By the time Thunderbird Three begins it's decent into it's hiding spot under the roundhouse, Alan has worn himself out screaming at Scott and at John via the screen at the front of the ship. I sat huddled in a corner for the entire trip, my eyes glued to his display of anger. Now hoarse from the yelling match he'd had against himself, since neither Scott nor John had shown any sympathy for him, Alan bolts out of the craft as soon as the door opens.

Scott makes a move to go after him but I rest a hand on his arm and shake my head. "Give him time," I murmur.

He nods reluctantly and goes through the routine of checking to make sure Thunderbird Three is ready for the next time it needs to be launched. I watch silently before retreating to my own room and unpacking my suitcase.

It's not long until there is a knock at my door. Interested as to see who it is, but not wishing to see a fuming Mr. Tracy on the other side, I open it and peer out.

Virgil stands on the other side, smiling as if nothing has happened. I let out a breath of relief and invite him in, returning to my task of putting my clothes back into their drawers.

"So how did Scott and John's plan work out?" He asks, sitting on my bed and watching me move about the room.

"You knew about it?"

"Of course."

"Well, they succeeded, but our ears got quite a bit of a bashing on the way home." I shake my head sadly. "I thought we had put an end to this, but I was wrong."

"I thought we had too." He grabs me as I walk past and pulls me down beside him. "What happened between you two up there?"

"Everything and nothing at the same time," I answer tiredly, leaning against him with a yawn.

"Are you going to elaborate on that for me?"

"We had a chat in his room for a while, and I thought we had understood where the other was coming from." I sigh quietly and close my eyes. "And then, after you talked to him, he kissed me."

"He kissed you?" He tries to keep his voice down, but I can hear the antipathy in it. "What did you do?"

I can feel Virgil tense at my side and I take his hand comfortingly. "I pushed him away."

He relaxes slightly. "Then what?"

"We both got really mad at each other. He told me his comment to you about being single again was so I could let you down easy. Alan thought that because I fell asleep in his arms I was taking him back."

"But you aren't, right?"

"No, I'm not." I turn and kiss him gently before standing up to finish my unpacking. "Where's your father?"

"In the lounge, talking to John about this escapade. He sent me here to get you." Virgil admits, realizing he's become sidetracked from his mission.

"He wants to see me?" I swallow hard. "Is he still mad?"

"Not as much as he was before. Still a bit purple, though." He smiles at me.

"Thanks for the reassurance, Virgil," I mutter sarcastically.

He gets to his feet and holds me tightly. "If it's any cancellation, he's much more upset about Thunderbird Three than about us."

"Isn't he worried about Alan, and angry at me for doing such a thing?"

"Sure he is, but I told him not to meddle in our personal lives unless he had to."

"That's not going to stop him though, is it?" I ask anxiously.

"Probably not."

+++

When I enter the living room a few minutes later, I find Mr. Tracy talking to Scott, who is perched on the corner of his desk.

"Where is Alan now?" Mr. Tracy says, saying goodbye to John as he sees me out of the corner of his eye. I hang back, listening to their conversation, until he beckons me forward.

"He's in the garage, last I heard from him. Probably taking apart the motorcar engine again."

I can't help but smile at Scott's answer. The resolution hits me hard as my mind involuntarily brings up the fact that Alan is still Alan, and even though we are not together, he is still the same person. When he is frustrated with the world, he disappears into the garage and tinkers around with his racecar until he reappears several hours later, covered in grease from head to toe.

Scott notices me and excuses himself, wandering into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Mr. Tracy." I greet him calmly, though my body is strained with worry that he'll do something drastic to me after what I'd done.

"Tin-Tin." He nods and goes to sit behind his desk before peering at me. "Before I begin asking questions, what do you have to say for yourself?"

I gulp and then take a deep breath, cursing myself for not being prepared. I meet his eyes steadily and begin my explanation. "I didn't mean to cause anyone harm, Mr. Tracy. I took Thunderbird Three because I felt it my responsibility to sort things out with Alan."

"If John had not caught you in time, would you have taken it on your own?"

"Yes, I would have."

"Do you realize how much danger you put yourself and possibly the organization in?"

"Yes, Mr. Tracy," I reply numbly, knowing he is not interested in a solid response.

"If you had neglected to turn on the cloaking device, anyone could have tracked the whereabouts of the craft if it was in the vicinity of their radar. And, if something had gone wrong, we would have been unable to save you because we don't have another spaceship."

I nod soundlessly, showing him I understood.

He stands up and approaches me, positioning himself a few feet away. I lift my head and look at him, interested as to what else he's going to say.

"And, Tin-Tin, if your trip to Thunderbird Five would hadn't been successful, we would have lost something much more important."

I tilt my head, my curiosity obvious in my expression. "What's that, Mr. Tracy?"

"You."

I smile guiltily. "Thank you, Mr. Tracy."

"I'm just glad you're safe." He sits back down at his desk and dismisses me. I try to hide my surprise at the fact that he didn't bring up my relationships with both Virgil and Alan. I turn to leave and turn around at his voice again. "Oh, and Tin-Tin?"

"Yes, Mr. Tracy?"

"Don't ever hijack Thunderbird Three again."

I grin slightly and nod. "Of course not, Mr. Tracy."