The Tracy Boys and International Rescue are the creation of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson

Thanks to my friend Fellowriverrat for suggesting I include the boys a bit more. Hope you've had as much fun reading it as I had writing it (crossing your legs type laughs come to mind). I know Jenna enjoyed herself.

Chapter 24

"Sure you don't want any more coffee, boys?" Jenna offered. For some reason they declined the offer, perhaps it was too strong after all. "And those machines of theirs, aren't they just fabulous?" she enthused.

This was sounding better. "Yeah, I guess they would have some pretty neat stuff," Gordon agreed, still feeling a little subdued after that last remark.

"I have a friend who knows a lot about all that sort of stuff,…..he's a bit of a brain-box, if you know what I mean," Jenna informed them.

"You seem to have a lot of friends," Virgil observed, frowning slightly suspiciously. He was still smarting from her comment that suggested he wasn't man enough to drink Scott's brand of coffee.

"Well of course I have, Virgil," Jenna replied, knowing full well he was implying that they were just 'convenient friends'. "I'm a popular girl," she said brightly and smiling broadly.

Gordon was now grinning again. He never dwelt on things too long whereas Alan tended to brood and he was trying to think what he could possibly have done to give one of Jenna's friends the impression he was pompous. "I'll bet you are," Gordon responded with a cheeky laugh to which Jenna returned a little bow of acknowledgement.

"Anyway,… about my friend," Jenna said, returning to her original train of thought. "He was really enthusiastic about that Thunderbird One, saw it at a rescue once," Jenna continued, starting to sound excited. "It's an absolute dream of a ship by all accounts," she went on, "fantastic bodywork, fast, sleek and powerful, bit like her pilot from what I hear," she said giggling coyly.

From the opposite bed came a restless movement and a deep groan causing Jenna to smile to herself.

Virgil pulled his face into a frown. "That's not the only ship they have in their fleet…." Virgil started to say irritatedly, then stopped himself before he was in danger of saying too much but it always bugged him that everyone thought TB1 was the more important. "Or so I understand, anyway," he added nonchalantly, in the hope of drawing attention away from himself.

"Yeah, but it is the most important, isn't it?" Jenna inferred. "After all, it's always the first one on the scene of any rescue, anyone knows that," she added with a slightly superior air and hoping to bait Virgil into giving away what ship was his.

"Well, what about that Thunderbird Two?" Virgil said in defence of his beloved ship. "If it wasn't for her how would they get all their rescue equipment to the scene?" he asked, wanting to prove the importance of his Thunderbird.

"Ha, gottcha Virgil," Jenna grinned inwardly, "So, you're the pilot of Thunderbird Two. You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" she thought, feeling pleased with herself. "I suppose so," Jenna said casually in answer to his question before going on to tell him what her friend thought. "My friend says that even though she's big and awkward looking she's dead easy to fly, no real skill needed at all," Jenna continued in a light-hearted manner, rubbing salt into the wound. "Virgil, are you all right, you're going a funny colour?" Jenna asked, her voice dripping with mock concern.

Gordon and Alan were finding this most amusing while poor Virgil was speechless before going into another round of coughs and splutters.

"Oh Virgil, you really will have to get that seen to," Jenna soothed, " it must be the air in here, too dry probably."

"AWKWARD, DEAD EASY TO FLY," he repeated to himself. "And just what does this friend of yours know, Jenna. Is he a pilot or something?" Virgil ranted, showing clearly his annoyance.

Jenna tried hard to keep a straight face, totally unfazed by his irritation. It was so easy to wind them up, she thought shaking her head. "Boys and their toys." she smiled inwardly. "No, I told you, he's just a bit of a brain-box." and then she started to laugh.

"Something funny?" Virgil said dryly.

"Oh, I was just thinking of what he said it looked like, that's all," Jenna replied before falling into more laughter.

"What, Jen, what?" Gordon urged, joining in with her infectious laugh.

By now Alan had come round and seemed to have forgotten his earlier insult, eager to know what she was finding so funny about Thunderbird Two.

"He said it looked like……looked like a…..," Jenna started but she couldn't continue because she was laughing so hard. You know, one of those 'crossing your legs to stop wetting yourself' type laughs.

"Like a what, Jen?" Gordon and Alan joined in together.

"Like a 'giant split pea with wings' Jenna finally managed to say, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down.

Now Virgil really did go a funny colour, so much so that Jenna thought he was about to explode but of course, he couldn't, could he; she didn't know who they were so he thought and he couldn't give himself away so instead he quietly simmered.

"A flying pea, huh," Gordon repeated, laughing uncontrollably at the thought of flying off to a rescue in a giant pea! Next time he had peas on his plate for dinner he was going to make one fly round Virgil's nose or throw one at him and ask him what it reminded him of.

(Author's Note: Now Gordon, didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food)

"Now, one down and three to go," she thought to herself. Scott, she already knew about, Virgil, she'd just found out about so that left Gordon, Alan and John. "I wonder who'll take the bait next." "I suppose when International Rescue have to do a deep-sea rescue they have to call in the Navy," Jenna said quite casually and out of the blue.

"Why ever would they do that?" Gordon asked incredulously. "They have a perfectly good submarine of their own," he volunteered, then catching a look from Virgil he added, "or so I understand."

Jenna grinned. "I should have known it was you Gordon, being the swimmer and in WASP," she said to herself. "Oh yes, I know and it's a cute little craft and all that but…..," Jenna started to say before being cut short.

"CUTE!" Gordon choked out the word. Alan laughed outright and Virgil couldn't help but crack his frosty exterior into a broad smile.

"Well, it's yellow and tiny and, yes, cute," Jenna simpered sweetly, most amused by Gordon's ever-changing expression.

"TINY," he choked out again. Highly advanced, highly technological, compact yes but 'cute' and 'tiny'! They were not words he would use to describe his beloved Thunderbird Four.

"Of course my friend says," Jenna went on, knowing just the right time to turn up the heat, "that she would probably crush like a tin can at any real depth." She waited and watched, trying to keep a poker face, which wasn't easy. She didn't have to wait long.

Whereas Virgil was ready to explode, Gordon was about to implode. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and as he took in a huge gulp of air he, too, started to cough and splutter. Jenna immediately pulled him forward and slapped his back hard, several times. "Dear, dear, I really will have to get Brains to check out this air-conditioning," she said, shaking her head with mock annoyance. Before Gordon had a chance to reply Jenna started to giggle. "You know what it reminds me of," she said, continuing to giggle.

"No, what?" Virgil asked, glad now that the attention was diverted to Thunderbird Four. "I hope it's funny," he thought to himself, "It would serve the little scroat right for laughing at my Bird."

"It's like….one of those……little… toy subs you play with..in the bathtub," she managed to say between fits of laughter.

Gordon was not amused but both Virgil and Alan thought it was hilarious. The thought of their brother sailing around in a little toy submarine in the huge 'bathtub' that is the ocean caused them no end of delight. In fact, Virgil now knew exactly what to get Gordon for his birthday.

(Author's Note: That wouldn't happen to be a toy submarine, now would it Virgil?)

"Now that just left Thunderbird Three and a choice of Alan or John. Since Jenna had no idea that International Rescue had it's own satellite station she just presumed that there were four Thunderbirds.

"Hey, did you guys see that Sun Probe rescue a while ago?" Jenna asked all wide-eyed as if amazed. "I mean that was something, wasn't it?" she went on enthusiastically.

"Y-yeah…. we did… hear about that….didn't we fellas?" Alan answered, trying not to puff himself up with pride but not succeeding. At last, he thought, she seemed to be impressed with something other than Thunderbird One.

Jenna had her answer. "I might have guessed," she thought, feeling pleased with herself, "and I'll just bet it was you who flew us to the island, too, wasn't it Alan, given your love of speed." A sudden thought made her almost laugh outright as she watched him closely, "All that power under you on lift off, I'll bet you get a real kick out of that." "My friend says that it would take a pilot of real skill to fly that baby," Jenna remarked, having to fold her lips together to stop herself laughing and wondering just how much more puffed up he could get. This was so easy it was like manipulating a puppet on a string.

"Yeah, I'm sure it does," Alan agreed wholeheartedly and looking around at his brothers as if to say 'See, she knows a real pilot when she sees one'.

"Of course, it would take a pilot of considerable experience and maturity to handle her properly," Jenna continued, knowing she was hitting him right where it hurt. "Say,….for instance…someone like…Scott," she added casually.

"SCOTT," Alan barked with much annoyance, pulling his brows together in a heavy frown.

Virgil shot her a suspicious look but she brazened it out with a perfectly feasible explanation. "Well yes, I mean, after all, he is a seasoned USAF pilot isn't he," Jenna offered, daring them to deny it, "and he has test-piloted new planes so I'm sure he could handle Thunderbird Three if he put his mind to it." There was another movement from the bed accompanied by a groan.

"Yeah…..I guess," Virgil replied, knowing it would be true even if Scott were not a member of International Rescue. His eldest brother could handle anything that flew.

Turning her attention back to Alan, she couldn't resist adding insult to insult. "I mean, no offence Alan, but you're just a little bit too young for a machine like that," Jenna laughed.

All Alan could do was sit and stew; he couldn't defend himself by admitting that he was the pilot and that's exactly what Jenna was banking on and where she was deriving her pleasure.

Jenna put her hand to her mouth as if to stem the flood of laughter that was bursting out. "Do….you…know what…I think….TB3…..looks like?" Jenna tried to say through her laughing.

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell us anyway," Alan replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes upwards.

That made her laugh even more. "It looks….like….like a….," she started saying. "Oh no…I can't," Jenna added, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard. It was another of those 'crossing your legs' type laughs. The boys looked at each other, wondering what was coming with Virgil and Gordon both glad that Alan wasn't getting left out. "It's just that…..it looks….," she tried saying again but every time she thought of the mental image she collapsed in heaps of laughter.

"Oh for Pete's sake," Alan thought to himself, "What could be that funny."

"Come on, Jen, just spit it out," Gordon begged, wanting to have something to tease Alan with.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself she got it out in one sentence. "It's like a…big red lipstick."

Alan went as red as a lipstick but not from embarrassment, Virgil couldn't contain himself, exploding into laughter and Gordon? Gordon was doubled in two, literally crossing his legs as he imagined his youngest brother merrily sailing around space in a big red lipstick. He couldn't wait to tell John and wondered what he would think of having a big red lipstick dock in TB5 and Virgil knew exactly what to get Alan for his birthday!

Having now accounted for all the machines and matching them with their pilots, Jenna assumed that John assisted on rescues and didn't actually have a craft of his own. "Say, you guys never did answer my question," Jenna smiled sweetly with all the cunning of a predatory cat ready to pounce.

"Eh.. what one was that, Jen?" Virgil replied with the fearful look of the hunted prey.

"Wouldn't you guys like to be in International Rescue?" Jenna said exasperatedly.

That was it; they were off. Virgil stood up quickly, Gordon and Alan swung themselves off the bed and they backed towards the door with Jenna following them as though she were stalking her prey.

"Gee, is that the time," Virgil said as though surprised, his voice rising in pitch.

"Oh please don't go," Jenna pleaded in a sugary sweet voice, "We were just getting on so well."

"Sorry Jen," Virgil apologised but, of course' he wasn't. He couldn't wait to get out of there quick enough. "We've got chores that need doing, right fellas?" he added, looking to them for support. Gordon and Alan quickly nodded their agreement. "Just tell Scott we'll see him later," and they took off out that door like their pants were on fire.

As soon as they were gone Jenna crossed back to Scott. Dusting her hands together and laughing she said, "Well, that was fun."

"You are wicked, aren't you?" a tired voice from the bed spoke.

She sat down on his bed. "I can be when I want," she grinned. After studying him for a few moments, though, Jenna frowned slightly. "Scott, are you all right?" she asked with a note of concern in her voice.

"I guess I'm just tired," Scott answered, though, if truth be told he was feeling a bit off colour.

Jenna put it down to the fact of his still being tired from his emotional trauma but she kept an eye on him all the same. Later that evening as she was in the bathroom. "A..tt..choo" That definitely came from the infirmary, she thought but she knew nobody else had come down. "Ah..t…choo." As she came back into the room she found Scott sneezing and looking miserable.

"I feel…real lousy, Jen," he groaned as he felt another sneeze coming on.

"I can see that," Jenna soothed, stroking his forehead before starting to check his vitals. "You're spiking a temp," she mused in surprise. "Scott Tracy, you've got a stinker of a cold," she finally decided, "now where did you get that?" She narrowed her eyes and looked towards upstairs.