How well do the team know one another?

F. A. B.

"Look it's only a silly game. Just answer the question," Owen pressed, exasperated with his colleagues. They were gathered in the Conference Room having just finished an Indian take-away. "Just write down your favourite character from Thunderbirds."

"This is stupid. What are you really up to?" Gwen was not playing any games with Owen until she had a better idea of the rules.

"Nothing. Look, it's a simple game. First, you write your favourite character down on a bit of paper." Owen had handed round scraps of paper for the purpose. "Fold it up and put your name on the front. Then, on another bit of paper, write down who you think the rest of us have picked. Then we compare."

"Is there a prize?" asked Jack, already busy writing. He was up for any game, especially one that would liven up an otherwise boring day.

"No, Jack, no prize. Just the satisfaction of seeing how well you know your colleagues. Which in your case is not at all." Owen smiled at his boss's hurt look.

"I still say this is stupid," put in Gwen. She thought for a minute then wrote on the paper. Beside her Toshiko and Ianto were also writing. "What happens to these now?" she asked.

"Ah, let's put them in this." Owen held out an empty food container that was relatively clean. "All put your names on the outside?"

"Yes," they chorused like bored infants.

"Right, now take another bit of paper and write your name on the top. Then put the names of the rest of us down one side with the Thunderbird character you think we've chosen for ourselves." Owen started his own list as the others got themselves organised.

"And we're trying to decide who the others' have chosen as their favourite character, that right?" asked Ianto who always liked the rules to be crystal clear.

"Yes, Ianto, that's right." Owen was getting more exasperated by the minute. It has been quicker and easier with his mates in the pub the night before although, he had to admit, they had been fairly drunk at the time.

"I'm finished," announced Toshiko.

"Me too," said Gwen, putting down her pen. Owen and Ianto were finished next, only Jack was still working on his list.

"Jack, come on! You just have to put eight names down," chivvied Owen.

"I'm thinking. I want to get this right." His tongue was poking out from between his lips as he regarded each of the colleagues in turn, analysing them to determine their favourite characters.

"You are such a perfectionist," said Ianto.

"And don't you love it," leered Jack. He jotted down another name. "Okay, I'm done."

"At last! Right, pass the lists to the person sitting on your right, we'll check each other's." Owen saw the lists pass across. "I'll read out the characters we put down for ourselves and you check what's on the list in front of you."

"Do we get a point for each correct one? Or two points maybe?"

"For God's sake, Jack! It's just a game, there are no points. Okay, here's the first one. Ianto's favourite is … Alan."

"Oh, I didn't get that," said Gwen, checking the list in front of her. She had Toshiko's guesses and she was surprised to see that the tech specialist had got it right.

Owen called out the next one. "Gwen … Lady Penelope."

"I thought you'd like her," said Ianto to Gwen. He was checking Owen's guesses and was surprised that the doctor had got it right too.

"Next is mine. My favourite is Scott." Owen checked the list in front of him and wasn't surprised that Gwen had got that right. "And the next is Tosh. Her favourite is … Virgil." Damn, he'd been sure that she would pick Brains. "And finally, Jack's favourite is … Tin-Tin." A shudder ran through him as he thought of the little Belgian boy then realised that in Thunderbirds Tin-Tin was the rather dishy girl.

"What?! Oh, I didn't think we were counting her," said Gwen.

"Hey, you had Lady Penelope," protested Jack. "She's not exactly a member of the Tracy family."

"It's a perfectly valid choice, Jack, we know that," soothed Owen, anxious to get on. "Right then, now we have to count up and see who got most right. I'm doing Gwen's guesses and she got two out of four. Ianto?"

"I have your list, you got one." Ianto sat back, he knew he had done well with three right. He was disappointed not to have guessed Jack correctly.

"Gwen?" asked Owen.

"Tosh got three right. Just missed out on Jack's dubious choice."

"It was not dubious!" Jack protested again.

"Right. Tosh?" Owen asked.

"Jack got them all right," Toshiko said quietly.

There was a moment of astonished silence while Jack preened. "See, I know you lot better than you think. And Ianto did very well, he got three right. Bit disappointing you didn't know me better, Ianto."

"He really got them all right?" asked Gwen, leaning across to see the list. It was true. In Jack's unmistakable handwriting he had put down all the correct answers.

"I believe that makes me the winner," crowed Jack with delight.

"It does. I have to say, I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd do so well," admitted Owen. "I only got Gwen right."

"Tosh and Ianto know us pretty well. Tosh only got Jack wrong." Gwen was looking through the lists which everyone had abandoned. "In fact," she said slowly, "we all got Jack wrong. We all put down Scott as his favourite."

"Huh, why would I like him?" scoffed Jack.

"Because he's you," put in Ianto.

"What!"

"He's the leader on missions and he's dark and good looking in a puppety sort of way."

"That's right," joined in Toshiko. Gwen was nodding in agreement.

"I thought the same," agreed Owen ruefully.

"So, you all thought I'd pick someone like myself." Jack was astounded. "Shows how well you know me." He stood up. "Time to get some work done." He walked out of the room in a huff.

"I think we offended him," observed Gwen.

"I think we did," agreed Owen, smiling in satisfaction.

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