A/N: First of all, I apologise for this title but I couldn't resist.
To Guest: Thanks :) Glad you're enjoying it!
To Kim: Thank you :) It's always good when people whose favourite Tracy isn't Scott like how I write the others! I'm glad to know that I'm doing everyone justice as best I can. As for whether Virgil was flirting with Cathy...I decided to leave that open to interpretation! Although I will say that they'd be the most awesome singing/piano-playing duo that Tracy Island has ever seen... The show set Fuse up really well to have a change of heart and then didn't do much with it, which I found quite disappointing. This story has 23 chapters in total, so we have a little way to go. I have an idea that keeps nagging at me, but whether there's enough story there for a sequel, I really don't know. Might see if people would be interested first!
Chapter Twenty – Toss a Coin to Your Fountain.
After a long-winded debrief session with Colonel Casey, Anne and the Tracys had parted ways, and she'd gone home to wash the smoke smell out of her hair. Since the explosion had been on the news, she also had to convince Cathy, Maud and her mom that she was okay, with varying levels of success.
After an assessment, Tracy Enterprises was declared structurally sound, although most of its bottom two floors needed to be renovated. Anne and Tim hired a company to come in and start immediately, and they created a temporary entrance through a fire exit on the third floor so that the employees could go back to work. The GDF posted security for them in case the Hood tried again, but there was no sign of him in the two days before Anne left for London. No doubt he would be aware that they'd be on high alert.
The conference had its interesting moments, but mostly she just felt lonely in an unfamiliar city. Although she guiltily reflected that it was nice to get away from Cathy's constant singing. Her sister's voice was amazing, just…constant. And Anne appreciated a nice calm silence once in a while. When the conference was over, she still had three days to kill, thanks to Tim's well-meant intervention. She did the usual touristy things, visiting old buildings and art exhibitions, trying British candy and buying crappy souvenirs for her friends. All the while, she wished she could have shared the experience of exploring with someone else.
She walked a slow circuit around the QE2 Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, a monument to England's longest serving queen, and looked up at the graceful arcs of water.
"You should throw a coin," someone said beside her.
Anne glanced across at the speaker, seeing a young man with a friendly smile sitting on the base of the fountain. He held a small dog in his arms and was untangling its leash with one hand. Anne stepped forward to help, picking at a knot with her nails.
"What do you mean, throw a coin?" she asked.
"Thanks," he said, as she started winning. "It's tradition. You make a wish, then throw a coin in the fountain. If you're lucky, your wish will come true."
"I think it'll take a lot more than a coin to make my wish come true," Anne said sombrely.
"Couldn't hurt, though, right?"
She offered him a small smile. "I guess not. There you go." She loosened the knot enough to untangle the leash, and he set the dog down on the ground.
"There you go, Keith," he said brightly. "The nice lady undid the mess you made!"
Anne's smile widened at the thought of the small bundle of fluff owning such a mundane name as Keith. She dug into her purse for a coin, eventually finding an American penny. Beside her, the man was searching his pockets for the same. Coin in hand, he closed his eyes briefly, then flipped it into the water. It made a satisfying little splash and sank out of sight.
"See? Nothing to it."
Sceptical, Anne held her penny, but didn't close her eyes. He seemed nice enough, but she didn't know he wasn't a pickpocket. Silently, she made her wish then flicked her thumb to send it into the fountain.
"What's the turnaround on wishes?" she asked lightly.
"It varies…?" he said uncertainly.
Anne's comm beeped, and she raised it. Seeing the caller, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Holy shit."
"Did it work?" the man asked excitedly, but she'd already put him out of her mind.
John's hologram materialised, and he looked more animated than she'd ever seen him, a mixture of excited, worried and cautious. "Anne, the ship is back," he reported.
"And?" she asked, mouth dry.
"We received a distress signal in Morse code," he told her, speaking rapidly to catch her up. "They ran out of fuel and their power seems to be down, so Alan and I took Thunderbird 3 out to find the ship and tow it back. It seems to be intact, but you should know…we can't reach whoever's inside. Comms are down and the Morse code has stopped."
She accepted the news with a grim nod. "Okay. Now what?"
"We still towing it back, but we just cleared the upper atmosphere, so...basically now it's more falling than towing. We're still attached to the ship, but it's heavy. Virgil should be joining us when we get low enough to help slow it down. I estimate that it will eventually hit the ocean somewhere off the coast of North Devon, England."
Her heart gave a lurch. "I'm in London! I can get there…damn it, I don't know how long."
John lifted a surprised brow, then smiled. "I think I might be able to help. Hold on."
His image disappeared, only to be replaced by Lady Penelope. "Anne, where are you?" she said without wasting any time.
"Hyde Park," Anne told her hurriedly. "The QE2 fountain."
"Splendid, we'll be right there."
It was only after she signed off that she realised her one-man, one-dog audience was still there. She expected questions about International Rescue, but all he said was, "Did it work?"
She sent him a cautious smile. "Maybe. If this goes well, the fountain can have all my change."
He looked surprised but pleased. "That would be the fastest wish turnaround I've ever seen."
"I can't count my chickens yet," Anne said, trying not think about the fact that the man she loved was probably falling to Earth as she spoke.
She didn't know if they had a contingency plan for a no fuel, no power scenario. As far as she'd been aware, the ship was just supposed to land.
It doesn't matter if they had a plan or not, she reminded herself. They're International Rescue. Improvising in these kinds of situations is what they do best.
The sound of engines heralded the arrival of Lady Penelope, and Anne gawked as the remarkable pink car swept down from the sky to land smoothly on the grass. She'd been told it could fly, but actually seeing it was something else. Penelope opened the door.
"Need a lift?"
Anne shot her companion a quick thank you before running over, sliding into the back seat and slamming the door firmly behind her.
"I'm very glad to see you," she said emphatically, clicking her seat belt into place as the car began to rise again.
"I'm happy to have you along for the ride," Penelope said pleasantly. "We should be there in no time. Right, Parker?"
"Right you are, M'lady," her driver said.
"Have you heard anything more?" Anne asked. "John told me that he and Alan had the ship, but it was too heavy, so Virgil was going to help."
"That's right," Penelope confirmed. "It's a back-up plan. When they realised the Zero-X2 was out of fuel, John and Alan were going to simply collect its passengers and bring them on board Thunderbird 3 before towing it back."
"But?" Anne prompted.
"But the ship was also out of power, meaning its airlock wouldn't open."
"Couldn't they cut through?"
"No," Penelope said with a shake of her head. "According to Brains, the ship needs to keep its structural integrity to survive re-entering the atmosphere. Any small breach and the T-drive engines are vulnerable. We can't risk them exploding."
Anne nodded, taking the information in, feeling another flare of apprehension. "No, I can see why that would be a problem," she said faintly.
The unflustered London agent had more to add, however. "The Hood has been monitoring the island's activities closely, and he's put some sort of plan into action. Kayo and Captain Rigby are doing their best to stop it."
"That's not good," Anne muttered, chewing on her thumbnail.
Penelope's pug, Sherbet, crossed the back seat to appeal to her for fuss, and Anne smiled a little, scratching the top of his head.
"We'll see," Penelope said calmly. "Kayo is the best at disrupting her uncle's plans. It's one of her favourite pastimes."
Anne managed another smile at that, trying to avoid looking out the window. It was disconcerting to be in a car but also to be thousands of feet up. The time seemed to both drag and flash past, until Parker broke the silence.
"Coming up on them now, M'lady."
"Excellent, Parker. Keep the comm channel open."
Immediately, the chatter of familiar voices filled the car.
"…no," Brains was saying. "You're still going t-too fast. The ship will b-break apart on impact with the ocean."
"Need a hand, boys?" Penelope spoke up.
"Good to see you, FAB1," came Virgil's voice.
"Likewise. Parker, let's see if we can help slow this ship down."
"Yes, M'lady."
Anne had no choice but to look outside now, and she gasped at the sight of the unfamiliar ship dragging Thunderbirds 2 and 3 down. With some nifty manoeuvring, Parker got alongside them, firing a cable and boosting the car's thrusters.
"Is this your first rescue?" Penelope asked her kindly.
"Yes, and hopefully last," Anne said. She was already more stressed than she'd ever been at work.
"Talk to me, Brains," said Virgil.
"It's w-working. You just need a little m-more."
"We don't have any more ships, Brains!" Gordon yelled.
"What about Thunderbird 1?" Alan spoke up. "Can we get it here in time if we launch it remotely?"
John's voice was tense. "Not even close."
"Brains, can they survive hitting the water at this speed?" Virgil asked.
"P-possibly," the scientist said. "It will be close."
"Close might have to do, I'm already pushing my engines to their limit."
Anne listened to the exchange, her heart in her mouth. To be at this stage in the mission and to have something go wrong now…she didn't even want to imagine it.
"Twenty seconds to impact," Brains announced.
"Uh…guys?" said Alan, sounding nervous. "We have another problem."
Anne looked up as a shadow passed over FAB1's glass roof: another ship, one she'd seen before on a news report.
"Is that…?" she said.
"Chaos Crew," Penelope finished, her tone grim.
"Virg, what's the plan for this scenario?" Alan asked.
Before Virgil could answer, however, Kayo's voice entered the fray. "It's okay, I'm on board the Chaos Cruiser. We're here to help."
Anne felt a wave of relief crash over her, and she watched as the ship shot a cable and joined in the effort.
"We?" John queried.
"Fuse defected," Kayo reported. "We've got Havoc, and Rigby's gone after the Hood."
"Ten seconds to impact," said Brains.
"Is it enough?" Anne asked anxiously, keeping her voice low.
Penelope met her gaze, looking determined but still enviably calm.
"Five seconds," Brains reported. "Release your cables n-now."
Parker complied, and the car broke away. Anne stared out of the window as the ship hit the water with an almighty splash and quickly began to sink.
"Gordon, we need to launch in a hurry," said Virgil.
"FAB," Gordon said obligingly. "Systems check complete. Docking clamp released, we are...ah fuck it, just drop me."
Anne let out a quick burst of laughter, but Penelope was scandalised.
"Gordon Cooper Tracy! Bertie isn't accustomed to such language."
Thunderbird 4 dropped from the bottom of 2 and disappeared under the surface.
"Sorry, Penny, it's been that kind of a day," Gordon said. "I have visual on the ship. It's sinking faster than I was expecting. The airbags haven't deployed, I'm going to have to do it manually. Can you help keep it steady?"
"We're on our way," Penelope told him. "Parker, if you could."
"Right away, M'lady."
Before Anne had chance to blink, the car shot into a nosedive and cut through the surface of the water.
"Whoa," she breathed, suddenly seeing a completely different world out of the windows.
"First time in a sub?" Gordon asked her, still managing to sound fairly jovial despite the urgency of what they were doing.
"Yep. Don't come across them much in a 9-5 job."
FAB1 quickly caught up to Thunderbird 4, firing another cable to try and slow the ship's descent.
"That should be enough," Gordon said. "Try and steady it while I take a swim. It's going to lurch upwards when I fire the airbags."
"No problem, Mr. Gordon, sir," Parker assured him.
Anne watched as Gordon's figure emerged from underneath his ship and swam towards the Zero-X2.
"Deploying the first set of bags."
Two large balloons sprang from the hull, inflating and pulling the ship upwards. Parker moved FAB1 backwards to try and counter it, trying to keep it as steady as possible for Gordon. Anne braced herself as the car lurched, and Sherbet yapped at the inconvenience. Gordon's small figure got jolted around, but he maintained his grip on the ship.
"Uh, Parker?" Anne said, peering out of her window, her heart racing. "Your cable's starting to slip."
"Hurry, Gordon!" Penelope said urgently.
Gordon said nothing, clearly concentrating. Before long, he'd inflated the second set too, and Parker disconnected the misbehaving cable. The ship began to rise, and they rose with it. When they broke the surface, the other ships were still in the air, waiting for them.
"We'll tow them to the shore," Penelope said. "You lot had better go and find somewhere to land. I'm not sure the beach is a viable option."
"FAB." It was such a chorus of voices, Anne wasn't sure exactly who had answered.
Thunderbird 4 bobbed up next to them, and Gordon sent them a jaunty wave through his cockpit windows. Anne could see the beach in the distance, a long strip of golden sand with a stretch of grass-covered dunes behind. The ships were making their way up the nearby cliff to where a large hotel perched, and Anne hoped there was enough room in the parking lot to fit all three of them.
"Parker, you tow, I'll push," Gordon said, already moving towards the back of the ship.
"Right you are, sir."
It turned out to be easier to tow the ship through the water than it had been to slow it in the air, and soon they were making steady progress towards the beach. FAB1 made a smooth transition from water to land, and Thunderbird 4 beached itself neatly next to the ship. Gordon hopped out of the back and set about cutting an opening in the ship's hull with his laser cutter. Anne, Penelope and Parker all tumbled out of the car and waited.
Anne's heart was beating so fast she felt on the verge of hyperventilation, and she clasped her hands together anxiously.
"Step back!" Gordon hollered when he'd made the final cut. He waited a second, then gave the door he'd made a solid kick. It fell into the interior of the ship with a clang, and Gordon ducked inside. He didn't go far, as Anne could still see the blue of his uniform, but he stopped dead. "Dad?" he said in a very small voice.
Slowly, he re-emerged from the ship, aiding a figure that Anne had only seen in photographs. Jeff Tracy was greyer and more gaunt than he'd appeared then, and he sported an untidy beard and long hair that he'd clearly hacked short himself. His uniform had once looked much like Scott's only it was faded, patched, and looked far too big for his skinny frame. But he was there, he was smiling warmly at his second-youngest son, and he was alive.
"Oh, Jeff!" Penelope exclaimed. "It's so wonderful to see you!"
"Penny," he replied, in a voice that sounded as brittle as a dry leaf. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Parker," he added, nodding to the faithful driver.
"Mr. Tracy, sir," Parker said reverently.
Gordon, who was beaming from ear to ear, tutted at him. "You never talk to me like that."
Jeff's eyes landed on Anne, and she saw the same intelligent spark in them that each of his sons shared. Not only was Jeff Tracy alive, he'd returned with his sanity intact. She didn't doubt he had an amazing story to tell.
"Oh, this is Anne Ashton from Tracy Enterprises," Penelope introduced distractedly.
Jeff looked rather bemused, understandably, but extended a hand. "Good to meet you."
Considering what had just happened, and where he'd been for the last eight years, the whole thing felt incredibly bizarre.
Still, she shook his hand. "Mr. Tracy…" she began, trying desperately to keep her focus on him, (he was her boss after all), but repeatedly failing, because a second figure was emerging from the ship, drawing her gaze. A painfully familiar, wonderful figure. "…it's an honour…to….uh, to…finally meet you."
She gave up all pretence of looking at Jeff, her face breaking out into a smile of pure relief and joy. Scott met her gaze and strode forward, catching her up in a hug so tight, she almost couldn't breathe. His utility sash was uncomfortable against her chest, but she didn't care, clutching him back just as tight.
"You're okay," she said into his shoulder. "Thank god you're okay."
"I am," he said, cradling the back of her head. "I'm fine. I'm just fine, honey."
Anne closed her eyes for a moment, offering up a silent thank you to the universe. Or perhaps it was the fountain she had to thank.
Scott moved his head just far back enough to kiss her deeply, and she slid her hand to the back of his neck. Fortunately, they were both still mindful that they had company, and they broke apart fairly quickly.
"Well," said Jeff with a touch of melancholy amusement, "seems I've got a lot to catch up on." Glancing to the side, he spotted Gordon and Penelope's linked hands. "A hell of a lot."
"Dad!"
"Scott!"
Turning, Anne saw Virgil, John, Alan and Kayo approaching across the sand at their fastest sprints. Alan barely stopped in time, almost ploughing right into his father as he hugged him. Jeff's face registered a wide spectrum of emotions as he looked at his youngest son, the one who must have changed the most during his absence.
"Alan," he said, voice cracking. "My god, look at you! Look at all of you!"
Anne dropped back to stand with Penelope and Parker as the family fell into a huge group hug, Gordon darting forward to join them. Anne felt surprisingly choked up as she watched them, and she exchanged a smile with Penelope, who was wiping away a tear. Parker was dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. Kayo stood on the outskirts of the group, smiling wider than Anne had ever seen.
"Kayo, get in here," Virgil said, lifting his arm so she could squeeze in between himself and John.
"Are you getting this, Grandma Tracy?" Penelope said quietly, holding up her compact.
"I am, dear," came the familiar voice of the Tracy matriarch, "and it's the best thing I've seen in…maybe forever."
"They'll bring him home soon, I promise."
"I never doubted it," Mrs. Tracy said, a smile in her voice.
The Mechanic, who had stepped out of the ship behind Scott, stood nearby with his arms folded. His stoic expression was hard to read, but Anne thought he looked a little pleased by the events.
All too soon, the Tracys moved apart, their more practical sides taking over. Anne simply stood back and watched as they shifted from a family to International Rescue before her eyes.
"Kayo, what's the situation with Chaos Crew and the Hood?" Virgil asked.
"Havoc's locked up tight in the Chaos Cruiser's cargo hold," she reported. "Fuse is standing guard, although the GDF arrived while I was leaving the ship, so they'll have them both by now. Fuse knows he switched sides too late, although it should give him a shorter sentence. Rigby went after the Hood. We should be able to hand him over to the GDF soon."
"Let's hope they can keep him this time," Scott commented.
"Oh, he'll find it a lot harder to escape them without this," Kayo said, pulling a small, round object from a pouch on her belt.
"Is that…?" Alan began.
"His cybernetic eye? Yes."
Gordon pulled a face. "Did you just…yank it out? How did you know it wasn't just an implant on his real eye?"
She shrugged. "I didn't."
"Ew!"
"But I was pretty sure," she amended, tapping her comm. "Kayo to Rigby, what's your situation?" She paused for a reply. "Okay, stay on him. I'll come and back you up." To the group, she said, "The Hood's trying to escape by air."
"Go," Scott told her. "The GDF can handle Chaos Crew."
Kayo nodded, turning to go. "Jeff? It's really good to have you back," she said with a smile before heading in the direction of the ships. Thunderbird Shadow detached itself from the hull of the Chaos Cruiser and came to meet her, and she hopped up into it and was off before Anne could blink.
"We need to make sure this ship gets back to base safely," Scott announced. "The Hood may still try and steal the T-drive engines."
"Thunderbird 2 should be able to handle the weight now that the ship is stationary," Virgil said.
"3 can help," Alan spoke up.
"I believe I'll stay and oversee the GDF's debriefing of Havoc and Fuse," Penelope decided. "I have quite a few questions for both of them."
"Okay," Scott said with a nod. "Let us know what you learn."
"Of course." Penelope clasped Jeff's shoulder. "Get some rest. You've earned it."
He smiled at her, but said nothing.
"Are you coming?" Penelope said to the Mechanic. "You're to report back in with the GDF, aren't you?"
"Yes," the Mechanic answered her with an expression of resignation, unfolding his arms and heading over to FAB1.
"We'll vouch for you," Scott told him. "You have my word."
A look of understanding passed between them, and the Mechanic nodded. Wordlessly, he got into the back seat.
Penelope shot Gordon a tiny, private smile before stepping back into her car, passing Anne's handbag out to her with a nod. Parker handed Sherbet to her before closing the door and getting behind the wheel. Anne stepped back a little, although she doubted he would have hit her. As FAB1 drove off down the beach, Gordon headed towards the water's edge.
"I'll get 4 ready for pick up."
"Okay," Virgil acknowledged. "I'll call 2 here. It should be okay on the sand for a short stay."
Alan wrinkled his nose in thought. "I don't know if I can launch 3 from here. I'm gonna walk back. I'll see you in the sky."
"Do you want me to go with you?" John asked.
"I'll be fine."
Scott looked towards the hotel, where Thunderbird 2 was slowly rising due to Virgil's remote piloting. The scarlet Thunderbird 3 was clearly visible next to the purple of the Chaos Cruiser. Several GDF ships had landed there too.
"Alan, tell the GDF that Dad will speak to them when he's had time to recover," he said. "I know Colonel Casey will be worried."
"FAB."
"Colonel Casey now, is it?" Jeff spoke up, sounding pleased. "She deserves it."
Scott smiled at him. "She sure does. She's been the best ally we could have hoped for."
Thunderbird 2 swept overhead to drop its pod module into the sea before coming back to land on the beach. The group moved towards it, Virgil and Scott either side of their father in case he should need support. He seemed a little unsteady on his legs, and Anne wondered if it was the gravity he was having trouble with. As they went, she found herself walking with John, who sent her a sidelong glance.
"Nice to finally see you in person," he said.
She nodded, smiling. "Likewise. It seems weird. I've talked to you so many times."
"It's a weird life we lead."
She couldn't disagree with that. In person, his hair was a much brighter shade of copper than it appeared in holograms, and she wondered which grandparent he'd inherited it from.
Virgil lowered the platform to take them into the cockpit, and they all stepped onto it. Anne remained behind, and Scott looked at her.
"Anne? Aren't you coming?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to intrude on your family time. It's important." Leaving Scott went against all her instincts, but she knew how much this rescue had meant to all of them. It wouldn't be fair to impose. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to get back to London, but she'd figure that out later. There was bound to be a train from somewhere.
Scott opened his mouth to protest, but Jeff beat him to it. "There's more to family than blood, Miss Ashton."
"Well, yes…but…"
"Anne," Virgil interrupted, "get on the damned platform."
She laughed, her resolve crumbling completely when Scott grinned at his brother before holding his hand out to her. Taking it, she joined him, and he lifted their linked hands to plant a kiss on the back of hers. She squeezed his fingers, feeling incredibly thankful, if drained after the whirlwind of strong emotions. As the platform took them all up into the ship, she made a mental note to thank Tim. If he hadn't insisted on sending her to the conference, she would have been stuck in L.A., away from the action.
Maybe he does know best after all.
A/N: Next chapter, the journey home. Should be straightforward, right? I know this was very different from the show, so hopefully it reads okay. I really wanted to show that his eight years away really had a physical effect on Jeff, hence why he's a little more roughed up than he was in canon. I also hope that nobody minds that Anne was basically just a passenger for the rescue, but observing things from the outside has always kind of been her purpose.
