I loved the reviews, 61 of you are currently following this fic so I hope it doesn't disappoint. I'm a bit unsure with this chapter but it is leading to a good Alan whumping, though who knows when, how and where it'll happen...
Muha. I totally do.
Keep reviewing and I'll try and get a quicker update out, this British summer has driven me indoors (endless rain).
Again, I can confirm that Alan whumping will occur at some point during this fic, and I don't mean emotional whumping as that's pretty much constant!
Jeff was tired and urgently in need of coffee, yet he still pushed through the debriefing with his boys and made sure that Thunderbird two had a full diagnostic check carried out on the twin engines and that the equipment which they'd taken was recorded and logged for use.
Gordon would forever complain that such tasks could wait yet Jeff was a man of action and knew that if another call came in - say, that capsized oil rig which was still causing problems on the same Italian coast line - International Rescue would be called upon to act quickly. Engine problems were easier to deal with on dry land opposed to when they were flying across land or ocean.
Once the diagnostics were done, Scott, Gordon and Virgil made their way to Jeff's office and sat in various postures of exhaustion across the room. Scott was trying to look professional yet he eyed Jeff's coffee with longing as the smell of breakfast wafted up from the kitchen to their noses. The sooner the debriefing was over with the sooner they could eat and then catch some shut eye. John had logged off some time ago as Thunderbird two was heading back to the island, it was one of the few times in which they envied the few luxuries afforded by being up on Five.
"Alright boys, breakfast and then bed." Jeff smiled, pleased with the ease of the callout. "Good job, we may not have been needed as much as previously thought but our presence alone calms minds and shows a jointed relief effort."
Gordon murmured something as he passed on the way out, Scott nodded and thanked his brother's and father in his general way whilst Virgil just headed out nodding shortly as he passed.
That left Jeff, nursing his much needed coffee and about to follow down to where he knew a delicious and much needed breakfast would be waiting, instead he found himself gazing at the doorway where the only woman he knew to ever wear so much pink at one time stood.
"Penny! I didn't know you were here, you should have called." He rose from the chair behind the desk and in a few long strides reached the woman in pink and exchanged her all too familiar welcome of a kiss on each cheek. "Please, come in. Can we offer you breakfast? The boys have just headed done but if we're quick we may find that they've left us a few scraps."
Penny entered the office and headed to the panoramic window which looked out across the rainforest and over the vast ocean beyond. The sun was high in the sky and everything was bathed in light making the island look like paradise. Tall palm trees dotted the shore line, one beach a particular favorite of Alan's which brought her round to the reason as to why she'd arrived.
"No breakfast Jeff, but thank you for the offer. I would have called but you were on a rescue and I know how much you hate to be interrupted." She smiled, squeezing his hand shortly as he came to join her at the outlook. "Fermat and Tintin welcomed both myself and Parker to the island, and as you are now finished with your debriefing I can tell you the reason as to why I'm here."
"Oh. Business?" The revelation sent him back behind his desk where he once again sat, sipping the cup of coffee before he flicked through the computer screen which shone up through the desk itself, a glass touch screen his access to the system, state of the art as everything on Tracy Island was. "I've been watching the markets for a shift in trends but considering the world economy things have been holding reasonably well, the company is trading well and we've recently purchased a new building to expand into. Given the dip in public sector spending I'd say that we were doing pretty well."
He flicked through his emails, skimming through the details and accessing which needed to be replied to and which he could forward or ignore, finally his eyes lifted back up to the woman who now stood in front of the desk.
She wasn't entirely sure how to voice the words. "It's about Alan, I know I've spoken to you about this previously but things have changed. I felt best that you hear it from me."
Jeff frowned, unsure what could have possibly changed since they'd last heard from his youngest. The kid had run away from home, got blind drunk and driven cross half the states. What more could he do? He came to the same conclusion as Tintin had; if anything bad had happened then he would have been alerted directly rather than through Penny herself.
"What is it?" He sighed, lounging back in the chair with a sudden weight of exhaustion his youngest so often seemed to bring. "Do I need to send someone out again or is this, as Gordon would so finely put it, Alan doing 'an Alan'? I'm tired and haven't got nearly enough caffeine in my system to deal with idiocy."
She sat on the small couch, weighing her words. "I can get you some more coffee if you like? Alan is in good health, that's not a worry."
"What is it Penny? If it was injury I'd have heard by now so all I can assume is that he's done something foolish… again, hence your reluctance to tell me. And by the fact that you say you'd feel it was better if the news was broken by you I'll assume that it's most probably going to be something incredibly stupid."
"Jeff, dear," she paused again, waiting for whatever emotion she expected to come from the friend before her, "he's in one of the papers."
"What do you mean 'in one of the papers'? In what sense?" Alan seemed to be constantly in the news, at least those last few weeks. He was something of an interest to the news hungry media, a previously near invisible Tracy appearing from what seemed like nowhere. "Is it alcohol fueled?" Jeff found himself growling the words, grinding them out with anger as he felt himself trying to analyze the situation and what they could do to limit the damage. "After his twenty first I explicitly told him… Damn it! Are there photos? Please tell me there's not photos?"
"Jeff, honey, he approached the media himself. Alan sold a story to News International explaining his actions since he graduated from college, there are images but I promise you - what Alan has said are his own words and most definitely did not require alcohol to come out. I have the article here," she produced the newspaper from her Chanel pink clutch bag, unfolding it and holding it out, "but you need to read it with an open mind. Alan had been trying to say this to you for years, it's wrong of him to approach the media but you need to hear it for what it is. Ok? You can be mad later, for now just read Alan's own words and try to figure out what he's trying to say to you. Yes?"
She leant across the desk, newspaper still in her hand as she offered it for him to take. He eyed it suspiciously before taking it and immediately tutting as the image of his son stared out from the front cover. Penny's gaze turned to a low level glare which he leant away from, flicking through the paper to the article in question.
ALAN TRACY - UNMASKED
Jeff skimmed through the waffle from whoever had sat in the interview with Alan, it was mostly self-praise of getting the exclusive scoop and a few mentions of prior suggestions as to why Alan had been traveling. Still feeling Penny's glare boring into him Jeff read on without comment. Alan's words were definitely his own.
After graduating from college I headed back home, it was a great feeling to know that all my family would be there and that we'd be celebrating the achievement the graduation brought.
I don't want to bore you with too many details but I think it's important to explain what life is like as a Tracy, for my brother's and father at least - It plays into why I'm in the states.
Basically my family spends a lot of time at work, my brothers are all working for my father and he's running a multimillion pound organization - Tracy Enterprises - which takes up most of his time also. Unfortunately he didn't make it to see me graduate which I was upset about but I do understand the reasonability he holds to the company.
The thing is, his family extends to all of his employees and all those affected by the work of Tracy Enterprises, and the company is expanding and offering jobs in a time where they are much needed. The economy is shrinking and times are hard, so being in a position to not just offer roles in the company but to also supply training and education in the many schemes and programs set up by the company is very rewarding and much needed.
So with all of that going on it was a great feeling to be going home and to see everyone together in one place, you know? We live on an island so we really are free to relax when we have downtime, the sun seems to always be shining and the barbeque is a familiar addition. It's fantastic but I couldn't recall the last time we've actually done it… maybe Christmas? No, Scott was away and John was… Anyway, we don't get together as much as you'd think.
People keep questioning the reason why I've been traveling in the states and why I haven't been on Tracy Island soaking up the rays, I am aware of how incredibly lucky I am to be born into such a family but as with any family things don't always go the way you'd like them to. My dream scenario didn't quite go to plan.
When I left college and returned home my main reason of returning - apart from seeing family and friends who reside on the island - was to ask my dad for a job with the company. I've followed the footsteps of brothers who have all gone into it one way or another, they have their different skill sets and ambitions but all have been focused on working as a team to create a better America. Working alongside them would have been everything I'd ever wanted.
There's no point trying to hide the fact that I've never seen eye to eye with my dad, I had problems throughout school and it's taken a long time to get over the death of my mother, to an extent I don't think I ever will. I don't want to go skiing anytime soon anyway…
I've always argued with my dad and I've been in trouble with him more often than not, it's something we will forever be working on and I hope we will one day see eye to eye. At this present time he doesn't want me working for Tracy Enterprises or any of the companies involved with it, as we have a rough relationship I can understand that he wants to see a more mature son than the one that left to go to college a few years ago.
Impatiently I brought up the matter upon arriving back on the island and that was his response. It tells me a lot of things about myself and our relationship.
Because of work and various commitments I don't think we've been in a position to understand the change we've both undertaken to get ourselves to where we are today. I feel like I've learnt a great deal in my college years, not just academically but through the people who I've met and known and the situations in which I've found myself. I worked my way through college and made enough money to pay my course fees and accommodation. A difficult feat but one I am proud of.
Emotionally I have realized that I have a long way to go and a lot of growing to do.
When my dad told me that there wasn't a job waiting for me I didn't tell anyone where I was going or plan what I was going to do, I just up and left. It was childish and irresponsible but I felt the need of space and distance to work out what I could do with my life and the hole that had opened.
Eventually, after many miles and a fleeting visit to my grandma - no, that didn't go well either - I found myself in a motel drinking my way through far too much alcohol, babbling nonsense to one of my brothers down the phone and then passing out. It was stupid and reckless, not to mention one of the most irresponsible things I've ever done. It will not be repeated and is not to be recommended! The hangover was ridiclioous!
Anyway. Two of my brothers came to try and take me back home, they helped sober me up and put the pieces back together and I repaid them by once more running away. I didn't want to return to face what I could only see as disappointment, so I continued to travel until I eventually made my way to New York.
I've only been here a short time but I love it, the busy streets and life that never stops is incredible, I can't get enough and cannot regret the decision. Though admittedly I am at the end of my savings and am looking for work which, when you're someone people recognize on the street, is somewhat impossible to find.
I went through both school and college being the everyday Joe Bloggs, protected from the media and never having to answer awkward questions about what I'm doing or the mistakes I've made. It's difficult to get used to the sudden media attention and stories, people have been judging my actions without knowing the reasons or the person behind them.
I now face the difficult choice of returning home, applying for every job under the sun, or to continue running in the hope that I'll find something somewhere which will help me to get over lost hopes.
I want to grow as a person, be someone worth being proud of and help the world around me in the process. Part of me wants to be crazy, to climb mountains and jump from planes, feel alive and know what it's live to see your life flash before your eyes. I want to live every day like it's my last and wake up excited for what's to come.
What's landed me in America is not as exciting a story as the one I feel sure people wanted to hear, but it's the truth in my own words. I'm not here to talk about my family but I wanted to explain the photos and short articles which I keep seeing on every newsstand I pass. I'm not a celebrity, nor do I feel fame should fall upon me in any way. I am the son of Jeff Tracy, brother to four incredibly talented guys.
I am Alan Tracy.
Jeff read through the article again, anger still bubbling over the simple fact that Alan had gone to the media in the first place. The kid was ridiculous; he craved attention more than anyone he'd ever known and in approaching a national newspaper had gone against everything Jeff stood for.
You didn't ever approach the media, and if they approached you then you held your head high, smiled no matter what and voiced as little as possible. And that was if you had to speak at all. By no means did you run off and sell your story to them.
The kid hadn't just sold his own story though, he'd written Jeff into it and disclosed a matter he considered a private affair between him and his son. Immediately he considered ringing his lawyer to get the article retracted as soon as possible, but by the time the cogs had been set in motion it would have been too late. It would be all over the internet, shared by thousands and driven by word of mouth. The damage had already been done.
"When did this go out?" He snapped at Penny, not bothering to take heed of the sharp look she sent his way.
"It's in today's paper. What do you think?" She stood up again, having been sat the few minutes it took Jeff to read and reread she was unsure as to what he was thinking. "I thought that he worded it very well…"
"Worded it well? He went to the press Penny! About a private matter!"
"I know Jeff, but if you read what he's actually saying…"
"No, I've had enough of him." Jeff stood and stormed towards the door, depositing the newspaper into the waste paper bin as he went. "He can clean up his own messes, and believe me this will come back to haunt him, but it will not be from me."
She quickly headed after him, pausing in the doorway as she watched the hunched figure striding down the hall. "It's not about the fact that he did it Jeff, it's about what he said…"
Penny trailed off as he rounded the corner and vanished.
Alan paced the hotel room floor; he'd been doing so for some time as his mind worried over when he would get that call or anger from his father. It had been days now, more than anything he was terrified that the man would turn up on the doorstep of the building demanding to see his son.
And what if he did? Alan was increasingly aware that at some point they'd need to talk and things needed to be settled, he'd found answers in his crisis mode but things were settling down. The article had contained much of the hurt and pain he'd been feeling whilst trying not to paint his father in a bad light, he'd left it there for others to read and make of it what they will.
The problem was that he hadn't thought beyond the article being published, he'd been so utterly convinced that his father would want to talk and try to resolve their problems but no, still nothing. No ringing phones, no warnings from his brothers, no messages or emails. The airways were dead.
Days had past, long days which contained little more than three square meals and the job section of the paper. When the lifeline was eventually thrown Alan found himself gripping tight and being pulled back under the wave of media attention. It was undoubtedly selfish, he knew he wanted some kind of attention – right then it could have been anything, maybe that one call would have stopped him. But as time dragged out and the summer days stretched towards the fall he'd decided just to go along with the tide that dragged him further out.
It was a scorching Tuesday afternoon when he finally made his way back to the News International offices, ridiculously late for an appointment he should have been at an hour prior. He was in no rush though and the cab driver seemed to know it, taking the long way through town and drifting through endless traffic to his destination.
As the young blonde finally exited the vehicle his phone rang out Born To Runby Springsteen, not the ringtone he'd been expecting to eventually hear but one that brought a wide smile to his face. Fighting the urge to sing along he ducked into the entrance of the building and accepted the call.
We gotta get out while we're young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
"Hey Tin, how are things? When are you visiting me?"
He'd asked time and time again yet the answer was forever the same.
"Hey yourself, I'll visit when I get a chance to. Right now things are pretty crazy, you know what it's like."
And he did, he could envisage the island practically buzzing with activity with all of his brother's around. He'd have liked to have been a part of that but for then he'd just take what he could get.
"Aren't you due time off?"
"Yeah, Gordon's off to London next week though so I'm standing in for him."
He frowned, unsure whether Gordon had taken up cooking or whether Tintin had somewhere along the line become a Thunderbird.
"What do you mean standing in for him? His bad jokes and daily drowning's don't need replacing, trust me."
"Ha de ha. I meant in a work way, on the island… computers, you know? Like when you're brothers are 'away' and your father and Brains have to... organize…. Tell me you know what I'm on about?"
Command and control, it had to be. He couldn't think what else it would have been but then again they'd never been allowed in the room during a rescue let alone to help out.
"Yeah… I know what you mean." His voice betrayed his confusion.
"It's only whilst Gordon's away, nothing permanent. I'd prefer to be visiting you." Her words were quick and hopeful as she tried to get him off his current train of wondering thought. "What are you up to anyway? Found a job?"
"You could say that." He smiled, the doubt he'd felt earlier ebbing away as he was reminded that the time of his appointment and been and gone over an hour ago. "I'm actually just heading in to discuss it, you just caught me… News International have made a very attractive offer."
"News International?" Her voice raised an octave."What are you doing? You know how your entire family feels about this Allie, you know how I feel. I've said it enough!"
"Woah," He rolled his eyes, unsurprised by her response. She was the first to call after the article had been published, desperate to stop whatever path of self-destruction she felt he was on. "You said I should have said all those things to my dad, but I tried and he wouldn't listen so I got it in print. And guess what? No response from him, nothing at all. If it really mattered all that much then wouldn't I have heard from him by now?"
"That's not true Al…"
He cut her off. "Yeah, it is true. I've given up with him anyway, I signed an exclusivity deal which got some of the other papers off my back, people know what happened and can make up their own damn minds about me. If anything I was standing up for myself and guess what? It worked."
It was true, since the article had hit the newsstands all he'd heard was positivity. People had warmed to him, they liked him and the number of nasty comments flung at him in the street had almost stopped completely. He wasn't the wild Tracy anymore, he was Alan Tracy, standing up for himself and making his own way in life.
"They might be on your side now but you know how quickly they can turn, they always do. As soon as you become uninteresting they'll want to spice the story up…" She sighed loudly down the line, "Is it another interview you're going in for?"
"Nope!" He couldn't help but grin, the more he thought about it the more his excitement grew. The offer had surprised him yet he hadn't even thought of refusing it, it was an easy acceptance, even if nothing was yet confirmed he was willing to push whatever it took to get things in motion. "I've really got to get going Tin, I'm really late as it is."
He moved into the building, bee-lining for the reception with the familiar receptionist who'd been staring longingly over at him for some long minutes.
"Hold up!" Tintin sounded irritated now, confusion lacing her words he could almost feel the glare all the way from Tracy Island. "If it's not an interview, what is it?"
Life was short, but it didn't have to be dull. And as Gordon often spouted, weren't the rules made to be broken?
"TV show, anyway can't talk right now. Catchya' later, bye!"
Perhaps that one call from Jeff would have stopped him.