NIGHTTIME CONVERSATIONS by RABID KOOKABURRA RATED FRC

They've known each other for years, but tonight they meet for the very first time. Friendship story.

Author's Notes: Thanks to 'Virgil4Ever' (Webmistress' Note: Now known as 'LMC') for her encouragement and beta-reading skills. Thanks, Chris!

"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you o-over there! Excuse me."

"It's all right. You can stay if you want."

"A-are you sure? I mean, i-if you want to be alone..."

"No, it's okay. Really."

"I-if you, uh, say so. I-if I may ask, what are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you would want to spend some...time with your, uh, brothers after being in space for so long."

"Yeah, but I guess I've just gotten used to being by myself. I just felt like I had to get away, you know?"

"Yeah, I-I know how that is."

... ...

"What are you doing? Looking at the stars?"

"Yep. Don't seem to want to stop."

"Sorry, I, uh, didn't mean to interrupt..."

"You're not interrupting anything. I...I could use someone to talk to, and I don't feel like going back in just yet."

"Too noisy?"

"Yeah. Thunderbird Five is so quiet. After a few minutes around my noisy brothers, as much as I enjoy being around them, their voices sound a little loud."

"Hmm...How do you d-do it?"

"Do what?"

"Er, no offense, but they all look...alike to me. The stars, I mean."

"They do? Really? In that case, you might want to look a little longer."

"Uh, sorry, I d-didn't mean to offend..."

"I'm not offended. Just look up at the stars for a bit."

"Okay..."

"Well?"

"W-well what?"

"Notice anything?"

"They're...different sizes. And have, uh, different b-brightnesses."

"Good. Keep looking."

"What am I looking for?"

"You'll see."

"Now do you see anything different?"

"Er, not really."

"Okay then, do you know where the constellation Orion is?"

"That one. The th-three stars in a row."

"Right. Now, do you see that one up and to the left?"

"Yeah?"

"That's Betelgeuse. Do you see anything unique about it?"

"Not rea...wait, i-it looks kind of orange-ish."

"Right."

"Is that what I was, uh, looking for? Color?"

"You got it."

"Oh, hey! You're right! I-I can see different colors i-in some other stars too!"

"Doesn't seem quite that difficult to pick out individual stars now, does it?"

"I guess not! Well, I-I think dinner's, uh, just about ready, so I'll head o-on in. You coming?"

"Sure. Wait! Before you go, I want to show you something else."

"Oh really? What?"

"Come over here, to where I'm standing. You see that palm tree near the outer curve of the pool over there?"

"Er, yeah?"

"Now, look twenty degrees up, and to the right. It's the first really bright one you come to. See it?"

"Uh, yeah. It l-looks nice."

"I've named that one Lucille."

"Your...your mother's name."

"Yeah. It's official. Registered and everything."

"I c-can't think of a, uh, better way to honor your mother's memory."

"Thanks! I got the idea from when Mom told me...oh, never mind."

"Huh? What?"

"Forget it. It sounds silly."

"Oh, you can t-tell me."

"Well, it's just that...it doesn't sound very...just forget it, okay?"

"T-too late. You've piqued my interest. Now I h-have to know."

"Well, I know it sounds dumb, but when I was a kid, Mom told me that when people die, they turn into stars and watch over us from the heavens. When I discovered that star, it was like...I just started thinking about Mom, and I guess I thought that it really was her. Though you're probably thinking that this is the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard."

"N-not at all. The fact that I-I'm hearing this from an astronomer a-actually lends it some c-credibility."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

"Really. After all, n-nothing's impossible."

"That's what you believe, huh?"

"Y-yeah. I-in fact, all of International Rescue's equipment, e-even the, uh, Thunderbirds were designed on th-that principle. While some things a-are more p-probable than others, n-nothing is e-ever truly impossible."

"Well there's a deep thought for you. Well, all this thinking is working up an appetite. What say we get something to eat while there's still some left?"

"I-I'm with you!"

"All right then! By the way, it was nice talking to you. We should do this more often."

"Oh, I-I agree!"