I Promise
Disclaimer - Do not own the Thunderbirds (or the small clip of a slightly off-version of the song Earth Angel), but promised Sammygirl1963 a young Scott story for her birthday and since I am on vacation this week...and may not always have the ability to upload this - Happy Birthday!
Jean Bates Landman smiled as she watched her son, Charlie and DJ. the younger son of her best friend, Scott Tracy, sleeping peacefully on a couch near the lanai on Tracy Island. Even though Jean had been friends with Scott for years, this was the first time she had ever been to the island paradise.
The Landmans – Jean, her husband, Billy and Charlie – had come to Tracy Island not only for the wedding of Scott's youngest brother, Alan, but Jean had even performed the ceremony as a Justice of the Peace. At times, being both a JP and a Sheriff back in their hometown of Bailey could be rather useful.
"Auntie Jean?" a small voice spoke next to Jean and she glanced down. All of the Tracy grandchildren were quickly adopting Jean and Billy as an extra aunt and uncle, something Jean didn't mind from the long-term relationship she enjoyed with the Tracy Family. But she had to admit, Jason Tracy, Scott's older boy, had a special place in her heart, if only for the close resemblance to her best friend.
"Hey, Jas – what's up?" the sheriff asked, keeping her voice low in regards to the sleeping children.
"Daddy was telling Poppy that he's known you forever and ever," Jason said curiously. "What was my Daddy like when he was my age?"
Jean resisted the urge to say "a tightly wound pain in the ass" to the five year old.
She didn't think that would go well. Besides, Scott had tons of dirt on her as well.
"I met your Daddy when he was younger than you, did you know that?" Jean smiled as she pulled Jason up onto her lap. "You look just like him."
"That's what Grandpa says," Jason nodded.
Jean glanced across the lanai, smiling at Scott who was looking around for his oldest. The little boy's recent kidnapping at the hands of two criminals – even if it was brief, Jason being used as a lure to grab Alan – had been traumatic for the whole family. But seeing Jason with Jean, Scott relaxed – Jean would protect those Scott loved as much as he would.
After all, she had promised.
"When I first met your Daddy," Jean began. "Your Daddy was only four, Uncle John was still in diapers and Uncle Virgil was still in your Grandma Tracy's tummy."
Jason frowned. "How did Uncle Virgil get in Grandma Tracy's tummy?"
Jean hemmed and hawed before saying, "Do you want to hear about your Daddy as a kid or not?"
Jason shrugged. He'd get Elizabeth to find out for him later.
"Daddy – I want to hear about Daddy," Jason said as he leaned against Jean.
Smiling, Jean recalled the day she first met Scott Carpenter Tracy.
Thirty some years ago…No gray hairs for Jeff Tracy
That will change.
Jeff Tracy leaned back against the post on his parents' front porch, smiling indulgently as his oldest son, Scott, held his youngest – for now – son, John's, hands as the little boy toddled around the yard.
"He's a natural born caretaker, that one," Grant Tracy nudged his only child's arm.
"He is," Lucy Tracy agreed as she waddled out to the porch, accepting her husband's help in sitting down in a rocking chair. At eight months pregnant, it was getting rough to even move without assistance.
"Your father says you closed on the Foolishness," Ruth Tracy said as she came onto the porch, a tray of lemon aid in front of her.
Jeff took the tray from his mother's hands and set it down on a table before he began to pour for each of the adults. "Yes, Mother, we closed on the house."
"Why do people in Bailey call it the Foolishness?" Lucy asked. "And how can we get them to stop?"
Grant let out a hearty laugh. "The family that owned the shoe factory brought in a manager who was supposed to "turn everything around". Instead, he was as much of a crook as the owners. Skimmed a bunch of money to build a five bedroom home, complete with an in-ground pool. When he was arrested, the family that owned the business tried to claim it, only to lose it – and the business – when it was revealed they had been doing illegal dumping of toxic waste for years. "
"Well, their bad luck was our good," Jeff shrugged. "I wouldn't have been able to start up the factory without everything being ready built. As it is, between the tax breaks I've secured and the limited investors, we should be up and running by the end of the summer."
"You still have another month with the Air Force," Lucy sighed.
"Which is why you and the boys are staying here on the farm until my newest grandson comes," Grant said firmly. "Jeff and I will round up some men to move in your furniture and Ruthie is going to make sure everything is just so. All you worry about is delivering Virgil there, ok?"
Lucy just looked up at Jeff. "Promise me you'll be home safe by the time he gets here, ok? And are you sure this should be Virgil? I mean, if we are going to name our son for a Mercury astronaut, why not Alan Sheppard? I like the name Alan."
Jeff just smirked. "Nope. Our deal was I got to name the boys and you got to name the girls."
"Jefferson Grant Tracy!" Ruth admonished. "Didn't you ever tell Lucy there hasn't been a Tracy girl for the entire two centuries this family has been in America?
Lucy gave a small glare, promising retribution for that one. But before she could do or say anything, a car pulled up.
A slim woman with dark hair jumped out, grinning at Jeff. "Jefferson!"
"Millicent!" Jeff snarked back, quickly pulling the woman in for a hug. Turning, an arm still around Millie's shoulders, Jeff held out his hand. "And Charlie – how's life as a cop?"
"About the same as life as a Marine," the tall man shrugged. "But the pay is a little better, the hours are just as bad and we don't have to worry about getting shipped out at any time."
"So why not take Frank up on his offer?" Grant asked.
Charlie Bates looked at his wife in surprise. "We've barely been in Bailey a day and you already told them?"
"No," Ruth Tracy said as she guided the new arrival to chairs up on the porch. "Amos was out here yesterday before you even arrived and said Frank wanted to offer you a spot as one of his deputies, with an eye on becoming sheriff when he retires in two years. After all, Millie's grandmother isn't getting any younger. She could use Millie's hand at the diner. And after all, the place is already in your name, kinda."
Millie sighed. Her mother should have been taking over the diner for her grandmother, also a Millie – even if everyone respectfully called her "Miss Millie". But her parents had been killed in a train crash when coming back from visiting them in New York last year. Jeff had been in space at the time and hadn't made it to the funeral, so while she had seen his family then this was the first time she had seen Jeff since – well, since his wedding five years earlier.
"We've been discussing it," Millie looked at her husband with another sigh. She knew he believed her high school beau Amos Tucker, one of Frank Sims' deputies, was still in love with her. But that was just foolishness.
"I wouldn't make as much," Charlie admitted. "But cost of living would be a lot less as well. And I like the idea of Jeannie-Beanie growing up in Bailey versus New York."
"Daddy," Jeannie groaned as she played with the baseball glove by her side. "Jeannie-Beanie sounds like a baby name."
Charlie laughed and picked up his daughter who had been leaning next to his chair. "Silly goose – you'll always be daddy's baby."
Scotty moved closer to Jeannie. "Is that your glove?" he asked. "Do you play baseball?"
"Yup," Jeannie said proudly. "I'm the best hitter on my whole T-Ball team. I can even hit the ball when it's thrown at me."
Scotty grinned and ran back into the house, coming out with his own ball, bat and glove. "Johnny's too little and everyone else is too busy. Wanna play?"
Jeannie grabbed the bat and the pair ran into the yard.
"You two stay in the front yard, you hear?" Ruth called out, placing a calming hand on both mothers' arms. Scott was already getting ready to toss the ball towards Jeannie.
"My, my," Grant grinned. "Takes me back to when these two were younger. I remember Ruthie putting Jeff and Millie in the kiddie pool for the first time when they were one."
Millie snickered at Jeff as they moved a now sleeping John into the cool of the house. "Not the first or the last time Jefferson went skinny dipping."
"Last time with you," Jeff muttered.
"And just who were you skinny dipping with?" Lucy asked, hands on her hips.
Jeff was saved by the sound of glass breaking outside. The three fathers ran into the yard, Jeff and Charlie looking horrified while Grant did his best not to laugh at the sight of Jeannie and Scotty looking at the window – one of the few not covered with wooden shutters – of the barn.
Or at least the shattered remains of said window.
"Which of you did that?" Jeff asked fiercely, Charlie glaring just as hard.
Jeannie and Scotty looked at each other before nodding. "I did," they said in one voice.
Further inquiries resulted in similar stories, so in the end, the pair sat on the porch together in time-out, while Johnny lay sleeping nearby.
"That's your little brother?" Jeannie asked in a whisper – after all, time-outs were supposed to be quiet times.
"Yup," Scotty responded as softly. "I'm supposed to look out for him and take care of him and love him and never ever ever let anything bad happen to him. But soon I'm gonna have another little brother and that's a lot of work."
"Well," Jeannie said thoughtfully. "I haven't gots a little brother. But if we do move to Bailey and you stay here, I guess I can help. Mama says she and your daddy are practically brother and sister so that makes us family. And Mama says family takes care of family."
"That's what Grandma says," Scotty agreed. Spitting on his hand, he held it out to Jeannie. Matching the actions, Jeannie shook his hand back.
"We'll take care of our family, especially little brothers," Jeannie said. "I promise."
Tracy Island
"So that's when you and Daddy became friends?" Jason asked.
Jean nodded with a smile. "Yes."
"And you moved back to Bailey to help take care of family?" Jason queried.
Sadness ran over Jean's face. "Well, it was just after your Uncle Virgil was born, that my daddy died. Mama moved us back to Bailey and – well, I just don't know what I would have done without your daddy."
Jean tried not to think about those dark days, her beloved father gunned down by a drugged-crazed robber in front of her eyes. Nor did she like to think about her mother – usually so strong – suddenly taken ill and weak. It would be years before Jeannie learned that her mother had been almost five months pregnant when Charlie Bates had been murdered and that the shock of his death had also cost her their unborn son.
"So you was dere when my daddy was born?" Michael asked as he crawled into a small space next to Jean. Michael was having trouble pronouncing his "th", something Jean fondly recalled Virgil having done as well.
Jean nodded and smiled again. "Yes. Yes, I was…"
Bailey, Kansas…
"Thank you for taking Jeannie today, Lucy," Millie said as she headed back towards the car. "Grammy isn't feeling that well today and Jeannie…well, she gets so jumpy around strangers."
"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked kindly as she balanced a two month old Virgil on her shoulder, waiting for Millie to open the door to her back seat.
Millie shrugged. She had lost the only man she would ever love and her unborn son. Charlie had Jeannie with him at work that day as part of "bring your daughter to work" day but Millie had been using the day to make a special dinner – they were supposed to be telling Jean about the new baby, now that they were sure everything was going to be fine. Instead the two Bates women had been drawn into a hell they weren't sure how to get out of.
"I'm fine," Millie said firmly. "But Jeannie…"
Jean looked up silently from the back seat and undid her seatbelt before sliding out of the car to look up at Lucy.
Before either Lucy or Millie could say anything, Scotty came running from the house, Johnny toddling behind him.
"Jeannie, Jeannie!" he cried excitedly. Throwing his arms around her, he gave her a quick hug before he leaned back, looking solemn.
"I'm sorry about your daddy," Scotty said quietly.
Jean bit her lip but didn't say anything, simply taking Johnny's hand – Scott held the other – and following them into the house.
"Has she spoken at all?" Lucy asked softly.
"No. No," Millie sighed. "Not one word when she's awake. She has nightmares, where she screams for her daddy but nothing when she is fully awake."
"Well," Lucy said firmly. "You don't worry. We'll leave her with my motor mouth – Scott will take care of her."
Millie gave a shaky laugh as she went to start her car.
Scott really was Jeff's clone.
After lunch, Johnny was down for a nap –something Scott proclaimed was "just for babies" – while Scotty and Jeannie were supposed to be playing quietly. Lucy had settled Virgil onto a blanket next to the two children and ran down to take a load of laundry out of the washer.
"You need to talk if you're gonna keep your promise," Scott said reasonably, having tried a dozen other ways to get Jeannie to speak to him. His parents had warned him that Jean wasn't talking since her daddy died, but how were they ever gonna play baseball if she wouldn't talk?
Jeannie looked at Scotty curiously before she recalled her promise. But before she could react, Virgil began to stretch and fuss. Jeannie ran a hand over Virgil's tummy, making the baby giggle and look up at her with wide brown eyes.
Looking at Scotty, Jeannie grinned before pointing at the baby then at Scotty.
"Yeah – he looks like me and Daddy, doesn't he?" When Jeannie nodded, Scotty nudged her.
"He wants you to sing, see?" Scotty said firmly. "Mama calls that his "lullaby cry"."
Jeannie gave Scotty an expectant look and when her friend gave her the look right back, as if reminding her of her promise to treat his little brothers as hers, Jeannie sighed and opened her mouth…
Only nothing came out. Suddenly a memory overrode the present…
"Jeannie-Beanie, I need you to hide here and be quiet. Don't say a word until you hear my voice, ok, baby?"
Jeannie nodded and hid under a display in the store. Suddenly, there was the sound of gunfire and screams…
And the sight of Charlie's face in front of her. Jeannie's daddy was lying on the ground and there was blood all over his chest.
But Jeannie stayed quiet. Daddy said not to say a word…
"Jeannie!" Scott cried, seeing tears pour down his friend's face.
Sucking in a deep breath, Jeannie tried to speak again. Just as she was about to give up in frustration, Jeannie swore she smelled her daddy's after shave and could hear his voice in her ear…
"It's ok, Baby Girl. Sing our song to Virgil so you never forget it. Then you can sing it to your sweet baby someday…"
Smiling through her tears, Jeannie sang softly, her voice gaining strength with every note.
Earth angel, earth angel
Won't cha be mine?
My darling, my dear
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love with you*
Jeannie could only remember that part, but she sang it over and over, Scotty eventually picking up on it and singing as well.
From the doorway, Lucy stood, tears running down her face as she took a video with her phone to send to Millie.
"He liked you," Scotty said later as Jeff drove Jeannie home.
"Virgil?" Jeannie asked.
"No, Elmo," Scotty huffed before grinning at Jeannie to show he was only joking. "You gonna help me with him too?"
Jeannie smiled and nodded.
"I promised, didn't I?"
Scotty nodded and leaned back, his head leaning against Jeannie's as the two fell asleep in the back seat.
Tracy Island
"So did Uncle Gordon drive you crazy, too?" Elizabeth asked as she entered the area, pulling out a light blanket from under the coffee table and covering the still sleeping tots before she nudged at Michael to get a spot of her own.
"How you know it not one of our daddies?" Virgil asked.
"Driving me crazy?" Jean laughed. "Nah – that was pretty much always Gordy's rule of thumb."
"So…C'mon, this is just getting good," Elizabeth demanded.
Jeannie raised an eyebrow. John was rarely this pushy, and Emily was rather mild herself. She thought of having a word with the girl's parents when Jason spoke up.
"Chill pill, Lizzie," Jason drawled from his position of comfort and strength of Jean's lap.
The death glare promised later retribution but the Elizabeth smiled sweetly and said, "Please, Auntie Jean– can we hear more stories from when you met the uncles?"
Bailey, Kansas
"So…another boy, huh?" Jeannie asked, poking a finger at the baby's booty covered foot. The tiny red-headed infant giggled madly before rolling slightly to his side. With the death of her great-grandmother (well, the old lady really had been old), Jeannie had been busy right after school helping her own mother with stuff and this was the first time she was really getting to see Gordon.
Gordon Tracy had been born nearly a month earlier, on a cold March day, when the icy roads had made conditions hazardous and a truck had slid through as four way stop and into the car Lucy Tracy had just dropped her two oldest off at school.
Jeannie and Scott – few got to call him Scotty these days – ran past the horrified teachers, students and parents to the damaged car.
"Baby," Lucy had groaned. "Don't…"
Scott had stepped back from the driver's door, mangled from the impact.
"Miss Lucy," Jeannie had called out. "Virgil is ok."
Lucy couldn't look back, but she did nod slightly to her son and smiled weakly. "Take care of your brothers," was all she said.
Scott, surrendering his spot next to his mother to the newly elected Sheriff Amos Tucker, joined Jeannie in the back. Quickly checking Virgil over, he smiled at his little brother and pulled the two year old from his safety seat.
"I got that," Millie said firmly as she plucked the toddler from his older brother's arms. By her side was almost five year old Johnny. "I think this calls for a school free day for some boys," Millie nodded at Amos, making sure he was relaying her message to Lucy who by now was barely conscious.
"All of us?" Jeannie asked hopefully.
Knowing it would be easier to keep the boys busy if Jeannie was there, Millie looked around until she saw Mrs. Hampton, Scott and Jean's teacher who nodded back.
"Yes, Missy," Millie laughed. "Take the boys over to the diner. Sit all of you in your booth until I get there."
Watching the children head down the icy sidewalk, a deputy not far behind them until Jolene, her newly hired morning waitress came out to claim them, Millie sighed in relief. Moving around the car, Millie smiled and gently touched the face of the woman she had come to love as a sister.
"I've got your boys," Millie promised. "Is Jeff back from Chicago?"
"No," Lucy groaned. "Ah, Millie – the baby is coming. He wasn't due until April 1st."
"Well," Millie smiled gently. "This will save you the bother of getting Jefferson an Anniversary present next week. Maybe you can give him that daughter he's been wanting."
"I'll do my best," Lucy weakly laughed. Looking up at her friend, Lucy held out a hand.
"If anything happens…"
"Nothing will happen," Millie said firmly. "Except that I get to spend the day spoiling those boys of yours and you go have a beautiful baby. Everything will be fine."
As the ambulance finally got there and the firemen pulled Lucy from the car, whisking her off to the hospital – not the local clinic, Dr. Marlow wasn't set up for this – Millie prayed she was right. Those boys needed their mama…
Jeff needed his wife.
The day was fun, spent with a lot of laughter and more desserts than Mommy or Grandma would have ever let them have, but as the sun began to set and Millie started to close up the diner, the boys became quieter, worried on the lack of news.
Just as Millie was about to herd the children upstairs, a knock at the door made her turn.
"Well, hello, Miss Ruth," Millie said as she let the older woman into the diner.
Cries of "Grandma" could be heard as the three Tracy boys came forward. Grant Tracy came in behind his wife, picking up his two middle grandsons in one fell swoop, making both boys giggle.
"Is Mom ok?" Scott asked solemnly, barely noticing when Jean took his hand in support.
Looking at the boys before turning to Millie, Ruth sighed. "They had to do a c-section, but Lucy and Baby Gordon are ok. They should both be discharged by the end of the week."
"Gordon?" Scott groaned. "Another boy? But we wanted a sister this time."
"We gots Jeannie," Johnny piped up.
"You betcha," Jeannie grinned, ruffling the tow-headed lad's head as his grandfather set him down.
"The roads are getting worse, and Jeff was lucky to make it back from Chicago," Grant explained. "We'll take the boys – and Jeannie as well, if you'd like," he added. "School has already been cancelled for tomorrow until they can get the roads safe."
Knowing Jeannie would be safe – and useful in distracting the boys – Millie reluctantly agreed. As the truck faded from view, Millie felt a brush like feel to her neck and arms around her shoulder.
"Yes, Charlie," she smiled. "I'm headed for bed." Some would have thought she was crazy, still feeling her husband by her side. Millie was of the opinion that Charlie had promised to never leave her.
And Charlie had been a man of his word.
It had been more than a month and Great-Grandma Millicent had passed at the hospice they had had to place her in earlier that year. So between that, school and the rest of her life, today, the first day of April Vacation, was the soonest Jeannie had made it to the Tracy place.
"I guess he's ok," Jeannie shrugged. "But where did the red hair come from? Did your mom and dad grab the right baby?"
Scott cocked his head and shrugged. "Well, when we went there, there were two other babies in the area they had Gordon and they were both girls. And Mom says she saw him fresh out of her belly and he was definitely a boy."
"Your grandmother used to have red hair," Millie said as she came up behind them. "And I'd wager Gordon will look a great deal like Randy did."
At Jeannie and Scott's puzzled look, she leaned forward. "That was your grandmother's twin brother. He died when he was only 19 – he drowned in a riverboat accident. She doesn't like to talk about it."
Millie walked away, once more being assured by Lucy it was fine to leave Jeannie there so the two oldest kids could head to the first day of Little League together.
Lucy had placed Gordon on a blanket in the middle of the living room since they were all there. Jeannie had set down baseball equipment and followed her mother to the door to save goodbye. Coming back, she stood stock still at the sight in front of her.
"Scooter," Jeannie said with false calmness. "Little Red here has decided it would be a good idea to play with my ball and glove."
Somehow – with a dexterity that should have been surprising for a not quite six week old – Gordon had pulled Jeannie glove on to wear as a hat and had rolled over enough to be chewing on her baseball.
"That one's gonna be nothing but trouble," Jeannie grumbled as she retrieved her equipment.
"Still gonna help me?" Scott asked plaintively.
Jeannie sighed before grabbing Scott's glove and tossing at him even as Jeff ran down the stairs, car keys in hand.
"Yeah, Scooter, I'll help with Trouble Tracy here. But I get the feeling I may regret this one."
Gordy's baby giggles seemed to follow the two older children out, as if agreeing with that sentiment completely.
Tracy Island
"Now come on," Alan laughed as he entered, carrying a sleeping Tommy on his shoulder. Sitting down in a nearby chair, he continued to rock the baby. "Gordo wasn't that bad, was he?"
Jean's answer was to raise her eyebrow. "Wanna bet, Sprout?"
"Why you call Unca Allie Spout?" Michael asked, slipping down from sitting his spot next to Jean to head towards Alan, who promptly picked him up, allowing Michael to curl into Alan's side.
Jeannie laughed and began to talk again…
Bailey
Jean Bates sighed as she looked at her watch again. She could feel her mother watching her from the diner – the drive that ran into the school yard was visible from the diner, unlike the elementary classes. Millie used to have to stand on the sidewalk to keep an eye on Jeannie…
Man, she couldn't wait until high school. That was a couple of miles up the road.
Just as she was about to give up and head into school, a car that Jean vaguely recognized came to a stop, letting out Scott Tracy.
"See you, Mary Anne!" Scott called out jumping out of the vehicle.
Running up to Jean, Scott nudged his best friend. "The baby came!" Scott said excitedly.
Jean rolled her eyes. She could still recall Scott telling her he was going to be a big brother again.
"Guess what?" Scott whispered while they waited for the rest of the class to finish their math test.
"What?" Jean whispered back.
"Mom's having another baby."
"What!" Jean yelped, earning a glare from the teacher. The two children remained silent for a moment before Jean whispered again.
"Another! What, are your parents planning on invading Mars and need their own army?"
Scott giggled, earning a new glare from the teacher. After a minute he whispered again.
"No, the Martians would meet Gordy and surrender. Mommy says since this baby is a "surprise" maybe they can finally have a girl. I'd like a little sister."
Jean, who had only recently discovered that her would-be baby brother had died the same day as her father, shrugged. "I guess."
Scott frowned, not understanding how someone couldn't be excited about a baby.
"So," Jean nudged Scott. "Finally got that baby sister, huh?"
Scott laughed. "Nope. Another boy. Alan Sheppard Tracy," he said excitedly. "Grandma was visiting her friend Alma in Kansas City but she and Grandpa are heading back today and Grandma is gonna stay at the house a couple of days so she can bring us to see him today and Dad says he looks just like Mom and -"
Now it was Jean's turn to laugh. "Slow down, Scooter. You might want to breathe some time."
"So the Tracy Mistake has been born, huh," Keifer Dutton sneered as he went to move past – only to find himself sprawled over the floor.
"What happened here?" Ms. Lee, the Middle Principal glared at the gathered students all snickering at Keifer sprawled on the floor.
"Sorry, Ms. Lee," Jean said with an innocent smile. "I dropped my bat when Keifer bumped me and he tripped over it."
With an entire hallway backing up the girl, Ms. Lee sighed. Whatever had happened, Keifer had probably deserved it. "Come with me, Mr. Dutton and I'll take you to the nurse."
The glare Keifer sent them promised retribution.
Yeah, right.
Jean had to work hard to keep Scott calm that day. She couldn't see why a new baby would be so exciting, after all, Scott had given up a chance to have a room of his own – he was eleven now, after all – so the baby would have the nursery. At the day's end, she waved her best friend off when his grandmother's station wagon pulled up and he climbed in.
"Jeannie," Millie said, shortly after they had gone up to their apartment above the diner. "Scott's on the phone for you."
"Hey, Scooter…"
"Jeannie," Scott interrupted. "They have Allie in the NICU."
"Why?"
"Dad said he's having trouble breathing. They let me hold him. Jeannie, you should see him. He looks so perfect. He's got these incredibly blue eyes and this soft blonde hair…Jeannie, he looked at me with such trust, like I should be able to protect and take care of him always."
"You will," Jean assured him.
Daily updates followed and Jeannie was one of the first people to see Alan when the Tracys brought him home a week later. But not for too long…
Baseball season had started, after all.
A month after Alan was born, Jean stood in the doorway of the family room at the Tracy house and sighed in annoyance.
"You almost done there, Scooter?" Jeannie asked as she rolled her bat over her shoulders.
"Almost," Scott murmured as he finished giving Alan a bottle. Smiling, he set the bottle down and placed Alan on his shoulder. Gently patting the baby's back, Scott's grin grew when Alan let loose with a healthy burp.
Placing the month-old in his basinet, Scott adjusted the blankets and watched as the baby drifted off to sleep.
"That's it, baby," Scott crooned. "Sleepy time, ok? We love you lots, you know that?"
Jeannie leaned over the basinet, setting her bat down as she did.
"He is cute," Jeannie allowed.
"Cute?" Scott countered, outraged. "He's adorable. You going blind there, Bates?"
Jeannie rolled her eyes. "I said he was cute. That's more than I usually allow. You know I don't do babies if I can help it. You coming out now?"
Scott nodded, smiling as he ran a finger over Alan's cheek. "I'll be back soon, Baby. I'll watch over you. Because that's what big brothers do – we take care of our babies and don't let anything hurt them. We look out for them."
"And so do big sisters," Jeannie murmured, touching a finger to Alan's button nose, causing the baby to wrinkle it before he sighed and curled deeper into sleep.
"Thought you didn't do babies," Scott teased, his eyes never leaving Alan.
"Yeah, well," Jeannie muttered, blushing. "You got my word – if you aren't around to look out for the Sprout here, I'll take care of the kid."
"Promise?"
"On my Daddy's grave," Jeannie said solemnly.
Scott looked at his best friend and smiled. Jeannie had adored her Daddy, so for her to make a vow on her father's grave, he knew she really meant that.
"Thanks, Jeannie," Scott said gruffly.
Jeannie ducked her head to hide her blushing. "Oh, come on, Scooter – are we gonna play ball or not?"
Scott grabbed his mitt off of the bench and waved to his mother who was still on the phone with his father. Lucy waved back and blew a kiss, mouthing "thank you" to her oldest son. She was about to answer Jeff's question when the Tracy mother let out a small laugh from hearing Scott ask Jeannie "what is it with you and nicknames? I mean, Sprout? Who's gonna call the kid Sprout?"
Tracy Island
"So you still haven't explained why the nickname Sprout," Alan laughed. "And Scott is right – what is it with you and nicknames?"
"Like what?" Jason asked.
Alan began, with Jean quickly answering him.
"Scooter-"
"Ever seen how Scott steals a base?"
"Space case?"
"Fascinated by the stars since we were kids."
"Nemo?"
"A clown fish."
"And Sprout?"
Now Jean smiled. "You were this itty-bitty thing but there was so much potential there. I just knew you'd grow into this amazing person. And I was right."
Alan blushed but was spared further embarrassment when Elizabeth asked, "Why no nickname for Uncle Virgil?"
Jean chuckled. "Beyond Virg the Surg? Dr. Virgil? But seriously – he was already stuck with a name like Virgil. I figured I'd give the kid a break."
"So you had nothing to do with singing "Like A Virgin" to Virgil years ago?" Scott asked as he came into the room, picking up DJ to take him back to the playpen set up in a corner.
"What's a virgin Daddy?" Jason asked even as Scott settled his youngest down to sleep more comfortably in the day crib.
"Ask your mother," Scott said absently before he froze, ready to stop Jason only for the little boy to jump down and run across the lanai yelling "OK".
"Oh, man, you are so dead," Jean laughed. Sure enough, a bellowed "SCOTT CARPERNTER TRACY" rang out a moment later.
As Scott dashed out of the house, heading towards the beach, Alan joined Jean in her laughter, asking, "Hey, Jean – can you do funerals as well as weddings?"
Elizabeth looked up in concern.
"Auntie Kate isn't really that mad, is she?"
Jean shook her head. "No. More than likely just embarrassed Jason asked her that in front of her parents. Uncle Scott will be ok, sweetie."
"Pwomise?" Michael asked.
Jean looked around the area, onto the lanai, seeing the Tracys she had grown up with, the ones being born into the family and other assorted people who now called the Tracys family – including herself and smiled.
"I promise," Jean said, feeling the warmth that had always surrounded her when she had been with the Tracys.
Having settled Tommy into the day crib with his cousin, Alan picked up Charlie and carried him over there as well. "Hope you realize what kind of crazy family you've been born into," he murmured to Charlie as he settled him in the day crib.
Jean smiled. Family takes care of family…
It was their promise.
A/N - Family takes care of family, so happy birthday to the big sister I always wished I had. Oh, and look for a package in the mail. - CC