Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds.
IRRelief fic, using shirubie's prompt ""We're going to be uncles!" A Tracy has reproduced (can be Kayo too)"
"I can't believe it!"
Gordon's sudden exclamation was greeted by silence from his older brothers. Scott raised an eyebrow before returning to the metaphorical mountain of paperwork on his desk. EOS had been a thoroughly internal affair, and while none of them intended on letting anyone in the GDF – including Colonel Casey, for all that she was on their side – learn the truth about what exactly had gone down during those disastrous moments on Thunderbird Five, the fact remained that several distress calls had gone unanswered for hours and the GDF wanted answers.
Finding a way to cover it all up without revealing John's inadvertent creation of a sentient AI several years earlier, or the fact that said sentient AI now resided full time on the most technologically advanced satellite in the world, was tricky. It was not helped by the fact that she was currently only trusted entirely by John, although Scott suspected the rest of his brothers were being fast won over, and she reminded him more than a little of John when he'd been that age (assuming, of course, that EOS was approximately ten years old – John had not been forthcoming on when, exactly, he'd written the base coding).
Like creator, like… creation?
"What is it, Gordon?"
Unlike the elder brothers – Virgil was steadfastly tickling ivories without pause, and John might not be actively hovering, but Scott knew his line with them was always open (unless a certain AI – nope, not going to go there right now) – Alan had not mastered the art of working out when Gordon needed to be listened to, and when he was simply attention-seeking. Or maybe he had but had yet to tire of enabling him – or maybe, just maybe, Alan was bored of cleaning.
It was probably the latter. No-one liked cleaning, not even MAX.
"John!" Gordon called out, his tone almost accusatory, instead of directly answering his younger brother.
John, blessed with the patience of a saint but also, more importantly, the ability to tell when Gordon should be listened to, and when he should not, didn't answer.
He did, however, pop up in miniature in the corner of Scott's holoprojector, out of Gordon's line of sight, and rolled his eyes. Scott appreciated the proof that the line was indeed open, and not being hijacked by EOS. He shook his head slightly in return, amused if a little exasperated at the elder blond's outburst – whatever inane thing it was he'd thought of.
"Joo-oooohn!" Gordon repeated, in that annoying, grinding way of splitting a brother's name into two syllables when it clearly only had one that both Scott and John hated. "Johnny!" Turquoise eyes hardened in frustration – two syllables in 'Jo-ohn' was one thing, but 'Johnny' was detested. Scott couldn't agree, preferring 'Scotty' to 'Sco-ott' himself, or even 'Scooter', as his brothers occasionally bastardised his name. 'Scotty' was childish, but 'Sco-ott' was just whining.
Still, John remained silent. Patience was a virtue, and one John had far more of than Gordon. The eventual victor was already clear.
"I know you're listening!" Gordon continued, and oh dear, there was the end of the patience. Willing or not, they were all about to be made privy to whatever revelation the aquanaut had come to. Scott didn't have a clue what it could be, but knowing Gordon, it was probably going to be nonsense.
From the look he got from John, he wasn't alone in that opinion.
"Jooohnny." Now it was a whine. Dogs whined, little kids whined. Fully qualified aquanauts with military training also whined, apparently. Or maybe it was just ones named Gordon Cooper Tracy. Scott had never really interacted with WASP during his time in service. "Why didn't you say you had a kid?"
John choked, immediately drawing the attention of the two youngest as they whirled around to see his miniature hologram perched on Scott's – Dad's – desk.
"Were you hiding?" Alan asked, launching himself away from the broom he was supposed to be sweeping popcorn crumbs off of the den floor with – which clattered to the floor loudly – to cling to the edge of the desk. Gordon was hot on his heels.
"A kid?" Virgil asked, the quiet melody stopping as the middle child abandoned his sonata and came to join the huddle of brothers around the desk. "Where did that come from, Gordon?"
"You mean EOS?" Alan sounded surprised, as though he'd only just drawn the conclusion. Scott wondered if Gordon had already brought him in on this crazy scheme, but even if he hadn't, Alan had beaten him to the punch on whatever was going through Gordon's head, anyway. Maybe blond-haired teenager brothers had a psychic link. It might explain a few things, anyway.
"EOS?" John asked, jogging Scott out of suppositions about psychic younger brothers and back to the bizarre conversation at hand. "My kid?"
"Well she is, isn't she?" Gordon challenged, arms crossed and eyebrow raised in a manner that looked rather familiar from the mirror. "You made her. And now she's living with you while you teach her how tell right from wrong."
"I know you know how children happen," John said bluntly. "Don't be ridiculous."
"You made her," Gordon repeated, and beside him Alan, who had been looking thoughtful, began to nod.
"Gordon's right," he said, and John turned an incredulous look on him. Scott shared a look of 'what are we supposed to do about this' with Virgil. "You made her base coding, and now she's growing up."
"She is growing up?" Gordon interjected, and Scott realised John had been backed into a corner. Saying EOS wasn't maturing would both be a lie – she was – and also a sure way to upset the AI who was no doubt eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Of course she is," John defended her. "She's learning."
"Like a child," Gordon pressed. "Ergo, your daughter."
"Those two things aren't mutually-"
"John?"
EOS cut off the ginger's argument, her recently installed own hologram projecting into the midst of their discussion. Scott just started wondering when she was going to appear.
"Yes, EOS?" John asked, his head turning to look at what Scott assumed was the security camera EOS had taken for a 'body' up in Thunderbird Five.
"Your brothers are referring to me as your 'daughter', but I checked the internet for how 'daughter's are created, and I have no recollection of such an act occurring to create my code."
Alan and Gordon burst out laughing, and even Scott couldn't resist joining Virgil in a chuckle as John's face turned redder than his hair.
"EOS, that's- why were you looking at that?" he demanded, over Gordon's gasps for air. Virgil helpfully patted the aquanaut's shoulder, and got a baleful look for it.
"To understand, John," the AI said. "You said I should research facts before reaching conclusions."
"I did," John sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. "I should have known that would come up sooner or later. So, what conclusion did you come to?"
"That I am your daughter."
Scott found himself witness to the rare sight of a baffled John.
"But you just said you didn't understand what Gordon meant," Alan pointed out, before John could articulate whatever was going through his head.
"Research implies that while intercourse is how a daughter or son is created, it is not the only way one may be obtained," EOS replied, sounding as smug as a computer-generated voice could – and perhaps more than Scott ever thought one would. "The act of sheltering a younger being in one's home and assisting in their growth and understanding is also one of parenthood. Thus, it would not be incorrect to state that John is my father and I am John's daughter."
"I don't think that's quite how it works," Virgil muttered, but he was drowned out by Gordon's triumphant shout.
"I told you so!" he crowed. "EOS is John's daughter!"
John was shaking his head, but Scott saw the fond smile on his face.
"Okay, fine," the ginger said. "Yes, EOS, that makes you my daughter. But, please, just keep calling me John."
"Spoilsport," Gordon sulked. "Hey, EOS. If you're John's daughter that makes you my niece, so feel free to call me 'Uncle'!"
"And me!" Alan chimed in. Scott shared another look with Virgil, and they silently agreed to stay out of it.
"Don't encourage them, EOS," John muttered, and the white ring of lights flared again.
"John does not wish me to," she said. "So I shall not. After all, research suggests that daughters obey their fathers."
Her hologram vanished, leaving behind a pair of gaping blonds. John turned his attention to them.
"Thank you," he said. "Now I have some explaining to do." His hologram disappeared as well.
Scott shook his head in despair. John was patient, but one day he'd get revenge on the teenagers. Scott was quite content to remain a fly on the wall for the eventual payback.
In the meantime, he had the GDF to throw off the scent of his newly-named niece. Not quite the way he'd imagined the family expanding.
IRRelief is an amazing idea and bless Gumnut for coming up with it! For those that don't know, it's a collection of prompts anyone can add to and use on tumblr, with a focus on fluff, to give us something to do while we're stuck indoors. Full details are on tumblr under the tags #irrelief and #irrelief2020
Thanks for reading!
Tsari