Head in the Clouds

Chapter 14

"Do you have any idea what they put me through?" A very flustered John met Scott and Alan in the halfway outside their brothers' room. "I was tag-teamed! From their hospital beds!"

Scott couldn't help but grin, "You don't mean Virgil and Gordon?"

"Oh I most certainly do!" the blond young man was animated. "And it's all your fault!"

"Me?" the older pilot frowned. "What'd I do?"

John looked pointedly at Alan and Scott grimaced. Ah, okay. Now he got it.

"So to shut them up, I had to promise I'd talk to you about not sending the Sprout home so now I'm talking to you." Scott held up his hand to stop John but the younger man was too wound up and continued to talk over him. "Bottom line, Alan needs to be here with us. Yeah, yeah, I know Brains and Kyrano love the kid too but they aren't us and, if for no other reason, we need him. Who else is going to keep Gordon occupied without going insane? Who else isn't going to mind being Virg's running boy once the kid is feeling well enough to be demanding? And he's going to want new drawing stuff, you know… And who else-"

"John."

"-is Dad going to want to see once he wakes up and finds out Virgil and Gordon are still here?"

"Johnny-"

"I don't care if you think you're all that and a bag of chips right now, but I think Alan should stay and I swear to God-"

Trying to keep from laughing as John wound himself up so tight he'd be taking off at any moment, Scott cocked an eyebrow and let his brother finish.

"-if you try to send him home, I'll – I'll handcuff myself to him!" John's face was red and he was breathing hard.

"Are you finished yet?" Scott asked mildly. Beside him, Alan had a hand over his mouth trying not to giggle.

John took serious consideration of the question and then nodded. "Yeah," he decided. "I think so."

"Okay, well since you've made such a compelling argument, fine, Al can stay."

John blinked, stunned. "What?"

"You heard me." Now Scott was grinning even as he shoved Alan behind him to keep the kid from giving the game away. "Alan can stay."

"Really?" John blinked again and then scowled. "What gives? You never just give in to anyone… and that wasn't even one of my more compelling arguments."

"John, you're my brother and I love you but there are just some things I need to keep to myself." Scott managed to keep his face dead serious and then clapped John on the shoulder and added, as he walked past the younger man and headed into the room, "Just deal with it." And Alan, grinning from ear to ear, followed, leaving poor John open mouthed and stunned in the hallway.

Watching the door shut, the blond decided he needed coffee and an aspirin. Right now.

----

Alan was on cloud nine. Scott was letting him stay and both his brothers and his father were getting better. The kid couldn't ask for anything else. Although now that he was sitting quietly between Gordon and Virgil's beds watching over them while they slept and Scott was outside talking to their doctor, he just wished he wasn't so tired… Exhausted actually and now that he was thinking about it, he really hurt.

Trying hard to keep his eyes open Alan slumped over uncomfortably, one arm propped on the side of Gordon's bed to keep his head up. He wanted to go back to the hotel to sleep but didn't want to leave, terrified that something might happen if he did.

"Hey," John called quietly from behind him and his older blond brother came into the room with a large coffee in one hand and a steaming cup of something else in the other. Alan's nose crinkled, it smell like… "Got'cha a hot chocolate." It was.

Beaming Alan stood up and met his brother halfway across the room, gratefully taking the drink and slowly sipping on it. It tasted awesome.

"Careful," his brother cautioned, "hot."

Alan rolled his eyes. Well, duh, kinda why they called it 'hot' chocolate, he snickered and then shook his head when John gave him an odd look.

"So, I was thinking," John leaned against Gordon's bed and watched Alan as the little boy sat back down. "Maybe, me and you could go on a supply run."

A supply run? Alan continued to sip on the drink.

"Well you need clothes, Virgil's going to want some artsy stuff for sure and Gordon's going to need something to keep himself busy too. Neither of them are going to do well just laying there, healing and as much as I'd just rather prefer them do that, they'll just drive us crazy. So I was thinking we should pick up some stuff."

Alan balanced the cup on his knee, one hand carefully wrapped around it so it didn't fall. "Well," he pursed his lips and thought about it, "Gordon's favorite video game was on the plane…" he frowned as he chewed on his lip, "but his second favorite is at home."

"And so are some of Virgil's charcoals and drawing pads," John added with a nod, suspiciously agreeable.

The nine-year-old glared at his older brother; it was pretty common knowledge that Alan hated shopping but he didn't like where this conversation was going either. "Scott said I could stay," he stated petulantly, positive that this was a trick to get him home and leave him there.

"Yes, he did." Another nod and then John leaned in conspiratorially, "and I'm promising my best promise ever that if you'll go with me for company, I won't leave you behind. We'll go home, get a good night's sleep, grab stuff for Dad and the guys and be back by tomorrow."

Alan eyed him critically. "Which best promise ever? Your best big brother promise or your best blonds stick together promise?" It was very important to him that he knew exactly which one 'cause one represented duty, which could mean sneaking off and leaving Alan behind if that is what John felt was his 'duty', and the other represented a friendship by connection, and friends don't leave friends behind.

John rolled his eyes. "The blonds promise. Geez, kiddo, you don't make it easy on a guy do you."

"Well not when you guys can be so tricky," Alan grumbled. It was hard being the youngest sometimes; even Gordon was years ahead of him when it came to pulling things off. Heck, Alan was still trying to get the whole virgin thing straightened out. He never did get a chance yet to ask Virgil why he lied to him about what a virgin was.

"Fair enough. All right then, I promise you my best blonds stick together promise that if you fly home with me to get some stuff, I won't leave you behind."

Alan still wasn't sure about this but taking one look at the dark circles under his brother's eyes and how pale John was looking, he decided he didn't want John flying home by himself either. So although his stomach turned in knots at the thought and his hot chocolate suddenly lost its appeal, the little boy nodded. "Okay, Johnny, I'll go with you."

------

"Go with you where?" Scott asked coming into the room in time to catch the tail end of the conversation.

"We're going home," John said turning around to pat Gordon gently on his shoulder when the red-head mumbled something and shifted on the bed. He waited to make sure his brother was settling back down before continuing. "Me and Alan. I've already rented a plane and logged a flight path."

Scott ruffled Alan's hair as he scooted between the younger boy and Virgil's bed, insanely pleased when his brother didn't jerk away. He glanced quickly between the two sleeping Tracys and when he was satisfied that neither of his brothers was in any distress - hospital drugs were a wonderful thing - he frowned, sure he was missing something, "But I said Alan could stay," he glanced at the kid, "you want to go now?" After all the harping everyone had done on him about Alan staying, he was going to leave? Were his brothers purposely trying to drive him nuts?

"No," Alan quickly shook his head, "we're going to get stuff and bring it back."

"Ah," comprehension lessoned the sudden tension tightening Scott's broad shoulders, "Okay, yeah, that makes sense." He looked a bit more closely at Alan, "Are you all right with this? Going with John?" The kid looked absolutely exhausted although he had to admit John didn't look any better. "Actually," he didn't give Alan time to answer, "that would be a good idea. If you guys leave now you can get a decent bit of sleep in your own beds and be back tomorrow. By then Dad might even be awake… and once you guys get back, I might even take off to get a couple of hours sleep." He laughed at the sheer shock he saw on his siblings' faces. "Don't look so surprised. Even I can't go on for ever."

"Could have fooled me," John muttered under his breath, then offered Scott an innocent look when Scott glared at him. "C'mon, Al," he started to usher his younger brother out of the chair, "say good-bye to the boys and then we'll take off."

"I'll call Brains and let him know you're coming." Scott stood back and watched as Alan fussed with the blankets, first on Virgil, then on Gordon and told them each that they'd better be there when he got back before leaning over and giving each brother a little kiss on the cheek, promising to be back with some good stuff. He felt something catch in his throat at the display. John was so right, they needed Alan here. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I'm sure Kyrano will make a feast."

"Yeah well I'm more tired than hungry but that'll change I'm sure, once I get in the kitchen." John said his own goodbyes then offered Scott a pointed look. "If anything changes, you call. And I mean anything."

"All right, all right," Scott chuckled as he followed his brothers into the hallway. He crouched down and gave Alan a hug, "See you tomorrow, Sprout."

Alan was sniffling when he pulled away but didn't say anything, just nodded and stood beside John as Scott gave John's shoulder a little shake. "And remember, flying works better with your eyes open, Blondie."

"Ha, ha, always the comedian," John snarked, and then grinned. "That only happened, once, I'll have you know." He deftly avoided a smack as he put an arm around Alan's shoulder and started to lead the youngest Tracy away from the room. "C'mon, kiddo," he said. "Time to go."

"Take the stairs at the end of the corridor," Scott called after them, "Security's kept it clear of the media."

John lifted his hand in acknowledgment and then they were gone, leaving Scott standing by himself in the middle of the hallway.

A tingle of worry made him shiver. He hoped Alan would be okay flying…

tbc