A/N – This was my entry to the 2015 TIWF Promise challenge. I hadn't written anything for over a year but the prompt and deadline for the challenge really helped me kick the writer's block, yay! I was hoping that would jump-start my muses back to life and I would be able write more but… alas, no.

Anyway, I realised I hadn't published this yet so, well, here it is.

Disclaimer: Since I last wrote a Thunderbirds story someone has bought the rights to them… unfortunately is wasn't me, but ITV has done quite well with them. But ultimately they will always belong to Gerry.

PS. And for anyone who questions, (because I know there will be a few who point out I've got it wrong!) in my head-canon Gordon dates Tin-Tin for a few years before IR starts – yes, Gordon, not Alan.

You Owe Me

July 2063

John took another swig of his vodka and coke, leaning back casually against the bar. Out of all of the brothers, John was the only one who usually enjoyed the parties held by their father's business associates. Each was more lavish than the last as the wealthy men tried to out do each other.

Today's event, held by a Mr Bell of Bell Aeronautics, was an extravagant affair which had started with a four course banquet and then progressed to the hundred or so guests mingling between five large rooms, each with suitable entertainment. John was currently in the ballroom watching Gordon spin Tin-Tin around the dance floor.

He scanned the room looking for Virgil; his brother had been in a rather grumpy mood all day. John suspected it had something to do with the fact that Gordon and Alan had both brought their girlfriends to the party and yet Virgil's own girlfriend hadn't been able to join him. John, as the only single brother at the moment, was perfectly content with his own company, but he knew Virgil was jealous of the younger two boys flaunting their girls.

John inwardly cursed as his eyes caught those of a grey-haired gentleman in a bright blue dinner jacket. He beetled over to John and grinned, reaching to vigorously shake John's hand.

"Jonathan! How are you, son?"

"John, sir," he corrected. "I'm well, Mr Bennett, how are you?"

Mr George Bennett was the eccentric uncle of the CEO of Bennett's and Bolts, an engineering company that built top end airplane parts. Seeing as George Bennett was the main benefactor for the company, and tended to give out large sums of money to any other company he liked the look of, he was always invited to business parties, despite the fact he always got rather drunk and ended up making a fool of himself.

"I am extraordinarily well, young Jonathan. What have you been up to then? Off racing jet planes? Oh no, that one is Virgil, isn't it? Funny name. I always tell Jeffery that when I see him. Cars? No, no not him. My God, boy, how does your father manage to remember which one of you is which?"

John tried to cut in but Mr Bennett just kept on rambling.

"Ah, I remember. The aquanaut! You're him, aren't you! Yes you are. I remember Jeffery saying you were in a goddamn submarine for years. Explains the paleness, eh?" He laughed heartily and patted John's cheek. John frowned, he'd been trying to work on his tan for the last few weeks since moving full time to Tracy Island. He liked to think he wasn't that pale anymore. "You know, son, a boy needs sunlight. Vitamin D and all that. Can't be having with underwater, too damn dark. That Virgil has the right idea. Planes, fast planes. Very good."

"That's Scott actually, sir. He's the fighter pilot, Virgil is the engineer. And Gordon is the aquanaut. I'm the astronaut, sir."

"Oh. Well of course you are, Jonathan. Where is Scott then, I'd rather talk to him?"

John didn't take offence, he would be more than happy to pawn the rambling old man off to his brother. Unfortunately, this time it was impossible.

"Sorry, sir, Scott isn't here tonight. He's on active duty. Apparently a party, no matter how prestigious, isn't reason enough for time off from the Air Force."

"Well, that is a damn shame. He is a boy after my own heart. None of that namby pamby space travel like your father. Pointless, I say. Who wants to live on the moon?"

John raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Yes, sir, completely unnecessary."

"Well, I do say so."

Before Mr Bennett could say anything more, John politely cut in.

"Sorry, sir, I really must excuse myself. I, um, need to go and find my brother."

"Ah Jonathan! Bored of me already, son? Ha, I would be as well, if I had to listen to your talk of submarines. We have no matching interests. Tell Jeffery I said hello."

And with that he wandered off. John sighed.

He ordered another drink from the bar and then headed out of the room in search of Virgil. He walked through an art gallery, surprised that Virgil wasn't there, and down a staircase to the next room. This room was darker than the others, a cosy den, furnished with four green felted card tables and small cashier's cage in one corner. Each table had four people sat around, holding cards, and a pile of chips in the centre. John groaned when he noticed Virgil sat at one table.

"John!" Virgil called as soon as he'd spotted his brother enter the room. John wandered over to the card table. "Perfect timing."

"Perfect for what?" John asked, although he was pretty sure he could guess what Virgil was about to ask him, considering the distinct lack of chips in front of the younger man.

"Can I borrow some money?"

John just rolled his eyes and dug a hand into his suit jacket pocket, withdrawing his wallet.

Virgil grinned. "I'll pay you back, I promise."

"How much?"

"Umm…" Virgil looked around the table to check this size of chip piles in front of his three companions. "Well the ante is one hundred dollars-"

"Virgil!" John admonished in surprise. But then what had he expected really, this was a party full of millionaires.

"I'll pay you back, I promise!"

"Fine," John sighed. "So what do you want, a few thousand?" he asked, slightly sarcastically.

Virgil missed the sarcasm, or deliberately ignored it. "That should do, yeah." He held out his hand.

"Funnily enough, Virg, I don't carry that amount in cash. Do you take credit card?"

"There's a banker over there." He pointed. "She takes credit card."

That made John pause. "Wait, what about your credit card?"

Virgil rubbed his ear, a sign he wasn't happy. John inwardly groaned as he saw the guy to Virgil's left twitch a tiny smile as he noticed the tell.

"It's maxed out," Virgil mumbled.

"Maxed out!?"

"Not from this! The deposit for my new car…"

"What's the car?" The blond to Virgil's right asked.

Virgil grinned, "Aston Martin One-77."

The blond whistled appreciatively. "Nice."

John snapped his fingers in front of Virgil's face to draw his brother's attention back to him. "Virg, how much?"

"Oh um, four thousand?"

John grumbled but nodded and spun on his heel to head over to the cashier's cage, cursing himself for deciding to come and find Virgil. He walked up to the glamorous blonde woman, who smiled prettily.

"Four thousand please. Mostly whites, a few red. God forbid I let him have any yellow. That's just a way for him to lose it quicker."

The woman began counting out the chips, stacking them on the counter between her and John.

"This is what happens when you get a lot of rich boys who don't even know the value of their loose change and then let them gamble," she commented, then grimaced. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, you're probably one of those rich boys, aren't you?"

John chuckled. "I am. But don't worry. I agree."

"Give them free reign with daddy's credit card and all hell breaks loose."

"Or big brother's credit card," John added wryly, holding said item out. He looked at the little piles of chips, he couldn't even carry that many. He tugged his pocket square from his jacket and laid it on the counter, before scooping all the chips onto it and lifting it by the corners. He thanked the banker and headed back to Virgil's table.

"Here." He dumped the chip laden square of lilac fabric in front of his brother.

"Thanks, Johnny."

"You owe me."

"I promise I'll pay it back."

"Yes, so you keep saying."

"Just a few more hands and I'll have whipped these boys to the floor."

"Is that even a phrase?" The blond at the table asked. Virgil shrugged.

"You all know what I mean. Get ready to hand over your money!" He rubbed his hands together and grinned at the other three at the table.

"Ok, Riker, your deal." The cards were passed to the blond and he began shuffling.

"You staying, Johnny?" Virgil asked.

"Yeah, why not."

"Ok, this is Ian" – the guy on Virgil's left – "Ando" – the Japanese boy opposite him – "and Riker" – the blond. "My bother John," Virgil introduced. John raised one hand in greeting.

"Ante in," Riker called and they all tossed a white chip into the centre of the table. All four young men were silent as the cards were dealt to them.

John noticed the twitch of Virgil's eyebrows as he looked at his cards. Not good then.

"Bet," Riker said.

Virgil licked his lips, then tossed another white chip in.

"Call." Ian's white chip.

"Call." Ando's.

"Call." And finally Riker's.

Riker flipped the burn card into the discard pile and laid out the three flop cards.

Virgil rubbed his ear. John held back a groan.

"Check," Virgil said, tapping the table with his left hand.

Ian's eyes flicked from his hand to Virgil to the pile of chips to the flop then grinned. "Bet." He flipped a white chip in.

Ando called, adding his chip to the pile.

Riker grinned and almost lazily reached forward and dropped two chips into the pile. "Raise."

Virgil's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. "I see you." He added his chips. The other two followed suit.

Riker dealt the turn card and Virgil drooped a bit, then set his jaw and sat up straight, a smile spreading over his face.

"Raise," Virgil added three white chips to the pile. Oh God, Virgil was bluffing. It was obvious to John but he hoped that was just because he knew his brother so well and that the other three wouldn't notice. Virgil was a terrible liar.

"Yep, I call." Ian added his own three chips.

"Fold," Ando grimaced and slapped his cards down onto the table.

Riker called then turned over the final river card. John felt like screaming as Virgil rubbed his ear again.

Luckily, Virgil didn't try raising again, just called. Ian and Riker matched.

"Ok, show 'em."

"Ace high flush," Ian said, grinning.

"Ooh, sorry bud, full house, kings full of fours," Riker smirked, laying out his cards.

"Shit." Virgil tossed his cards down. "Three fours."

Riker scooped all the chips towards him and John let his head fall into his hands. Just like that Virgil had lost seven hundred dollars.

A very painful twenty minutes later and Virgil was down to his last three chips.

"Raise," Riker said as he dropped four chips onto the pile.

"Ah shit. All in." Virgil pushed his three chips into the centre of the table. John dropped his head into his hands and let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a wail.

Ian chuckled. "Sorry, John. Read 'em and weep, Virgil." He lay out a royal flush on the table.

Virgil slammed a fist onto the table. "Damn it!" He lay down his own Jack high straight flush – the best hand he'd had all evening. He pushed his chair back from the table in annoyance and stood up, sighing.

He ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his ear again, then cracked a smile. "Thanks guys, good game." He shook hands with Riker, Ian and Ando then moved away from the table.

"Bad luck, Virgy." John laid a hand on Virgil's shoulder.

"Sorry, Johnny. I guess I can't keep that promise."

"Don't worry about it. I know you'll pay me back eventually."

As they were leaving the room they were met at the door by a grinning Gordon.

"Hey guys, where have you been?"

John gave a sly smile. "Well, Virgil just emptied my bank account into a barrel and set fire to it."

"What?" Gordon stood on tiptoe to see over John's shoulder into the room. His face lit up. "Poker? Oh man, I didn't know there were games down here."

"Yeah," John bumped Virgil's shoulder. "Apparently Virgil sucks at it."

Gordon scoffed. "Of course he does. He can't lie to save his life. How much did you lose, Virg?"

Virgil lowered his head and muttered something unintelligible into his tie.

"Come again?"

"Nine thousand dollars."

John's eyebrows shot up. If he'd known Virgil had already lost five thousand dollars before he even got there, there was no way he would have lent him any more! Gordon just laughed.

"Don't let Dad know," John warned. "You know how he feels about us 'throwing money away'."

Gordon put on a deep voice to imitate their father. "Just because we have money doesn't mean you can be wasteful. Always spend wisely. I don't want people to think my sons are just thoughtless millionaire playboys who don't appreciate the value of money."

"Oh God. I'm dead," Virgil groaned.

"Don't worry, Virg. Just so happens that I am ace at poker." Gordon chuckled at his pun and pushed past John, making a beeline for the cashier's cage. Virgil and John shared bewildered looks. Gordon was not good at any card games. The only way he had ever won anything as a child was by cheating. This was not going to be good.

Almost simultaneously John and Virgil turned and hurried after their redheaded brother.

Gordon was flirting with the blonde banker as she counted out chips for him. John was relieved to see that Gordon had only cashed out one thousand. The banker let out a husky laugh and flicked her blonde hair and Gordon gave her a wink before turning away.

"Um, Gordo, where's Tin-Tin?" Virgil asked slightly uncomfortably, watching how the blonde woman was eyeing Gordon as he walked away.

"Oh she's keeping Mikayla company. Alan's racing buddy James Crawford is here so Alan is chatting with him and pretty much ignoring Mikayla, so her and Tin-Tin are having a gossip over cocktails. Apparently I wasn't welcome in their girl chat." He shrugged and wandered over to the table Virgil had recently vacated.

"Back again, Tracy?" Ian asked Virgil.

Virgil laughed, "No way in Hell, man. My brother thinks he can give you a run for your money though."

Ian glanced at John. "Hasn't Virgil lost enough of your money already?"

"Oh not me." John put an arm around Gordon. "This one."

Gordon was all smiles and laughter as he greeted the three other guys. High-fiving all of them and even spouting a quick comment in Japanese that had Ando chuckling. John didn't even know Gordon spoke Japanese. He sat down and began juggling three chips as Ando shuffled the cards, flipping one of them into the centre of the table for the ante.

But the second Ando began dealing, Gordon changed. He sat still and straight, his face blank, concentration set in his eyes. John exchanged a look with Virgil, who looked just as surprised as John felt. As the game went on they could see what Gordon had meant when he said he was ace at poker. It was unbelievable.

The pile of chips in front of Gordon grew steadily in exactly the opposite way that Virgil's had diminished. He won almost every hand.

"I see you and I raise you," Riker said, placing three chips into the pile. Gordon's expression didn't even change as he re-raised to five. Ian folded and Ando matched. Riker eyed Gordon suspiciously, then frowned up at Virgil and John, who were still stood just off to the side. "All in." Riker pushed his remaining four chips towards the pot, running a hand through his long bangs as he did. Gordon matched and Ando folded, staring in disbelief at Gordon and Riker.

"Show 'em," Ian told them. Riker winced as he showed a pair of fours. He'd been bluffing.

Gordon slowly laid down his own cards. A pair of fives. Also a bluff. There was an intake of breath all around the table and then Riker burst out laughing.

"Shit, man. No one has ever out-bluffed me before. You're good."

"Thanks." One side of Gordon's mouth twisted up in a wry smile.

"How'd you get so good?" Ando asked incredulously.

"I just spent the last year underwater in a bathyscaphe. We didn't have much to do in our down time or much space for anything bigger than a pack of cards."

Ian blanched. "Holy crap, dude. Isn't that just like a little two man pod?"

Gordon grinned. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Ok, you need to teach Virgil to play," Ando said, grinning.

"No can do. He's too honest. His face is like a book." Virgil gave an affronted huff. Gordon rubbed his ear. "You noticed this?"

They all laughed, except Virgil who just scowled.

"You guys wanna keep playing or walk away with your dignity?" Gordon asked.

"Dignity," Ando replied.

Ian glanced down at his small pie of chips, then over at Gordon's huge pile. "Yep, dignity."

"How come I didn't get that choice?" Riker grumbled.

"Because you had no dignity to start with," Ian answered happily. Riker chuckled.

After a few more jokes had been exchanged the six men went their separate ways, Gordon theatrically pretending to struggle under the weight of all his chips as he staggered to the cashier's cage. John smacked him round the back of the head as Virgil grumbled something about 'gloating bastard'.

"Very nice," the banker purred at Gordon and began counting the chips back in. "With a win like this you could splash out and buy a girl dinner," she said suggestively.

"Sorry, love, I have a girlfriend."

"Oh." She counted out the rest of Gordon's money in silence then slid it across the counter to him without even a smile.

Gordon gathered it up and walked away with a grimace. "Oops." John smacked him round the back of the head again.

"Oh come on, I've been at the bottom of the ocean for a year. What do you expect me to do when I see a pretty girl?"

"Not hit on her," Virgil said, then tugged lightly on Gordon's sleeve. "Now, show us how much you got?"

Gordon grinned again, then fanned the bills out in his hand and wafted them at Virgil. "Sixteen thousand."

"Shit," Virgil muttered reverently. "And you only started with one."

"We bow down to the Poker God," John deadpanned. "You know, four thousand of that is mine."

"Um, who says?" Gordon snatched his hand away.

"Virg borrowed four thousand from me and then promised to win it back and repay me."

Gordon collapsed into laughter, clutching his money to his chest with one hand, the other grabbing onto John's arm for support.

"What?"

Gordon caught his breath. "You idiot! You let Virgil – Virgil, the worst poker player in the history of the universe – gamble with your money."

John glared over at Virgil. "Yes, I'm seeing my mistake, now."

Virgil just stuck his tongue out, before settling into an Alan-esque pout. "I promise I will pay you back!"

"Here." Gordon quickly counted four thousand dollars from his hand and held them out to John. "Don't want to make Virgy break his promise."

"Gords…" John hesitated.

Gordon shrugged. "Take it. I wouldn't have come down here and played if I hadn't been looking for you guys. And you guys wouldn't have still been down here unless you'd lent Virg the money. So I owe you."

Not wanting to argue with Gordon's screwy logic as it resulted in him getting his money back, he took the offered money and pulled out his wallet, slipping the bills in and grinning at the nice bulging leather.

"Going by that logic, Gords, you owe me too. Five thousand of that is mine."

"Dream on, Virg. Dream on."

A/N - So... um, there it is. Please review and hopefully I'll write some more soon. Ciao x