A fic inspired by Bonsaiiiiiii's #100 weird AUs, this is prompt 28: I learned sign language to communicate with you!AU
This is based of the original Thunderbirds series and is a AU where International Rescue was never formed and the Tracy boys continued in there previous professions.

Note: As a way of differentiating between the two languages used by the characters, I used double quotation marks " " for spoken words and single quotation marks ' ' for signed words.

I learnt for you

Scott smiled to himself as he strolled off the base toward his favourite coffee shop. He'd been deployed at Minot air base for half the year for some further training, but now he was back at Whiteman it felt like he'd never left. It was great to be back but it'd been just over a week since he'd landed and he hadn't had a chance to leave the base yet. Now he was desperate for some good coffee. The grounds he kept in his locker weren't bad, but nothing compared to the fresh aromatic grounds used at Darcy's. It was a small independent shop that cared about taste and had a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Darcy herself, was an outgoing bubbly person, happy to chat to customers as she worked. There were many people who just came in for a grab and go, but Scott enjoyed exchanging pleasantries with Darcy. He liked to sit back and soak in the atmosphere with his hands around a warm mug. He often called his family from the shop, finding more privacy there than on the base. As a young single man he stayed in the cheaper dormitory; his father may be the CEO of Tracy Industries but he didn't give his sons handouts. His father paid for him to fly home for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Any other trips home were to be funded from his own money. Some people thought his father was tight, but they didn't know him personally. Scott knew he always had a place at home, that he was always welcome. He had had his college funded, even when he decided to do a further degree at Oxford University in England. That had been one hell of an experience, the culture being so different, yet it had also been where he'd found his love for little coffee shops. A favourite of his had been Hot Numbers Coffee. He'd taken Virgil there for one of their Jazz nights, when he'd visited, and they had both had a fantastic evening.

Darcy's reminded him of those cosy English shops and he loved it. Walking down the street in his civilian clothes, free of the neat uniform he wore almost permanently, he could have been anyone. People passed him without a second glance, not knowing he was someone the media liked to follow. He was the son of famous astronaut Jeff Tracy, first man on Mars, and self-made billionaire businessman. Scott had been to various events with his father because of this and was used to cameras flashing around him. It didn't mean he enjoyed it. He much preferred the quieter life, away from the family business. Flying fast experimental planes was his job. He'd been passionate about planes, flying and going fast for as long as he could remember. Now he was paid to do it. The thought of spending the next day in the air doing drills filled Scott's heart with excitement.

Turning the corner revealed Darcy's, it's yellow and white striped awning keeping the few tables in the small outside space shady. Pushing open the door Scott's nose filled with the scent of fresh grounds and his shoulders sagged. Inhaling deeply, he had a quick look around. No significant changes could be seen. His favourite seat was free and he quickly headed to the counter to grab his usual and peruse the sweet offerings. That's when the small subtle change hit him. On each item tag was a number. Not a price, just a number in the corner within a bubble. Having decided on the delicious looking chocolate cake, he glanced up to see how many were in front of him in the queue. There was only one, but his eyes caught the numbers by the drinks. Every menu item had a number. Scott didn't like it. It made the place feel less homely and more like one of the coffee chains most people frequented. Darcy was behind the counter though, her voice cheerful and loud, just as he remembered. She never seemed to stop, often bouncing on the balls of her feet. She smiled at him when he stepped forward.

"Long time no see! Still want your usual?"

"Yes, please. I got deployed elsewhere for a while but I'm back now. I've been desperate to get some good coffee. It can be so hard to find."

"I totally agree with you on that one!"

Darcy turned around, her braids flying as she did, and tapped the shoulder of the other barista. Scott hadn't noticed her straight away as she had been hidden behind Darcy. She was new, at least it was the first time he had seen her. The woman turned to Darcy, her eyes looking down. Three movements of Darcy's hands brought a nod from the other woman and she got started on making his order. Darcy turned back to him with a smile.

"Anything else?"

"A slice of the chocolate cake, please."

"Of course."

Scott held his watch to the reader that Darcy presented, but his eyes were on the new girl as she worked. Her back was to him but she seemed to know what she was doing, her hands steady and moving with purpose. Her light brown hair was tied up in the same way his foster sister Kayo often wore hers. Simple and functional, she had once stated.

"All gone through."

Darcy turned to the next customer in the line. Scott twisted on his heel and headed to his favourite seat. Sitting down, he got out his phone and checked his personal messenger to see if there was anything new. He smiled at the sight of an email from Gordon, letting them know the dates of his next shore leave and any current plans he had. Scott had been waiting for this email and quickly logged into the human resource system and booked the time off. He'd just pushed submit, when the small clunk made him look up. His eyes brushed over the coffee and cake, his mouth watering at both the sight and smell, but he paused when his eyes continued up to the face of the waitress. To his surprise it was the new woman, and not Darcy, bringing him his order. Her eyes were chestnut and a small smile came to her lips as their eyes made contact. Her gaze quickly went to the tray as she unloaded the cup and plate. Once the task was complete, her eyes returned to his face.

"Is that everything?"

Her voice sounded different but Scott couldn't place it. Her words were slow and a little bit slurred, but her words were understandable.

"Yes, thank you."

Scott was rewarded with another smile and a nod, before she turned and headed one table over to clear away some used cups. There was something different about her. She disappeared out the back as his phone started to vibrate. Alan's face flashed on the screen, his brother probably saw Scott had changed his status to available. After connecting his earbuds, he answered his brother and got lost in Alan's update from home. The hour flew by and Scott was shocked when his alarm went off to tell him he had to be back at base. A quick glance at the counter as he left confirmed that the new girl was back on the coffee machine. He'd made a mental note to find out more about her later.

Scott stretched his arms behind his back, mouth wide as he strolled away from the plane. Maxine and Rohan were doing the same behind him. It'd been night drills followed by a lecture on the latest regulations. There were exercise drills scheduled for the afternoon and Scott was going to need something to keep him awake.

"Darcy's?" Maxine yawned.

"Sounds like heaven."

"How about you, Rohan? Unless you're still embarrassed about last time."

Scott turned to Rohan, intrigued. He'd not heard this story. The man in question had straightened up.

"I'm not embarrassed. It was an easy mistake to make."

The Cheshire grin on Max's face as she turned back to Scott matched the mischief in her eyes. She filled him in on the story as they strolled across base to the main gate, still in uniform as there was no point changing.

"Mr Hotshot here, thought he'd have a try on the new girl before you got back. Apparently girls don't give him the time of day when you're with him. Anyway, he's giving the new girl his best chat up line and she's staring straight at his face. After all his spiel is done, she just goes "May I take your order?" completely deadpan. She deliberately over-pronounced every word as if he was stupid. So he orders and I join him at the table where Rohan's planning his next move. I raise my eyebrow at this, but he's set on his plan. The new girl comes over with our order, and he asks her how long she's been in town as she's placing it on the table. She says nothing, only to ask if we need anything else. Rohan here says "Your number". Her response is to look at the board confused, and ask "Which number?". Hotshot says "Yours". Her expression was priceless, it morphed from confusion to shock, before she backed off with a firm "No". I nearly pissed myself laughing."

Scott was smiling, though he felt like he was missing an important piece of the puzzle. Rohan was red in the face now, arms crossed and glaring at Max.

"What Max had failed to tell you is that the new girl is deaf."

"She's deaf?"

"Yeah," Max confirmed. "I was chatting with Darcy, asking about all the numbers, and she told me. Her name is Lisa, she's an old school friend of Darcy's, who has fallen on hard times and moved back in with her Mum. Darcy offered her a temporary job, knowing how hard it is to get employers to make the changes Lisa needs to help her work."

"Isn't it illegal to discriminate like that?" Scott queried, sure his Dad had to deal with a case similar to this at Tracy Industries. "Also, how does she take orders when she can't hear?"

"Yes, it is illegal, but people find ways around it. All they have to do is find another reason not to hire her or a way in which the other candidate better meets the job requirements. Lisa can lipread, however it's not easy and requires her to have a clear view of the person's mouth. That's why there are numbers, so she can get people to say them if she's struggling."

"It's pretty clever." Rohan chimed in, "though it would have been nice to know before I made a fool of myself."

"Like I'd risk missing out on your fantastic performance."

Max was laughing now, light cheery chirps that would echo around any hanger if you managed to set her off in one. Scott held the door for his friends before joining them in the queue. He felt like he was seeing the shop through fresh eyes. Everything had a purpose. It made him wonder what his Dad would do if someone like Lisa applied for a job at Tracy Industries. Darcy was manning the till, taking orders and chatting away merrily as she always did. Scott watched as Darcy would turn, tap her friend on the shoulder and sign the order to Lisa. Lisa would nod before making it. It worked for them. Simple changes that meant Lisa could work.

With drinks ordered, they sat down in their favourite spot and continued to chat. Scott undid the first two buttons on his shirt. The rules stated they should behave and dress like ambassadors for the Air Force while out in public in uniform. However the stiff collar could be as uncomfortable as it appeared and Scott needed relief from it, currently rubbing his five o'clock shadow. Lisa soon came with their drinks, placing them before each of them correctly. Scott was impressed.

"Anything else?"

Scott was about to reply when Max moved her hands. Lisa smiled, signed back and left.

"You know sign language?" Scott questioned.

"Yeah, we had a deaf boy in my primary school. We all learnt the basics so we could communicate with him. He managed to get implants before middle school, so used it less after that. I'd forgotten most of it, but a quick refresher was all I needed."

"Couldn't Lisa get implants?" Rohan mused. Scott couldn't help wondering the same thing, if the procedure was available, why not have it?

"Not everyone can, it depends on the cause. Current implants still require certain parts of the ear to be functional. Lisa might not be suitable for surgery. Tim had to have multiple scans and some deep implants, then years of therapy to teach him what words sounded like. It did get him out of learning a foreign language though."

"Maybe she can hear something as she can talk?"

Rohan was never someone to beat around the bush. If he wanted to know something, he would ask, with little concern for whether or not he should.

"Intense therapy. Tim had a special teacher who took him out of classes and taught him to talk. It's hard when you can't hear yourself, they have to learn the way words feel."

Scott pondered the information as talk slipped towards childhood friends and memories. He wondered what it would be like to have never heard a word, or to speak and not hear the noise you make. It felt like an alien world to him. He couldn't imagine not hearing the soft notes of Virgil's piano, the splashes of Gordon and Alan in the swimming pool, or the roar of the jet as he raced down the runway gaining speed. A silent world felt devoid of so much joy. Soon he was pulled back into the conversation and the thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind. He did remember to tap his watch against the tip jar as he left.

It was a few evenings later while lying on his bed that Scott's thoughts drifted to Lisa. He'd slipped in his earbuds and had one of Virgil's compositions drifting into his ears. He thought that it was a shame that more people hadn't heard his brother's pieces, which in turn reminded him that some people couldn't. As he thought about Lisa, he reached for his tablet and propped himself up. A quick search brought up the basics of American Sign Language. Balancing his tablet against his legs, piano still in his ears, Scott practiced saying 'Yes' 'No' and 'Thank you' with his hands. Three sites had videos as well as pictures, and Scott got so carried away he didn't hear Rohan when he called Scott's name. The sudden appearance of a hand moving in his line of sight startled Scott, causing him to pull his head back and meet Rohan's emerald eyes. Instinct made Scott remove an earbud from his ears.

"Hey, Scooter, what are you doing? It's lights out."

Scott's eyes darted back to the tablet and saw the time in the corner. 2156. He had four minutes.

"Shit!"

Scott jumped up, grabbed his wash bag from his locker and darted to the bathrooms. A multitude of laughs from his bunkmates confirmed they'd done it deliberately. He hadn't realised he'd gotten so caught up. Scott hastily brushed his teeth, while relieving himself. He was back in the dorm with just enough time to throw the bag in his locker, put his phone on silent mode and stand at attention for lights out. It was a very old ritual, but for those who wanted the comradery of dormitory life, or to save a few dimes, it was a welcome formality. If warned in advance, then it was possible to remove your name from the night roll call and stay with a friend. His mate Benny would let him sleep on his couch from time to time when Scott wanted a night on the town. The room rang out with the sound of each occupants' name. Straight backed and facing forward, Scott spoke at the correct time. Once complete, the light was turned off and the room was filled with shuffling and squeaking springs. Thankfully, Rohan had put his tablet and other belongings away for him, though Scott was sure there would be some repercussions tomorrow.

Breakfast the next day had Rohan sitting down before him.

"Spill. What had got you so engrossed you forgot the time?"

Scott's scrambled egg became very interesting as he felt his cheeks flush. He knew there was only one reason for him to learn American Sign Language. Max joined them before Scott could answer.

"Anything new?"

"Scott was just about to tell me what made him almost miss lights out last night."

Max's eyebrow raised, knowing full well that Scott could get absorbed in work, but rarely in downtime activities. She knew he struggled to relax and let go at the end of the day, and that his friends were the ones that constantly encouraged him into healthy habits. There was no getting out of this.

"I was learning sign language."

Rohan laughed.

"Seriously? You got the hots for Lisa or something? Going all out to get a date?"

Scott tried to keep his cool and his embarrassment hidden, though Max just gave Rohan a dirty look.

"Well, I think it's a fine thing to do. Though if you are doing it for a date and can tell you now, it won't work. Lisa's not stupid, but the more people who know sign language the better."

"Thank Max. I just thought she would appreciate me saying thank you and maybe ordering in a way she'd understand better."

It wasn't a complete lie, his Mum had drilled the importance of politeness into him before she had passed away, and his Dad had always cared about appearances. He didn't see the harm in trying anyway.

"Yeah, well, good luck to you, Scott. I'll give you fifty bucks if you can get her number."

Max rolled her eyes and Scott turned down the bet. He may have a reputation with the ladies, but he'd never stooped so low to bet on them. After finishing up his breakfast, they headed out onto the tarmac ready for the day's drills.

That night, during the quiet downtime before bed, Scott continued with the videos and practice. Rohan rolled his eyes but Scott barely noticed. He gave himself the next night off, lying back with music in his ears after an exhausting day. The gentle tones of Virgil's piano almost had him asleep before roll call.

Scott's sign language lessons continued. He set aside Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night for the task. He felt like he was making progress with every practice session and his fingers started to make the shapes smoothly. After a month, he felt confident enough to try ordering his next coffee with his newly acquired language.

The bell rang as he stepped through the door, tablet in his satchel and mind set on the task ahead. It was a quiet part of the day and Scott had study leave. He rarely studied with people as they often broke his concentration, so the coffee shop was an ideal place to go. No one ever bothered him there. To his relief, Lisa was at the counter, wiping it down. He was there in four strides. She must have seen his movement as her eyes were on his face. Scott turned his gaze down and signed his order, just as he'd practiced for the last three nights. She repeated his order back, both with her hands and voice. Scott signed 'correct' and tapped his watch against the reader to pay. Taking a seat at his favourite table in the corner, he sets up his tablet and keyboard. When Lisa brought over his coffee, he signed 'thank you' and received a smile in return which made his heart flutter. He couldn't help but sneak glances at her as he worked.

The next few weeks, Scott signs his order, getting increasingly more confident with the actions. At night he continued his practice sessions, trying to widen his vocabulary enough to cover the basic small talk. After two months he felt he had it nailed enough to try taking things further.

Lisa was behind the counter as he entered and it appeared to be a quiet day. Perfect. Scott smiled as he approached and received a smile in return. He signed his order, paid and sat at his usual table. He got out his tablet and kept one eye open for Lisa. He saw her coming with his coffee and took a deep breath. She placed the cup down before signing 'Is that everything?'. Scott responded with the question he'd been practicing.

'Can I have your number?'

Lisa blinked before signing 'No' and returned to the counter. Scott watched her back as she went. Her eyes glanced his way briefly before she served the next customer. He was a little deflated, but turned on his tablet and tried to focus on his studies. It wasn't his most productive session that month but he managed to finish reading the articles on his list. He'd circled important parts and made enough notes to help with his essay. When it was time to leave he slipped his tablet away and headed out. As he passed the counter he signed 'Thank you. Have a good day' to Lisa. He may not have gotten her number but he would still be courteous. He was a Tracy after all and he had been raised to respect others. That night he continued to practice his ASL, learning a few new words in the process.

"Don't have too much fun without us, Scott." Maxine grinned, slapping him in the back before giving him a hug.

"Don't forget us, hot shot." Rohan grinned as he hugged Scott.

"I'm only going away for six months, nine max," Scott laughed, "I'll be back before you know it."

The three of them started to make their way toward the carrier that was waiting for him to board.

"You never know. They might set up a new squadron or offer you a place in the current one. You've been handpicked to fly this plane because you're one of the best pilots in the force. If they had any sense they wouldn't waste your talent." Max stated, sadness seeping into her words.

Scott gave them a dimpled smile. These two had made it through basic training with him and ended up in the same squadron. It was always tough leaving them behind, but he was also a thrill seeker. Being one of the first to push these new planes to the limits would be exhilarating.

"I'll let you know what Luke is like tomorrow."

He strode up the steps, pausing at the door to turn and wave, before he stepped into the carrier. He slipped his holdall into the netting and sat down on one of the vacant seats. It wasn't going to be a comfortable flight, the worn foam seat already uncomfortable, but it didn't matter. Scott was used to it, and the excitement bubbling up inside him proved just how much this meant to him. He strapped himself in as the door closed.

The Luke research air force base was smaller than Whiteman despite it sharing its grounds with the Army's research facilities. Behind the compound, situated on the outskirts of town, there was a large expanse of desert owned jointly by both forces. Planes flew above it and vehicles rolled over it, able to perform manoeuvres and exercises that would be dangerous elsewhere. It was the perfect playground. Most of the personnel were made of engineers, some permanent, some on short redeployment like himself. There was a small contingency of pilots and substantial barracks suitable for housing multiple regiments for training exercises. The runway used by the Air Force allowed troops to be shipped on easily from various bases across the country. It was a cooperation that worked well.

Within a few weeks he'd gotten to know his fellow test pilots well. Some were too cocky for their own right and Scott tried to avoid them, particularly Trevor and Grace. Those two were constantly trying to one up the other. He'd gotten along with Angela and Donald, who was a more permanent resident of Luke. He was doing his degree at Glendale community college and he'd taken Scott along to some of the evening events. Their second excursion onto campus had them pass a notice board containing the evening class schedule. One course stood out to Scott and he snapped a photo of the details. The next day he obtained permission from his supervisor and signed up.

The next week he attended his first official lesson in the Basics of American Sign Language. The class was already two weeks in but he had studied the material the teacher had sent him so he could catch up. Stepping into the room, Scott didn't know what to expect. There was a range of people all sitting in rows facing a short stout serious looking man. Scott took a seat next to an elderly couple who smiled at him.

"Welcome," the gentleman whispered, holding out his hand. Scott shook it, his skin soft yet calloused in places. The couple grinned at him before turning to the front.

"Welcome everyone to our third lesson," Mr Woodside boomed from the front, "we are moving on to basic communication this week, but before we do let's quickly recap what we've learnt so far."

The man was bouncing on the balls of his feet, full of energy despite his size. The smile that was etched across his face was warm and excitable, and Scott could feel the whole room respond to his demeanour. It was like a wave had passed through them and caused everyone to sit up and raise up their hands in preparation. Mr Woodside listed off various greetings which they all signed. When Scott hadn't quite got it right, he came over, slipped into the seat beside him and showed Scott the correct form up close. When Scott copied and got it right, he received a grin from the teacher. The man returned to the front and continued.

"Brilliant everyone. I can see you've all been practicing at home. Now, when it comes to putting together sentences in sign, it can get very complicated if you start off signing every word. A lot of the time, just signing the main words will get your point across. I always advise that you start this way, then add more words as you get more comfortable with it. As long as you remember your manners, most deaf people will accommodate bad grammar and incomplete sentences. Now, let's start with some basic questions…."

The lesson was intense, yet rewarding. Mr Woodside's enthusiasm made the time fly and before he realised it, the class was over. His brain felt a little overwhelmed but he was glad he had a week to practice what he'd learnt. The pages Mr Woodside supplied were extremely helpful when he'd been preparing for the class. As he stood to leave the elderly couple introduced themselves.

"Hello young man, I'm Gloria Street and this is my husband Kennedy Street. How did you find your first lesson?"

"Hello, I'm Scott. I found the lesson to be excellent, extremely interactive. I had no idea what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised."

"We understand you there, Scott," Kennedy grinned as they started to make their way out, "this is the second course we've tried. The first one just didn't feel right for us and we were struggling with the basics. Mr Woodside has been extremely supportive and has never been condescending."

"That's good to know. May I ask why you're so determined to learn ASL?"

"Our new grandson is deaf so we want to be able to communicate with him however he feels comfortable. How about you?"

"Umm. The barista at my favourite coffee shop is deaf and I learnt how to sign my order and say a few phrases. When I saw the course I thought I might as well continue."

"That's mighty altruistic of you. I'm sure you'll be helpful to someone one day. You never know when such a skill might be needed. How are you getting home?"

"I was just going to take the bus back to the barracks."

"Oh, a military man! We'll give you a lift, it's on our way."

Scott highly doubted it was on their way, but he accepted their generous offer. They were a caring couple and chatted with him the whole ride back. He waved them off and headed inside.

The class became a regular occurrence, with the Streets picking him up from the barracks and dropping him back off. He slowly got to know the other people on the course. There was a young man doing it for extra credit, another as part of a language project and a few people with family or friends who were hard of hearing. It was a friendly bunch, though some had to rush off afterwards, others would stay and chat for a few minutes. The Streets adopted Scott and invited him to Sunday lunch where they would practice their new language together. The afternoon was spent chatting and signing, bringing hours of joy to Scott. It was a fantastic way to unwind after a week of high octane testing and study. Hours were spent in simulators before they were let loose on the actual test planes. Other simulations were done to test theoretical planes or vehicles currently in the design stage. It was exciting being on the cutting edge of the improvements. Every Thursday he would video call Max, Rohan and various other buddies to see how they were doing. It was always hard hearing that he was missing out, or people were moving on, but it was a part of life. He knew he would have to do the same at some point. He slipped into his new schedule, exploring the local area and going on trips with his colleagues when he could.

In the seventh month of his redeployment Gordon invited Scott to his current base. Stingray was in for maintenance and the crew was forced to have some shore leave. Scott got Thursday and Friday off as leave, and he hopped on a late plane on Wednesday night over to the coast. Gloria and Kennedy were due to visit their daughter and grandson that weekend so they wouldn't miss him. It was a short flight to the coast, where his younger brother met him at the terminal with open arms. They embraced enthusiastically.

"Good to see you, Scott."

"Good to see you too, Gordon."

Heading out of the terminal, they jumped on the next bus into town. They headed straight to Gordon's favourite burger joint and started to catch up over food. It was a pleasure to see his bubbly younger brother. Gordon had always been outgoing, but he had often been considered the black sheep of the family. With Virgil being an engineer, John part of the space program and Alan currently studying between races with the intention of majoring in astrophysics, Gordon's desire to swim and his average grades had stood out when they were younger. Their father had been convinced to let him try for the Olympics and he had been so proud the day Gordon had won his gold in the butterfly. Though Scott felt like their father had been overly relieved when Gordon announced he'd joined the WASP. The military had worth compared to athletics in Jeff Tracy's eyes, though Scott had never shared the same belief. He and Virgil had been the ones to help Gordon get to swim meets and practice, and had cheered from the poolside right from the start. John had helped a few times, occasionally favouring sitting by the pool studying to babysitting Alan. Dad had just continued to grow Tracy Industries. After they had finished their burgers, they headed to a bar before Scott finally retired to his hotel room and Gordon returned to base.

The two days were packed full of activity. They explored the city and also headed down to the beach to do some rock pooling and swimming. That evening, the crew of Stingray joined them at Gordon's favourite seafood restaurant. All the fish was ethically sourced, frozen fresh if needed. Scott met Atlanta, Troy, George also called Phones and Marina. They shared a starter of muscles while Troy took the lead in conversation. He was a little boastful and flirted profusely with their waitress. It annoyed Scott that he was so blatant, especially as he exchanged flirtatious banter with Atlanta and on occasion Marina. Gordon had positioned himself at the far end of the table away from the man. Phones was a little older than the rest of them but was totally down to earth and a great guy. He was an expert in hydrophones with a passion for sound. They had similar music tastes and Phons had a copy of some of Virgil's pieces, which Gordon had gifted him. Marina was lovely, though Scott was only really able to learn about her through the others. She nodded, smiled and shook her head in response to what they said, but the woman was mute. The meal was delicious with everyone clearing their plates and they left a generous tip for their waitress.

They headed to one of the town's clubs, the music so loud Scott had to yell next to a person's ear to be heard. Troy and Atlanta headed straight to the dance floor while Phones offered out earplugs, which everyone left accepted. It made the music bearable. They headed out onto the dance floor and had some fun. Marina was quite the dancer, Troy jiggled from foot to foot and Gordon let everything go. Scott shuffled, occasionally stepping in the way of men who were shuffling too close to Marina. With her being unable to verbalise consent, he thought it better to be safe.

Eventually, Phones beckoned them away from the dance floor and they headed over to a sticky table. Phones' hands moved and Marina responded. At that moment, Scott realised the truth in what Kennedy had said when they had met. He would never know when knowing ASL would be useful. Letting his eyes meet Marina's he glanced down at his hands and signed.

'How are you doing?'

The surprise and delight that lit up her features was priceless. It was Gordon who butted in with his own hand gestures.

'You can sign?'

'Little'

'Since when?'

'Almost one year.'

Scott and Marina both laughed at Gordon's shocked face, his jaw hanging down. Scott ruffled his brother's hair before turning back to Marina.

'Your name?'

She smiled and signed her name. Scott copied until she nodded that he had it. Phones came back with two drinks, placing one before Marina before sliding onto the seat beside her. Gordon was the first to sign.

'No drink for me?'

'Get your own, you lazy fish.'

Scott was only catching the words he knew, but it was enough for him to understand. Gordon turned to him.

'Drink?'

'Yes. Same.'

'Okay.'

Gordon shuffled off leaving him with Phones and Marina. Phones made the first move.

'How come you know sign language?'

Scott thought for a moment, trying to work out how to best answer with his limited signs.

'Coffee girl.'

Phones laughed.

'Did it work?'

'No, but still learning. Good teacher.'

Scott slipped out his phone and brought up his course and showed it to the pair. They both nodded their approval. The next round of drinks was enjoyed over conversation. It was tough trying to keep up with them and Scott often missed some of the meaning, but seeing them including Marina made him realise the value of ASL. Marina was chatting away, completely out of her shell now they were all speaking the same language. Her face was lit up despite the dim lighting. After their drinks they informed Troy they were leaving and called it a night.

The next morning Scott woke up enjoying the lack of tinnitus as he devoured his cooked breakfast. He had his cup of coffee to go and sat in the foyer to wait for his brother. When he glanced up he saw not only Gordon, but Phones and Marina too. His brother approached, signing as he spoke.

"I hope you don't mind, but they wanted to come along too. We tend to speak and sign so you won't be completely left out "

Scott turned to the other two and smiled. There was no inconvenience and it would be good to get to know his brother's friends better.

"No. It'll be good practice."

"That's exactly right," Phones chuckled, "now, Gordon said something about the aquarium?"

"He did, did he?"

Scott had a fantastic day with the group. They helpfully translated Marina's signs most of the time, allowing Scott to understand more of what she was saying. Her insights into marine creatures, the oceans and its unique habitats was incredible. She knew more about some of the creatures than many of the keepers there. The seals had been particularly fond of her, following her and enticing her to play. Unfortunately the keepers had refused to let her swim with them.

By lunch the combined sign and speaking had started to feel normal to Scott, despite him missing words. Over lunch they taught him a few more. Gordon taught Scott a phrase to tell Marina, which made her blush. Phones kindly informed Scott of what he'd actually said, and Gordon received a cuff over the ear. A small brotherly tussle ensued which had them all laughing.

The afternoon was spent at the beach, the boys swimming in their underwear, making Scott thankful he had worn his plane print boxers the previous day. His blue boxers and Phones black briefs were completely overshadowed by Gordon's bright yellow and blue Hawaiian shorts. Marina swam in her green dress, though Phones explained that it was the one she'd worn since they'd first encountered her and was designed for the sea. Even with what appeared to be multiple layers of fabric she was still able to keep up and swam better than Scott. The water was refreshing as the sun shone down on them from high above. The sea sparkled and the spray from his every stroke glistened. Just before four, Scott said his goodbyes to three of them as they all needed to be ready for a formal dinner that evening. Scott headed back to his hotel to shower and relax before heading out to find some food.

The next morning he met Gordon for breakfast in a café in town. The man grinned at Scott as he plonked himself into the seat opposite. The menu was picked up.

"How was the dinner?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old. Lots of procedure and fancy food. Suggestions for the next deployment were thrown around, people suggesting their projects be taken onto Stingray. We've got a meeting next week to discuss which research and manoeuvres should be performed once Stingray is ready for launch, so we'll see who's rubbed the right elbows. The day after that I'll be flying out to meet up with Alan to watch his next race. Can't believe he's so close to taking the title this year!"

"It's been a fantastic season for him. I've been watching the races when I can. Gloria is quite into racing and we often watch them together after lunch."

"Gloria?"

"Gloria and Kennedy are doing the same sign language course as me. They started giving me lifts, then invited me to their home on Sunday's. Their new grandson is deaf so they are learning for him. They see him occasionally but obviously are leaving their daughter and son-in-law to get used to raising the little one. It's their first child so they are learning everything for the first time."

"You really are serious about signing, aren't you? I never would have guessed it."

Gordon sat back in his chair, surveying Scott as if doing so in a new light. Maybe it was out of the original, him learning to sign, but at least it was useful and productive.

"Though you never bragged about learning yourself. It makes sense doing it for a colleague, but you never mentioned it at home."

"Never came up. Marina's fantastic. Troy is such a dick to her though, he's never learnt more than the basics signs and tends to prefer to just ask her yes or no questions. He's really backwards in that way."

Their food came and they started tucking in. There was companionable silence. The gentle sounds of chatter and cutlery around them was cosy. When they had finished, they continued to enjoy their coffees. Gordon's fingers tapped his mug before laying his eyes on Scott. His face was soft but serious.

"Thank you for yesterday. For being so open with Marina and signing as best you could. It meant the world to her, being able to communicate on the same level and feel included. She often gets forgotten. She can hear and understand everything we say, yet no one bothers to let her express herself. It's slowly getting better but it's far from perfect."

Scott gave his brother a sad smile but was happy to hear that Marina had felt included.

"I'm glad she felt comfortable being around me. I thought she was an extraordinary woman."

"Oh, she's from another world!"

The two of them laughed, the sound soothing as the big hand of the clock inched closer to twelve. They paid their bill, before Scott slung his bag over his shoulder and they headed to the airport. They exchanged a long hug, not knowing the next time they would both be able to get leave. Gordon waved him off as Scott headed out of sight.

The flight back was event free with only the usual annoying passengers to deal with. His eyes surveyed the land below as they flew over the clouds. His mind drifted to Marina and how easily it had been for her to fit in when they all signed, but also how she was often overlooked. His thoughts drifted to Lisa and how her experience of the world had been. How willing are the people around her to learn to sign? Does she often get overlooked? He remembered the lawsuit his father had dealt with. He'd tried to ensure policies were put in place to help people, but did they really work? Is that enough to make people's lives better? How inclusive was Tracy Industries really? He sighed. Maybe he'll bring it up to his Dad one day soon. Once he'd made it back to base he sent a quick message to Gordon before heading to the mess hall. He'd arrived in time for dinner and he was starving.

Three months later Scott had to say goodbye to the Streets. It was tough, the couple having been incredibly welcoming, but they promised to keep in contact with a video call every month where they could all practice their ASL. Scott had met their grandson on his penultimate weekend. His mother had brought him to Sunday dinner and she was glad to be able to meet Scott before he left. The child was the happiest little boy, smiling and waving at Scott when he wasn't crawling around. He had hearing aids clipped to his ears, allowing him to hear some sounds, but the child would sign when he wanted something. He'd signed 'book' to Scott, and Scott had scooped the child up onto his lap and tried to sign it to him.

Scott's mind drifted over the memories during his flight. He felt like he'd grown in so many ways. He'd improved as a pilot, having not only gained experience with fast, high-tech prototypes but how to work with engineers to communicate problems and improvements. His feedback had been acknowledged and acted upon, allowing Scott to understand the design process and really learn about the planes he was flying. Yet it was the personal growth that he hadn't expected. He'd integrated well not only into the new barracks but also into the community. His sign language had improved tenfold, and he had a greater understanding of its value. Despite his selfish reasons for learning, he'd fallen in love with the language and it had improved him as a person. He'd already contacted a local course where he'd be able to continue his study and had been accepted with the help of a reference from Mr Woodside.

The plane touched down and Scott waited until he was allowed to leave. Grabbing his bags he descended the stairs to the familiar sight of his home base. Despite the months that had passed, very little had changed. He headed straight to his bunk, quickly unpacked before heading to the mess hall. He joined the back of the line, his eyes scouting the room for his friends. They were all on one table to the left and once his plate was full he joined them.

"Hey Tracy!"

"Long time no see Tracy!"

"Blimey, a stranger has joined us!"

Scott exchanged energetic handshakes and shoulder slaps with the group as he sat down amongst them. They chatted as they ate, sharing stories from the base while Scott let them know what he could about his time at Luke. Despite his adventure, it felt amazing to be back, with the people who knew him best. They introduced Scott to the two new faces, who seemed as comfortable in the group as he was. Once dinner was finished they headed to the common room, where they all settled into smaller groups to relax and unwind.

"Hey bud, good to be back?"

Scott gave Rohan a hug, which slipped into them having an arm over each other's shoulder. Maxine slipped her arm over his shoulder on the other side, sandwiching him.

"Nah, he was probably relieved to get a break from you, right Scott?"

Scott stepped back and tried to push the two together, which only resulted in them breaking apart.

"Yes to the first, no to the second."

They quickly grabbed the last free sofa.

"See, he does like me Max."

"He's been insufferable since you left."

"In what way?" Scott chuckled.

"In no way!" Rohan exclaimed.

"He's been peacocking the entire time. Thinks he's the best pull on base as you were out of the picture. Such a tool."

"You're just jealous."

Scott threw his head back and laughed, receiving an elbow in the ribs from Rohan.

"He also couldn't take no for an answer. Unlike some, he didn't respect that when a woman says no, she means no."

"Seriously Rohan, you gotta do better mate."

"I thought I'd try her language. I learnt a little sign so I could ask Lisa out. I hadn't realised you'd done the exact same thing until Max here pointed it out AFTER I made a fool of myself again."

Scott felt a slight blush in his cheeks.

"How did you know about that?"

Max gave him her 'you're an idiot' face.

"Lisa told me. I already knew sign language when she started and she asked me if I wanted to get lunch one day. We've been friends for ages. You idiots just weren't paying attention."

"Well, you had your little laugh at my expense."

"You brought it on yourself."

"Max is right. You have to do things for the right reasons."

"I learnt more than just 'will you go out with me' and when she said no I respected it."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter anymore. She's gone and gotten herself another job. It's Darcy on the counter again."

Max rolled her eyes and Scott smiled. It would be a shame he wouldn't see Lisa again but Max had said it was only a temporary job. The rest of the evening flew past as the three of them caught up properly. The week continued and Scott slipped back into his old routine, except every Wednesday he took the bus to the church hall where his new course was held. Darcy was indeed serving at her coffee shop again, her warm smile welcoming him. They chatted briefly as he got the usual 'long time no see' comment. It was comfortable. Maxine became a great help in his studies too. They would sit in Darcy's and practice his signs. Max was so impressed with his progress and taught him some outside his classes that would help. They made plans to go to the annual American Sign Language conference in Columbus that year.

The conference had been intense and after a late night drive Scott had a hankering for some good coffee. With the day off he still went through the usual exercise drills, wanting to keep up his stamina, but by ten o'clock he knew it was time to head out. Max caught up with him as he exited the compound.

"Darcy's?"

"Where else would I be going at this time?"

"You're a strange man, Scott. Who knows where you go when no one's looking."

"I'm not strange," Scott responded, knowing it was just Max messing with him.

Despite spending the weekend at the conference together, they'd actually had very little time to talk and compare notes. They had been placed into different discussion groups and gone to different seminars, so each had taken notes which they had planned to share. At Darcy's, Max bounded in and waved at the person behind the counter. To Scott's surprise it was Lisa who was standing there ready to take their order. Max's hands were already moving.

'Good morning'

Scott assumed the next sign Max made was the one Lisa used for her name, 'one Latte, no sugar, one shot of caramel, one Americano, no milk, no sugar and a cheese and salami toastie. Scott, you want anything?'

Scott stepped up to the counter and surveyed the array of treats available. It was his sweet tooth that won out.

'A slice of carrot cake please.'

Lisa grinned and nodded, tallying it all up on the machine. Scott reached out to pay but Max got there first.

'Call this my car hire money.'

'Car cost more than coffee and cake.'

'First instalment.'

Scott rolled his eyes, noticing the grin on Lisa's face during their conversation. They headed to their usual table and grabbed their tablets. Lying them side by side, they pulled up their notes and started to share them. As the files were transferred, they continued their conversation in sign. When it was just the two of them, Max preferred to sign, keen to keep up the skill, though when they were discussing more niche or difficult topics they would do both at the same time. Scott had learnt she was still in contact with Jackson, though he still only uses sign infrequently, his implants and practice meaning vocal communication was often easier.

'Let us start with the lectures as it will be quicker. Afterwards we can go through the discussions and add to each other's notes. I had some really interesting people in my group and I want to know how people reacted to you.'

'Surprised but well.'

'Nice.'

At this point Lisa came over with a tray of goodies. Coffees and food were placed before them. She tucked the tray between her body and elbow so she could free up her hands.

'How are you, Max?'

'Good, day off. How are you? Darcy okay?'

'Darcy had a family emergency. Took the day off to help.'

'That is very kind of you.' Scott signed

'Send our regards to Darcy.' Max added.

'Will do. Let me know if you need anything else.'

'Always will.'

Lisa headed back to the counter and the pair turned to each other.

'Poor Darcy. Hope everything is okay.'

'Me too,' Max responded, 'The next person to see her will have to ask.'

'Right.'

Scott took a sip of his coffee and pondered it over. With their hands full, they ate and drank in silence for a bit. Once the food had disappeared, Scott pulled up the first lecture he attended and started explaining his way through it, with both words and signs. Max added notes to her copy, asking questions every now and then. Scott added additional thoughts to his as they went. The two hours flew by as they took turns to share. Scott headed up to the counter after they had finished the lectures to order their lunch. His hands made the signs automatically, something that the weekend had helped instil. Lisa smiled as she repeated the order back to him with her hands.

'All correct.'

She signed the amount, and Scott paid, tapping the tip box afterwards for good measure. He headed back to their table where they started to examine the topics of their discussion groups. They were deep into it when Lisa arrived with the food. Scott's brain was shaken out of its thought process enough for him to remember to sign 'thank you'.

'You're welcome.'

They devoured their lunch and finished off their discussion. Scott was surprised by how many notes he'd made and was still in awe of the many people he'd met that were still forced to use a method of communication that was so hard for them. The world had moved on so much, however people were still forced to lipread and undergo therapy to help them talk. Yet the moment they were able to speak their own language they thrived. There had been a business owner in Max's group that had made everyone in the company learn ASL. Half their employees were deaf and the main language of the company was sign. Those who could hear and sign acted as translators in meetings, when required. It was just a small company but it was extremely impressive. Scott knew there were branches of Tracy Industries where the majority of the workforce was bilingual and often conducted internal business in Spanish. There were also the stories of struggles, parents still fighting for the right to access the services their child needed or of children being excluded. There were still battles to be fought and Scott hoped even in a small way, he could make a difference. When they had finished, they packed everything away and headed back to base, signing 'good day' on the way out.

Scott had an hour off for study on Thursday and headed over to his usual spot. Today it was Greg behind the counter, one of Darcy's part-time baristas. He settled down with his usual and got his work done in peace. Another trip at the weekend allowed Scott to say hello to Darcy herself. Upon hearing of her grandmother's passing, Scott gave her his condolences. He still remembered the grief he felt when he lost his maternal grandfather six years ago. Darcy gave him a weak smile, as she took his payment. He knew that being the owner of an independent coffee shop was hard work and if Darcy didn't have cover the only option was to close the shop, thus taking no income. Being around his father meant Scott had picked up a few basic business concepts, though it wasn't hard to understand that a lot of money could be lost each day she wasn't open.

Darcy was very much subdued over the next few weeks, with only the occasional person complaining to their companion about her service. Everyone else was respectful and gave the woman time. The part-time baristas did more hours when they could, keeping the business going and giving Darcy a break. She had a good little team and Scott did his best to come for coffee as a way of supporting her.

It was Tuesday three weeks later when Scott headed into Darcy's alone for some study time. He'd had no inclination to who was going to serve him that day, but it was Lisa behind the counter. It was a pleasant surprise that brought a smile to both their faces.

'The usual?'

'You know me too well. How have you been?'

'Very well. I have been enjoying time off as we just completed a major project at work. Waiting to see what the next challenge is.'

'Sounds fantastic. How's Darcy been?'

'It's the funeral today.'

'Bless her. Thank you for opening today.'

'It's the least I can do.'

'You're a good friend.'

'Thank you.'

Scott finally paid for his coffee and sat down in his favourite spot. He had just finished checking his emails when his phone started vibrating and flashing Gordon's mugshot at him. He linked up his earbuds before answering. His brother was fizzling with excitement.

"Scott, are you sitting down?"

"I am."

"I've been offered the command of a bathyscaphe!"

"And you've accepted?"

"Of course I accepted it! I'll get to command my own vessel. There'll be no more Troy lording it over me, showing off. I'll have a new crew and my own missions. It's a promotion!"

"Surely to get that kind of role you would need someone to recommend you?"

"I guess so."

"That person was probably Troy."

"Anyway, let me tell you about the bathyscaphe operations…."

Darcy came over with Scott's coffee as Gordon enthused about his new command. Scott was proud of his little brother, earning a command so young. There was so much potential in the man, it was good to know others could see it too. The coffee was placed beside his tablet and Scott couldn't help but tell her.

'My brother just got a promotion.'

'I can see how happy you are for him. Your grin says it all. Well done him.'

Scott felt a little heat rise to his cheeks at her kind words.

'Thank you.'

'Got to keep the good customers happy.'

Scott suppressed a laugh, so as not to disrupt his excitable brother. Darcy left with a smile and wave.

"...so I'm going to be heading all over the world."

"Sounds fantastic, Gordon. Well deserved."

Scott slipped his finger into the handle of the mug and brought it to his lips. The rich aroma filled his nostrils as he sipped, adding to the contentment he felt in that moment.

"Thanks Scott. I knew you'd understand."

The call ended and Scott lowered his mug back to the table. He noticed a folded piece of scrap paper. With much curiosity, he picked it up and opened it. His eyes scanned the roughly inked name and email before a smile stretched across his face. Opening his email, he added Lisa Montgomery to his address book before slipping the paper into a zip pocket in his bag. He tapped the keypad and a new message opened up, in which he started to type out his first email to Lisa, not knowing how this exchange would go. Scott had no way of knowing how much Lisa was about to enrich his life and the adventures they would eventually undertake together.