Madeline (Maddie), Rebecca (Becky) and Chloe are the only characters that are mine.

All other characters were created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

A grounded Scott was never a happy Scott and everyone knew it, the longer he was grounded the worse he got. After being grounded for almost three weeks he was virtually unbearable to be around, especially when there was work to be done and he couldn't be involved. He'd only been up for three hours but he'd already been sent out of the hangers five times. Virgil was running out options for dealing with his brother, so he finally admitted defeat and called Maddie for help.

It was a grumpy Scott who wandered into the kitchen for his coffee at 8am, only to find his niece waiting for her breakfast.

"How's my favourite niece?" he asked with a smile.

"ony me unc-cott" Chloe said, confused

"You only have one niece" Maddie commented as she prepared Chloe's cereal.

"She's still my favourite though" Scott replied as he handed Chloe the cup of juice that Maddie had passed to him.

"What's wrong Scott?" Maddie asked, already knowing the answer.

"No one will let me do anything"

"You're still grounded, you know that grounded operatives are not permitted in the hangers" Maddie said.

"I never expected that regulation to be applied to me when there's so much to be done" he complained.

"You could always help with the packing" Becky commented as she came into the kitchen.

"No way." Scott hurriedly insisted "I'm not going to suffer the forfeit of shoe shopping ever again"

"You forgot my shoes even though you insisted on doing all the packing" Becky couldn't help smiling "I had to get some more"

"Fourteen different shoe shops and then you insisted on going back to the first one" Scott complained

"Woman's perogative" was the synchronous response from both Maddie and Becky which caused Chloe to giggle at Scott's exasperated reaction.

"I can still help load 3"

"Not until you've been cleared for duty, son"

Scott hadn't expected Jeff to enforce the ban from the hangers, especially with John and Alan both requiring rest before piloting 3, but he had.

"weed wif me, unc-cot"

Scott looked down to see Chloe, fresh from her breakfast, looking up at him with those puppy-dog eyes that he could never resist.

"What do you want to read?" he asked before Chloe grabbed his hand and dragged him, as fast as she could, towards her room and her new book.

"Do you think he'll realise that it's a setup?" Jeff asked the two women.

"Probably, but at least he'll be occupied and away from the hangers" Maddie said with a knowing smile

"Chloe's always happy to spend time with her uncles and this way Scott has her to himself for a change. Besides it'll give Maddie and I the chance to finish packing"

Jeff had to laugh at Becky's comment. All the women on the island insisted that, with the notable exception of Kyrano, none of the island's men could pack for a few days away (although packing the Thunderbirds ready for a rescue they somehow found easy).

Despite the urgency it was lunchtime before everything required, for the repairs to 5, was loaded onto 3.

Brains had been frustrated that he couldn't begin the repairs immediately but he had to accept that fact that neither John or Alan could pilot 3 without adequate rest.

Grandma had also insisted that they didn't leave for 5 until after they'd finished lunch. With the tendency of all three of them to skip meals when working she at least wanted them to have a good meal before leaving for 5.

It was a more subdued lunch affair than normal, at least until Chloe and Scott joined everyone else at the table.

"You two ok?" Jeff asked

"unc-cot says me got weely big job" Chloe stated proudly.

Everyone at the table looked confused at that.

"Translation?" Gordon asked before anyone else.

"Just talking about Chloe becoming a big sister" Scott explained, "an extremely important job after all." smiling as he spoke.

"You'd better not be teaching my daughter any of your big brother telepathy." Virgil stated, "One smother sibling is more than enough for this family." he concluded.

"I've only been telling her about the joys of being the eldest" Scott said with a smile. "She was getting worried about the twins" he said indicating Maddie's pregnant form.

"I seem to remember the you weren't too happy about becoming a big brother initially" Grandma commented wryly.

"John wasn't so bad" Scott admitted, before continuing with an almost evil smile "at least Gordon didn't come til later"

"Hey!" objected Gordon, causing everyone to laugh.

"He's not that bad". Gordon smiled at that comment from John, only to glare when John continued "He's only annoying 80% of the time"

Before Gordon could respond to that a small voice was heard.

"Unc-gor tich me wim, he pwomis"

Chloe's announcement had everyone laughing as it seemed to cement Gordon's role in life, especially from Chloe's perspective.

"Back to business" said Jeff once he'd stopped laughing at Chloe's comment, and Gordon's embarrassed reaction.

"Is 3 ready?" he addressed Brains but it was John who answered.

"Everything is loaded and ready to go. The repair schedule has been downloaded to the island's mainframe and all operatives are ready to depart, as soon as Grandma gives the clearance." John, somehow, managed not to smile as he finished speaking although no-one else managed that small feat.

Jeff turned to his mother in surprise,

"Mom?"

"Don't look at me like that Jeff, I know what you and the boys are like. Those boys need a good meal before they leave for 5 and I'm just making sure that they're well fed before they go." she stated with a knowing smile.

"They've got plenty of food loaded on 3" Jeff started to say before being interrupted by his mother.

"They may have plenty of food but they'll be so engrossed in their tasks that they'll forget to stop and eat, never mind rest"

Jeff was about to correct his mother's assumptions but then he saw his sons all looking as if they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar and he knew that his mother was right - as usual.

He just shook his head in mock dismay before addressing everyone.

"3 will depart as soon as we are finished here" he stated before continuing "Can I assume that Tracy1 is ready to go once 3 has left?"

"Everyone's bags are already loaded, we're ready to go as soon as 3 is clear." Virgil confirmed. "We'll be there in plenty of time for both of tomorrow's appointments." he concluded.

"With lots of shopping the next day"

That synchronous comment from both Maddie and Becky had Scott and Virgil groaning in dismay but it was Scott who spoke first.

"Please, anything but shopping" he muttered

"Unc-cot no like shop?" Chloe asked, confused as shopping for her always included nice treats.

"Uncle Scott and your Daddy don't like shopping" Grandma told Chloe as almost everyone else was laughing at the dismay that Scott and Virgil were both unable to conceal.

"no want Daddy and Unc-cot sad, wat do?" Chloe asked, looking at her mother.

"There is the 'Art of Flight' exhibition" Grandma said, thoughtfully, knowing that both Scott and Virgil would be fascinated by the exhibition almost as much as Chloe.

She then went on to explain that it was a combination art and aircraft exhibition and was pleased when both Scott and Virgil seemed interested, even more so when Chloe demanded to see everything.

Maddie released Chloe from her high-chair and, after cleaning the food that she'd somehow managed to end up wearing rather than eating, promptly handed her to Scott along with a data pad

"The two of you can plan youy day at the exhibition, just don't forget to include Virgil in your plans" she instructed.

Jeff had to smile as his son and granddaughter became so engrossed in the details on the pad that they barely noticed when everyone else left the table.

Two hours later, Tracy1 had just departed and 3 was almost half way to 5, Jeff was contemplating the events of the day.

"What are those two up to?" his voiced question startling his mother.

"What do you mean?"

"Madeline and Rebecca. they're up to something" Jeff said. "and you know what it is. Should I be worried?"

Jeff's question left his mother with a bit of a problem, how could she answer her son's questions without betraying the confidences of Maddie and Becky.

"There's something that they need to do without Virgil or Scott, it's nothing to worry about but it is important. There's also some things that I've asked them to get for me when they are shopping" she answered, hoping that Jeff wouldn't ask for clarification.

Jeff looked at his mother as he considered her answer, he knew that there was more to Maddie's and Becky's actions than met the eye but as his mother knew (and obviously approved) was there anything that he could do except wait to be told about whatever was being planned.

‐--

The multitude of shops before going back to the first one to buy the required garment is something that I did as a teenager when shopping for a new coat with my dad, to say that dad has refused to go clothes shopping with me ever since is an understatement.

Chloe's speech is based on the way my children spoke as toddlers, it's not easy writing toddler-talk as auto-correct keeps changing the words.

Unc-cot = Uncle Scott

Unc-gor = Uncle Gordon

tich = teach

weed = read

weely = really

pwomis = promise

wim = swim