News for Scott

News for Scott

“Are you ok in there, honey?” Scott knocked on the bathroom door again. Kelly, his wife, had been in there for quite a while, and he didn’t like what he heard. “Kelly?”

A moment or so later the door opened and Kelly walked out, wiping her mouth. “I don’t feel so good.”

“You do look a bit off colour. Why don’t you go and lie down?”“I think I will.” She walked off towards the lounge of her mainland home.

Scott was visiting her for a while and she would be going out to the island eventually but for now, he had some vacation time to visit her. He watched her go, worrying.

“Is there anything you want, sweetheart?” he called out, jogging slightly to catch up.

“No, just some sleep.” She lay down on the couch and closed her eyes, leaving Scott feeling slightly helpless.

He wandered out to the kitchen and poured himself a drink then sat down wearily on the stairs. He would be going home tomorrow and the day after that he was actually going up to Thunderbird 5! How often did that happen! He sighed to himself. He didn’t want to leave yet, and he still had to tell Kelly.

A couple of hours later, Kelly woke up and looked around. She was on her own in the room until Scott walked in. She shook her head. ‘He always seems to know when I’m up!’

He walked over and sat at the end of the couch. “How you feeling now?”“Better, I guess.”“Good.” He smiled.“Come on, Scott. Spit it out.”“What?”“There’s something else, isn’t there?”“What makes you think that?”“I just know! Come on, tell me!”He sighed and took her hands. She looked down at his hands on hers and

smiled. Then, looking at his face, her smile faded. “I’ve got to go home tomorrow.”She sighed and pulled her hands from his grip. “I figured as much.”“Oh, Kelly, don’t be like that, I only found out myself today! It’s just that

John’s due to go back up to space, but he’s not feeling too good so I’m going in his place.”

Kelly shut her eyes and looked away, opening them to find some irrelevant object to look at instead of at him. “So, you’re gonna help you’re brother while he’s ill. What about me?”

He moved his hand and put a finger under her chin to gently turn her head back to face him. “I’m sorry, but you know what my dad’s like. You’ve met him!”

She smiled at this and looked into his eyes. “I guess so.”He smiled back and leaned forward. He kissed her and put his hands on the

back of her neck, running them through her hair. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms round him, enjoying herself. He pulled back and grinned at her. “I really am sorry to have to go, especially when it’s obvious you’re not right either.”

She sighed. “I’m used to it by now. I’ve been married to you for nearly two years.”

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News for Scott

He grinned again and kissed her cheek quickly before getting up. “I guess I should go sort out my bags then.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She got up carefully so as not to agitate her already uneasy stomach. “I’ll come and give you a hand.”

“Thanks, sugar.”

The next day, she and Scott were sat in the garden. Mostly because of the lovely view of the forest, but partially because Kelly had been sick again and needed some fresh air.

She rested her head on his shoulder and he looked down at her. “You sure you don’t mind staying here? I mean…”

“I know what you mean, but you know I can’t drive. How would I get back from the airport? The closest one is miles away!”

“I guess, I just feel so awful for leaving you when it’s obvious you’re not right.”

“Scott Tracy! Anyone would think you were trying to get out of going to the satellite!”

Scott chuckled and hugged her close. “Me? Would I? Never!”She grinned and looked back out at the sun rising slowly over the trees below

them. “What you thinking about?” he asked, suddenly.She looked up at him. “Nothing much, just thinking that when you’re gone,

I’ll make an appointment with the doctor.”“Oh good!”She smiled then raised her arm to look at her watch. “Whoa, you’d better get

some breakfast, you’ll be leaving soon.”“Yeah, guess so. You having any?”She rolled her eyes and very gently patted her stomach. “Not when I’m

feeling like this, I won’t!”“Make sure you eat something, honey. Don’t want you to waste away!”She grinned again and got up. “I’ll eat when I feel like it, now come on or

you’ll be late home. And we both know what Jeff would say to that!”Scott grinned back and took her hand as he led her back into the house.

That evening, Scott was sat in his plane flying back to Tracy Island. He really didn’t want to leave, but duty called so he must obey. He sighed and hoped Kelly really did understand. He smiled at the thought of her then got an idea and picked up the radio link.

Kelly was lying on the couch, her feet up and a CD playing quietly to itself while she attempted to get some sleep. Her attempts were ended when her radio link was activated.

She sighed and leaned over to get it, feeling too tired to bother getting up completely. She picked up the small book from the table and opened it to the page that was book marked, the bookmark doubling up as her IR-issue radio.

“Scott Tracy calling Kelly Tracy, come in, please, honey.”She smiled to herself and answered. “Hi Scott. What’s so important that it

called for disturbing my sleep?”“Did I wake you? Oh, I’m sorry! Shall I call back later?” He sounded

genuinely sorry.“No, it’s alright, you woke me up so you might as well make it worthwhile.”

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News for Scott

“It’s not really though. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”“Scott, I’m fine. Please stop worrying about me and concentrate on your

flying!”“Ok sweetheart. As long as you’re sure you’re ok?”“Scott, I couldn’t be more sure! I have an appointment with the doctor

tomorrow, so stop worrying.”“Alright.”“Oh, by the way.”“What?”“Say hi to the boys for me, and send my Get Well Soon’s to John.”“FAB, Kelly. Signing off.” And with that he cut the link. Kelly sighed to

herself and lay back down again. She already had an idea as to what was wrong and if she were right, there would be good news for both her and Scott. She hadn’t told him though; she didn’t want to raise his hopes just yet. ‘After the appointment.’

The following evening, after she’d seen the doctor, Kelly sat on her couch, her feet up and a wide smile on her face as she called Tracy Island. She dialled the numbers into the videophone and waited for an answer. ‘I only hope there’s no rescue operation going on,’ she thought.

She grinned even wider when she saw Jeff Tracy’s face appear on the other end of the line. “Oh, hi there, Kelly. Scott’s not here, you just missed him.”

“Did I? Oh dear. I’ve got some news for him.”“Does it have anything to do with the grin on your face? Going by that it must

be good news.”“Oh, it is, Jeff. I’m just wondering if Scott would mind if I told you first.”“I’ll tell you what, I can put you through to the radio onboard Thunderbird 3

if you want, he won’t be at Thunderbird 5 for a couple of hours yet.”Kelly grinned even more. “Thank you, Jeff.”He grinned back then his face disappeared to show Scott’s. He was in full

uniform and she could see his blue cap sitting on the console in front of him.“Hey, honey. Dad tells me you have some news.”“Mmm hmm. Very good news.” She paused and smiled at him. “Scott, what

would you say if I told you I was pregnant?”“I’d be over the moon! Is that…?”Kelly nodded eagerly. “Yep!”“That’s brilliant news, sugar! Have you told father yet?”“Not yet, I’m just about to tell them now.”Scott smiled. “Oh, that really is good news! I, I don’t know what to say!”Kelly giggled. “You could say bye so I can tell your dad and brothers.”“Ok then, bye honey. And don’t forget, from now on, there’s two of you!”She smiled again then the image changed and she was confronted with Jeff.

“Thank you, Jeff. I gave him my message. I can give it to you now. Are all the others there with you?”

She saw Jeff look round the room. “John’s in bed and Alan’s not back yet, but Gordon and Virgil are here.”

“Oh good!”“Kelly, calm down! I can see you shaking!”“Sorry, Jeff, it’s just that this news is so big.” She paused to try and think of

the best way to tell him but was interrupted.“Kelly?”

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News for Scott

“Hmm?”“Scott and I were talking before he left and we were wondering if you’d like to

move out to the island early. Say in about two months?”“That would be wonderful, Jeff! Then I can tell you my news in person! You

don’t mind waiting that long, do you? It’s just I feel I should tell you face to face.”“Whatever you want, Kelly. I’ll see you in two months then.”She smiled to herself as the call ended. ‘Can I really wait to tell them?’ She

grinned again then lay down to get some sleep.

Two months later, Kelly was at the airport with a whole load of luggage gathered round her feet. She sat on a nearby bench, fiddling with her belt, which felt tighter than normal, and scanning the skies for the familiar red plane until finally she saw it, flying low in front of her. It landed almost soundlessly on the runway not far from her and a dark-haired man jumped out and came over.

“Virgil!” she cried, hugging her brother-in-law.“It’s good to see you, too!” he said, hugging her back. He stooped down and

started picking up her bags. “So, what’s all this business about news?”“I’m… I’m not telling until we get to the island,” she said, unsure of whether

to tell him.“Oh, come on, Kelly! I’m dying to know!” he said, tucking another bag under

his arm.She rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess I can tell you,” she said, another grin

spreading wildly across her face. “I’m pregnant!”“Really? Oh, congratulations!” He looked at all the bags. “In that case, you’re

not carrying any of these!”“Virgil, I’m not an invalid!” she said, putting her hands on her hips.“No, but I don’t want you to strain yourself,” he insisted. She looked at him

and shrugged.“Fine, whatever. The cabin unlocked?”“Course it is, climb on in!”“I was intending to seeing as you won’t let me help.”“Oh, come on, Kelly! It’s only a couple of bags, and besides, I thought the

idea of being waited on hand and foot appealed to you!”“Hey!” she replied, giggling. “What d’you mean by that anyway?”“Well, you know what Tin-Tin and Grandma are like, even Gordon has a soft

side, though, no offence to him and all, but maybe you should stay away from John while he’s ill.”

“Is he still ill?”“Mmm hmm. We think it’s the flu. It’s weird, he was alright a little while

ago and he seemed to get worse again just in time for his shift.”She laughed and rolled her eyes as she climbed up into the cabin. Below her,

she knew Virgil was loading up her luggage simply by the gentle rocking of the plane. Then he climbed into the cockpit and sealed the entrances.

“You ok back there?”“Fine!” she called out over the rapidly increasing engine noises and strapping

herself in.Virgil grinned at her then turned back to his controls and before she knew it,

she was being taken out to her new home, her island paradise and home of International Rescue; Tracy Island.

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News for Scott

She arrived to a welcoming committee on the runway consisting of Gordon, Jeff and Alan, who’d returned from space, Tin-Tin, Grandma and Kyrano and also Brains. She grinned at them and jumped from the cabin, receiving a playful glare from Virgil who jumped from the front of the plane and wandered round the side and started pulling bags from the cargo hold.

Kelly looked round at them all and smiled again. “Good, you’re all here, well, apart from John.”

“He’s still in bed I’m afraid, but whatever this news is, I’m sure you can tell him when he next wakes up,” Jeff said.

“Hmm, maybe. I dunno. What’s wrong with him?”“Not sure. We think it’s just the flu,” Gordon said.Kelly put a hand on her stomach. “In that case I’ll tell him when he’s

recovered.” She glanced at each of them individually briefly before continuing to say; “I don’t want to give my baby any germs!”

It took a moment or two for this news to sink into the Tracy’s, but finally, Grandma stepped forward and smiled. “Congratulations, my dear! How far gone are you?”

“About 14 weeks or so now.”“This is wonderful! Come on, let’s go inside and we can talk about it in there,”

Mrs Tracy said, putting a hand on her arm and leading her away with Tin-Tin following.

The Tracy boys looked at one another before picking up a bag or three each and following their expectant sister-in-law.

Just under a month later, Kelly was lying on her side on her bed. She was starting to show the signs of pregnancy so wore more loose fitting garments. She had on a baggy but comfortable blue fleece and some old jeans, which, when she first got them, were too big, but for now fit fine.

On hearing a soft knock on her door, she turned onto her other side and watched it open slowly. Tin-Tin put her head round the door and smiled.

“Hi, Kelly. How are you today?”“Fine, fine. What brings you here?” she asked, sitting up straight and crossing

her legs.“Mr Tracy sent me to tell you John’s gone to relieve Scott so he should be

home soon.”Kelly’s face literally lit up on hearing this. “Thank you, Tin-Tin.”Tin-Tin smiled and left the room, closing the door almost silently behind her.

Kelly lay back down, smiling to herself and playing a hand over her mini bump. She sighed and turned back onto her side, her back to the door, and shut her eyes.

A couple of hours later, Scott reappeared in the lounge via the sofa from Thunderbird 3 hangar.

“Ah, there you are Scott!” Jeff said cheerily from his usual post behind the desk.

“Yep, here I am! Where’s Kelly then?” he asked, glancing around.Jeff chuckled. “In her room.”“Her room?”“Alright, your room. I got used to calling it that while you were on duty.”

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News for Scott

Scott grinned and wandered off, whistling happily to himself. Virgil watched him leave from his seat behind the piano. “There’s a happy guy!” he said to himself, playing with the keys on the piano.

Scott reached his room and knocked lightly on the door, receiving no answer. He tried again, this time a little louder, but still received no reply. He looked at the closed door then opened it, peering into the room quietly. Kelly was still lying with her back to the door and was fast asleep.

He walked in quietly, the door hissing shut behind him then sat down on the bed behind her. He looked at her then lay down beside her, draping an arm carefully across her. Even though he knew about her condition, he was still surprised when his hand came to rest early. He looked at her again and smiled, snuggled up close to her and fell asleep, his hand resting next to hers.

When Kelly woke a few hours later and felt the extra hand on her, she grinned and turned onto her back. Scott was lying very close beside her but also very close to the edge of the bed so when he woke up, he had just enough time to get a quick glance at her before falling off. He landed with a loud thud, making Kelly giggle.

He got up quickly and looked at her, smiling. “Oh har har! Very funny!” He climbed back onto the bed and lay on his side next to her. “So, how are you two today?”

“We are fine, Scott,” she said, giggling again. “That sounds strange! I guess I still haven’t got used to it!”

“Same here, I was shocked when I felt it!”She grinned at him. “In that case…” She took his hand and rested it on her

then pressed her own hands onto his.He grinned at her. “Hey, what was that?” he asked, feeling something.“Kicking, Scott, kicking.” She smiled and shut her eyes again. “She’s been

doing that a lot recently.”“She?” Scott said, looking round. “You know?”“Mmm hmm. Hospital scans.”“Oh I see.” He grinned again, feeling another burst of movement from within

his wife. “She did this a lot?”“Yep. I think she missed you! I know I did.”Scott moved his hand and rubbed it down her cheek. “I missed you, too,

sweetheart.”She smiled again then turned onto her other side so she was facing him. He

grinned and shuffled closer to her, pressing himself up against her. He stopped suddenly as he felt the bump pressing against him. He lowered a hand and put it on her and she smiled. She raised her arms and wrapped them round him hugging him as close as she could. He responded by moving forward again himself. She felt him pressing against her and put her hands on his shoulders to stop him.

“Whoa, careful, babes,” she whispered.He looked down at her then moved himself back a bit. “Sorry.”“It’s ok. You hungry? I know we are,” she said, sitting up.Scott chuckled. “Now how often am I gonna hear this over the next nine

months?”“Not nine, about four are already gone.”“Really? Whoa.” He turned away, realising he wasn’t being a very good

husband by not being there. Their daughter hadn’t even been born yet, and he’d

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News for Scott

already missed the first four months of her development. ‘Has it really been that long since I last saw her?’

“It’s alright, Scott. I don’t mind if you’re not here because of a mission or you’re on duty. I accepted all that when I said ‘I do’, remember?”

He turned back round and smiled. “Thanks for being so understanding. Come on, lets go get you girls fed.”

Kelly grinned and got up. Scott was up faster and trying to help her. She waved a hand at him. “Get off, honey, I’m not incapable of movement!”

“I know; I just want to help you, that’s all.”She smiled at him. “If you wanna help, get the door.”

They walked through the villa, an arm round the other’s waist until they reached the kitchen. Scott stepped forward and opened the door for her and she grinned then walked in. Grandma and Kyrano were in there preparing the next meal and Tin-Tin was setting the table. Jeff was reading a paper in the corner, shifting only to allow Tin-Tin the freedom of movement to put his cutlery in his place before sliding his chair back behind the table. All this was done without even looking up from his paper.

Gordon and Alan were outside somewhere, but Kelly could hear their loud laughter. They were obviously sharing jokes again. Alan had forgone his duty shift, as John had been feeling well enough to resume active duty so took his turn off schedule, much to Alan’s relief. He never did like going up to the satellite.

As the door opened fully, Jeff looked up from his paper and smiled. “Afternoon Kelly, Scott.”

“Hi, Jeff. How are you today?”“I was about to ask you the same thing.”“I’m fine,” she said, sitting down carefully, Scott sitting down in the seat next

to her and taking her hand. She turned round to look at him and grinned before turning back round to Jeff. “Thank you for suggesting that nap, I feel a lot better now.”

“Why? What was wrong?” Scott asked, looking between them puzzled.“She was in the lounge falling asleep on the couch waiting for you to get

back.”Scott smiled. “You shouldn’t do that, honey. You go to bed whenever you

feel tired. No one will mind.”“Ok then, Scott.” She rested her free hand on her slowly enlarging belly and

made herself comfortable in the seat as Grandma walked over.“Hello Mrs Tracy. What are you fixing us for dinner?”Grandma smiled. “Glad to see you’re eating well. There’s roast chicken for

dinner, my dear.”Kelly smiled then looked down at where her hand was resting. “Feels like I’m

not the only one looking forward to that.”The others came over to sit down as Grandma crouched down in front of her.

“May I?”Kelly nodded and Grandma reached out a hand and rested it on her bump.

Kelly moved her own hand aside and felt her growing daughter kick about inside her. Kyrano and Tin-Tin then came over, each putting a hand gently on her, then Jeff.

She squeezed Scott’s hand discreetly and smiled at him. Deep down, she was enjoying all the attention.

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News for Scott

Then Grandma got up and gestured to Kyrano the bubbling pots of vegetables on the hob so they left just Jeff and Tin-Tin with her. “Guess she is hungry,” Jeff said, smiling as he sat back down on his chair.

“Yeah,” Tin-Tin agreed. She looked round as Alan and Gordon walked in and she smiled at Alan. “Hey, boys. Dinner will be about another half an hour.”

Kelly looked at her. “Half an hour?”“Mmm hmm. Can’t you wait that long?” she said, giggling.Kelly drummed her fingers gently on her bump after replacing her hand there.

“I can, I don’t know about this little one, though!”

That evening, after enjoying a nice meal, Kelly was sat in the lounge, listening to Virgil play the piano, while watching the gentle summer rain trickle down the balcony doors.

Jeff had turned in for the night early, Alan and Tin-Tin were in the kitchen helping Grandma and Kyrano clear away the dishes and Scott was sat with Kelly, tapping his foot to the rhythm of Virgil’s music.

She sat up suddenly, making Scott jump and Virgil stop playing. “What?” she asked, looking round at them.

“You got up so suddenly, thought something was wrong,” Virgil said, turning back to his music then started to rearrange the sheets to find a new song to play.

“Why would there be?” She stretched her arms out and arced her back, which made her bump seem even more prominent.

“Tired?” Scott asked.She nodded and finished her stretch with a yawn. “I think I’ll turn in for the

night now then.”“Ok then, honey. I’ll come in later.”“Sure.” She put her hands at the base of her back and got up carefully then

started to wander across the room, humming the tune Virgil had just finished.Scott took her hand as she left and let it slide slowly from his grip. She

reached the doorway and turned back to face him, waved then departed for their room.He turned back round in his seat then raised his leg to rest his ankle on his

other knee.“What’s up, Scott?” Virgil suddenly asked.“Hmm?” he asked, turning to face his younger brother and drumming his

fingers on the sole of his shoe.“You seem a bit distracted, anything the matter?”Scott grinned at him. “Only the obvious. Guess it’s still sinking in. I’m

gonna be a father!”Virgil smiled. “It’ll seem strange having a baby in the household. Well, apart

from Alan that is!”“Yeah!” Scott grinned as a thought occurred to him. “Hey, Virge, you’re

gonna be an uncle!” They looked at each other before chuckling. “Uncle Virgil!”“Hmm,” Virgil said, chuckling again. “Hey, that also means dad’s gonna be a

grandpa!”“Mmm. Oh, what about Grandma though?” Scott added, looking round the

darkening room.Virgil had stopped paying attention and had leaned forward to try to see the

sheet music properly.“Virgil?”“Huh? Sorry, what did you say, bro?”

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News for Scott

“Virgil, it’s getting too dark to see that music and it’s getting too late to play anyway. Look at the time.”

Virgil glanced at the clock mounted on the wall near the television; it read quarter to midnight and the main lights had slowly powered down. “Guess you’re right.” He stretched, spinning slightly on the piano stool then got up. He left the room and was followed by Scott.

“Goodnight, bro,” Virgil said as he reached his room.“Night, Virge,” Scott responded, smiling to himself as he walked into the

room he now shared with his wife.

A month later, Scott and Kelly were walking down the beach. She could no longer wear her jeans, partially because the weather had grown to warm for them but mostly because she had grown too large for them. Instead she wore some baggy trousers with a drawstring she had brought with her and a long t-shirt.

Scott had his arm round her waist and had hold of her hand beside her, while she did the same round his waist.

They’d been walking for about ten minutes when Kelly stopped.“Anything wrong?”She looked over at him and shook her head. “No, just admiring the view.”

The sun was just rising over the ocean horizon line, giving everything a deep red-orange hue.

He stood next to her, playing with the ring on her finger. She smiled at him then looked behind her.

Scott followed her gaze, but could see nothing out of the ordinary, rocks, sand, trees…

“Can we sit down please, honey?”“Oh, yeah, sure.”She smiled again then took a few paces back so her bare feet were off the wet

sand and on the dry before carefully and slowly sitting down on the ground. Scott helped her go and when she reached the floor; she lay back and looked up at the orange wispy clouds.

Scott lay down beside her; rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. “So, this is sitting down is it?”

She grinned. “Changed my mind!” she replied, knocking him off balance. He rolled on the floor and laughed as she watched him. “You’re not stuck are you? You look like a tortoise!” She held a hand out for him, but he brushed it away.

“No, no, I’m fine.” He looked over at her and she turned onto her side to be facing him. “So, how do you feel today?”

She rested her topside arm on her side, her hand resting on her swollen belly. “I’m fine. I wish you’d stop asking me that! If that’s all I’m gonna get for the next four months…”

“Ok, ok! Whoa, calm down, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to upset you.”She sighed. “You didn’t, sorry, just me.” She smiled at him then raised her

hand to brush the sand out of his hair. He screwed up his face as the sand sprinkled out of his hair and fell in showers to the ground.

She looked at his now messy hair and giggled then lay back down. He lay down next to her and took hold of her hand. Then he leaned close to her. “What are we looking at?” he whispered.

She leaned over to him. “Nothing,” she whispered back.

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News for Scott

“Oh,” he said, his tone still low. They sat in silence for a moment before giggling. “Oh boy, you’re mad, Kelly.”

“Scott, we’ve been married two years and you’ve only just worked that out?” she said, her head tilted to one side.

“Good point, maybe I just didn’t wanna say anything.”She giggled again then stopped and smiled.“What’s up?”She took his hand and rested it on her bump and their daughter kicked out at

them.Scott chuckled. “Bully!” he said then turned back to Kelly. “Come on, let’s

get back up to the villa, the others’ll be up by now.”

They reached the part of the beach that joined onto the patio and saw John sat at the side of the pool.

“Scott? Is John doing what I think he is?” Kelly asked, discreetly pointing at her brother-in-law.

“I don’t believe it! He must be bored if he’s reading! He’s not in space now, there are better things to do!” Scott said, chuckling. Kelly grinned then started up towards the elegant patio. Scott looked round and realised he was being left behind so made an attempt to catch up with her.

“Took your time,” she commented as he arrived beside her.He stuck his tongue out then smiled.They reached the large pool and looked over at John. From a distance it

looked like he was reading a book but in truth, he was actually asleep on the chair with a magazine on astronomy resting on his chest.

Kelly rolled her eyes and was about to walk over when she heard a loud grumble. She turned round and saw Scott blush. “Hungry?”

“Uh, yeah,” he replied grinning.“You go ahead, babes. I’ll catch you up in a minute.”“You sure?”“I’m positive, now go, Scott!” she said, smiling.He kissed her. “Alright, Kelly. Don’t be too long, though, I’m not starting

without you or our daughter!”“Good, Scott. I don’t know if you forgot, but at the minute, our daughter and I

are a package deal, buy on get on free.”Scott grinned. “Alright, alright!” He held up his hands. “Don’t be too long

though, k?” “I won’t.” She smiled to herself as she watched Scott ascend the long flight

of steps to the villa entrance then walked round the pool and stood next to John’s sun lounger. She was just about to start sitting down when John woke due to her being stood in the light.

“Hi, Kelly,” he said, suddenly.She hadn’t noticed him wake up. “Whoa, jeez! John, don’t do that!” she cried,

waving a hand about to catch hold of the sun lounger.John looked at her confused. “Do what?”“Make me jump like that, I nearly lost my balance!”Now John understood and he pulled a face. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He

looked at her and she smiled.“It’s ok, just don’t do it again!”“Say, would you like some help there?”

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News for Scott

“No, I can manage,” she said, easing herself gently onto the next lounger.“Well, ok then.” He looked about uneasily. “How come you were out so

early?”“Scott and I quite often go for early morning walks. It won’t be long before I

won’t want to do any of that so I’m making the most of it.” John smiled as she gently tapped her belly.

She smiled as her unborn daughter fidgeted as if to remind her mother she was still there. Kelly ran a hand slowly across her bump. “It’s ok, I remember you,” she whispered.

John’s expression changed. “What are you doing?”She looked at him and took in a breath before saying; “John? Have you ever

felt an unborn child kicking its mother before?” He frowned and shook his head. “Would you like to?” His eyebrows rose and he seemed to ponder the possible outcomes of this newest decision.

“Um, ok.”Kelly smiled again. “Ok, then I’ll need your hand.”“My hand? Why?”“Well, how else are you going to feel her?”John held out his hand reluctantly and Kelly sat forward so he didn’t have to

stretch too far. Then she put his hand against her and looked up at him. “That’s what it feels like.”

His eyes went wide. “Wow,” he whispered. It was clear to Kelly that he was still trying to get used to the idea of becoming an uncle and that his older brother would soon be a father.

“Come on, you,” she said, slowly getting up and watching his hand fall away from her. “I don’t know about you, but we want some breakfast.”

Kelly and John walked up to the kitchen together, her laughing at some of the jokes he was coming out with.

They reached the large dining area and everyone looked up. Virgil walked over to her and, smiling, took hold of her hand. “Kelly, please come and eat now!”

“Why?” she asked, slightly confused.“Because Scott said he told you he wouldn’t eat anything until you two got

here,” he responded, indicating not John, but her swollen belly.She looked down at it then back up at him. “I’m confused.”“It’s obvious he’s hungry and for the past five or ten minutes all we’ve been

able to hear is his stomach growling! So, please, please come and eat so he will and that noise will stop!”

She grinned and looked over at Scott who had gone bright red.“I said I’d wait, so I waited!” he said, but was cut off as they heard another

loud growl and Scott leaned his head onto the table.Jeff leaned over and tapped him reasonably hard on the head with his folded

paper and Scott looked up at him.“Get your head off the table! And anyway, she’s here now, get something to

eat.”“Ok then.” He got up and got himself some cereals as Kelly walked into the

kitchen properly and sat herself down at the table.

Some weeks later, Scott and Kelly were sat by the pool enjoying the peace and quiet as well as the sunshine. They were sat on sun loungers and both had their feet up

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News for Scott

while a short distance from them Alan and Gordon were playing about in the deep, cool waters of the pool.

Scott looked at his brothers and smiled then looked over at Kelly. She had a hand rested in its usual place on her belly while the other hand hung over the side of the lounger. He smiled as he realised she’d fallen asleep but his thoughts were interrupted by the realisation that his two youngest brothers had suddenly gone far too quiet.

He looked about then saw them at the other end of the pool. Stealing another quick glance at his sleeping wife, he got up and walked over to where they were quietly talking. He moved almost soundlessly, walking behind them so as not to be seen. When he reached them he crouched down low. “WHAT are you two up to?” he said, shouting the first word of his sentence but lowering his tone for the rest. It was just sufficient to make them both jump in fright.

“Scott! Don’t do that!” Gordon yelled, flicking water in his direction. Scott moved out of its way and watched the drops catch the light before turning back.

“What are you two up to?” he asked again, more sedately this time.“Nothing!” Alan answered, far too quickly.“Mmm hmm. I believe you, Al. Come on, what were you planning? If it

involves Kelly, it’s my business to know.”“What makes you think it involved her?”“Because I heard you say her name as I walked over as well as something

along the lines of ‘Are you sure she won’t mind?’ and ‘Nah, course not’. I’d say she would mind, especially as she’s just got to sleep.”

“She has?” Gordon glanced over Alan’s shoulder and saw the sleeping figure of their sister-in-law on the lounger. “Alright, we won’t.”

Scott grinned and moved from his crouching position into a sitting one, hanging his legs over the side of the pool and swinging his feet in the water. “What were you gonna do?”

“Just splash her, nothing drastic.”Scott sighed as he shook his head. “Will you two ever grow up? What sort of

an example are you practising to set your niece?”“Scott, just because you married her then got her pregnant, doesn’t mean we

can’t still have fun with our friend!” Gordon said, grinning.Scott rolled his eyes then, gripping the edge of the pool, he leaned back to

look at the sky and stretch his arms.Alan and Gordon looked at each other and grinned. They had been presented

with a golden opportunity and weren’t likely to turn it down.Before Scott could look back down and protest, Alan and Gordon had each

pulled a leg, dragging him into the pool.He surfaced and drew in a deep, gasping breath then started to tread water as

he looked about for them. He saw them on the other side of the pool so swam to the edge and climbed out then ran off after them, flicking water all over Kelly as he ran past her.

She woke with a start and sat up, looked about then saw Scott chasing Alan and Gordon round the patio, laughing and generally having fun. She picked up a towel from where the boys had dropped them on the floor beside her and wiped herself down. Smiling at the scene in front of her, she sat up carefully and watched them.

12

News for Scott

Beside her, a steady beeping started and she turned to see where it was coming from. Looking on the table, she saw Scott’s, Alan’s, Gordon’s and her own watch where they’d left them. One of them was bleeping, but which one?

“Scott?” she called out, picking up her watch. ‘Nope, not mine.’ She wrapped the strap round her wrist then turned to see where Scott had got to. He was still chasing Alan and Gordon round the patio.

“Scott!” she called out louder than before and picking up Gordon’s and checking it. ‘Not Gordon’s’. She saw him skid to a halt almost sliding back into the pool.

“What’s wrong, sugar?” he asked, running over.“Nothing, except one of these watches is bleeping. It’s not mine and it’s not

Gordon’s.” She held Alan’s up. “And it’s not Alan’s. Kinda means we’ve run out of options, must be yours,” she said, handing it to him.

He took it from her and sat down as he put it back on then activated it. “Scott Tracy here.” He looked at the small display and watched as it changed to reveal Jeff. “Oh, hi dad.”

“Hey, son. Can you come up here please?”“Emergency call?”“Mmm hmm.”“Alright, dad, we’ll be right there,” he said, picking up another towel. The

connection ended and the display returned to that of a normal watch. “You gonna stay here, honey?” he asked, getting up and draping the towel over his shoulders.

She looked at him and smiled. “No, I wanna go back in now anyway, babes.”Scott grinned and held out his hands for her then braced himself for her

pulling on him. She took hold of him and eased herself up off the sun lounger. She smiled at him as she rose then stumbled slightly.

Scott was quick to act and caught her easily. “Whoa, take it easy, sugar. You ok?”

“Uh yeah, I think so. Musta just got up too quickly or something.”“You sure?”“Yeah. Come on, Jeff’ll be wondering where we got to. Alan, Gordon, come

on!” she called over Scott’s shoulder. They stopped running about and came over. When they were close enough, Kelly threw the towel she still had hold of at them, letting either catch it.

“What’s up, Kez?” Alan said, watching Gordon catch the brightly coloured beach towel.

“Emergency call.”

Alan and Gordon went ahead, leaving Scott helping Kelly up the long flight of steps.“You know,” she said, halfway up them. “We could do with an elevator

here!”Scott rolled his eyes. “You’ve never been the active type, have you? Always

want things the easy way.”She grinned. “Yeah, well.” She put a hand on her bump and put Scott’s there

too. “Now I have an excuse.”He grinned and they continued up the stairs, neither one of them moving their

hand.

They reached the lounge five minutes after Jeff had called them.

13

News for Scott

“Ah, there you are, Scott! I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you. Thunderbird 1, please. There’s been a fire on a small island in the Atlantic. People trapped. Can’t be reached by normal methods.”

“Ok, father. I’m on my way.” He turned to Kelly. “I’ll see you later, honey.”“You’d better be back soon,” she said, moving his hand from her and raising

an eyebrow. She leaned forward and kissed him briefly before gently shunting him towards his hangar entryway.

As soon as Scott had left, Kelly went to their room and lay down on the bed. She had one hand under her head and the other on her bump, where she had left it after putting it there earlier.

She lay there thinking about some of the weirdest things, but also, some nice memories, which she often thought about to keep them fresh in her mind.

One of the weird things she thought about was that she’d never been inside Thunderbird 1. The boys had shown her the others, but there had been a rescue mission and she missed out on the opportunity to see her husband’s Thunderbird. This was about a year ago the last time she had visited.

One of the nice things she thought about was how she and Scott met.About three years ago, when Scott was 26 and she was 25, she had been

involved in one of the rescues. Not as a rescuer, but a rescuee. It was, apparently one of their first few missions, though wasn’t a very major one. Not to the organisation, anyway.

She had been at home when there was an earthquake so severe, part of her house actually collapsed, trapping her. She knew that during earthquakes you stand in a doorway or hide under something and had been hiding in the cupboard under the stairs when it happened. Her leg and arm had been pinned by debris, but luckily she had her mobile with her, which she used to contact the emergency services, who in turn called International Rescue.

She smiled to herself as she remembered how Scott had pulled her from the wreckage of her once proud home and held her in his arms. He’d insisted on staying with her until she woke up and then until she was taken to hospital. He’d followed her there and made sure she was ok before leaving.

She didn’t see him again for nearly two months, but she’d given him the number of the place she stayed in until she moved to her last home. Then out of the blue, Scott called her and arranged to meet somewhere private.

They met up quite a few times before finally, four months after they’d first met, Scott proposed to her.

Kelly smiled again, rubbing her hand gently backwards and forwards on her belly as she thought. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep.

It was about 2am and Scott, Virgil and Gordon still hadn’t returned but that sometimes happened. Some rescues went on for hours.

On the island, all was quiet in the villa, save for a faint rustling. Kelly was up and going through the cupboards trying to find something to satisfy her cravings.

She was kneeling on the floor in front of one cupboard looking at all the jars until she stopped and pulled out a jar of pickle.

She sat back on her heels then got up and went over to the cutlery draw and pulled out a spoon.

Wandering across the kitchen, she opened the jar and started on its contents as she sat down at the table.

14

News for Scott

She was just raising the spoon to her lips for a fourth time when she heard quiet footsteps in the lounge. ‘So that wasn’t thunder I heard. Well, I guess it was in a way.’ She smiled and put the jar down on the table then got up and made her way to the lounge, the source of the noises.

She reached the room and peered round the door to see Scott, Virgil and Gordon sat on the couches trying to decide whether or not to go to bed.

As she watched, she saw Virgil and Gordon get up. Obviously, they had decided to get up and go to bed. Scott, on the other hand, remained in the seat.

Virgil and Gordon wandered towards her and she slipped to the dark corner of the study and watched them go then walked into the lounge.

“Hey honey,” she said softly, as she reached him.He looked up and saw her walking over to him and smiled. He watched her

move, her loose white nightdress flowing round her and partially concealing her true condition.

He moved up in the seat as she eased herself down next to him. “What you still doing up?” he asked her then looked at her face. “Ah, I see.”

She looked at him, confused. “But I haven’t said anything.”“You didn’t need to.” He raised a hand and wiped a smudge of pickle from

the corner of her mouth and held his hand up in front of her. “It was written all over your face.”

“Oh har har!” She smiled at him.He sniffed at the brown substance on the end of his finger. “Pickle this time,

huh?” She smiled again. “You and your cravings,” he said.“It’s hardly my fault! Blame her!” she said, grinning and tapping her belly.

Scott rolled his eyes then closed them and yawned. “Come on, honey. Bed.”He looked at her and grinned. “Ok, I’m coming.” He got up then helped her

back up. “So, what did you do while I was gone then?”“Nothing interesting, thought about stuff.”“What sorta stuff?”“How we met, and how last year you managed to get out of showing me

Thunderbird 1!”Scott grinned and took her hand as he led them from the room. “That wasn’t

my fault, there was an emergency call.”“You coulda shown me later on.”“I could show you tomorrow if you like.” Kelly grinned then stretched,

yawning. “Now who’s showing signs of tiredness? I’ll say the same to you as you said to me. ‘Come on, honey. Bed.’”

She smiled. “Oh, wait, I left the jar on the table in the kitchen, I’ll just put that away first.”

“Don’t worry about it, we can sort that in the morning.”“No, Scott, I’ll do it now or I’ll forget.” She walked off towards the kitchen,

while Scott waited outside for her.She wandered back out to meet him then linked her arm through his and they

walked back to their room.

The following day, Kelly was sat in the control seat of Thunderbird 1 while Scott showed her all the workings and equipment.

She grinned as he explained everything to her then leaned forward in the chair. “Hey, what’s that?” she asked, pointing out a piece of equipment he’d missed.

“The automatic camera detector.”

15

News for Scott

“Oh yeah. I knew that!”“Sure you did, sugar. Come on, I have an idea!” He had a wild grin on his

face, making Kelly grin too while she thought about what he could possibly be planning.

He held out a hand and she took it and got up from the seat. Then he climbed into it, sat down, and motioned for her to sit down on his lap.

“What are you playing at, Scott Tracy?” she asked as she sat down.“Just sit tight.”She sat on his lap, fidgeting in the small space to get comfortable until

suddenly the entire craft shuddered. “What the…? What’s going on?”Scott grinned even more then opened the hatch on the side. He pointed to it

and she turned as far as she could to look out of it. The scenery outside was moving.She turned back shocked. “Scott! We’re moving!” she said, unable to keep

the smile from her face.“I know.”She turned back to the window, a task she found quite difficult due to the fact

that it was behind her and her condition left her with little room to move. She watched the scenery flash past faster and faster until all she could see were clouds directly ahead and Tracy Island getting rapidly smaller below.

She turned back round and shifted in her seat to be facing forwards. Scott smiled as she leaned back and rested against him. She shut her eyes as they flew along and fell asleep.

“Kelly? Kelly, wake up, sweetheart.” Scott gently shook her and she opened her eyes.“Hmm? Oh, sorry, musta fallen asleep.”“Mmm, you did.”She smiled and looked out the window again; all she could see was grass;

long, green, thick grass. “Where are we?”“No where in particular. It’s isolated though. Wanna go for a quick walk?”She smiled. “Sure,” she said softly then got up carefully.

They walked through the thick grass hand in hand, stopping every now and then so Kelly could admire a tropical flower.

“It’s nice here,” she noted.“Mmm. I prefer the island though.”“Well, I’m not surprised really. You grew up there, didn’t you?”He grinned. “Mostly.”“Well, whatever!” She crouched down carefully in front of a bright blue

flower and picked it to smell it. “Mmm, smell that. It’s wonderful.”“Lovely, honey.”“You’re not so interested, are you?”“Not as much as you, but I know it’s something you like.”She smiled and got up. She still had hold of the flower as they headed back

towards Thunderbird.

Scott sat back down in the control seat then accepted Kelly into his lap. She sat down slightly sideways and grinned as she threaded her flower into his hair.

“Aww, you look so pretty!” She grinned again.Scott chuckled and rolled his eyes then leaned forwards just enough to reach

her lips and kissed her. She put one arm out behind her to steady her, bracing herself

16

News for Scott

on the edge of the seat and her other hand she lifted to run down the side of his head, fiddling with his hair.

He pulled back and she smiled at him, resting her head on his shoulders. He kissed the top of her head then reached for the controls.

Due to the small space between the Horizontal Flight Control levers and Kelly now being turned more to the side, he found it harder to move them without brushing against her belly.

He smiled and slowly pulled the levers back to take off.

They soared through the air back to Tracy Island, Scott learning how to operate the levers with a little less force and Kelly giggling quietly every time he brushed her.

“What?” he asked her eventually, though he knew what she’d say.“You’re tickling me,” she said, adding another giggle as he moved the lever,

which was, from his perspective, on the left. “You’re doing it deliberately!”Scott raised an eyebrow. “Well, of course I’m doing it deliberately! How else

are we gonna get home?” he asked then grinned.

They arrived back on Tracy Island and walked into the lounge to find Jeff sat behind his desk.

“Where have you been?” he asked, a tone of anger in his voice.“I only took Kelly for a short flight in Thunderbird 1,” Scott said, looking

uncertainly between his wife and father.“Well, you shouldn’t have, Scott! What if there’d been an emergency call?”“Gee, sorry, father.” He glanced back at Kelly and she pulled a guilty face.“Sorry, Mr Tracy, it was my idea. I asked if he’d show me Thunderbird.”Jeff smiled. “It’s ok, just don’t do it again, ok? And it’s Jeff!”She smiled back and stretched her arms as Jeff suddenly started chuckling.

She looked at him. “What?” she said, discontinuing her stretch thinking maybe it was the fact that she stuck her belly out when she did it.

He pointed at Scott and laughed harder. She looked round at him and started giggling herself.

Scott looked between them again, confused this time. “Someone mind telling me why you’re laughing at me?”

The door opened from the study and Alan walked in and smirked. “Nice look, Scott.”

Scott gave his brother a puzzled look and Alan waved a hand round his head. Scott raised his own hand to his head and pulled the flower from his hair. He grinned and gave it back to Kelly.

About a month later, about seven months into her pregnancy, Kelly was sat in the kitchen, quite early on one morning. Alan had radioed from the space station during the early hours of the night to report another rescue operation.

Scott had been woken to go out on the call and had unintentionally woken her, too. She had tried, unsuccessfully, for about an hour and a half to get back to sleep, but once she was awake, she remained awake. It didn’t help her attempts that her daughter had fidgeted mercilessly while she tried to sleep. In the end she gave up and put on her dressing gown and slippers and went down to the kitchen.

She sat at the table with both hands wrapped round a warm cup of her flavoured hot chocolate, a smile on her face as she felt the baby still fidgeting round inside her. “It’s ok, honey, come on, sit still.” She raised her cup and inhaled its

17

News for Scott

warm scent “Alright, try some of this then.” She took a sip then smiled even more as she felt her daughter calm down inside her. She rested one hand on her belly. “Did you like that, honey?” she said quietly.

She looked up as she saw John walk in. She smiled. “There’s a face I don’t see often!” she said.

He grinned and sat down with her. “Yeah, I’ve either been ill or in space! But, I’m here now.” He stopped as he caught a whiff of her drink. “Mmm. That smells so nice! What is it?”

“Turkish Delight flavoured hot chocolate. Want some?”“No, you keep it for you two.”She grinned. “You sure?”“I’m positive. From what you were saying when I walked in, it’s obvious she

likes it, too.”She smiled again and rubbed her hand across her belly. “Yeah, guess she

does.”He grinned and got up to get a drink, himself. “So, how long is it now?”“Seven months gone,” she replied, still looking down at her bump and moving

her hand.“You ok?”She looked up and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired. What with the rescue

and her constant fidgeting I haven’t had much sleep tonight.”“Mmm, you do look tired. Why don’t you go back to bed?”She grinned. “She’s fidgeting again. She must know I’ve run out of hot

chocolate. Even if I tried she’d probably keep me up.”John chuckled as he sat down with a cup of tea. “Hmm. What was the rescue

about this time? D’you know?”“No, I wasn’t really fully conscious until he managed to slam the door.”“Slam the door? It slides shut automatically!”“I know, I know, he still managed it!”“He doesn’t like being woken. I’d love to know how he managed it, though!”Kelly rolled her eyes and yawned. “I’m gonna go back to my room and see if

I can get back to sleep.”“Ok then, Kelly. Good night.”“Mmm. What are you gonna do?”“I’ll stay here for a while.”“Ok then, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Hours later, Scott and Virgil returned from yet another rescue operation and collapsed on the couch next to each other. They had always been closest out of the five brothers, which was apparent to Kelly as she walked silently into the room and saw them dozing on the same couch, their heads resting together in the middle.

She smiled at the image and walked over to the other seat and eased herself down. She had her book with her, which she sat reading.

Jeff walked in carrying the box of mail they’d received earlier that day and handed Kelly her letters. She smiled and thanked him. She looked through them; there were a few from friends and some from her family; her parents and her two younger brothers.

She was reading through the letter from her youngest brother when Scott woke up. He stretched his arms in the air and grinned tiredly at Kelly. “Hey, honey. What you got there?”

18

News for Scott

“Just some letters. The mail plane arrived while you were gone.”“Oh.” He smiled again and got up. Where the two brothers had been resting

against each other, Virgil flopped down on the sofa, snoring lightly. Kelly giggled and got up.

“I’m gonna go sit outside, it’s too warm in here.”Scott smiled again. “I’ll come with you,” he said then yawned.“No, you go to bed, babes. You need to catch up on your sleep.” She stopped

as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Virgil curl up on the couch, pulling his legs in close and resting his head on his arms. “Take him to his room, too.”

He smiled. “Ok, guess I am tired.” He nudged Virgil who woke with a start.“What? What?”“Bed, Virgil.”From behind the desk, Jeff smiled as Scott and Virgil walked like zombies to

their rooms and Kelly wandered out to the balcony and lay down on a sun lounger. The following day, after they’d all been properly rested, Scott and Kelly were sat in their room. It was late morning and they were sat on their bed, hugging each other close.

“You know, we haven’t discussed names yet,” Scott said suddenly.“Mmm, you’re right. What sort of thing do you like?”“Was about to ask you the same thing.”She smiled. “Well, ever since I was little, I’ve liked the names Keira and

Nerys.”“You watch too much television,” he replied chuckling.“I did say when I was little.”“So what about now?”“I dunno.” She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “What sort of

names do you like then?”“Hmm. I like your name and my name!”“Oh very good! You know what I mean, and I think it would be

recommendable to not call her Stacey or Tracey!”Scott chuckled. “That would be a bit cruel actually, Stacey Tracy or even

Tracey Tracy.” He leaned back and, lacing his fingers together behind him, rested his head on his hands. “Names, names. Come on, Scott, think.”

Kelly giggled quietly. “For everything there is a first!”“Hey!” He chuckled again. “Um, let’s see. There’s things like Lara, that’s a

nice name.”“Mmm, now who’s got their mind on TV?” she said, grinning. “Though,

you’re right, it is a nice name.”“Lara Tracy,” Scott said, trying out the name. “Not bad, I guess.”“I think it sounds good. Is it decided then?”“I think so. We’ll have to tell the others.”She smiled. “Mmm. You know, there are quite a few things we haven’t done

yet. We’ll need to go to the mainland to get some things for her, like clothes and the like.”

“Oh yes, good point. Tell you what, next time we need to go to mainland for the shopping, I’ll volunteer and you can come with me if you like.”

“I’d like that,” she said quietly.

19

News for Scott

Unfortunately, Kelly had thought about their needs a little too late as they’d only been to the mainland a week or so ago. They’d have to make their journey later on.

Until then, Kelly spent her time lounging round on the island, waiting while the boys were on rescues and generally doing nothing as per Scott’s request.

She found this pretty boring as she was used to going out and doing things, though where she lived on an island now, there was little she could do.

Some weeks later, when Kelly was in her final month, she was sat in Scott’s plane, the Ladybird, trying to sort her safety straps out. She was having trouble doing them up round her belly.

Scott wandered up to the plane and climbed in then on seeing her struggle, leaned over to her. “Need a hand?”

She stopped pulling on the straps and looked at him, smiling. “Actually, yes.” She raised her hands and sat back in the chair as he gently adjusted the straps to go round her swollen form. She smiled again then started fiddling with his hair as he finished.

“Hey, you, stop that! Don’t play with my hair!” he said, grinning.“Sorry, honey. I’ll stop.” She tugged on a clump of it gently and he looked up

and gave her a playful glare. “I didn’t say when.”“Tell you what then, I will. Stop playing, now!”“Ok, babes. I’ll stop.”He smiled again then sat down and strapped himself in behind the controls.

“Ready to go?” She nodded and fidgeted again. “What’s wrong now, sugar?”“Still can’t get comfortable. You need a bigger plane,” she joked.Scott rolled his eyes. “Or we could just go back inside.”“No, no, I’m ok,” she said. “Let’s just go quickly. I’m looking forward to

going round the shops, something I haven’t done in months!”Scott smiled and started up the motors then they started forward, picking up

speed and took off in the direction of the mainland.

They arrived at an airfield and stowed the plane in their private hangar there. They then made their way to the garage nearby and picked up a car then headed into town.

“How is it you’ve got all this?” Kelly asked, sitting down in the car and strapping herself in.

Scott grinned. “Dad. He owns a hangar on that airfield because we go there a lot on the monthly shops and we have a car here too.”

“Oh,” Kelly said, lengthening her word to fake her understanding.Scott chuckled. “Come on, let’s get to the shops. As well as the things

Grandma and Kyrano asked us to get, there are also the things that Lara needs,” he said, putting a hand on her bump.

She looked down at his hand and put hers on it. “I know,” she said quietly.He smiled then leaned over and kissed her, leaving his hand on her. She

smiled to herself as he pulled away. “Come on, let’s get going, we have to try and get done today.”

“Today?”“Yeah, sometimes takes more than one day, remember? We are shopping for a

month’s supplies.”“Among other things.”“Exactly.” He took his hand off her and started the car.

20

News for Scott

They had finished buying the items Grandma and Kyrano had requested and now Kelly was leading Scott round the baby shops. She had hold of his hand and they were talking as they went.

They had bought their daughter clothes and some furniture for the nursery Jeff was sorting for them. Very often, Kelly caught herself thinking how lucky she was to have such a caring father-in-law. He provided her with a home, he helped her through things when Scott was away by giving her advice and the like and he was giving up one of his guest rooms so her daughter could have a nursery.

She smiled to herself and continued along the high street.They stopped outside a toyshop and looked through the window. “Do you

think there’d be anything in there she might want?” Scott asked, looking through the window at the early level toys.

“Scott, those are all baby toys, of course there’s bound to be something in there she’ll play with when she arrives.”

“Well, she won’t play with them until then!” Scott said, chuckling.She grinned. “No, you will!”“Damn! You found me out!” he said, squeezing her hand and leading her in.They looked around at all the toys, picking out some to take back with them

and Kelly laughing as Scott played with them, while, outside, someone was watching them through the window and had been following them all day.

They continued their journey along the high street; Scott carrying a multitude of bags while Kelly carried virtually nothing.

Behind them, someone was still following them. Scott glanced over his shoulder, beginning to notice the character then turned back round.

“What is it?” Kelly asked.“Nothing, just thought I saw something,” he lied. He didn’t want to worry her.“Ok then.”They carried on in silence, Scott continually glancing over his shoulder. The

stalker was still following them.“Look, there is something, I can tell, now what is it?” Kelly asked as they

walked past an alleyway.Scott was about to answer her when he saw someone in the dark alley beside

her. His eyes went wide as she was pulled roughly off the street and the person that had been following them pushed him after her.

“What’s going on?” she asked, the fear an obvious factor in her voice.“Shut up and do as I say!” a voice said. Scott frowned, he’d recognised the

voice but couldn’t picture whom it belonged to. “Now, get into that car!”Kelly stood there scared for her and her daughter’s lives. “What do you want

with us?”“Just get in or I’ll make you get in! I’m sure you don’t want any harm to come

to your child or husband!”Her eyes went wide and she climbed in and was closely followed by Scott.She sat down and huddled close to him, tears of fear running down her face.

“Shh,” he whispered, putting his arms round her. “You’ll be ok.”She looked at him and smiled weakly. “I’m scared.”Three men got into the car, two in the front and the third in the back with

them.The one who got in the back produced a handkerchief from inside his coat and

Scott’s eyes went wide again. It was soaked in chloroform; the scent was obvious.

21

News for Scott

The stranger pulled on Kelly’s shoulder and she spun round unwillingly then he forced it over her mouth and nose and she quickly passed out.

“This is between us now, Mr Tracy.”“How do you know my name?” he asked, discreetly activating the emergency

call sign on his watch.“I know a great deal about you, your family and your lovely wife here.” He

indicated the still form between them. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if anything happened to her and the child?”

“You harm her and I’ll…”“You’ll what? In case you hadn’t noticed, your wife is between us. You try

anything and I’ll be able to sort her quicker than you can imagine!”Scott sat back and narrowed his eyes. “What do you want with us?”“I happen to know your line of work, my friend.”“I am not your friend.”“Doesn’t matter either way. I know you work for International Rescue.

We’ve met before, too, Scott Tracy.”“What do you want?” he repeated through gritted teeth.“Oh, it’s a small favour. All you have to do is agree to our terms and you and

your wife can walk free. Disagree and… well, let’s just say you won’t need all those baby clothes you bought.”

Scott felt as though he had been stabbed in the heart. “What favour?”“Tell me the secrets of the Thunderbirds!”

On Tracy Island, Jeff was sat behind his desk with Virgil, Gordon and Alan watching television when suddenly the eyes on Scott’s portrait lit up and stayed alight, signalling that Scott couldn’t receive spoken messages.

Jeff frowned. “Oh no, something’s wrong!” He activated the link and, on looking at the screen, which had replaced the portrait, he saw Scott from quite far off.

“He must have his hand on his lap or something,” Virgil noted.“Yeah, and it looks like he’s in a car but it’s not one of ours,” Alan added.“Shh!” Jeff said urgently. “There’s someone else there!”They all stopped and listened to the conversation.“Oh, it’s a small favour. All you have to do is agree to our terms and you and

your wife can walk free. Disagree and… well, let’s just say you won’t need all those baby clothes you bought.”

“What favour?”“Tell me the secrets of the Thunderbirds!”Jeff stared at the screen. “Oh my God! Virgil, get out there now and take

Gordon and Alan with you! Use Thunderbird’s onboard tracking systems.” They got up and ran to their jobs as Jeff continued to watch the monitor. “That voice! It’s him! The Hood!”

The Hood had taken his captives to an old school, which had closed down for various reasons and, with a gun jabbed into his back, led Scott through the corridors while the other two carried the still unconscious Kelly.

They reached an old lower level storeroom and went down. The two other men sat Kelly down in a chair and began working on binding her to it. They seemed unsure of how to go about the task due to her state and condition. It pained Scott to see her head leaned forward like that.

The Hood jabbed the gun at him again. “Right, are you going to tell me yet?”

22

News for Scott

Scott stopped to think for a moment, what should he do? He tried hard to think what his father would do when he heard a faint tapping noise coming from his watch. ‘The codes!’ he thought. He listened closely for a moment longer and translated in his mind what they were telling him to do. ‘Call us in the pretence of calling for someone to give him what he wants. Will help you. Don’t panic.’

He smiled discreetly. “Do you have a radio? I can call someone out who knows more than I do.”

The Hood glared at him then his expression softened into an evil smile. “What a good idea. I do have a radio. You are a sensible boy, Tracy.”

Scott took the radio and activated it. “This is Scott Tracy calling International Rescue.”

Kelly woke up with a headache and found herself tied to a chair. There were tightly done up ropes round her feet and binding her hands behind her back, but there was also a looser rope round her middle, above her belly. She looked down at it and fidgeted slightly.

One of the men turned round on hearing this. ‘Stupid mistake,’ she thought to herself. He walked over and pointed his gun at her, making her shake.

“What are you doing?” he asked.“Nothing, honestly. I was trying to get comfortable. Do you know what it’s

like to be nine months pregnant and tied up round your middle?”“Well, no, I don’t,” the man said, confusion creeping into his voice.“Of course you don’t. By the way, can you press the button on my watch and

check it’s still working for me?” she said, trying not to let the fear she felt come through into her words.

The man looked at her then wandered behind her and pressed the button. ‘Now Jeff can hear what’s said,’ she thought. “Thanks. While you’re there, d’you think you could loosen the ropes, just a little bit?” she asked, turning to look at him.

The man looked at her then his expression hardened. “What do you take me for?”

“What am I gonna do? Run away?” She indicated her swollen belly with a nod of her head.

He looked through the door to where Scott and the Hood were talking then looked back. “If I get caught, that’s me dead!” He walked round behind her and loosened the ropes. Kelly grinned to herself, hiding the expression when he came back in front of her.

“Thank you. I feel a lot more comfortable now,” she said, moving her hands behind her back. “I don’t suppose you could get me a drink could you?”

The man frowned again and she raised an eyebrow. “Ok then,” he said reluctantly.

She watched him go then pressed a signal button to let Jeff know she was alone then spoke, not too loudly, but loud enough for the tiny microphone in her watch to pick up her words.

“Jeff? Please say you can hear me?”“It’s ok, I can hear you. I’ve been listening. Are you alright?”“Well apart from being scared for my life, my daughter’s life and Scott’s life,

yeah, I’m fine.”“You’ll be alright; Virgil, Alan and Gordon are on their way. They should be

with you soon.”

23

News for Scott

“I hope so,” she said. She screwed her eyes shut as she felt a twinge of pain. “Uh oh. Not now!”

“What’s wrong?”“I think it’s time!”

In the other room, Scott was trying his best to get Kelly freed from the chair; using the same excuses she had, like she wasn’t actually able to run anywhere. He seemed to be winning when they heard the noise of Thunderbird 2’s motors and Scott felt a sudden burst of hope flow through him.

Virgil walked in, his gun obvious in his holster. “Right. I’m here to talk to you. I’ll tell you all you want to know, but only if you free them first.”

“I will free them after you have proven you will talk.”This is what they had prepared for; they didn’t think he’d release them

unconditionally.While he continued to barter for the couple’s release, Gordon was slipping

quietly into the other side of the room via another entrance they’d found. He hid behind a crate of books and observed his sister-in-law for a moment. She didn’t look too good and wasn’t alone.

He removed his gun from his holster and took aim at the man guarding her then fired. He fell silently to the floor and Kelly looked round.

“Gordon!” she whispered urgently, her expression tense.He ran over quietly. “It’s ok, Kelly. I’m here to get you out.”“Gordon! Am I glad to see you!” She stopped and breathed in deeply as she

felt it again.“What’s wrong?”“I think I’m going into labour!”“What now?”“No, twenty minutes ago! Yes, now!” she said as he stood behind her, untying

her arms and torso.“Oh man! Um…” he said uneasily, crouching down to untie her feet and

helping her up. “Right, I can get you out of here undetected then back to Thunderbird 2.”

“That’s better than here! Ah!”Gordon looked at her uneasily. It was clear he had little idea of what to do so

just led her out, his hands on her arm.She followed him out, her hand firmly in place on the underside of her belly

and taking in deep breaths.They made it outside then Gordon pressed a code button on his watch,

transmitting a signal to Virgil.

Virgil stood there, his hand on his gun.“Release them or I tell you nothing.”“You are very loyal to your family, I’m impressed. But it won’t do them any

good. I will not release them.”“Then let me see her. I won’t say a word until I know she’s ok.”The Hood narrowed his eyes. “I can see we are going to make little progress,

so I shall be fair. I will let you see her, then you will talk.” He turned to the room Kelly had been being held in and opened the door that Gordon had quietly shut on his arrival in there.

24

News for Scott

He stared into the empty room then spun round drawing his gun and firing, but missing them completely. They had already made a run for it on hearing Gordon’s signal.

They arrived outside and entered Thunderbird. They were surprised to hear Kelly screaming for Scott.

Virgil had figured out straight away what was happening and while Scott had remained with his wife in the pod, Gordon, Alan and he had gone into the cockpit and started up the motors to get her to the closest hospital.

During the rescue operation, Alan had located their car and put it into the pod. This meant that they didn’t have to leave all their supplies, but more importantly, Scott could drive Kelly into the hospital grounds.

Not only was landing Thunderbird 2 in the car park bad for security, but it wasn’t very practical in such a small space!

Scott drove Kelly through the streets until they reached the hospital then he helped her out and took her inside where nurses immediately attended to her. She sat down in a wheelchair and was wheeled through the building. Scott chased after them, holding her hand and silently cursing under his breath due to the pressure she was putting on it.

Virgil had taken Thunderbird back to the island and was flying back out to the hospital in the other plane. With him he had his father, but his two remaining brothers had to stay in case of an emergency.

They arrived and jumped out of the plane, running through the hangar to where the last of their cars was then drove off to the hospital.

On arrival, they were told to wait in the relatives’ room. Jeff sat there, looking about uneasily. The last time he had sat in a relatives’ room on the occasion of a birth into his family, the joy that normally ensued was overridden by pain and sadness due to the death of his wife.

Virgil must have realised something was wrong when he looked round to him and said; “She’ll be fine, father. And so will the baby.”

Jeff looked over at him. “When did you become a mind-reader?” he asked, smiling. “I know. Just bad memories I guess.” Virgil nodded his understanding and sat down next to him. “So, you looking forward to becoming an uncle?”

“You looking forward to becoming a grandpa?”Jeff smiled. “Don’t say that, you make me feel old!”Virgil shook his head, grinning, then looked up as the door opened and saw

Scott stood there, a massive smile taking up most of his lower face. “Come with me.”

He led them to the room Kelly was now in and opened the door. On arrival, both Virgil and Jeff smiled. Kelly was sat up with a small baby in her arms. She smiled back at them as they walked in then handed the tiny being to Scott. He took her carefully off his wife then walked over to his brother and father, looking at her the entire way.

He reached them and spoke. “Look who’s here,” he said, softly, looking up. “This is your grandpa and this is your Uncle Virgil, Lara,” he finished, looking back down at her.

25

News for Scott

Jeff couldn’t help but smile as he watched his eldest cradle his first grandchild in his strong arms.

Scott looked up again. “D’you wanna…?” he asked, raising his elbows slightly.

Jeff understood and stepped forward. As he held his arms out, Scott gently passed the tiny girl over to him. He looked down at her and smiled again. “So, you chose Lara, huh?” he asked, glancing behind him for the chair then sitting down.

Scott nodded as he sat down next to Kelly and put his arm round her. She looked very tired, which was understandable.

“Are you ok now, honey?” Jeff asked, looking over at Kelly.She turned her head to look at him. “I’m fine. A bit shaken up by what

happened and very tired, but fine.”“You were very brave earlier, Kelly, I’m proud of you.”She smiled, blinking slowly. “Brave? I was more scared than I’ve ever been

in my life! I thought they were gonna do something to my baby!”“So, you did anything to prevent that. That’s bravery,” Scott said, hugging her

tighter briefly.On the other side of the small room, Jeff looked down at his tiny

granddaughter. “She’s got her father’s eyes,” he said, glancing briefly at Scott. “And her mother’s smile.”

The new parents smiled and Kelly settled back, closing her eyes. “Hey, Jeff,” she said, quietly. “Let Virgil hold her, too.”

Jeff smiled then looked over at Virgil. “Here you go, Uncle Virgil.”“Thank you, grandpa!” Virgil said. He could already tell there was going to

be some playful teasing over this as he accepted his newborn niece into his arms.“Hey, Lara.” He looked down at her, brushing some of her wispy dark hair

from her face. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered then looked at his brother. “She must get that from her mother, too!”

Scott looked round at his sleeping wife. “I know,” he said then turned back to him. “What’s that supposed to mean, anyway?”

“Well, she’s not gonna get it from you, is she?” he remarked laughing.Scott chuckled then carefully moved from his seat on the bed. He stood over

Kelly, tucking in the sheets around her.Jeff stood up and put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “We’ll leave you in

peace. Come on, Virgil. Time to give her back.”Virgil got up carefully and slowly walked over to Scott. “Here you go,

daddy,” he said, quietly.Scott took his daughter from him and smiled. He watched them leave then sat

himself down on the bedside chair, gently supporting the tiny child. He sat there, gazing at her and wishing he could freeze time right where it was.

Some time later, Kelly woke up to see Scott had put Lara into the small cot and had fallen asleep himself. She sat up and looked over at her, though couldn’t quite see her.

She pulled the covers aside and was about to get up to go see her daughter when Scott opened his eyes and said; “What’s up, sugar?”

‘He always seems to know when I’m up.’ “Oh, nothing. I was just gonna check on Lara.”

“Stay right where you are,” he said, getting up and walking across to the cot.

26

News for Scott

She sat back, replacing the covers as Scott walked back over and handed her their child.

She smiled as she took her off him and looked down at her. Scott sat back down next to her and kissed his wife’s forehead.

“Isn’t she perfect?” Kelly said, looking up at him.He nodded and wrapped an arm round her. “The perfect wife gives me the

perfect daughter.”She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. “Who was that man earlier?”

she suddenly asked.“The man who has been trying to ruin us since we began operations.”“Oh,” she said quietly. She hugged Lara closer to her.“It’s alright, sweetheart. We lost him as soon as we took off. No one’s gonna

hurt you or Lara. Not while I’m here! Not when any of us are here.”She looked up at him and smiled again. “Thank you.”“For what?”“For everything. The things you did earlier. I was so scared but you came

through for us,” she said, looking down at their baby.“It wasn’t really me, honey. You should be thanking Virgil and Gordon for

that.”“I know, but you stood by me the entire time.”“Of course I did. You’re my wife and at the time you were still carrying my

child. I’d have done anything to ensure you’re safety, and I still would. You mean everything to me.” He hugged her close. “I love you, Kelly Tracy.”

“I love you, too, Scott Tracy,” she whispered in reply.He looked down at her and smiled then kissed her firmly on the lips.

Some time later, Kelly arrived back on the island with the newest member of the Tracy family.

She arrived to a welcoming committee similar to the one that had greeted her the day she gave them her news, consisting of Jeff, Alan, Gordon, Grandma, Kyrano, Tin-Tin and Brains.

She smiled as she descended from the cabin carrying her daughter. Only Jeff and Virgil had, as of then, seen her.

They all walked up to the lounge together and crowded round Kelly and Lara as she sat down on the couch.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Jeff called out. “I know it’s exciting having a new baby here and all, but if you’re gonna be that loud it won’t be long before you find you have competition in the loudest noise awards.”

Kelly grinned. She had come home not only to the welcoming committee, but also to a fully fitted out nursery for Lara and a whole host of things they’d bought over the nine months and hidden til Lara’s arrival. Brains had even found something useful to do by making her some small toys with an unbreakable compound he’d discovered.

“So?” Grandma asked, sitting down on the adjacent couch. “What did you name her?”

Kelly smiled and looked over at Jeff and Virgil. “You didn’t tell them? Well, I must say I’m surprised!”

“Why? That’s part of your job,” Jeff responded grinning at her.She giggled. “Thank you. Everyone, this is Lara.”“What? Like Lara Croft?” Alan asked.

27

News for Scott

“No, not like Lara Croft, like Lara Tracy,” Scott said, throwing a cushion at his youngest brother.

“Scott, don’t be so violent. You’ve got an example to be setting now,” Gordon said, also chucking a cushion.

They all laughed as Grandma continued. “Lara? That’s a lovely name.” She looked at her granddaughter-in-law hopefully.

Kelly knew what she was thinking. “Would you like to hold her Mrs Tracy?”Grandma smiled. “I’d love to, my dear.” She sat back as Kelly stood up and

handed over the young Tracy.She looked down at her and smiled again. “So, this is what it feels like to be a

great-grandma.”The others chuckled.

The day went on with each of them giving Lara a small cuddle before she was put to bed and they all settled down for the night.

Kelly lay in her bed while Scott was in the bathroom doing his teeth. “Hey Scott?” she called out.

He put his head round the door, still brushing. “Mmm?”“How long you gonna be?”“Hmm phm brr.”“Right.” She raised her eyebrows as Scott went back into the bathroom.

“Look, honey, I know I understand a couple of foreign languages, but I’m afraid I never did pass that one. What was that?”

Scott put his head back round the door. “I said I don’t know.”“Right, gottit now.”He smiled and walked over. She shuffled up as he climbed into bed next to

her and turned onto his side.“So? How do you feel now she’s not in there any more?” he asked, lightly

prodding her in the stomach.“Oi, gerroff,” she said, brushing his hand away. “It’s weird. I got used to her

being there, now she’s not. I guess I just gotta get used to it again, huh?”Scott grinned. “Yeah, guess so.” He turned onto his back and fidgeted to get

comfy.“Jeez, you done yet? Lara didn’t fidget this much when I was carrying her!”

she said, grinning.Scott looked over at her and smirked. “Well, I’m not Lara!”“No, but now I know where she gets her activeness from!”He rolled his eyes and pulled the covers up closer to him. “I’m gonna go to

sleep now. Let’s see how long it lasts.”“Shh! Don’t say that, she’ll hear you!” Kelly said, lying down properly and

pulling the covers up herself. They lay down and it wasn’t long before they fell asleep, the new parents

together, enjoying the last hour or so of uninterrupted sleep they’ll get for a while!

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