Disclaimer: Thunderbirds is the property of Gerry Anderson and Carlton Television, unfortunately, not mine!

AN: Well this fic was supposed to just be a one shot...but my muse had other ideas!I think that there will probably be another chapter as well, although if that comes to be is another story completely! Thank you to everyone who reviewed ch1, it is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Padding down the hall, John passed Virgil, who was clutching a bottle of amber liquid and heading towards Thunderbird 1s bay. Virgil would find Scott, and with the help of the whiskey, get Scott to talk to him, just as John would try and get Gordon to talk. John knew that later the four brothers who were home would meet up and talk late into the night, but for now, they would each find comfort in the sibling they were closest to.

He paused as he passed Virgil, and passed a critical eye over his older brother. Virgil looked terrible, his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked ten years older.

"You look terrible Virge!" he blurted out, without really thinking.

Virgil gave a wan smile.

"Gee thanks!" he said jokingly. His tone and expression then changed to one of seriousness "You don't look that much better yourself though…you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," said John.

Virgil nodded. They both knew that it was a lie. No one would be fine after a rescue like that, John least of all. Virgil pulled his younger brother into a hug, internally sighing as he felt John shudder in an attempt to control his emotions. What John had experienced on the rescue was harsh by any of their standards, but it seemed worse to them all because it was John, the most inexperienced that had had to go through it.

John was the brother who had participated least in the rescues, due to him spending most of the year in Thunderbird 5. When he did participate in rescues, however, he performed as well as his other, more experienced brothers. His lack of rescue missions meant that he just hadn't had as much practice in handling the emotional fallout of a failed rescue.

Virgil released his brother and stepped back.

"Usual routine?" he asked.

John nodded

"Yup" he replied, "See you in about an hour"

It was Virgil's turn to nod. John then gave a small smile, which Virgil returned and they took their leave of each other, each heading off to their destinations.

John carried on down the hallway until he reached the lounge. He then paused on the threshold and looked round the darkened room. By the light of the moon he could make out his fathers desk, Virgil's grand piano, the portraits of him and his brothers. His eyes lingered longest on the portraits and he bit back a sigh.

He shook as his head as he heard the faint sounds of splashing coming from outside. Gordon was still in the pool, doing lap after lap after lap, if previous experience was anything to go by. The water was still Gordon's sanctuary, even after the terrible accident that had almost cost him everything.

John shivered as he remembered how close they had come to almost losing Gordon. Walking over to the balcony and looking out at his brother, still swimming, he was reminded again of what a remarkable recovery Gordon had made.

John wandered down the steps to the pool, and sat on the edge with his legs dangling in the water, waiting for Gordon to notice him. Gordon's concentration was so great that it actually took a couple more laps of the pool before Gordon actually realised that John was there.

"Hey Gordo, you gonna get out the pool anytime soon?" questioned John softly, once he had been noticed.

Gordon shrugged noncommittally and set off on another lap. John frowned slightly but sat back and looked up at the stars, content to wait until Gordon had finished. He located Thunderbird 5s position, and gave a mental wave to both his brother and his 'bird.

The sound of silence caused him to look back at the pool, where he found Gordon floating quietly in front of him, a sombre expression on his face.

"Are you ok, John?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." John replied airily, "How 'bout you?"

Gordon said nothing; he just stared pointedly at John, who just met his gaze. Seconds ticked by, neither brother wanting to look away first. In the end, John could take it no longer and he turned his attention to the trees that grew close to the pool.

"John, are you ok?" Repeated Gordon.

"Yeah, yeah…well, no. Not really. Not at all in fact" he finally admitted.

Gordon nodded in understanding.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked carefully.

John sighed and ran a hand through his blonde locks, still damp from his shower.

"What's to talk about? International Rescue failed. I failed. I let you down. I'm only surprised it hasn't happened sooner"

Gordon shook his head, shocked at John's outburst.

"How can you say that?" he said angrily "how can you even think that? You didn't let us down, there was nothing else we could have done. We did everything we could, you did everything you could. No one could have done anything to save that little girl, you hear me? No one."

John swung his legs out of the pool and began pacing the perimeter, a range of emotions present on his face. He gave a low growl of frustration and slammed his fist into his hand. Gordon could see him waging an internal battle in an attempt to get his emotions under control, and suspected, correctly, that John had already released some of his emotion and frustration earlier.

Gordon pulled himself out the pool, water dripping off him, the moonlight highlighting the many scars that covered his body. John winced as he saw these scars, they were an all to constant reminder of what Gordon had suffered. Gordon had been lucky though, the little girl today had not.

John sighed deeply as Gordon grabbed his towel and came and stood by him. Gordon raised his eyebrows questioningly. John indicated Gordon's scars, and Gordon's expression became sad.

"I was lucky John, very lucky. If International Rescue or someone like it had been around when the accident happened, I may not have been the only survivor. Jezz…the others may have made it as well."

John nodded, and wished fervently that there had been some such organisation, and that Jezz, Gordon's girlfriend had been saved. Gordon still nursed that wound, and John knew it would never fully heal.

Gordon shrugged, as if reading Johns mind.

"It could be worse." He said optimistically, "and now there is an organisation who saves people. When people have no other option, they turn to International Rescue. We rescue the people who would otherwise die. These rescues where we don't manage to save them all are not really failures, they're just tragic accidents. Believe me John, there was nothing you could have done. You just have to concentrate on the people you did save. Every rescue where not everyone was saved eats away at us all, you just have to look at the lines on Scott's face and the grey in his hair…mind you, he is getting on a bit!"

This last comment raised a smile on both brothers' faces. Scott was very touchy about his age, a fact that Gordon used against him mercilessly. But all jokes aside, the rescues were wearing on them all, giving them lines and the odd grey hair. But it reassured John to hear Gordon's words, remarkably similar to his own earlier thoughts.

"C'mon squirt, let's go inside. Virge and Scott will be waiting for us"

Gordon nodded and turned, only to be pulled back by John grabbing him into a crushing hug. Gordon immediately returned it, knowing that his brother needed the contact and the comfort of being held by someone. Gordon held him as long as he needed and then they both stood silent, feasting their eyes on the serene view of Tracy Island in the moonlight.

It was Gordon who moved first, shivering in the cool night breeze. He turned again and this time started walking, asking over his shoulder

"You coming John?"

John nodded and watched as Gordon walked into the villa. He nodded again as he looked out at the expansive sky and the bright pinpoints of the sky. He gave a real smile, a small one, but a real smile nonetheless and walked inside the villa.