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ForewardDisclaimer: I do not in any way own or profit from the characters or settings of Thunderbirds. They are owned by Carlton.This story is for my own entertainment and that of others. Many thanks to Rosemary Alcott for her beta-reading, great insights, and encouragement. Author's notes: The characters of Rebekkah T. Barnes, Terrence J. Barnes, Michelle (Chell) A. Barnes. Terrence (Terry) P. Barnes, Joseph (Joey) Stuart Barnes, Sir James Masters, Gregory and Janet Martin, Janis Campbell, Lovitt, and Heimana, are my own creations and I lay claim to them. The weapons attributed to Dr. Barnes are also my ideas. Please don't use them without asking for permission. Chapter 16 is the beginning of the material rated "M" for disturbing images and violence. This story was first published at FanFiction.net on April 23, 2003. It was going to be my last Bekkah Barnes story. By this time, several people were nudging me to write a story without her in it, using just the canon characters as the stars. This story was my way of sending her and her family back home, and with The Retainer easing her off the island--and out of the picture--entirely. I was also feeling pressure to switch her romantic feelings from Gordon to Brains, with whom she admittedly had more things in common. Later, I discovered that the person who was pressuring me was a big Gordon fan, therefore giving her an ulterior motive in shifting Bekkah to Brains. I will admit that I sometimes miss Bekkah. She didn't stray far into Mary Sue territory, at least, not at first, but was more of a damsel in distress throughout. And that was the fun part for me: having my character rescued by the canons. Having them care enough about her to personally go to her aid. Would I write more about her? Possibly, under the right conditions. But I would definitely scale back the distress angle, and try to make her fit in more neatly with the scientific part of International Rescue. In any case, I hope you will enjoy the story. Tikatu |