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scribbles97 · 4 years

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Left Behind -- Chapter 19

In which Lucy runs away.

PART 1 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / Chapter 17 / Chapter 18 / Chapter 19 / Chapter 20 / Chapter 21

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Hugh’s persistence was irritating. Fifteen times he called her before they landed at home, and a further eight during post flight checks.

The looks she was getting from everyone else was perhaps the most frustrating issue. Even with the escort jets sat on their wing tips, following too close and too long for her liking. There was already enough for her to worry about without Hugh demanding her attention.

Security was her biggest concern.

That she still hadn’t told them about Jeff was a firm second on that list.

Though she couldn’t exactly say that there was anything to tell. Hiram was still working on the communications relay, the Calypso still not quite where they needed it and the new parts for Thunderbird Five still awaiting shipment.

Whether Scott or her was more impatient for everything to come together she wasn’t sure.

Though, if the whole thing took much longer, it may well have been too late. Hugh had said in two weeks they’d be ready to make a move on Gaat. Assuming their plan worked and they got hold of the T-Drive… she didn’t dare think of the possibilities.

“Hugh,” She sighed as she eventually closed her bedroom door, “I have had a ridiculously lon--”

“We need to launch.”

“What?” She blanched, they weren’t ready, she hadn’t warned the boys that she had to leave for a few days, there was the whole security threat to worry about. They were meant to have time.

He sighed and shook his head across the comm, “I know, and that’s why I was trying to get hold of you! My intelligence says there’s been a last minute change of plan, Gaat must know there’s a leak.”

Running a hand through her hair, she cursed, “Will our plan still work?”

The noncommittal shrug worried her, part of her screaming that she could call the whole thing off and abort the mission. Her boys needed her safe, her family, IR, Tracy Industries. There were so many reasons for her to turn away from the biggest risk of her life.

Jeff was the reason to keep going though.

“I mean it should,” Hugh corrected himself, “the entire principle is still the same. It’s just early.”

Put like that, it was slightly more reassuring.

“It’s going to be a few hours before I can get to LA.” She sighed, “Can you wait that long?”

He nodded, “I don’t know exactly when, but I know soon. I’ll be ready to fly to Nevada as soon as you land.”

At least she didn’t have to fly the whole way on her own.

Already looking to her bag and planning in her head what she would “I’ll call you once I’m in the air.”

“Fly safe Luce.” He murmured, voice softening, “We’ll work this out.”

She had to smile at his assurance, nodding slightly in acknowledgement, “I trust you Hugh.”

He chuckled as he cut the call, leaving Lucy staring at her wardrobe as she unzipped her day bag.

Truly, there was only one item of clothing she needed. The black copy of her IR suit that she had had made as soon as she knew about the mission. None of the others knew about it, and she planned on keeping it that way with the item hidden in the back corner of the wardrobe, behind Jeff’s winter ski gear.

The bag seemed too empty though, and it was obvious that there wasn’t enough in it for what she was going to tell the others. Grabbing a couple of t-shirts and jeans she shoved them in on top, hoping it would be enough to cover the suit for anyone who might try and look before she could take off.

Glancing around the room, she took a breath and pursed her lips. She could only hope that things went her way, that finally things would come together better than she ever possibly could have dreamed.

She wasn’t sure what she would do if they didn’t.

It didn’t bear dwelling on. Shaking her head she left the room, turning to make a beeline for the hangars. Waiting around wouldn’t help, and goodbyes would only lead to awkward questions. In time they would understand, once they knew why she had left as she had, they would know she only had the right intentions at heart.

Scott would make sure of that for her.

She hated putting so much weight on the eldests shoulders, but as a one off she felt it was necessary.

Otherwise the others would only want to help.

Even with the best intentions, she knew that the more people that were involved, the worse things would turn out.

Lee caught her at the top of the stairs, bringing her to a jarring halt as his eyes went straight to her bag. Frowning at her he blocked the stairs,

“You just got in.”

Nodding, she stood straighter, “And I need to go again, this is urgent, Lee.”

He folded his arms as he shook his head, “Your flight hours--”

“I’m under them, Virgil flew home.” She snapped back at him, “Now if you don’t mind…”

He didn’t budge, arms still folded, brows still furrowed.

She could have screamed at him, cured him for being so damn stubborn like the rest of them. Why couldn’t he have been one of those brothers that didn’t care? That just let her do her own thing without question or concern.

“Lee! Move!” She snapped, “I need to be in LA ASAP and you blocking the stairs is wasting time.”

He raised an eyebrow, “LA huh? Goin’ to see your boyfriend there?”

Hackles rose as she gripped her bag tighter in her hand, “I do not have a boyfriend.”

He shrugged at her, “Val said--”

“Val knows fuck all! I’m going to LA to sort a hack on Tracy Industries and investigate this supposed breach, okay? Kind of urgent, kind of trying to keep it low key.”

He was still frowning as he stepped to the side, allowing her to squeeze past him and start down the stairs.

It wasn’t until she was half way down that he called after her, “I know when you’re lying, always have done.”

It was an underhand tactic, but what else did she expect from her younger brother? As stubborn and as caring as they came.

“Don’t ask what I can’t tell you, Lee. You should know better.”

He grunted and shook his head, but she didn’t spare the time to hear his response as she continued down the stairs, only pausing as she waited for the elevator, hoping that he didn’t follow her and nobody else came looking.

Tracy Two was sat in the hangar in its usual spot, door open and steps waiting.

She hesitated with a frown, unsure of who else would have the jet out for any reason.

A shadow moved into the doorway and Kyrano leant out of the door, gesturing behind him into the jet.

Not needing to be told twice, she jogged up to the plane, taking the steps two at a time until she was inside and able to dump her beg on the nearest seat.

“I thought you were in New York?” She asked, turning to find him remotely detaching the stairs and closing the door.

He nodded once, “I was, then I heard from the GDF about the possible security issue. Then I heard about our need to go for a meeting and flew over here to collect you.”

She froze, the security worry coming back to the fore of her mind, “What do we do?”

Reaching out he squeezed her shoulder, “I’ve briefed Tanusha and Penelope. They have it under control.”

Her shoulders sank as she smiled tiredly, “Thank you.”

Looking towards the cockpit, Kyrano gestured towards the leather seats, “Get some sleep, I’ll wake you when we get close.”

It was instinct to fly, she couldn’t remember the last time she had simply been a passenger on her own plane.

“I can--”

“Sleep Lucy, you’ll be no good to us exhausted.”

The plush, deep leather seats did look inviting, and it would mean she would have a chance to deal with Janus.

Except, the way Kyrano had folded his arms and was looking at her suggested otherwise though, “Don’t worry about Janus, Tanusha is dealing with him.”

She sighed, shaking her head, “I could have--”

“Get some sleep.” He ordered, “And strap in, we’re going to have a rough take off if we don’t want to get caught out.”

Feeling like a child at school again, she pursed her lips and nodded, “Okay.”

He softened slightly at her response, “We’ll be back before they know it, and hopefully with some more answers for them.”

Curling into the seat she looked out the window to the hangar, watching the cleaner bots as they scrubbed away at the hull of Thunderbird Two. Jeff had once laughed at the suggestion of designing robots to clean the ships between rescues, only to come back from a rock slide scratching his head as he had asked for the paperwork to approve the creation.

Smiling fondly, she dreaded to think what mad ideas might have gone ahead if she hadn’t been around to slow him down.

The jolt of the jet was sharp and sudden as it sped up down the short runway of the island. It pushed her back into her seat and held her there as they lifted into the air, clearing the rocky dip into the sea with ease as they banked eastward.

Her comm buzzed in her bag and she chose to ignore it, knowing it would only be one of the boys asking where she was off to. Plausible deniability was the safest option if it was Scott calling, the less he knew, the less he would be able to give away to the others. If it was anyone else, then it simply saved her having to come up with excuses.

The justification to herself didn’t settle the unease in her stomach as she chewed on her lip. Something in the back of her mind was nagging, that same anxious voice that had convinced her that she had somehow been responsible for the first explosion that they all thought had killed Jeff. Except now it was telling her that her family had a right to know, a need to know that there was a hope that she was about to find a way to bring their missing member home. Was she really right to keep it from them?

The insistent buzzing of the comm gave up, leaving the decision made for her.

She just hoped it was the right one.

#thunderbirds are go #Thunderbirds 2015 #Lucy AU #lucy tracy #Lee Taylor #Hugh Creighton-Ward #Kyrano #scribbles writes #Left Behind Part 2

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