Thundergeek59

Loves all things SciFi, particularly Thunderbirds TAG/TOS, Dr Who, Star Trek Loves reading fanfiction but does not write it - yet

[myfairynuffstuff]

Erika Toliusis (b.1969) - Pacific Angel. 2022. Oil with palette knife on canvas.

[sunshinetheinspiration]

@teaboot

[teaboot]

Painted with a FUCKING PALETTE KNIFE?

[thebirdfantasy]

WIP Wednesday

[kings-out-of-pocket-hell]

Oh

My heart ow...

[thundergeek59]

Noooo!

[scribbles97]

WIP Wednesday

Because who doesn't want to see some Momma Bear Lucy on a Wednesay morning?

Moody grey clouds had gathered on the far horizon, heavy and thick in the air with the promise of thunder. The sea water swirled at Lucy’s feet as the wind caught the loose strands of her hair, cool against her skin in warning of the oncoming storm. Both literal and metaphorical.  “Lucy.”  She would fight. She had to, it was the only way.  “Lucy.”  She’d have to leave soon, before the storm hit. Kyrano would set her up with what she needed.  “Lucille.” “What!?” Her head snapped around to her husband, further up the beach, clear of the rising tide.  “We’ll get them back.” Looking back towards the horizon, she nodded slowly, “I know.” “Together, Lucy.” She didn’t miss the edge of warning in her husband’s tone, knew he’d realised what had taken her down to the cove after what she had witnessed earlier that afternoon.  Jeff had been there on the scene, busy with his own part of the rescue. He hadn’t seen what she had from the comms hub in the lounge.

[katblu42]

😯

[thundergeek59]

Ooh!

[lenna-z]

✨WIP WEDNESDAY ✨

I'm sooo excited about this fic, that feels like I'm sharing something I've written for the first timeeee (And the years that have passed, I think, have made me even more excited)

...

"A few months ago, I asked you for a favor," Casey began, her tone strictly business, though her eyes softened slightly. "An unofficial, off-the-record assignment. Do you remember?" Kayo stared at her, her brow furrowing as she searched the dark corners of her mind. "The GDF..." she murmured, the words feeling heavy on her tongue. "You wanted me to look into... a leak? A mole?" "Yes," Casey nodded. "You were helping me trace the breach. But given what’s happened, and the state you're in now..." She reached out, gently patting Kayo’s hand, careful not to look too defensive. "I need you to officially step back. The investigation is on hold. Your only assignment right now is to get better. Don't worry about GDF, let me handle it."

...

[janetm74]

Oooh

[thebirdfantasy]

👀

[thundergeek59]

I'm here for this fic!!!

[mariashades]

Scarlet dragged himself upright. “I can help!” 

“No.” Blue drew himself up to his full height, jaw set and ready for a fight. 

“I’m fine.” Shoulders squared, Scarlet dipped his chin, his eyes diamond-hard, and just as ready for the brewing scrap. 

“Prove it.” Every movement edged with a certain deliberateness, Blue took the pistol from his hip, crouched, and placed it on the ground near Scarlet’s left foot, just far enough away that he’d have to reach to grab it. “Pick it up.” Blue ordered as he straightened. 

“What?” Clearly expecting a shouting match or similar scuffle, the change of tack left Scarlet blindsided. 

Blue nodded to the pistol. “Pick it up without moving your feet. If you can do that, you can come. If you can’t, you’re into Thunderbird Two’s infirmary.” 

The hesitation was silent, but somehow it was also very loud. Scarlet looked between the gun and Blue, a muscle in his cheek twitching. He shifted on his feet, moved a little as if he was going to bend, then looked at Blue again, a flush of shame crawling up his neck. “...I can’t.”  

“Go with Virgil.” Blue didn’t soften one iota - he knew his partner and exactly what he’d do if given any wiggle room. “We’ll take it from here.” 

“S.I -” 

“Hey!” Magenta interrupted them, looking around. “Where’s 21?” 

[thebirdfantasy]

“…I can’t.”

Ha! Got him there!

[thundergeek59]

Good call Blue!

[icomb-ici]

First thing I did when I woke up was write part of a Lee Taylor fic that's sort of been sitting in the back of my head for the last year. Lovely little au

[thundergeek59]

Do share!

[blmrsdcyr]

Ferrari designed a special helmet for Virgil Tracy. The seven stars on the top of the helmet represent Virgil’s parents and brothers. The wings on the sides are a tribute to Thunderbird 2 and his duty as a pilot. The colors of the helmet are inspired by Thunderbird 2’s iconic design.

For the first time, Ferrari moved away from its traditional red design — not for a race, but to honor a hero...

[thebirdfantasy]

:O ooooooh

[coco9728]

This is so cool!!! 👏😆💚

😎👍

I love the wings and the stars!💕

[thundergeek59]

Nice!!

[mariashades]

Pt 2 of If you insist...

Ao3 link here

Under a cut for mild and implied spice

With her standby shift over and he still off-duty, ever the gentleman, Paul walked Dianne back to her cabin. 

“Dianne?” he asked as they strolled a meandering path that took at least three times as long as the expected route from Amber Room to her cabin. 

“Yes?” 

He indicated towards the book in her other hand. “Out of curiosity, why do you hate that line so much?” 

“Oh, it’s the context.” Dianne shook her head. “Every single time I’ve seen that line the man’s started foreplay, or he’s only just stepped past flirting with her, and he says or does something, and then she says that line.” She made an indelicate noise. “It’s presented like he’s found some sort of magic button or secret phase that triggers an immediate ‘oh dear my clothes fell off’ from her, and she always acts very… very passive during it all. It’s his idea, it’s his advances, it’s his action, and she’s just reacting. It’s…” she hunted for the right word, “..it’s demeaning.” 

“So you mean there isn’t a magic ‘oh dear my clothes fell off’ button?” Paul teased. “Bother.” “Only when it comes to James Bond and his love interest du jour,” Dianne teased back, smiling broadly. How she loved moments like these, when they could smile and laugh with each other and just be two people in love. Moments like this were far too rare for her liking - and his as well, she knew - and she knew they both treasured them all the more for that rarity. 

There was a comfortable silence as they passed a cluster of people going here and there on their duties, then Paul ventured another question. “Have you ever seen it in a non-passive setting?” 

She had to think about that. “No, I don’t think so.” 

“A pity.” 

“Why do you say that?” was her question in response. 

“Well,” she didn’t have to look at him to know the sort of smile he was doing his best to hide - they were still in public after all, “something like that could be powerful. A woman commanding her paramour to her bed, declaring her desire for him, and he responds in kind.” That smile of his was fighting very, very hard to break out. “I’m sure you’ll agree it’s much more fun when there’s give and take, not just active and passive.” A thoughtful pause. “Unless that’s been agreed on in advance, of course, but not all the time. Variety, spice of life, and so on.” 

“Indeed.” Dianne would have said more, but they were still in public. Ideas, however, were something she could let bubble freely.     

Finally they reached her quarters. Dianne put her code into the keypad, stepped inside, then turned to face him. “Paul?” 

“Yes, love?” 

Dianne knew her smile was sultry as she tossed the book at her couch, looked up at him and hooked her finger into the ring pull on his tunic zip, using it to draw him into her quarters as she purred out the words “Take me now.” 

Paul obediently closed the distance between them, his arms sliding around her as he gave her that heavy-lidded look that she so loved to see. “If you insist…” 

[thundergeek59]

Love this and I love those two!

[stitcher001]

The Road To Recovery

Continuing Scott's long journey to full recovery. John, Virgil and Alan get him safely back to the villa, but Scott is feeling very sorry for himself and believes he is a burden and should be locked away.

Warnings for this chapter: self-loathing, depression, but finishes on an upbeat. Augmented material from Prompt 29.

Chapter 13 - You Didn't Need To Do This

“We need to get him back to the infirmary,” Virgil said, from where he was sitting on the ground, Scott clutched firmly against his chest, a hand gently carding through the chestnut brown hair as his head rested gently against his shoulder.

John shook  his head.  “No,” he replied as he knelt opposite Virgil and grasped his elder brother’s wrist to check his pulse.  “Not the infirmary.  It’s too cold and clinical.  We need to make him feel safe and secure, around familiar things so we can keep him grounded.  Believe me, Virgil, I know what he’s going through.”

His younger brother looked at him and frowned.  “There’s a story in there somewhere, isn’t there?”

“Yes, but that’s not important right now.  We need to concentrate on Scott.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine getting through what he’s been subjected to in… that place.” He unconsciously stroked Scott’s shoulder.  “I always knew he was strong and tough but…”  He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“He looks so peaceful,” Virgil mumbled, looking at his eldest brother’s face, which was totally relaxed in his unconsciousness.  At that precise moment, Scott looked younger than his 23 years but he knew it wouldn’t last.  When Scott woke up, the pain, fear and uncertainty would be back in those oh, so blue eyes and seeing that would break Virgil’s heart all over again.

Gordon, who had kept quiet throughout that conversation, knelt next to Virgil and took hold of Scott’s other hand.  “I – I didn’t know he looked this bad… I know dad told us it was and not to be shocked when we saw him, but… this?  I – I hate to think what he looked like when he was first rescued.”

“It was far worse than this,” John said quietly.  “In fact, we thought dad had brought back the wrong man!  He’s improved a hundred percent.”

Gordon shuddered at that sentence, then took a deep breath and pulled himself together.  “We need to get him warmed up; in his weakened condition he’s heading for hypothermia.  And I don’t think he should be left on his own either,” he finally said in a quiet voice.  “Someone needs to be with him the whole time… just in case… you know…”

“Suicide watch?” Virgil whispered.  “Is that what you’re saying?”

Gordon flinched at hearing those two words, but nodded.

“You’re right Gordon, after what…” he stopped.  It wasn’t his right to divulge what Scott had said back in the hospital, about wanting to give up… to die, because he couldn’t take it anymore.

“After what?” Gordon prompted, but Virgil shook his head.

“I can’t tell you, Gordon.  If Scott wants to, then he will, but to be honest, as he’s so protective of us all, I don’t think he’ll speak of it again, especially because of your age.  I just can’t divulge what was said in confidence, so please don’t ask me to.”

Gordon looked upset, but nodded in understanding.  “Dammit, I’m an adult now though!  Do… do you think he’ll ever tell us what went on?  I mean… to start healing you have to acknowledge that… you know… it starts with admitting… and I want… I need Scotty to get better!  And I need to know so I can help him!”

“He gave what I think was a… doctored version of what went on to the JAG team and his CO because dad and I were there.  We didn’t want him to have to go through the interview and debrief without family support.”

“That’s the issue, Squid.  Dad drummed it into him that he had to fight his own battles, to man up.”  John gave a sort off choked off laugh and shook his head.  “Fine words coming from the man who ran off and left us to fend for ourselves for a year, left Scott to handle it all before Virgil and I finally stepped up to help him.  Hypocrite!  He’s not here now, when his eldest son so desperately needs his support.”  He stopped and looked at his two younger brothers.  “Come on, it looks like Scott isn’t going to regain consciousness at the moment.  Let’s start making our way back.  How do you want to do this Virg?”

“Well, Scott’s still underweight, I think I can manage him on my own—at least part of the way.  Hopefully he might regain consciousness in a bit.”

John and Gordon insisted on helping lift Scott into Virgil’s arms, then let him lead the way back to the villa, ready to offer assistance should it be required.

Scott didn’t regain consciousness on the journey back to the villa and Virgil managed to carry him all the way, finally depositing him on his own bed.  Gordon went down to the infirmary to fetch some medical supplies to treat the new injuries Scott had obtained in his bid for freedom.  When he returned to the bedroom, he’d found that John and Virgil had stripped Scott down to his boxers, dried him off and were just finishing cleaning him up.

Gordon couldn’t prevent a grimace crossing his features as he observed the still vivid scars on his eldest brother’s body; prominent due to them being only a few months old and Scott’s lack of physical condition.  “Oh God,” he whispered.  It was the first time he’d actually seen them.  “Scotty…”  He sniffed loudly and blinked the sting of tears from his eyes.  “I… I didn’t realise… they were this bad…”

“He tries to keep himself covered up,” Virgil said softly.

“That’s not right,” Gordon retorted.  “He shouldn’t be ashamed of his scars.  They’re his badge of courage; they show he’s lived.  And… he’s so… thin!”

“I know,” Virgil replied.

“At the moment, they are too much of a reminder of what he’s been through,” John added.  He was sitting on the edge of the bed, a hand holding one of Scott’s whilst his thumb gently drifted backwards and forwards over the back of it, as if to try and soothe away any hurt.  “They will fade; some will be almost invisible and we’re helping them along with a mixture of pure aloe vera and bee propolis.”

“He’s got the determination in him,” Gordon suddenly said.  “He shouldn’t have been able to get as far as he got in his condition.  If he’s got that kind of determination in him still, then he’s got the fight to recover, right?  We just need to bring it out… somehow.”

Virgil nodded as he took the medical supplies off his younger brother and carefully began to clean the fresh scrapes and cuts on Scott’s legs, hands and arms, before running the medical scanner over him.

“He’s dehydrated again and slightly hypothermic—we need to get some IVs from the infirmary supplies—he has a number of fresh bruises and a shoulder strain after his latest near miss.  He got off lightly.”  Virgil shuddered at the thought of how it could have ended as he indicated for John to get off the bed so he could draw the bed covers up over Scott’s body.  “Who wants to take the first watch?”

“I will,” John replied before Gordon could speak up.  “Just let me get my tablet.”

“We ought to let Alan see him, just so he can see that Scott’s okay, Gordon said.  “I’ll go get him.”

He disappeared and returned within a minute with Alan hot on his heels.  The youngest entered the bedroom eagerly but then skidded to a halt a little way from the bed; his expression said it all.

“That’s… Scott?” he asked in a strangled whisper.  “I – I can hardly recognise him! Look at him! And… oh God…” he stopped as he saw the scars and needlemarks on Scott’s arms and neck and Virgil was thankful he had covered his brother’s body so the youngest hadn’t seen the vivid ones on his chest and abdomen.  Alan felt the tears welling up in his eyes.  “He’s skin and bone!”

“Alan!” Virgil said slightly more sharply than he intended.  “Get rid of that expression on your face!  We need you to act as normal as you can around him.  Can you do that?  Scott’s self-conscious enough about his body being in the state it is.  He needs us more than ever before if he’s going to make a recovery.  Knowing Scott, he won’t want our pity, just our help and our support to get him back to full health.  He’s very depressed and it’s going to be really hard work.  He’s initially going to be down more than he’s up in these early days.  We have to keep positive to keep him feeling positive, to encourage him to recover.”

“Okay, I understand.  I’m 17, not 7!” Alan snapped back, but he couldn’t seem to drag his eyes away from the sight of Scott’s abused body and he wondered what the bedding was hiding beneath it.

“To Scott, you will always be his baby brother, no matter how old you get, so he will always want to protect you.”

“I want to do my bit to help, Virgil.”  The youngest carefully approached, leant over and kissed Scott’s forehead before straightening up and looking at his older brother.

“What’s wrong with him?  Why isn’t he waking up?” he asked, his voice fearful.

“He’s still weak and he’s over exerted himself today. It’s exhaustion mainly, with some dehydration and hypothermia,” Virgil explained.  “Okay, Alan off you go.  We need to let him rest.  I’m sure you have some school work to get finished?  And remember, next time, keep the look of horror off your face.”

“Of course I will,” Alan pouted, but did as he was told, turning on the threshold to take one last look at his sleeping brother before leaving.

“That goes for you too,” Virgil said to Gordon.  “Haven’t you got to prepare for leaving next week?”

“I was thinking of postponing it with, you know, Scott and everything.”

“You know perfectly well that Scott wouldn’t want you to jeopardize your career or put it on hold.  You need to report back to Marineville next week and embark on your own career, now that you’ve finished your training.  Besides, the WASP will really help prepare you for dad’s new rescue business when it gets off the ground.”

“Yeah… I guess.  I just don’t want Scott to think I’m deserting him, you know?”

“He would never think that.  You have your own life to lead and the last thing he would want is to feel like he’s being a burden and stopping you from following your dream.  Go on, off you go.”

“Okay Virg.  Thanks.”

Gordon and John passed one another just inside the doorway and nodded at each other, then the second eldest pulled a comfortable chair up to the side of Scott’s bed and made himself comfortable.

Virgil stood up.  “Can I get you anything?  A sandwich?  Some tea?” he asked.

“Would you mind?  That would be great, thank you.  Make a sandwich for Scott too.  We need to get some weight back on him.”

“Of course I don’t mind.  I wouldn’t have asked if I did.  Sure, I’ll bring both of you something to tie you over until Kyrano gets dinner ready.”  He paused in the doorway.  “We’re going to get through this, aren’t we John?”

There was a moment’s silence before the elder brother answered.  “Sure we will.  We just need to get Scott to come to terms with everything, accept help when it’s offered, then build him back up again.”

Virgil huffed.  “That’s going to be easier said than done.”  He sounded sad as he turned and left the room to carry out his task.

I know, John thought silently, looking at the peaceful features of his brother.  You helped me, Scotty.  Now it’s my turn to help you.  Please let me help you.

Virgil came back with the food about ten minutes later, placed it on the bedside cabinet, nodded at his immediate older brother and reluctantly left.

John was partway through eating his sandwich when Scott gave a little moan; his head jerked and then his breath hitched.

John leant forward.  “Easy, Scott.  You’re safe; everything’s okay.”  He carefully reached out and carded a hand through his brother’s hair in an attempt to soothe him.

Breathing became jagged as Scott’s body twitched a number of times, then his eyes flew open, wide with fear and he began panting.

“Hey, Scotty, steady.  It’s John; you’re safe okay?  Try and relax.”  He continued to run his fingers through his hair.

Scott looked about wildly, then finally managed to focus on his younger brother.  “J – John?” he questioned, as if not really believing he was actually there.  “J – John?”

“Yeah Scotty, it’s really me.”

Scott’s right hand moved surprisingly quickly and grasped John’s wrist, as if to confirm he wasn’t hallucinating and that he was really there.

“See, I’m real,” John reassured him in a soft voice.

“Wh – what happened?  I – I was in… that… that…”

“No, you weren’t, Scotty.  You were in our infirmary, here on the island.”

“No!  I – I jumped the medic and escaped, I—”

John shook his head.  “Scott, listen to me.  You’re here on the island.  We brought you home from the hospital yesterday, bro.”

Scott frowned.  “But I… then…”  He went white.  “Wh – who did I attack?”

“It doesn’t matter—”

“John!  Who!  Are they all right?  Did I hurt them?  John, tell me!”

John realised his brother was working himself up into a dangerous state, so told him.  “You attacked Virgil,” he said quietly.

The look on Scott’s face, broke his heart.

“Noooo!!  Did I… did I hurt him?  Is  he okay?  Please tell me he’s okay!”

“He’s fine, honest.”

“I – I didn’t mean it!  I didn’t know what I was doing, I need to see him, John, I need to see him!”  He attempted to get out of bed, but John held him in place.

“No Scott.  Stay where you are.  I’ll call him, but you need to rest.  You’re dehydrated, amongst other things.”

“Promise?”

“I’ll do it right now, as long as you stay where you are, okay?”

Scott nodded.

John got up slowly, moved to the door, warned Scott he was about to shout and called out for Virgil, who arrived a couple of minutes later.

“Something wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“Scott wants to see you; make sure you’re okay.”  He stood back and allowed his younger brother to enter.

Virgil saw the stricken expression on Scott’s face and moved towards him, sitting on the bed and slowly taking hold of his hand.  “Hey there, Scotty, how you feeling now?”

“I – I hurt you, Virgil!  I hurt you!”

“No, no you didn’t.  Look, I’m here, I’m fine, see?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”  He sat up quite sharply and Virgil very carefully pulled him into a hug.

“It’s okay, Scotty, it’s okay.  Shush now,  everything’s okay, everyone’s fine.  We just need you to get plenty of rest, eat and recover.  No serious harm was done.”  He rocked him in his arms and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.  “It’s okay, bro.”  Virgil felt him shaking slightly and knew he was crying.  Whether it was with relief, or self-loathing, he didn’t know and now was not the time to enquire.

“You – you know I wouldn’t… wouldn’t intentionally hurt any of you, right?”

“We know that bro.”  Virgil released him slightly so he could look into the tearful blue eyes.  They were such beautiful eyes, even if at the moment they were slightly bloodshot and not as bright as they usually were.  “Scotty, I’ve made you a sandwich, and I want you to eat it.  Will you do that for me… for all of us?”

“I don’t deserve—”

“Stop with the self-loathing,” John said firmly.  “You deserve our love and affection and always will, so do as you’re told and eat your sandwich and drink that water, you’ll feel better.”

Virgil let go of him and sat back a little.  The covers slipped down to expose Scott’s chest and he immediately made a grab for them to cover the ugly scars as if ashamed of them.

“Don’t do that, Scotty,” Virgil pleaded.  “You don’t have to cover up for us.  It won’t change the fact of what happened to you.  We know it upsets you, but never, ever be ashamed of your battle scars, okay?”

“I – I’m sorry,” he replied, still clutching the sheet to his chest.  It wasn’t only to hide the scars, but also what he looked like; ribs clearly visible, the lack of muscle and tone.  He didn’t recognise himself.

“And stop apologising,” John added.  “It is what it is.  If we had a time machine, we’d make sure this would never happen to you, but we haven’t and it did.  Life just sucks sometimes but the most important thing is, you’re alive, you’re home with us, you’re safe and you’re going to recover.”  He squeezed his brother’s bicep gently.  “And we’ll be by your side for as long as you need us to be.  Have you got that?”

The was a bit of a pause, then Scott nodded before speaking.  “What happened?” he asked softly.

“Uh huh, not telling you until you’ve eaten that sandwich,” John said firmly.

>Virgil did his best to suppress a grin.  Oh yeah… blackmail… he thought, then finally spoke.  “Okay, I’ll leave you two alone, I have things to do.  I’ll be back later.”  With that, he gave Scott a kiss on his forehead, got up and left.

Silence reigned for all of five seconds.

“You don’t have to stay if you’ve things to do,” Scott mumbled as he reluctantly nibbled at a corner of the chicken sandwich.

“I’m fine where I am.  Eat.”

Scott sighed and made a further attempt at the sandwich, whilst John fixed him with a stare that dared him to finish it, so he did.  Then he finished his water.  John disappeared to replenish it, then sat back down in his chair.  He was about to pick up his tablet again, when his brother spoke.

“What did I do?” he asked quietly.

John put the device down on his lap, took a deep breath and stared gently at him.  “You woke up disorientated.  We don’t know if you’d been dreaming or what, but you believed you were back… there.  You overpowered Virgil, managed to knock him out and escaped the villa…  Do you remember any of that?”

Scott looked stricken and shook his head.  “I – I attacked him; I could have seriously injured him! I – I could have killed him!”

“But you didn’t!  You’ve seen Virgil, he’s fine,” John said calmly.

“What happened next?”

“You found the trail up to the top of the ridge, towards the cliff path.  Virgil, Gordon and I followed you.  We knew you weren’t… fully cognisant with your surroundings and that we had to stop you.  Scott, we were terrified you would fall to your death, so Gordon got close enough to keep you distracted, whilst Virgil and I crept up on you from the sides.  We almost had you, but you got too close to the edge and it gave way and…”  John stopped, swallowed and took a deep breath.  “I still don’t know how Virgil managed to get close enough to grab your wrist and stop you falling to your death, but he did, then Gordon and I grabbed him and between us dragged you to safety.  You seemed to recognise us shortly after, and then you passed out and we brought you back here.”

Scott’s bottom lip trembled.  “I’m sorry, I – I don’t remember any of that.  I’m being a nuisance—”

“Scotty don’t.  Don’t say that.  You’re not a nuisance.  Why would you even think that?  You’re our brother and we love you.  You’re ill, but you’re recovering.  You will get better, we all believe that, and you need to believe it too.”

“I’m a danger to you all, perhaps you should have me locked away somewhere so I can’t hurt—”

“NO!” John barked, then apologised as Scott flinched away from him.  “No,” he repeated more gently.  “We’re not sending you to be locked away somewhere.  We’re going to take care of you and help you to get better, but you have to help yourself too, Scotty.  You’ve made a start; you’re talking to us.”

Silence reigned for a minute or so, then Scott sighed.

“You’re gonna be okay, Scotty.  You have to believe in yourself; you have to believe in us.”

“I – I don’t think I can be saved, Johnny.  I’m too broken.”

“Dammit Scotty, don’t talk like that!  You are worth saving and that’s what we’re going to do!  Do you hear me?  You are an incredible human being; you need to believe that!”  He suddenly moved off his chair, sending his tablet flying as he knelt by Scott’s bedside and grabbed his brother’s wrists before he could shrink back.  “You do want to get better, don’t you?” John asked him, a hint of fear in his voice.

Recovering his composure, Scott nodded slowly.  “Of – of course I do!  Do you think I like being like this?  Weak, useless, a burden?”

“Stop it!  Stop talking like that!”  John felt tears prickling his eyes.  “You’re not weak!  You can’t be weak or you wouldn’t be here!  Neither are you useless and you’re definitely not a burden.  Just stop with those kind of thoughts, please.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And stop apologising, or so help me…  Just accept the fact that your family love you beyond measure.  We’ll do anything for you Scotty; like we know you’d do anything for us, and right now, we want you to think positively about your recovery, okay?  No more self-doubt or self-recrimination.  We believe in you and you have to believe in yourself, understood?”

Scott nodded tentatively, but he looked exhausted.

“Now, lie down and get some sleep.  You’ll feel better once you’ve had some rest.  I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“You don’t have to stay—”

“I’m staying and that’s final.”

Scott studied him through tired eyes.  It took his brain a while to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  “Oh my God!  You’re on suicide watch aren’t you?”

“I’m not going to lie to you Scotty.  Yes,” John replied without hesitating.  “But it’s just a precaution, in case you have another PTSD episode. We managed to stop you falling to your death last time, if—and it’s only an if—you have another episode, we might not be so lucky and we would never forgive ourselves if something happened to you.  I don’t think we could bear it, so we’re being over cautious because we love you, okay?  It’s not because we don’t trust you, we just want to be a hundred percent sure we can keep you safe until you recover.  Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Scott stared at him.  “You don’t trust me.”

“Oh for God’s sake, listen to yourself!  Did you hear what I just said to you?  Because it certainly doesn’t sound like it!”  He got to his feet and instead, threw himself down beside Scott on the bed.  “Do you have any idea what it would do to us if we let something happen to you on our watch?  What would you feel like if one of us was ill and you left us alone and the worst happened?  You’d be blaming yourself, right?  So we’d do the same.  Better to be paranoic about keeping you safe, Scotty; you have to understand that, right?  I’m scared, Scott.  I’m more than scared, I’m terrified!  And none of us would ever forgive ourselves if we allowed something to happen to you because we weren’t paying attention.”

It was just too much for Scott to handle.  His mind was confused.  On one side he was angry, but on the other he was thankful for the love of his family, but whatever he was feeling, it made him so very tired and he surrendered to John’s ministrations.

He felt incredibly safe in John’s arms, and within just a few minutes, he had fallen asleep, and stayed that way for a number of hours.

When he next resurfaced, he still found John’s arms around him, and his younger brother looking at him gently.

“Feeling better?” John asked him softly.

Scott scrubbed his eyes as his brain slowly booted up again.  “How long…?” he asked.

“About five hours.”

“And you’ve been holding me all this time?”

“I guess.  I may have dozed a bit too but yeah.  That’s what brothers do, man.”

“You didn’t need to do this,” Scott mumbled.

“Of course I did, you idiot!  You slept well; that’s what we all wanted for you.”

“I – I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything!  You’d do the same for us, so it evens out.  Simple as that.”

“Where… where’s dad?”  Scott felt John stiffen slightly, and sighed.  “He’s not here, is he?” he asked in a whisper.  The tone of his voice brought tears to John’s eyes.

“No, he isn’t, Scotty.  He said he needed to go into the office as he hasn’t been there for several weeks.  I’m sorry he’s not here, I tried to stop him.”

“It’s okay,” came the reply, but John understood the hidden undertones in those two words and in that moment, hated his father with a vengeance.  Unconsciously, he tightened his hold on his brother.

It’s not okay; not by a long shot, John thought.  Their dad thought more of his company than of his eldest child.  The child that had been through sheer hell and back; who was still struggling in his recovery; who desperately needed his father, but had been deserted by him yet again.  He thought desperately about what he could say in response.

“But you’ve got all of your brothers… that’s far better than a grumpy old man, isn’t it?”  He tried to keep his tone light.

There were a few moments silence, then Scott spoke again.  “I am truly blessed to have such caring brothers.”

“Yes, you are and don’t you forget it!”

Scott actually cracked a small smile.  “Thanks, Johnny.  For being you; for everything.”

“Any time, Scooter.  Just one thing?”

“What?”

“Don’t call me Johnny.”

And for the first time in quite a while, Scott laughed albeit a little nervously.

o0o0o0o

[liseylou]

I absolutely love this story

[thetwilightgarden]

[nevver]

The Eagle has landed: July 20, 1969

[janetm74fics]

Sparring

@whumperless-whump-event Day 21: Fighting with a friend

Also asked for by @room-on-broom inspired by @starsarejustplasma and their post:

more women training until their knuckles bleed and their legs give out from under them.

Movements AU, Thunderbirds/CSatM Kayo Kyrano|Thunderbird Shadow, Dianne Simms|Rhapsody Angel, Karen Wainwright|Symphony Angel, Edward Wilkie|Doctor Fawn

~

The steady “thwack-thwack-thwack” alerted Karen that she was in the right place, but she was not prepared for the sight she met.

She’d heard tales from Adam at how Kayo had almost bested Paul, but secretly Karen had put some of that down to hype.

Now, as she watched the woman sparring with Dianne, she realised that, if anything, Adam had played down her talent.

Both women were dripping with sweat, droplets falling or spraying the room as they moved. The wraps around their knuckles and feet were bloody. Strands of hair were plastered down the sides of their faces and still they sparred.

Karen recognised some of the moves but it took her a moment to identify what they were doing. Muay Thai…she recognised similar moves to Sanda, Chan’s kickboxing that she’d spent time introducing the Angels to.

Part of her wanted to interrupt them, call a halt to what might have started as a stress release but had turned into so much more, but both women looked set to continue and Karen paused.

They were her friends. They weren’t fighting like friends…they weren’t pulling any punches.

But then they’d had a terrible day…

The Angels had been vital in finding the missing captains but it had taken so long…So yeah, Karen understood…

Feet and hands and elbows flew, sometimes faster than she could track, and then Kayo got a hold and Dianne was on her back. The Malay wasn’t quick enough to avoid the sweep of Dianne’s leg and tumbled down beside her.

They lay there for a moment, panting heavily but with smiles on their faces. Karen could see the exhaustion though, both women’s legs were trembling even though they weren’t standing on them.

Karen took the opportunity and stepped between them, offering them both a hand up, which both women took gratefully.

Her nose twitched and she smiled.

‘Nice fighting.’

Dianne and Kayo pinned her with a look but Karen was unrepentant. In fact her smile grew wider.

‘What?’ ‘What is it?’ ‘You both know how much I love you, right?’ ‘Right…’ ‘But…’ ‘I gotta tell you, you both stink.’ ‘Hey!’

The two women put on offended looks but they couldn’t keep it going. As they both made to hit the showers their legs finally had had enough and they both almost face-planted on the mats.

Only Karen’s quick reflexes saved them, and together the three of them made it to the showers. She left them on a bench propping up each other while she made sure that the showers were hot and ready before helping them into a cubical each. She waited until she could hear them under the hot water before delivering her news.

‘Oh, I almost forgot. The good doctor says you can both go visit.’

There were whoops from the stalls and Karen had to dodge a couple of wet cloths thrown at her…

But eventually Dianne and Kayo were ready and the three made their (slow) way to Medical. Where the two women were immediately stopped by Fawn who, with a curse, forced them into a bay to have their still-bleeding knuckles seen too.

Karen wanted to laugh at her friends faces. Suitably chastised at having been compared to Scarlet and Cobalt, they endured the doctor’s ministrations and light scolding until both had bandaged hands and had promised profusely that they’d be back tomorrow to be checked over.

Only then would Fawn let them see the two Colour Captains. Only Karen saw his fond but exasperated smile as they were reunited.

[thundergeek59]

This is sooo perfect 🥰

[pascalcampion]

la nuit porte conseil

[janetm74fics]

Don't Leave Me c6: I Won't

Chapter 4 | 5 | AO3

@Maria asked: @augustofwhump 2025, Day 24 – Recovery, Gordon and @whumperless-whump-event Day Twenty: Here Comes Bad News: Scary diagnosis/ "I'll be right here the whole time."

~

Scott’s recovery wasn’t linear by any means. But being home, being around his family, gave Scott the one thing he’d been missing in the German hospital.

He was surrounded by people who loved him.

That love buoyed him up far more than the respect and treatment from the medical personnel.

Everyone rallied around him, both in person and long distance.

Virgil and John had needed to get back to their own lives. College was over for the semester and exams completed and John had to leave to go into quarantine for his next stint on the WSS. Scott had insisted they both go, that he would be fine and that they could talk frequently.

They still left reluctantly, Virgil flying them out and using the time to discuss strategy in regard to their big brother. All plans were pie in the sky, though, as they had no real way of knowing how it was going. Their Dad had promised to keep them informed but he wasn’t the most reliable when under stress.

And this was stressful. This was very stressful.

This was where Gordon and Alan had an opportunity to return all the love and care that their brother had shown them. They took their job seriously.

Very seriously. Scott found that he didn’t get a moment alone.

He found it hard at first. There were nightmares where he woke up screaming to find his Dad was always there. And during the day one or other of his youngest brothers were with him, with Dad or Grandma hovering in the background.

Before…before Scott would have found it all too smothering but now, once he got used to the idea, he found it strengthening.

On bad days they were around but not near him. Sometimes hearing them messing around in the kitchen or watching an old Disney movie was enough to snap him out of whatever spiral he was going through.

The day he made it outside the farmhouse to watch Gordon swim in the pool out the back was a milestone that felt like an age in coming, but breathing the warm summer air and did something to him.

It lifted his heart and for the first time Scott felt like he actually had a chance of soaring again.

It was a turning point.

From that time on it was difficult to keep Scott inside. He spent mornings outside wandering the farmland and afternoons he’d spend time with Gordon and Alan. They’d walk to the wood and along the stream. The two boys would make sure that they were slow enough that Scott, still needing extensive physio for his injuries and using a cane to walk with, could keep up easily.

The fresh air and the daily exercise had Scott’s doctors making hopeful noises.

Eventually his daily walks expanded to outside their home. It was difficult at first – sudden noises still made him jump, he was nervous of people, even of people he’d known since they’d moved here.

But the townsfolk were kind people with long memories of how much Grant and Lucille Tracy had meant to them and with their help when he was out and about Scott began to progress even better.

Eight months to the day Scott had been brought home Gordon won gold in the Olympics and Scott was there in person to see it thanks to ear plugs and some light sedation that didn’t stop him celebrating along with his brothers.

The celebrations lasted more than one night…

But from the moment they arrived home Gordon switched from being Olympic obsessed to becoming a WASP. He’d have another seven months before his sixteenth birthday, the day he’d officially be old enough to join with his Father’s permission.

Jeff had listened to Gordon’s impassioned discussion on why WASP was a better fit than staying on at school and going to college. The service would ensure he finished his high school diploma and then went on to work on a degree of his choice.

So Gordon split his remaining time between helping Scott any way he could and prepping for his upcoming bootcamp prep day. Scott was a great help, and in going over his own experiences in the USAF it helped him to come to terms with his own trauma.

Scott had never been prouder when he saw Gordon descend the stairs in full WASP uniform, ready to leave for boot camp. He’d not donned the uniform since being rescued but that time was fast approaching – Scott needed to return to base and report in. There was talk of trials at the Hague, which he was frankly sick to his stomach about. His Dad had said not to worry about it but…how could he not?

All that was pushed out of his mind as his brother gave him the crispest salute, which he solemnly returned before pulling him into a tight, lingering hug. He whispered around the lump into Gordon’s ear.

‘I am so, so proud of you.’ ‘Thank you. For everything, Scott.’ ‘You’re welcome.’ ‘I mean it, Scott. For always being there for me, for fighting my corner. For never leaving me.’

Scott pulled him closer and rested his cheek on Gordon’s cap for a moment, careful not to distort the headwear.

And then it was time for Gordon to leave.

Time passed.

Gordon graduated from NUB (non-useful body) to Dolphin quickly, acing the Officer school and coming top of his class, just as Scott had.

His progress within the service was meteoric. As Gordon rose in the ranks Scott’s own progress was unfortunately nowhere near his brothers. Not that Scott was worried about that..

They both had news for their family.

Scott had been back to McConnell Air Force for almost a month. He was under assessment pending a review of his combat status. So far he was…managing. His flying was good but there were concerns regarding his behaviour while on the ground. Noises still startled him and he was withdrawn from the rest of his squad, preferring his own association.

When nothing improved by the end of the assessment period, when Scott was still refusing to see the mental health team, the brass reluctantly came to the same conclusion.

Meanwhile, Gordon’s went from strength to strength. So much so that they offered him a highly coveted role in the testing of new equipment while the kinks were being worked out of the latest sub for the fleet, Stingray.

The family had already began moving to the island, but this reunion was going to be the last one in Kansas. So Jeff had fired up the grill, Virgil had prepped the meat and Kayo and Sally had prepped salad sides. John, unfortunately was up in space, but he’d sent a message to both his brothers and a promise to be home in a couple of months if either of them were going to be around.

Scott flew into Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita first but Gordon wasn’t too far behind and the two took their family’s “hopper” plane home, the little runaround that had been their Mom’s until her death and that Dad had kept for when his boys needed to get home.

They were met on the farm runway by Alan, who hopped around them with the energy only a 11-year-old could have and talking so fast they couldn’t have got a word in even if they wanted to.

The meal was a great success and as evening turned to night and Scott carried Alan to bed, talk turned to how their respective careers were going.

Gordon was full of excitement but he knew that he couldn’t say what was going on, so he kept his news full of training exploits and downtime pranks. His enthusiasm and happiness was infectious though, and if anyone noticed Scott staying silent well, no one said anything. This was Gordon’s moment and his eldest brother was content to let him shine bright.

It didn’t fool Virgil or Jeff of course, and with a pointed look to their father Virgil eventually hauled the Squid off to bed.

They stayed on the porch, Jeff only disappearing to grab a bottle of whisky and two glasses. He poured them both a generous dose and they settled to watch the sky and Jeff waited for his son to open up.

It took another hour and two more glasses of scotch before Scott sighed and sat forwards, rolling the glass between his hands.

‘They’ll discharging me, Dad. Honourable discharge on medical grounds. They were very…nice about it.’ ‘Scotty…’ ‘What am I going to do, Dad? No one wants a washed-up pilot.’ ‘I do.’ ‘Dad…’ ‘I’m serious, Son. You know we’ve been talking about International Rescue?’ ‘Yeah. I remember.’ ‘Virgil and I along with Brains – you remember Brains?’ ‘I do.’ ‘Well, we are well on the way to making this a reality.’ ‘I thought that wouldn’t be happening for years yet.’ ‘I know! But Brains is really a genius and coupled with Virgil’s know-how and John’s computer skills, we’re looking at being up and running in only a couple more years.’

Jeff rested a hand on Scott’s arm and smiled at him.

‘We’re going to need a test pilot quite quickly. And I want that to be you, Scott. There isn’t anyone else I’d rather have, even if we weren’t going to be secret.’

Scott blushed but smiled.

The rest of the night was spent discussing the rescue ships until Jeff yawned and Scott insisted they both go to bed.

Alan was ecstatic when Scott told them he was home for good so when Gordon left the blow was softened somewhat. The youngest was due to leave soon himself. He’d agreed to be boarded at Whartons Academy, a school in Massachusetts, one that would challenge him rather than the boring school he was currently attending. Alan had been gutted at not being allowed to stay home on the island but there was a little part of him that was excited to be out from his brothers’ shadows.

The next two months involved Scott helping move the rest of what they were taking to the island and talking to the rest of his brothers.

And then Gordon called home. While he couldn’t tell them what exactly he would be doing he could at least let them know roughly how long he’d be out of contact, and he managed to talk to everyone except John, whose return home had been delayed a couple of weeks.

They fully moved to the island a week later.

Jeff sat back and surveyed the ocean beyond the window. A sense of peace enveloped him and he sighed contentedly. Which meant he was a little annoyed when the phone rang. He was half-tempted to ignore it but suddenly a cold sensation washed over him and he couldn’t answer it quickly enough.

‘Jeff Tracy.’ ‘Jeff, it’s Sam. Sam Shore.’ ‘Sam? What’s wrong?’ ‘It’s Gordon.’

He hit the untested klaxon and his boys came running. Ten minutes later they were flying as fast as Tracy One could go for Marineville.

They practically stormed the hospital. Thankfully Atlanta was there to meet them and take them through the layers of bureaucracy and to the room Gordon would be released to once his surgery would be over. He’d already been in for hours but they were still at it…

Atlanta kept them plied with decent coffee and easy-to-eat food and stayed with them throughout the rest of that day and the following night.

Eventually a very tired doctor appeared in the room. Everyone sat up, Alan firmly between Scott and Jeff and holding their hands tightly. Jeff gave his hand a squeeze before getting up to greet the doctor and Virgil immediately took his place and Alan’s hand.

‘Doctor. What news?’ ‘Gordon is one tough cookie, Mr Tracy. He’s pulled through more than 14 hours of surgery but I have to warn you he’s nowhere near out of the woods yet. The next 24 hours will be touch and go…if he survives that it will still be an uphill battle.’ ‘Understood.’ ‘Mr Tracy, if you’ll come with me there’s paperwork for you to go through.’

Jeff looked at his boys and his Ma, who had been brought over during the night. Sally nodded and stood and the two left with the doctor.

The three eldest knew what the doctor had left unsaid. They were going to discuss Gordon’s injuries in more detail, something that they were very careful that Alan didn’t have to hear the details.

Speaking of Alan, he may have been eleven but right now he felt more like five, when their Mom had died and everyone was acting just like they were now. That same fear was welling up in him now and he resorted to the only thing he knew would help.

Alan practically crawled into Scott’s lap, buried his head into his big brother’s chest and burst into tears.

Scott’s arms immediately tightened around him and both John and Virgil added theirs so that Alan was enclosed in a brother sandwich. They stayed that way until their father came back.

Jeff couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at how his boys rallied around each other, and he smiled at them when they noticed him.

‘Boys, your Grandma has gone to book a hotel. You’re all going to go there, get something to eat and grab some sleep. Wait!’

He paused as his older boys al began talking at once and waited for them to quieten down. Jeff chose to address Scott, knowing that the others would follow his lead.

‘Scott, we’re here for the long run and to be there for Gordon when he wakes up we need to be at our best. This is going to be a long, long road.’ ‘Dad…that means you too.’ ‘I know, Son. The hospital will only allow one person at a time to stay with Gordon until he’s fully conscious so we’ll create a rota. Alan? You can visit with any one of us but not on your own as you need to be over 16, ok?’ ‘Yes.’

Jeff’s phone rang and he turned and spoke quietly into it. It was a short call and he sighed before turning back to his boys.

‘Grandma has found a hotel. You all go ahead and Scott, six hours’ time you can relieve me. Now I know, I know how hard this on us all. Sleep is not going to be easy but you need to try, ok? You need to try.’

There was a chorus of ‘okay’ and, after hugging him tightly, Jeff watched them leave. Scott hung back for a moment and Jeff pulled him in for a hug before briefly giving him a rundown of Gordon’s injuries. He hugged his boy tightly as tears threatened until Scott had pulled himself together to leave.

It set the pattern for the next six months.

The doctors kept Gordon in a medically induced coma for close to three weeks until the swelling on his brain reduced and they took the opportunity to do some of the numerous operations he needed.

Alan had gone with his Dad that first time but hadn’t stayed, bursting into tears at the sight of all the tubes and wires. They had prepared for that, and Scott, waiting outside, scooped him up and took him outside.

It was John who was sitting with Gordon when he first began to show signs of waking up but full awakening didn’t happen for another three days.

Scott was there when a frightened noise grabbed his attention and he leaned over for Gordon to see him while hitting the alarm. The doctors worked around him until it came time to remove the tube but in an unusual move they let Scott stay once Gordon had become visibly more upset when he’d been asked to leave.

It still took a little while for Gordon to be able to talk, but after a cup of ice chips he could at least whisper.

‘Wha…ha’p’n?’ ‘You were in an accident.’ ‘Th-the ‘foil?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Tell me.’

He really didn’t want to, but Gordon was more like himself than Scott would have liked, so, leaning over so Gordon didn’t have to worry about moving his head, gently told his brother everything.

Gordon cried the entire time and Scott paused often, wiping his tears and holding his lesser damaged hand.

Eventually Gordon calmed down. He looked at his brother with eyes scared but trusting.

‘I’m scared, Scotty. I – I can’t move. My team are dead. My…my life is over.’ ‘Hey! Hey, don’t talk like that. There’s still much healing you need to do. Nothing about your future is certain. You hear me?’ ‘Ye-yeah. Scott?’ ‘Yes, Fishie?’ ‘Stay? Please? Don’t leave me?’ ‘I’ll be right here the whole time. I’ll never leave you, Gordon. Never. Not now, not later, not ever.’

Recovery was going to be a bitch but Gordon knew if Scott could do it then he would be able to too.

Fin

[the-original-sineater]

This is perfect. Just perfect.

[thundergeek59]

Oh my goodness I love this so much!!!!!

[eldritchbooky]

The Thunderbirds: guys the hood is fucking shit up let’s go save people

Average Gordon Tracy subplot:

[thundergeek59]

A typical day in the life of Gordon Tracy!!!! Love your artwork!!!

[kings-out-of-pocket-hell]

Deeply inspired by @call-me-casual comic cover and au

Mark anderson sr comic cover of his not so fun, very bad day in space

[coco9728]

Ooh gorgeous!!!👏😃💕

The light bouncing off the earth is beautiful! And those swirly clouds are very cool!

[kings-out-of-pocket-hell]

JVSSBS

Thank you coco!

[thundergeek59]

Wow! This is awesome!!!!

[coco9728]

I’m enjoying this mix of traditional drawing with digital colouring and rendering.😁

[thundergeek59]

Ooh this is lovely! I like the combination of drawing and digital!