ANOTHER LATE NIGHT CHAT by BOOMERCAT RATED FRPT

Two brothers have a talk.

John Tracy started awake. With his eyes still closed, he hugged his pillow, listening intently for a repeat of the sound that had brought him up from a deep sleep. There. It was the tone signifying a call from home. Cracking his eyes open he glanced at his chronometer. Two a.m. island time.

For convenience sake, his days were based on the same time zone, though living as he did on a space station high above the earth, he could have set his daybreak at any time he chose. Sighing he swung his legs out of bed. He sat for a moment with his eyes closed, breathing deeply, hoping to clear the muzziness from his mind.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered when the tone sounded again. "Keep your shirt on, I'm coming."

John padded barefoot to the communications console, scratching his chin as he went. He wondered if his family had any clue how exhausting it was listening as his brothers performed hair-raising rescues. Earlier in the day, all four of his brothers had gone to help locate victims of an avalanche in the Alps, only to be caught in a second avalanche that had swept the rescuers and Thunderbirds One and Two down a mountainside. For a short time, John had feared that he had lost them all. Soon enough Gordon and Alan, and then Scott had reported in, but it had been a very long fifteen minutes before Virgil had been located and pulled from the snow.

Rescues that disastrous were fortunately few and far between. His brothers were very very good at what they did. But every time things like this happened, John questioned his role as communicator. He knew that Brains had the ability to automate the space station. John had always argued for the human touch. He said that no computer could judge the same way a human could. He said that hearing a human voice when one was in distress helped to calm and therefore prevent further problems.

But when his brothers' lives were at risk, he couldn't help think other things. He couldn't ignore the fact that as an astronomer, he had the billet of a lifetime. Was his insistence on 'the human touch' just a cover for his selfish desire to hold on to a space that was bringing him fame in astronomy circles? Or worse yet. John wondered if he was hiding a streak of cowardice. Did he stay safe in his station because he feared letting his family down?

Even when today's rescue had ended, and his brothers were all accounted for and headed home, John had not been able to relax. His tortured soul-searching had lasted the rest of the day, his delight in the careful observation of a newly discovered quasar ruined. He had agonized long into the night before falling exhausted into bed.

He had only just fallen asleep when the base had called. Taking a moment to compose himself, John opened the link. "International Rescue, this is Thunderbird Five."

When the vidscreen brightened, John was not surprised to find his younger brother Gordon smiling at him. "Did I wake you up, John?"

"It's two in the morning, Gordon. What do you think?" It had come out much sharper than John had intended, a sure sign of his exhaustion.

His brother flinched at the tone. "Uh, you're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you. Go back to bed, I'll call you in the morning."

Sighing, John responded. "No, that's okay. I'm up now. What did you want?"

Gordon looked away, shrugging, "Nothing important. I just thought you might still be up."

John looked closely at his younger brother's too bright eyes, the tightness around the mouth. "Gordon, are you okay? Is your back hurting you again?"

Again the diffident shrug. "Naw, I'm fine. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Oh no you don't! Gordon, what's going on? What's bothering you?"

"It's just... I just wanted..."

John's eyebrows slowly climbed upward. He had never seen his brash younger brother so tongue-tied. "What, Squirt? You know you can tell me."

Gordon glanced sidelong at his brother before looking away again. "I just wanted to say thank you, you know?"

John frowned, "For what?"

"Oh, you know. For being there."

"Okay, you've officially lost me here. What are you talking about, Squirt?"

"Well, like today. When we couldn't find Scott or Virg. Just hearing you made it easier. You were so calm, it helped me stay calm."

"Gordon, what is this all about? You're always calm under fire. I've never seen you panic, or even lose your cool on a rescue."

"I don't. Not usually. But that's because it's usually strangers. Today was different. Today it was family. My God, we could have lost Virgil out there today. I was so close to losing it, but you kept me steady. You always do. And you know, I'm not the only one that feels that way. Alan and Virg both do, and I'm pretty sure Scott does too. You're kind of like Dad, without the authority."

"Thanks... I think."

"You know what I mean."

"I've been thinking we should automate Thunderbird Five. I should be down there with you guys."

"What? No! I mean, John, you're the Voice of International Rescue. You're what we present to the world. There's no one better. Alan does his best, but he's nowhere near as good as you. If you were down here, you just be another grunt. And face it, having five of us on that rescue today would have just been more lives in danger. We need you where you are, John. And believe me, I do mean need."

"You're not a grunt, Gordon." John said quietly.

"Sure I am. So's Alan, but that's okay, we don't mind."

"I don't like you guys thinking you're somehow less important than Scott or Virgil."

"Less important? Please! Those two are only the bus drivers. It's Al and I who do all the real work."

John made a show of looking down at his console. "Great. I've got the recorder running."

"Uh, recorder?"

"Oh, yes. Here, let me play it back." John flipped a few switches and Gordon's voice floated through the air 'Those two are only the bus drivers. It's Al and I who do all the real work.'

Gordon's eyes widened, but a smile played around his lips. "John? Were you planning on blackmailing me?"

"Blackmail is such an ugly word. Let's just say I'm saving up a little insurance against April Fool's day."

Gordon chuckled. "Okay, you've got me. God, I'm tired. What do you say we call it a night?"

"Funny, I called it a night several hours ago."

"Yeah. I am sorry about that. I just had to talk to you. Thanks for listening."

"No, thank you. It's good to be appreciated."

"Well, I do appreciate you. Even when you record me."

"Good night, Squirt."

"Good night, Johnny."

John shut down the communications console and sat for a moment with a small smile on his face. Padding back to his bed, he settled in with a contented sigh. He wouldn't trade his brothers for anything in the world.