Disclaimer: The Thunderbirds do not belong to me. They are the intellectual and actual property of Gerry Anderson and his affiliates. Any original characters are a product of my imagination.

AN: The sequel to Devils in Disguise, which is currently housed in the 'M' section of this site for subject matter and safety.

Needless to say, as a sequel story, OCs established in the other tales will feature, briefly, in this, but I'm thinking it could still be understood if you haven't read them. Anyway, enough from me... hope you enjoy.

Chapter Thirty Three

The tension inside the Tracy apartment in San Francisco was palpable as they remained gathered in the open-plan living area, hovering near the vid phone for any updates. Scott's lawyer had informed them that with the new, exculpatory evidence Brains and Tin-Tin had uncovered, it was highly likely that the DA would request a continuance in the trial and the judge would grant it. Knowing the Tracys intense distrust of the media and knowing that there was a media frenzy that consistently camped outside the courthouse, Christine had advised that they stay home instead of having to face the media circus. They wouldn't be able to see Scott at the courthouse, she pointed out when the Tracy sons had arked up, as Scott would be remanded in custody until the trial was either dismissed or resumed.

Gordon had taken Alan out on a drive; something that the other members of the family were glad for. Alan's mood was sour and he was pouting and snapping at everyone who approached him, making an already tense situation diabolical. Gordon was the Tracy that knew the true extent of his troubles and seemed best placed to support Alan with whatever he was going through. Josie knew more than she was letting on too, but she was remaining incredibly tight-lipped over the situation. Jeff was glad for that; the family was in turmoil – had been for the past eight months - and even though he was well established as the patriarch of the family, there was only so much he could cope with.

Virgil, Jeff observed, was drumming a beat on the coffee table with his fingers, making an occasional click with his tongue. The chestnut haired man couldn't sit still; a trait that was usually attributed to Gordon on a normal day, but was a clear sign that the anxiety of not knowing what came next was starting to grate on Virgil's usually steady nerves.

Grey eyes that were dulled and heavily lined moved from Virgil onto his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Of all the people in his family, Scott's wife and children had been hit hardest with his incarceration. Hardened green eyes met his grey ones and Jeff realised just how strong and tough as nails his daughter-in-law was. His grandchildren, who were nestled into the side of their mother, eyed him. It hit Jeff just how young they were, and while all the adults had tried to shield and protect them from the proceedings that Scott was ging through, their innocence had been tainted and the foundation of having both parents a permanent fixture in their life had been shaken to the core.

"Things will be alright," he said, unsure of whether it was directed at his family, or a litany he was uttering to reassure himself. "It has to be."

Brains and Tin-Tin remained in a closed off room at the court house. News of the exculpatory evidence had broken amongst the media. With journalists fluttering outside the doors of the courthouse, circling for any new piece of information like vultures, Tin-Tin and Brains had elected to remain inside. Scott's lawyer, Christine Julian, had informed them that the video evidence would have its authenticity verified by the prosecution before any further steps were taken, but she was hopeful that Scott would have the charges dropped against him and he would be released as a free man.

How long that would take, neither Brains nor Tin-Tin knew.

The door to the room creaked open and Christine propelled straight to them.

"Is it over?" Tin-Tin asked, tone all business, sagging in relief as Christine nodded.

"The District Attorney has reviewed the legitimacy of the evidence. The independent verifier agreed that the video had been tampered with, but also said that without knowing what to look for, it was easy to miss. The judge has dismissed the charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence and I've contacted the rest of the family back at the apartment to let them know what's happened."

"What happens now?"

"Scott is essentially a free man as the case has been dropped, but the county jail needs to process his release. Depending on how busy the county jail is, this could take a few hours or most of the day. He'll wait in an sign paperwork regarding his release, collect his personal effects and, provided that someone is there to collect him, will be able to walk out of the door he walked in through eight months ago." She hesitated, glancing at the two people in front of her, before ploughing on.

"Adjusting back into society will be hard for him; it's hard for everyone who's been incarcerated and everyone who's been impacted by it. He'll need a lot of support to make the reassimilating back into society as seamless as possible."

Scott fidgeted restlessly in the county jail that had, in a strange way, felt like home. There was something that made him uneasy about his release; the lights, the smells, the noise, touching ordinary objects like his watch and wedding band felt like a luxury because he hadn't been able to feel them against him in eight months; all of it was sensory overload after spending the last few months in solitary. If that was what it was like as he was being processed for release, what would it be like in the outside world? How would he be able to cope with four kids that were loud and noisy and messy and clamoured for attention and affection? How would he be able to adjust to an extended family that were incredibly tactile? Scott shuddered at the thought.

His overalls, which had once been too tight and too small in all the wrong places, coarse and scratched against him felt like a familiar second skin now, and he wondered how he would cope without it. He wondered if he would be as decisive as he was before his incarceration; the weight of not being able to make any decisions for himself while he was in jail had been a jarring inconvenience and a welcome relief at the same time. Jarring, because he hated when his mind was idle. Welcome relief because the burden of being a decision maker, both as Field Commander of International Rescue and within Tracy Industries was starting to take its toll on him.

Paperwork was shoved into his hands, which he read and signed, hand starting to cramp from disuse. The clothes that he had walked in with were thrust back to him and he was escorted into a room to change. Once attired, he was bundled into a minibus with a few other prisoners who were being released with him. He spared them a cursory glance, positive that the hardened, worn features carved into their face mirrored his own, before sitting in down in a seat. For someone that had become accustomed to sitting ramrod straight against a concrete wall, the cushion was too soft and spongy, causing him to sag into the chair.

The engine of the bus rattled into life, causing Scott to jump at the unexpected noise. The vibrations of the bus moving as it trundled towards a security gate sent shivers up Scott's spine. As the gate loomed into view, becoming more imposing as it grew in size, Scott could see the shadowed outline of his father and brother standing against a car. The thought of being a free man was equal parts liberating as it was terrifying and he worked hard to school his face into a neutral expression. He knew how much work had gone into proving his innocence; Penny and Parker had followed every lead they had, using their espionage skills to navigate through the red herrings and dead end leads they had, Tin-Tin and Brains had worked tirelessly to uncover the truth, and it would seem ungrateful to be unsure and hesitant about re-entering society. The guard on the bus unshackled him from the last of the chains on his body and led him to the bus door and out to the gate.

Scott stood there at the gate, unmoving, staring out into the abyss.

Then he realised that in the outside world, no one had to unlock a door before he exited.