Hi everyone! Despite major problems with my crappy ISP constantly cutting off my internet connection and not bothering to fix it properly even though they know where the fault lies, I am finally able to upload.
Thanks again for another fantastic bunch of reviews, but please note that if your private messaging settings are disabled, then I can't reply to you to thank you for them. Unless that's the intention, of course!
So, here goes with another exciting/lacklustre (delete as applicable) chapter of Shore Leave, and Johnny finally comes home! AT LAST!
Disclaimers: Okay, Shore Leave is definitely Rated M for adult content, which starts right up again in this chapter. The OCs belong to me, the Tracys do not.
On with the show!
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Karen found herself unconsciously cocking her head like Virgil, listening for some kind of sound that would tell her that John was on his way home. At first she could hear nothing but the quiet rush of waves from the ocean below the cliff, but then, as that quiet rush began to get louder, she wondered if maybe it wasn't the sea she was listening to at all. As she concentrated, she also noticed a quick look that passed between Jeff Tracy and Tin-Tin.
"Come on, Karen, let's go and wait in my room," Tin-Tin smiled, putting her hand gently on Karen's upper arm.
"What? Why...oh, right. International Rescue's secrets." Karen was disappointed. She had wanted to see the way that John arrived. Surely an organization such as this would make a dramatic entrance. She couldn't imagine John just walking through the door, flopping into an armchair and saying whew, what a day that was.
Then again, nothing would surprise her anymore.
She followed Tin-Tin back to the young girl's quarters and settled herself nervously on the edge of the bed to wait.
####
Despite his restless anxiety and desperate need to see Karen, John had insisted on piloting Thunderbird 3 back to Base himself. Anyone see any other astronauts in the room? He'd said loftily, putting his hand flat against Scott's chest when the older man attempted to sit in the command chair.
He was now on final approach to Tracy Island, having completed smooth re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere and finalising all systems checks. He leaned back and dragged his slender fingers through his hair, raking it back from his forehead.
"Nervous?" smiled Scott.
"No," John retorted, but he was.
"Karen's really looking forward to seeing you," his older brother went on. "Last I saw, Tin-Tin was dragging her down to The House Of Kyrano to find her something to wear."
"God help her," said John. "She'll end up looking like an overdecorated Christmas tree."
"In a shiny pink jumpsuit," Scott grinned.
"The ah, one that, ah, Lady Penelope wouldn't even wear," said Brains, shaking his head sadly.
"Well, whatever she ends up in, it's not going to stay on her very long anyway," smiled John, earning him a clap on the back and a hearty laugh from Scott, and an embarrassed lopsided grin from Brains.
Thunderbird 3 hovered like a big red bird of prey above the Round House, causing the nest of frigates and other sea birds across the island to take immediate flight out across the ocean. Small tropical parrots, doves, sharp-eyed grackles and common garden sparrows all scattered likewise, beating a retreat from this roaring, angry monster. With a scream of reverse thrusters, the massive rocket angled its stern towards the hollow centre of The Round House and began its majestic descent, burying itself in a cloud of steam and other chemical emissions until the very tip of its nose had disappeared from view, sinking into the top of the cliff, leaving not a trace of its existence behind, save for a rather powerful smell of burnt rocket fuel.
Once they had safely docked and landed, John cut the engines and sat for just a moment more at the command console. "Should I get changed?" he asked, looking up at Scott.
"If I were you?" said Scott, lightly tapping John's arm with the back of his hand, "I'd stay as I was. Women love a man in uniform. Trust me."
####
Frightened out of her wits by the thunderous roaring of some beast she couldn't even see, Karen stared at Tin-Tin with her hands still clamped over her ears. "Has it stopped?" she asked plaintively.
"Yes, silly!" laughed Tin-Tin. "That was just another one of our machines."
"I would have liked to have seen it," Karen said, her lips pursed. "I saw the other one, the silver rocket plane one, quite clearly. And the big green one, I saw mostly the underneath of it, but when they brought me out of it I had to promise I wouldn't look round."
"You're very lucky they didn't blindfold you," Tin-Tin said, still smiling.
"I think blindfolding me would have been the last straw," Karen mused.
Tin-Tin glanced at her watch. "I think they should be arriving just about now," she said. "I'll just contact Mr. Tracy."
####
John liked to call the moving sofa The Travelator. He thought it was funny to give the innocuous looking piece of lounge furniture a grand title. Everyone else called it the sofa train or the couch express. Whatever it was actually called, the moving sofa was a smooth and quick operation that brought people back and forth from Thunderbird 3's hangar without a fuss, and largely without anyone even having to move a single muscle. John clutched his travel bag tightly to his chest, still wondering whether he ought to have changed back into his civilian clothes or not. However Scott was still in his uniform, so at least he wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb when they arrived. Besides, he had to admit, he really did want Karen to see him all suited and booted. If Scott's theory was right- and about women, Scott's theories usually were- John would be in for a guaranteed good time if he turned up looking like he meant business.
Virgil, Gordon and Jeff were the only ones waiting for them when the sofa finally reached the pinnacle of its ascent and clicked itself into place in its usual spot in the lounge. John blinked and looked around, wondering where the rest of the reception party was, feeling vaguely disappointed that people hadn't leapt out waving banners and balloons. However, he could detect the sweet smell of apple pies baking, and his mouth began watering at once.
"Welcome home, John," said Jeff.
"Thank you, dad," said John, a little formally.
It was then that he heard Tin-Tin's musical voice emanate from his father's wrist comm. "Mr. Tracy? May we have permission to come up to the lounge now?"
"Of course, Tin-Tin," said Jeff. "I'll get everyone else in here too. I think it's high time we all had something good to celebrate."
Karen followed Tin-Tin back to the lounge, her mouth dry with anticipation. She had redone her makeup, rebrushed her teeth, recombed her tangled curls. She had fiddled with the clothes she was wearing, wondering if perhaps she should have dressed a little sexier. She had sprayed on some of Tin-Tin's exotic perfume- not the one that reminded her of the Thai restaurant bathroom, but something just a little spicier. Now she wondered if maybe it smelled a little too heavy. She wondered even if John still felt the same way about her after all that had happened. What if all the trouble she'd caused had put him right off her? What if the stress had cooled his ardour? What if, what if, what if?
But the whole confusing rush of thoughts inside her head melted dead away when at last she entered the lounge behind Tin-Tin. For there he was, standing between Scott and Brains in the middle of the lounge, looking straight at her. Larger than life, twice as handsome with his blond hair shining, and wearing that gorgeous, lilac-trimmed uniform. Lilac! And oh my God, how it suits him...
"John!" she squeaked. She hadn't meant to squeak, but her throat had constricted so much she couldn't help it. She took a few tentative steps forward as the periphery of her vision melted away to make John the sole occupant of her immediate surroundings. And then he was moving too, his long legs bringing him across the lounge and straight towards her.
Within moments she was in his arms and he was in hers and his face was buried in her hair, his breathless murmurs of love and devotion muffled against her neck. She clung tightly to him like a shipwrecked sailor to the last vestiges of his boat. She kneaded his shoulders, caressed his back, stroked his hair. He ran his hands down to her waist, pulling her even closer, sending shivers and tingles and thrills all through her body, making her tremble and moisten and blush like a mad thing. Then, without warning he pulled away only slightly, lifted her face from his shoulder and kissed her deeply, his mouth crushed bruisingly against hers, holding her head steady while he slid his tongue all the way into her mouth and groaned his desperate need into her throat.
"Whoaaa!" cried Gordon. "Get a room!"
"Jeez! Maybe he should have changed out of that uniform," said Scott.
"Well, I'm sure there's some apple pies in the kitchen that need checking up on!" declared Tin-Tin and made a swift exit, followed closely out of the room by Scott and Gordon while Virgil just sat at the piano with his eyes shielded and Jeff pretended to be busy at his desk.
When John at last broke the kiss, which was more of a full-frontal assault on her face than anything else, Karen saw that his eyes had gone deep and dark, as though he'd fallen into some kind of stupor. She felt a little giddy herself, when she realised that her man was wearing a uniform with a gun belt and there were two solid things pressing into her abdomen instead of just the one she was expecting.
"Let's go to my room," he breathed, huskily.
"But, John..." there was nothing Karen wanted more, but she didn't want to look like a loose woman. "You've only just arrived!"
"Come on," he pleaded softly, nuzzling her cheek, then gave her the old joke. "It'll only take a minute."
She laughed quietly, closing her eyes against the gentle brush of his lips all over her face and throat. "Oh, God...it's very tempting..."
"Well," he murmured, nibbling her earlobe and sending a shiver of delight right the way down to her groin, "we either go to my room or I take you right here on the floor of the lounge. What do you say about that?"
She squirmed in his arms, pressed herself against the solid bulge nestling beneath just his gun belt.
"I say we go to your room," she agreed.
####
John hadn't even noticed the clothes she was wearing. He'd started tearing them off her the moment they'd entered his quarters, his hands a frantic blur over her body. As he roughly pulled the garments off, he kissed her deeply, assaulting her mouth with his tongue, pushing her hard up against the inside of the door, grinding his uniform clad hips against her. I know what you want me to do, he'd growled in the dirtiest voice she'd ever heard. You want me to do you with this on.
And now she was completely naked up against the door, her nipples taut as bullets, her skin goosepimpled all over.
John kissed her neck thoroughly, moved down to her breasts, rubbed them with his hands and licked, bit and sucked at each nipple in turn, moved further southwards, biting her ribcage, licking across her belly. But she didn't want any more foreplay. She pulled him by the hair to make him stand up. She just wanted him to take her, hard.
He hoisted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed, depositing her in the middle like a sack of potatoes. He climbed on top of her and kissed her passionately, pushing his hand between her legs, mumbling his approval at the state of her arousal. Meanwhile, she rubbed her palm against the solid mass inside his trousers, then daringly, she slid her hand along his belt and started fondling his gun holster, moaning and squirming while he pleasured her.
"Mmm...no, you dirty girl," he murmured, "wait." He pulled the pistol out of the holster and left her momentarily to put it safely on the dresser along with the two accompanying cartridges. "There's only one thing I want to go off around here, and it's not this," he said, turning to her with a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow.
Karen laughed delightedly as he rejoined her on the bed. "I never got laid by a man with a gun before," she whispered against his searching lips.
"Mm," he chuckled. "So, what's the scenario, baby? Do we pretend I just rescued you? Maybe I carried you out of the museum and all your clothes burned off? Hmm? And you were so damned desirable, all naked and helpless like that in my arms..."
"Oh, God..." she whimpered, rapidly losing all sense of reason.
John got up, pushed her legs apart and knelt between her widespread thighs, fumbling with his waistband. Karen ran her hands over his chest, slid them under his sash, felt the taut muscles of his abdomen.
"God, I missed you," she whispered.
Without another word, he lowered himself onto her and pushed himself inside.
Karen moaned loudly, muffling it with a pillow. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and dug her heels into his buttocks as he drove into her again and again and again, making up for all that lost time.
Her hands were getting caught up in his sash. His uniform was making then both sweat, but especially John. He hadn't even taken off his boots because they made her horny. She ran her foot along the length of his boot now, and the soft rubbery feel of it made her even more aroused, if that was even possible. She clutched at his sash, worked her other hand up and under his uniform top to caress his back. He thrust hard a few more times and then he shuddered as his climax gripped, which sent her over the edge too. She held the pillow firmly in her mouth as an animal groan tore out of her throat.
God, she didn't want his father or brothers hearing anything like that! Not from her, anyway.
After it was over John flopped into her arms, breathing hard and heavy. He was literally shaking from the effort. The back of his neck was damp and his hair sweaty. He twitched inside her, sapped of all strength.
"I love you, Karen," he murmured into her ear, his mouth full of her auburn curls.
"I love you too, John," Karen replied, her hands under his uniform, caressing his dampened back.
She looked curiously up at the ceiling while he came to his senses. He'd put a star map up there. 'Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere'. Like a grown up version of glow stars. She smiled, realising she hadn't had a good look at his room at all. They hadn't even really spoken two words to anyone else before immediately leaping into bed. She felt her cheeks suffuse with heat at the thought that any of his brothers might have inadvertently heard the noise she was making, even through pillows. She was already imagining the nudging of ribs between Virgil and Gordon, and the arch, knowing look from Scott.
At last John pushed himself off her, moved to the edge of the bed and set about removing his uniform. He unbuckled the sash and threw it carelessly to one side. Karen watched intently the smooth movement of his muscles as he hauled the top off over his head, messing up his blond hair even further. She scooted behind him the minute his torso was bare and started kissing him all over while he kicked off his boots, nibbling his neck and shoulders and running her hands firmly down his sides and around onto his flat stomach. His skin was hot, in fact it was burning. He smelled divinely sexy, just the way she remembered. She opened her mouth against his shoulderblade and licked him like an ice cream cone, purring and murmuring like a kitten.
"If you want to start me off again, that's the way to go about it," John chuckled, then he reached behind and grabbed her around the waist. She let out an accidental squeal as he twisted around and pinned her to the bed then moved atop her, gazing down into her eyes. "I still can't believe you're actually here," he admitted. "Even though other parts of me tell me it's true."
"I know," she said, guiltily. "Believe me, I realise it wasn't meant to happen this way."
He kissed her gently on the lips. "I didn't expect it, either. Not so quickly, anyhow."
Karen sighed as he moved his lips to her neck, nuzzling her under her left ear. "Would you have told me eventually?" she asked softly.
"Eventually...maybe..."
"What do you mean, 'maybe'?"
"Well, I would have had to have found the right time..."
"Like, when? When would have been the right time?"
John laughed against her neck. "Oh, maybe around the year 2078."
She poked him in the ribs. "That's not funny, John Tracy."
"Come on...you think I don't know how uptight dad gets about this organization? I would have done anything to have spared you the ordeal you just went through. I was standing right there when you made that distress call, do you realise that? I'm the one who answers our calls. I'm the first line of communication."
"You were? You are? Then, who?"
"Brains," said John. "Brains answered your call. But I was right there. It should have been me."
"Oh God," Karen said, suddenly feeling very ashamed. "And then I went and phoned you on my cell, thinking I had this great exciting piece of news to tell you..."
"And I already knew," John nodded. "Now do you understand why I was so anxious to get you off the scene?"
Karen stared at him wide eyed. "I thought it was because you cared about my well-being! Do you mean to say it was just so that I wouldn't catch sight of your brothers?" She pushed him off her and sat up. "John Tracy, you just wanted me off the scene! How could you?"
John rolled onto his back and started laughing. "Oh, the drama," he grinned. "Of course I wanted you to be safe, that's not the issue at all. But I also knew there'd be hell to pay if you found out who I really was. Of course, that's a total moot point now, seeing as I've actually just done you with the uniform on. Can't get any closer to who I am than that."
Karen punched him, then hit him with the pillow. "You pig! Why didn't you just tell me who you were?" She said indignantly. "That night we ate pizza at my place. Why didn't you just say, Hi, I'm John Tracy, I'm a member of International Rescue, but you have to keep it a secret. I would've easily dealt with that."
"I couldn't!" John protested, warding off another pillow attack. "My ass would have gotten fried!"
"Your ass is getting fried now, mister!"
John laughed and rolled away as she hit him with the pillow again and again until he grabbed a pillow of his own and fought back, landing one right on her head. At that, she launched a full blown attack, and before long they were rolling about in a tangle of limbs, laughing and shouting and swinging pillows left, right and centre.
An hour later, they'd calmed down, showered, made love in the shower, showered again and put their clothes back on. Karen stared at him pulling on a pair of jeans and a simple dark blue turtleneck, marvelling at how he made even the most casual of clothes look elegant. Finally they were ready to venture back out into the lounge.
"I'm a bit embarrassed," Karen admitted, folding her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. "They're all going to know what we were doing. It's all right for you, they'll probably give you high-fives and everything. But they'll look at me like I'm a scarlet lady."
"No, they won't," John reassured her. "They all know how much I missed you. That's the only reason Brains was with me when you made that call. Because Scott thought I was on the verge of going insane."
"Oh, God, I know the feeling," Karen whispered. "Every minute of every day I spent in that library, I kept thinking of that day when I first saw you. I think Cathy thought I was developing an astronomy fetish, the way I kept sneaking off to that section. I just wanted to be around the place where we met. I even looked at all the books you might have looked at. I just wanted to feel close to you. And that shirt you left me, I never washed it. It still smells of you."
"Ugh," said John. "I'm sure it doesn't smell of me, it must smell like a dead cat by now. You really should have washed it. Think of all the germs, breeding and multiplying and God only knows what."
"Mmm," she giggled, pressing close and rubbing up against him. "Think of it."
John sighed despairingly. "I give up," he grinned. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and lifted her right off her feet, swinging her around and around until she squealed with laughter.
Eventually they made their way back to the lounge. Karen gripped John's hand tightly, nervous but happy. All her worries about whether John loved her or not had been sealed with the most loving kiss she'd ever known, and at the end of it he'd rubbed his nose against hers and reassured her that he would love her forever.
Even when I'm so old I can't even remember who you are.
You okay?" John asked, as they hovered just the other side of the lounge doors. At her hesitant nod, he added, "they probably won't even be there. They'll be in the games room, or in the kitchen raiding Grandma's apple pies."
Karen smiled, clutched his hand and let him lead her through the doors.
"SURPRISE!"
It was the last thing either of them expected. A full-blown reception, with all the banners and balloons John had wondered about.
"What the heck?" he spluttered.
"Ha ha, I told you they'd be shocked!" Gordon roared, throwing a long paper streamer in John's direction. "Gave us plenty of time to get ready though, didn't ya, Johnny boy?"
Karen groaned inwardly. The nudging, winking and teasing had already gotten off to a spectacular start.
"Now, Gordon!" said the old lady who was Grandma. "Hush your mouth and leave those two poor children alone!"
"Children," John sighed, and plastered a grin to his face. "It's okay, Grandma, we know he's teasing."
"Well, John, it isn't as if we don't all know where you've been, but there's really no need to make such a public announcement about it!" Grandma went on, doing just that.
There was no mistaking the sound of Scott's loud laughter from across the room. "Grandma, come on over here and show me what cheesecakes you made," he called to the old woman, who was still scowling purposefully at Gordon. "They all look so delicious, I just can't make up my mind!"
"Big brother to the rescue once again," said John in a stage-whisper out of the side of his mouth as the old lady turned and went on her merry way back across the room.
"Well, Scott, there's your favourite, of course, strawberry. And there's raspberry and blueberry, and toffee caramel, and one with bacchanalia nuts on it..."
"Macadamia nuts, Grandma," they heard Scott explain patiently.
Gordon, meanwhile, was hunched over laughing. "Oh my gosh, she's priceless," he stammered.
"Really?" said John. "I'll give you fifty bucks if you take her away ."
"Uh-uh, that's a negative, Johnny. She makes the pies, remember? With bacchanalia nuts on 'em and everything."
Karen was trying hard not to giggle as John led her over to the food laden table. "I remember what you told me about your family traditions of welcoming people home," she said, leaning into John's side. "We should have anticipated it, really."
"Mmm, maybe." John turned and kissed the top of her head. "Too busy thinking about other things, I guess."
After a few more moments had passed, Jeff Tracy stood up and tapped the side of a wine glass with a spoon. "May I have everyone's attention, please," he said loudly. "Scott, this means you too. Put down the pie."
Scott rolled his eyes, his mouth full of strawberry cheesecake. He put down his plate, although he managed to carve himself another forkful while his father wasn't looking.
"I would like to make an announcement and raise a toast," Jeff went on as Virgil, Scott, Brains, Gordon and Tin-Tin crowded around. He cleared his throat, then went on. "First of all, I would like to formally welcome Miss Karen Meadows to Tracy Island and to our home. I would also like to formally apologise for the unfortunate way in which she arrived here, but hope she understands that it was a necessary evil we had to go through."
There were murmurs all around. Karen felt her face go bright red, and leaned further into John who tightened his protective hold around her shoulders.
"As well as welcoming Miss Meadows to our home, I would also like us to raise our glasses in a toast to her, for making my son John the happiest I've seen him in a long time, if today is anything to go by."
"Dad!" said John, mortified. "Now she's going to think I'm some kind of depressive!"
Karen laughed, squeezed him tightly. "No chance, lover boy," she giggled. "You've got far too much energy to be depressed!"
At that, everyone laughed and lifted their glasses and a ripple of applause and murmurs of "hear, hear" went around the room.
"Oh, Mr. Tracy, that was beautiful!" sobbed Tin-Tin, making sure she was near enough to Scott in case he felt like reassuring her with a hug instead of stuffing his face with cheesecake.
"Oh, Karen!" Gordon cried mock theatrically, laying an arm across his brow. "How could you leave me for him? He's not even one of us...he's...he's blond!"
"Come on, everyone," said Grandma, pulling on Virgil's sleeve and dragging him towards the table. "Come and have something to eat. There's ham sandwiches, and cheese sandwiches, and tuna sandwiches, and chicken sandwiches, and chocolate cake, and sherry trifle, and Mistipy Mud Pie.."
"Mississippi, Grandma," said Scott, digging into more cheesecake.
"...and lemon drizzle cake, and syrup sponge cake, and what are those horrible, dry things you like, Jefferson? Garybandy biscuits..."
Scott shook his head. "I don't know what she's talking about this time," he muttered, piling cheesecake into his mouth.
"...and mini egg-and-cheese tartlet things..."
"They're called quiches, Grandma."
"...and hostage rolls..."
"Now she's doing it on purpose," Scott said, looking around and giving the old lady the evil eye.
John hugged Karen tightly, closing his eyes and nestling his cheek against hers. He joined her in her muffled laughter at Scott's epic face pulling, rocking her gently in his arms while Grandma carried on reeling off strange food concoctions and pushing plates of sandwiches at a wildly protesting Virgil.
"Karen, Karen, Karen," he murmured, kissing her through her hair. "Welcome to the Tracy Island Lunatic Asylum."
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To be continued...