Title: We Are One Serious Cliché
Summary: When Avalon Tracy announces she's going away to get another degree from DSAT, twin brother – Virgil – is not happy about it. Not in the slightest.
Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds never have never will.
A/N: This is NOT part of my Avalon Tracy Series. Stand-alone, but I have many, many plot bunnies nibbling at my ankles. Also the age gaps are different closer.
AGES: Scott – 23-26; John – 21-24; Virgil & Ava – 18-21; Gordon – 16-19; Alan – 15-18
"Three years? Three years!" 18-year-old Virgil Tracy had never been so furious.
"I don't understand why you're so upset." 18-year-old Avalon Tracy replied as she folded her jeans and put them in her suitcase.
"I'm upset because I'm not going to see you until we're 21!" Virgil said, putting his hands on her shoulders to halt her movement.
"You'll survive! Virgil…it's only for another degree. You know me. I want to help out. I want to be part of this. If I hear Dad say it's 'too dangerous, Ava' one more time, I'll scream. So if I have this degree than maybe I can say 'ok, I'll do the detail afterwards'. That's all I can hope for." Avalon said, shrugging off his hands and continuing to pack her clothes.
"But you're our medic!" He cried.
"Who stays home, Virgil? I do! I'm not allowed out on rescues!" She rounded on him, fuming.
"We can talk about it with Dad! He'll let you go." Virgil said.
"No he won't. 'It's too dangerous Ava.' or 'I can't afford to lose you.' even 'Why don't you see if Grandma needs some help in the kitchen?' I can't do it anymore Virgil." Avalon said.
"So this is goodbye?" He asked, all fight gone from his frame.
"No. This is 'I'll miss you but I'll be back'. And if I can manage it I'll email and call every day." She said, sensing their fight had come to an end.
"It won't be the same without you." He said.
"I know. But as long you know that I love each and every one of you then that'll be enough. But I'm not sure how I'll do it either can one really survive without the other? Two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin," She smiled at him.
Virgil laughed, "The ying to the other's yang, Two of a kind, the light to the other's dark," He replied, a chuckle burst their bubble.
"And any other Twin cliché you idiots can think of." They looked round and smiled at their oldest brother who stood in the doorway.
"Hey Scooter." Scott Tracy was 23-years-old and an intimidating 6'4" and he gave his siblings a smile as he lent against the doorframe, the hair on top of his head just brushing the top of it.
"You ready to go squirt?" He asked.
"Almost. Just a few more things to pack." Avalon said. Scott gave her a smile, before he ruffled Virgil's hair laughing as his brother battered his hands away and tried to restyle his hair, grumbling about it being ruined, leaving the twins to themselves.
The vid-phone calls were always 'for Virgil'. Whoever answered got a 'Hi! I'm fine. Is Virgil around?'. That was the most they got unless it was Alan. He got a bit longer.
"Hello? Alan, speaking." Alan answered, he smiled when he face appeared.
"Hey Buttercup!" She grinned widely.
"Hi! Do you want me to get Virgil?" He asked, he made to get up but she stopped him.
"Not yet. How are you doing Little man?" She asked. Alan was surprised, normally she would ask these questions while he was fetching his brother.
"I'm ok. What about you? What's cooking good looking?" He asked, he was answered by a wink and Avalon laughing. Avalon loved this part of talking to her brothers.
"Easy sport. I'm doing well. Class is a bitch sometimes. But then that's why I'm doing this right? You got those tickets to that big race yet?" Ava asked. Alan was only 15, but he was mad car racing fan. He'd wanted to go to a NASCAR race for years and he's finally convinced their father to buy him tickets for one of the races.
"Yeah, Dad's taking me to the Monster Energy races on May 21st. It's going to be awesome! It starts at 8am, but we're heading out the day before, just to make sure we get there."
"You'll need to get up before Scooter does." Ava warned. Scott got up at 5am to go for a run. If Jeff and Alan wanted to make the 8am race at the Texas Motor Speedway, they'd have to be up early. Alan made a noise of agreement but it didn't mean he had to like it. Ava had to smile to herself.
"Oh hey, Virge is here. I'll put him on." Alan said, "Ava." She heard him say and then she was greeted by the enthusiastic smile of her brother.
"Hey Ava!" He said, she sighed as he flopped down in front of the screen.
"What's shakin' bacon?" She replied, laughter shone in his eyes.
"Never gets old…not much, and you? What's up with you?"
"You know me. Girlfriends, boyfriends and homework." Ava replied, Virgil laughed again. Avalon and Virgil had always started their conversations the same.
"Better not let Scott hear you say that! He'll want to know about those boyfriends." Virgil warned. Avalon laughed.
"One on every block, you know that!" She told him, Virgil barked a laugh.
"Now Dad better not hear that!" He told her. She laughed and they continued to talk for another hour before she told him she had to go.
"Alright…I love you." Virgil said, a little sadly.
"I love you too, Virgil." Avalon told him, "tell the others I send my love. Be safe ok? I don't want to be always worried about the Thunderbird 2 pilot."
"No one can hear you right?" He asked suddenly worried.
"No. I'm alone." She told him.
"Alright. Bye Ace." He said.
"Bye V." She replied. They hung up and both let out an identical sigh. They missed each other. It was harder than they thought being apart for so long.
Three Years Later
Twelve days before graduation. Everything was gearing up to say goodbye to their graduating class. 21-year-old Avalon Tracy was among them. She was sitting up in her dorm typing up her final paper when she started to cough. The air seemed thick and she immediately knew something was wrong. She turned to the door, an odd earie orange glow shone under the door and Avalon recognized the vapour that followed it as smoke. Waking her roommates she urged them to get out and hurry anyone they met on the way.
Ava's room was on the top floor. She grabbed a towel and dampened it she made the other girls do the same and they covered their mouths. The others ran out while Ava pulled the fire alarm. Doors opened and closed, people ran past her and Avalon hurried them along. As the last door in the corridors shut and people she recognised from her floor – she knew them all – had got out past her. She followed them down the stairs. Ahead of them the stairs were crowded with students. They paused by a groaning sound.
"GO!" Avalon screamed and the students moved again. Not a minute later the top floor collapsed. The students screamed and kept going, pouring out into the dew dampened grounds. Some of the girls were sobbing as they looked at their slightly singed skin, which Avalon encouraged them to lie on the grass to help ease their burns. Siren's heralded the arrival of paramedics and firefighters. Avalon helped to keep all the girls calm while they waited for the boys to escape their dorms also. The boys poured out of their dorms in various stages of undress (one even looked like he'd only just finished pulling on his boxers) and onto the damp grass some fell to the ground others laid down to soothe their over-heated skin. Avalon had been lucky enough to not get singed.
Avalon watched as the firefighters battled the fire with the storm that was expected late that night. The strong nor'easter wasn't helping them. It was a huge job, they needed help. Avalon stood near enough to the firefighters to hear that there was no one else to call.
"I've heard of some new rescue organisation! Maybe they can help!" She cried.
"Oh and how do we reach this organisation?" The Fire Chief turned to her.
"On any radio frequency! I hear they are the best!" Avalon said, "They are called International Rescue."
"How do you know this?" He asked her.
"I read the Newspaper." She replied, they had only just done their first rescue and they'd done that successfully. It had been all over the paper. The fire Chief shrugged having no other option but to give it a try. He radioed calling for International Rescue.
"This is Fire Chief Anderson. International Rescue, can you hear me?" A beat of silence before the radio crackled and a voice replied. Undeniably her brother, John's.
"International Rescue receiving you, Chief. What's the situation?" John's voice asked.
"I'm at Denver School of Advanced Technology, we're having trouble battling a fire that is spreading fast." Avalon could see John's bite his lip. He knew that's where she was.
"I've already dispatched our firefighting equipment should be with you in twenty minutes." He said, "Are there any students unaccounted for?" The Fire Chief looked up at the Dean Head-counting and checking a list. The Dean's eyes caught his and he held up three fingers.
"Just three." He replied.
"Rescue and firefighting equipment are on their way." John's voice said. The call ended Avalon let the Fire Chief smile at her.
"I didn't think it would work. You know your stuff girlie." Avalon despised being called 'Girlie' but she just smiled and then ran off to find her friends. Only to discover they were the three still missing.
Not ten minutes later Avalon looked up as Thunderbird Two hovered overhead. She knew it! Her father and brothers were on the job! Gordon was still in training but he was here ready to help. He had been told sternly to pretend he didn't know Ava, it was paramount that their identities were not leaked at all. It gently touched down to create a slight tremble of the earth beneath her feet.
"Thank goodness you're here." She heard the fire chief call over the hum of the engines.
"What can you tell us? Get on that fire!" her father's strong voice called back to one of her brothers, Gordon was on that. She could see Virgil and Scott approaching her father to hear the run-down.
"Three still missing, all the rest are being seen to by the paramedics. That girl there – the blonde – she told us how to contact you and she said her three friends are the ones missing." Just as the fire chief was speaking Avalon called out her friend's names.
"Charli! Sam! Jordy!" Although it would strike her father, Scott and Virgil as odd that all her friends had boy-like names – all these friends were in fact girls. Charlotte Carter, Samantha Summers and Jordyn Jackson were all tall, slim, beautiful girls and somehow they found odd, average height, rather plain Avalon Tracy someone they wanted to be around. They were her best friends.
"Miss?" Her brother's voice said, she turned slowly.
"International Rescue." She breathed softly.
"That's right, what can you tell me about how the fire started?" Virgil's voice asked.
"I don't know. I was finishing up a paper for my class when I smelled smoke. My Roommate and I were getting everyone out. I thought we had them all but when I couldn't find Sam, Charli or Jordy I panicked. You have to find them! Please!" She begged grabbing hold of his arm tightly.
"We will. We will find your friends ok? It will be ok." He calmed her. These two were fantastic actors. Virgil was being his professional self but Avalon deserved an Oscar. She played clueless civilian very well. But then again these girls really were her friends and they really were missing. The only acting was pretending she didn't know who were behind the masks.
"Can you tell me what you're friends look like?" Virgil asked.
"They're all tall, slim and have brown hair. Sam has long hair always braided, Charli's is thick and curly, and Jordy has a pixie cut." Avalon said.
"Scooter we've got three females – all brunettes – go by the names Sam, Charli and Jordy." Virgil reported into his headset while trying to ignore the tight hold on his arm his sister still had. Scott replied the affirmative that he'd heard him.
Sitting inside Thunderbird 2's med bay watching as Virgil put an oxygen mask on Charli's face and glancing at Jordy and Sam who were being obedient keeping their masks over their faces, while they kept a close watch on the 'super-hot' operative, Avalon smiled to herself, if only they knew who he was.
"So, what's your name?" Sam asked, removing her mask.
He shook his head at her and moved her hand back to her mouth, "Ah, now that I can't tell you." He said with a grin. She blushed.
"Please?" Jordy said, replacing her mask after she finished talking.
"No. I'm sorry girls. I can't tell you my name. It classified and we all go by call signs. Mine's Ace. That's all I can tell you." He said.
"You done back there, mate?" A voice came over the ship intercom. Gordon had enough sense not to use Virgil's name.
"Yeah, I'll be up in a sec, G." Virgil replied. He made sure Charli's mask was secure before leaving but not before he gave Avalon a wink. Hearing Jordy and Sam gasp and start asking her if she knew him.
"How could I possibly know him?" She asked, taking another deep breath with her own oxygen.
"But he winked at you! And I heard him call you Avalon earlier!" Jordy said.
"I told him my name. He knows your names too. I had to so they could find you." Avalon said.
"Did he tell you his name?" Sam asked.
"No." Ava replied.
"No?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"No. I'm not one of those need-to-know people. Look girls, what does it matter? You'll never see him again. I hope that if I ever need them again that the other one recues me. Did you see him? Tall, dark and handsome?" Ava knew the intercom was working for listening only, because she just knew that Gordy and Virgil were killing themselves laughing right now. Jordy and Sam were then onto Scott. Even if Ava was a great actress she still felt kind of weird talking about her brothers in such a way. But it worked. It kept Jordy and Sam occupied while Charli slept on. When they arrived at the hospital, Gordon led Jordy and Sam off the ship and wheeled out Charli, Virgil grabbed his chance to talk to Ava.
"Hey, you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." She said, making to follow her friends. He stopped her.
"Are you sure?" He asked, frowning.
"Yes…no, ok? I'm not ok." Ava admitted at Virgil's sceptical look. He looked at her carefully.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Can we talk about this later?" She asked trying to pull out of his grip.
"No. Ava, if I have to take you home I will, damn secrecy." Virgil said firmly. Ava looked at him and then dropped her eyes down to the ground.
"It's just…seeing you guys risking your lives for people you don't even know is really scary. Mostly because you know…it's just…it's scary." Ava said.
"Because they don't know me? I'm pretty sure your friends wanted to know me." Virgil grinned.
"Yeah they are kind of…well let's just say that they aren't strangers to any of the straight guys at my school, and some of the girls too." Ava said with a small smile, "I'll see you soon yeah?"
"Yeah. I might send Gordon and Alan out to pick you up." Virgil said, giving her one of his trademark smiles and then waiting until she was inside before boarding Thunderbird 2 to join Gordon in the flight home.
Of course Gordon and Alan did not come out to pick her up. In fact none of her family did. A little disappointed and just a bit annoyed at the broken promise, Ava still smiled and accepted Lady Penelope's hug and congratulations. Though she allowed the English socialite to smile and cheer and give her a hug before and after she was still seething at the family. This wasn't Virgil's doing she knew that, he had promised and he never broke a promise, it had to be her father's doing.
She knew they hadn't got a call. Every time they did her watch vibrated. She was still connected to the line she just told them not to let her watch beep in the alert. Brains had set all of their watches with a vibrate function and Ava used hers to the best of her ability.
Ava sat in the pink car and sighed resting her elbow on the window sill and then her chin in her palm. She didn't want to be angry at her brothers and father, but they had promised to be at her graduation. She watched as the Island came into view and then as they softly touched down she stretched as best she could then stepped onto the tarmac. Happy to be home, but not all that happy at the lack of welcoming party. Where were her brothers and father? This wasn't like them at all. In particular Virgil. He would be there, should be there.
"Where are my brothers? My father?" Avalon asked as she accepted Tin-Tin's hug.
"Well, they are at the house. Didn't want to crowd you when you got home." Tin-tin replied easily. Of all the other occupants Tin-tin and Ava related though they rarely got along. Well this was going to serve her family right. She wasn't going to talk to them. She was going to see how long until they figured out why she was angry at them. It was going to be very interesting…
It took Alan six minutes to figure it out and he cornered her in the hallway. Ava was a little surprised that he had been so fast to work it out.
"Ava, I'm sorry I wasn't there! I wanted to! But Dad wasn't going to let me leave." He said, she pulled him into a hug.
"It's ok, Allie. I'm just waiting to see if the others are as quick as you are." She told him and with a kiss to his cheek, he ran off to chase Gordon around the pool again. It was thirty minutes after that that Gordon caught up to her.
"Ava, I told Dad that I needed to go to the mainland but he wouldn't let me leave. Said we were all grounded until further notice. I don't know why." He said, "I'm sorry." Ava gave Gordon a kiss on the cheek and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Don't sweat it Fish. It's ok. You've said sorry, that's important." She said. Gordon dashed off to find Alan and soon the sounds of laughter told Ava they were probably planning a prank again.
John told her that he hadn't been granted leave to go but he would have wanted to be there. She told him she understood his job was bit more stationed than the others. She completely understood.
Scott cornered her outside on the sun lounges. He sat down at the foot of the one she lazed on catching the last dying rays of the sun.
"Hey Ava. Sorry about your graduation. I have no idea why Dad grounded us. He wouldn't say. But he did seem tense about it." Scott said, Ava waved his explanation away.
"I'll be talking to Dad about it. But for now, your apology is enough. Thanks Scooter." She said accepting his kiss to her cheek before he left her alone.
Ava had no idea why her twin hadn't caught her yet but she knew Virgil would get to her in his own time. Meanwhile she cornered her father.
"You grounded them? All of them?" She asked, crossing her arms in an uncanny impersonation of her mother.
"Yes?" Jeff was a little confused as to why she was angry.
"My graduation ceremony. Attended by Lady P and Parker. Not one member of my family turned up." Avalon said tersely.
"I'm sorry Avalon. But we had a level 3 tsunami alert." Jeff said. He was using her full name not her nickname like he normally did, he was annoyed.
"So? Alan and Scott could've come over for it! You only need Gordon and Virgil!" Avalon fumed.
"Sorry Avalon. Ok? I'm sorry. But sometimes work comes before other frivolous things." Jeff said turning back to his paperwork.
"Frivolous?" her voice shook with rage, "Father, I may be your daughter and I may be the only female born Tracy is 40 years but I am just as important as Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon or Alan! I am just as able and important as one of your SONS!" Avalon's voice had steadily risen with every word she spoke. Jeff looked like she had slapped him and she might have had she not been so angry at him. She turned on her heel, ignoring the calls of her name and stormed to her bedroom slamming her door shut.
Virgil couldn't find his sister anywhere. He wanted to apologise for not making it to her graduation. He'd wanted to. Desperately. But he was on call for their Tsunami alert. He had to stay on the Island in case he was needed. He had checked all the usual places. She was nowhere to be found. That's when he heard it.
"Frivolous? Father, I may be your daughter and I may be the only female born Tracy is 40 years but I am just as important as Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon or Alan! I am just as able and important as one of your SONS!" That was Ava's voice! And she wasn't happy. Virgil paused for a moment and watched. Avalon left their father's office and marched to her room, then slammed her door shut. Virgil cast a glance at his father's office and then made up his mind.
Virgil put his hand on the biometric lock on Ava's door and it opened for him.
"Ava?" He said quietly and slid in closing the door behind him and locking it against all others. She didn't look up from where she'd wedged herself between her desk and bed. The pair of them used to curl up there when one was upset. He knelt down in front of her. She slowly raised her head to look at her brother.
"Now this isn't fair. I won't fit there anymore." He told her, she gave him a watery laugh, "come on out of there." He said she moved a little and let Virgil pull her to sit across his lap. The twins had started doing this when Virgil shot up taller than Ava.
"He said it was frivolous. My graduation, Virgil. My university graduation." Avalon sobbed.
"I told you that I would miss you. I did. But the one thing I really looked forward to was going to your graduation. Now you know why Gordy and I couldn't go. I just do not understand why Scott and Alan couldn't have gone. I will talk to him if you like. But first: here." Virgil held out a small brightly wrapped gift. Ava smiled at him before tearing away the wrapping. And Ava had to smile when she saw it. It was a charm of musical notes. Ava laughed as Virgil helped her clip it onto her bracelet.
"It's a graduation present."
"It's beautiful. Thanks Virgil."
"Hey anytime. I'm so proud of you Ava. You've done what you wanted to do. You can help out more and be of use. You can help Brains do the detailing. You can help with the maintenance! This is what you wanted." Virgil said, pulling her in tighter to his chest.
"You're like a teddy bear." She whispered, he laughed and it rumbled in his chest as he placed a kiss gently on her head.
"I missed you so much Ava." He told her.
"I missed you too, Virg. My other half." She said.
"The ying to my yang," He said with a smile.
"The other side of my coin," she smirked.
"The light to my dark." He finished, she giggled and curled into his chest again.
"So corny." She said with another giggle.
"What can I say? We are one serious cliché!" He said holding her tight, "now…about that maintenance."
"I ain't done hugging yet." She said. Scott, who stood outside Avalon's door smiled when he heard his two younger siblings laughing. She was happy again, he was glad there was one person who could make her smile again and yes, they were one serious cliché!