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gordonthegreatesttracy · 4 months

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From @gordonthegreatesttracy

From @gordonthegreatesttracy to @chatnoirthunderwings

Could someone please ping @chatnoirthunderwings as Tumblr is refusing to tag them.

THE BACKFIRING CHRISTMAS PRANK

“It’s Christmas time

Alan’s on the wine

Scotty’s singing Frog on the Tyne

There’s logs on the fire

Johnny’s up the tree

Time to rejoice in the good that is me!”

“I swear his songs get worse every year” John says to the Mechanic with an eye roll, as he hangs a bauble on the top of the tree.

It is the day after Thanksgiving, and there is a twelve-foot Christmas tree in the lounge surrounded by boxes and boxes of decorations, John is up on the ladder on one side of the tree carefully placing baubles and tinsel and lights on the bright green branches, which the Mechanic is handing up to him.

“He does this every year?” The mechanic asks amused.

This is his first Christmas with the Tracys, having accepted Grandma’s invitation and come over to the Island to help decorate the villa.

“Yes he does, a few years ago it was Scotty Claus, drove Scott crazy then he gave him a music box that sung that song! I think he still has it somewhere” John replies.

“So it is a family tradition?” the Mechanic asks.

“YEP!” Gordon calls from his spot, hanging upside down from the railings above the seating area, while he wraps purple tinsel around the metal rails.

“Be careful up there” Scott calls over him. “I have tried to get rid of that box for years, I even put it in the old incinerator and it still turned up in its spot less than an hour later without a scratch, either Gordon made a million of them, or its cursed!”

John has taken on a supervisor role with Virgil and Jeff. The three of them are sitting on the sofa drinking coffee straight from the pot.

Jeff still can’t believe that he is home. And he is going to make sure that this is the greatest Christmas the boys have ever had, starting today, a whole month of celebrating. The Hood is in jail, the Chaos crew are too, the world is safe. The atmosphere is happy and relaxed as he rests his head against the back of the chair, this really is going to be the best Christmas ever!

*TB*

The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas flies by in a whirlwind of rescues, gift buying and wrapping, cake making, cookie baking fun and Alan wakes up on Christmas morning full of excitement. It is still dark outside as he pulls open his curtains and looks out at the jungle. This is going to be the best day ever! His father is home, and he has checked out the presents under the tree and there are hundreds with his name on!

Alan maybe a high school graduate with his own rocket ship, but he is still a child when it comes to Christmas! He jumps up from his favourite sleeping spot, and runs out the room, still in his pyjamas, down the hallway, stopping to bang on every door on the way, down the stairs and into the lounge, where even more gifts are now piled high!

“JACKPOT” he cries happily, wanting to dive right in, but something stops him and he is dragged away from his gifts by his eldest brother!

“Scotty!” He whines as he is pulled away.

“What are the rules?” Scott asks trying not to laugh.

“Wait for everyone to get here, eat breakfast, open gifts and have a wrapping paper ball fight with Gordon” Alan replies, poking his tongue out and trying to wriggle free so that he can get back to the gifts.

Scott doesn’t let go, picking Alan up and hoisting him over his shoulder he carries him down into the kitchen and deposits him on a chair.

“If you try and get back to the tree I am going to tie you to the chair!” Scott warns him, raising a wooden spoon in a semi-threatening manner.

“Wow, you look just like Grandma!” Alan tells him in awe, but the threat has the desired effect and Alan remains put!

Scott starts to make up pancake batter, letting Alan lick the bowl clean once he is done and then they carry the large stack of pancakes up to the lounge, where everyone is now awake and waiting for them.

The pancakes don’t last long and Alan soon has his attention turned back to the tree and those gifts, looking at Scott with large pleading eyes.

“Oh go on then!” Scott finally gives in and Alan dives for the tree.

He spots a gift with his name on, that the label says that it is from Gordon, and he should open it at his own risk!

He picks it up from the floor, and it explodes in a shower of liquid glittery gloop which goes all over him, and the tree, and the remaining presents.

Everyone apart from Alan are laughing, until the liquid gets into the lights, and there is a small explosion as the villa is plunged into darkness as the electric shorts.

“GORDON!” Alan screams, jumping to his feet and running to his brother. He is going to kill him!

“Not my fault, the warning label was on the gift” Gordon replies with a shrug.

Everyone is busy watching them argue, and they don’t notice the small smouldering fire that is starting to gain momentum at the bottom of the tree until it is too late.

Bright orange flames shoot up the tree, melting the plastic branches and consuming all the gifts in its bid to destroy Alan’s perfect Christmas, while they stand in shock. This is the worst thing Gordon has ever done!

Jeff puts the fire out with the fire extinguisher, but the damage is done. The gifts are gone, burnt and destroyed by the foam from the extinguisher and he turns to his fourth son in disgust. Gordon is an adult, but still pulling ridiculously childish pranks like this, and this time he has gone too far. Forgetting that he too laughed, he stands up to face Gordon, in the light from the torch he is carrying as it is still dark enough outside to need the lights on.

“You ruin everything Gordon, will you ever learn? All I wanted was one nice day. Just one! I didn’t ask you for a miracle, although maybe I did, as you don’t have the ability to actually behave, right now, you are making me wish that I had stayed in the Oort Cloud so I didn’t have to deal with you!” Jeff lectures.

Gordon is fighting back tears now. How could his father think that way? Does he really mean it? Do they all hate him as much as his father does?

“He is right” Scott adds. “You need to grow up Gordon.”

Gordon doesn’t need to hear any thing else as he runs from the room, upstairs to his room where he drags his suitcase out from the closet and starts to pack.

They don’t deserve Gordon, so they are not getting him!

He throws his suitcase onto the floor of Thunderbird 4 and he’s off, never to be seen again.

There are still tears in his eyes, as he docks Thunderbird 4 on the mainland and starts to walk to the house his father bought on the beach years ago so that they had a base on land for emergencies.

The world is still and peaceful this early on Christmas morning, as he watches the sun rise above the glittering ocean. His glistening tears spill out over his cheeks, and he doesn’t even see it coming a blinding pain in his back, as he falls to his knees before there is a sharp hit against his skull and he loses that last grasp of consciousness, his eyes firmly shut against the blur of the sun filled sky.

*TB*

“I can’t not believe that he ruined Christmas. Dad’s first Chritmsas back, and this happens. I should have expected it. He never changes. Where did he go anyway?” John asks.

“Upstairs” Virgil replies. “Probably sulking”

“This is the worst Christmas ever” Alan adds, sitting on the floor, leaning up against one of the seats and staring morosely at the ruined gifts.

The silence that falls among the group is awkward as they wait for Brains and the Mechanic to fix the electric.

“I-I-I am sorry, Mr T-T-Tracy. We need to rewire the main b-b-box” Brains confirms.

“We will need to go and get some stuff from the mainland; we will be a couple of hours” The Mechanic confirms.

“This is the worst Christmas ever” Alan declares again. No electric means no Christmas dinner, and no food means he is going to be hungry. Gordon is the worst brother in the world, and Alan wants nothing else to do with him.

“Come on, why don’t we go for a nice walk along the beach and watch the sun rise” Jeff suggests, heading out towards the pool. “Then we will all go over to the mainland and get everything we need for the rewiring and some lunch”.

“Nothing better to do” Alan says sulkily as they all walk out the lounge to take a walk in the early morning light.

“You know, this isn’t even the worst present Gordon has given someone!” Scott says with a face palm as they walk down the sandy stretch, Alan dipping his toes in the freezing water with a shudder.

“It isn’t?” he asks.

“Niblet?” Virgil asks, suddenly starting to laugh.

“Niblet” Scott confirms.

“Who is Niblet?” The mechanic asks, confused.

“Well…” Jeff starts.

SPECIAL PRESENT FOR MOTHER

“Hey Virgy” Gordon says running into the house from the yard where he has been playing for the last hour. The last of the autumn sunshine is fading fast into what looks like the perfect night for star-gazing. Crispy cold and clear.

Virgil is sitting on the sofa watching a documentary about Picasso with John and Scott while their mom is upstairs giving Alan a bath, with the promise that Gordon will be next!

“Yeah?” Virgil replies absent mindedly.

“You know what else I want for Christmas?” he asks.

“You mean the three sides of paper you have taped to the fridge is about to get even bigger?” John interrupts with a snort of laughter.

“You do know that the meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with what gifts you want? It is about giving, not receiving.” His father asks having joined the conversation from the kitchen where he has been checking on dinner.

“Duh!” Gordon replies, rolling his eyes. “Of course I do. Christmas is all about the birth of Santa. Bart Simpson said so!”

“Not quite!” Jeff corrects him gently. “Why don’t we go upstairs and you can have that bath you need and I will tell you all about the true meaning of Christmas.”

“Okay!” Gordon replies happily, sticking his dirty hand in his father’s and drags him towards the promised bubble bath. Gordon loves the bath almost as much as he loves getting dirty.

“Gordon! You’re filthy!” Jeff groans.

“I know, isn’t it great!” Gordon replies, running up the stairs and crashing into the bathroom where his baby brother is now in a clean sleepsuit, his head sleepily resting on his Momma’s shoulder as she leaves the room.

“He is all yours!” She confirms with a grin.

Gordon does not know, but they tossed a coin to see who gets to bath the water loving six-year-old and Jeff lost!

Gordon takes off his mud encrusted clothes and throws them on the floor, while Jeff adds the warm water to the tub and his chosen bubble bath, before Gordon dives in and splashes water everywhere.

Jeff lets him play “explore the bottom of the bathtub” for a few minutes before he remembers the conversation he promised him.

“Gordon, the real meaning of Christmas is your family, and finding them that special gift that you know they will love. Something that you have put your heart and soul into either searching for or even making. My favourite gift last year was the painting that you all did for me, can you remember?” Jeff says.

“The submarine full of fish playing the piano in space while watching top gun?” Gordon asks.

“That’s the one!” Jeff tells him.

The painting is in a frame in the living room above the fire place, and every time he walks past it, it never fails to make him smile, no matter how hard a day he is having.

“That was fun to do. Virgil let me paint the fish” Gordon tells him.

He is now sitting crossed legged in the middle of the tub hanging on his father’s every word. There are soap bubbles in his hair, but he is at least now clean!

“So what are you going to do this Christmas?” Jeff asks, hoping that his example worked.

“Get momma the most special present ever, she is going to be so happy” Gordon replies.

“Do you need help?” Jeff asks, thinking that they can go shopping together.

“Nope, I got this daddy!” Gordon confirms before he sinks back down below the surface of the water to rinse off his hair.

Jeff lets him play a while longer, before announcing that it is time for dinner and then bed.

He is anticipating a fight, and gets one as Gordon splashes him with warm soapy water and wriggles out of his grasp whenever he tries to grab him, giggling as he outsmarts his father over and over again, until Jeff plays the final card of his hand and pulls out the plug.

“DADDY!” Gordon wails in disgust.

“Come on!” Jeff tells him, helping him step out of the tub and into a clean, warm, fluffy towel and scrubbing him dry before he gets into his favourite finding nemo pyjamas and follows his father down the stairs for supper with his family.

He is still thinking about Christmas and what to get his momma an hour later as she puts him to bed.

“What do you want for Christmas Momma?” he asks sleepily as she settles him down with his cuddly squid and starts to read him a chapter from his current favourite book: The brave little fish.

“Something from the heart, whatever you will love, I will love” Lucy replies, resting her chin on top of his head as she cuddles him.

An idea is starting to form in Gordon’s mind now. Something that he loves that Momma would love. Something super special and what is more special than her very own pet?

Lucy is not even half way through the chapter when his quiet little snores reach her ears and she quietly leaves the room, switching off the main light and leaving only his fish shaped nightlight for illumination.

*TB*

Operation Momma’s special gift begins the following day at breakfast as he asks for extra strawberries on his cereal, which he hides in the pocket of his hoodie.

It is Sunday morning, and the sun is shining through the window. It is the perfect day to begin the search, and as soon as he is allowed he races for the small, wooded area behind the farm that he has been given permission to explore. He knows that he is not allowed to go past the end of the forked path, but he doesn’t need to, he is sure that the perfect gift is around here somewhere, he has seen it recently.

It takes him an hour of patience, something even he knows he is not very good at, but eventually his persistence pays off and a fluffy tailed grey squirrel comes down from its drey to give him a sniff.

He has never sat this still in his life, and the squirrel feels warm as it explores the new arrival, sticking his nose into Gordon’s pocket and helping himself to a strawberry and running away with it, burying it a short way away, then coming back for another. And another. And another. Until all of the strawberries are gone.

Once the food is gone, so is the squirrel!

Gordon jumps to his feet and starts to run back to the house for more supplies. Knowing that he needs to sneak them out without anyone getting suspicious and ruining his plan.

He gets lucky on his supply run as there is no one in the kitchen as he empties the rest of strawberries into his pocket and runs back out to the woods.

Where the squirrel is waiting for him, and Is a lot bolder now as he climbs up onto Gordon’s shoulder and allows him to hand feed him the strawberries.

Gordon stays and watches his Momma’s new pet all morning, only leaving when he starts to get hungry for his own lunch and goes back to the house.

There are ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch, which are a bit disappointing as there is nothing on the plate that the squirrel can eat. He doesn’t even know what else he can feed the squirrel and he needs to find out without anyone getting suspicious.

“Can I go back out now?” he asks after he has finished eating.

“No, we are going grocery shopping and then having dinner at Grandma’s” Lucy replies. “I need you to get changed into your good clothes!”

Gordon loves his grandma, but he has no idea why he has to get dressed up for it. His current outfit of torn jeans and a dirt-streaked hoodie is perfect for all occasions. Gordon also knows arguing with his Momma is not a good idea so does as he is told and goes up to his room to get changed.

His good shirt is hanging up on the back of the door and he pulls it on and does the buttons up. That with the plain black trousers and odd socks and he is done and goes back down stairs where his brothers are all dressed and ready to leave too.

“Daddy, can we get some bird seed?” Gordon asks, once he is strapped into his car seat in between Scott and Virgil in the back of car. Jeff is driving, with Lucy alongside and John and Alan are in the middle.

“Sure” Jeff replies, he loves feeding the birds in the garden.

“How long do they take to grow into real birds?” John asks sarcastically.

“Do they do that?” Gordon asks in awe.

“No! John stop it!” Lucy replies rolling her eyes. She has the job of stopping any fights from breaking out.

“Can we get food for other animals too? it is getting cold now and there isn’t as much food in the winter for the deers and the skunks and the gooses and the beavers and the spiders and squirrels and the snakes and all of the animals” Gordon pleads, adding lots of animals to his list.

“I don’t see why not” Lucy replies. Looking up different food for the various creatures that live in their yard.

Gordon piles in the food for all of the animals the minute they get to the supermarket barely leaving room for anything else!

The food shopping for a family of seven takes over an hour and a half while Jeff finds himself vetoing items and refereeing fights, and starts to wonder why he didn’t drop the kids off at his mother’s house before he went shopping!

Gordon gets everything he wants, and he can’t wait to get home from school tomorrow afternoon so he can really get started on project squirrel. His father was right, the best thing about Christmas is getting other people presents, and he doesn’t even want anything for himself.

*TB*

It is too late when they get back from Grandma’s to go and feed the squirrel, so Gordon takes the bag of walnuts from the cupboard when no body is watching and hides it under his bed before he goes to sleep for the night.

School on Monday morning drags, and he finds his mind wandering from the lessons about reading and writing and all the other stuff his parents insist he will need one day, but he finds unbearably boring.

They are working on the spelling small words today, stuff that he already knows as he has John for an older brother! He doesn’t need to sit here all day to learn how to spell cat. Everyone knows that it is K-A-T!

Mrs Jones is even older than his Grandma and has a moustache, but he knows better than to mention it, as he tries not to get into trouble for the same thing twice!

She is droning on about the correct way to spell words, and he is just drifting off for a well-earned nap when she raps her wooden ruler on the table so hard the building shakes.

“Tracy, how do you spell dog?” She demands.

“D-O-G-E” Gordon replies, deliberately getting it wrong.

“Wrong! That is not how I spell it” Mrs Jones tells him.

“Yeah well, you asked me how I spell it! My way is a lot more interesting.” Gordon replies.

“It is not supposed to be interesting”, Mrs Jones has no idea how this reprobate is related to John. John was a pleasure to teach.

“You’re telling me. This is even more boring than it was last week” Gordon replies.

There is a suspenseful silence in the room as his classmates wait for Mrs Jones to explode and sent him to the principal again, and they are not disappointed!

Gordon is sentenced to no afternoon recess and a meeting with his Momma before he is allowed to go home.

“Oh Gordon, not again!” She says in exasperation. He has been in the first grade for three weeks now, and this is the fourth time she has been asked for a meeting with the principal and she has no idea what to do with him!

“It isn’t my fault Momma” he insists.

“It never is. You are grounded this evening. No going out when we get home, and no television. You are going to help me cook dinner and you are going to have an early night” Lucy tells him as they make the short walk home. John and Virgil taking Alan and letting her have Gordon all to herself.

Gordon needs to go out, he has a squirrel to feed!

“I am really sorry Momma, I won’t get into trouble ever again if I can go out when we get home.” Gordon gives her the biggest puppy-dog eyes he can managed as he looks up at her, full of repentance that even he isn’t buying!

“You promise?” she asks, trying not to laugh.

“I promise” Gordon insists.

“Okay then” Lucy relents, knowing that she is going to regret it as her fourth son doesn’t know how to behave.

Gordon hugs her around the legs then runs to catch up with his brothers, ignoring John’s comment about him being the family screw up, skipping alongside them, promise already forgotten as all he is thinking about is feeding his squirrel.

He needs to think up a name, he can’t just keep calling him the squirrel.

The squirrel is waiting for him when he gets to the woods, and Gordon obliges with the walnuts, watching with a smile on his face as the squirrel nibbles on the shell.

Which is how Gordon gives him his name. Niblet is the perfect name for his squirrel.

*TB*

As the weeks wear on, the weather gets steadily colder. There is frost on the ground in the mornings and an ever-increasing threat of snow, but Gordon bundles up every afternoon in a warm coat with scarf and gloves and goes to visit Niblet.

Niblet has started to follow him to the edge of the wood now, getting braver and more confident, just as Gordon wanted.

The mix of nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables have given his coat a healthy shine, as it thickens for the winter. Niblet is the most perfect gift ever and his Momma is going to love him as much as he does.

The beginning of December sees the first proper snow fall of the winter, and Gordon finds it hard to battle through the snow, his snow boots sinking into the snow with every step, but it is worth it as Niblet comes to meet him at the edge of the woods, running up his legs and onto his shoulder, sticking his nose into his ear in greeting which causes Gordon to giggle.

“Oh Niblet, you are so cute!” Gordon tells him, stroking him along the spine with his gloved hand.

Today is the day Niblet decides that he is going to see where the bringer of treats lives, and he stealthily follows Gordon home, stopping when he sees the house, as he is unsure what the big building is, and does not want to risk getting trapped, and goes back to his tree for the evening as it is starting to get dark and even more chilly, and he shudders with the cold as he wraps his tail around his nose and settles down for the night in his warm and cosy drey.

The month passes excruciatingly slowly for Gordon, as he wakes up every morning and it is still not Christmas Day yet. Every morning he wakes up, eats breakfast, struggles through another boring day with the delightful Mrs Jones. The only bright spots in his day are rehearsals for the class play, in which he is the star, and going to feed Niblet once he is home, even though the dark is falling ever earlier and he has less time before Momma makes him come inside.

Until the magical day his Momma announces that it is the final day before the holidays and he is free for three weeks!

The first day of the holiday he is up before the sun, and out the house before anyone else is even awake, as he needs to start moving Niblet into the house, and getting him ready for the big day.

Niblet now trusts him completely, and allows Gordon to carry him back to the house and into his bedroom which he explores in interest. This is definitely warmer than his tree, and he curls up on Gordon’s pillow for a nap.

Keeping Niblet a secret is easy, as every time someone knocks on Gurdon’s bedroom door, he scarpers for the safety of the closet, only coming back out when Gordon gives him the signal that it is all clear.

Niblet spends the nights asleep at the bottom of Gordon’s bed, and his days exploring the room, rapping his claws on the window when he needs to go out, and he is never out for long. Preferring his new drey to the tree in the woods!

Niblet is the perfect present, and Gordon can’t wait until the morning to give him to his Momma. Daddy was right, getting people gifts is even more fun than getting them himself.

It is Christmas Eve and Gordon finds Virgil sitting on the floor of his bedroom wrapping gifts.

“Hey Virg!” he says, letting himself into the room and plopping down on the rug.

“Yes” Virgil replies smiling. “How can I help you?”

“Can I borrow some of your art stuff?” he asks, not bothering with small talk.

“What for?” Virgil asks.

“Christmas decorations” Gordon replies.

“Yeah sure. Take whatever you need” Virgil tells him. “There is a box full in the bottom of the closet”.

“Thanks Virg” Gordon replies, jumping to his feet, diving into the closet and running from the room in one fluid motion, almost so quickly Virgil doesn’t even realise that he is gone!

Gordon returns to his own room where there is a plain cardboard box he found in the barn that he is going to decorate with pictures of squirrels, leaves, trees, nuts and strawberries. All of Niblet’s favourite things. He lines the box with Niblet’s favourite blanket so that he will not be too scared in the box in the morning and he is ready. His momma is going to get the most special present ever!

*TB*

There is more snowfall overnight and they wake to the white Christmas of Gordon’s dreams, and he can’t wait to get out there after breakfast to go sledding on the new sled that he asked Santa for! He leaps out of bed, startling Niblet who gives him a filthy look and goes back to sleep, and goes over to the window, where he throws open the curtains to find out the world turned white overnight.

“Look Niblet, isn’t it pretty!” He says to the still sleepy squirrel. “It is time to go in the box now and meet the rest of your family. They are going to love you as much as I do, trust me”.

Gordon places Niblet in the box and carefully places the lid on top before carrying him into his momma and daddy’s bedroom.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS MOMMA AND DADDY!” Gordon cries, jumping onto the bed.

Jeff grumbles something about Lucy’s children under his breath, but doesn’t wake up.

“Daddy! Come on, it’s Christmas and I got Momma a present, just like you said. Here” he says to Lucy shoving the box into her arms.

Half asleep still Lucy is smiling when she takes the lid off the box and a startled Niblet leaps straight out and up the curtains where he sits on top of the curtain rail glaring at the new people.

“What on Earth?” GORDON!” Jeff yells.

“You scared him” Gordon accuses his parents, looking up at Niblet with concern.

“What is that thing?” Jeff asks, giving his fourth son a facepalm in exasperation.

A hurt look flashes across Gordon’s face. That thing?

“Momma’s present.” Gordon replies. “His name is Niblet and he lives in my room”.

“It’s a squirrel, Jeff” Replies Lucy at the same time.

“Take it back where you got it from. You can not keep a squirrel, Gordon.” Jeff tells him.

“He isn’t for me, he’s for Momma” Gordon replies defiantly, refusing to give in easily.

“This is not up for discussion, you are not keeping the squirrel and that is final, now get it out of here before I get really angry” Jeff demands, his voice starting to show that impatience Gordon has come to associate with him getting sent to bed early!

Gordon flees the room, running down the stairs and out the door into the quickly forming blizzard. He stomps his way over to the barn and climbs up onto the roof, and sits down, drawing his knees up around his knees and starts to cry. The barn has a hayloft with a hatch in the roof, put in for John years ago so that he can climb up there in the summer and star-gaze.

He only wanted to do something nice for his Momma, just like he promised his Daddy he would, and he has ruined everything. Again. He is a screw up, just like John said so. He can’t do anything right.

*TB*

“A squirrel? What did you tell him?” Lucy asks, trying hard, and failing, not to laugh.

“Gifts come from the heart and that he should get people gifts that he has put a lot of thought and effort into.” Jeff replies. Now that the shock of having a wild animal dumped on him in what feels like the middle of the night is wearing off, Jeff can’t help it. He starts to laugh too.

“What did he say he named it?” Jeff asks.

“Niblet” Lucy replies.

Niblet is still sitting on the curtain rail glaring at them.

Jeff gets up and opens the window. “Go get him Niblet” he says to the squirrel as the animal jumps down from the rail and out the window, over to the barn and up onto the roof where he climbs up onto Gordon’s shoulder, while Lucy gets out of bed and starts to get dressed so that she can face the blizzard and bring home her son.

Gordon’s tears are frozen to his eyelashes, and he is freezing. His whole body is shivering, as he is out there in a blizzard in his pyjamas, with no shoes on.

“Come on inside. Both of you” Lucy says a few minutes later, having used the hatch in the roof to join him, and wrapping him up in her dressing gown. “You’re freezing” she tells him, as the three of them make their way back into the warmth of the barn.

“I Th-th-th-ought y-y-you would l-l-love him” he wails, his head buried into her shoulder as he sobs his heart out.

Niblet is sitting on her shoulder now, and she can’t deny that he is cute. She knows that he can’t stay though, as he is a wild animal, and would hate living in the house, especially in the summer, but that is not a conversation for right now.

“I do love him” she confirms, and she realises that it is true. “He came from you, so you know that I will love him.”

Gordon finally gets what his father was saying. The best gifts come from the heart, and they leave the sanctuary of the barn and back to the main house so that Gordon can introduce his squirrel to his brothers.

In the living room, Scott has started a fire, in the fireplace and Jeff is handing out a large bag of marshmallows for toasting as a breakfast treat. Virgil is sitting on the floor, with a drawing pad open in front of him and he is sketching out a design for a new project.

“What are you doing Virg?” Lucy asks, leaning over Jeff and grabbing a marshmallow, which Niblet tries to steal.

“No, Niblet.” Gordon tells him, handing over a strawberry instead.

“Designing a home for the squirrel. Dad said that we can build him his own tree house in the large oak tree in the yard that he can use in the summer, and a winter home too. Grandma said that we can get a cat flap put into the door so that he can come and go as he pleases. Look” Virgil replies, showing his initial design plans, which shows a large wooden box with a hole cut into it to use as a door.

The inside has a sketch of Gordon and Niblet for decoration, a large four poster bed, a bookcase, a climbing frame, a television, lights and a separate kitchen area with storage containers full of nuts and fruit.

“I don’t think he needs a television Virg!” Lucy tells him. it is an impressive design, and she knows that the boys will have great fun making it with Jeff over the next few weeks, and that Niblet has gotten himself the best ever family.

THE MECHANIC SPENDS CHRISTMAS WITH INTERNATIONAL RESCUE.

“Is that a true story?” the mechanic asks chuckling.

“Every word. Niblet lived with us for seven years until he died from old age. Gordon wasn’t the only one who was devastated, we all were.” Scott replies.

They are heading back to the house, having been for a walk along the beach as the sun rises, promising another Perfect day in paradise, with cloudless sunshine with a light breeze. Perfect for a beach barbecue. Who even needs electricity?

“Alan, go and get Gordon. We are off to the mainland as a family to get replacement presents, and the stuff Brains needs to fix the electric” Jeff demands, suddenly feeing a need to be with all of his children.

Alan is still angry, but does as he is told and jogs back to the house, where he finds Gordon’s room has been stripped bare, and that his brother has gone. Even Squid, Gordon’s battered old plushie toy has gone.

Alan runs back down the stairs and into straight into Virgil.

“S-S-Sorry Virg. Dad Gordon’s gone” Alan says, panting.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Jeff asks.

“Gone. Everything is gone.” Alan replies.

“Thunderbird 4 has gone too” Scott confirms. “John?”

John nods, opening up his comms unit and connecting to Thunderbird Five. “Eos? I need you to track Gordon and Thunderbird Four for me” he asks his sentient AI.

“Sure thing John. Give me a minute. Okay got them. Thunderbird Four is at the house on the main land” Eos confirms.

“Thanks Eos. Come on, let’s go and get your wayward sibling” Jeff replies resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

“You can fly Virgil” Scott says once they are settled in Thunderbird two.

“Gee, my own ship, thanks Scotty” Virgil replies, rehashing an old joke as they take the short hop from the island over to the house by the beach.

There is a small landing area at the rear of the house which is where the party of seven land.

Brains and the Mechanic leave the ship, and start to head in the direction of the hardware store, Jeff having arranged for the manager to let them in to collect everything that they need in exchange for a large tip for opening up on Christmas Day.

Jeff lets them into the house, which despite Eos’ claims that it is the location of his fourth son, the house is empty.

“Gordon where are you?” Jeff asks out loud with a frown. Eos has never been wrong before.

He gets a scream as a response and runs for the sound of his terrified youngest son.

“ALAN, WHAT IS IT?” Jeff yells, running through the front door, and up the path leading to the gate, where he finds Alan, Virgil, Scott and John bent over Gordon’s seemingly lifeless form. The small relief he found when he realised that Gordon is still breathing is extinguished faster than the fire on the island when he sees the blood. A slowly flowing river of sticky red liquid from his temple.

“What happened?” Jeff asks.

“I don’t know.” Alan replies desperately, as Virgil is running a medscan. Scott and John are returning from Thunderbird Two with a stretcher.

Virgil gasps in shock when the results ping through onto his phone.

There is a bullet in Gordon’s back.

His little brother has been shot.

Someone shot his brother.

Why?

“What is it?” Jeff asks.

Virgil can’t speak, he just shoves his phone at his father and points to the small metal ball lodged in Gordon’s back, near his spine.

“He was attacked?” Jeff asks, scarcely able to believe what he is saying.

“We have to get him home” Virgil says, lifting him up into his arms, and placing him on the waiting stretcher. “I will need to operate”.

“You can’t. We have no electricity, remember?” John replies, his eyes have not left Gordon’s chest, as he watches it slowly rise and fall, silently praying to anyone who will listen that Gordon keeps breathing.

This stops Virgil in his tracks, but inly briefly. “Hospital then” he says to John, as he starts to push the stretcher to the med bay in thunderbird two.

Scott doesn’t bother making the joke, letting Virgil take the controls while he sits with Gordon, John, Alan and Jeff in the med bay, keeping a silent vigil. Lost in his own thoughts, and vowing to catch whoever did this, and make sure that their suffering is a hundred times worse than his.

The hospital is busy, but any visit by international rescue always parts the sea of people, leaving a clear path for Virgil to take Gordon, and now there is nothing left to do other than sit.

And wait.

The wait seems to be indefinite. Every minute feels like ten and Virgil can’t sit still. The initial shock is starting to wear off, and now he is angry. There are a million questions fighting for space in his brain.

Why did Gordon leave?

Who did this to him?

Why did they do it to him?

Was he targeted, or was this a random attack?

He is pacing up and down the small private waiting room that the hospital provided. It is a plain room, with pale green walls, hard plastic chairs and a small table which is littered with cold half-drunk cups of coffee, and no one is talking.

This was supposed to be their best Christmas ever. They had their father back. The Hood was finally in a cage where he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. The mechanic was free from his control. Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

Virgil is still pacing silently, when the door opens, and Lady Penelope walks in.

To the outside world she looks as perfectly put together as always, but Virigl knows his brother’s girlfriend better than most. Her cool and calm persona is showing small signs of cracking. There is a hair out of place, and a small smudge of pink lip gloss by her upper lip, and her eyes are watery from where her mascara has run.

Brains and the mechanic are behind her, both carrying large bags of electrical equipment.

“How is he Jeff?” Penelope asks, not bothering with any small talk. This is her fault. If she hadn’t listened to Gordon, and cancelled her plans to spend Christmas with him, instead of that silly party her family organised, then he wouldn’t have left the island without her. They would have been safe.

“I don’t know?” Jeff replies, speaking for the first time since entering the room.

“Is there anything I can do?” she asks.

Jeff shakes his head sadly. There is nothing anyone can do other than wait. Waiting is the one thing none of them have ever been very good at.

“W-We could go b-b-back to the island” Brains suggests. “G-G-Get the electricity f-f-fixed for when you get h-h-home”.

Jeff nods, knowing the need to keep busy, almost wishing that he could go along and help, anything is better than this waiting.

“Parker will take you” Lady Penelope replies, offering up the services of her ever-loyal chauffeur.

With a nod of their heads the two men leave, and that small distraction which stopped Jeff having to think leaves with them and he starts to brood once more. He should never have said that he wished he had stayed in the Oort cloud. He pulls a photo wallet from his pocket where he keeps his family photos. All through his eight years in outer space this little piece of home is what kept him going.

The first photo is Lucy. As Jeff remembers her best. Smiling and happy, laughing at some joke one of the boys has just told her. Scott is next. His face serious as he poses for his first official rescue scouts uniform. His mini-me. Then Virgil, covered in paint sitting on top of the piano a paint bush behind one ear. The next page is John, lying on the top of the roof late at night watching the stars, which has always been his happy place. Then Gordon, his fish, about to cannon ball off the high diving board into the pool the first summer they spent on the island. Finally Alan. Fast asleep on the sofa with his gaming tablet on his chest. Looking at their childish innocence, Jeff determines to get justice for Gordon, no matter what the cost is.

*TB*

“What happened?” Jeff asks.

It is nearly morning, Jeff’s perfect Christmas is almost over, and it has been nothing like what he had planned, but he is just grateful that Gordon is going to make a full recovery.

“I don’t know” Gordon replies, trying hard not to cry. “I’m sorry. You were right, I ruin everything”.

“No, I am sorry. You know I never meant any of that. Almost everything we lost can be replaced, apart from you. You are my unique, talented, crazy, funny Squid, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” Jeff replies, he has his hand clasped around Gordon’s and he ever wants to let it go.

“When can I go home?” Gordon asks.

“Tomorrow, but the doctors have ordered that you stay in bed and rest for at least ten days, and that you remain off duty for a month. Which will be enforced by both Virgil, myself, Penny and Grandma so there is no way you can even think about sneaking out. But just think, it gives you enough time to organise replacement presents for everyone!” Jeff replies with a grin. “No wild animals!”

“Really? It is about time the villa got a pet!” Gordon replies with a grin of his own.

One that makes Jeff’s heart soar. That one smile that means that everything is going to be okay. “NO!” Get some rest. I will be here to take you home in the morning.” Jeff tells him, leaving him to get some sleep.

Gordon stretches and yawns, the morphine drip in his arm doing its job as he drifts off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

*TB*

Back on the island it is chaos. Brains and the Mechanic have gotten the electricity back up and running and are busy putting together a new inflammable tree! With Alan’s “help”.

Alan is covered in lights and tinsel. He is wearing baubles for earrings and he has been climbing up and down the ladder all day under the watch full eyes of the Mechanic and Brains.

“Are you sure this one won’t catch fire?” Alan asks.

“P-Positive. Almost” Brains replies.

“Almost?” Alan squeaks.

“Ninety-nine percent” Brains reassures him.

Alan nearly falls off the ladder he’s laughing so hard. He never knew that the mechanic had such a brilliant sense of humour, as they started out trying to stop him from destroying their entire family. He never thought the day he first came across him, that day with the earth-breaking machine, that one day he would be helping him decorate a Christmas tree.

Alan’s lights are battery operated, and he lights them up, while he is sitting on the top of the ladder. “Maybe I should stay here and be the other tree!” He suggests.

“That’s not a bad idea” Scott replies, having come up from the hangars carrying a bag full of freshly wrapped presents for the new tree.

“Ooh presents!” Alan declares, leaping from the top of the ladder onto the floor, and landing lightly on his feet. “gimme gimme gimme!” he says reaching out for the bag as Scott lightly slaps his hands away.

“No, these are not to be opened until everyone is home” Scott replies. “I have counted them, and if any are missing when I check later then I will let Gordon prank you again as long as he promises not to set the house on fire again you will be fair game!”

Alan knows that this is not an empty threat and he laughs before climbing back up the ladder.

“Yeah that’s better, stay up there!” Scott tells him before he retreats back down to the hangars.

*TB*

By the following morning, when Jeff returns with Gordon the house has been transformed. The mechanic has rigged up a contraption for indoor snow, and it is snowing lightly in the lounge. Covering the over decorated tree in a smattering of white flakes.

“Do I have to stay in bed?” Gordon asks.

“What did the doctor say?” Jeff asks amused.

“Yes” Gordon replies.

“So what do you think?” Virgil asks, also amused.

“No!” Gordon replies. “I am not tired, and it only hurts when I talk, move or breathe. I’m fine!” he insists.

“Okay, you can stay up for a bit” Jeff tells him, helping him into one of the chairs, watching him carefully as he grasps the arm of the chair trying to hide the sharp pains in his back, he wants to help but its time Gordon learned his own lessons from his own mistakes. Besides if he does bust his stitches Virgil can sew him back up again!

“When are we doing presents?” Alan asks. He has been trying hard to resist the ever-growing pile under the tree, which is now even bigger than the original pile as Lady Penelope has been adding her own in.

“After lunch, which Grandma has been cooking for the last forty-eight hours, so should be suitably cremated by now” Jeff replies with an evil grin, one that is usually found on Gordon’s face.

Alan is starting to doubt that he will ever get Christmas presents this year as it is now the day before New Years, any minute now his father will announce that he has to wait until his birthday for them! That is if Grandma hasn’t poisoned them all by then.

“Dinner is ready” Grandma announces, coming up from the kitchen an hour and a half later.

Gordon is asleep, using Virgil as a pillow. Alan is still sitting by the presents, which Scott sits next to him so that he doesn’t try and run away with them. John is sitting by Jeff’s desk with Jeff as they read through a report from the GDF regarding the rebuilding of the Hex prison to keep the Hood in, as far away from society they can get without banishing him to the Oort Cloud.

“Come on Squid, you need to eat to regain your strength” Virgil says, gently nudging him awake, and helping him down to the kitchen.

The main table has been set for eleven, with a small card on each plate with names on so that they know where to sit.

There is a silk table cloth which has been hand painted with little Christmas decorations. Lady Penelope has bought Christmas crackers over from England, and in no time at all everyone is wearing a paper hat and telling terrible jokes.

Alan’s favourite is:

What athlete is warmest during winter?

A long jumper.

Gordon’s is:

Who delivers presents to sharks at Christmas?

Santa Jaws.

Jeff’s is something that he wishes was a thing in real life!

What's a parent's favourite Christmas carol?

Silent Night!

Virgil’s is:

Who is Santa’s favourite singer?

Elf-is Presley

John tries not to find any of the jokes funny and sits in stoic silence, but even he starts to laugh at how bad the jokes are.

Which Christmas carol is about an animal with three legs?

Little Wonkey

Even though that’s not how you spell wonky, it still makes him laugh.

Scott’s is:

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?

Tinselitis.

Well he has spent most of his life trying to stop Alan from doing just that!

Once everyone has stopped telling jokes, Grandma brings out a large silver covered dish, and everyone takes a deep breath to prepare themselves for what is about to be unveiled. Grandma Tracy is a notoriously bad cook, so why she keeps doing it, nobody knows!

Jeff tentatively takes the lid off to reveal the charred remnants of the old tree.

“Well, it was already cooked so I thought I would save a lot of time and effort and just reheat it. Plastic is good for you” Grandma insists.

“Mom?” Jeff says, raising one eyebrow, and looking over at his mother. Surely she can’t be serious.

“Mrs Tracy?” the mechanic adds. He is laughing. This has been the most unconventional Christmas he has ever been a part off. Nothing that they spent months carefully planning worked out how they were expecting. So why try for a traditional Christmas dinner?

“Okay fine! Come with me, all of you?” Grandma replies starting up the stairs to the lounge and out the main doors by the pool.

Where a second equally beautifully laid table is waiting for them, this one has eleven plates of perfectly cooked food. All of their favourites. The table is straining with the weight of the nut roast, potatoes, carrots, peas, parsnips, broccoli, and boats of steaming gravy. There are several bottles of wine in ice buckets around the table, and in the middle is the centre piece the boys made years ago their last Christmas they had their mom for. Before that they made a new one every year, but once they lost her, it never felt right to keep on making a new one, knowing that she would never be able to see them.

“When did you do this?” Gordon asks in awe.

“I didn’t” Grandma replies.

“I did” The mechanic replies. “I wanted to give something back to you all. You saved my life and helped me find a purpose. A real purpose. Because of you I am finally free”

“It looks to good to eat” Lady Penelope says with a smile.

“Speak for yourself, I’m starving!” Alan replies, picking up a potato with his fingers and shoving it whole into his mouth. “Argh! Hot! Hot! Hot!” he gags, trying to swallow the potato while he downs a small glass of wine.

“I am sorry, he is a work in progress!” Scott replies, kicking him under the table. Alan’s only reply is to poke his tongue out at Scott, but he does pick up his knife and fork and start to eat properly.

Eleven people make short work of the food and there is very little left over. Jeff can feel the buckle of his belt straining against his stomach, as he pats it appreciatively.

“This has been the weirdest ever Christmas, but I liked it” Virgil says, leaning back in his chair and letting the early afternoon sun warm his face.

They know soon that their vacation will be over, and that they will have back-to-back rescues once more and moments like this will feel like a distant memory.

“Is it really?” John replies. “Gordon caused chaos, and got hurt. Seems like a normal day in the life of international rescue to me!”

“Hey! I don’t always cause chaos!” Gordon replies indignantly.

“That’s true. Sometimes he’s asleep” Scott confirms.

Gordon throws a left-over roast potato at Scott, which misses and hits his father.

“Oh you are such a dead squid!” Jeff tells him with a malicious grin on his face, as he picks up his spoon and piles on left-over peas and launches them at Gordon.

“FOOD FIGHT!” Alan yells in delight.

In less than a minute, everyone is covered in food, and everyone is laughing. Lady Penelope and Gordon have teamed up with Virgil, Scott, the mechanic and Parker and are launching an attack on Alan, John and Jeff, Grandma and Brains.

Once all the remaining food has been consumed Virgil picks Alan up and dumps him in the pool. “Time for a bath Allie” He says with a grin.

“Ugh Virgil!” Alan splutters coming up for air.

Gordon, despite the pool ban by his doctor dives straight in after Alan, ignoring the pain and gently swimming a few laps.

“Come on in, the water’s lovely and warm” he insists.

So they do. All fully dressed. They jump in and join Alan and Gordon and the food fight becomes a water fight, until the sun starts to go down and the water gets chilly, then they retreat to the house for some clean, dry clothes.

Virgil and Grandma march Gordon to the infirmary to make sure that he has not caused any further damage to his back, and replace the soggy dressing with a new one and they gather once again in the living room.

“This has been the best Christmas ever, and I didn’t even open a single present” Alan announces.

The mechanic smiles. It has been his best ever Christmas too, and he hopes that they invite him next year too.

“Oh that’s good because the presents around the tree are empty boxes” Scott tells him.

“They are not, I checked” Alan replies.

“Did you now?” Jeff laughs.

“Erm. No” Alan replies, sheepishly.

Jeff puts him out of his misery and finally lets him open his gifts!

*TB*

There is only one left now, a small gift box, addressed to the whole family from the mechanic.

Alan opens the box and removes a piece of blank paper and looks at it with confusion.

“Other side Alan!” Gordon tells him.

“Oh that’s better!” Alan reads the carefully composed words in silence before he reads them aloud.

“During the years I spent in the Hood’s captivity, I never imagined that life could ever be this enjoyable. I finally feel like I have found a real family, and I love being a part of international rescue. I wanted to give something back, so I give you the gift that I have not given to anyone else. Hardly anyone knows this secret, but I bequeath it too you. I am going to tell you all my real name”.

“You mean it isn’t Mechanic?” Gordon interrupts.

“No it isn’t! Let me finish” Alan replies.

“Okay!” Gordon says.

“My real name is…”

“Hugh Jass” Gordon guesses.

“GORDON!” Jeff warns.

“Sorry, carry on Alan” Gordon replies.

“My real name is…”

“Chris P Bacon”

“GORDON!” Jeff warns again.

“Then tell him to stop pausing, he keeps lining it up, you can’t blame me for guessing. I thought we were playing a game” Gordon replies, utterly unrepentant.

“Are you sure this is the one you’re in love with?” Grandma asks Lady Penelope.

Lady Penelope nods indulgently. This is the one she is in love with!

“My real name is Paul” Alan finally says. “I like it” he says to the Mechanic.

“Yeah, me too” Scott confirms.

Virgil nods and takes the Mechanic’s Christmas stocking down and takes a post it note from his father’s desk, writing Paul on the note, and covering up “mechanic”.

“Welcome to the family Paul” Jeff says, as they all stand up for a group hug.

This really has been the best Christmas ever.

And next year will be even bigger and even better, thinks Lady Penelope, holding onto her very own secret, gently patting her belly with a small smile.

36 notes · View notes

gordonthegreatesttracy · 4 months

Text

Oh no! Poor me 🥺. I’m just happy that Betty is safe! Thank you for my gift 🎁

From @gumnut-logic

From @gumnut-logic to @gordonthegreatesttracy

Prompts:

Gordon Tracy - living legend, the true story of my Olympic triumph as told by me!

The worst day of Gordon's life.

Stranded on a dessert (not a typo! Bring on the cake) island.

It's not obvious which prompts are making it in because this is just part one of four. Christmas lead up was totally insane so the rest will have to follow after. I hope you enjoy this part in any case ::hugs::

Oh, and language warning. Gordon gets ticked off.

-o-o-o-

Gordon crossed his arms and flipped out of Thunderbird Four, into the dark depths of the Southern Ocean.

The underwater observatory was little more than a shadow at these depths. The South-west Australian continental shelf was a threatening cliff disappearing both above and below.

Gordon might have been miffed at the siting of the habitat, but these were his kind of people - marine scientists delving into multiple lines of enquiry, from pollution through to shark migration in the Leeuwin Marine Ecoregion.

As he swam closer, his headlamps lit up external sensor equipment equivalent to the average aquanaut’s dream. Thunderbird Four was, of course, far superior, but this…this was seriously cool stuff.

Too bad it had no power.

Likely had something to do with the massive boulder sitting on top of half the structure.

“Thunderbird Two, we have containment breach. Looks like a nasty landslide. Poke Johnny and see if there might be any aftershocks? I don’t feel like being pancaked. Check for tsunami threat, too.” He scanned the airlock and found it working and secure. Good. A good, old fashioned wrench with his hands and the lock creaked open.

“FAB, Thunderbird Four. Five is way ahead of you. Quake epicentre has been located and John is monitoring. No tsunami threat at this time.”

“Thank you, Thunderbird Two. I am entering the habitat now.” He sighed with relief when the automatic pumps kicked in and drained the airlock and released the far door. They had emergency power at least. The tension in his shoulders relaxed just a little. At this depth, any power was a sign of hope.

The lack of communication was still a major worry. Johnny had not been happy at all. Worse, he had trouble getting any lifesign readings. Gordon was going in expecting the worst.

He thumbed his external comms as retracted his flippers and he stepped into a deserted, poorly lit hallway. “Seabold, do you read?”

The same silence that Two had received on approach. All Five had was a single shout for help and then nothing.

“Anyone, Seabold Observatory, can anyone hear me? International Rescue, responding to your call.”

Left or right? Dull strip lighting went both ways. He pulled up the base plans on his HUD. Command was to the left.

So he went left.

It was eerie. Windows were few and far between and the darkness, likely broken by strong external lighting on a non-disaster day, was oppressive and unrevealing.

And there was no-one.

“I repeat, anyone aboard Seabold, do you hear me?”

“I hear you! Oh, thank god!” And there was suddenly a guy just there, in Gordon’s face.

The aquanaut yelped and jumped back a step.

“International Rescue? You’re here to save us?” A helmet hid their face and the emergency yellow of their drysuit obscured any identification.

But Gordon was a professional. Yes, yes he was. “Yes, we’re here to help. How many of you are there?”

“Four in total. This way!” The figure turned and ran, leading him down the dark hallway.

Gordon followed at pace. Only four? There were supposed to be almost fifty. Gordon had been following this project in his journals. It was a fantastic venture. He had intended to see if he could visit sometime, maybe take Sam or even Penelope. She would have loved this project.

“Only four?”

“Fortunately, it’s Christmas. Just about everyone is on leave. If it wasn’t for Mary, we would have left with the rest of them.”

They turned a last corner and hurried through an open airlock and into a large room.

There was no doubt this was command. A good-sized window leaked darkness on one side, and on the other…there were three survivors huddled around a console.

“Mary! International Rescue are here to save us!” Two of them looked up, hope in their eyes. None of the three had their helmets on, though they were clearly in their emergency suits. The third was fully focussed on the control panel before her. “Mary!”

“Not until we release Betty.” She punched a few buttons, glaring at the console as if to set it on fire.

“Betty? Who’s Betty?” So five rescuees.

Mary, a dark woman, almost as dark as the ocean outside, glared at him. “I’m not leaving Betty. It’s our fault she is here.” The bulkheads above them creaked as if in warning.

Okay, they needed to start moving. “I repeat, who is Betty?”

The helmeted figure beside him animated. “A great white shark.”

Gordon blinked. “You have a great white shark captive?” Was that even possible?

“Not captive.” Mary was glaring at her instrumentation. “She’s was only supposed to be in the pen for a matter of minutes, enough for a tag and GPS relay. If this damned rock hadn’t…goddamnit!” She thumped the console. “There’s no power!”

Gordon’s lips thinned. “Show me.”

Mary looked up and frowned at him a moment before waving him over. “She’s there. On the far side of the complex. The pens escaped damage, but their power has been cut.” She grabbed his arm. “If we leave her, she will die. She can’t get out.”

Gordon was doing calculations in his head. “Thunderbird Five, I need to know the power requirements for the facility’s pens.” Before John could ask him what the hell he was talking about, he threw him a scan of the details on the console.

Pens weren’t in the original plans for this project.

Moments later Eos returned the numbers he needed. Yes, if he plugged Four in to this port, spliced a few wires to give John access to these systems, they should be able to get the gates open.

“Okay, we’ve got this. We’ll rescue Betty. But first I need you four in Four.”

Four puzzled looks.

“My Thunderbird, we need to get you out of here.”

“I’m not leaving Betty.” Mary’s stance rooted to the floor.

“Mary, you have my word that I will do my upmost best to free Betty.” He put everything into communicating his sincerity. “I promise.”

“If she stops swimming she will drown.”

“I know, there’s a qualified marine biologist under all this rescue equipment. I get it, I do. But you’re first.”

For a moment he feared she might refuse, but… “You can do this?”

“I can, but I need you safe first and we’re wasting time.”

Her eyes closed as if in prayer for the briefest of moments. Under her breath, “Okay.”

“Are you the only four aboard?”

A single nod as she reached for her helmet. “The rest are on Christmas leave. The four of us stayed back to shut the base down. We were supposed to depart tomorrow, but then Betty turned up and it was the perfect opportunity…until the quake.”

He gathered the four of them like ducklings, each fastening helmets as they moved. Mary looked back at the console one more time, but was then all business. “I’m the leader of the expedition. She gestured as they moved down the dark corridor towards the airlock Gordon had used earlier. “That’s Joseph, Joshua and Ralph…” She pointed to the tall, helmeted man who had initially startled Gordon. “He’s our deep dive specialist.”

Didn’t hurt to know that. Gordon approved. A small smile in her direction before they finally reached the airlock. Fortunately, it was big enough for all of them at once and checking individual equipment at speed, Gordon was grateful to get a comms connection with all of them. The lack of contact prior still sat eerily in the back of his mind, but it would have to wait. In any case, when the outer door was cranked open and they were freed to the sea, Gordon only felt relief.

Four sat not far off, her lights and brilliant yellow glow a beacon in the darkness.

For once, there were no rescuees sporting any injuries, and this was a group of professionals in their element. Definitely his kind of people.

“Thunderbird Two, I have four rescuees. We are returning to Four. There is a fifth rescuee who needs attention before we surface.” Did Virgil need to know he was rescuing a great white shark?

“FAB, Thunderbird Four. Any injuries?”

“None reported.” With all four aboard, he activated the pumps that would drain the airlock. His heart beat to the throb of his ‘bird at work.

As the inner airlock opened, he gestured a little grandly. “Welcome aboard Thunderbird Four, best little sub on the planet. Please keep your helmets on for safety. We will get underway shortly, but first we need to go save Betty.” A smile and he caught Mary staring at him. He gestured again. “Please take a seat and secure yourselves.”

He eyed them as they locked themselves in. Once set, he flipped himself into his cockpit and with a flex of his wrists, launched them off the ledge.

Four’s spots broke up the darkness as he darted nimbly around the partially destroyed habitat. They lit up crumpled living quarters and…his sensors spat static for a moment before clearing again. “What the hell?”

He didn’t have time to think twice as the pens abruptly came into view. It became very clear why the setup was not on the original plans. They were obviously jury-rigged, a collection of giant cages.

In one of them a huge shark was swimming in circles.

Under his breath, he cursed. “Mary, what the hell are you doing out here?” He flicked his comms. “Thunderbird Five, are you getting this?”

“Affirmative, Thunderbird Four. Recording.” The frown in John’s voice was satisfying to hear.

“Keep at it, Five. I need to go save me a shark.”

“Gordon?”

“Got one more rescue. Won’t take a moment.” And it shouldn’t. He brought Four around and activating one of her arms, pulled up her external connector and plugged her into the system. “Five, you should have control.”

“Receiving.” That frown in John’s voice was getting deeper.

“Can you release the hatch?”

“Working.”

It was Gordon’s turn to frown.

“It’s receiving and acknowledging commands but I can’t get a positive response. Give me a moment. Eos, could you please give me a hand?”

Gordon waited, staring up at the trapped shark. Stats on the vulnerabilities of great whites spun through his head. No-one had ever managed to keep one of the huge hunters in captivity, much less in such a confined space for an extended period of time. Getting her out was a major priority. He could understand why Mary was so…determined.

“I’m sorry, Four, response is negative. We can’t get the hatch open.”

He had already done the calculations. Four was too big to fit between the tangle of cables and cages.

“FAB, Thunderbird Five. I’m on it.”

“Gordon, that is a very large shark-“

“Yeah, isn’t she beautiful?”

Virgil cut into the conversation. Gordon had been wondering at which point he would get the predictable mother-henning on the issue. “Gordon, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving someone who needs help.” Holding up his arms and leaning forward, he triggered the command for his exo-suit. The robotics unfolded from the cabin walls, fastening the selected kit to his drysuit. A moment later, he crossed his arms and flipped out backwards through his airlock.

As always, the water welcomed him. A swift kick with the ultra-long flippers and he was flying towards the cage.

“Gordon, I don’t like this.”

“Calm down, big bro. Betty’s cool, aren’t you girl?” Floating outside of the cage he was dismayed to discover that he hadn’t been quick enough to prevent injury. Betty’s snout appeared to have borne several impacts with the cage bars. Goddamnit, Mary, what were you thinking?!

“It’s okay, lovely, we’ll get you out.” Balling his right fist, Gordon deployed his laser sword. Well, Brains called it a U-cutter, but ‘laser sword’ was so many kinds of cooler.

The metal bars holding the gate didn’t stand a chance.

Steam boiled off his cutter and he was ever thankful for the exo-suit’s extra protection. A slash or two and the gate fell away. He retracted his sword.

And was faced with the sharp end of a very agitated great white shark.

There was only a split second of realisation before Betty swooped past in a panic, her pectoral fin catching him and throwing him into a spin chaotic enough he couldn’t avoid her tail.

He had one moment of gratitude of being missed by her mouth only to receive a solid whack to his mid-section which sent him flying. Before he could curse himself for being too stupid to move out of the way fast enough, he slammed into another of the cages and something in his back…

…cracked.

Fuck.

His body locked up in pain, the focus radiating out from his lower back, up his spine and around his ribcage.

Oh god.

He couldn’t move. Everything hurt oh so much. A litany of profanity bounced around in his head.

Fortunately, Betty didn’t seem to care. She didn’t even look back as she darted out past Thunderbird Four and into the darkness.

Gordon began to drift in her wake.

Fuck.

The water pushed him deeper into the mess of pens and all their connecting cables.

Okay, calm. You are fine. You’ve worked through this before.

Just not in the middle of a rescue.

His shoulder brushed up against one of the cages and his back flared. He cried out.

Goddamnit! Now was not the time for tears in his eyes. They blurred his vision and he couldn’t rub his face.

“Gordon?” Virgil’s voice was worried.

“Hey, Virgil.” He did his best to keep the gasp out of his voice. His medic brother had sixth, seventh and eighth sense when it came to injury.

“Thunderbird Four, report your status.”

Shit.

“All good. Just taking a moment.” How much could his brothers read off his suit sensors? Did Virgil have a ‘Gordon has triggered his long-term spinal injury and is in some serious pain’ indicator amongst all those buttons on his dash?

No. His brother had probably just noticed his lack of movement.

Movement.

Movement would be nice.

And a warm bath.

A bucket of medication wouldn’t hurt.

He was still drifting away from Thunderbird Four. Now was not the time to regret not including his propulsion unit with his exo-suit this time. He really hadn’t had to swim very far to reach Betty. Not far at all.

But now Thunderbird Four was so, so far away.

He couldn’t stay here.

“Gordon, what’s wrong?” Virgil’s voice was soft and the ever-caring big brother, despite the mission at hand.

“I’m good. Betty has been released.” And? Virgil didn’t need to ask for Gordon to know the next question. “Heading back to Thunderbird Four now.”

“FAB, Thunderbird Four.”

Was Virgil convinced? Gordon hoped so. If he couldn’t get out of this stupid predicament...

His slow drift brushed him up against another cage, but before he could collide with it proper, his fingers wrapped around a bar and he brought his drift to a halt.

Pain flashed through him. Shit.

Harsh breathing and the pumping blood in his ears.

Four so far away.

Fuck.

-o-o-o-

TBC

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