Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the reviews. They were greatly appreciated! Okay, I've decided to get up a chapter early, seeing as there was such a big delay with the previous. AND, this is one of my longest yet, so enjoy!

Thanks to CC, who beta-read again for me!

-:O:-

"Allie, you wouldn't believe the look on John's face when Sarah walked off! I mean, it was like someone had kicked his puppy." Grinning, Gordon paused thoughtfully before saying, "Three times!" Snorting, he relaxed as Alan laughed louder before he gave Gordon a sceptical look, unable to believe that John would behave like that.

Upon seeing his baby brother's look, Scott chimed in, "Honestly Al, I think he was more devastated than when Gordo here sat on his modal space station that he had spent a month working on!" Beaming at Alan's widened eyes, Scott placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Even Virgil couldn't stop himself from laughing at him, and you know how much of a misery he can be!"

Ducking from the hand that was swiped at the back of his head, Scott chuckled once more, enjoying the company of his brothers - especially when he was getting the upper hand on them.

Scott 2 – Little brothers 0!

"Gee Scott, that's rich, coming from Mr Smother Hen!" Screwing his face up in as much sarcasm as he could muster, Virgil sneered in mock anger. Suddenly, he jumped as hands from behind him clutched at his stomach and started tickling him. Screeching, Virgil pulled himself away from Gordon's grip, lurching out of the way and stood panting and glaring at him. A few moments passed.

"It is so on!"

Diving forward, Virgil began a merciless onslaught on his brother.

Scott, who had stood watching them with mild interest, turned his gaze to Alan. Warmth spread through his heart at the sight of his baby brother, who was giggling at the antics of Virgil and Gordon. Gordon had been pinned underneath his brother and looked up with sheer terror on his features. Oblivious to Gordon's cries of help, Scott couldn't help but take in every tiny detail he could about Alan. The images of him lying so still, swamped in his own blood continued to linger in the back of Scott's mind and he gave a small shudder. Quickly he forced himself back into the present, reminding himself that Alan was fine; laughing and happy right in front of his eyes. But somehow, the feeling of unease still crept over him as he stared into Alan's deep, expressive blue eyes.

Tearing his gaze away from his two fighting brothers, Alan caught Scott's stare and a silent, mutual understanding came between the two. Holding Scott's look, Alan smiled warmly, attempting to give him the reassurance he needed.

Suddenly, a particularly loud yelp from his partner-in-crime brought Alan swivelling back to face Virgil and Gordon who were still scrapping on the floor. Following Alan's gaze, Scott started as he saw Virgil holding Gordon in a headlock, fist rubbing backwards and forwards briskly over the copper-haired head. Laughing, he leapt forwards, attempting to break Virgil's hold on Gordon.

"Hey! Just because this is a hospital, it does not give you the right to injure Gordon, no matter how tempting it may be!" Dragging Virgil up, Scott pulled out his mega-watt grin. "Nice work though, bro! I'm so sorry I didn't have a camera to take a picture of him!"

From his position on the floor, Gordon grunted and pulled a face. This would call for some serious revenge. Placing a hand on the floor moodily, he shot Alan a glance. Glad to see the twinkle in his baby brother's eyes, he knew that Alan understood what his expression meant. Smirking, Gordon sent him a wink. The Tricksters of Tracy Island had some plotting to do.

For the next few minutes, the Tracys stood around Alan's bed, plotting how they could get the shy John to talk to – apparently – equally shy Sarah. It had been a light conversation to start, but by the time Jeff walked in on his sons, John in tow, the four had tears rolling down their faces once again with Scott clutching a stitch in his side from laughing so hard.

Dreading to shatter their bonding, Jeff flinched as they turned round to face him. Seeing Gordon double up at the sight of John, he waited a moment for them to calm down.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Scott asked, frowning, all humour fading at the serious look in his father's eyes.

Jeff sighed heavily, looking carefully at his elder sons, a debate raging in his mind.

"Brains called. There's a forest fire in Indonesia, and it's spreading rapidly. Local fire teams are having serious trouble and International Rescue have been asked for assistance. I'm afraid we're going to have to help out this time, son." Watching as each of his sons' shoulders slumped; he fixed his gaze on Virgil. "Virge, I'm gonna ask you to stay here, if that's okay. I don't want Allie to be on his own."

Protests burst forth out of every son in turn – but it was Alan's that they all heard the clearest.

"Dad, it's alright. Virge can go too. I don't want to be the cause of something bad happening without all the help these people can get. I'll be fine, honest." Swallowing heavily at the lumped that had formed in his throat, Alan winced. He really didn't want to be left alone in a hospital, but he couldn't bear it if something happened that Virgil could have helped with. Unable to look at his father, Alan could still remember what had happened between the two of them earlier. He didn't want to be a disappointment again in his family's eyes. His father's angry words were still an echo of regret in Alan's soul.

Jeff looked uncertainly at his youngest. He desperately didn't want to leave his baby here all alone, but from what it sounded like from Brains, those people needed all the help they could get.

"Only if you're sure Alan," he said, ignoring Scott's look of outrage, "I don't want you to feel deserted or anything."

"I'm sure." Frowning, Jeff nodded. Something wasn't quite right about Alan, but he decided not pursue it. People were in danger. Making a mental note, he reminded himself that Alan and he needed a serious sit-down when they got back.

"Okay," he said, turning to his other sons. Lowering his voice, he added, "Let's head out. We need to get there as quickly as possible. Scott, I want you to go with Gordon on One. John can prep the Firefly while Virgil will be with me on Two." Sparing a glance at Alan as his other sons piled out of the doorway, taking off at a sprint, he smiled weakly. "We'll be back soon, Alan, I promise." With that, he turned and followed his elder sons, barely missing Dr Daniels on his way down the corridor.

"We have to go," he yelped, "We'll be back soon. Please look after him!" At her shocked nod, he turned and headed to the exit.

-:O:-

A few minutes earlier…

Walking calmly down the corridor, Sarah thought about her conversation with Jeff Tracy. Pleased with how it had turned out, she couldn't but let a smile grow at the thought of his other son, John. She knew it was a long shot, but Sarah had decided she was going to talk to him anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained…

So caught up in her daydreaming, that as Sarah made the right down the corridor that led to Alan's room she was nearly knocked over by the very person she had just been thinking about. Yelping, Sarah slid sharply to the left and pressed herself against the wall as John made a beeline past her. Three of his three brothers –minus Alan, of course – were with him. Grinning sheepishly at her, he winked and hurried on, now sprinting with a slight spring in his step. Gawking after John, she marvelled at how effortlessly he ran.

"Whoa!" Steeping out of the way for a second time, Jeff Tracy followed his sons, saying something about leaving and asking her to look after Alan. Breaking herself out of her thoughts of John's muscles and tanned complexion, 's words registered and she nodded weakly, a confused smile on her face. He grinned at her and turned down the way she had just come, towards the exit of the hospital.

Standing baffled for a while longer, she forced herself to focus and quickly made her way to her patient's room. Entering, she saw Alan sitting up, a depressed look on his face. Startling as his doctor walked in, he hastily swiped the back of his hand over his face. Knowing he wasn't quick enough as a sympathetic look crossed Sarah's features, he groaned inwardly.

Great. Just what I need. My doctor will think I'm a wussy little cry baby. Fantastic.

But when he looked back up, the sympathetic look was gone. Instead, she walked over towards him, a twinkle in her eyes and a soft smile on her face.

"Don't worry Alan; you would have grown tired of them eventually. I should know! I have three older sisters and one older brother. I can definitely say that they got overwhelming sometimes, no matter how much they cared." Grinning at the look of shock that came over the young man's features, she passed him the cup of water that was on his bed-side table.

"Here, drink this. You need to keep fluids in your body, and not just the ones we feed through the IV." Watching him as he took small sips, she couldn't help admire how similar Alan looked to the older man that had caught her eye. She knew that they were brothers – heck, John had four brothers – but only Alan had the same bright blue eyes. Blushing as she realised that she must have been staring into his eyes for too long, she busied herself, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"So…Alan, you want to tell me how you really hurt yourself? I mean, no one in your family seemed to know either." The thought had struck her when… Scott, if she remembered correctly, had told her that Alan had brushed off the subject of how it happened. Although, she suspected that she wasn't being told the full truth by that Tracy either. Sarah was certain that Alan wasn't being abused. She had seen abuse victims enough, and the doctor knew that wasn't it but she had to admit to being stumped as to the source of her patient's injuries.

"Uhh..." Alan gulped, his brain struggling to come up with a plausible reason. Freezing, he panicked, since he obviously couldn't tell her exactly how it had happened. He wasn't about to blurt to someone he hardly knew that he was a Thunderbird. "Umm, well, I, uh, fell down some stairs, and…yeah!" Stuttering, he sighed at his own pathetic excuse. Not even he believed that.

Frowning, Sarah raised an eyebrow. Studying the teenager before her, something she had heard about in the news stirred in her memory. However, that thought was promptly squashed. There's no way that he could be… No, oh course not. The thought of the Tracy's doing that is silly. Or… maybe…Nah.

Thinking for a few minutes longer, she jumped when she remembered she had an audience. Turning round to face Alan again, a blush rising on her face, she noticed his questioning gaze.

"Are you sure, Alan? You can tell me anything. Don't forget that. I'm one of the people you can trust." Seeing Alan's tight mouth and clear reluctance to discuss, well, anything, she sighed. "Just… know that I'll be here for you if you want to talk, okay?" Not wanting to seem too pushy, she left it at that, not daring to try and get more out of Alan.

Giving the pretty brunette an appreciative grin, Alan hesitated. Would it really be too bad if she knew? Maybe if she and John got together…Be nice to have a doctor in the family…"Thanks Sarah… I really do appreciate everything you've done. I know my brother John does too." Laughing as Sarah turned bright red, he shook his head in a typical teenage fashion. "Ya know, I think he likes you!"

Spluttering, Sarah was lost for words. John Tracy liked her?

OhMyGod. I think I've died and gone to Heaven!

Staring at Alan, mouth open, she silently begged him to not be kidding. Even though she had only just met John Tracy, and only spoken to him a few times, she felt like she had known him forever. Seeing the look in Alan's eyes shift from teasing to serious, she almost fainted at the lack of oxygen reaching her lungs. Excusing herself, Sarah sprinted for the room in dire need of a coffee – and the chance to think on what she had learned.

-:O:-

At the rescue…

"John! Grab Virgil, he's cutting it too fine over there!" Scott looked on in panic as Virgil stepped closer to a house that was ablaze. They had managed to put out the majority of most of the fires that were slowly edging towards a major city in Indonesia. However, a small village had been trapped in the middle of the flames and by the time they got through the charred remains of the surrounded trees, most of the village had caught up in the inferno.

Jeff had taken over the Firefly, heading towards another part of the blaze that was still heading towards the city, leaving Scott, John and Virgil down at the village, trying to get people out of their homes as the fire closed around them. Rescue workers were all around them, tackling the flames the best they could with the equipment they had.

John, who could barely hear his brother's cry over the roaring inferno, spun round from helping an elderly couple out of their house. Spying his brother who held an arm up over his face as he moved forwards, John took off at a run, Scott following closely.

Hearing his brothers' cries, Virgil looked at to see them running towards him. Desperate, he looked back at the flames burning ever higher, coughing as he tried to speak.

"There's five people trapped up there! They're on the fourth floor, so it's impossible for them to jump. We have to get in there!" Without waiting for a response, Virgil rushed inside, ducking low. Eyes widening in fear at the flames that swamped his pathway, he swallowed, focusing on the victims trapped above him. Bracing himself, Virgil grit his teeth and surged towards the stairs.

"Virgil!" Sparing a glance back, he saw John rush inside with him. Nodding, they both cautiously made their way through the smoke and flames that were crowding them. John could feel the heat of the fire through his uniform and on his exposed skin, the intense heat making small beads of sweat roll down his forehead under his visor.

Knowing that things could easily get ugly, Virgil increased his speed, sensing his brother staying close behind him. Smother Hen Junior, he snorted in his head.

Keeping their arms firmly covering their noses, the brothers hurried up the stairs. Reaching the fourth floor, Virgil paused, looking left and right. Shouting over the flames, he pointed to a room and they hastily ran over.

Motioning his younger brother back, John raised a leg and planted it firmly through the wooden door that was slightly alight, flames burning across the top of the wood. Swinging open sharply, the door crashed back onto the wall and John and Virgil ran in. Searching around, they found a couple with their children huddled beside them in the only part of the room that wasn't crawling with fire. The youngest child looked around three years old and was shrieking into his father's chest. All five people looked up as John and Virgil knelt down, John yelling for them to come quickly in their native language.

Nodding reassuringly, Virgil helped the woman up and picked up one of the children. The mother grabbed a second and John aided the father with his youngest. Pouring out of the burning room, the group began to descend the stairs, pausing only to leap out of the way of burning debris that fell in their path, nearly crushing them. Bursting through the last of the inferno that had once been home to several families, the light of the haze filled air was a breath of relatively fresh air and they were hurrying out of the front door to an anxious Scott. Unloading a child from his arms to his older brother's, John coughed, trying to rid himself of the smoke he had inhaled. A tingling feeling crept into the back of his mind as he continued to cough. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat, as blackness edged at his vision. Panicking, John realised he couldn't breathe and felt hands grab his arms. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he faintly heard someone yelling his name before he closed his eyes and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

TBC