Disclaimer - I do not own, and have never owned Thunderbirds or any other film/tv show that might be mentioned - they're owned by Gerry Anderson and whichever TV company - Carlton Media International I think… Anyway, I don't own them, I just like to borrow them from time to time to entertain myself.
Author's Note - Okay here goes, I have a lot to say so bear with me! Firstly, I am not a brilliant writer, I know that but please don't pull me down on any little mistakes I make. But feel free to give constructive criticism when needed, and if you see any blaringly obvious plot holes etc, than please point them out! Just be nice, please?
Secondly, I'm just a bored teenager with nothing else to do, which is why I'm writing this. I probably won't get past a couple of chapters, but I might do, you never know. Anyways, I used to watch Thunderbirds when I was a little kid and have renewed my interest in it after watching the end of one episode and seeing the hype for the film. Admittedly the film looks nothing like the TV show, and has probably ruined it but oh well - it looks fun nevertheless. So I'm afraid that my info on the Thunderbirds and the Tracy's may be a little out, but I have been using both the TV show website, and the film website for details. Both have different info so some of the ages/dates might not be right, but could you just pretend they are for the sake of it? Lol thanks! Oh and the title isn't very good, but I'm useless at thinking them up… I may change it, any suggestions are welcome!
Finally, the main character isn't a canon character, which you may or may not like. But hopefully you do - just thought I'd warn you before hand!
Enjoy the story! And don't forget to review!
The Lost Returns
Prologue - 10 Years Ago
Darkness covered Tracy Island, the stars shining brightly in the clear sky and the moon sending its reflection across the water. The five Tracy's slept safely in their beds, whilst John kept an ever vigil watch miles above them in Thunderbird 5. The island was still, the silence comforting and only broken by the occasional animal and the ticking of the clocks. Tracy Island had never seen such a beautiful night, the sea lapping quietly over the sand with not a cloud in the sky, but no-one was around to see it.
In his bedroom, Jeff Tracy had just fallen into an uneasy sleep when the telephone in the other room began to ring. Groaning, Jeff rolled over onto his stomach and pulled a pillow down over his head, trying to drown out the shrill noise. But the telephone kept on ringing, waking the rest of the family up too and echoing in the deserted rooms.
"Great, what now?" Jeff muttered, reluctantly throwing the covers off and getting to his feet. Pausing to look at his dishevelled appearance in the mirror, he sighed and headed to the telephone, which typically stopped ringing the moment he got near it. Suppressing the anger that was about to appear, Jeff turned and started to head back to bed when the phone rang again. Feeling tempted to just let it keep on ringing, he sighed again and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" He asked sharply, glancing at the clock at the wall. Three o'clock, who would ring at this time? he thought, frowning. He could hear someone crying on the other end of the line, and faint screaming in the background.
"Hello?" He repeated, the annoyance in his voice evaporating and being replaced by concern. The person on the other end was still crying and it was only then that Jeff realised who it was.
"Ellie? Ellie sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked, relaxing a little when he recognised her ten year old sniffling.
There was a loud sniff and then;
"…Uncle Jeff? Uncle Jeff! You have to come over right now!" The young girl exclaimed, barely recognisable through her sobs.
"Why? What's wrong?" Jeff frowned, wondering what on earth could have set Ellie off at this time in the morning.
There was a long pause, broken by a scream in the background before Ellie whispered, "I think they're hurting mum and dad!"
"Who is?" Jeff replied, walking with the phone into his bedroom and began pulling out some clothes, realising the seriousness of the situation.
"Some men." Ellie stated, her voice rising by the second. "They're hurting them! Please you have to come! Before they -" She broke off, uttering a soft whimper before the line went dead.
"Ellie? Ellie!" Jeff shouted at the dial tone, throwing the phone down in frustration and pulling on the clothes he'd managed to dig out. Casting an anxious look at the phone, he ran in to the other room, not surprised to see his four sons seated at the table. They stood up when he appeared, fear written over their faces after being woken up by their father's conversation. He paused, contemplating what to tell them.
"I have to go over to Xander's house immediately. I don't know what's happened but Ellie's hysterical." He stated, deciding it was better to tell them at least part of the truth. "I don't know when I'll be back, but I want you all to return to bed, there's no point staying up worrying." He finished, pulling on his jacket and started to walk towards the door when Scott grabbed his arm.
"But -" Scott started, his face anxious and concerned for both his father and Ellie.
"Don't Scott, please." Jeff replied, pulling his arm free and looking pleadingly into his son's eyes. "Do what I say for once."
Jeff gave all of his sons one last look before rushing out, leaving them all in a state of anxiety. They all looked at each other, an unspoken agreement passed between them and none of them returned to bed, all preferring to wait up and worry rather than return to bed unconcerned.
Half an hour later, Jeff Tracy arrived at a large house in the middle of the countryside, isolated from civilisation with no neighbours for at least a mile in each direction. He could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, knowing they would never get there in time. His jaw had dropped open at the sight of the once beautiful house, which was now being engulfed by flames licking eagerly at the windows and doors and sending dark clouds of smoke billowing into the air. The vines and flowers that had once covered the brick walls were now charred and the front room looked like a fireball, far from it's finely decorated existence before. Jeff paused for a second, paralysed at the sight of the flames creeping slowly towards the roof, before forcing his eyes away and jumping into action.
He ran up to the house, calling Ellie's name and looking desperately in the windows. Spotting an arm through in the living room, he smashed the door open and immediately shrank back, the immense heat pushing him away. Screwing up his eyes and putting his arm over his mouth, he ventured into the living room and picked up the unconscious body of a young girl and then made his way out, ignoring the flames that were jumping up at him.
Running across the lawn, he dropped to his knees and lay Ellie on the floor, looking horrified at what he was seeing. She was still alive, but barely. Her face was covered in blood from a head wound, and her clothes were ripped revealing lots of deep, bloody cuts. Her left arm was stuck out at an odd angle, and looked bruised even in the dark. Careful not to hurt her, Jeff checked her pulse and was confident she was breathing before standing up and starting towards the house again. He gained about 10 yards before a huge explosion sent him flying back off his feet and landing painfully on the ground.
Sitting up, Jeff watched in horror as the whole house was now completely ablaze and overwhelmed by the fire. In shock, he crawled over to Ellie and held her in his arms, checking she was still breathing. As he did so, her eyes flickered open and took in the sight of her house, tears starting to fall down her bloody cheeks. Noticing her crying, Jeff pulled her even closer, trying to comfort her but failing.
She began to scream "Mummy!" over and over, and all Jeff could do was hold her, waiting for the sirens to reach them and put out the fire. As he sat there, he became hypnotised by the dancing flames and was convinced he heard screaming within the house and a shape moving in the smoke and fire.