Title: Thunderbird XL

Sequel to Thunderbird X

Part One

Author: Gumnut

Feb 2020

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: "I've got you, son."

Word count: 1061

Spoilers & warnings: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 EPISODE 25 & EPISODE 26

Timeline: Episode Tag, written episode

Author's note: Sequel to Thunderbird X. so much is asking to be written about the last episode of the series. This one just happened and in a way I didn't plan. Many thanks to the Thundernerds on Tumblr for all their support and especially scribbles97 for the readthrough.

Disclaimer: Mine? You've got to be kidding. Money? Don't have any, don't bother.

-o-o-o-

"I've got you, son." Hold it together. "Now, what do you say we get out of here?"

Scott stared at him a full second longer.

Then he moved.

Jeff found himself wrapped in jet-powered arms. Together they shot up above the rocks, hovering in the space where his life had limped along for the last eight or so years, and was now spinning gently in circles, propelled by his eldest son.

"Oh, god, Dad." There was desperation in that voice. Jeff couldn't see his boy's face well through the helmet, but those eyes were overflowing.

The space around them was silent except for the hum of com static and their breathing, but the life suddenly flooding this desolate place swelled his heart. "Scott." And his voice failed him. Rough and scarred by lack of use and the hell he had put his body through, it was inadequate to express what he needed to.

His arms simply pulled his boy in tight and clung.

But the universe wasn't prepared to be any kinder.

Beside them two chunks of disintegrating planetoid collided with a silent explosion beside them and jagged rock was thrown at them.

Scott didn't hesitate. Those same rockets threw them sideways, sending them into another roll before his son caught their flight and directed them towards an exit to this hell.

"Dad, is there anything you need to bring with you?" Blue eyes were prying information from him.

Anything? God, no. Nothing worth risking his family. He was fully prepared to never see this chunk of rock and space ever again.

"No." A swallow for that dry and tight throat. "We going home?"

"That's the plan."

"Then let's do this."

He didn't miss the flicker of something that darted across Scott's face, but the pilot only tightened his grip and their speed increased towards open space. They darted between the slow motion rockfall around them, the remains of the planetoid and occasionally a crumpled lump of Zero-X sailing past.

No, there was nothing here.

The com lines crackled and a fractured voice, the same voice that had kept him alive for so long spoke a broken plea. "Scott, do you read?!"

His son answered, his voice almost as broken.

"I've got him, John!" A struggling breath that stirred worry in Jeff's gut. "Get the medbay ready."

Space widened dramatically as they emerged from the rubble.

The sight of three Thunderbirds floating in the space ahead nearly did him in.

"How?"

Scott didn't answer and Jeff was left to stare at first the red of Thunderbird Three, the familiar lines of Thunderbird One, and then the workhorse of the family, the beautiful green of Two, a colour that belonged out here even less than the 'bird herself.

Her belly opened and swallowed them up.

Scott and John had managed this. But there were three 'birds. Four, if you included the little sub, snug in her transporter. Who else?

The answer was almost immediate.

As Scott steadied him and his suit flexed with the return of air pressure, stronger than he had felt for a long time, he turned to find his four other sons staring at him in shock.

His helmet came off and the smells of his dreams crept up his nostrils.

A blond young man, so much bigger, fully uniformed in the red the seven-year-old had been determined his father should paint any space rocket he built, barrelled into him, throwing him several feet back and hugging him ever so tight.

Oh, god, Alan. He had seen pictures, but god, oh, god.

And then they were all there. Gordon, John and Virgil. So different, yet so the same, so his boys. His throat tied up in knots as he caught Scott looking on, so much proud love on his face. Jeff couldn't speak, but he opened his arm and Scott flew into the group hug like he needed it to live.

For a moment, it was just him and his boys.

But moments don't last and the hug broke apart. So many questions appeared on their faces and he had no idea how he was going to be able to answer any of them.

So, he asked one of his own. "You got the old 'bird into space?" Unable to take his eyes off his youngest. "Impressive." So much older. He had missed so much.

Gordon spoke up. "It was Brains' idea."

Gordon, who had been only a teen, now a fully-grown man.

Jeff's heart lurched.

And Brains', as always, his goddamned saviour. "That doesn't surprise me." But then his throat so caught up in everything decided it had enough and he coughed.

And it hurt.

The expressions before him turned from relief to worry. Virgil pulled a medical scanner out of nowhere and pinned it to him, his gloved fingers worrying over its settings.

The questions those faces were asking spilled out of Alan. How had he survived all this time? How was this possible?

How could he answer?

There were things he would never tell his family.

"Surviving was easy." He stared down into the young blue eyes. "How did I last?" And his eyes caught the turquoise of his middle son at the back of the group, typically retreating, protecting himself from the crazy of too many people, even if they were his own brothers. "Thinking of all of you." At some point he would have to corner John and thank him for everything he did. He turned just slightly to catch Scott's expression. "I knew you would find a way. I never gave up hope."

Reality intruded again as an alarm started blaring throughout the module.

His boys responded as one. John acknowledging the warning, Virgil grabbing Jeff and sending the rest to all their ships. The brothers scattered.

Scott didn't say a word.

Jeff blinked as he was dragged away by his second son, but before he was out of sight, he turned towards Scott and put everything into his expression. He knew Scott would never give up, he knew his second and his boy had come for him.

"Scott, thank you."

The small smile on his son's face widened as he nodded in acknowledgement and Jeff knew he had hit home.

As Virgil urged him away to the medbay, Jeff closed his eyes and thanked the fates for keeping his boys safe.

-o-o-o-

End Part One