It had been a simple rescue. A gas leak in an office building had caught and caused damage to the next-door kindergarten. International Rescue had been called in due to there being multiple classrooms of children trapped in the now unsteady building. Virgil had held back the structure while Gordon had located the frightened children and teachers. Both had been required to carry the children freed to the evacuation tent where injuries could be treated, and the registers checked, until everyone was accounted for. Virgil was relieved and amazed that the most serious injury they encountered was the broken leg of one of the teachers.
After one last look through the building Virgil, with Gordon following behind, headed over to the command tent which had been organising the emergency response. He confirmed the building was clear and got the go ahead to leave. Gordon was eager to get back as Lady Penelope had been scheduled to arrive at the island an hour ago. Gordon lead the way back to Thunderbird Two, which took them past the evacuation tent. Virgil had a quick glance inside, to check how the treatment of the children was going, only to notice a familiar little girl running towards him. Before he could react, she had wrapped her little arms firmly round his legs and was looking up at him with dark brown eyes and a big smile.
"Mr Virgil! Mr Virgil! You found my sister!"
Virgil smiled at the girl, remembering how she had sobbed on his shoulder about how she didn't know where her sister was. He had carried her out saying that he'd go find her if she wasn't already safely out. Thinking back, he couldn't remember if he had seen another child who looked like this girl but that could have been because Gordon had carried them, and they had rescued quite a few children. He knelt causing the little girl to release his legs and he placed a hand on her back.
"I told you we'd find her."
As he said this a second young girl, identical in every way to the one he had his hand on, ran up to him and flung her arms round his neck.
"Thank you, Mr Virgil!" was yelled in his ear, and he tried to hide the wince. He didn't remember see twins so Gordon must have rescued to other one. The second twin was pulling on his neck with the hug and nestled her head into the crook of neck. He reached up to try and release himself from the embrace when the first twin threw her arms around his neck and yelled "My turn" in his other ear, while pushing her sister away.
"No! I'm not done yet!" The displaced twin exclaimed, pushing her sister and forcing her arms around his neck again. The weight of both children pulling on his neck was starting to hurt and to make matters worse they started shoving each other, pulling on it more. He looked up at the sound of Gordon sniggering at him, a big grin on the man's face and a glint in his eye that meant he was never going to forget this. The twins continued their fight around his neck and he carefully grasped an arm from each side and tried to pull them off.
"You could help me you know."
"Come on Virgil, a big strong man like you don't really need to be rescued from a pair of 5-year olds, right?" Gordon grinned back, making no attempt to move to help. Virgil sighed as he managed to get one of the girls off only for her to wrap her arms around his chest.
"Girls!"
The stern exclamation came from the tent and both girls froze and turned to look. Virgil looked up to see one of the teachers with a bandaged arm and her hands on her hips walking his way.
"You've said thank you now, so let the man go. He has other people to go and help. Now come here so we can go see if you mummy has come to take you two home."
Virgil looked at the girls who still clung to him. They were looking at each other, and he could tell they were trying to work out who would let go first. He had seen the same look in Gordon and Alan when they were young. Virgil moved to remove the arms that were still pulling on his neck when one girl let go and pulled her sister off him. They pulled grumpy faces at each other. They then smiled at him, said one last thank you, before walking towards their teacher hand in hand. Virgil shook his head, and smiled to himself, before rubbing his now sore neck. He stood and joined a grinning Gordon as they continued their walk to Thunderbird 2.
"Quite the ladies' man, aren't you Virgil!" Gordon was still grinning like a Cheshire cat, and Virgil knew he was coming up with many ways to annoy him with this over the next month. They got back to Two and Virgil fell back into his seat and started pre-flight checks. Gordon took his seat, but watched him the entire time, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Yes Gordon?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I just can't wait to tell Scott about how you got that scratch on you neck. He might even be jealous that you had two cute girls fighting over you!"