Yes, this is outdated I know! So I wrote this before I went away but I never had the time to upload it because of the rubbish internet.

I've also realised just how long I was away for! It didn't feel like nearly 2 years, so I really am sorry for the absence in works from me!

I don't think I'm too happy with this one having re-read it, but it's a little too long ago that I had the idea for it for me to feel happy re-writting it as well, so I'm just uploading it how it is!

And it had been such a quiet morning until John called. Alan was even lying in and Brain was busy in the workshop with his little secret project.

And then John called, and with that his elder brother brought more officials ready to talk to them. Pattern of their life when it came to these things.

It was just some old guy he didn't even blink at. Until;

"Hey there, International Rescue, this is-"

"Kip Harris!"

He wanted to belt out, 'who?', but he restrained himself. Who knew why? Maybe because it wasn't wise with the old man on the line.

"Yes, say yes!" Virgil whispered out desperately from the balcony. What was the issue?

"Uh, sure thing Mr Harris. We'll send two of our best to meet you there." That probably meant him, because it didn't look like Scott was planning on going. By the footsteps…

"Okay, who wants to-"

And there he was.

"I'll go! Count me in! Thunderbird Two, no question!"

Funny, nothing usually got Virgil moving away from his paintings that quickly, not without some kind of coercion and prompting. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

"What's the big deal Virge? Why you so keen to help out the old guy?"

"Gordon, that's Kip Harris. THE Kip Harris."

"Oh, Kip Harris! No, never heard of him."

"If cavemen discovered fire then Kip Harris invented putting it out. He's a living legend. I've read all his books…" He had to admit, he tuned out. He wasn't that interested in hearing all the blah-blah-blah of Virgil's clear love for his idol. Wait, what was that about an action figure?

"Okay Virgil," At least Scott could settle these things- Wait, why was Grandma offering to go?

No, no, that conversation was going to be wiped from his memory later, even if he had to knock himself out with a hammer to make it happen.

"I think Gordon should go instead." Scott suggested.

Yes, probably better than sending Grandma, but… oh god, he was going to be scared forever with Grandma one side and Virgil the other prattling on about Mr Harris. He was going to get Scott for this later.

He might definitely need that hammer upon their return though.

"Just think, we get to see Kip Harris in action first hand! He's a master at major gas leaks."

He had a very funny throwback for that, and of course, he had the best attitude with which to say some of these things.

"I've been known to master some major gas-"

"Gordon! This guy is my absolute hero. It would be like you meeting – a mermaid – so please, don't embarrass me."

For the record, he resented the Mermaid comment.

On the other hand, he was very good at embarrassing his brothers, especially his direct elder. And who would he be if he was to pass up an opportunity of such brilliance to pull off some embarrassing? Not Gordon Tracy that would be for sure.

"I'll do my best."

He really would though. Even if it was just because Virgil knew that little nugget of truth.

Virgil's bouncing on the balls of his feet was quite irritating. It was like standing with a five-year-old. And he was meant to be the resident Tracy five-year-old! As soon as the platform met ground Virgil was off, dashing across the sand towards Mr Harris

"You must be Jeff's boy. I can see the resemblance. A real chip of the old block."

And out went the hand.

And he could hear the answer even from a distance as he walked (at normal human pace thank you) and the way his elder brother's muscles just froze, as though a wire had fallen slip from his brain to bone connectors.

"Uh… I… we... um."

He reached out and pushed Virgil out of the way from his shoulder. This situation required a master of talking. Besides, he couldn't leave Mr Harris' hand just hanging there in mid air after all, it wasn't polite amongst normal humans. Which clearly Virgil Tracy had left the planet for now.

"Hi Mr Harris. I'm Gordon Tracy and this is my brother Virgil. He's a really big fan, aren't you, Virge?"

Considering the elder hadn't moved he shoved him forward, a hard task considering his brother was currently as stiff and robotic as a piece of wood. Nervous, clearly, but not like he'd ever seen before that was for sure. Who knew what was about to come out of the middle child's mouth?

"Virgil!"

He'd been expecting some awkward conversation, but that was just fricking hilarious. And definitely being kept as a story for a well needed occasion.

"Okaaay…" He couldn't think of anything that could honestly fix this situation, so maybe it was best to just move onto the rescue and hope that being in a danger zone might succeed in bringing Virgil Tracy's brain back. "Why don't we take off and get you to that gas leak?"

"Hold your horses." Great… "Unless this big green bathtub-" Hmm, as if that left any doubt to Thunderbird Four being superior. He would remember that comment for later when he was alone to snigger at it, "-has wheels."

"Wheels."

Was he just going to repeat things all day?

"Wheels!"

And off dashed Virgil with whatever grand plan he'd conjured up… and okay, he had to admit that using Two's runway wheels on the undercarriage was a cool idea.

"Very impressive."

And may well have succeeded in impressing his idol where his words couldn't. Not of course that he planned on telling Virgil that comment had been said. The elder could keep thinking he'd made a bit of a prat of himself.

Oh, how he wished he had a camera.

He started off early, he just couldn't help it. The hydro-methane had… how could he say… inspired him?

"Somebody open a window. I can smell that stink through my rebreather!"

"Gordon!"

Virgil might not have found it funny, but Mr Harris did, and he would take that as a win.

"You know I had a run in with a Wild Cat Hydro-methane Extraction Rig once." He voiced, just because it seemed relevant and something Mr Harris might be interested in hearing. Seems he was right.

"The one that fell underground?" He nodded. "I read about that rescue. Impressive."

From behind them, suddenly a throat clearing.

"I also helped."

The image was funnier though, the little raised hand as though his brother was back at school. He so wished he had that camera with him now.

Course you did, Virge.

"I'm sure you did, Virgil."

Good thing the man saved him from needing to say it first. Virgil might actually have whacked him one.

He contacted John because he needed to, but also because it did offer Virgil a change of subject without some awkwardness. He wasn't that mean after all.

Although he did need to leave them to operate Thunderbird Four, and who could pass up an opportunity to just be a little mean. It was a younger brother privilege in his mind.

"I'll leave you with the… capable assistance of my brother."

How capable that would be, he wasn't going to vouch for.

He supposed they'd reached the point where admiration became a distraction. As far as he was concerned, distracting his brothers was his job and never on a rescue. But then it was also his job to take the mick out of his brother's, and Virgil was (and likely always would be) the easiest target.

Even so, it seemed his part to play in embarrassing his brother was now done. After all, with all that Admiration, Virgil was likely to manage that all by himself without a slip up… or maybe two.

As he prepared to launch Thunderbird Four he almost wished he would be sticking around, just so he could see Virgil continue to make a prat of himself. But the mission called, and the mission was always the priority.

It was probably alright anyway. He had enough to use for a little underhanded blackmail should the time call.