Virgil looked around at the unopened presents as he sat at his piano, so his family hadn't left him any cake but at least they hadn't actually thrown a party without him as such, they had just got peckish waiting for him. As he played, a smile crawled onto his face, he had made them wait a long time today, an entire day so it was no wonder that they had all gone to...

"Happy Birthday!" They all shouted.

"What the?"

"We heard Thunderbird 2 land. We wouldn't make you go to bed without getting wished a happy birthday. It's your 22nd," Scott smiled as he walked over to the piano.

"But you decided to finish off everything else?" Virgil looked towards the empty plate which had once held a chocolate cake.

"We got hungry, and it was Grandma's fault," Gordon smirked.

"I comfort eat, and well, I was worried," Grandma shrugged. "I wasn't expecting the rest of you to finish off the cake."

"If you eat we eat," Alan pointed out. "Anyway, we left you a slice, we saw Max take one."

"Yeah, I got it thanks. I've put it in the fridge."

"Let me take over here?" Scott motioned to the piano and Virgil got up.

"I was fine where I was but okay."

Scott smirked at the others, "don't argue." He spread a chord and began to sing making sure the others joined in.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...

He grinned as Virgil blushed.

Happy Birthday to Virgil, Happy Birthday to you!

Scott rounded off the song with a smirk and opened the piano stool bringing out a large card.

"Awh thanks," Virgil smiled as he read all the messages from his family, then balanced it upright on the lid.

Scott stood up from the piano, "are you going to tell us about this mission then?"

Virgil sat down on the sofa as presents were handed to him to open, "well I thought to begin with John was just getting me out of the way," he looked over at the grinning astronaut. "But I found myself looking down on a real emergency. Doctor Peck."

"You had a problem with him?"

"No, he had the problem with me. He thought I was the authorities, and not there to help him," Virgil unwrapped a book full of piano music. "Wow Kayo, how much did this cost you?"

"That's for me to know and you not to," she replied as she curled up on the sofa beside him.

"Thank you," he kissed her cheek. "This is beautiful."

"My pleasure," she smiled.

"Well we know whose present is the best now," Gordon smirked. "The rest is redundant."

Virgil frowned, "that's rather cynical of you."

The family learnt more about the mission as Virgil continued to open presents to the point they all started feeling worse about having the party without him and eating his cake.

"Will his daughter survive?" Alan asked sadly.

"Dr Peck believes so, and she looked much better when he called an hour ago. I'll feel awful if she doesn't. I delayed his expedition by wanting to save him. If he had just told me to begin with what he was doing, then the whole mission could've been done in under an hour."

"Don't let it get to you," Grandma smiled. "It's done and he's got the serum."

"I still don't know what it does," Virgil frowned as he opened a small present. "Strings?"

"I overheard you saying you broke one on your guitar, so I bought you spares," Gordon grinned. "I'm surprised not everyone got you them since you practically yelled that you broke one."

Virgil laughed, "mainly because it almost sliced my finger open when it snapped."

"Fair enough."

Grandma looked at her watch, "time for bed you lot, it's getting late."

"Blame Virgil for not getting back here earlier," Alan yawned. "But alright. Happy Birthday big guy," he wrapped his arms around Virgil's neck before following Gordon up the steps after the aquanaut had hugged him too.

"I better head back up to Thunderbird 5 in case we have a morning emergency," John stood up. "Happy Birthday big brother."

"Thanks, John."

The lounge emptied apart from the eldest two and Virgil piled his presents up as Scott played the piano gently watching his brother.

"What's troubling you?"

Virgil frowned as he walked up to his piano, "what do you mean?"

"I can tell you're upset about something."

Virgil sighed as he leaned on the lid facing his brother, "this is birthday number five dad has missed since he disappeared."

Scott nodded, "I know, it doesn't get easier does it?"

"At this rate, he won't be home for Alan's."

"We'll find him before then Virgil, he isn't eighteen for another three years."

"We're not going to let him miss any more birthdays trust me," Scott looked down at his hands briefly before returning his gaze to his brother who was hiding his face in his arms, his forehead almost touching the polished piano lid. "Virg?"

"It was one thing for you guys to pretend you didn't know, another for dad not to be here," he sobbed.

Scott's fingers slipped off the keys, "come here."

Virgil moved round leaving teardrops on the piano and sat beside his brother, arms curled around him and he found himself in a hug, "this is so babyish."

"I don't care," Scott shrugged as he held his brother tighter. "It was mean of us this morning and we're sorry, we just didn't know you would be back so late. We were planning to jump out and surprise you when you walked into the lounge but that never happened. When John told us you were on your way back, most of us were asleep and then you took another hour."

Virgil smiled tearfully, "saving lives takes time, it just became an expedition rather than a rescue, and I was slowed down by him hurting his ankle too."

"We'll make it up to you for your thirtieth."

"That's not for another 8 years."

"Be grateful. At least it's not 5," Scott laughed. "I'm dreading it."

"Thanks for the presents, they're amazing," he sniffed.

"Happy Birthday little brother," Scott smiled. "Time for bed I think."