I'm leaning more and more towards writing a separate story filled with missing sexy scenes that would've forced me to bump this story up to M if I included it. But that scene I've intimated to about Scott playing 'doctor' (which will be alluded to happening soon, I'll say that much) is not something that falls into my expertise. I'm not exactly known for my smuts. Particularly kinky smuts like that. So, that would either have to be left to everyone's imaginations (because a lot of us are dirty-minded) or be outsourced. But I'm on the fence.
Also, it's my cat's birthday today. He's turning nine. So, happy birthday, buddy boy!
I own nothing aside from original characters and plot points.
ENJOY!
It was another day on the island. Two weeks after Indiana's return and Lady Penelope's visit to the island. In the meantime, Virgil had gone on that dinner date with Arizona. It must have gone well because Virgil was already moving along with that ASL book Indiana had given him, determined to learn sign language for Arizona.
"Okay," Indiana nodded when Virgil guessed the letter she was signing before moving on to another letter.
"D?" Virgil guessed.
"You got it," Indiana praised, adjusting his hand slightly when he tried to sign it for himself.
"What are you guys doing?" Gordon asked as he and Scott joined them by the pool.
Alan answered for them, having been watching the lessons with peculiar interest, "Indy's helping Virgil learn sign language. I guess that means his date with Arizona went well."
"And you're providing moral support?" Scott drawled as he sat on a deck chair.
"Yeah," Alan nodded, "And the usual mocking."
"How much have you learned anyway?" Gordon inquired.
"I'm still working on getting the handshapes and the alphabet right," Virgil admitted, "Some of them don't come naturally."
"Well, it takes practice," Indiana shrugged.
"Maybe we should at least pick up some basic phrases," Alan suggested, "It'll help us if we rescue someone who's deaf or hard of hearing."
"Sign language isn't just for people with hearing problems," Indiana warned him, "There are plenty of people who use sign language for different reasons. Also, this is ASL – American sign language. It's not universal. Each location has its own dialect. I mean, there were some differences in dialect between Boston and Rochester."
"You know, Virg, you could turn this into a date with Arizona," Scott pointed out, "Having her teach you sign language."
"I've thought about that," Virgil admitted, "But I want to at least get some of the basics down on my own. Besides, Ari and I don't know how often we'll see each other, so I need someone to practice with in the meantime."
"Which is where I come in," Indiana piped in cheerfully.
"Well, even if there's different dialects and stuff, I still think it'd be a good idea to at least get basic phrases down," Alan grumbled.
"It is," Indiana reassured him.
Whatever further discussion everyone could've had was lost when they heard the familiar sound of the all-too-familiar alarm. Letting out a small laugh, Indiana held up her dominant hand with her palm facing out, tightly curved in her top four fingers, all touching each other, while tightly tucking her thumb into her palm so it touched the tips of the other fingers and shook it from side to side. The boys looked at her in confusion, but quickly brushed it off.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Virgil ordered.
As they walked towards the lounge, they heard Jeff talking to John.
"Okay, John. I'll get you to brief Scott," Jeff decided, "There's very little time on this one."
"F.A.B. I'll clear the air and remain on standby."
Jeff looked up and saw Scott, Alan and Indiana standing in the doorway. Virgil and Gordon weren't that far behind.
"Ah, good," Jeff greeted before giving out orders, "Scott, leave immediately. Destination: England. John will brief as soon as you're on your way."
"Yes, sir," Scott nodded.
"Indiana, go with him," Jeff ordered, "The person you're rescuing will need medical attention."
"F.A.B.," Indiana nodded, going to follow Scott.
Scott heard the sound of the hatch opening as he changed into his uniform. He immediately knew that meant Indiana would be flying out with him. He found that to be a good thing. He loved it when she flew out to the danger zone with him.
"Say," Scott began as he handed Indiana her uniform, "What was that sign you did before?"
"Oh. That was the sign for emergency," Indiana explained, "I thought it appropriate, given the circumstances."
Scott shrugged – both in response to Indiana's answer and to get the top half of his uniform on. She was right. It was the appropriate sign.
Scott walked up to Indiana and gave her a quick peck on the lips as he handed her the gun that attached to her belt. Indiana smiled and gave him one in response. Except for this morning, it was the first moment they had alone all day. Therefore, the first time they could take part in any display of affection.
At least, until they decided they were ready to tell the others.
"You up for this?" Scott asked her worriedly as they went to buckle up, "You haven't been on that many rescues since you came back; and the ones you've been on had you doing very light duties."
"I'll be fine," Indiana reassured him with a smile.
Scott knew that Indiana knew her own limitations – or at least hoped she knew them – but he still couldn't help but worry. He still couldn't shake the image out of his head from when she was shot. Even now, it haunted his nightmares. There were several times Indiana would wake up with a weight on her chest from Scott resting his head on her chest to listen to her heartbeat.
To hear proof that his nightmares were just that – a nightmare. To hear proof that she was alive.
She couldn't blame him, though. If she had the opportunity, she'd have done the same thing after he was shot down.
Indiana didn't even realize Thunderbird 1 had launched until Scott was reporting that he was about to shift to horizontal flight. Was she so used to it that she didn't even notice the vibrations of the rocket's engines firing to send the rocket into the sky?
"International Rescue Space Station, this is Thunderbird 1. Give me the lowdown, John," Scott requested.
"Thunderbird 1 from Space Station. Your danger zone is located at the Bank of England. The bank recently had a state-of-the-art electronic bank vault installed. Upon closure, it is to pump all the oxygen from the vault to preserve some important documents. The only way it can be opened is with an electronic key."
"Sounds pretty straightforward," Indiana mused, "Why do they need International Rescue?"
"One of their employees is trapped in the vault and there's under two hours until all the air's pumped out. The key is in the possession of the bank's president, but he cannot be reached and they cannot guarantee he will arrive in time to open the vault."
"So, we'll need to either cut our way through the vault door or come up into the vault from below with the Mole," Scott mused aloud.
Scott had disconnected his transmission with John and they soon heard Tin-Tin's voice over the radio, "International Rescue to Thunderbird 1. Your landing point: City of London Heliport."
"Message received and understood, Tin-Tin," Scott nodded in acknowledgement, "I have received the details of the emergency from John. Request Thunderbird 2 with Pod 5."
"Okay, Scott. Request granted."
"One thing more, father," Scott began, "I reckon Virgil will need some help with this one."
"Leave it with me."
"Sure. I'll keep in touch," Scott promised before turning to Indiana, "What's the employees biggest risk?"
"He's going to be in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. We're going to need the oxygen tanks because he'll need supplemental oxygen as soon as he's out," Indiana responded.
"What happens as the oxygen concentration decreases?" Scott asked urgently.
"Starting from about 19%, some adverse physiological effects start occurring, but they might not always be noticeable. Anywhere between 15-19% is impaired thinking, increased pulse and breathing, reduced coordination, decrease ability for strenuous work and a reduced physical and intellectual performance without awareness. 12-15%, you start seeing poor judgement, faulty coordination and abnormal fatigue upon exertion; even from something as simple as getting up from a chair. They may also be emotional upsets. 10-12%, the poor judgement gets worse and starts impacting coordination. The chances of the patient being left with permanent heart damage also increases. There's also the possibility of fainting as well as nausea and vomiting. Anything lower than 10% can see paralysis, loss of consciousness, convulsions and death," Indiana recited, "However, it's not unusual for the patient to be unaware of their symptoms and even experience a false sense of security. There are also other factors such as the individual's physical health that could aggravate symptoms."
"I'm almost sorry I asked," Scott drawled.
"Well, you need to know all the risks," Indiana shrugged.
"Speaking of which," Scott sighed in frustration as he just thought of one, "I don't think we can use the Mole."
"Crap," Indiana muttered as she came to the same realization, "Good thing we're arriving early. It'll give us time to look at the plans and establish it for sure."
As told by Tin-Tin, Thunderbird 1 landed at the City of London Heliport. They were greeted by men who would transport them and the equipment Scott needed to set up Mobile Control to the Bank of England. Upon arrival, they were met by Lovegrove, a senior executive at the bank. Meeting with him was as good as meeting with the President, Lord Silton.
"I'm glad you're here, Mr. Tracy, but with all due respect, I can't see what we can do unless we can get the key," Lovegrove voiced his apprehension after Mobile Control was set up, "And there's only one hour left!"
"We're not often beaten, Mr. Lovegrove. The equipment will be arriving any minute," Scott proclaimed.
"Speaking of equipment," Indiana began as she looked up from the plans Lovegrove had so graciously provided for her, "we'll have to tell the boys to keep the Mole aboard Thunderbird 2."
Scott looked at the plans and saw that Indiana was right. One thing they had forgotten about was the underground cables and communications setup in London. If they tried to enter the vault with the Mole, it would damage all those cables and cause all sorts of disruptions across the city. They couldn't chance it; especially if, by chance, Lord Silton arrived with the electronic key. They needed to come up with another way to get into the vault and rescue the worker, who has been identified as Lambert.
Scott busied himself with radioing Thunderbird 2 through his setup at Mobile Control. He told Virgil that they couldn't use the Mole and also asked him to bring the oxygen tank and mask Indiana would need to treat Lambert, as well as what she would need to set up an IV. Fortunately, the boys were well versed in the type of equipment Indiana might need in various situations, so Virgil immediately knew what he and Alan would need to bring.
Indiana was bummed they couldn't use the Mole for another reason. Thunderbird 2 was going to have to land at the heliport as well. How would they have gotten the Mole in position from there? It would've been interesting (maybe even entertaining) to see.
"I'll keep looking at these plans," Indiana decided, gesturing to the plans spread across the table, "Maybe I'll get lucky and find a back way in or something."
Scott hoped she would. He saw the size of the vault door. It wasn't necessarily big, but it was extremely thick. While their equipment was highly specialized and would cut down on the amount of time it would take to cut through the door, there was still no guarantee they'd cut through the door before all the air was pumped out.
Jeff and Tin-Tin waited patiently at Jeff's desk for someone to radio in with an update. They figured John would be the one to radio in. Scott and/or Virgil would report into John, who would pass their reports onto Tracy Island. Or, John would radio in what he picked up in radio transmissions.
They didn't have to wait long.
"International Rescue from Space Station. Thunderbird 2 has landed safely. Scott reports that, owing to the underground cables and communications in London, the Mole cannot be used."
"If they can't tunnel their way in, they'll never rescue that poor man!" Tin-Tin cried in dismay.
"Don't worry, Tin-Tin," Jeff reassured her, "The boys will burn their way through the door."
Scott, Indiana and Lovegrove watched nervously as Virgil and Alan worked on doing just that. They had set up their equipment and were working to burn their way through the vault door. The problem is, as previously mentioned, the vault door was exceedingly thick.
"I promise you it will take years to get through!" Lovegrove declared.
"It won't take that long with our equipment," Scott shook his head, but he muttered all the same, "But will it be fast enough?"
"What could have happened to Lord Silton?" Lovegrove whispered to himself.
Scott decided to take over reading the plans for the vault while Indiana busied herself with getting her medical equipment set up, testing the tank to see if it worked properly so she could go back for another one if needed.
"Are you qualified to use that?" Lovegrove asked derisively.
"Trust me. She's the best person for the job," Scott cut in firmly, looking up from the plans briefly to shoot Lovegrove a murderous glare.
"Where did you study nursing?" Lovegrove decided to ask.
"University of Rochester in New York," Indiana responded before adding icily, "I was part of a selective program that gave me guaranteed acceptance into the university's School of Medicine and Dentistry, and I completed my residency and fellowship at the largest trauma centre in Western New York."
That shut Lovegrove up effectively. He wondered if the young woman before him was related to one of the bank's more 'prestigious' customers. He recalled one who proudly boasted about having an American grandniece who was a surgeon in high demand, but he couldn't remember the specialty.
Virgil and Alan exchanged amused glances. For a moment, they worried that Indiana was going to have to deal with two patients instead of one if Lovegrove continued being dismissive of Indiana and her capabilities. Because they weren't going to hold Scott back if he decided to make his displeasure known in a more physical way.
For one thing, they were too busy.
For another, they would want an opportunity to make their own displeasure known.
There was also the possibility that Indiana may want the opportunity to express her own thoughts on the matter.
"Okay! Hold it! Look at this!" Scott cut in.
Virgil, Alan and Indiana stopped their respective jobs and walked over to where Scott was examining the plans.
"We're not gonna get through in time, Scott," Alan pointed out.
"I know, but take a look at this plan of the vault," Scott responded, pointing to the plans.
"Hey. Where'd you find that?" Indiana asked, immediately seeing what Scott was talking about.
"It was on a different schematic," Scott answered before clarifying to Scott and Virgil, "There's a weak spot underneath."
"Yeah, but we've already established that we can't tunnel in," Virgil reminded everyone present.
"Looks as though we're beaten this time," Scott sighed before deciding, "I'll get onto headquarters. See if they can come up with anything."
Indiana hummed to herself while Scott made his way to Mobile Control. She tried to recall everything her grandaunt had told her about the history of London. She told her a lot about a lot of the old buildings, life living in the twentieth century…
And modes of transport.
She turned to Lovegrove and asked him, "You don't keep any schematics of London at various points of history in the vault, do you?"
"No," Lovegrove shook his head, "They're stored in Lord Silton's office. I'll retrieve them straightaway."
Turning her attention to the Tracys, she heard Jeff's voice ask, "So you can't cut through the door?"
"Well, not in the available time," Scott shook his head, "We've just got to come up from below."
"Any suggestions, Brains?"
"Well, n-n-not at this moment, Mr. Tracy."
"Sorry, Scott," Indiana cut in before asking, "Is Grandma Tracy there?"
"Grandma?" the Tracy boys repeated in confusion.
"I'm here, dear."
"What do you know about the old subways?" Indiana inquired.
"Well, it seems I remember when I was a little girl, my grandma told me about the old London subway – trains under the ground. New York had them as well. Of course, that was before this new-fangled overhead monorail system."
"Do you know what happened to the tunnels when they discontinued the subways?" Indiana asked.
"I don't know, dear. If there haven't been filled in, I don't know what shaped they'd be in."
Jeff cut in, "But the two of you are certainly onto something. Scott, check and see if those subway tunnels are still in existence."
"I've already got Lambert searching for some old plans," Indiana revealed.
As if the sentence summoned the man, Lovegrove came walking in carrying the plans Indiana requested. Immediately, the four members of International Rescue set to work looking for any plans that related to the old subway system. They found the plans for various lines that took the subways all over London. Fortunately, Lovegrove sensed what they were doing and confirmed that there was a subway station for the Bank of England. They eventually dug up the plans for the Bank of England subway station, confirming there was an elevator shaft that led up to the weak spot Scott highlighted in the vault's plans.
"So, we could get into the elevator shaft, drill some controlled explosives into the wall and blast our way into the vault. If Lord Silton arrives with the electronic key for the vault, great. If not, we have a way to get Lambert out," Scott pointed out.
"F.A.B," Virgil and Alan nodded before rushing out, happy to finally have a plan of action in place.
Now, Scott and Indiana were faced with the worst part of the rescue: the wait. Fortunately, Virgil and Alan had made their way to the bank from the heliport on their hoverbikes, so they didn't have to worry about retrieving them from Thunderbird 2. As Indiana would say, thank God for small mercies.
"Ten minutes! That's all there is left," Lovegrove proclaimed in dismay.
"Any news of the guy who's got the key?" Scott asked urgently.
"Nothing yet," Lovegrove shook his head in dismay.
Indiana's brows furrowed as she recalled the story she and Scott were told when they first arrived. When they first realized what had happened, Lovegrove immediately moved to contact Lord Silton. He knew the Bank President would be dining in a stately home, but he couldn't remember which one. So, he tried to reach Lord Silton on the emergency call system. But the weirdest thing happened. When Lord Silton contacted them, the call suddenly cut out before Lovegrove could tell him what happened.
So, with no guarantee that Lord Silton was on his way with the key to the vault (which was supposedly in a briefcase that never left his side), they came to the decision to call in International Rescue.
"Three minutes. We've failed!" Lovegrove suddenly cried in dismay.
Scott and Indiana ignored him, lost in their own thoughts and prayers. They were praying than a miracle. The indicator was showing that the vault's air supply was nearly emptied out. They were running out of time.
Indiana felt warmth seeping onto her hand. Looking down, she saw that Scott had reached across and taken her hand in his. When she looked up, she saw the look he had in his eyes. His blue eyes burned into her hazel ones. It was intense. It was intimate.
But they both pulled away to check the reading on the indicator. To their dismay, the beeping was slowing.
"One minute," Indiana reported with a shaky breath.
"Come on, fellas!" Scott pleaded.
Mere seconds later, they heard the sound of the door opening. Immediately bolting to their feet and moving away from the desk, they saw that Lord Silton had finally arrived… with Lady Penelope and Parker flanked on either side of him.
So, that's where he was.
"What's happened?" Lady Penelope asked urgently, "Are we in time?"
"Lord Silton!" Lovegrove gasped in relief, "We'd given up hope! Lambert is trapped in the vault!"
"There's just seconds left!" Scott added.
"Quickly, sir! The electronic key!" Lovegrove requested.
"The key?" Lord Silton repeated in confusion.
"Yes, sir," Lovegrove nodded, "The one you always carry with you in your briefcase."
"Briefcase?" Lord Silton stuttered, still in confusion.
"It never leaves your side, remember?" Lovegrove pressed.
"Oh! Oh, that briefcase!" Lord Silton cried in realization before confessing sheepishly, "I, um, I must have left it at Lady Penelope's."
Indiana suppressed a groan in exasperation. Of course this had to happen now!
But then, she noticed Parker examining the mechanism to open the vault. That was when Indiana declared that all hope had not been lost. One thing that was known about Parker: he was a top-notch jewel thief. He knew vaults. He knew how they worked.
He knew how to open them.
"One of your hairclips, milady, if you would be so kind," Parker requested kindly.
"Parker, this is no time for flippancy!" Lady Penelope warned him.
Scott and Indiana looked at each other in confusion about the tone Lady Penelope was using with her long-time butler. They had never heard her address Parker in such a manner in all the time they've known her. Even on the rare occasions when Parker had pushed the envelope in the past.
Suddenly, Indiana couldn't help but wonder if Parker thought the emergency call concerned something else – like someone, perhaps one of Parker's associates from his safe-cracking days, had broken into the vault and Parker, feeling an odd sense of loyalty towards his old friend, was doing what he could to make sure they could complete the robbery.
"Couldn't be more serious, milady. They haven't built a safe yet that Nosey Parker can't open!" Parker decreed.
BOOM!
Lord Silton and Lovegrove were the only people in the room that had a reaction to the explosion they heard emanating from the vault. Scott and Indiana knew that meant Virgil and Alan were successful.
"We're through!" Virgil cheered.
Lambert looked up weakly from his desk, where he had just been attempting to call for help, "W-w-who are you?"
"You okay?" Virgil asked the elderly man worriedly.
"Guess we just made it," Alan sighed in relief.
"We're International Rescue," Virgil introduced himself and Alan.
"International Rescue?!" Lambert repeated in surprise, "I knew you were highly efficient, but… this is ridiculous!"
On the other side, Parker had succeeded in getting the vault door open. Everyone watched as Parker approached Lady Penelope sheepishly while holding the hairclip she had graciously lent him before. Parker had used it to act as the electronic key and open the vault. Unfortunately, there was a side effect.
"I'm afraid I've ruined your hairpin, milady," Parker stammered nervously to his employer, gesturing to the now ruined hairclip he was holding.
"Parker, you're an old rascal!" Lady Penelope crooned as she patted his arm gently.
"Yes, milady," Parker nodded sheepishly, his cheeks becoming dusted with a light red.
"Did you see that, Lovegrove?" Lord Silton demanded in disbelief, "The Bank of England vault opened with a hairpin! Outrageous!"
"Oh, indeed, sir! Outrageous!" Lovegrove immediately nodded in agreement.
Indiana immediately got everything ready as Virgil and Alan escorted Lambert out of the vault. The devoted worker was in bad shape, but he was mobile. With support. Immediately, Indiana attached the oxygen mask to his face and coached him through some breathing exercises before grabbing one of his wrists. Wordlessly, Scott handed her an alcohol wipe to disinfect the area so she could hook him up to the IV.
Looking up after attaching a pulse oximeter to one of Lambert's fingers at Indiana's request, Scott couldn't help but quip, "Virgil and Alan have made it okay, but we sure wish you had arrived earlier, Parker."
"Yep. They made it out okay," Indiana nodded in agreement as she quickly examined the two Tracy boys, "but probably in need of a bath."
Behind them, Lord Silton and Lovegrove continued discussing their situation with the vault.
"Have to do something about this vault, Lovegrove," Lord Silton declared, "Can't have chaps with hairpins wandering in and out!"
"Oh, indeed, sir. I couldn't agree more, sir," Lovegrove nodded dutifully.
"It'll mean fitting a new safe. We could do worse than go back to the old one. At least that took him two-and-a-half hours," Lord Silton shrugged.
Lady Penelope approached Indiana, "How is he, dear girl?"
"Extremely lucky," Indiana answered resolutely, "Had he been in there any longer, I don't think he would've stood a chance."
"Will he need a hospital?" Scott asked, "I can arrange for an ambulance."
"No," Indiana shook her head, "But if you guys don't mind, I want to stick around for a bit. Make sure he's okay."
"Sure thing," Scott nodded.
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure," Lord Silton began as he approached Indiana with an outstretched hand, "Lord Silton."
"Dr. Evans," Indiana responded in kind as she shook his hand.
"Will he be okay?" Lord Silton inquired.
"He'll be fine," Indiana reassured him, "I will need him to follow up with his primary care physician and I think a vacation's in order. At least a week."
"He will have two," Lord Silton declared before turning to his employer, "We appreciate your dedication, Lambert, but your health must come first. You will follow the doctor's instructions."
Lambert could see that he wasn't in a position to argue, so he reluctantly nodded. He almost didn't know what he would do with himself on his mandatory two-week vacation.
Perhaps a trip to the countryside was in order.
"Well, I must say, Indiana," Lady Penelope began, "I was thinking it would be nice to catch up with you, but I hoped it would be under different circumstances."
"You and me both," Indiana chuckled before using the stethoscope to listen to Lambert's heartbeat.
Before long, Scott and Indiana were back on the island. Lambert completed his treatment and was discharged into Lord Silton's care. Apparently, he was going to personally see to it that Lambert recovered from his ordeal.
When the debriefing was done and everyone was sent to bed, Scott and Indiana decided to sneak out with a blanket to the beach for a bit of late-night stargazing. They felt like teenagers again.
"I think I did this that summer," Indiana admitted.
"You remembered more?" Scott asked, almost hopefully.
"Yeah," Indiana nodded, "I've been having little bits come back to me. Not all of it made sense, though. This just kind of linked the pieces together."
Scott nodded in understanding. He knew that Indiana was recovering her lost memories a fragment at a time, but the fragments were being recovered in a random order. Not everything made sense. Then, something would happen that seemed to piece the little fragments together and clear more of the fog.
But there was this fog that seemed to refuse to lift. Indiana couldn't remember anything more about the person she shared the memory with.
It was starting to get ridiculous at this point.
Scott turned onto his side, placing a kiss on her forehead as he pulled her into an embrace. Indiana offered no resistance. In fact, she adjusted her position so she was closer to him.
"What did Alan want to talk to you about?" Scott suddenly asked, recalling how Alan had pulled her aside when they got back.
"My teaching schedule," Indiana responded, laughing at the confusion written on Scott's face, "I'm sure you remember Brains talking about this new engine he's built."
Scott nodded in recollection. Brains had indeed been talking about this engine he had been building. Initial tests looked promising, but he wanted to have the opportunity to test the engine in high-stress environments, like a race. Alan mentioned that there was an upcoming race at the Parola Sands raceway. The conditions at the track would provide the perfect opportunity to test the engine; and with his prior racing experience, Alan was the perfect candidate to test the engine.
So, he made the decision to come out of retirement for a one-off race to test Brains' new engine. Jeff allowed it on the condition he also helped Grandma Tracy move to the island permanently. The sale of her residence has now been finalised. She just had to make a few more trips to sort out the final details of the sale and bring to the island a few more items she wanted to keep with her.
"Well," Indiana continued, "Alan remembered that I was teaching some ATLS classes at the community hospital there. So, he asked if I wanted to stay at Parola Sands another day or two to see him race."
"Well," Scott mused, "since we won't be able to make it out in case we have an emergency call, it'd be good to know that the sprout has someone to cheer him on from the stands."
"More like from the pit," Indiana corrected, "He's making arrangements to be an official part of his team. Apparently, due to a few accidents, they're strongly encouraging drivers to have a doctor – or, at minimum, someone with medical training – to monitor the condition of the drivers. It's a new program they're trying out."
"Well, Kenny is a good man," Scott recalled Alan's chief mechanic, "He takes care of his crew, so at least you'll be safe when Alan's behind the wheel."
"That's appreciated, but I can take care of myself," Indiana reminded him.
"I know," Scott reassured her, running his fingers through her hair.
Indiana closed her eyes at the soothing gesture. Scott rested his forehead against hers, taking advantage of the tender moments when they can have them.
"I'm looking forward to when we can tell the others," Scott admitted, "Actually be open about what we have."
"I know," Indiana murmured, stroking his cheek with her thumb, "I want that too. But I also just…"
Scott got nervous when Indiana suddenly trailed off. Indiana sensed that, so she quickly hurried, "It's nothing like you're thinking, okay? I never want you to think anything like that. I just… want to take a few more steps forward first before we start telling people."
"What kind of steps?" Scott asked.
"Maybe a few more dates," Indiana admitted, "Like a proper date. And maybe when we're out of the exploration stage."
Scott could understand her points. It's only been a few weeks since everything happened. They were still navigating everything. They wanted to be absolutely certain of their course.
"There is something else," Scott mused, "I suppose we need to be able to prove that we wouldn't let what's going on between us get in the way of doing our jobs. What better way to prove that than have them not realise?"
"That's actually a fair point," Indiana laughed, "I mean, if looks could kill, Lovegrove would've exploded on the spot with that look you were giving him."
"Well, you worked hard to get to where you are today. I wasn't going to tolerate anyone dismissing your hard work like that," Scott defended himself.
"Well, I appreciate it," Indiana reassured him, pecking his lips.
Scott pulled her back in for an even deeper kiss, rolling them over so she was on top of him. Briefly pulling back, he moved her hair away from her face. Indiana turned her head so she could place a quick kiss on his palm.
"We should probably think about going back inside," Indiana stated.
Scott pondered it before rolling them over so he was on top, muttering "thought about it" before capturing her lips in another kiss.
Jeff was an early riser. It was something he couldn't shake from his humble beginnings on the family farm. His time in the military (and the chaos that comes with having five sons) just served to reinforce this habit.
He did what he always did in the mornings. Sit on the balcony with a cup of coffee and his morning paper, watching the sky change colour as the sun rose. It was his moment of peace before the chaos started. Life was never boring living on a tropical island with his highly energetic sons.
Especially when Alan's on Earth.
Jeff let out a quiet chuckle when he saw Scott and Indiana make their way up one of the paths from the beach. He watched as Scott twirled Indiana before pulling her into an embrace and stealing what seemed to be the latest of several kisses, not knowing they were being watched.
Ah, yes. Jeff knew about Scott and Indiana from the very beginning. But Scott and Indiana didn't know that Jeff knew.
Jeff understood that there would be some reasons why Scott and Indiana didn't want to be open about their relationship just yet. It was still new. They didn't want to deal with the comments from the others. They felt they had to prove that their romantic relationship wouldn't get in the way of their respective duties with International Rescue.
When Jeff saw them together, he saw himself and his late wife. When they were young and carefree. In the throes of a new romance. Then it shifted. It matured. It deepened with each day. With each child they added to their family. It never stopped for Jeff, even in the years since his beloved wife's death.
But he wasn't going to push anything. He was going to let them come to him on their own terms.
He had already given in the urge to check on his late wife's engagement ring he had stored in his room, ready to give to Scott when the time was right.
But there was something else he wanted to check out. Especially since Virgil was now pursuing a romance with Arizona and Alan and Tin-Tin seemed to be on the precipice of something of their own.
Returning to his desk, he pulled up his plans for the island. Specifically, his plans to give his sons their own space on the island to grow and have their own families.
Looks like they'll be coming into fruition sooner than he ever realized.