Alright, so a few things. First, I still don't own Thunderbirds. Duh. Okay, moving on. There is no overt romance in this story, although it's alluded to. I outright mention that Virgil, Scott and Gordon are in committed relationships. Who those relationships are with is up to you. I personally am fond of Scott/Kayo, Virgil/Brains and Gordon/Penny. Actually, Gordon/Penny is kinda stated in this so that one is a go for this fic. The others are up to you, even if you want to imagine your own OCs as their partners or whatever. I don't mind.

Also, I'm of the opinion that the episode where Virgil flies TB2 into space is completely ridiculous and therefore shouldn't exist. I have a head-cannon that Virgil isn't fond of space anyway. So in my world, that episode is a weird dream that one of the brothers had. (Although I did love that lovely character they introduced. You know the one.)

Anyway, on with the Q&A session.

Chapter Two

The next video actually showed Lady Penelope sitting in a bright orange, rather retro armchair, another matching one sitting empty next to it. They were backed by a curved wall of bookcases, beautifully built and filled to the brim with books and random objects from all over the world. There was a small table between the two chairs, a small stack of notecards sitting on top. She smiled at the camera, legs crossed delicately, her pink dress simple but elegant. "Hello world," she said.

"I'm back at Tracy Island," she continued, gracefully getting to her feet. "Today we're in the Round House, waiting for one of the brothers to come up for an interview." She stepped behind the camera, gently taking it off the tripod. "Since we didn't see this house in the tour, let me show you around a little."

Penny panned the camera around, walking the entirety of the small building, showing that the space was shaped quite like a doughnut, with the outer wall being made of glass, and the inner one just completely covered built-in bookcases. There was a small kitchenette against the glass wall, near the front door and the tunnel door (the one that led to the tunnels that connected to the main house), and a small bathroom on the opposite end of the building. Couches, chairs and small tables filled the space between the books and the window. "It really is just a library," she commented. When it had been a house for the Kyranos, there had been two bedrooms and a full kitchen as well as a small living room. She brought the camera to one of the windows, though, and pointed it at a structure jutting out of the cliff, above what looked to be a tree lined runway.

"We did happen to forget one of the buildings in our tour last week," she said. "The runway is obviously for the planes – not the Thunderbirds, darlings, but the jets – that the boys fly into the island on. There's a small hanger built into the cliff there. Above it is the Cliff House. This house was supposed to be specifically for guests, but really the Tracys don't get any guests aside from me and Parker, and we're just fine sharing the room in the main house right now. So, the Cliff House hasn't been completed yet, and likely won't for a while since it's the brothers that do all the construction here, and they're undeniably busy right now." The runway was of course actually for Thunderbird Two, although the jets did use it, and the Hanger was for the Bird as well as the jets. But the world didn't need to know that.

She very carefully put the camera back on its tripod and stepped gently back into the frame. Smiling, she turned and gave a hug to the brother that had just shown up in the shot, reaching up to delicately peck him on the cheek. Virgil gave her a small smile, and they both sat down in the orange chairs. "Okay, dear, state your name for the camera."

Virgil rolled his eyes, stretching his legs out a bit as he crossed his arms across his chest. His wrist was still strapped up, a sprain that kept him from being able to participate in rescues for at least another week. "They know who I am," he said, sounding just slightly amused.

Penny smiled back at him, having a feeling that he had no idea just how tempting he looked in that position. All American Beefcake, Moffy had called him once, and she just knew that the rest of the world would agree. "It's the principle of the matter. Introduce yourself please."

Virgil rolled his eyes. "My name is Virgil Grissom Tracy, I'm twenty-three and primary pilot of Thunderbird Two."

"Very good," Penny said, still smiling. "So, for the first question, since you've already stated your age, what order do you fall in, in the Tracy lineup?"

"I'm the middle child," Virgil said with a shrug. "The third."

"And yet," Penny drawled, "John has been heard to call you 'big brother' on occasion. Do explain, because there has been much confusion over this fact."

Virgil grinned, and Penny could just imagine millions of girls sighing. "I'm bigger than he is. He's older, but I'm bigger. Hence me being the 'big brother'."

Penny shook her head, rolling her eyes. "That's Tracy logic, that is," she said, speaking to the camera. She turned back to Virgil. "You're bigger than all your brothers. There are quite a few people out there that want to know if you can bench press your brothers. Preferably if you can bench press them all at the same time."

Virgil laughed. "No," he said shortly. "Well, actually, weight wise I could probably do it if I absolutely had to, but have you ever had to bench more than two people before?" He widened his eyes, staring into the camera gravely. "It gets wiggly, and uncomfortable, and everyone ends up in a dogpile with you at the bottom."

"Sounds like you've tried it before," Penny smiled, and Virgil just shrugged again. "But the combination of their weight, you can bench that?"

"Sure."

Penny raised an eyebrow then, "Ready for the next question?" When Virgil merely shrugged yet again, she grinned. "Gals or guys?"

"Hmm?" Virgil's eyebrows raised. Why on Earth did anyone want to know or care? Oh well. "Both? Maybe? I don't know. I've been told I'm weird."

Penny rolled her eyes. "You're not weird, Virgil. You're pan. And committed."

"True."

"Going to tell us who with?" she asked, smirking slightly.

"No." Virgil shot her a short look. "That is something the world doesn't need to know."

She gave the camera a look of her own. "That's true. You're entitled to your privacy after all." She shuffled through the notecards sitting on the little table between them, looking for her next question. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"Food?"

"Steak."

"Animal?"

"I'm fond of cats. But not big cats."

Penny looked at the camera again, smirking a little. "There's a story there, about a rescue in Africa and a lion. It wasn't funny at the time, but…" she gave a delicate, lady-like shrug. Virgil rolled his eyes, refusing to comment on that one. "Okay dear, what's the best part of International Rescue?"

Virgil smiled softly, gaze wandering out the window. "When you get to reunite families. When your efforts pay off and everyone lives."

"And the worst?" she asked softly.

His gaze remained out the window, and his uninjured hand clenched into a fist. "When they die in your arms and you can do nothing but sing them to sleep."

There was a short pause before Penny continued. "What's your favorite movie?" she asked, steering away from deeper subjects for the moment.

"I like a good rom-com to be honest," he answered. "Don't really have a favorite."

"What level of schooling do you have?"

"Bachelors in mechanical engineering with a minor in art history," Virgil said looking back at her. "I'm pursuing a Masters in the engineering via web classes. When I have time." He paused. "I have a lot of medical training too, but don't have a degree in that."

"What's your favorite kind of music?" Penny asked, and Virgil gave her a smile that warmed her heart.

"I like all music," he said honestly, shifting in his seat. His arms uncrossed and he relaxed just a little bit more.

"Even rap?" She knew how much Scott detested rap.

"Meh," Virgil raised his wrapped hand, waffling it back and forth. "Not my favorite, but there's some good stuff in there."

Penny nodded, glancing at her notecards and giving a small frown. "Okay, so I know I've never asked, but this was a widely asked question after the last video. You don't have to answer it if you don't want to, but both you and Scott have rocking chairs in your rooms. Why?"

Virgil blinked, falling still for a moment. "Mom used to rock Alan to sleep every night. Probably did the same with the rest of us, but I don't remember. When she died, Dad was lost in his grief for a bit, so Scott took over rocking Alan to sleep. Kid had nightmares for years. And so, when Scott left for the Air Force and John for college, I was suddenly the oldest in the house, and I didn't want to use Mom's chair, so I got my own and took over rocking Alan. We just kinda kept the chairs after that." He gave her a short look, running a hand through his hair. "Please don't ask Scott that question."

"I won't," she murmured. She shuffled her cards again. "Okay, for a few random questions. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?"

"Closed," Virgil said slowly, eyebrows drawing together. "That's a weird question."

Penny shrugged. "I have a lot of weird questions from our viewers. I'm not going to ask you all of them, though. So, have you ever peed in the woods?"

Virgil barked a laugh. "Yes." He snickered at her incredulous look. "Honey, when you're on a rescue and don't have time to find a toilet, you do what you have to."

"Fine. Heathen." A short pause. "Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?"

Virgil shuddered. "A bear. I figure I'd actually have a chance with that one. Bugs are just…ick."

Penny gave him a mocking look. "Oh? Is big bad Virgil afraid of a little bug?"

He shot her a look right back, tilting his head and rolling his eyes. "Big bad Virgil deals with enough bugs during rescues that he doesn't want to have to deal with them any other time. That's what Scott is for."

She laughed and he gave a sigh. "Okay, then. You don't like bugs. But what's your biggest fear?"

"Snow," he answered promptly. "I hate it." She waved a hand slightly and he huffed. "I have memories of being trapped in the snow for hours. Days, actually, before they found us. I can do snow rescues just fine, have done many, in fact, but it's always going to be one of my worst fears."

She nodded. She'd forgotten about that. There was a reason they had moved to a tropical island, after all. "Okay. So, where's your favorite place on Earth? Other than home."

He blinked and fell silent for a long moment, obviously thinking about that answer. And then he huffed out a laugh. "This is ironic, considering my last answer, but Antarctica." At her incredulous look he shrugged, explaining, "It's so pretty. Like a giant birthday cake."

Penny turned her baffled look to the camera again. "Tracy logic, ladies and gentlemen. That's all this is."

There was a sudden alarm that pierced through the house and Virgil startled, jumping to his feet. "Well, that's my cue," he said, heading quickly for the door, shooting her an informal salute. "IR is calling."

He was gone before Penny could say anything else and she gave a sigh. "I thought he was still on medical leave following that land slide," she muttered to herself. She then looked at the camera. "Well, one down. Four to go."

BREAK

They were in the loft above the lounge, seated in the white chairs next to the bookcase. Penny was dressed in a different outfit, a pink pantsuit with baby blue accents. Alan was seated next to her, leg jiggling silently, hands clasped in his lap. "Relax, darling," Penny murmured. "I'm just asking you a few questions. Now introduce yourself, please."

Alan rolled his big blue eyes. "I'm Alan Shepherd Tracy. I'm sixteen and primary pilot of Thunderbird Three." Teenage girls everywhere were swooning, Penny was sure.

"And where you do fall in the Tracy lineup?" Penny asked, shuffling her notecards.

"I'm the youngest," Alan answered, his voice a little bland, as though he were bored.

She shot him a small look before glancing to the camera. "Okay, Alan dear, the world really, really wants to know how you became an astronaut at the age of sixteen."

"Fourteen," Alan responded. "I started piloting Three at fourteen." He frowned darkly, looking down at his hands in his lap. "It wasn't really my choice, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I love it! And Three was always supposed to be mine, from the very get-go. But Dad had the rule that I wasn't supposed to do any solitary piloting until after I turned 18."

"So, what changed?" Penny prompted, also frowning. She knew the answer, of course, and she hated it.

Alan shrugged. "Dad disappeared. And the Hood outed us to the world and suddenly Three didn't have a primary pilot, 'cause that had been Dad's job. And I had the most training and Scott and John had already pulled me out of school due to the media and stuff, so I just sort of stepped up to the plate." He gave a sigh. "John's fully capable of piloting Three, but we need him on Five. Scott doesn't really do well in space usually, and Virgil and Gordon hate space with a passion although they're perfectly willing to copilot if needed. So really, I was the logical choice and Three was supposed to be mine anyway."

"And now you're the youngest astronaut in the world," Penny said, and Alan shrugged again. "You're also the youngest race car champion. How did that happen?"

Alan laughed, running a hand down his face. "That was an accident. I was signed up for the teens' rally, but somehow ended up in the adult race. And since I never actually left my car, I didn't know the difference and we think that the officials thought that I was actually one of my brothers, you know, the adult ones. So, I raced, and I won and then we all figured out the mistake. And the judges were impressed enough that they let me keep the title." He grimaced a little. "Scott won't let me race in the adult circuits again though until after I'm eighteen."

Penny smiled slightly at his petulant voice. "He lets you fly a rocket but not race a car," she stated, her sarcasm slight, but there all the same.

"Exactly!" Alan said, throwing an arm up. "You get it!"

Penny laughed. "Favorite color?" she asked.

"Red."

"Food?"

"Gummy bears."

"Are those really considered food?" At his nod, she shook her head and continued. "Animal?"

"Eagles. The Golden ones. They're gorgeous."

"Movie?"

"Jurassic Park. The first one. From a long time ago." There was a slight commotion down in the lounge as Gordon ran through, followed shortly by a fuming Virgil. Both Penny and Alan paused to watch as the two ran past the fireplace and presumably down the hall.

"Okay then," Penny stated, smiling in amusement. The camera hadn't caught any of that, obviously, but the sounds could still be heard. "What's your favorite place you've visited on Earth?" she had to clarify for him, as she knew that his favorite place had actually been Haley's comet.

Alan frowned. "Most of the places I've visited have been during the middle of a crisis, so they don't lend themselves to wanting a repeat but…" he paused, glancing at her. "There's this little village in Africa, where they don't have a lot of technology." He shook his head. "Most places, it seems like we show up and people are just standing there with their phones and cameras out, filming as other people are dying and it's just so frustrating you know?"

"I can imagine," Penny murmured. Alan's face was displaying his frustration; he hadn't learned to keep a poker face for the media yet, as his family had strived their hardest to keep him out of it all his life.

"I mean, really. I'm sixteen and I'm running into crumbling buildings to pull people out, and, and digging people out of mudslides and stuff, but everyone else is just standing there watching. What makes them less qualified then me?" He shook his head. "But this little village. We got there, to help out with a massive flash flooding event, and they were all banding together to help each other out. We were hardly needed at all. It was refreshing."

"And that's made it your favorite place?" Penny asked, actually a little amazed. She had expected an answer a little more worldly from the teen, to be honest. But Alan had hidden depths, even she knew that.

He shrugged. "Yeah. That and the people. I've gone back to visit a few times. Marrisa taught me how to knit, actually."

Penny waggled her eyebrows. "Ohh, Marrisa, huh?" she asked, with a slight laugh in her voice.

"She's seven, Lady P," Alan droned, rolling his eyes.

Penny laughed delightedly. "So, Alan. Gals or guys?"

"Gals, I guess," he said. "I'm only sixteen though and there's not a lot of options on the island so who really knows."

She smiled at him. "You'll meet someone someday, I'm sure."

"Right." He rolled his eyes again. Such a teenager.

She continued, looking at her notecards and huffing a little laugh. "Have you ever stolen a street sign?"

"Don't tell Scott."

Her eyes widened and her head shot up to look at him incredulously. "You have?!"

Alan shrugged. "Sort of, I guess? There was a tornado in Texas and the signs were all over the place. So, I took one because I thought it had a funny name."

"What was the name?" Penny asked, clearly having never heard this story before.

"This Road Street."

"You're kidding." Really? That was a name of a street?

"Nope. Apparently, there was also a "That Road Lane" and "The Other Road Street". It would have been a confusing town to live in, to be honest."

Penny stared at him for a long moment. "Wow." She cleared her throat. "Okay. Can you change the oil in your car?"

Alan gave her a long look. "I built my car," he pointed out. "And I can change the oil in a rocket ship. You know, if the rocket needed oil. So…yes."

"True," Penny conceded. She shuffled through her cards, clearly looking for another question, when there was a sudden alarm, the same one that had gone off during Virgil's interview, and Alan shot to his feet. She gave a sigh and the camera went dark.

BREAK

They were in the kitchen, Gordon standing at the stove stirring something in a pot. Penny was seated at the island bar, the camera positioned to catch both of them. Her outfit was a baby blue suit, quite like the one that she had worn with Alan, but a solitary color this time. He glanced back at her, giving her a warm smile, which she returned. "My name's Gordon Cooper Tracy, I'm twenty-one and I'm the primary pilot of Thunderbird Four," he said without prompting. He turned back to the pot. "And I'm the fourth in the lineup." Clearly, he had watched the previous two interviews, or at least had known what to expect from them.

"Thank you, darling," Penny murmured, her notecards spread out in front of her. "Gals or guys?" she asked, knowing that most of the world really did want to know that about each other the brothers.

"Gals," he answered promptly. "And I'm committed. The world doesn't need to know with who."

She smiled, focusing on her cards. "Right. Favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"Food?"

"Hamburgers. But I like me a celery crunch bar for a snack."

"Animal?"

"Fish. All kinds. Marine wildlife in general."

"Book?"

"Hmm…" He paused, thinking this one through. He wasn't one that sat down to read all that often. But then, months of bedrest following the Accident (capital A required) had had him reading quite a few books. "The Pern series by Anne McCaffery, or The Iliad by Homer."

"No two books could be more different, Gordon," Penny pointed out. He merely shrugged, focusing on the dinner he was cooking, and she looked back at her cards. "Everyone wants to know how long it took for your back to heal completely."

"It hasn't," Gordon answered, tensing just slightly. She blinked at him, willing him to explain without saying anything. He looked back at her, just barely glancing at the camera. "It hasn't healed completely, and probably never will. I have good days, better days and absolutely awful days, but the pain is pretty much my constant companion now."

"The doctors said you'd never walk again," Penny pointed out, gesturing to his clearly standing and walking form.

He shrugged. "The doctors were wrong. But it took me three months to swim again, six to walk and nine to win that Olympic gold. It was a lot of work to get to where I am today, and it still takes work to keep me here."

"And yet you very willingly go out and rescue others, most definitely putting yourself at risk to do so," she said.

He gave her a long, searching look. "I joined WASP at sixteen, with full intention to get the training I needed to be able to pilot Thunderbird Four. The Birds weren't built yet at that point, but we were planning. The Accident happened when I was seventeen, and I used the Olympics as a way to get my butt out of bed and get back to working order. Everything has been so that I could be part of International Rescue. And someone has to be willing to help others, even if that someone is me."

"You boys," Penny breathed, giving a large sigh. "Okay, on with the questions. What do you dip your chicken nuggets in?"

"Ranch dressing," he answered with a snicker.

"Where do you do most of your shopping?"

He blinked at her, motioning with his ladle to the island in general. "Online, to be picked up at a PO Box in Auckland. Although we do bulk shopping on the mainland every six months. Virgil's the one that did it with Grandma last time."

"Got interrupted part way through, too, right?" Penny asked, getting a nod in reply. "Okay, what's your biggest fear?" she asked softly. This was one topic they hadn't broached yet, and she was curious, but respectful.

"Water," Gordon smiled. He caught her expression and nodded. "I know. It's a shock, considering who I am. I spend more time in the water than I do on land usually, but yeah I have a rather healthy fear of it." He shrugged, turning when a timer beeped. He bent to pull the garlic bread from the oven, placing it on the stovetop next to the pot of soup. "The water nearly killed me. More than once, actually, now with IR. But I love it, and I wasn't going to let my fear destroy that part of me." He gave her a warm look. "Every time I step into the water these days, no matter if it's the pool, the ocean, or some flood somewhere around the world, I have to fight past an almost instinctual fear. And then I just let go." His look was strong, telling and very, very warm. "I knocked on Death's door and waved her goodbye. I'm not going to let a little fear control any aspect of my life."

She met him gaze for gaze for a long, silent moment, before breaking away and looking down at her notecards, clearing her throat. "I'm assuming dinner's ready?" she asked, and if her voice was a little rough, he wasn't going to call her on it.

"Yeah," he answered, moving to where they kept the old bell in the corner, to ring for dinner. They'd brought it with them from the ranch, and it was useful in a house like this. "We can answer more questions later, if you want."

"Right, of course," Penny nodded, her face devoid of any emotion as she straightened. "I still need to pin down Scott and John, though."

Gordon gave a full, belly laugh. "Good luck."

BREAK

She was sitting on a couch in the sunken part of the lounge, John floating as a hologram in front of her. "John, darling, you are terribly hard to pin down," she groused, absently flicking her hair from her face. She was wearing a darling little white and pink number today, if she could say so herself.

"Mmm-hmm," he agreed, clearly working and only giving her half his focus. She had expected this; she had gone to school with the man at Oxford and very clearly knew his mannerisms. Most best friends did, after all.

"Introduce yourself, darling," she said, flapping a hand at him.

"John Glenn Tracy, twenty-five years old and primary pilot of Thunderbird Five."

"Are you really considered a pilot?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at her. "Is that what they call those that live on a space station for three-fourths of the year?"

He glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "I suppose." Rolling his eyes, his hologram turned slightly to address something that they couldn't see. "And, before you ask, I'm the second oldest. Even though I do call Virgil my big brother sometimes."

"Because he's bigger," Penny said, smiling.

"Because he's bigger," he echoed with a decisive nod.

She looked straight into the camera, shrugging and mouthing "Tracy logic". John ignored her. "Okay, John dear. Gals or guys?" Again with this question, because it was, frankly, the most asked question out of all of them.

"Neither," John replied, giving her a quirky smile. "I'm not interested."

"He's asexual," Penny explained for the viewers with a smile. It had made for some interesting times in college and among his family for the longest time before they all figured it out. They'd been attached at the hip for the longest time, the two of them. He really was a doll, her John. "Now, John, how many languages do you speak?"

"Fluently? Eighteen," John answered, his head turning and eyes narrowing to look at something to the side of him. "I'm conversational in six others."

Penny sighed. "Overachievers, all of them," she muttered to herself. "Okay then. Favorite animal?"

"Cats."

"Color?"

"Orange."

"Food?"

"Bagels. Blueberry."

"Movie?"

"I don't watch many movies," he responded. He looked at her and gave a shrug. "If I watch a movie it has to be animated and have very little to do with reality or I can't focus on it."

She smiled. "Your favorite, or at least it was at Oxford, was Inside Out from Disney/Pixar." He shrugged again and she gave a nod. "Wall-E was a close second."

"They were cute," he acquiesced. His hologram did a flip as he clearly made a maneuver to the other side of the room he was in. It was interesting, holding an interview with a hologram.

"What's your favorite memory?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment and then sighed softly. "When I was ten, we all went camping. Alan was just a tiny baby, but I remember lying in a field watching the stars with my brothers and parents. Dad was pointing out the constellations and telling their stories, and I decided right then that I was going to be an astronaut when I grew up."

"Well, you certainly succeeded," Penny said, feeling a little proud of this boy. She wasn't going to ask what his worst memory was, despite it being a question many had asked. "What's your level of education?"

"I have a PhD in astrophysics," he answered. "And a Masters in Linguistics." He glanced at her. "Are we counting honorary degrees? Because I can't remember all of those."

Penny laughed, looking to the camera. "John is a smart one," she said, her face open and delighted. "He graduated high school at fourteen, got his bachelors through home study and then went on to graduate school. We met at Oxford." She whispered, "A lady never reveals her age, but I'm older than John."

"And younger than Scott so…" John muttered, rolling his eyes. Honestly, the girl was only a year older than him. They had met in the language department at Oxford while she was getting her bachelors and he his Masters. He adored her though and had sort of been the driving force in folding her into the family. That she and Gordon seemed to have a thing now just made it all the better.

"On with the questions, darling," she replied haughtily. "Do you sing?"

"No," he answered. "And before you ask, my favorite kind of music is actually classical. Preferably whatever I can get Virgil to play on the piano."

"How do you like your coffee?" she asked, smirking a little. John abhorred coffee, much rather preferring tea.

"I like my coffee like I like my people," he responded, smirking back at her.

Her brow furrowed. "You don't drink coffee."

"Exactly."

She huffed, rolling her eyes. "John's a little anti-social," she explained to the camera. "It's a wonder he's the voice for International Rescue. But that's probably because he's a complete klutz if there's gravity involved."

John gave a shrug, not bothering to counter that statement. It was true after all. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but he held up a hand, turning to the side. "International Rescue, please state your emergency."

She couldn't hear the response, but his face tightened, and he was suddenly moving. An alarm blared and the camera went black.

BREAK

They were seated in the Round House again. This time occupying a dark green couch. Penny had her note cards in hand, and she was wearing a white pantsuit. It was flattering, her hair was done up in an elaborate bun, and she looked perfectly put together. Scott, on the other hand, looked exhausted, sprawled in his chair. He wasn't wearing his usual button down and slacks, instead having on a t-shirt and jeans. One arm was mottled with bruises, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Scott darling," Penny murmured. "You ready for your interview? We can always put this off until after you've slept some."

"I'm good," Scott mumbled. "If we don't do this now, we may never get a chance. And you're very insistent when you get an idea in your head." The look he gave her was just shy of annoyed.

"Introductions, dear," Penny responded.

"Scott Carpenter Tracy. Twenty-seven. I'm the oldest, and I'm the primary pilot of Thunderbird One."

"Good, good," Penny said. She was hoping that an alarm wouldn't go off and interrupt this interview. The boys needed some rest and it was already dark outside the wall of windows. "Okay, so, guys or gals?" she asked, nearly rolling her eyes at the question.

"Gals," Scott yawned. "And committed. And no, I'm not saying with who."

"That's perfectly fine," she replied. "Favorite food?"

"Watermelon."

"Color?"

"Blue."

"Animal?"

"Wolf."

"Really?" She had expected a bird of some sort. Like an eagle. Scott seemed like an eagle sort of man.

"Really."

"Okay, then." Clearly, Scott wasn't in the mood to elaborate. He really was exhausted, the poor man. "What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?" she asked. He opened his mouth, but she held up a hand. "For yourself. Not IR. Because I know those Birds probably cost a lot."

He shrugged. "You're not wrong," he admitted. "Okay, for myself?" There was a long moment while he thought this through. "When I was sixteen, I bought a classic sports car. It needed a bit of work, but I do believe that's the most money I've ever spent on a single object that was for myself."

"And for your brothers?" she asked, knowing that he'd spent quite a bit on them over the years.

He twitched a little. "I've paid their hospital bills," he pointed out. And then he rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I don't know the answer to that exactly. I've bought a lot over my life."

"Are you aware that you have grey hairs?" Penny asked, and she quickly held up her hands at his glare. "It as a question asked by quite a few of your fans. You're not quite thirty yet, you know."

"I'm aware," he ground out. "You try being in my position. CEO of an international multi-billion-dollar corporation, and head of International Rescue. Not to mention running herd on my brothers. You'd have gray hairs too."

"Darling, I'm pretty sure I've gotten a few grey hairs just from witnessing some of what you boys get up to during your rescues," Penny responded, absently shuffling her notecards. "What level of education do you have?"

"Bachelors in engineering," he replied. "I got it through the Air Force." Scott gave a short shrug, yawning again. "I joined up right after high school. Dad was always pushing us to do our best, but he never made college a requirement for it. Which is why Gordon never bothered going, because he didn't feel he needed to."

"That's actually a pretty good point," Penny said, pointing at him. "College isn't the end-all of self-improvement. And some people just aren't made for the classroom setting."

"Exactly," Scott mumbled, waving a hand. "Next question?" he asked, slumping just a little more into his chair.

"I have the oddest urge to tell you to sit up," Penny said, glancing at her notecards. She ignored the glare Scott shot her way. "Okay then. Apart from romantically, when was the last time you told someone you loved them?"

He gazed at her, blinking. "About half an hour ago," he answered honestly. "To Alan, in the kitchen."

She smiled at him. "You're so sweet."

"He's my baby brother," he pointed out, not entirely sure why she was reacting this way. "Why wouldn't I tell him I love him?"

"You realize that most grown men don't admit to loving their siblings, right? They don't generally say they love anyone outside of a romantic sense," Penny explained, glancing over at him.

"I practically raised the kid," Scott said in retaliation. "I am raising him. I'm going to let him know I love him. And my other brothers too. Even when I want to throw them in the pool."

Penny gave a nod, her smile warm and her eyes bright. "Right. Have you ever forgotten your birthday?"

"My own?" he asked. "All the time. Too busy."

"Have you ever forgotten your brothers'?" she asked.

"No," he said. And then he winced. "But last year we all pretended to forget Virgil's so that we could surprise him when he got back from what was supposed to be a simple rescue. Only it wasn't simple and he didn't get back until about three in the morning and we'd all fallen asleep by then so…it wasn't our best moment."

"I'm sure he forgave you," she said softly. She remembered that. It probably hadn't helped that they had eaten all the cake. Granted, Grandma had cooked all the other food, so the cake had pretty much been the only edible thing at the time.

Scott nodded. "He did. But we don't go for surprises like that anymore."

"What's the best thing about rescues?" she asked, her gaze momentarily distracted by a shooting star outside the window.

"Saving lives," Scott said simply. "It's the whole reason we do what we do."

"And the worst?" she asked, dreading the answer.

He was silent for a long moment, hands flexing absently. "The absolute terror that comes from sending your siblings out into dangerous situations and not knowing if all of them are going to be coming back in one piece. Or at all."

The silence engulfed them after that. Penny didn't exactly have a question that could kill that mood. She gave a sigh, but it didn't matter because an alarm went off right at that moment. Scott groaned, levering himself to his feet and dragging a hand down his face. "Duty calls," he murmured. "Get some sleep, Penny."

And the screen went black.