Scott looked at Alan with a sigh, "So, what can we do for 36 hours then?"

Alan shrugged, "I dunno, I mean it usually only takes five hours when we have all three engines working."

Scott nodded then sat back, "This will be a drag then."

"We could play a game?"

Scott rolled his eyes, "Do we really have to?"

"Where's your sense of fun? Right. Ok, I spy with my little..."

Scott cut him off sharply, "No! Anything but flipping 'eye spy'."

"Umm, how about, oh. Urgh." He sighed, "I don't know, but we need to do something."

Scott smirked "I have an idea," And called home, "Virgil, are you there bro?"

Virgil appeared on the hologram projector, "Yeah. What do you want? Also where are you?"

"We're on our way back, 36 hours unfortunately. We couldn't have some music up here could we?"

Virgil looked at his piano, "I'm not playing for 36 hours."

Scott laughed, "I'm not asking you to do that! Just an hour or so Virg, we're dead bored."

Virgil smiled and stood up, "Alright, I hope you enjoy this little batch."

Soon the cockpit was filled with gentle piano music and the two boys relaxed in their seats, Alan tapped the chair arm with his fingers to the slow rhythm of the music and Scott opened the microphone to their passengers in the cargo bay who looked up in surprise.

"Where's that music coming from?" Francois asked.

Scott smirked and answered them, "That's our brother, he's a semi-professional pianist." A harsh chord echoed through the hold and cockpit, "Sorry Virg, I mean a professional pianist."

"Tell him he's a very good musician." Madeline smiled.

"Thank you Madame." Virgil replied courteously.

"You can hear us?" Madeline blushed.

"Yep." Virgil grinned to himself as he began to show off at the keys.

Scott chuckled, "Now now Virgil, calm down. No need to show off."

Virgil looked at Scott and raised an eyebrow before continuing the piece without looking down at his hands, "Who says I am?"

Alan looked at the time as he sat listening to the music, "Maybe I could try and fix those engines?"

Scott opened his eyes and snapped his head round to him, "Don't you dare, I almost lost you once today, and I'm not losing you again."

"I'll be fine Scott. We have to cut down on time somehow."

"You're staying here and that's an order." His tone softened, "Please Alan?"

Alan pouted slightly and sat back in his seat, he dragged up a game and began to play absentmindedly, and Scott watched him before clearing his throat.

"Umm Alan?"

"Yeah?" His younger brother didn't look away from the game.

"Does it have a two player option?"

Alan grinned, "You bet! Here." He passed Scott a screen, "You want to challenge me then?"

There was an impatient cough, "I'm guessing you don't need me anymore then?" Virgil smiled.

"Nah, you can stay if you want Virg." Scott replied as began to play the game with Alan.

Virgil simply smiled and stopped playing, "I'll catch you guys later ok?"

"Sure Virg, whatever. Ha! Gotcha Scott." Alan narrowed his eyes triumphantly.

The game went on for a bit with both players catching each other up continuously, Alan sighed and looked behind him allowing Scott to gain advantage on a point.

"Scott, do you think we should invite the La Mers up here? It's not comfy in the hold, I should know."

Scott bit his lip thoughtfully then smiled, "Alright then, perhaps they can entertain us? Oh and Alan, I've won by the way."

Alan swiped the virtual screen away angrily, "Just bring the cheese man up."

Scott laughed then went down to the cargo where Francois was sitting with Madeline, "Monsieur La Mer, you and your wife are welcome to join my brother and me in the cockpit. It's the least we can do on this long journey."

Francois smiled at Scott and nodded, "We would like that very much."

Scott smiled back and opened the door for them to the cockpit before following them through, "Alan, say hello to our guests."

Alan turned his head, "Hey."

"You're the mad about the comet boy right?"

Alan frowned slightly, "It's Alan. Welcome on board."

Scott sat down next to his brother with a grin, "ETA now 30 hours."

"So, what do you do with yourselves on journeys like this?" Francois remained inquisitive.

"Well the journey is usually much quicker than this, and we entertain ourselves with games installed here. Scott can sing too so we sometimes listen to music and stuff."

"Not true, I do not sing." Scott looked out at the vast black void of space.

Madeline smiled and watched their banter with amusement, "How many are you? We've heard about your brother Virgil."

Alan smiled at her, "Five. Me, Scott, Virgil, our space monitor John and water baby Gordon."

Scott rolled his eyes, "Alan, we don't want everyone knowing about us."

"It's alright, this isn't being published, only my husband's cowardly actions." Madeline grinned as Francois frowned slightly.

"Five of you? Wow. And you said your brother Virgil is a musician?" Francois smiled.

"Yeah, but he doesn't like people to know. We've never known why." Alan looked at Scott for confirmation which he didn't give.

"I guess its shyness, or modesty. He won't tell us." Scott smiled at Madeline who seemed happy with the answer.

"We're all kinda musical actually." Alan pushed.

"Alan?!" Scott hissed hiding his face in his hands.

"What do you play you two?" Francois asked, "Madeline and I love music."

"I play the electric guitar, and Scott plays a bit of piano, as well as the guitar. Virgil is the pianist obviously and, I guess you don't really need to know what the other two play. Say Scott, why don't you play them something?"

"Because, I don't have a piano up here maybe?" Scott scoffed.

"Hang on a minute," Alan searched through the portable files programmed into Thunderbird 3 and came across a keyboard, he threw the screen over to a very unhappy looking Scott, "Go on brother."

Scott sighed and rotated it to look like an actual keyboard in front of him, "I'm really not sure about this Ali."

Francois sat back in his chair behind Scott's and looked at Madeline, "Any requests?"

Madeline shook her head, "He can play whatever he wants."

Scott glared at Alan as he pressed a button to sustain notes, "I'm going to kill you when we get home."

Alan crossed his arms, "Oh really? See if Grandma lets you do that. Come on now, play something, our guests are waiting."

Scott sighed and depressed the holographic pedal down with his foot as he began to play something Virgil had taught him, Alan immediately smiled as he watched his eldest brother and idol play the piano, Scott smiled back and shook his head with a chuckle at Alan's grin, Madeline smiled in awe, and leant towards Alan to watch her rescuer at his second talent, Francois remained where he was and enjoyed the music quietly. However, as it swelled around the cockpit, he felt his eyelids droop and he fell into a heavy sleep, Madeline struggled to stay awake too as the soft music flooded into her mind, and gradually she too fell asleep and Alan looked at them, he smirked before glancing at Scott.

"See what I did there?"

Scott paused, "You had a plan?"

"Of course I did. Play to get them asleep, means we can sleep too."

"I'll stay up for a bit." Scott laughed softly, "Get some rest if you want."

Alan yawned and snuggled into the chair, resting his head on the armrest towards Scott as the music continued, "Thanks Scott."

"No, thank you Al, I need to relax more and, oh." He cut off as he realised Alan was fast asleep, he released the pedal and closed the piano down on the systems, then he leant over and kissed Alan's temple before snuggling up to sleep too for the final 24 hours to get home.