"John, get back into bed this instant." Jeff entered the room to see his second son trying and coming incredibly close to overpowering his brothers to attempt to get up out of bed and go see how the boy Alan Doe was faring.
Upon arriving at the hospital not even an hour ago, the injured were taken straight in for treatment on their wounds that they'd acquired during the landslide. The twins were settled into their own room in pediatrics, while John was placed inside a private room one floor above pediatrics.
"But dad…please, I need to know how Alan is doing!" John tried to sit up but Scott pushed against his brother's chest to keep him firmly placed in bed.
"Why are you so concerned for that boy?" Gordon inquired from his spot at the foot of his brother's hospital bed.
"…" John wanted to say that he'd taken to calling the boy his brother, but feared an outcry would occur so he bit his tongue and remained silent as he tried to come up with a feasible excuse. "I just am…okay?"
Jeff could see that John was grasping at straws.
"John…give it some time. That boy looked like he was being rushed into surgery, chances are he's not even out yet." Jeff stood beside John's hospital bed and looked down upon his eldest blonde son. The boy Alan Doe, he favored John so much that it was almost impossible to not think they were brothers. Jeff knew John was still keeping his fingers crossed that the test results would prove the biological relation to the family, but Jeff himself was not getting his hopes up.
"But dad…you don't understand! He was hurt and I was there, I could have grabbed him or shielded him better, but I couldn't! He's hurt because I failed as his friend and chaperone to protect him!" John wanted so badly to say brother in place of friend, but he couldn't seem to speak those words aloud yet. The test results though not inconclusive, hadn't proven Alan was biologically related to him and his family, John was simply going on a gut feeling.
"John…there's not much you could have done. The ground gave way beneath you. If you had been able to prevent the landslide, I have no doubt that you would have done everything in your power to protect not only yourself and Alan but his foster brothers also." Scott relied on running his fingers through John's platinum hair in attempt to calm his immediate younger brother. "You did the best you could with what you had available to you. I mean you managed to keep Alan conscious for the most part."
"But it wasn't enough!" John shook his head as hot angry tears welled into his eyes. "I failed him! I promised him I'd protect him and I broke my promise!"
"Why are you so up in arms over a boy you barely know? If I didn't know any better I'd say that you developed some sort of depraved relationship with him!" Virgil responded. What he didn't expect was for John to punch him hard in the calf with a furious look on his face.
"You're sick! I haven't developed that kind of relationship with him, he's just a little boy! If you must know, I told him I'd be a big brother to him since he hasn't ever had one before. Ever heard of the groups Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America? That is what is going on! I am for all intents and purposes his big brother, at least until he gets moved into yet another foster home in yet another state!"
A knock at the door halted all angered words and Gordon leaped from the foot of John's bed to go answer the hospital room door.
John bit his tongue as he tried to listen in on the conversation going on between Gordon and whoever was at the door. When the sixteen year old redhead turned around, Jeff strode to the door to see who was asking for entry into the room. John was not expecting to see Pastor Woods enter the room, clutching Alan's muddy backpack in his arms.
"Pastor! How's Alan, is he okay?" John struggled to sit up in bed, his dislocated shoulder hindering his movements largely.
"Alan is fine…he's just been brought out of surgery." Pastor Woods strode forward and smiled thankfully at John. "He's bound to be out of it for several hours, the head wound and the broken ankle really did a number on him."
"I'm so sorry Pastor, if I'd kept a better eye on the boys; Alan, Jeffery and Jeremiah wouldn't have gotten hurt." John ducked his head in apology, but a gentle hand on his blanketed knee halted his continued apologies.
"Enough John…you did more than I could have done. You helped to save the boy's lives by helping to dig them out, despite your own injuries." Pastor Woods made John look at him. "But that is not why I came to see you. Alan woke briefly and asked to see you. I promised him I'd see about retrieving you."
John turned an imploring gaze towards his father and begged silently to go with the Pastor in order to see Alan, if only for a few minutes. Jeff heaved a sigh, before nodding slowly…whilst ignoring Scott's sputtering at John being allowed permission to gallivant around despite his injuries.
"Alright…let's get you into a wheelchair, I'd prefer it if you were not up walking around." Jeff retrieved a wheelchair that a nurse had left in the corner of John's room after bringing him back from a scan to check him for a concussion after being partially buried in the landslide. "Easy does it John."
John allowed Scott and his father to hold him firmly around the hips as they eased him into the wheelchair. John ignored the fact that he was wearing a gown, but thanked his lucky stars that he'd been permitted to keep his boxers on for modesty's sake. He'd never have lived that down if he'd been allowed only to wear the gown and nothing else. John thanked Virgil when his brother seemed to sense John's leery thoughts of wearing just a hospital gown and he'd grabbed a blanket and draped it over John's legs to give him a little more cover on his legs.
"Thanks Virge." John nodded his thanks to his little brother, before allowing the pastor to push his wheel chair from the room and out into the hall.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John sat in his wheelchair and tapped his finger of his good hand on his lap as Pastor Woods pushed his wheelchair down the hall.
"So how is Alan doing?" John asked quietly. He wanted to believe Pastor Woods when he said that Alan had asked for him, but he wanted to know honestly how he was doing.
"I don't rightfully know. He's still in surgery." Pastor Woods admitted. John whirled around in his seat to gape at the Pastor. The hesitant look on the Pastor's face spoke volumes to John, but for the wrong reasons.
"Were there complications? Is Alan okay?" John's eyes were alight with fear.
"No, no…everything seems to be going fine with the surgery. The nurse told us he should be out of surgery in maybe another hour then he'll be taken to recovery to wake up from the anesthesia." Pastor Woods continued pushing the wheel chair down the hall before pressing the button to call the elevator. "I do have a reason for retrieving you that does involve Alan though."
"What?" John glanced over his shoulder at the Pastor, only to see a hopeful grin on his face.
"Ms. Alexander called me to let me know that the test results are back in regarding Alan's blood work." Pastor Woods pressed the button again before pushing John's wheelchair into the waiting elevator. "She wouldn't tell me whether she'd been notified of the results, but she's here now with one of the doctors in charge of Alan's care and the file containing the results. She asked if you'd be available since you wanted to know whether Alan was related to you or not."
"Really?" John gained a hopeful smile. "Oh my…"
"Yeah, I figured you'd want to hear the results so I came to get you." Pastor Woods replied softly. "I came up with the story shortly after your younger brother…Gordon was it…answered the door."
"Well I appreciate it, you managed to get my behind out of hot water. My brothers wouldn't quit asking me why I was so worried about Alan. So…I thank you for saving my bacon." John replied thankfully.
"You're welcome." Pastor Woods exited the elevator whilst pushing John's wheelchair in front of him. "Well, here we are…you ready?"
"Of course I am, but…" John felt himself beginning to quiver.
"But what if it's negative?" Pastor Woods moved to kneel before John. "Then it wasn't meant to be…but I have a good feeling about the results."
"I hope they're positive…but if they are, how do we tell Alan? I mean I've only known him a week, what if he would rather stay with you and your family?" John inquired nervously.
"I feel that if they are positive…which I think they will be, then we should give Alan a few days to recover before we tell him. We don't want to overload him, not when the pain medicine will make him groggy." Pastor Woods knocked on the door and waited to be told to enter, before opening the door. "Have faith son."
"Yes sir…I'll try to remain hopeful of the results." John ducked his head slightly as he felt his eyes burning. He didn't want to cry, but he feared he would regardless of the outcome of the test results. If they were positive, then that meant that the six long painful years were finally over and they had their baby back in their family…but if they were negative then he'd built up a relationship with a boy he'd hoped and prayed was his missing baby brother only to find he wasn't theirs.
John remained silent as Pastor Woods opened the door upon hearing a call of permission for them to enter the room.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Ms. Alexander stood in front of the window that overlooked the courtyard of the medical facility. She glanced down at the envelope which contained the test results for Alan's blood work…she hadn't looked at the results either. She was terrible at keeping secrets so instead of accidently giving away any hints of the test results, she refused to open it and look at the results, all she looked at was the names to confirm that yes her ward was on the paper, including John and Jefferson Tracy's names.
A knock at the door had her calling out to the person to enter. She'd reserved the meeting room so that she could have the privacy to discuss the results with Alan's foster father and potential brother regardless of the outcome of the results. If the results were positive, she'd have to talk to both John, his father Jeff and Pastor Woods to see about restoring Alan back to his family. If the results were negative, she'd have to discuss with Pastor Woods the possibility of him continuing to keep Alan…he seemed to be blossoming and coming out of his shell under the ever loving care of the Woods family and Ms. Alexander didn't want Alan to suffer.
Turning to greet the newcomers, Ms. Alexander strode forward to shake John and Pastor Wood's hands. Leading them over to the table, Ms. Alexander motioned for Pastor Woods and the doctor to take a seat, before she too took a seat of her own.
"Hello John…how are you doing after the landslide?" Ms. Alexander inquired upon seeing the young man wearing the hospital gown and sling that was supporting his arm.
"I've been better." John replied, his voice sounding slightly detached from the situation. "Not many people can say they survived a landslide with just a strained back and dislocated shoulder."
"No…I guess they can't can they?" Ms. Alexander noticed John's attitude and hoped that what she held in her hands would be good news. From what she'd learned…John was a great guy to be around and Alan would be blessed to be living among the family, especially after all that he'd been through in such a short life. "How are you holding up Pastor?"
"I'm doing better…I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the scavenger hunt, but thankfully all the boys were okay." Pastor Woods replied whole-heartedly.
"Alright, what do you gentlemen say to getting this show on the road and find out whether we are about to reconnect family members today or not? Ms. Alexander inquired.
"Please do." John answered meekly. He was nervous and damn near shaking in his boots. He wanted to know…did he have his baby brother back?
"Okay…Pastor? You ready to find out the test results?" Ms. Alexander slipped her fingers beneath the seal of the envelope to open it.
"Absolutely." Pastor Woods replied, before taking John's good hand in his and squeezing gently in reassurance.
"Okay." Ms. Alexander opened the envelope and removed the paper which contained the test results. "And the results are…"
Ms. Alexander scanned over the form, before leaning over to point something out to the doctor…the man nodded silently, before Ms. Alexander looked up at John and Pastor Woods.
"Congratulations John…it looks like you've got your baby brother back." Ms. Alexander replied with a smile.
John sat in stunned silence. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, it had to be a dream.
"What?" John asked quietly, wanting to hear it again to be sure he hadn't misheard Ms. Alexander. He started when Alan's case worker hugged him before she whispered to him.
"Alan…the test results prove that he is your little brother. Congratulations…you've got him back."
John remained sitting there in Ms. Alexander's hold and suddenly, like someone opened the floodgates he began to cry. This had to be a dream? How had his chance meeting with Alan Doe provided the one and only avenue to reunite him with his baby brother? When Ms. Alexander pulled out of the hug she put both hands on either sides of John's face before using her thumbs to brush his tears away.
"John…are you going to be alright?" Ms. Alexander inquired with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Yeah, I'll be alright…it's just. This seems to be too good to be true." John released a pessimistic laugh. "I…I can't…"
John was rendered speechless. The news, it was exciting sure, but it just felt like a dream.
"See for yourself John." The doctor passed the document to Ms. Alexander when she challenged him. The case worker held the paper up in front of John and made him look at the results. "See, the test shows there is a 99.9% chance that he is your little brother."
John took hold of the document with shaking fingers and looked at the results. There written in black and white were the statistics. The words 'Jefferson Tracy is not excluded as the biological father of Alan Doe.' Lifting a tearful gaze up from the document in his hand, John swallowed heavily. It was true. Alan was theirs…he was their baby brought back to them.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Opening his eyes slowly, he became aware of a steady pounding in the back of his head and to be honest…it made him feel queasy, but he swallowed it back, hell bent on election to not throw up. A warm hand with a cool rag brushed over his eyes and Alan looked around to see his foster mother sitting on the edge of his bed. She was smiling with tears in her eyes.
"Ms. Woods? What happened?" Alan asked, his voice sounding gravely.
"Don't you remember dear?" Ms. Woods gently brushed Alan's bangs off his forehead. "You and the boys got caught in a landslide during the scavenger hunt."
"Is everyone okay?" Alan tried to look around but the stabbing pain behind his eyes made him groan and clench his eyes closed.
"Everyone's going to be fine Sprout." Alan cracked one eye open to look at the speaker and almost choked when he was John wearing a sling and sitting in a wheelchair. "You were hurt the worst out of all of us."
"You're hurt." Alan stated unnecessarily.
"I know, but I'll be fine. My shoulder smarts but I think the doctors are blowing it all out of proportion." John reached out with his good hand and gripped Alan's hand when Pastor Woods wheeled him closer to Alan's hospital bed. "It's good to see you awake kiddo. Ya had me worried sick."
"Don't worry about me. I'm just glad that you're okay." Alan replied softly. He didn't know why his foster mom and dad or John for that matter was so concerned about him.
"We are worried about you bud. You gave us quite the scare the other day." John leaned forward again to squeeze Alan's hand. "We've all been in the hospital a few days, but yesterday you woke up maybe once…and that was only for about five minutes."
"I'm sorry." Alan apologize, feeling like a heel for worrying his foster family and friend as much as he had. "You're not going to send me away are you?"
"No…no. We aren't going to send you away." Pastor Woods sat on the bed beside Alan, before looking over at John and Ms. Woods, with a nod the pastor began to speak. "Alan, there's something we have to tell you."
"What?" Alan looked around with a look of fear spreading across his face.
"We found your family…your real family." Pastor Woods began. "They are eager to get you back with them."
"You are sending me away!" Alan's face crumbled and the tears started streaming. "I'm sorry I'm not a good foster son."
"No dear…you are a fabulous foster son." Ms. Woods began. "It's just, we received word from the foster system that they were able to locate your real family and after contacting them…found that your family is desperate to have you back."
"You have a real home now Alan…a real home." John swallowed back the urge to cry, feeling that suspicious feeling that he'd be crying not out of happiness, but out of heartbreak. "You even have brothers…four big brothers and a dad. One that will be proud to call you his son and one you will be proud to call dad."
"How do you know John?" Alan hiccupped.
"I know because…I'm one of your big brothers of course." John replied, waiting for Alan to send him away – telling him he was a monster and that he hated him. However that response never came. Instead the response that did come was an armload of a tearful, sobbing Alan. The young boy clutched at John's hospital gown tightly, hoping this would not just be a dream.
"It's not true…this is a dream." Alan spoke softly, his voice wavering dangerously. "It's not true."
"It is true Alan. I'm your big brother." John patted Alan's shoulder comfortingly with his bad hand, being close enough in proximity to not wrench his still healing shoulder. "And dad knows, he can't wait to see you again."
"Why?" Alan lifted his gaze up to look at John and felt the warm pad of John's thumb brush away his tears.
"Because…I made a promise on my mother's grave…our mother's grave that I would never stop looking for my baby brother. I would go to the ends of the Earth to find him and even if it killed me I'd find him." John stated, before hugging his baby brother close to him. "If you want to, you are more than welcome to come home. We've missed you these last six years and we'd give anything to have you back."
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John stood behind his father and brothers as they left the hospital. Dressed in sweats and a very baggy t-shirt, John walked out with his head hung low. He didn't want to leave Alan, but he himself had been discharged from the hospital and Alan had to stay in a few more days. The concussion was bad enough that doctor's wanted to continue to observe him for swelling, that and he had a mild infection brewing in the laceration on the back of his head.
"Come on John, the cab isn't going to wait forever." Virgil replied, taking John's good hand in his and shaking it to get his brother's attention.
"Alright, alright…I'm coming." John freed his hand from the grip of his younger brother and turned once more to look up towards the seventh floor of the hospital. From where he stood, he could just barely make out the silhouette of Alan sitting by his hospital room window.
The younger boy said he was going to wave John off, and now John was sure that Alan had another Tracy trait…he makes a promise and he keeps them. Raising his good hand up, John waved at the silhouette and watched as it waved back. Feeling another tug at the back of his baggy t-shirt, John turned and clambered into the back seat of the cab. Squeezed in about as tight as a can of sardines.
Turning his head to watch out the window, John watched as the hospital grew smaller and smaller as the distance between the cab and the hospital grew wider and wider. Heaving a sigh John had to fight the urge to tell the cab driver to stop so he could go back to the hospital and be with his baby brother, but his dad wrapping his arm around his shoulder and holding him close made John think things through.
If he told the cab driver to stop to let him out, their cover would be blown. John's brothers weren't yet aware that Alan had been found and that they were taking the proper steps necessary to get Alan out of foster care and back into their family where he rightfully belonged. Easing his head onto his father's shoulder, John allowed himself to drop off to sleep. The pain medications for his shoulder and muscle relaxants for his back made him sleepy.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
A week passed for Alan; and a long and painful week it was. John never came back to visit, having told him before he got to leave the hospital that their dad wanted to take him to their penthouse in Manhattan to recover. When he was finally able to be discharged from the hospital, he found that getting dressed was a fun task to try completing. Pastor Woods had to help Alan fit sweatpants over the bulk of his cast that and a large sock to keep Alan's toes warm.
"All right buddy, let's blow this Popsicle stand." Jeffery said as he hobbled beside his twin brother. They flanked Pastor Woods on either side as the man pushed the wheelchair from the premises and out to the parking lot where the vehicle he'd driven was parked.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan sat on his bed, a duffle sitting on the floor in front of him. Glancing down at a picture he held in his hands, he found himself combating the tears again. Pastor Woods and Ms. Woods sat him down the night prior and told him that Alan was no longer in the foster system. He was no longer a ward of the state, he now had a family. He was no longer Alan Doe…He had a name. It was Alan Shepard Tracy.
"Sweetheart, you almost packed and ready to go?" Ms. Woods stood in the doorway and gazed sadly at the little boy who stole her heart. She loved him like her own, but she knew that in following her husband's work, it was in God's plan for Alan to go. He had a family now and they had waited six long years to have Alan back and they didn't deserve to wait a minute more. "Oh my darling."
Ms. Woods strode forward and sat on the bed beside Alan and embraced him, choking on her tears at the same time. Alan was sobbing in her arms and it tore at Ms. Wood's heartstrings. Patting his back comfortingly, she shushed him when his cries increased to wails.
"It's alright my dear. This is no time for tears." Ms. Woods hugged Alan as he hiccupped. "You know that you will always have a place here if you ever want to come back and visit darling."
"I know mom…I just…I." Alan coughed and sniffled.
"You want to go be with your dad and brothers but don't want to leave us here, where you only just started to settle." Ms. Woods kissed Alan's forehead, before she took to rocking the boy. "We'll all miss you, but it's where you belong. Now come on, what do you say that we finish packing all of your clothes and get you on your way home."
Alan nodded before releasing another sob. He had a home now. An honest to god home.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John paced around in his father's office. He felt like he was going to throw up. He'd hardly been able to eat the toast he'd fixed for breakfast, feeling too nervous to actually be able to stomach it. His dad watched him pace, an equal bundle of nerves. It was really happening. Alan, he was really theirs and he'd have to leave in the next fifteen minutes to fly out and retrieve the boy.
John clasped his hands together and pressed them against his mouth, shaking from adrenaline. Closing his eyes, John focused on breathing. Before John knew it, his dad was tapping him on the shoulder and motioning at the clock.
"It's time son." Jeff stated, his voice cracking slightly from the strain of emotion.
"Yeah dad…" John blew out a nervous breath. "Well, here goes dad."
Tears welled in Jeff's eyes as he watched his son turn toward the office door to fly out. To retrieve Alan. To bring him back home where he belonged.
"Johnny…" Jeff asked, a hint of a question lingering in his question. When John turned back to look at his father, Jeff could only say a few words. "Bring my boy home…please."
Tears coursed down John's face as he smiled. "FAB Dad."
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan stood on the curb supported by his crutches, his duffle by his feet. Pastor and Ms. Woods stood behind him, a hand being kept on each of his shoulders. Jeffery and Jeramiah were both sitting on the curb beside Alan, Jeffery holding Sally and Stacy sat beside Jeremiah, looking for all the world like they were all trying not to cry.
A horn honked just up the street and Alan tensed up. That car horn sounded like Ms. Alexander's car and now Alan was scared. He now was unsure whether he truly wanted to leave his foster family. Sure he'd wished to have a real family again, but the Woods family was about as close as he could get to having siblings and a mother and father. Biting his lower lip, Alan prepared for the onslaught of tears. When Ms. Alexander's car came to a stop in front of the curb, Alan looked up at her with trepidation.
"Are you ready to go dear?" Ms. Alexander asked as she leaned down to pick up Alan's duffle. Alan nodded slowly, seemingly in shock that this was actually happening to him. He was going to get to go home. "Alright, time to say your good-bye's."
Alan felt his breath hitch in his throat as he turned to look at the family that had acted like he belonged for the past five or six months. The Woods family drew Alan in for a tight group hug as they all said their good-bye to the blonde.
"You be good for your dad and brother's bean…I don't want to ever see you here again…okay?" Jeffery stated, his voice choked up with emotion. Sure he picked on his younger foster brother, but that didn't mean that he didn't care for him.
"Never look back." Jeremiah hugged Alan tightly as he said his goodbye.
Stacy and Sally were next to hug Alan farewell. More tears were shed and Stacy slipped a shark tooth necklace over Alan's head as a parting gift.
"See you later runt." Stacy pressed a swift kiss on Alan's forehead before turning to go stand by her foster mother and father.
The family watched as Ms. Alexander placed Alan's duffle in the trunk of the car, before opening the front passenger door to let Alan sit in the front. After she shut the door and climbed in the car herself, she rolled the window down to let Alan talk to the family one last time before they left.
"Never forget Alan…I'll miss you." Pastor Woods leaned in the window and hugged the small blonde. "You be good."
"I will" Alan replied, his voice wavering.
"You keep in touch…you know our phone number and you have our email." Ms. Woods kissed Alan on the forehead one last time before stepping away from the car. Raising their hands they all waved at Alan as Ms. Alexander's car pulled away from the curb. Alan turned around in his seat and proceeded to wave at the family that had been his for the past few months.
Now it was time to meet his true family.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John landed the jet on the tarmac after receiving clearance to land. Disengaging the engine, John had to force himself to stop and take a deep breathe. It was almost time. Pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, John stood up from the captain's chair and stretched. He'd called his father not even one minute after landing to let him know he'd made it safely.
It was time, and it was now or never.