Thanks for all the great reviews!
Shadowfox8
cutiepie2191
laurelleaves
criminally charmed
Bexi-chan
sherrybird
Iniysa
Megs McGrizzle and
Firestorm557
It was so lovely to receive such a warm welcome, not to mention all of the comments and helpful tips and ideas. Thankyou so much!
Boann
Half an hour later, the famous pink car turned up floating on its hydrofoils at the Tracy jetty and Jeff was helping a glamorous woman out of it. She was dressed to match her car and wore an angelic smile as she kissed Jeff and the boys hello.
"No doubt you would like to rest after your journey, Penny. I'll take you to the guest room," offered Jeff.
Penelope smiled. "That would be most gracious of you, Jeff."
Scott, Virgil and Gordon, who were lined up behind the pair, all smiled as their father's face lit up the way it always did when he was around Penny. As the two walked towards the house, an exhausted Parker trudged up from the car, loaded with bags.
"Let us help you there, Parker," smiled Scott. "You go and make yourself comfortable at the pool."
"Much appreciated, Mr Tracy," said a relieved Parker.
Once they'd taken the bags up to the house, they joined Parker outside.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
The sun was starting to droop lazily in the sky. Jeff and Penny were strolling leisurely along the beach barefoot, enjoying the soft sand and gentle lap of the waves.
"I noticed Alan wasn't at the jetty earlier, is something wrong?" asked Penny.
Jeff gave a small laugh. "A joke taken too seriously. Alan fell down the stairs outside and has a mild concussion."
Penny made a sad face. "Oh dear! I'll go and see him later then."
Jeff smiled at her motherly nature towards the situation.
"I know I have always said it, Jeff," smiled Penny. "But I just as I think this is the closest thing to paradise I will ever experience, you show me more of this beautiful island."
Jeff laughed. "You know you're welcome anytime, Penny."
Penny flashed him her gorgeous smile.
Jeff was reminded of the old times. Not so long ago, he and Penny had shared a quiet, slow, private relationship. They had cautiously tested their relationship, and as a sensible step, had not told anyone about it. Not even Jeff's boys had known about it. It was probably for the best though. Jeff and Penny had found their lives to be too different to maintain that kind of a connection and had mutually decided to end it. Jeff had International Rescue to lead and wasn't quite ready to accept another woman in his life after Lucille. Penny was used to her formal life in England and wasn't confident about entering such a well-developed family. Although they both cared for each other, they kept their relationship strictly friendly.
Then there were the boys to consider. Jeff knew that they had realised something was going on between him and Penny long ago and they occasionally teased him about it. But he doubted they were ready to accept Penny into the family that suddenly after spending so many years without their mother. Especially Alan. With no memories of Lucille, having Penny around as a mother figure, Jeff believed, would be very uncomfortable for him, especially as a teenager.
Penny broke his thoughts. "It looks as if I won't be going home as soon as I thought."
Jeff followed her gaze. True enough, it looked as if Penny wouldn't be able to travel far. Dark clouds were hovering threateningly over the top of the island.
"We'll have to secure the house," said Jeff. "Usually that means a hell of a storm is coming"
"I thought the wind was picking up," Penny pondered.
"You'd be more than welcome to stay the night Penny," said Jeff.
"That's very kind of you," Penny smiled, readjusting her pink shawl that had slipped off her shoulder in the wind.
There was a brief pause between them, before they both looked at each other in the same way.
'We can't do that' their eyes seemed to giggle.
They both smiled and walked back up to Tracy Manor.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan lay miserably on his bed in the infirmary. Virgil, who'd tended to him, had told him to stay put and right now that's the last thing he wanted to do. He was still holding in the hurt.
Stupid brothers, he thought, they don't know what its like and they don't give a damn either. They just say sorry and expect things to be ok.
Alan was used to being teased by his bothers and sometimes he didn't mind the playful bantering. But it was times like this when he felt segregated. Obviously he couldn't talk about it properly to any of his brothers and his Dad always seemed to look at him as if to say, 'Get over it Alan' whenever he was in a grumpy mood about it.
But this time was slightly worse. Being the clumsy idiot he was, he hadn't thought about the steps being wet and he'd given them the perfect opportunity to fuss over him like a child.
Well, he wasn't going to give them that satisfaction anymore. He was going. A walk along the beach would help him cool off and get him away from everyone for a while. Gingerly he swung his legs over the bed and snuck out of the infirmary. He was in luck. Nobody seemed to be inside. Lady Penelope had no doubt arrived and they were all out by the pool. The only person he saw was Onaha, who was in the kitchen making a glorious lunch. The smell of food sent his stomach churning in disgust. He managed to slip past Onaha unseen and out through the side of the house. He got outside to find it wasn't as warm as it had been earlier, which was unusual. Dark clouds now disgraced the blue sky. The wind swept over his bare arms, giving him goose bumps. His head began to pound again and he felt sick, making him lean against the doorframe. Nevertheless he trekked on down the beach, where he meandered with his hands in his pockets.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Storms came swift on Tracy Island. Jeff knew that in a few hours, all hell would break loose. Already the sky had darkened and the wind had picked up speed. Whilst Penelope chatted with Tintin in the living room, Jeff, his sons, Kirano and Parker were busy readying the house. Anything loose, such as chairs and pot plants, was stowed away. The spare power generator was checked, doors were closed and windows were bolted and the open area at the front of the house was secured. The pools were covered and Kirano's many gardens were covered with mesh, which was secured into the ground, to protect the plants from the wind. Inside, Virgil and Onaha checked that blankets, sleeping bags, torches, food and water and first aid kits were ready in the living room; the retreat for when storms became dangerous.
Brains and Fermat did a check below ground to make sure there was no way the storm could affect any of the silos, where the Thunderbird machines were safely housed.
Once Jeff was satisfied with the progress they were making, he went to his office to make a call.
"Hey Dad, how are you?"
"We're fine, John. How are things up there?" asked Jeff, fondly.
"There's a chance of a flood north of Paris, Italy. There's also a bushfire in Pinjarra, Australia that is threatening to get out of control. But so far, it's been pretty quiet," reported John.
"And what of our space operative?" asked Jeff with a smile.
John emulated him. "Your space operative is looking forward to his leave, which is swiftly approaching. I want to get back under that sun."
Jeff chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid there's not much sun here at the moment. I'm just calling you to let you know a heck of a storm is about to hit us, so we'll be running communications on the emergency line until tomorrow morning."
John looked away, presumably at a screen, and frowned, "Yeah," he mused. "I can see it approaching. It looks big. You've probably got another hour before things get bad," he reported.
"Well, we're almost done securing the house, so that should be enough time," said Jeff.
"Make sure you all take care," said John. "Tell Alan I said hello."
"Alan?" Jeff questioned.
John frowned. "Yeah, if this storm ends up being as big as it looks from here, he's going to have a rough night."
Jeff caught on. Ever since childhood, Alan had experienced a phobia of storms. Although Alan had grown and matured since then, he still grew nervous whenever a storm hit and always had nightmares in that situation. But Jeff and the others had discovered that a hot drink and plenty of company for comfort kept Alan calm.
"I'm a little worried about him, "Jeff confided. "He and Gordon had a fight earlier today and Alan took a bit of a tumble. He's in the infirmary with a mild concussion, but if he's listened to Virgil's advice, he should be ok."
"Not exactly good timing is it?" said John, cringing.
"He'll be fine. We'll move him into the living room with us and keep a close eye on him," assured Jeff.
"Good luck," said John with a small chuckle.
"Thanks, John. If I don't hear from you tonight, I'll contact you in the morning," Jeff said.
"FAB," was John reply.
Cutting the connection and switching off the main power, Jeff rose from his chair. He thought it was about time to check on Alan.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan trudged along the beach, trying to ignore the howling wind, which was blowing seawater against his face, harshly. It had grown considerably dark in the past few minutes, making the normally cheerful beach a gloomy place.
Great. A storm. A perfect opportunity for his family to fuss over him.
Alan knew they'd probably realised he was missing by now, but didn't intend on turning back. He wanted to be alone. Suddenly thunder boomed overhead, signalling the arrival of a drizzle of rain. Annoyed, Alan sat down in the sand near the edge of the jungle, using the broad leaves of an overhead palm tree to keep somewhat dry.
Dread was swelling inside him. He had always hated storms. Ever since he was a kid, they freaked him out, and the worse thing was, he didn't know why. During a storm, he slept restlessly and was always woken up by the sounds or nightmares. And that was when he was indoors. Outside on the beach, where the storm would hit hardest, Alan knew he couldn't keep his fear at bay for long. Sooner or later, he'd have to go back.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Jeff ran through the house, into the living room where his family, Penny, Parker, the Kirano's and the Hackenbackers, were all making themselves comfortable. The curtains were drawn and the lights were lit.
"Has anybody seen Alan?" he called.
"Isn't he still in the infirmary?" asked Scott.
Jeff shook his head. There had been no sign of his youngest son anywhere in the house.
"I've checked all over, he's not in the house," said Jeff.
"Have you tried tracing his watch?" asked Gordon.
"Already have. It's on his bedside table," said Jeff, sombrely.
"Silos?" offered Virgil.
Jeff shook his head.
"He has to be somewhere along the beach," said Scott, instantly snapping into 'action mode'. "I'll go and find him."
"You're not going alone," said Jeff. "Virgil? You're in charge until we get back. We'll communicate via the radio."
Scott grabbed a torch and tossed another to Jeff. "Let's go."
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan was beginning to think that not turning back was a mistake. He told himself he was being stupid, but it appeared that some fears you just couldn't fight away. Now he pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and burying his face in his arms. He tried to block out the sound of the thunder, the lightning overhead. The rain was now pelting down, making his shelter useless. The freezing water soaked his clothes and the bitter wind only added to his misery. He blinked back tears that threatened to fall.
He would be strong. He would show his family he could face his fears. He would show he could be brave and independent. The sand, which was blowing in the wind, stung his bare flesh, pushing him that little bit further, emotionally.
He wanted to be brave. He wanted to outlast the storm. But a little voice kept telling him that if he didn't go home soon, the storm would outlast him.