Author's note: This is not necessarily the war we are in now; I'm just making things up as I go alone. This may sound more like the Vietnam War then anything. Does anyone have any idea when or if the sequel to the Thunderbirds movie is supposed to happen?

Chapter Two

Scott's Choice

That night Virgil tried to sleep but he just couldn't. He thought he would go downstairs and get a warm glass of milk to see if that would help. But as he came to Scott's door he heard his brother talking, as he got closer he realized that Scott wasn't just talking, he was praying; pouring out his heart to God. Virgil felt comforted to hear his older brother praying, he decided to go back to bed without his milk and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Virgil stood at Scott's door the next morning; he shifted on his feet, as he watched his brother pack all he could into one big duffle bag that had "Sr. Airman Scott Tracy" written on it in bold letters.

"Do you need any help?" Virgil offered as he entered the room.

"No thanks Ace, I got it," Scott said as he closed the top of the bag.

"Is that all you can take?" Virgil asked his normally sparkling blue eyes a little dull.

"Yep, this was part of our basic training, only take what you will need," Scott said as he reached for four picture frames that were on his bed side table.

"What are those?" Virgil asked pointing at the frames as Scott laid out some paper to rap them in.

"What do you think they are Ace? There pictures of dad, mom, and you guys," Scott said as he handed the frames to his brother to look at.

Virgil took them and one by one looked at them, the first one was of their father holding Scott as a new born, the look on their father's face showed how proud he was to be a dad. The next one was of their mother holding Scott as a new born, the soft look she always had was on her face as she looked down at her new born son. The next was of all five of the boys' together, they were lined up on the slide they had in the back yard, with fourteen year old Scott on the bottom, and five year old Alan at the top. The fourth was a recent photo, it was just of Scott and Virgil, they were sitting at the counter in their workout cloths, with their arms around each other, smiling as their father took the picture, it could not have been taken more then five days ago.

"They really let you take pictures with you?" Virgil asked as he handed them back.

"Of course they do, they discourage frames, but I don't care, I'm taking them anyway," Scott said as he rapped them up.

Scott looked up to Virgil as he finished, he thought he saw tears glistening in those usual bright blue eyes.

"What's wrong Ace?" Scott asked as he reached over for his dog tags that were hanging on his lamp.

"Nothing it's just-how long will you be gone?" Virgil asked as he watched Scott pull his dog tags around his neck.

"I guess I better get used to wearing these," Scott said as he stuffed them into his shirt. It made Virgil shiver; he knew what those were for, "I don't know how long I'll be gone Ace, we could be gone up to eight months, maybe even longer."

"Then-you're going to miss my birthday?" Virgil asked sadly.

"Yeah, I will little brother," Scott replied, he sounded as sad as Virgil.

"Oh," Virgil said sounding disappointed.

"I'm sorry Ace, I know you were looking forwarded to our weekend trip to the cabin, you turning sixteen and everything, but it doesn't mean that you and the rest of the family can't go," Scott said as he pulled his bag off the bed and put in on the floor.

"But it's not the same, you and I were going to go hiking, nobody else likes hiking, John will just set up his star gazing equipment and wait for dark, and Gordon and Alan will be in the lake all day," Virgil said as he sat down on Scott's bed his legs dangling a good inch off the ground. Virgil was almost sixteen but if you didn't know it you'd say he was thirteen because he was so small.

"What about dad? I bet he'll go hiking with you," Scott said as he joined Virgil on the bed and put his arm around his brother's shoulders.

"It's still not the same," Virgil said as he leaned into Scott.

"I know it's not Ace, I'll tell you what, the weekend I get back; we'll go up to the cabin just you and me, no more Iran, no more war. We'll go boating, swimming, hiking and anything else you want to do; and in the evening; it will just be you and me and all the marshmallows we can get sick on," Scott said as he ruffled his brother's curly blondish brown hair.

"Really?" Virgil asked a little hope returning to his ocean blue eyes.

"Really, now how about you help me find my last uniform," Scott asked as he stood up.

"Okay," Virgil said as he hoped off the bed and joined Scott at his closet.

It did not take them long to find Scott's last uniform and somehow fit it into his duffle bag, when something suddenly clicked in Virgil's head.

"Scott?" Virgil asked as he helped his brother close his bag again.

"Yeah, Ace?" Scott replied as he once again dragged his bag to the door.

"What if-," But Virgil didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Scott, there's someone here to see you!" their father's voice carried from the hallway.

"Okay I'll be right there dad," Scott called down and then turned back his brother and said, "Hold that thought Ace."

Both brothers came to the door to see their father and other brothers already there, standing next to the person who was waiting for Scott. As Scott got closer he realized who it was.

"Hey Jimmy," Scott greeted his old friend from high school with a small hug and added, "What brings you here?"

"Well-I changed my mind about your invitation," Jimmy said making Scott look at him weird.

"What invitation? I didn't invite you here, not that I don't like seeing you but I just didn't know you were coming, my unit's being called to active duty, I leave in less then forty eight hours," Scott said not really knowing why his old friend had shown up when he did.

"Well-I—mean," Jimmy stuttered. Scott looked around him and saw the suit case by the door, and it didn't take him long to put two and two together.

"Oh no-no tell my you're not doing what I think you're doing Jimmy please," Scott bagged as his brothers and father gathered behind him.

"Hey you're fast Scottie, no wonder the air force wanted you," Jimmy said in voice that made Alan bury his head into his father's side.

"Doing what, what's he doing?" Virgil asked looking up at Scott.

"He got is draft notice," Scott said quietly making Alan and Gordon stare at their father not knowing what Scott was talking about.

"So?" Virgil asked.

"So I'm not going-I'm dodging it; I'm running away to Canada," Jimmy said making Scott's mouth drop open.

"You can't do that Jimmy, it's against the law," Scott nearly yelled but tried to keep his voice down for his brothers' sakes.

"So is killing, but people are doing by the thousands, in Iran, that's why I came here before I left, thinking you should come with me," Jimmy said with a smile.

"What? That would make me a deserter and I could never come home, I can't do that," Scott said behind him his father nodded.

"If you go to Iran Scott, there's a fifty percent chance that you won't be coming back, however come to Canada and you're be alive, I'm leaving right now, go get you stuff," Jimmy said thinking that Scott would jump at the chance to leave.

"I can't Jimmy, I'm not going to be know as a deserter. I joined the air force knowing full well that I could be called to war, and now I am and in forty eight hours I will be in Iran fighting for this country," Scott said as he felt his father's hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"Alright then, are you going to turn me in?" Jimmy asked a little worried.

"I can't stop you, but I can stop myself, you are doing what you feel you have to," Scott said as he put an arm around Virgil who stood next to him.

"Alright then, good luck Scottie boy," Jimmy said as he picked up his bag and walked away.

"God bless Jimmy," Scott called after him.

Suddenly Virgil couldn't not say anything any more and burst out, "Scott, call him back, call Jimmy back please!"

"Ace, he made up his own mind," Scott said as he looked to his father getting a smile in return.

"No, No call him back so you can go with him!" Virgil was beginning to hyperventilate.

"What?" Scott was confused.

"You have to Scott, you can't go to Iran; you have to go to Canada!" Virgil's words were starting to get jumbled he was speaking so fast.

"No Ace-," Scott was cut as Virgil continued.

"I don't care if it's against the law, I'd rather have you alive, please Scott, please, PLEASE!!" Virgil was really hyperventilating now and Scott gripped him by his shirt sleeves and shook him slightly.

(Some of this next part I took from a radio program but most of it is mine.)

"Ace, Ace, it's okay now okay it's okay, just calm down," Scott said as he gripped Virgil's sleeves in his hands and then as he calmed down he continued with his father and other brothers looking on. "Look Ace, I thought and prayed long and hard about everything last night. For the first time in my life I had to question deeply question my convictions, my beliefs, and through all that questioning- the answer always came back the same, go-go to Iran."

The fifteen year old sniffed and four more echoed it, Virgil looked to his father and then looked back up to Scott and said, "Scott-what if you die?"

Scott sighed and kneeled down so he had to look up at Virgil for a change and said, "Look-Virgil, Jimmy wanted me to go with him so I'd live. But for me-running away to Canada wouldn't be living. Not if meant betraying my God, my country, my family, you. That's not living; living is honoring my commitments, all the way to the end just like Jesus did, remember? Jesus died-so we could live; he concurred death so I don't have to be afraid of it. And neither do any of you, that's why I'm going Virgil-when there was really no question about what I'd do."

Virgil knew Scott was right, but knowing that he only had about twenty four hours left with his brother finally made him brake down crying and he collapsed into Scott's arms, "Oh, Scott, Scott." Virgil sobbed into Scott's shirt.

"Sh, sh, it's okay little brother, there's no need to fear, really, God is with me," Scott said and he suddenly felt a sense of calm that he knew that only God could bring.

TBC