Just a small, little one-shot. I've got about fifty billion ideas to work on after my first draft for the novel's finished, but this one wouldn't leave me alone.

I do have a one request - if you enjoy my writing, would you mind checking out the first chapter of a TB AU I've imagined up? I'm not sure whether to continue it or not, and would love all constructive criticism - if people enjoy it, I'll continue it. It's on my Tumblr, under Currently Unnamed - Thunderbirds AU. Thanks!

Notes for this story - I always subscribe to the theory that the numbers of the 'birds tell us the order of the Tracy brothers, with John originally flying Three until Five was finished. Alan, moreso in TAG than TOS, is a teenager - at most 17~18. If IR had been running for a few years, then I don't believe Alan would have been allowed to pilot Three. And the fact that John would not be totally ecstatic about a rocket seems far-fetched in my mind. Thus, John flew Three in the beginning. And therefore, Virgil's older. And, if John's flying Three, then he had to have been the one to request a seat going to Three, instead of standing/going backwards, like Scott and Virgil. So here's a small, fun one-shot about our little space-case, his older brothers, and Jeff.

Takes place in the beginning of IR. Enjooy!

"It's ready? Like, now? Has it been out yet? Can we take it out? Can -"

"John," Jeff interrupted, amused at his normally reserved son's questioning. "Brains finished Thunderbird Three last night. He's running some last tests, but after that, we'll take it out for a test launch, okay?" John nodded quickly, practically bouncing on his feet. Jeff noticed his two eldest sons sharing an amused glance, and quickly backed out of the room before the teasing could start.

Sure enough, as he walked down the hallway, he could hear Scott's voice saying, "You know Virgil, I think I grabbed the wrong brother. We were expecting John, not Gordon!" Whatever retort John was going to throw back was lost as the hanger door slid shot behind Jeff.

"Brains?" he called as he gingerly picked his way down, carefully avoiding all the tools thrown about.

"M-Mr. Tracy," Brains greeted. Jeff glanced around, but he couldn't find the engineer.

"Scott's picked up John and Virgil. How are the tests coming along?"

"Nearly done." The Asian man poked his head out from behind a box cluttered with tools on Three's other side.

Reaching him, Jeff ran a hand down the rocket's fin. "It'll be ready for a test flight today, then?"

"Y-yes," Brains replied, straightening his glasses. "I've test-tested all I could. All sy-systems seem to be fine."

"John'll be pleased," Jeff murmured, remembering his son's excitement. But he didn't miss the sudden frown on Brains' face.

"Is-is that w-wise?"

"John test piloting?"

Brains nodded sheepishly. "H-he's only 20."

Jeff didn't resent the questioning. It was an argument he'd hashed out with Scott multiple times recently. "John's been around rockets since he was a child. And he's gone through NASA's Junior Astronaut programs, not the mention he's completed the simulations."

"Plus we'll be along to make sure he doesn't break anything," Scott's voice added. Both Brains and Jeff turned to see the three boys making their way down to meet them. Virgil seemed to be prodding John in the right direction, as the youngest boy's eyes seemed fixated on the red rocket. Scott sauntered ahead of them, smirk growing as John didn't try and defend himself. "Don't worry, Brains."

Virgil seemed to have given up on John and made his own quick way over to them. Right as they all turned back to Three, they heard a loud crash, followed by cursing. A quick glance made clear that John had managed to miss the last step, and was groaning on all fours. Scott and Virgil quickly dissolved into laughter while Jeff tried to hide his own growing smile.

"Language, John," he reprimanded, turning a stern eye on his oldest when his laughter intensified. "Don't think I don't know where he learned those words from, young man."

"Is he alright?" Brains asked, alarmed. Virgil defused his concerns with a promise towards John's inherent clumsiness.

John had managed to make it to them unhindered by then and valiantly ignored his brothers' snickers. "She's amazing. When can we go up?" The ginger looked more like a puppy, and with his wide green eyes, Jeff could only see Lucille. The same enthusiasm that was prevelant in her eyes were in her son's.

"Brains?" Jeff asked.

"It's all ready," came the answer. Jeff nodded and turned to his sons.

"It's time to get suited up. Virgil you okay staying on the ground?"

"Yeah Dad. Can't say vacuum sounds too appealing." His second oldest already was headed towards his green carrier. "I'm gonna work on Two for a bit. Have fun, John!" he added, but the younger boy was barely listening, talking to Brains instead. Scott was with them, looking a bit bemused. Judging by Brains' and John's quick gestures, they were no doubt talking something technical.

"Alright boys. Let's go," Jeff said, leading the way back upstairs. John and Scott followed him, both clearly excited, though Scott tried to hide his.

"Why back here?" John asked, gesturing to the living room. Scott started towards his suit-up, but Jeff led John to two the lounge chairs.

"This'll take us up to Three," he said.

"He gets a nice comfy ride down while I'm stuck standing?" Scott asked, scowling at the chairs.

"Do you want him standing up at Three's height?" Jeff asked, ignoring John's squawk of protest.

Instantly, a grin broke out on Scott's face. "Fair point," he conceded. "He'll fall off the first time he tries to get up there."

"No, I wouldn't!"

"Probably safest that he's buckled to his seat the whole time," Scott continued. "Meet you up there." Escaping John's protests, Scott pulled the levers and disappeared. John scowled one last time before sitting down. Jeff, already seated, smiled, knowing that a second later John's disgruntlement would disappear in the face of going up to space.

Sure enough, by the time they met up to get carried to Three, John was back to bouncing, head craning to get a look at everything possible. But as he got settled in, his actions stilled, figure rigid in his seat. He ghosted over the console, not touching. Scott, arriving just a couple minutes later, shared a look with Jeff before they got ready for take-off.

"Ready John?" Jeff asked. The ginger didn't answer, and Jeff saw him staring at the controls, biting his lip. Scott had disappeared further back, probably checking something. "Hey, you've got this. You've done the sims, studied the material. Just another language to master." John flicked his eyes up to meet Jeff's, before nodding. "Thunderbird Three to base, we are ready for launch." Jeff watched as John reached over and gripped the controls, gloved hands tight.

"Base to Thunderbird Three. You are clear in 5. 4. 3. 2. 1." With the countdown completed, John pushed the lever, and the rocket shot up, the roar echoing in their ears. Jeff and Scott said nothing as John kept his eye on the sky, the blue surrounding them fading away into black.

"Thunderbird Three is go."

And yes, clumsy John is the best.

Reviews, criticism, kudos, all welcome and makes good fuel for a writer. ;) Plus, I love to just talk about random findings too.

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