Disclaimer: I do not own The Thunderbirds!
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted. Thank-you.
2nd A/N: AU because John has a wife a little girl.
Chapter 11 – Boyfriend
2 years later
"So…when did he ask you out?" Addie was full of questions for Annabelle when she came back to the Dorm room late one Friday night.
"Who?" She asked a little confused by the barrage of questions.
"Don't play dumb with me girly. I know! Jared Matthews! Come on! He is beyond hot!" Addie said bouncing up and down on her feet.
"Sit down Addie. I'm going to get into my pyjamas. Besides it's past lights out." Annabelle pointed out. Addie wasn't going to be put out that easily. The next morning on the way to Breakfast, during breakfast and in between classes she pestered Annabelle about Jared Matthews, he went to the neighbouring Bryant Institute for Boys. He was a nice guy. He was a gentleman. Annabelle planned to take him home over the summer to meet her family if it was only for a few days. Or ask her family to come over and meet him. She'd have to be careful. Because if they went to the Island they could have a rescue. That would go down well right? Sure.
Summer came around far too quickly for Annabelle's liking. Her and Jared were still going strong and Annabelle jumped when her cell phone rang while he walked her back to her dorm.
"Who is it?" He asked as she rolled her eyes.
"It's my Dad. Hang on." She turned away from Jared and answered the call. "Dad? What's up?" She asked pressing 'answer' on her iPhone 6.
"Annie! You said in your email there was something you wanted to ask me and you wanted my immediate reaction." John said, "you haven't pierced your naval have you? Got a tattoo?"
"No Dad. But yes I did want your immediate reaction…look, I should've told you this before but…am I on speaker?" She could hear Gordon and Alan arguing quietly.
"Uh yeah. Your uncles wanted to hear this too." John said, "and your grandpa." Great, Annabelle thought.
"Right…ok. Everyone…I have a boyfriend." A resounding chorus of 'WHAT?' made Annabelle jump. She held the phone away from her ear as they continued to yell at her.
"Oi! Shut it!" She yelled to them, silence fell, "now…one at a time – starting with Dad. Calmly and quietly tell me what is bothering you all so much about this."
"What's his name?" Her father asked.
"His name is Jared." She replied.
"Is he nice to you?" That was Scott.
"He's a perfect gentleman, just like all of you." She said that knowing that everyone would like that quality.
"How old is he?" Grandpa.
"He's my age." She replied.
"Does he play football?" Gordon – football freak.
"No." She gave Jared a nervous smile.
"Does he play sport at all?" Trust you, Alan.
"He plays softball, tennis and baseball." She told them.
"How far have things gone?" Annabelle froze for a fraction of a second.
"Virgil!" She cried into phone understandably stunned her Uncle would ask that.
"What? It's a perfectly reasonable question." He replied, Annabelle could see him shrug.
"Not past kissing okay? He gives me a kiss goodnight and kiss hello, nowhere past that." Annabelle snapped. She could hear a resounding sigh of relief. Rolling her eyes again she ended the call. Sometime her family got to her.
"Tough crowd?" Jared asked, Annabelle smiled.
"You have no idea. You want to meet my family, you're gonna have to be prepared, they're a tad overprotective."
"I think I can handle a few older brothers, Annie." Jared said.
"If you say so." She whispered under her breath.
So summer holidays, Annie wasn't surprised when a car turned up for her. She'd called a head and told her father that Adelaide wanted to come back to the Island too and John reluctantly agreed to have both Jared and Addie on the Island with Annie. Jared's jaw dropped when the black car pulled up and the driver got out.
"Miss Annabelle Tracy?"
"Right here. With her guests, Mr Jared Matthews and Miss Adelaide Foster." She said with a smile, then slid into the car. Adelaide followed her almost immediately and Jared followed after. Addie noticed that Annie was holding a champagne rose in her hand twirling it backwards and forwards between her thumb and forefinger.
"Who's this from?" Addie asked plucking the card from Annie's hands, "Bug, can't wait to see you and meet your friends. See you when you land, Daddy. He still lets you call him 'daddy'?"
"Sure he does. And 'bug' is his childhood nickname for me that has stuck since I was 4."
"Coolies. So where are we going exactly?"
"A private airstrip and catching my family's private jet, Tracy One to my Grandfather's private Island. Where Jared will meet my overprotective family and you Addie will be my sanity." Adelaide laughed and smiled hugging her friend.
When Tracy One landed smoothly on the airstrip on the Island, Jared once more had to pick his jaw up off the tarmac. Annie knew who had flown the plane but hadn't said anything.
"Hey, hey, Belle? Where's my hug?" A voice made the three turn, Annabelle smiled and ran to hug her Uncle.
"Good to see you all grown up baby girl." He laughed, spinning her around.
"Good to see you too Uncle Scott." Annabelle said as he placed her back down on the ground. She turned to face her friends.
"Uncle Scott, this is Adelaide Foster and Jared Matthews, my boyfriend." Scott gave Adelaide a kiss on the cheek and she flushed bright red. Jared got an appraising look and a shake of the hand. Scott was one of the most protective of her Uncles but her father…she'd be lucky if Jared wasn't scared off. Annabelle could tell by the look on Jared face that he'd be lucky if his hand wasn't broken. Scott had a firm grip, for sure, but it was her father she was worried about.
"So is everyone here?" Annabelle asked casually as they walked up to the house.
"Yeah everyone's here even Lady P." Scott said; Annabelle shook her head slowly. Oh this was going to be just peachy! Sighing heavily she put on a smile and quickened her pace slightly as if the mention of Lady P had made her just that inch more excited to see her family. As if, Scott thought, my only hope is that this kid treats her right, or he is going to have all of the Tracy's to answer to. Jared had no idea what he was walking into.