Author's Notes:
This chapter is more of a parody than I originally intended. Some scenes are more or less parodies without humour, unless you count irony, but are still reflections. If you catch them, good for you, if you don't, it doesn't really matter. I didn't write this to rip someone off, I did it as a way to pay respect to shows and movies, and things that I grew up around, feel deeply about, or that have helped me to learn. I will not list them, but will instead let you find them on your own. -Ewan
Chapter 3: A Rose at Sea
After kissing Scott hard several times, Lana found it very difficult to calm him down. Should they wake up the others? Or, should they wait until morning? Scott wasn't exactly up for option B.
Lana tried to make him be quiet. "Shush, Scott! Can I at least explain who it is and why?"
He shrugged, still jumping inside. "I guess that could work."
She held his hand as she pointed to the crumpled paper in front of them. "At first, we didn't know what these names meant. Gatineau Alternative, Manitoba Electric Resources, Solartations, and Ontario Nuclear meant nothing. But, when you wrote them out like this, I see the pattern. Can't you?"
Scott shook his head.
"It's an acronym. Take the first letters of each of these companies, and they almost spell another. It was Gamerson's Electric. Peter Williams is behind this."
Scott thought. "So that means . . . Solaration is next."
"Exactly."
Scott got up. "We have to tell dad."
She got up. "Scott, wait! Do you think it's wise to wake up Jeff?"
He smiled at her. But his tone was serious. "Lana, this is incredibly important. My father will be mad if we don't wake him up. It's the time people go to work in Canada now. Those people could be in terrible danger."
He didn't wait for Lana's approval before running towards his father's room.
"Dad! Dad! We found it! Well, okay, Lana found it, but that's not the point. The point is . . . we found it!"
Jeff's groggy eyes stared at his son, and he wondered why Scott was in his room. "What?" he asked, squinting.
"Dad! Lana cracked the code! She got into Jasmine's pants! She's singing the praises of the bad guy! Whatever you want to call it, she's done it!"
Jeff still wasn't zoned in. He squinted at his eldest child, and asked in a groggy voice, "Lana's in whose pants, now?"
Scott shook his head. "No, dad, it's an expression from . . . oh, never mind. The point is, Lana's figured out who's been lighting the fires, and who's next!"
Jeff's eyes opened wide, and he sprung from his bed so quickly that he almost fell back over. Jeff regained his balance, and was in the living room in a heartbeat.
He faced Lana, and pointed a finger at her. "Now, what's all this I've heard about you cracking a code, and getting into someone's pants?"
She creased her forehead, and looked at Scott. "Um, I don't know anything about the pants, but I have cracked the 'code' of these fires." She handed him her notes.
He studied them, and she could see he was surprised. He handed them back to her. "Well, I'm impressed. Good work, Alana. Now, we have to warn these people at Solaration that they're next. I'm going to phone them up right now. It'll be early there, but they need the heads-up."
"WILLIAMS! If you don't get this fixed right now, you better guard you're a-"
Peter shivered in his imitation Armani suit. "Sir, it's n-not m-my fault! How was I to know that International Rescue would tip them off?"
His boss's eyes glared at him. "It's your job, Williams! Now, I don't want them to figure out anymore! It's bad enough they know which target we're going to hit next."
"Sir, you're not possibly planning to send us into battle against the Thunderbirds, are you?" Peter's eyes were wide.
The cold, hard gray eyes of his boss bore no warmth at all. "Of course not. That would be foolish. They think your company is the one, so it will be your troops that go into battle."
Peter's lips trembled. "I don't think I could do that, sir. My workers have families, and, and . . ."
His boss laughed out loud. "Not the workers. You. And, whichever goons you can hire with the small amount I'll allow you."
Peter couldn't stand the thought of this. He would rather commit suicide then go up against a Thunderbird. He'd have a far better chance of surviving, anyway. "Sir, but, why me?"
The man turned around to face the window. "Very simple. I said so. You may leave now, Williams, if you can follow that order."
Williams turned on his heels, and walked stiffly towards the door. He closed it behind him, and walked a few metres down the hall. He stopped, and turned to the door. He wanted to quit so badly. There was no point in this job. He didn't have a way out though.
But I'll find one, he promised himself. He sealed it by spitting on the door. He turned, and resumed leaving.
"Roger that, Thunderbird 2, everything is F. A. B. over here. We are ready to go. Repeat, Thunderbirds are go." Tessa flipped the switches on her side, and nodded towards Scott, who was seated next to her, and was co-piloting. He flipped another few switches, and in a moment they were travelling vertically towards the sky.
Lana screamed with excitement in the back seat. She had begged Jeff to let her come along - she had, after all, solved this mystery. Jeff wasn't too reluctant. She was the only one of them that had been to Canada for reasons other than fires. She knew the land, and the people in it since her birth. In fact, Jeff wouldn't have been surprised if this was maybe only her second or third time out of Canada. Now, she was on her way back, to help protect some of her neighbours.
"This is great, Jeff! Why didn't you tell me it was this much fun!" she laughed into her headset.
He smiled from the other end.
Soon, Scott could see Virgil coming up behind him. He gave him a thumbs-up as he passed. Tessa blew him a kiss, and gave him a longing smile. She wanted to be in his craft, but Thunderbird One was the one Jeff felt she drove best. She loved all the crafts though, baring in mind she'd never been inside Thunderbird 5.
Tess turned to keep her eyes on t he sky. "Our ETA is 3.5 minutes. Fasten your seatbelts, kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride."
Scott turned to her. "Who're you calling a kid, small fry?"
She smiled, waving her hand in his face. "I am going to get married, Scott. Now, who's the small fry?"
He shook his head, and turned. He flashed Lana a grin, which Tessa caught, but didn't say anything about.
The next few minutes went by with very little talk, but a lot of thinking. Scott was thinking of how much he wanted Lana to be with him right now. Tessa was thinking of how happy she and Virgil would be. Lana was the opposite. She was wondering how she had gotten things so messed up in her life, and how she was going to fix them.
Scott was soon nodding to Tessa, and they began the landing procedure. In a moment, the seatbelts came off, and they were out, ready to help secure the perimeter and protect the people inside. This wasn't usually what they did, but Lana assured them that this was a small company, and would easily blow-up, and that they were in real danger.
As soon as they got out, in this bright early summer weather, Lana felt immediately at home. Even though it was not her home town, and was actually quite a bit more southern, she knew this was where she belonged for the rest of her life, and had to restrain herself from rolling on the grass.
Scott smiled as she twirled around, grasping the view of Saskatchewan once again. Tessa ran out, and waited for Virgil, who came out, and immediately joined her. They walked towards Lana and Scott.
Alan came out of Thunderbird two then. He looked around at the bright green grass, and gorgeous sunlight. Sweat beaded his forehead as he tossed his scarf to the ground. "Oh, man! I dressed for snow!" He waddled towards the others in his bulky snowsuit.
Lana turned around. "We're not far enough north yet for it to be snowing year-round, Alan. I told you to dress normally!"
"Yeah, but I thought it was a joke."
She shrugged. "So, I guess you'll stop paying attention to stereotypes now, eh?"
He narrowed his eyes, and tried to catch up, but fell over instead. Soon, they were inside the power plant, trying to save those in danger.
"Sir! Please! I have important information!" Peter banged on the door of his boss, hoping that his job wasn't on the line.
The door burst open, and a pair of piercing eyes stared at him. "What is it!" he spat.
Peter quivered. "Thunderbirds have l-landed."
"Is that all?" the man asked, through clenched teeth.
Peter held up the papers as a defence. "N-no. I know th-that they have a-an agent with them."
The man grabbed Peter's shirt and abruptly pulled him into the office, violently closing the door. "Who?"
Peter knew a sound thrashing would come of his truth. But, would his boss know if he lied? It was highly likely, as his boss was like the Hood - he knew everything. His teeth chattered with fear. "L-L-L-"
"Spit it out!" The man yelled, directly in his face, tiny bits of saliva splattering his face in irony.
Peter covered his face with his arms. His voice was very small. "Alana Fitzgerald."
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Peter braved a glance at his rather deadly boss, James Reynold.
Having been supported by being held unto at the shirt, Peter fell flat on the floor when James let go.
James was perplexed, and confused. He walked towards the window, and stared out. He shook his head, and laughed. He turned back around to face the scrawny man who had just picked himself up. He laughed again. Peter nervously laughed back.
"Miss. Fitzgerald, eh?" he laughed. Still laughing, he smiled at Peter. "Normally, I would just have you kill her. Plain and out. But not Alana Fitzgerald. You will bring her to me, and I will personally see to it that she gets what she deserves."
Peter's lip quivered. He prayed on his life that his boss would never know the deepest secret that he held. If he found out, Peter would surely be murdered, then hung out to dry. The best way to keep that secret would be to kill Alana Fitzgerald . . . but would he be able to do that?
"Yes, sir," he sat, standing tall and proud, much as a soldier going into battle for the woman he loved. But, like that solider, inside, his heart wept.
"Right . . . okay . . . thank you very much, sir." Lana hung up the cell phone.
Scott stood just a metre or so away, staring at her.
She took a guess at what he was thinking. "The owner says that they've just completed their security procedures. And, he's just gotten word from the others, and we've just finished positioning our troops. All we can do now is lay low, and wait."
Scott smiled at her. She had taken a guess at what he'd been thinking and was totally wrong. He brushed a piece of her hair back behind her ear. She blushed, and turned away from him, nervous. She had to try very hard to keep a tear from rolling down her cheek. She knew that she would have to end this when they wrapped the case up.
Scott walked closer towards her, and just stood, watching her for awhile. She couldn't quite meet his eyes.
Last time she'd mixed business with pleasure, she'd ended up an orphan with a pile of enemies. She didn't want to make that same mistake again. But she couldn't help it.
She'd fallen in love with Scott. She didn't put up a fight when he tried to kiss her. In fact, she held him close while he kissed her. Then and there, she decided that she'd do everything in her power to stay with him as long as possible.
Scott didn't remember ever being this happy. The last time he'd actually been happy . . . well, he didn't really remember it. Tess had broken his heart - well, okay, he'd broken hers, but it wasn't exactly an easy decision. And, of course, Tess rejecting him again several times didn't help. And seeing his ex get engaged to his brother . . . well, you get the idea.
And, before Tess was more heartbreak. His mother. He tried never to go there, but it was incredibly difficult. His mother dying in an avalanche was terrible enough - knowing that you would have to help raise your younger siblings was worse.
Lana was a godsend. An angel. She meant a lot to him, more than she could ever know. Even if they'd only been together for a day now, he knew he loved her very much. He'd never felt so happy in his life, and he wanted to be with her forever.
His hand went up her back, and then her phone went off. She broke away, and he looked at her oddly. "That is one messed-up ring tone."
She smiled, checking the call display. "That'd be Kenny Chesney. Jeff don't let you listen to country?"
He shook his head, laughing. "Dad? Country? I believe what you have there is an oxymoron."
She raised her eyebrows at him, as she lifted the phone to her ear. "I wouldn't call your father a moron if I was you. Hey, Jeff, what's the 411?" She paused for a reply.
"Why are you putting her with us?" She seemed cautious. She turned to Scott, and smiled. She had to bite her tongue for a moment to keep from laughing. "Okay. I'll see if I can find 'er." She flipped the phone closed.
Scott smiled at her as she laughed very hard. "What?"
She straightened up, still laughing. "Your father wants you and I to grab Tessa and run down to Gamerson's to confront the enemy during battle. And, his reason for having Tessa separated from Virgil is because he doesn't want any 'love birds' to be together."
He smiled. "So he put us together?"
She pulled a somewhat serious face, but was still smiling. "Your father is as clueless as a pig in a hen house."
Scott put his hands on his hips, and laughed. "C'mon, we need Tess." They moved towards Thunderbird 2, still laughing. "It's funny because, other than Tess and Virgil, dad has never figured out who likes who. Heck, he had no idea about me and Tess, and, well, we weren't exactly the best at covering our tracks . . . all of the household knew."
Lana gave him a wondering look. "Seriously?"
"Yes. The man can't even tell when a women likes him. Mom used to tell some crazy stories about her and dad dating. And, well, Dad isn't exactly aware that Lady Penelope has a bit of a thing for him."
She laughed. "That man has had so many ladies on his tail . . . and he can't even tell when they like him. Boy, that would be confusing."
Scott smiled. "And you would know this how?"
She looked away.
It took him a minute. His face contorted. "Oh, man. Lana, dude, that is seriously gross . . . he's my dad!"
She shoved him playfully. "Shut up! The man was like an idol for me in University. And besides, it was a long time ago, and he was with your mother."
Scott seemed to regain his composure for a moment. Then he let out a shiver.
Lana shook her head. She knocked on the side of Thunderbird 2. Virgil and Tess came out.
"Yes?" Tess asked.
"Tess, Jeff wants you to come with us, eh. Looks like we're supposed to catch this guy when he attacks, and so your dad wants you to come with us to Gamerson's HQ."
Tessa sighed. "Okay, if I must." He turned around, and kissed Virgil on the cheek. "Love ya."
She hopped out and began following. She really didn't want to leave Virgil, but she knew what a stickler Jeff was for business coming before pleasure. And, it helped that Scott wasn't allowed to drive Thunderbird One. Still, she thought, glancing back at Virgil's Thunderbird, it's going to make it awfully hard to concentrate. She began to run through a series of tests to see if her headset was working, so she could get into contact with him at any given time.
She had "died" on him twice already, she didn't want to give him a third panic attack.
Lana tapped rapidly into the portable computer. The moment they had feared had come. Virg had given word just moments ago that an unexplained fire had started for no reason.
She looked up at the monitor, showing Tessa inside Gamerson's frantically searching for Peter Williams, pistol in hand (quite against her will).
Lana kept typing, having aced computer hacking. Peter, Peter, where are you? She couldn't understand why there was nothing on where he was supposed to be. Nothing. She'd hacked into his personal computer, company records . . . everything.
Nothing. She couldn't believe it.
"This guy is super slick! And, down right disorganized. All this gibberish in his schedule, stuff that would only make sense to him. It's hopeless, Scott." She sunk back into the copilot seat of Thunderbird one.
Scott took his eyes off the monitor for only a minute. "Keep trying. It's not going to be picture perfect, but the answer will be there. I have a feeling. Tessa, try that hall on your left." He pressed the mouth piece of his head set closer to his lips. Tessa gave him the thumbs up from the screen.
Lana thought for a moment. Her eyes widened. Picture perfect . . .
She double-clicked on a small icon on his personal desktop. She was quite happy to be off the desktop actually (just because the blonde actress was from B. C. didn't mean she had to like her - in fact, she was quite repulsed by her). The file was password protected, giving her the first tip that she was onto something. Lana began to try various passwords. At first, nothing worked. She began to get frustrated again. She'd only tried a couple of times, but how was she supposed to know what it was? Out of nowhere, she typed in 'Spike' for her third try.
A file opened up, containing crudely labelled pictures, ranging from things like 'Newprocessingchip' to 'Christmas03' to 'Katiebikini'. She scrolled down to see if she could find anything of interest.
She found one icon that to her seemed to be calling. She tried to remind herself that curiosity killed the cat . . . but, then again, when was the last time she hocked up a hairball? She opened the file.
1RoomiesUoO.jpeg
Lana's eyes widened at the photo in front of her. Her mouth moved, but not a single audible sound came out. Could it be true?
She scrolled down. Oh, no . . . her mind raced. She clicked open another file.
Jimkeg.jpeg
Her lip quivered. She wasn't sure what to think. She scrolled down farther, praying she wouldn't find anything else. Praying it was all just a mistake. Praying that it was some coincidence.
She tried to be quiet - honestly, she did - but a gasp escaped from her mouth as she found the one file she'd hoped wouldn't be there.
Scott turned quick, "Lana, what is it? What's wrong!"
She turned the screen around to face him. Opened wide for him to see was a picture that she had hoped was not there.
At first confusion crossed his face. Then realization. Then jealousy.
Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. "That's him on the left, Scott. And, unfortunately, that's me on the right. The one kissing his cheek."
Scott couldn't believe this. This was almost exactly what he'd gone through with Tessa. Only this one seemed to make better reference to the phrase 'sleeping with the enemy' than 'like father, like daughter'.
"He changed his name. We went to University together. Me, him, and Jim were all best buddies. Only, me and Peter were a little more. He used to be Peter Penvellyn, but he must have changed that. None of this makes any sense . . . Peter would never do anything like this."
Scott let out a snort of laughter. "My gosh, Lana. Can't you see the man has changed? He was probably always bad, and just never admitted it. It was probably all an act, and you fell for it."
She stared at him. "Peter Penvellyn was not only my boyfriend - for a short period of time - but also my best friend for my entire life, up until the point where I moved back to Saskatchewan. We went to school together, moved to Ottawa together, and joined CSIS together. We met Jim Reynold in University, and were like the three musketeers. We broke off though, when I moved back to Saskatchewan, and lost touch."
"Still, I don't trust him . . ." Scott was firm in all of his beliefs.
A flirtatious smile played on her lips. "Ooh, somebody's jealous . . ."
Scott decided not to lie. "Yes, actually, I am. You obviously still have feelings for the man. Heck, you probably picture him when you kiss me."
"Ew, Scott, I'm not gonna kiss you!" Tess's voice called to them, having come in at the wrong time.
Lana let out a snort of laughter as Scott blushed and tried to explain himself. "Sorry, er, Tess . . . we were having a private conversation about this guy."
Tess still prowled the halls with her gun in her hand, as though she wasn't paying attention. Her voice seemed taken aback though. "Well, Scott . . . whichever way you choose to live is your decision, but I would've appreciated the notice before we began dating."
Lana fell back against the seat with laughter. Scott was fumbling for words. "Well, I, just - that is not what I meant!"
Tess rounded another corner, then slunk against the wall. "Right, sure, whatever you want to call it, Scott . . . just make sure you inform Jeff ASAP, 'cause I don't wanna have to do it."
"Inform me of what?" Jeff's voice came over the line.
"Nothing!" Scott yelled.
Tess smiled. "You liar."
"What is it?" Jeff persisted.
"Scott is um . . . swimming in the other pond." Tess chose her words carefully. Lana fell out of her seat with laughter.
"He's what!"
"I am not!"
"Well, okay, maybe I didn't explain it properly . . . he's more like . . . a flamingo in the land of men. An Elton John to one's Hugh Grant. A fruitcake to a chocolate one."
Lana tried to get up but she couldn't.
Jeff straightened up. "Scott, why was I not informed of this before?"
Scott burst out. "Because it's not true! It's a misunderstanding! And, besides, don't we have other things to worry about right now than which pond I swim in? Which, by the way, I'm swimming in the same pond as you are!"
"Fine, fine, we'll discuss this when you get home. Is there any new information?" Jeff asked.
Lana - having finally regained her composure - turned back to the monitor. "Actually, Jeff, I know the real - oh my gosh! TESSA!" She screamed at the computer.
Tess turned around just in time to find someone behind her. Tess was fast, but not fast enough. The man had her in a full nelson in a matter of moments. She tried to pull out of it, but the man knew her moves, and blocked her from dropping down with his knee.
Another man came from behind the first. Tessa was putting up a fight, kicking at both of her attackers, trying desperately not let them get her. The men hastily dodged the blows, though, and the second ripped off her headset, crushing it in his hand. It seemed as though Thunderbird One went completely silent. They saw the gun drop, and one of the goons picked it up. He held it to her head, and they watched, unable to do anything, as she was lead away from the range of the security cameras they'd hacked into.
She gave one final, longing look at the camera, trying to be brave.
"How could you let this happen!"
"For the last time, Virgil, it was not my fault!" Lana snapped, loading her own pistol.
Virgil could not believe it. He knew he should not of let his fiancée be led away to help the others. She should have stayed with him, gosh darn it! He adjusted his headset which he'd been yelling into for the past ten minutes. "I want to go with you."
She aimed the gun to make sure it was level. "No, Virgil, you stay put. There has already been one fire set, and I can't stand to think of how many more there would be if you were to leave right now. You can trust me and Scott. We'll get the job done."
He took a deep breath. "Don't let anything happen to her. I've spent my whole life looking for a girl like that, and I don't intend to spend anymore time looking for another."
She smiled, lowering the gun, and looking towards Scott. "Sure. I promise nothing will happen to her."
Scott smiled at her. "You ready?"
She tucked the gun in the side of her pants. "Never more ready in my entire life." She pressed the headset towards her mouth. "Jeff, we'll be leaving now. I've sent you the hacking codes for the security cameras, but I'm afraid we cannot take our headsets in with us. They'll give us away."
Jeff nodded from his end. "F. A. B. Good luck."
Scott and Lana simultaneously took their headsets off, and placed them on the "dashboard". They headed out the door, and began to run towards the building.
They came to a fence. Scott immediately jumped up, climbing over the top. He jumped down, and turned to find Lana already there. He gave her a questioning look.
She shrugged, pointing nonchalantly towards the wired gate behind her, not looking. "Small hole in the fence." She began to run towards the building.
He looked back, and noticed a gigantic rip in the fence that even he with his 6' 3" frame could easily fit through. He sighed, and turned back to follow her.
She was stuck at the door. A lock stood in front of her. "Dang it! This is why I should wear bobby pins!"
Scott reached into his jeans pocket - they had changed (separately) to look inconspicuous - and pulled out his wallet. He grabbed a credit card and slid it through the crack in the door. He snapped his wrist down, and the door opened to reveal a long hall. He extended his arm to escort her in.
She stared at him. He smiled. "Nancy Drew," was his only explanation. Her eyebrows shot up approvingly, and they began to sneak down the hallway, her gun in front of her.
"Down this hall. I have a feeling." She pointed them in the eastern direction. He followed.
She began leaning against doors, trying to hear in. She kept going from door to door, until she eventually found what she seemed to be looking for. "Hold this," she said, tossing him the gun.
She took a step back from the door, then kicked in down. She walked inside, Scott behind her, while effortlessly freeing her gun from his grip. She held it against her side, hiding it in a casual way. "Why, hello. Long time no see."
Peter turned around to see the tall, athletically built woman who'd haunted him for a long time. "Lana . . ." his voice was barely a whisper. His gaze stared at her, mesmerised by her. He quickly straightened up, and walked away from the desk. "What are you doing here? It's been ages!" He walked over, cheerily, extending his arms to hug her.
She held up her gun, which stopped him. "Where is she?"
The muscle just beside Peter's left eye contracted, a sign that he was nervous. "Who?"
Scott stepped up a bit behind her. It was more of a territorial gesture than a protective one."You know who, Williams."
Peter nervously backed up against the desk at this accusation. His voice quivered. He shook his head.
Her gun was pointed directly at him. Her eyes pleaded, on the verge of tears. "Why'd you do it? Why?"
Peter didn't know what to say. Playing dumb, he decided, was his only choice. "Do what?"
"For crying out loud!" Lana and Scott yelled at the same. Scott took over. "The fires, you idiot! Why are you burning down these buildings, killing innocent people, destroying lives!"
Peter couldn't take it. "I didn't do it! I mean, I did it, but I didn't do it! It's not my fault! I was hired."
Lana turned to brave a look at Scott. She wasn't sure what to believe. "You were hired? By who, and why? Explain to me how this isn't your fault."
Peter stared at her. His eyes didn't show the same tender quality they used to when they were together. "Put the gun down, and I'll explain."
Lana just stood for a moment, judging her trust of him. "Why should I?" she finally spat.
He stared at her as though it was obvious. "Because you can trust me."
She was on the verge of tears. The verge of losing it. "How can I? Peter, no matter what, you started these fires! You've killed innocent people! You're not the person I once knew. Why would you do this!"
He snapped. "It was Jim, okay! Jim Reynold, who now goes by James. I may own Gamerson's Electric, but he owns my company . . . and me."
She lowered the gun slightly. Scott felt like the third wheel.
Peter sat on the edge of the desk, staring down. "After you left the service, James became suspicious that there was more than just friendship in our relationship. He was always a controlling friend, but a good one. He was the one who was going to date you. He loved you. If he had've found out about us, I wouldn't likely be standing here.
"So, after you left, leaving CSIS and our 'affair', if you'll use the term loosely, I quit as well, wanting to cover my tracks. James and I lost touch, and I started my little business. Soon, I couldn't pay bills, because so many people were using the better known companies for their electricity. James found out, bought shares of my company, and lent me money. I've tried to pay him back, but he's a loan shark. What started out as 500 is now more like 50 000. I can't pay that. So, in his eyes, he 'owns' me." He stared into her eyes, now pleading for understanding.
Lana was stunned. She brought the gun down to her side.
Scott tried to keep the situation in tact. "Why didn't you tell the police?"
He looked directly at Scott. "James Reynold is the slipperiest man I've met. They would make me pay back every cent of the money he says I owe him, and then some. I can't afford that. By any means. He's forced me to change everything about my life: quit CSIS, change my name so no one could track me, hold in the secret of our relationship." He looked towards Lana.
Her eyes shot up, looking right at him. Her grip tightened on her gun. "Where is he? Where is James? Where did he take the girl?"
Peter pointed to a door on their right. "They went in there. He has been in there for the past couple of hours, and just a few minutes ago, a couple of hired thugs took someone in there. She wasn't moving. I think they put her under."
She motioned for Scott to stay where he was. Then Lana turned on her heel, and ran to the door. She flung it open, gun in hand. There was James, standing by his desk, watching where she had come in.
Sitting in the corner, flung over a chair like a wet blanket, was Tessa. Sure, enough, she wasn't moving, and was barely breathing. A stench hung in the air that Lana vaguely remembered from her days as an agent that she couldn't quite place.
James smiled. "Well, hello, Miss. Fitzgerald. How are we?"
"What have you done with her!" Lana yelled.
He looked casually to where she was staring, as though he hadn't noticed what was there. He shrugged. "Oh, well, see, she was struggling after being captured by my friends, and so they had to chloroform her."
Lana sighed in relief. Chloroform might give Tess a bit of a headache, but was not going to kill her. Lana's gun was steady in front of her. "Why have you killed all of these innocent people!"
"My dear Lana, haven't you heard of a little friendly competition? These companies were stealing potential customers from us. I had to stop them."
"Most people would just hire a better advertising agency."
James smiled. "I'm not most people, Lana." He moved closer to her, so close in fact that she was forced to put her gun down. "I've only ever wanted the best." A sick grin spread across his face.
She stepped to the side. "Oh, really? So, you wanted me so bad in University, and when we worked together, that you never gave me a single hint as to the fact that you like me?"
He smiled, watching her, moving towards her again. "Oh, Lana, I could never do something like that to a pretty thing like you. I know that something this complex could hurt your poor little brain." He brushed a hair from her cheek, with a look that was more seducing than quarrelsome.
She thought for a moment, hoping he wasn't saying what she thought he was. "Excuse me?"
He smiled, sadistically. "Why, Lana, I know women. I know that anything complex can confuse them."
Her eyes darkened. An equally sadistic smile crossed her lips though. His happiness increased, and he bent forward and kissed her.
"Traditional" women loved sewing. Rebellious women loved fast cars. Lana loved toying with men. She kissed him right back deeply. As his hand went up her back, a picture of Scott flashed across her head, and she kneed him where she knew he'd feel it. He pulled back in pain. He took a couple steps away from her.
She continued to smile sadistically. She walked towards him, placing one foot directly in front of the other like a model. "When are you going to learn," she began, stopping, "that Canadian girls kick butt?" She kicked him directly in the stomach. When he crouched against the ground, she kicked him repeatedly in the side, until he was flat on his back. She placed her foot on his chest in a gesture of victory.
He stared at her. "Bi-"
She wagged her finger. "Ah, ah. Enough with the language. We wouldn't want Lana's li'l brain to fry again, and get her angry now would we?" she asked in a voice a nanny would use on small children.
He sighed, and let his head drop against the floor. She looked around the office, and spotted some rope. "Scott! I need you!"
He was in there by the time she finished her sentence. "Grab that rope over there."
Scott turned, and jogged over to grab the rope. He handed it to her, and she used her foot to roll James on his back. She bent down, and tied his hands together tightly behind him. He tried to keep them less than a centimetre apart. "Oh, don't you dare pull that on me! I read the Hardy Boys too, Jim." He rolled his eyes, as she made sure the rope was so tight that if he tried moving his hands, he'd hurt himself. She pulled him up.
Lana gestured with her head. "Grab Tessa, and haul her along behind me."
Scott nodded, and went to the corner of the room. He lifted Tessa with his arms, and watched her. "Lana . . . Lana? Lana!"
"What?" she turned from where she was at the door, where she was trying to convince Peter to go with them. She saw Scott's worried expression. "Oh, don't worry. She's just been chloroformed. She'll be fine in a few minutes."
Scott's eyes widened. "What?"
Lana rolled her eyes. "Chloroform. It's a substance used to put people under."
Scott's breathing started getting choppy, and he looked over at Tess's face. "Oh, no . . ." He heaved her up a bit more, making sure he had her securely, then took off in a blind sprint for Thunderbird One.
"Scott! What are you doing!" she yelled at him. There was no answer. She turned to the two criminals. "C'mon! Peter, you get right beside me." She held the gun up. He got right by her side, and she dragged James and him in a fast run to catch up with Scott.
But, when she got outside, the police were there, detaining her, asking questions. Scott was nowhere to be found.
After about a half an hour of questions, the police left her. She's been lucky enough to have kept her IR pin and badge with her, so they left her mostly alone.
She ran to where Thunderbird One was last. It was, luckily, still there, but with an ambulance next to it. She gasped, and broke off in a run.
Scott carried Tess out of the craft. Her breathing was shallow as Lana watched him hand her over to the paramedic.
"What's going on?" Lana asked Scott, through scared tears.
Scott looked at Lana as if he'd been through the worst day of his life. "Tessa is highly allergic to chloroform. It shuts down her breathing gradually, until she can't breathe at all."
Lana brought her hand to her mouth, feeling guilty for not helping her. Scott saw her pain, and pulled her close. "It's going to be okay. The doctors say she'll be fine in a few days. She woke up just a few minutes ago, and now they're giving her some medication to help her breathe. After that, she'll come home with us, and rest for awhile, until she's better."
Lana began to cry. "I didn't do anything. I just let her lye in that chair, like she was already dead. I didn't help her, I was just occupied with getting James."
He smiled at her. "And you got James because of it. Now people will be able to go back to work, and turn on their electricity without fear because of you. You should be proud of that. And you didn't know about her allergies. There was nothing you could have done."
Lana still didn't feel any better. "Yeah, but if she had died, Scott, I would have never forgiven myself. As it is, I don't know if I'll be able to."
Virgil closed the door behind him. He was the only one she'd let in to see her. The entire entourage of people staying at Tracy Island - including Tin-tin, Kyrano, and Brains, who'd finally gotten back just a day after the capture of James - were waiting for him. He looked at them, a small smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "She's a lot better. But she'd still like to be left alone." The entire family let go of their breathe.
Virgil walked away, purposely walking towards the opposite direction from where Lana was. Even though she was standing in the direction of his room, he really didn't want to talk to her.
Lana felt hurt. What could she say to make him forgive her? What could she do? She hadn't known anything about the allergy, she reminded herself, but she understood his feelings.
The Tracy group broke off. Scott walked outside, leaving Lana by herself. They'd agreed to keep things on the down low for now at least. She turned to go out the other door, meeting him outside on the beach.
After a few silent moments to himself, Scott saw Lana coming over the hill. He met her halfway, and pulled her into an understanding embrace.
When Lana pulled away. She smiled in gratefulness for this wonderful man she felt she didn't deserve by any stretch. He held her waist as they walked along the beach.
She broke the silence. "So, when did you find out about it?"
He looked up, remembering. "Gordon was in a small accident, but injured his foot real bad a couple months back. Dad called a doctor. As soon as the doctor said it was OK, Tess rushed inside to comfort him. The stench was still in the air." He laughed, though he knew he shouldn't. "As I recall, she rushed right in there, then immediately passed out on the bed. That's when she told us."
Lana smiled, knowing now that this wasn't something everyone had known about forever. She looked up at him. "Why won't she let anyone see her?"
He shrugged. "She prefers to be left alone for a couple days after one of her allergies takes effect. But, you know, she loves Virgil like I love you, so she's bound to let him in."
Lana froze. She still walked, but that was about all. Her breathing was a wisp, if that. What did he just say? she asked herself. Her jaw quivered. "W-what did you just say?"
He stared at her. "About what?"
She swallowed, trying to repeat what he said. "Did you just say that you love me?"
He seemed taken aback for a moment. He relaxed though as he answered. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I did." He smiled at her, but when he saw how nervous she was, he questioned her. "Why? Don't . . . don't you feel the same?"
Lana thought for a moment. "Yes. I think. I mean, no . . . wait, yes. Yes, I do." She stared up at him, trying to make words form. "It's just . . . it hasn't even been a week since we . . . decided this."
Scott stopped for a moment, facing the ocean. "I know. It's so sudden. But I do know that I love you, Lana."
She smiled. She loved him, she truly did. But was this the right time? She looked away. "Well, I doubt your brother even tolerates me now."
Scott laughed slightly, sitting down in the sand. She followed him. "Yeah, Virgil does tend to hold a grudge. But I wouldn't worry about it," he said, leaning back in the sand, "it'll all clear up in a month or so."
She leaned back too. "Wow. He can still hold a grudge against someone who's left. That's impressive." She laughed.
It was Scott's turn to be confused. He rolled on his side, leaning over her partially. "Wait, what? You won't be here?"
She sat up, about 6 inches between them. She seemed slightly shocked. "Of course, Scott. I can't stay here. I have to go home. To Canada."
Scott's expression took a nosedive. "But . . . why?" he squeaked out, hurt.
Lana looked at him in an obvious expression. "I have a farm to run, Scott. I have to be there. My family is counting on me."
He stared at her. "But I'm counting on you, Lana."
"You knew when I got here I couldn't stay forever."
He leaned farther away. "But that was before us." He looked away.
She turned to face him. "I never planned to fall in love while I was here. But I did. If I had a choice, you know I'd stay with you. But I can't. I made a commitment. I'm needed over seas . I can no more stay here than you can come with me."
He looked away. He felt like his heart had been ripped out, and thrown against the jagged rocks on the other side of the beach, bleeding down into the ocean water. "When are you leaving?" was all he could ask.
"3 days."
3 days? 3 days!he thought. "Is that all we have together?"
She nodded, biting her lip.
His hurt was making its way to his eyes. "What about us? What happens next?"
She shook her head. "I wish I knew. We can't write; we might be able to email; we may be able to visit and call." She looked towards him, never wanting to lose what she saw. "Maybe one day, you could come over, and never leave."
He turned away. He knew the answer, he just didn't want it. "I can't do that. I don't belong in your world. Just like you don't feel you belong in mine." His eyes were stinging.
Tears welded up in hers. "No . . . no, I don't want that. I know what you're thinking and no."
He turned around to her. "What choice do we have?"
She stood up. Tears of anger and sorrow fell from her eyes. "I don't want to lose you!"
He stood up. "There's no other way!"
"There has to be!"
"I don't see one! If you find a decent one, you let me know!"
She began sobbing, running back towards the house. He ran after her. "Lana! Lana, wait! We have 3 days!"
She turned back around. Her voice was bitter. "No, Scott. If you want it to be over, why don't we just do it now! Save the pain of doing it later! C'mon, be a man about this. It's over, isn't it!"
He looked down, holding back tears of his own. He nodded.
She cupped her hand over her mouth, and sobbed hard. She turned and ran back towards the house. He couldn't blame her.
"This is all your fault!"
"You had a part in this too!"
"I'm not the one being a pain in the a-"
"Yeah, well, you're being a little bi-"
"I wouldn't talk, jerk!"
"If you come up with a solution I would love to hear it!"
Tess could hear the sobs of Lana start up again. She was laying on the couch, leaning against Virgil. It was the day after the break-up, although everyone not involved just assumed it was another stupid fight. The family tried to ignore it, but they could hear through the walls.
"Look, I didn't mean it."
"Sure you did! You keep telling me over and over again what an idiot I'm being about all this!"
"I said no such thing!"
Virgil rolled his eyes. Ever since Lana had come running inside in a torrent of tears yesterday, with no explanation, it had been non-stop fighting. They were like two alley cats. Why can't they just get along? He believed that it was probably just a stupid argument over who left the seat up, or it at least probably started that way and escalated.
"You liar! Everything you've ever said to me is a lie, and you know it!"
"No, I meant a lot of things I said, you're the liar, Lana!"
Jeff sighed. His thoughts went something like this: two more days, two more days, two more days . . .
"Just leave me alone!"
"I wish that's how you really felt, Lana! That would make things so much easier!"
Alan and Tin-tin exchanged looks over the chess board. The insides of their minds were trying to guess what they were fighting about.
Lana erupted in sobs again. "Why do you keep saying that? Why can't you just drop it!"
Scott wiped her tears. She slapped his hand away. "Because I want you to understand."
She stared at him. "I understand. I understand perfectly. I understand how it was all a bunch of lies when you said you loved me!"
The foyer went silent - even more so than before. All the heads turned towards the sound. Each person believed that their hearing had failed them. They all awaited the next scream to make sure it was true.
Scott looked her dead in the eye. "That was no lie, and you know it. I do love you, Lana. I wish you'd understand that."
She cried again. "Then why is this happening?"
Scott shook his head. "I don't know. If I knew, I'd find a way to stop it, I swear. But there's nothing."
There was complete silence everywhere for a moment. Then Lana spoke up. "Go. Please, just . . . I need some time alone."
The door opened and closed. Soon Scott appeared in the foyer, unaware that his private life has just been uncovered.
"That's the last bag," Lana sighed, handing Jeff a large duffle. "I guess I'm good to go."
Jeff heaved the bag up into the private jet. Today was the day she left. She found out that Jim was facing murder charges, arson charges, and a couple others. Peter was being charged as an accessory, which she felt he deserved. She knew now that whatever friendship they'd had was gone.
Jeff walked back down the plane's stairway. He gave Lana a final parting hug. She smiled. "G'bye Jeff."
He wished her good luck on her flight as she broke away. Lana turned to face everyone, as if this was the last time she'd ever see them. "Thank you all for having me. I'll miss y'all, eh. Some more than others, but I'll miss ya." She said it jokingly, but she looked deeply at Scott when she said it. "If I ever get the chance to go on another mission with you, I will be overly blessed." She smiled at the family, and turned. She walked up the stairs, a chorus of "Goodbyes" reining behind her.
Jeff nudged Scott as he waved. "Go with her."
Scott turned to his father, also waving. "What?"
Jeff smiled. "You'll regret it if you don't."
Scott looked at the plane. At her. Lana was at the top of the stairs. She turned back around, and gave one final wave before disappearing into the plane.
In his mind, Scott saw the door closing, and Lana flying away, leaving him behind, never seeing her again.
Through his eyes, he saw himself running up those stairs after her.
Jeff couldn't have been more proud of his son.
Scott closed the door behind him. Lana turned away from the window. "Scott - what!"
He smiled. "Thought you could use an escort."
The plane began to take off as they sat down across from each other. When they were a fair ways away, he began. "Look, I know I've been rotten. I shouldn't have ended things the way I did. I love you. More than you could know."
She turned away. "Let's not go there again, Scott. It's all we've been talking - or rather arguing about for the past 3 days."
He smiled. "I know. And I want to call a truce. I want to be friends. Pen pals. Anything. I know I can't leave you hanging, waiting, and I know I can't set you completely free either."
She smiled at him. It was fake, though. "Friends. Sure. I'll email you when I get home in Canada."
He pretended to buy the smile. "Fine, okay, sure."
Scott walked with her, Kyrano following behind them. They made small talk as they searched for her gate at London airport. They listened to the crappy music the airport deejay played - really bad country.
Lana took a seat near her gate. Scott sat down next to her. Kyrano hovered a few metres away, out of earshot.
Scott looked at her. "So, what are you going to do when you get to Canada?"
She thought for a moment. "Well, I'll get picked up by my cousin, and we'll drive around to a restaurant, and have dinner. She'll want to know how my mission went, I'll want to know how the farm is."
Scott smiled, intrigued. He thought before asking. "What will you tell her?"
She thought, knowing what he was trying to uncover. "That the mission was a success, and that we found out who was behind it, and they are facing charges."
Scott's mouth tugged at a small smile. It wasn't of happiness, more like sadness. "Will you say anything about us?"
Lana sighed. "I don't know. My cousin will probably figure it out. I'll probably tell her that I found someone that I thought I loved, but we realized it would never work."
He nodded in understanding, and they were both uneasily silent for the next couple of minutes.
"Now boarding: flight 406 to Saskatchewan at Gate 7. Now boarding: flight 406 to Saskatchewan at Gate 7," a monotone female voice said over the PA.
Scott and Lana both got up. She grabbed her carry-on bag. "That's me," she sighed.
He nodded, walking her to the gate, hands in his pockets. "Well, I'll email you sometime."
"Sure. I'll call," she nodded, trying to smile, trying to meet his eyes.
He looked at her. "Goodbye, Alana."
She extended her hand. He shook it. "Goodbye, Mr. Tracy." She smiled, and turned away.
Scott watched as the one women he'd truly loved walked through the gate, disappearing. He listened to the pathetic music over the system, which had just turned to Whitney Houston.
He wanted to turn and walk away, but something forced his feet to stay planted.
His face lit up. She ran out of the gate, straight towards him. The stewardess tried to stop her, without any success at all. Lana plowed right through her. She leapt into Scott's arms, kissing him hard. He returned the gesture, holding her close; kissing her hard. The stupid song played it's famous lyric during this very moment.
"And I will always love you . . ."
She held him, kissing him. "I can't leave you. I love you. I'll visit every month," she whispered, smelling deeply his cologne.
He was equally emotional. "I'll visit you once a month."
"I'll write everyday."
"I'll call."
She drew back. "I'm not letting you go."
He smiled. "You don't have to. It won't be over. Ever. I promise."
She cried as she kissed him one more time. She pulled away, holding his hand for the longest time possible before finally letting go. She turned and walked through the gate.
Scott watched for a moment, and then turned around. He walked where Kyrano stood. "Let's go." Kyrano turned, proud of the man who wasn't even his son.
Scott came out of his room, satisfied at the vast amount of emails he'd sent, all saying "I love you," at least three times. Lana would be home by then, and he didn't want her to think he'd forgotten anything.
He walked into the foyer, where everyone was gathered. His smile could have lit up Broadway. He had been on his toes for the past couple of days, since Lana's departure, and no one had questioned his motives. In fact, they were surprisingly quiet, but he didn't notice. If he had, he would've likely had a talk with Kyrano.
He looked around the room, at his family. His smile was so broad. They wore nothing even remotely cheery on their faces. In fact, Tess was cuddled against Virgil, looking like she'd been crying a lot. Tin-tin was the same, in Alan's arms.
Scott turned to them all. "Oh, c'mon. Turn those frowns upside down people! It's a beautiful day out there."
Jeff couldn't bare to look at his son.
Scott's smile faded a little. "What? What's wrong?" his voice became urgent, he looked to John's picture in worry.
Jeff swallowed. Part of him wanted to hand Scott the notice, and have him read it himself. But inside, he knew he'd have to tell his son himself. Jeff stood up, walking over to Scott. "Sit down, son."
Now Scott was really scared. His father never told him to sit down unless it was deadly serious.
Scott's chin quivered, afraid of what was to come. "I'll stand."
Jeff couldn't meet his eyes. Scott wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a tear streak Jeff's normally tough face.
Jeff took a deep breathe. "There was nothing we could do, Scott. You have to remember that. You can't save everyone, even if it is someone that you would trade your life for," he said, as if Scott already knew.
Scott looked around the room for an explanation. No one could look at him. Then realization dawned on him. "No . . . no, you don't . . . she's not . . ."
Jeff closed his eyes. "Her plane was shot down just a few hours into flight by a bunch of people getting even for her putting James away. The plane rests at the bottom of the Atlantic now. There were no survivors."
Scott stopped breathing. His words failed him. A torrent of emotions swept over him.
No one could imagine the pain Scott was going through. His world had been turned upside down in seconds. He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, and the turned his insides outward.
Scott did the only thing he could.
He turned, and ran outside.
Some people say that the pain gets easier everyday. For Scott, he felt that the pain intensified everyday. He'd wake up, and know that she'd never be beside him one day. He'd get up, and look outside, knowing there was no point in booking a flight to Canada. He'd look into the ocean, and understand that she wasn't going to visit him.
Some people would look to the skies, and say they felt better, because they knew the person they loved was watching them.
But for some reason, Scott didn't believe she was looking down on him.
Sure, he believed in heaven. Of course, he believed there was a divine, larger force, and that angels were watching. But Lana wasn't there for some reason.
Nothing seemed to cheer him up. Not the news that the attackers had be caught, and were being charged with murder. Not the thought that he would see her in heaven. Nothing.
There was no way he could feel any better. He'd lost his soul mate, or the one he believed to be his soul mate.
He couldn't think of what to do to set his mind at ease. He walked into Kyrano's garden, and plucked a single rose from his garden.
He walked down to the ocean again, facing the direction of Canada.
He kissed the rose. "Goodbye, Lana," he whispered softly. He tossed the rose gently into the ocean, watching it float away to where she rest.
"Okay, Jane, come on. Do you know what that is?" the doctor asked his patient, who was finally outside of the hospital for the first time in weeks.
She smiled. "Water . . . the ocean! I remember, Greg, I remember!"
The doctor smiled, nodding. "Do you know which ocean it is, Jane?"
She closed her eyes, trying hard to think. "Don't stress yourself, Jane. You don't want to hurt yourself," Dr. Greg Peterson reminded her.
She opened her eyes. "The Atlantic . . . right?"
He smiled, nodding. "Right. Very good. Do you remember where we are?"
She thought for a second, but not as hard as before. "Newfoundland . . . right?"
"That's right. You're getting better everyday, Jane."
She shrugged. "I practise."
They began walking along the coast again. "How do you do that?" he asked. He found all this very rewarding.
She held her bare arms. "I play a game to help me sleep. I look at something, maybe a curtain, or a colour, and try to picture someplace I've seen it before. Most of the time, nothing happens, and I fall asleep, but sometimes, something will come."
He smiled. "Interesting. What have you remembered from this?"
She smiled. "My mother. Or, at least, some woman. I don't think she was my real mother, but I remember imagining myself being her daughter, or being her. She was with a man, too. Someone I thought I should know . . ."
Greg knit his brow. "What did he look like?"
She closed her eyes, remembering. "Tall . . . dark hair, slightly grayed, just slightly. Kind, but firm."
"What was his name?"
She thought, closing her eyes. She held her temples abruptly, crouching over. "I can't remember!" she screamed. "I don't remember, Greg!"
He held her. "Sh, calm down, Jane. We don't want you to get overwhelmed. Just relax. This is your first time outside in awhile."
She nodding, breathing deeply to calm herself. She turned back to face the ocean. "Hey, what's that?"
He looked, as she squatted to pick up what she'd spotted. He thought it was probably just a rock. But when she stood back up, he was just as perplexed as she was.
"A rose?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yes, but what was it doing in the water?"
No one will ever know how the smell stayed. She sniffed the rose, closing her eyes, remembering how Greg had brought some flowers in for her to smell in hopes of bringing back memories.
She inhaled deeply, and suddenly a torrent came back. Her eyes burst open again. "Scott . . ." she whispered.
Greg stared at her. "What?"
She smiled. "Scott . . ." she said again, only slightly louder, loving the sound of the name on her lips.
Greg was amazed at her. "Who's that?"
Her smile broadened, but her eyes remained focussed on the ocean. "I don't know, Greg, but I have a feeling he's someone special . . ." She smelt the rose again, enjoying the many scents that danced on its petals.
A kiss is a beautiful thing: to give someone; to leave behind; to watch; to receive. It opens doors, and closes them at the same time. It is truthful, and never out of anger. There is no evil in a kiss. A kiss is a powerful thing.
