Disclaimer: I do not own the much of the story line because it is based on Les mis and i do not own anyone or thing from Thunderbirds, aka John Tracy.
John Tracy once again swung his pick axe against the rocks. He didn't mean to harm that reporter, only to prevent them from spreading their secret to the world. Of course he didn't want to kill him!
The French constable wondered over to his work station.
"Fucking community service!" John cursed under his breath unaware of Inspector Jervat breathing down his neck.
"Prisoner 24601!" he bellowed in John's ear, causing him to cower in fear. "You're free to go."
John squinted up at him in disbelief. "What?" he asked, his voice weak.
"Your 10 year sentence is complete and you will receive your yellow ticket of leave."
"... I'm free!"
"Only as free as you can be with a criminal record." The constable muttered and then left to whip a lousy worker.
"I don't believe it! I can see my family again! My brothers!" without another word, he grabbed what little belongings he had and pegged it to the nearest town.
John tried to ignore the odd stares he was receiving as he walked down the street in his tattered clothes when something caught his eye. Covering the front page of every news paper was his worst nightmare. Once again in disbelief he picked up a paper and started reading. However he could only mange the first paragraph.
Tracy Island and International Rescue destroyed
Not one survivor found. It was discovered 10 years ago that the Tracy family were in fact the world famous International Rescue when one of their operatives, John Tracy, was put behind bars for murder. Ever since then, many people had wanted to get their hands on their marvellous technology and one almost succeeded at a great cost. The residents of the island managed to stop them getting the plans but were unaware of the explosives that had been placed around the island.
John put the paper back on the shelf and carried on walking, all hope gone. He couldn't believe it. His whole family were dead because of him. Lost in thought he sat down on the stairs outside a very elaborate looking church. Eventually the news sunk in and he realised exactly the circumstances he was in. Desperately tiring to keep the tears back he curled up tighter on the stairs when there was a clap of thunder and it started raining heavily. Thunder. The Thunderbirds. Gone. Everything gone. He couldn't stand it anymore and the tears began to freely flow from his eyes.
Behind him Father Thomas opened the monstrous double doors and noticed the depressed figure on the marble stairs.
Silently, he glided down the stairs to greet this stranger. Without a word he placed a hand on his shoulder. John flinched away at the strangers touch and looked up at him with fear. The vicar simply smiled warmly at him.
"Now my brother, do you think it wise to be outside while the weather is like this?" he asked gesturing to the angry black clouds lining the sky. John looked down and shook his head.
"Do you have somewhere to go?" Once again John shook his head.
"Well in that case you may seek shelter within our walls." Father Thomas suggested and floated back into the shelter of the place of worship. John took one last look at the weather and decided that he had no chose but to follow the vicar inside.
Father Thomas offered John food and drink and a bed in which to rest which he accepted with gratitude.
While John was eating breakfast the next morning, he contemplated what he would do next. Seeing as his family were dead their bank accounts had probably frozen. So he was poor. Great. He thought about getting a job and then remembered that he had his yellow ticket if leave and would never earn enough money to live off.
He looked down at the silver cup in his hand. The cup that would cost twice of would he would earn in a week. He looked around him and observed that there was no one else in the room. Quietly he slipped the cup and other bits of silver off the table and into his bag. With one more check that he was in the all clear, he silently took his flight.
He flew out of the double doors and bundled down the stairs only to run strait into Inspector Jervat. The impact caused the silver to fall out of his bag. John fell backwards in to the stairs in surprise. The Inspector glared down at him.
"You are in a heap of trouble lad." he sneered.
"All rise for Judge Smith."
John was forced to stand up as the Judge slowly made his way over to his sit and sat down. Once he comfortable he gestured for everyone else to do so. John thrown back down.
"Prosecutor, you may start." The elderly judge grumbled.
"John Tracy here was lodging at the church last night as the honest vicars guest. And then out of christen goodness when he learnt about your plight, you continued with your story that he left a present of this silve-!" the lawyer started, his voice growing increasingly louder.
"That is right," the vicar interrupted calmly, "But my friend you left so early, you must have forgot that I gave these also! Would you leave the best behind?" He asked holding up two very expensive looking candle sticks. "So in that case your honour I charge this man not guilty and you may realise him."
John stared open-mouthed at the kind vicar. He had stolen silver from this man and then made up a story of how he had been given it and the victim just when along with it! Now where's the catch? He thought.
Once John had been charged not guilty and thrown back out on the streets, Father Thomas found him
"Why would you help me?" John asked. The vicar simply smiled warmly.
"Because, and you must remember this, my brother, I wish that you will use this precious sliver to become the honest man that you were before." And with that and another warm smile the vicar glided away in the direction of the church.
As John walked down the dirt path of the country side He though of what he had done just as Grandma would have commanded him to do when she sent him to the naughty corner back when he was a kid.
"What have I done?" He whispered. Become a thief in the night? Become a dog on the run? 10 long years ago his life had changed. They gave him a number and destroyed John Tracy. They had chained him and left him for dead for trying to protect his family's biggest secret. Because that worked! He thought, sarcastically.
He let his thoughts drift until they rested upon the vicar who had given him his trust, who had called him brother. He could have said one word and he would be chained up again with a pick axe in his hand, but instead he offered him his freedom. John suddenly felt a tidal wave of shame wash over him. How could he do such a thing? He remembered back to when Father Thomas had told him that he had a soul even though John knew that that had been ripped from him the day he was named 24601.
John stopped at a bridge and lent of the railing as he stared into the mental whirlpool of his sin. He pulled out his yellow ticket of leave.
"So long, 24601." He sneered as he ripped it up into tiny, indistinguishable pieces and dropped them into the searing water of the river.
A/N: Hope you like! I started writing this during rehearsals of Les mis at Dynamo Youth Theater and then carried on when I got home. There is going to be a chapter for each section of the musical so some will be long some will be short. And i am sorry for killing everyone but John off it was the only way it would work!
Be random!
Abigail Tracy