Everyone should know the drill by now. I own nothing aside from original characters and plot points.

I included a few extra scenes from the episode because I've had quite a few people read the story who are going into it fandom blind (more so on AO3 than here) and I wanted to add the additional context. I really wanted to put emphasis on just how slimy Grafton really is for those who are coming into here wtihout any prior knowledge of the show.

ENJOY!


The New Year came and went. Linda and Matthew went back to their everyday lives. Neither of the three Evans siblings have heard from the patriarch since the blow-up when Indiana confessed her role in International Rescue. When Indiana expressed some misgivings about her father quietly to Jeff, he had a confidentiality agreement drawn up and sent to David at his last-known address by registered mail to protect both Indiana and the family.

The response David sent back isn't a response that is shared in polite company.

But everyone tried valiantly to keep Indiana's mind off of everything. To great success. But quietly, they couldn't understand why the man they met when he visited the island turned out to be who he turned out to be. They all quietly did research in covert narcissism in the library and computer room and came to a better understanding. It also made their hearts break for Indiana even more, having now effectively lost both of her parents.

Alan leaned over and grabbed Indiana from behind in a bear hug, looking at what she was reading, "The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery?"

"I like to keep up to date with the latest developments," Indiana shrugged, "Besides, continuing professional development is part of being a doctor."

"So, that's why you're holed up in the infirmary sometimes. You're doing some virtual courses," Alan pointed out.

"Yeah," Indiana nodded, "I also sometimes have to attend some conferences. Life of a doctor."

"You get to go to some pretty cool places, though," Scott pointed out, "Aren't you slated for that conference in Tokyo later in the year?"

"Yeah," Indiana nodded, "Going to Tokyo would be pretty cool."

"Well, it's all part of your job, as you said," Jeff pointed out, "You know you can do what you need to as part of your job, no questions asked, Indiana."

"I know, Jeff," Indiana reassured him with a smile.

"Hey. Can I borrow some of your old journals?" Alan asked her suddenly.

"Go for it," Indiana nodded, "They might be a bit technical, though."

"I think I'll be fine. Living with a doctor and everything," Alan drawled.

"And you scribble notes all over them," Scott piped in.

"At least you don't fall into the stereotype," Alan added, "Your handwriting's actually legible."

Suddenly, the portrait they had for Lady Penelope started beeping. They all turned towards it, confused. What was Lady Penelope doing? Don't misunderstand them. They didn't only hear from her when it concerned their work with International Rescue. But in the same token, they had only just had a social call a couple of days ago.

"Go ahead, Penelope," Jeff answered the call, "What's up?"

The British aristocrat responded cryptically, "Well, nothing's up, Jeff, but I'm onto something that needs investigation."

"Well, if it's something that anticipates a disaster and saves us a rescue operation in the future, we're all ears, Penny!" Jeff nodded.

"Well, I've had a Mr. Warren Grafton visiting me. He's trying to raise money to complete his monotrain scheme."

"Grafton?!" Indiana repeated in surprise, "What are you doing around slimeballs like that, Lady Penelope?"

"That is precisely why I am calling, my dear girl. This project of his sounds a bit too good to be true."

"Hey. You guys must mean Grafton at Pacific-Atlantic!" Alan said in realization.

"Yeah," Scott nodded, "They've been having trouble with the U.S. government about safety precautions."

"Penny, you say he needs money?" Jeff asked his friend.

"Yes, Jeff. So, I said I thought a friend of mine would be interested."

"Meaning me, I suppose?" Jeff chuckled before coming to a decision, "Alright, Penny. I'm always on the lookout for interesting engineering investments anyway. Where can I get in touch with him?"

"He'll be returning to his New York office tomorrow."


Indiana returned to the infirmary, looking for a couple of old medical journals she could lend Alan, since he expressed an interest. She didn't even turn around when she heard the door open and the familiar sounds of the four Tracy brothers entering the infirmary. She also didn't need to turn around to know they were standing in protective positions.

"How do you know Grafton?" Gordon demanded.

"Scott knows," Indiana pointed out, "So do you and Alan, since you spied on that date we had."

"We said we were sorry!" Gordon and Alan cried in defence.

"Scott mentioned something about him forcing you to leave Kessler?" Virgil said in confusion.

"He would have if I had stayed," Indiana corrected him, "Grafton was pursuing me to be his personal physician. Basically, I would've been a doctor on-call for him and his corporation."

"Well, that's an insult," Alan snorted, "You're much too talented for that."

"I turned him down because I knew what being his personal physician would entail, but he was relentless in his pursuits. I know another doctor he previously pursued. A high school classmate. We both pursued medicine, but went to different colleges. He pursued her so badly, she had to leave the hospital she was working at," Indiana revealed, "Last I heard, she was working at Johns Hopkins. She specializes in sports medicine."

"Isn't that in Maryland?" Gordon asked in confusion.

"Yeah, that's not exactly far from New York," Alan pointed out.

"Three-hour drive from Manhattan," Indiana stated cheerfully before clarifying, "She just started working there. Beforehand, she had to move to San Francisco to get away from him. But she met someone who got a job in Maryland, so she moved to follow him."

"So, basically, dad's offer came at the best time," Alan surmised.

"Pretty much, yeah," Indiana nodded before grabbing a few journals and giving them to Alan, "Think this will be a good start?"

"Yeah," Alan nodded eagerly, "Thanks, Indy."

"No problem," Indiana smiled as Alan left.

Virgil and Gordon followed Alan out, satisfied with Indiana's explanations. Scott remained behind.

"Dad's talking about having you as one of the advisors he takes when he goes to meet with Grafton," Scott told her, "I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Honey, you know I can hold my own," Indiana reminded him.

"I know," Scott reassured her, walking closer to her, "I just don't like the idea of you being in the same room as him, given your history with him."

"I don't like it either," Indiana admitted, "But at least I won't be alone. He say who else he's bringing?"

"Brains and Tin-Tin," Scott answered.

"Makes sense," Indiana hummed, "But if he looks cross-eyed at Tin-Tin, you may hear reports about Grafton's body being donated to science."

Scott let out a chuckle as he pulled her into his embrace, letting out a sigh as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Have you heard from…?"

The fact that Scott trailed off told Indiana who he was asking about, so she shook her head, "No. Neither have Matty and Liddy. Well, Matty tried to send him something and he marked it return to sender. I just hope he's having a massive temper tantrum and he'll cool down eventually. Maybe I should…"

"Do nothing," Scott cut in firmly, "Ana, you did nothing wrong. You did nothing to deserve this. Now, I hope he comes around. I really do. I want that for you. But you set a boundary. You need to maintain it. For your own sake."

Indiana sighed as she nuzzled her head into his chest. She knew Scott was right, but it was easier said than done. Despite everything, she still loved her father. She still had a hard time understanding how they came to this point. Even looking back at the moments that suddenly made sense, as Matthew had pointed out, she still couldn't believe that, in a lot of ways, her father was just as bad as her mother. He was just more covert. He always made her and her siblings feel guilty about giving up a lot of jobs following the divorce, when he had to stay home because they couldn't be left on their own.

Scott released her from his embrace before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the infirmary, declaring that a nice walk along the beach would clear her head.

Scott had planned for it to be a romantic walk on the beach, but his brothers had other ideas.


Lady Penelope was right to be suspicious of Warren Grafton and his scheme. His meeting with his associates in his New York office over drinks and cigars was a clear confirmation to anyone that the Pacific-Atlantic Monorail Company was built on a foundation comprised of corruption and shady deals. Any cost-saving measure possible was taken, even if it meant cutting back on features that are paramount to passenger safety. But he did not care about that.

"I tell you, gentlemen, it's a cinch!" Grafton boasted, "The Pacific-Atlantic Monorail Corporation is really gonna be in business! Tell us about things at your end, Hugo."

Hugo, a man with grey hair and a blue tie, answered, "Well, we're all set to make a killing at Monte Carlo. We should be able to clear out over four million bucks at the casino."

An unnamed investor boasted in turn, "And that oil deal we've just made in South America, that'll net seven million, and the authorities won't even get near us!"

"Good," Grafton nodded in approval before turning to another associate, "What about your side of the operation, Doolan?"

The blonde-haired man answered eagerly, "Well, boss, the rackets are going great! Just great! I've got all the big racetracks sewn up, in my pocket, as you might say!"

"How much, Doolan? How much?!" Grafton asked impatiently.

"I guess you can count on ten million bucks," Doolan finally answered.

"$21 million dollars. Huh. There's just nineteen to go," Grafton pointed out after doing the math in his head.

"Which brings us to you, Grafton," Hugo pointed out, "How did you make out?"

"Well, gentlemen, I have just organized the greatest combined operation in the history of big business! Tomorrow night, Malloy and Selsden will gain entry into the mansion of Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in England and walk out with one of the world's richest jewel collections!" Grafton began explaining his scheme.

Selsden, a sleezy man in a tan suit with a moustache, cackled, "Yeah! You set that one up real good!"

Harry Malloy, Grafton's chauffeur with a shady history of his own, growled, "Shut up! Don't interrupt Mr. Grafton!"

Grafton continued on, "At the same time, here in the States, I shall be taking Her Ladyship's millionaire friend, Jeff Tracy, and his three advisors for a trip on the monotrain!"


A few days later, Jeff, Indiana, Brains and Tin-Tin were aboard a monotrain with Warren Grafton himself. As he promised Lady Penelope, Jeff contacted Grafton when he knew he would be back in his New York office. He stated he was that friend Lady Penelope had told him about and expressed an interest in backing his project, but stated he still had some questions and concerns. Grafton eagerly offered to personally take him and his advisors on a ride on the monotrain so they could see for themselves that the investment would be money well spent.

The look on Grafton's face when he saw Indiana among the group was priceless for the young doctor. Indiana had been warned by Dr. Millers that Grafton had stormed into the trauma centre after she had left demanding to see her and was "significantly annoyed" to hear that Indiana had resigned and accepted another job elsewhere. On top of that, Dr. Millers – and anybody else he asked – refused to tell him where Indiana had gone. No professional or personal threat Grafton made persuaded them to tell him where she had gone.

Fortunately, he didn't start targeting another doctor at the facility, which was a weight off of Indiana's shoulders. She was quietly concerned that Grafton would shift his sights on another female doctor. The fact that he hadn't been seen at the trauma centre – and the hospital it was affiliated with – since was a huge weight off her shoulders.

"Well, Tracy, what do you think of it?" Grafton asked him eagerly.

"This coach is certainly comfortable, Mr. Grafton," Jeff acquiesced before asking him pointedly, "But tell me, why hasn't the government backed you?"

"I never asked them. I want guys like you to benefit. Private enterprise, that's what keeps this country on its feet!" Grafton declared.

Indiana and Tin-Tin exchanged a quiet look when Grafton gave his answer. They knew he was lying. As Scott had mentioned when Lady Penelope first approached them about him, the government didn't want to back the project because they weren't satisfied with the safety precautions he had in place – or, rather, the fact that he didn't have adequate safety precautions in place.

Indiana quickly learned why Jeff wanted her to come along. He wanted her expertise as a trauma surgeon. Particularly with safety measures. She was dismayed to find no staff onboard. Not even someone trained in first-aid in the event of a medical emergency.

"I-i-it's a superb piece of, uh, e-e-engineering skill, Mr. Grafton," Brains piped in, "I just hope it's been thoroughly tested."

"Sure it has! Some of the biggest men in the country are behind this project!" Grafton boasted.

"What sort of men are they?" Jeff demanded.

Grafton quickly started stammering, "Well, you understand, Tracy, they're… They're modest men. Men like yourself, trying to stay out of the limelight so they can get the job done without a lot of ballyhoo."

"I'd have to know a lot more about the system, Mr. Grafton, and the people behind it," Jeff told him firmly.

"Er, yeah," Brains nodded, "Um, I-I-I believe the train is automatically controlled?"

"Completely! The whole track, from beginning to end, is controlled by automatic signals!" Graftonresponded.

"Isn't there a safety risk?" Indiana asked worriedly.

"Risk? What are you talking about? Crossing the road's a risk!" Grafton scoffed.

"That's not the attitude to take when you're responsible for people's lives," Indiana glared at him.

"Look, Dr. Evans. A fleet of helijets is on constant patrol," Grafton moved to reassure her, "If anything wrong went, they'd report it immediately."

"Unless something went wrong with the helijet," Indiana muttered to Jeff.

Jeff hummed in agreement asGrafton continued his pitch. He made the point of changing his body language if he felt Grafton was starting to act inappropriately towards Indiana and Tin-Tin. He knew Grafton's history.

He didn't want to have to explain how Grafton's body ended up strewn along the tracks or otherwise donated to science.


What they had no way of knowing was they had foretold their own disaster. Warren Grafton had spoken the truth. There was at least one helijet patrolling the track. The helijet quickly flew over the bridge and found it to be in excellent condition. No sign of impending trouble.

Joe, the helijet pilot, spoke into the radio, "Patrol 304 to Base. Do you read?"

"Go ahead, 304. Anything to report?"

"Negative," Joe shook his head, "Everything is A-OK."

"Swell. We don't want anything to go wrong."

"No. They should be on their way. It's 4:35," Joe stated.

He suddenly heard the clap of thunder. He found he had suddenly flown into a storm that seemed to develop out of nowhere. This storm consisted of high winds, torrential downpour, lighting and thunder. In short, not the most ideal conditions for flying.

"Boy, are we in for some rough weather," Joe quipped.

"Not me, pal. I've got a good firm roof over my head."

A particularly loud clap of thunder had the voice at the other end of the transmission asking irritably, "Hey, Joe! What are you playing at?! You'll bust my eardrums!"

"Not guilty!" Joe cried in self-defence, "It's the storm! She's right overhead!"

As the storm began to build in intensity, Joe sighed in defeat, "Ah, this is useless. Guess I'll shut down for a spell."

"Sure. No sense talking above this static. Listening out."

When the frequency was terminated, Joe remarked to himself, "Better get out of this piece of sky before I get my feet wet."

Joe began attempting to guide the helijet out of the worst of the storm. He would find somewhere to land to wait out the storm before resuming his scheduled patrol.

But fate clearly had other plans. The helijet was struck by lighting and sent into a crash dive. Joe tried valiantly to regain control of the craft, btu the electricity generated from the lightning strike resulted in him losing control of the helijet. Following protocol, Joe ejected from the helijet. The chair flew out of the downed helijet and into the air. As Joe detached himself from the pilot's seat, his parachute deployed, allowing him to float through the air safely.

But the position allowed him to witness a horrible sight. The helijet crashed into the support of the bridge. The bridge began to weaken as the helijet exploded and took the support out with it. Under normal circumstances, Joe wouldn't have worried. The automatic signals would have detected the accident and stopped the train before it reached the damaged section of the track. Maybe even detoured the train onto another track (if the alternate routes were built, of course).

But life didn't work out that way. Joe watched in horror as the fire and the sparks from his helijet exploding took out the automatic signals all along the track.

"The automatic signals!" Joe gasped in horror.

Joe found himself in another predicament as his parachute tangled up on the bridge and left him dangling. He couldn't even float down to clear ground. There was only one thing he could do.

"The signals!" Joe cried once more, "I've gotta contact base! I've gotta stop the train!"

He was thankful that there was a portable radio built into his flight suit for situations just like this. He tried to use the cords of the parachute to lift himself up onto the bridge, but it shifted once more and he was sent hurtling back down. He was suddenly thankful for the parachute's durability. Deciding he was better off staying where he was, he grabbed the portable radio, brought it to his mouth, and cried,

"304 to Base! I've crashed! The monorail is gonna collapse and the train is on its way! It's gotta be stopped!"


Aboard the monotrain, the occupants remained blissfully unaware of the danger they were hurtling towards.

"So, you see, Tracy, in the standard coaches, we can pack in five hundred people." Grafton declared.

"Pack in is right!" Indiana snorted.

"Well, you know, Dr. Evans, it's just a figure of speech," Grafton simpered.

"Well, so far, I'm not overimpressed," Jeff declared.

"Impressed? You wanna be impressed? Come on up front! See the power unit! That will impress you!" Grafton vowed.

"Okay," Jeff relented.

Jeff, Indiana, Brains and Tin-Tin followed Grafton up to the engine room of the train. Just like with the other sections of the train, there was no staff at all. Nobody to maintain the machines. Nobody to make sure everything was running the way it was supposed to. Nobody on-hand in the event of an emergency. Anything can happen, after all.

Their day jobs told them that every day.

"There it is!" Grafton boasted as they walked into the engine room, "The greatest chunk of engineering genius in land travel history!"

"Well, it's big enough, anyway," Jeff mused, not trying to hide his lack of enthusiasm.

"Er, er, d-do you mind if we examine this piece of genius more closely?" Brains asked politely.

"Ah, help yourselves! But I warn you. It's taken some of the best brains in the country to put that box of tricks together!" Grafton declared.

Indiana watched as Brains and Tin-Tin moved to examine the engine up close. She remained by Jeff's side. He placed a gentle hand on her back and discreetly adjusted his stance to maintain what he deemed to be an acceptable distance between the sleezy businessman and the woman he was absolutely certain would be his daughter-in-law.

"I'm not begging you, Tracy, but you'll be a fool if you don't swing in with us," Grafton proclaimed.

"I don't know," Jeff mused, "People aren't cattle."

"That's where you're wrong," Grafton shook his head, "There's a few of us who lead. The rest follow like sheep."

"Er, you, uh, you say everything is completely automatic?" Brains pressed, "The… The train carries no staff at all?"

"Don't need them! Just think of the money we're gonna save!" Grafton cheered.

"But in case of an emergency," Indiana began objecting.

"An emergency?!" Grafton repeated derisively, "Dr. Evans, you worry too much. Must come with your job. The offer still stands, you know. Anytime you desire a change."

"I'm good," Indiana shook her head, not even bothering to come up with a more polite response.


The skies may have cleared and the storm may have dissipated, but the danger didn't clear away with the storm. More and more of the bridge collapsed with each passing minute.

But there was hope for Joe. The base must've realized something was wrong when Joe missed his mandatory check-in. So, another helijet was dispatched to look for him. The helijet landed on the platform near the track and the pilot, Stan, disembarked to walk along the track. Fortunately, the track didn't collapse under the pilot's weight.

"Stan! Down here!" Joe called up to his friend.

"Joe, are you hurt?!" Stan asked urgently.

"No, I'm okay!" Joe reassured him before asking, "What kept you?!"

"Look, Joe. Keep still," Stan requested, "I'll winch you up into the copter!"

"No, Stan! First, radio the train! Tell them that the automatic signals are all out of action!" Joe pleaded.

Stan gasped in horror, "But that means the train won't stop! They'll all be killed!"

"Yeah! I radioed, but I guess my transmitter was smashed!" Joe cried in dismay.

"Okay. Maybe they can stop it manually. Will you be okay for a couple of minutes?" Stan asked his friend.

"Sure, Stan," Joe nodded.

"Okay. Don't go away," Stan couldn't help but quip before walking back to his helijet.


Back aboard the train, the passengers had no idea that the blissful ignorance was about to come to an end. In the meantime, Grafton thought the worst of his problems was his failure in convincing Jeff Tracy to invest in his company, even with all the financial benefits that were promised.

By this point, they had moved from the engine room back into the passenger coach, and they were having the same argument about not having a contingency plan in case something went wrong with the automatic signals.

"But I keep telling you, Tracy, nothing can go wrong with the signals!" Grafton stated once more.

"But how can you be certain of that?" Jeff pressed him.

"Ah, listen. We've spent enough money on safety devices! There's an element of risk in all operations of this type!" Grafton declared dismissively.

Whatever more Grafton had to say was lost when he heard an alarm buzz. Looking up, he saw it was the alarm signalling him of an incoming radio transmission.

"Oh. Say, that's the radio, Excuse me," Grafton requested as he stood up.

"Sure," Jeff nodded.

"I'll be right back," Grafton promised his guests.

"Don't hurry," Indiana couldn't help but snark as the door shut behind him.

"Now, what do you think, Brains?" Jeff immediately asked his trusted friend.

"I, I… I'm not too happy, Mr. Tracy," Brains shook his head, "There's too many loopholes."

"I believe you know my feelings," Indiana piped in, "I've seen first-hand what can happen in a train accident, even with all the appropriate safety precautions in place. I'd hate to think what would happen here aboard a train with next-to-no safety measures."

"I think you two are right. Our friend Grafton is more interested in money than in people's lives. His type usually end up in one place: jail," Jeff declared firmly.

Grafton raced back into the coach, looking started, "Tracy! Something's gone wrong! We're heading for trouble! And I mean trouble!"


After radioing the train about what had happened, Stan climbed back into his helijet and, as promised, winched Joe off the bridge. But the problems just continued. The bridge continued its slow collapse.

"Thanks, Stan," Joe panted as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"The whole section – it'll collapse any minute!" Stan gasped in horror.

"Stan, you think there's any hope for them?" Joe asked urgently.

"If the signals are out, that train can't stop. There's no manual control," Stan explained in dismay.

Joe allowed the words to sink in. The entire time he had been tangled up in his parachute, he had held onto the hope that, even if the automatic signals were out of action, the train could still be stopped thanks to some form of manual override that would've been installed. Hearing there was no manual control dashed all hope.

Who was going to save them now?


The five passengers had quickly rushed into the engine room. Immediately, Brains and Tin-Tin set to work examining the main component of the engine. It was hoped that if they rewired everything correctly, they would be able to press the white button on the machine to slow the train to a stop before they reached the damaged section of the track.

In a perfect world, that would be how it would go. Unfortunately, it wasn't a perfect world. For one thing, there was no copy of the circuit diagram available.

"What about it, Brains?" Jeff pressed, "Can you stop this thing?"

"I… I-I-I don't see how," Brains shook his head, "without a circuit diagram."

"Even with one, it's not certain we could succeed," Tin-Tin stated.

"How long do we have?" Indiana demanded Grafton.

"We're increasing speed all the time!" Grafton gasped.

"That's obvious, Grafton," Jeff drawled before rephrasing Indiana's question, "When do we come to the damaged part of the track?"

"Well, I… I'm not sure! Fifteen minutes! Maybe twenty! Maybe more! I just don't know!" Grafton stammered nervously.

"Thanks, you're a great help," Jeff remarked sarcastically before turning to Brains and Tin-Tin, "Well, Brains, Tin-Tin, I guess it's up to you."

Indiana had no idea how much time had passed. All she knew was that Brains and Tin-Tin were working hard to rewire the circuits while Indiana provided assistance as needed. Brains and Tin-Tin let Indiana help for two reasons. The first reason being that they knew her desire to be useful and keep busy in times of stress.

The second reason being they doubted even the best lawyer Jeff knew would keep Indiana out of jail if she snapped and killed Grafton, even if it was justified.

"You've got to stop it somehow! What's gonna happen to us?!" Grafton cried.

"I can tell you about all kinds of injuries. Internal organ damage, fractures, concussions, whiplash, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries – oh, and let's not forget, of course, the psychological trauma that comes with experiencing a traumatic event. Take your pick!" Indiana responded almost cheerfully, "Of course, a lot of those still happen in train accidents with all the appropriate precautions in place!"

"You should have thought of that before," Jeff scolded him, "They're doing all they can. Just keep calm."

"Sorry," Indiana muttered a quick apology to Tin-Tin when she noticed her friend tense up following her tirade.

"It's okay, Dr. Evans," Tin-Tin reassured her with a smile, "I understand what you were trying to do."

None of them were surprised when Jeff knelt next to Brains and quietly told the group, "I'm gonna call the boys."

"It's too late," Brains objected.

"I realise that, but if you fail, we might need help after the crash," Jeff pointed out.

"If we survive," Brains retorted, recalling Indiana's response to Grafton, "How are you gonna call them without Grafton knowing that we're International Rescue?"

"I'm on it," Indiana grumbled before standing up and beginning to address Grafton, "Hey, Grafton. I wonder…"

"W-what, Dr. Evans?! Have you thought of something?" Grafton demanded urgently.

"I think I have," Indiana mused before asking coyly, "Have you heard of International Rescue?"

"Yeah, sure, I have, but no one knows who runs the outfit," Grafton pointed out, "Where do they come from?"

"I don't know," Indiana shrugged, "But a colleague has crossed paths with them. They told me if I ever needed help, I just send out a radio message."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard that. Somehow, they… they pick it up!" Grafton cut in impatiently, "Come on!"

Not trusting the sleezy businessman alone with the young doctor, Jeff immediately declared his desire to accompany them to the radio, claiming that Brains and Tin-Tin might work better without people looking over their shoulders.

Before leaving the room, Jeff told his friend, "Keep at it, Brains. You're still our only hope."

Brains turned to his assistant and long-time friend, "Well, Tin-Tin, he goes. Let's hope we've got it right."

Brains pressed the button, but much to their horror, the train didn't slow down. Actually, if anything, the train picked up speed.

"We're increasing speed!" Tin-Tin gasped in horror.

"I-I don't understand!" Brains stammered, "What did we do wrong?!"

"I don't know! I don't know!" Tin-Tin sobbed.


For John, it was another day aboard Thunderbird 5. He did some exercises. He worked on his book. He corresponded with Adalyn. He listened to the communications from the world below, waiting for an emergency call to come through.

"Calling International Rescue. Calling International Rescue."

John looked in surprise when he heard the classic call he had grown used to hearing by now. But that wasn't was surprised him. He's used to receiving emergency calls by now.

What he wasn't used to was hearing the voice on the other end making that call.

That was Indiana's voice!

"My name is Dr. Evans. I'm aboard the Pacific-Atlantic Monotrain."

John approached the radio and responded, hoping his confusion wasn't showing in his voice, "Go ahead… Dr. This is International Rescue."

"We have a situation. The train is out of control and heading towards a damaged section of the track."

John froze. He had heard about Warren Grafton's company and the monorail he was trying to build. Something he boasted about it was the fact that it was meant to be completely automatic. He had also heard about the resistance he was facing with the government over inadequate safety precautions. He immediately figured out what had happened. The automatic signals had failed and, true to nature with Grafton's greed and eagerness to cut costs where possible, there was no manual override aboard the train.

"Is anyone with you?" John asked worriedly, hoping Indiana would tell him she was alone and he could talk to her more openly.

No such luck.

"I have the company president and a potential investor with me. There are also two other people aboard."

John's mind let out a silent curse that he didn't dare verbalise. He had to maintain his composure. Indiana just confirmed to him that Jeff, Brains and Tin-Tin were aboard and Grafton was in the room, so he couldn't ask her more pointed questions without giving away her role in the organisation.

"Okay, Dr. Evans. We're on our way!" John immediately promised.

"Thank you, International Rescue. But please hurry. We don't have much time."

Without saying another word, John immediately moved to contact Tracy Island.

Scott wasn't going to like this.


Scott and Virgil were sitting in the lounge area reading magazines. They both wanted to be on-hand in case an emergency call came in while Jeff was away. The world didn't stop needing International Rescue just because a few members were away from the island. None of them knew what Gordon and Alan were up to. They figured Alan would be moping because Tin-Tin was away from the island and they figured Gordon would be found in his natural habitat: the pool. As long as they weren't causing trouble, they almost didn't care.

Sure enough, John's portrait began flashing. But there was something different about the flashing and the beeps. It was a different frequency, something they only used in a truly serious situation. Scott immediately put his magazine down and rushed to his father's desk so he could accept the call.

"Go ahead, John," Scott told his brother.

John decided to not waste any time, "Scott! Dad, Indy, Brains and Tin-Tin are in trouble! That monotrain is heading for disaster!"

"How?! When?!" Scott demanded urgently.

"The train's out of control and heading for a crash!"

"We'll never get there in time!" Virgil cried in dismay.

"Maybe, but we can't just sit here!" Scott retorted.

"Right! Come on!" Virgil nodded.

Scott wasted no time in getting Thunderbird 1 ready for launch. He changed into his uniform in a record speed and took Thunderbird 1 through the pre-flight checks as the computer-controlled trolley moved Thunderbird 1 out of its hanger and down into the launch bay. He knew the pool was moving aside to give Scott a clear path for launching. Knowing he already had clearance, Scott launched Thunderbird 1 into the sky. He knew Thunderbird 2 wouldn't be far behind.

After changing into horizontal flight, Scott immediately radioed his brother, "International Rescue Space Station, this is Thunderbird 1. Do you have any more information, John?"

"From the bits of information I managed to gather, there appears to have been an accident involving a patrol helijet being struck by lightning in the middle of a storm. The pilot managed to eject and is unharmed, but the helijet crashed into a stanchion supporting the track and the bridge has begun to collapse. In addition, the crash took out the automatic signals controlling the train, so the train was not signalled to stop or change course. There's also no manual control aboard the train. Brains is doing what he can, but they're increasing speed all the time. There's no guarantee they'll stop the train in time."

"Tell Virgil he'll need the railroad crash gear," Scott requested his brother, "We need to be prepared for all eventualities."

"F.A.B. Brains will stop the train, Scott. I know he can."

"Yeah," Scott sighed before asking quietly, "but will he stop it in time?"


That question would remain unanswered for some time. Brains and Tin-Tin had made another attempt at rewiring the controls to make the train stop and were about to test their efforts.

"Here goes. Keep your fingers crossed," Brains said.

The button was pressed, but the train didn't stop. Just like before, the train continued increasing speed.

"It didn't work! We're gonna crash!" Grafton cried.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Indiana muttered under her breath.

Jeff placed a hand on her arm and shot her a warning glance. Sighing heavily, Indiana quietly nodded to Jeff and moved to help Brains when he asked her to.

Grafton, meanwhile, was hoping that Malloy and Selsden were successful in their plan to rob Lady Penelope of her jewel collection. He told them where the safe was located and left behind a device that would disable the alarm system when he originally visited her for his sales pitch. But he would find out later. For now, he just wanted to get out of this alive.


Joe and Stan had stayed near the danger zone, watching as the bridge continued collapsing.

"The other end is giving way," Joe observed.

"The whole thing will collapse soon," Stan stated before crying out, "Say, look! On the horizon!"

Joe followed Stan's line of sight and was quick to identify what was coming.

"The monotrain. So, they couldn't stop it," Joe sighed sadly before remarking, "Better radio for emergency services."


"We're approaching a bend! You've gotta stop this thing!" Grafton pleaded after looking out the window.

Jeff had pulled Tin-Tin into his arms in a comforting embrace while Indiana stood near Brains, providing some form of support.

"A-A-Alright. This is our last chance," Brains declared.

Fortunately, Brains' attempts were much more successful this time. The moment he pressed the button, they heard the familiar sounds of the breaks kicking in. The train was starting to slow down. It rumbled around them as the brakes continued grinding against the monorail bean.

"She's slowing up! You've done it, Brains!" Jeff praised his long-time friend.

"Let's hope there's enough track left," Brains remarked.

"We're still going too fast!" Grafton cried.

"Oh, shut up!" Indiana snapped at him irritably.

Grafton dove for cover, hugging the floor while Indiana knelt near Brains to provide cover while Jeff continued holding Tin-Tin. They heard and felt the explosions around them as they came to the damaged section of the track. There was no way they were going to stop before they got there.

But they did manage to stop before going over the edge into the ravine below. Clouds of smoke blocked their view out the front window, but they didn't care about that. The train was stopped.

Indiana let out a massive breath of relief as she leaned against the contraption Brains had been working on. Tin-Tin, meanwhile, had been overcome with emotion and started sobbing as Jeff guided her into a seated position.

"Oh, Mr. Tracy! We're safe!" Tin-Tin sobbed in relief.

"Easy, Tin-Tin," Jeff reassured her, "It's all over now."

Indiana reached up and gripped Tin-Tin's hand, earning a comforting grasp in return, as she slung her free arm across Brains' shoulder. Not used to receiving this kind of physical affection, Brains froze for a moment before reciprocating in kind. They took a moment to breathe, to get their heartrates back down. At some point, Grafton had pushed himself onto his feet. They didn't notice or care.

Then, they heard the familiar sound of jets. When they moved into the coach they were originally in and looked out the damaged window, they saw Thunderbird 1 hovering above them.

"Tracy, what's that?!" Grafton demanded.

"Guess it's the International Rescue guys," Jeff shrugged casually.

Scott's voice was heard over the loudspeaker, "Thunderbird 1 calling. You folks are still in danger. The tower behind you is going to collapse at any moment."

Getting a position to view the tower Scott mentioned, Indiana saw that he was right. There was an explosion that was followed by some rumbling and parts of the bridge falling away into the ravine below.

"I'm going to try and push you back off the trestle."

Indiana watched worriedly as Scott manoeuvred Thunderbird 1 in an attempt to use it to push Thunderbird 1 off the trestle. She felt the rumbling as the trestle began to collapse around them. Thunderbird 1 had to move back. She also knew that Scott would more than likely be letting out a string of curses in his mind when he realized what was happening.

"It's no good! The rear part of the trestle can't stand the train's weight! I don't see how the train can be saved, but your lives are more important! Now, if you please do exactly as I tell you, there'll still be hope for you! Now, hurry through to the rear of the train. Walk back along the tracks. Hurry! Please! There's not much time!"

The five of them quickly moved towards the rear of the train towards the exit. Grafton opened the door and prepared to disembark, but he froze when he saw the platform collapse before he even began climbing down the ladder.

"What are we gonna do?!" Grafton asked in horror, "We're trapped! There's no way down!"

"How about keeping calm?" Indiana suggested dryly.

"Make your way back to the centre coach. Thunderbird 2 will be here any moment now."

Wordlessly, they all made their way back to the centre coach. Along the way, the train rumbled once more as more of the track collapsed around them. Indiana lost her footing and was knocked into Grafton. Grafton grabbed her roughly with a growl and practically threw her towards Jeff, who caught her and kept her steady.

He certainly made a point to keep them separated from that moment on.

As Scott promised, Thunderbird 2 soon arrived on the scene. Indiana figured that Scott would be providing instructions to his brother on the next step. Since he had them move to the centre coach, she immediately knew he was going to instruct Virgil to use the electromagnetic grabs stored aboard Thunderbird 2 to grab the centre coach and lift it away from the track. He would then take them to safety before the bridge collapsed. Scott would remain on the scene to guide his brother, as Virgil wouldn't be able to see clearly where he was grabbing.

The carriage rumbled as the track lost more of its support. Again, Indiana lost her balance and fell towards Grafton. Jeff managed to catch her, but she still collided into Grafton, causing him to lose his balance in turn and fall against the nearby table face first. They heard a sickening crack and Grafton lifted his head to reveal blood running down his face. Indiana could tell from where she was now sitting next to Jeff that Grafton's nose was broken.

"Say, what… what goes on?! Are they trying to murder us or something?!" Grafton demanded.

"Don't tempt them," Indiana muttered under her breath.

She looked down and saw she was already beginning to bruise where Grafton had grabbed her and cursed at her decision to wear the dress Linda had made for her for Christmas today, especially given the fact it was a sleeveless dress that would do nothing to cover the bruises. Jeff noticed and was giving Grafton murderous glares.

Well, now she knew where Scott got it from. Like father, like son.

They heard and felt the clangs of the grabs being closed around the carriage. Then, they were airborne. Thunderbird 2 began lifting the carriage away from the remainder of the train. The track was in bad enough shape where it simply broke off from the rest of it. There was no need to cut through it. They were lifted away in perfect time, as just seconds after Thunderbird 2 began flying away, the bridge finally collapsed and the train fell into the ravine below.

Looking at the carnage below, Indiana knew there was no way they would have survived the crash. If they had survived, they weren't going to walk away intact.

Thunderbird 2 carefully set the carriage down on the ground, detaching the grabs once he was done. Indiana watched as Thunderbird 1 disappeared into the horizon, fiddling with her locket as she did. Virgil must have told Scott he could handle it from here, so Scott decided to fly back to base.

"Boy, we made it!" Grafton boasted.

"We made it?" Jeff looked at Grafton pointedly.

"Alright, Tracy. You know what I mean," Grafton sighed in defeat.

"Well, I guess you won't be needing my investment now, Mr. Grafton," Jeff stated, "After the government inquiry into this crash, you'll be spending a nice long holiday… behind bars!"

"That's where you're wrong, Tracy. I'm too smart. I'll get away with the inquiry, and I'll end up by being president of the greatest monorail network in the world!" Grafton declared.

Indiana and Tin-Tin shared a knowing look with Jeff. They knew that wouldn't be the case.


"And so, ladies and gentlemen, it is with pride that I declare that yet another line in the famous network of the Pacific-Atlantic Monorails is open!" Grafton proclaimed with pride sometime later, his nose bandaged.

"Ah, drop dead!" Doolan snapped.

"Cut it out, Grafton! We're in no mood for games!" Hugo voiced his own displeasure.

Sure enough, Jeff's prediction came true. Grafton and all of his associates ended up behind bars following the government inquiry into the accident. Grafton, however, held onto his delusions of grandeur, much to the annoyance of his inmates.

"Me, me, I-I-I'm still dizzy from that society dame's crazy pink drag!" Selsden stammered.

"All night, she kept us turning," Malloy growled, "Boy, I was even glad to see the cops next morning!"

It was clear that Selsden and Malloy were still traumatized from their failed attempt at getting their hands on Lady Penelope's jewel collection. While Grafton had disabled the alarms and Lady Penelope and Parker weren't alerted to their entrance into the house, he didn't take into account the possibility that Lady Penelope would've thought to have the alarm for the safe hooked up to a different system. So, when Selsden and Malloy went to make their getaway, Lady Penelope and Parker were armed and ready. They shot out the tires for their getaway car as Selsden and Malloy took cover behind some bushes. Malloy decided they were going to help themselves to FAB 1, Lady Penelope's pink Rolls Royce, to make their getaway.

Unfortunately, for them, Lady Penelope had it set up where she could take control of FAB 1 remotely, and she forced them to go round in circles around a statue in her driveway the entire night until the police arrived the following morning and arrested them.

It wasn't often the police officers met two criminals who were grateful to be arrested. As Malloy had declared, he was relieved to see the police cars pull up. He never wanted to see that 'society dame' or her 'crazy pink drag' again.

"But I tell you, all we need is a little more dough!" Grafton tried to implore to his compatriots.

"Forget it, Grafton!" Hugo barked.

"Drop dead, will you?!" Doolan repeated his earlier statement.

"You're wasting your time," Malloy voiced his own disapproval.

"Time," Grafton sighed in defeat, "Well, I guess that's one thing we've got plenty of."


Indiana sat on Scott's bed as he busied himself with packing his bag.

"Heard Grafton got a lengthy sentence," Indiana quipped.

"Yeah. Dad's testimony at the inquiry really did him in," Scott stated as he packed some shirts into his bag and disappearing into the bathroom, "Had a nice broken nose, too!"

"That was an accident," Indiana smirked, getting up to reorganize his bag.

"But it would've been deliberate if you thought you'd get away with it!" Scott called from the bathroom.

"No comment," Indiana grumbled as she made room for Scott's toiletry bag.

When Scott came out, he gently shooed her away from the bag, "I have a system!"

"I've seen you naked, Casanova. You can't get weird at me handling your underwear," Indiana drawled.

Scott affectionately rolled his eyes before pecking her lips, "If you want to help, you can pick a suit for that function dad asked me to go to while I'm away. I need a second opinion."

Nodding, Indiana moved to the closet, going through the suits he had hung up, "What kind of function is it?"

"Fundraiser gala," Scott clarified, "One of dad's charities. Since I'll be in the area on my leave, he asked me to give the keynote speech for him and also donate something for the live auction being hosted."

Indiana hummed as she pulled out Scott's black suit, knowing the dress code would be black tie. She also grabbed his white button-up shirt and his dress shoes, handing them to him for him to pack. She then went back to pick the bow tie that would go best with his suit.

"You are also going to enjoy your leave, right?" Indiana couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Because I will pull rank to make sure you do."

"I will," Scott reassured her as he zipped up his bag, "This is the only work-related thing I have to do while I'm away. The rest of the time will be my time."

"So, what are you going to do while you're away?" Indiana asked as Scott moved the bag off the bed.

"Mostly catching up with some old school friends and Air Force buddies," Scott shrugged, placing his hands in her hips, "I'll be going to a few different places. Kansas. New York. North Carolina."

"North Carolina?" Indiana repeated in confusion.

She could understand Kansas. He was going to catch up with some old school friends and attend the gala on Jeff's behalf in New York. But North Carolina was a random one.

"North Carolina's where I'm meeting up with my old squadron," Scott clarified.

Indiana let out a sudden gasp when she found herself falling backwards onto Scott's bed, him following her. He gently grasped her wrists and pinned them on either side of her head, rubbing his thumbs against the delicate skin on the inside of the wrist.

"Sounds like you'll be keeping busy," Indiana panted, throwing her head back when Scott began kissing a path from her collarbone and up her throat.

"I wish you were coming with me," Scott whined slightly.

Indiana let out a shuddering gasp and let out a curse when Scott took her earlobe into his mouth, gently nibbling it with his teeth. She had trouble keeping a cohesive train of thought with what Scott was doing to her, and she knew he was doing that on purpose.

"I know," Indiana whimpered, "but we've been over this. I can't go this time."

Scott let out a groan at Indiana's answer before moving to nibble on a sensitive patch of skin where her jaw met her neck, smirking at the whine Indiana let out in pleasure as she began struggling against his grip on his wrist.

"Stop teasing me!" Indiana finally gasped out pleadingly.

Normally, Scott would be shooting her an innocent look before continuing his teasing. She had done the same to him on numerous occasions. But this time, he didn't. He captured her lips in a bruising kiss, moving her wrists so he could hold them above her head with one hand so he had one hand free for other purposes.

He was going to make sure she knew how much he would miss her while he was away.


Yep. That last scene sold me. I'm gonna write that separate story filled with all the missing sexy scenes. Maybe even some what ifs and special requests. Depends on how nice I feel. ;) Just like with this main story, it'll be cross-posted to AO3 as well. But I can't guarantee when it'll go up. Maybe sometime in the New Year. Again, depends on how nice I feel.

BYE!