Has just come to the sad realisation that there is only one more chapter left after this! :( It has gone so quick, need to get writing again! Why does everything always come to an end together, it is most unfair!
As usual, a huge thank you to all of you who have reviewed, I'm sorry for leaving you on such a cruel place (not!)
Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2011 brings you all your dreams!
Charging into the room, the boy was glad that the mystery figure had his back to the door and so didn't see him coming. The element of surprise was on Virgil's side, something he was extremely grateful for as he sent himself crashing into the man. Whether he was too surprised to react properly or not, the man fell over sideways, pulling Virgil down with him. Hitting the ground hard, Virgil lay gasping for a second, unaccustomed to the rush of adrenaline pumping through him, but before he could regain his senses, two things happened. The first was one of the most welcome sounds Virgil thought he had ever heard as Scott sucked in a gasping breath, allowing the oxygen to flood back to his lungs for the second time in just over a day.
The second, however, wasn't as welcoming as the man regained his balance and sense long before Virgil could. Before the artist could comprehend anything, the man had moved. He had seized a fistful of Virgil's hair, yanking his head back and pulling the boy into a kneeling position with a gasp.
"Another Tracy brat, I presume?" the man snarled as he twisted his hand viciously and caused Virgil to cry out in pain. Not being able to see anything but the ceiling, Virgil didn't notice Scott suddenly move until his brother was standing in front of him, albeit looking rather pale and weaving slightly on the spot.
"Let. Him. Go." Scott snarled, sounding more ferocious than the strange man holding Virgil ever could manage. Whilst Virgil couldn't help but feel a rush of pride towards his big brother, it was reduced somewhat by the slightly maniacal laugh coming from the man behind him as the hand tightened its grip.
"I don't think we've ever had the pleasure of being introduced," he began conversationally, standing up and pulling Virgil up with him, his other hand gripping the boy's upper arm in a vice like grip. Eyes watering, Virgil sought out Scott, his face pleading with his big brother to do something to stop the man hurting him. Scott offered him a small smile, one shadowed by whatever it was he had been through since the brothers had last been together, before flicking his gaze back to the man.
"I won't ask again, Blag."
"Why, Scotty, you're sounding all protective. Have you forgotten the Doctor already? Have you forgotten precisely what I can do to your brother?" And so saying, Blag's hand moved from Virgil's upper arm, instead twisting the limb behind his back and causing Virgil to once more cry out.
"Please, stop it!" Scott cried, his eyes frightened as he glanced between Blag and Virgil, clearly wondering what he could do to help without causing his brother any more pain.
"Now that's the Scotty I know," Blag commented with a wink, pulling Virgil closer to him and bending down to speak quietly in his ear, his eyes never leaving Scott's frantic gaze.
"Did you know that your brother screams at the sight of needles? Did you know that I can make him beg as easily as I can break your arm, right this minute if I so choose? I bet you didn't know, either, that I promised Scott here that I wasn't going to let him go…" And so saying, Blag suddenly pushed Virgil away from himself, hard, sending the boy flying towards his brother. Automatically, Scott caught Virgil, wincing as the movement jarred his fractured wrist, but pulling his brother close to him all the same. Pushing Virgil behind his back, Scott didn't try to hide the fact he was shaking uncontrollably, didn't try to deny that the terror of having Blag in the hospital was making him almost pass out again.
Virgil, however, was almost a smelling salt to Scott's hazy brain. He knew full well what Blag was capable of, and whilst he hadn't been around to be able to protect John, there was no way he was going to let the madman hurt another of his brothers.
"Do what you like to me, Blag, hell, you've done enough. But you leave him out of this."
"Oh, I don't think so." With a flourish, Blag reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the gun Scott knew he had used to shoot the Doctor. Involuntarily taking a step backwards, Scott shepherded his brother as far away from Blag as he could possibly manage, using himself as a shield for the younger boy. His gaze flickered momentarily towards the unconscious Matt, but it took no more than a quick glance to know the officer couldn't help them.
"I told you I wasn't letting you go, Scott," Blag said threateningly, his voice dark and cold. Turning his head away, Scott squeezed his eyes shut, thankful he had at least been able to see his father and one of his brothers before Blag finished him off. The expected sound, however, never came, as the door violently burst open behind Blag. Standing framed in the doorway, the sight of a fuming Jeff Tracy had never been more welcoming to his sons than it was now.
Raising the gun again, Blag instead aimed it at the man who had caused him so much trouble, but Jeff was not to be cowed by a mere gun when the man who had put his whole family through absolute hell was once more standing in front of him and threatening his sons. Striding forward, Jeff's fist connected long before Blag's trigger finger, sending the man crashing to the floor. The gun spun out his hand, and before either man could try to go after it, Scott picked it up with a shaking hand, aiming it towards Blag.
"Scotty," Jeff called quietly, suddenly concerned about what his son was about to do. He still didn't know what Blag had put the teenager through, but could tell by Scott's quick and shallow breathing the boy was beyond terrified. As soon as Jeff's attention was distracted by Scott, however, Blag swept his legs under Jeff's, causing him to crash down onto the floor as well.
"Dad!" Virgil yelled, trying to come out from behind Scott and go to his father's aid, but his big brother pushed him back again, the gun still aimed at Blag.
"Go on Scott," Blag whispered, locking eyes with the youth. "You know you want to. Pull the trigger, seek revenge for the hurt caused for your family."
"Scott, put it down, son. I won't let him hurt anyone again…" As both men tried to cajole Scott into taking one route or the other, the door once more burst open. With one arm still bound across his chest, John made quite an impressive silhouette in the doorway, even if Gordon was pressed close behind him. The expression on the blond's face, however, even made Virgil take a step back. The two boys moved slowly into the room, Gordon clutching onto the back of John's pyjama top, until they came to a stop next to Scott. Gently reaching out, John took the gun from his brother and tossed it across the room, making sure it would end up in a safe place. As Jeff scrambled to his feet and joined his sons, the five Tracys stood side by side, glaring down at the man who had nearly torn their family apart.
Before Blag could say anything, security finally arrived, pouring into the room en mass. Within seconds, Blag had been pulled to his feet, handcuffed and marched from the room, almost without a glance towards the Tracys. The doctor arrived next, bending over Matt's crumpled figure before barking out instructions and causing a trolley to be wheeled in. Even as Matt was carried out, still no one seemed to spare the Tracys a glance. Silence fell in the room as they all stood stock-still, thoughts racing through their heads regarding what had just happened. For a moment, no one moved, but suddenly, Scott sank to his knees, his shoulders shaking.
Within seconds, John dropped to his brother's side, draping his good arm around his brother and pressing himself close.
"Scott….Scott…"
"It's okay, Johnny, I'm okay." And just like that, Scott suddenly went from kneeling to sitting, looking about him as if coming out of a dream, as if the teenager had suddenly realised that the whole ordeal was indeed over. Virgil dropped down beside his brothers, crawling over to Scott's side. Automatically, the elder brother draped his arm over the younger, hugging Virgil close. Gordon was not to be left out though, and the young redhead somehow managed to navigate himself through the three of them, crawling onto Scott's lap and wrapping his arms around his brother's neck.
"We thought we'd lost you," Virgil eventually whispered, unshed tears restricting his voice.
"And I thought I'd lost you. When Turner told me about John…I thought…"
"Shh, shh, shh," Jeff calmly soothed, enveloping all four of them into an embrace. "It's over, boys. It's over and we're all back together."
"Scotty!" Hearing the delighted yell, all four looked up, only to see their grandmother in the doorway, a squirming toddler in her arms. As Jeff gently nodded to his mother, she placed Alan on the floor, allowing the little boy to run across the room and throw himself in delight at his brother.
"Hey, Sprout," Scott murmured softly, suddenly feeling very tired. "Did you behave?"
"No," Alan muttered guiltily, glancing up at his father with big eyes. "I didn't let Gran'ma put me to bed."
Expecting a rebuke from the boy who normally looked after him so closely, Alan was most surprised when Scott suddenly started laughing, cuddling Alan even closer.
"Oh, I've missed you, Sprout."
"Come on, Scott, you need to be back in bed, son." And so saying, Jeff gently pulled Scott to his feet before giving him a small nudge towards the bed. Yawning, Scott complied for once, sinking back onto the pillows with a sigh.
"Hey, Virg, Scott's pulled out his IV line as well," John commented, shooting his younger brother a grin as Scott glanced between the two of them. As Virgil's eyes lit up in delight, Jeff adamantly shook his head.
"Leave it, Virgil!"
"But I-"
"Leave it. John, Gordon, what are you two doing down here? Shouldn't you be in bed, Johnny?"
"I've spent the whole day in bed. I'm bored," John whined, shooting his father a pathetic look as he perched on the edge of Scott's bed, trying to hide his yawn. He didn't know why he was quite so tired, but he didn't want anyone to know, especially his father, as no doubt Jeff would also find a way of making him admit that his arm was giving him more trouble than he wanted any one to know.
"And besides, Grandma came in saying something about a frantic Virgil and Scott, and I couldn't just leave it. Gordon…well, Gords kind of…followed me."
"Gordon?" Jeff asked, a slight warning in his tone as the seven year old looked up at him, eyes wide and big - the innocent expression that normally meant Gordon knew he had done something wrong.
"Didn't want Johnny to leave me," Gordon pouted, causing the said brother to sigh and hug him close. Remembering Gordon's nightmare from only a few days ago, Jeff smiled fondly down at him, not having the heart to take it any further, not after everything.
"Mr Tracy?" Seeing a woman in the doorway he didn't recognise, Jeff instinctively took a protective step towards the bed, noting Scott was dozing off already, Alan still in his arms.
"You are -?"
"I was one of your lawyers working on the deal, don't you recall, Sir?" Jeff didn't, his mind had blocked out as many memories of the day when his world had fallen apart as he could, but he nodded anyway, trying to hide his smile as John carefully curled up on the edge of the bed, protecting his shoulder.
"So…?" Jeff asked bluntly, cringing a little when he felt the piercing stare his mother sent him at his tone. She still had the power to make him feel as young as Gordon.
"The evidence against Blag is overwhelming, the recording's providing everything we need. The trial will only be a formality. You probably haven't considered this, nor want to know about it now, but sir, you just obtained all of Blag's businesses. Mr Tracy, you are as good as a billionaire."
"Oh, Jeff…."
"What do you propose to do with it, Mr Tracy? I can make any arrangements you deem necessary."
"I'm going to save the world," Jeff replied simply, sitting down on the edge of Scott's bed and pulling Gordon onto his lap. The lawyer seemed to know that she was no longer wanted, nor required, and excused herself as Jeff draped his free arm around Virgil. Looking down on his three sleeping sons and the two he was holding close, Jeff smiled contently. The picture was once again complete.