Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds or its characters!

Chapter 1

Alan had been home for a week and he was already fighting with his dad. It seemed as if his brothers could do no wrong and Alan could only do harm. He had dreamed of being a Thunderbird since he was old enough to walk. Ever since the Hood had invaded the island things had never been the same. Alan thought things would be changing for the better. Shortly after giving Alan his pin Jeff decided he needed to finish high school before beginning training. Now all they ever did was fight. That's why Alan decided to go stay with his Aunt Mary over the summer break.

The last time Alan had seen his Aunt Mary was when she drove to see him at Wharton. Mary was his mother's sister. They weren't particularly close; in fact they barely spoke to each other at all. That was until Alan called and begged her to save him from three months with his family. However, that didn't stop his brothers from disappearing on a rescue two hours before he had to board his flight.

As soon as Alan's flight landed he was greeted by his aunt. She was young, maybe in her early thirties, and had no kids. It always shocked Alan to see how much he resembled her.

"I'm so glad you called!" She smiled hugging him. "Welcome to Galveston, Texas."

"Thanks for taking me in." Alan said realizing that his aunt seemed way more excited than he anticipated.

The slender blonde headed woman wrapped her arm around her nephew's shoulder. "You look so much like Lucy I can hardly breathe." Mary admitted meeting Alan's eyes.

"I'm sorry. Maybe this was a mistake." He heard the same words from his father. Usually before he told Alan how much of a disappointment he is to the Tracy legacy.

"No!" Mary corrected. "I have been waiting for this day for two months. There is no way you're going anywhere."

Alan laughed at his aunt's accepting words. Things were different with her. Even on the ride home she was pleasant. She spent the entire ride telling him about the local activities. There was so much to do here. From swimming to partying Alan didn't even know what to do first, at Wharton Alan had never really had complete freedom.

Mary's house was a small condo rested along the coastline. It was a pleasant navy with several tropical flowers littering the yard. There were so many windows Alan almost felt like he was back on the island. Only this house was less neat and cozier.

"There is only one bathroom and the plumbing is a little tricky, but it has a personality." Mary explained.

"I love it." Alan whispered as he dropped his bags to the floor and stepped onto the patio.

"Beautiful view isn't it?" Mary pondered watching her nephew. "But I bet you have better views than this on that island."

"We do have an amazing shoreline, but nothing as naturally rugged as this." Alan continued to stare out at the choppy waves.

That night Aunt Mary made Alan dinner on the grill before heading to bed. She had to work in the mornings. She was a real estate agent so she worked from home often. Mostly making calls to prospective buyers.

The following morning Alan got up around sunset to walk along the beach. There were a few other people wondering the beach. It was a different texture of sand here than he was used to. After swimming a while he decided to head in and shower. His aunt wasn't wrong when she said the house had personality. As soon as he turned to water on it spewed in all different directions. Three towels and an hour later he finally managed to get the knobs turned to the sweet spot.

The rest of the day was dedicated to complete and utter silence. Something Alan thoroughly enjoyed. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep on the patio until his aunt came to wake him up.

"I got Friday off. I figured we could devote it to some much needed bonding time." Mary gushed.

Alan couldn't help, but smile at his aunt's innocent nature. She had no worries or expectations from him. "So how's your dad and brothers?" She put on her sunglasses and joined him under the sun.

He shrugged, "Okay I guess."

Mary tipped her sunglasses down meeting his eyes. "I told your dad his crusade was going to end up ripping you kids apart. Your mom wouldn't have wanted all that pressure on you boys."

"All I've ever wanted to do was become a Thunderbird like my brothers. But my dad treats me like I'm some stupid, worthless kid." Alan blurted.

Mary ruffled Alan's hair and pulled his head closer to hers. "You are the furthest thing from a stupid worthless kid." She said kissing his hair. "You figured out my shower. You can't be that stupid."

Alan and Mary both laughed together. It felt so right to be here with her. After dinner Mary and Alan decided to play a few board games. Only they changed to rules to their own benefit. Mary let him win every single time. It was the most fun that Alan could remember having since he accidently blew up the chemistry lab at his old school. He had only been in Texas for a day and he already felt more comfortable than he ever had on the island.