Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm not lucky enough.

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Love. It was a word that was casually tossed around Tracy Island by all of the occupants.

"I love it!" Jeff would exclaim after seeing Virgil's newest artistic creation.

"I love Onaha's chicken parmesan," was a typical statement from Scott whenever he was asked about his favorite meal.

"I love the speed this car gets!" Alan would say when he test-drove his newest racing car.

"I love looking at the stars, up close and personal," John would say whenever he was asked why he liked being on Five so much.

"I love what you've done to your hair," Gordon once teased, his eldest brother falling victim to one of Gordon's more vengeful pranks.

But it's turned into something much more serious in the last few days. The patriarch of the Tracy clan and his four conscious sons had their turn to say the four words that were echoing in their minds since the debris pile's collapse.

'I love you, Virgil.'

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The sun was shining down, and a much younger Virgil was trying to build a sandcastle. But the forms would crumble only moments after the plastic bucket had been lifted. It was beginning to frustrate the child, who only continued to try despite the number of failures he had. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, knowing someone was behind him.

"Try wetting the sand down a little," he heard Scott's voice say.

He turned to see his oldest brother sitting close by, behind but a little off to the side. Virgil took his brother's advice, and found that it was good. He worked on his sandcastle with Scott's help, the eldest only keeping the built parts moist while Virgil created new sections.

It was an all-afternoon affair, Scott keeping Virgil company while the younger one created a sand masterpiece. Curious onlookers gathered to see what the smaller child was building, awed by the creation that was unfolding before their eyes. John, who'd gotten bored of Alan and Gordon's immature games, went to see what the fuss was about. Once he saw it, he knew he had to get his father. So John, with Jeff's hand in his own, showed his father what his younger brother was creating.

By the time it was finished, the castle was expansive. Virgil, who hadn't known that others were watching, suddenly found his cheeks red and had an urge to hide behind one of his older brothers. But he did no such thing, he only turned to John.

"How does it look?" Virgil asked with trepidation.

"Awesome doesn't even begin to cover it," John answered. "It's amazing!"

"Does it need a moat?" Virgil asked, this time looking between John and Scott.

"I don't think so," Scott answered.

"No one would be crazy enough to attack that castle," John laughed.

"Dad?" Virgil asked, looking up to his father.

"It's perfect the way it is," Jeff answered.

Then Jeff went to retrieve the family's camera, wanting to capture Virgil's creation for all-time. Soon enough, the small crowd dispersed. The family left to go back to their home, leaving the castle to be washed away by a rising tide, or to be demolished by human feet.

A period of indescribable blackness followed, along with an eerie silence. And then a new 'movie' began. The Tracy boys had all grown up and started lives of their own until a new project was begun. Tracy Island had become much more than just a home away from the world, it became the secret base that held the most fantastic machines known to mankind.

The Thunderbirds were born.

Virgil stood in his uniform, his back against a wall. To his sides, he could see that his father, Scott and Gordon were similarly situated. Then he disappeared in a chute that would take him to his beloved Thunderbird Two. This movie wasn't of the first rescue, it was something much more serious.

John was in trouble.

Virgil sat in one of the front-most two seats while his immediate younger brother Gordon sat next to him. Scott and their father were in back, and they were all anxious. John was in trouble, something struck Thunderbird Five. John was hurt. Virgil would never be able to describe the relief he felt when he saw John sitting on the floor, awake, coherent and thankful to see his family. Then he did what he knew to do, he took care of his older brother.

This 'movie' was a nightmare, so much more than a horror movie. It was real. There he was, patching up his older brother while around him, his world was caving in. They were trapped, no way off the station as it barreled toward Earth's atmosphere.

The horror movie ended up having a happy ending, the family was saved. The villain, an evil man called the Hood, was imprisoned along with his gang. John eventually healed, both physically and emotionally, as did everyone else. The added bonus, Alan achieved his dream and became a Thunderbird.

Once that 'movie' ended, the blackness started up again. It didn't last long, however. Another 'movie' began again. There was snow, hockey sticks, and buried people. Virgil was one of them. He didn't make it out under his own power. The movie just ended, as if in mid-reel.

That was the final 'movie'. Once again, there was only darkness. But this time, there was no silence. There was a voice that was familiar, yet distant. At first the words were unclear, nothing but gibberish. Then the voice became just a bit louder, the words suddenly a little clearer.

"…on my bed. I'm not kidding. You know who to blame for that. And it isn't Gordon. That was all you, just because you wanted to get to the zoo just as it opened. It may have been cute and tolerable when you were six, but not at fourteen!"

A brief period of silence followed, then the voice started again. Louder and clearer, the story went on.

"So we ended up at the zoo. You went straight to the penguins, sat down on the bench, and began drawing. Once you got tired of penguins, you went onto the wolves, then…oh, I forget. By the end of the day, you had drawings of tigers, lions, even snakes. Scott didn't appreciate the painting you made of that. He hates snakes, but you knew that."

The voice continued, talking about drawings and paintings. But another sensation cut through the darkness. Weight. Indescribable, yet comfortable. It wasn't heavy, just enough to know it was real.

Then a shocking change occurred. Light. Bright, white light. Then blackness, then a second of light. That alternated for a few seconds before anything new happened. Just as the alternating darkness/light started, there was another new sensation.

Movement. Just a little, just enough to the get the voice to stop in mid-sentence.

"Virgil!" the voice cried.

Light. This time, there were things in the light. Colors, shapes. A hovering face. It seemed to take an eternity, but everything slowly began coming into focus. He knew the face, it belonged to the voice.

He felt slight pressure on his face, seeing something move toward it.

"I'll get the doctor," the voice said. "You're going to be fine now."

The pressure on his face went away for a few seconds, then came back. He felt a soothing brushing motion on his cheek, and he believed the words he'd just heard. Suddenly, there was too much going on for him to process, so he just let it happen. All the while, the warm voice continued.