A few weeks later, Alan was released from his grounding…but was not permitted to see Tin-Tin. He was feeling the weeks of being kept from Tin-Tin building. He needed to see Tin-Tin before he exploded and it wasn't just because he wanted to caress her silky smooth skin or kiss her luscious lips, no he just wanted to see her. This was the longest that he'd been kept from her since their argument a few months back. Each time Alan came around and Tin-Tin was near, either her mother or father hovered annoyingly close. Alan was to a point where he wanted to rip his hair out. He had to see Tin-Tin again before he went crazy.

"Alan, can you take this out to the scrap pile?" Virgil asked as he placed a large crate of junk in Alan's arms. "It's just gathering dust in my workshop and neither Brains, Scott or dad want it so it's off to the scrap pile."

"Why can't you take it yourself?" Alan asked sharply. He wasn't in the greatest of moods. He'd received a nasty look from Onaha, before she clucked at him and chased him from her kitchen and effectively away from Tin-Tin.

About that moment the klaxon sounded and Virgil dropped what he was doing.

"I've got places to go and people to save!" Virgil called as he sprinted from his office, around Alan and up the stairs to reach their dad's office. Alan mocked Virgil under his breath before lugging the large crate up the stairs to take to the designated scrap pile. As he walked, he noticed as Thunderbird One and Two launches, and longed not for the first time that he could join his father and brothers on this rescue. Anything to keep him away from the island and pining over Tin-Tin.

"Hey, do you need a hand?" Alan's head whipped around to meet with his still stunning girlfriend. Tin-Tin stood, wearing her usual tankini and cut off shorts. "Gordon asked me if I'd bring this box to the scrap pile before he and the others were deployed on the mission."

Alan looked at the box that Tin-Tin carried and at the box that he carried before he put two and two together and he groaned.

"They are going to get us in trouble." Alan said before beginning to walk down the long stone footpath before cutting through the jungle to reach the trail that lead to the scrap pile. "I wonder if they know we're forbidden to see each other."

"Oh I'm sure they know." Tin-Tin said after a few moments of comfortable silence. Alan tilted his head to the side in question but didn't ask. He'd assumed Tin-Tin would explain her meaning before long. After a long thirty minute walk, both Alan and Tin-Tin found themselves at the scrap pile.

Not being able to contain the question, Alan inquired about Tin-Tin's meaning when he opened the box and blanched at the contents of one of the boxes. Closing the box, Alan flushed a bright red before looking at Tin-Tin to see her face was equally as red.

"They're trying to kill us." Alan replied before opening the crate Virgil had given him and retrieving the box of condoms that his dad had confiscated and given to Virgil for safe keeping. When he opened the box, a letter had fallen out and Alan hesitated in opening it. He looked at Tin-Tin to see she was holding her little box of contraceptives and she had a soft smile on her face. Alan looked at the contents of the box before unfolding the letter and reading it quietly to himself. It was written in Virgil's neat handwriting.

'Alan, Tin-Tin

Here is the box of condoms and contraceptives that our dads had given to me to keep in my locked cabinet. I trust you two to be smart when using these. Don't be stupid and I know that I could be getting you two in trouble, but just…be safe. I'd rather you two have these with you if you ever decide to get it on again. I know from experience that once someone gets the chance to fool around its hard not to do it again. I'd rather your two have these things with you as insurance rather than being stupid and trying to go without. I think you could potentially have repercussions without the added coverage and I trust you two to use the brains in your heads not your downstairs brains.

I just have three requests, one being if you two ever screw around in your bedroom Alan, remember to be quiet. I don't like hearing you two going at it and I know that you two being noisy were what got you caught. Second, if you get caught again don't tell dad that I gave these back to you guys, I'd like to keep living thank you very much and if wind gets to dad and Kyrano that I gave these to you two I have no doubts that they'll kill me. Lastly, please don't make me an uncle. I trust that if you two need more, you'll at least ask me and I can order you some to come in with my medications that I supply to the Thunderbird crafts. And if I am unable to order them for whatever reason, I will go to the mainland to get you more because it's less suspicious if I run to the mainland to pick up stuff from a drugstore than for you or Tin-Tin to go.

Please destroy my note after reading this and be safe. I trust you two, don't let me down.'

Virgil.

PS, the boys know I was giving these back to you two and they will speak up on your behalf about the importance of safe sex should you two get caught again.'

Alan folded the letter afterwards and heaved a sigh. Opening the box again, Alan discovered that the number of condoms that had been in the box were the same as when he and Tin-Tin got to do it and they were untouched. Smiling, Alan looked to Tin-Tin.

"Looks like I owe Virge big time." Alan said softly.

"We both owe him big time. I can't believe he's putting his neck out there like that." Tin-Tin replied equally as soft as she stared at the small box in her hands. Now she just felt guilty after being given the third degree by not just her mother; but both of her parents. She knew that no matter how much she and her boyfriend enjoyed having sex, they couldn't just begin doing it again. "We can't do this Alan. What would our parents think?"

"I know. My dad has already threatened to ship me off to stay with Lady P should I keep on." Alan said softly, realizing not for the first time how much he'd screwed up. He seriously could have gotten Tin-Tin pregnant and then what? She told him and he agreed that they could never do an abortion if he got her pregnant and he didn't think they would be strong enough to give a baby up for adoption. But they couldn't force their families to help them raise a kid they'd created because of being young and foolish. "I'm giving these back to Virgil when he gets back. If we have these, it's too much temptation to fool around in my opinion."

"Well, we can certainly try, but I doubt he'll take them back." Tin-Tin said, before pocketing the box.