Your time will come - Final chapter
They say a story isn't worth reading without a fitting ending, well I wrote what I hope is an appropriate ending to this story, so here it is.
WARNING! - Tikatu said it was emotional ending, I hope you lot like upset Tracy's!!!!!!
Pain filled his eyes as he stared at the control panel before him; he screamed as he heard the words in his head telling him his brother wasn't breathing. He so wanted to run away, but all around the spaceship trapped him, keeping him from helping his brothers. He felt the pain return to haunt him like from a time in his younger years when he lost his mother. The world felt like it was beginning to collapse around him as he looked at his scanners and found the life signs were gone from inside Thunderbird Three. They were gone.
"No. I killed them. No, please, Scott, Alan, don't leave me. Please!"
"No please, NO!"
John screamed as his sapphire eyes snapped open; his pupils wide and panicked, his hands trembling as they clutched the bed sheets. Sweat covered every pore of his body and his tears were cold against his hot, damp face. His breathing was swift and deep as the nightmare faded from his mind.
"A nightmare." John said breathlessly as he pushed his hand through his damp hair.
His voice was soft and emotional, the words said in a pleading tone just as they had been for the last seven nights. Every night since returning from space, he had awakened from an emotional and distressing nightmare about the events that occurred from just over a week ago.
"Johnny?" A dark haired man appeared at the doorway to John's bedroom. He, too, had clearly been awakened by his dreams. His rough hair stuck out at irregular angles and his deeply pained eyes looked at the floor as they approached John, giving that fact away.
"You couldn't sleep, either." John stated plainly, managing to calm himself down. The question wasn't needed. Virgil's appearance and manner expressed more than words could tell.
"John... you're crying." Virgil said, as he moved to sit at the end of his middle brother's bed, putting his hands out towards his brother, to embrace him and encourage him to open up about his dreams and feelings.
"I'm fine, really." John tried to slide the damp cotton sheets off his long legs, noticing that his twisting and turning in his sleep had tangled his legs and the bed sheets together.
"Don't please push me away, John. I heard you scream. I know you're not fine." Virgil's pleading words forced him to stop struggling in his bed and enter his brother's embrace.
John felt Virgil's strong secure arms hold his body and he longed for his brother to say the words that would tell him whether his nightmares were only going to get worse or hopefully end.
Virgil looked down at the older blond Tracy brother as his mind shifted to think of their younger blond brother and their oldest brother.
"Tell me about your dream?" Virgil looked him in the eyes.
"No, I can't." John's mouth was hot on Virgil's neck and a tear ran down his cheek.
"Do you want to go downstairs?" Virgil pulled his brother from his chest and asked the question already knowing the answer.
"Yes." John spoke the words and fought to find some courage in his heart.
"Come on, then." Virgil helped John up and both brothers left the room entering the dark corridors. Both brothers didn't want to turn on the lights on; the darkness of the rooms reflected the mood of the villa's occupants, and it was possible that someone was asleep, though not very likely.
"Gordo?" John called out softly as he entered the shadow-covered room.
"John, Virgie." The voice of their brother was low and sad, not a single note of his usual mischievous self remained in the words. Feeling like Virgil had only minutes before, John pulled Gordon into a hug.
"Why are you still awake?" Virgil asked in an uptight manner as he crouched next to the chair Gordon sat in.
"I was just thinking... and... w-watching." Virgil and John's heads both dipped to the marble floor emotions filling their minds. No more words were needed; the silence that filled the room was only disturbed by the constant beeping of two heart monitors.
Virgil stood up and dragged himself to the side of his oldest brother's bed and with tears threatening to fall, he forced the question from his mouth, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.
"Hey Scott, You going to wake up anytime soon, big brother?"
Both Gordon and John reacted to crack of emotion in Virgil's words, a desperate plea to their brothers who both were critically ill and in comas. John got off the cold floor and physically forced himself to move toward the beds He wanted to see his brothers but knew it hurt to see them like that. He lifted his head with a sharp intake of breath.
"He looks so peaceful, so relaxed." John commented with deep sigh as he slowly reached out to stroke his baby brother's flaxen locks.
"Yep, he does. What I wouldn't give if he would just open those sparking blue eyes. That goes for you too, Scotty." Virgil said as he cast his eyes painfully down onto his brother. Scott's skin was warm to the touch but his colour was lighter than usual, Virgil's heart ached at the sight of both this oldest and youngest brothers lying in the sick room not yet showing signs of waking.
"You did great on the mission, Al. I'm really proud of you." John whispered as he held his brother's hand tightly, unconsciously squeezing it just to try and get a reply. None came.
"What did Brains say when you called him?" After listening to his brothers, and not getting any answers from the sick Tracys, Gordon tried to pull something positive into the situation.
"That Thunderbird Five is nearly fully repaired thanks to the equipment he took up and Thunderbird Three is stationed there as usual, but she is still badly damaged and will need more repair work done before she can be flown home." Virgil repeated his conversation with Brains about the condition of the ships.They were truly thankful that he went up to relieve John despite the condition of the craft.
Virgil didn't mention what Brains had said about John, as soon as TB 2 was home. Brains had taken the old space craft, used to help build Thunderbird Five in orbit to get John and tow in TB3. Virgil was hurt to hear the condition John was in when Brains got there. Brains had said John just been sitting on the cold metal floor of TB 5 when he arrived, telling himself it was his fault if they died and that he should have worked faster.
Virgil looked at his middle brother, whose eyes were dulled and pained. His lips were whispering words pleading for Alan to wake, and his hands were shaking as he caressed Alan's face.
"John..." Gordon also turned to look at his brother, who looked truly traumatised.
"It's okay Johnny, they're going to get better, Dad promised, remember." Gordon walked towards him and spoke softly into his brother's ear, his words expressing such belief. John began to shudder. Gordon gathered his older brother into his arms and guided him to another bed on the other side of the room. Virgil quickly followed, and both brothers sat either side of John, not wanting to look at their sick brothers lying across the room, but not able to stop themselves.
He reached out again and repeated his movements of that of about ten minutes ago, he filled another glass of whiskey and drank it swiftly. He couldn't cope anymore, seeing his sons that ill and knowing someone had deliberately wanted them dead made his heart ache. His mind wouldn't stop going around and around the events of the past week, and when he tried to sleep the words of his son haunted him.
' "He's... not... breathing...!" Scott's words that second will stay with me for the rest of my life. They were emotional, horrifying, agonizing. I could hear how the fear that filled his every breath.'
'My heart stopped, I swear, at that moment. I have felt like that only once before, when Lucille died and I can't go through that again. The waiting for Thunderbird Two to reach and dock with her sister ship felt like years, time seemed to stop. I can't really recall what exactly happened, as all I could see were images of Scott and Alan flashing through my mind to the beating of my heart. While Gordon and Virgil were desperately rescuing their brothers ,I was helpless. After Lucille died I never wanted to feel that way again, never, but I did.'
' "They're alive, Dad, we're bringing them home." That's when I remember coming back to reality when I faintly heard Virgil say those words. Until Thunderbird Two was home I couldn't do anything but hope my children would live, in that time I felt so alone. Every one of my sons had been in danger and I wanted nothing more but to hold them all.'
'I remember I felt slightly relieved when Thunderbird Two landed, they were safe but running into Thunderbird Two's sick bay and seeing Alan and Scott so, so... lifeless, my heart constricted again. "No." '
"Boys." Jeff Tracy made his way back into the sick room, glass in hand, saddened by the site of his three sons just staring at Scott and Alan.
"Dad." Virgil said, shocked, emotion and pain showed clearly on all three faces.
"You should be in bed, boys. You're exhausted." Jeff said in a slightly strict way putting his hand on Gordon's shoulder and sitting down on the bed next to him.
"We were just checking they were all right Dad, that's all." John said, tired and sad.
Gordon's brain hadn't stopped thinking about rescuing his brothers. Every time he saw them lying there unconscious just sent his mind straight back to when they docked with Thunderbird Three.
'The bleeping of the airlocks being secured and locked, that's the main thing I remember before turning and running to the air lock going to help Virgil. I can't remember grabbing oxygen masks and a med kit, it's like I just did it. I remember the darkness of Thunderbird Three and having to suddenly adapt to the lack of light was difficult; I had to feel my way through the ship's hatch. Noticing Virgil's flashlight up ahead, I was about to call out but the words wouldn't come. Alan was lying unconscious and looked freezing cold on the metal floor. He was kitted in his spacesuit, but I couldn't see much as Scott was lying unconscious on top of him, both not breathing. I think my heart might have stopped; I certainly froze before I instantly grabbed the oxygen and started forcing Scott to breathe. Virgil was doing the same with Alan. Scott's pulse was weak and I could remember the heaviness of his muscles, but it was better than Alan's condition."
Gordon was jolted from his thought by a hand to his shoulder, his father looked at him, clearly deeply concerned.
"Gordon, you okay?" His father asked as he reached out to Gordon with one arm and John with another, and smiled at Virgil lovingly.
"Sure." His answer was short and incorrect.
All four Tracys just sat there, staring, hoping, and praying.
'Not like this, not now. He can't leave me, I won't let him. I walked into that room so desperately unwilling to look up from the floor, as I knew seeing them would hurt me so much. This family is everything to me, they're my 'brothers', my friends, and then the one I love. It hurt, it cut deep into my heart and it will forever stay there, the image of my 'brother' and the man I love looking so... distant and so ill. I should have stayed but I couldn't be there any longer. '
"No, please no, I need you, don't leave me, I love you."
She stroked her fingers down the glass as she lay on her bed alone, and as her heart released its deep pain and sorrow at the events of the past days, a tear marked the framed photo of the youngest Tracy son.
Jeff Tracy lay in the middle of the large bed in the dark sick room, one of his hands slowly stroked John's blond head, while his other arm was wrapped around Gordon. Virgil perched next to Gordon and held his hand, all sat in silence. The tropical winds couldn't be heard even though they blew the curtains, the continuous rhythmic swash of the Pacific wasn't heard even though they were close to the shore, Virgil Tracy only heard the harshness of his breath and beating of his heart as the memories returned.
'Scott, Alan! Running I remember running through the ship. It was dark and cold but I didn't have to go far to see a image that has and will haunt my dreams: my two brothers not breathing.'
'I don't remember Gordon arriving to help me, but I recall yelling and forcing Alan to start breathing, and resuscitating him was the worst thing I have ever done. I could have lost him. I remember thinking getting them to the sick room on TB2 would be hard as they were both unconscious. What would we have done without those DJ's? We would have been helpless. I really need to thank those guys again soon. After all five of us got them to the sick room, I knew then how truly sick they were.'
'Scott was so pale and looked so much younger, and Alan, his lips were still slightly blue and he was ice cold to the touch. I didn't want to leave them, but I had to get them home, but running from the room I felt so guilty for leaving their sides.'
'I don't think I have ever been happier to see my home, the journey home had broken all of Thunderbird Two's speed records but it seemed like forever before I saw the eyes of my father, and help for my brothers.'
Virgil felt John move next to him and he returned to the present.
'We can't lose them, we need them. One look across to my Dad and brothers and I see them scared. We have all been haunted by our nightmares and are afraid to leave their side as they may wake or move and we won't see it. It's natural, I suppose, for people you love.'
Virgil's eyes could no longer cope. They fell shut as his brothers' had before him. Maybe this time his dreams would not be as haunted.
Jeff cast his eyes over his sons lying next to him; they were drained and were now sleeping softly and peacefully. His eyes and head moved to look at his eldest and youngest, they were so alike in different ways, Scott looked after Alan as a son, Alan worshiped Scott and always looked up to him. Seeing them like that, Jeff Tracy thought only one thing as his eyes began to close and his mind entered into a deep sleep.
"I swear to all of International Rescue's enemies, we will have our turn to get back at you someday. We won't forget what you have done to us, and you will pay the price. Your time will come!"
Jeff Tracy entered his sleep just before the only sound in the room was getting slowly more rapid and smoother.
'Bleep'
'Bleep'
'Bleep'
'Bleep'
'Bleep'
'Bleep...'
"I knew he shouldn't be trusted." The bitterness and resentment was clear in his voice.
"Failure, all he gives me is failure. Time after time he tries and fails each one. Well, no more! This time I will have my turn at winning." He yelled to no one.
"Two months after they saved each other's lives from an appalling plot to kill them all, they are now back to saving the world. Just another day in the life of International Rescue!"
The news report continued on to tell how the world is celebrating as International Rescue saved the day again, as a truly evil man devised a new threat that would lead to more nightmares of IR.
"I know who you are, International Rescue, and I know how to hurt you. I guarantee you your time will come!"
The secret evil mastermind of every plot against IR, Agent X cursed his threat, and a smile looked back at him as he looked in the mirror. The reflection would be familiar to every member of the Tracy family, if they ever found out who Agent X was!
Authors note:
Thanks SO much to Tikatu for all her beta reading, she worked a miracle on my work, and I recommend looking at her stories, as they are great.
Also thank you so much to all the reviews it helps so much for encouragement and criticisms, especially the people who review so many of the chapters, I hope you weren't disappointed by the end? If you are tell me!
So this story is finished, or is it? Could Agent X be back to haunt to Tracy's again?
Many thanks, Star*