A/N: Some of the story has parts of the movie in and some doesn't. And some of the movie doesn't exist in the story at all (like Fermat for example… anyone else thinking wtf? When it comes to him?) Anyhoo that's just so y'all know. Please r n r let me know what u think, and thank u so much to all those that have done already :D tis much appareciated.

Choice & Consequence

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"The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." – George Eliot

Three

Penelope shifted a glance towards Brains as she watched Jeff explain his plan to him. To his credit the scientist had kept his face neutral, something she had failed to do when Jeff had told her of his idea to cryogenically freeze the boys. Needless to say the former astronaut had been less than impressed with her reaction and had refused to say anything to her for the rest of the journey back to Tracy Island from the mainland, accusing her of wanting his sons dead. Brains however, managed to retain some self-control and was nodding every so often, murmuring words of acknowledgement as Jeff spoke quickly, almost excited, at the prospect of putting the plan into action.

Her gaze changed again as she saw Kyrano enter at the far side of the room. She turned her attention to the floor, catching his look. She had been on the receiving end of the normally gentle-natured mans tirades more times than she cared to count since the boys had died. Taking over Jeff's business affairs upon request, Kyrano had had little to do with his emotional ones, Penelope stepping in where he could not. Fairly obviously Kyrano disapproved of the way Penelope handled the older man, branding her foolish and heartless for continuously "putting him through" seeing his dead sons. She'd tried to explain time and time again that it was Jeff's choice and there was little she could do to persuade him otherwise but Kyrano would have none of it. She had no doubt she would receive yet another berating once the oriental heard of Jeff's freezing plan.

"I want preparations to begin immediately Brains. At whatever the cost."

Brains again nodded, but said nothing, letting Jeff continue.

"It has to work, understand? We're not going to stop until it does."

Brains nodded as Jeff finished, and the former astronaut seemed happy with his plans, heading towards Kyrano to spread the news. Penelope watched as the old friends left the lounge, walking as they talked. She turned her attention to Brains.

"This was your idea?" He asked her, straight to the point.

She shook her head. Kyrano was not the only one to change since the boys' deaths. "No." She said quietly. "But something I said reminded him of what the doctor mentioned."

"This is ludicrous." The words were sharp and to the point.

She nodded. "I know."

Brains sighed and shook his head. "It'll kill him you know. When it doesn't work."

"I know." She repeated, her words a whisper. The thought of Jeff going through more pain didn't seem right, and she hated that she could do nothing to prevent it. Once Jeff Tracy got an idea, there was no talking him out of it.

Brains sighed again, beginning to mumble more to him self than to her. "He could have gone either way, trust him to choose the one that's going to stop him getting on with his life."

Penelope had to bite her lip from saying too much. From what she'd seen since in the past month Jeff had no life to get on with. It had been taken along with his children. She kept her mouth shut though. She'd learned the hard way not to disagree with Brains since their deaths. "You'll let me know what's going on?" She asked him as he headed back towards his lab.

"Always." He nodded.

She let out a long breath as she sat heavily down on one of the couches. She looked over it sadly, running a hand over the fabric, remembering the summer before and John's party. Since the incident with Thunderbird 5 the year before, Jeff had decided that for a week the whole family be together, leaving the space station on auto pilot. Needless to say, everyone had enjoyed being with each other and the noise and laughter that filled the house had been louder than ever. The photo, taken at the height of the evening festivities, of herself, the boys, Jeff, Parker, Brains, Tin-Tin and Kyrano sitting on the same couch she sat on now, stood on her dresser back in England and on the table in front, as a reminder of happier times. She stared at it sadly, trying to swallow her tears, remembering once more that she missed them more than she ever imagined she could.

"Penelope."

She shut her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure upon hearing Kyrano's stern voice. "Yes?" She answered standing up.

"You never listen to a word I say. Ever. I tell you time and time again that it is no good for him but still you take him. And now this." Penelope flinched as Kyrano spat his words out angrily. "You will be the end of him Penelope. Not The Hood, not Lucille or the boys. You."

She stared at his back, willing herself not to cry as he stormed out of the room, his piece said. She felt enough guilt over the boys death and it's consequences without the added shame of further destroying Jeff's life.

"It's not your fault you know."

She jumped at the voice behind her. "Tin-Tin." She breathed softly, wiping the tears from her eyes as she turned to face the girl.

Tin-Tin stood before her, looking far older than her 17 years. Alan's death affecting her far more than perhaps anyone realised. "It's not." She repeated, looking Penelope directly in the eye. "I know you think it is, I can see the guilt weighing you down. But it's not." Tin-Tin paused. "You did all you could. Jeff knows that. Alan and the guys… knew that… know that."

Penelope swallowed and smiled sadly at the younger woman. "Do they?"

--

"Gordon!"

"Penny!" Gordon looked at her, his eyes wild with fear, knowing what was coming. "They're not, they're not, they're not—"

"Is there any way you can stop the water coming in?" She asked him, interrupting his ramblings, as she concentrated on finding a way to break him free of his glass prison.

"I've got nothing on me, they took everything from us…" His eyes wandered over to where his brothers had been beside him.

"Gordon!" She snapped, desperately trying to keep his attention on her instead of his dead brothers beside him.

"Where's Dad?" He asked, sounding for all the world like the little boy he was when they'd met.

"He's here sweet heart don't worry. He's working with Parker to try and get to your brothers—"

"But it's too late." He told her, his voice breaking.

"Gordon, we need to concentrate on getting you out."

"There's a lot of water in here Penelope." He told her, looking down at the water level that was now rising to his waist.

"I know Gordo, I know. Is there anyway you can stop where it's coming in from? Even by just using your finger?" She was getting more and more desperate as the teenager began to slip into a shock induced daze.

"I really liked swimming." He told her dreamily.

"Gordon!" She said firmly. "Do not give up understand? Understand?" She repeated harshly, drawing his attention back to her. He nodded slowly. "Try and break the glass somehow, I'm going to try and find something to smash it with. Okay?"

"Okay." Gordon whispered, his eyes watching the water now near to his chest.

"Gordon."

"Okay." He said more firmly, turning his focus to the glass cylinder that held him, and banging on it with his fists.

Penelope had turned and run from the row of five, past Jeff and Parker to the back of the large room in search of something that could break the glass. Seeing nothing she grabbed at a piece of piping on the wall and yanked at it, cursing in frustration as it held fast. "PARKER!" She called frantically. The chauffeur arrived within a second and began to pull at it with her. Within a few goes it was free and she had run back towards Gordon.

"Gordon!" Her eyes had widened seeing the water now up to his shoulders and she threw herself into the swing at the glass, seething with anger and frustration as the metal piping bounced off. "NO!" She screamed, hitting it again. "No, no, no, NO!" With each hit the metal flung off the glass, leaving little more than a scratch.

"Penny!" Gordon's head was close to being submerged now, water rushing into his mouth as he called her name.

"Gordon!" She had repeated, nearing tears seeing his desperate state as her attempts to free him remained in vein.

"Dad!" The nineteen year old suddenly began to call. "Dad! Help! Daddy please!"

Gordon was crying, sobbing for his father as the water came closer and closer to taking his life.

"No." Penelope managed to choke out, tears clouding her vision as she had continued to pound at the glass. "No."

"Dad." Gordon's words were becoming gurgled. "Help." He spluttered, choking on mouthfuls of water.

"Oh God. Oh God. Gordon hold on, hold on. Please God. Hold on." Penelope was mumbling to herself, still pounding away at the glass though no longer looking at Gordon's face. "Please God, please, please, please. You can't take all of them, not all of them please. God, please." She screamed as she threw a heavy whack at the glass, looking up and now seeing Gordon's entirely submerged figure. The teenager had moments left and Penelope couldn't look him in the eye. Instead turning her attention back to breaking the glass, focusing towards the bottom of the cylinder, near the metal base. She hit and hit and hit and hit, watched as Gordon's body began to twitch as he suffocated, and then cried as it floated motionless still hitting at the glass with her metal piping. After what had seemed an eternity, the glass began to crack from the pressure of the increasing volume of water inside it, and with a final whack from the Briton, gave way, Gordon's lifeless body falling from inside it along with the water that had killed him.

--

"Penelope?" Tin-Tin's questioning voice brought her back to the present.

The blonde took a deep breath. "All I could wasn't good enough." She told the oriental, before turning and leaving the room.