Author's note - This Chapter has been a long time in coming. The Tracy brat is starting to grow up!
Thanks for your help Lady Viva. I hope you enjoy it! mcj
CHAPTER NINE - ACCEPTING THE COMMITMENT
A BROTHER ON COMMITMENT
He had sat there for nearly two hours watching them both sleep.
The night air was cold out here and he'd managed to go over there and stoke the fire up for them several times without waking them. He'd gone back to the villa to fetch a blanket to pull over the two of them. He had laid it with genuine affection over his favourite brother and the girl he had loved for the last twelve years of his life.
His brother was physically exhausted and had finally succumbed to his body's dire need to sleep. She was in the early stages of pregnancy where sleep came easily. They slept together peacefully in each other's arms.
He felt guilty looking at them like this. It was their wedding night, the most private thing they would ever share together and he had been a part of it.
He had followed his brother earlier more out of concern than his usual intention to embarrass him. He had been worried about what their Father had said and done to him about Tin-Tin's pregnancy and worse still the marriage bombshell he had just dropped on the whole family. He had only wanted to check that his brother was all right. He and his brother were close. Too close for their own good sometimes he thought as he realised what he had just seen.
He had sat behind the sand hills near the beach as his brother made the fire.
He had watched as his brother had offered her something to eat and opened the wine with a clumsiness that was typically him. He had felt hungry himself right about then too. His own Dinner hadn't been all that good and Grandma's fried chicken looked delicious in comparison. Normally he'd stride down the beach and demand some of it, knowing the two of them would invite him to sit down with them. But he obviously would not be welcome tonight. He knew just by the way his brother was looking at her in the light of the fire.
He could clearly see his brother was all right. He really should have left then. But he couldn't drag himself away.
He had continued to watch as his brother kissed her gently, first on the forehead, then her cheek, and finally her lips. He had listened as his brother spoke words to her that he never thought he would ever hear that brother utter. The words he spoke tore at his heart-strings as he heard them. The pain of hearing them made him flinch.
He had watched as his brother slowly undressed her. He had watched him touch her in a way he never thought his brother would touch a woman. This wasn't the brother he knew. The brother he knew was brash and ardent. The brother he watched now was tender, loving and considerate.
He had watched her touch him. It was obvious she loved him.
Common decency made him turn away as they made love together. He knew the most intimate moment of his brother's life was not intended for his eyes.
Even if it had been, the sight of them would only serve to remind him of the precious moments he had known himself and still yearned for. The moments death had dicated he could never experience with her again.
He had watched his brother hold her afterwards as she slept. Her body was beautiful but he was more comfortable when his brother pulled his coat over her.
He had been too much a part of this night already.
He and his brother had shared a great many things in their lives from the pain of never knowing their mother down to their hilarious practical jokes and inevitable canings from their Father.
However some things, especially this, even the closest of brothers did not share.
The two of them seemed so content like that, like they belonged together. But then, he thought, these two had belonged together for years. Everyone had known it but them.
As he sat there he remembered back five years in time when his Father had allowed the three of them to light a fire and stay the night in this very place together. He had been seventeen; his brother had been sixteen. She had been sixteen too and very pretty. The three of them were good friends back then; to use Alan's lame line, they were all "just friends". They often spent time together.
That night he noticed his brother had acted differently towards their friend Tin-Tin Kyrano. Instead of his usual antics and teasing, Alan had been remarkably quiet and extremely attentive to her. He had sat much closer to her than he normally would as the three of them talked and laughed into the night. He had noticed Alan looking at her in a strange and almost dreamlike way as the firelight danced against the night sky. She had noticed him and had blushed. He had looked away pretending it had never happened.
It occurred to him back then that Alan's look might mark the beginning of something. It turned out he had been right. It had been the beginning of what they had just shared together on this beach. Something shared only once in a life-time.
He also knew he'd been relentlessly teasing the two of them about their relationship for far too long. The relationship was out in the open now so he guessed it was time the joking stopped for good.
It was time he went home himself. He had to get up early in the morning.
Mr. & Mrs. Tracy would be all right out here now.
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TWO GRANDFATHERS ACCEPT THE COMMITMENT
The knock on the door was abrupt and business-like and it was clear to Kyrano who stood outside waiting to speak to him.
"Come in Mr. Tracy." he said as he opened the door and gave him a polite acknowledgement of his head.
Jeff Tracy stood in the doorway with a pot of coffee and three cups on a tray, courtesy of his mother. Kyrano looked surprised to see him with the tray.
"Forgive me Mr. Tracy I would have prepared something for you if I'd known." he said apologetically as Jeff set the tray down on the sideboard of the tastefully decorated sitting room; the sitting room where his son had been summoned not too many hours before.
"The coffee was Mother's idea actually Kyrano." Jeff replied. "And please, call me Jeff."
Kyrano coloured a little. He only had the utmost respect for the powerful man in front of him. He had always been and would always be "Mr Tracy." The marriage of his daughter to Jeff Tracy's son did not change anything as far as he was concerned. Kyrano looked clearly uncomfortable.
"If it does not displease you I would still prefer to call you Mr. Tracy." he said nervously.
Jeff Tracy nodded. He understood. Old waters ran deep with Kyrano. He had just been trying to break the ice a little.
"All right Kyrano if that's what you want." he replied tightly.
Kyrano looked at Jeff Tracy. He was tall, intuitive and wealthy; a man of integrity and impeccable honesty and one who had experienced more in life than most men ever would. He was also a man who had more in common with him than any other man did. They had both lost their wives when their children were young. They may have lost them under different circumstances but they had both struggled to raise those motherless children. Now life had turned a full circle and they were both going to be Grandfathers to the same child.
Kyrano snapped out of his day-dream.
"I'm sorry Mr. Tracy how rude of me. Please allow me to invite you to sit down." he said motioning him towards the chairs. "I'll pour us some coffee."
He noticed the third cup on the tray and appeared puzzled. He looked over at Jeff whose eyes were busily scanning the room. "Will Mrs. Tracy be joining us shortly?" he asked.
Jeff shook his head vehemently. "She thinks that she is." he scoffed. "She put the cup on that tray hoping I'd ask her to come up here with me!"
There was a short pause before he turned to sit down. "...and as you can see Kyrano I have not." he finished with an air of finality. "I don't want her sticking her nose into this discussion especially after the tongue lashing I've already suffered tonight at her hands."
"Poor Mrs Tracy," Kyrano replied trying not to show his amusement. "She will be most distressed."
Jeff nodded. "Yes she will, especially as she's made it her business to be involved in absolutely everything to do with my son and your daughter up until now."
Jeff Tracy always knew how to get right down to the heart of a subject and the subject he wanted to discuss was his son and Kyrano's daughter. He had come here to discuss what had happened between Alan and Kyrano earlier in the evening so he could at least sleep knowing how Kyrano felt about this marriage.
Jeff never dwelt too long on the pleasantries before a discussion. He was a businessman.
Kyrano preferred to stay with the pleasantries. "Mrs. Tracy has wanted my daughter to be more than friends with your son for a long time."
"Now that's an understatement. She's plotted and connived to get those two together for at least two years if you look at the truth of it Kyrano."
"I think the two of them were meant to be Mr. Tracy even without the help of your mother."
Jeff looked at him surprised, but thoughts of his mother's interference played on his mind as he replied.
"It may have been meant to be at some point but I certainly have my reservations on when. Anyway Kyrano all I can say is that my mother is one happy lady right at this moment. She's lived for this news and I haven't been able to wipe the smile off her face all night."
"And you Mr. Tracy? Are you happy about this news?"
Kyrano's quiet and direct question floored Jeff Tracy for a moment. His dark blue eyes met Kyrano's and for the first time Jeff noticed they how calculating and perceptive they were. They both sipped their coffee in silence as he carefully thought about both the question and his answer. He put his cup down on the table and intertwined his fingers in front of his lips as he always did when he was collecting his thoughts. Jeff always thought very carefully about the consequences before speaking his mind honestly.
"Kyrano "he began, "I've loved your daughter since the day she came to live in my home. It has been my pleasure over the years to educate her for you and she repays me tenfold every day with her work in my organisation. She is one of the most intelligent young women I have ever met and she is a credit to you."
Silence.
"Mr Tracy. Your love for my daughter has always been as apparent to me as it has been to her. She enjoys her work here and her life on this island. However you have not indicated by your words whether you are happy about her situation with your son." Kyrano said quietly.
Silence.
"Kyrano may I ask your opinion of all of this? You spoke to my son earlier and I have no doubt whatever you said had some impact on him by the way he acted when I got to speak my mind. "he finally said cautiously.
Kyrano did have an opinion of the situation and he'd had an opinion of Alan Tracy too before he'd spoken to him so openly. That opinion had changed.
"I have many thoughts on this situation Mr. Tracy but before I speak I would like to hear your feelings."
Jeff Tracy had been friends with the man he faced for over fifteen years.
They had shared a unique and special friendship over the years, one based on honesty and trust. He knew that he could not be anything other than honest now.
"All right Kyrano. I'll tell you what I think old friend."
Silence. This was difficult.
"Firstly, words cannot express how sorry I am for how my youngest son treated your daughter in San Diego. I have no excuse for him and he has no excuse for himself. I have already discussed that with him at great length. I trust he apologised to you over that?"
Kyrano nodded remembering the young man who had told him that he had married his daughter because he knew their baby needed a father and he had always been grateful for his own father.
In the silence which again followed, Jeff Tracy continued.
"Kyrano I'll be honest with you. I'm not happy about the whole thing. There I've said it. Now please tell me how you feel."
Kyrano shook his head. He wasn't going to say anything just yet.
"Please explain your unhappiness to me Mr. Tracy."
Jeff Tracy sighed. What exactly was his unhappiness? Tin-Tin Kyrano was a beautiful girl. He wasn't unhappy about the fact that she had married his son or was expecting a baby. It was the fact that it was his youngest son that worried him.The one with the least experience in life, the one with the least appreciation of family, the one who would never willingly commit to anything at all let alone stay with it in the long term. This wasn't just anything he had committed himself to. This was a marriage and that baby was the start of his family.
"Kyrano, I raised my sons to put the highest possible value on any marriage they intended to make. They know this means I want that marriage to be for keeps. I told them to carefully consider what they were doing before asking a young woman to make that commitment to them. I don't think Alan has considered this properly and excuse me for saying so but neither has Tin-Tin."
He watched Kyrano who listened intently without a word.
"Damn it", he cursed inwardly. "Don't make me say this Kyrano."
But Kyrano's stillness was like a magnet, meticulously drawing the truth from deep within him to the surface.
"The last thing I want is for them to ruin their lives with this. They've been friends for years but they have not been a couple for long. And that is the bottom line of it for me Kyrano. I don't have confidence in my son's commitment to Tin-Tin and I don't want her to get hurt. "
Jeff Tracy could not bring himself to say everything he really wanted to say but that was at least some of it. Surprisingly Kyrano finished it off for him.
"Mr. Tracy. Your son has loved my daughter for a very long time even though as you say they have only been together as a couple for a short time.However, in that short time they have created a child and that child is my grandchild and yours. Please forgive my directness Mr. Tracy but I feel the bottom line for you is that you have concerns that International Rescue cannot afford to have its Astronaut and Assistant Engineer involved in this way. "
Jeff reddened as the truth was uttered from Kyrano's lips, making his true feelings sound totally selfish and impersonal.
But that was how he felt and that was how he had to be when International Rescue was involved. He had told all of his sons from the beginning that any of their relationships were to be conducted off base for this very reason. He'd told Tin-Tin and Brains that too.
They all knew.
Business was business and he didn't want personal feelings getting in the way when there was a job to do. Doing the job was everything in this Organisation.
Jeff remembered the only way he had been able to concentrate on the moon landing was because he had been able to divorce his personal life from NASA. There would have been no way he could have concentrated on space travel if Lucy had been sat up next to him in that rocket ship. How could Alan expect to do the same thing with Tin-Tin there next to him? How would Tin-Tin give mathematical formulas her undivided attention with Alan staring her down and worse every chance he got?
"Kyrano. I am well aware my son loves your daughter." he finally replied. "And you are more than right about my feelings regarding how this will impact on International Rescue. Tin-Tin does a fine job and so does my son for his young age and until now they have been able to keep their feelings for each other and their work totally separate."
"Mr.Tracy, why would their professionalism not continue?"
"Because you don't know my son like I do Kyrano. Trust me."
Jeff could just imagine Alan on a mission in Thunderbird Three and Tin-Tin up there with him with no restrictions on them. There would be more time spent in the sleeping quarters than concentrating on the rescue side of things. He could hear Alan arguing now.
"Get off my back Dad. She's my wife."
"Mr Tracy I think that I have more faith in your son than you seem to at this moment. Their life personal together will not impact on International Rescue. They are professional enough to realise that."
Jeff lowered his head and frowned. It sounded like Alan had given Kyrano all the answers he'd wanted to hear earlier too. Kyrano was obviously easily fooled by his son's smooth talking. But he wasn't.
"Alan is still very young." he said pointedly. "And he is also very wild Kyrano. I think you should be very careful in assuming that son of mine will settle down just because he's put a wedding ring on Tin-Tin's finger. I just don't want it all to end in tears."
Kyrano still fixed his eyes on Jeff Tracy.
"He will not walk away from Tin-Tin if that is what you are insinuating Mr. Tracy. He did not continue with his plans in San Diego when he could have."
"But he nearly did." Jeff interjected.
"However please remember that he did not Sir." Kyrano continued quietly. "He brought my daughter back home to answer to you and to me. He brought her back as his wife and with their child still under her heart. Whilst it is not how you or I intended it to be, it is now to be. Both of us need to accept this."
Jeff Tracy looked at his friend in the lamp light for a long time. He guessed Kyrano was right. Alan had done the right thing by Tin-Tin without any urging from him. It had been the first responsible thing that boy had ever done when he thought about it. Maybe in hindsight his son could learn to be a decent husband and Father with a bit of his guidance and advice. He had already indicated he was prepared to learn he supposed.
"You know Kyrano, I hate to say it but you are starting to sound like my mother." he finally said and his voice had a sullen tone to it.
"Mrs. Tracy is a woman with much wisdom when it comes to dealing with matters of the heart." Kyrano replied quietly. "Her observations are usually most appropriate"
He reached forward and poured them more coffee as Jeff acknowledged Kyrano's statement.
"I suppose you're right. Mother is one in a million. She tells everything like it is and she's usually right."
He paused for a moment and then continued.
"However according to her at the moment I am some broken down old man who has forgotten about what it is like to love a woman because I'm not jumping for joy and shouting from the highest mountain that her great grand child is on the way."
Kyrano watched Jeff Tracy's face as it contorted a little as the repetition of Josie Tracy's words uttered only a half an hour before, finally sank into his head.
Silence.
"Perhaps Mr.Tracy she believes this to be the truth." Kyrano finally replied.
"Well if she does, she is wrong Kyrano." Jeff Tracy said deliberately. "Mother may be wise in matters of her grandchildren's heart but she has never really known the depth of what is in mine."
How could his mother insinuate that he had forgotten what it was like to love a woman? He had given Lucy Evans everything; every fibre and every piece of the man he was.
His mother was wrong.
There had been no words to describe the love he had felt for that woman. She had held every part of him in the palm of her hand from the first day he had cast his eyes on her; his heart, his dreams, his children. Every time he had made love to her he had given her everything he had.
Everything.
He could not have gone any further within her to show what it was that he felt for her. How could his mother believe he could ever forget that?
Maybe she hadn't. As Kyrano had said, she was very wise in matters of the heart. With those words she had made him remember.
"Kyrano." he said. "I cannot speak about my wife without pain any more than you can speak about Narda but I can honestly say I have never forgotten what it was like to love Lucy. My mother is wrong and you are wrong too if you believe it."
Kyrano lowered his head as the pain stabbed through his heart at the mention of Narda's name. He would always love her despite what had happened. There had been many times when he had tried to work out why his marriage had failed and why Narda had left him. He had been a simple man with steady employment and a reasonable income. He had a modest home and a beautiful little daughter. He enjoyed gardening and walking and meditation just as much as she did. He had told Narda how much he had loved her and they had shared that love together often. And then she had gone without a word. He well knew what it was like to love a woman...and lose her.
"Mr Tracy." he replied. "Mrs Tracy is a very wise lady in her choice of words to you. I am only a simple man who sees simple things and I see the two young people who are our children. These two children have grown up together. They have fallen in deeply in love and have now created their own child. In creating that child Mr Tracy I am sure that your son felt everything for my daughter that you felt for your own wife and I felt for my own."
Jeff Tracy said nothing further.
If Alan had felt half of what he had felt for his mother, Alan had felt everything.
Kyrano went on.
"Mr. Tracy, I have approved of this marriage after a long discussion with your son. Mr. Alan is more than you believe him to be Sir. My Tin-Tin's heart is in the safest of hands. This I know."
Jeff Tracy nodded mechanically as Kyrano continued.
"As for International Rescue. Your Astronaut and Assistant Engineer are more than involved Mr . Tracy. They are committed. Tin-Tin's inability to fly for some months will inconvenience operations but it will not change things Mr. Tracy. She will continue to do her job as capably on the ground as she always has in the air. My daughter is now one of your family. She will not let anyone down."
So that was that then.
Kyrano approved. His mother had always approved. He supposed he had no option but to approve too. There was not a reason he could find to do otherwise.
He guessed he had better get used to the idea of being called "Grandpa" then too.
And so had Kyrano.
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The ocean looked inviting this morning and he was looking forward to his normal ritual; a three kilometre swim out to the point and then around the bay to the other side of the island and back.
Gordon Tracy stood on the stairs leading down to the beach in front of the Tracy Villa and stretched his upper body and shoulders. The pain was bad this morning. He might need some pain killers when he got back.
No, he decided. He'd wait a bit and see if the pain settled down.
He stretched the other way. He groaned a little as his back told him that painkillers were a good idea after all.
"I hate this." he cursed inwardly. "I hate the way I constantly have to deal with the pain from that hydrofoil accident. Why did it have to be me?"
His negative thoughts were interrupted by the return of Alan and Tin-Tin to the villa. Despite the darkness he could see Alan walked hand in hand with her, every now and then brushing his lips against her forehead. Alan look startled when he saw his brother.
"Hey big guy!" he said surprised. "What are you doing up so late?"
"Late? Me? What about you two? Its five thirty in the morning Alan. I call that early not late."
"I'm sorry I didn't realise the hour." Alan replied looking at Tin-Tin. "I forgot to take my watch. I apologise baby. It looks like I've kept you out all night."
She gave him her beautiful smile. Alan tried to ignore the feeling that it gave him in the pit of his stomach. It still drove him crazy with emotion. She was so beautiful to him.
"So where have you both been?" Gordon asked with interest. His honey brown eyes narrowed and then lit up with mischief.
"Don't tell me you've been out on the other side of the island again. You can do that stuff all legal and proper in the house now."
Alan pushed past his grinning brother holding Tin-Tin's hand. He could be so annoying sometimes with his innuendo.
"It's none of your business where we've been or what we were doing thank you. Now if you'll excuse us Tin-Tin and I need to catch up on some sleep."
"So you were doing that then!" he joked. "And in her condition too. Disgraceful!"
"Why don't you just can it Gordo." Alan snapped turning to Tin-Tin. "Ignore him baby."
"Al…"
Alan swung around.
"What do you want now?" he asked annoyed.
"Wanna take in an early wave today?"
Alan looked at his brother's face. It was white with pain and when the pain was obvious Alan knew his heart was in pain too. He nodded in the silent language that existed between them.
"Yeah, why not Gordo?. Can you wait a bit until I take Tin-Tin upstairs?"
Tin-Tin looked at them both. She knew about Gordon's constant battles with the pain in his body…and his heart since the hydrofoil accident. She knew that Alan helped him through them from time to time. Alan never discussed it but she could see the bond he and his brother shared without a word being said. She had known them both for a long time.
"Alan I'll take myself upstairs. I'm all right. You go out to the point with Gordon. Please wake me when you come back."
"All right baby." he replied. "I'll see you then."
Alan watched her go and then anxiously turned back to Gordon.
"You got trouble man?"
Gordon's eyes told him everything. Alan reacted immediately.
"Give me five minutes to suit up."
Gordon nodded. He could always rely on Alan when this happened.
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A GREAT GRANDMOTHER ON COMMITMENT
"Tin-Tin child. You should have been in bed hours ago!"
The voice of Josie Tracy echoed through the darkened hallway as she stood in her night-dress at the entrance to her bedroom.
"I'm sorry Mrs Tracy. I didn't mean to wake you." Tin-Tin whispered. "I'm just going up to bed now."
"Now?" Josie Tracy exclaimed. "Where have you been? It's almost time to get up. Don't tell me you have been out all night with that grandson of mine! What was he thinking with you in this condition?"
"We went on a picnic Mrs Tracy." she replied happily. "I guess we both fell asleep near the fire. Alan woke me a while back to return home."
Josie Tracy nodded with pleasure. A fire meant he had made an effort with her and by her face she gathered there'd been a bit of loving involved beside that fire. Those Tracy men were all hopeless romantics when they were pushed in the right direction.
"I see. So where is my grandson now then that you are here all alone at five thirty in the morning?"
"He and Gordon have gone out to the point."
Tin-Tin could not help but notice Josie's look of concern. Josie knew whenever Gordon asked Alan to go out to the point, he was in pain.
"The point you say? I will have to get his medication ready. Now then young lady; a little girl in your condition and carrying my great grand child as you are shouldn't be falling into bed at all hours of the morning without someone to see to you. Young Alan should be doing that but if he's with his brother I guess I can forgive him. Come along and let me make sure you are comfortable."
Tin-Tin smiled at the fuss Josie was making. This woman was so special. No wonder Alan loved her so much. It had also been a long time since she had been mothered by her. She opened the door to her room and allowed Josie to follow her inside.
Josie Tracy looked at the young girl her grandson had married as she changed into her nightdress. She was a fine figure of a young woman, with a slim body that was full in places where she knew it counted to a man like her grandson. Her body looked as if it would expand adequately to accommodate her great grandchild but Josie worried her hips were a little narrow. That would need to be watched if they didn't want a replay of losing Lucille. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor about it the first chance she got. After what had happened to Lucille, there would be no chances taken with this birth at all. She would see to that personally.
Josie noted there was no outward sign yet of her great grandchild but she knew it wouldn't be long before that flat stomach of Tin-Tin's began to round. Josie folded back the bed covers and invited Tin-Tin to lay down in the bed. As she did Josie leaned forward to kiss her forehead. She took her hand.
"My dear, please tell me you are happy with my grandson."
"Mrs Tracy..." she began.
"Child you are now a Tracy. You must call me Grandma as do my grandsons." Josie insisted.
Tin-Tin smiled.
"All right... Grandma...yes I am happy. Being with Alan tonight was the happiest moment of my life." she whispered.
"He's a fine boy." Josie nodded. "A little headstrong at times and thinks he's tough but underneath my grandson Alan is as soft as a kitten."
"Yes he is Mrs. Tracy. I've known him a long time. "
"Now I said you are to call me Grandma. It might take you a while to get used it to but that's what I want."
"I'll try to remember...Grandma."
Josie looked at her affectionately and patted her hand. She was such a pretty little thing. She had always been pretty. A perfect match for that handsome young grandson of hers.
Her great grand-child would be the most exquisite child ever born if their genes were anything to go by.
"Tin-Tin. You know young Alan loves you don't you." she began.
"Yes Mrs Tracy I do." she said surprised that Josie Tracy would even bring the subject up."And I love him." she added.
"Good. My great grand-child needs that security." she nodded approvingly. "And my dear you must promise Grandma Josie one thing."
"What's that?"
Josie's blue eyes looked intensely into Tin-Tin's as she spoke.
"I don't want to frighten you sweetie but I need to say this. This baby of yours is very important to me. I need you to promise if you are ever worried there is anything wrong that you will tell me immediately."
"All right Mrs Tracy." she nodded looking a little confused.
"It's Grandma." she said emphatically. "Tin-Tin... the last time we had a baby come home in this family, we didn't bring his mother home with him. I don't ever want that again."
Tin-Tin nodded. Josie Tracy was not one to be argued with and she was always a mile in front of everyone.Tin-Tin had not thought about giving birth yet. But she was tired... so tired...
Josie noticed that Tin-Tin's eyelids had started to fall. She put her hands on the covers. She touched Tin-Tin where the unborn baby of her grandson grew silently.
"This new little one will be the one to heal all of it." she whispered to herself. "All Jeff's suffering. All his pain. May God protect you little one and grant you safe passage into this world."
Josie stroked Tin-Tin's forehead until she slept. It was apparent that some fine loving had happened on that beach tonight by her face and she was pleased Alan had listened to her about the need for it.
This little Kyrano girl was now a Tracy woman.....one of their own.
Josie sat on the bed for a very long time thinking. She had made Tin-Tin promise to tell her if anything was wrong but there was still something that made her mighty nervous about this birth. She shook her head and put in down to bad memories.
Surely fate could not deliver the same blow twice in the Tracy family.
Could it?
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PROTECTING THE COMMITMENT
The water was cold and the surf almost non-existent as the two youngest Tracy brothers swam side by side on their way out to the southernmost point of Tracy Island. It was obvious that Gordon was the stronger swimmer of the two, despite the difficulty he had in keeping up with his brother with the pain he was feeling this morning.
Once out to the point Alan sat breathlessly on the rocks and ran his hand through his wet blonde hair.
"Whew! I don't know how you do this Gordo. I'm not cut out for long distance. It sure takes it out of me."
"Long distance is supposed to be your thing dear brother. You're supposed to be an Astronaut aren't you? You know endless days in space like the old man, going boldly forward and all that!"
"I'm talking about swimming smart ass!" Alan snapped good-naturedly, all the while watching his brother. He knew he wanted to talk but not yet it seemed.
"Come on then little brother. I'll take you on across the bay to the beach."
"You're on." Alan enthused and re-entered the water knowing full well he wasn't going to win this one. Gordon was once an Olympic Champion.
As Alan suspected there was no contest. Gordon, now warmed up and his mind focussed on the thrill of a challenge to win was a formidable opponent. He sat on the beach watching his brother struggle the last one hundred metres, his own swim completed nearly five minutes before.
"Pretty boy." he scoffed. "I thought you'd at least be a challenge kiddo. I'm nearly ready to head back."
"Yeah all right you win!" Alan gasped as he left the water and collapsed on the sand. Gordon lay down beside him with his hands behind his head. Alan's breathing finally returned to normal. There was now only silence on the beach.
"Phew." Alan finally said. "I'm not going to be any good to Tin-Tin like this."
Gordon sat up and gave his brother a good natured shove.
"You've never been any good anyway and while you're on that subject Al, what's your excuse then for running off and getting married before you let me organise your bachelor party huh?" he began. "You know what a hoot that would have been!"
Alan moaned. "I can just imagine what that would have been like if you had anything to do with it!" he said as he sat up next to him returning the shove with equal enthusiasm.
"What do you mean? It would have one hell of a night with me running things."
"You? You'd probably have killed me with the stunts you'd have dreamed up. I wouldn't have made it to the wedding."
"But it would have been a great night. Imagine the women and the time we could have had with them!"
Alan's face dropped.
"Yeah I know. But I can't think like that any more Gordo. Dad's told me to grow up and think of Tin-Tin."
Gordon frowned. He'd only been referring to a bachelor party. Alan's last night of "freedom". It didn't have to include women he supposed but he knew Alan well enough to know freedom to him included a night with a woman, usually one he had just met. Now here he was saying he couldn't think like that. The College Lover boy?
"Hey man you only get married once." he shrugged. "You should've gone out with a bang. You had a reputation once you know."
Alan sighed.
"Yeah don't I know it and Kyrano knows it too. He asked me about it last night and I've never been more ashamed in my life to admit how I behaved in College. It's a wonder he's letting me stay married to Tin-Tin after what I told him.
After an uncomfortable silence, Alan continued.
"So do you gather by that Gordo, I won't be having a bachelor party any more than I'll be having a proper wedding?."
"Yeah it was a bit of a bummer about the wedding hey. Tin-Tin's been designing her wedding dress for years."
Alan sighed. "Yeah. I know. Don't remind me."
The two brothers sat silently looking out to the sea. The dawn had broken and the sky was magnificent. The peace out here was wonderful. Life was pretty much perfect on Tracy Island at this time of the day. There were no worries or cares despite the changes they had both been through these past two years. It was heartening to sit in the silence and simply enjoy being brothers. Without turning his head Gordon said.
"Alan are you scared?"
"Scared of what?" asked Alan looking sideways at his brother.
"Becoming a Father."
Their eyes met and remained fixed on each other as Alan replied honestly.
"I've only ever been really scared of three things in my whole entire life Gordo. The first was when you nearly died on me and that was the most scared I've ever been. It totally wiped me out. The second was facing Dad and Kyrano about Tin-Tin, and the third is being a Father. A Dad like our Father. I mean I'm not like him at all am I?"
Gordon stifled an outburst of laughter.
"You? If there was anyone the least like Dad it would be you."
Alan frowned. He hated Gordon's honesty sometimes.
"Well I already accept I'm not and that's why I'm scared. I can't give advice like he can or make things better like he could when we were small. Can you imagine me getting called up to school like Dad did with you and me? Remember the lectures? I couldn't lecture anyone. I wouldn't know what to say."
Gordon grinned. He did remember the lectures and had always thanked God they'd had a Grandmother to intercede for them when things got really bad.
"You should know what to say by heart. You got enough lectures from him little brother."
"You got as many as I did; probably more." Alan replied in a huff.
"No way! You didn't see me holed up with the Principal's daughter in the science lab lover boy."
"No you were too damned busy blowing up the whole lab and saying it was an accident!."
They both burst into laughter at their old exploits and as their laughter died, the two youngest Tracy brothers reflected on the dreadful time they had both given their father.
"Yeah the old man is one hell of a Father Alan. He's going to be a hard act for you to follow." Gordon mused.
"He's always been a hard act to follow. Try and fly in space knowing who he was and with him watching your every move. I've tried to be like him Gordo but he's never let on yet if I've ever met his expectations."
Gordon shook his head at his brother. Hadn't Alan worked their Father out yet after all these years? No wonder they argued all the time.
"If you meet his expectations Alan he doesn't say anything. Think about the lectures. We only ever got them for letting him down. You must be doing OK in the air kiddo if he's not saying anything."
"I suppose you're right. International Rescue has been a bit of a turning point for me with Dad."
"The way you argue with Dad, anything that gets you out of his hair would be a turning point!"
Alan sighed. He didn't always argue with his Father. All four of his older brothers constantly ribbed him about his argumentative nature and how it aggravated their Father. He was tired of it. He didn't argue, he merely stated his opinion. It was just unfortunate that his Father never agreed with him.
"Alan Have you ever wondered what we'd be doing right now if Dad hadn't formed International Rescue?" Gordon reflected.
Alan hesitated before shrugging his shoulders.
"Me? I'd be on the Racing Circuit driving at crazy speeds and risking my life to win a stupid car race. I'd be living in Monte Carlo right now as far away from Dad as I could get. Wining, dining and loving a different woman every night of the week. I'd probably be wasting Dad's money everywhere. I don't know if I'd be happy and Dad wouldn't be but I know I'd be having a good time. I definitely wouldn't be married. You?"
"I'd probably be in New York running Tracy Enterprises for Dad. Let's face it, Scott would still be in the Air Force he loved it so much, Virg'd still be flying all day and playing the piano all night, and Johnny would be so high up in NASA now we wouldn't be able to see him. Who's left to run things with Dad? Just the broken down ex WASP Lieutenant who was discharged with nothing else but his life. Nothing; a broken down body; broken down reputation, broken down heart."
He swallowed, lifted his head and forced himself to smile. "So Alan. I guess I'd be in New York and like you I wouldn't be married either."
Alan saw the hurt in his brother's eyes. He hated hearing Gordon talk like that. They had nearly lost him in that Hydrofoil accident and neither he nor any of his brothers had cared at the time what his injuries were or how fast they said he had been driving or who's fault it was. All they cared about was Gordon staying alive. His body had now recovered for the best part and he had learned to live with pain in his back, neck shoulders and legs. It was only when his heart started to ache that the pain in his body became unbearable.
Obviously his heart was hurting now.
"Gordo you don't have to put it on for me man. It's OK to talk to me about Jezz." Alan said quietly.
"I don't want to talk about her." Gordon replied, turning his head away and tracing his finger through the sand.
"Yes you do. You haven't talked about her for a while." Alan replied carefully.
Gordon sighed and shook his head as he got to his feet and started walking away.
"Yeah well maybe I'm over her now Alan," he muttered. "She's dead and it's no use dwelling on it any more."
Alan watched him walk away. He wanted to talk all right. Well he wanted to talk to him too if the truth was known. He stood up and strode down the beach after him. Gordon stopped and whirled around.
"Alan I asked you to swim with me because my back hurt not because I wanted to talk about Jezz all right?" he snapped.
"Your back only hurts when you think about Jezz Gordo." Alan reminded him.
"Leave it! I said I was over her. " he retorted turning away again. Alan did not move. As Gordon started to walk away he said loudly,
"You never get over something like that you know. You might forget for a while but you never get over it."
"Yeah well I have! She died in the accident and I've come to grips with killing her." he replied without looking back. "I'll see you back at the house."
Alan still didn't move and instead said with painful honesty. "Don't you dare say that to me Gordo because I know you're lying. You saw me with Tin-Tin last night and the bottom line is that she reminded you of Jezz."
Gordon stopped. He waited for Alan to walk over to him before looking at him with real discomfort.
"How'd you know that?" he asked carefully, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The blanket came from somewhere didn't it and I knew it wouldn't be Grandma. She suggests things but she doesn't want to see them work out in the flesh you know. I figured it had to be you and I knew it was when you asked me to come out here with you now."
Alan's blue eyes looked accusingly at Gordon. Gordon looked away. He could never stare Alan down.
"Little brother you cut a mighty fine figure in your birthday suit but after a while it gets a bit much for a guy to take." he replied trying to make a joke of it. Alan did not look like he thought it was funny. Gordon shrugged off Alan's icy stare.
"Besides it was cold. I was just doing the two of you a favour."
"What were you doing out here watching anyway?" Alan asked. "It was late when I left the villa. Don't you sleep?"
"OK I followed you but only to check if you were all right after talking to Dad." he confessed. "And I admit I watched the two of you for a while. You know how it is."
"No I don't know how it is." Alan snapped. " What I did with Tin-Tin is private Gordon. It's always been private and it's more private now. She's my wife. You had no right to watch anything."
"Alan I ... "
"Don't deny it or I swear I'll bust your ass; pain and all. You saw enough to remind you about making it with Jezz and that's sent you crazy with grief again. I'm sorry that's happened but it wouldn't have if you'd stayed home where you should have."
"Yeah well I'm sorry I cared about how you were feeling Alan. What the hell is it to me if Dad gives it to you for knocking Tin-Tin up good and proper."
Alan saw red. He surged forward and grasped Gordon's wetsuit with both of his fists. He pushed his own face up against Gordon's.
"Don't you ever speak about Tin-Tin like that in front of me again." he seethed. "She's pregnant, not knocked up. You make it sound like what we did was some dirty little back alley job that didn't mean anything to me."
Gordon tore Alan's hands from him and pushed him backwards.
"Yeah? Well that's been your style for as long as I've known it Alan. And let's not forget that you wanted the little back alley abortion job done didn't you?"
Alans' hand curled into a fist as his temper escalated further.
"That's none of your damned business just like it was none of your damned business last night." he shouted.
Alan tried to calm himself down. He was furious. How dare Gordon watch him like that and then have the gall to say Tin-Tin was nothing more than "knocked up". He'd gone through hell and high water with her Father and his last night. He'd sat up most of the night trying to make things right with her and he knew he'd be doing that for the rest of his life.
"Tin-Tin will just die if she finds out you watched us. You've made it hard enough for me with her with your stupid jokes. You've photographed us kissing and handed pictures out all over the house. You've copied private letters she wrote to me and wrapped everyone's Christmas gifts in them. You put those stupid condoms in my shopping bags so I'd unpack them in front of her and her father. Your jokes aren't funny any more Gordon and last night's effort was the least funny of all. It was an intrusion in my life. And I never intruded with you and Jezz. Ever."
Alan swung around and faced the ocean, his arms folded and his face scarlet.
"Alan I'm not going to tell her and I never was." Gordon said as his brother's words fired into his head like bullets from a gun. He had never intended to tell either of them what he had seen.
"As if you wouldn't tell her!" Alan snapped turning back to face him. "You can't help yourself if you think there's a laugh in it for someone at my expense or Tin-Tin's. Gordo you and Jezz made out in Dad's bed when he was away on business just so you could brag that you'd done it in the old man's territory. I covered for you then so Grandma wouldn't catch you at it. I sure as hell didn't watch you. What gives you the right to think you can watch me?"
"Alan..."
"Shut up.Just don't say anything." Alan fumed. "I came out here knowing you'd seen us but despite that I was happy to just sit and listen to you talk about Jezz. I didn't come out here to hear you cheapen my wife or bad mouth me. I know you're hurting Gordon and I care about that, so if you want to talk start now and I'll listen. But I don't have all day. I've got a lot of making up to do with Tin-Tin and both Dad and Kyrano are watching me like a hawk to make sure I do it."
There was a stunned silence between them. They had never argued before. Not like this.
Gordon swallowed. He didn't know if he liked the Alan Tracy that now stood in front of him. The Alan Tracy he knew before would have simply laughed off the fact that he had watched earlier and made a comment that he would have scored ten out of ten for his performance. This Alan Tracy expected and commanded respect for himself and his wife. The Alan Tracy he knew could take a joke in the spirit it was intended. This Alan Tracy did not joke around now when it came to Tin-Tin's feelings. My baby brother has grown up overnight and right in front of my eyes, he acknowledged to himself with regret.
"So?" Alan asked expectantly. "Do you want to talk about Jezz or not?"
Gordon looked directly at his brother with a face of stone.
"Like I said. I'm over her now."
Alan shook his head knowing nothing was further from the truth.
Gordon Tracy entered the blue Pacific water to return to the point. Alan knew he would grieve alone out there for hours before coming home.
Jezz had been everything to him.
Alan regretted his hard line stance with his brother but Gordon needed to realise something important too.
Tin-Tin was now everything to him too.
They were brothers and always would be no matter what.
Tin-Tin was the mother of his child.
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NEXT CHAPTER - FAMILY COMMITMENT - THE BIRTH OF LUCY TRACY - PART ONE
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Thanks for your help Lady Viva. I hope you enjoy it! mcj
CHAPTER NINE - ACCEPTING THE COMMITMENT
A BROTHER ON COMMITMENT
He had sat there for nearly two hours watching them both sleep.
The night air was cold out here and he'd managed to go over there and stoke the fire up for them several times without waking them. He'd gone back to the villa to fetch a blanket to pull over the two of them. He had laid it with genuine affection over his favourite brother and the girl he had loved for the last twelve years of his life.
His brother was physically exhausted and had finally succumbed to his body's dire need to sleep. She was in the early stages of pregnancy where sleep came easily. They slept together peacefully in each other's arms.
He felt guilty looking at them like this. It was their wedding night, the most private thing they would ever share together and he had been a part of it.
He had followed his brother earlier more out of concern than his usual intention to embarrass him. He had been worried about what their Father had said and done to him about Tin-Tin's pregnancy and worse still the marriage bombshell he had just dropped on the whole family. He had only wanted to check that his brother was all right. He and his brother were close. Too close for their own good sometimes he thought as he realised what he had just seen.
He had sat behind the sand hills near the beach as his brother made the fire.
He had watched as his brother had offered her something to eat and opened the wine with a clumsiness that was typically him. He had felt hungry himself right about then too. His own Dinner hadn't been all that good and Grandma's fried chicken looked delicious in comparison. Normally he'd stride down the beach and demand some of it, knowing the two of them would invite him to sit down with them. But he obviously would not be welcome tonight. He knew just by the way his brother was looking at her in the light of the fire.
He could clearly see his brother was all right. He really should have left then. But he couldn't drag himself away.
He had continued to watch as his brother kissed her gently, first on the forehead, then her cheek, and finally her lips. He had listened as his brother spoke words to her that he never thought he would ever hear that brother utter. The words he spoke tore at his heart-strings as he heard them. The pain of hearing them made him flinch.
He had watched as his brother slowly undressed her. He had watched him touch her in a way he never thought his brother would touch a woman. This wasn't the brother he knew. The brother he knew was brash and ardent. The brother he watched now was tender, loving and considerate.
He had watched her touch him. It was obvious she loved him.
Common decency made him turn away as they made love together. He knew the most intimate moment of his brother's life was not intended for his eyes.
Even if it had been, the sight of them would only serve to remind him of the precious moments he had known himself and still yearned for. The moments death had dicated he could never experience with her again.
He had watched his brother hold her afterwards as she slept. Her body was beautiful but he was more comfortable when his brother pulled his coat over her.
He had been too much a part of this night already.
He and his brother had shared a great many things in their lives from the pain of never knowing their mother down to their hilarious practical jokes and inevitable canings from their Father.
However some things, especially this, even the closest of brothers did not share.
The two of them seemed so content like that, like they belonged together. But then, he thought, these two had belonged together for years. Everyone had known it but them.
As he sat there he remembered back five years in time when his Father had allowed the three of them to light a fire and stay the night in this very place together. He had been seventeen; his brother had been sixteen. She had been sixteen too and very pretty. The three of them were good friends back then; to use Alan's lame line, they were all "just friends". They often spent time together.
That night he noticed his brother had acted differently towards their friend Tin-Tin Kyrano. Instead of his usual antics and teasing, Alan had been remarkably quiet and extremely attentive to her. He had sat much closer to her than he normally would as the three of them talked and laughed into the night. He had noticed Alan looking at her in a strange and almost dreamlike way as the firelight danced against the night sky. She had noticed him and had blushed. He had looked away pretending it had never happened.
It occurred to him back then that Alan's look might mark the beginning of something. It turned out he had been right. It had been the beginning of what they had just shared together on this beach. Something shared only once in a life-time.
He also knew he'd been relentlessly teasing the two of them about their relationship for far too long. The relationship was out in the open now so he guessed it was time the joking stopped for good.
It was time he went home himself. He had to get up early in the morning.
Mr. & Mrs. Tracy would be all right out here now.
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TWO GRANDFATHERS ACCEPT THE COMMITMENT
The knock on the door was abrupt and business-like and it was clear to Kyrano who stood outside waiting to speak to him.
"Come in Mr. Tracy." he said as he opened the door and gave him a polite acknowledgement of his head.
Jeff Tracy stood in the doorway with a pot of coffee and three cups on a tray, courtesy of his mother. Kyrano looked surprised to see him with the tray.
"Forgive me Mr. Tracy I would have prepared something for you if I'd known." he said apologetically as Jeff set the tray down on the sideboard of the tastefully decorated sitting room; the sitting room where his son had been summoned not too many hours before.
"The coffee was Mother's idea actually Kyrano." Jeff replied. "And please, call me Jeff."
Kyrano coloured a little. He only had the utmost respect for the powerful man in front of him. He had always been and would always be "Mr Tracy." The marriage of his daughter to Jeff Tracy's son did not change anything as far as he was concerned. Kyrano looked clearly uncomfortable.
"If it does not displease you I would still prefer to call you Mr. Tracy." he said nervously.
Jeff Tracy nodded. He understood. Old waters ran deep with Kyrano. He had just been trying to break the ice a little.
"All right Kyrano if that's what you want." he replied tightly.
Kyrano looked at Jeff Tracy. He was tall, intuitive and wealthy; a man of integrity and impeccable honesty and one who had experienced more in life than most men ever would. He was also a man who had more in common with him than any other man did. They had both lost their wives when their children were young. They may have lost them under different circumstances but they had both struggled to raise those motherless children. Now life had turned a full circle and they were both going to be Grandfathers to the same child.
Kyrano snapped out of his day-dream.
"I'm sorry Mr. Tracy how rude of me. Please allow me to invite you to sit down." he said motioning him towards the chairs. "I'll pour us some coffee."
He noticed the third cup on the tray and appeared puzzled. He looked over at Jeff whose eyes were busily scanning the room. "Will Mrs. Tracy be joining us shortly?" he asked.
Jeff shook his head vehemently. "She thinks that she is." he scoffed. "She put the cup on that tray hoping I'd ask her to come up here with me!"
There was a short pause before he turned to sit down. "...and as you can see Kyrano I have not." he finished with an air of finality. "I don't want her sticking her nose into this discussion especially after the tongue lashing I've already suffered tonight at her hands."
"Poor Mrs Tracy," Kyrano replied trying not to show his amusement. "She will be most distressed."
Jeff nodded. "Yes she will, especially as she's made it her business to be involved in absolutely everything to do with my son and your daughter up until now."
Jeff Tracy always knew how to get right down to the heart of a subject and the subject he wanted to discuss was his son and Kyrano's daughter. He had come here to discuss what had happened between Alan and Kyrano earlier in the evening so he could at least sleep knowing how Kyrano felt about this marriage.
Jeff never dwelt too long on the pleasantries before a discussion. He was a businessman.
Kyrano preferred to stay with the pleasantries. "Mrs. Tracy has wanted my daughter to be more than friends with your son for a long time."
"Now that's an understatement. She's plotted and connived to get those two together for at least two years if you look at the truth of it Kyrano."
"I think the two of them were meant to be Mr. Tracy even without the help of your mother."
Jeff looked at him surprised, but thoughts of his mother's interference played on his mind as he replied.
"It may have been meant to be at some point but I certainly have my reservations on when. Anyway Kyrano all I can say is that my mother is one happy lady right at this moment. She's lived for this news and I haven't been able to wipe the smile off her face all night."
"And you Mr. Tracy? Are you happy about this news?"
Kyrano's quiet and direct question floored Jeff Tracy for a moment. His dark blue eyes met Kyrano's and for the first time Jeff noticed they how calculating and perceptive they were. They both sipped their coffee in silence as he carefully thought about both the question and his answer. He put his cup down on the table and intertwined his fingers in front of his lips as he always did when he was collecting his thoughts. Jeff always thought very carefully about the consequences before speaking his mind honestly.
"Kyrano "he began, "I've loved your daughter since the day she came to live in my home. It has been my pleasure over the years to educate her for you and she repays me tenfold every day with her work in my organisation. She is one of the most intelligent young women I have ever met and she is a credit to you."
Silence.
"Mr Tracy. Your love for my daughter has always been as apparent to me as it has been to her. She enjoys her work here and her life on this island. However you have not indicated by your words whether you are happy about her situation with your son." Kyrano said quietly.
Silence.
"Kyrano may I ask your opinion of all of this? You spoke to my son earlier and I have no doubt whatever you said had some impact on him by the way he acted when I got to speak my mind. "he finally said cautiously.
Kyrano did have an opinion of the situation and he'd had an opinion of Alan Tracy too before he'd spoken to him so openly. That opinion had changed.
"I have many thoughts on this situation Mr. Tracy but before I speak I would like to hear your feelings."
Jeff Tracy had been friends with the man he faced for over fifteen years.
They had shared a unique and special friendship over the years, one based on honesty and trust. He knew that he could not be anything other than honest now.
"All right Kyrano. I'll tell you what I think old friend."
Silence. This was difficult.
"Firstly, words cannot express how sorry I am for how my youngest son treated your daughter in San Diego. I have no excuse for him and he has no excuse for himself. I have already discussed that with him at great length. I trust he apologised to you over that?"
Kyrano nodded remembering the young man who had told him that he had married his daughter because he knew their baby needed a father and he had always been grateful for his own father.
In the silence which again followed, Jeff Tracy continued.
"Kyrano I'll be honest with you. I'm not happy about the whole thing. There I've said it. Now please tell me how you feel."
Kyrano shook his head. He wasn't going to say anything just yet.
"Please explain your unhappiness to me Mr. Tracy."
Jeff Tracy sighed. What exactly was his unhappiness? Tin-Tin Kyrano was a beautiful girl. He wasn't unhappy about the fact that she had married his son or was expecting a baby. It was the fact that it was his youngest son that worried him.The one with the least experience in life, the one with the least appreciation of family, the one who would never willingly commit to anything at all let alone stay with it in the long term. This wasn't just anything he had committed himself to. This was a marriage and that baby was the start of his family.
"Kyrano, I raised my sons to put the highest possible value on any marriage they intended to make. They know this means I want that marriage to be for keeps. I told them to carefully consider what they were doing before asking a young woman to make that commitment to them. I don't think Alan has considered this properly and excuse me for saying so but neither has Tin-Tin."
He watched Kyrano who listened intently without a word.
"Damn it", he cursed inwardly. "Don't make me say this Kyrano."
But Kyrano's stillness was like a magnet, meticulously drawing the truth from deep within him to the surface.
"The last thing I want is for them to ruin their lives with this. They've been friends for years but they have not been a couple for long. And that is the bottom line of it for me Kyrano. I don't have confidence in my son's commitment to Tin-Tin and I don't want her to get hurt. "
Jeff Tracy could not bring himself to say everything he really wanted to say but that was at least some of it. Surprisingly Kyrano finished it off for him.
"Mr. Tracy. Your son has loved my daughter for a very long time even though as you say they have only been together as a couple for a short time.However, in that short time they have created a child and that child is my grandchild and yours. Please forgive my directness Mr. Tracy but I feel the bottom line for you is that you have concerns that International Rescue cannot afford to have its Astronaut and Assistant Engineer involved in this way. "
Jeff reddened as the truth was uttered from Kyrano's lips, making his true feelings sound totally selfish and impersonal.
But that was how he felt and that was how he had to be when International Rescue was involved. He had told all of his sons from the beginning that any of their relationships were to be conducted off base for this very reason. He'd told Tin-Tin and Brains that too.
They all knew.
Business was business and he didn't want personal feelings getting in the way when there was a job to do. Doing the job was everything in this Organisation.
Jeff remembered the only way he had been able to concentrate on the moon landing was because he had been able to divorce his personal life from NASA. There would have been no way he could have concentrated on space travel if Lucy had been sat up next to him in that rocket ship. How could Alan expect to do the same thing with Tin-Tin there next to him? How would Tin-Tin give mathematical formulas her undivided attention with Alan staring her down and worse every chance he got?
"Kyrano. I am well aware my son loves your daughter." he finally replied. "And you are more than right about my feelings regarding how this will impact on International Rescue. Tin-Tin does a fine job and so does my son for his young age and until now they have been able to keep their feelings for each other and their work totally separate."
"Mr.Tracy, why would their professionalism not continue?"
"Because you don't know my son like I do Kyrano. Trust me."
Jeff could just imagine Alan on a mission in Thunderbird Three and Tin-Tin up there with him with no restrictions on them. There would be more time spent in the sleeping quarters than concentrating on the rescue side of things. He could hear Alan arguing now.
"Get off my back Dad. She's my wife."
"Mr Tracy I think that I have more faith in your son than you seem to at this moment. Their life personal together will not impact on International Rescue. They are professional enough to realise that."
Jeff lowered his head and frowned. It sounded like Alan had given Kyrano all the answers he'd wanted to hear earlier too. Kyrano was obviously easily fooled by his son's smooth talking. But he wasn't.
"Alan is still very young." he said pointedly. "And he is also very wild Kyrano. I think you should be very careful in assuming that son of mine will settle down just because he's put a wedding ring on Tin-Tin's finger. I just don't want it all to end in tears."
Kyrano still fixed his eyes on Jeff Tracy.
"He will not walk away from Tin-Tin if that is what you are insinuating Mr. Tracy. He did not continue with his plans in San Diego when he could have."
"But he nearly did." Jeff interjected.
"However please remember that he did not Sir." Kyrano continued quietly. "He brought my daughter back home to answer to you and to me. He brought her back as his wife and with their child still under her heart. Whilst it is not how you or I intended it to be, it is now to be. Both of us need to accept this."
Jeff Tracy looked at his friend in the lamp light for a long time. He guessed Kyrano was right. Alan had done the right thing by Tin-Tin without any urging from him. It had been the first responsible thing that boy had ever done when he thought about it. Maybe in hindsight his son could learn to be a decent husband and Father with a bit of his guidance and advice. He had already indicated he was prepared to learn he supposed.
"You know Kyrano, I hate to say it but you are starting to sound like my mother." he finally said and his voice had a sullen tone to it.
"Mrs. Tracy is a woman with much wisdom when it comes to dealing with matters of the heart." Kyrano replied quietly. "Her observations are usually most appropriate"
He reached forward and poured them more coffee as Jeff acknowledged Kyrano's statement.
"I suppose you're right. Mother is one in a million. She tells everything like it is and she's usually right."
He paused for a moment and then continued.
"However according to her at the moment I am some broken down old man who has forgotten about what it is like to love a woman because I'm not jumping for joy and shouting from the highest mountain that her great grand child is on the way."
Kyrano watched Jeff Tracy's face as it contorted a little as the repetition of Josie Tracy's words uttered only a half an hour before, finally sank into his head.
Silence.
"Perhaps Mr.Tracy she believes this to be the truth." Kyrano finally replied.
"Well if she does, she is wrong Kyrano." Jeff Tracy said deliberately. "Mother may be wise in matters of her grandchildren's heart but she has never really known the depth of what is in mine."
How could his mother insinuate that he had forgotten what it was like to love a woman? He had given Lucy Evans everything; every fibre and every piece of the man he was.
His mother was wrong.
There had been no words to describe the love he had felt for that woman. She had held every part of him in the palm of her hand from the first day he had cast his eyes on her; his heart, his dreams, his children. Every time he had made love to her he had given her everything he had.
Everything.
He could not have gone any further within her to show what it was that he felt for her. How could his mother believe he could ever forget that?
Maybe she hadn't. As Kyrano had said, she was very wise in matters of the heart. With those words she had made him remember.
"Kyrano." he said. "I cannot speak about my wife without pain any more than you can speak about Narda but I can honestly say I have never forgotten what it was like to love Lucy. My mother is wrong and you are wrong too if you believe it."
Kyrano lowered his head as the pain stabbed through his heart at the mention of Narda's name. He would always love her despite what had happened. There had been many times when he had tried to work out why his marriage had failed and why Narda had left him. He had been a simple man with steady employment and a reasonable income. He had a modest home and a beautiful little daughter. He enjoyed gardening and walking and meditation just as much as she did. He had told Narda how much he had loved her and they had shared that love together often. And then she had gone without a word. He well knew what it was like to love a woman...and lose her.
"Mr Tracy." he replied. "Mrs Tracy is a very wise lady in her choice of words to you. I am only a simple man who sees simple things and I see the two young people who are our children. These two children have grown up together. They have fallen in deeply in love and have now created their own child. In creating that child Mr Tracy I am sure that your son felt everything for my daughter that you felt for your own wife and I felt for my own."
Jeff Tracy said nothing further.
If Alan had felt half of what he had felt for his mother, Alan had felt everything.
Kyrano went on.
"Mr. Tracy, I have approved of this marriage after a long discussion with your son. Mr. Alan is more than you believe him to be Sir. My Tin-Tin's heart is in the safest of hands. This I know."
Jeff Tracy nodded mechanically as Kyrano continued.
"As for International Rescue. Your Astronaut and Assistant Engineer are more than involved Mr . Tracy. They are committed. Tin-Tin's inability to fly for some months will inconvenience operations but it will not change things Mr. Tracy. She will continue to do her job as capably on the ground as she always has in the air. My daughter is now one of your family. She will not let anyone down."
So that was that then.
Kyrano approved. His mother had always approved. He supposed he had no option but to approve too. There was not a reason he could find to do otherwise.
He guessed he had better get used to the idea of being called "Grandpa" then too.
And so had Kyrano.
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The ocean looked inviting this morning and he was looking forward to his normal ritual; a three kilometre swim out to the point and then around the bay to the other side of the island and back.
Gordon Tracy stood on the stairs leading down to the beach in front of the Tracy Villa and stretched his upper body and shoulders. The pain was bad this morning. He might need some pain killers when he got back.
No, he decided. He'd wait a bit and see if the pain settled down.
He stretched the other way. He groaned a little as his back told him that painkillers were a good idea after all.
"I hate this." he cursed inwardly. "I hate the way I constantly have to deal with the pain from that hydrofoil accident. Why did it have to be me?"
His negative thoughts were interrupted by the return of Alan and Tin-Tin to the villa. Despite the darkness he could see Alan walked hand in hand with her, every now and then brushing his lips against her forehead. Alan look startled when he saw his brother.
"Hey big guy!" he said surprised. "What are you doing up so late?"
"Late? Me? What about you two? Its five thirty in the morning Alan. I call that early not late."
"I'm sorry I didn't realise the hour." Alan replied looking at Tin-Tin. "I forgot to take my watch. I apologise baby. It looks like I've kept you out all night."
She gave him her beautiful smile. Alan tried to ignore the feeling that it gave him in the pit of his stomach. It still drove him crazy with emotion. She was so beautiful to him.
"So where have you both been?" Gordon asked with interest. His honey brown eyes narrowed and then lit up with mischief.
"Don't tell me you've been out on the other side of the island again. You can do that stuff all legal and proper in the house now."
Alan pushed past his grinning brother holding Tin-Tin's hand. He could be so annoying sometimes with his innuendo.
"It's none of your business where we've been or what we were doing thank you. Now if you'll excuse us Tin-Tin and I need to catch up on some sleep."
"So you were doing that then!" he joked. "And in her condition too. Disgraceful!"
"Why don't you just can it Gordo." Alan snapped turning to Tin-Tin. "Ignore him baby."
"Al…"
Alan swung around.
"What do you want now?" he asked annoyed.
"Wanna take in an early wave today?"
Alan looked at his brother's face. It was white with pain and when the pain was obvious Alan knew his heart was in pain too. He nodded in the silent language that existed between them.
"Yeah, why not Gordo?. Can you wait a bit until I take Tin-Tin upstairs?"
Tin-Tin looked at them both. She knew about Gordon's constant battles with the pain in his body…and his heart since the hydrofoil accident. She knew that Alan helped him through them from time to time. Alan never discussed it but she could see the bond he and his brother shared without a word being said. She had known them both for a long time.
"Alan I'll take myself upstairs. I'm all right. You go out to the point with Gordon. Please wake me when you come back."
"All right baby." he replied. "I'll see you then."
Alan watched her go and then anxiously turned back to Gordon.
"You got trouble man?"
Gordon's eyes told him everything. Alan reacted immediately.
"Give me five minutes to suit up."
Gordon nodded. He could always rely on Alan when this happened.
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A GREAT GRANDMOTHER ON COMMITMENT
"Tin-Tin child. You should have been in bed hours ago!"
The voice of Josie Tracy echoed through the darkened hallway as she stood in her night-dress at the entrance to her bedroom.
"I'm sorry Mrs Tracy. I didn't mean to wake you." Tin-Tin whispered. "I'm just going up to bed now."
"Now?" Josie Tracy exclaimed. "Where have you been? It's almost time to get up. Don't tell me you have been out all night with that grandson of mine! What was he thinking with you in this condition?"
"We went on a picnic Mrs Tracy." she replied happily. "I guess we both fell asleep near the fire. Alan woke me a while back to return home."
Josie Tracy nodded with pleasure. A fire meant he had made an effort with her and by her face she gathered there'd been a bit of loving involved beside that fire. Those Tracy men were all hopeless romantics when they were pushed in the right direction.
"I see. So where is my grandson now then that you are here all alone at five thirty in the morning?"
"He and Gordon have gone out to the point."
Tin-Tin could not help but notice Josie's look of concern. Josie knew whenever Gordon asked Alan to go out to the point, he was in pain.
"The point you say? I will have to get his medication ready. Now then young lady; a little girl in your condition and carrying my great grand child as you are shouldn't be falling into bed at all hours of the morning without someone to see to you. Young Alan should be doing that but if he's with his brother I guess I can forgive him. Come along and let me make sure you are comfortable."
Tin-Tin smiled at the fuss Josie was making. This woman was so special. No wonder Alan loved her so much. It had also been a long time since she had been mothered by her. She opened the door to her room and allowed Josie to follow her inside.
Josie Tracy looked at the young girl her grandson had married as she changed into her nightdress. She was a fine figure of a young woman, with a slim body that was full in places where she knew it counted to a man like her grandson. Her body looked as if it would expand adequately to accommodate her great grandchild but Josie worried her hips were a little narrow. That would need to be watched if they didn't want a replay of losing Lucille. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor about it the first chance she got. After what had happened to Lucille, there would be no chances taken with this birth at all. She would see to that personally.
Josie noted there was no outward sign yet of her great grandchild but she knew it wouldn't be long before that flat stomach of Tin-Tin's began to round. Josie folded back the bed covers and invited Tin-Tin to lay down in the bed. As she did Josie leaned forward to kiss her forehead. She took her hand.
"My dear, please tell me you are happy with my grandson."
"Mrs Tracy..." she began.
"Child you are now a Tracy. You must call me Grandma as do my grandsons." Josie insisted.
Tin-Tin smiled.
"All right... Grandma...yes I am happy. Being with Alan tonight was the happiest moment of my life." she whispered.
"He's a fine boy." Josie nodded. "A little headstrong at times and thinks he's tough but underneath my grandson Alan is as soft as a kitten."
"Yes he is Mrs. Tracy. I've known him a long time. "
"Now I said you are to call me Grandma. It might take you a while to get used it to but that's what I want."
"I'll try to remember...Grandma."
Josie looked at her affectionately and patted her hand. She was such a pretty little thing. She had always been pretty. A perfect match for that handsome young grandson of hers.
Her great grand-child would be the most exquisite child ever born if their genes were anything to go by.
"Tin-Tin. You know young Alan loves you don't you." she began.
"Yes Mrs Tracy I do." she said surprised that Josie Tracy would even bring the subject up."And I love him." she added.
"Good. My great grand-child needs that security." she nodded approvingly. "And my dear you must promise Grandma Josie one thing."
"What's that?"
Josie's blue eyes looked intensely into Tin-Tin's as she spoke.
"I don't want to frighten you sweetie but I need to say this. This baby of yours is very important to me. I need you to promise if you are ever worried there is anything wrong that you will tell me immediately."
"All right Mrs Tracy." she nodded looking a little confused.
"It's Grandma." she said emphatically. "Tin-Tin... the last time we had a baby come home in this family, we didn't bring his mother home with him. I don't ever want that again."
Tin-Tin nodded. Josie Tracy was not one to be argued with and she was always a mile in front of everyone.Tin-Tin had not thought about giving birth yet. But she was tired... so tired...
Josie noticed that Tin-Tin's eyelids had started to fall. She put her hands on the covers. She touched Tin-Tin where the unborn baby of her grandson grew silently.
"This new little one will be the one to heal all of it." she whispered to herself. "All Jeff's suffering. All his pain. May God protect you little one and grant you safe passage into this world."
Josie stroked Tin-Tin's forehead until she slept. It was apparent that some fine loving had happened on that beach tonight by her face and she was pleased Alan had listened to her about the need for it.
This little Kyrano girl was now a Tracy woman.....one of their own.
Josie sat on the bed for a very long time thinking. She had made Tin-Tin promise to tell her if anything was wrong but there was still something that made her mighty nervous about this birth. She shook her head and put in down to bad memories.
Surely fate could not deliver the same blow twice in the Tracy family.
Could it?
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PROTECTING THE COMMITMENT
The water was cold and the surf almost non-existent as the two youngest Tracy brothers swam side by side on their way out to the southernmost point of Tracy Island. It was obvious that Gordon was the stronger swimmer of the two, despite the difficulty he had in keeping up with his brother with the pain he was feeling this morning.
Once out to the point Alan sat breathlessly on the rocks and ran his hand through his wet blonde hair.
"Whew! I don't know how you do this Gordo. I'm not cut out for long distance. It sure takes it out of me."
"Long distance is supposed to be your thing dear brother. You're supposed to be an Astronaut aren't you? You know endless days in space like the old man, going boldly forward and all that!"
"I'm talking about swimming smart ass!" Alan snapped good-naturedly, all the while watching his brother. He knew he wanted to talk but not yet it seemed.
"Come on then little brother. I'll take you on across the bay to the beach."
"You're on." Alan enthused and re-entered the water knowing full well he wasn't going to win this one. Gordon was once an Olympic Champion.
As Alan suspected there was no contest. Gordon, now warmed up and his mind focussed on the thrill of a challenge to win was a formidable opponent. He sat on the beach watching his brother struggle the last one hundred metres, his own swim completed nearly five minutes before.
"Pretty boy." he scoffed. "I thought you'd at least be a challenge kiddo. I'm nearly ready to head back."
"Yeah all right you win!" Alan gasped as he left the water and collapsed on the sand. Gordon lay down beside him with his hands behind his head. Alan's breathing finally returned to normal. There was now only silence on the beach.
"Phew." Alan finally said. "I'm not going to be any good to Tin-Tin like this."
Gordon sat up and gave his brother a good natured shove.
"You've never been any good anyway and while you're on that subject Al, what's your excuse then for running off and getting married before you let me organise your bachelor party huh?" he began. "You know what a hoot that would have been!"
Alan moaned. "I can just imagine what that would have been like if you had anything to do with it!" he said as he sat up next to him returning the shove with equal enthusiasm.
"What do you mean? It would have one hell of a night with me running things."
"You? You'd probably have killed me with the stunts you'd have dreamed up. I wouldn't have made it to the wedding."
"But it would have been a great night. Imagine the women and the time we could have had with them!"
Alan's face dropped.
"Yeah I know. But I can't think like that any more Gordo. Dad's told me to grow up and think of Tin-Tin."
Gordon frowned. He'd only been referring to a bachelor party. Alan's last night of "freedom". It didn't have to include women he supposed but he knew Alan well enough to know freedom to him included a night with a woman, usually one he had just met. Now here he was saying he couldn't think like that. The College Lover boy?
"Hey man you only get married once." he shrugged. "You should've gone out with a bang. You had a reputation once you know."
Alan sighed.
"Yeah don't I know it and Kyrano knows it too. He asked me about it last night and I've never been more ashamed in my life to admit how I behaved in College. It's a wonder he's letting me stay married to Tin-Tin after what I told him.
After an uncomfortable silence, Alan continued.
"So do you gather by that Gordo, I won't be having a bachelor party any more than I'll be having a proper wedding?."
"Yeah it was a bit of a bummer about the wedding hey. Tin-Tin's been designing her wedding dress for years."
Alan sighed. "Yeah. I know. Don't remind me."
The two brothers sat silently looking out to the sea. The dawn had broken and the sky was magnificent. The peace out here was wonderful. Life was pretty much perfect on Tracy Island at this time of the day. There were no worries or cares despite the changes they had both been through these past two years. It was heartening to sit in the silence and simply enjoy being brothers. Without turning his head Gordon said.
"Alan are you scared?"
"Scared of what?" asked Alan looking sideways at his brother.
"Becoming a Father."
Their eyes met and remained fixed on each other as Alan replied honestly.
"I've only ever been really scared of three things in my whole entire life Gordo. The first was when you nearly died on me and that was the most scared I've ever been. It totally wiped me out. The second was facing Dad and Kyrano about Tin-Tin, and the third is being a Father. A Dad like our Father. I mean I'm not like him at all am I?"
Gordon stifled an outburst of laughter.
"You? If there was anyone the least like Dad it would be you."
Alan frowned. He hated Gordon's honesty sometimes.
"Well I already accept I'm not and that's why I'm scared. I can't give advice like he can or make things better like he could when we were small. Can you imagine me getting called up to school like Dad did with you and me? Remember the lectures? I couldn't lecture anyone. I wouldn't know what to say."
Gordon grinned. He did remember the lectures and had always thanked God they'd had a Grandmother to intercede for them when things got really bad.
"You should know what to say by heart. You got enough lectures from him little brother."
"You got as many as I did; probably more." Alan replied in a huff.
"No way! You didn't see me holed up with the Principal's daughter in the science lab lover boy."
"No you were too damned busy blowing up the whole lab and saying it was an accident!."
They both burst into laughter at their old exploits and as their laughter died, the two youngest Tracy brothers reflected on the dreadful time they had both given their father.
"Yeah the old man is one hell of a Father Alan. He's going to be a hard act for you to follow." Gordon mused.
"He's always been a hard act to follow. Try and fly in space knowing who he was and with him watching your every move. I've tried to be like him Gordo but he's never let on yet if I've ever met his expectations."
Gordon shook his head at his brother. Hadn't Alan worked their Father out yet after all these years? No wonder they argued all the time.
"If you meet his expectations Alan he doesn't say anything. Think about the lectures. We only ever got them for letting him down. You must be doing OK in the air kiddo if he's not saying anything."
"I suppose you're right. International Rescue has been a bit of a turning point for me with Dad."
"The way you argue with Dad, anything that gets you out of his hair would be a turning point!"
Alan sighed. He didn't always argue with his Father. All four of his older brothers constantly ribbed him about his argumentative nature and how it aggravated their Father. He was tired of it. He didn't argue, he merely stated his opinion. It was just unfortunate that his Father never agreed with him.
"Alan Have you ever wondered what we'd be doing right now if Dad hadn't formed International Rescue?" Gordon reflected.
Alan hesitated before shrugging his shoulders.
"Me? I'd be on the Racing Circuit driving at crazy speeds and risking my life to win a stupid car race. I'd be living in Monte Carlo right now as far away from Dad as I could get. Wining, dining and loving a different woman every night of the week. I'd probably be wasting Dad's money everywhere. I don't know if I'd be happy and Dad wouldn't be but I know I'd be having a good time. I definitely wouldn't be married. You?"
"I'd probably be in New York running Tracy Enterprises for Dad. Let's face it, Scott would still be in the Air Force he loved it so much, Virg'd still be flying all day and playing the piano all night, and Johnny would be so high up in NASA now we wouldn't be able to see him. Who's left to run things with Dad? Just the broken down ex WASP Lieutenant who was discharged with nothing else but his life. Nothing; a broken down body; broken down reputation, broken down heart."
He swallowed, lifted his head and forced himself to smile. "So Alan. I guess I'd be in New York and like you I wouldn't be married either."
Alan saw the hurt in his brother's eyes. He hated hearing Gordon talk like that. They had nearly lost him in that Hydrofoil accident and neither he nor any of his brothers had cared at the time what his injuries were or how fast they said he had been driving or who's fault it was. All they cared about was Gordon staying alive. His body had now recovered for the best part and he had learned to live with pain in his back, neck shoulders and legs. It was only when his heart started to ache that the pain in his body became unbearable.
Obviously his heart was hurting now.
"Gordo you don't have to put it on for me man. It's OK to talk to me about Jezz." Alan said quietly.
"I don't want to talk about her." Gordon replied, turning his head away and tracing his finger through the sand.
"Yes you do. You haven't talked about her for a while." Alan replied carefully.
Gordon sighed and shook his head as he got to his feet and started walking away.
"Yeah well maybe I'm over her now Alan," he muttered. "She's dead and it's no use dwelling on it any more."
Alan watched him walk away. He wanted to talk all right. Well he wanted to talk to him too if the truth was known. He stood up and strode down the beach after him. Gordon stopped and whirled around.
"Alan I asked you to swim with me because my back hurt not because I wanted to talk about Jezz all right?" he snapped.
"Your back only hurts when you think about Jezz Gordo." Alan reminded him.
"Leave it! I said I was over her. " he retorted turning away again. Alan did not move. As Gordon started to walk away he said loudly,
"You never get over something like that you know. You might forget for a while but you never get over it."
"Yeah well I have! She died in the accident and I've come to grips with killing her." he replied without looking back. "I'll see you back at the house."
Alan still didn't move and instead said with painful honesty. "Don't you dare say that to me Gordo because I know you're lying. You saw me with Tin-Tin last night and the bottom line is that she reminded you of Jezz."
Gordon stopped. He waited for Alan to walk over to him before looking at him with real discomfort.
"How'd you know that?" he asked carefully, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The blanket came from somewhere didn't it and I knew it wouldn't be Grandma. She suggests things but she doesn't want to see them work out in the flesh you know. I figured it had to be you and I knew it was when you asked me to come out here with you now."
Alan's blue eyes looked accusingly at Gordon. Gordon looked away. He could never stare Alan down.
"Little brother you cut a mighty fine figure in your birthday suit but after a while it gets a bit much for a guy to take." he replied trying to make a joke of it. Alan did not look like he thought it was funny. Gordon shrugged off Alan's icy stare.
"Besides it was cold. I was just doing the two of you a favour."
"What were you doing out here watching anyway?" Alan asked. "It was late when I left the villa. Don't you sleep?"
"OK I followed you but only to check if you were all right after talking to Dad." he confessed. "And I admit I watched the two of you for a while. You know how it is."
"No I don't know how it is." Alan snapped. " What I did with Tin-Tin is private Gordon. It's always been private and it's more private now. She's my wife. You had no right to watch anything."
"Alan I ... "
"Don't deny it or I swear I'll bust your ass; pain and all. You saw enough to remind you about making it with Jezz and that's sent you crazy with grief again. I'm sorry that's happened but it wouldn't have if you'd stayed home where you should have."
"Yeah well I'm sorry I cared about how you were feeling Alan. What the hell is it to me if Dad gives it to you for knocking Tin-Tin up good and proper."
Alan saw red. He surged forward and grasped Gordon's wetsuit with both of his fists. He pushed his own face up against Gordon's.
"Don't you ever speak about Tin-Tin like that in front of me again." he seethed. "She's pregnant, not knocked up. You make it sound like what we did was some dirty little back alley job that didn't mean anything to me."
Gordon tore Alan's hands from him and pushed him backwards.
"Yeah? Well that's been your style for as long as I've known it Alan. And let's not forget that you wanted the little back alley abortion job done didn't you?"
Alans' hand curled into a fist as his temper escalated further.
"That's none of your damned business just like it was none of your damned business last night." he shouted.
Alan tried to calm himself down. He was furious. How dare Gordon watch him like that and then have the gall to say Tin-Tin was nothing more than "knocked up". He'd gone through hell and high water with her Father and his last night. He'd sat up most of the night trying to make things right with her and he knew he'd be doing that for the rest of his life.
"Tin-Tin will just die if she finds out you watched us. You've made it hard enough for me with her with your stupid jokes. You've photographed us kissing and handed pictures out all over the house. You've copied private letters she wrote to me and wrapped everyone's Christmas gifts in them. You put those stupid condoms in my shopping bags so I'd unpack them in front of her and her father. Your jokes aren't funny any more Gordon and last night's effort was the least funny of all. It was an intrusion in my life. And I never intruded with you and Jezz. Ever."
Alan swung around and faced the ocean, his arms folded and his face scarlet.
"Alan I'm not going to tell her and I never was." Gordon said as his brother's words fired into his head like bullets from a gun. He had never intended to tell either of them what he had seen.
"As if you wouldn't tell her!" Alan snapped turning back to face him. "You can't help yourself if you think there's a laugh in it for someone at my expense or Tin-Tin's. Gordo you and Jezz made out in Dad's bed when he was away on business just so you could brag that you'd done it in the old man's territory. I covered for you then so Grandma wouldn't catch you at it. I sure as hell didn't watch you. What gives you the right to think you can watch me?"
"Alan..."
"Shut up.Just don't say anything." Alan fumed. "I came out here knowing you'd seen us but despite that I was happy to just sit and listen to you talk about Jezz. I didn't come out here to hear you cheapen my wife or bad mouth me. I know you're hurting Gordon and I care about that, so if you want to talk start now and I'll listen. But I don't have all day. I've got a lot of making up to do with Tin-Tin and both Dad and Kyrano are watching me like a hawk to make sure I do it."
There was a stunned silence between them. They had never argued before. Not like this.
Gordon swallowed. He didn't know if he liked the Alan Tracy that now stood in front of him. The Alan Tracy he knew before would have simply laughed off the fact that he had watched earlier and made a comment that he would have scored ten out of ten for his performance. This Alan Tracy expected and commanded respect for himself and his wife. The Alan Tracy he knew could take a joke in the spirit it was intended. This Alan Tracy did not joke around now when it came to Tin-Tin's feelings. My baby brother has grown up overnight and right in front of my eyes, he acknowledged to himself with regret.
"So?" Alan asked expectantly. "Do you want to talk about Jezz or not?"
Gordon looked directly at his brother with a face of stone.
"Like I said. I'm over her now."
Alan shook his head knowing nothing was further from the truth.
Gordon Tracy entered the blue Pacific water to return to the point. Alan knew he would grieve alone out there for hours before coming home.
Jezz had been everything to him.
Alan regretted his hard line stance with his brother but Gordon needed to realise something important too.
Tin-Tin was now everything to him too.
They were brothers and always would be no matter what.
Tin-Tin was the mother of his child.
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NEXT CHAPTER - FAMILY COMMITMENT - THE BIRTH OF LUCY TRACY - PART ONE
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