A/N: Here's a little shorty chapter which is the build up to the next one which I'm looking very forward to writing! Aw, romance!
xAnnieMx: Thank you for your review, the fact you said Sophia wasn't a Mary Sue meant very much - I'm doing my best to keep her non Sue! And about Tin-Tin, I understand that she's a big part but this is just a little fluff for Virgil and my OC...I'm not going to bother too much on exploring other characters! But thanks and thanks again.
Fran Lavery, pepsemaxke and Thunderbird-Shrapnel: Thank you for your kind reviews, it really makes me want to carry on writing! Glad you're enjoying it! And Thunderbird-Shrapnel - Very cool name by the by...Lex Shrapnel fan by any chance? ;o)
"Virgil, you will stay and keep an eye on Sophia! Remember what I told you," Jeff said firmly, looking at his young son.
"I'm not a babysitter Dad! What if something goes wrong?" Virgil argued.
"With Sophia? I don't have time to argue Virgil. You will be staying. Get some work done and be pleasant for God's sake," Jeff barked and Vigil knew he was beaten. He was beaten before the argument even began.
"Come on Dad, we've got to get going," Scott shouted, striding through the HQ and toward his portrait. "Have fun Virgil."
Virgil scowled at his older brother, feeling like a sulky five year old. It wasn't that he didn't like Sophia, he just didn't wish to be alone on the Island with her.
"Be nice," Jeff said again, pointing his gloved finger at Virgil then turning and walking over to his own portrait. "Thunderbirds are go!"
Virgil was left alone in HQ, no better for his argument with his father.
Reluctantly, he left HQ and wandered very slowly to the living room where he knew Sophia had been reading a book. When he looked, she was not there.
A slight panic set in. He hadn't lost her already had he?
But thankfully Virgil could hear splashing water from behind him and he breathed a small sigh of relief. The pool. Of course.
Sliding back the glass door, Virgil stepped out into the baking sun and padded bare foot over to a lounge and perched on the edge.
"Aren't you going?" Sophia asked when she spotted Virgil. She stopped her laps and stood up, pushing her hair off her face.
"Doesn't look like it," Virgil replied dully but regretted his tone for Sophia shrugged and continued her laps.
With a frustrated sigh, Virgil pulled off his yellow t-shirt and dived in the pool, feeling the water cool him instantly. He slicked his hair back with one hand and leant against the wall of the stone pool.
When Sophia reached the wall she was heading for, she turned to come back and seeing Virgil in the water made a surprised smile play on her lips.
They looked at each other from opposite ends of the pool, Sophia panting slightly. She shook her head and continued swimming back toward Virgil.
She wasn't the best swimmer but enjoyed it none the less, she loved the way the water parted for her arms as she pushed them forward and the way the water tried to stop her from kicking her legs.
She then began thinking about Virgil swimming, watching his broad shoulders bob in and out of the water, his dark hair stuck down on his forehead almost covering his matching eyes that Sophia felt could penetrate her very soul...
Inhaling water in surprise of feeling someone grab her shoulders and smashing her head on the stone, Sophia emerged from the water spluttering and coughing all over Virgil.
"I! What happened?" Sophia gasped, feeling the top of her head begin to throb and nose and throat sting horribly.
"Didn't look like you were going to stop," Virgil said, still holding Sophia's shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," Sophia replied, gingerly feeling the top of her sore head. She brought her hand to eye level and saw it was coated in vibrant red blood. "Maybe not."
"Oh God," Virgil said. "Come on, I'll tidy that up."
Leaving behind a cloud of red in the pool reminiscent of Jaws, Sophia climbed out of the pool feeling sheepish and with a throbbing head ache following Virgil into the kitchen.
"Sit down," Vigil said softly as he went to get the first aid kit. Sophia slid onto a chair at the breakfast bar and watched Virgil reach up into a cupboard to retrieve a green first aid box, giving Sophia a very clear view of his muscled arms and shoulders...
"Stop it," Sophia said to herself, snapping herself out of another daydream she was slipping into.
"Stop what?" Virgil asked, coming back with the kit.
"Nothing!" Sophia said quickly as Virgil swivelled the chair around so Sophia could face him. Being quite tall, Virgil had no problem inspecting the top of Sophia's head leaving her with the predicament of facing Virgil's chest.
"It's a graze," Virgil diagnosed and reached for a cloth. "Your hair's a nice shade of red though."
Sophia didn't reply. Truth be told she couldn't if she tried as Virgil's chest was more captivating than first thought.
Virgil dabbed away whilst Sophia marvelled until he put something on her head that stung so badly, it made Sophia jump from her seat and smash her head on Virgil's chin.
"OUCH! Oh, good Lord!" Sophia cried, clutching her head whilst Virgil held his chin, his eyes watering.
"It was iodine," Virgil informed, rubbing his chin and checking all his bottom teeth were still fixed in his head.
"Christ!" Sophia exclaimed, patting her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I mean...that really, really hurt."
"Sorry but I had to," Virgil said, giving his chin one last rub before packing away the medical supplies. "Come here."
On tip toes, Virgil looked at the top of Sophia's head once more as her wet bikini top pressed against his chest slightly resulting in both of them goose bumping.
"I'll go get changed," Sophia said quickly as their eyes briefly met when Virgil was satisfied with viewing her head.
"Ok. Good," Virgil said awkwardly. "Not good that you're going, good that you're getting undressed. No! I meant good that you're changing...because you're wet. From the pool."
By the time Virgil had finished becoming the Biggest Idiot of the Universe Ever, he and Sophia were both as red as each other.
"I'll go now," Sophia said and turned toward where her bedroom was.
Virgil watched her leave and as soon as she was out of sight, he let out a long breath and slumped on the chair Sophia had been sitting at.
"Get a grip Virgil," He said to himself with a shake of his head. "Just shut up. Shut up."
- - -
Virgil had indeed kept his word and shut up. So much so that he hadn't spoken a word to Sophia all morning and it wasn't until Onaha called them for lunch that he saw her again.
"What have you been doing all morning then?" Sophia asked conversationally, crunching a piece of carrot.
"Working," Virgil replied shortly before realising the harshness of his tone and adding "how's your head?"
"It's ok," Sophia replied, not looking at him. She was feeling rather embarrassed around Virgil and knew exactly why. She was developing a little crush and had spent all morning cursing herself over it.
"Look, I'm sorry," Virgil said sincerely
"For what?" Sophia asked, surprised. She eyed him curiously, letting her carrot drop from her hand onto her plate.
"I haven't been the most welcoming of people these past two weeks and Scott seemed to have everything under control but maybe we could start again? I've been a complete jerk and you're a guest," Virgil rambled on.
"It's fine, it's fine," Sophia replied with a warm smile that reached her sky blue eyes. "I haven't exactly been that open either. So let's start over. Hi, I'm Sophia."
She held out her hand with all the confidence she could muster.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Virgil," Virgil replied, also smiling. He took her hand and shook it gently, enjoying the feel of her hand.
"And I'm hungry!" Alan exclaimed, bursting into the kitchen, Gordon and Scott in his wake. Virgil tore his hand from Sophia's fast as lightning and proceed to stare into his salad.
"Miss me?" Scott asked jokingly as he sat down next to Sophia and poured himself a tall glass of lemonade.
"Yes. But Virgil managed to occupy my mind so the pain wasn't that bad," Sophia joked back. She liked Scott a lot and found herself laughing and joking within minutes of being in his presence.
John and Jeff entered the kitchen also, pulling off their gloves and loosening their collars as the Island was sweltering hot today and a storm was forecast for tonight making the Island extremely humid and sticky.
The silence was soon broken between Virgil and Sophia as the brothers all began chatting animatedly to one another and gloating to Virgil about their latest mission of rescuing a small village from a Hawaiian volcano eruption.
Sophia couldn't help but smiling to herself throughout lunch with thoughts of Virgil, his caring nature toward her and best of all, his fantastic body.