Thunderbirds and The Tracy Boys are the creation of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Chapter 39
Quite frankly she hadn't expected anybody to be outside in the hallway so it was a bit of a shock to run straight into Virgil and for some reason she got the distinct impression that he hadn't just arrived either. "Virgil!" Jenna exclaimed. "What are you….doing…here?" she added suspiciously. Looking back into the office and then at him her eyes narrowed as she realised.
"Listening in to other peoples conversations again, huh. You guys seem to make quite a habit of that, don't you?" Jenna accused, her voice heavy with sarcasm and more than a little irritation. Virgil flinched at the stinging remark but made no comment. "Well, you had no business," she went on crossly. "But now I guess you heard everything, so yes, that's right, I'm resigning. I'm resigning because I kissed your brother, because I let him kiss me while on duty. It's my doing, it's my fault and there's an end to it," she snapped, feeling everything coming out in a flood of emotion, yet there was one thing she was not prepared to talk about. "As for my feelings for your brother, I guess you heard that too, but I'm not prepared to discuss them with you or anyone else, not until I've talked to Scott first, that's only right and proper."
Virgil listened in silence, prepared to let her rant on, venting her anger and frustration, knowing she was emotionally drained and needing someone to take it out on.
"And that's right, I've told Mike," she added defensively, feeling as if she had been accused of sharing the news with someone else, even though Virgil never spoke a word. "He had a right to know I've resigned and why and I wouldn't have him think it was over something trivial. And I've told your father too, if you must know. I needed to know if he wanted me to go on being Scott's nurse," Jenna continued testily in explanation, even though Virgil hadn't asked. "But as for anyone else, just forget it. Like I said, I'm not prepared to discuss it, so don't even ask," she added, making quite sure he understood.
Virgil stood quietly, one hand thrust deep into the pocket of his knee length cargo shorts, topped by a short-sleeved sport shirt, while the other held the report he had intended to leave with his father. He smiled to himself, raising his eyebrows slightly and wondering how long this little rant was going to go on.
"And if you or Scott, for that matter, have a problem with that, then too bad," she said continuing her defence. "So, I guess now you can't wait to get back down to him and tell him. I suppose you guys tell each other everything," Jenna went on accusingly and still irritable. "Well, you can't, Virgil. You have to promise me. For one thing I won't have him take pity on me. I knew what I was doing when I kissed him and when I let him kiss me. I kissed him because I wanted to, and I wanted him to kiss me, I enjoyed it and I'm prepared to pay the consequences but I won't have him feel he owes me anything. And for another, I don't want him put under any more emotional…….," she was about to say when Virgil finally decided it was time to put an end to this and have his say.
"Yeah. You don't want him put under any more emotional pressure, I know," Virgil repeated quietly, in that laid back voice of his, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Don't you dare find this funny, Virgil Tracy, don't you dare. This is my life I'm talking about," she said angrily, threatening him with a look.
"I'm not, Jen….I swear," Virgil was quick to reassure her, taking his hand out of his pocket and holding them up in mock defence but not doubting for one minute the seriousness or the intensity of her threatening look. "Boy, when you blow, you really blow," he thought to himself, smiling inwardly and being reminded of another volatile nature that he knew of. "You two should hang signs round your necks, 'DANGER, VOLCANO ABOUT TO BLOW, STAND WELL CLEAR'. You really are made for each other," he continued to think and smile to himself, as he thought about their similarities.
"Have you quite finished?" Virgil asked gently, watching her now with calm composure and being completely unfazed by her outburst. "Just let me have my say and then I'll leave," he began.
Now it was Jenna's turn to stand and listen; she wanted to hear what his explanation would be for listening in on her private conversation.
"For one thing, hunny, if you wanna private conversation round here you'd better make sure the door's closed and your com-link's switched off," he said with practised charm, reminding her of the accusation she was bringing against him.
The latter remark caused Jenna to wince as his truthful words bit home, for in truth, she had gotten her own back for that little stunt so she shouldn't have brought that up, as she had been more than willing to have a little fun at their expense.
"And for another thing, Jen…I wasn't eavesdroppin, honest," Virgil pleaded, earnestly wanting her to believe him. "I was leaving this with Dad," he said, showing her the report he intended to leave in his father's office. "I heard Mike's voice and assumed he was talking to Dad and I was gonna go in and just leave it on his desk. Dad never has a problem with us going into the office to leave a report, even if he's on the vid-phone," he explained, allowing her to see the relaxed and easygoing relationship the boys actually enjoyed with their father. "I guess, when I heard your voice I should've left, I'm sorry. It's just that I really care about you, Jen and when I heard you unhappy I wondered if I could help. Don't expect me to apologise for that," Virgil explained with a gentle smile. Jenna could feel her anger subside.
"And you're right. I don't expect you to discuss your feelings for my brother with me or anyone else until you've had a chance to talk to Scott or him with you. I understand that. So you just listen and let me do the talkin'," he continued, his composure under her onslaught and his caring attitude compelling her to listen. "For a start, I didn't hear anything I didn't know already. Hunny, it's as plain as the nose on your face that you're in love with him. Any fool can see that, even us 'none too smart' guys in International Rescue!" he quipped with a grin, referring to her parting remark from the lounge the afternoon she had stormed in. A smile couldn't help breaking across her lips as she remembered.
"And I'll tell you something else. He's plumb, crazy in love with you too. I know. I've seen the way he looks at you and I've seen the way he looks at me when I've been flirting with you," he grinned mischievously, causing her to flush a little. "The guy just wants to rip my head off," he added as he continued to grin and making her all but want to cry.
All her anger and irritability now had drained away to be replaced by regret at having been so hasty in her assessment of Virgil. He really was a sweet, sensitive guy as well as being a charmer, in the nicest possible sense, and she trusted his judgement enough to know he would not toy with her feelings at such an emotional time as this. She so desperately wanted to believe that what he said was true.
"Heck, I've never seen two people more in love than you two, you were made for each other. "You make him happy Jen. And no one knows more than I do how much he deserves to be happy," Virgil stated in a more serious tone of voice. He laughed lightly at his next thought. "You do know he can't bear to let you out of his sight for one minute. I'll bet he's goin' nuts down in that gym right now wondering where you are," he went on, making her flush again at his remark.
"And for another thing; no…I'm not going to tell him what I heard, for now. But I'm promising you one thing, hunny. I'm not gonna let you leave this island without the two of you, at least, telling each other how you feel. I love my brother and I love you too, Jen. I hope you know that for I'll be darned if I'm gonna watch you both throw away something as good as you two have because you're too busy protecting each other's feelings," Virgil said, his speech taking on a passionate intensity, leaving her in no doubt of his serious intentions. "And I'll tell him the same thing too. What you two have is special."
"I even envy him a little…no actually…I envy him a lot. He's a lucky man, Jen….to have a love like yours, for you to do what you just did," he admitted with a wistful smile but he could see she was about to protest. "Yeah, I know. You're gonna tell me it was the right thing to do because you kissed a patient on duty. But I know you, hunny, you wouldn't have kissed him or let him kiss you if you weren't in love with him," Virgil said with a perceptive shrug of his shoulders. The protest died before it ever got to her lips because she knew he spoke the truth.
"You know true love like that doesn't come along every day and if it was me…," he paused, smiling to himself as he pondered just what he would be willing to do. "I wouldn't let anything stand in my way, not Dad, not my brothers, not Tracy Enterprises, not International Rescue and not even my 'giant, flying green pea'," he laughed, unable to resist the description she had once given to his beloved Thunderbird Two.
After the intensity of such a speech Jenna was glad of the release of tension and laughed outright as she remembered that afternoon very well. Jenna couldn't help but think what a really special person Virgil was, a perceptive, sensitive guy who loved his music, his art and his family with all his heart.
"And another thing Jen," Virgil started to say to which Jenna could only raise her eyes slightly, wondering just how many more things there were to say. "You don't have to worry about putting him under any emotional pressure. The only one who puts Scott Tracy under any emotional pressure is Scott. Sometimes he just has a hard time saying what he's feelin' and I guess I can understand that; he hasn't had it particularly easy where relationships are concerned," he added sympathetically, without giving away any detail but yet, wanting her to understand the complexity of his brother's nature.
"But I'm not gonna be afraid to tell him what I've told you cus I'm not gonna stand by and watch you two blow this. So, like I said, I'm not gonna tell him now but I'm not gonna let you walk out of his life either," Virgil finished, satisfied he had said all he wanted to say.
Virgil could see she was musing it over. "Well, I guess I'd better head down to the gym," he said with a gentle smile. "Why don't you go and get yourself a caffeine fix and then come down?" he urged, knowing she could do with a little time to herself. "Say, you know we've got a punch ball down there you could always take a whack at anytime," Virgil grinned before adding, "That's if that eldest brother of mine hasn't knocked it off it's housing again."
Jenna laughed as she shook her head at the inference that she had intended to punch him on coming out of the office but she couldn't also help wondering at the last remark he made, inferring that Scott must hit that ball fairly hard. "I think I will," Jenna said, knowing that a strong cup of coffee was what she needed right now. "Get a cup of coffee, that is," she smiled wryly, "and maybe I will have a go at that ball too, some time." As he turned to go, Jenna said softly, "Virgil."
"Yeah," he answered, turning with a smile.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that. You didn't deserve it. I guess I was a bit…..," she started to apologise before Virgil interrupted.
"Hey hunny, no need," he assured her. "I know. That call to Mike must've been tough," he responded, his voice full of quiet understanding.
Jenna put her hand to his face, causing him to blush slightly. "Virgil Tracy, you're one special guy, do you know that. One day you're gonna meet that someone special and she's gonna be one very lucky girl," she said, wanting him to know how much she thought of him.
She turned and headed to the kitchen for that cup of coffee, leaving Virgil to muse after her. "Yep…that brother of mine sure is one lucky guy," he thought wistfully and almost a little sadly as he realised things between them were likely to change but then, that was life, it didn't stand still and for Scott, things, hopefully, could only get better. Deep in his heart, though, he knew they would always be close as brothers even if the situations around them changed.
With that thought in his mind and a smile on his face he headed down to the gym.
