Chapter 20 Rhapsody in Blue
Jeff Tracy winced as his second oldest son persisted in playing over and over again the same five bars of music. The playing was interspersed with silence which was even more annoying. Jeff was more than pleased to have his son back from the dead, but after some time he realized that is was an edgy, changed Virgil that rode roughshod over the household. The others retreated strategically to do other things. Gordon was washing out Thunderbird 4 for the umpteenth time. He claimed that it still stank. Brains had been tinkering in his lab for the last week over a new prosthetic limb for Marie, and Scott was taking John up to Thunderbird 5 for his space rotation - both grateful for the pause from a grouchy brother.
"That poor boy." Granny came in with a tray of cookies and ice tea. She took feeding the Tracy men seriously. "He's just like you were. Only I believe you spent your time trying to get Grandpa's old internal combustion BMW to run."
"What?" Jeff looked at her in amazement. "That was when I was just getting out of college."
"And you were just as stubborn and just as much in love as poor Virgil is. My heavens, it took you months just to ask Lucille out." The elderly lady gave an ungrannylike snort when she saw Jeff's mouth hanging open.
"Jeff Tracy! You can't keep those boys locked up on this island forever. They need to have companions, women that they can love and cherish, just as you did with Lucille." She shook a finger at her son. "Now, you go and tell that boy to bring that girl home. Probably needs a bit of feeding up too if she was with him on that island. Hmm, fried chicken, lots of mashed potatoes and gravy - chocolate cake - oh my yes." She bustled off to the kitchen to make a dent in the pantry supplies.
Jeff went reluctantly into the music room where Virgil had his head under the piano lid.
"Son.." he began.
"I think this needs tuning." Virgil interrupted. "It doesn't sound right."
"The piano is fine Virgil, you..." Jeff began again. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
"No, it isn't. I can't be gone for more than a week and everything is ruined. It is bad enough that you let Scott wreck Thunderbird 2." He closed the lid to the white baby grand with a little more violence than necessary. The instrument jangled in dissonance.
"Scott over drove Thunderbird 2 getting the three of you to the hospital. Yes, we'll have to make repairs, but it was Scott's decision and I stand behind him on it."
Virgil opened his mouth in what his father could tell was another grumble or scathing remark. Jeff raised a finger to his son. "Sit." He barked.
"This is about Miss Ryker, Marie isn't it?" Jeff felt a pang of guilt when he saw the crestfallen look which turned to a swift anger.
"What have I done?" Virgil said angrily as he sat at the piano. "You are angry that I told Mar - Miss Ryker, about International Rescue. She won't tell anyone. The others have been on to you about that. If you don't trust my judgement anymore, than tell me."Virgil got to his feet and began pacing.
"Virgil Grissom Tracy. Sit down." Jeff said, losing patience. He watched as his son sat down sullenly. "Just what is between you two?"
Virgil drooped visibly. His hands absentmindedly caressed the abused piano.
"It just was a two people caught up in an emotional situation. She - we agreed that it was nothing more than that."
"Do you still feel that way?"
Virgil was silent for a long time. "No." He said quietly. "To be honest, I think from the first moment I met her..." His voice tailed off.
"It was like that with your mother." Jeff felt a pang of longing for his beloved Lucille and for the son that so resembled her in spirit.
"I mean she isn't pretty, but she's beautiful, you know what I mean Father?"
"Well, I..." Jeff began, but was cut off by his son jumping to his feet again.
"Annoying, everything she said or did was a pain and then she'd turn around and say something so...so right. Not the sort I've dated before. Remember Janette, and Gloria?"
"The models? I believe..." Jeff began again.
"Gorgeous, witty, smart, but I wouldn't want to be on a desert island with them."
"I suppose..."
"You are right Father, women like that are one in a million. Was it like that with Mother?"
This time Jeff didn't even try to answer as he watched his son pace the floor and literally talk to himself.
"I'm such an idiot!" Jeff raised his eyebrows. Luckily none of Virgil's brothers were there. That would have been the cue for them to chorus.'Yes, you are!!'. "I know she likes me. She does like me, doesn't she Father? She likes Brains too. And she and Gordon were laughing together, doesn't mean I'm special. But, then she kissed me. Well, I kissed her. Most women like the way I kiss. Not, that I go around kissing just anyone. But just liking me kissing her isn't enough. What if she doesn't like me enough?"
Jeff settled back and watched the show. It was interesting to see how Virgil thought. He was unusually closed mouthed and reclusive. He seemed to bubble over with energy and power. A feeling Jeff remembered, though it had been a long time ago. It was the heady feeling of being in love. Deeply, madly, and irrevocably in love.
"I'll have to go and see her. Tell her how I feel." Virgil said decisively. He turned to Jeff. "Thank you Father. I can always count on you to give me some good advice."
"Anytime son." Jeff managed to keep a straight face. He hoped that Marie Ryker felt the same as Virgil.
It was raining. Of course it was raining. This was the Greater Seattle area, it never stopped raining. Sunshine made people nervous here. Marie leaned her head against the cool pane of the window. Life was just as grey and dreary and damp as it was outside. Her boss had been less than pleasant about her lack of information about her whereabouts for the last two weeks. Her already precarious position in the agency toppled like a house of cards and she found herself jobless. The thought of finding something new was daunting, especially as her final reference was none too flattering.
She hadn't been sleeping well lately, old nightmares had come back and she often woke up covered in sweat and calling for Virgil. Well, she'd get over it, it would just take time, like 30 years or so. A deep sigh wrenched out of her. Happy endings were for fairy tales.
Jeff Tracy winced as his second oldest son persisted in playing over and over again the same five bars of music. The playing was interspersed with silence which was even more annoying. Jeff was more than pleased to have his son back from the dead, but after some time he realized that is was an edgy, changed Virgil that rode roughshod over the household. The others retreated strategically to do other things. Gordon was washing out Thunderbird 4 for the umpteenth time. He claimed that it still stank. Brains had been tinkering in his lab for the last week over a new prosthetic limb for Marie, and Scott was taking John up to Thunderbird 5 for his space rotation - both grateful for the pause from a grouchy brother.
"That poor boy." Granny came in with a tray of cookies and ice tea. She took feeding the Tracy men seriously. "He's just like you were. Only I believe you spent your time trying to get Grandpa's old internal combustion BMW to run."
"What?" Jeff looked at her in amazement. "That was when I was just getting out of college."
"And you were just as stubborn and just as much in love as poor Virgil is. My heavens, it took you months just to ask Lucille out." The elderly lady gave an ungrannylike snort when she saw Jeff's mouth hanging open.
"Jeff Tracy! You can't keep those boys locked up on this island forever. They need to have companions, women that they can love and cherish, just as you did with Lucille." She shook a finger at her son. "Now, you go and tell that boy to bring that girl home. Probably needs a bit of feeding up too if she was with him on that island. Hmm, fried chicken, lots of mashed potatoes and gravy - chocolate cake - oh my yes." She bustled off to the kitchen to make a dent in the pantry supplies.
Jeff went reluctantly into the music room where Virgil had his head under the piano lid.
"Son.." he began.
"I think this needs tuning." Virgil interrupted. "It doesn't sound right."
"The piano is fine Virgil, you..." Jeff began again. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
"No, it isn't. I can't be gone for more than a week and everything is ruined. It is bad enough that you let Scott wreck Thunderbird 2." He closed the lid to the white baby grand with a little more violence than necessary. The instrument jangled in dissonance.
"Scott over drove Thunderbird 2 getting the three of you to the hospital. Yes, we'll have to make repairs, but it was Scott's decision and I stand behind him on it."
Virgil opened his mouth in what his father could tell was another grumble or scathing remark. Jeff raised a finger to his son. "Sit." He barked.
"This is about Miss Ryker, Marie isn't it?" Jeff felt a pang of guilt when he saw the crestfallen look which turned to a swift anger.
"What have I done?" Virgil said angrily as he sat at the piano. "You are angry that I told Mar - Miss Ryker, about International Rescue. She won't tell anyone. The others have been on to you about that. If you don't trust my judgement anymore, than tell me."Virgil got to his feet and began pacing.
"Virgil Grissom Tracy. Sit down." Jeff said, losing patience. He watched as his son sat down sullenly. "Just what is between you two?"
Virgil drooped visibly. His hands absentmindedly caressed the abused piano.
"It just was a two people caught up in an emotional situation. She - we agreed that it was nothing more than that."
"Do you still feel that way?"
Virgil was silent for a long time. "No." He said quietly. "To be honest, I think from the first moment I met her..." His voice tailed off.
"It was like that with your mother." Jeff felt a pang of longing for his beloved Lucille and for the son that so resembled her in spirit.
"I mean she isn't pretty, but she's beautiful, you know what I mean Father?"
"Well, I..." Jeff began, but was cut off by his son jumping to his feet again.
"Annoying, everything she said or did was a pain and then she'd turn around and say something so...so right. Not the sort I've dated before. Remember Janette, and Gloria?"
"The models? I believe..." Jeff began again.
"Gorgeous, witty, smart, but I wouldn't want to be on a desert island with them."
"I suppose..."
"You are right Father, women like that are one in a million. Was it like that with Mother?"
This time Jeff didn't even try to answer as he watched his son pace the floor and literally talk to himself.
"I'm such an idiot!" Jeff raised his eyebrows. Luckily none of Virgil's brothers were there. That would have been the cue for them to chorus.'Yes, you are!!'. "I know she likes me. She does like me, doesn't she Father? She likes Brains too. And she and Gordon were laughing together, doesn't mean I'm special. But, then she kissed me. Well, I kissed her. Most women like the way I kiss. Not, that I go around kissing just anyone. But just liking me kissing her isn't enough. What if she doesn't like me enough?"
Jeff settled back and watched the show. It was interesting to see how Virgil thought. He was unusually closed mouthed and reclusive. He seemed to bubble over with energy and power. A feeling Jeff remembered, though it had been a long time ago. It was the heady feeling of being in love. Deeply, madly, and irrevocably in love.
"I'll have to go and see her. Tell her how I feel." Virgil said decisively. He turned to Jeff. "Thank you Father. I can always count on you to give me some good advice."
"Anytime son." Jeff managed to keep a straight face. He hoped that Marie Ryker felt the same as Virgil.
It was raining. Of course it was raining. This was the Greater Seattle area, it never stopped raining. Sunshine made people nervous here. Marie leaned her head against the cool pane of the window. Life was just as grey and dreary and damp as it was outside. Her boss had been less than pleasant about her lack of information about her whereabouts for the last two weeks. Her already precarious position in the agency toppled like a house of cards and she found herself jobless. The thought of finding something new was daunting, especially as her final reference was none too flattering.
She hadn't been sleeping well lately, old nightmares had come back and she often woke up covered in sweat and calling for Virgil. Well, she'd get over it, it would just take time, like 30 years or so. A deep sigh wrenched out of her. Happy endings were for fairy tales.