in mild surprise, but grinned and joined them in marching to their father's office. He was suddenly given a suit and told to suit up, so he did, donning a yellow lined suit that had the number four imprinted on the gloves. He frowned for a second, this was Gordon's Thunderbird. He pushed that thought aside for now, knowing there was bound to be a reason for it, but couldn't notice his immediate older brother also having a questioning look in his eyes.

Alan gasped when he saw his own portrait on the wall, at the end of the line. He smiled as he stood, noticing his brothers also smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. Jeff was also smiling.

"Thunderbirds are go."

~THE END~