Red and Black – Chapter 1
Firstly, I would like to say a massive thank you to Artemisdesari for helping me develop this as I am terrible at getting my ideas down onto paper, and I would also like to say that you should check out her work because she is amazing!
Secondly, this is my first modern Thunderbirds fic as oppose to being an incompetent 12 year-old the last time I tried to write one. I also ask you to bear in mind that am at boarding school for most of the year and therefore unable to post regularly because they block this site. I am also getting used to some new medication that currently makes me fail at general life, so I may be lacking in certain areas of functionality; so please be patient with me.
As for everything else, I hope you enjoy this fic; there's a lot of pre-era stuff going on as well as more of what the boys lives are like outside of rescues. If you have ideas for things or elements you'd like to see in this story or other stories then feel free to R&R. Or R&R anyway because it'll make me super happy!
Anyway, Thunderbirds Are GO!
Black hair, Penny thought; he hadn't changed one bit. Most people in her line of work never stayed the same, or looked the same; but this man was the same as he had been since they had last met, years ago.
"Tim," she greeted the fellow agent with an open palm.
"It's so good to finally see you again." Penelope was amazed that he had even remembered her, let alone agreed to meet again.
"And it's good to be able to make this a social call, rather than the usual end of the world." he jested, knowing that they were free to speak as they wished in Penny's home, without secrets. The two hadn't meant since the last Olympics, and with good reason. Penny and Tim knew the dangers of two agents being friends but it was a risk that they were willing to take.
They talked together in the privacy of Penny's drawing room, about everything in their lives; little and small with no distraction until their conversation wandered to their last meeting: the London Olympics. They both cringed at the thought of the closest shave of Tim's career as an agent. British security needed someone to watch out for the team players, so they put Tim in the field as a swimmer with the medallist. Or rather, MI5 needed Tim to win a medal for the sake of having an inside look. Unlike with his superiors, Penny knew more to Tim's side of the mission than he may have been willing to put in his report.
"So, you never did explain what happened at the Olympics," she questioned.
"What? Where I nearly missed the medal? How do you even remember that?" Tim chuckled, lifting a teacup to his mouth.
"Of course I remember it, we were assigned together and you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Please Penelope; I only just scraped bronze after all that." The pair laughed at their memories of Tim's startled, ungraceful jump into the water that nearly cost him a medal and a job.
"I think we both know that you were distracted, Tim" she said as Tim stood up walked over to a portrait hanging on the wall.
"Speaking of distractions," murmured Penelope, her tone rich with irony. Tim stared at the red in the painting, or more specifically the red hair. Penelope watched as Tim let himself become absorbed by the painting; she got up to join him in front of the painting to see who it was that had captured Tim's mind.
"Isn't he the American swimmer I was against?" He said, without taking his eyes off of the portrait.
"Gordon? Yes, I remember that."
"You clearly know him a bit better than we did then."
"Yes, well, I'm a friend of his father's; unfortunately the rest is classified."
"Actually Penny, now that you mention him, is he coming to that Olympiads reunion thing in London next week?" Penny made an effort to hide the smirk that was forming on her face, she silently reminded herself of her previously unanswered question; and hoped that this would provide her an answer.
"I have no idea I'm afraid, why do you ask?"
"I just think it would be nice to make friends with my old opponents, they are nice chaps once you get to know them; not everything has to revolve around a mission, you know." Tim finally took his eyes off the painting, and returned to reality. His smile was stronger than when he had first walked through the door that afternoon, and Penny was very keen on the idea of Tim making more friends outside the lonely life of a spy; but she couldn't help but wonder if there was something that she had managed to miss between her boys. After all, she had made it her mission to find out everything about anyone she had ever worked with; including Tim. What could a fellow agent possibly hide from her?
"Friends? Are you totally sure about that?" She said, her mind racing with possibilities. And then, the obvious hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Did you nearly mess up the mission because of Gordon Tracy?" She exclaimed; Penny watched a little colour jump into Tim's cheeks as he almost dropped his teacup; much to her amusement. She watched through his skull as the cogs in his brain turned while he remembered a dark secret from years ago, and Penny was determined to have it out of him.
"And our boss still hasn't worked that out," Tim stifled a laugh;
"Yes, I nearly screwed up my entire career because he was my distraction." Penelope laid her teacup on the table and began to chuckle, her eyes were watering with glee at this new-found golden information about her friend. How did I not know this about him? She asked herself, barely able to concentrate on her own thoughts. I know everything about those boys!
"Oh come on, you have to give me more than that! This is the best story I've heard all year, you can't possibly leave it there! And don't you dare pull the confidential card on me, Tim." Tim let a tiny smile creep up the side of his mouth, he was well aware that there was no way out for him this time; nobody gets out questioning from Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," Tim let the sarcasm hang in the air between the pair of them.
"I will say that he is a very good kisser. And I will say no more, mind you!" Penelope felt about near to burst with excitement, she simply had to get the two of them to 'bump into each other,' with as much planning as one can fit into such an expression.
When Tim left the mansion later that day he invited Penelope to the reunion, assuring her that she would be most welcome; as well as maintaining her public profile in order to keep up with her identity. Penelope secretly promised herself to extend the invitation to Gordon, despite the fact that he had probably already been invited but it was probably worth putting her word in for Gordon. Naturally due to his occupation Penny had assumed that Jeff might need a little convincing on Gordon's behalf.
As Penelope laid her head to her pillow that night she thought about what in Gordon could possibly have captivated Tim's attention. She wondered about how she could go about getting them back to together for their benefit, but also not at her own expense. She tried to imagine the reactions of Gordon's brothers to the conversation that she had just had, and found herself smiling wildly into the sheets at what she imagined; sweet kindness and compassion. Did Tim really have the idea that Penny had assumed? Or did he have a completely different reason entirely?