I stare hard at the person who has invaded my private thoughts and put my
hands firmly on my hips. "I'm going to visit Alan. To straighten everything
out."
"That's what you think," John answers, just as sternly. "Did you honestly think you'd get away with this?"
"It would have been possible had you not come along," I retort, sitting back down at the chair and pressing the button to open the hatch above Thunderbird Three, still wanting to carry out my plan.
"Now what do you think you're doing?"
"The same thing I was before you interrupted me."
"No way, Tin-Tin. Come on, go and get a good sleep. You aren't thinking clearly." John rakes a hand back through his blond hair, obviously wanting to go back to his own room to do what he'd just instructed me to.
I reply to his words with a firm no, and he looks at me as if I'd just sprouted another head.
"Pardon me?"
"I said, 'No'. I'm not going anywhere." I press a few more buttons, making sure everything is ready for liftoff. Now I just need John to get off my back. "Either you come with me, or you forget you saw me and play innocent when your father wakes up and begins barking orders as soon as he hears the engines." I look at him, knowing he's surprised I'm disobeying him. "What'll it be, John?"
"Why are women always so persuasive?" He asks absently, looking around the ship.
"You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?" I tease, trying to lighten the mood. "So, are you coming or staying?"
He sighs and I can read the indecision on his face like a book. "I'm not going to let you risk your life, no matter how terrible Father tortures me after he finds out," John says finally. "I'm coming with you."
Now it's my turn to be shocked. John, obedient, reliable John, is about to defy his father for my sake? A small smile pulls at my lips and I turn back to the control panel. "Get dressed, boy, or else you'll be visiting space in your boxer shorts."
John glances down and begins to blush before raising his head again. "I don't want to grab some actual clothes in case you decide to leave me behind. Don't start the engines yet, let me grab my uniform and change first." He picks up the blue outfit that has appeared at his side, thanks to a button I've pushed, and grabs the pants and shirt. "Don't start the engines," he repeats.
"All right, all right." I put one hand up in surrender as I study the gauge showing the amount of gas left in the tanks. It should be just enough to get Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird Five and back without trouble.
John takes one last look at me before shaking his head and taking the elevator to one of the lower levels to change. When he comes back up, dressed in blue without his lilac sash, he sits down next to me. This is my signal to gun the engines and I can see how troubled he is as he looks down at the controls.
"John," I say, trying to sound reassuring, "I would have been fine on my own. But now that you're here, and you know how to drive this thing better than I do, there won't be any problems."
"I'm not worried about Thunderbird Three. I'm worried about how both Father and Alan are going to kill me. Will they dump me in the pool and tie me beneath the surface or launch me into space without a spacesuit?" He wonders sarcastically. "Tin-Tin, you're asking for trouble. Not only from the people on the island, but also from Alan. I hate to say it, but I think you're the last person he wants to see right now."
"I know," I acknowledge sadly. "But I have to see him, John. I have to make him see how much this is hurting me. I have to try and make him understand." Thunderbird Three begins to tremble from the power of its engines. "I feel so terrible. What happened with Virgil began as a mistake but became much more than that, and now I have to choose between Alan and him and it's just. . .so difficult." I feel tears begin to form behind my eyes and blink them away before turning to look at John. "What am I going to do?"
He glances my way sympathetically. "I guess going to set things straight with Alan is a good idea, though I'd better hope I get Thunderbird Three away from the station before he explodes." John's words are sardonically encouraging, making me feel a bit better. "But I don't know what you're going to do about the whole situation. That's not up to me. You have to listen to your heart Tin-Tin. You're going to disappoint one, no matter what you do."
"Thanks, John."
"You're welcome. Now, we'd best be going before Father hears us." He gestures at the controls.
I take a deep breath. "I can do this, I can do this. . ." I'm sure John thinks I'm crazy, but the pep talk isn't for him. I smile wryly. "Thunderbirds are go!"
John's chuckle is drowned out by the sound of the motors as Thunderbird Three propels itself into the sky.
+++
It's a good long time before we even catch sight of Thunderbird Five. Just seeing it's metallic form mingling with the stars is enough to cause my blood to run cold. I slow the craft down, as if I were planning to dock but am really trying to force my thoughts to subside.
On a split second decision, I throw Thunderbird Three in reverse and turn the craft around. "I can't do this," I say in answer to John's baffled look.
"Tin-Tin, you've come this far. You either face Alan or one very, very angry father of mine."
After I consider those options, I find myself heading for the space station again. "I think I'd rather be with Alan."
"You're right, you would. But I'm going to head back and get shouted at, so make sure you remember one thing: you owe me one, Tin-Tin Kyrano, and I won't let you forget it," John answers jokingly.
"Don't worry, John. I'll make it up to you somehow." I smile at him and press one hand to my chest, feeling my heart start racing ten times faster than before. My face falls, and so does my spirit. "He's going to be so mad. . ."
"I think he already is. If anyone can make him change his mind, it's you. You know that as well as I do. You just have to try." I knew John could see me wavering in apprehension so he takes control of the vessel and before I can even blink it seems, we're attached to Thunderbird Five. "Ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." I surprise myself by leaning over and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, John. I'm glad you came with me."
He too seems taken aback by my sudden show of affection but embraces me in return. "No problem, Tin-Tin. Now, go in there and show him what he's missing." John smiles at me as we pull apart.
I stand, picking up my bag. "I'll call you as soon as I need a lift home, all right?"
"You bet." He opens the airlock and I step inside. From in there, I can hear his voice over the intercom. "Tell me when."
John knows me too well. He knows I'm not prepared so I take a second and lean against the wall to steady myself. Then I square my shoulders and look determinedly at the door, which will open into the station's airlock. I don't require a space suit to go from craft to craft. "All right, go ahead."
"That's what you think," John answers, just as sternly. "Did you honestly think you'd get away with this?"
"It would have been possible had you not come along," I retort, sitting back down at the chair and pressing the button to open the hatch above Thunderbird Three, still wanting to carry out my plan.
"Now what do you think you're doing?"
"The same thing I was before you interrupted me."
"No way, Tin-Tin. Come on, go and get a good sleep. You aren't thinking clearly." John rakes a hand back through his blond hair, obviously wanting to go back to his own room to do what he'd just instructed me to.
I reply to his words with a firm no, and he looks at me as if I'd just sprouted another head.
"Pardon me?"
"I said, 'No'. I'm not going anywhere." I press a few more buttons, making sure everything is ready for liftoff. Now I just need John to get off my back. "Either you come with me, or you forget you saw me and play innocent when your father wakes up and begins barking orders as soon as he hears the engines." I look at him, knowing he's surprised I'm disobeying him. "What'll it be, John?"
"Why are women always so persuasive?" He asks absently, looking around the ship.
"You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you?" I tease, trying to lighten the mood. "So, are you coming or staying?"
He sighs and I can read the indecision on his face like a book. "I'm not going to let you risk your life, no matter how terrible Father tortures me after he finds out," John says finally. "I'm coming with you."
Now it's my turn to be shocked. John, obedient, reliable John, is about to defy his father for my sake? A small smile pulls at my lips and I turn back to the control panel. "Get dressed, boy, or else you'll be visiting space in your boxer shorts."
John glances down and begins to blush before raising his head again. "I don't want to grab some actual clothes in case you decide to leave me behind. Don't start the engines yet, let me grab my uniform and change first." He picks up the blue outfit that has appeared at his side, thanks to a button I've pushed, and grabs the pants and shirt. "Don't start the engines," he repeats.
"All right, all right." I put one hand up in surrender as I study the gauge showing the amount of gas left in the tanks. It should be just enough to get Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird Five and back without trouble.
John takes one last look at me before shaking his head and taking the elevator to one of the lower levels to change. When he comes back up, dressed in blue without his lilac sash, he sits down next to me. This is my signal to gun the engines and I can see how troubled he is as he looks down at the controls.
"John," I say, trying to sound reassuring, "I would have been fine on my own. But now that you're here, and you know how to drive this thing better than I do, there won't be any problems."
"I'm not worried about Thunderbird Three. I'm worried about how both Father and Alan are going to kill me. Will they dump me in the pool and tie me beneath the surface or launch me into space without a spacesuit?" He wonders sarcastically. "Tin-Tin, you're asking for trouble. Not only from the people on the island, but also from Alan. I hate to say it, but I think you're the last person he wants to see right now."
"I know," I acknowledge sadly. "But I have to see him, John. I have to make him see how much this is hurting me. I have to try and make him understand." Thunderbird Three begins to tremble from the power of its engines. "I feel so terrible. What happened with Virgil began as a mistake but became much more than that, and now I have to choose between Alan and him and it's just. . .so difficult." I feel tears begin to form behind my eyes and blink them away before turning to look at John. "What am I going to do?"
He glances my way sympathetically. "I guess going to set things straight with Alan is a good idea, though I'd better hope I get Thunderbird Three away from the station before he explodes." John's words are sardonically encouraging, making me feel a bit better. "But I don't know what you're going to do about the whole situation. That's not up to me. You have to listen to your heart Tin-Tin. You're going to disappoint one, no matter what you do."
"Thanks, John."
"You're welcome. Now, we'd best be going before Father hears us." He gestures at the controls.
I take a deep breath. "I can do this, I can do this. . ." I'm sure John thinks I'm crazy, but the pep talk isn't for him. I smile wryly. "Thunderbirds are go!"
John's chuckle is drowned out by the sound of the motors as Thunderbird Three propels itself into the sky.
+++
It's a good long time before we even catch sight of Thunderbird Five. Just seeing it's metallic form mingling with the stars is enough to cause my blood to run cold. I slow the craft down, as if I were planning to dock but am really trying to force my thoughts to subside.
On a split second decision, I throw Thunderbird Three in reverse and turn the craft around. "I can't do this," I say in answer to John's baffled look.
"Tin-Tin, you've come this far. You either face Alan or one very, very angry father of mine."
After I consider those options, I find myself heading for the space station again. "I think I'd rather be with Alan."
"You're right, you would. But I'm going to head back and get shouted at, so make sure you remember one thing: you owe me one, Tin-Tin Kyrano, and I won't let you forget it," John answers jokingly.
"Don't worry, John. I'll make it up to you somehow." I smile at him and press one hand to my chest, feeling my heart start racing ten times faster than before. My face falls, and so does my spirit. "He's going to be so mad. . ."
"I think he already is. If anyone can make him change his mind, it's you. You know that as well as I do. You just have to try." I knew John could see me wavering in apprehension so he takes control of the vessel and before I can even blink it seems, we're attached to Thunderbird Five. "Ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." I surprise myself by leaning over and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, John. I'm glad you came with me."
He too seems taken aback by my sudden show of affection but embraces me in return. "No problem, Tin-Tin. Now, go in there and show him what he's missing." John smiles at me as we pull apart.
I stand, picking up my bag. "I'll call you as soon as I need a lift home, all right?"
"You bet." He opens the airlock and I step inside. From in there, I can hear his voice over the intercom. "Tell me when."
John knows me too well. He knows I'm not prepared so I take a second and lean against the wall to steady myself. Then I square my shoulders and look determinedly at the door, which will open into the station's airlock. I don't require a space suit to go from craft to craft. "All right, go ahead."