Disclaimer: Sorry, I still don't own any of it!
Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! You're all so kind::wipes away a tear: Oh, and thank you for the hints, I really should watch my typing, ne? I have a nasty habit of doing that!
Somewhere In Between
By Bubblegum Thai
Chapter Two: Never trust a Gherkin!
The next morning, the house had lapsed into silence. Virgil had taken Tin-tin and Brains off to a symposium on the mainland whilst Alan and Gordon had been enlisted to help Grandma in the kitchen. Scott and Jeff were down by the pool relaxing so Suzan had been left with the majority of house to herself.
She could be found in the games room, practicing her skills at pool, leaning forwards in an attempt to pot all the reds and then all the yellows before potting the black. Once she'd done that three times over, she tried her hand at the darts board before retreating to the kitchen, taking a seat at the counter, stealing one of Alan's attempts at a butterfly cake,
"Hey! They're for dinner, squirt!" He scolded, swotting at her hand,
"But surely one won't hurt?" She asked innocently,
"Oh go on, Alan . . . let her have just one . . ." Grandma Tracy intervened.
Suzan grinned impishly whilst her brother gave her a withering look,
"You don't let us spoil our dinner with sweets, Grandma." Gordon muttered grumpily,
"Ah yes, but . . . I know that I can trust Suzan with moderation." She said sweetly, "Plus she's the only girl left in the family, so why not spoil her?"
All of a sudden, Alan jumped up and bolted from the room, much to the surprise of his family members who watched in confusion,
"What's up, Alan?" Gordon asked as he followed, slower than his speeding brother.
Suzan cringed as she heard the unmistakable sounds of her brother throwing up,
"Oh my!" Her Grandmother gasped, dashing from the room, "Alan, honey! What's wrong?"
"I don't feel so good . . ." He groaned, clutching his stomach. All of a sudden Gordon was kneeling beside his brother, looking almost exactly the same,
"Oh dear! Both of you!"
"Is everything alright . . .?" Suzan mumbled meekly from the doorway,
"They're both sick,"
"Oh . . . should I go and get Dad?"
"Yes please, honey . . ." The elderly woman said softly, fussing about her Grandsons whilst Suzan ran down towards the pool,
"Dad!" She said, skidding to a halt in front of her father, "Dad! Quick!"
"What's wrong?"
"Gordon and Alan are throwing up . . ."
Jeff stood up slowly,
"Ok, calm down, is Grandma up there too?"
"Yeah . . . she told me to come get you."
"Ok, come on . . ." Jeff sighed, placing his book down beside him as he followed his child up back into the house, where his youngest sons were located, being taken care of by their Grandmother.
- - -
It was discovered that the irresponsible men had actually gotten into an open, expired jar of Gherkins in the pantry, which had consequently made them ill. Grandma was relived that it wasn't anything to do with her cooking, however, both boys had been sent to bed where they were currently sleeping it off.
When Virgil arrived back home, he was somewhat shocked to find that his younger brothers were out of action,
"Well, let's just hope that we don't get a call whilst their out of it, huh?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the eyes on John's portrait began to flash. Everyone glared accusingly at Virgil,
"What!" He snapped, flinging his arms into the air dramatically,
"Way to jinx it, Virg'." Scott remarked coldly as Jeff reluctantly switched the communicator on,
"Go ahead, John."
"Father, I just received a distress call from what used to be a small mining town in the South of Wales. They said that one of the old mine shafts has collapsed, trapping several tourists and their tour guide beneath the rubble. They say that they can hear the survivors, but don't believe that there is much time, as the mine area is beginning to flood."
"Right . . ." Jeff said, "Uhm . . . this isn't good . . ." He muttered before cursing quietly to himself,
"What's wrong?" John asked, with a frown,
"Gordon and Alan are sick, Brains and Tin-tin are in New York, it's just Scott and Virgil here."
"Oh," John frowned, "What about Suzan, father?"
Jeff looked at his son and then over at his daughter who sat in a seat before him,
"Well . . . ideally, I'd like your first mission to be a simple one, but I don't think that I'm going to get my way, am I?"
Suzan smiled weakly,
"Sorry, Dad."
"It's not your fault, go with Virgil, alright?" He breathed, "Be careful!" He added sternly, "Don't get underfoot and do whatever your brothers tell you to."
"Will do."
"You'll have to wear one of the uniforms that Tin-tin wears . . ."
"Oh no, that's not necessary," Grandma Tracy said suddenly, "I was beginning to think that your Father was never going to let you join in the fun, I made you a uniform weeks ago!" I think that you'll find that Tin-tin put it with hers in Thunderbird 2."
Suzan broke out into a grin,
"Thanks Grandma!" She exclaimed,
"Enough excitement, go! People's lives are at stake!"
"Right." All three said together before dispersing to their appropriate directions.
- - -
Once Scott had levelled out Thunderbird 1 and radioed into base, he let himself sit back and relax, after all, there was nothing much he could do until her got there, just keeping his beloved craft steady and on course until he reached the danger zone. His mind began to wander slightly, this was the first mission that his little sister had ever been on and he couldn't help but worry for her safety. She didn't have the training and experience like he and his brothers, and in his opinion, she was far too young to be putting her life on the line like that, she hadn't even finished her education yet, but she'd always been pretty mature for her age, and she was intelligent, and careful, and, sure, this wasn't the most dangerous mission that they'd done, but still, what if something happened and she became trapped within the rubble,
"Ugh . . . I don't need this stress. This was unfair of father . . ." He muttered to himself before realising that Jeff had really been left without any choice. With John up in the space station, Alan and Gordon sick and Brains and Tin-tin on the mainland, there really was no other option. His father couldn't leave base and there was no way that Grandma or Kyrano were up to it, the only choice was Suzan. He didn't want the added stress of worrying over his little sister's position all the time. He knew that sounded bad, like he didn't worry about his brothers on other missions, which wasn't true, but they were experienced and trained and older . . . she was his baby sister, born an entire ten years after him.
As he leant back further in his seat, his mind began to wander backwards, to a time before Tracy Island and International Rescue.
"So, what did you do today, then, Suzy?" Scott asked as the group of six stopped at a crossing, waiting for the man to turn green,
"We had to do a painting of our families!" She said, jumping up and down excitedly, her little backpack in the shape of a ladybird bouncing about on her back, a hand in each of Scott and John's hands.
The two eldest held onto the energetic seven-year-old as she almost jumped into the road in her excitement,
"Oh really? Cool. Is that what Virgil's holding?" John asked, looking down towards the small girl,
"Yeah!" She said with a grin.
Scott glanced over his shoulder and smiled slightly at Virgil who had been stuck with carrying the childish painting down the sheet. It was A3 beige sugar paper with many people drawn on it,
"When we get home, you can show us properly, yeah kiddo?" Virgil asked, pushing some of the stray dark brown hair from his eyes,
"Ok!"
"Ok, walk." Scott said as he tugged gently on her hand, who pulled impatiently at John's who had been reading a sign.
The four oldest of the five boys all attended the same high school; it was a private school so each boy had to wear the same uniform which consisted of grey trousers, a black blazer, black or grey ties (black for the two senior years and grey for the juniors) and a white shirt. Gordon and Virgil sported the grey ties whilst John and Scott paraded their black ones as if they were badges to merit maturity. In all fairness, Scott had matured quite a lot since his mother had died five years prier when he was twelve.
Twelve-year-old Alan was more fortunate, although he dreaded high school purely because of the uniform and his brother's reputation which he'd have to follow. Scott got perfect grades, John too. Virgil was a talented musician and artist, he'd won several awards and Gordon was a jock, what could Alan do? He was good with cars? He was forever helping his father out, he wanted one so badly, but had to wait another four years for said mode of transportation. He found it unfair that both Scott and John already had their first cars, and although they weren't brand new, they were still nothing to turn ones nose at. Alan still had to wear a uniform, but it was more casual than that of his brother's high school. His was simply black trousers, trainers, a white shirt (t-shirt in the summer) and a red jumper, which he always wrapped around his waist.
Suzan was the cutest, old people were always stopping and commenting to her family as to what a 'lovely little lady' she was. With her large blue sparkling eyes and dark brown hair, which, on school days was always held in high, bunches at the back of her head. Today she was sporting her own school uniform as she now clutched only Scott's hand, nearing home. She wore thick grey woolly tights with a grey pleated skirt, white blouse and red cardigan. She was supposed to wear a red and grey striped tie, but her father never enforced it, saying that children, especially little girls shouldn't have to wear those things.
As you may have guessed, Jeff Tracy wanted his only girl to look like a little girl, and not more like a boy, which was dangerous considering that she had five older brothers to learn from.
Stopping at the market, Scott released his sister's hand and she trotted off to pester the younger two of the boys, who were looking at the sweets with great interest. Gordon frowned at his little sister,
"Do you want something too, Suzy?" He asked, ruffling her hair,
"No thank you, Gordy . . ." She said sweetly, "Teacher says that sweets ruin our teeth and I don't want fake ones like Grandpa had." She said, looking up at her brother wide-eyed,
"Heh, don't believe everything that your teachers tell you, kid!" Alan said with a grin, "They say stuff like that so you don't have any fun!"
Suzan frowned,
"Why would they do that?"
"Because they're bitter. Especially YOUR teacher! I had her when I was a kid too . . . man she's mean!"
Suzan smirked slightly before running back to Scott who took her hand again, after witnessing the two younger boys poisoning their sister's mind,
"Y'know . . ." He said, raising an eyebrow at Gordon and Alan, "I don't think Dad would like you encouraging her hatred for her teachers."
"We were only having a little bit of fun!"
"Hmmm, well, c'mon . . . I've got to pick up some stuff for Grandma, I don't wanna have to come and find you guys when I'm done, so just keep up, alright?"
"Where'd John and Virgil go?"
"Next door to look for something for Virgil's art class."
"Oooh . . . choices!" Alan muttered, "Go Art shopping with Virg' or hang around here with Scott! The excitement never ends for the Tracy family!"
Scott smirked fondly at that memory, now back in Thunderbird 1, he still wasn't really near the danger zone, but he could feel paranoia creeping up on him again. They'd all changed so much since they'd been at school. Sighing he closed his eyes, trying to shake off the nervous feeling, but he just couldn't,
"Thunderbird 1, to Thunderbird 2, how're things going back there, Virgil?"
Virgil frowned,
"Everything's fine, Scott, why? Something wrong down your end?"
"No, I was just checking in."
Virgil frowned, that was unlike Scott to just randomly check in,
"Oh, ok." He continued, not really knowing what to say, "What's your ETA?"
"ETA about 25 minutes, how's Suzan?"
Virgil could be heard chuckling,
"I'm fine, Scott." She said dryly,
"She looks funny, actually." Virgil laughed,
"I do not!" Suzan snapped, "Just because I don't look like a glorified janitor like you five!" She muttered,
"Now, you look like an action figure off of one of those weird cartoons set in the future."
"Do I dare ask?" Scott questioned, arching an eyebrow, even though his siblings couldn't see,
"Don't you breathe a word, Virgil Tracy. It isn't funny in the slightest."
"Don't worry; you'll see soon enough, Scott. You'll see."
"Don't we have more to worry about than my uniform? Honestly . . ."
The trio lapsed into silence until;
"Suzan, can you do me a favour?"
"Sure, what?"
"Can you go down to the back and check what medical supplies we have, I'm not sure if Tin-tin and Brains stocked up before they left."
"Ok." She said, standing and wandering off out of the cockpit,
"What're you talking about, Virg'? You know very well that they did it just before Suzan came here." Scott scolded,
"Scott, why don't you try telling me why you really called?"
"Suzan's right, we should be worrying about the mission."
"You're not due there for half an hour yet." Virgil muttered, "So, come on. Tell me, before she gets back."
"I was just thinking about when we were kids and, yeah . . . I just wanted to check in on you guys."
Virgil huffed,
"You shouldn't be so nervous. She knows the risks as much as we do, you're just being protective, I feel the same, but you can't ever expect her to grow up and stop relying on us if you don't let her prove herself."
Scott hated to admit it, but Virgil was right, but he didn't want her to stop relying on him. He didn't want anyone to stop relying on him, his brothers and sister meant the world to him and he would gladly have given his life for any of them when in need. He didn't like Virgil's theory of letting the baby of the family grow up; he didn't know why their father was allowing such a thing,
"But . . ." Scott began,
"Scott," Virgil began, "You need to back off. I had my doubts, but there was no one else. She'll be fine. We'll give her something simple to do, like organising the injured away from the incident and towards the Emergency services. I'll brief her on procedure when dealing with them when she comes back. She'll be fine. She's not as hopeless as you think y'know . . . just like on Alan's first mission, remember? You were terrified something would happen . . . and you tried to hide it, but I knew, John and I both know what you're like more than any of the others."
Scott scowled at the speaker before him. Huffing, he admitted to defeat to his brother, ending the conversation and returning back to piloting his craft completely alone for a short time.
Back in Thunderbird 2, Suzan re-appeared, wiping her hands on her clothes,
"Uhm, it's stocked to the gills, Virg'." She said quietly, "The check date said about four weeks ago . . . I thought you said that they were going to do it before they left."
"Uh . . ." Virgil blanked, "My mistake, kiddo . . ." He mumbled.
Suzan frowned, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder reassuringly,
"So, Scott was panicking, huh?" She said softly,
"Huh?" Virgil mumbled, raising an eyebrow at his sister,
"Scott, he's being a worry wart, yes?" She giggled, "I wasn't born yesterday, y'know . . . you guys have been my brothers all my life, as opposed to me being your sister for only sixteen years. I know what you're all like. I know that Scott ALWAYS worries about the rest of us and I know that John is the sanest one, you're quiet and you keep things in even more than Scotty-boy does, do I need to tell you what I know of Gordon and Alan, or is that enough?" She asked dryly,
"No, that's enough." Virgil huffed, rolling his eyes. Now he knew how Scott felt, being caught out like he had been.
- - - To be continued . . .
Well, yeah . . . that's another chappie up, I hope that I'm keeping you all interested!