Jeff sat at his desk, staring at the wall opposite, where the portraits of his five sons, looking strong and brave in their uniforms, were ranged. There was Scott, his eldest, the reliable one, the one he could always talk things through with. The one who understood best what it meant to be in charge of the International Rescue organisation…
Jeff looked down at his desk again, twiddling his thumbs. What was the right reaction to this? It wasn't like a rescue where he could see what needed doing and get to work on doing it. The worst kind of rescues for him were always the ones where he wasn't sure what to do, where the outcome was uncertain. When that happened, he trusted his boys to make on-the-spot decisions, to solve the problems on the ground. He trusted Scott to know what to do. Now he was on his own. Years of astronaut training, business and enterprise weren't going to help him now.
Jeff got up and started to pace. He tried to think it through logically. What did he actually feel? Right. He had two things to deal with. First, it looked like his eldest son was…well, gay. Second…oh hell, he couldn't get to second before he'd dealt with the first one. Did he mind? Really deep down, did he mind? Jeff thought and thought. After thirty or so laps of the room he figured out that he really didn't know. He felt…unbalanced, like he'd been punched in the head, but he didn't have any reason to back up what he was feeling. He'd never had an opinion on the subject. There had been men like that around at times during his training days, but they hadn't bothered him, they'd been colleagues, that was all. So maybe he really didn't mind. But this was his son. And he'd never even considered that this might happen. He sat at his desk once more and rested his head on his folded arms. He'd have to figure this out. He wasn't comfortable with the idea and he couldn't think…
Of course! Jeff got up and walked quickly to his private room. Locking the door, he sat in an armchair and flicked a switch. Five seconds later, a picture on the wall switched to a moving image of an attractive woman in a pink twin-set and pearls, who spoke,
"Jeff. How marvellous to see you. Is this business or pleasure?"
"Hi Penny. Well, it's not business, but I wouldn't exactly call it pleasure. I've got a, er, rather personal problem I'd like your advice on. Are you alone?"
"Yes Jeff. What is it?" Jeff thought for a moment, he wanted to find out if he was just being blind not to have realised…
"One of my boys just told me that they're…in love with a man."
Silence.
"What do I do Penny? I don't know what to think."
"Who Jeff?" Jeff blinked; so it hadn't been blindingly obvious then.
"Who would you guess Penny? I'd like to know if it's just me."
"I…Gracious Jeff, I've never considered that any of them would be… Perhaps I don't know John as well as the other boys…"
"It's not John."
"Well, I don't know, Jeff. Tell me, then maybe I can help." Jeff sighed. Lady Penelope looked concerned as he spoke,
"It's Scott."
Silence. Again. Then,
"Well Jeff, I don't think there's anything you can do, but accept it. He's certainly old enough to make choices like that for himself."
"Would you have guessed?" A pause.
"I wouldn't. No. On the other hand, it can be hard to tell with your boys Jeff. You've brought them up wonderfully, but they've paid a price for being your dream. You have never really let them off the leash, have you? I've heard them talk about their lives in International Rescue, we all feel the same don't we, that it's just too dangerous a life to ask someone to share it with you. Otherwise…well, I'm sure you'd have girls queuing back to the mainland to go out with them, they're fine men. That's what would worry me more in your position, the fact that Scott may have lost sight of the fact of his job."
"No Penny, he hasn't. I guess that's part of what worries me. He seemed so…on edge. I'm not sure he really wants this. By his own admission, his judgement has been impaired by the fact that he's fallen in love. I'm no judge of people's feelings, but I'd say he's as confused as I am."
"Ah, the perils of falling in love. Well, if you want my advice Jeff, I'd suggest that you make everything as easy as you can for him. What did you say to him when he told you?"
"I told him I'd talk to him when I'd thought things through. Then I couldn't make up my mind what I thought, so I came and called you."
"Well I'm glad you did, we don't want you putting your foot in it. How do you feel about him now?"
"I don't know Penny. I…I've never had to think about it before. I don't really want to."
"You have no choice. You still love him of course."
"Well of course I do. What sort of a father would I be if I didn't? He hasn't changed outwardly, if he hadn't told me I wouldn't have guessed."
"Then I think you need to consider why you should feel any negative emotions about it. You won't get any grandchildren out of him if it's true, but you have four other sons for that, if you ever let them try."
"Penny, I'm not stopping them, they just know that…"
"I know Jeff, but you know you can be a very persuasive father at times. I think it must have taken an enormous amount of courage for Scott to tell you he'd fallen in love, let alone with whom. Do you know him by the way?"
"Yes Penny. That's problem number two, I was coming to that. You think I should just accept what Scott is?"
"I think it shouldn't make the slightest difference to you. I also think you should make it clear that it is not an issue. If he ever changed his mind, which seems to me pretty unlikely at thirty years old, you don't want to make that as hard as this has been. If you had no deep-seated objection to the idea before, then there's no point developing an extreme set of moral standards now. Now tell me who it is."
"A guy called Ned Cook. Have I told you about him?" Lady Penelope looked up and left, trying to remember,
"Isn't he some sort of television reporter? Let me think…You went to see his show once. He was the one you rescued when the Empire State Building collapsed."
"Spot-on Penny. Reporter with NTBS. I'd had him marked down as a trouble-maker. He tried to film Scott taking off in Thunderbird One once. He has no concept of the danger he places himself and others in, in his attempts to get a story. I'm surprised Scott even looked at him. He runs contrary to everything I know Scott believes in. He was very gracious on his show after we'd rescued him. But then a few weeks ago, he was in trouble again, his own fault again, and we had to go and rescue him again."
"When did Scott start seeing him?"
"I don't know. He can't have had that much time with him, but he says he's talked a lot of things over with him. I'm pretty sure it wasn't going on during the first rescue. Scott was pretty hard with some of the things he said then, I remember. But then there was this second rescue. Scott was behaving a little strangely after that, I guess, but I thought it was just because he was so exhausted. That was a bad day, they had a tough rescue first thing, then straight back out to get Ned Cook. He's been asking for leave since then, which is odd, because he never usually asks when Alan's in the space station, he knows I won't let him go. I gave him leave last night. He must have stayed with Ned, I guess, or near him anyway. He flew Ned's helijet back to its base on manual for him. So I suppose it's been since that second rescue. I still can't understand how it happened though."
"He must be absolutely certain Jeff, or he'd never have told you so soon. Can you imagine what it cost him to tell you?"
"Hmm. It does seem pretty sudden. Now he'd like Ned to be able to come to the base so that he can spend more time with him. He says he trusts him, but he doesn't expect me to. He actually said that he wouldn't blame me if I said no, because he would in my position. What am I supposed to do? I can't say yes. But I feel bad because he's so… so understanding. I feel like I've brought up a martyr. It makes me feel terrible." Jeff leaned on the arm of his chair, wishing he had Penelope's cool confidence in himself.
"He is his father's son, Jeff. I know Scott's views. He will not compromise International Rescue. Now he's come up against something that strikes at that, at the very core of his being. If his feelings are as strong as they seem to be, that's a terrific conflict of interest. You would be exactly the same in Scott's position. He knows what he wants and his conscience won't let him have it. It must be a struggle he's losing or he wouldn't ever have told you."
"So what do I do?"
"Have you ever met Ned?"
"No. We were at his show incognito."
"Which of the boys have met him?"
"Gordon rescued him in New York. Scott, obviously, and Virgil told me that he talked to him in Thunderbird Two while he was taking him to safety the second time. Though really he shouldn't have been in the cabin at all. Oh, then of course he was at the rescue zone yesterday. John was there and I think he mentioned speaking to him. So only Ala…no, Alan met him at the second rescue too. Yes, they've all spoken to him. Talk about security."
"Do they know about him and Scott?"
"I really don't know, Penny." Jeff sighed and leaned forward again, elbows on his knees, chin in his hands,
"Why not find out? Get Scott to tell you if he knows, don't ask them, you'll only make things awkward. If they do, it might be worth asking what they think of Ned, they might have a more balanced view. Especially if Virgil knows. He's a sensible boy, he'd tell you what he really thinks. If Scott has fallen for him, he must be decent underneath, or I'd be surprised if he isn't. Scott is unlikely to forget himself that far under any circumstances."
"And if they like him? What then? Do I invite him to the island with open arms? You know I can't do that Penny."
"How about a spot of operation cover-up and the old blindfold, Jeff?" Lady Penelope raised her eyebrows,
"But he knows who we are. What's the point of operation cover-up?"
"If he comes to the island blindfold, so he doesn't know where he is, and if everything that could give an untrustworthy person something to write about is hidden, then he won't learn any more than he already knows. How could it affect security?"
"I guess you're right Penny, but it goes against everything I've taught the boys. It's still a risk. If he was just playing up to Scott to get here, there's plenty he could find out by coming here knowing who we are and going for a nose around. It's different when it's someone who's oblivious to it."
"You've had people at the base who've known who you are before."
"Children Penny. Three on purpose, one by accident. And I was never very happy about it."
"Yet you agreed to that little boy coming out as a Christmas treat."
"Well, like I said at the time, if we can't do something like that for someone once in a while, things have come to a pretty pass."
"Shouldn't you be doing something like that for your son then?" Jeff felt a twinge of uncertainty. Trust Penny to find the spot to hit.
"Ned Cook is no child. He could snoop around in a way that child couldn't."
"The child could still have gone home and told people everything he'd found out. You took the risk. Don't you think it might be as well to take it again? Why not bring him over for the day once or twice, see how you feel about him. You could keep an eye on where he was all the time then."
"I'll think about it. But this is Ned Cook we're talking about."
"Talk to your boys. In fact, ask Tin-Tin. You could ask her without asking Scott. She's a clever girl Jeff. She would take it calmly and keep a secret if need be and she didn't know, but I should think she does know."
"Why should Tin-Tin know?"
"Because she's a woman and she spends a lot of time with your boys. If Scott has been behaving oddly, she will have made an effort to find out why."
"I couldn't. It would be awkward."
"Don't be silly Jeff. She might even be able to give you some better advice. If she does, follow it. Now, how do you feel?"
"Better, I guess. I'm still not sure, but I get the feeling Scott isn't either. I mean, not that he doesn't, love, this man, but that he's not sure of himself carrying on with it. Does that make sense?"
"Yes Jeff. Like father, like son; as I said. Don't let it affect your relationship. It needn't. And let him tell his brothers in his own time, if they don't know, though they'll find out if Ned does come over, no doubt. Is that all?"
"Yes. That's all. Thanks Penny."
"Take care of yourself, Jeff, and do try to be sensitive. Goodbye." The picture flicked back to Penelope's still portrait and Jeff leaned back in his chair,
"Bye Penny." He murmured. He rubbed his face hard with his hand and thought. Still not happy, but at least with a way to move forward. He got up, unlocked the door and sent for Tin-Tin.