Arrrrrrggghh! Umm, yes... I know it's been so long, and for that I'm truly sorry. I really don't have any excuse what so ever, so I'm not gonna sit here and lie.

A big, big thank you to everyone that reviewed, I really do cherish each one! Sorry to any reviews I can't reply to, but I do read them and smile.

Thanks to Little Miss Bump again for great beta-ing. Sorry to CC, I know I should have waited 'til you got back to me, but I couldn't wait any longer. My brain was telling me to get it out. Thanks anyway for looking at it, hun!

TB

Jeff smiled softly, the heavy frown that had littered his features for the past day or two banished by the image in front of him. Standing to the edge of the dim hospital room, Jeff sighed at his two sleeping sons. His eldest was leant over Alan's bed, head resting on his arm which was curled up around the railings. His other hand was gripping his youngest brother's arm softly.

The last time he could remember Scott sleeping with Alan was when the younger boy had been only seven or eight. Alan had woken up screaming after a particularly bad nightmare, which had sent all of the elder Tracys fleeing from their own roomsand into Alan's. The oldest Tracy brother had been the only one able to calm him down, gently singing a song that had made Jeff's breath catch in his throat when he heard it. It had been the song that Lucy had used to sing to the boys when they had been in a situation like Alan's.

A grin appearing on his face, Jeff remembered how stubborn Scott had been, refusing to leave his brother, even after Alan had been subdued back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

Bringing himself back into the present, Jeff silently wished he had a camera with him to snap the adorable scene between the two Tracy boys.

How did I get this lucky?

Watching his sleeping children for a few minutes, Jeff marvelled at Scott's ability to calm Alan down. No matter how many times Alan had been upset or scared in the past, Scott had always been able to soothethe younger boy, never failing to amaze the rest of the their family. Scott had always been eager with Alan, as he had been with all of his brothers. He had somehow managed to always keep his cool, and Jeff couldn't even remember a time that Scott had grown angry, or jealous that the younger children were getting more attention than he was. Of course there had been times when Scott had lost his patience and snapped, but it had always ended okay.

Thank you, Scotty. I couldn't have done this without you.

As he stood there, Jeff felt himself grow weary. Looking over Alan like this had suddenly made him remember how their rocky relationship had beenonly a few days ago. They had been at each other's throats and Jeff had been pushed to his limit with patience. Now he looked back, it dawned on him that Alan was just being a teenager. Feeling immediately remorseful for his actions, Jeff reminded himself to apologise as soon as he got the opportunity to.

The door to Alan's room suddenly opened loudly, yanking Jeff out of his thoughts harshly. Virgil stormed in, a scowl on his face, and opened his mouth as if to begin speaking. However, as soon as he caught sight of his elder brothers' positions, he snapped it closed again, the angry look on his face receding into a softer look of mild annoyance.

Walking over to his father, who now stood with his arms crossed and a look of relaxation upon his face, Virgil smothered a laugh as Scott twitched slightly in his sleep. The eldest Tracy son muttered something entirely unintelligible before snorting slightly and tossing his head to the other side. He faced towards them now, and both other conscious Tracys couldn't help but sigh at the peaceful look that had washed over Scott's face. They both knew how hard he was taking it, and Virgil couldn't help but inwardly wince. He still had not managed to completely shakeoff the feeling that he could have done something more for both of his currently admitted brothers.

The Tracy men stood side by sidefor a few moments longer, basking in the quiet tranquillity. It was Virgil who broke the comfortable silence a minute later.

"John's feeling better," Virgil whispered, careful not to raise his voice as to not disturb his sleeping siblings. "He woke up long enough to be interrupted in a very close situation with our favourite Doctor." Smirk creeping onto his face at the incredulous look his father gave him, Virgil nodded in response to his unasked question.

Jeff laughed along with Virgil at the thought of John and Sarah being stuck with Gordon's teasing, although Virgil sobered up quickly at the image of Gordon and John chuckling at him. Scowling, he pushed the thoughts out of his head and turned to his father.

"Has the doc said when Allie and John can get out of here yet?" Virgil questioned, seriousness creeping into his voice. Jeff shook his head in response and his son sighed once more. Lifting an aching arm, Jeff placed his hand on Virgil's tense shoulder reassuringly. When his son looked at him, Jeff merely smiled before dropping his arm heavily and turning to walk out of the secluded room. Taking one last look at his two of his sleeping children, Jeff felt his heart grow warm as he exited.

Now to find some coffee, Jeff thought, as his eyelids began grow heavy. Rubbing a hand over his face, he shook his head to try and aid the fight to stay awake.

Upon spotting a drinks machine a little way ahead of him, he sighed. Guessing that his sons would also probably feel as though they also wanted to hit the floor, Jeff made a few more cups of the caffeinated beverage before making one decaf. Grabbing a cardboard cup holder from beside the cups, he placed four steaming drinks into it. Swirling round, he slowly made his way back towards his elder son's current room.

Reaching the door a few minutes later, he balanced the holder in one hand and reached for the handle. Before he could fully open the door, however, he jumped as his name was called from behind him.

"Mr Tracy, I was hoping to run into you soon." Jeff turned to see Alan and John's doctor smiling at him warmly. Returning the look, Jeff let his grip go on the handle and turned to give her his full attention.

"I just wanted to let you know that John can be discharged as soon as I've finished the forms. He should be absolutely fine, as long as he doesn't over exert himself too much. Make sure he keeps himself resting for a few days, and no strenuous exercise for the remainder of this week." As Sarah spoke, Jeff smiled. He knew that John wouldn't be happy about resting. None of his sons had ever really been the patient type. "As for Alan, I'd like to keep him in for the next twenty-four hours for observation. If no complications arise, then he should be free to go. He also must refrain from any strenuous activities for at least two weeks. You'll need to change his bandages every few days to prevent a risk of an infection. And I must say Mr Tracy, he is a lucky kid. I've handled a lot of cases where people have neglected injuries and they've become infected. Just make sure that he doesn't put any extra strain on the affected area. Some of the stitches may pull if he does too much, so make sure to keep an eye on him," Sarah rattled off. Smiling at the man in front of her once again, she watched as he processed all the information.

Nodding, Jeff grinned his appreciation. "Thanks a lot, doctor. For everything you've done. Especially with the CPS..." his voice trailed off and he stuck out a hand. Sarah gripped it and shook it firmly.

"It's been a pleasure, Sir" Sarah replied, still feeling slightly giddy about being around Jeff Tracy. Turning around, she made a bee-line towards her office to grab the necessary forms she needed to release her patient.

Jeff watched her go with a smirk on his face. He quickly sobered at the thought of how John would be devastated to leave her behind.

Turning round back towards the door, Jeff grabbed the handle again and pushed it open. Stepping in, he saw Gordon sitting in the chair beside John's bed, a lazy grin on his face. John was sitting up, his face slightly pink. Both turned towards Jeff as he entered, smiling when he walked over. Holding up the drinks in his hand, Jeff sat down in the remaining chair next to Gordon. Handing his son the coffee closest to him on the right, Jeff raised an eyebrow as Gordon snatched it quickly from his grasp.

Gordon took a few large gulps of the drink before looking at his two family members oddly. Both were staring at him with identical expressions of amusement. He shrugged nonchalantly, and just said "tired", as though it explained everything.

Jeff snickeredto himself as he watched his son eagerly drain the cup. What Gordon didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and Jeff didn't feel the need to tell him that he had just drunk the only decaf coffee.

Jeff placed down the box on the small table next to the bed and smiled at his elder son.

"The doctor came and just told me that you can be released as soon as she's finished signing your papers. However, I've been told to not allow you to anything but rest for a couple days. No exercising for a while, and if there's any family business to tend to, you're sitting out, buddy." Grinning at look that came across John's face that accompanied the 'damnit' he uttered under his breath, Jeff patted his son's arm.

"Hey Dad, what about Alan? When's he allowed out?" Jeff turned to face Gordon, who was looking at him with a more serious expression.

"The doc. wants to keep him in for another twenty-four hours, to be sure that nothing else is, or goes wrong. Then we can take him home, and have a lengthy discussion about just what he was thinking." The eldest Tracy frowned, his happy mood suddenly dissipating.

Gordon swallowed beside him, knowing that if his father acted like he usually did when it came to Alan,he would lay into the youngest Tracy hard. With his dad and Alan, fights were never small or short-lived. They always escalated from a few wrongly said words on either sideand ended up a screaming match that Scott, Virgil or himself broke up or died out ofits own accord after around an hour. John was usually up on his 'bird, but somehow managed to hear about the rows, and generally called his youngest brother. He had always been good at listening, and Alan made good use of that.

There had been many times in the past when Alan had stormed off into his room and left, walking down to his favourite spot on the sandy shores of the Island, only to be found a few hours later by a frantic Scott who had been searching when he had found his sibling no longer in the house. Needless to say, it resulted in Scott snapping at Alan for running off and the youngest Tracy becoming even more temperamental.

"Dad, don't go too hard on him. I'm sure he had a... well, not good reason, but some sort of explanation," Gordon tried to reason with his father. Looking into the older man's eyes, Gordon aimed to get across his feeling of sorrow for Alan, hoping to get Jeff to stand down slightly.

Jeff sighed when his fourth son strived to give him the 'puppy dog look' that he had not mastered. Knowing that Gordon was most likely right, he nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. A smile spread across Gordon's face and he clapped a hand on Jeff's shoulder.

"Thanks Dad."

Letting his hand slip from his father's arm where it had been resting, Gordon gave a wide yawn. His jaw clicked and he groaned.

"That was decaf, wasn't it?" He asked, instantly feeling even more tired. Running a hand through his hair, Gordon felt his eyes and head droop simultaneously as Jeff and John grinned. Giving one last mock look of hurt, all he managed to get out was "traitor", before he slumped back in his chair, head falling limp, fast asleep.

Jeff chuckled at his lightly snoring son, John joining in the light humour.

Suddenly, feeling his own eyes droop, John mirrored the yawn that Gordon gave a few moments ago.

"Go to sleep, Son, I'll wake you when your forms have been finished."

Nodding slightly, John lethis neck relax and his head dropped back lightly onto the pillow. Within seconds, he had joined his younger brother in a dreamless sleep.

TB

Smirking, Virgil stood in Alan's room, arms out-stretched, clutching his phone in his hands. He had remembered the device, and instantly a plan had formed. Fumbling with it in his jeans pocket, he hastened to flip it open and hold down a small button on the side. Waiting as the screen changed and loaded, Virgil chuckled to himself quietly.

Stepping over to the right, he positioned himself at a better angle before pressing down another button. A click followed and he hesitated as the image stilled. The blurred lines faded and a grin split over his features as the picture loaded fully.

The scene had been captured, and Virgil made sure to save the image. It showed his older brother protectively curling his hand around Alan's, a moment of softness adorning his lax face. Alan's slightly pale face was relaxed, his head tipped towards his personal Mother Hen. It was the most peaceful scene he had ever seen between the two Tracy's at the opposite ends of the age scale. It certainly wasn't an opportunity to be missed.

Virgil laughed once more before he snapped it closed and walked over to his sleeping brothers. Placing a hand on Scott's shoulder, he felt tears prick at his eyes. Sliding his gaze over to Alan's features, he sighed. He screwed up his face as an image hit him from earlier. Seeing Alan like that was the most heart-wrenching thing he had ever experienced. Knowing how close he had come to losing his youngest brother would remain in his head forever, and the feelings of guilt niggled at the back of his mind still.

If only I had known...

Sighing once more, he removed his hand from Scott's shoulder. Said older brother sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He pushed up his back until a click could be heard and virtually sagging in relief, before opening his eyes and staring up blearily at Virgil. Reaching up a hand, he rubbed it over the slight stubble that had grown over his chin. Blinking heavily a few more times, he proceeded to straighten up with a quiet groan.

"Virge?" Scott's voice was still muffled with sleep and his hastily rubbed his eyes. Letting out a satisfied moan, he looked around for a clock. Grunting as he noticed the time, he turned to look at his brother who stood with a grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes that the oldest Tracy son couldn't place.

"What?" he asked suspiciously, fearing the answer. He suddenly recognised the gleam as the familiar one that Gordon wore before and while he was playing a prank. Not so much after he had been unceremoniously dumped in the pool by one of the other Tracys.

Virgil hastened to remove the look off his face and tried to opt for an innocent one. Needless to say it didn't work and ended up an even smugger look.

He coughed, clearing his throat. "Nothing, dearest big brother. Why would you think anything was up?" The barely concealed sarcasm probably didn't help his case, Virgil mused.

Scott lifted an eyebrow before retorting with narrowed eyes, "You look like Gordon."

A silence followed for a few seconds before a daunting look of horror appeared on Virgil's face. He scrubbed both hands roughly over his face, desperately trying to remove all traces of his brother's look.

Scott continued to look on skeptically as Virgil looked round the room guiltily, seeking an escape. His eyes darted from the ceiling to the door and back again. Not meeting his brother's gaze, he smiled, biting his lip.

"Bit cruel, Scotty. How could you ever say that anyone looked like that fish?" Desperate to get the subject off his facial expression of guilt, he cleared his throat again. Ignoring the pointed look from Scott, he eyed his brother's hand that was still covering Alan's.

Scott followed Virgil's gaze down his arm. He hadn't even realised he had been grasping Alan's hand until now. A smile gently lifting the corners of his mouth, Scott lifted his other hand and placed it on his baby brother's forehead, swiping the bangs out of his eyes.

Looking over at Virgil, he released his grip on Alan and made his way to stand up. As he stood, the world suddenly tilted and his head swirled. Choking, his vision swayed and he tilted forwards, placing shaking hands onto Alan's bed. Gripping the rail tightly, he took shuddering breaths as the world slowly righted itself. Feeling a hand on his back, he clenched his eyes before shaking his head lightly.

"Whoa... head rush." He coughed, placing a still shaking hand on his temple. Feeling Virgil's hawk-like gaze on the back of his head, he patted his arm reassuringly, looking more confident than he felt. His face was pale and he smiled weakly.

"Scott, maybe you should sit do-"

"No. Uh, no, I'm fine." Looking over to the door, he planned an escape. "I'll grab a drink Virge. I'll be fine." And with that, he sped off towards the door, causing Virgil's arm to fall limply by his side.

As he watched his oldest brother speed away, Virgil frowned. The last thing they needed was for Scott to get himself ill. He reminded himself to talk to their father as he watched Scott's retreating back.

Why does everybody have the darn Tracy stubbornness? Darn you, Dad!

Looking back over at his sleeping brother's face, he sighed for what felt the millionth time and sat down.

"Just you and me now, kiddo."

TBC.