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 12 – Cousin Tracy

6 months later

With Tintin finally in her last month of pregnancy the Tracy house seemed to relax a little. But only a little, because Mama Tracy, Alan and Tintin were trying to get everything ready for the baby. Virgil had painted the room they intended to use for a nursery. Annabelle didn't come home a lot, so they had to use her room to store the baby's crib and toys until the nursery was ready. They had baby monitors and clothes and diapers and all the stuff they'd need for the baby's arrival. It wasn't the first baby the boys had on the Island but it was the first in 15 years. The cot was going to have the baby's name on it. But first they had to find out if it was a boy or a girl and Tintin was determined to wait until it was born. They had 'Amanda' picked out for a girl and 'Thomas' picked out for a boy.

Annabelle told them she had a feeling it was a girl. She spoke to them regularly on the vid-phone and asked how Tintin was going all the time. She said that, as the due date grew nearer, she waited every day for her phone to tell her she had a cousin. She had asked her father to call or text her as soon as the baby was born. So she'd know straight away.

Her phone ran in the middle of English and she blushed bright red when it sounded. Getting up she asked to be excused to answer it. The teacher nodded slowly when Annabelle said she was waiting on an important phone call from her father. Outside the classroom Annabelle answered the call.

"Dad?"

"No."

"Uncle Scott?"

"Bingo. Amanda Tracy has just been born. You are the 10th person to know. You have a cousin! And Mom and Baby are both doing well…Dad, not so much."

"I'll be home for Spring break. I'll meet Amanda then."

"I'll let your Dad know. Gotta go Annie, but be good."

"I'm always good. Talk to you later Uncle Scott."

Annabelle woke early the day she was to fly home to Tracy Island. She had said goodbye to Jared the day before and as she bid Addie goodbye she felt a twinge of guilt. They had come home with her for the summer, and now she was gonna be second fiddle to Amanda. Annabelle didn't like being ignored. But she'd handle it. She was a mature, young lady. She would handle it. She caught the car at school and when she stepped out of the plane onto Tracy Island, she felt suddenly sad. Second fiddle to someone who couldn't even talk yet was worse than being second fiddle to someone your age. Annabelle slowly picked up her bags and made her way up to the house. Her family weren't in the lounge so it was quiet as she made her way up to her room.

Opening her door she froze. There were several boxes strewn around her room and almost all of them were brimming with baby stuff. Why wasn't it in Amanda's room? Annabelle put her bags down and changed quickly before running down to the beach. She'd left her cell phone and watch in her room. She didn't want to be found just yet. They'd know she was home, when they checked her room. They just had to find her.

"Solitude on the beach?" She turned.

"Hi, Uncle Gordon." She muttered as he sat down to her.

"What's with the sulky face, Monkey?" He asked, his nickname for her had changed to Monkey when she turned 10. She was no longer just Belle, now she was Monkey, it had stuck.

"I don't know. I got here and suddenly I felt sad. I had to get away for a bit. Something feels different now. Plus my room is full of baby stuff!" Annabelle complained.

"That's because we haven't had a chance to put it all in the nursery. Tintin and Alan are going to work thought it these two weeks. Don't sweat it Monkey. Anyway, Mama Tracy has cooked you a brilliant Apple Pie and Scott's got his eye on it." Gordon said and Annabelle agreed getting to her feet before following her Uncle up to the house. As soon as she stepped into the lounge she disappeared under three pairs of arms. Uncles Scott, Virgil and Alan grabbed her.

"It'd be nice if I could breathe, you know!" She laughed. They let go slowly before her father moved forward to hug her.

"It's good to see you Annie. We'll move Amanda's stuff out of your room as soon as we can." John told her. Gordon leaned forward.

"Don't worry, you're still my monkey. She's a fish." Annabelle frowned, Gordon had called her 'Fish' once. Now that title was given to Amanda. She forced a smile when Tintin brought Amanda forward to meet her older cousin. Annabelle held the child in her arms for the first time and even though Amanda was gorgeous, Annabelle still felt a little left out. Amanda was the shiny new toy.

Annabelle sat reading near the pool as her Uncle Gordon swam laps, when a glass of lemonade was placed down next to her. She looked up and smiled.

"Hey Dad." She said, sitting up.

"Hey Bug. You making sure Gordon doesn't drown?" John said sitting down next to her, she winked at her Uncle.

"Or making sure he does." The 15-year-old laughed.

"Well that will make it pretty peaceful." John agreed. Annabelle turned 16 in 2 weeks and John wanted to tell her she was adopted.

"There's something I want to tell you, Bug." John said slowly. Annabelle didn't notice Gordon had stopped and that they had an audience. Her other Uncles, her Grandfather and Tintin all stood at the door of the Villa.

"You remember that dream you had years ago? Uncle Alan called me in space to tell me about it?" Annabelle nodded, that same dream had haunted her for years and she'd never been able to figure it out.

"Well…the two people in it; were probably your birth parents. Kathy and I adopted you when you were just a toddler. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Bug, but I want you to remember that doesn't make me love you any less." Annabelle had gone white when the words sunk. John reached out for her hand but she got up and ran, just ran. Away from the house, away from the pool and away from the family she thought loved her.

"I have to go and make it right," John muttered standing up. But Gordon and Virgil beat him to it.

"Let me and Virgil go. I know where she's gone." He said and sprinted away Virgil hot on his heels. They disappeared into the forest. John watched them run away he sighed and allowed Scott to put an arm around his shoulders. It was at this point John wanted nothing more than to swap places with Brains on 5.

Gordon and Virgil, meanwhile, had headed down to the beach in search of Annabelle. If she wasn't going to listen to her dad than she'd have to listen to them, instead. Gordon spotted her and the two Tracy's ran towards her. Virgil called out to her and she looked up, but thankfully didn't move.

"Why'd you run off, Monkey?" Gordon asked sitting down beside her, Virgil dropped down on her other side.

"It's not all bad, Baby Girl. Like John said, he loves you as if you were his own. And so do we."

"But you guys have thrust me aside now. You have Amanda," She said her cousin's name with as much acid as she could muster; "at least she is a Tracy. I'm just pretend." Annabelle mumbled. Virgil pulled her in tight agasint his side.

"Now you listen here, we don't love Amanda any more than we love you, Belle. You'll always be first string." Virgil said kissing her temple.

"We're not a football team, Uncle Virgil." Annabelle pointed out.

"Maybe not, but you're still my favourite. You can play the piano and the guitar – Amanda can't do either. And Alan is adamant that she'll either be a swimmer like Gordy or a race car driver like her own father." Virgil stated. Annabelle laughed. Maybe it wasn't so bad having Amanda around, maybe Annabelle could teach her something. Much later in her life though.