(Author's note: It's now November, but I want to complete all 31 challenge themes as this has been fun. Thanks to Helensg for selecting the theme and characters).

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"We-well thankfully we g-got h-home after the c-cows did," said Gordon as he blew air into his hands and walked around to stay warm.

"Even n-now you have to do the bad j-jokes," said Virgil as he walked over to his brother, enveloping him in a hug to share body warmth.

Gordon would've rolled his eyes, except he was afraid he'd pass out afterward. "I h-have to keep up-up the humor Virgil," he said with a shaky, and pale smile. He then pointed. "Besides - we really are still better than the c-cows."

The older Tracy took a glance around and nodded. "Yeah... we're not slabs of b-beef yet," said the man, giving a weak chuckle.

Privately he was worried if Scott and John didn't get to them soon Gordon would become one of those "slabs of beef" in the large meat locker they were locked in.

It had started off as a normal rescue - a factory fire that had spread across several blocks, threatening several other buildings.

Virgil and Gordon were given the task to help redirect the cattle to safety and prevent a stampede. Gordon might have favored the sea creatures but it seemed he had a knack for getting any animal to listen. His brother would drive a new pod, which featured larger version of a cattlecatcher to help gently redirect cattle.

The one time Brains' invention needed to work it did, and the two were able to direct the cattle to a fenced field where if they did stampede, they would have space to run.

The duo then got a call about a group of injured people in a nearby meat processing factory who were trapped. This time, Virgil had to put on the Power Suit, and they headed to the building.

They made quick work of the rescue, quickly rescuing the victims and taking them to the safe zone for further treatment.

Both had to return to the market to gather the Power Suit when they saw a pair of thieves try to steal it among other items.

Armed thieves.

Gordon and Virgil put their hands up at the sight of the gun and were ordered to enter the meat freezer. When they balked, they saw the larger of the thieves actually manage to figure out how to use the Power Suit, using it to force Virgil to walk.

As the quartet neared the freezer, Gordon and Virgil found it was still running and had thick, radio proof walls.

Virgil was quickly tossed inside thanks to the help of the power suit. He crashed into the wall shoulder first, hearing a loud thud, and slid to the ground.

Gordon, realizing their predicament if the thieves got both into the cooler, tried to fight them.

While he was able to place a special tracking patch on the Power Suit thanks to a pressing a secret button in his baldric, Gordon's victory was short lived when the non-suited thief pistolwhipped him.

Virgil thankfully had recovered his balance enough to be able to catch an unconscious and flying Gordon before he crashed into another wall.

The two fell to the ground, with Virgil cushioning the fall, and sat up in time to find the thieves close and lock the door.

Sure, Virgil tried the old kick the door down - even using his shoulder, but it was no use. The door had been jammed, the thieves hoping the fire would finish killing the men if hypothermia didn't.

He had cursed himself so many times about leaving the laser cannon off his baldric this time that it would take a bar of soap the size of Australia to get his mouth clean.

That was almost an hour ago, and while Gordon woke up a few minutes after the thieves left, the cold, harsh climate inside the freezer was starting to get to both of them.

Virgil again tried his comm to see if by some miracle he could contact John. "Nothing, n-not even a crackle," He said, frowning.

Gordon chuckled deliriously. "Hey, a K-Krackel bar sounds good right now," he said, patting his brother on the arm. He paused for a moment to study the arm... then took a big bite.

The older man yelped, and backed away. "Ow! Gordon why did you bite m-me?" he shouted.

"You tasted good - a good c-candy b-bar... but I'd ... rather have hot ch... choco..." said Gordon, who then swayed alarmingly.

Virgil quickly wrapped his arms around his brother and helped assist him to the ground. "Gordon? Gordo, c-can you h-hear me?" he said, gently looking in the man's glassy eyes.

"I'm fine Virgil... but can you p-please get m-me off the c-carousel," said Gordon, eyes rolling in their sockets.

"Oh no... don't you pass out on me Gordon. Up we go," said Virgil as he sat his brother up. "Talk to me here - tell me something about the sea."

"Doesn't smell as b-bad as this place does," said Gordon.

Virgil chuckled. "Yeah, I think that's a good thing to say," he said, and seeing Gordon's eyes start to droop, he went and dug his knuckles into the younger man's chest.

"Ow! Don't do that! Hurts as bad as EOS' stinger thing-a-ma-bob," said Gordon. "Just as warm too."

The comment chilled Virgil's gut worse than the frigid air around them. He then put an arm under his brothers shoulders, forcing him to stand. "C'mon G-Gordon, we're g-going to w-walk again."

"No, I don't wa-wanna," said Gordon, who then kicked Virgil in the shin.

Virgil fought to not yell at the man for kicking his brother right on a shin bruise. "Well, you're g-gonna G-Gords... you-you're showing s-signs of hypo-pothermia," was his firm response as he started roughly manhandling the man into compliance.

Gordon balked initially but then realizing Virgil was warm, chose to instead to listen to him. They walked for a while, pretending slabs of beef were a giant slolam course, making jokes and telling what stories they could remember in their freezing mind.

The aquanaut then gave his brother a hug, enjoying the warmth. "Ah, just like a t-teddy b-bear," he said.

Virgil scoffed. "Yeah, that's w-what you always s-say. Big, soft and cuddly like a t-teddy b-b-bear."

"Not j-just that V-Virg, you're c-called that b-because you also keep-keep us sa-safe from nightm-mares and danger," said Gordon, who started feeling a bit lightheaded. "Hey V-Virgil, do you t-think Scott and J-John know where we are?"

"I hope so Gordon, we don't need to be popsicles - or Krackel Bars again."

Gordon smiled, and yawned. "No, but I h-hope they find us soon... otherwise they won't get to say good-b-bye..." he said in a childlike voice.

For the second time in nearly an hour Virgil's blood chilled deeper than the deep freeze. He stopped and turned his brother to look at him. "Gordon, d-don't you say that. They're going t-to..." he started, only to watch as Gordon passed out.

"Gordon!" he said as he struggled to keep his brother from smacking the ground and injuring himself worse.

Situating himself on the floor, he bundled his brother in his arms, ignoring the pain in his right shoulder, trying to warm his brother.

He gently checked Gordon's pulse, and found it there, but growing more sluggish.

"P-please wake up..." said Virgil, holding his brother close to share whatever warmth he could give.

But he knew time was growing short, and his fight to stay awake became harder and harder. He had already been feeling signs, probably before Gordon did, but worked hard to stay awake for his brother's sake. Now, darkness was becoming more and more tempting... beckoning... no, he was going to fight.

The semiconscious Tracy could hear distorted sounds of metal and smelled an acrid smell of heated metal and scorched steak.

Hands started to touch and feel his throat - lift his eyelids, touch his shoulder, complete with murmured voices.

Virgil however ignored them and began to panic when the blurry hands started to remove Gordon from his arms.

"N-No... NO! You can't have Gordon y-yet," said Virgil, only to find the hands won out and the aquanaut was pulled away.

This made him angry, complete with an adrenaline boost.

He shakily stood up, hearing strange warbling voices and again with the hands grabbing his shoulders. Virgil wanted to fight, to swing, but another pair of hands held on to his, pinning him.

Virgil still managed to free one and swung out, connecting with something fleshy, but it took him over the edge.

The same hands he was afraid of moments earlier now moved to wrap around his waist and under his arms when the pilot of Thunderbird Two finally gave into unconsciousness.

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Gordon was feeling floaty, even with the painful tingle of needles - the sensation as well as an IV, as he woke up. He found himself lying in bed with several blankets covering him, gently warming him up.

He blinked around confused as to his surroundings, and tried to sit up.

Gentle hands however pinned him down. "I wouldn't do that Gordon..." said John kindly as he shifted to sit back by his brother's side.

Gordon groaned. "Yeah... I don't think the concussion won't agree with that," he murmured. "And, I'm still cold..."

The comments snapped him into full alertness and he again tried to sit up. "Virgil! Where is he John!" he said, worried that his brother gave up his life to save his.

"You could ask me yourself Gordon," said a bass voice, hinted with humor.

Gordon quirked an eyebrow at the response, while John and two other voices' laughter filled the air. "He's right next to you," said Scott, gesturing to the alert older brother in what Gordon now recognized as the medbay at Tracy Island.

Virgil smiled at his younger brother. "Well?" he said.

"OK, how are you?"

"Same as you. I woke up not too long after I collapsed in the freezer, but am suffering my own case of hypothermia."

Gordon however didn't miss the shoulder brace however and pointed to it questioningly.

Virgil half shrugged, favoring his injured right shoulder. "Well, when you get slammed into the wall with your own Power Suit, have to catch 170 pounds of pure flying muscle and deal with excess cold... of course you're also going to wind up with strained tendons and ligaments," he said wryly.

"Poor guy," said Gordon honestly.

"'Poor guy'? Gordon, you had a concussion and suffered hypothermia - you could've died. Why are you telling me 'poor guy'?"

"Well, add a hook to that sling and you'd look like a side of beef," said the younger man jokingly.

Virgil didn't miss the pain in his eyes however. "Yeah, but I'll be fine Gordon - and with all due respect to where we were... I kinda feel like a slab of beef right now," he said with a forgiving, understanding smile.

Gordon chuckled in acceptance and burrowed under his blankets as Scott continued.

"As I was telling Virgil, we were able to locate the thieves using the tracker you placed on the Power Suit," he said.

"Well, at least the kettle drums in my head are worth it," said the younger man, and seeing the confusion, amended his comment. "I shot the tracker on the machine before I was pistolwhipped."

Scott nodded in understanding. "Anyway, we contacted Kayo to collect the suit..."

"... And I'm sure two other 'packages,' slightly damaged I expect," interrupted Gordon.

John punched his brother on the shoulder, giving a bland look. Seeing the humor in his astronaut brother's eyes however, Gordon realized he was correct.

He then continued. "And the 'packages' told us where to return to pick you two up," said John growing a bit more sober. "It was scary Gordon - we found both of you huddled by a meat slicer, Virgil holding your limp form in his arms. I thought you were dead, but found your pulse... then Virg..."

John faltered in his comments and looked away, confusing the two ill brothers.

Scott then took over. "We thought you were both unconscious, and went to move you to one of the warming hover stretchers. Virg however became combative protecting you," he said.

Privately, Scott was never going to tell them how much he was glad Alan had been up in Five for training when the fire call came, and stayed on the station instead. He, John and EOS - on a secure line, agreed to claim "video interference," when they contacted Alan after finding their brothers.

Scott still shuddered at the thought of the youngest brother seeing the same sight he did, especially with Virgil being so delirious that he was cursing out both brothers for helping Gordon, and the two restraining him as he fought them before his collapse.

The medic however was confused. "Combative? How could I be combative if you thought I was so out of it that you -" started Virgil, but the thought trailed off as he noticed the beginning of a shiner on his brother's left eye.

Scott chuckled. "Virg, I know you wouldn't have hit me if you were in full control of your senses," he said, choosing to cut off the guilt at the start. Seeing his younger brother nod, not pressing the issue further, Scott continued. "Anyway, we got you into Thunderbird Two and brought you home. The two thieves are in jail in solitary confinement."

"That's a surprise... most people don't want to do time in solitary," said Gordon.

"Most people also haven't had a 'Kayo kicking'," pointed out John as he adjusted the aquanaut's blankets. "Listen, Grandma Tracy and MAX are making some tomato soup as well as chicken noodle for the two of you to drink. We'll bring some down in a half hour. Get some rest."

"OK, smother hen," said Gordon.

John scoffed. "You're going to have to get more clever with me: Scott's the smother hen."

"I am not!" said Scott incensed.

Virgil however chuckled. "Um, Scott, you just tucked me in, checked my pulse again, made sure there was a full water glass and brought over a small teddy bear for company - which you just tucked in under my covers. How is that not being a smother hen?" he kidded.

The look on the eldest's face when he couldn't find an explanation warmed the two frozen duo as well.

"Oh just get warm and well Virg, will you?" said Scott, mock scolding as he gave his brother a frendly punch to the shoulder.

"FAB, see the two of you in a while," said Virgil.

After John and Scott went upstairs, Gordon looked at Virgil. "I don't know about you but I don't think I'm going to get warm anytime soon," he said.

"We will Gordo - it'll just take some time," said Virgil.

"Yeah... but I wanted to say thank you Virgil for saving my life keeping me warm in the freezer," he said.

"You're welcome bro." said Virgil.

"But there is one thing I can't get out of my head."

"What's that Gordon?"

"I keep getting 'The Teddy Bear Picnic' in my head, I think from calling you a teddy bear."

"Yeah you called me one, but you didn't mention anything about a picnic," said Virgil.

Gordon frowned. "Huh... you know what, I think that song is telling me that when we get better, I take us out on a picnic."

Virgil smiled. "Sure, just one thing..."

"OK?"

"You may think I'm a teddy bear - warm, cuddly, a way to protect you from danger and nightmares, and should be rewarded with a picnic," said Virgil. "But you may not bring Krackel Bars."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you to confuse me as one again," he said, looking at his arm where the younger man bit him.

Gordon, seeing the bruise, remembered, and chuckled. "You got it - teddy bear."