Penelope should have known something was wrong. If the thugs that had infiltrated her target's event weren't proof enough... Initially, she had assumed them to be part of the security team meant to protect the man hiding his drug ring under the guise of a pharmaceutical company. It had been difficult enough tracing the sales of the hypnotic chemicals back to the company whose motto was 'Affordable prescriptions for all!'. The world ate it up and would be hesitant to accept a betrayal of such magnitude, pedaling a substance that had led to the deaths of so many. She'd needed proof.
The increase in protection had thrown her for a moment until she realized they were being quickly neutralized by her target's men. Penelope had then queried about the removal of some of the "guests" and wasn't surprised to hear the CEO brush it off as an attempt to spy on him by his competitors.
She should have known that wasn't true, but she'd let the simplicity of it ease her suspicions in lieu of forging her way into the man's inner circle. Would she have abandoned the mission so easily had she known the truth?
It wasn't until well after the event that she was able to open her lines of communication once more, free of the suspicious ears of her target and his men. Penelope had tried him first - Gordon hadn't answered. It wasn't unusual considering how the family was dealing. She wouldn't have been surprised to hear he was out on his second or third rescue of the day.
She still told herself she should've known. As her fingers press into the cool window giving her a view of the man within, his eyes covered in bandages, form unmoving - so unlike him - she condemns herself. She should have known.
There's nothing more she can do, but sit and watch, waiting for him to move, her mind screaming in so many directions, it's difficult to pick just one. She finds new hatred for her target in the distraction he has caused. She's sent Parker off to ensure they still have a foot in the door to watch his demise. Penelope also wants to speak with the others to help track down the people who had taken the man she loved, but she can't find it in herself to step away. She hates herself for not protecting him from the world no matter how much he would protest. To Gordon, to his family, the world mattered more and nothing she could say would change that.
After the day's events, however, she wondered if the sentiment still held true.
Clumsy footfalls allerted her to a new presence, one she was infinitely grateful for as he came to a stop beside her. John had all the answers when she needed them or knew where to find them if they were more elusive. Penelope waited for him to offer an explanation that would remedy everything that had happened, a response that would make the world seem right again. What came was silence, deafening in her ear.
Unable to stand it a moment longer, she offered up the question they all knew the answer to, "Will he be alright?"
"It's too soon to tell," John played along, adopting a hint of his younger brother's optimism. "He's responding to the treatment as expected - he's alive."
It was a statement of facts and she had one of her own, an errant smile pulling at her lips, "He's Gordon."
"The uncontrollable factor," initially, she thought John sounded miffed at the concept, but a quick glance showed her the warm smile that sat under turquoise.
Penelope returned her gaze back to the aquanaut - still unmoving save for the steady breaths that fogged the oxygen mask, "Whatever are we to do with him?"
A chuckle born of spent adrenaline and a long night breaking into mid morning fell from the astronaut, "How do you feel about installing a fish tank on the estate?"
Her thoughts followed and the image of Gordon trapped under her diligent care made the idea almost worth pursuing, "Tempting, but I fear he would break the thing to force his way back to the ocean."
"You're probably right," John sighed, his own hand coming up to touch the window. "He's stubborn like that."
Stubborn was a word too synonymous with the Tracy boys. They all held the trait to some degree, others too foolish to know when to quit - when their life could be easily lost for the sake of the world. "Idiot," slipped out, impervious to her upbringing that chided such rash vulgarity.
Another laugh from the astronaut towering beside her, "He certainly can be." And then, a bit more somber, "An idiot, but one who won't stop fighting. If there's one thing I know about my brother, you can't go by the data or facts and figures. Once he's had time to heal, nothing's going to get in his way."
Penelope lifted her hand from the glass and let it fall across John's, her fingers wrapping around to press against his palm. It was cool to the touch and she imagined hers feeling much the same. Gordon was always her warmth, her personal ray of sunlight. Given time, she knew her friend's words would ring true and she would regain that comfort, but for now, she was content for the physical contact. When John's hand encircled hers, the feeling mutual, she offered a smile formed from hope, "A remarkable idiot, then."
They didn't laugh, but the humour wasn't lost. She would see him awake once more, angry, as they all were, and ready to do whatever he needed for them all to be safe. Penelope would do the same, whether he approved of it or not.
OoOoOoO
It took two days for him to wake up, another two for him to see his family again, though it was through eyes that felt puffy and sore. They were still a sight Gordon was thrilled to have after his previous nightmare with the Hood.
The following day, after Grandma insisted they give the aquanaut a chance to rest, had been spent reporting everything that went wrong with the rescue of Vivian and his inevitable failures aboard the Hood's ship. Gordon had done his best to keep everything as succinct as possible, keeping his emotions out of it. If he could get through without breaking down or having to feel the disappointment through the empathic link or see it on his eldest and youngest brother's faces, he would be okay. Everything would be okay.
But it wouldn't.
He'd given the Hood everything he'd wanted. He was a failure and people were going to suffer because of him.
At some point after Gordon had grown quiet, the rest of the room filling with conversations he couldn't be a part of, Virgil had shooed everyone out claiming their resident fish needed more rest. If his big brother had ulterior motives, there were no indications, no warm grip on his shoulder to reassure him. Virgil had even left with the rest, handing the room over to their grandmother. And maybe, that was the strategy that would work best.
"Better?" Grandma's voice was gentle as she applied a cool compress to his aching forehead.
"Mmm-yeah," he pressed a hand into the gel to keep it in place. "Thanks, Grandma."
She gave him an amused smile, "Good, but I was referring to everyone leaving the room."
"Oh," he shrugged, wincing at the stiffness that the pain medication had missed. He tried to force a laugh through the anxiety tearing at his gut, "Yeah, only so much of the Smother Hens I can take."
Her smile fell into a knowing worry and he couldn't maintain the steadiness he'd hoped to portray, his fingers twisting into the blanket. A hand landed on top of his, the effect already urging him to let go, "Sweetheart, no one is blaming you for what happened."
The shock of the statement was like acid on an open wound and Gordon couldn't help the flinch as denial reached his lips, "Don't they? It's my - it's my fault -"
The grip on his hand intensified, "Now, you listen to me, young man," vibrant blue eyes met his for the brief moment he let himself look at her. "What you went through was traumatic enough, but believe me when I say no one thinks this is your fault. You took every precaution you could, but we can't help that the Hood is willing to exploit the good in you - the part that would never leave someone behind in order to save yourself. Never allow yourself to regret that."
Gordon tried to hold to that truth, but his mind continued its relentless pursuit to drag him down, "But I - Grandma, I gave him everything he wanted."
Shaking her head, a hand slid over his unkempt hair, working to brush away the inadequacies, "That man would've found what he was looking for one way or another. Which of your brothers would gladly have taken your place if they could?" She paused for an answer that was easily read from the way their family operated, "Right, and it could have been any one of them that the Hood took. Hating yourself isn't going to change what happened, but it will change you if we don't work through it. You are stronger than that man will ever be and you've got a family who loves you."
He knew that - it was impossible not to know how much they would all go through for each other - but the wounds were still too fresh to brush aside. Time would tell in the end, so Gordon tried a subdued smile, squeezing his grandmother's hand, "Thanks, Grandma."
She eyed him warily and he could see the desire to ensure her grandson was alright sitting on her shoulders. A sigh told him she wasn't convinced, but she didn't press any further, instead, redirecting to a whole different trauma, "I spoke with Em this morning."
His stomach fell with memories from the first day he'd been fully awake, fingers tracing his marks. They'd discussed the discoloration and blisters as gently as they could, clinical words offering some form of detachment. In the end, her fears had been laid out as worse case scenarios if the damage was too extensive - if he'd be able to shift in the next few days, weeks, months… would he ever be able to shift again?
"Easy, kiddo," the elder woman soothed. "She and I both believe your marks will heal and you'll be back in the water giving your brothers more grey hairs."
Gordon felt himself deflate into the mattress, "How long?"
A sigh, Grandma's voice dropping into a hushed tone, "We estimate a few… months."
"Months?" That had to be a joke. Even if it was better than never being able to shift again, the time frame still felt impossibly long. How had the decompression caused so much damage? It wasn't like he'd never experienced it before.
"Kid, you jumped from the deepest part of the ocean straight into the back of your submarine," she shook her head, grinning warmly as her hand cupped his cheek. "You're one lucky fish. It could've been a lot worse."
He knew, and that, plus the smile from the woman who'd basically raised him, was enough to calm his heart. The time between now and when he would be able to shift again would be difficult, but not impossible. Gordon would have to fall back on what he always did. Make the best of what you have, and what he had was an amazing family.
"Yeah," there were a lot of things that could have been worse. The thought of his brothers in Thunderbird 4 trying to rescue him and getting captured themselves seemed to make his sacrifice worth the pain. He forced a smile through the earlier apprehension and felt a little of himself resurface. "Might want to warn the others," his grin grew playful.
A grey brow rose with hesitant interest, "About what?"
"A bored fish is a mischievous fish," and he had a list of ideas he'd kept for when John and Virgil were feeling up to some aggravation.
Grandma gave him a knowing laugh, "They'll have time to prepare. For now, you're on bed rest." A finger in front of his nose halted any protest,"And if I so much as see one leg come out from under those sheets, I'll have one of your brothers in here twenty-four seven, understood?"
As frustrating as the infirmary was, Gordon could manage. Grandma's threat was an inevitability that he welcomed. There were a couple brothers he could talk into getting him out sooner than the elder woman expected. At the moment, he was tired and sore. Those were reasons enough not to move, but he still answered with an exasperated, "FAB."
OoOoOoO
Virgil finally felt himself relaxed into the lounge sofa as his little brother let go of the guilt that had been assaulting them since he woke up. The legs that lay across his lap moved with him and he threw a reassuring smile to Kay as she rested on her own cushions.
"That's better," she grinned, her uninjured hand cradling his against her stomach. "I told you Grandma would manage."
"Yes, you did," he chuckled, turning his attention to Scott sitting behind their father's desk. Anxious blue eyes met him as the report to the GDF paused mid sentence. Virgil gave his brother a strong nod and watched the tension loosen from the commander's shoulders. One less thing to worry about.
He caught John watching him from the opening that overlooked the pool. Alan and Lady Penelope stood with him, their own conversation on hold as silent communications flitted across the room. Everything was far from normal, but their world had calmed for a moment and Virgil was grateful for it.
The hand in his squeezed to pull his attention back to her, green eyes watching him for any further distress. A breath and he was steady, "I'm good, Kay."
"Good," her smile sent a rush of warmth through his chest.
"Are you?" He asked with the realization of how split his attention had been. The whirlwind of activity over the last four days had made it difficult to prioritize, though he must have asked her that question too many times by the way her eyes rolled.
"I'm fine, Virgil. Bored, actually," Kayo's smile grew, "But at least the scenery has improved."
"I'll try not to change that too much," he leaned towards her, lifting her hand to press a kiss to her fingers. "Scott's got us on lockdown until further notice."
"I don't see that lasting too long," it was said in a softness he might not have been meant to hear, but she continued, regardless, "International Rescue has a hard time not helping people in trouble."
"Even if it gets us into trouble," he agreed, not sure he wanted to wish it were different. "Wish we could know…" Virgil bit the inside of his cheek, an unpleasant idea popping back into his head.
"Know what?" Kayo was watching him intently.
His lips thinned, "If the Hood was still hunting us - if he got what he wanted from Gordon… Would he stop and leave us alone?" Virgil knew his little brother was more upset by the fact he'd shifted in front of the villain, but if it meant they were out of the line of fire for the time being, some good could have come from the nightmare. What could the Hood possibly hope to gain from their abilities in the long run?
Kayo grew pensive and he could see the desire to offer him some form of optimism. When it came to her uncle, however, optimism was hard to come by. She settled for the realistic, "We'll just have to stay vigilant. We can't know what he obtained from Gordon or if he can even use it. We can always hope he realizes the futility of his plans and leaves your family alone."
"Our family," he corrected the slight against herself, whether intentional or not. "And you're right. We'll just have to make sure this doesn't happen again - to anyone."
A nod and the conversation packed itself away for another time. Today, they would focus on each other. Gordon would be eager to escape the infirmary soon enough and distract himself from his own inner turmoil. The brothers would be there to oblige whatever the fish needed if he wasn't willing to listen to reason. No matter what happened on the Hood's ship, there was no blame. All of them would have done the same to protect the others.
After a while, Alan disappeared and he could only assume it was to keep Gordon company. Virgil fought the urge to follow, knowing the two trouble makers were better for each other than himself or John. Gordon didn't need to hide and their kid brother gave him a reason to overcome the self doubt. He envied that in a way, but was quick to remember how similar he and Scott could be.
A smile pulled at his lips, born of peace after the storm had calmed. They would be picking up the pieces for a while, but they would be alright.
Virgil couldn't let himself believe any different.
If he did, he would regret what he might do if he got his hands on the man who had caused his family so much heartache.