A/N: Hooray for reviews! Anyway um...yeah Halo doesn't remember a lot about the TV show, so they are somewhat movie based, but that's okay because I thought the movie wasn't too bad.

Title: Bonds Unbroken

Chapter 2: Chains

"We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break." Marquise de Sévign

"Alan! John!" Scott yelled, running through the mud and then dropping to his knees in it as he reached his brothers' side.

Alan was holding John's limp body as if in shock, and he was sitting positively rigid.

John's skin was deathly pale, almost ashen, and his lips were blue tinged. Panic-stricken, Scott put his hand next to John's mouth. Nothing, not even a whisper of a breath. He pulled his hand back like he'd been burned. "No...oh please...no..."

Virgil and Gordon rushed over as well, but froze in shock at the sight of John lying limp in Alan's arms.

"No..." Virgil whispered, watching as Scott took John's body from Alan's yielding arms.

"Wake up, John," Scott whispered to his younger brother. "Come on. Wake up." Scott suddenly seemed to become angry, and gave John a little shake, causing his head to roll lifelessly from side to side. "Come on John, this isn't funny! Wake up, damn it!"

"Scott," Virgil whispered, laying his hands on Scott's shoulders, "stop. Please."

Gordon reached over and took John carefully from Scott's arms. He checked his breathing, his pulse, everything, but when he found no signs of life he clutched John's body close, and cried into his hair.

Alan watched them for a moment, the shock and disbelief too much. Then, a few seconds later, let out a despairing and agonized scream that seemed to echo throughout the world, "JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHN!"

The flight home seemed to take forever for the brothers, each one lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Scott, feeling it was his responsibility as eldest, rode with John's body, and led the way home.

He it was who carried John's body inside, "Dad?"

Jeff got to his feet; at first not noticing something was a miss as his sons entered the room. "Hello boys, how did it..." he trailed off, noticing each tearstained and sorrowful face, "What's wrong?"

Scott stepped foreword, John's head resting on his shoulder. He laid him on the couch and stepped to the side as Jeff knelt in shock by his son, taking his cold limp hand.

"John?" Jeff tried, gently reaching up to brush a few wayward blond strands off his cold forehead. "John, it's me. It's dad. Come on, John. Can you open your eyes for me? Please? Please, John, just open your eyes..."

Gordon looked away as his dad, the man he'd always esteemed as an untouchable giant, broke down into tears like a child, rubbing John's hand with his thumb and pleading with him to just look at him.

When his pleading had subsided for the moment, Scott continued, "It was the Hood. He...he strangled him. And we 't..." Scott trailed off, to flooded with emotion to continue.

Jeff didn't seem to have heard him. He seemed lost in his own world, and indeed he was as mages of John as a laughing little boy, a gentle teen, and a man with an easy smile were all flashing across his mind like a movie in super fast foreword. "My John," he whispered, "my poor little boy..." then the invincible Jeff Tracy lay his head on his son's still chest and cried as if his heart were literally breaking into a thousand pieces.

There was complete and utter silence, other than the sobbing and it wasn't just coming from Jeff. TinTin buried her face in her father's chest, while Brains held his son tightly against him.

Then another voice spoke, Alan's voice. "It was my fault. I...I couldn't reach him." And the youngest Tracy son left. No one moved to stop him, for that was John's job, but John wasn't there, and never would be again.

When Lady Penelope arrived a half-hour later, the house was the exact opposite of what she was used to. No bright, smiling, enthusiastic boys, only shadows of their normal selves.

Scott was sitting, staring at a wall, no emotion on his face. Virgil was sitting beside him on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest, tears in his eyes. George was sitting in a corner, looking defeated. She didn't see Alan anywhere, so she stepped farther into the room.

She froze when she saw John, and Jeff still seated beside him.

"Oh my..." she whispered, then, "Jeff, darling, what happened?"

Jeff said absolutely nothing; he looked catatonic as he still held one of John's cold hands.
"It was the Hood," Scott whispered. "He killed John. He's dead."

"Kyano said it was bad," the lady in pink whispered, "but not this bad." She walked over to Jeff and laid her hands on his shoulders. "Come on Jeff. Lets go make you a nice cup of tea."

"No," he panicked, "what if he wakes up and he's scared. He'll need me here!"

Penelope felt her heart breaking as she looked into his tear-filled brown eyes, "Oh Jeff, he isn't going to wake up."

In a dark corner of Alan's room, the youngest Tracy son was curled up into a ball, trying to become part of the wall.

John, his beloved big brother was dead. Never again would he see him smile, hear his voice again, or feel his arms wrapped around him to comfort him. A strangled sob escaped his throat. John was dead, and it was all his fault.

"I'm going to check on Alan," Virgil whispered, feeling he couldn't bear his dad protesting John's death anymore. The middle child, middle child no longer, of the Tracys' walked toward the dark room and knocked on the door. "Alan? It's Virgil. May I come in?"

Alan was silent as Virgil came into his room and he remained silent as his older brother walked over towards him, but when Virgil reached to touch him, he flinched.

Virgil noticed this, and dropped his hand before he actually touched his little brother. They sat in silence for several minutes before Virgil gathered his courage and managed to whisper, "Alan...I'm so sorry. I know how much you must miss him already." Tears came to Virgil's eyes, as he thought about a Christmas, or a birthday without his blond haired, laughing, gentle big brother.

Alan still said nothing. It was as if he wasn't really there at all, like all light and hope had fled from his body just as John's soul had fled from his own body.

"Alan?" Virgil's voice was soft and frightened now. "Alan please don't do this to me. Talk to me, Alan. Alan. Alan!"

In his mind Alan could suddenly see his dead brother and Virgil's voice became John's. "Alan. Alan. Save me Alan."

"Alan! Wake up, Alan! You're scaring me! Alan!"

Alan suddenly slumped forward against Virgil, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"DAD! SCOTT! SOMEBODY!" Virgil's piercing yelp of terror momentarily snapped the house out of its silent mourning state. Everyone ran pell-mell towards Alan's room to see what was the matter.

"What happened?" Scott asked, horrified.

"He wouldn't talk to me and he suddenly slumped foreword!"

Jeff ran foreword and cradled Alan gently. "Come on Alan," he whispered, "its time to wake up now."

"He's exhausted Jeff." Penelope said, "You all are. You should try and get some sleep."

Jeff nodded, tucking Alan gently into bed. "Come on boys we'll," Jeff's voice broke as he continued, "we'll make an announcement to the press and tell all of John's friends tomorrow."

The boys silently agreed and headed out of Alan's room, going to their own rooms for the night, but they got precious little sleep, all of them plagued by nightmares.

The next day was John's funeral, and though Alan was there for all of it, he later was unable to remember the day until late that evening when he wound up outside by the pool.

The star pendant had found its way out from under his shirt, and into his hand. The metal was warm against his hand, and he'd found he wanted, no needed, to see the stars. As he'd walked out beside the pool, searching for the first evening stars, Gordon had come up behind him.

"Isn't that Mom's star?" Gordon asked, knowing she had given it to John and John had always worn it.

"Yes." Alan replied quietly. "John gave it to me yesterday."

Gordon felt rage boil up inside him, that same jealousy he had always felt whenever he saw John and Alan together. He had idolized his elder brother, but the only person John had ever seen, ever would see, was Alan. Without thinking, Thunderbird 4's pilot blurted, "Oh you mean yesterday as in the day you let him die? That yesterday Alan?" Gordon saw the surprise and hurt in his younger brother's eyes, and some part of him felt guilty, but it was a small and insignificant part. "All you had to do was touch him, Alan! That's all! You couldn't even just touch him, after everything he'd done for you!"

Alan yelped when he found himself on the receiving end of a hard punch. Gordon tackled Alan and the pair went tumbling down the steps towards the pool, the star pendant flying from Alan's hands.

"He would have died to save you! Do you hear me, Alan! He would have give anything to keep you safe and you, damn it, you can't even touch him!"

"Hey!" Two pairs of hands entered the fight and pulled Gordon and Alan apart. Virgil held a shocked and hurt Alan, looking surprised himself, while Scott held a struggling Gordon, but Scott looked furious.

"That's enough!" He yelled.

"He couldn't touch him, Scott! He killed him, Scott! Alan killed him! And I'm going to make him pay for it!" Gordon tore away from Scott's grasp, and knocked both Virgil and Alan down, kicking, hitting, and scratching anything he could touch, so blinded by his rage he either couldn't tell, or just didn't care, whether it was Alan or Virgil he was hurting. "Everything he ever did was for you, Alan! He didn't care about the rest of us, only you! And you let him die! All you had to do was touch him!"

"Gordon! Stop!" Virgil yelled and he helped Scott hold their younger brother firm. "This isn't going to solve anything!"

Alan didn't move from his place on the floor, tears streaming down his face. In his mind Gordon's words sank deeply, after all he was right; he just had to touché him and it was the one thing he couldn't do.

Gordon didn't seem to hear his brothers; he just fought against their grasp, and saw that Alan was hurting, and wanting to hurt him more. "How hard is it, Alan, to just touch someone? He would have done it for you! He would have found a way! He'd have done anything for his precious Alan! John was stronger than you'll ever be! It should have been you. Do you hear me Alan? It should have been you!"

"Enough!" Scott roared, now punching Gordon. Virgil jumped out of the way as Gordon launched himself at Scott and the pair tumbled to the ground again.

"Boys!" All four of the Tracy boys froze and turned to see Lady Penelope standing opposite them, her arms folded across her chest. She did not look pleased. "Now that is enough! I don't want to hear any more words like that from ANY of you and I don't want to hear or see any more fighting! Understand?"

Gordon looked ready to ague with her as well, but Virgil quickly clamped his mouth shut. "Yes Lady Penelope. We understand."

She didn't look convinced, but gently took Alan's hand and led him away, leaving Gordon to death glare Virgil and Scott to keep him in check. They walked in silence for a while before Lady Penelope finally spoke again.

"How about you come stay with me for a bit, Alan? I think getting away from here for a while would do you good."

Alan was silent for a moment, staring at his empty hands; not seeming bothered by all the punches and bruises Gordon had given him. "I-I lost mom's star," he whispered, "just like I lost John. I couldn't hold on to it."

Having no idea what she was supposed to say, she led him into the kitchen, where Jeff was already sitting, and sat him down across from his dad, "you just sit here, love, and let me make you a nice cup of tea." She got down a mug, pulled a little tea bag out of her purse, and got some water on to boil, and then turned to the head of the Tracy household. "Jeff, can I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"We can talk here."

She gave him a fierce look, and nodded at Alan, who was sitting and staring at his hands dejectedly. A light came on in Jeff Tracy's head.

"Oh. Right."

Lady Penelope and Jeff Tracy walked outside to talk while Alan sat perfectly still, Gordon's words repeating over and over again in his head. "Gordon's right," he whispered to himself, "I killed John. I killed my own brother. It should have been me."

"I'm worried about him, Jeff," the pink lady told her friend bluntly. "He blames himself for John's death, and that's not good for a boy. Not good for anybody. And Gordon isn't helping any. Now, I want to take him away for a few days, maybe weeks, until you've all had a chance to calm down. Until Alan has calmed down."

John sighed, putting his hand to his face, and nodded, saying, "That may be for the best Penny," even though his heart told him otherwise.

"No problem, Jeff. You just get some rest now. You'll need it."

Alan didn't look up when his father walked back inside and touched his shoulder.

"I'll get my things," he said quietly, before Jeff could speak, getting up and going to his room.

"He'll be okay, Jeff," Penelope offered the worried father, "you'll see."

"I hope you're right, Penny. I hope you're right."

Once he had his things together, Alan followed Penelope down to the beach where Parker was waiting. TinTin and Fermat gave Alan a good-bye hug each and Scott and Virgil patted their baby brother's back before he got into the very pink car.

Gordon merely watched from a distance, the anger he had felt abating slightly as he saw Alan's dejected and pained face. He almost, almost made himself go over and apologize, but then he remember how he'd felt as he'd held John's limp body in his arms, and he then turned away, refusing to look back.

"Take care, Alan!" TinTin and Fermat waved as the Rolls Royce flew away, taking Alan with it. Scott and Virgil looked at each other sadly.

"Will Alan be okay, Scott?" Virgil asked.

"I don't know," Scott whispered, "but we can't take care of him now. We can only take care of Gordon and," here he cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to take care of him, alright."

"Scott." Virgil looked at Scott and sighed. "Gordon is just as upset as the rest of us. He doesn't realise what he's saying."

"Brothers ought to stick together," Scott grumbled, "I was upset when Mom died, but I never did that to anyone."

"He's keeping his emotions inside and it's causing him to lash out, especially at Alan." Virgil replied. "If we help him release his emotions he'll learn he doesn't need to keep them bottled up."

"We never did that though, Virg'. We were always open with each other...weren't we?"

"I don't know anymore, Scott, I really don't." Virgil turned and walked back up the beach.

"Virg' wait." Scott ran up the beach and laid a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "You can't keep it al inside either, you know."

Virgil glanced at the sand before looking at Scott sadly, "What do you want me to say?"

"Something. Anything! This is the most you've said to me since yesterday. What's up? What's wrong, Virg'?"

"What do you THINK is wrong?" Virgil replied. "John is DEAD Scott, and your acting like nothing has happened!"

Scott was taken a back, "What? Like nothings..." Scott looked hurt, deeply hurt. "Do you think I don't care? Is that it, Virg'?"

"Well do you, Scott?" Virgil shot back. TinTin and Fermat looked worried at each other.

"Of course I do," Scott whispered, doing his best to keep his emotions in check, "John was my brother too, but someone has to be the strong one, Virg'. Someone has to make sure this family doesn't fall apart," Scott's voice cracked with motion and tears came to his eyes as he continued, "I'm doing my best, Virgil, but I'm failing."

Virgil saw the over whelming grief in Scott's eyes and was immediately sorry for his angry words. "Oh, Scott," Virgil embraced his older brother tightly. "Being the strong one doesn't mean you have to keep all your emotions hidden, either. Let it out Scott, it's okay." Virgil felt Scott's shoulders shake and he rubbed his back and hair. "I love you, Scott."

Scott didn't say anything, just held his younger brother tightly like he was afraid that if he let go Virgil too would slip away, but he didn't need to tell him he loved him. Virgil knew that Scott letting himself cry, something he considered a weakness and below a team leader, while someone else was watching was an expression of trust and love to great for words.

TinTin and Fermat headed up the beach alone to leave the brothers in peace.

Virgil continued to hold Scott to him, letting him cry out his feelings. "And no matter what happens, Scott, I'll always be with you." The younger brother whispered.

Scott laughed sadly, "haven't you learned by now, Virg'? No one can promise that."

"And haven't you learned, Scott? John promised, mom promised, so I can too. Just because we can't see them doesn't mean they're not here." Virgil pulled back, and then placed a hand over Scott's heart.

Scott smiled down at his brother, and hugged him again. "You always were the one who loved that cheesy stuff." The two brothers both laughed, and Scott held Virgil a little longer before pulling back and ruffling his hair in a brotherly manner. "Come on, let's go. It's been a trying couple of days, and tomorrow we need to get back to work."

Scott headed up the beach first, with Virgil following, but the younger brother paused a moment before looking up into the ever darkening sky that was now lit with thousands of stars and he couldn't help but notice that two stars seemed to shine above the rest.

"Mom, John, we miss you." Virgil whispered, before he followed Scott away from the beach.

End A/N: Wow that's long O.o. Well um...review .