Sineater asked for Flufftober day 8: Cooking Lessons with Alan, Parker or Lil. Also for Fluffember day 6: Delicious Cookies and Sunrise.

Alan yawned. Widely. And rubbed his eyes, desperate to stay awake. A large hand placed an even larger mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles in front of him before withdrawing and leaving him to it.

One ear was still listening to the rescue his brothers were out on while the other was listening with fascination to the tuneless whistling interspersed with words he assumed were English, only they weren't any English he'd ever heard.

But then again, the kitchen of the Creighton-Ward manor was not the usual place to listen to a rescue from, neither was it usual for him to be left behind on a mission that needed all hands on deck. Curse his sprained ankle.

Even Parker and Lady Penelope had gone to help, this being a joint venture between the GDF and International Rescue, leaving Alan with one solitary helper.

Lil was almost the complete opposite of Parker. Broad where he was thin, ever smiling where he was a little more circumspect. But her accent was broad, thick and nasal in some places, and Alan soon found that he was paying far more attention to the cook than the rescue just so he could work out what she was saying.

The blazing faire was sending him to sleep, and the hot chocolate, while welcome, wasn't helping either. The rescue was winding up, judging from the comments being thrown around, and Alan was desperate to be awake when they arrived back here. They had been gone over 24 hours now.

'Ere, Al. D'ya wanna elp me mek sum biccies?'

Lil's loud voice startled the teen awake and Alan almost fell off the bench. His eyes narrowed and his lips moved silently as he tried to decipher what she had said. Lil smiled softer and decided to take pity on the youngster.

'Al, do ya think your brothers would like some biccies to come home to?'

'Um, sure.'

'You don't know what biccies are, do you?'

'Er…no. Sorry.'

Hearty laughter rang through the kitchen, and Lil gestured for Alan to come and join her at the worktop.

'You boys probably calls them cookies.'

Understanding dawned and Alan broke out into a grin to match the one on Lil's face. She slapped him on the back and he collapsed, causing more laughter.

'You ever baked before?'

'Nooo…I'm not allowed anywhere near the kitchen at home.'

'Did you burn the 'ouse down?'

'Almost.'

Lil nodded. She'd heard a lot about the Tracy family and their 'ability' to cook, and wasn't surprised in the slightest.

'You just need the right person to teach you, ducky.'

'Oh. Um, thanks.'

And without any further comments Lil began to get the ingredients together for chocolate chip cookies. She lined all the ingredients up on the top before anything was even weighed.

'Put the oven on before anything else so it's nice and toasty.'

Alan nodded.

'Always get your ingredients ready first, then your timings will be right.'

Alan nodded.

'Always butter the baking tray before lining it with parchment – it will keep the lining in place.'

Alan nodded.

'Make sure your butter is room temperature, unless it's for pastry.'

Alan nodded.

'Use the same measurements throughout.'

Alan nodded…and watched.

Lil may have been a big woman, but she moved with grace when she was cooking. Alan watched as an empty bowl soon had butter and sugar in, and he watched in awe as her wrist moved so fast, creaming the two together into a pale golden paste.

Eggs were added and the bowl passed to Alan so he could beat them in while Lil prepared the dry ingredients in another bow. She then tutted at Al's attempt, taking the bowl off him and stunning him once again with the speed she beat the eggs in.

Changing the spoon for a large metal one, Lil proceeded to fold in the flour mixture and then the chocolate chips, slapping Alan's hand as he tried to sneak a taste. Finally, she put drops of mixture onto the prepared sheets and placed them in the oven.

Lil looked at Alan critically. Despite only beating the eggs, he had flour in his hair and down one side of his face, and a tell-tale smear of chocolate at the corner of his mouth. She glanced over his shoulder out the window. The night was receding and dawn was upon them.

The sun would be rising soon, and she set about making more hot chocolate – plain this time – and the two sat on the kitchen step and watched the beginning of the sun rise as the cookies baked.

Ten minutes would be all the time they needed in her oven. Within a couple of minutes sitting down the cold air was full of the sound of the returning Thunderbirds and the pair watched them land in the designated field kept for the massive machines.

Alan stayed on the step as Lil returned to get drinks prepared and the cookies out of the ovens, and it wasn't long before his brothers were striding up the pathway. They all looked exhausted but happy, and Scott and Virgil between them helped Alan to his feet and they all made their way inside.

The smell of chocolate was heavenly and not much was said as five hungry boys and two ladies drank chocolate or tea and ate cookies or biscuits while the sun continued its journey up into the sky, painting it golds and pinks and oranges.