~#~ (Chapter 100)

Discussions took place between Alan, Gordon, Scott, Jeff and John over the locating of Rosie's ashes within Lucille's clearing. As Jeff had expected, neither Alan nor Gordon had objected to the idea and everyone agreed to not mention it to Virgil until it was absolutely necessary.

~#~

Several weeks later, Jeff received a call from Penelope telling him that Rosie's memorial stone had been delivered to her home in Foxleyheath. She told Jeff that Parker had unwrapped it, checked the photograph and inscription and then rewrapped it and placed it within one of the stately home's many garages.

Jeff called Scott into his office to discuss how best to collect the stone even though he knew that by far the quickest and easiest way of getting it to the island was with Thunderbird 2. Virgil was unlikely to let anyone else pilot Two and Scott realised, with a sigh, that he was finally going to have to speak to his sensitive middle brother and explain about what was going to be happening in the clearing.

~#~

Scott bided his time for a couple of days until Virgil seemed in a particularly mellow mood. He had Grandma make up a picnic and then persuaded the artist to go for a walk with him so that they could talk without being overheard.

Virgil was instantly put on alert by Scott's somewhat unusual behaviour but went along with him anyway. The pair walked a fair distance around the island to a little cove that they often frequented when either one of the other was sick, injured or upset. Scott laid out a blanket on the soft, dry sand, threw himself down on it and motioned for Virgil to do the same.

Virgil shrugged and lay down on the right hand side of his brother. The pair remained there for a few long minutes. Scott lay on his back staring up at the sky and Virgil watched as a myriad of emotions run across his face. Several times, Scott opened his mouth to speak only to frown and clamp it shut again and Virgil was left wondering whether his brother was actually going to get out whatever it was that he wanted to say. He jumped slightly when, a couple of minutes later, Scott suddenly rolled over, propped himself up on one elbow and started talking.

Scott quietly explained how Jeff had taken John to Lucille's clearing and how he had suggested that John might like to set up a permanent memorial there for Rosie. He explained how he and Jeff had approached 'the kids' and that they had agreed to John putting a second stone in the ante-clearing that the missing tree had left. Virgil pursed his lips slightly when he realised that everyone else had been consulted with the exception of himself but eventually had to acknowledge that they had only had his interests at heart and admitted that he would have probably become upset during the decision-making process anyway.

He nudged Scott back down onto his back and rolled until he was leaning tightly against his side. Quietly he listened as Scott told him how John, with a lot of help from Jeff, had ordered a stone to compliment the one already in the clearing. Scott explained that the stone had since been completed and delivered to Penelope and Virgil let out a small chuff of laughter when Scott revealed that they needed to use Thunderbird 2 to bring it back to the island.

"All the fretting you've been doing for the past half hour has been purely because you didn't know how I was going to react, wasn't it?" he asked. "You didn't know how I'd react to the mention of the clearing, you didn't know how I'd respond to your suggestion that someone else took Thunderbird 2 to Penny's…basically you were either expecting me to blow up or shut down. Well, which was it?"

Scott let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, rolled back onto his side and hugged Virgil tightly. "I should know better than try and pre-empt what you're going to do," he laughed. "Throwing Thunderbird 2 into the mix was always going to potentially alter the outcome of the conversation anyway. You're going to insist on taking her yourself, aren't you?"

Virgil nodded against his brother's chest. "Of course," he replied. "I mean, who else would I trust with her?"

"You trusted Alan with her not all that long ago," Scott responded with a grin. "Oh wait, you didn't, did you? You entrusted her to Brains' tender ministrations and he handed her over to Alan without asking you first. You're not still sore about that, are you?"

Virgil had the sense to look abashed. "No," he admitted. "I had more important things on my mind at the time. Such as the physical state of your head and…"

"…the mental state of Gordon's," Scott finished. "Although I think you'll find that we both improved after a decent nap…or two, on Gordon's part."

"Your part too," Virgil reminded him. "Anyway, I don't really have a problem with Brains handing Two over to Alan for the flight back. It's not something I would have done by choice but Dad watched them come home and said that Two came in smoothly. He told me there was no obvious indication that I wasn't flying her, apart from the fact that he could see Alan through the window."

Scott jiggled Virgil slightly. "But you still don't want him flying her to Penny's," he pointed out. "Do you?"

Virgil grinned. "Nope. I'll go and get the stone, just as long as you don't expect me to do more than hover over the clearing once I get back here. I'm not…" Virgil stopped and breathed in heavily. "I won't be going up there myself, Scott. You know that…right?"

Scott nodded and hugged his brother tighter. "I know," he murmured. "Hovering above will be just fine. I'm guessing that, at the very least, Johnny, Dad and myself will be there to direct the stone into place and I think I'd rather it was you supporting it than anyone else. Apparently it's not quite as big as Mama's stone but it's still a sizeable chunk of rock. John wants to put the ashes in the ground beneath the stone itself so it's going to be a precision piece of placement on your part. Are you up for the challenge?"

Virgil rested his forehead against the soft threads of Scott's shirt for a moment and then nodded. "A slow, precision drop of a large rock onto a small and very specific spot," he said quietly. "Without flattening anyone on the ground below. I can do that…at least I can with Two. I wouldn't like to try it with anything other than Two…anything else at all."

Scott's stomach let out a grumble and he chuckled. "I'm glad we've got that settled. The picnic was a diversion, if you hadn't guessed. It's a diversion that requires eating though. We wouldn't want all Grandma's hard work to go to waste. Now would we?"

Virgil shook his head. "No," he agreed, pulling himself out of Scott's embrace and reaching for the basket. "And we might as well make the most of it while there's just the two of us. There's been neither time nor a reason for coming out here recently."

Scott waved his right arm in a helpless gesture. "In a way that's a good thing," he pointed out. "…but I know what you mean. There's been little enough time for anything quiet, private or whatever recently. If you don't include our hiding out in my room together, I mean."

Virgil held out a plastic tub full of small, cherry tomatoes. "That doesn't count," he replied. "That was convalescence. This is quiet…restive…"

"This was needed," Scott finished before popping a tomato into his mouth and then leaning over to grab a sandwich for himself and handing one to Virgil. "Eat."

~#~

The next rescue call was received the following afternoon. Alan, who was manning 5b at the time, contacted Jeff who then gathered everyone together in front of his desk.

"Scott, swap with Alan," he ordered. "Brains hasn't cleared you to fly yet so Alan will be taking One for us today. John, you can join him if you wish." Jeff paused for a moment when he realised that Alan was looking out from his portrait with a hurt expression on his face. "Scott I mean, John. You can join Scott, not Alan. Alan, I need you to get yourself ready. When your brothers get down there I want you up here pretty much immediately."

Scott looked over at John who was perched on the arm of one of the sofas with a contented-looking Jacob in his arms. The blonde shrugged, hurried across the room and the three disappeared downstairs.

~#~

A grinning Alan appeared a couple of minutes later. He walked across the room, clutched hold of Scott's candleholders and quickly span back out of sight again. A short time later the tell-tale rumble of the pool rolling back was heard and a moment after that Jeff gave Thunderbird 1 permission to launch.

Once Alan was underway, Jeff nodded to Virgil who leant against his rocket picture and disappeared down into the bowels of the island. Gordon followed via the passenger lift and a moment later Jeff and Tin-Tin were alone.

"Well, Mr Tracy, that's another rescue underway," Tin-Tin murmured. "Would you like some coffee?"

~#~

Later that week, Virgil and Thunderbird 2 were on their way to Lady Penelope's to collect the stone. Virgil landed Two in her allocated spot in one of the more secluded, tree lined paddocks behind the house. He and Parker carefully covered the large green craft with camouflage netting and then the pair made their way inside.

Virgil made his way to the sitting room and, upon entering the room, found himself enveloped in a tight, delicately-fragrant hug. "It's been far too long since you last came to visit me," Penny scolded him gently. "I've seen everyone else recently, albeit Gordon was only briefly, but I haven't seen you at all. How have you been keeping? How is Scott's shoulder and what do you think of your new little nephew?"

Virgil returned the hug and let a warm chuff of laughter flow against Penny's neck. "Whoa, whoa, calm yourself," he replied. "I'm fine and so is Scott, pretty much anyway. Dad had him manning 5b while Gordon, Alan and I were out the other day. That was…interesting, to say the least. I think the only saving grace was that Alan didn't have a working Mobile Control on site while Scott was ordering everyone around from the island. I can see why Dad did what he did, in regards to sending Alan out and putting Scott downstairs but…well, they kind of both wanted to be in charge which was…well, I said 'interesting' before and I think I'm just going to stick with that."

Penny let out a giggle and gently pulled herself out of the hug. She held Virgil at arm's length and studied him. "You're looking good," she said quietly. "Island life's been treating you well recently. I can tell. So, pray tell, what do you think of little Jacob. He's a dear little thing, isn't he?"

Virgil's forehead wrinkled up as he grinned. "He sure is," he agreed. "Got a good set of lungs on him though and he's perfectly capable of letting you know when he's not happy about something. He likes it down in 5b, just like his dad, he doesn't like the rescue alarm going off in the middle of the night and…oh, yeah, he loves…and by that I mean he absolutely adores, Gordon."

"Your father said something to that effect too," Penny replied with a nod. "It seems that Gordon's found something of a kindred spirit in that little boy. Has John let him take him in the pool yet?"

Virgil shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "…but I don't think so. I know John's promised Gordon that he can but I think he wants to be there when it happens. I'm sure we wouldn't have heard the end of it if it had so I think we can safely say it hasn't."

Penny nodded. "That makes sense. Now, would you like a drink after your flight? I believe Lillian has been baking in advance of your arrival. If I'm right she's probably gone completely overboard as usual and I'm sure she'll keep going while you're here to make sure you can take something nice home for everyone on the island."

~#~

Knowing the strong bond between Penny and Virgil, Jeff had arranged for the artist to stay in England for a few days. The standard agreement for anyone visiting Penny in their birds was that if their machine was needed for a rescue then they would set out from England and meet up with the others whenever or wherever they were required. Two had set out from the island with both the Mole and the Firefly tucked safely inside it. These were the two most commonly used pod vehicles, followed, much to Gordon's continual grumblings, by Thunderbird 4.

Luckily the world stayed quiet so the sensitive, chestnut-haired Tracy was able to spend a couple of slow, quiet days filled with civilised company, good food and intelligent, stimulating conversation. John would have enjoyed himself but Gordon, Scott or Alan would have been climbing the walls to get out after less than a day. The slow, leisurely pace of life within the mansion was more than they could handle but was just what the mild-mannered Virgil needed on occasion.

~#~

A couple of days later, Parker helped Virgil to load Rosie's stone into Thunderbird 2. Virgil released the clips for the pod and raised the huge green ship up onto her legs, leaving the pod sitting on the ground beneath. He opened the pod door and motioned for Parker to wheel the pallet truck containing the stone up the ramp.

Parker stopped, just beyond the door and whistled as he looked around. "H'it looks like you've packed h'a little something to cover just h'about any h'eventuality," he commented. "H'although h'it is nice to realise that you got to stay h'a while without being called h'out. 'Er ladyship does so h'enjoy your visits."

Virgil blushed slightly and nodded. "I enjoy them too, Parker," he replied as he stepped up behind the butler, stopped and looked upwards. Two was still covered with her camouflage netting, way in the air above him and the netting hung down below the body of the ship like the canopy of a tropical rainforest. "Don't worry, baby," he said softly. "We'll get you back in the air soon enough. It's been a nice break but it'll be good to get home."

Parker smiled gently to himself but remained quiet as Virgil turned back toward him. The pair soon had the stone stashed securely inside one of the massive containers that were bolted to the floor of the pod. Virgil went inside to say his goodbyes to Penny and very soon he, and Two, were underway and heading back home.

~#~

When Virgil radioed the island to say that he was about to leave, the rest of the Tracy household was eating breakfast. Jeff left the table to speak to him, wished him well and then returned to tell the others that their brother would be getting back just after lunch.

The family finished their meal and started to leave the table. John handed Jacob over to Ruth so that she could give him a bath and then disappeared silently into the house. Scott and Jeff watched him go and then looked at one another with matching, concerned expressions on their faces.

Things were quiet until, a couple of hours later when Jeff entered his office and found the bottom drawer of his desk ajar. He pulled the drawer fully open, discovered that Rosie's casket of ashes was missing and immediately became concerned. His all-out bellow for Scott reverberated around the house and was quickly responded to by Scott, Gordon, Alan, Tin-Tin and, just a moment after his daughter, Kyrano.

Scott slid into the room a moment after Gordon and groaned at the now-open, empty drawer. "Where is she?" he asked. "No, more to the point, where is he and what's he done with her?"

"Who?" Alan asked quietly. "What's going on?" The youngest Tracy boy frowned and looked from his father to Scott and then around the room. His frown cleared when he realised that one of his brothers was missing and he nodded. "John?" he asked. "He's not here but then neither is the baby. Brains is downstairs so they've got no need to be down there but…" Alan looked across the room at Gordon, only to see his next-eldest brother looking as confused as himself. "Can someone explain what's going on. What's with the drawer? What's it got to do with John?" He gripped Tin-Tin's hand. "…and just who is 'she'?"

Scott sighed loudly. "'She' is…or was…Rosie, Al. She was in the drawer to keep her safe and out of Johnny's immediate field of vision. I would hazard a guess that, sometime just after breakfast, our newly-grounded spaceman picked the lock of the desk and absconded with her. At least that's what I kind of hope has happened. Otherwise there's someone on the island that's made off with the pair of them...and that just doesn't bear thinking about."

Jeff rolled his eyes and then bent down and gently slid the drawer closed. He leaned down and pressed one of the buttons on the panel on his desk. "Brains," he said softly. "I have a pretty good idea but could you tell us where John is at the moment please."

There was a pause before Brains informed Jeff that John was in the clearing. He was alone and apparently unmoving although Brains confirmed that all his vital-signs were showing up as normal.

"Thanks, Brains," Jeff replied. "That's where I guessed he'd be. I'll take it from here."

Brains signed off the link and Jeff shook his head. "Gordon, Alan," he said. "Tin-Tin, Kyrano, thanks for responding to my shout but you're all free to go. Be sure to let me know if anything comes up but, other than either an emergency or a rescue, please assume that Scott and myself…oh, and John of course, will be unavailable for the rest of the morning. Kyrano, I'd like either yourself or Onaha to keep an eye on Mother for me. Just make sure she's not tiring herself out too badly while she's looking after Jacob."

Kyrano nodded and headed out of the room, closely followed by Alan and Tin-Tin. Gordon hesitated for a moment but a nod from Scott soon had him moving away.

Jeff sighed loudly and sat down heavily on the edge of his desk. "Scott, I'm going to need you to help me with your brother. We have a few hours before Virgil gets back and we could do with getting him at least part-way straight again before then."

Scott nodded. "I know," he whispered softly. "I should have guessed he'd try something this morning. I was watching him when you told us that Virg was on his way and he obviously wasn't sure how to take the news. I would have rather he spoke to me before going off on his own," Scott sighed this time. "He's been better recently but the 'confiding in others' thing still doesn't come naturally to him."

Jeff shook his head. "It certainly doesn't," he agreed and then chuckled softly. "Apparently, neither does asking for a key. I'd have given him the darn thing if he'd have only asked me for it. He didn't need to resort to…to…" Jeff shrugged helplessly. "…breaking and entering."

Scott chuckled along with his father before turning serious again. "Shall we go and find him," he murmured. "…before that overly-active super-brain of his comes up with the next great idea that will mess with the rest of his head."

~#~

John wasn't immediately evident when Scott and Jeff pushed their way through the gate and into the clearing. The grass in the area where Rosie's stone was due to be placed had obviously been attacked with a shovel, spade or some another garden implement and the soil was churned up and disturbed.

"Oh John," Scott muttered quietly. "What have you been doing up here, all by yourself?" Slightly louder but still softly he called out, "Johnny, are you here?"

Jeff stood beside his son for a moment before the pair turned back towards the main clearing when a scuffling noise sounded behind them. There was a sniff, followed by a wet-sounding cough and eventually John's head appeared beside Lucille's stone.

"Hi," he murmured from his spot on the ground in the sheltered area behind the stone. "I…I buried her. Rosie, I mean. I had to do it before Virgil got back. I knew you would have tried to stop me…or at least said I couldn't do it alone but…well, I had to…I had…" John shrugged and then unsuccessfully tried to clear his throat which sent his chest into spasm and before he knew it John had Jeff behind him and Scott in front of him, trying to calm him down. I…I'm OK," he said eventually, sagging against Jeff's chest. "Just…a little out of breath."

Jeff nodded sadly. He carded his fingers through John's hair to free it from the salt trails on his face and then placed a gentle kiss on his son's sweaty forehead. "I wouldn't have tried to stop you," he said quietly. "But I would have told you not to do it alone. I would have hoped, after everything that's gone on in the past few months, that you would have come to realise that I…" He paused and looked over to Scott. "…we…we're here for you. No matter what happens, there'll always be someone there for you when you need them."

John let out a gentle cough and then froze in case it brought on another brutal coughing fit. A moment later, once he decided it was safe to move, he held his arm out to Scott who leant over and hugged him tightly.

~#~

Cocooned in the space between his father and his big brother, John finally relaxed. "Sorry," he murmured. "I know you're both here for me. I know everyone else is as well. Grandma, Virg, Alan, Gordon…"

"…Tin-Tin, Kyrano, Onaha and Brains," Scott continued softly. "…that's ten people straight of and that's only us lot on the island. There's more we could mention…out in the big wide world. There's Penny, Parker and Uncle Jo…oh, and at least two dozen women in the New York office that'd be more than willing to help you out with…well…anything, if you so much as snap your fingers."

Jeff's rumbling chuckle was felt by both his sons as he adjusted his grip on John so he could pull Scott into his arms as well. "That last one applies to all of you," he said, with another chuckle. "…not just John." He jostled John slightly. "You have a whole network of people behind you, willing to help out in any number of ways. If you need something, and I mean anything, then don't be afraid to ask. Even if it's only to ask everyone to go away and leave you alone. If you want people around you then that's what you'll have, if you want some alone time then you'll get that as well. If you want to be alone with Jacob then all well and good; if you want to sleep, rest or just have some quiet time without him then...just ask. Do you understand me?"

John nodded softly. "Yes," he whispered. "I understand. This…" he nodded vaguely towards the destroyed grass on the other side of the clearing. "…was something I had to do alone but yes, I appreciate that I should have told you where I was going and what I was intending to do. I…I just wanted…" He shrugged as his words petered to a stop and he sunk back down against the others.

~#~

Scott and Jeff helped John to tidy up the mess he'd made in the clearing. Between them the three men cleared the loose soil off the grass and found and relaid most of the turf that John had removed. They left the clearing looking as tidy as they could and then made their way back down to the house and disappeared into their separate bathrooms to wash up.

They eventually reappeared and met up with the rest of the family to eat lunch. Virgil disturbed the meal once again by calling in to report that he was thirty minutes away and then landed and walked into the room just in time for dessert.

~#~

No-one was in a rush to take the final step in placing Rosie's stone and allowed John to set a slow pace for the rest of the afternoon. Alan and Tin-Tin took their usual shift down in 5b which gave Brains time to go and tinker in his workshop. Virgil set about unloading and reloading the pods into their more usual configuration and, with the help of Scott and Gordon, got Rosie's stone unwrapped and loaded securely into the grabs underneath Thunderbird 2.

~#~

Early that evening, Jeff stepped out onto the sitting room balcony to speak to John. He had noticed that his son had been standing out there for a while and smiled when he realised that Jacob was clasped tightly against John's front. The little boy was facing outwards and was silently staring out across the ocean, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that was running through his father's mind.

Jeff cleared his throat to make John aware of his presence and then stepped forward and placed his hand on John's shoulder. "You've been out here a while," he said softly. "Is everything OK?"

John dragged his eyes away from the ocean and looked at his father. "Sunset," he murmured. "I want to do it at sunset. Would you be agreeable?"

Jeff shook his head. "I would," he replied. "…and I think it quite apt, if somewhat…poignant."

"It's…it's like the finishing of something. The…the ending, kind of," John stuttered. "I…I need to put this…that…Rosie…I need to put her behind me…in a way. I need to start looking forwards to what I've got rather than backwards to what I've lost. I…I need to move on. Do you get me?"

Jeff nodded. "And in the morning it shall be the start of a new day," he murmured. "Rosie will always be with you. She'll always be a part of your life but in…in a different way. Like…" Jeff stopped and shrugged.

"Like Mama," John finished softly and then leant back slightly until he was resting gently against Jeff. "Waiting together to meet us again…when our time here is finally done."