Ch. 1

Alan and Tin-Tin's announcement at breakfast the next morning was met with cheers and not a few About time!s. Grandma had hugged the pair, Gordon had clapped Alan hard on the back, and Kyrano had looked extremely pleased and a little relieved. Catrìona and Brains had also offered their congratulations. Later, the four women sat in the lounge, drinking coffee.

Maria was feeling a little down. John had taken off to do his turn on Thunderbird Five, and despite her assurances that it was too early for the baby yet, she couldn't help feeling a little anxious. Grandma, seeing this, had organised coffee and a chat in the lounge. Virgil had disappeared into his bedroom, clearly a little overwhelmed by the sudden convergence of women on his practice time.

"You do know, Tin-Tin," said Catrìona, sipping from her mug, "now that you're officially engaged, we're going to have to address a few very important issues." Tin-Tin regarded her warily.

"Like what?"

"Like choosing your dress, of course!" exclaimed the Scottish woman with a grin. "It's a very important decision. Look how long Maria took to pick hers!"

"I'll have you know I knew exactly what I wanted. It was just finding it," said Maria, chuckling. "White, off-the-shoulder, lots of little embroidered and beaded detail, relatively modest skirt-"

"With a huge train," completed Grandma. "The fiasco we had finding that perfect dress."

"Exactly," said Catrìona. "Which is why we have to get this dress issue addressed as quickly as possible. Did you have any particular idea as to what you wanted?" Tin-Tin shrugged. Maria looked at her witheringly.

"Oh, come one," she said. "Everyone dreams up their ideal wedding at some point. Spill the beans, go on."

"Well, I always wanted some Malaysian influence in what I wore, but not too traditional. I've never really been into the whole white dress idea, either."

Grandma leaned back in her chair thoughtfully. "What we need," she decided slowly, "is a shopping trip." The women's faces lit up at this.

"So where will we go?" asked Catrìona. "London? Paris? New York? Milan?"

"I think if it's Malaysian Tin-Tin wants, we should get as close to authentic as possible," said Maria.

"But not too traditional," Tin-Tin reminded them anxiously. "I would like to go to Malaysia, though. I haven't been there in a while." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Kuala Lumpur is usually the place to go for fashion. I think Penny might have done a couple of fashion shows there in the past, too."

"It sounds like a plan, certainly," said Maria. "Now to convince the men."

TB

John pressed the buttons required to open the airlock, then turned round to wish his brother farewell. Virgil smiled.

"See you," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "And don't worry," he added with a smirk. "I promise we won't let her have the baby without you. And Dad says you can have the next two months off." John smiled nervously.

"I just have this funny feeling, is all," he replied, shaking his head. He shrugged and walked through into Thunderbird Five.

"Hey, John," said Scott, rising from the desk chair. "How're Maria and the sproglet?"

"Maria and the baby are doing fine, thanks," said John, going to the bedroom to dump his stuff. "Anything I should know before you go?"

"Just keep an eye on the Australian outback. The temperatures are looking pretty high, and they've had a very dry summer. And England's pretty damp, but I don't think there'll be any problems."

"Nothing else?"

"Apart from the usual minor seismic activity in the usual parts of the world, no. I checked some of the reports, and experts don't think there should be anything to worry about." John nodded, settling into his chair and making a note. "Anything I should know before I go?" continued Scott, leaning against the console.

"You have to make sure Maria doesn't give birth while I'm up here," said John dryly, but his eyes showed the real worry. Scott threw an arm around his shoulders.

"John, you've got to stop worrying. Maria will have taken every precaution imaginable to make sure there won't be any complications, Brains is qualified to assist if she decides to give birth early, we have sufficient facilities on the island, and we are only three quarters of an hour's flight from the mainland. It. Will. Be. Fine."

"I know," sighed John, turning to the screens. Satisfied, Scott straightened up and made to go. As he stepped into the airlock, John called his name. Turning back, Scott saw a half smile on John's face.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Gordon received a parcel this morning."

"And?"

"It was from his usual supplier."

"Ah." Scott grimaced. "Thanks for the heads up." John gave him a mock salute and closed the airlock.

TB

In his bedroom, Gordon slit open the selotape and lifted the flaps of the box excitedly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" he crowed, surveying his purchase. He extracted it from the protective foam, examining the brightly coloured display box. "Oh, this is going to be good!" he whispered to himself excitedly. "So, so good!" He scrambled to his feet and ran to his wardrobe, stuffing the box inside.