Title: Treasure Hunters

Summary: Snapshots of the Tracys during a special holiday. A bit late but still, Happy Easter everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds never have never will.

A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

It was a nice day in April that year. Not too warm and yet not pouring rain either. Jeff Tracy stood by the kitchen window watching the five treasure hunters. Smiling wider when a cheer went up as they found another treasure.
He watched the smallest one. Holding tight to his brother's hand. His brother would look down at the treasure map the 4-year-old held and then lead him over to where one of the treasures lay. The child appeared to have been crying. Jeff hadn't seen it but he was willing to bet that before his brother offered to help he hadn't found any treasures. Mostly because his brothers has beaten him to the treasure. But as he watched Jeff saw, the brother put a treasure in the child's bucket when he wasn't watching. He knew that his middle son wasn't huge on the treasure in this particular hunt for it didn't matter.
Jeff smiled when he heard his mother call time on. She knew they'd found all the treasure they'd hidden. She inspected the buckets before declaring his oldest the winner. The 4-year-old looked upset but then the middle son asked her to count Alan's again. She did and then said that Alan had won, by one. The 4-year-old looked up excited at his brother.

"I'll share with you Virgie." He said.

"It's ok Al. You enjoy it. You won after all. It's all yours." Virgil said. Jeff knew that Virgil only had maybe two Easter Eggs left but if it made Alan smile that was all that mattered to Virgil.

"Damnit!" Alan hissed as he once more missed out on finding the allusive treasure. He was sure he was ahead of his brothers. He looked around the pool deck. He knew his father and Grandmother liked to hide them in obscure places to make it a little harder for them to find. He looked down at the map in his hand again. He hated this holiday. Mostly because he always lost in this game. He looked up when he heard Virgil come back from down by the beach.

"Hey Al. Found some treasure?" He asked, he watched as Alan ducked his head and shook it slowly. Alan may be older than 4 now but he still hated losing and Virgil could never deny him anything.

"I'll help you. Come on." Virgil took the ten-year-old's hand and led him over to the other side of the pool deck. He looked down at Alan's map, then reached into the bushes and produced a bright red wrapped chocolate egg, scouring the pool deck they found several more. Before Virgil led Alan into the undergrowth and they found more. Virgil continued leading Alan through the undergrowth and finding more and more eggs. They were actually going backwards through the map. Getting 'ahead' of their brothers by going backwards.

"So it's like back-hacking?" Alan said when Virgil explained it to him.

"Yeah kind of." Virgil agreed. They were back-hacking their brothers to try and get Alan ahead in this game. When Grandma called time and counted the eggs – without any eggs from Virgil's bucket, Alan won, fair and square. None of the brothers commented on it. They knew what winning meant to Alan.

Alan, now 16-years-old, looked down at the bucket in his hand. He had beaten his brothers are this game year after year – with a little help form Virgil, but right now he stood on the pool deck, bucket full of brightly wrapped eggs and a smug smile on his face. He glanced at Kayo's bucket from where she stood near him, waiting to have her's counted. Her bucket was only two thirds full. Alan's was almost over flowing. This time – he had no help from Virgil, he'd taken lessons from Scott and John on map reading and Virgil had hidden thing in the undergrowth to help him out. Virgil just didn't think he'd be this good at it. He glanced at Virgil as he came up beside him. Virgil didn't have many at all. As of Alan being 4 – Virgil had never won this game. So, discreetly as he could, Alan put some of his eggs in Virgil's bucket. If his brother noticed he didn't say anything. So when Alan was called to have his counted he was ahead of Kayo by two. But when Virgil's was counted he won over all of them. He grinned and when they started to go inside Virgil called Alan back.

"What's up Virg?" Alan asked, innocently.

"I know what you did Al. You would've won. Why'd you do it?" Virgil asked.

"Because ever since I've been 4-years-old, you haven't won this game. Not once. So I figured it was time that you won." Alan said, Virgil grinned at him. He pulled Alan into an embrace.

"I love you, little man." Virgil whispered.

"I love you too, Big Bear." Alan replied. Well look at that, Jeff thought as he saw the hug on the pool deck, Alan finally paid his dues. Well done Virgil. You made one little boy very happy years ago and now it was his turn to pay you back. And Jeff couldn't be prouder of his little Treasure Hunters.