Disclaimer: Same as always, don't own the Tracys or the TBs just Samantha and any original characters and I'm not making any money from them. This story is for the sole purpose of entertaining myself and those who are interested in a twin story.

A/N: Some language in this chapter may be unsuitable for younger readers.

Chapter 37

"WHY IS SAMANTHA BEING CALLED A MURDER AND WHAT IS HER PART IN MARK WELLINGTON'S DEATH?" John had just politely made his way past the reporters and paparazzi who had been watching the exits closest to the SUVs that the Tracys had rented or owned when the question was shouted out above the rest. All at once, the calmest of the Tracy siblings felt a tightening in his chest and a sudden heat flood his face.

"What are you implying?" His voice was tight with a barely controlled anger that wouldn't take too much more to ignite into a full eruption that none outside of the Tracy family and close friends ever witnessed.

"SHE WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT THAT RESULTED IN HIS DEATH SO WHAT IS HER PART IN ALL OF IT? HIS FAMILY IS STATING THAT SHE STOOD BY AND LET HIM DIE! The person shouting out the questions and comments remained where John couldn't see him though he looked around at the group partially surrounding him.

"Not that it's any of your business, my sister did not stand by and let someone die," he snapped. "Even the news reports on television have shown that she was escorted out to our SUV in a wheelchair after being treated for her injuries. She couldn't even SEE OUR BROTHERS TO ASSESS THEIR INJURIES MUCH LESS SOMEONE SHE COULDN'T EVEN REACH!" Some of the reporters backed away as his voice gained in volume and they noticed his anger. The only one who didn't back up was the one who'd started the offensive questioning. He smiled at John instead and jotted something down on his notepad. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT?"

"It seems not only does Samantha Tracy have a temper and questionable morals, you seem to have more in common with your sister than most of us thought," he answered just loud enough for John to hear. After all his family had been through in the last few days, the taunt was all it took for John's anger to burst forth. An angry John was always a frightening sight to see but with the added strength that his training for International Rescue had developed, he was truly an imposing figure who steadily advanced on the reporter in what could only be described as a menacing fashion. His fists clenched in what the reporter thought of as a threat but in reality was more of a clue as to what was about to happen…

The Tracys and Mr. Mitchell kept up a slow but steady pace easily managed by both Scott and Virgil until they got to the waiting room of the emergency room. Gordon and Alan had taken the lead of the group and were the first to notice a group of people in a semi-circle position with two men in the center. One of whom would have been hard for Alan and Gordon to miss…the blonde hair was just a shade or two lighter than Alan's.

"Um, are you thinking what I am?" Gordon glanced over at his youngest brother and both of them raced through the waiting room and towards the door.

"What the hell has gotten into them?" Virgil stared after his younger brothers in total confusion for a moment before he saw two men posturing for a fight out in the parking lot and realized that he knew just as Alan and Gordon had that John was one of the two men. "Damnit, that's John, Dad!" Instinctively, he ducked to avoid the cuffing he knew would be coming from his grandmother. He was a bit too late and he ended up lightly rubbing the area she managed to hit. "Sorry, Grandma." His apology was sincere but also one of reflex borne from years of trying to get one over on her.

"What the he…heck is he doing?" Jeff quickly caught himself before he, too, suffered a cuffing from his diminutive mother. "We might need your services again before we can even leave the parking lot, Randy." All of them moved a bit quicker without a word but each of the Tracys knew that nothing good was going to come from John losing his temper especially in such a public area with people milling around. Equally bad was some of those people were reporters who had cameras pointed in the direction of John and the other man.

"No problem, Jeff. It's moments like this that enable me to afford all-inclusive vacations," he deadpanned. Only an attorney would have the ability to try and joke at a moment like this. Alan and Gordon had grabbed their older brother in a desperate attempt to keep him from pulverizing the man in front of them. They had noticed all of the tell-tale signs of just how angry John was and struggled to hold him.

"C'mon, big brother, is he really worth going to jail for?" Alan watched Gordon fall on his ass when John violently shook him off and barely ducked the right-hook that came flying towards his face.

"Sonofabitch!" Gordon growled, jumping back into the fray just in time to dodge a blow to his arm. "JOHNNY, GRANDMA IS SO GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS IF YOU DON'T KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF RIGHT NOW!"

"THE BASTARD…" Alan and Gordon kept grabbing him every time he tried to go after the reporter. "INSULTED MY… TWIN! NOW LET...GO OF ME…BEFORE I KICK…" Whatever he had intended on kicking was cut short by the appearance of an elderly woman with steely blue eyes.

"JOHN GLENN TRACY!" Her words weren't loud but carried an inner strength that he held in high regard. The voice belonged to someone who had nurtured and cared for him for as long as he could remember. First it was only summer vacations but then it was a permanent basis after Lucy had died that she was thrust into the role of surrogate mother. No Tracy sibling was immune from reacting just as he did, the fight went out of him instantly and he sagged against his brothers. His hairline was damp with sweat and his face remained flushed from his struggles against his youngest brothers. Alan and Gordon led him to the SUV behind their grandmother. Jeff watched his second born meekly get into the backseat of the vehicle next to the family matriarch while the reporters jotted down notes so that they had their stories straight. The less respected magazines and newspapers would be sure to blow everything out of proportion.

"Thank God Grandma was here," Virgil said. "I don't think that this would have turned out too well had she not been here."

"N-no v-va-vacation for y-you," Scott added with a glance in Randy's direction. After a moment's hesitation, the four of them burst out laughing just as they reached the second SUV. Randy waited until the three men had shut the doors before walking towards his own car. The SUV with Alan, Gordon, John, and Mrs. Tracy was still parked and he could see John holding his head.

"Alex, I can't reach my name tag with the security code on it to swipe through the reader, can you?" Samantha was carrying Mikey while holding onto Johnny's hand. Lucy had grasped Johnny's hand so that Alex had a free hand to unhook the card from Sam's purse. Benny pressed his face closer to his father's neck to better block the sun from his eyes though he wasn't awake.

"Hurry up, Daddy," Johnny whined. "I tired and hafta potty." Brendan had seen the family at the door and at first watched them struggle for a moment before acting like a concerned and loyal employee. He jogged towards the locked doors and pushed one open for them.

"Samantha, Alex," he said in way of greeting. Once his boss was in the door with her brood, he closed and locked the door behind them again.

"Thank you, Brendan." She smiled back at him while Johnny tugged her towards the elevators.

"I HAFTA POTTY NOW!" His voice echoed around the lobby much to his parent's annoyance.

"We know and we're going to get you upstairs in just a few moments," Alex said. "Stop shouting before you wake your brothers." The elevator doors closed and cut off any thing that Johnny had planned on saying.

"Just a little longer and all will fall into place."

"Officer Colenso, would you care for anything to drink?" Catie had finally made her way to the sitting room while balancing Nick on her hip.

"I thought you had forgotten I was in here," he replied, tersely. Glaring angrily at him, Catie decided she had had enough.

"If you don't understand anything more than what I'm about to tell you it would serve you well to remember this, you had best watch the way you talk to my family. We have nothing to hide and are more than willing to cooperate but if you continue to behave such as you have all cooperation will cease and you can speak with our attorneys." The pride and love for her family had given her the confidence to stare directly at the man before her. Slightly unsure of her fiery temper and that of Jeff Tracy's connections, he backed down a bit to what he thought was less of a threatening manner.

"I apologize for being rude, Mrs. Tracy," he choked out. Every bit of him wanted to lash out at her just because she had married into the Tracy family. A family whose very existence caused him to realize that his own family was less-than-perfect in all ways conceivable. His brothers and sister were only half-siblings because of their mother's bitterness towards all men. After Jeff had broken off the relationship, his mother had started a series of one-night stands that resulted in the births of Eric, Mark, Rachel, and finally him. Several miscarriages followed his birth before Colleen had finally had opted for sterilization. In short, his life had not been easy nor had his mother ever been the nurturing type. Colleen's world revolved around her next conquest and alcohol. He'd lost count of the number of times child protective services had been called until Colleen's brother stepped in and provided Mark, Rachel, and himself with a stable environment. Eric had already been written off as a lost cause and his lifestyle mirrored that of their mother's. Holidays were always a wonderful time of year, drunken accusations of betrayal, abuse, and the traditional brawl that occurred between the brothers while Colleen and Rachel encouraged the fight and ended up in a cat-fight of their own. Yeah, his life was just like a dream, screw that it, it was more like nightmare. Even with all the pain of his upbringing, he had never been able to deny his mother anything. When he'd been told that Mark had died and Adam strongly suspected that his untimely demise was his own fault and that it had been brought on by his obsession with Samantha Tracy, his mother had called him and demanded that he get involved with the investigation so that the family could get retribution and revenge for their loss. Despite the risk of losing his job, he relented and had gotten involved.

"So, would you like something to drink?" she repeated. The toddler in her arms stared at him wearily before hiding his face in her hair. It was evident to him that this child was well loved and very much wanted. He was clearly secure and happy perched on his mother's hip with a tight grip on her hair.

"Coffee, please," he answered. "Why couldn't my childhood have been as secure as his? Why are some forced to suffer while others have it made?" He watched Catie leave the sitting room but was surprised when she closed the door again. It was as if she were trying to see the rest of the family. "How the hell am I supposed to get a count of how many people are here if I'm shut in this damn room? The old man, Catie, her son, Jeff, the two blond guys, Scott, Virgil, the red-head, the pregnant woman…that makes ten. I know that Samantha, Alex, and their children are in San Diego and won't be back until…" His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Kyrano walking in with a tray of coffee and sugar and cream. Even if he distrusted the police officer, Kyrano could not ignore his duties.

"Thank you." Officer Colenso had finally chosen to sit down and reached for the mug of coffee and doctored up to his liking. Catie glanced at the clock and barely held back the sigh of relief when she realized that thirty minutes had passed since Nicole had spoken to Virgil and their father-in-law. Nick was still perched comfortably on her hip but had once again hidden his face when he saw the strange man looking at him and his mother. "I'm sorry if we got started off badly with this investigation." Startled, Catie looked at him in disbelief.

"Started off badly?" she repeated. "You came into my husband's family home and made all of those "alleged" comments about my sister-in-law and best friend. My family has been through hell and most of it has been at the hands of a raving lunatic and all you can say is that you're sorry?" Nick whimpered at his mother's outburst even if it was in a normal tone, he picked up on the anger radiating from her.

"Mommy, no." His plaintive whimper was the balm to calm her before she really let her fiery temper take over. Samantha had always been called the hot-headed one but in reality Catie was every bit as hot-headed. Both women were lucky to have married men who were more laidback though no less hot-headed when provoked.

"I'm giving you five minutes more of my time before I have you escorted out of this house," she snapped. "Starting right now, I suggest you use that time wisely and don't piss me off anymore than I am."

"Fine, has Virgil, Scott, or Samantha talked about the events leading up to the accident?" he snapped back just as angrily.

"No, Scott hasn't been in any condition to really talk to anyone as you saw for yourself this morning. Virgil has been all but restricted to his bed but due to the events at the hospital today, he is there with the rest of his brothers." Her anger was intensifying as she recounted where her brother-in-laws had been and what they had talked about. "And you are already aware of Samantha being called back to San Diego for business issues."

"Who haven't I spoken with at some point since the accident?" The direct way he asked the question caused her to answer without really thinking about it at all.

"You haven't had the need to speak with Tin-Tin or Brains," she answered. "And I doubt that the children would dare to stay in the same room with you without screaming bloody murder. Are you done with your questions, now? Oops, I guess so because your five minutes has expired." She turned on her heel and opened the door. "Kyrano, would you please see Officer Colenso to the door? Good day, Officer." The last bit was delivered in a haughty tone that Catie and Samantha had both perfected when irritated by something that annoyed either of them. A tone commonly used by the upper-upper class individuals who saw fit to look at those below their social class not one that any of the Tracys or Murphys were ever really comfortable with using on a regular basis. "Nick, let's go see how Brains is coping with Julie."

"Dulie, Mommy, see Dulie." He bounced happily in her arms as she carried him out of the sitting room and back into the family room.

"Officer, this way." Kyrano had suddenly appeared and was ready for the man to leave his dearest friend and employer's home. Clearly irritated at the abrupt brush-off he'd received from Catie, he scowled at the older man but followed him to the door. No sooner had he crossed the threshold, the door was closed behind him.

"Rich bastards. No wonder Mom is so ready to go after them."

"Well, looks as if Catie hasn't kicked Colenso out of the house yet." Jeff was driving down the old road that went before the house he grew up in and could see the police cruiser still parked in the driveway.

"Nope, there he is," Virgil corrected upon seeing the door open and a police officer all but being shoved out of the house. "He doesn't look too happy so I'm guessing that Catie showed him her rich bitch persona that she and Sammie developed."

"Y-y-you wouldn't t-think th-that they would b-b-be like t-that," Scott added.

"I didn't raise Samantha to behave that way and I'm relieved that she only does it when annoyed by the press," Jeff replied, turning into the driveway alongside the cruiser. Alan pulled in behind him and then went around so that his grandmother wouldn't have to be out in the cold for more than a few steps to the kitchen door.

"Have you understood everything I've said, young man?" Grandma had been chastising John for his actions in the hospital parking lot during the entire drive home. Alan and Gordon had wisely held their tongue but couldn't help the gleeful expressions while listening to the verbal onslaught concerning what was expected of a Tracy and how John's behavior and actions were uncivil and that she didn't care what the other person said as it would never matter in the grand scheme of things.

"Yes, Ma'am," John answered, honestly contrite. He hurried out of the SUV and opened her door and held a hand out to help her down. Once she was standing next to the SUV, she looked over at the Terrible Two.

"That goes for you two as well," she asserted. "Lord knows the things I've heard the two of you up to. No good at all and if Tin-Tin had heard some of the things that I've heard you discussing, Alan…" She wagged her finger at him and watched him swallow hard and she could just see the wheels turning in his head about some of the things that he and Gordon had talked about before he and Tin-Tin had begun to date even casually.

"Yes, Ma'am," he echoed. Gordon shook his head in disbelief at seeing two of his brothers lower their head in defeat.

"Well, looks as if I'm the good grandson." Grinning at his grandmother was a mistake that took him a moment to register as she advanced on him.

"Gordon Cooper Tracy, if you for one moment think that you're the good grandson after what I heard you talking about as you were growing up, you'd better quickly check yourself," she snapped. "And I know about that little notebook you kept while you were in Colorado. Samantha wasn't the only one who called your cell phone only to have some strange girl answering it. I doubt if it was ever the same girl twice." Instantly, Gordon's head dropped in defeat just as his brothers' had.

"Yes, Ma'am," he muttered. Feeling that she had properly chastised each of them accordingly, she marched up to the kitchen door and let herself in. John, Alan, and Gordon followed quietly behind her much to the amusement of Scott and Virgil who had been ordered inside to rest.

"Glad we rode with Dad," Virgil whispered. "Looks like she really tore into each of them." John glared at him and then stomped inside to find his wife and children.

"She didn't get us until we got out of the SUV but Johnny got it all the way home," Gordon said. He was unable to hide the amusement in his voice even when Alan elbowed him in the side. "WHAT?" Glancing up, he saw that Grandma was standing in the kitchen and had heard him.

"Seth, they're back and as soon as the opportunity presents itself, we'll snag the two we were told to target."

"Sure thing. Just let me know, I'm parked about a block away and can be there in about five minutes in the back of the building as you specified."

"Love you, Mommy and Daddy," Johnny said. He was lying on a cot that was kept in the playroom for naptimes. Lucy was lying next to him drifting to sleep. Mikey and Benny were each on their own cot sound asleep. A light blanket covered each of the children and the shades had been drawn to block the sunlight.

"We love you, too, Johnny," Alex said while Samantha knelt down to kiss each of their children. "If you need anything, Jessica will be at her desk right outside and you know where our office is."

"Yep, I go to sleep now." With a huge yawn, he closed his eyes and was soon asleep like his younger sister and brothers. Sam followed Alex out of the playroom and partially closed the door.

"Jessica, would you mind listening for them and letting me know when they wake up? I need to finish up a few things but they can come to my office when they wake," Samantha asked.

"Sure, I'm just going over some of the files that you wanted checked out and followed up on," Jessica replied. Samantha and Alex each checked on their children in fifteen increments for about an hour before Alex got called downstairs to one of the research areas and she got roped into a long conference call with a perspective client. Jessica checked a few times and had just sat down at her desk to finish the last two files when she was struck in the head from behind. She fell forward onto her desk unconscious.

"The door is unlocked now get up here." A few minutes after calling out the order, the reporter who had harassed Samantha earlier followed the man into the playroom and each picked up a child and hurried down the hall to the stairs that led to the back of the building where a car was waiting…

A/N: Ms. Hobgoblin, this update is posted because you asked so nicely.-sam1