#thunderbirds original series

[neuroticphysiologist]

i've done thunderbirds are go mentality edits, and i also created one for the original series! here's part 1. you can also see this one on tiktok.

more of these for TAG: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

Trying the original Thunderbirds again. Turns out the streaming site had it out of order, so now I'm watching Sun Probe. And it looks like the problem I had with Pits of Peril was the exception, not the rule. IR are trying to figure out how to do the rescue immediately.

[cg29fics]

Gone

Having issues with my post’s again. So If you are reading along with this then you may need to check you’ve not missed previous chapters.

Tagging 🔖 Sorry if I’ve missed anyone: @janetm74 @drileyf @katblu42 @psychoseal @weirdburketeer @alexthefly @misstb2 @thundergeek59 @burningcowboyhoagietaco @dragonoffantasyandreality

Originally this was the final chapter. However, a year later I added the Epilogue - which some of you who originally read Gone may have missed. I’ve added the epilogue at the end of this chapter save waiting.

Thank you to everyone who’s read and commented on these posts. Hope you enjoy these final 2 chapters 🥰

Previous Chapter 53 - Home

Chapter 54. Soul

Everyone had continued to celebrate Virgil’s homecoming, with the party only being wound down when Virgil had begun to grow tired from the day’s activities and had experienced some pain. As he had not wanted to leave the gathering, Jeff and Scott had placed him comfortably on the sofa, while Brains gave him his medication. Shortly after, even though they had all been chatting quite loudly, Virgil had drifted off into a deep sleep.

As none of them had wanted to disturb him, they all made their way into different sections of the household. Not wanting to be far from Virgil’s side, all four boys and their father had gone outside and were now enjoying the evenings warmth from the side of the pool. Except, of course, for Gordon who had decided to take the opportunity, and enjoy an evening dip. Meanwhile, after completing the process of cleaning up, and packing away any leftovers, Ruth, Parker, Kyrano and Tin-Tin had decided to head to their rooms, while Brains had gone straight into his lab, so he could continue his work on some new experiment.

Penelope however, had made herself comfortable next to Virgil, wanting to be with him should he wake. She was glad she had remained when he began to stir from a nightmare. “Hey, it’s okay,”

“Pen?”

“Yes, it’s me,” she soothed, “no one’s going to hurt you!”

Virgil opened his eyes and smiled up at Penelope who was now holding him in her arms. “Hi.”

Penelope looked at him with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, it was just a bad dream.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

Virgil sighed. “It was just the usual.”

“Hood?” Penelope frowned.

“Yes,” Virgil nodded sadly.

“He’s never going to be able to hurt you or anyone else again, you do know that right?”

“Yes,” Virgil confirmed, “according to the doctors and John, the nightmares are my minds way of processing what’s happened.”

“That does sound like something John would say!” she stated, with an amused smile. “So, other than the bad dreams, how are you feeling?”

“I’m good,” Virgil answered honestly, “how could I not be when I’ve woken up next to you?”

“Charmer!” Penny smiled, kissing him tenderly.

Virgil returned the kiss and then looked around the room. “Where is everyone?”

Your father and brothers are outside,” Penny informed him, “Brains is in his laboratory, and your grandmother, Tin-Tin, Kyrano and Parker have retired for the evening.”

“And why aren’t you in bed?”

“I wanted to be here when you woke up.”

“Oh, you did?” Virgil grinned tickling her.

“Virg, stop!” Penny giggled. “Do you want me to get your dad, or one of your brothers?”

“No,” Virgil said, stopping and pulling her closer to him, “I’m very happy it’s just me and you!”

“Oh, you are?”

“Most definitely!” He replied, kissing her once more.

They both continued to hold each other until Virgil spoke once more. “So, how many of them were hassling you for details about what’s going on between us?”

“Just Tin-Tin, and what about you?”

“All of my brothers!” Virgil chuckled.

“And what did you tell them?” Penelope asked.

“Nothing, I guess I thought it was best to discuss the matter between us first.”

“I believe that would be a good idea!”

They looked at each other, both wanting to speak what was in their hearts, both slightly scared of the others reaction. Eventually, Virgil broke the silence. “I’ve always liked you, but I was always worried that if I did make a move, you wouldn’t feel the same way, and our friendship would be essentially ruined. Then there was Anderbad.”

“Mm… That was some night!” Penelope smirked.

“It certainly was!” Virgil grinned.

“And since then?”

“Well, I know we both agreed at the time that we would remain friends, but after what happened with the Hood, I realised that sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s nearly been ripped away from you… He nearly took everything, but thankfully he didn’t... And it made me reflect upon things… Life is too short to not speak out about your true feelings!”

“And what are your true feelings?” She questioned coyly.

“I want you to be more than just my friend with the occasional added benefit,” Virgil exhaled nervously, as he looked deeply into her eyes, “Penelope, I love you!”

“I love you too!”

“You do?”

Penny nodded. “Of course, I have for a long time… And I would love to be your ‘official’ girlfriend.”

“Good,” Virgil said, kissing her passionately.

They both remained wrapped in each other’s arms until Penny noticed Virgil was staring longingly at his piano. “Do you want to play?”

“I wish I could, but I can’t exactly use the pedals with two broken legs. Plus, I’ve only just started having light physio on my dislocated shoulder, so I’m not too sure how long I can use my right hand.”

“I can play with you.”

“You know how to play the piano?”

“Yes,” Penelope answered, “from ages 5 to 16, my father insisted! Although, I desperately wanted to learn to play the drums.”

“Drums?”

“Yes, what’s wrong with the drums?”

“Absolutely nothing!” Virgil answered. “Did you never get to learn?”

“No, my father said they were unladylike!”

“Unladylike?” Virgil exclaimed. “There’s been some awesome female drum players!”

“I know,” Penelope said, “that was my comeback… But father had spoken, so I made do with the piano. Secretly I loved it, but I pretended to detest every minute of course… So, do you want to play?”

Virgil nodded enthusiastically. “Where’s my wheelchair?”

“Just here,” she answered, pulling herself off the sofa and pushing the chair over which had been tucked away in a corner of the room. “Do you want me to fetch one of your brothers or your father, so they can help you into this?”

“That’s okay, if you inch it a little bit closer, then with your help I should be able to slide into it.”

“Are you sure?” Penny questioned. “I really wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her.

“Okay,” she said, a hint of concern still in her voice, “but if I see any indication that you’re in any pain, then I’ll be getting Jeff.”

Virgil nodded his confirmation while Penny edged the wheelchair a little bit closer. Then with her support he easily slipped into the chair on the first attempt. “Well, that was easier that I thought it would be,” Penny observed, “however, if I find out you attempt to do that without any help, then you will not hear the end of it! Understood?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” Virgil smiled at her innocently.

“Mm… Well, make sure you don’t!” She warned, pushing him over to the piano. “So, what would you like to play?”

“I don’t mind,” Virgil replied, while she adjusted the piano chair so both herself and Virgil could reach the keys comfortably, “there’s some sheet music just over there.”

Penelope rifled through the variety of music books that were on the shelf that Virgil had pointed at, eventually she brought one over. “How about this to start with?”

“Ah, that’s perfectly easy,” he remarked, when she rested the page on Edward MacDowell’s, ‘To a Wild Rose,’

“Well, you may be a genius when it comes to playing the piano. However, it’s been a fair few years since I attempted to play, and this was one of the very first pieces I learned.”

“Then this is perfect,” Virgil commented, gazing fondly at her.

“Okay then, are you ready?” She asked.

Virgil kissed he once more. “I am now!”

Penelope relished his lips on hers and then smiled at him sweetly, as they both began to press the keys, allowing the melody to sing out. “Virgil Tracy, you are far too good to be playing with me,” Penelope observed, as she faltered a few times, while Virgil’s fingers glided effortlessly across the keys.

“Nonsense,” Virgil remarked, “you are doing wonderfully!” As the tune built to a crescendo, a cough interrupted them. “Oh, hi guys.” Virgil said, glancing up at the five faces standing in the doorway.

Jeff gazed at him sternly. “I would normally reprimand you for getting into your chair without any help.”

“But?” Virgil grinned.

“But,” Jeff added, moving over with his four sons to stand by the piano, “it’s too good hearing you play!”

“it feels great to be playing!” Virgil stated.

“How did you get in your chair?” Scott asked.

“Penelope helped me.”

“Penny, you managed to lift him?” Gordon giggled.

“Hey,” Virgil interrupted, “I’m not that heavy!”

“After all that cake and apple pie you shovelled down earlier,” John chuckled, “I’m not too sure!”

“Hey!” Virgil protested, “Why am I suddenly getting picked on?”

“Because, you are home,” Gordon informed him, “there’s no more special treatment for you now!”

Virgil pouted for a few seconds and then grinned. “Good, I wouldn’t want it any other way!”

“Great, because the jokes will be ‘wheeled’ out!”

Virgil shook his head at Gordon’s bad pun, and then looked at Alan, who was uncharacteristically quiet. “Everything alright little bro?”

Alan nodded. “Just wondering if you could play something?”

“Yes, of course. Anything in particular? Virgil enquired.

“Can you please play…” Alan hesitated.

Virgil smiled at him knowingly. “Do you want me to play moms song?”

“Yes please,” Alan answered enthusiastically, “if that’s okay with you?”

“Of course,” Virgil replied.

“Where’s the sheet music?” Penny asked.

“There isn’t any. Mom was always going to write it down but unfortunately, she never did. Thankfully, she taught it to me and now it’s all up here,” he informed her, pointing to his head, “I really should write it down though.”

“So, do you need any help?” She questioned.

“I should be alright using my right hand for this piece, I’ll use it to count towards my physio time,” he laughed.

“And what about the pedals?” She enquired.

“Yes please,” Virgil confirmed, “they won’t be needed to much, so I’ll let you know when,”

“Okay,” Penny smiled getting herself comfortable.

Virgil prepared himself, then paused as he looked at his family. “Are the rest of you okay if I play this?”

“Yes,” Scott, Gordon and John replied.”

“Dad?” Virgil enquired.

“I would love to hear it son!”

Virgil nodded, closed his eyes, and began to play.

They all exhaled slowly, as they watched Virgil’s fingers slowly caress the keys. Each one of them becoming transfixed by the melodious tune as they all thought back to just a few weeks prior when they had sat and wept together, each believing they would never hear this captivating, incandescent sound again. Now though as the notes continued to radiate from him, each one of them was brought back into the present. Here was Virgil, he wasn’t gone, he was here with them, and his musical soul was once more filling their home.

** **

Chapter 55. Return - An Epilogue.

It had been 1 year and 3 weeks since he’d sat here, a lot longer than he’d anticipated. Yes, the doctors had told him it would take a while to get back to full physical fitness, and he had achieved that, way before they had expected him to. However, it was the unseen injuries that had held him back, the ones the doctors hadn’t picked up on, but his family had spotted straight away.

The nightmares… Ones where he was still being held by the Hood, still chained, the camera set up in front recording everything as the whip was brought down onto his bare skin again and again. These, of course, had woken him with silent screams, occasionally vocalised, but a family members presence, and the realisation that it was just a dream quickly settled him, then sleep came once more. However, there was, of course, the flipped around nightmares, the ones where he’d be the one staring at a screen, watching a brother being tortured, and he’d be screaming out in pain, but every time there had been nothing he could do to save them. Gut-wrenching cries would fill their island home, awakening all the inhabitants, and would see him physically shaking for several hours in someone’s arms… Thankfully, agreeing to talk had helped and the dreams had eventually dissipated, however, an unexpected flashback when Gordon playfully dunked him in the pool (To when the Hood’s men had submerged his head and held him repeatedly under the water) had set off an anxiety attack, which had reawakened the nightmares, and he was once again back at square one… A vicious circle that happened on more than one occasion.

Eventually, with time, and many one-on-one sessions with various members of his family the mental healing eventually caught up with the physical, and that had in turn led to this point, him sitting here… 1 year and 3 weeks later, which was 386 days, an exact total of 9,264 hours… Not that he’d been counting…

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts, “are you okay?”

A short breath out, he glanced back at Gordon, who was now buckling himself into the co-pilots seat. “Yes… Yes, I am!” Turning back to the control panel… His left hand, which now had a treasured silver wedding band on, reached forwards, he didn’t need to even think about what he was doing, even after all this time, he knew his girl like the back of his hand. She moved forwards, trees parting for her, allowing the sunlight to light her beautiful green paint… God, it really had been too long…

“So, are you going to do the honours?” his brother asked.

“You bet I am!”

Gordon settled back as the green machine raised herself, ready and waiting. “Then she’s just waiting for your final command.”

Pressing the final button, then holding the controls in his hands, Thunderbird 2 shot into the air…

Virgil felt the smile light up his face… “Thunderbirds Are Go!”

[shinygoku]

The 2 Supermarionation Thunderbirds movies of the 60′s are so easy to Vastly Improve and I can sum it up in one word: Crossover!!

To elaborate with a few more words; Crossover with the sister show that would soon be hitting TV Screens 👁👁

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO [1966] has a plot about a manned mission to Mars, that initially fails as there was insufficient security, so they hire a ....Non-Profit Private Rescue Organisation?? Bwuh? To make sure the same two-bit domestic terrorist who’s main Deal is wearing disguises (and sometimes being armed) doesn’t stow away on an awkward flight to and from Mars.... well anyway, that rather daft plan to hire the people who should be busy with more important matters does work. They get to Mars and drive around a bit, but the Native Lifeforms of Mineral Fire Launching Snake Things scare them off. International Rescue’s actual rescue of the returning crew is very good though (albeit it’s an Operation Crash Dive copycat lol).

But, ooh! Mars? Alien Life? A Security Company being hired to supervise the launching and maybe be privy to the shocking revelations on the Red Planet? This would be SUCH a neat way to Backdoor Pilot some Spectrum action, set before the status quo of CSatM settles in... Spectrum were literally made to be an elite Security service before pivoting to having to focus so heavily on the Martian Threat!

Well anyway, let’s have a quick look’a the other movie, which was filmed at the same time as some’a CSatM

THUNDERBIRD 6 [1968] is a coma inducer of a movie, it is! Though I appreciate the attempt to have stronger focus on the characters, this is in practice only extended to a handful and leaves the others with nothing to do. The most notable part of this General Anaesthetic is Brains’ struggle to make the titular TB6 and that the Skyship One’s maiden voyage is being sabotaged by Not-The Hood and his motely crew of Imposter Crewmen, who murder and replace all the regular dudes in a shockingly cold blooded sequence by Thunderbirds standards, and this is before the cathartic finale of Thunderbirds 1 and 2 ....bombing the everloving shit out of Not-The Hood...... huh! That’s a darker shade of grey than they tend to dabble with, innit!

Hopefully you catch my drift; the crew being killed and replaced with imposters, and fiery doom befalling the Evil HQ is far more outta the Mysterons and Spectrum’s conflict playbook!

It really frustrates me that they had Carte Blanche to make whatever they wanted for these big exciting events, the movies of Thunderbirds. And they came up with some cool ideas, but wrapped it in hours of nothing significant, coming tantalisingly close to something truly special but choosing to focus on the wrong areas, like silly dream sequences or shooting lions in Africa like a fucking scumbag.

Now, TaG [66] predates the solidification of CSatM, and Thunderbird’s second season was cut short and the focus changed to an exciting new premise, but TB6 has no such excuse. If it was made to be a last hurrah, it goes off not with a bang, but like a damp squib. So many scenes go on without purpose, they even cotton on to the fact there is a Sus Imposter early-ish on but then take no action and even talk about being International Rescue in front of him! What on earth is going on, where’s the thrills, spills and automobiles that makes Thunderbirds such a cultural icon?!

I’m not saying shoehorning Spectrum into the movies we got would automatically make them better (but you’d hafta be trying awfully hard to make TB6 worse...), but rather if they had been baked in to the initial concept, with the story touching on both the similarities and the differences of International Rescue and Spectrum and how they deal with the situations presented, it would have been a radical idea that bridges the series and could whet the appetite for more of the sequel series. Instead the closest we get is that the Zero-X [or, another Z-X] made a separate mission to Mars, with Captain Black leading that mission...

There’s a lotta different ways having both Good Guy Organisations present and focused on coulda gone; cooperation or opposition, idealism vs pragmatism, the need to save every human possible and the dread of seeing the twin rings of light shining apon a rocket’s hull. It wasn’t to be, but both the series having similarities and parallels and being right next to each other still make me think they Could Have if they wanted to, but alas, they did not.

[justrandomthoughtsandthings]

I have. a very specific 'guess the song' emoji game. and I don't know enough people other than my siblings who've watched the show. so.

🌠🔫🙍‍♀️

🔴🛡⚔️

👨🌑🕴🏻🔛🙍‍♀️

🙍‍♀️🚫❤️👨

[arttsuka]

Just, sharing this...

[hebuiltfive]

WIP i-haven't-done-one-of-these-in-a-while-so-screw-waiting-for Wednesday

“I could still create the scene, if you so wish.”

She held up her ungloved hand. “Please, do not. I do not wish for you to injure yourself.”

“Your concern for me is gratefully accepted, but I assure you, I would be perfectly fine.”

“I believe gravity would have something to say about that.”

“Gravity would only be a problem if I fell.”

“Which is something you would likely do if you tried to scale the wall of my home.”

Scott turned to her fully, eyes alight with the prospect of a challenge and with all his earlier woes forgotten. “You do not believe me to be a skilled climber?”

“Have you scaled walls before?”

“… No, but I am rather skilled.”

“In climbing?”

“In many things.”

“But not in climbing?”

“I think you’re missing my point.”

“I think you’re failing to make a point.”

[yki-dolls]

Found these guys in an antique shop yesterday

Virgil is from 1999, and Scarlet is from 2001, so not exactly antique lmao, but a super fun find!

It'd be nice to get all of them they made but that's probably pretty unlikely lmao.

The boys are DUSTY. I don't think they've been moved more than once since they were bought!

[skymaiden32]

Off Duty

Read on AO3 here

Fandom: Thunderbirds

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 @liseylou @amistrio @uniwolfcorn @idontknowreallywhy (Please ask if you would like to get alerts when I update or post new stories.)

Thundertober Day 10: Mute

While off duty at an event, Gordon meets someone very special…

Continuity: TAG

------

It was the latest in a string of children’s hospitals that had been founded and set up in recent months. As frequent donors to these causes, a member of the Tracy clan had been present to see the opening ceremony almost every single time, only missing out when the whole family were out on rescues. This time around, it was Gordon’s turn to attend.

He stood amongst the crowd, trying his best to be inconspicuous. It hadn’t worked. Within the first ten minutes, he’d been bombarded by journalists from about six different papers and tabloids, all wanting an exclusive or just straight up taking a photo without his consent. He thanked his lucky stars that Brains had given him his new favourite gadget, designed to distort images of him. That man was a literal miracle worker.

Gordon watched as the owner of the hospital finished off her speech, and reached her hand out to beckon a young boy up to the front with her. The child tentatively took the little golden scissors, and helped by another woman Gordon was sure was his mother, cut the ribbon. Raucous applause followed the opening. After a few moments, it finally quieted down, allowing the guests to mingle.

He’d been speaking with an associate of the Dandridge Corporation when he felt a tug on his leg. Looking down, he saw the same boy from before, who was looking up at him curiously. Saying farewell to his conversation partner for the time being, the aquanaut crouched down to the child’s eye level, a small frown on his face. 

“Hey kid,” he started, a little uneasily, “where are your parents?” The boy just looked up at him, blinking. Now that they were face to face, Gordon noticed a small scar running along his neck. His frown deepened, lifting his head to see if he could spot the woman who had helped the kid cut the ribbon, or even just the hospital owner. He sighed, not seeing either of them. “Let’s go find them, shall we?” 

He reached out a hand to the boy, who gladly took it, and made his way up to the front steps of the hospital. If any of the responsible adults were somewhere, that’s where they’d be. Gordon hummed thoughtfully when he didn’t see anyone. The boy was still clinging to his hand. “What does your mother look like, kiddo?” No answer. “Or your dad?” He tried again. Still nothing. Gordon chuckled. “A quiet one, huh?”

Dodging a few more cameramen and frantic press with notebooks, the two of them continued their search. Further investigation finally yielded results when the woman from before dashed in front of him, dropping to her knees in front of the young boy. “Thomas!” She almost cried, relieved that he was okay. “You had me worried sick! Never run off like that again…” The boy, now known to Gordon as Thomas, nodded his head. “Now, your father will take you home,” she pointed to a man behind her, “go to him and try not to wander off.” Thomas’s mother held his cheek in the palm of her hand, giving him a loving kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be back with you and Dad later, okay?” 

Gordon felt Thomas’s hand slip from his, and both he and his mother watched as he ran to his father, still not uttering a thing. “Quiet, isn’t he?” Gordon mentioned, causing the woman to look at him. “He didn’t say a word while he was with me…”

The mother sighed. “He’s mute, but he wasn’t always...” She explained, sadness etched into her words. “He actually used to be the most talkative boy you’d ever meet.”

The aquanaut raised an eyebrow. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It wasn’t that long ago.” She stated apologetically. “I don’t really feel comfortable yet talking about it.” Gordon simply nodded in understanding. “But, you’re something of a hero to him, Mr Tracy. Even off duty, you saved him before something awful might’ve happened.” She beamed from ear to ear. “I can never thank you enough for bringing my Tommy back to me.” She reached forward to shake his hand. He took it in an instant.

“It’s my pleasure, Mrs…?” He hung onto the end of the sentence, waiting for the woman to reveal her name.

“Carter.” She answered quickly. “Blanche Carter.”

“Well, it’s my pleasure Mrs Carter.” Gordon smiled warmly. “Your son is very special indeed…”

[avatarskywalker78]

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday!!!!! And I decided to write a snippet from my Thunderbirds idea (since I'm currently rewatching that). The story needs developing but I also wanted to get some scenes out of my head so this is when the ship Sheridan Ó Séaghdha (test pilot and close friend of John and Gordon Tracy) is copiloting, Starfinder One, begins hurtling towards the ground after two of its engines explode.

“Backup engines up and running!” Taryn’s voice, this time, and Sheridan breathed a small sigh of relief as their dive lessened to two thousand feet a minute. Still wasn’t great but right now that was the best they could hope for. “Taryn, what the hell just happened?” “Engines Two and Four exploded due to overload.” “Overload? But their capacity is—” “I know what it is, but that’s what all systems are saying – the automatic sensors put out the internal fire but looks like we’re gonna be lighting up the sky as we come down.” “What about ejector pods?” Henson enquired. “Mostly damaged.” Karl’s voice crackled. “You might launch one or two but I wouldn’t risk it.” “What about the passengers?” “The attendants have been trying to keep them calm but they’re gonna want to hear from you pretty soonish.” “Is there a way to slow our rate of descent further?” Her copilot asked. “Possibly, but if the other two engines explode—” “We’ll deal with that when it comes to it.” Sheridan said sharply. “Either way, if we can’t get out of this dive our landing gear’s gonna be useless.”

This story started from the idea of 'what if John Tracy answers a call from someone who knows him' because none of them make any attempt to disguise their voice , and the boys did have lives before International Rescue so probably have plenty of friends on the mainland, so there's always an outside chance of this happening, and it kind of grew from there.

One of my main obstacles to this is how the rescue is even going to play out; whether they're gonna try and ensure a safe-ish landing (like with Fireflash), try to repair what ejector pods they can, or actually attempt on-board evacuation somehow - and despite being a fan of the original show I'm not one hundred percent sure what equipment they'd use for that.

Another obstacle is that aside from this rescue I don't really have much of a plot, so still early days 😅😅

Tagging (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @shrinkthisviolet @starstruckpurpledragon

[cg29fics]

Gone

Having issues with my post’s again. So If you are reading along with this then you may need to check you’ve not missed previous chapters.

Tagging 🔖 Sorry if I’ve missed anyone - If you would like to be tagged in these updates then please let me know and I’ll add you to the list: @janetm74 @drileyf @katblu42 @psychoseal @weirdburketeer @alexthefly @misstb2 @thundergeek59 @burningcowboyhoagietaco @dragonoffantasyandreality

Countdown to the final chapter - 2 - left to go. You can also read the complete fic on Ao3 or FFNet - CreativeGirl29

Previous: Chapter 52. Preparations.

Chapter 53. Home

Jeff pulled the car he was driving to a halt and surveyed his sleeping son who was comfortably propped up in the back seat. Virgil had been full of joyful energy after he had received the news that he was going home. However, shortly after saying their goodbyes to Gerry and carefully placing him in the car, the medication he had been given just before leaving had hit, Virgil’s energy had dissipated, and he’d drifted off to sleep. Jeff released a contented sigh as he continued to watch his child enjoy a peaceful slumber. He really didn’t want to wake him, but he knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it if Virgil missed the arrival of his beloved bird. So, even though there was currently no sign of Thunderbird 2’s arrival at their designated pickup point, Jeff reached over into the back seat and placed his hand on Virgil’s arm. “Hey son, time to wake up.”

“Mm…” Virgil yawned, slowly opening his eyes. “Sorry dad, what did you say?”

“Your girl will be here soon,” Jeff informed him.

Virgil released a big grin and looked out the window at the bright blue sky. “How long until she’s here?”

“Not long,” Jeff replied, checking his watch, “by the time we get you out the car and into your wheelchair then I’m sure she’ll be coming into view.”

“FAB!” Virgil responded excitedly.

Ten minutes later, Virgil, who was now sitting comfortably in his wheelchair, looked up at the sky when a familiar sound began to fill the air. “She’s here,” he beamed, as he observed Thunderbird 2 finally coming into view. Like each of his brothers he was obsessed with his own bird. Constantly cleaning her, checking her over for damage, and helping with upgrades to her systems. Also, like each of his brothers he believed his Thunderbird was the best. It was always an intense discussion between them, each of them making their own valid points, and each of them mocking each other’s crafts. During one of their heated arguments, Gordon had earned himself a laugh from the others and a slap around the head from Virgil when he had compared Thunderbird 2 to a giant flying toad. Virgil had gone on to explain to them that she was only clunky when she was not being handled correctly, if she was treated with respect, then she was graceful like an Albatross soaring through the sky. Now as he watched her coming into land he really felt like that comparison was the right one to make. Although, Scott was making a hash of the landing. “Hey dad, tell Scott to ease of the pedal and she will land much easier for him.”

“Do your own dirty work!” Jeff chuckled.

Virgil grinned at his father and pressed his watch. “Hey Scott.”

“Hi Virg, are you calling through to tell me how to handle your girl? Because if you are then I’m happy to turn around and leave you here,” he joked.

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” Virgil responded.

“Good,” Scott laughed, “because I know how to fly your lady.”

“Oh, you certainly do!” Virgil responded back, watching Scott finally bring her onto the ground.

“So, who is the best pilot?” Scott questioned.

“You’re one of the best… Although, not as good as me!” He added under his breath.

Scott jumped out of the pilot seat and climbed out of Thunderbird 2. “Hey bro, I’ve missed you.”

Virgil returned the hug that Scott was wrapping him in. “Missed you too!”

“Hey,” Jeff said, with a fake pout, “am I invisible here?”

Scott shook his head at his father’s reaction and pulled him into a warm embrace. “You know, you really do take after Gordon!”

“I think you’ll find it’s the other way around,” Jeff replied, with a deep laugh.

Virgil coughed to gain their attention. “Come on you two… I want to go home!”

Jeff glanced at Scott. “Shall we leave him here?”

“Yes,” Scott nodded, “especially if he’s going to do an Alan and ask if we are there yet every five minutes!”

“I promise to be good,” Virgil stated, pulling huge puppy dog eyes at them both.

“Come on then,” Scott smiled, taking control of Virgil’s wheelchair and pushing him towards his bird, “let’s get you into your flying frog!”

“She’s not a frog,” Virgil retaliated, “she’s a green goddess!”

“If you say so,” Scott chuckled, ruffling his brother’s hair, “now come on, let’s get you home!”

… …

“Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be making our final descent in the next five minutes. Please take this time to make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened, and any carry-on-luggage is safely stored away… Thank you!”

Virgil rolled his eyes at Scott’s announcement and gazed out at the view before him. It had taken a lot of his persuasive powers to convince his dad and his brother to allow him to sit up front and not in the infirmary. Along with his firm promise not to tell Scott how to control his bird during the flight. It had been very difficult to keep that part of his bargain, especially knowing what some of Scott’s habits were when he was piloting. Now, as the familiar sights appeared before him, he realised his silence had been worth it. Firstly, he’d only been able to make out the once volcanic ridge, which from a distance made the island appear barren. Then, upon inching that little bit closer he’d been able to see the turquoise waves cascading onto the golden beach, and the luscious dark greens of the forest that covered half of the island. A few years back he had loved exploring the woods and camping out with his brothers on the beach. However, since International Rescue had become fully operational, they had kept saying they would go out, but none of them had found the time. That was something that would have to change, ‘as soon as I can walk again,’ he thought to himself. Life was to short and precious to keep putting things off.

“She’s beautiful isn’t she!” Jeff said, snapping Virgil out of his daze.

“Yes, she is,” Virgil replied, grinning at his father as their hidden home with Gordon’s much-loved pool appeared before him, “I’ve made this descent so many times, but I’ve never really taken in her true beauty… I knew I was a bit homesick, but I guess I’ve missed the place more than I realised.”

“Well, you’re home now!” Scott announced, gliding Thunderbird 2 along the runway, past the tipped palm trees, and into the hangar.

… …

“Virgil!” Alan practically sang, bouncing over to his brother who had just been brought out of Thunderbird 2 and placed in his chair.

Virgil smiled at his youngest brother’s enthusiasm. “Hey Alligator, I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too,” Alan replied, laughing at the childhood nickname while enveloping Virgil into a warm embrace, “and you as well dad.”

“Missed you too son,” Jeff added, hugging Alan.

“Hey,” Scott protested, “what about me?”

“You’ve only been gone a couple of hours!” Alan laughed.

“Still,” Scott pouted, “one of your hugs would be nice.”

“Okay,” Alan grinned, allowing Scott to wrap him in a quick hold.

“So, where are those other two brothers of mine?” Virgil questioned, when Alan had turned to face him once more.

“No idea!” Alan smirked.

Mm, really… What are you up too?” Virgil responded, raising his eyebrows.

“Nothing!” Alan answered, far too quickly and suspiciously for Virgil’s liking.

Virgil kept his eyes on a grinning Alan as all of them made their way from the hangar. “Where is everyone?” He asked, when they entered the very quiet Villa.

“Surprise… Welcome home!”

Virgil practically jumped in his chair, even though he had suspected a surprise party may have been organised, and then exhaled with relief when he saw the delighted faces before him. Not only were his two other brothers and grandma now embracing him, but standing there grinning back at him were Tin-Tin and her father Kyrano, alongside Brains, Parker, and… “Hey,” he sighed, at the sight of the beautiful Penelope.

“Hello,” she smiled sweetly, making her way towards him and holding him gently in her arms, before kissing him softly on his lips.

“What the?” Tin-Tin mouthed to Alan who was now standing next to her.

“No idea,” Alan shrugged, “they’re being mysterious and won’t tell us what’s going on.”

“Pen is my best friend, I’ll find out,” she assured Alan before acknowledging Virgil who was now grinning back at her, after finally letting Penny go. “Hello Virgil.”

“Hey sweetheart, do I get a cuddle?”

“Of course!”

“I hope you’ve been looking after that baby brother of mine?” Virgil whispered in her ear as he held her.

“Yes, I have,” Tin-Tin answered shyly, while turning bright red.

Virgil chuckled at her response and then turned to face the rest of the congregation. “Kyrano.”

“Master Virgil, it’s very good to see you.”

“And you too, Kyrano,” Virgil replied, shaking the man by his hand, “Brains… I’ve been told that I’ll be answering to you for all of my medical needs from now on?” Virgil questioned, while shaking his hand.

“That’s correct,” Brains responded, fiddling with his glasses.

“Well don’t worry, I promise to be good and do everything you say!” Virgil stated before glancing over to Parker who was still staring at him quite sternly after he had embraced Penny. “Hello Parker.”

“Master Tracy,” Parker greeted, firmly shaking Virgil’s hand, while sustaining a look of distrust on his face.

Virgil maintaining a hold of Parker’s hand, beckoned him towards him and began to speak quietly. “Parker, I understand that Penelope is like a daughter to you, and you would do absolutely anything to protect her!”

“That’s correct!”

“Well, I want you to know that I care about her very deeply, and I promise I will never do anything to hurt her!”

“That’s all I needed to hear Master Virgil,” Parker stated, instantly relaxing.

“Are you tired?” Ruth questioned, when everyone else had gone to fetch the party food from the kitchen. “Your father said you didn’t sleep during the flight back home. We can delay the party until you’ve had some rest.”

“What, and miss out on some of that awesome looking food,” Virgil answered, his mouth watering as Kyrano and Parker carried some of the treats into the room.

“We can save you some,” his grandma replied.

“With four brothers, there’s no chance of any surviving!”

“That’s true… Plus, I have made all of your favourites.”

“Well, that settles it, I’m certainly not resting then!”

“Well, if you do feel sleepy let one of us know, okay?”

“I will grandma!”

Ruth ruffled his hair, then turned to face the table so she could supervise her always ravenous grandsons. “Gordon Cooper Tracy… Put down that knife, Virgil gets to cut the cake and have the first slice!”

[edorazzi]

Hey, you need to know that I started watching you because of the Miraculous mentor au, but you sucked me into Thunderbirds instead. I have now watched the first season of TAG and am working on the second. WHy is it so good? I watched TOS but this is completely different and I love it so much THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME INTO IT

I KNOW, right?!

It's so rare for a reboot/sequel/revival/whatever to be genuinely great and TAG just nails it somehow!

It's a lot more simplistic, lighthearted and fast-paced than classic Thunderbirds (TOS Gordon has a kill count while TAG Gordon can't even say "ass" without getting censored!) but you can feel every drop of the love and respect behind it. With the endless Easter eggs it was so clearly made for classic fans to watch with their kids - my dad went in VERY grudgingly when I wouldn't shut up about it and ended up watching all three seasons with me!

I think TOS is more about the high-tech rescues with incredible practical effects, and TAG is about the Tracys themselves who were originally pretty glossed over. Just look what they did with John who spent nearly the whole series in off-camera space jail (for the crime of being handsome); now he's the cornerstone of the whole iR operation and lethal levels of sassy about it!

I love that they aren't afraid to touch on more delicate things too: Scott's self-destructive tendencies; Virgil's feelings of inadequacy; John's crippling social anxiety; Gordon's physical injuries; Kayo's fear of rejection; Alan's fading memories of his parents. And that when Jeff does return he's so full of love for his sons - these boys aren't getting one awkward pat on the shoulder followed by a shot of whisky and a cigarette to deal with that emotional outburst!

Anyway, I adore TAG and I will not apologise to anyone caught in the crossfire of my hell blog. Welcome and thank you!!! :V

[ilikebigshipsandicannotlie]

Soooo ... if I'm Henry does that make @scramjettracy Gordon?

Tall/long

Blue

Express engine

Considers themselves to be suffering indignity on a regular basis

?

Hi Virgil! I love your blog name! What’s your favourite thing you’ve painted recently?

Hi anon! I painted a picture of Talyllyn, who is a narrow gauge locomotive from the Talyllyn railway in Wales.

It was special because she's 200 years old! She had her birthday party this year in 2064.

Obviously her engineering is not up to Thunderbird levels, but everything has to start somewhere and before rail getting anywhere was slooooow.

@scramjettracy will tell you I'm still travelling at steam train speeds, and if I'm not rescuing he's probably right. I love a train ride and I loved painting the picture.

[serameli]

Thunderbirds original series headcanons because it needs more love

Scott has quite high concentrations of pheomelanin in his hair, causing it to go ginger when bleached (or if he spends too long in bright sunlight, but that's more subtle). Alan passed this information to Penelope and Scott spent a month looking like a traffic cone courtesy of careful hair bleach application and a shower cap

Gordon sometimes lays on the floor propped up on his elbows and legs tucked under him in a position he's dubbed 'the frog' as an ill-advised method of relieving back pain. Not only does this make him a trip-hazard, but he's also taken to 'frog snaring' (aka grabbing the ankle of) any brother unfortunate enough to walk within his grasp. The easiest way to avoid being snared is carrying a mug, since having a cup of hot coffee dropped on your head makes for a memorable lesson

John does endangered crafts as a way to unwind, he's quite keen on spinning and has discovered that rolling a drop spindle across his thigh allows him to spin in microgravity and create threads far thinner than what would be possible on earth

Alan once smuggled a bottle of high-proof alcohol to TB5 in exchange for an ultra thin trip wire made out of spider silk collected from around Tracy Island with a stick (a tripwire that caught out the remaining 3 brothers and Jeff)

John goes completely boneless when drunk

Brains's idea of a great night out involves sitting in the corner with a stack of maths problems and a steady supply of rum&cokes

When stressed, in pain, or off his gourd on painkillers Gordon will prattle about marine life, with the topic often turning to the reproduction of said marine life. The subject of barnacle penises came up repeatedly in the months following the hydrofoil crash

Scott and Virgil occasionally use aerospace maths in lieu of a pain scale, requiring whichever of the two isn't injured (or Brains) to translate

[sailing-on-a-puddle]

Thunderbirds Rewatch - Lord Parker's 'Oliday

This isn't a favourite of the original series for me. It's got some laughs with Penelope and Parker, "it will be a great disaster" guy and the guy who drops his drink in the sea, but it takes too long to get going. Many TOS episodes are guilty of this, but they're usually the ones where they were written as 30 mins initially. This is a later one so that wasn't the case.

Also, surely you should evacuate the town? Or if the guests are asleep just let them sleep? Some of the premise seems a little odd. Penelope has learned how to drive which is a positive compared to a series 1 episode.

What has also changed since series 1 is we have The Wrong Virgil. I really like David Holliday's Virgil, he is unflappable and his voice could calm you down reading a shopping list. Jeremy Wilkin's just doesn't have the same effect. They are also visually different and to me the earlier was better. However, I understand you can't cancel a whole series for one person leaving and people watched this in the 60s on black and white tvs and there were no recording facilities so probably nobody was bothered.

The Wrong Virgil is also Different Virgil. Why is he in charge? Why is he flapping? I'd not noticed that before. I will be watching the TOS rewatches to see if Different Virgil appears elsewhere!

Anyway, ramble over. I won't ramble about every episode, just the ones where I noticed something or when I need to ramble about their greatness 😁

@thunderversary-rewatch-party