Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

Author's note: Okay, so, I knew I've been pretty bad at updating recently. I just got a review that pointed this out in great detail to me. Whilst I am sorry for this, it has been unavoidable. My personal situation has not been great for the past two years or so, thus frivolous passions such as writing and art have fallen by the wayside, as it were. I'm currently on a three month break from my job as an activity instructor and have some free time to play with. I intend to finish this in that time. Apologies.

Parting Gift

By Bubblegum Thai

Chapter Two

"Okay…don't get mad…"

With a creak of springs, Virgil rolled onto his side, and then the other side, and then onto his back. With a huff, he flipped the covers off of himself, tossing them thoughtlessly to the floor with a thud. Sweat beaded the skin of his face and he wiped at his eyes with the balls of his palms. He growled quietly in frustration before springing into a seated position and a whirl of pyjamas, he placed his feet snugly into the waiting pair of slippers beneath his bed.

He began pacing. He paced up his room towards the locked automatic door, and then back again, his hands behind his back, twisting knots in his pyjama top,

"Damnit Suzan!" He cursed.

For most men his age, cursing a woman was something you did over your wife or significant other. He shouldn't be stressing this much over his baby sister; after all, she was in her twenties now. She should be able to look after herself. At her age both Alan and Gordon were accomplished members of International Rescue and he wished he could wash his hands of her revelation, but he just couldn't. They both knew that it not only affected Suzan's world, but everyone in it and that included International Rescue and it's whole operation.

Kicking his slippers off across the room so that they hit the wall that neighboured with John's vacant room with a thunk. He decided to hell with it. He needed to sleep. They would talk tomorrow, but there was no sense in stressing over it.

Virgil didn't sleep that night.

- - -

"Good morning!"

"Someone's happy," Ruth Tracy observed as Tin-tin bounded excitedly into the kitchen, "what's the occasion?"

"Oh nothing…" She sighed happily, resting her elbows on the kitchen counter-top, propping her chin on her knuckles, her gold wedding band glinting in the tropical sunshine,

"Yeah right!" Gordon snorted as he shoved a handful of Cheerio's into his mouth, "For nefer fis fappy." He spluttered through his mouthful,

"Gordon, really…" His grandmother scolded,

"It's nothing, really…" She giggled, sliding a knowing glance sideways as Suzan appeared, "It's just such a beautiful day!" She gushed, "Right, Suzan?"

Suzan shot the Asian beauty a withering look,

"If you say so." The brunette finally replied icily,

"Wow, someone's cranky." Jeff chuckled from behind his newspaper,

"Oh, Daddy! I didn't see you there!" Suzan beamed sweetly,

"How much?"
"Huh?"

"What do you want and how much is it going to cost me?"

"…nothing." Suzan replied with a frown,

"Alright then…" He shrugged it off, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yuh huh."

"Bet Virgil wishes he could say the same, huh Virg'?" Gordon nodded in the direction of his brother with a smirk, "You look like you got his by a bus."

"Thanks Gordo…" Virgil grunted as he slid into a chair at the kitchen table,

"Everything alright, son?"

"Yeah Dad…I just had a rough nights sleep."

"Something up?"

"I've just got something on my mind…"

Suzan rubbed awkwardly at the back of her neck, averting her family as she stared down at the linoleum floor of the modern kitchen,

"Aren't you hungry sweetheart?"

"Don't hover, kid." Gordon added,

"Sorry…" She mumbled, dropping into her respective seat beside her father, "Juice please."

"Father,"

Everyone looked up as Alan poked his head around the door frame,

"Yes Alan?"

"Scott just radioed in from the plane. Says he'll be arriving in five."

Jeff frowned,

"But Scott's not due back for another couple of days."

"I guess he's back early." The blonde shrugged,
"Hm." Jeff shrugged, rising to his feet, "C'mon boys, let's give him a real welcome home."

With an affirmative nod from Gordon and undecipherable grunt from Virgil, the trio headed off to ensure a safe landing from their eldest sibling. Once the men were gone and clear out of earshot, Ruth very carefully placed down her tea towel,

"Alright, what's going on then, girls?"

Both Tin-tin and Suzan exchanged looks,

"Nothing." They replied in unison,

"Hm…" She mused, "Well I do hope you'll forgive me, my dears…but that is bull honky."

"But Grandma…"

"Bull. Honky. Suzan Louise Tracy I have been looking after you since you were rolling around in diapers. Don't insult me by telling me nothing's going on when obviously there is, so spill it."

Suzan heaved a heavy sigh, flopping across the table top,

"Oh Grandma…"

"What is it, dear…?"
"Promise not to tell father?"

"Suzan, I…"

"Promise."

"Well, of course…but…"
"No buts."

"Okay." She nodded. Suzan flickered her nervous gaze to Tin-tin and bit her lower lip,

"Alright…" She sucked in a steadying breath, "I got into med-school. Johns Hopkins, to be precise."

"Oh Suzan! That's wonderful!" Ruth gushed, "Why don't you want your father to know?"

"He doesn't know I applied…I need to find the right moment to tell him."

"You know he'll be thrilled!"

"Will he?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't he be?"

"International Rescue." Suzan sulked. Ruth gave a disapproving frown,

"You read him all wrong sometimes, you know…just because he's given up his life for this cause, doesn't mean you have to. You and your brothers are here out of choice and dedication and…and love! But Jeff, bless him…he just wants you all to be individuals…to achieve something."

"Really, you think?"

"I know."

-

Whistling to himself, Scott tapped a few keys before leaning back in his seat; the auto-pilot handling most of the flying as he gazed in wonderment at the ocean below him. He'd spent years living on the island, but still it didn't fail to astound him every time he flew over its hypnotising, glassy surface. A small, amber light began flashing to his right, a digital, 3-D image flashing onto the display screen. Home. With a grin, Scott leant forwards, tapped a few more keys and took the wheel, taking over manual control of the plane,

"This is Scott Tracy calling Tracy Island, am preparing final descent, over."

"Welcome home, son." Jeff's proud voice came across the radio, "We're all ready for your landing."

"Roger that Father!" Scott chuckled, "I guess I'll be seeing you in a bit."

"Roger that."

Scott cut communications to concentrate on his landing, and within moments he was on the warm soil of his family's island paradise. He whipped off his sunglasses, glinting in the brightness of the South Pacific,

"It's good to be back." He breathed, hauling his small suitcase out of the little jet's cargo compartment, before trotting up the runway towards the villa. He practically galloped up the outer steps two at a time and bounded into the living room, "Hey everybody!" He beamed, dropping his suitcase at his feet,

"Hey!" Gordon happily smiled back,

"It's good to see you." Alan nodded,

"Welcome back Scott." Tin-tin smiled, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, "Did you have a lovely time on the mainland?"

"It was…interesting…"
"Sounds like there's a story behind that one." Alan said to Gordon, who nodded in mischievous agreement,

"I think an investigation is in order."

"Now, wait a min…" Scott began,

"Hi Scott." Suzan quickly hugged her brother as she walked passed him on her way outside, "Welcome home."

Scott frowned as she headed off down the steps towards the runway and the beach, but shrugged it off as he made his way over to Jeff who was sat at his desk. The pair exchanged the usual hand shake/clasp that the father and sons often did,

"Welcome home," The former astronaut smiled up at his eldest, "it's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Scott agreed, slumping into the seat opposite his father, "Though, seems to me that you've been doing fine in my absence."
Jeff chuckled, nodding in agreement,

"True…we've got on just fine without you,"

"Doesn't mean we're not happy to see you." Virgil announced as he smiled, patting a friendly hand on his brother's shoulder, "Good time?"

"It was alright." Scott shrugged nonchalantly, looking up at his younger brother, "Man, you look like…"

"Yeah…so I hear. Don't worry, it's nothing. Just a bad night's sleep, is all."

Jeff heaved a sigh as he glanced up at the clock,

"Almost time for Alan to leave for his change over at Thunderbird Five." He mused, "Things have been pretty quiet all day…"

- - -

It was summer, late, and the sunset had cast red swirls and smears of cloud across an evening sky. Stifling giggles, pre-teen Alan and Gordon lay as flat as they could a top of a bundle of hay atop of the old barn. It was summer, and they'd come to spend the long, hot summer at the Californian ranch that had belonged to their Grandmother. At eleven and twelve, the two boys had a natural curiosity. A natural curiosity that could only be satisfied by learning from those older and wiser than themselves. This was where Scott and Maggie-Anne Carmichael came into play.

Maggie-Anne was a beautiful girl. She was sixteen with long, thick, golden-coloured hair and large, curious green eyes. She worked in the diner down-town, only for the summer, to earn herself some extra money. When she wasn't working or riding horses on her family's ranch down the street, she was at the lake with her friends.

Scott thought she was amazing. Every time the five boys would head into town, the brunet would go uncharacteristically shy, and stumble over his words, much to the amusement of the other four. Gordon and Alan had missed most of the story, they'd been riding their bikes to the beach the day he'd finally plucked up the courage to ask Maggie-Anne out, but they promised themselves they were not going to miss out on this vital piece of ammunition. So, stuffing their fingers in their mouths in a desperate attempt to muffle their laughter, the two boys crept closer to the edge of the hay to look down into the barn below. Sat at the foot of the tower of dried grass was Scott, his arm around Maggie-Anne's shoulders, the two locked in a deep kiss. The duo peered over and immediately shot back again, silently cringing to one another,

"Ew!!" Gordon mouthed to his blonde partner in crime who nodded vigorously in agreement. Neither one could comprehend how nor why their older brother, their role-model could kiss a girl!

Suddenly, Alan spluttered a loud chuckle before panic-stricken, he slapped both hands over his mouth,

"What was that…?!" Maggie-Anne asked, looking all around the barn,

"I don't know." Scott frowned, "Who's there?!"

Silence; and then came the giggling, quiet at first, but the pair could no longer contain their amusement at their brothers adventures into the dating world. Louder and louder their laughter grew,
"You guys!" Scott fumed, "You little punks are gonna pay!" He growled through gritted teeth,

""You've gotta catch us first!" Alan called back down defiantly,

"Oh, I'll catch you alright!" Scott warned, darting towards a hay-loft ladder, climbing each rung faster than the last,

"Book it!" Gordon exclaimed in panic, pushing Alan towards the hatch in the side of the barn which they'd climbed through initially,

"Scott!" Maggie-Anne called after her date as he shot after his two younger brothers. He ignored her, racing after them with rage in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he crawled across the hay top, though as he did, it began to slide beneath his hands and knees. Alan looked down and then to Gordon and Scott,

"Uh oh." He murmured as the hay began to slide faster and faster, spilling over the edge and onto the waiting barn floor,

"Look out below!" Gordon called with a grin. Maggie-Anne Carmichael let out a short, sharp, scream as the hay headed for her. Just in time, she dived out of the way as the three brothers came tumbling to the floor in a wave of yellow straw that would rival the highest of Californian waves, "YA HOO!" He exclaimed as both he and Alan rolled out of the barn's double doors and into the courtyard. Scott didn't travel quite so far and ended up sitting, legs akimbo, in the middle of the barn, an old, metal milking bucket a top of his head. With a loud 'hmph' and a stamp of her foot, Maggie-Anne stormed out of the Tracy barn and off down the lane to her own ranch, leaving Scott bewildered and disorientated.

Exactly sixteen years had passed since that night in the barn and Scott's failed attempt at a date with Maggie-Anne Carmichael, and things in the Tracy family had barely changed. Sitting on a sun lounger beside the pool, Scott drew in a sigh, flopping his newspaper down on the tale beside him,

"You gonna tell me why you came back two days early?" Virgil asked, peering over his sun glasses,

"Bored."

"Yeah…right."

"It's true!"

"Hm. Who goes to Florida and comes home early because they were bored. Blatantly something happened."

"Okay…so maybe something happened." Scott shrugged,

"You gonna tell me, or…what?"

"Maybe some other time, Virg'…" Scott sighed, leaning his head back drowsily,

"Awh, gosh darn it!"

Both Scott and Virgil were startled to hear the nearby rose bush curse loudly,

"Gordo!" Both men exclaimed and the mischievous red head emerged from the bush before dashing off,

"He's such a kid." Virgil muttered,

"Speaking of…where's the squirt?"

"Suzan?"

"Hm."

"I don't know."

"Huh." Scott peered cautiously at Virgil. Something about his demeanour changed when he mentioned their sister, "Everything alright with you two?"

"Huh? Yeah. Fine."

"You just seem kinda…"

"It's fine." Virgil snapped, "I'm just…tired, is all."

"Alright then…" Scott sighed, barely believing his younger brother in his poor attempt at denying his accusations. He was about to pursue a further line of enquiry when suddenly, their father's voice drifted across the patio,

"Boys, we've got an emergency. We're going to need all of you on this one with Alan and John both in space."

"Glad to be back?" Virgil asked as they stood wearily,

"You kidding me? I live for this!" Scott beamed.

To be continued…