Light and Shadows

by Criminally Charmed

Disclaimers - Of all the things I've lost in life, I miss my mind the most. It flittered away, one summer day, took the last train for the coast. If you may find it along the way, please send it back to me one day. But Thunderbirds were never mine - oh, hell, just never mind.

Oh, the poem that Alan uses is also a three-hanky song called "I Believe" by Diamond Rio. According to Sammygirl1963 and Sam1 (what is it about me and Sams?) you'll need all three hankies.

One review away from 100. Who gets the cookie?

Chapter Ten – Memories from the Shadowed Past

Columbus Day Weekend

Scott Tracy hummed along with a song on the radio as he drove his rented vehicle away from Springfield Airport. The Tracys always preferred to use the smaller airport – well, smaller when compared to Logan International in Boston – when they came to Wharton's.

"Except Virgil," Scott said to himself with a smirk. Virgil may not have minded before he hooked back up with Sarah Jane but now this gave him an excuse to visit the red-head. Scott's smirk morphed into a smile as he thought about the strong, beautiful women his brothers were all falling in love with.

Emily Haas had the physical appearance of a fragile porcelain doll – with a core made of titanium steel. Smart enough to challenge even the brighter of the Tracy Brothers, she also loved John with an unwavering devotion that John returned in full. Scott couldn't wait until those two made him an uncle. A vision of John holding a baby, blonde hair peeking out of the pink blanket –

Pink? Where the hell did that come from? There hadn't been a daughter born to the Tracy Family in the entire time of them being in America. If there hadn't been a bit of pink and lace in eight generations, why was Scott imaging John and Emily with a daughter?

Shaking his head, Scott's mind jumped to his other blonde brother. Alan was his baby as much as he was their father's. It had been Scott's hands that had Alan had clung to as he learned to walk, Scott who could calm the fussy baby the fastest. Heck, even Alan's first word had been "Scott". Granted, it had sounded more like "Scoot" but the beaming smile as he looked at his big brother had made it clear what the baby had meant.

Scott could still recall the first time Alan and Tin-Tin had met. His father had brought the Kyranos to the Island, after the first incident with the Hood. The man had enslaved his own brother for his illegal mine, which had later collapsed, becoming an early rescue of the fledgling International Rescue. Having met Onaha and Kyrano years earlier, Jeff had instinctively trusted them with his secrets, but more importantly – with his sons.

Alan had been away at school when the Kyranos arrived but was brought back to the island soon after when Gordon had been critically injured in that hydrofoil crash. The then young boy hadn't paid much attention to Tin-Tin at the time except to seem to resent her. Alan wasn't allowing some stranger – worse, a girl – near Gordon while the red-head struggled through his recovery.

But the entire family had been amazed at how quickly the boy had become close to Kyrano and Onaha. The quiet gentle man had always made time for the rambunctious boy and it seemed as if Onaha couldn't wait to mother the motherless child. Scott had watched on occasion as his father looked almost sad the way Alan seemed to turn to the couple, often before his own family.

That thought made Scott frown. Was it that Alan had been more willing to turn to the Malaysian couple or was it that his family had excluded him so often that the boy had been merely trying to protect his heart from further pain? When Scott thought of how far the family had pushed their youngest away before the Hood…God. The Hood. Even now Scott's heart clenched when he remembered that awful day. The Tracys had always been aware that they could be killed, much as any emergency personnel had to be. But to be murdered by a madman? And worse, to be helpless knowing that the lunatic was in their home, threatening Alan?

Scott pushed away the cold chills that always came when he thought of what could have happened that day and instead embraced what had happened. Alan had proven his worth that day, a real Tracy, and the family had come to see how much they could have lost. And whatever had been wrong between Alan and Tin-Tin had seemed to become right. The oldest Tracy son grinned as he thought of the look on his father's face when the man had seen the two teenagers sitting by the pool, their hands timidly touching before Tin-Tin leaned her head onto Alan's shoulder and Alan's face becoming buried in Tin-Tin's hair.

"Darn it," Jeff had muttered. "Penny was right again."

Chuckling, Scott recalled the e-mail he had gotten from Alan, shortly before leaving the island. "Scott – Sarah is coming, too. She can only come Sunday. But make sure she is on the list. You either have to walk her in or have dad sign the form. Alan."

This e-mail was followed thirty second later by a second one.

"Here's the form."

Scott had almost asked why Virgil's girlfriend would come when Virgil couldn't be there but he almost smacked his head – which Sarah Jane would have happily done for him if he had questioned it. Sarah Jane Woodbury had adored Alan since he was a baby. Even before the little girl had saved their baby from choking on a marble that Gordon and Virgil had allowed too close, Scott could still remember her trying to look at Alan whenever she could, fascinated by the baby. After she had saved Alan, the Tracys had begun including their red-headed neighbor in most family events.

Thinking of that made Scott see things with the eyes of an adult that he had missed in his youth. John and Annette Woodbury had loved both of their daughters but John had buried himself in work most of the time and Annette – well, Holly had defined high maintenance. There just wasn't a lot of time for quiet, scholarly Sarah. But first his mother then his grandmother had made sure that the sweet girl was always welcome in their home. Sarah Jane had quickly become the sixth Tracy child in all but name. Heaven help anyone who teased the little girl about her thick glasses or fire engine red hair. Anyone who made "their Sarah Jane" cry would find themselves facing the combined wrath of the Tracy boys.

But as time went on, Sarah Jane didn't come crying to her "brothers" any more. Most people knew better but Scott had heard whispers of what had gone on during the years Virgil and Sarah had attended high school. Anyone with eyes could see the girl adored his middle brother. And with time, Virgil had begun to look at Sarah differently…But then came the fire.

"I'm home," Scott had called out as he had entered the house, anxious to see his brothers, having arrived for Virgil's high school graduation.

"Scott," John had solemnly stood in the door to their father's study. Scott's heart had clenched as he had entered the room, breathing in a sigh of relief at the sight of his father, grandmother and Virgil seated throughout the room.. Even out the window, he could see Gordon standing nearby as Alan sat quietly on a swing in the yard.

Wait. Alan sitting quietly? That was even more disturbing then the red-rimmed eyes of the rest of the family. It was then that they broke the news of the overnight fire down the road. Scott had vaguely smelled smoke when he had arrived but assumed someone was clearing brush. The Woodbury home was down the road and around the curve – not visible from the front of their house. John, Annette and Holly were all dead. Sarah Jane was in the ICU at a hospital in Kansas City. She wasn't expected to make it.

Scott grinned as he pulled himself from the morose memories, remembering the pictures and sketches of Sarah Jane that had accompanied stories from each of his brothers in recent weeks. The young woman was hoping to swap a shift so that she could make it out to Wharton's for part of Family Weekend. He found himself looking forward to seeing her once more.

And then there was Gordon. Scott wasn't sure how far the relationship with Lisa McCallister was going to go, but Scott had a background check run on her and she seemed nice enough. Ann Marie also thought highly of the intelligent young woman and she seemed as if she was a good influence on Gordon. Nowhere to go but up there, Scott grumbled to himself.

As Scott pulled up to the security gates of Wharton's, he sighed deeply. It seemed like everyone in his family – cough, not supposed to know just how friendly Dad and Lady P are, cough – had a romantic life. While he was happy that his family was happy –

"I need to get out more," Scott muttered as he rolled his window down, startling the security guard. Smiling when the man looked at him in surprise, Scott offered up his ID and signed an electronic log. Taking back his wallet, Scott nodded and drove forward, looking forward to seeing his youngest brother for the first time in over a month. Vid-phones were great, but –

"Scott!"

Scott had just pulled into a parking space near the dorms when he heard his name being called. Turning with a smile, he found his arms filled with a flying blonde. Pulling back, he grinned at his youngest brother before hugging Alan once more.

"Missed you, Sprout," Scott mumbled into Alan's hair, grinning when Alan's soft "you too" was followed by "and don't call me Sprout".

This would be a great weekend.

Sarah Woodbury drove down the Mass Turnpike, weaving through the traffic until she reached her exit, grumbling mildly at the read-out on her EZ Pass indicating that the "privilege" of driving down a Massachusetts highway was still ridiculously high.

"I swear," she grumbled, "we are still paying for the Big Dig, decades after the fact."

Wincing slightly at the tug of the bandage on her left arm, Sarah couldn't help but think of the multi-billion dollar construction project that had caused more than a few taxes, tolls and tempers since to be raised since its inception. Her injury, seven stitches on her arm just above her wrist, had come about when she and Tommy had pulled three teenagers from a vehicle caught in a collapsed potion of the Ted Williams tunnel leading to Logan Airport. Hopefully, the tunnel would be repaired before anyone was seriously injured, or, God forbid, killed.

Pulling up to Wharton's, Sarah just hoped that one of the Tracys had assured that the proper paperwork had been filed. Otherwise, Sarah sighed in her head, looking at the long line of people who didn't have proper access. Visitor weekends at colleges and boarding schools like Wharton's were always a nightmare.

Smiling at the guard, Sarah brush a hand over her red hair, knowing it had to be terribly windblown after a drive like this from Boston. But it had been such a beautiful autumn day that Sarah couldn't resist. Always self-effacing, Sarah had no idea how her earthy beauty shone through at that moment.

"Sarah Jane Woodbury," she softly said. "I am here to visit Alan Tracy. He said he was having his father sign paperwork so I could drive in."

"It-it sh-should b-be there," a new voice added. Hiram "Brains" Hackenbacker came up from the side, his taxi having dropped him off. With Scott visiting, Brains had seen no purpose in renting a separate car. The resident genius of Tracy Island had been at a meeting in Chicago and had flown in commercial on Saturday, Scott picking him up with his Fermat and Alan beside him. Now it was the last day and Alan was preparing for one of the presentations that had been going on all weekend, so Brains had walked off the campus to a nearby drugstore when he had realized he had run out of his allergy meds. It was times like this the gentle man knew he'd never make it in a place with these kind of pollens so rampant!

The guard nodded. "Yes, Professor Hackenbacker – Mr. Tracy signed it. Ms. Woodbury, if I can just see a photo ID?" Sarah handed him an ID and the man nodded before smiling. "Thank you, Ms. Woodbury. Have a good day.""

Sarah smiled back before turning to Brains. "Your Fermat's dad, right?" When Brains nodded, her smile grew. "Well, hop in."

Brains climbed in and Sarah waited until he was settled. As they drove forward in silence, occasionally slowing as students and visitors crossed their path, Brains finally spoke.

"I n-never g-get t-tired of f-foliage, do you?"

Looking around briefly at the array of autumn colors, Sarah shrugged. "It's beautiful, but I wish more leaf peepers would get out and walk. There'd be fewer accidents."

"I g-guess that w-would matter to a para-para- rescue personnel."

Sarah laughed and Brains glowed with the warmth of the soft, husky sound, reminding him of a gentle brook. Virgil, he thought with a touch of harmless envy, Tracy luck is holding out for you as well. Sighing, he changed the subject.

"N-nice veh-veh, c-c…automobile," Brains stuttered. "W-well t-tuned."

Pulling into a parking space, Sarah Jane glanced over at Brains. "Oh, yeah. You are Fermat's dad – he said the same thing. All Alan could say was "Cool"."

Brains shrugged as he got out of the car, waiting for Sarah to raise the top and lock up her car. Frankly, he thought both boys were right.

John was typing another report – this one for Tracy Enterprises – when he heard a call coming through. Recognizing the number, John didn't bother with anything to hide the fact that he was answering from Thunderbird Five.

"Hiya, Emmy," the astronomer smiled at his fiancée.

"Hiya yourself, Starman," Emily smiled back.

"You're not being routed through the Island," John said, curious. "How did you know I wasn't in a meeting?" John teased as he relaxed in his chair.

"Because," Emily explained, "I just got off the phone with your father and he said you were just typing up some security reports. Anything I can ask about."

"Just internet usage," John shrugged. "We check to see if people are, well, doing things they shouldn't."

"How big a program is that?" Emily gasped.

John laughed. "It's not for the whole world, Emily. Just Tracy Enterprises. We hire good people but you'd be amazed at what people Google when they think no one is looking. Dad follows the three strikes warning. First a verbal warning, followed by a written and on the third strike -"

"You're out," Emily finished. "I get it. So no adult web sites, huh?"

"And no sharing information you shouldn't, no insider trading or anything else," John said firmly. "We've caught two cases of fraud, five attempts at industrial theft and one security officer was fired last year for trying to sell the location of Alan's boarding school to a reporter."

Emily frowned. "John, most people know where Alan goes to school. Who would pay for that?"

Sighing, John shook his head. "Emmy, most people know now, after the hit-and-run incident. But prior to that, it was practically a state secret. Dad wanted Alan to be protected and the media not knowing where he was when the kid was away from the Island was a big part of that."

"Oh," Emmy nodded, suddenly understanding. "Sorry."

"No big," John said hastily, not wanting to hurt his fiancée's feelings. The two began to talk about the wedding and John kept trying to get details about her dress out of Emily. Wrapping up their conversation, John pushed aside details about Elaina Roy's search of the Tracy Family. He was fairly sure it was innocent, a former classmate curious about the family she used to know. But John did note to call Ann Marie.

It might not be a bad idea to keep a close eye on the new hire.

Alan watched nervously as Sarah pulled up and climbed out of the T-Bird, Brains following.

"Hey, Fermat," the teen called behind him. "Your dad is back."

Fermat stepped out, grinning when Brains loped up the stairs, Sarah following in a more graceful stride. The redhead smiled and hugged Alan before smiling at someone behind the teens.

"Hiya, Scooter," Sarah softly spoke as Scott came out of the dorm.

Scott Tracy smiled in return, pulling Sarah into a fierce hug before kissing her forehead. "Hiya yourself, Sarah Jane. Man, when, you grew up, you did an awesome job."

Sarah chuckled and blushed to the ends of her equally red hair. Scott just shook his head and sighed. "Damn – um, darn it. Why do my brothers get the prettiest girls on the planet?"

Sarah looped her arm into Scott's as the group began to cross the quad to the auditorium for the next presentation of the weekend. "You just wait, Scott. There's a girl out there for you. And when you meet her, you'll know. You Tracy men fall hard and fast. And she will be perfect for you, she will complete you in a way you never know you were missing."

"Like you are doing for Virgil?" Scott teased gently.

Blushing once more, Sarah had a dreamy look on her face. "I hope so."

"We missed you, Sarah Jane," Scott said seriously. "I hope you know that."

"I missed all of you as well," Sarah assured him.

Shaking his head again, Scott grinned. "I hope Virgil knows how lucky he is. I mean, I can't believe none of the men in Boston didn't scoop you up."

"Maybe," Sarah mused, "some things are worth waiting for."

Before Scott could respond, Brains was asking the boys a question.

"S-so, wh-what's n-next?"

"Actually," Alan gulped, "I'm part of the next presentation."

"Really?" Scott asked. Turning to Sarah, he smiled and gestured at Alan. "The astronomy class did an awesome presentation yesterday. I recorded it for John. If you want, I can send you a copy."

"That would be great," Sarah agreed, nodding her head. Turning to Alan, she asked, "So what class is this for?"

Alan swallowed hard. "AP English. We had to write a brief essay of a life-changing event or strong memory. Then do a poem or ballad for it, since we were studying medieval English Lit at the time."

"Was that the one you sent me?" Sarah asked warily, looking at Scott.

Nodding, Alan was doing his best not to look at Scott when Sarah spoke again.

"Alan, has anyone else in the family read this?"

The blonde began to shake his head before he shrugged. "Well, John knows the premise."

Scott was confused. It couldn't be the Hood or anything else to do with the Thunderbirds. He knew Jeff had agreed that Virgil could tell Sarah and his brother was planning on doing so the next time he saw his girlfriend. But there was no way Alan would ever reveal that their family was International Rescue in a school essay! So what had Alan so nervous?

Before Scott could ask what was going on, a middle age woman approached with an enthusiastic grin on her face.

"Mr. Tracy!" she called out cheerfully, halting for a moment when both Scott and Alan turned. Laughing, she shook her head in amusement.

"Sorry," she chuckled. "Alan, please go to the green room. We will be starting shortly and you will be third. You need to get ready."

Smiling at Scott when Alan headed to a door at the right side of the stage, the woman held out a hand. "I'm Mrs. Gosselin, Alan's Advanced Placement English Lit teacher. I am also the advisor to the student arts society. I wish Alan would be willing to do more of that. He helps out and is very talented. Such a lovely voice! But he prefers athletics to the arts, I fear, and doesn't feel it would be fair to commit to anything when he hopes to be back to running track in the Spring."

Sarah smiled. "Alan used to love to sit and listen to his brother play."

Mrs. Gosselin nodded. "That would be Virgil, correct?" When Sarah nodded, the woman smiled. "Yes, Alan has mentioned that. I found him playing the piano one day and he said his brother was brilliant at it. He even has some recordings of Virgil playing that he listens to when he gets homesick."

Looking at Sarah, the woman asked, "Would you be Sarah Jane?" At Sarah's dropped jaw, Mrs. Gosselin laughed. "Alan said how you would sing for him when he was a child and how comforting it was after – well, after reading Alan's essay I can understand how such a young boy would have horrific nightmares. He has been so happy that he has reconnected with you. But you were such a positive part of his life, I can see how much joy that would bring him."

"Alan has always brought us joy," Scott said softly.

Beaming, Mrs. Gosselin patted his hand. "Yes, I can see that. You know, among the families of our students, such a close, loving family is rare. I hope you know how blessed you are."

Before they could answer, the lights flickered and Mrs. Gosselin smiled. "Well, that is our signal." Looking around, she pointed to the second row where Brains and Fermat were waving.

"It looks as if the Hackenbackers have saved you seats." Gesturing to the small digital video camera in Scott's hand. "And I am sure you want to record this for the rest of your family. Alan was the only Sophmore selected, I hope you know."

Scott and Sarah Jane both beamed at that as they headed to the seats next to the Hackenbackers but Sarah lost her smile for a moment as she glanced at Scott. This was going to devastate Scott but it was a moment long overdue.

Alan Tracy fidgeted from his seat near the door, jumping slightly when Tomo sat down next to him.

"Hey, Blondie," Tomo teased before frowning when Alan muttered hey and then didn't say anything more.

"What are you worried about?" Tomo asked. "Your family should be proud. It was an awesome essay. And a great poem."

"About a subject that they don't realize I can remember," Alan shrugged.

"Whoa," Tomo breathed. But before he could say anything else, Mrs. Gosselin leaned into the room.

"It's your turn, Alan," the woman smiled.

Alan stood up and braced himself. Time for the past to catch up to them.

Alan looked out at the crowd. He was pretty sure he could make out Scott and he knew the Hackenbackers were there. But it was Sarah Jane's sweet smile that gave Alan the courage to read his essay.

"Throughout our lives, people will come and go. Some for a little while, some for years and some die and we will not see them again in this life. It was the loss of one person that shaped so much of my life."

Scott's hand shook for a moment before bracing on the camera. He knew what was coming but still –

"When I was three years old, my family went on vacation. Not a big thing – families go on vacation all the time. But it was to us. Time was precious and it was great for us to get away together. For the first several days, it was pretty normal. Then one day, we split up."

"Dad took my middle brothers skiing while my mom and I built a snowman. I don't remember much about that day. That isn't uncommon. Most real memories are not secured by our minds until we are much older. The rare exception to that are usually extremely traumatic memories."

"If you asked me about my memories of my mother, I would usually say I really can't recall her. For the most part, that is how it is for me. My memories of my mother are more senses - a scent, a touch, the sound of singing. Sometimes, I wonder how much of that tends to be stories people have told me and how much is actual memories."

Sarah glanced at Scott. She had already read Alan's rough draft of the essay and she had long known about the paper's subject but was more than aware that Scott had never been aware of Alan's memories. The single tear that trickled down the usually stoic man's cheek almost broke her heart. Reaching out, Sarah placed a comforting hand on Scott's arm, receiving a brief glance of thanks before Scott refocused on recording his brother's presentation.

"What I never told my family was that the trauma of that day did cause me to keep one sharp memory. A memory I both regret and keep close to my heart. My sole clear memory of my mother is of her dying."

"Many people are aware that my mother died in an avalanche. Fewer people knew that I was trapped in that same avalanche. And the number of people who knew I remembered the whole thing could, until recently, be counted on one hand – and that includes me."

"My family was so devastated by our mother's death that I couldn't imagine telling them that I remembered the whole thing. It didn't help," Alan grinned wryly, "that I didn't speak for weeks after the accident. By the time I did speak again, I guess I had decided that I wasn't supposed to talk about mom. No one ever did. It was like the old adage of the elephant in the room. It's huge and it will affect you but nobody will talk about it."

Alan sighed and clutched his paper tightly before beginning to speak again.

"When my mother and I were trapped under the snow, we must have been in a pocket of air. She could only move one arm and Mom reached out to touch my face. I can never forget her words."

As Alan spoke, everyone could almost could feel themselves transported back into the teenager's memory.

"Allie, baby?"

Alan looked over at his mother's pain-filled blue eyes. The white snow was pressing down on him. This was worse than when Gordon had tackled him when they were playing back home. At least there, Scott had pulled Gordy off of him.

"Baby, I want you to remember what I am telling you." When Alan nodded as best he could, Lucy continued. "Allie, you need to remember how important family is. They love you and they need you. I know your father and brothers will take care of you but you need to look out for them as well."

When Alan started to cry, Lucy brushed the tear from his far-too-white face. "Baby, please don't cry. You have to remember that I love you and that I will never really leave you and our family. Love never leaves. I promise. Mommy promises, Baby."

Many in the audience had been visibly moved by Alan's memory. Those who knew him well could also see a slight tremor in his hand as he looked back down at the paper to continue.

"I remembered the first part. But it wasn't until an accident last Spring Break that I remembered the rest. In my heart I believe that my mother was with us on a day that could have cost my family another family member. When I close my eyes, I can still feel her beside us. In my heart, Lucille Tracy loved her family too much to leave us."

Picking up a new piece of paper, Alan cleared his throat. "The poem I wrote for today is called "I Believe".

Every now and then
Soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you, come back again
And it's like, you haven't been
Gone a moment from my side
Like the tears were never cried
Like the hands of time
Were pulling you, and me
And with all my heart, I'm sure
We're closer than we ever were
I don't have to hear or see
I've got all the proof I need
There are more than angels watching over me

I believe, yes, I believe.
Now when you die, your life goes on
It doesn't end here, when you're gone
Every soul is filled with light
It never ends, if I'm right
Our love can even reach across eternity

Forever, you're a part of me
Forever, in the heart of me
I will hold you even longer
If I can..
Oh, the people who don't see the most
See that I believe in ghosts
If that makes me crazy, then I am
Because I believe, yes, I believe that an angel is watching over me.

I believe.

Alan bit his lip as he finished, worried that Mrs. Gosselin had over-exaggerated that people would like his poem. He was just grateful that the woman had not gone forward with having the top poems set to music and the author's to act as their own troubadour. Alan was so caught up in his own thoughts that he missed the thunderous applause from his audience.

As the audience applauded, Alan looked out and saw Scott and Sarah clapping. He wasn't surprised to see Sarah Jane's tears, but Scott? In that moment he could have sworn he heard a gentle voice whisper to him.

Go to your big brother, Baby. Scotty needs you.

Taking the steps down from the stage, Alan threw himself into Scott's arms. At some point, Brains had taken the camera from the visibly shaken oldest Tracy son and turned off the device as Scott fiercely held onto his youngest brother. Neither noticed the smell of lilacs wrapping around them in a warm breeze.

In the back of the auditorium, Kyle glared at the Tracys, who had broken apart long enough to pull Sarah Jane into their close knot.

"Bet he made all that up to get people to feel sorry for him," Kyle hissed as his "cousin" slipped from the shadows to stand next to him.

"We'll just have to make sure he joins his mommy soon, won't we?" Lainie smirked before she glared at Sarah Jane Woodbury.

"Enjoy this moment," Lainie hissed in her mind. "You are the reason Holly isn't always with me. You ruined my life when I lost the only person who ever mattered to me. You don't get to be happy, Sarah Jane. No. You don't get a happily ever after."

A/N - Told you I broke Scott's heart this chapter.

Sammygirl/Jean - Yes, you did! Meanie!

CC - Hey! After what you do to a certain dynamic, incredibly hot, duo of brothers? You don't get to say a thing, school marm!

Scott - School marm? Hey, that's kinda hot.

Alan - OK, that is a disturbing thought.

CC - Oh, no kidding. I don't wanna know about my parents having sex. Or my siblings. Or anyone else.

Jean - Prude.

CC - New Englander - it's in our blood.

Scott - All I've got to say to that - Kennedy.

CC - Huh. OK, forget I said that.

Jean - No way. Any time I can razz you, I will.

CC - Hey, I promised you a chance to "comfort" Scott. There he is. Here you are. And I have snacks and sweet tea for Alan and myself. In the other room. So go - comfort.

Alan - Um, hey - Scott? Scott?

CC - Alan, as long as I'm eating, I'm not traumatizing.

Alan - OK, sounds cool. I mean - you really can't do much, can you?

CC- To you? Nothing - yet.

Alan - CC, you scare me.

CC- You betcha!