CHAPTER TEN.

"I'll check with Brains, see if he's ready." Jeff replied.

"And this had better be on the level."

"Believe me son, Brains has been working hard on this and it is on the level." Halting in his call to cast a critical look over his son, Jeff said, "don't you want to change first?"

"Nah, the water's my second birthday suit."

 Jeff shook his head at the picture his son presented and sighed. "Okay let's go."

"Where?"

"To the workshop, naturally."

Gordon didn't need to be asked twice. He reached the monorail first and would have barged on.

"SON!"

"Huh……? Oh; sorry Grandma, after you." he said, colouring slightly.

Mrs. Tracy stepped past him with a reproving look. Gordon boarded last, trying not to notice as everyone hitched to one side as he squelched past them. The aquanaut found himself relegated to a lone corner, with small globules of gunk and white fluff dripping quietly down him. Noticing the covert glances, Gordon's lips pursed indignantly. "What's ya problem fellas?"

"How long have you got?" Scott drawled with a grin.

"Doesn't this thing go any faster?" Gordon demanded offhandedly, trying to avoid the smirks.

"The prototype isn't going anywhere Gordon." His father replied, watching in mild fascination the way the fluff laden goo continued to slide down his son.

Everyone whipped back as Gordon barged forward before the monorail had fully stopped outside the lab/ maintenance workshop. A minute later he was issuing a silent challenge to the engineering genius who was favouring him with a very penetrating stare as he took in his appearance. Gordon folded his arms fiercely against the twitching lips and turned to his parent. "Am I going to have to listen to another speech or are you just gonna let me have her?" he stated, as he stood in front of the pod construction block.

Jeff cast him a sardonic look before turning to his employee.

"Try to overlook my son's rudeness; he's had a disappointing morning. It didn't quite measure up to his expectations."

"But it did ours." Mrs Tracy murmured.

Taking in his appearance Brains lowered his eyes, coughing, "I get the picture, or rather, I wish I had. I-I sort of wish I-I'd been there." He stammered, working hard to remain straight faced.

"Oh, don't mind me guys…."

"Oh but you can be," Scott cut in, and to Gordon's horror held up the latest thing in miniature camcorders and pressed a button, "as often as you like. Well you didn't think we'd let an event like that take place without making sure we had some memento of it?"

"Yeah I'm really looking forward to a replay of it. Did you see that bit when the cushion filling hit him…..that was my favourite." Virgil shook his head laughingly.

"Oh I liked the bit where he toppled backwards." John responded. "What about you Scott?"

"I reckon it has to be the look on his face when he pulled the plug……priceless."

"Well I think the look on his face when you pulled back the sheet tops that." Tin-Tin said.

Mrs. Tracy and Kyrano nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to a replay of that, especially in slow motion." Virgil grinned.

"Don't forget the freeze frame. I may even take some stills of that……something to amuse me when I'm back on the station." John matched Virgil's grin. "I can't wait to see Alan's face when he gets a load' a  this."

"You guys are evil……..is that the only copy?"

"Don't even go there!" Scott warned, "you owe us this after all the stunts you've pulled. Consider you got of lightly."

"You call what I've just been through light! You're sadists. The only reason I'm not prosecuting is because I've still got the real thing to come, so Brains, when you've finished smirking….."

"I-I'm not smirking Gordon."

"Yeah right….my Thunderbird. It's not much fun stood here in this stuff….."

"…..a second birthday suit…….you said." Jeff reminded him dryly.

"Birthday suit?" Brains queried.

"How about my Thunderbird."

"Oh, er, okay. In all the er, e-e-excitement I almost forgot. She's in the ah, pod. Erm, just a moment." Brains flicked the switch and all inched forward as the huge green pod door lowered smoothly down.

"Ahm, Gordon, may I present you with Thunderbird Four, mark two."

Gordon peered into the darkened depths, "Where the heck is she?"

"Ah." Brains activated the conveyor ramp, "sorry about that Gordon."  

Every eye was fixed on Gordon as he watched the two by one foot box slide down the ramp coming to a juddering halt at his feet. Slowly he bent down and lifted it up, his brows furrowed as his eyes locked onto Brains, a puzzled look in the amber depths. He shook the box, peering deeper into the pod.

"So where is she?"

"Ahm, you're holding her, and I-I'd take it easy with her,"

"…………?"

"Some of the er, components a-are only 'glued'."

"Huh?"

Bemused, Gordon watched as Brains efficiently dealt with the box's miniature combination lock. The sides lurched and dropped down to reveal…… a perfect replica of the TB4 blue prints, which he handed with great ceremony to the aquanaut. Gordon's jaw dropped for the second time that day, as he gaped numbly at the small object. Vaguely he was aware of Brains speaking, "…………….a-and as you can see she is a perfect replica o-of the blue prints you saw in my office, right down to the um interior…..all seventeen a-and two third inches of her, come, take a closer look."

"Two third inches?"

"Ah, yeah, that's right."

"There you go son, your new baby."

"I can't believe I fell for this twice…….. you said it was on the level."

"But it is son. She is a perfect working replica of those blueprints…..all seventeen inches of her."

"Don't forget the two thirds." Gordon intoned dryly.

Jeff nodded with a twinkle in his eye, "and the two thirds."

"A-as you can see Virgil has painted her in your favourite colour. O-of c-course if you don't like the choice o-of yellow or anything else, I can always change it……."

"How about the size! I had it in mind to sit in it, not on it……."

"…..and there's the remote control. I-I've tested her out in the pool a-and she pretty seaworthy, i-in spite of the er, 'glue', but what's a little 'glue' between friends, hmm?"

Gordon stared hard at him then turned and began scrutinizing each of his family in turn.

"I suppose you guys think this is funny!"

"Er, not at all Gordy." Scott mouthed.

"Aw what the heck…..sure we do." Virgil grinned.

 Gordon's fingers tightened round the model in a menacingly subconscious gesture at the mirth filled faces.

"Erm, I-I wouldn't do that, she's the only one of her kind, a-a lot of work has gone into her."

"Does this thing have weapons capabilities?" the medal winner asked with deceptive mildness, his eyes still locked on his family.

"Erm, no she doesn't, why?" Brains asked with a slightly injured air.

Gordon shrugged, "Pity, it would have given me the greatest pleasure to put it to some good use, namely a firing squad I had in mind……" he battled on through the tuts, "now I'll just have to think up something else……in my own good time."  'But for now I need a shower and something to restore my humour, while I dream of getting even….. and that film.' Thrusting the model unceremoniously at Brains he headed back for the monorail.

"You know son, you should quit while you still can….."

"With the ammo we've got in this baby, you'd be wise to listen." Scott said holding up the miniature camcorder. "It wouldn't take two minutes to email an attachment to all your buddies.

Gordon stiffened, but didn't take the bait; he knew his brother to well and would have gambled a month's wages Scott was bluffing.

But the next words halted him in his tracks.

"Yeah, and if that doesn't sway you,  just be glad we didn't pick 'Payback Two.'"

Gordon turned slowly to face Virgil. He wasn't going to ask, he absolutely categorically was not going to ask. Burning with curiosity, he might be but he was definitely determined not to give in……categorically no way.

"Sooooo, what was 'Payback Two? It couldn't have been worse than this one!" he said between clenched lips.

The brothers' exchanged conspiratorial looks.

"Well you smirking musketeers, what was it?"

"Oh we were toying with the idea of feeding Eglantine (Alan's pet alligator) with a dose of Sedonicus Americanus." Virgil supplied.

"What?"

"Theramine to you. The stuff Dr. Orchard and his assistant Hector McGill developed, and then tossing you into her pen………Alan was really in favour of that option."

The way Gordon's mouth worked wordlessly, was priceless.

********

"You know Jeff; I don't think he fully appreciated your little 'Payback'."

Jeff shrugged, watching his son's disappearing back. "You know Mother; you could be right. But never mind, he'll soon get over it."

"Do you suppose that's cured him of his little pranks?"

"Do you really need to ask mother?"

Mrs. Tracy smiled, knowingly.

"So when are you going to tell him about the real upgrades you've had Brains and the boys working on, for Thunderbird four?"

A singular smile came over the head of International Rescue and his lips twitched.

"All in good time mother, all in good time."

********

The end.

********

Well that's it. I hope you liked it. My only intention in writing this series was to bring a little light hearted humour. If I have achieved this and made you laugh, or raised a smile, then I am happy. Sorry I didn't give Gordon a TB4, but how do you improve on perfection? Thankyou for taking the time to read this series and thankyou to all my loyal band of readers who left such warm genuine reviews, and to all those who left reviews. Also a special thankyou to Purupuss for proof reading along with her helpful advice. To those I haven't been able to email a thankyou to; I do so now, your comments have been very much appreciated, thankyou.

Best wishes, Mad-Friend.

P.S.: I have only the greatest love and admiration for those Tracy's.