Scott was sitting at their father's desk when Gordon entered the lounge with a question perched on his lips.
"No, Gordon."
"Come on, Scott! You didn't even let me ask!"
"You have that look on your face," Scott said.
"What?" Gordon touched his face, "Oh, at least let me ask! Come on Scotty you didn't even hear me out. It's a good idea too." He pouted.
A sigh came from the eldest followed by a long pause. "Ok, I'm all ears Gordo."
"So, you know what month it is, right?"
Scott raised an eyebrow from his seat at the desk, "September?"
"…It's October."
"... Oh."
"You know what that means?"
Scott looked skeptically at Gordon for a few moments. "The seasons are going to start changing?"
Gordon groaned. "No! Well, yes, but no! Halloween, Scott!"
"Ah," Scott stated, "That."
"'Ah, that'. Yes, that! And do you know what 'that' means?"
Scott leaned back in his chair, "The island is suddenly going to experience a lot more pranks, specifically in the horror department? Should I warn Virgil? He's probably in storage looking for all the autumn decorations. It just became October, right? I remember it being September not too long ago."
"Scott," Gordon whined, "Focus. We have a child. We could actually go trick-or-treating and not get weird looks thrown at us. Free candy."
Scott stiffened in his seat, "Gordon, no."
"Oh, come on. Al doesn't mind. I asked him earlier. I think he's just excited to get off the island."
"Gordon, no." Scott's face grew serious, "You aren't taking Alan out to go door to door on one of the busiest nights of the year. It's too dangerous."
"No, no, see we've got safety measures-"
"Gordon, no. I don't care what safety measures you have planned. You aren't taking him."
A scoff came from the blond. "Why not?"
"It's just… It's too risky. What if you ran into the Hood or the Chaos Crew? It's easy to get separated with so many people. Besides, we aren't nobodies. How would we explain the sudden appearance of a child? The media would have a field day."
"Lady P hangs out with children from charity cases all the time."
"Except Al isn't from any charity or orphanage. If anyone were to look into that story in even the slightest, our cover would be blown." Scott met Gordon's eyes. "Sorry Gordo, but the answer's no."
Gordon's shoulders slumped downward, "Yeah, okay."
...
Alan rushed down to the kitchen. Despite his brother's best efforts, he had seen the gleam of orange in their last supply run haul. Alan knew exactly what that meant.
This was a tradition they hadn't done in years, not since Dad had disappeared. Even last year, once he had returned, there wasn't much time or thought to engage in the yearly tradition. But now, there was time, and Alan couldn't hold in his excitement.
As he rounded the corner, the kitchen table was beautifully wrapped in newspaper, with five bright orange pumpkins spaced out on top.
The traditional Tracy family pumpkin carving contest.
Everyone was here. Dad stood at the head of the table, Scott and Kayo were by his side idly chatting. Virgil was setting the table and Gordon was examining one of the pumpkins. While John and Grandma stood in the kitchen.
"Hey, Alan," Dad said as he approached the table.
"Sprout, just in time. We're about ready to start." Virgil declared.
Gordon pumped a fist in the air, "Yes! This is going to be awesome."
"... There's only five pumpkins." Alan pointed out as he took his spot. His father reached over and ruffled his hair.
"Well," Virgil responded, "John is still banned from knives after last week's incident so he and Grandma are judging. And, I thought you and I could be on a team. You can design it, of course. I'll do all the heavy lifting."
"Oh." Alan said; uncertainty coiled in his stomach, "Are we doing teams?"
"Just you and Virge." Gordon declared before Virgil could clarify, earning him a light smack on the shoulder.
"If you don't want to be on a team," Virgil spoke up, "Then I'll join the judging team. But if you need help, I'll be right here."
Alan glanced at Scott. If Virgil wanted to team up, then…
"He won rock, paper, scissors," Scott stated.
"So what do you say Al? Team?"
Alan glanced at the orange beauty in front of him. "I want to do it on my own." He really did.
True to his word, Virgil joined John at the back.
"Alright," Scott said, "Let's get started!"
"Boys," Kayo interrupted, "Maybe our youngest should count us off."
A chorus of agreement went around the table.
"Ok!" Alan raised his voice, "As per traditional rules, you will have 30 minutes to design and carve your pumpkin. Begin in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1!"
In a flurry of excitement, carving tools were picked up and pumpkins were snatched.
Alan decided to go for a space theme. A rocket flying over the moon would be cool. But as he began carving the opening on top, he found that he was met with great resistance. It took a lot of force to be able to slit the carving tool into the orange squash.
By the time he had half of the opening cut, he noticed that the others were already finishing gutting their pumpkins. Not only was Alan running out of strength, but he was running out of time as well.
Hesitantly, he glanced over to where Virgil was standing with John. They had been chatting, but Alan knew Virgil was staying alert and keeping his eyes out for any potential injuries.
'Can you help me?' Alan mouthed when Virgil looked over to him.
Virgil grinned and nodded before heading over to him. "Is this your design?" He asked as he came to stand behind Alan. "It looks good."
With a strength that Alan envied, Virgil cut the top of the pumpkin open. The complex web of pumpkin guts that were woven inside the great orange beast was soon gutted as well.
In hindsight, they should have all worn aprons. The only ones who were smart enough to think to do so were Dad and Kayo. Pumpkin innards got absolutely everywhere. It was messy and sticky, and luckily they had enough thought to cover the table. Though, Alan was definitely going to need a wash to get all the pumpkin guts out of his hair.
In a shocking turn of events, Gordon won. His pumpkin's surprisingly complex Kraken design was nothing less than a first-place carving. Alan got second place, and Kayo came in third with her catlike design. Both Scott and Dad went for more traditional designs, though Dad's was much spookier.
"Seriously, what happened Scooter?" Gordon questioned as he looked over Scott's design. "You had half an hour and you chose the most basic, old-school design?"
"What can I say?" Scott replied as he wrapped an arm around Gordon's shoulders, "I'm old-school."
"Yeah, but... not even Dad went this old-school."
...
"Candy! Candy! Candy!" The terrible two chanted as they marched around the lounge.
"I think you should let them go," John stated calmly.
"Let them go? It's too dangerous." Scott replied. Though, at this point, he was seriously considering giving in if it meant just a moment of quiet. If the subtle yet persistent pounding behind his temples was anything to go by, that silence was going to be needed sooner than later.
"Not if we play our cards right. They could take Tracy One and land in a small city. Fewer people, less chance of the media getting a hold of Al."
"A small town is almost as bad as a big city. People are nosier," Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, "and quicker to notice when a private jet flies into their airport."
"Then we stick to one or two suburbs in a big city."
"Too dangerous. Too many people, they could get lost."
"Following your logic, something could always happen. Give them some credit, Scott." John sighed, "Gordon would risk his own life before letting anything happen to Alan."
Scott crossed his arms and leaned back. "I know… That doesn't make it any easier to let them go."
Scott and John both gazed at their younger brothers. The two were continuing with their chant, but next to Gordon, it was painfully clear how small Alan was. His little feet marching around the room hardly made any noise compared to Gordon's stomping.
On top of that, they made no headway into finding out what was plaguing the youngest Tracy. They weren't any closer to figuring out what was causing Al's smallness since the day he arrived in Virgil's arms.
"How about we ask Lady Penelope to join them?" John spoke up. "Gordon would like it, and the press wouldn't question it too much to see her with a child. Plus, Parker would be there too. Hardly anything gets by him"
"That's one solution," Scott said. "Definitely covers up the whole 'How did International Rescue acquire a child?' issue. The added security wouldn't hurt either."
FAB 1 was fairly advanced as well. She wasn't a Thunderbird but if anything should happen, having the pink super card would play to their advantage.
John nodded, "It would just look like regal Lady Penelope, doing some charity work on a popular night, being assisted by a member of International Rescue. Plus… she owes me."
"… I still don't like it."
"Give them a shot, Scott. Alan and Gordon are just as resourceful as you and I. If you can't trust them on a fun outing, how can you trust them as members of IR?"
Scott sighed. "Gordon put you to this, didn't he? You drive a hard bargain John, but ok. They can go if, and only if, Lady P and Parker accompany them."
"Great" John rested a hand on Scott's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, "I'll give Lady Penelope a call and see if she's available."
John left the room, leaving Scott with the still protesting younger brothers.
"Hey, you two!" Scott called, getting the terrible two's attention relatively quickly. They came over with eagerness written all over their face.
"Ok, here's the plan…"
…
"I want to be a cowboy!" Alan gasped, his eyes growing wide with stars, "A space cowboy!"
Grandma chuckled, "Ok, ok, hold your horses, little man." She stepped around several boxes. "Tsk. We donated so many of your Halloween costumes but I distinctly remember saving a cowboy hat… it must be around here somewhere."
MAX, with some help from Virgil, moved many boxes from the storage room to the lounge. In an attempt to find a suitable costume, the lounge was littered with a variety of boxes, and clothes were strewn about.
Virgil, who had been helping until Gordon stepped into the room, was currently bent over in the middle, grasping at his sides as he tried to reel in his laughter.
"Gordon," Virgil said breathlessly, "What are you wearing?"
With the flash of a cheeky grin Gordon jumped into a superhero pose, "I'm Aquaman."
Virgil sucked in his breath to stop laughing long enough to get a good look at the skin-tight green and yellow leotard his younger brother dawned before breaking down in uncontrollable laughter again.
"You l-look re-redicul-ous!"
"Hey, I don't look that bad." Gordon smirked and did a flip of his hair, "I look majestic."
"Y-you know Lady Penelope is joining us, right?" Virgil wiped his tears away.
"Hey," Gordon blushed, "I think Lady P will like my costume very much."
"Aha!" Grandma declared as she lifted a worn cowboy hat in her hands, "I knew it was in one of these boxes."
She set the hat onto Alan's head, only for the hat to fall to his eyes rather than sit on his head. Alan giggled lightly and lifted the brim slightly.
"Oh my," Grandma fretted, "Seems your brothers were a bit older when they dressed up as cowboys."
"We could tie a rolled-up bandana around his head." Gordon suggested, "That might make it fit better."
"Say Gordo, why don't you be a cowboy with Al?" Virgil spoke up. "I think we have another hat around here."
Gordon feigned hurt "You really don't like my Aquaman costume? Are you going to lend me one of the hats Kip Harris gave you?"
"No. Absolutely not."
Gordon hummed. Alan was still holding the hat above his head but was now looking for other parts to his costume. "Well maybe," Gordon said as he slowly approached the kid, "I can be a pirate!"
On the word, 'pirate' Gordon lunged forward and grabbed Alan. The kid, in turn, let out a squeak and dropped his hat. Gordon then proceeded to throw Alan up into the air, upon which he burst into a fit of giggles.
"What do you say, little buccaneer?" Gordon said in his best pirate impression once the kid had landed back in his arms, "Shall I be a terror to the seas?"
"Yeah!" Alan managed to get out, "You can be a sea cowboy, and I'll be a space cowboy!"
"That's the spirit!"
"Actually," Virgil imputed, "Pirates and Cowboy are pretty different…"
"Oh come on Virge!" Gordon laughed, "Let loose a little! Besides, now we have to find you a costume. I'm thinking… cow."
…
Dad and Gordon were going to take Tracy One and rendezvous in an American town just a few hours outside Gran Roca. To keep up appearances, Alan had to ride in FAB 1 with Lady Penelope and Parker.
"A car seat!?" Alan squeaked when he glanced inside the pink car.
"Yup." Scott said as he rested a hand on Alan's shoulder, "Brains made it especially for you. It's currently the safest model out there."
"I don't want to ride in a car seat! Can't I just ride like normal? No one will know!"
Scott shook his head. "Sorry, Sprout. You're too small. You need to ride in it."
"But why, Scott?" Alan pleaded, "Sherbert doesn't need a harness to ride in FAB 1!"
Scott knelt to Alan's level. "I know you don't like it, but if FAB 1 needs to crash for any reason, you'll be safer. Safety mandates are in place for a reason."
"No! I won't!" Alan declared, "I won't ride in it! I can sit in the seat just fine normally."
"It's non-negotiable, Sprout. You either ride in the car seat, or you don't go at all."
Alan crossed his arms and pouted. It wasn't fair. After everything they'd gone through, was Scott really making him sit in a car seat?
He stole another glance in FAB 1, and his shoulders slumped. At least it wasn't overly childish.
...
"I'm telling you, Gordon," Lady Penelopy laughed, "It's just a coincidence. This is the same outfit I used for last year's costume gala."
Gordon crossed his arms as he looked Lady Penelope up and down. Her pirate costume matched his outfit perfectly, despite him not saying once what he planned to dress up as. "You're sure Virgil didn't mention something to you?"
"Well," Lady Penelopy gave a small grin, "A little green birdie may have mentioned something."
Oh, Gordon was going to throttle Virgil. He was really looking forward to wowing his lady with his pirate charms.
But, there were grander things at hand. Like the ultimate plan for maximum candy tonight.
Alan hopped out of FAB 1 fully dressed as a space cowboy (which ended up being John's old space costume paired with a cowboy hat on top), and Gordon signaled him over.
"Ok team," he said as he whipped out a holo-map of the neighborhood, "Here's the plan. I did some research and the Crumplebottom's, here at the top of the hill," he circled the section on the map, "give out whole candy bars. So I'm thinking we should go there first and work our way back. If there's enough time, we could even double back to their house. But we should stay away from the McCandles house, here. They give out broccoli."
"And what time do we plan for this evening to be over, Master Gordon?" Parker spoke up with a yawn.
"When the houses stop giving candy!" Gordon cheered, and Alan joined in agreement.
A deep chuckle interrupted their thoughts. "I go to lock up Tracy One, and you boys are already making all-night plans." Jeff walked over to Alan and looped his hands under the kid's armpits before lifting him into his arms. "We go until Al here runs out of juice."
"I can go all night!" Alan declared with stars sparkling in his eyes.
All the old ladies loved him. Every house they went to with a little old lady sitting on the porch absolutely cooed at him when he approached. He got extra candy off of it too.
Since Gordon had the map, he led the way with Lady Penelope close behind him. To keep up appearances, she had to hold Alan's hand at nearly all times (which he didn't mind but he did make a mental note never to get on Lady P's bad side. She had one killer grip). Jeff and Parker kept up the end of the group, not to much surprise. What was surprising was how well Jeff and Parker hit it off. They were like good old friends. Jeff asked about Parker's family and if he was getting on alright, and Parker was keenly interested in how Jeff managed to survive eight years in deep space with limited supplies. Tricks of the trade, apparently.
Scott wasn't wrong about Halloween being the 'busiest night of the year'. There were kids and families everywhere. Some of the kids had seriously cool costumes too and some were clearly teenagers trying to get in their last bits of fun before adulthood reared its head. Whenever a large group of people passed by them, Lady Penelope's grip got just a bit stronger. Of course, they attracted the occasional reporter or media journalist but Parker was really good at chasing them off. So good that he and Jeff exchanged tactics.
Eventually, they came upon a neighborhood carnival, and, well, they just had to play the games. They had ring toss and a hay bale maze, and one of the booths gave out candy apples, which Alan drooled over till his father caved in and bought a few. But despite the slight side-tracking, Gordon was excellent at keeping them on track once they had exhausted the events of the carnival.
'All night' as Alan had previously declared was apparently 2 ½ hours long.
He wasn't even entirely sure what had happened. One moment he was having a blast going from house to house, loading up on all the candy offered, and participating in little activities like haunted tunnels. The next moment everything seemed to hit at once. The bag of candy in Alan's hand practically tripled in weight as exhaustion pulled at every joint. His feet dragged under him, and his eyes seemed to want to forever shut, no matter how much he rubbed at them.
Lady Penelope whispered something to Gordon. But she'd been whispering little things to Gordon all night, so Alan didn't pay it much mind. It wasn't until Gordon gently eased the bag out of his hands that Alan felt he should probably pay more attention.
Who was he kidding? His brain was practically mush and he couldn't think about much beyond how much his feet ached.
So there wasn't much Alan could do when his father seemed to manifest in front of him, and lift him into his arms. The relief, however, was amazing. Alan was asleep before his head could touch Jeff's shoulder.
Halloween Special! With October nearing its end (where does the time go!?), I thought it might be fun to have a little Halloween-themed special. I'm still wrestling with chapter 10, but I had a lot of fun writing this up. I hope enjoyed reading it; and if you celebrate Halloween: be smart, be safe, and have fun!
