The Tracy Family and Thunderbirds are the creation of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson

Chapter 105

"He's…eh…not going to be….too happy about that….is he, Virgil!" Jenna ventured, screwing up her face in a wince, after being startled with the initial shock of seeing a ball of flame flash across the screen.

"Scott is a…total professional….when it comes to flying Thunderbird One. Anything less than perfect…and…… ! No….he's not going to be too happy about that landing," Virgil concluded eventually in a heavy sigh.

"But it wasn't his fault. His hand went into spasm. He would know…if it wasn't for that….! Wouldn't he!" she offered, with a wince.

Virgil winced her a smile. "Like I said, Jen….Scott sets himself high standards when it comes to flying his ship. He'll say…he should have been able to compensate for that!"

Next moment, a torrent of swearing and curses could be heard coming from the next room, as Scott Tracy exited Thunderbird One's flight simulator, proving that, indeed, he was not a happy man.

The flight simulators were set in a large room, off which was the smaller room housing the bank of monitors from where Virgil and Jenna were watching the action. There was a simulator for each of the four rescue craft, since the cockpit of each Thunderbird was, obviously, different, with the interior of the simulators being made as realistic as possible, to give the pilot the feel of being in their craft while they carried out manoeuvres and various scenarios, ranging from easy to quite complex and difficult. The monitors in the adjoining room could then be set to tune into any of the simulators and record the pilot's reactions and decisions taken, as well as from the simulator itself, so it could be played back and lessons could be learnt.

The degree of realism too, loaded into the programming was, actually, quite scary, giving the feel of really being there within the situation. Which was hardly surprising, as seeing Virtual Reality gaming had become so much more technically advanced in its high-resolution definitions, never mind the whole new level that Brains had taken International Rescue's simulators too. And, of course, their professionalism demanded they take the simulations seriously, even to the point of using correct protocol and sometimes, such was the realism, it was easy to, almost, forget it wasn't real.

Scott had chosen a not too particularly difficult programme for himself, just going through some pretty basic manoeuvres but, as always, it is in the landing back in the silo where the danger lies. This, though, was a manoeuvre, Scott Tracy could do, practically, with his eyes closed but, on this occasion, when his hand had locked in spasm, Scott was unable to adjust his control to bring her down safely so, when she swung sideways and hit the silo wall, the highly inflammable fuel on board ignited and that, as they say, was that 'finito'... 'kaput'…'goodnight Vienna'! Just as well then it was only a simulation, much to Jenna and Virgil's, not to mention Scott's, relief.

This was a recording, he was sure to play back, to scrutinize every fine detail and see if there was any way he could avoid this happening in reality, should he be unfortunate enough to suffer a spasm but hopefully, by the time he was back in action, the spasms would be gone for good.

Continuing to mutter irritably to himself and rubbing at his hand, Scott Tracy entered the Monitor Room and sat down on the corner of the table with a disgruntled sigh. Jenna shot her monitoring companion a little look and then moved around the table to automatically take over massaging her lover's, still tingling, hand, which he seemed quite content to let her do, without making any objection.

"Hey, buddy….don't be so hard on yourself…..it couldn't be help….." Virgil began to sympathise.

But Scott stopped him in mid-flow before he could say anything else. "Don't Virg…..just don't. I don't wanna hear it. Damn it! I should've been able to do something…..I should've been able to…compensate," he muttered on angrily, though to himself and not his brother, who knew only too well to just let him…vent!

Virgil threw the young nurse a glance, a raise of his brows that said, 'What'd I tell you!'.

Jenna continued massaging at his hand, while he continued to mutter to himself but something was playing on her mind, something she just had to give voice to.

"Could…could that really happen! I mean…could Thunderbird One really just…explode like that…in her silo!" she asked, kind of worriedly, of no particular brother, for she was only all too painfully aware that these were no video games that they played or that she had just been watching.

Now it was Scott's turn. He shot Virgil a telling glance, a glance that was returned with equal telling.

"It could…..couldn't it!" she warily answered her own question, as she looked from one to the other.

Scott stopped her massaging his hand and took her hands in his, pulled her closer and drew a deep breath, all annoyance with himself having now gone at seeing her obvious concern.

"I can't lie to you, Jen. Yeah…it's possible. Thunderbird One carries rocket fuel and jet fuel…both potentially volatile….and if she were to hit the silo wall…at just the wrong angle……! But then…that's why we have the simulators….so we can work out any problems like that…and know how to deal with them…without any danger…and without any risk. And…now that I know what could happen….! Trust me, babe….I'm not going to take any chances……," Scott assured her earnestly, squeezing her hand and looking deep into her eyes. Then he broke into a warm smile and stroked her face lovingly. "…..not now…..not now that I've just found you. I want us to be together for a…very…long time. So please, Jen….don't worry. I won't be going out in One ….until the end of my recovery….until I've been given the all clear….and I'm not gonna go out in One until I know I can bring her down safely….no matter what happens to my hand. Okay!"

Scott looked deep and earnestly into her face once more and, after giving him a returning smile and a nod, he pulled her into a tender loving kiss, only to be interrupted, moments later, by a discreet cough.

Had it not been for Virgil, though, it would surely have been from the all too familiar siren that suddenly sounded throughout the villa, a sound Jenna was going to have to get very used to. Instinct had Scott immediately heading for the door, with Jenna and Virgil close behind.

When they got to the lounge, Gordon and John, who was home from his rotational shift with Alan, were already there.

"All right….thank you, Alan. Keep us informed if there's anything else we should know," Jeff was saying, as the trio entered the room. Signing off, he looked over and acknowledged his eldest son's presence. "Ahh, Scott….good…I'm glad you're here."

Scott did wonder at his father's apparent need to have him there and it occurred to him, for all but a fleeting moment, whether his father had been in half a mind to send him out on this one but he figured it was more likely his presence was requested to just offer his expert advice. His expertly trained eye, though, did pick up on something else. He was sure he detected an eager excitability about his father!

"I'd like you to ride desk on this one, Son," his father promptly announced.

"He doesn't mean that literally though….buddy!" Virgil whispered, with a grin, over his shoulder, causing the eldest Tracy to flash him a steely cold blue-eyed glint.

Despite the momentary distraction, Scott was still somewhat confused by his father's decision. "Eh…yeah …sure, Dad….but how come! Is there something else you have to take care of!"

It wasn't that Scott was prying into his father's affairs or wanting to know his business, it was just that when a mission was about to get underway, his father never let anything else get in the way or take priority; only when his father was actually away, off the island, on business or ill did Scott ever take over.

"You could say that," Jeff replied rather cryptically. The next moment however, he dropped his bombshell! "I'm taking Thunderbird One out this trip," he then added, while trying to keep a measure of calm professionalism and not seem so overly pleased with himself and excited.

After the initial shock, fits of coughing and choking could be heard from the various active members of International Rescue, while Scott just stood there momentarily, with his mouth hanging open.

"Now…hold on here, Dad….!" the experienced Field Commander began to protest, much to the relief of his waiting, anxious brothers.

Well, it was one thing knowing their father was here at Base, being in overall command but quite another to have him out there, in the field, with them, breathing down their necks! They were used to the dynamics of their own tight-knit little team, which had been thrown off kilter enough as it was, without Scott, and that's the way they wanted it to stay, so it was no surprise that they were rooting for their Field Commander to…well, talk him out of it!

"What's wrong, Son? A minute ago…you had no problem with taking over the desk," his father frowned heavily.

Three anxious, hopeful and expectant faces looked to their Field Commander.

"Well gee, Dad…I have no problem with taking over the desk. But that was when I thought you had Tracy Enterprises business to take care of and you would be…here…on the island…at home!" Scott stated, emphasising for effect.

Good one, Scott. Three anxious and expectantly waiting faces shot a look back to their father.

"Now, Son….we talked about this…..you knew my intentions," the would-be Field Commander reminded his eldest.

Bummer, this wasn't sounding too good. Anxious, though still expectant faces shot a look back to their Field Commander, their 'saviour'.

Yes, he had remembered that discussion; he just hoped that by now, his father would have forgotten about wanting to pilot TB1 himself. But obviously not!

"Yeah…but, Dad…..that was when we were talking…long term…about International Rescue….when we didn't know if I was going to get any better….when I thought seriously about losing my…..," Scott then reminded his father but stopped short before he said too much, causing his brothers to look to each other in puzzled bemusement, as to what he was referring to. Scott continued on in some haste, trying to convince his father that now, there really was no need for him to actually go out himself. "Anyway…all that's not relevant now. In another few weeks…I should be back on active duty. Until then….Alan can fly One and…."

"But Alan's not here, Scott. Just in case you've forgotten….Alan's on his month's rotational shift….so you could well be back on duty by the time he gets home," Jeff cut in with a sharp reminder, intent on sweeping away all objections.

Three pairs of eyes continued to shoot back and forth between father and eldest son but it looked like the Commander-In-Chief was winning this one.

"Well…John then," Scott quickly countered, beginning to feel somewhat flustered. "He's perfectly capable of flying One….and I'll give him all the advice and support I can from here," he added encouragingly, as he looked to his blond-haired brother.

John nodded furiously in agreement, as did the rest of his brothers. Go, Scott, go.

"So you see, Dad….there's no need for you to go out," Scott finished off and hoping he had done enough.

Another good one, Scott. Strike one for the home team! Maybe things were looking up after all.

But…they had reckoned without the dogged determination of Jefferson Tracy.

"No…..there's no…need…for me to go out. I'm going out because I…want…to go out," the Commander-In-Chief stated adamantly. "And…as you put it so well yourself, Son….you will be going back on active duty shortly….so…all the more reason for me to go out now….while I can!"

The collective inward groans were almost palpable. Nice one, Scott!

"But…..!" the younger man attempted one last protest.

It was as if, though, the wily Commander-In-Chief knew just what the objection was going to be.

"And before you say it….that I haven't flown One in a long time….I'll have you all know that I've been logging up my hours in the simulator…preparing. So…I'm going….and there's an end to it," came the adamant reply, signalling the end of the discussion.

Well, it seemed once Jefferson Grant Tracy had made up his mind, that was that and the deflated faces showed that the tight-knit little team were now resigned to their fate!

All the while, Jenna had watched with fascination and, not to say, some amusement, this little power play exchange but had, wisely, decided to stay in the background and remain silent.

"All right….now that we've got that settled….let's get down to business," Jeff stated with his no-nonsense approach and the team gathered round for the short briefing, with Scott taking his place beside his father at his desk, while they poured over maps of the area in question to decide on the best course of action and what equipment would be needed. For when it came down to it, they were, after all, total professionals.

The area in question was the idyllic rural heart of Northern Ireland and, while Scott had had to set up Mobile Control on a farm close to the Atlantic coast in Southern Ireland to co-ordinate a rescue from a downed Fireflash airliner, the North was an area they had never been called to before. It was equally as beautiful and diverse in it's landscape as the southern counties and just as green, for Ireland as a whole was affectionately know as The Emerald Isle and was famous, in song, for having at least 'forty shades of green', this referring to the various greens of the small, patchwork fields. Hardly surprising, with the amount of rain they got!

The central heart of Northern Ireland was dominated by Lough Neagh and, at 153 sq miles, was the largest freshwater lake in the whole of the United Kingdom with the Lough being the main water supply for much of the Province. With Ireland, as a whole, being an ancient land, steeped in history and magical superstitions, the North being no exception, it wasn't at all surprising that legends should spring up as to how this large body of water came to be.

Perhaps the most entertaining of all, though, was that of Finn McCool, an Irish giant said to have had an argument with a Scottish rival. Finn became so enraged that he scooped up a piece of earth and flung it at him, the resulting hole being left behind having filled with water to become the Lough! And, what of the huge 'sod' that was flung in gigantic temper! Well, Finn missed his target…apparently and the 'sod' landed in the middle of the Irish Sea to become a small island called the Isle of Man…apparently! Believe what you will, of course, of the colorful story but the locals will swear it is true and continue to entertain their American visitors with the tale in cosy little pubs up and down the country over a pint of the 'black stuff'!

A smaller body of water, Lough Beg, lay just off the northern shore, being part of the outlet for Lough Neagh via the short River Bann corridor, which connects them. The River Bann then exits Lough Beg at its northern shore to continue to wind and meander all the way to the wild Atlantic coast.

The problem now, for International Rescue, lay in the amount of rain that had fallen in the past month, causing the river, both in its upper and lower reaches, to become swollen, along with Lough Beg into which it fed and exited. And, as if that wasn't enough, the problem had become exacerbated by the fact the River Bann had also become blocked with debris shortly after its exit from the Lough; in effect, acting like a dam. Since the water then had nowhere else to go, it began to spill over onto the surrounding countryside. The price to be paid for all those green fields, to be sure!

And the reason International Rescue was being called out! It was the fact a childrens home lay on the northern shore overlooking Lough Beg and right beside the river, on what would normally have been seen as an idyllic and picturesque spot. The home, a large country house, had now become bounded on two sides by the ever rising water, which threatened to undermine the foundations of one wing of the house and surround it completely. Matters were not helped either by the fact the only road leading into this rural place had also been cut off by rising water, with parts of it having been washed away, meaning local services were unable to reach them.

And so, the call had gone out to International Rescue to come and save the day.

"Well, the good news…from what Alan's been able to establish…is that none of the children seem to be injured….but there are a few that are unaccounted for. From what we understand…they're still in the wing of the house nearest to the river…and it's showing signs of subsidence. So….we need to get out there as soon as possible," Jeff stated concisely and something no one was going to argue with. "Scott….where would be a good place to put Thunderbird One down on this one?" he then asked his eldest, acknowledging his superior expertise and experience.

The recuperating Field Commander pondered for a few moments as he poured over the detailed 3-d imaging of the site, currently on screen.

"There's a lot of ground at the front of the house….but my guess is…it's probably swamped by now. The ground at the back of the house, though, is more elevated…so I'd say you'd be safer setting 'her' down there, Dad," Scott advised, to which TB1's temporary pilot nodded in agreement. But Scott didn't stop there, his mind continuing to analyse and scrutinise; he was well and truly in the zone, of thinking like the Field Commander that he was. "There's not gonna be room for you to set down though, Virg…..but this field…just right behind….that looks big enough."

"Sure thing, buddy….I gotcha," Thunderbird Two's pilot agreed, looking to where his elder brother meant. "Now what kind of equipment are we gonna need?"

"We'll take the Excavator with us on this one, Virgil," his father stated, having already decided how it could be used. "We can't hope to stop the water from the Loughside at the front….but John can use the shovel to build a bank against part of the river…at this side of the house. It won't stop all the water from there….but at least it will buy us some time."

Nods of approval showed it to be a sound course of action.

"What about the Domo!" Gordon interjected. "We could use it to hold up that end wall!"

"That's not going to work," Scott responded, having made a quick assessment and going on then to give his reasons. "The ground there is gonna be too soft……and with the weight of the Domo….she's just gonna get bogged down. You'd have a helluva job getting it out….that's if we didn't lose it altogether! It could end up in the river…..or even get carried out into the Lough! But it was a good idea, Gordon."

"Yeah…and then the Domo would become part of the folklore. The locals would be making up a legend about a 'beast' that lives in the Lough….like the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. A beast with three huge arms….ready to drag down any poor unsuspecting fisherman who dared go out on the Lough! The Domo of Lough Beg!" John quipped spookily, his eyes wide and lifting his hands to waggle his fingers for dramatic effect. The blond haired astronaut was a natural student and, since he knew many languages, it wasn't surprising he should also know a lot about many different cultures too.

The amusing thought brought smiles from everyone gathered in the room.

"Actually….I favor Gordon more for being….the Beast of Lough Beg!" laughed Virgil, while ruffling his younger brother's hair. "Now…that would…make a scarier legend!"

And at that, everyone then burst into laughter, everyone except Gordon, who feigned a hurt pout.

"All right, guys….back to business," the temporary Base Commander interjected, bringing things back on a more professional level, prompting Virgil to voice a rather niggling little problem that had suddenly sprung to mind. "Shoot, Virg….what's on your mind!"

"Well, Scott…..if we're in this field…behind the house…..I can't see how we're going to get the Excavator through the gate! It might be all right for their local tractors….but the Excavator!" Virgil replied, spelling out the problem quite succinctly.

"Hmmm…yeah…see what you mean," Scott acknowledged, frowning a little as he pondered the unforeseen glitch, because that's all it was to Scott Tracy, nothing more than a glitch; a minor problem that couldn't be solved. In a matter of seconds, he already had the answer. "Okay…no problem. Just take the Excavator through the hedge….and Virg….don't forget to tell them…International Rescue will make full restitution …we'll make good any damage."

And that was the mark of a good Field Commander, the difference between being a rescue operative and being the rescue co-ordinator. It was, not only knowing how to affect the rescue but knowing how to interact with the locals, be diplomatic and leave behind a good impression of International Rescue as a caring organisation; where possible of course, because inevitably, there will always be those who will try anybody's patience, even the patience of the indomitable Scott Tracy. Jefferson Tracy nodded in approval at his eldest son's wisdom.

Jenna too, couldn't help feeling a measure of quiet pride, as she watched him, so obviously at home in his natural environment of organisation and gaining a little bit more in understanding of just who Scott Tracy really was and what made him tick.

With everything now decided, Jefferson Tracy stood and, without thinking, automatically issued the familiar command. "All right, boys…Thunderbirds are go."

It seemed, though, that he had forgotten one…minor…little detail, one his eldest son was only to ready and eager to point out!

"Excuse me……Dad!" the now active Base Commander interrupted, from his ensconced position behind the desk and looking quite at home in his father's chair.

Already on his way to TB1's revolving panel, Jefferson Tracy halted in his tracks. And not only his father but his brothers as well, who glanced quickly from one to the other, taking eager delight in the fact their eldest brother seemed just about to impose his authority over their father…and would he dare!

"Yes….Son!" Jeff Tracy replied, as if daring his eldest to challenge him.

The tension was palpable, so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. It was almost like watching two gunfighters facing each other off, wondering who was going to draw first.

Scott held his father's gaze; the cobalt blue eyes absolutely rock steady and unflinching. "I think….Dad….you'll find that's….my….line! All right….boys! Thunderbirds are go!"

Well, he did want to be one of the boys…didn't he!

For a brief moment, the two men stared each other down, the elder man's facial muscles twitching ever so slightly, signifying his annoyance, while Scott remained, unnervingly, calm and one might almost say, with a hint of enjoyment. Jefferson Tracy growled under his breath, his only response. Turning on his heel he headed off to Thunderbird One's secret panel.

"Oh….and Dad. Don't forget to keep me updated, huh!" Scott called out after him.

"He'd better not be enjoying this," the self-deposed Base Commander mumbled and groused to himself.

Once their father had exited the lounge, the brothers let out the breath they had been holding.

"Geez buddy…..you sure know how to play with fire," Virgil remarked, barely believing of his eldest brother's sheer audacity and nerve but unable to help a grin of admiration and followed up by similar reactions from John and Gordon.

The Base Commander eased himself back in the chair, stretched out his long legs and eyed his brothers with cool regard. "He wants to go out on this mission……then he's damn well gonna follow protocol!"

The brothers glanced at each other in wide-eyed stupefied silence.

"All right, guys….what are you waiting for! Go….rescue!" Scott intimated, with a barely contained grin of enjoyment. "And guys….keep an eye on him, huh. Don't be letting him go rescue any kids. Is that understood!" he then added in adamant seriousness, making it an order he obviously expected to be obeyed.

"Readin you loud and clear…oh mighty Supreme Commander," Gordon quipped jovially.

"Gordon! I'm serious," Scott frowned in exasperation. "I just don't want anything happening to him out there."

"Yeah….look don't worry, Scott. Anyway…it seems a fairly straightforward rescue. There'll be no need for Dad to get involved," Virgil assured him, for he understood his brother's concern.

And with that, the boys headed off to their respective exits. Within moments, Jeff, having followed correct protocol, had called in for clearance to launch and was soon on his way, once he'd been given 'green to go'. Virgil and his crew, in Thunderbird Two, launched shortly after and now, there was nothing to do but wait!

The hardest part of all, Jenna surmised, as she watched her lover drum his fingers agitatedly on the desk. Smiling with loving affection, she crossed the room and, placing her hands on his shoulders began to knead and massage the tense muscles before bending down to plant a kiss on top of his head.

"You'd rather be out there….wouldn't you!" she conjectured quietly, voicing what she knew was going on in his head and sensing his inner turmoil.

Scott stirred from his far away thoughts to return her smile.

"That obvious…am I!" he smiled in quiet reflection and after a few moments thought, he drew in a deep breath. "Think you'll be able to handle…all this!" Scott asked tentatively, taking hold of her hand and idly playing with her fingers.

"You mean…the waiting…while you're out there! The possibility you might get hurt again!" she conjectured, at the same time thinking through her answer.

"Yeah," Scott responded quietly, watching her, waiting and hoping.

Jenna cupped his face tenderly with her other hand. "Well...I can't pretend I won't worry….that I won't rest until I see you walk back through that wall…safe and sound," she answered honestly. "But…if waiting and worrying is part of the price I have to pay for being here with you….then I'll pay it. I guess it comes with the territory…but then I knew that….when I signed on for the long haul!" Jenna added, giving him a warm smile and then bending down to kiss his upturned face.

Scott relaxed into a relieved smile and immediately pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling playfully at her ear.

"Then I'd better make sure I'm…extra…careful out there!" he responded in whispered assurances.

"Yes…you better had…Mr Tracy!" his lover laughed, as she playfully poked him.

Descending into seductive teasing they stabbed little kisses at each other before being interrupted by yet another discreet cough.

This time it came from Kyrano. "Excuse me, Mr Scott…Miss Jenna. I took the liberty of bringing you some coffee," he stated with his usual calm serenity, as he laid a tray on the desk, while diplomatically turning a blind eye to the cosy intimacy. "I always bring your father coffee at the start of a mission, Mr Scott….so I thought…perhaps…you would wish to continue the same!" Kyrano reminded the young Base Commander, feeling that he needed to clarify the reason for his intrusion, just in case the young man's obvious distraction had led him to forget.

"Ahmm…yeah…of course….eh…thanks Kyrano…..I appreciate that," Scott replied and feeling a little embarrassed.

"Yes….thank you, Kyrano…..that's very thoughtful of you," Jenna acknowledged, with an embarrassed smile of her own, to which the sagely wise manservant offered a little bow and left.

After finishing their coffee, it wasn't long before the young lovers were happily canoodling with each other again. Well, the time until the first check-in had to be passed some way, so why not make it enjoyable! There is a saying, though: 'Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself'!

And, never more so in this case! So intent had the lovers been in practically sucking the face off each other, the stabbing kisses having become long lingering ones, that Base Commander Scott Carpenter Tracy almost didn't see the eyes of his portrait begin to flash and bleep, signifying an incoming transmission. And then began such a frantic commotion, one could almost be forgiven for thinking they were watching a slapstick comedy.

Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye sent him into sudden blind panic, breaking the kiss and sitting bolt upright in the chair, causing Jenna to almost slid off his lap and onto the floor, reminiscent of a guilty husband being afraid of getting caught in the act of cheating. There followed a frenzied few seconds, as Jenna, quickly and automatically, raked over his hair to tidy it, even though it was still too short to be mused up, before seeing to herself, while Scott busied himself straightening his clothes. Well, there was a certain decorum to be had in taking a live-feed call from your operatives and the Base Commander being seen canoodling with his lady at the desk was not it, not to mention the fact that this was not just any operative…this was also his father!

The amusing, though somewhat guilt-ridden, irony was not totally lost on our young Commander, since he fully expected his father to follow strict protocol.

Scott then instinctively turned his face up to his lover for final inspection, which had her quickly wiping at his mouth with her thumb, while he licked at his lips; just in case their should be any trace of her in the form of lipstick. Wouldn't do for the Base Commander to be facing his operatives, covered in lipstick….now would it! Not that there was any chance of that for the brand Jenna used was a good one, doing what it claimed and staying put. But then…guilt has a habit of doing that, making you imagine all sorts of things!

Taking a deep breath, coughing to clear his throat and fixing a smile, Scott activated the call.

"Ahmm. Base to Thunderbird One…..receiving you loud…and clear," he acknowledged. "How's things lookin over there, Dad!" And now that things were under way, at last, he would be totally on the ball, with Jenna knowing enough to let him concentrate and just being there to support him in whatever way she could.

Jeff informed his son of his arrival, that Virgil wasn't too far behind and that he was going to begin setting up Mobile Control but from what he could see, so far, the current state of affairs was not critical. Scott took note of his father's report but knew only all too well that a 'not critical' status did not always mean an easy rescue. Sometimes it was the seemingly simple rescues that had the propensity to throw you a curve ball and he should know! And, in this case, it would be a curve ball, albeit a little curve ball, of a kind not encountered before!

Shortly after, Thunderbird Two arrived on the scene, much to the delight of very excited children.

Some twenty children lived in the large country house they called home, along with five staff, consisting of three women and two men, most of which had now been shepherded to the slightly higher ground at the back of the house. John was then dispatched in the Excavator, through the hedge, towards the river side of the house to begin creating a bank of earth to stem the water. And, after a brief consultation with their father at Mobile Control, studying the layout of house, Virgil and Gordon were sent to find the missing kids.

They made their way carefully along the upper floor, searching each bedroom in turn of the subsiding wing, after having first searched everywhere else and calling out as they went. Then, at last, they got a response, coming from the last room along the hallway.

"Oiy…in here, Mister," came a broad regional dialect, causing our heroes in blue, not only a sigh of relief but a grin of amusement.

On entering the room, Virgil and Gordon, thankfully, found the three missing children all together, making their job a lot easier. Two boys of about ten looked to be comforting a little girl of seven, on the far side of the room, as they sat on the floor, which was sloping downwards rather badly at this stage towards the window. While the little girl looked scared, the two boys seemed to be taking the whole thing in their stride. Virgil surmised the two young men could have made it out of there any time they wanted but had chosen to stay with their little friend, who was obviously too frightened to move, an action which immediately gained the brothers respect.

"See….told ya International Rescue would come get us," one of the boys spoke encouragingly to the little girl, who only nodded in response while continuing to hold on to her companions. His eager little face then turned back to our heroes in blue. "My name's Billy…so it is….and this here's my wee mucker, Andy…..," the young man began introducing himself and his friends, with excited fervor, to which Andy beamed them a huge grin, as much in awe of the legendary 'saviours' as his mate.

Virgil and Gordon exchanged glances, well impressed with the young men's demeanour under the circumstances.

"Well…hi there, Billy…Andy. And you, hunny….must be…Lizzy," Virgil acknowledged and smiling down at the little girl to try and make her feel more at ease. "We've been looking for you, guys."

"Eh….mucker! You did say….mucker…didn't you, Billy! What's this….mucker!" Gordon queried, screwing up his face and turning to his brother, who could only shrug his shoulders.

"Oiy, Billy….these'ns don't have a scoobies," Andy laughed, causing his friends to join in, while our two heroes were left with a blank and gormless expression at having absolutely no idea of what had just been said, which is, more or less, what the term means.

"Maybe we should've had John up here! He's good with languages!" Virgil whispered from the corner of his mouth.

"It just means…me mate. You know…..he's my mucker….my friend," Billy went on to laughingly inform the two men. They were certainly getting a crash course in local Ulster dialect, that's for sure.

"Hey…I like that. That's a great word, Billy," Gordon grinned. Already, he liked this kid. Perhaps it was a kindred spirit thing! "Well…I'm Gordon…but you can call me Gordy….and this here's…my big mucker…Virgil," the Tracy prankster added, throwing his arm round his brother's shoulder and giving him a 'matey' squeeze and a wink. "We call him a lot of things….but you can call him…Virg," Gordon further added with a grin, causing his brother to throw him a frosty glare, while making the youngsters giggle.

"Oiy…Virg! Did yous bring Thunderbird Two….is she here!" young Billy asked excitedly, since they hadn't seen the arrival of the Thunderbirds with being holed up in Lizzy's room.

Her pilot felt a swell of pride at noting the young boy's obvious wonderment. "Yeah…she's here," he replied, while all the time assessing how they were going to get the children out safely.

"Aw….stickin out," Billy continued in rapped wonder.

Virgil looked mildly bemused. "Yeah….guess her wings do…stick out…a bit….but not much," he added on defensively.

It was young Billy and Andy then who looked at each other, somewhat bemused, before bursting out in laughter. "Nah, Virg….'stickin out'….it means 'great'…'cool'….you know!" Billy informed him. "Thunderbird Two….she's a real cracker….she's just the best."

Thunderbird Two's pilot visibly puffed up with pride. "Well…yeah…I think so!"

"Hey…mucker! Better make sure you put all that in your report. Don't you think our…Base Commander's…gonna be…'delighted'…to know that TB2's…just the best…a real cracker…stickin out!" Gordon grinned with cheeky mischief and imagining the look on Scott's face, the thought also bringing a happy smile to Virgil's.

"An…an is Thunderbird One here too," Andy asked in eager excitement. "She's cracker too."

"No need to put that in the report though…huh, Virg!" Gordon grinned behind his hand. "Yeah, guys….Thunderbird One's here too. We kinda just let her tag along….but Two does all the…real work," he added cheekily.

"Oiy, Virg! Can we get a ride in Thunderbird Two….can we…can we! Aw…go on, Virg….you an me's muckers…right!" Billy asked in excited pleading, his little eyes shining with anticipation.

And how could International Rescue's two pilots not laugh at such obvious cheek.

"Yeah, Billy…..I think we could arrange that. We'll take you and all your friends for a little ride to somewhere safe," Virgil agreed with a smile. "But first…we have to get you guys outta here….okay!"

"Aw dead on," the two boys grinned happily, while little Lizzy continued to cling to her friends.

It had been decided between Virgil and Gordon that the best way to extricate the children from their predicament was to stand as close to the sloping part of the floor as possible, reach out and pull them up but when Virgil called to the little girl, she adamantly shook her head that she was not budging. This was obviously going to be a problem, since Virgil knew that that part of the floor was not going to hold his or Gordon's weight.

An ominous creaking sound was heard and, suddenly, the floor lurched, causing Lizzy to whimper a little cry and the boys, brave as they were, to gasp. Gordon and Virgil gave each other a telling look, knowing it was imperative to speed things up and get the children out of there, yet without alarming them.

"All right, Lizzy…hunny….just reach out your hands to me…and I'll catch you. I promise…you'll be safe," Virgil coaxed but the little girl continued to shake her head.

The two men tried to think of some other way but help was at hand, in the form of her two fearless little friends. After some whispering between them, it was decided young Andy would show her how it was done. He stood up, carefully, and reached out to Virgil and Gordon who, having placed one foot each, gingerly on the slope, reached out, grabbed a hand and pulled the young man safely up to the level part of the floor beside them. And for his bravery, Andy received a 'well done' slap on his back from our boys in blue.

Andy turned round and looked down at his friends with a look of sheer triumph on his relieved little face. "See, Lizzy….wee buns," he grinned.

"Food! Did someone mention food!" Gordon exclaimed in bemusement, causing Lizzy to break into a giggle.

"Nooo. He means…it was easy," the little girl told him and continuing to giggle at his silliness.

Now, though, seemed to be the best chance they had. Billy helped her stand up and reached her out to the two rescuers, who lifted her easily to safety and, after checking her over quickly, left her in Andy's care while they turned their attention back to their remaining friend.

"All right…little buddy….now it's your turn," Virgil smiled down at him.

As the boys reached down to grasp Billy's outstretched hands, however, the floor gave another sudden lurch and dropped a little more, bringing a cry from Lizzy and a gasp of alarm from Andy. The heart-stopping moment didn't help International Rescue's two pilots either, who thought they were just about to lose the youngster but they had reckoned without young Billy's fortitude and gutsy determination.

"Come on, Billy….move it. Get your little ass in gear. Wee buns…remember!" Gordon called out urgently.

And with that, the two pilots, having taken a huge calculated risk, stepped out further onto the slopping floor, as Billy launched himself towards them. Strong hands grasped him and pulled him up, just as the floor lurched and dropped again.

There was much relieved laughter all round and 'well done' slaps on the back for the youngster's courage. Brave and all as he was, though, in a moment of gratitude and needing to steady himself in front of his friends, young Billy wrapped his arms round his new buddie's waists and hugged them tightly. It was something the two men, who constantly faced danger, understood and they gave him a moment, hugging him back in reassurance. It was a guy thing!

"Okay…little muckers! Time we got outta here," the jovial aquanaut grinned. And no one was going to argue with that.

Virgil decided it would be best to carry Lizzy, if only to make her feel safer and the child automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. The little band then made their way back through the house. Walking beside their heroes, the two boys excitedly relived their rescue, with the floor, somehow, becoming more and more slopped and the danger becoming more exaggerated in the telling of it! And something told our heroes that it would probably get more so, the more the story was told, given the Irish love of a good yarn!

"You know, Gordy….I think we could have two future International Rescue operatives on our hands, here. What say…we make them honorary members for the day…huh!" Thunderbird Two's pilot suggested with a happy grin, having been very impressed with their young helpers cool calm under pressure.

"I say….stickin out!" Gordon returned and immediately both men took off their GI garrison style caps and plonked them down on the two youngster's heads.

The boys eyes shone with awe at been given such an honor and the way-to-big caps were worn with great pride, as at last, they emerged from the house to much cheering and thankful relief from all their other friends. Jeff congratulated his boys on a job well done and John too, who had been recalled from the riverbank, in the Excavator, on hearing the children were safe. And the senior Field Commander had not been remiss either in following protocol, by informing Base Command that all was well, rescue accomplished and they could hope to pack up and be on their way home soon.

If only things were just that simple!

As the children were shepherded to the safety of Thunderbird Two, Billy and his friends lingered behind. Urgent whisperings went on between the youngsters and another boy, Liam, who had joined them.

"Go on, Billy…ask them," Lizzy pleaded, with everyone else joining in the urging.

It seemed young Billy had been appointed spokesman for the group, so they followed eagerly behind him to where the Tracy brothers were making preparations to leave.

"Hi guys….something wrong!" Virgil asked with a quizzical frown, at seeing the rather serious faces. "You really should be getting on board with your friends now."

"But…but yous can't leave yet! Yous have to rescue Timmy," Billy stated adamantly, followed by a similar chorus of pleas from his friends.

At hearing that, the three Tracy brothers shot each other a look of serious concern.

"What! You mean there's another kid in there!" John exclaimed and looking back to the house.

"But there can't be! Virgil and I checked every room…and we didn't see any other kid," Gordon replied, with his brother confirming the fact.

"Do you know where Timmy is, Billy?" Virgil asked gently, though with some urgency, at thinking another child's life was in danger.

All the children nodded, which made the boys look to each other in puzzled bewilderment.

"He…he's not in the house," Billy offered a little uncertainly, which was unusual, Virgil and Gordon thought, given what they had come to know of the young man.

"But yous have to rescue him….right! Yous are International Rescue….so yous are. Yous rescue anybody that's in trouble…don't yous!" young Andy reminded them vehemently, as you do when needing to ensure co-operation.

"Y.e.a.h…..I guess that's what we do…alright. That's why we're…here," Virgil responded warily but by now the brothers were beginning to smell a rat, or something! "Okay, guys…what's going on here! Just where…and who is…Timmy! Or…should we be asking…what!"

The children all looked at each other a little nervously.

"Go on, Billy….tell them," little Lizzy demanded.

"Timmy's a pig…he's our pig…..," Billy started in explanation.

"But he's our wee friend," Andy jumped in.

"And we love him…so we do," young Liam joined in, along with some frantic nodding of agreement from the rest of the children.

"Aye…we do. And he's over there…in his sty…so he is….," Billy continued, indicating under the trees, near the river. "But…he's only little…an the water's coming in…an he might get stuck. So…yous just have to rescue him," he further continued, all in a rush.

"Well…how about that! Little Timmy's a…pork chop!" Gordon grinned in amusement.

Gordon might have thought better though, of using that particular phrase had he known what was coming! For the next moment had him rubbing at his shin, after receiving a kick from a none-too-pleased little girl, who then burst into tears.

"Timmy's not a pork chop…so he's not. We're not going to eat him. Timmy's our friend," Lizzy cried, pulling her face into a pout.

"Nice one, Gordy! Wonder what our Base Commander's gonna say about International Rescue makin a little girl cry!" John tutted in mock seriousness, while trying to keep his face straight; a sentiment added to by TB2's pilot. "Not good for our image at all…not at all!"

Poor Gordon floundered helplessly, what with dealing with the ribbing from his brothers and trying desperately to placate little Lizzy, who only cried all the harder the more he tried to explain his warped sense of humor. And then, to top it all!

"There yous are! I've been looking for you all," a young female voice spoke, the voice in question belonging to a young woman in her early twenties and one of the members of staff. "Auck Lizzy….what's wrong!" she added in concern, at seeing the little girl crying, kneeling down immediately to comfort her.

"He…said Timmy was a pork chop," Lizzy pouted crossly, pointing an accusing finger at Gordon, who hadn't a leg to stand on. "Timmy's not a pork chop…sure he's not. We're not going to eat him," she went on, needing the reassurance of knowing that their wee friend was not about to become breakfast!

The young woman tried not to smile at Gordon's description, intent on making the guy from International Rescue suffer just a little more. Well, he was extremely cute!

"Oh…he did…did he!" she replied with cool authority, turning her best school-marmish glare on him, though she could not keep the twinkle of amusement from her eyes.

Gordon grinned sheepishly and gave a helpless shrug of his shoulders. And how could she not fall for his cheeky charm!

"No…of course we're not going to eat Timmy," the young woman assured the little girl, with an affectionate smile and going on to explain about the little pig being the children's pet. Feeling then Gordon had probably suffered sufficiently, she turned to him, her smile becoming one of seductive coyness. "And I'm sure this nice man didn't mean it like that…sure you didn't!" she added, her eyes continuing to twinkle in amusement.

Thankful now for the intervention and from someone so darned cute, Gordon readily apologised for the inappropriate name given to such an obviously well loved little friend.

"Yeah…gee…sorry. Didn't mean to suggest yous were gonna eat the little pork cho….the little guy….," he started off well enough and grimacing a grin when he realised he was doing it again; that and the fact the adults had just raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Say…why don't I just….! Yeah…Gordy…just keep your big mouth shut," he added in mumbling self-recrimination; his brothers thinking that was an excellent idea.

The young woman couldn't help her affectionate smile, being so utterly taken with him and, it seemed, the feeling was mutual.

"Hi…I'm Sarah Gordon," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to the jovial prankster and totally ignoring Virgil and John.

"Well…h.o.w.d.y do! And how about that! I'm Gordon…Sarah!" he grinned happily, like the big kid he was, as he took her hand and taking her surname as some sort of cosmic sign, making her giggle coyly.

His brothers groaned and rolled their eyes.

"I want to thank you so much for saving Billy, Andy and Lizzy. It was very brave of you…what you did…so it was," she continued, flirting quite openly with him. And Gordon, being Gordon, he just lapped it up!

"Yeah…well…it was nothing," TB4's pilot shrugged with false modesty. "I do it all the time. You know…putting myself in danger."

A couple of well-timed coughs of annoyance reminded the copper-haired Tracy that he wasn't the only one on this rescue.

"Yeah….and of course…my colleagues here helped….a bit," he added on, with a smarmy and condescending grin, knowing it would bug the hell out of them.

And he wasn't wrong. The two older Tracy brothers shot him a dark scowl, with silent promises that he had his coming!

"What about Timmy! Yous are going to rescue him…aren't yous," Billy shouted out, frustrated that the adults had seemed to have lost sight of the seriousness of the situation and got side-tracked by, what to them, was…well, trivial adult stuff.

"Aye….yous are International Rescue…so yous are. So yous just have to rescue him," Andy chirped in and reminding our heroes in blue again of their moral obligation.

"And we're not leaving here til yous do….so we're not," Lizzy pouted adamantly, joined immediately by her fellow comrades-in-arms.

Seems International Rescue had a bit of a rebellion on its hands…so it did!

"You're right…little muckers. We are International Rescue…and we can rescue….anything!" Gordon immediately volunteered, with all the emotion of 'flag waving' and 'hand-on-the-heart' stoicism. Heck, you could practically hear that stirring anthem playing!

"Oh gawd," Virgil and John groaned, wondering just what their brother was going to get them into now.

"And…what's more…we're gonna put our best man on the job….so we are!" the Tracy prankster grinned mischievously.

"Ohhh g.a.w.d," the older brothers groaned again. They knew that look. And they couldn't help but wonder just which one of them was about to be 'volunteered', offered up like the 'sacrificial lamb', or should that be, 'the pig's head on a platter with an apple stuffed in its mouth'! Sorry, Timmy…no offence! For somehow, they didn't think Gordon was stupid enough to assign himself to this particular rescue mission!

But Gordon didn't look at either of them, instead, looking across the patch of open ground. And when something akin to a grin of pure evil mischief lit up his face, they began to get a very bad feeling, a very bad feeling indeed…so they did!

"See that man over there….at our Mobile Control….!" Gordon offered helpfully, to which the children all nodded eagerly.

"Ahh no, Gordy. NO…no way! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Virgil exclaimed in horror and joined in the protest by John.

But it was too late. Virgil and John could only watch in helpless despair as the children ran excitedly in the direction of International Rescue's temporary Field Commander and overall Commander-In-Chief….one Jefferson Grant Tracy.

Well, that was it! They might as well kill themselves now…before their Base Commander did it for them!

Life…as they knew it…was sure to be…over!

Author's Note: If you want to remind yourself of Jeff's discussion with Scott about his future in IR, check out ch56. And the Irish folklore stuff! That was just for you, Jim.

I'm also making good a promise to a fellow author, The Rimmer Connection, and would like to point out that although we have both used children's homes in our rescues, and I acknowledge that hers was written first, in ch10 – Scott Cooks Up A Storm, the facilities were both arrived at totally independently and from our own imaginations, as is borne out by the fact they are both totally different in type and location, as is the rescues themselves. I have been in contact personally, out of professional courtesy, and we're both cool with the fact.