THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!
RESIGNED TO MY FATE
WRITTEN BY ZARIUS
(Contains spoilers for "S.O.S Part One")
He may not have found Sherbet just yet, but Gordon had been left smelling quite sour.
A pole cat had surprised him while he'd been searching the sewers beneath Penny's manor, trying to find some trace of her faithful dog, a dog that Parker had let stray from his sight.
Gordon had been the only member of the team available when Parker made the call to request assistance in finding the dog, and even then he'd been off duty and about to tuck into a sandwich.
What business did Parker even have requesting International Rescue be called away from critical and crucial work for something like this? Surely he shouldn't be the only servant at the manor? That appeared to always be the case, as if Penelope didn't trust the maintenance of her homestead or her secrets with anyone else but him.
Gordon was going to turn away from the invitation to search for the dog when Parker uttered the words that caused him to emotionally project the worst case scenario in his mind's eye...the imagery of a heartbroken and shattered Penelope fretting over her pet.
It was bad enough his little shenanigans earlier in the month along the Supreme Barrier Reef had visibly shaken her to the point she told him off for worrying about him, just imagine the fury she would bestow upon Parker in a fit of unparalleled frustration.
Gordon resolved to help Parker, if anyone were to make a woman of such spirited fortitude crumble, he'd rather he take all the blame for it than anyone else.
So against anyone's better judgement, he took to the skies in Thunderbird 1, or at least initially attempted to, and headed off to Crichton manor.
He should have asked Scott for a crash course on how to operate machines he wasn't quite used to, because he very nearly crashed the ship on the way over there. What's worse is he couldn't control the surveillance drones that came equipped with the aircraft.
He had to rely on natural instincts and less dependency on technology to do all the work for him, and in some ways, he welcomed the chance, it helped him get some exercise walking the entire stretch of the manor.
Then they found the manhole leading into the sewage tunnel. Parker was sure the dog had found its way in there. Gordon at first refused to go in, Parker insisted he do so, since it's his sort that do the rescuing, Gordon responded by saying looking after Penelope's dog was his responsibility.
"Well, she's your girlfriend" he said, almost like he was trying to emotionally blackmail him.
Gordon was taken aback, was the nature of their relationship so unsubtle that Parker had sussed out how they were feeling towards one another?
Did everyone, even her, know at this point they were fated to be together and weren't even being discreet about it amongst themselves?
Was he playing a cruel trick and putting Gordon on the spot so he could verify to him what he suspected?
If the latter were the truth, Gordon wasn't about to play things his way.
"Lady Penelope is not my girlfriend" Gordon uttered in defiance, not sure if he was aiming his counter argument at Parker or God.
But Parker knew how to play.
"She never will be, unless you crawl in that hole"
And from there Gordon was butter.
He would step into the sewers, he would be sprayed with the fowl mark of the pole cat, and when he came out, he wreaked of a pungent odour.
And when all was revealed to have been for nothing that Sherbet had accompanied Penelope on her trip, and when Penelope made note of how fowl Gordon smelled when she got back, Gordon didn't offer even a hint of resistance or objection.
That was the sacrifice he had made.
Whether or not Parker knew, Penelope knew, or if the others knew, his devotion to her happiness meant he would grin and bear it, especially since he noticed Penelope had a charmed and affectionate smile on her face the whole time.
He was quite content to be resigned to his fate.