Left By the Wayside

by Criminally Charmed


Disclaimer - See Chapter One

Tracy agnst and anguish - ain't it grand?

Chapter Seven – What Was Mom Like?

John Tracy blinked before wiping a hand across his eyes. The wind and rain were increasing with every passing moment. He began to pray again, feeling as if he really hadn't stopped since the call about Alan had first come in.

Please, Mom – God – anyone who is listening. Let Alan be OK. We need our baby. And the not knowing is the worst.

Was this how his family had felt, racing to the crippled Thunderbird Five after the attack by the Hood's missile? Wondering if John were even still alive? But at least his father and brothers had known where John was. They had been denied even that small comfort on this day.

"Mr. Tracy – um, John?"

John turned to Dave McGlauflin, wiping at his eyes again. "Yeah?"

"Did you hear the radio?" At John's blank stare, the deputy continued. "At least half the searchers, including all of your brothers, are heading our way. It seems like this was a good guess. One of the seniors just confessed that he and a classmate were driving drunk on this road and hit Alan."

John went pale in shock and horror. "And – and Alan?"

Shaking his head, McGlauflin looked worried. "He said they didn't even check to see if Alan was alive."

Raising his chin, John drew in his breath and nodded. "Fine. Let's start looking on the side of the road. And focus on the left side of the road."

The deputy's worried look changed to confused. "But if they hit Alan -and in most hit and run cases, that would be from behind – shouldn't that be on the right side?"

"No," John ground out. "Alan knew better than that. If he ran on anything besides a track, he would run on the opposite side of the road. Focus on the left side of the road," he repeated.

The two men began their search, as John began to hope that the "Tracy sense" that had always been there for the brothers, could help them once more.

We're coming, Allie. Just hold on, Sprout. Please – just hold on.


Alan felt a pull, one that he couldn't explain. Turning to Jack Roy, he found the old family friend looking, well – fuzzy.

"Uncle Jack? What's up?" Tilting his head, Alan noted that his own voice sounded odd, with a tin-like quality.

Jack smiled at the boy he had loved from the first breath Alan had drawn to beyond Jack's own last breath. "Your family is close. And it's time for me to go." At the panicked look on Alan's face, Jack chuckled softly. "They'll find you soon. They love you too much not to."

As he faded away, Jack's voice came in strongly. "And I love you, too, kiddo. Remember that – always."

Tears streamed down Alan's face as he whispered, "I will, Uncle Jack. I will." Before Alan could say anything else, pain erupted throughout his body and the world went dark….


Jeff Tracy stood at the window, watching as the rain began to stream down the glass. "Hope it doesn't thunder," he muttered.

"Why not?" Detective Matthews asked from behind him. When Jeff turned for a moment, the police officer gestured absently. "Han is headed for the hospital. Records are being pulled to see if we can ID this "Barry" for questioning. Unfortunately, Paul Han lost unconsciousness again and we didn't get anymore from him. Now, I repeat – why no thunderstorms?"

"Alan doesn't like them," Jeff said simply. "They've always bothered him. Fermat once told his father that Alan would put in his ear-buds and play his i-Pod to try and ignore the storm when he is away from home."

"And when he's at home?"

Jeff smiled slightly. "We take care of each other. When a thunderstorm is due, we make sure Alan isn't alone."

Nathan Matthews didn't know what to say to that. But the next thing the billionaire said really took him by surprise.

"So am I still a suspect?" Jeff's jaw tightened and he seemed like he didn't even notice the shock on the detective's face. "Please, I admitted that I spoke harshly to Alan prior to his disappearance, that we have had a history of arguing and it is no huge secret that I can have a bit of a temper." Jeff shrugged. "Alan had to get something from me."

Now it was Matthews turn to shrug. "Well, not so much no longer a suspect as it seems the investigation is heading in another direction."

Nodding, Jeff's eyes remained on the rain beyond the window. "I imagine," he mused impassively, "you have seen other parents of missing or, um, hurt kids, ones who turn out to be the reason why something may have happened to the child."

Matthews looked out at the rain as well. "Yeah. More often than I would like to recall."

"I love my son, Detective. I love all five of my boys. I call them my true treasures. Not many have heard that, but a few have. My sons are what make my life worth living. Money, success, accolades, it is all nothing without my boys. And Alan is my baby, the last gift Lucy gave me. He looks so much like her." Tears welled into the man's eyes. "Alan asked me a while back a simple question. He said, "What was mom like?" I just smiled at him and said, "She was a lot like you." I never said anything more."

Jeff sighed. "I would give anything to have that moment again. I would tell Alan how he doesn't just look like his mother. I would tell him how he has her strength, her compassion, her humor and determination. I would tell him how I thank God every day that I was blessed to have him in my life."

The detective looked worried. The Tracy father sounded like he had given up, as if he had accepted his son as already gone. Matthews had always stressed to people to never give up hope in these situations. From the sound of his voice, Jeff Tracy had accepted that Alan was dead. And from the way the entire family had been, Nathan had to wonder if they could survive it.


Scott Tracy ran down the road, nearly slipping in the mud. Virgil and Gordon were not far behind him, but all three had left their law enforcement "shadows" in the dust.

Well, if there had been any dust. All there seemed to be was mud. Scott heard one of his brothers – he suspected it was Gordon – begin to slip but since he never heard an impact sound, Scott assumed the younger Tracy had either caught himself or been aided by the other brother.

"I never realized," Gordon muttered to Virgil as his brother released the arm that had steadied him, "that Wharton's was so big."

"The better to secure, I suppose," Virgil mused.

Scott had been prepared to say something when he saw John ahead of them. "John," he called out, "any sign yet?"

John shook his head and kept moving along, even as Deputy McGlauflin moved back towards the three brothers.

"John said he is sure if Alan was left by the wayside, it should be on the left shoulder, not the right."

Virgil nodded. "It was how we were taught to go for runs on any roads. But just to be safe, Gordon and I will take the right. Scott -"

Scott had already moved over to the left side of the road, slightly further into the wooded side than John. He was about to ask his brother were exactly they had searched when John suddenly made an exclamation.

John's eyes had gone wide as among the faded browns of the dead leaves and branches that littered the roadside and the verdant green plant life that was in full – if soggy – bloom, he caught sight of a flash of electric blue. The vibrant blue had been something that had attracted him to a pair of track shoes when he and Alan had gone out the weekend of Alan's birthday a few weeks earlier. The memory of that moment flashed in John's mind even as he began to move towards the mound of natural debris.

"Hey, Sprout, what do think of these? You will need some good track shoes when you make the team."

Alan picked up the shoes and smiled. "Try-outs aren't until next week, Johnny. What makes you so sure I will make it? Besides, these shoes are kinda pricey. And don't call me Sprout."

John laughed. "Alan, since you were a baby, you have accomplished anything you set your mind to. If you really want a place on the track team, I have no doubt you will make it. As for the price, I think you're worth it."

Blue eyes met blue eyes, one set filled will self-doubt while the others shined with unquestioning love and support.

Giving his youngest brother a one-armed hug, John leaned his chin on top of Alan's head- which he wouldn't be able to do much longer – and murmured, "I believe in you, Allie. And with the way you are growing, Sprout still fits."

Both brothers chuckled as Alan ducked his head and grinned at John.

But they still bought the track shoes.

The memory faded as John reached the pile of debris, stumbling in the wet leaves and knocking some away from the patch of blue. As a track shoe was revealed, John cried out before frantically pulling at the fallen foliage and broken branches.

Scott had raised his head when John had raced forward and instinctively began to follow. Virgil and Gordon had noticed both of their brothers' movements and trailed after the pair. The two younger Tracys reached their brothers just as Scott pushed aside the debris covering Alan's face.


Fermat Hackenbacker sat next to his father while Brains remained focused on a report he was preparing for – Fermat checked it quickly – Tracy Enterprises. So much of the elder Hackenbacker's work went for International Rescue but the man also had done some incredible work for his recognized job as well. Fermat sighed lightly before leaning his head against his father's arm.

Brains looked down at his only child before adjusting his arm so that it now rested on Fermat's shoulders. The boy had only turned fourteen this past March and was, in many ways, still a boy. Even though Mr. Tracy had made Fermat a Thunderbird at the same time as Alan, the younger Hackenbacker preferred to work from the base, like command and control or improvements to the vehicles. Although he suspected Fermat would be thrilled to accompany his father to Thunderbird Five for the upgrades and repairs planned for the summer.

Thinking of Thunderbird Five, Brains couldn't help but recall a conversation he had with John when the second Tracy son had returned from visiting Alan.

"Hey, Brains," John grinned as he entered the lab.

"J-John," Brains looked up from his work, smiling at the astronomer sat down by the work bench. "H-how w-was your tr-trip?"

"Great!" John sighed as he leaned back. "Fermat said to say hi. And that he would call later, he's just busy with that mixed grade engineering class."

"A-Alan have a g-good b-birthday?"

"I tried," John shrugged. "He seemed happy. Did the whole official tour of Wharton's, then Alan showed me all the places he liked. We went to Boston, headed to the Museum of Science and had dinner. I never knew the kid was so fascinated with the stars. I think we'll have another astronaut there. We walked around the city, did a bit of site seeing and shopping. I bought him some new track shoes as a birthday present. Alan hemmed and hawed, but I could tell he loved them."

Brains smiled. "D-did he l-like the upgraded mp3?"

"Yes," John smiled again. "He said to say thanks and that he would be sending an e-mail later." The smile faded quickly. "It doesn't take much to make Alan happy, does it?"

Shaking his head, Brains bluntly said, "N-no. It t-takes v-very little t-to m-make Alan h-happy. J-just a b-bit of a-attention."

"It's going to be different," John swore. "We are never going to let Alan drift that far from us again."

"S-see th-that you d-don't," Brains responded. He had worked for Jeff Tracy since Fermat was six months old. A single parent, he had been grateful when he could leave his son to play with the youngest Tracy son. Brains loved Alan as if he was his own but it had been the Tracys love and approval that the teen had longed for. Now that Alan had that, he knew it would break the boy's heart if he were to lose it.

Seeing Jeff Tracy staring out the window, watching the rain stream across the glass, lost in thought, the elder Hackenbacker felt sorry for his boss and friend. He knew if anything happened to Fermat, he would be lost. Mr. Tracy loved all five of his sons, but Alan was his baby, the one the whole family was protective of. Brains hadn't been in London when the Hood had tried to kill the youngest Tracy but he knew how much the events in the Bank of London still haunted Jeff Tracy. If they lost Alan, Brains was afraid they would lose his father as well.

When a police officer ran up to lead detective, Brains began to stand, praying for some news. A hurried whispered conversation drew Fermat's attention as well as he stood next to his father. The detective moved over to Jeff Tracy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Tracy," Detective Matthews began, hesitantly. When Jeff turned, he continued. "Alan has been found."


A/N - OK, we have found Alan - but in what condition?

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