Rating: K
Genre: General
Just a quick – very quick – one-shot dedicated to Quiller for the Dvd. You know why :) Thanks a bunch, I really enjoyed it! And thanks for the beta work, as well!
I'm no good at writing one-shots and non-dramatic stories, so don't expect too much.
-------------------------------------
Wet!
by kaeera
-------------------------------------
A wise man had once said that children were a blessing in disguise.
How very true, Jeff Tracy reflected wryly when the high-pitched wails shook him out of his much-needed sleep. With a muffled curse, he glanced at the alarm clock. Five thirty in the morning. No sensible man would be up at this time of the day, especially not Jeff Tracy, who had been looking forward to sleep in – the only day in the week he was allowed to do so.
The wailing intensified. It could only be Alan, Jeff mused while slowly getting out of bed. His youngest had the voice of a banshee and no qualms about using it. Sometimes he wondered where he got it from.
"Alright, boys, what's wrong?" he asked wearily, looking into their room. But no Alan was there, nor Gordon, with whom he shared a room. The chaos that met him was typically Gordon, though – open drawers and clothes everywhere.
Jeff sighed, making a mental note to talk with his two youngest about tidiness and the advantages of it
Now that he was a little more awake, he realized that the wailing came from outside. Frowning, he walked down the staircase and towards the veranda door. What were those two doing? The sun was just barely rising, sending pale-golden rays across the horizon. Definitely no time to be up yet, even for his hyper-active sons.
The scene that awaited him was hilarious.
Last summer, Jeff had bought a small swimming-pool – one of those you could build up in the garden – much to the delight of Gordon, who had to be dragged away from the water by force. The redhead had a natural affinity for water and outshone all his classmates with his skills. Unfortunately, he also outshone them by his stubbornness to stay in the water as long as possible.
Jeff had the dark impression that he would even attempt to sleep in there if his father wouldn't drag him out occasionally. Honestly, the boy seemed more fish than human.
So it didn't surprise him to see Gordon happily splashing and swimming in the yellow pool.
What surprised him, however, was that Alan was there as well.
The blonde Tracy was the total opposite of Gordon and despised water. He ran away screeching every time his brothers were in the pool, and no force of nature could convince him to get in the water. It took all the power of Jeff to get him to shower, yet alone bath.
And now he was sitting in the water, goggles on his head and…wailing?
What on earth…
"Now, what's going on here?" he asked sternly, trying to refrain his mouth from twitching. He couldn't help it; it was a ridiculous sight.
Gordon turned around and grinned, a look of blissful innocence on his face. "Nothing, Dad."
"Nothing? And that's why your brother is crying?"
Gordon shrugged. "He'll get used to it." He seemed totally unaffected by the fact that his brother was nearly in hysterics.
Alan, who had by now seen his dad, increased his efforts. "Don't wanna swim!" he cried miserably. "Wet!" He was so afraid of the water that he didn't even dare to move.
Jeff took pity on his youngest, who looked like the personification of misery, and bent down to retrieve him. Gordon looked disappointed. "Come on, Dad! He's never going to learn that way!"
"Learn what?"
"Well, how to swim of course!" The redhead became agitated. "He doesn't even know what he's missing! He might grow up without being able to swim if he keeps going on like that!" A look of pure horror crossed his face. According to Gordon, life without swimming was not worth living.
Jeff sighed. "Gordon, your brother is afraid of water!" he explained tiredly, patting Alan's head. "If you force him, you'll only make it worse. Look at him! He's frightened out of his mind!"
He produced a towel from the veranda – experience had taught him to keep them hidden everywhere – and started to dry his youngest off. "Don't like water!" Alan hiccupped and sent a scornful gaze towards his brother.
Gordon was still in the water, looking crestfallen. He had honestly wanted to help, not understanding how anybody could be afraid of getting wet.
"Dad…"
"Gordon, you have to accept that not everybody likes swimming." Jeff started to explain. "There are a lot of people on this planet who can't even swim. And they aren't any worse off than the rest."
Gordon frowned. "But he's missing out on so much fun!"
"Yes, I know. But he's going to realize that sooner or later; you just have to let him be. Forcing him won't help at all." Jeff had learned the hard way that forcing his children usually led to disastrous results. Gentle manipulation worked far better.
"Hmm." Gordon didn't look convinced.
Jeff smiled and held out his hand. "Believe me; he's going to like swimming sooner or later – he just needs his own pace."
"If you say so." was the indignant reply. "But if he doesn't, I shall forever be angry with him!"
This time Jeff grinned for real. "You do that, Gordon; you do that."
Years later:
Gordon raced up the stairs to Tracy Villa. "Alan! Alan! You coming?" His face was lit with a smile and child-like eagerness. It certainly wasn't what one would expect to see on the face of one of the world's best Aquanauts.
"Easy there, Gordon – it's not going to run away." came the amused reply from the couch. Virgil was sitting there, a book open on his lap and a smug grin on his face.
"Oh, shut up, Virg." Gordon replied good-naturedly. "You simply fail to understand the magnitude of this mission."
"Exploring a new set of underwater caves is classified as a mission? Hmm, I must have missed that lecture."
"Yup." The redhead grinned. "They're awesome – many great species including some really colourful sea slugs."
Virgil made a face. "How can anyone be fascinated by sea slugs?"
"You only speak like that because you've never seen one. I tell you, their colours are simply breath-taking…"
"Well, you know, Virg," another voice drawled, "Gordon feels at home with the sea slug, being half a sea slug himself." Scott had entered the room, an amused grin on his face.
"Very funny." Gordon rolled his eyes. "Spoken by the king of monkeys himself. Now, where's Alan? He's always late, that tardy little…"
"You talking about me?" Alan entered the room, dressed in a wetsuit, with goggles and fins in one hand. "Don't get on the bad side of your diving buddy; it could end nastily." He advised, a broad grin on his tanned face. "Otherwise I might do something drastic."
"I was just telling the truth. You ready to take off?"
"Always."
"Then, let's go! No time to waste!"
They were just about to head off, when a voice stopped them. "Be careful, boys." Jeff Tracy called from the kitchen. "I don't want to send Virgil with Thunderbird Two to rescue you."
"We're always careful." Was Gordon's indignant reply, enforced by Alan's vigorous nod.
"You know us," the youngest Tracy added, "Divers extraordinaire. No mermaid is safe from our exploits."
Gordon nodded seriously. "Very true. I couldn't have said it any better myself, my fair-haired brother."
"Oh, thank you." Alan saluted. "Alas, now we must make haste, there's precious little time left, or we shall never embank on this adventure."
Jeff suppressed a smile, sensing the eagerness of the two young men. "Alright boys. I trust you to behave."
Scott raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Dad – you're talking about Alan and Gordon."
"Good point." His father frowned. "I trust you not to do anything unnecessarily foolish."
"Got it." The duo saluted once more and sauntered off, identical happy grins on their faces.
Jeff's gaze followed them proudly, as they made their way down to the pier, discussing the best way to enter the caves. They both handled the equipment with experienced ease, coming from many diving trips together.
Well, it seemed as if Alan had gone his own way, he thought wryly – and found out about the pleasure of water at last. Of all his sons, Gordon and Alan were the ones who did the most diving, having explored every cave and nook around Tracy Island.
Afraid of getting wet? Not anymore.
Jeff smiled. He liked to be right.
Fin.