I've got nothing, aside from the usual disclaimers.
ENJOY!
Virgil, Scott and Gordon were enjoying a relaxing game of pool when John came racing downstairs. This surprised the three of them. They were pretty sure he was supposed to be heading up to Thunderbird 5 by now to relieve Alan.
"Aren't you supposed to be heading up to Thunderbird 5?" Virgil asked.
"Yeah, the sprout won't like it if you're late," Scott pointed out.
"Now he'll how know I feel," John quipped, "But my take-off's been delayed. Lady Penelope's arrived."
Gordon let out a groan, "Why didn't we know she was coming? We'd have made ourselves busy."
"Is she talking about how badly she wants to go on a rescue?" Virgil inquired, recalling something Lady Penelope mentioned during his recent visit.
"Yep," John nodded.
"We'll probably hide down here for… oh, let's say a few hours," Gordon shrugged, taking a swig of the water he retrieved for himself, "Tell her we're dealing with important men business and we're sorry we can't join her for tea."
"I wouldn't," John warned him with a smirk, "Indiana might change out of that dress she arrived in."
Scott had been lining up to take his next shot when John made that declaration. As a result, Scott slipped with the shot and almost ended up ripping the felt on the able with his stick instead. Gordon started choking on the water he was drinking, forcing Virgil to pat his back harshly to help clear his airway. But his own shock was clear on our face.
Meanwhile, Scott was just hoping the dress wasn't a little black dress.
Jeff laughed when he heard the sound of Scott, Virgil and Gordon racing into the main lounge.
"I thought hearing Indiana was back would get you up here," Jeff chuckled.
"Well, where is she?" Virgil demanded, "Hello, Lady Penelope."
"Hello, Virgil," Lady Penelope responded in kind, "She's settling back in. She'll be out soon."
Not satisfied, Gordon immediately declared his intention to search for her, stating he will start with the infirmary. Virgil shook his head when he noticed that Scott had slipped away into Thunderbird 1's silo. He knew where Indiana was.
She just wanted time to breathe before being hit with the onslaught of relieved Tracys.
But instead, he chose to join Jeff and Lady Penelope on the balcony.
Indiana laughed when she saw Scott enter the silo. She knew he'd immediately come to find her here. After all, it was why she hid here. Aside from the fact Thunderbird 1 was her favourite of the fleet.
Gesturing to her autumn brown shirtwaist dress, Scott drawled, "I take it Lady Penelope had something to do with this?"
"You guessed right," Indiana nodded.
One thing people knew about Indiana was that, if given the choice, she preferred pants over skirts and dresses. Particularly with her line of work. Even if she knew she had downtime coming up, she didn't wear dresses that often.
Amazed he held back this long, Scott immediately took Indiana into his arms. He knew another reason why she was hiding in Thunderbird 1's silo. Wasting more time, he kissed her with a tender passion, moving his hands to cup her face.
Pulling back, Scott suddenly asked, "You said your goodbyes to John, right?"
"Yes," Indiana nodded with a laugh before leaning up to kiss him again, "But I should probably say hi to Virgil and Gordon."
"Must you?" Scott whined slightly, his hands moving from her face to the curves in her waist.
"Yes," Indiana giggled, kissing his pout, "Besides, we need to be careful. And I'm not just talking about getting caught out by the others."
Scott nodded in understanding, recalling her doctor's orders. While she was cleared to return to the island and resume light duties with International Rescue (never before had Scott been so thankful for doctor-patient confidentiality), she was advised to wait another month as a precaution to resume more strenuous activities.
Taking a moment, Scott just held her in his arms again, resting his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. He was just happy she was home.
Alan barely waited for Thunderbird 3 to complete its docking procedures before he was racing through the airlock with his bag. He was eager to get back to Tracy Island for a variety of reasons, a certain Malaysian beauty being among them.
He and Tin-Tin were very close and spent a lot of time together, but Alan always shied away from revealing his feelings for her. Part of him chastised him for his cowardly actions. Another part of him understood his reasonings he kept using to justify himself.
The final part of him wondered if she already knew.
But when the door into Thunderbird 3 opened, Alan decided to push his thoughts aside.
"Good to see you, John," Alan greeted his older brother before stating, "You were late. There's nothing wrong, is there?"
"No. Sorry about that," John responded apologetically, "There was a lot going on. What with Lady Penelope arriving and one thing and another."
"How is she?" Alan inquired.
"Very anxious to go out on a rescue," John drawled.
"If your spell of duty is anything like mine, she's gonna be unlucky. I've never known things so quiet," Alan quipped.
Standing up, John hugged his brother, "If you hurry, Indiana might still be in her dress when you get back."
Alan looked at his brother in surprise. Indiana? In a dress?
That surprise was quickly replaced with eagerness as he practically threw his brother – bag and all – into the space station.
Indiana eventually emerged from Thunderbird 1's silo. Virgil immediately hugged her when she approached the balcony, guiding her to her seat. Jeff, Lady Penelope, Tin-Tin and Grandma Tracy were also seated on the balcony. Nobody knew where Scott and Gordon were.
"I just can't tell you how thrilled I am to be here, Jeff," Lady Penelope gushed.
"We're glad to have you Penny," Jeff reassured her with a smile, "And I can't thank you enough for looking after Indiana until she could come home."
"It was the least I could do," Lady Penelope proclaimed, "Indiana's great-aunt is a dear friend of mine. With everything she has done for me and my family, I was only too glad to return the favour."
"I'm happy you were able to come back to the island with me," Indiana broke in.
"Well, it's the first opportunity I've had since Jeff started operations," Lady Penelope stated.
"I can believe that. From the reports we've been getting, it seems you've been having more adventures than we had!" Virgil quipped.
Lady Penelope let out a laugh, "Grandmama, did you hear that?"
"Of course, I did! I'm not deaf!" Grandma Tracy cried almost indignantly.
"No," Lady Penelope shook her head, "I meant dear Virgil's insinuation that I've been in the thick of things, as they say."
"You do seem to have had your share of excitement, Lady Penelope," Tin-Tin pointed out.
"I can attest to that," Indiana nodded, "I've been there for the aftermath for some of them."
"That you have, my dear," Lady Penelope confirmed with a kind smile before declaring, "But I shan't declare myself part of the team until I've been out on a rescue."
"Oh. Yeah, I see," Jeff muttered almost dejectedly before asking, "Say, I wonder where those cold drinks have got to."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, there was an argument between Kyrano and Parker over the tray of drinks.
"It is my duty to serve the drinks, Mr. Parker," Kyrano proclaimed.
"Yes, but I thought you'd like to see how it's really done," Parker shrugged.
"I have had no complaints on my service from Mr. Tracy so far," Kyrano told him firmly.
"Oh, I'm quite sure he appreciates that you're doing it to the best of your ability, Kyrano," Parker responded.
"I always have the honour to serve in this household!" Kyrano declared.
"Ah!" Parker objected as he tugged the tray closer to him, "But you don't always have a butler from one of England's stately homes."
"Forgive me, but I must insist," Kyrano said firmly.
"Take your mitts off my tray!" Parker snapped.
Jeff sat up in his chair when he heard the sound of glasses hitting the floor, causing him to remark, "From the sound of it, we're gonna stay thirsty."
Grandma Tracy decided to change the subject, "You know, Penelope, I'll have to visit you one day. I've never been to a stately home. About the only thing I haven't."
"Of course, you must come, Grandmama!" Lady Penelope declared.
"I think some time in the English countryside will do you some good," Indiana stated, "I know it did me a world of good when I got discharged."
"I can tell," Grandma Tracy nodded in approval, "I just wish you weren't forced to take a vacation under those circumstances. And you had a bit more meat on your bones, young lady."
Indiana chuckled. She knew Grandma Tracy would make a remark about that. She had also heard whispers about Grandma Tracy making her a special cake to celebrate her return to the island.
She hoped it was a chocolate raspberry cake.
Scott stretched his legs, letting his mind wonder. Indiana's absence was felt around the island and her homecoming finally made things right again. In a lot of ways, he was glad for the lull between rescues. It gave everyone ample opportunities to visit her in England. But in the same token, he also wished for an emergency call to keep him busy.
Although, his father took care of that, having him get more involved in their other family business. Scott was already involved, but Jeff wanted him involved in more aspects of it, especially since, from the looks of things, he's going to run it when Jeff decides it's time to step aside.
Well, at least, Scott hopes he decides to step aside on his own accord.
Before Scott knew it, he found himself in the kitchen. Grandma Tracy must have had early notice that Indiana was coming home, because she set about making a feast filled with a lot of Indiana's favourite food.
Including a delectable chocolate raspberry cake for dessert.
Scott's eyes lit up. There was no denying he had a sweet tooth. The only reason he got away with eating as much sweets as he did and maintaining his physical fitness was because he put in the work to make up for it. Besides, he tended to go for more healthier desserts that still satisfied his sweet tooth.
There's also this fact: everyone on the island had a hard time resisting Grandma Tracy's food.
Scott helped himself to a fork. Perhaps he could take a small slither of cake and nobody would know…
Indiana and Lady Penelope were quietly talking in the lounge when Alan came rushing in.
"Alan, what's wrong?" Indiana asked him worriedly.
"It's an emergency! An emergency!" Alan cried.
"You mean… You mean a rescue?" Lady Penelope asked hopefully.
"That's just what it is! A rescue!" Alan nodded almost eagerly.
"Oh, you've got to let me in on it, Alan!" Lady Penelope pleaded.
"Sure!" Alan agreed.
"What's happened?" Indiana demanded.
"It's Scott! And I don't know whether we can save him!" Alan answered in dismay.
"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Lady Penelope gasped worriedly, "Alert Thunderbird 1! And Thunderbird 2! Where's Jeff?! Why isn't he here?! Parker, the Rolls! Oh, Alan, what's the procedure? I don't know it!"
Then, they heard laughter. Virgil and Gordon were laughing at the exchange before them. This was when Lady Penelope finally caught on to what was happening.
"Why, you young rascals!" Lady Penelope chided them, "You really had me believing."
"Sorry, Lady Penelope," Gordon apologized through his laughter, "We just couldn't resist it."
Virgil laughed, "Yeah. Guess we're as bored as you."
"Well, at least Scott isn't in any trouble," Lady Penelope sighed in relief.
"That's just where you wrong!" Gordon shook his head, "In fact, it gave us the idea."
"Grandma caught him sampling the special cake she baked for tonight," Virgil clarified.
"Yes, ma'am. Scott really does need rescuing," Alan drawled.
Indiana laughed as she shook her head. That sounded like something Scott would get in trouble for.
"I'll get the first aid kit, shall I?" Indiana asked rhetorically as she went to stand up.
"Oh, I think he'll be fine," Gordon cut in, "His ears will be ringing, but he'll be fine otherwise."
Indiana may have been satisfied with the answer, but she still walked away.
Lady Penelope may have wanted to make her displeasure at their practical joke known privately.
Gordon's prediction was right. Scott's ears were ringing by the time Grandma Tracy was done with him. She was just now releasing him, declaring that he had sufficiently learned his lesson.
Although, she said that each time a Tracy son got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, going to show they didn't always learn their lessons.
Scott found Indiana in the hallway, hands in the pockets of her dress.
Don't misunderstand him. He thought Indiana looked beautiful in anything she wore. But there was something about seeing her in a dress that seemed to enhance aspects of her beauty. Probably because, even if she didn't like wearing them often, Indiana looked comfortable in them. And she was someone who believed comfort adds to confidence.
Her confidence was certainly part of what drew his attention.
"Ears ringing?" Indiana asked teasingly, leaning against the wall with a smirk.
"Just stopped," Scott drawled as he strolled up to her, "If you were looking for the first aid kit, I thought the infirmary was the other way."
"Nah," Indiana shook her head with a laugh, "I wouldn't have known what I needed until I examined the patient."
Smirking, Scott placed his hands on the wall on either side of Indiana's frame, effectively caging her in, "Well, doctor? What's your diagnosis?"
"You seem fine to me," Indiana shrugged with a coy smile, reaching up to stroke the hairs on the nape of his neck, "I might need to do a more thorough examination."
Scott rested his forehead against hers as he stepped closer. Even if their bodies weren't touching yet, they could feel the proximity.
"That reminds me," Scott practically purred, "I believe you were due for an examination."
Before Scott could move in for the kiss, they heard those tell-tale beeps of an emergency call coming in. They both froze, silently cursing their bad luck.
"I'm afraid it'll be delayed even further," Indiana smiled apologetically.
"Well, you started it," Scott pointed out, capturing her lips in a chaste kiss.
"We'd better see what's going on," Indiana sighed, stepping away from the wall.
"That's the situation, father. If the reactor explodes, the radioactivity will do unthinkable damage."
John had received an emergency call from the new Atomic Station in the Sahara Desert that had just started operations. Jeff remembered reading in the newspapers about the station opening, as well as the concerns and protests that resulted from it.
You see, this was not the first station of its kind. Only twelve months before, a similar station was constructed in the Australian outback. The plant exploded under unknown circumstances and a radioactive cloud emerged from the chaos, putting the city of Melbourne at significant risk. By a stroke of luck, a strong wind emerged one week after the explosion and pushed the cloud back into the desert, where it safely dissipated without causing further risk to the Australian population.
Nobody knew for sure what caused the explosion at the Australian plant. There were whispers of sabotage, but nothing could be confirmed as a certainty. But there was one thing everyone could agree on. If they had been able to cut off the seawater intake, the disaster would've been averted. The plant wouldn't have exploded and Melbourne wouldn't have had to rely on a turn of the weather to save them from the radioactive cloud.
Yes, the Sahara Desert was a large desert. In fact, it's the third-largest desert in the world. But they couldn't count on a sudden gust of wind to stop the radioactive cloud that would drift across the desert towards populated cities.
"Radio the station, John. Tell them help is on its way," Jeff instructed John.
"I heard the call!" Scott cut in as he and Indiana stood in the doorway, "Hey, what's happened?"
"Hold it, Scott," Jeff said to his oldest before turning to Brains, "Brains, what do we need?"
"Well, the big problem is gonna be the seawater intake," Brains stated, "It will have to be cut off underwater."
"Sounds like a job for Thunderbird 4. Alert Virgil and Gordon," Jeff ordered.
"Right," Brains nodded, going to do so.
"Now, Scott, the destination is North Africa. There's a runaway reactor in the Saharan Atomic Station. Possible sabotage. John will fill in the details and give you the exact position as soon as you're airborne," Jeff told Scott.
"Ana, you want to come monitor Mobile Control?" Scott offered.
"Sure," Indiana nodded before freezing, "If it's alright with you, Jeff?"
"Of course. You were cleared for light duties. This is a good chance to ease you back into things," Jeff nodded, "Okay. Away you go. There's very little time."
"Yes, sir!" Scott and Indiana nodded as they walked to Thunderbird 1's silo.
Scott went to follow Indiana, but something stopped him. That something was Lady Penelope.
"Jeff. Jeff, you know how badly I want to go out on a rescue," Lady Penelope began pleading.
"Yeah, but this one's too dangerous," Jeff objected.
"But, Jeff, all calls our…"
Whatever response Lady Penelope had died when Jeff turned to greet Virgil and Gordon, "Ah, boys. Good."
"Jeff!" Lady Penelope cut in firmly, "I may not get another chance. Please."
Jeff finally relented, "Okay, Penny. You'd better go with Virgil."
"Here I go!" Scott called as he disappeared into Thunderbird 1's silo.
"What took you so long?" Indiana asked Scott when he finally entered.
"Lady Penelope convinced father to let her come along," Scott reported, grabbing his uniform as Indiana handed it to him.
"Seriously?" Indiana squeaked in surprise, "I didn't think she'd be able to."
"Yeah, I think father was hoping a rescue wouldn't happen during her visit," Scott drawled, sliding the top half of his uniform over his torso, "She's going in Thunderbird 2."
"I think Virgil may have her stay in there and 'monitor communications'," Indiana shrugged, using air quotation marks as she said 'monitor communications', "Or at least something that makes her feel important, but doesn't allow her to take an active part in the rescue."
"Well, I think it'll be something else. Monitoring communications will be your job from Mobile Control," Scott revealed, "Virgil and I will be going in to get the reactor under control. I need you to monitor how much time we have left and give Gordon the signal to cut off the seawater intake."
"Bummer we didn't exist last year," Indiana quipped, "We might have been able to stop the explosion in Australia."
"Let's just hope if they build a third plant, they actually implement measures to prevent sabotage," Scott drawled with an eyeroll.
Indiana just shrugged as she went to buckle up. Scott was right. Hopefully, they implemented better measures next time.
The flight to the atomic station was uneventful. John radioed Scott and gave him the exact coordinates and further details behind the accident. This allowed Scott to confirm the plan of action he had laid out with Indiana earlier. He and Virgil would go into the reactor control room to get the reactor under control while Gordon waited to cut off the seawater intake in Thunderbird 4.
Eventually, they landed and got set up in the station. Thunderbird 2 would be a few minutes behind. After all, he had to drop off Thunderbird 4.
"I'm Wade," Wade introduced himself, "And this is Collins. We're the plant controllers. Thank you so much for coming."
"I just hope we can help," Scott remarked, "Is there anyone we need to evacuate?"
"No," Collins shook his head, "It's just the two of us and our geologist. The station's fully automated."
"And where is your geologist?" Indiana asked.
"She'll be here within the next couple of minutes," Wade answered.
Before long, they heard the sound of the door opening and they all turned to see the aforementioned geologist walk in. But Indiana was shocked to realize that she recognized this geologist.
"Arizona?" Indiana greeted in surprise.
Arizona looked up from her clipboard in surprise at the voice. "Indiana? Wait. Why are you in an International Rescue uniform? What's going on?"
"Well, I think you know why I'm in an International Rescue uniform," Indiana stated in a deadpan voice, "As to what's going on, we're here to stop you getting blown up."
"So, you getting shot last month… You got hurt on the job?" Arizona surmised in disbelief before turning to Scott, "And you are…?"
"Scott," Scott introduced himself, "And yes. She got hurt on duty."
Arizona suddenly smirked at Indiana. She had heard plenty about Scott.
"Thunderbird 4 to Mobile Control. I am in position by the sea intake and awaiting further instructions."
"Okay, Gordon," Indiana acknowledged the transmission, "Keep standing by. When Virgil arrives, he and Scott are going to try and get the reactor under control. When they do, you'll have to cut off the seawater intake at the right time."
"Mobile Control from Thunderbird 4, F.A.B. Standing by."
"How long have we got?" Scott asked worriedly.
"The reactor's running away!" Wade cried.
"To answer your question," Arizona cut in, "you've got twenty minutes."
"Thunderbird 2 to Mobile Control. I'm coming in to land."
"Hurry it up, Virgil!" Scott barked.
Arizona gaped, "Virgil?"
"Yeah. It's a family run business," Indiana quipped.
"Wait. Where did you meet Virgil?" Scott suddenly demanded.
"Their visits to Lady Penelope's mansion overlapped," Indiana explained.
Shrugging, Scott decided he was going to get ready to enter the control room. Moments later, Virgil rushed in, heading straight to where Scott was changing into the protective suit. He did a double take when he saw Arizona standing there, alarmed that she knew his identity. But he couldn't dwell on that.
Right now, he had a job to do.
"Mobile Control from Thunderbird 5. What's the latest?"
"Thunderbird 5 from Mobile Control. Gordon is standing by in Thunderbird 4 to destroy the seawater intake and Scott and Virgil have donned protective clothing to go into the reactor control room," Indiana reported.
"F.A.B. Will radio base and report."
"So, what do you actually do with them?" Arizona asked out of curiosity.
"Under normal circumstances, I'm their chief health officer," Indiana revealed, "I'm in charge of keeping them healthy and treating anyone they rescue who needs immediate medical attention."
"That sounds like something you'd give up your job at Kessler for," Arizona chuckled, "But that cover you gave? Helping set up more trauma centres in various communities?"
"That's true," Indiana nodded, "We do that, too. And I still go teach those courses at various hospitals and consult with various doctors."
"We're now in the control cabin."
"F.A.B, Scott," Indiana acknowledged, "Be careful, though. Both of you."
"We'll do our best."
Indiana couldn't help but notice how Arizona was looking worriedly through the observation window into the control room. But she knew she wasn't worrying after Scott. For one thing, that was Indiana's job.
Arizona was worrying after Virgil.
Indiana knew that Virgil and Arizona had kept up and maintained a correspondence since they met up at Lady Penelope's mansion. She also knew they wanted to meet up in-person again, but they couldn't guarantee when they'd be on the same continent again to do that.
Well, depending on what happens here, Arizona was going to be between jobs. And when she was between jobs, she went back to Boston to spend time with her family. Maybe they could meet up then.
Looking up at the countdown, Indiana radioed in a warning, "You guys have five minutes."
Turning around as Scott and Virgil moved on to the next rod, Arizona signed to Indiana, 'Do you always feel like this?'
Indiana nodded, signing back, 'It's not always easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.'
Nodding, Arizona returned to her observations. She had watched the brief interactions Scott and Indiana had before Scott prepared to enter the control room. It wasn't anything overt. Mostly little things like running a hand down an arm or hugging each other for just that little bit too long.
Arizona fiddled with the necklace she always wore around her neck, something she did when she was nervous.
"Two minutes," Indiana warned the boys.
"That's better," Virgil sighed in relief.
"Now, number five," Scott said resolutely before they moved on.
The time seemed to drag on. The ninety seconds that elapsed didn't feel like ninety seconds. They felt like ninety hours.
"Ninety seconds!" Arizona cried in fear.
Just seconds later, they saw that Scott and Virgil got the fifth rod in the right position, so Indiana immediately radioed, "Thunderbird 4 from Mobile Control! Fire missiles! Now!"
They watched as reactor number five continued to beep erratically and the arrow swung back and forth in an erratic tempo that matched the erratic beeps. Eventually, it slowed to a stop, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Gordon had fired the missiles and destroyed the seawater intake. The threat was over.
"Oh, thank God!" Arizona sighed, hugging Indiana from behind.
"Nice shooting, Gordon," Indiana praised.
"Thanks, Indy. I'll return to the pod and wait for Virgil to pick me up."
"F.A.B," Indiana nodded.
At that moment, Scott and Virgil emerged, no longer wearing the protective suits. While Scott went to do a final briefing with Wade and Collins, Virgil approached Indiana and Arizona.
"It's nice to see you again, Arizona," Virgil began nervously.
"Likewise, Virgil," Arizona responded in kind.
"I just wish we met again under better circumstances," Virgil admitted, "Say, over dinner."
"Are you trying to ask me out?" Arizona asked bluntly.
Indiana chortled, struggling to hold back her laughter at the startled look on Virgil's face. She didn't know if Virgil had ever met a woman as straightforward as Arizona. But Virgil got over his surprise quickly.
"Yes," Virgil nodded, "Yes. I am. I'm wondering if you'd like to grab dinner with me."
"I'd love to," Arizona smiled warmly.
"I'll contact you when I'm back at base to arrange it," Virgil declared.
"Speaking of which," Scott cut in, "we have to get back. Arizona, you should come visit sometime."
"I might take you up on that," Arizona mused, "Don't worry, Indy. I'll keep your true job secret."
Indiana sighed in relief. She knew she could count on her best friend.
"Well," Scott began after Thunderbird 1 took off, "Arizona's not the first person to ask one of us out, but she's certainly the first person to be successful."
Indiana laughed, "I have to admit. I was wondering if Arizona was going to end up taking matters into her own hands. She's not exactly afraid to help move things along, as you saw."
Chuckling, Scott asked, "Just out of curiosity, is she why you suddenly lent Virgil a book on ASL?"
"Yeah. Ari's a CODA," Indiana answered before clarifying, "Child of Deaf Adults. Her parents and brother are deaf. 90% of children born to deaf adults can actually hear normally."
"So, if Virgil and Arizona get serious, Virgil can communicate with Arizona's family," Scott surmised.
"Exactly," Indiana nodded.
Scott smiled, focusing on piloting Thunderbird 1 back home and thinking about the delicious food that awaited them when Indiana suddenly asked,
"Hang on. Who tried to ask you out?!"
