THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO:

THE UNKINDEST OF GHOSTS

WRITTEN BY ZARIUS

(contains spoilers for "Ghost Ship")

Alan and John had to face the music as Thunderbird 3 rocketed far past Eden and back to Thunderbird 5, for they'd just been outed.

Both had admitted to each other they were scared of ghosts, both had promised not to tell either Scott or Kayo, yet who would surprise them on the communications system but those two, their arms folded, their eyebrows raised in curiosity.

The two had tried to hide behind some courageous facade, attempting to block out the looks the two were giving them.

John ultimately decided to avoid a conversation entirely by feigning sleep. The ploy worked a little too well, and he ended up nodding off for real, leaving Alan all alone against Kayo and Scott's judgements.

"I think I'll leave you two to discuss the bogey-men, I'll let the sleeping dog lie, I'd hate to spring a scare on him in this state, he looks really out of it" said Scott, and cut himself off from Alan, leaving Kayo's hologram on the com.

"So you were never planning on telling me?" Kayo said, her right hand placed firmly on her right hip, her striking eyes compelling Alan to tremble slightly, he was anxious to change the subject.

"Come on Alan, spill, I'm curious, and it's just between us" she persisted.

"Yeah, but what if he wakes up?" Alan said.

"You know John, he'll be active again once he's secure in his nest, you'll be there in next to no time, and I want you to make time for this" she continued.

Alan hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement. He slowed down the impulse power on Thunderbird 3's propulsion engine, allowing the ship to settle into a smoother, slower cruise.

Time enough to tell Kayo everything.

"Yeah, I suppose it's nothing too trivial, it's just...all those horror movies we watched as kids, even the ones Dad told us not to watch but Grandma let us anyway, they sort of lingered long in the mind afterwards" he said.

"Are you sure it's just the films that freaked you out?" she said.

"Well, there was that one time you let out this blood-curdling scream while dressed in a sheet at Halloween for a play we were putting on" Alan continued

Kayo giggled, "I remember that, I think it may have been the first time you uttered your first profanity"

"Really? What was it?" said Alan.

"Oh Alan, I'd dare not taint your memories of childhood bliss with the big bad words of the grown ups" Kayo teased.

"Hey, I'm a big boy now" he said.

"Then why the need to feel frightened all over again? Is there anything you're not telling me there?" she asked.

"Yeah, I suppose what really brought it all back to the surface was all those stories I heard of what they wanted to do with Eden if it'd been a success...taking all those people away from the Earth, their home, into uncharted corners of space. Who's to say they would ever have seen their families again? They'd be missed, a lot, but then you'd become distant elephants to them, you'd never forget, but you could never reach out to them, let them know you were alright, or happy, or that you're still loved...we'd be nothing but the unkindest of ghosts after a while. The ones you hear about in myths and tall tales are almost always based on Earth, they can haunt you, but you'd know exactly where you stand with them, you'd know where they passed, so you know where you can make peace with their spirits, you know where you can lay your ghosts to rest"

"Worst?" Kayo spoke, "Alan, being so distant a reminder leads to so many things besides the faint sting of nostalgia and lost days, it can inspire people to keep looking for those who left them behind, or find a way to keep anyone else they cherish from drifting away. Either way, the kindness doesn't abandon either side, it travels alongside them. Always."

Alan smiled.

"You always know how to bring me home when I'm as distant as those elephants" he said.

"You want to catch a movie when you get back? I was thinking the one about Dumbo" she said.

"Crass one Kayo" Alan joked, before cutting Kayo off and, his nerves calmed, gently allowing Thunderbird 3 to carry him and the snoozing John home from their taxing ordeal.