I still don't own them, unfortunately.
If I refer to other author's works this will be credited at the end of the relevant chapter.
I had originally planned for this to be a collection of related one-shots but my annoying brain won't let me. I do know where this is going but I don't yet know how it's going to get there.
Updates will probably be sporadic, I can't post a chapter until I'm at least 90% happy with it.
On with the tale
Three years earlier
It had been a bad month for International Rescue even though it had been relatively quiet for rescues.
Thunderbird 1 had crashed after being caught out by an unexpected tropical storm, the aircraft easier to repair than her pilot. He was still grounded, due to the severe concussion sustained in the crash, almost three weeks later.
Both Brains and Virgil were refusing to clear him for duty until the lingering headaches had stopped.
Thunderbird 4 had been damaged after being caught up in a 'minor' sub-sea earthquake. Gordon had been enjoying a chance to explore and map the nearby underwater canyons when the earthquake dislodged the canyon walls causing the rocks to fall onto the sub. Luckily the damage caused had not prevented Gordon from getting back to island without the assistance of Thunderbird 2 but 4 would need extensive repairs before she could be deployed on any rescues.
Jeff grimly remembered one of his father's standard complaints about bad things always happening in threes as he read the damage report from Thunderbird 5. A small meteor had, somehow, managed to get through the station's defences and had hit the habitation area of the station. He was extremely grateful for the fact that the station had been unoccupied at the time but International Rescue was inoperable until the damaged station was repaired and that would take a minimum of five days, not including the travel time.
He mentally went through everything that had to be done, and who was available.
Brains could repair 5 with the help of Alan and John, if they utilised 3 as accommodation then they would not need to return to base until the repairs were completed which would save the four hour round trip each day.
Tintin and Gordon were both more than capable of the repairs to 4. Working together it shouldn't them to long to return 4 to operational status.
Normally he would have assigned Virgil to assist with 4 but Virgil's pregnant wife was due to be on the mainland for her latest scan, he couldn't ask them to delay that.
Scott was still grounded and becoming more and more frustrated with the enforced inactivity. At least he was sensible enough not to run his usual five mile route round the island, although Jeff felt that Scott's fiancee had put a stop to his running until he'd been medically cleared for duty.
Decisions made, Jeff just had to tell everyone what they'd be doing but first he had to ask Lady Penelope to send out the announcement that IR was unavailable due to essential maintenance requirements.
He sighed as he reached out and activated the system to call Penny.
It was the evening meal before everyone was together.
"What's on your mind Jeff?"
Jeff looked over at his mother and smiled before
"Just thinking about what dad used to say"
"Bad things always come in threes" she said with a knowing smile.
"What do you mean Grandma?" asked John, always curious
"Whenever anything went wrong on the farm it always seemed to happen in threes." she explained, "probably just coincidence"
"But dad didn't believe in coincidences" Jeff completed, smiling at the memory.
"So, Thunderbird 1" John started before Brains interrupted
"The multiple lightening strikes overloaded the on-board electronics, no-one could have avoided the crash" was Brains' conclusion
"you did well to land her with such minimal damage"
Brains directed this last comment to Scott who was still blaming himself for the damage to his bird despite the fact that 1 had been mission capable for two weeks whilst he was still grounded.
"Yes Thunderbird 1, followed by 4 and now 5" Jeff concluded.
"I still shouldn't have entered that canyon" Gordon concluded grimly.
"There's no way that you could have predicted that earthquake" Virgil stated
"none of the seismic detectors picked up any warning signs of an impending quake"
"The fact that Virgil had to be on standby in case 4 couldn't make it back is why John wasn't on 5 when the meteor hit" Alan stated.
Alan's conclusion silenced everyone.
The only reason that John was still alive is that he was helping Alan with the shuttle rescue as both Scott and Virgil had been unavailable.
"What do we do now?" Scott asked, almost rhetorically, knowing that both 4 and 5 required urgent repairs and Brains couldn't be in two places at once.
"Penny's releasing the statement that International Rescue is unavailable for the next month due to the requirement for essential maintenance." Jeff looked round at everyone before continuing.
"Brains, you John and Alan will handle the repairs to 5. You'll need to use 3 as a base of operations until 5 is habitable." Brains just nodded, Jeff could almost see Brains working out exactly what would be needed.
Jeff turned to Gordon
"You and Tintin will work together to repair 4, you are both more than capable and Virgil is needed elsewhere"
Virgil looked confused at that, what could he have to do that was more important than the repairs. As Tintin and Gordon nodded their acceptance Jeff turned his attention to Scott and Virgil.
"Scott, you know you're still grounded until you've been cleared medically."
Scott just nodded, what was Jeff thinking, he knew that Brains couldn't give the required medical clearance from 5.
"You'll see Doctor Marshall who'll assess your recovery and certify you fit for duty Virgil will fly you there when he takes Madeline for her scan."
Jeff almost laughed at the look on Virgil's face when he realised that he'd somehow forgotten about his wife's upcoming appointment.
"Virgil, you'll take Scott and Maddie to their respective appointments."
Virgil nodded his agreement, sheepishly, hoping that Maddie didn't realise that he'd forgotten.
"Rebecca and Chloe can go along as well"
Rebecca being Scott's fiancee and Chloe was Virgil's very precocious daughter
"We can spare you both for a couple of days so enjoy a little downtime while you can, you'll only have three days though."
Both Scott and Virgil were surprised by the chance to have some downtime off the island, especially with both 4 and 5 requiring extensive repairs.
"When the two of you get back Alan and Tintin can have a short break."
Jeff continued, ever aware of the fact that his sons rarely took time off for themselves.
"John and Gordon will take their breaks when they return."
Jeff noticed the look in Gordon's eye,
"mapping the subsea caverns can wait for another time"
"It would be a fun dive though" Gordon commented wryly, he did enjoy diving and never needed much of an excuse to get the scuba gear out.
"Sounds like a good plan" John commented, he enjoyed diving almost as much as Gordon
"Dad commands the boat while the two of us dive, that way dad gets a break as well" John continued.
Jeff had not been expecting that, he was about to point out that he didn't have the time but his mother decided to speak.
"Sounds like a perfect plan to me. You all get a chance to relax without any work constraints, maybe I'll join you on the boat for a nice relaxing day or two"
Jeff knew that any objections that he could have presented had just been overruled before he could even voice them, after all he'd never managed to successfully change his mother's mind about anything.
He didn't miss the looks that passed between all of his sons, they were always trying to get him to rest, to take a break, even if it was just for one day.
Another little 'meeting' was underway in Virgil's separate small house.
"Are you going to tell him soon?" Madeline asked her soon to be sister-in-law.
"I suppose I should, I don't know how to tell him though. How do you think he'll react?" Rebecca replied.
"He'll be delighted, you see how he is with Chloe"
"She's his niece though" Rebecca said sadly
"We hadn't planned for anything until after the wedding, this could change everything."
"Nothing will change the way Scott feels about you, now drink your chocolate before John sniffs it out" Maddie said.
"John definitely loves his chocolate" Becky replied as she accepted the cup.
Maddie grimaced as she sipped the herbal tea that Kyrano insisted she drank instead of her usual coffee.
"Being pregnant sucks then" Becky commented with a smile.
"You'll be ok, you don't drink coffee, or wine and after what's happened this month I'd kill for either."
Apart from Kyrano, Becky was the only adult occupant of the island who never drank coffee.
"I know what we can do" Maddie said suddenly, taking Becky by surprise with the change of topic.
"You come with me for my scan, we can get you checked out and you'll have your own scan photo to surprise him with"
"Sneaky, but how can we plan it"
"A girl's shopping trip" Grandma's voice startled them both "you know how much they both hate shopping"
"Grandma" the squeal from a very wide awake Chloe surprised both Maddie and Becky.
"You're supposed to be asleep young lady" Grandma admonished Chloe with a smile as she lifted the little girl up for a cuddle.
"Bad dweem" Chloe mumbled as she relaxed into the hug.
"Do you want some cocoa honey?" Becky asked, already making her way to the small kitchen.
"Cweem and mellies?"
"Yes you can have cream and marshmallows" Maddie said with a smile.
The three women sat and chatted while Chloe finished her cocoa, once the cocoa had been finished Maddie took a sleepy Chloe back to her bed.
Grandma turned to Becky.
"Are you going to tell my grandson before or after the scan?"
A shocked Becky wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"How do you know?" she managed to stammer
"Years of experience, I always knew when Lucy was pregnant, usually before she did" Grandma explained.
Becky was saved from further revelations by Maddie coming back
The three women spent the next couple of hours planning the subterfuge of Becky's scan with the cover story of a shopping trip.
The marvels of online shopping meant that the bulk of their purchases could just be collected, giving the time for Becky's scan without any cause for suspicion from Virgil and, more importantly, Scott.
Chloe would be an excellent distraction for her father and uncle, and with her fascination for aircraft second only to her love of art she could keep them both occupied for hours.
Plans made Grandma and Becky left to return to the main villa with promises to send Virgil home.
Tomorrow would be a busy day, for everyone.