We’ll Be Home For Christmas 5.1
Title: We’ll be home for Christmas
Day Five – Here on Tracy Island – Part 1
Prologue | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 5.1
Author: Gumnut
20 Jun 2020
Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS
Rating: Teen
Summary: The boys can’t fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.
Word count: 3313
Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Artist!Virgil, Minor various ships, mostly background.
Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos I started this fic before we saw it.
Author’s note: For @scattergraph. This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic :D
No, I haven’t forgotten about this fic, and yes, it hit the six month mark about two weeks ago. I started writing this 8 Dec 2019. I’m nearly there.
Landmark, though. It is now officially my longest Thunderbirds fic, overtaking Gentle Rain today at around 60,000 words, depending on which word processing program it is sitting in. Never expected it to be this long.
This chapter pretty much wrote itself. It is almost like a role call of the five brothers and their states of mind. So a little bit of all the bros in this. I hope you enjoy.
Many thanks to @i-am-chidorixblossom @scribbles97 and @onereyofstarlight for reading through various bits, fielding my many wibblies, and for all their wonderful support.
Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.
-o-o-o-
Day Five: Here on Tracy Island
Virgil woke late the next morning. It was a pleasant awakening, slipping from deep sleep to doze to a peaceful warmth beneath the covers. His room was dark. Darker than his cabin on A Little Lightning and with decidedly less sway.
He lay there for a while, enjoying the lack of need to get up and do anything and the absence of pain. He had slept the sleep of the dead and was thoroughly rested. There was something to be said about sleeping in your own bed at home that no holiday anywhere could provide.
But honestly, he wasn’t one to sit and do nothing for long, his brain kicking into gear while he lay there, listing off things waiting to be done. A visit to Two to reassure himself she had been checked over and was ready should she be needed. Not that he didn’t trust his family, it was just for his own peace of mind.
He should be able to get away with it so long as he didn’t spend too much time down there.
It took him a full half an hour of random rumination to realise that it was Christmas Day.
Oh shit.
The clock said eleven am.
His family...
He sat up abruptly and was thoroughly reminded of how stupid such a move was.
Oh, for the love of...
He grunted and rolled over until his face was smothered in his pillow.
The medic in his brain listed off the reasons why he shouldn’t have done that and why he needed to be careful and, goddamnit, he was sick of this. It was only an appendix, for crying out loud.
Stupid surgery.
That could have been so much worse.
He was being a spoilt child.
He let out a breath into his pillow, its warmth wrapping around his face. Another week and he would be fine.
But now, it was eleven oh five on Christmas morning and he was holding his family up.
He clambered out of bed with minimal complaint from his body, into the shower, a shave and into his familiar red flannel, jeans and boots.
It was such a comfort to be home.
He blow-dried his hair, gelled it up and made himself presentable.
The man who stared at him from his bathroom mirror was one appendix less and a whole pile of experience more.
He hummed to himself, tasting the notes in his throat. He could feel the soft whale skin under his fingertips, hear the lap of the water, the breeze in his hair...
And the music.
His eyes were closed without permission, the imagery taking over his mind. His fingers tapped against the bathroom vanity marking out the beat and rhythm of what he was trying to say, the pictures warping into abstract and lack of understanding.
Salty and long spoken, the notes repeated.
He didn’t know how long he stood there under the bathroom light, eyes seeing another world somewhere below the ocean surface.
By the time he shook off the haze it was eleven forty-five.
Almost lunchtime.
Alan would be foaming at the bit.
He pushed himself away from the sink and killed the light. Walking carefully across his room, he shook himself, rolling his shoulders. Get it together, Virgil. Your family is waiting for you.
Out through the door, down the corridor and, screw the stairs, he was taking the elevator.
It swallowed him whole.
-o-o-o-
Gordon had been up since before the sun. It was a sign that he was home. A session in the pool brought familiarity into the equation. There was definitely a difference between swimming in the pool versus the ocean and it had nothing to do with water salinity.
The ocean was beautiful and he adored it. But the pool sported no threat, no need to monitor his surroundings beyond the presence of a mischievous brother or two, leaving him to be able to focus on his stroke and let his mind wander.
The pleasant warmth of well used muscles pulling him forward through the water, simple thought processing...and considering the last few days, there were a lot of thoughts awaiting examination.
Some he had managed while piloting A Little Lightning on the home stretch, but there were still more needing answers and tactical decisions.
Sam. Mel. Scott. John. Virgil.
As far as he knew, Scott was still planning on inviting the neighbours over today. That would place Sam within reach of the apparently resistant Virgil.
He understood where both men were coming from. Virgil needed time and Sam was just a ball of eager energy.
Gordon was stuck between the two.
Push came to shove, he would side with Virgil regardless. He had too. But he really didn’t want to be divisive. If Virgil would talk just a little, it would help not only Sam and himself, but it might assuage the ball of worried energy that was Scott.
His arms sliced through water until he reached the end of the lane, his body automatically flipping and turning into the push off surge in the opposite direction. Air, splash and his hands slicing through the water again.
Okay, he would admit that he was worried himself. At first it was just amazing. His brother could sing to whales! A breakthrough. But yesterday he witnessed exactly how spaced Virgil became when singing and everything screamed wary. Humpback whales were beautiful creatures, but so big and so possibly unintentionally dangerous.
He couldn’t let Virgil anywhere near a whale alone. It just wasn’t safe. There was so much they didn’t know and the urge to protect his gentle brother just swelled in his heart.
They needed to investigate further. Find out exactly what was going on. Make sure his brother was safe. That it didn’t affect any water rescues.
They couldn’t afford to have Virgil spacing out in the ocean at random. As it was, Gordon wasn’t going to let Virgil anywhere near the ocean during rescues for the foreseeable future. He could stay up in Two.
Safe.
Whale song could travel around the globe.
His native realm had become a hazard for his big brother and that was unacceptable.
They had to find out what was going on.
John and Eos had made a good start, but Sam and himself needed to investigate further and soon.
Virgil needed to cooperate for his own safety.
Gordon broke his stroke, pushed himself to the side of the pool and rested his head on the concrete a moment, letting his body float randomly.
Blood pumped through his ears, his heart still running at exercise rate.
He needed to convince Virgil.
Somehow.
-o-o-o-
Scott revelled in the early dawn light. His feet pounded on his wonderfully familiar route around the Island. A trek he hadn’t laid eyes on for a week.
His runners crunched volcanic gravel beneath them.
The sun was just rising on Christmas Day, the beautiful weather hanging strong, the sea a stretch of glass disappearing off into the horizon. His current trajectory pointed him directly south where he knew beyond the glass lay Raoul Island. A single spot in a sea of blue, so similar to the even tinier spot that was Tracy Island.
Same sea of blue.
A pokey tree appeared on the side of the track, its red flowers quite glorious in the morning sun, and he found himself grinning. Sure, he knew the correct name of the pōhutukawa tree, but Alan’s name was so much easier to pronounce and it made Mel laugh.
His legs took the strain as he jogged up the rapidly steepening trail.
If he was honest with himself, the whole no strings attached thing was a lie. He found himself thinking about the woman more the longer they were away from Raoul.
And they only left yesterday.
As soon as the sun was high enough in the sky to be polite, he would be contacting Raoul with his invitation to her, Sam and Liam. It wasn’t the only time he had invited people to the Island, they weren’t entirely hermits, but it was rare and the first time in a long time.
And he was so looking forward to it.
Penny and Parker were due after breakfast as was the tradition. As soon as everyone was awake, they would have their present opening party, always a major family event. More for the company and laughter than the presents themselves.
He could almost hear Gordon declaring it ‘Tracy style’ complete with the arm movements to compliment the claim.
But Mel...it was like he was excited to show her the Island, perhaps because he knew she would be very interested in the ecosystem that had developed here since their father had begun repairing it over a decade ago.
And he was staring at it right now as he followed the path around the back of the Island. Pokey trees, palms and ferns were everywhere a foothold was available. Scott knew very little about their ecosystem beyond the need to keep it safe. Gordon and Virgil were the ones who knew most about it among the brothers. Gordon focussed on the sea and Virgil sometimes helped out with animal numbers and photography for the scientific group.
But Mel hadn’t been here since Dad...
He grunted and hurdled a rock he hurdled every morning as the slope inverted and started heading down. The view was stunning.
Despite the glass of the ocean, the swell still crashed on the back cliffs of the Island, jagged volcanic rock resistant to the relentless pounding.
Hopefully she would consent to the visit even though it was late notice.
He did have a Thunderbird, after all.
-o-o-o-
John hadn’t slept much. He never did when something was on his mind. His everything drove him to find a solution, particularly when a brother was involved.
Eos never slept, so she was the perfect insomnia companion.
There was also the factor that he was home, but he really wasn’t.
He was missing Five.
Now he was back on the Island, everything was screaming at him to go home.
Not that he didn’t like the Island, quite the opposite. The Island contained his brothers, his grandmother, Kayo, his family and he adored his family.
But the stars were calling to him. His body ached to feel the release from gravity. He wanted his home.
He ignored it.
His body needed gravity. It was an undeniable fact. It had evolved under the pressure exerted by the planet and while his mind adored the stars and the lack of gravity, nature demanded its return under the ‘use it or lose it’ mandate of life on Earth.
So, tired, but awake anyway as the sun hit the front of the villa, John made his way down to the pool where he found Gordon, as expected, in the water, but unexpectedly, not swimming. His head was lying on one arm at the edge of the pool, his body floating lazily behind.
John dropped his towel on a lounger and, bare footed to the edge next to his brother. Folding himself into a seated position he dropped his feet to dangle in the cool water.
“Gordon?”
“Hmm?” His head rose a little blearily. “Oh, John, hey.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“Huh? What, oh, Merry Christmas, John.”
A frown. “You okay?”
Gordon flexed his shoulders. “Yeah, just thinking.”
“Virgil?”
“Yeah.”
John sighed. “Same. But you do know he’s okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking it through.”
John pushed himself into the water and couldn’t help a relieved sigh as the water took away so many of the effects of gravity, cradling his body. “Swim with me?”
Brown eyes turned to him and John saw a reflection of his own worry in their depths. “Sure.” Gordon pushed off from the edge, his movements graceful despite his distraction.
John moved to the lane next to Gordon’s preferred and lined up beside his fish brother. Gordon shot him a brief but grateful smile before pushing off the end in a careless surge into stroke. He was metres ahead before John had even shifted into form.
Typical.
Show off.
But he couldn’t help but smile as he pushed off the edge himself, automatically moving into a strong but leisurely stroke in warm up.
Swimming denied verbal communication, but it wasn’t needed, the two of them just keeping each other company.
By the fifth lap, John started pushing himself, putting his body through the exercise needed to keep it healthy. He had no delusions of keeping up with Gordon. He just paced himself as his body needed it. Twenty laps in, he eased up a little and checked on his brother.
Gordon was still going. John brought himself to a halt, treading water, muscles pleasantly buzzing.
“Hey, John.” The astronaut startled, turning in place to find Scott standing on the edge of the pool. His running gear appeared well used, sweat stains prominent, and he was still breathing heavily. “Just letting you know that I’m going to be taking One out in about half an hour.”
“You going to get Mel and Sam?” Gordon was suddenly beside him. It was a sign of how tired John actually was that his younger brother startled him almost as much as Scott had a moment earlier.
“Yeah.”
“Can I come with?”
“Don’t you want to be here for when Penny arrives?”
John arched an eyebrow in Gordon’s direction. The fish had been looking forward to Christmas for that very reason. Before Virgil’s illness, it had been Penelope this, Penelope that. Apparently, he had the ‘best’ gift lined up for their first Christmas as a couple. Whether or not that was still going ahead considering recent events, John had no idea. Gordon hadn’t mentioned it since Virgil fell ill.
“I thought you had the fastest plane on the planet, Scotty.”
Their eldest brother snorted. “Plane, yes, younger brother, no.”
“Hey, I can be fast.” A strawberry blond frown. “Regardless, I need to speak to Sam.”
Scott eyed him a moment. “Virgil?”
Gordon sighed. “Yeah, Virgil. Gotta handle this delicately.”
Scott’s lips thinned. “Okay, then you better be ready in thirty because that’s when I’m leaving.”
The fish was already climbing out of the pool. Wet footprints marked the concrete as he strode to his towel.
Blue eyes turned to John. “You okay? You look tired.”
John let water run through his fingers. “I am, but I’ll live.”
Voice quiet. “Virgil?”
A single nod, voice equally quiet. “Virgil. Eos, Gordon and I will work it out. We just need time.” And patience. Admittedly, he didn’t have much of that where his brothers’ health was concerned. He could fake it, but it didn’t mean he felt it.
Scott’s expression was thoughtful. “I know you will do your best. Don’t forget to look after yourself.”
A groan. This was why Virgil was always adamant that he was fine. I single hint of something wrong and their biggest brother was all over them, his concern obvious. “I’m fine, Scott.”
That earned him a grunt and John actually struggled not to smile at his brother’s exasperation. John swam to the pool edge and pushed himself out of the water. A wave in the direction of the rising sun’s reflection. “The pool is all yours, dear brother.”
Scott eyed him. “Thank you.”
The morning breeze cooled John enough to raise goose pimples on his arms. Before he could reach for his towel, Scott was handing it to him.
Ever the big brother. It was John’s turn to eye him back. “Thank you.”
Scott smiled at him, a definite smirk on those lips. He knew exactly what John was thinking and had likely done it on purpose. “Anytime.”
Hmmm. “Merry Christmas, Scott.”
Those blue eyes widened as his big brother obviously realised that despite all the preparations underway, despite the tree they had stacked with presents the night before, he had still managed to forget the significance of the day.
It was John’s turn to smirk.
But Scott recovered quickly, tilting his head, a small smile on his lips. “Merry Christmas, John.”
With that he turned and headed off into the house.
-o-o-o-
Alan loved to sleep in. He shared this love with his second eldest brother. Getting up early sucked big time and he had no coffee addiction to help him.
But there was one day of the year when you could witness the youngest Tracy out of bed, while not early, at least a decent time where breakfast could still be called breakfast and not lunch or even brunch.
Christmas Day.
Alan adored the day. Presents, food and family, what more could a guy ask for?
So, eight am found him stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen in search of the second and third items on the list. He found Grandma at the kitchen table eating her fruit and yoghurt.
Alan made no effort to be quiet, but she didn’t appear to realise he was there, staring out across the lagoon. “Grandma?”
She dropped her spoon with a clatter as it hit the bowl. “Alan!” She clutched her hand to her chest, gasping. “You frightened me. Gave my old heart a kick in the pants.”
“Sorry, Grandma. Are you okay?”
“This time. Though I wouldn’t recommend doing it too often.” She held out an arm. “C’mere and give me a Christmas hug.”
Now that was something he was quite happy to do. Grandma hugs were always appreciated. “Merry Christmas, Grandma.” He held her tight.
“Merry Christmas, honey. Are you hungry?”
Uh, that was always a loaded question and there were important indicators related to that. “Where is everyone?” He had expected to find at least John down here. His space brother would eat his breakfast staring out into the lagoon and follow it with work on his tablet just to be around family in his own way. But not today.
“Scott and Gordon have gone to Raoul to collect Ms Fisher and that scientist friend of Gordon’s.”
“Sam?”
“I guess. They were both in quite a hurry to leave.”
That set Alan grinning. “I think Scott likes Mel.”
An arched eyebrow. “I thought she liked Virgil.”
A snort accompanied the grin. “I don’t think she is Virgil’s kind of girl.”
Of course, that was the very moment Kayo decided to enter the kitchen. She had obviously been on a run, dressed in shorts and a high cut top.
“Who’s Virgil’s kind of girl?”
Alan’s eyes widened. “Um.”
Green narrowed at him. “What are you up to, Alan?”
“Nothing!” He held out his hands. “What did I do?”
“I’m more concerned with what you are going to do.”
“Suspicious, much? I’m going to eat breakfast, that’s what.”
She continued to eye him. “No practical jokes today.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. Gee, you’d think I was Gordy or something.”
“Gordon will be contained by Lady Penelope. You, however, are not.”
“And what? That makes me some kind of prank genius?”
“Genius, no, annoyance, yes.”
“Hey, Merry Christmas, Kayo. How about a little of the spirit?”
She glared and him and grunted before turning away and stalking off.
“What’s up her skirt?”
“Alan!”
“Well, you saw her. I didn’t do anything!”
Grandma was quiet a moment. “She has things on her mind.”
“When doesn’t she?”
“Let her be.”
“I didn’t do anything!”
Grandma sighed. “Things will work themselves out for the best.”
Alan stared at his grandmother. What on Earth was going on? Did everyone know something that he didn’t. He sighed. Wouldn’t be the first time. “I’m going grab some breakfast.”
“Yes, dear.” And Grandma was staring out at the lagoon again.
What the-?
Alan grabbed the refrigerator door and flung it open, his eyes raking its contents. Perhaps food would fix things.
A glance at Grandma found that she hadn’t moved.
There was definitely something going on.
-o-o-o-
End Day 5 Part 1
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