The Tracy brothers just stared at the gun, afraid touching it would cement the fact that Virgil was indeed gone. A few moments passed when Scott reached for the gun, hand shaking. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands several times. It was, indeed, Virgil's. Scott stood stonefaced looking at the gun, but the two fair-haired brothers both had tears streaming down their faces.

Scott looked up at the Captain, who seemed genuinely sad. He was just able to whisper, "Thank you."

The three brothers turned and went towards TB2. They got into their flying positions, Scott in the pilot's seat, but they didn't moved. TB2 sat quiet in the cornfield. After what seemed like an eternity, Scott hailed his father. "Base from Thunderbird 2, come in father."

"Go ahead, Scott, what is the news on Virgil?" an anxious reply came.

"I'm afraid….." Scott started to choke on his words. He swallowed and tried again. "Uh, the news…." He had to swallow hard for another try. "He's dead" he blurted out. That was all he could say at the moment. He was being stoic, though, no tears. John and Gordon listened as Scott tried to break the news to their father. Both uncharacteristically quiet.

There was a very long pause of silence before Jeff spoke. "Come home boys. Give me the details then."

The connection was severed.

The ride home was long, silent, and heavy but most of all, empty.

Jeff didn't realize how much time had gone by until he heard Thunderbird 2's engines. He knew his sons were several hours away when he last spoke to them. Now he could hear them arriving. Grandma and Tin-tin were in their rooms, crying. Brains was working away in the lab. He always found it helpful to work when stressed like this. Kyrano was busy in the kitchen. He knew the remaining brothers might be hungry, as they haven't been home in over 24 hrs. He also made coffee and brought a carafe out to the lounge.

It is funny how the mind works. Jeff was already thinking, "The time he heard TB2 returning last week, was the last time it was Virgil behind the control." The last time they sat down at the dinner table was two nights ago, the last time………… "STOP IT!" his mind shouted. The thought of "never again" wasn't sinking into the heart yet, just the mind. But the mind was going into shock.

Three very weary young men looking much too old walked into the lounge. No one spoke. No one knew what to say. John and Gordon fell into chairs, Scott just stood there. Jeff looked at each of the faces. He not only needed to mourn the loss of one of his sons, but he also had to be there for his other sons. He hadn't told Alan yet. He wants someone to be up there with him. But right now, the two TB3 pilots were beyond piloting the craft up to TB5. He prayed that no other rescue calls would come in, in the next few hours. "John, please go take a nap, so that you can go pick up your brother from TB5. I am closing it down for now. All three boys looked up in surprise. "Even International Rescue is allowed to stop working to mourn their dead." He said. John nodded and left for his room. He was going to take a nice long shower, then a short nap.

Jeff looked down at his hands, then back up at Scott. "What are the details, Scott?"

Scott started from the beginning, explaining who got what job, how far they had gotten into the rescue before the mortar attacks, and when they discovered Virgil missing. He went on to tell of their search, and even about the death of the rebels that the government army found sleeping, thanks to their thermal imager. He described in detail their circuit around the town, and their individual foray into the ravine. He ended it with the wounded captured rebel and Virgil's gun. Jeff sat perfectly still listening to the events. He was not what you would call a sensitive person. Virgil got that from his mother. He had cried only one other time his adult life, and that was when Lucille died. But now his shoulders started to pulse in rhythm to his sobs. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He placed his head on his fisted hands and cried openly.

Scott just stood there. He didn't have anything left inside him to comfort his dad. He wasn't being mean or spiteful or angry. He just was spent himself. He sat down and just stared at Virgil's portrait. Still the tears didn't come. Gordon got up and went over to his dad and put his arm around the shoulders of his father and wept as well.

John was refreshed from his shower but couldn't sleep, so he decided to go get Alan. Alan wasn't even being told that someone was coming to pick him up until John was going to be ready to dock. John was approaching TB5, he had 2 hours to think while heading out to get Alan. His mind would be blank for a while, then flood with memories of his younger brother. The ache in his heart was unbearable. Here, alone, he could sob freely. Virgil took his music with him, he would never hear the songs again. Each time he would think of something that he would never have again because it was Virgil, the crying would start over again. The warning light on the console came on indicating he was in his final approach to TB5. He hailed Alan.

"You're ready to dock? I didn't even know you were coming!" came a surprised reply from Alan. "Why didn't you say you were coming?" John could only say, "I'll let you know once I'm docked."

When John walked through the airlock, Alan knew instantly that there was something disastrously wrong. So wrong in fact he was afraid to ask. John's face was puffy from crying, his eyes were swollen and bloodshot, the pain so strong he could feel it. He just froze there waiting for John to say something. Anything. John looked at his baby brother, then to the floor. He stood there trying to think of how to say it. He had 2 hours to think of how to say it, but the thought never crossed his mind. It was too wrapped up in his own sorrow. He tried to look at Alan, but his head was just too heavy. He decided to just blurt it out, "Virgil's dead."

Alan looked at John, puzzled. "Huh?" He looked around, and tried to peer through the hatch into TB3, "Where's Gordon? This is NOT a funny joke. This is going way over the top." Alan looked back at John. It was starting to sink in, there was nothing funny about this. John's face revealed that this indeed was the truth. Alan slowly sank to his knees, then curled over into a ball and started bawling. In between sobs, John heard, "How", then "Why". Moments later, he heard "what happened?" John bent over the still balled figure of Alan and grabbed hold of his arm. He gently lifted Alan and escorted him to the sofa. He gave him the same details that Scott had given his father hours earlier. Alan looked at John and said, "He's not dead. There's no proof. You don't have a body. I won't believe he's dead until I see his body." John knew that Alan was just in denial. He put his hand behind Alan's neck and touched foreheads with him. "C'mon, we're closing down TB5 and going home."

Alan looked confused. "Shutting down? Why don't we put her on automatic?"

"Dad said that even International Rescue deserves time off to mourn." John answered.

Alan cried out, "I tell you, he's NOT dead!"

"Alan, let's just go home. We can talk it out later. Dad needs us all there." John insisted softly.

They supported each other and left.