Disclaimer: I don't own the boys. If I did I would share them.
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NOTES:
Thank you for viewing my first Thunderbirds Fanfic so far. I really hope you are enjoying it as much as I am writing it.
Feedback Welcome.
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Chapter 4: Family Bonds.
Scott sat leaning against the piano and gazed up at the clock. Seconds had seemed like minutes, minutes had seemed like hours, the hours had seemed like days, and the days had seemed like years. Only 78 hours had passed since everything had stopped, only 78 hours since his world had come crashing down around him. Scott stood up, moved to the window and gazed out at the view. He frowned to himself, and wondered how the sun could keep shining and the birds could keep chirping when everything felt so black and dismal within him.
He sighed to himself and glanced around the room. Alan and John were sitting together on the settee, each of them quietly in their own thoughts. He continued his gaze and noticed his dad in his usual chair. He was holding a small photograph in his hands, he was staring at it intensely, no doubt a picture of Virgil from when he was a child with his mother. Lady Penelope, Tin-Tin and his grandma were sitting at the table, while Parker and Kyrano served them all tea. Scott looked once more around the room, searching for his other younger brother but when he couldn't see Gordon he decided to slip out quietly and see where he was.
Scott walked along the corridor and noticed the door to Virgil's room slightly opened with a light which was coming from inside. He walked quietly up to the door and peaked into the room. Gordon was sitting on the bed and was flicking slowly through a sketch book of Virgil's. Scott listened outside, undecided on whether he should enter or leave his brother to his own personal thoughts. His choice was instantly made when he heard a loud sob come from the room. "Gords," Scott said as he slipped into the room, onto the bed and scooped Gordon into a warm brotherly hug. They hugged for several minutes until Gordon composed himself, sat back up and picked up the sketch pad once more. Scott kept a reassuring arm around his little brother as they both looked through the artwork.
"He was so talented," Gordon finally stated.
"I know," Scott replied with a half-smile.
They continued to examine the drawings and stopped when they came to one that made them stare in admiration. It was a pencil drawing of all five of them with their dad. "Wow! That's, that's amazing!" Gordon gasped.
"Yes, it is amazing… Just like him!" Scott added. They both smiled at each other and continued to look at the picture. After a short silence, Scott decided to finally say what was on his mind. "Thank you, Gordon."
"What for?" Gordon asked looking puzzled.
"You were there when I couldn't be. I'm so sorry I let you down." Scott replied with a tear in his eye.
"Hey, you didn't let anyone down," Gordon replied reassuringly. "You're not invincible Scott, despite what Virgil thought."
Scott laughed. "Did he really think that?"
"He certainly did when we were kids, I'm sure he thought the sun shone out your ass!" Gordon replied laughing. They both sat there smiling at the memories that had formed in their minds. "Scott, this wasn't your fault. You were in shock!"
Scott smiled back at Gordon and ruffled his hair. "I'm so proud of you Gordon. The way you stepped up and took control like that. I know the others feel the same way."
"Thanks Scott. To be honest though, I have no idea how I managed to hold things together like that. I thought I was going to lose it at any moment. If I'd been there, and I had felt the force of the explosion like you did, and then seen that building collapsed like that, then I know I would have completely lost it."
Scott looked towards his brother, as tears formed in his eyes. "Everything just stopped. My heart was beating so loud that I thought it was going to explode. Then everything seemed to start swirling around me. My heart was saying, 'he's alive, he's alive.' My head was saying, 'he's gone, your brothers gone!' Then my heart and my gut would start screaming at me. 'He's alive, keep looking, he's alive' and everything around me just kept swirling. Then I found his broken watch and his sash, it was just lying there amid all that destruction, and then everything just stopped."
Gordon pulled Scott into his arms and held him tightly until a short tap came at the door.
"Do you mind if we both join you." Alan said poking his head around the door.
"Sure, come in." Scott answered.
Alan came into the room followed by John. Alan slumped onto the bed next to Scott while John sat down by Virgil's desk. "You know, Virg would kill us if he knew we were in here messing up his room." John said with a half-smile.
"He was such a clean freak" Gordon added with a slight laugh.
Alan started sniggering. "I remember this one time, I was probably about 5 or 6 and I had gone into his room and I had decided to use his paints. The paint had gone everywhere! You should have seen his reaction when he came in."
"Oh, wow, I remember that," Scott added. "I had to bribe him with the promise of some new paints and some new sheet music, just so he wouldn't throttle you. He was fuming!"
Gordon started chuckling to himself. "Did you guys ever find out what I did on his birthday to him and Thunderbird 2 last year."
"Oh no! What did you do to his precious bird?" John asked with a laugh.
Gordon continued to laugh. "Well, he was always catching me out on my pranks. So, this time I decided to distract him with a diversion, I deliberately let him catch me with some paint outside of Thunderbird 2. He was so distracted by the thought of me painting his precious bird yellow that he didn't see the next part of my prank coming. When he went inside to check what I had done, he was instantly covered in pink feathers and greeted by Thunderbird 2 decked out with pink balloons, party streamers and banners saying, 'Got You', his face was a picture. I was cursing myself after for not setting up a camera."
They all started laughing at the image of Virgil's face at being covered in pink feathers and his reaction to the mess in Thunderbird 2. John looked towards Scott. "Hey Scott, do you remember that silver chain he used to wear all the time when he was a kid? We teased him rotten for it."
"Yeah, I do. I caught him wearing it about four months ago, he confessed he had recently started wearing it again, he would wear it under his uniform when he was out on a mission. Apparently, he kept his edible transmitter inside for safety. He had it hidden behind a picture of mom. He said he had a feeling he would need it one day and called it his 'Good Luck Charm', made me swear to secrecy."
They all sat in silence for a while, each one of them recalling their own special moments. A short time later a knock at the door broke the silence. "Hey Boys," Jeff Tracy said softly as he entered the room and sat down on the end of the bed. "Tin-Tin said you were all in here, what are you up to?"
"Just sharing some memories about Virg." Scott replied.
Jeff smiled, but the sadness behind his eyes betrayed him.
"Dad, what is it? Alan asked hesitantly.
Jeff let out a heavy sigh. "I've heard back from the Fire Marshal, they thought that International Rescue should know the results from the investigation so far. It's bad boys. The initial fire, as you know Scott, had multiple starting points. It seems they were started by timed ammunition devices."
"So, it was done deliberately." Alan replied in shock.
"I'm afraid so Alan, and unfortunately it doesn't end there. They have told me they don't suspect any of the management or workers at the metals foundry, they believe that someone may have deliberately done this to lure in International Rescue."
"What?" John said jumping from his chair.
Jeff looked at them all, not wanting to continue, but knowing they had a right to know the truth. "It seems that the building Virgil was in had contained at least 6 small explosives. They were not timed like the others. They believe they were placed there after the initial fire and were most likely set off remotely once their target was inside."
Scott jumped off the bed at hearing this news. "Are you telling me that someone deliberately killed our brother?"
Jeff nodded his head sadly. "I'm afraid it looks that way Scott."
Scott flew into a rage. "So, someone out there deliberately killed our brother. Our sweet, gentle, kind-hearted brother who would risk his life to save complete strangers and would do anything for his friends and family!" Scott slumped onto the floor by his father. "My beautiful brother who would literally not even hurt a fly! And I mean literally! I saw him save a fly! Grandma had been really annoyed by this fly that had got itself caught in the house, she had gone to get some fly spray, so Virgil went over to it, somehow managed to catch it and then let it go outside." Scott was now sobbing uncontrollably. "How could anyone do this to him. He... He… He didn't deserve this!"
Jeff pulled Scott into his arms and held him tightly.
"So, what happens now." Gordon asked, as he tried his hardest to suppress his tears.
Jeff released another heavy sigh. "If there is someone out there who is intent on destroying us then I think it's time that we called it a day on International Rescue"
"No!" All four boys said at once.
"I'm sorry boys, but I can't risk losing anymore of you."
Scott pulled himself out of his father's arms and looked in his eyes. "Dad, we need to continue, if we stop then whoever has done this has won, besides I know Virgil would have wanted us to go on without him!"
Pulling himself onto the bed, Jeff pulled all four of his sons into a warm embrace. "I know he would. It's just the thought of losing anymore of you. It makes me feel physically sick." Jeff let out another heavy sigh. "When I look at each of you, I always see you as a small vulnerable baby wrapped up tightly in my arms... And when I think about what this person has done to my little boy… My baby, it makes me not want to let go of any of you ever again." His tears now started to flow freely. "Virgil, he… He was so much like your mother! When I heard him play the piano after we lost her it hurt so much. Then there came a day when I suddenly realised that we hadn't lost her, that I still had a part of her in his talent for art and music. It became so good to hear him play and now, now we'll never hear his music again!"
All the Tracy boys wrapped themselves deeper into their father's arms. Each one crying their own bitter tears.
