A/N Hi everyone! As promised here's the last part of the first story. Hope you guys enjoy. Oh, and if anyone was wondering, the disclaimer about the song was supposed to go on this chapter, this is the part with the song in it. I noticed the mistake after I posted it, but I was too lazy to fix it… Anyway…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or any of the lyrics in this story, nor do I pretend to. I am making no money by posting this.

The lyrics are from a song titled "Brother" by NEEDTOBREATHE


Almost Doesn't Count: When I Fall- Part Two

Gordon stared at the broken cliff in open-mouthed terror, tears welling up in his eyes. He shut them tight, suddenly furious. Who had held him back?

"Let me go." Gordon breathed out the words as he tried to pry the arms off of him.

"The edge is dangerous. You will fall." The voice belonged to Chief Pham. All Gordon could hear was his heartbeat pounding in his ears as rage flared up in him. Didn't Pham think he knew that? He'd just watched his brother fall off that cliff for goodness sake!

The thought stabbed a pin into Gordon's heart, desperation and fear washing out the anger even quicker than it had come. Gordon took in a deep breath and forced himself to stop struggling.

"Okay." He said simply. Cautiously, Pham let him go, he let his hand rest on Gordon's shoulder, as some form of comfort or to restrain him again, Gordon couldn't say.

He turned around and found that everyone was looking at him. Searching for some kind of instruction. Their expectation flipped a switch in Gordon, he locked his emotions in a box, detached himself from the situation, and forced himself to think with his brain.

Rescue Mode.

"I need ropes and harnesses now." Gordon said to Pham, immediately the chief started shouting for the supplies in his native tongue. Next thing they'd need was a Thunderbird. Gordon pressed a hand to his sash and called Virgil.

"Yeah-tsssss-, Gord-tssss-on?" Virgil asked in between bursts of static. The composite of the mountain had been interfering with signals and wreaking havoc on the comms array throughout the entire mission.

"Virgil, a cliff collapsed under Alan and a little girl, I need Thunderbird 2, like ten minutes ago. I repeat, I need Thunderbird 2, Alan and a little girl went over a cliff."

"I'll be-tssss- there in-tsss- one minute." Virgil said, even through the static Gordon could hear Virgil's quick breaths as he ran to the cockpit. But Gordon couldn't help thinking that a minute was sixty seconds too long.

Men came running back with coils of rope, already fitted with harnesses. Gordon clipped a rope to his sash, four men holding tight to the other end. With a flashlight in his hand, Gordon inched over to the edge of the cliff and laid down on his stomach. He shone his light over the edge, illuminating the cliff face and hoping to see Alan clinging to side. He saw nothing. And though he couldn't see to the bottom through the deepening shadows, Gordon couldn't stop himself from imagining his little brother's body, bloodied and broken over the rocks.

Touching a hand to his sash, Gordon sent out a call.

"Alan, if you're hearing this, please respond."

A hopeful pause.

"Alan, do you copy? Come in please." A dreadful silence. "It's Gordon. Can you hear me?" The comm lines remained empty. Gordon let his eyelids fall closed, a small sigh slipping between his lips. Nothing.

The roaring sound of Thunderbird 2's engines filled the air and Gordon looked up to see the big green ship. Thunderbird 2 was very much a reflection of her pilot, strong and dependable, a gentle giant. Her flood lights flicked on and the mountainside became illuminated. Gordon did another sweep of the cliff face, hoping that Two's lights would reveal his brother to him, but still Gordon saw nothing of Alan.

The com lines crackled. "I'm-tssk- above- tsssk- position-tssk- rdon."

"FAB, Virgil. Are you picking up any life signs down there?"

Virgil hesitated. "...Negative." The word hung heavy in the air, unwanted. "But-tssk- doesn't mean anything-tssssk- not getting any signs from you- tssk"

"Understood." Gordon sighed.

"Tssk- sending down-tssk-rescue… tssk-ld fashioned way." Gordon frowned, not understanding.

"Could you repeat that, Virge?"

"I'm sending-tssk- rescue platform down-tssk- visual search."

"FAB." Fifteen seconds later, the platform descended. Gordon stepped on, his panic and fear for his brothers life only being suppressed by years of training and his own grim determination. They started the search pattern, sweeping the mountainside systematically. Two's lights and the enhanced vision of Gordon's helmet penetrated the pitch darkness of the mountain nightfall.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Ten. Twenty. Thirty-five. Forty-five. Every once in a while Gordon or Virgil would call Alan over the coms, praying that he would pick up.

Not once did they receive an answer.

It was nearing the two hour mark, and Gordon hailed Alan again.

"Alan, it's Gordon. Come in please." Once again he was met with a deep, heavy silence. And Gordon couldn't stop his mind from wondering what that silence meant. Was Alan unconscious, even after all this time? Was he even alive at all… No. Gordon shook his head free of those kinds of thoughts. And he forced his tired eyes to resume their search.

"Well...We're still looking for you, buddy. We'll be there soon. Promise." Gordon was just about to sign off again, when he noticed a tiny glimmer of light on the cliff below him, almost invisible under the bright glare of Thunderbird 2.

"Virgil, switch off your lights." Gordon told his brother.

"Tssk- Could you repeat?" Came Virgil's voice.

"I need you to turn off your lights."

"Tssk- what I thought you said. I'd be- tsssk- flying blind."

"Just hover there a minute. I think I see something." The coms went silent for a moment, and Gordon could sense Virgil struggling to keep his own hope under control

"Is it Alan?" He asked finally.

"I don't know." Gordon admitted quietly. "Switch off your lights, Virge." Not a second later the lights went off. And the entire mountain side was plunged into an almost tangible darkness. The bulk of Thunderbird 2 above him blocked out any light offered by the night's half moon. Gordon squinted into the darkness, the tiny light much more visible in the dark.

"You see that, Virge?"

"Sure do. Think it's Alan?" On a whim, Gordon closed the com channel to Alan.

The light disappeared. He opened it again, and the light reappeared.

That was all the proof Gordon needed.

"It's Alan, Virge. Take us in."

"FAB."

"We're coming to get you, Alan. We found you."

Virgil descended slowly, carefully and skillfully angling his downdraft away from the mountain. The last thing he needed to do was start another rockslide. Even a small one would spell disaster for Alan and that little girl. He gently released more line, lowering the rescue platform, Two's flood lights beaming down on Alan's location.

Gordon descended on the platform, familiar features coming into focus as he got closer. Alan's blue uniform. His blond hair. His red sash, the IR symbol on it was glowing brightly, it had been that glimmer of light that had lead Virgil and Gordon to their little brother.

The details sharpened further and Gordon was able to get a good look at him.

Alan looked terrible.

Gordon's little brother stood on a tiny outcropping, the toes of his boots peeking over the edge, even as his back was pressed against the mountain behind him.

In one arm, thankfully, Alan held the little girl who'd fallen with him. She clung to Alan in fear, her face pressed into his shoulder. The thunderous roar of Two's engines terrified the poor girl. Alan's other arm hung limply from it's socket, his bare hand caked with dried blood and dirt.

Alan's eyes were closed against the onslaught of dust blown up by Two. It made him look sort of tranquil, almost peaceful. But Gordon could see the tension in Alan's jaw, only a small intimation of the pain he was in. And just beneath the layer of grime and sweat, the shadow of exhaustion lay heavily on his face.

And his mouth was moving. Alan was speaking? No singing. He was singing softly to the little girl. Trying to soothe her fears. As Gordon neared them, the tune became clear, it was familiar to him. Virgil often played it on the piano, but Gordon had never known the words. Though, apparently, Alan did. Despite his situation, Alan's voice was calm and comforting.

"Brother, lemme be your shelter,

Never leave you all alone.

I can be the one you call

When you're low.

Brother, lemme be your fortress,

When the night winds are driving on.

Be the one to light the way,

Bring you home."

Gordon suddenly realized why this song was among Virgil's favorite's.

"Virge, hold the line." The platform stopped and the gate opened. Gordon reached across empty space to grasp his brothers shoulder. Alan's song cut off as his eyes flew open, relief alight in them.

"Time to bring you home." Gordon said.

Alan's face broke into a weary grin, "Took you long enough." Not waiting a moment longer, Alan stepped towards Gordon, moving from an almost certain death to utmost safety in the space of a single step. Relief rushed through him in a wave, washing away all of the panic and fear that had built up over the passing hours, also washing away the last remnants of his strength.

Alan's vision swum, his knees collapsing. Gordon caught his little brother across the chest, and pain assailed Alan as Gordon's hold jostled his injured arm. Alan's vision grayed, and he was sure he'd have thrown up right then if he'd actually had anything left in his stomach.

Alan's sight cleared as he blinked his bleary eyes open. He was sitting down now, and Gordon's concerned face hovered in front of him, the little girl now tucked in his big brothers arms. When had that happened? Alan's mind felt confused and far away from him, as if he'd been watching a movie and someone had suddenly skipped ahead.

Gordon was saying things, but Alan couldn't make his brain decipher them. Gordon spoke into his comms and the platform retracted, pulling them up into the belly of Thunderbird 2. Virgil was waiting there, his expression gentle and concerned. He placed his heavy hand on Alan's shoulder, Virgil was talking and Alan forced his tired mind to concentrate.

"-Alan can you hear me?" The words echoed inside his head, each syllable pounding in his brain.

"Yeah, yeah. I can hear you, Virge."

"Good. Come on, let's get the two of you to the med bay." Virgil helped Alan onto a gurney, and Alan didn't even have the energy to think up a reasonable protest. He was wheeled into Two's infirmary where Virgil cleaned and wrapped the wound on his hand and, thankfully, gave him pain medicine.

"I can't set your shoulder until the swelling goes down," Virgil told Alan as he gently maneuvered his little brother's arm into a sling. Alan nodded, wincing at the spikes of pain that shot up his arm.

"The little girl," Alan said, "Is she alright?" Virgil smiled, looking over to where Gordon sat on the other bed, the girl in his lap. He held a juice box for her while she drank. Gordon spoke softly to the her, language barrier or not. It wasn't his words that made him so great with kids, it was his light.

"She's a little dehydrated, but she'll be fine in a day or two." Virgil said to Alan.

"Good." Alan said simply, sinking into his pillows with relief. Virgil smiled down at his little brother. "Get some rest, Alan." He said, laying a hand on his good shoulder. "I'm going to go take us up." With that, Virgil headed to the cockpit. Alan closed his eyes, the familiar hum of Two's engine lulling him to sleep. It'd been a long day. He was so tired.

~TB~

Alan cracked open one eye slowly, then the other. Sunlight was streaming into his bedroom, what time was it? He turned his head to look at his clock, the numbers read that it was past noon. Gosh, I slept that long?

"Hey, Alan. How're you feeling?" A voice asked from his left. Alan turned to see a smiling Gordon, sitting in a chair at his bedside.

"Like I've slept for a week." Alan grinned back.

"You got pretty close, Sleeping Beauty."

Alan's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"

Gordon cracked up, "No, not seriously. It's was only like fourteen hours, tops."

Alan rolled his eyes, still smiling. "You cheated. I never would've fallen for that if I wasn't half asleep."

Gordon shrugged. "All's fair in love and war."

Alan crossed his arms. "I bet you don't even know who said that."

"Sure I do. That's obviously the super insightful work of that brilliant genius Gordon Cooper Tracy."

"Yeah, right. You did not say that." Alan said, rolling his eyes again.

"Sure I did. I said it two seconds ago."

"You know what I mean! You didn't say it first."

"Well then you should've said that." Gordon said, smirking and crossing his arms.

"Alright, not that I'm not absolutely enjoying your riveting company, but I'm starving." Alan said, getting up from bed, being careful not to jostle wary his injured arm.

"Hey, wait for me, I'm hungry too." Gordon said standing up and stretching his arms to the ceiling, his joints popping as he did so.

The two brothers made their way down the flights of steps to the kitchen.

"Are we the only one's here?" Alan asked, taking note of the empty house.

"Yup, just us." Gordon said, busying himself with making sandwiches "Kayo and Grandma went to the mainland to restock, and Virgil and Scott got called out, they took Brains with them." Gordon grinned. "The Smother Brothers wouldn't leave until I promised to sit with you until you woke up."

Alan shook his head, smiling. "I'm not even surprised at this point. You didn't actually have to though, I wouldn't have told."

"I know. I didn't really mind though, I didn't have anything to do anyway." Gordon shrugged nonchalantly, but Alan sensed a sincere tone in his big brothers voice, and a slight trace of emotion. How long had Gordon been sitting by his bed? Alan hadn't been that seriously injured, just exhausted more than anything.

Alan tilted his head at Gordon, "You did get to swim before they left, didn't you?"

Gordon shook his head, "I was just eating breakfast when they were called out."

Alan couldn't help it, his jaw fell open. "It's almost one o'clock in the afternoon and you haven't swum yet?" He asked incredulously.

"Alan, it's only 12:15." Gordon smiled.

"That's not the point. You can go swim now, you know. I've made a sandwich one-handed before."

"Well, yeah, but you cut your finger open and Virgil had to give you stitches."

"I can manage."

"Nah, it's fine. Besides, I don't really feel like it."

For the second time in as many minutes, Alan's mouth dropped. "You don't feel like swimming? Are you sick or something?"

"I'm not sick, Alan." Gordon said, dodging the hand Alan stuck out to check his temperature. "I'm just sore from yesterday." The rockslide?

"Your muscles hurt?"

"Something like that." Gordon said vaguely. He sometimes seemed a hard person to read, but the thing was, Gordon was no liar. He danced around the truth a lot, but that's different from lying. Gordon was hurting. He'd said it himself, in so many words.

"Are you okay?" Alan asked, his eyes searching. Gordon sensed the deeper meaning of the question, but ignored it. "My muscles? Yeah, Virgil gave me some medicine for it. Worked like a charm."

Alan narrowed his eyes. "Then why won't you swim?"

"I don't want to, Alan."

"So what's the problem?"

"Just because I don't want to swim there has to be a problem?"

"Yes."

Gordon rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Alan." The age old lie.

"Spoken like a true Tracy." Alan said, his eyes challenging. If he had a dime for every time his brothers had said that and they weren't, his family would own two islands.

Gordon saw the look in his brothers eyes. Alan was nothing if not persistent. He'd keep weedling him for hours if Alan thought it was for something important. And the thing is… it was, and maybe it was time to get it out in the open.

Gordon took in a deep breath, and Alan watched as his brother's walls dissolve, he was startled by the amount of sadness that was now visible in Gordon's eyes. He'd always been adept at camouflaging his feelings.

Gordon put down the sandwiches and gestured toward the patio. Alan followed him out the door and they sat down together at the edge of the pool, their feet dangling into the water.

Gordon stayed silent, so Alan spoke. "You said something about yesterday. You were talking about the rockslide?"

Gordon sighed again, a hand running through his hair. "Yeah, the rockslide. I was talking about when you went over the cliff." Gordon said, looking down at his feet through the surface of the pool. "What were you thinking when you were down there?" He asked.

"'Don't fall' mostly." Alan chuckled, attempting to make light of a dark situation. To tell the truth he'd been terrified, half-way believing that the very next second his legs would give out or that the ridge would give away. His brothers voices were a lifeline though, practically the only thing keeping him calm. "I knew you were coming." He said, "I heard everything you said over the comms. I just couldn't hit the reply button."

"You're lucky, you know." Gordon said.

Alan raised an eyebrow. "I fell off a cliff and somehow I'm the lucky one?"

Gordon chuckled. "I just meant that you knew we were coming. But we didn't know if there was anyone left to find." Alan's eyes widened. Despite their line of work and the danger of their jobs, despite all of the severe injuries and near misses Alan's family had suffered through, he could count on one hand how many times he truly believed a brother might be dead.

There was always some sign, some readout, something that told them there was still someone to save. Had Gordon really been left with nothing? Alan suddenly understood all the many hours Gordon had sat in a chair at his bedside so he would be there when he woke.

"I'm right here, Gordon." Alan said.

"I know." Gordon said with a smile, slinging a gentle arm across his little brother's shoulders. "I just needed a little reassurance, that's all. … You scared me, Al."

"Sorry." Alan said sincerely.

Gordon shrugged. "Comes with the territory. Just try not to do it again."

"I always do." And he always would. They all always would, there was too much to lose, too much to miss, if they didn't.

Suddenly Alan's eyes lit up, an idea forming in his head. "You gonna go for your swim now?" Alan asked. "You're already late."

"Yeah, I think I will." Gordon said with a smile at the pool. It'd barely been 24 hours, and he already missed being in the water.

"Well, best not to wait, right?" Alan asked, and with that, he unceremoniously shoved Gordon into the pool, clothes and all.

Alan watched Gordon's expression as he hit the water. Surprise, followed by out and out happiness. Alan smiled, Gordon really shouldn't go so long without swimming, it really was bad for him.

Gordon resurfaced with a splash, he shook water droplets from his hair and eyes, a wide grin on his face, exactly where it should be. He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, free of burdens and full of light.

"Alan! I almost drowned!" Gordon exclaimed.

"Yeah, right, Mr. Aquanaut Olympic Champion. Besides," Alan said, catching his brothers eye and matching Gordon's smile, "Almost doesn't count."

Gordon swum up to Alan, resting his arms on the edge of the pool. "Thank goodness for that."


A/N That's the end of this part, thank you so much for reading. I was having some trouble wrapping up the ending, I must've went through like four drafts. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. The companion story, is still in the drafting stages so it'll probably be a little while before you see that one, but I'm hoping to have it out soon. I'm pretty sure that's everything, so I'll see you guys later, bye!