A/N: Re-watching the show makes me wish that fan fiction had music.
To Guest: Thanks! :)
Chapter Twenty-One – A Simple Journey Home.
As they all arrived in Thunderbird 2's cockpit, Virgil took his place, firing up the controls while John slipped into the co-pilot's seat.
"Have you ever sat there before?" Virgil asked him, as Anne and Jeff settled into passenger seats and Scott hit a button to raise a couple more from the floor.
John considered it for a second. "Actually no, I don't think so."
"Huh. Well, welcome to my ship. Don't touch anything."
The look John sent him was deeply unamused.
"You okay?" Scott asked his father.
Jeff nodded, adjusting his seatbelt as the ship took off. "I'm fine. Just…getting used to everything again."
"It must be a bit overwhelming," Anne said in sympathy.
"It is, but I'll get there," he assured her. There was determination in his face, but also hints at how much effort it was taking him to keep going. He hadn't come back entirely untouched by his ordeal. Being surrounded by people after eight years alone was bound to be strange, even if it was family.
"Docking clamp engaged," Virgil said, flicking a switch. "Firing cables."
Gordon stepped through the door at the back of the cockpit, settling into the seat next to Jeff.
"Okay, let's see how heavy this thing is," Virgil went on, bringing the ship up.
"Cables are holding," John reported, looking at the control panel. "Might be a slow trip, though."
"That's okay, Alan will be along to give us a hand."
Before long, Thunderbird 3 joined them, taking some of the weight, and their speed picked up. The cockpit alternated between casual chatter and comfortable silence. No one pestered Jeff about his time away, each of them aware that he would tell them when he was ready. Anne still hadn't let go of Scott's hand, finding it comforting, despite the fact he was wearing gloves. They kept sending each other little glances, and she liked the reminder that he was safe and present.
"Oh damn," Gordon spoke up.
Anne turned to look at him. He was scrolling through something on his tablet, and he glanced up to send them an amused look.
"You two are busted."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
He passed her the tablet, shooting Jeff a quick apologetic look as he reached over him. Anne took it, recognising the fan site she'd been keeping an eye on. Someone had written a post titled 'Sirens' Hopes Shattered!'. Underneath, there was a short video clip that, judging by the angle, had been shot by someone with a zoom lens from the hotel parking lot. It played her reunion with Scott on a loop, and she watched her awkward handshake with Jeff, Scott's short run over to her, and the embrace and kiss that had followed.
"Sirens?" Scott questioned.
"That's what your fans call themselves," Gordon exclaimed cheerfully. "We've all got them. Except you, John, they barely know about you."
"Good," John said, putting a lot of emphasis on the single syllable.
"I have Groupies," Gordon went on. "Virgil's got Vixens, Alan's got Angels, I think. They like alliteration."
Anne turned her head to meet Scott's gaze. "Guess we're public now, then. It didn't occur to me that there would be cameras on the beach."
"I thought it was a possibility," he admitted. "But when I realised you were there, I decided I didn't care. How were you there anyway? I forgot to ask."
"I'll tell you in a minute. I'm trying to decide if I'm brave enough to look at the comments."
"They're not too bad," Gordon told her.
Sceptical but morbidly curious, Anne scrolled down. A lot of them were just emojis or the word 'No' with multiple Os. A lot were asking who she was.
"Some of these conversations…" she said.
'Siren42: That's Anne Ashton from TE, right?
CupcakeChef: No way. What would she be doing there?
Siren42: I don't know, but it sure looks like her.
Mr_Tweetums: Anne Ashton is taller.
Destiny-Angel: Guys, that's obviously Kat Cavanaugh!
Siren42: Are you blind? Kat's hair is darker and way shorter!
KatC101: I wish! But sorry, guys, defo not me.
CupcakeChef: Kat, who do you think it is?
KatC101: I agree with Siren42, it's Anne Ashton.
Destiny-Angel: Lucky bitch!
Siren42: I can't stop looking at this footage.
CupcakeChef: I know. The way he grabs her! *fans self*
Siren42: I want to hate her, but look at how glad they are to see each other. I just can't. Guys, I think I might ship it.
Mr_Tweetums: Same. This rescue must have been really dangerous, they're holding onto each other like they never thought they'd see each other again. It's cute. I ship it too!'
"That's kind of a wild ride," Scott remarked, reading it too.
"I can't believe they're focusing on you two when we just brought Dad home," John commented, and Jeff gave a low chuckle.
"Oh, they're not," Gordon reassured him. "Literally every other post is about Dad, and that's what the news feeds are reporting. This is just one post."
"How come you and Penelope get out of this?" Anne asked him.
"Because we were only holding hands," Gordon retorted smartly, "and that was blocked by the car."
She handed the tablet back and slumped in her seat. "Fine."
"Scott told me about the changes to the secrecy policy," Jeff spoke up. "Seems to have had quite the impact."
"It has," said Virgil, "but it was a good decision."
Anne saw Scott smile a little, grateful for his brother's support of a move that had been his idea. She squeezed his hand.
"So, Miss Ashton," Jeff said, turning to her, "you work for Tracy Enterprises?"
"Anne, please," she corrected him. "Yes, I share the job of Acting CEO with Tim. Although…not anymore now you're back, I guess," she amended with a smile.
"Tim always was more CEO than I was," Jeff said good-naturedly. "Although he wouldn't accept the title."
"Sounds about right," Anne commented. "He's been off for the best part of a year, so I took over. Now he's back, we job share. Going forward, we're going to have to rearrange again, I guess."
Jeff nodded. "Yes, eventually."
"Of course, you need to recover and think about International Rescue first," she acknowledged.
"How did you two meet?" he asked, looking between Scott and herself.
"Well, to start off, she didn't like me," Scott began.
"I never said that," Anne replied defensively.
"You didn't have to," he said with amusement.
Any further comments were cut short as Thunderbird 2 gave a jolt. Anne felt her seat belt dig into her stomach, and Scott gripped her shoulders with steadying hands.
"Someone's attached a cable to the Zero-X2," Virgil said.
"Must be the Hood," John put in.
"Agreed," said Scott, tapping a button on his sash. "Kayo, what's going on?"
"He threw us off, but we're closing in on him," Kayo informed them.
"He's trying to steal the T-drive engines!" Alan piped up over the comm.
"Don't worry, he won't," Kayo snapped.
Virgil grunted as he fought to pull away from the Hood's grip."What's he doing? There's no way he can carry the ship on his own," he muttered.
Scott fidgeted by her side, and Anne could see how much he hated being a passenger.
"Kayo," came an unfamiliar male voice, "if we can't stop him, I'm authorised to destroy the ship. We can't let those engines fall into the hands of the Hood."
"If we destroy the ship now, Thunderbirds 2 and 3 will be caught in the blast," Kayo fired back. "I'm not risking them, Rigby."
"Just give us time, we can detach the cables," Virgil spoke up.
"That's right," said Alan. "Brains could rebuild if he needed to."
"It's not critical that we save this ship," Scott added. "Just that we don't let it fall into the wrong hands."
"You saying we should take advantage of the fact that the GDF is armed and we're not?" Gordon asked.
"It might be for the best." Scott looked at his brothers. "What do you think?"
Gordon shrugged. "Works for me."
John nodded thoughtfully. "Like Alan said, Brains can rebuild. Whether or not he should is an argument for another time."
"Agreed," said Virgil.
Scott glanced at Jeff. "Dad?"
"Sounds like you boys have got it covered," he said.
Scott nodded. "All right. Kayo, Rigby, we're going to detach our cables. The weight will drag the Hood down and he'll have to detach too. When the ship hits the water, destroy it."
"FAB," Kayo said.
"Ready when you are," Rigby added.
"On three, Alan," Virgil said. "One…two…three."
"Get clear, everyone," Rigby ordered.
Virgil peeled away, Thunderbird 3 just visible out of the windows as it kept pace with them. Anne waited in tense silence with everyone else, shielded from what was going on outside by the noise of Thunderbird 2's engines. Only a faint jolt from the shockwave gave them an indication that the other ship had been blown up.
"I'm on the Hood," Kayo reported.
"Gordon, launch Thunderbird 4," Scott commanded. "See if there's anything salvageable."
"FAB." Gordon stood up, stepped apologetically around his father, and headed through the door into the module.
"Guys, I'm going to head home," Alan spoke up. "I don't have enough fuel to hover around here for too much longer."
"FAB, Alan," John said. "See you back home."
Kayo's comm channel was still open, and they listened to the back and forth between her and Rigby while Gordon did his underwater investigation.
"Rigs, you need to shoot him down," Kayo said, her tone grim.
"Are you insane?" the GDF captain retorted.
Scott tensed, and Anne sent him a look. Violence wasn't International Rescue's way, and she knew he'd pulled Kayo up for reckless behaviour in the past.
"I don't mean destroy him," Kayo clarified. "Just damage his plane. When he bails out, I'll grab him."
"Are you sure? If he gets to the ground, he could hide well enough to escape."
"I'm sure. Do it."
They all waited in silence, which was broken unknowingly by Gordon.
"There's nothing but scrap down here," he said. "I'm surfacing."
"FAB, I'll pick you up," Virgil said quickly, not wanting to talk over Kayo's update.
Kayo gave a grunt of frustration, then said with satisfaction, "I've got him. His parachute anyway."
"Can he bail out of there?" Rigby asked.
"Technically, but he won't at this height. When we get back to base, I'll come in vertically. That way, there'll be nowhere for him to bail out to."
"Okay, but be careful. He's got all sorts of tricks up his sleeve."
"I know," Kayo assured him. "He won't get away from me this time."
"Good work, Kayo," Scott said. "We're heading back to base."
"FAB. See you later."
Gordon re-emerged, and they got underway again. This time, they made it to Tracy Island with no setbacks. Mrs. Tracy, Alan and Brains were waiting for them, and there was another emotional reunion as Jeff hugged his mother for the first time in eight years. She held him tightly for a long few seconds, but lightly whacked the side of his head when she let go.
"That's for worrying me for the best part of a decade!" she yelled, but she was smiling too.
"Your aim hasn't changed a bit, Mother," Jeff lamented, rubbing his ear.
"You can bet your boots it hasn't," she said, hands on her hips. "Now, do us all a favour and go take a shower. You look like a hobo and you smell even worse."
Anne raised a surprised eyebrow, but Jeff was grinning.
"I missed you."
Mrs. Tracy softened. "Missed you too, kiddo. We haven't touched your room except to clean it, and I've put out fresh towels."
"Thanks."
"Scott…" Mrs. Tracy began.
He held up his hands. "I know, I know. I probably don't smell much better."
She hugged him anyway. "Glad you're back safe."
"Thanks, Grandma."
"Nice to see you again, dear," she said to Anne. "Do you want the room you had last time? Or do you want to share Scott's?"
For some reason, the question took her aback. She hadn't quite considered how long she would be staying. "Uh..."
Mrs. Tracy interpreted her hesitation another way. "Oh, don't worry. These rooms are all soundproofed, so you can let yourselves go."
"Grandma!" Scott exclaimed.
Anne flushed scarlet, and Gordon let out a laugh.
"Don't ever change, Grandma," he said wiping a tear from his eye. "She's right, though," he added to Anne. "They are soundproofed, and I will be thanking the architect every day that you stay."
Alan looked faintly traumatised, and Virgil was shaking his head. John and Brains just looked awkwardly at the floor.
"Okay," Scott spoke up. "Why don't we all go and get freshened up. John, are you staying?"
The copper-haired brother nodded. "EOS is redirecting calls to local authorities unless there's a dire emergency."
"Good, so you can all catch a break," Mrs. Tracy said. "Dinner's at six. Don't be late because we won't wait!"
The Tracys all headed for the stairs, with the exception of Alan, who'd already changed. Anne joined them, taking Scott's hand again. Her embarrassment was fading, although she still wanted to launch cushions at Gordon.
"You're staying with me, right?" Scott asked her as they paused outside the row of bedroom doors.
"I don't know, am I invited?" she said impishly.
Gordon made an exaggerated sound of disgust as he stomped past them to his own room. They just had time to hear Virgil chuckle before his door slid closed. John and Jeff had already disappeared to theirs.
"Invited," Scott confirmed, "encouraged, urged..."
She laughed. "Then yes."
He led her to his room and let her in. It was familiar, as it was identical to the guest room she'd stayed in before, but unlike that one, it was lived in. There were books on the bedside table and a pair of shoes by the door, and she could see a guitar on a stand in the corner.
"Do you play?" she asked, amazed that the topic had never come up.
"Very badly," he said, following her gaze. "Sometimes it helps me think."
"So a serenade is out of the question, then?"
He laughed. "It's for the best."
Anne looked around at the rest of the room. It was impressively tidy, which wasn't surprising. She'd seen how he worked, and he had an organised mind.
Scott unclipped his utility sash and set it down on his desk, then added the arm and shin guards he wore to the pile. After peeling off his gloves, he glanced at her. "I'm…gonna do the rest of this in the bathroom."
Anne nodded. "Much as I would enjoy the view, your grandma had a point. You've been wearing that for…a really long time."
"Tell me about it. I feel gross." His expression brightened. "But give me five minutes to scrub down, then come join me if you want."
She smiled, sorely tempted. They hadn't had the opportunity to be alone in any intimate way since Australia. "I don't know. Won't I be distracting?"
"Yeah, that's what I'm hoping."
Anne sighed, determined to do the right thing. "Thanks, but you go ahead. We should join everyone else again."
Scott looked exasperatedly at the ceiling, but his expression was resigned. "Yeah, I guess. I hate it when you're right."
"You love it," she teased him, taking a seat on his bed.
He stared at her. "Oh, because that's not distracting."
"Scott…"
"Anne…"
"Go and shower."
"Yes, ma'am."
It was only after he'd closed the bathroom door on his grinning face that Anne realised she was yet again staying with him with no luggage.
This is getting to be a habit.
She was supposed to check out the following day. What would the hotel do with her things?
"Shit."
She'd figure it out later. Looking down at her hands, she realised she'd muted her comm back in Penelope's car. A collection of missed calls and messages awaited her, and she felt tired just looking at them. Very deliberately, she unstrapped it and threw it onto the desk, where it slid to a stop next to one of Scott's arm guards.
She flopped back on the bed, staring at the wood grain of the ceiling. It felt good to slow down. She'd been non-stop since leaving London, and she'd only been a passenger, playing no critical part in the rescue at all. She couldn't imagine actually being involved. That wasn't for her.
When Scott emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, he looked refreshed, his hair fluffy from towel-drying. Anne was impressed that she noticed his hair, seeing as he was completely stark naked.
"Now who's being distracting?" she accused, propping herself up on her elbow.
"Nothing wrong with a little payback, Ms. Ashton," he threw at her, heading for the closet in the corner.
He moved with confidence, even without his clothes. Not that that was surprising, he had a lot to be confident about. She could see where the sun had and hadn't reached him, and a number of old scars from missions past. The skin across his shoulders was pink from the heat of the shower.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked, shooting her a smirk.
Anne deliberately swept her gaze from head to toe, taking in his well-defined torso, strong arms, and long legs before returning it to his unfairly handsome face.
"Can't complain," she said casually.
He glanced at her, a hint of challenge in his eyes. "Do I need to come over there?"
"No, you probably shouldn't," Anne admitted. "I'm forcing myself to stay put. If you come any closer, we'll never make it out of this room."
Scott laughed, but followed her advice, disappearing into his walk-in closet and reappearing a few minutes later fully dressed in his favourite jeans and shirt combo. Idly, she wondered if he owned any clothing that wasn't blue.
"Ready for another Tracy family meeting?" he asked.
Anne nodded, scooting to the edge of the bed and accepting his hand in getting to her feet. Impulsively, she stepped close for a hug, finding him much more comfortable than when in uniform.
"Mm, you smell nice."
"Good," he said. "You smell like…hotel shampoo?"
She laughed. "That's because I forgot mine." Seeing his puzzled frown, she clarified. "I was at a conference in London when Lady Penelope picked me up. Speaking of, I've done it again. My luggage is still there."
He looked amused, resting a finger under her chin and lightly kissing her lips. "I'm beginning to think you just don't want clothes when you're around me."
"That's right," she said deadpan, "it's all an elaborate plan to ditch my belongings in random hotel rooms."
He chuckled. "I'll fly you if you want. We can be there and back before dinner."
"I've told you before, you're not a taxi service."
"And I've told you I don't mind. It'll be good to take my baby for a ride."
Anne stared at him with wary eyes. "You…you're talking about your ship, right?"
"I'll never tell."
A/N: Apologies to John's Jezebels, who didn't get a mention in this chapter for plot reasons.
So I started writing a sequel to this to see if my vague idea actually holds weight, although I'm uncertain as to whether a) I will actually post it, and b) it will be it's own thing or include some various one-shots from this universe. What do you think, guys? Would you read more? If so, would there be any one-shot scenarios you'd like to see? They wouldn't necessarily have to focus on Scott and Anne.
