AN – thank you so much to all of you that have been reading up until now and those who have favorited, followed and reviewed it means so much. I know I said it would be a while but hey I couldn't stop myself and with the reviews it just spurred me on. This is hot of the press so I apologise for any mistakes and any technical errors too I have tried to do my research on things where possible.
AN2 - OMG i have reached the 50,000 words marker in 10 chapters. its catching up to my other fic and to think i was only intending this to be a single chapter. lets see how far i can go will try for the 100,000
Anyway enjoy the ending of Felicity's first day on tracy island
I do not own Arrow or Thunderbirds some other pretty amazing folks do and I'm happy with that (for now hehe)
CHAPTER 10
The sun had started its decent in the sky and the once bright blue colour above Tracy Island had morphed into reds, oranges and yellow. The occupants of the island were all in merriment with drinks and sharing each other's company by the poolside.
John decided it was late enough to show Felicity some more of the island or more specifically his favorite place and this tour required the darkness of night to fully appreciate it.
Putting his empty glass back on the table he rose up from the sun lounger and picked up his shirt from off the floor and slid it back on.
"Getting cold in your old age." Gordon shouted over.
John ignored his younger and irritating brother, instead he focused his attention on Felicity who was listening into the conversation about the remote controlling system between Brains, Fermat, Scott and Jeff.
He leaned down to Felicity and gently laid his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her. "There is one more place left to show you if you want to come and join me for a walk."
"Hey get a room you too." Was shouted and the perpetrator was yet again the red headed Tracy.
John pulled back feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Goldfish go swim in your bowl." He shot back.
Scott who was within arms reach of Gordon clipped him upside the head.
"Ow what was that for?" Gordon whined as he rubbed the injured area.
"Doing the big brotherly job of saving you from yourself remember what Felicity did earlier?" Scott answered.
Gordon shrunk back in the sun lounger and fell very quiet.
At the odd behaviour of his second youngest Jeff joined into the conversation. "What did Felicity do that could tame Gordon?"
"I will fill you in later Dad." Scott continued.
"Yeah you wont believe it." Virgil added.
"Hmnh." Jeff huffed at the lack of information he was intrigued at what Felicity had managed to do it almost looked like Gordon was scared of Felicity.
"Shall we?" John asked. Felicity looked back towards him and found his outstretched hand in front of her waiting.
She slid her hand into his and allowed herself to be pulled up and onto her feet. The couple then walked off along the deck and down onto the beach leaving the murmuring voices behind.
Felicity felt the burning heat of the sand, it was much warmer than when they had walked along earlier that day but it wasn't unpleasant. The sun was quickly sinking in the night sky and the once bright colours were darkening quickly.
They remained in a comfortable silence as they walked along the beach Felicity following John. She couldn't take her eyes off the sunset that was taking place, she has never seen one so vividly before and feeling so at peace. She didn't think that she could ever feel as happy and contented as she did right now and for the first time she was glad that she had her ability and it had brought her to John.
The walk along the beach lasted for a while. It was dark before they stopped walking and Felicity couldn't see where they were or what was around them. "Was touring the island a good idea in the dark I can't see anything." She said.
"That's part of the point the less you can see down here the more you will see up there." John said and he placed his finger under Felicity's chin and tiled her head back to look up into the night sky.
"Oh." Felicity whispered. Once the sun had disappeared below the horizon she had concentrated on walking in the diminishing light worried about tripping. She hadn't thought to try looking up at the sky once she could no longer see the ground.
John glanced up at the star filled sky he loved so much and he felt butterflies start to dance when he heard Felicity's whispered "Oh." He glanced down and found her eyes. They were dark pools with a glistening reflection of the stars above, he didn't think the stars could be any more beautiful until now.
Felicity started intently up into the dark sparkling sky. The glowing stars were magical, she had seen them before when away from the harsh lights of the city but light pollution had still been a problem. Here there was no light to dull the brightness and clarity of the stars and the crescent moon. The time Felicity spent staring up at the sky was an unknown quantity and eventually she had to return hear head back into a neutral position to stop the crick that was developing.
When she opened her eyes she found herself staring into John's. He was watching her, she felt the heat of a blush rising up her cheeks. "Everything out here is beautiful." She found her mouth working without thinking thankfully it was a harmless comment.
John was transfixed he couldn't bring himself to look away Felicity was stirring feelings that he had never had before about anyone. He enjoyed her company, she was beautiful and they seemed to get on well together so far. Her eyes closed causing and she moved her head back down before opening her eyes again. John was still staring as their eyes met, busted he thought as he felt the heat of a blush rising up his face. He heard her talking and he found himself replying. "Yes it is." His voice sounded a bit husky and odd to his own ears. He coughed in an attempt to return it to normal before he continued. "There is one more bit left to see." His voice sounded more normal this time.
"Okay." Felicity replied in a more whispered tone. She felt John move and then his eyes were gone as he turned around and guided Felicity along by their joined hands. The pace was a lot slower this time both being careful not to trip over the small sand dunes. Felicity really hadn't a clue where they were heading all that she did know was that they were heading away from the sea.
Felicity started to notice reflections of the sky up ahead. It looked like blackened mirrors had been erected in amongst the vegetation. As the neared the stars reflections disappeared to leave behind a deeper blackness than the night around it. The shape seemed to resemble that of a pepper pot tall and thin with a domed top.
At a few paces away the blackness of the walls started to become more opaque and Felicity could make out darker shades of shapes inside. It was like a greenhouse. "Yes it is of sorts." John's voice broke into the quiet of the night Felicity almost jumped out of her skin. Wait can he read minds, she thought then realization dawned on her she must have said it out loud.
They had reached the glass walls of the building and John reached out to open the door and let them both inside. It was very warm inside but thankfully not unpleasantly so. John released Felicity's hand and turned back towards the door. He seemed to move about a little before a spark and ignition of a match blinded Felicity momentarily. When she opened her eyes two large white pillar candles had been lit, they were sat on wooden posts either side of the door they had just walked through.
Felicity looked around the glass building with the little light she now had. There were different sizes of telescopes around the room all pointing up towards the ceiling. Around the outside of the room were several knee high book shelves lined with books and on the far side of the room a waist high work bench with stool. In the centre of the room were a few beanbags and large pillows in bright colours.
A loud mechanical grating noise disturbed the silence of the night. Felicity followed the sound to above her head and she watched as the domed ceiling reflecting the soft candlelight started to move. It was shaped like orange segments and as the noise continued the segments folded back across each other until the reached the sides of the roof exposing the clear night sky.
Felicity had put her back to John during her surveillance of the place and now that the noise had stopped she felt a hand gently being placed at the bottom of her back and someone brushing up alongside her. "What do you think?" John's quiet voice sounded right next to her ear.
"I think I have been over using the word amazing today." She answered in a matched hushed tone.
A soft chuckle from John sent shivers down her spine. He was way too perfect I can't believe I'm this lucky to be here, she thought.
"Want to see the quasar I discovered when we first moved out here?" He asked.
Felicity nodded not trusting herself to speak without squeaking. John moved forward and his hand slid around Felicity's back until it found her hand and grabbed on moving her forward with him. Felicity now noticed that all of the telescopes were arranged around the beanbags and pillows in the centre. John led her into the middle of the room, the floor now had soft carpet underfoot and they both sat down next to the largest of the telescopes.
John looked up into the telescope first aligning it into the right area before shuffling backwards and letting Felicity in. As she looked down the telescope an image came into focus, it seemed so small and far away but larger than life at the same time. It was a red swirl of light twirling and pulsing. Felicity watched it dance in the same way for minutes or hours she didn't know but she felt it difficult to look away. John started to explain about the quasar and what it was as well as when he discovered it and what he had named it. Felicity listened intently but her gaze remained glued to the display at the far end of the telescopes sight.
Eventually the sitting position Felicity had chosen began to cause aches in her legs and back and she withdrew from the telescope and the beautiful display of red dancing swirls of energy John had said. She stretched out her back and legs. As she moved her head from side to side she saw John still on her left but now he was reclined against a beanbag.
"Should I ask how that was or take an educated guess at your answer?" He asked playfully.
"It was out of this world. Doctor Who eat your heart out I have my own spaceman." She replied and as the words registered to her own ears she paled at their possible meaning. "That sounded much better in my head."
"I am happy to be your spaceman any day." John said. Felicity felt herself blushing yet again and speechless thankfully John continued talking. "Want to see Thunderbird 5?" He asked.
Felicity found her words again, "Can I?"
"Yeah it won't be for long I'll see if Alan will turn the shielding off." John sat back up and moved to sit with another telescope he motioned for Felicity to join him then he focused on the eyepiece. John found the empty space between the regular stars and focused the telescope before pulling back. He then lifted his left arm so his watch was at eyelevel and made a call.
"John calling Alan." A few seconds passed before a reply was heard.
"Hey John I thought you had forgotten about me now that Felicity is around."
"Before you carry on Sprout, Felicity is right next to me." John jumped in to save his youngest brother from any foot-in-mouth comments.
Felicity leaned in to John at the mention of her presence by John and placing her head next to his to look into the watch face. "Hi Alan three times in one day you will be getting sick of me soon." She joked.
"Nah with a beautiful face like yours how could I get sick of seeing it. Plus its lonely up here ANY company is good company. " Alan replied looking a little sheepish from his opening comment.
"I will let Tin-Tin know she's got some competition Sprout." John ceased the chance to get one over Alan.
"Hey COME ON! Give a guy a break I was trying to be nice." Alan protested.
"Well I won't tell her if you do me a huge favor and not tell Father."
Alan's interest was John never asked for favors except early rotation change, and he never did anything that would bother father. "I'm listening."
"Can you drop the shields for a minute so Felicity can see 5 please." John put on his best puppy eyes.
Alan couldn't help himself a huge grin spread across his face, John had it bad real bad. He remembered all the times he tried to show off to Tin-Tin during their courtship and some of it worked and a lot failed but he had been a hotshot at the time. "Alright but you swear not to tell Tin-Tin I called another woman beautiful." Alan clarified in a serious tone that didn't match the manic smile he had.
"Tracy honour." John assured.
"Are you all set up I will be timing you 60 seconds." Alan teased.
"Yes its all set just say when." John confirmed.
Alan's focus moved from them to something off to the side, a few moments later he met their gazes. "Shields are down."
"Thanks Alan, hold on the line." John dropped his hand and peered through the telescope. There she was his 'bird' in all her glory. He moved back and shuffled over a bit to let Felicity in to look.
When John moved over Felicity shuffled forward and leant down to look through the eyepiece. What she saw was an incredible sight, Thunderbird 2 had seemed huge but 5 seemed gigantic in comparison even though it was through the telescope. She could hear John and Alan talking but the words didn't register as she stared at the space station. It was better than anything imagined on Doctor Who. She started to focus on the details of the craft when it vanished, startled Felicity jumped back from the telescope. John's laughter caught her attention and she turned to him.
"Did you like my vanishing trick?" Alan's voice rang out into the quiet.
"It beats Nick Fury's retro-reflection panels." She answered.
"You read comics? And Marvel? Where were you when I was growing up? Is that why you help the vigilante?" Alan's rushed excited tone blared through the watch.
Felicity processed the questions and her mouth answered without prompt, she was still consciously marveling at what she had seen and where she had been briefly. "Yes and the movies. Marvel and DC are my top ranking. I was growing up in Las Vegas. Yes, no, kinda, he's a good man trying to help and he has made a difference."
"I think that is enough of the 20 questions sprout, you can fangirl tomorrow." John brought the call towards an end.
"Awww Johnny your no fun, you can't keep Felicity to yourself you know I did technically see her first." Alan pouted.
"Sure you did and I'm sure Tin-Tin really wants to share you." John countered.
"Right I've got my reports to do before turning in see ya all later." Alan quickly spoke before cutting the call before either John or Felicity could say goodbye.
"I'm sure he never actually grew up." John sighed. "Are you okay?" He asked a little concerned Felicity seemed a little spaced out.
"Yeah I just feel like I am in a billion dollar movie with all the coolness. Not really sure I believe I'm actually here." Felicity replied trying to put into words how she felt, she was in awe of everything.
"I could pinch you?" John jokingly offered.
"I am considering it." Felicity said distractedly.
"Do you want to head back and turn in for the night?" John asked a little sad at the idea of finishing the night already he was enjoying wowing Felicity and showing off a little.
"No, it's lovely out here and I'm not tired yet too used to late finishes." She replied glancing up at the starts through the open roof.
"Here." John said as he moved about rearranging the beanbags and pillows. "If you lie down like this." He showed Felicity. "Its easier to star gaze."
"Now I get why you have them out here." She commented while following John and lying down next to him.
The both stared up at the twinkling stars. "So you live and have lived most of your life up there?" She asked.
"Almost I think if I worked it out it would be about a third to a half of my life but I love it up there, there is quite simply nothing like it." He replied dreamily.
"Thunderbird 5 was, is huge. I remember seeing Thunderbird 2 land in Starling City when I returned to the safe zone and I thought it was big."
"Don't let Virgil here you calling 2 an it. They are all she's but Virgil is the most sensitive to what 2 is referred to, we do tease him a lot over the green frog." John said with humor in his voice.
"Oh that's mean but now you have said that I can see the resemblance."
"Corrupting you already. Sorry I interrupted you." John apologised.
"Its okay I need to know these things my mouth gets me into enough trouble. Aaaannnd that sounded much better in my head. What was the tube structure running around Thunderbird 5?"
"That is a multidirectional antenna with a meteor disruption field generator and shielding projectors."
"Packing some serious hardware, if that's the antenna why have the single one below? Or is that the backup?"
"That is the International Rescue frequency connecting 5 to the Island and any agents with our communicators. It is meant to be an a wavelength undetectable but someone found it quite recently." John stated.
"Sorry it was a complete accident. I was watching for satellite transmissions seeing as the local communications tower was silent. It was silent as well but I waited that extra second and I noticed a flicker in the frequency band and latched onto it. If someone had been watching through traditional means you would have been hidden. When I'm inside and use any wireless signals I can see them like a data stream. I can't believe I actually went up there I know I said you were on a space station but it didn't really sink in until now." Felicity replied sounding somber.
John turned his head to look at Felicity the sound of her voice pulled at his heart. "You okay?" He asked concerned.
John's voice sounded louder and Felicity turned to see what had changed. She found herself inches from John's face, both eyes made contact that neither one could break even if they wanted to. There were sparks in the air between them and both of them felt it.
"Yeah I'm okay." She whispered so focused on the deep blue eyes in front of her.
John threw all caution to the wind, he hadn't dated since college and back then it was never serious and he had not felt like this either. He rolled onto his shoulder and moved his head forward in one swift movement, if he had hesitated he might have backed out. His lips met Felicity's and he felt like the world had stopped spinning. Nothing else existed except the feel of the soft moist touch of her lips. He closed his eyes savoring every part of this moment.
Felicity saw John move but her eyes never broke from his, she watched them grow closer and then suddenly his lips met hers. Her eyes grew wide with shock for the briefest of a second before they fluttered closed. She lent into the kiss, and felt a cool hand cup her cheek, she felt herself humming in contentment. There was no doubt how he felt about her now and she felt like she was exactly where she belonged.
The kiss came to a mutual end as both parties pulled away for air. The excitement had triggered a malfunction between Felicity's brain and mouth and she blurted out. "I just kissed a spaceman, Thunderbird and Jeff Tracy's son."
John found himself chuckling before joining in. "And I just kissed a very beautiful, smart and brave IT expert and agent."
Felicity shied away into John's hand but he didn't let her get too far guiding her to look back at him. "I like you Felicity a lot." He simply stated.
Felicity's mind went into over drive, she had no experience with men at all and he had crushed on Oliver Queen for the last 6 month but her was John Tracy, Thunderbird 5 pilot and space monitor for International Rescue and her rescuer saying her liked her. "I like you too."
They shared another kiss together this time Felicity slid her hand up and threaded it into John's bright locks, John moaned into the kiss. When they finally broke apart for air Felicity cuddled up into the crook of John's arm, John rested his cheek against the top of Felicity's head. Both of them continued stargazing and basking in the quiet of the night and each other's company and declared feelings.
AN – I really hope this is okay. I am really trying with the romance its not a strong point of mine but I want to delve a little into it and see how it goes. This will be a slow burn I have decided. Reviews if you like, didn't like or any other reason I love them they really brighten my day and give me more motivation to write.