Disclaimer. Never have,never will own Thunderbirds. I just play around with them and put them back where I got them from.

dedicated to Louise Hargadon,for inspiring me to write this story months ago.

an alternate twist on what could have happened in Attack of the Alligators. An episode from the tv show.

Alan went after the alligator. "Come and get me," he said as he rode the hover bike towards the beast,attempting to lure it away from the house by the swamp.

The alligator took the challenge,setting off after Alan with a snarl.

Alan carried on,taunting it as it lumbered away. He grew increasingly smug as he heard through his comm device,the hushed words of Virgil,

"It's working,it's actually working."

"C'mon,come and get me." He hissed,turning his head towards the alligator,forgetting to look where he was going. He collided with a tree branch, which knocked him off the hover bike onto the ground,where he lay stunned,with a bleeding head wound.

The last thing he heard was an anguished cry of "Alan!" from his brother Gordon and the sound of Thunderbird 2's cannon gun firing as he passed out...

Gordon couldn't believe his eyes as he watched aghast from his position at Gun 1,

The alligator hurried towards Alan laying helpless. It was obvious that if Gordon didn't act and be quick about it,then the alligator was going to have lunch,and it's name would be Alan Tracy.

Quickly,Gordon took aim and pulled the trigger,but in his haste he missed,shooting the creature in the tail,which enraged it further. It reached Alan and before Gordon could fire again, it flipped Alan up in the air like a rag doll and virtually swallowed him whole, before disappearing into the swampy undergrowth,leaving behind the anguished screams of his brothers, not only Virgil and Gordon who had witnessed it of course,but Scott coming through on the comm,from the house,desperately demanding to know what happened.

They had forgotten John in his lonely position as space monitor on the satellite,until his screams joined with the others.

Gordon got up and flew towards the entrance to the pod. He was determined to get to Thunderbird 4, and go after that beast to get revenge for his little brother.

"Hell." He thought, "No one makes me the baby brother again and gets away with it!"

As he launched his 'bird into the water though,Culp was seen motoring across the swamp. Gordon didn't care about the mission anymore, he was more intent on catching up with an overgrown lizard and settling the score.

All of a sudden,another alligator showed itself in front of Thunderbird 4,heading upwards. Gordon paused in shock as this alligator hit the motorboat. Culp flew out and sank into the water,but before Gordon could do anything,the alligator attacked and killed Culp. Gordon shot Thunderbird 4's gun at the creature. This time he didn't miss.

Scott's voice came through on the comm. "Gordon,where's the phial?, you need to find the phial Culp was carrying or we're gonna go through this all over again!"

"No way,Scott! I'm gonna get that...that beast for Alan."

"Gordon,I know,I know...so do I! But we need to stop this,now,or Alan's death will be in vain. Now we have a job to do, so let's do this for Alan."

"Okay,Scott." Gordon murmured. He took the controls and dived down to the bottom,looking intently for the phial. "I think I see it,I'm gonna swim out and take a look."

"Gordon,for pity's sake,be careful! We don't want to lose you,too. Okay?"

"F.A.B. Scott."

Gordon quickly suited up and swam out,picking up the phial of thermolene,and returned quickly to his 'bird.

"I got it,Scott. There'll be no giant alligators in this swamp,anymore. Speaking of which, I'm going back after that other 'gator, Scott, and there's nothing you can...can say that's gonna stop me!"

With that,Gordon took off in the direction the alligator was last seen in,cutting off all communications except one.

"This is Thunderbird 4 calling Thunderbird 5. Come in,John."

John's tear stained face appeared on the monitor. "Thunderbird 5 receiving you,"

"John,is Alan's transmitter still working...if so tell me where the hell it is!...I want to avenge our brother."

"Let me just check,...yes it is,...it's about 100 yards away to the south of you,...and Gordon?"

"Yes,John?"

"Give it hell from me,too,please."

"F.A.B. John." With that,Gordon cut the connection.

Gordon steered to the south,keeping a sharp lookout for that alligator. His sensors honed in on it first. It was up on the top of the water. He headed up, grim determination on his face. This was the time for the alligator to pay.

As he surfaced,he met with a shock. The giant alligator was writhing on the ground. It was clearly in agony.

"Serves you right for eating my brother." Gordon snarled,approaching the beast,pulling his gun from his sash and taking aim. "You killed him,I kill you. Fair's fair."

"Who's dead,Gordon?" came a weak voice from somewhere nearby. Gordon jumped in shock. "What the...Alan? Is that you? I must be dreaming...you were eaten...if it is you...Where the hell are you?"

"Over here...you're not dreaming,and...I'm alive,at least I think I am."

"Keep talking." Gordon responded,keeping a wary eye on the writhing alligator, wondering why it didn't attack. "I'll find you."

He found Alan leaning against a tree,uniform in tatters. His white sash was covered in blood from numerous gashes on his body,one boot was missing revealing a badly ripped and bleeding foot.

"Tell you something,Gordy,next time I'll listen to you,okay? You told me it was suicide and you were damn near right! Sorry I didn't. I owe you one."

"Never mind that! How the hell did you survive. Virg and I saw it swallow you!"

"Don't really know." Alan replied in a daze. "I think I woke up and shot it somehow,my gun's missing. I really can't remember."

Gordon knelt down,checking Alan's wounds out. "You lucky,lucky sonofabitch,nothing major,you may need some wounds stitched and cleaned,and you're definitely in shock. Best call Virgil,let him see to you,and give him the shock of his life!" He finished tending to his brother.

He lifted his wrist. "Gordon calling Virgil,come in,please."

Virgil's face appeared. "Virgil receiving you,Gordon,get your ass back here right now..."

Gordon swiftly interrupted him,mid rant. "Virg,get John to give you my position and YOU get your ass here instead. I have a surprise for you,Alan is alive and in need of our field medic,now are you coming or not?"

Virgil's face went white with shock. "Alan...alive?..." Then he seemed to snap out of it,going into medic mode. "F.A.B...on my way."

Gordon turned to Alan who was leaning back against the tree with his eyes closed. "Hey,no sleeping Al, you know that's not allowed. Tell me what you can about your escape,whilst I check out that our 'gator foe here isn't gonna get us anytime soon." he said,going over towards the still writhing alligator. He saw append his gun for the tranquilliser gun,took aim and stunned the beast,which immediately relaxed and went limp on the ground.

Alan responded drowsily. "Can't really. Remember being in it's mouth,then a banging noise. Next thing I know,I'm on the ground,next to it while it convulsed. I crawled over here,you showed up. That's it."

As Gordon turned around to walk back to Alan,Virgil arrived,closely followed by Scott,and between them floated a hover stretcher for Alan. Virgil quickly administered a sedative for him and he dropped to sleep. Between the three of them,they got their baby brother onto the stretcher and strapped him in.

Virgil and Scott mounted their hover bikes and got ready to set off back through the swampland,with Alan in tow. Scott spoke abruptly to Gordon. "Take Thunderbird 4 back to her pod now! I'll speak to you later about blatant insubordination." With that they left.

Gordon walked back to Thunderbird 4,feeling lightheaded and dizzy. "Hey,who wouldn't after a day like today." He grumbled to himself. "Typical big brothers! I found Alan,do I get any thanks for it?, oh,no, it's not fair!, as usual I get no credit."

He stopped still suddenly. A thought had struck him,then he smirked. "Scott and Virgil may not have given me credit,but I got something worth more than that! Alan Tracy admitted I was right! Darn it,I should have gotten that in writing! It'll never happen again."

Suddenly he remembered who would have it digitally recorded,and lifted his wrist.

"Oh,Johnny! Bestest big brother in the world! Our baby brother is alive. Would you believe it? He's that disagreeable,he gave an alligator indigestion and heartburn! Now listen carefully,I need your help..."

thanks for reading