Author's Note - I am very lucky to have received such excellent advice on this story. Alan is still in a lot of trouble and it's going to get worse yet! Maybe Thunderbird 5 for the rest of his life was not such a silly suggestion! mcj

CHAPTER TWO - ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS THREE

So where did they go from here?

The first thing the two of them wanted to do, especially Tin-Tin, was to get out of that clinic.

Alan Tracy felt that at least some of his luck had reversed when he was only required to pay half the cost of the operation. The receptionist had spoken to the Doctor in private and he was only asked for twenty five thousand dollars. He didn't know why and he didn't care either but it seemed the Doctor had felt sympathetic for Tin-Tin and had been pleased it was the operation that had been aborted and not the baby. At least he'd only have to explain twenty five thousand dollars to his Father now. With a bit of luck he wouldn't even pick it up anyway.

As he handed the money to the receptionist, he again asked for reassurance no names would be remembered. She gave him an undertaking the matter would never leave the clinic and he guessed he just had to trust her. She had no idea she had been dealing with International Rescue but she did know she had dealt with one of the Tracy sons. That didn't sit well with Alan Tracy at all.

But despite how he felt he knew the hardest part was now to follow.

He would have to make it up to Tin-Tin.

He had been an absolute bastard to her and he had put her through dreadful trauma by virtue of his own selfishness and immaturity. It was one thing to call off the operation when he did, but it was another to ask her to forget he had forced her to go there in the first place.

He really did love her and he knew he'd simply panicked, but he knew panic was a paltry excuse for behaving in such a hard and callous manner. He still saw the young woman who had been his best friend for twelve years standing there in that backless surgical gown sobbing her heart out. How could he possibly ever make that up to her?

He would also have to deal with the fact that his Grandmother had worked out the two of them weren't in San Diego for a fashion show. He felt badly about lying to her and knew he'd be copping an earful from her on his return home.

He sighed.

He guessed he and Tin-Tin had better find some sort of show to attend so at least they had his Grandmother covered. He knew it would be the last thing Tin-Tin would feel like doing right now he also knew it would be in their best interests to attend one before they faced the imperious Josie.

Then there was working out what in heaven's name he was going to say to his Father and hers. He imagined the reaction he was going to get there.

"Err Dad, Kyrano. You're both going to a grandfather in seven months time but …errr …it was kind of an accident..."

Yeah right, he thought sarcastically. Say that and catch the next rocket out of there.

He shuddered. He'd be putting that day off for as long as possible.

However, realistically he knew he couldn't put something like that off for too long. Pregnancies had a habit of showing themselves and with Tin-Tin as tiny as she was he knew it wouldn't be too long before something started to show.

Then there was the worst thing of all. He would have to get married. There was only seven months to prepare for the Fatherhood and he understood he didn't have a choice about that but he intended to fight the marriage thing every step of the way. Getting married wouldn't achieve anything. A Tracy baby was a Tracy baby whether Tin-Tin had a ring on her finger or not. What was the point in being shackled to each other if they didn't want to be?

He sighed again.

Wishful thinking. He knew he wasn't going to get out of getting married. He could see the shotgun pointed at him right now with Kyrano on the end of it and his Father helping him pull the trigger.

He looked at Tin-Tin as she came to stand beside him. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and swollen. He had been feeling guilty, but seeing her still so upset immediately made him feel ten times worse.

It was time to start dealing with this mess properly.

He had to try and fix things up.

"Come on baby." he whispered gently, taking her case and putting his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get going now."

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Once outside the clinic and in the security of the front seat of the Porsche she allowed herself to crumble completely. Even though Tin-Tin Kyrano was a tough and extremely astute young woman, she was still a girl who had little experience in life and had not been raised by her mother.

Through her tears, she remembered the first thing she'd wished for when she suspected she was pregnant was her Mother. But her Mother had abandoned her twenty one years before and Tin-Tin knew she would have to rely on herself.

Suspecting she was pregnant had been the most nerve-wracking experience she'd ever had. She'd missed a month before Alan had gone to Thunderbird Five for his tour of duty. Initially it didn't bother her. She'd missed months before and things had always righted themselves in the end. She had been hopeful it would be the same for her again. But the weeks drew on and much to her dismay she missed another during his absence. A week later she started to feel sick in the evenings and her breasts began to swell. She didn't need a Doctor to tell her what had happened.

Even though she spoke to Alan on a daily basis in Thunderbird Five, she dared not say anything until his tour of duty was over. He hated the time in the space station but she knew he was going to hate life more when he returned. She didn't know how he would take the news and until she'd told him she couldn't tell her Father.

She could imagine what would have happened to Alan if Kyrano found out before he did. Goodness knows how Kyrano was going to react anyway. He knew she was with Alan but he had made it very clear she had to protect herself and Alan would be held totally responsible if anything happened.

As for Jeff Tracy;Tin-Tin didn't want to think about what he would do when he found out!

She didn't know if the nausea she felt the night Alan returned from the Space Station was from the pregnancy or from the stress of having to tell him about it.

On his arrival home in the early hours of the morning, he had immediately sought her out in her room. He'd locked the door and pulled her into a long passionate kiss in his arms.

"I've missed you," he said burying his face in her neck. "And I'm really aching for you baby girl."

"Stop it Alan." was her reply. "My Father is right next door and he'll hear us."

"He won't hear anything," he said fiddling with her flimsy nightdress. "Trust me."

"No." she insisted. "Please Alan I said don't. I have to tell you something."

"Tell me later when I'm relaxed." he said kissing along her jaw line, his hands easing the nightdress from her shoulders. "You have no idea what it's like being up there in that tin can and thinking of nothing but you in my arms."

She pulled herself free and adjusted her clothing. Without a word, she took his hand and led him downstairs below ground level and into the hangar of Thunderbird Three. Alan had raised his eyebrows at her assuming she wanted him there instead. He was highly aroused at that thought and suggested he get the blankets from up in the sleeping quarters. He went to take her in his arms but she shook her head and pulled away from him again.

"What" he frowned in a growing annoyance. "You didn't bring me all the way down here to play games with me did you?"

"Alan I'm pregnant," she blurted.

He said nothing until the news sunk into his head.

"You're what" he breathed his blue eyes dilating to double their size.

"I'm pregnant." she said looking directly at him. "I am Alan."

"You can't be," he said, raising the tone of his voice and gripping her wrist in a fierce dry grasp.

The tears began to run down her cheeks. She had expected this reaction.

"I am. I've missed two months in a row now and I've got all the signs." she quivered.

"How in the hell did you get yourself pregnant? You told me you were protecting yourself." he began to yell.

"I know I said that and I thought I was. I knew all my dates. I thought we were perfectly safe." she began to sob.

"Bloody dates Tin-Tin. I thought you were using something." he yelled harder.

"Alan I'm sorry." she blubbered.

He'd glared at her angrily and then his whole tone changed to an icy voice she had never heard him use before.

"Well you're going to have to get rid of it." he said.

"What do you mean" she said.

"You heard me," he said in a voice of stone.

"What? Abort it" she whispered completely appalled.

"Call it what you like lady but I don't want it and you're getting rid of it." he said looking her full in the face.

All colour left her face as she realised he meant it.

"No Alan please." she pleaded tearfully. "That's wrong. I've never killed anything. I can't kill our baby."

"I just told you I don't want it."

"But Alan ..."

" Don't you understand what I'm saying to you Miss Kyrano?" he snapped.

She'd started to cry.

He'd called her Miss Kyrano. It was almost like she meant nothing to him.

He'd just stood there after that his face cold, hard, and emotionless. The son of a billionaire with everything at stake, not Alan Tracy, the young man who'd told her less than eight weeks ago he loved her.

"Don't give me tears." he finally growled. "Crying isnt going to help us. We need solutions. I know a clinic in San Diego that does that kind of stuff. OK?"

He turned away from her then and left her feeling totally devastated in the hangar, and seemingly not caring how upset she was. When she came upstairs he was out on the balcony making calls.

Was this the real Alan Tracy she'd wondered? After twelve years didn't she really know him at all?

Fifteen hours later here they were. He'd wanted the problem resolved quickly before anyone found out. He'd been awful the whole way from Tracy Island to the mainland; angry, uncaring, and silent. She simply didn't understand.

She knew she had made a mistake but why did he have to treat her like this? She hadn't deliberately set herself to fall pregnant. It took two people to make a baby and if she hadn't have been so intimidated and confused by his behavior she probably would have pointed that out.

But suddenly he'd had a change of heart. She didn't know why but she certainly was glad. However he hadn't been the one lying in that theatre with his legs in those stirrups. He didn't see the long steel probes on the table. She could still imagine what that cold hard steel would have felt like within her whether she was sedated or not.

The thought chilled her to the bone and she kept on crying.

Alan in the meantime sat in the Driver's seat of the car awkwardly, not knowing what to say next. He hated seeing her cry. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief.

"Here Tin-Tin use this."

She took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes as she tried to stop herself from crying, but all that whirred through her mind was how close she had come to ending her baby's life.

"Look Alan. Can we just go?" she pleaded.

He nodded, feeling extremely guilty. He started up the car and pulled out of the driveway.

He didn't know where the hell he was going. He drove through the streets of San Diego for nearly thirty minutes waiting for her to settle down. When she finally stopped sniffling he pulled the car over near a park in the centre of the city.

"Tin-Tin." he said turning her face to his. "Let's talk huh"

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "All right." she replied in a husky voice.

He took her hand and held it tightly as they walked slowly through the park. Even the pressure of her hand in his made him remember shame-facedly how fiercely he had gripped her in the hangar in Thunderbird Three.

He swallowed hard. He hoped he hadn't hurt her.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Finally he plucked up the courage to apologise to her for how he had reacted the night before, for bullying her into coming down to San Diego without giving her a choice and for forcing her into the indignity of having to go to such a terrible and demeaning place. Of course the pregnancy affected her just as much as it affected him and he had stupidly discounted that.

"Dad would be so ashamed of me if he knew." he admitted. "I'm ashamed of myself. I'm sorry but I just freaked out when you told me."

"Alan what are we going to do about the baby" she asked almost forlornly.

Eight weeks ago they were childhood friends who elected to become lovers. Now they were going to be parents and were wishing they'd just stayed childhood friends.

They were silent again as they walked. This situation was awful. He didn't want the baby and she knew he didn't.

Alan finally admitted he didn't really know what they were going to do. The main thing , he said, was to find the courage to break the news to their Fathers.

"And Tin-Tin believe me I don't want to do that any more than you do." he added.

"Alan ..." she whispered stopping on the pathway and lifting her face to his.

"What Tin-Tin"

"I'm so frightened. My Father will be most displeased and Mr Tracy even more so. "

He squeezed her hand, his blue eyes staring sightlessly into the distance.

"Yeah I know Tin-Tin. I'm pretty scared about what they'll say too."

The sun had started to set and it was becoming cool. He noticed she'd started to shiver.

"Come on," he said putting his arm around her. "I'll take you back to the hotel."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

THE ELDEST BROTHER REACTS

"I simply can't believe you and Grandma are turning a blind eye to the two of them! You of all people Dad!." Scott Tracy shrieked at his Father. "You know what he's like. He's irresponsible and impulsive. God knows what will happen."

Jeff Tracy surveyed his eldest son with a half-amused smile. Yep, here he was, just as he had expected. Scott had nothing better to do at the moment with the lull in rescues, so the fact that he had just been told by Virgil that his baby brother was sleeping with Tin-Tin Kyrano was enough to send him into a fatherly panic attack.

Jeff didn't know what exactly Scott expected him to do about it. Both Alan and Tin-Tin were twenty-one years old and dare he say it, consenting adults. It wasn't as if Alan was sixteen any more. He'd warned Alan to be careful and despite knowing full well he wouldn't be, he was hopeful at least. And praying hard Tin-Tin knew what she was doing.

"Son." he sighed. "I'm really only guessing that's what's going on. He holds her hand and kiss down onthe beach. I've never seen evidence they're doing anything else."

Scott rolled his eyes. He found his Father's calmness infuriating sometimes. Virgil had already said he knew about it. Well surely someone must have seen or heard something!.

"Come on Dad, it's me you're talking to now!"

Jeff glared at him. He might be the eldest but he was still just Alan's brother.

"It's really none of your business Scott. You and your brothers need something to do if all you can do is worry about Alan and Tin-Tin."

"Yeah well I can think of something to do all right. I'll get myself into Tracy Two and go to San Diego and belt that kid brother of mine right between the eyes and make him wake up to himself. What if Kyrano finds out?"

The fact that his eldest son had looked out for his four younger brothers for the past twenty years had always been comforting to Jeff Tracy but he carried it a bit far sometimes.

"Kyrano already knows about it." he said in a dead pan tone and watched Scott fall into a shocked silence.

Scott was amazed. How could Kyrano know and do nothing? How could his Father know and do nothing? Couldn't the two of them see that this was Alan, the one most likely to get himself into trouble? Trouble was that kid's middle name. Letting this go on unchecked was simply asking for it!

Jeff crossed his legs and folded his arms.

"Let me ask you something Scott. When you were Alan's age and in the Air Force, would you have let me stop you?"

"No Sir but I'm different. I've always been responsible for my actions. Alan isn't."

"I've warned him son. I can't do any more than that."

"He won't listen to a warning Dad. I know him."

"I know you do Scott. I know him too"

There was a silence between the two of them that said everything.

They were both worried.

After a few moments Jeff looked at his son and changed the subject.

"This lack of action is really getting me down. How do you feel about looking after things for a few days while I go over to New York?"

Scott looked at him surprised. Normally they had to drag their Father from Tracy Island to get him to go anywhere. He didn't like leaving International Rescue in anyone else's hands. Scott knew it wasn't because his Father questioned his judgment; after all, he had seven years in the Air force to fall back on. Jeff Tracy just liked to be in total control of everything.

"Yes Dad, I can do that, but with Alan and Tin-Tin away it leaves the base a little light on don't you think?"

He nodded. Yes Scott was right. He'd fancied a trip to New York to visit his Offices there. His Mother had pointed out earlier that he hadn't been there for quite a few months and it was time he put in an appearance. Scott and Virgil had been making the trips recently and from what he had heard back, had both made a fine impression on the female staff both outside and inside the Office environment. The son that stood in front of him had really enjoyed his last visit according to the reports from Hank Davies, his Office Manager. As Jeff recalled it was something about a locked Office and a Secretary who went missing for an hour. And here was Scott complaining about his brother's activities!

Jeff Tracy had made himself a rule to keep out of that side of his son's lives and he'd proven that by saying nothing to Alan about Tin-Tin. Jeff knew he kept them here on this island, devoid of female company and he fully realised they were men.

Men with needs.

All he hoped is that they had enough common sense to keep themselves out of trouble when they satisfied them.

"I was interested in going over the financial position of the new operation in Tokyo with Hank. " Jeff admitted. "But I can wait until Alan and Tin-Tin come back in a day or two. Failing that I can recall them from the mainland."

Scott was about to agree that they be recalled so that he could have a word with his wayward brother before he got himself into real trouble. However, he kept his opinion close to his chest. Jeff Tracy had approved that they go and he wasn't going to cross his Father.

"No Dad. We can't keep Tin-Tin from her Fashion show now can we?" he replied, making it obvious he didn't think there was any fashion show either.

Scott continued. "Not with Alan going to so much trouble to get her over there. I'm sure Hank can wait to do whatever it is you want him to do to accommodate their activities. "

"Do I detect an element of sarcasm there Scott" Jeff frowned.

Scott shrugged but said nothing. How bored was his Father to want to go to New York anyway? The operation in Tokyo was making millions at the moment and the stock was high. It would be a pointless exercise checking the expenditure involved. He didn't understand his Father's logic behind that.

Still, Tracy Enterprises was the success it was because Jeff Tracy had a brilliant business head and was a relentless workaholic who carefully planned and scrutinised everything.

It must be killing him doing nothing Scott thought as he left the room, leaving him to his own devices.

Well, once his Father had gone, he would sort Alan out for good. This had gone far enough.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Mr. Tracy will you be paying for this with your credit card?"

Alan Tracy looked at the concierge of the five star hotel and nodded. He handed over his credit card and waited for the cost of the two rooms to be processed.

The concierge knew the Tracy family fairly well as they were regular visitors to the hotel. San Diego was a popular stop over on their way to and from New York on business. He regularly saw Jeff, Scott and Virgil and every now and then John would check in too, but he really didn't know much about the youngest two sons.

He looked at the youngest Tracy son and the young lady who accompanied him with intense interest. He'd seen this scenario replayed many times before in his time of employment with the hotel. The guest booked two rooms under the pretence of decency but fully only intended to use one. As he looked at the pretty young girl, he wondered how much use the second room would be put to.

Young Tracy had specifically asked for two double rooms side by side with a connecting door. Knowing Jeff Tracy as he did, the concierge did not think his moral standards extended to that.

"Will you be needing dinner in house Sir?" he enquired.

"No thank you. We'll be eating out." Alan replied politely.

All the Tracy sons were polite young men he thought and this one didn't seem any different. However he felt there was a bit of an air of arrogance in the way he carried himself, unlike his elder brothers.

The concierge summoned a porter to carry their luggage to the elevator and up to the tenth floor. He watched them walk through the foyer together. They were a couple all right and he'd wager the second room wouldn't need freshening in the morning.

Alan handed the porter a substantial tip before turning and following Tin-Tin into the room.

He sat down on the bed and took off his shoes. She stood looking at him apologetically.

"Alan if it's all right, I'd like to have my own room." she said hoping he would understand. "I'm tired and I want to be by myself tonight."

She added she needed time to herself to sort things through.

"You want me to go" he asked in disappointment. He'd fully expected to be sleeping next to her tonight. Still she was only talking about sleeping wasn't she?

No, by the expectant look on her face he guessed she wasn't.

He sighed.

"Oh well get used to it Alan." he thought to himself. "This is what being married is going to be like. Not tonight honey I've got a headache."

No wonder he didn't want to get married.

He shouldn't be too disappointed he supposed. Originally he was going to bring her here to recover from the operation before taking her back to Tracy Island, and not for a night of unbridled passion.

Still she hadn't had the operation and the unbridled passion would have been a welcome diversion from the reality of their uncomfortable situation. But there he was again, thinking of himself and his own needs and not considering hers.

"OK then. How about Dinner and a show first?" he asked moving to open the connecting door and trying to sound like it wasn't bothering him. "You know we did tell Grandma we were going to a Fashion Show."

She simply shook her head.

"No, I don't feel very well Alan and I'm tired. I'll give it all a miss if you don't mind."

He looked at her again and cursed himself for not being more understanding. He was such a jackass.

It was going to take a lot of hard work to get her to forget this day.

"Tin-Tin." he said, still very ashamed of his behaviour. "You have forgiven me haven't you"

Their eyes met awkwardly and in the end she didn't reply.

She had sorted out her feelings for him to the point of total commitment.

He should know he still had to sort out his own before she would forgive him.

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CHAPTER THREE - OUTSIDE COMMITMENT

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