Star Flowers

Disclaimer: Don't own Thunderbirds, Ipod or anything else which turns up in this chapter. Which is not mine obviously.

Authors note: Well here's another bit for you all, need to actually decide on some sort of threat to get a plot worked out but thought I would do a bit of character interaction before everything gets haywire.

Chapter 4

"So let me get this straight" said Alan for the fourth time, "You're the youngest Tracy in a different world?"

Phil stared at the boy with an expression that told him exactly what sort of idiot she thought he was at that given second but quietly shook her head and sighed in exasperation anyway, "Finally the boy gets it"

"And mum's alive in your world?" asked Scott, rather reservedly. Talking about Lucy still left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth even after all the years that had passed. But in his heart the eldest Tracy knew fine well what was disturbing him the most and for the first time in his life he had no idea how to deal with it. He now understood why John had talked of wanting to go into a really deep sleep back when they were younger, if he had a chance to see their mother alive and well along with a beautiful baby sister to fawn over as well…he shook his head to try and dispel where his thoughts were leading him. It was no good trying to dwell on something that had was impossible to happen. Of course, unfortunately for Scott it was happening so that juxtaposition had been firmly flung out of the window.

Phil seemed a bit agitated by the constant questioning but he guessed correctly that she was far more concerned about John at the moment than talking to a bunch of boys who on the one hand she knew and on the other she had never met before in her entire life. She sighed, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes before speaking again, "Yeah she is. Run's the company and everything, though sometimes I wonder how she manages it. I mean…" she cut herself off, mimicking the headshake of earlier, "never mind. She's going to be having kittens over this"

Virgil frowned, "She does know that you're here right?"

"Yeah, she had to clear me for being the test pilot" Phil made a curious sucking sound with her teeth, "Of course the only problem is that my brothers don't know at all"

"You didn't tell them?" Gordon asked, sounding a mixture of surprised and impressed all in one. Out of the lot of them he was taking the news the best, though for the life of him he could not work out why.

Chuckling a little, Phil smirked, "Are you kidding? I'm the baby sister; they practically fuss over me like mother hens…the lot of ya"

Before the laughter could really start, a blip came from somewhere about Phil's person and with a quick movement she had pulled out what appeared to be a small black ipod and flicked a switch. Blix's human form appeared, though instead of looking his usually cool and collected self he appeared to be rather worried over something. "We've got problems" he stated rather than said.

"Let me guess" Phil sighed, already running a hand through her hair, "The links bust right?"

"Not entirely" said Blix, trying to smooth over a volatile situation, "it's been highly disrupted and defragmented which results in the unfortunate proposition…"

Phil rolled her eyes, "That it's bust"

Blix ignored her, "of it being unfit for any form of travel until it establishes itself back into a proper course that can be…all right!" he growled, seeing the stupid face which the girl was pulling towards him, "It's busted and it'll take time to repair itself"

"Any idea how long?" Phil asked before rolling her eyes, "Actually scratch that thought, I already know"

Virgil gave her a look, "You already know how long?"

"Yep…" she sighed, running another hand through her hair, "If this situation is following the same pattern as the events of eleven years ago, excluding some minor" she waved her hand around in a circle as if dismissing some argument and then swirled it the opposite direction, "major alternations it's going to be one week exactly before that link is safe enough to travel through"

Blix nodded, "Of course there's always the…"

"Blix do me a favour…can we have this conversation later?" Phil sighed, a hand going to her head and a slight grimace, "when my head is not spinning around like it's on a merry-go-round?"

--

Watching the dials on medical equipment, Jeff felt as though he was going to loose his mind with the worry that was currently gnawing away at it like some angry beaver. He couldn't believe that he was here again, watching his second eldest on a life support machine and praying that he was going to live through it. All the doctors and nurses had said that John had a very good chance of survival, commenting that the treatment he had received immediately after the accident was first rate but they could only suspect as to where it came from. "Please, John, just open your eyes" he half wailed, trying to block out images of his Lucy.

Thankfully someone was there who knew exactly what to do in a situation like this.

"A cup of tea, Mister Tracy" came Parker's clean cut voice and as Jeff turned to accept it he found himself receiving a gentle and very English smile from Lady Penelope.

He nearly laughed out loud at seeing her but carefully took the cup and raised it as if to salute her, "You know sometimes I think you know more about the goings on in my household than I do"

"Of course I do Jeff" said Penny with her fabulous English accent, "I make it my business to ensure I'm always on top of International Rescues Affairs…though I do say this little affair did take me rather by surprise"

"Not half as much as me" said Jeff taking a sip of the tea.

Penny sighed, shaking her head at the sad look in the man's eyes, whom she had come to see almost as a father figure in all the years since her parent's untimely death. "Jeff, I know you're worried about John but I'm sure he'll pull through"

Jeff looked down, trying to stop the tears and also looking for a change of subject, "Have you any details on what's happened?"

"Message from the Prime Minster for you, Milady" Parker cut in quickly, before peeking his hat and handing her a small characteristically pink handheld device, "Sorry for the interruption"

"Thank you Parker" replied Penny, reading the message quickly before handing it back to her faithful chauffeur, "Inform the Prime Minster that the matter is being investigated currently and once I have had a chance to talk to all involved I shall be filing a full report"

Parker took the device, saluted smartly and disappeared out of the room. Penny tensed for a few seconds before sighing and turning back to Jeff with a smile as if nothing in particular had just occurred or that Parker had simply been bringing her news from one of her many rich upper class friends. "I'm afraid the exertion didn't exactly evade the notice of those higher up…I suppose it is possible to talk to John once he's awake?"

Jeff sighed, "Yeah but he may not make a whole lot of sense…actually Penny, it wasn't a meteorite or a stray missile or anything like that…"

Penny looked at him with polite interest which suggested that she didn't believe him one hundred per cent after the years that she had known him.

"It was another craft…piloted by my daughter" he said uneasily.

"Daughter?" the surprise in Penny's voice slightly dissolved the accent, "You don't have…"

"I know" Jeff said, "Look this is going to sound crazy but you're one of the only people in the world who I know won't try and lock me up in a straight jacket when you hear this tale"

Penny looked intrigued, there was something in Jeff's tone that made him sound uncomfortable as if he knew things weren't supposed to be this way and since they were it was a bit hard to fathom it all out. "Go on" she said, preparing to make notes in a small pink notebook which had appeared out of her handbag with pen attached.

"Well…about eleven years ago…something strange happened to John"

--

Leaning on the windowsill, Phil stared up at the stars and wondered if John would make it. She could only hope that he would but for luck, she clucked a star pendent tightly in her hand and poured all of her soul into a silent unspoken wish.

Let him survive. Please let him survive.