Hello everybody.

So, my hometown is having a bit of a heat wave, so I wrote this with cold thoughts in mind.

This is dedicated to coralie14 for the challenge word and CyanB for making a suggestion a long time ago that influenced this chapter. (If I tell you what it was, it will give things away. However, I did not follow it exactly ...)

Huge thanks to my beta, 1monster2, for her help in sorting out the long list of typos.

Enjoy ...

Chapter 9: I is for Ice

Kayo left Mr. Tracy's private office, feeling much less confident than when she went in. It seemed that Alan's online friends had invited him up to a lodge in the mountains or the weekend. While she wasn't worried about the boys themselves –she and John had checked them out thoroughly– the trip still gave her pause.

Ever since the launch of International Rescue, the safety of the Tracy family was a top priority, especially for her. As head of their security, Kayo took the personal well-being of each member, from Grandma down to MAX, as her personal responsibility. Which was why sending the youngest of her surrogate brothers halfway around the world did not sit well with her.

"Hey," Virgil greeted, coming down the hallway. "How'd your meeting with Dad go?"

"Alan is still going."

She heard a quiet cheer from somewhere behind her and shared a look with the middle brother. Not that she hadn't known she was being followed –Alan wasn't exactly a master of stealth– but it was still annoying. However, she knew how to wipe away the smug expression that was, no doubt, on the teen's face.

"So he has authorized me to accompany him as chaperon."

This time she was listening for the groan that came from the closet door –Really Alan, the closet?– and shared a smile with Virgil. As team medic, he had also been concerned about the upcoming weekend, but he was needed at the island in case of a rescue call and couldn't accompany the teen himself. So, he did the next best thing.

Two hours later, Kayo knew more about first aid than she had ever thought possible.

"You can bring this kit with you," Virgil offered, closing the large case. "It has everything you might need."

"I appreciate it, but do you have anything a little more … subtle?"

He looked over the box that was large enough to be used as an ottoman, or possibly a short coffee-table. While Kayo understood his desire for the best medical care to be available in case of an emergency –and with Alan, there was a good chance there would be one– it would be hard to carry while hiking in the snow. Conceding to her point, Virgil put together a smaller pack with just the essentials. Much better.

"Kayo!" Alan called racing in the room. "I talked to Dad. He said that you can treat this like your own vacation and don't have to follow me around all the time."

"Of course," she replied with a soft smile.

He grinned and ran back the way he came, no doubt to finish packing. She turned back to Virgil who had an expression that could only be described as the-cat-who-ate-the-canary. Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a silent look that demanded an explanation. He just chuckled and grabbed another small pack, filling it with the same things he had packed in the other one.

"It seems Alan believes that you are going to step back and let him have his vacation alone."

"That does appear to be the case," she agreed.

"But is that really the case?" Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You seem to think so, since you are making a second first aid pack for Alan."

The medic gave her a slightly guilty smile, but didn't stop his preparations. Of course, he had taken his kid brother on a trip or two himself, so he understood the risks involved. Gordon may be the family trouble-maker, but Alan was its Houdini; getting himself in and out of trouble with the skills of a master. The second kit was not an insult to her ability to keep track of the boy, it was a tribute to his ability to get lost.

Knowing Alan as well as she did, Kayo would take all the help she could get.

*I*C*E*

Alan pressed his face against the window, feeling like it was Christmas already. Living on an island, you did't see snow much … okay, ever. The closest they ever came to a blizzard was when he and Gordon tried making pancakes from scratch and were promptly banned from the kitchen. Who knew flour was that hard to clean up?

"Have you seriously never saw snow before?" Jacob Thorpe asked from the seat behind him.

"Sure I have," Alan replied, sitting back. "It's just been a while."

"It must be awesome to live on an island," Ricky Sheridan commented. "Do you have, like, volcanoes and water falls and stuff?"

"It's not that big of an island, but we do have a cove that's great for snorkeling."

Not that it was the best part of the island, but he wasn't supposed to talk about the underground network of hangers and labs. This weekend he was just an average teenager … who happened to live on an island owned by his father somewhere in the South Pacific. Of course, Ricky lived on his uncle's estate on Long Island and Jacob's dad owned a big cattle ranch in Montana, so neither of them were exactly poor. How else could they afford to rent a private lodge at a ski resort for a weekend?

"So, Alan," Mr. Thorpe asked from the front seat of the SUV. "What does your dad do for a living?"

"He … works in technology."

True, yet vague. Kayo would have been proud, if she wasn't in the other vehicle. For a big car, it only seated five and Alan had –miraculously– managed to convince her he would be okay riding with his friends and Jacob's dad. So, she was riding up with Jacob's mom and sister. Of course, she would much rather had been allowed to drive, but the resort was taking care of that part.

"Sounds lucrative. Must keep him busy."

"Yeah, his work keeps him on his toes."

And all the rest of them, but that was going into too much detail. Better change the subject. So, Alan asked about what activities the resort offered and the rest of the ride was spent planning what the boys were going to do all weekend. If they managed even half of what they wanted, he was gonna sleep for a week when it was over.

"Here we are!" Mr. Thorpe announced, as they pulled up in front of a rustic looking lodge.

The boys almost fell on top of each other trying to get out of the car as fast as possible. After all, they had a big weekend planned. First they were going to go on a snow hike down to the frozen river, and tonight they were gong to make smores. Tomorrow they were going to go snow tubing, skiing, and snowboarding in that order-

"Alan."

Or he was going to have the most boring weekend imaginable staying as safe as possible.

"I'm just going on a hike with the guys," he groaned, turning to his unnecessary babysitter. "We won't even go that far."

"Who said I was going to stop you?" Kayo pointed out, slinging her pack onto her shoulder. "I just wanted to remind you to stow your bag before you leave."

"Oh … uh … okay."

Getting similar instructions from the other adults, the three boys dropped their luggage off in what had to be record time, and headed off to the woods – after Mrs. Thorpe reminded them to stay safe, not go far, and bring water bottles with them. Suddenly, the way Gordon called Scott a mother hen made a lot more sense.

"Can I come too, Alan?" Becky Thorpe asked sweetly.

"Sorry, but you gotta stay here with your mom and dad," he answered, ruffling the six-year-old's hair. "Maybe you could play a game with Kayo."

His suggestion got a look from his self-appointed bodyguard that silently reminded him that her babysitting responsibilities lay with him and only him. He just shrugged and went off to join his friends outside. Hanging out with the kid may not be the most fun thing to do around here, but at least it was something to do.

The trio walked for about ten minutes before arriving at the river. Alan's first thought was that it was one of the prettiest things he had ever seen, and his second was wondering if Gordon would try swimming in it. Honestly, he probably would … on a dare … unless Scott stopped him.

"Wanna go skating?" Jacob suggested.

"Uh … I didn't bring any skates …" Alan said slowly, trying to gauge how thick the ice was.

"Don't worry, last year we just used our shoes," Ricky assured him.

While he sill wasn't sure, Alan hesitantly joined his friends at the edge of the river. The three glided up and down, slowly at first, but soon they were racing from one bank to the other. It was so much fun that the teen had almost forgotten his fears … until he saw something on the trail.

"Hey, Jake," Ricky nudged their friend. "Isn't that your sister?"

Jacob groaned, but Alan frowned. A kid that small shouldn't be out in the snow by herself, much less on a frozen river … or climbing an ice encrusted log … oh-no!

"Becky, stop!" he yelled, skating across the river as fast as he could.

It wasn't enough though and Alan could only watch in terror as the small girl slipped and started falling headfirst toward the unforgiving ice. Acting purely on instinct, he dove down, slamming his shoulder into the frozen river and skidded to a stop under the log, just in time to have 50 pounds of screaming child land on his stomach.

Ow.

"Becky! Alan! You okay?" Jacob panted, Ricky coming up right behind him.

Alan was finding it hard to speak without air in his lungs, so he just nodded before gasping for breath –which would be a lot easier when the kid got off of him. But when she wrapped her little arms around his neck, he couldn't help feeling good … even if he couldn't breathe.

"Oh Alan, you saved my life!" she announced dramatically. "You are a hero!"

"Becky, I think you better let go so your hero can breath," Ricky suggested.

The little girl planted a kiss on Alan's cheek before sliding off him, but sat dropped to the ground the second she tried standing, letting out a shrill wail. Finally able to get some air, he turned to see what was wrong now.

"My foot!" she sobbed. "I broke my foot!"

Moving stiffly from his own fall, Alan pushed passed the pain to check on the broken foot, finding instead a sprained ankle. Luckily, he had the kit Virgil had given him and quickly located the ace bandage between the gauze and antibiotic ointment. Trying to remember how Virgil did it, he mummified the kid's foot and put a couple of his extra socks over the injured limb to keep it warm before they got back to the lodge.

"Wow, Alan," Ricky whistled. "Where did you learn that?"

"I live on an island, remember?" he said casually. "It's about seven or eight hundred miles to the nearest doctor. We all have to know this kind of thing."

It was true – since Virgil didn't have an actual medical degree – and gave enough information without having to give away the family secret. He was getting good at this!

"We better head back now," Jacob suggested, pulling his sister on his back.

Alan nodded as Ricky helped him to his feet, hovering nearby the whole way back. He wanted to point out that it was his shoulder that hit the ice, not his head, and he was at no risk of passing out, but just didn't have the energy.

They reached the lodge just as the sun was starting to set, where they were greeted by two worried parents and a slightly amused Kayo.

"Thirty minutes," she commented. "Not exactly a record, but it has to be in the top ten. What happened, you lose a fight with an icicle?"

"It was a river, and it wasn't my fault," Alan grumbled.

She seemed skeptical until Becky, once again, declared him to be a hero. Between the little girl's dramatics and the boys' more accurate account, they were able to explain what happened. By the time they were through, even Kayo was agreeing with the title.

"We can't thank you enough, Alan," Mrs. Thorpe said, as they sat around the fire later that night. "If you hadn't been there-"

"But he was there," Kayo cut in, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder as she started to cry.

Mrs. Thorpe nodded, holding Becky a little closer. It was a good sight to see, even if it has cost him a lot of bruising. He wondering if this was what his brothers felt like in-

"He should join International Rescue!"

Alan almost choked on his hot chocolate at the little girl's announcement. Kayo smirked behind her mug, as Mr. Thorpe explained to his daughter that people don't just join something like International Rescue.

"It's not like the army, Honey. You don't sign up."

"But he could," she insisted. "He's a hero and that's what they are too."

Try as they might, no one could convince the girl otherwise. Alan shared a look with Kayo and the two of them excused themselves for the night. It was hard enough to keep the secret when it wasn't the topic of discussion, and the teen didn't want to risk letting anything slip.

"It's true, you know," Kayo said as they headed to their rooms. "You would make an excellent member of International Rescue."

"Yeah, well try telling my brothers that."

"I already did."

Alan stopped dead in his tracks. She told them about how he saved the kid … which meant she probably told them about how he hurt himself doing it. The only question was, was this a good thing or a bad thing?

"What did they say?"

"They're all very proud of you."

"Oh?" Alan asked, standing a little taller. "So you didn't tell them about my bruises?"

"Of course I did."

"Oh …" he muttered, shoulders drooping slightly. "What'd they say about that?"

"Virgil said you should put some ice on it."

His brother had a wicked sense of humor.

So, any good?

Please let me know what you think, and include suggestions for the next chapter. (I can't write without challenge words.)