Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds, but am very grateful to Gerry Anderson for creating such awesome characters and TV Show!

Also, I'm not a native speaker, so… how does this beta reader thing work? :D

A Virgil of My Own

„You really should come down here and let Virgil check you out," Scott pleaded, his concerned look set on the image of his astronaut brother.

„I'm OK," John refused, looking for the damages on Thunderbird 5.

„I can tell right from here that you've got a concussion," Virgil said cooly „but do as you wish," he added. John rubbed his forehead. „Headache, huh?" Virgil mumbled knowingly.

„OK, maybe I'm not ALL right, but I have to…"

„Brains is on his way up." Scott interrupted him. „You don't need to do anything but come down here and have some rest."

Virgil saw indecision in his second oldest brother's face. Time to stop playing games.

„Brains will manage up there. Concussion is no fun and I won't let you get away with it. Either you're coming down, or I'm going up. And believe me, you don't want that,"

Virgil threatened. John sighed and gave up. "All right, I'll be with you in no time."

Scott felt the tension in his shoulders go away. He did not realise it before, but it's been there ever since John reported the asteroid nearing Thunderbird 5. The tension intensified when Alan found out he's not able to launch Thunderbird 3. Before Brains could find out what's wrong, John had had to solve the situation with the help of only EOS and his own station. He did destroy the asteroid, but its fragments hit Thunderbird 5 and caused some damages. John being hit in the head was one of them. There was a minute of silence then in which Scott could not breathe, imagining what might have happened to John. Now, he wanted to strangle Alan!

"So, how is it possible that Thunderbird 3 wasn't able to launch?" he turned his attention to the youngest Tracy. Alan stole a look at Gordon, than stared guiltily at the floor.

"Alan? What have you done?" Virgil pushed.

"We… We just tried a little improvement," Alan answered without looking up.

"We?" Scott asked, astonished, in the same time as Gordon said "Obviously it did not work."

"You were in this, too?" Scott couldn't believe his second youngest brother was foolish enough to mess with the rocket. "What have you done?"

"We wanted Thunderbird 3 to launch faster," Alan started "Instead it did not launch at all," Gordon finished. "We are sorry," he added.

"Sorry!" Scott yelled and stood up, but Virgil stopped him. "You should have consulted it with Brains," he advised.

"We did!" Now Alan raised his head and there was a glint in his eyes. "Brains actually said it was a good idea and that we should work on it!" he explained.

"Yeah, but definitely not without his supervision," Scott growled, sitting back down.

"But Scott, how are we supposed to learn anything if we can't try it ourselves?" Alan protested and looked at Gordon for support. But Gordon knew better. He knew they did wrong. He knew there was no sense in arguing with Scott – he wouldn't listen. He never listened to him and Alan, only to John and Virgil. So he had to sit there and watch Virgil play his role of mediator, speaking for his little brothers where Scott wouldn't listen to them.

"You can try yourselves, but under supervision," Virgil told Alan sternly.

"As if Brains would let us touch anything," Alan muttered.

"As we all can see, he's got a good reason not to!" Scott stood up again, but by that time John arrived and asked immediately "What's going on in here?" Scott turned his attention to him, as did the other Tracys.

"These two…" Scott sighed in frustration and pointed at Alan and Gordon "messed with Thunderbird 3. From all we know, it's their fault it couldn't launch."

"And we are immensely sorry!" Gordon tried again, but the only thing he gained was a glare from Scott. Virgil felt uneasy, so he made his way towards Space Face to check his injuries. He stopped on a spot when his usually calm brother bellowed at the two youngest Tracys: "What were you thinking?!" It took everybody by surprise – John did not show emotion very often. Close to never. Obviously he was shaken. This unexpected reaction infuriated Scott.

It took a lot to get a reaction like this from John, and he just couldn't stand the fact that his brother's been hurt and shaken this much.

"You are no longer a Thunderbird, Alan!" he bellowed. "If you can't take proper care of your ship, how can we rely on you?!" Alan gasped. "But Scott… " he began, unable to find the right words to continue.

"Scott, you should reconsider this," Virgil came to his help. "You need to calm down and find the right solution. We're all in shock now, and it's no time to make decisions like this one."

"Oh no, Virgil, it's just the right time. I'll do it before anyone can talk me out of it. Should have done it long ago."

"No!" Alan cried and collapsed on the couch. Virgil was about to defend him some more, when Gordon called him in a chocked voice "Virgil!"

They all turned to see Gordon supporting an unconscious John. Scott and Virgil hurried to help him. "Quick, to the infirmary!" Virgil ordered. He noticed that Gordon was shaking. "You stay here with Alan," he said firmly. "But…" Gordon started, but knew better than to argue with Virgil's stern look. "OK," he finally said and went to sit by his younger brother's side.