Author's Note - This is my interpretation of things with Scott as seen by his Grandmother. It has a few sad bits in it. Please review if you like it. mcj
CHAPTER 2 - SCOTT - HIS FATHER'S APPRENTICE
He's lingering in the kitchen for a reason.
He usually does when he wants a chat with me. Look at him standing around making small talk with Kyrano while all the time his eyes are fixed on me. He's got something to tell me all right.
Maybe he wants to tell me about the party because he knows I'm about to spill the beans on him.
When I finish up in here I might sit down in our usual place at the bench and chew over what's bothering him for a few minutes. He always comes to me when he's bothered about something to do with his Father or his brothers. He takes his role as eldest son very seriously and being his Grandmother can be worrying sometimes.
But he knows I know a lot of things about him. Things his Father doesn't know and things he doesn't want his Father to find out about.
Nope. He's worried I'm going to spill the beans.
Sorry Scott. Don't look at me with those dark blue eyes of yours and expect me to keep quiet.
Jeff tried that on the balcony earlier. It didn't work and you are so like your Father.
You always have been like him and that makes me very proud.
I know your Father is grooming you as his Apprentice.
Jeff Tracy won't head International Rescue forever.
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The Apple of his Parents Eye
Scott Jefferson Tracy was the first-born child for my son Jeff and his young little English bride Lucy.
I say bride here because Jeff and Lucy had only been married eight months when he arrived. Scott was supposedly born a month premature and of course Grant and I pretended to be fooled that the healthy, strong, nine pound little boy who was our first grandson was not already on the way before those two were married.
Come on Jeff!
Nevertheless Grant and I traveled to Houston as soon as we heard he was born to see him. He was a beautiful baby, the image of Jeff from what we could see with a head of dark hair and dark blue eyes.
I remember walking into the hospital to see Jeff holding him as he sat in the chair next to Lucy's bed. Jeff had such a look of love and contentment in his eyes as he stared down at his little son and Scott, whilst he could not focus his eyes gazed blankly up at his Father. It was a beautiful moment in my life to see them like that.
Life is wonderful in how it allows you to relive your own times. Looking at those two reminded me of Grant holding Jeff in his arms twenty-six years before. I thought at the time if little Scott was going to be anything like his Daddy, the Tracy family was blessed indeed.
Both Jeff and Lucy doted on that little baby despite a few shocks to them both about what parenthood entailed. They were still in honeymoon mode and I think having a child so quickly jolted them into reality about what real married life was like. Jeff was trying to study at the time for his space mission and Lucy was ill-prepared to look after a baby even though she had turned twenty-four.
However she soon got the hang of motherhood despite the night feedings and crying of my grandson. Both she and Jeff learned to cope. Jeff made me laugh by saying in all sincerity that premature babies were a lot of work. Yeah sure! When you actually had one later on Jeff you found that out!
Scott grew into a toddler before Grant and I knew it. One minute he had been a tiny, wrinkled little scrap of a thing that did nothing but wail, the next minute he was walking and into everything with Lucy chasing after him before he broke something else. I was sorry I didn't get to experience much of his babyhood but Jeff had to be in Houston with his career and that was that.
Grant loved dangling Scott on his knee and riding with him on the tractor and my little grandson loved his Grandpa. He followed him around the farm for hours when Jeff brought him to visit. Even though Grant and Jeff still had underlying differences over his career choice Scott seemed to hold them together as a common link. I would often hear Grant giving Jeff advice on raising Scott and Jeff nodding in agreement.
Lucy adored her son and whilst he was quite a bold little fellow, Scott always returned to the security of her arms when he got out of his depth, which was often. They shared a special and close bond as only a mother and her first-born son can.
However the bond that was closer still was the one he had with his Daddy.
It was always Jeff's lap that he insisted sitting on in the evenings which was difficult with Jeff trying to study. It was always Jeff who was required to bath him or take him to the nearby park and only Daddy or Grandpa was allowed to roughhouse on the floor with him.
When Jeff left on his second shuttle mission, life was hard for little Scott. He missed his Daddy, and at eighteen months he had been too young to understand where he had gone. Still mommy had been there but it wasn't the same.
When Scott was joined by his new little brother, I saw the beginnings of his later personality.
He was a very caring little boy much like Jeff had been but whilst he had no trouble sharing things the one thing he refused to share with Virgil was his Daddy.
Jeff wasn't allowed to hold Virgil while Scott was in the room or he'd put on a tantrum bigger than any tornado ever seen in Kansas. Jeff and Lucy tried to ignore the tantrums but in the end it was easier for Lucy to let the baby cry if she was busy rather than ask Jeff to pick him up and upset three-year-old Scott.
Once Virgil was a little more interesting to Scott, he relented a bit and allowed Jeff to do some things with his baby brother. However it just took Jeff to give Virgil one too many hugs or throw him up in the air once too often and he would start up again.
Scott's view was Virgil had mommy and he had daddy. Scott wanted to be an astronaut like Daddy and ride in the big moon rocket that Daddy showed him on the newscast. Virgil could stay home with mommy and drink his bottle.
Nothing pleased Scott more than when Lucy took him with us to Cape Kennedy to watch his Daddy go to the moon and Virgil got left behind with the babysitter.
He watched the launching and counted down like Jeff had taught him.
"5,4,3,2,1. Blast off!" he yelled on the top of his lungs much to our amusement as the rockets engines roared into life with Jeff at the helm.
Then "Lift off!"
Then "Come back soon Daddy!"
Then "Grandpa I watched it for you."
It had only been four weeks since Grant died.
Then "Don't cry Grandma."
Grant had loved Scott so much.
Then "Don't cry mommy."
Lucy was so afraid for Jeff. A moon mission was a much bigger risk for him to take with his life than the shuttle expeditions
Scott watched the television every hour he was awake during that mission, which was most of the time. He could will himself to stay awake for nearly twenty-four hours even then. Lucy had to allow him to have his meals and sleep there in case he missed seeing daddy. Lucy didn't mind as she was glued to the newscast herself for an entirely different reason.
Scott was excited. She was afraid.
Scott saw his Daddy walk on the moon and I don't know if he ever remembers that day but I'll never forget watching him watch Jeff, his little eyes sparkling with that something special that lay deep within him.
"I'm going to be like Daddy one day Grandma." he said excitedly.
I nodded then as I nod now. Yes Scott Jefferson Tracy. You would be like your Daddy.
Well Daddy came home and to Scott's horror told him he wasn't going to be an Astronaut any more. He was going to design aircraft and construct parts for more space launchings. This was not the least bit exciting to the little boy who had watched the big yellow rocket blast off into space. He wanted his Daddy to keep going up there until he was big enough to go too.
Jeff assured him he would still fly planes and once his business was established he purchased his own plane. He often took Scott up in the sky with him and let him hold the controls.
He had to.
Mommy had brought home another little brother to share Daddy with and this little brother was no Virgil. He was hard work and Jeff was forced to help Lucy with him, tantrums or not.
Inanely jealous of this baby, five year old Scott did some terrible things to his little brothers that he thinks no-one knew about even though I know deep down that he loved them.
One dreadful thing he did was to little Virgil.
I was baby-sitting the three of them one evening in Boston while Jeff and Lucy were at a dinner when Virgil who wasn't quite two yet, crawled up on to his parent's bed to take a nap. Little John had been asleep in the cot next to the bed.
Scott had taken off Virgil's diaper while he slept and then woke John up. John's hysterical screams startled Virgil and he ...well Jeff and Lucy weren't too happy about sleeping on the couch that night.
I originally thought I must have lost my touch with fastening diapers but when I saw the condition of it I knew a certain little five-year old had taken it off.
No wonder he was so close to his Daddy. He didn't let his little brothers get anywhere near Jeff for very long.
He started school a few months before his sixth birthday and showed the same extreme intelligence as Jeff. Jeff had already taught him to read and Lucy had taught him to write. He was a keen learner and a born leader in the playground.
His leadership skills were never more evident than when his Mother had an accident seven months into her pregnancy with Gordon. He was seven years old at the time.
Lucy fell very heavily in the shopping center car park and was badly hurt to the point that onlookers had called an ambulance. Scott stayed with his Mother and held on to the hands of two year old John and four year old Virgil while the paramedics attended to her. He told the paramedics his name was Scott Tracy and he lived at 550 Paramount Road and his house was about three blocks that way. His mommy's name was Lucy and Daddy's name was Jeff. He rattled off Daddy's mobile telephone number and said he was in New York on business. He said Mommy's baby was due in April near his birthday.
The paramedics were astounded at the little boy who could convey information with such clarity and preciseness. Most seven-year-old boys would be crying and hysterical if their Mother was lying there hurt. Not this one. They knew they were treating Jeff Tracy's wife and by the look of it they had a premature baby to contend with.
Lucy was rushed to hospital with Scott in charge of his little brothers in the back of the ambulance.
When Jeff returned from New York in a mad panic he listened with great pride at how well his eldest son had conducted himself.
"I'm proud of you Scott," he said. "And Mommy will be too when she wakes up."
Now I know I've already told you about that night Jeff and Lucy made my fifth grandson and I had inadvertently gone back for my purse but what you don't know about is the conversation I had with young Scott after I'd fled the house.
I returned to the car feeling more than a little miffed and he could sense it. He asked me what the matter was. I told him there was nothing wrong. All of a sudden he came out with it.
"Was Daddy kissing mommy again without his clothes on Grandma?"
I didn't know what to say. How was Jeff bringing up my Grandsons if they knew that?
"No. I never saw Daddy doing that." I said. What else was I going to say to an eight year old?
"And he kisses her in front of the television when he thinks we're not watching Grandma, " added Virgil who was nearly five but had a lot of knowledge for a little boy it seemed.
"Daddy must love your mom a lot to spend that much time kissing her." I replied tightly. This was all too much for me but I was totally unprepared for the final comment.
"Yeah Grandma he says that but he still likes kissing Mommy without his clothes on. He does that when we go to bed. "
I held my breath and hoped they weren't going to ask me why. Scott may have been the apple of his parent's eye but he did them no favors that night. They didn't do themselves any favors in my eyes either.
Maybe I should have told Jeff and Lucy they needed to shut some of the doors around the place! Jeff doesn't know I know Scott knows about that.
I don't think Scott even remembers that he knows. Lord I hope he doesn't!
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A Little Boy Lost
That dreadful day came when Scott lost his mommy and whilst I've told you about that, there are few special little things that need to be said here.
Scott cared for his Father so deeply and nothing showed that more than this conversation.
As I prepared to leave the hospital that night to return home Scott refused to return with me. He stood near poor Jeff and looked up at him.
"Daddy. I'll come home with you." he said slipping his hand into his Father's.
"No. Run along with Grandma Scott," Jeff had whispered, trying not to cry. "I've got things I have to do for mommy now."
"I'll help you do them. Please Daddy."
Jeff had crouched down and their identical eyes had met.
Scott couldn't be allowed to be with him when he rang Lucy's mother or when he rang the undertaker and started the funeral arrangements.
"No Scott. I need you to look after your brothers for me especially Gordie OK?"
"But who is looking after you Daddy?"
Jeff had swallowed before hugging Scott tightly to his chest.
"Just go with Grandma son."
"Grandma can look after Gordie Daddy. I need to look after you."
I had taken Scott's hand and said gently.
"Daddy has things to do sweetie. I need you to help me at home."
"Daddy you'll come home won't you?" he had pleaded.
Jeff had nodded at him unable to speak in his grief.
After Lucy died that became Scott's biggest fear. He was terrified God would take his precious Daddy too. He became very anxious whenever Jeff the house in those early days.
Scott coped very well with the funeral, for a little one.
Jeff allowed him to read a passage from the Bible at the service and listening to his steady little voice in the church when Jeff and I could hardly see from our tears was very comforting.
He held his Father's hand as Lucy's coffin was lowered into the ground but despite his bravery at the service, he cried and cried as his beloved mommy left him behind to go to heaven. I wished I could have done more to make it better for him.
He had a bit of trouble relating to Alan at the beginning as he was old enough to understand what had happened to his Mother but I needed him to help me and couldn't have him pretending he didn't have a baby brother. Fortunately, the more interaction he had with Alan, the more he grew to love him. After two weeks he was willing to give him his bottle. As you know that was Godsend with what we went through with our youngest family member.
What I noticed the most about Scott in the first month after Lucy died was his complete change in role. Before Alan was born he was the tough older brother who climbed trees and did suicidal dives to impress Virgil and John. Now he was the caring big brother they could turn to, the one who made sure Virgil had a drink for dinner, picked up John's toys when he forgot, messed about with Gordon in a cardboard box and came when I called him to help with Alan.
And what did we do to show our appreciation of him?
We were so caught up in our grief and dire financial situation that both Jeff and myself forgot his ninth birthday.
Birthdays in the Tracy household had always been wonderful and special events. Lucy always had a party for her boys and even when she had been ill in hospital on Gordon's birthday in February, Jeff had taken over the job of hanging up balloons and organizing games to play.
We hadn't had a birthday since Lucy died four weeks before.
I had been absolutely exhausted that night and had gone to bed early.
I don't know why I woke up but something willed me to go downstairs.
I heard the piano playing.
I thought I must have been losing my marbles from the stress.
It was one o'clock in the morning.
I had to be hearing things.
There was only one light on in the Hall, the one we left on all night for the night feeds.
I peered around the corner into the Lounge room to see if I was imagining things or not, when I recognized the tune.
"Happy Birthday to You."
Then I heard Virgil's sweet little voice singing Happy Birthday to his big brother, who sat next to him crying. When he finished the tune he embraced Scott in the darkness and whispered.
"Don't cry Scotty. Daddy will remember next year."
My hand flew to my mouth and tears spilled from my eyes. Oh no. How could we have forgotten something like that?
I didn't know what to do. Go in there and gather him up in my arms and apologize or wake his Father who really didn't need any more pain right now and tell him he had forgotten the son who loved him with all of his heart.
I scurried upstairs to Jeff's room. Loathe as I was to do it I tapped frantically on the door before walking in and turning on the night light. I knew this would wake the baby and I wasn't looking forward to the screaming but this was more important.
In the chaos that was now my son's room, I saw him screw up his face at the light. His eyes opened and I saw they were still swollen and red from crying. Obviously he had been crying after Lucy again and had not long gone to sleep.
"Mom. What's wrong? I've just got Alan to sleep."
We looked over at the cot in the corner of the room. The tiny bundle in it was stirring.
"Shh Jeff. Everything's wrong." I whispered desperately praying the baby would not wake up. "You have to go downstairs now. Scott and Virgil are awake."
He sighed. "Mom. I'm exhausted. I've got to get some sleep. Can't you see to them?"
"Sweetie. It was Scott's birthday today and we forgot." I told him and watched the horror fill his face. "You just have to get up. He's down there crying."
"Oh no." he breathed, tears in his eyes again. "Mom, what sort of Father am I?"
He quickly got out of bed and pulled on his t-shirt. He paused in the doorway as the little bundle in the cot started to whimper.
"Mom?" he pleaded desperately.
"See to your eldest son." I said as I walked to the cot and picked up Alan. "Send Virgil upstairs and I'll put him back into bed."
Fortunately a little bit of Grandma's singing and a some rocking was enough to stop Alan fussing and I was able to put him back into his cot in a few minutes without too much trouble.
I crept down the stairs and stood in the now darkened hallway in case Jeff needed me to apologize to Scott too.
I could see Jeff sitting on the couch with his back to me with his arms around his little nine-year old. From what I could see Jeff was crying and Scott was the one doing all the comforting.
"Daddy don't cry. It's all right."
"Scott it's not all right for me to forget your birthday. I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't matter Daddy."
"It does matter. You should have had a party and we should have played games."
"I don't feel like playing games any more Daddy. Not without Mommy."
"I should at least have remembered your birthday. I don't even have anything to give you."
"It doesn't matter Daddy. Virgie sang to me and played the piano."
That made Jeff cry harder.
"Your Mommy would never forgive me for doing this to you Scott."
"Grandma says Mommy knows you are trying your best Daddy."
Scott crawled onto his lap then and burst into tears too. He buried his head against Jeff's neck.
"Daddy. Why did mommy have to die? I loved her."
I turned away and went back upstairs. I couldn't watch that naked pain any more.
I know a lot of things but this I know this more than anything.
Jeff was close to all of his sons but the bond he had with Scott was the most precious of all.
If Scott Jefferson Tracy's childhood ended with the death of his mother, the breakdown of his father two months later made sure of it.
He was nine years old.
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The Teenage Heartbreaker
I hated four o'clock in the afternoon. Every school day at four o'clock the bus would pull up at down the road and out of it would step my grandsons. Towering head and shoulders above them all was sixteen year Scott, his dark curls lifting in the breeze, his blue eyes sparkling and his hand in that of a girl.
You might ask what my problem was with that. Well, I didn't really have one other than it never seemed to be the same girl. It got me into more trouble than I care to mention.
I'd say. "Hi sweetie." when he came through the door.
He'd say." Hi Grandma. You remember Cindy or Sally, or Amy or Chrissy or Jenny or Libby or Kelly or...or ... or..."
It confused the hell out of me why every girl he ever brought home had a name that finished with a "y". It was one of those unfortunate co-incidences that kept getting me in trouble.
I'd say. "Of course. How is your Mother dear?"
Today's young lady would say. "My Mother ran off with her boyfriend last week." when I was certain she had a bad case of the poison ivy.
I'd say in a flap. " I'm sorry. How silly of me. I must have been thinking of Virgil's little friend."
He'd say afterwards. "Aw Grandma. The mother of the girl with the poison ivy was at least four girls ago. Why can't you keep up?"
I shook my head. I couldn't keep up with him. Jeff had never been this popular with girls. I guess attending class in a small school in Kansas was much different to attending class in a huge High School in Boston.
Give me the younger boys any day. All Alan and Gordon wanted to do was play baseball. All Scott wanted to do was chase girls... and fly.
Jeff had started giving him serious flying lessons and he had taken to them as a duck takes to water.
"He's good mother," Jeff would say, nodding his head in respect of Scott's natural ability. "And he seems to want to do it."
"Well he will." I smiled.
He looked doubtful, still remembering how hard it had been to deal with Grant's expectations of him.
"I just don't want him to do it because I did." he said looking worried.
"Scott would tell you if he didn't." I said.
He looked out at the Boston sunset as he sighed.
"Even so, it was hard telling Dad I didn't want to be a Farmer. I don't want Scott to be afraid to tell me his ambitions if they're different to mine "
Yes I remembered Grant and Jeff's argument all those years ago, but this was different. Jeff didn't know what Scott had said in the lounge room the day he watched him walk on the moon.
"I'm going to be like Daddy one day."
Still despite the flying lessons, Scott was a typical young man of his age. He enjoyed music and books and girls. Especially the girls.
Well when a young man's mind turns to young ladies a communication breakdown seems to occur between his heart and his head. I knew that Jeff had talked seriously to Scott about women a two years before so he had the information in his head. He just forgot where it was that particular day and it didn't help that his dear old Grandma didn't know how to mind her own business.
Scott doesn't know I know this and he would simply die if he did.
As usual Scott was playing the field with all of the young ladies in his year.
However I noticed that he had started to bring the same girl home a few times in a row. Her name was Adelaide. Why I remember her name so well after all these years is that at least it didn't finish with a "Y". Naturally Scott confused matters by calling her "Addy".
She was an attractive little sixteen year old with blonde hair and flashing green eyes. I did think she dressed a bit provocatively for a young girl still in High School though and naturally that would not have gone un-noticed by that young man. Whilst she was pleasant enough I saw how she acted with Scott. I'd have to watch her.
One afternoon after they had gone to "study" upstairs, Gordon came into the kitchen complaining.
"Grandma. I can't get into the bathroom. Scott's been in there for nearly half an hour. I can't hold out much longer."
I frowned. What was Scott doing that would take him half an hour in there?
I shooed Gordon off to his Father's bathroom and stood in the kitchen debating whether to go and see if he was all right in there. After all where was Adelaide at the moment?
Well, the easiest way to find out anything to do with my Grandsons in those days was through their stomachs. They ate us out of house and home those boys.
I poured two glasses of orange juice and put the glasses on a tray together with some freshly baked chocolate cake. I proceeded to go upstairs.
I passed Gordon coming downstairs from the second bathroom. He rolled his eyes as only an eight year old can.
"He's still in there Grandma and she's in there too. "
I nearly dropped the tray. The bathroom door had a lock on it whereas none of the bedrooms did. I didn't want my Grandson behind a locked door with a girl when he was only sixteen years old!.
I went into Scott's room and sure enough they were both missing.
My mind raced. Where were all the other children? Normally the Tracy household was a place that you couldn't do anything without having an audience. Unfortunately today, Virgil was at football practice, Johnny was at a friend's house and from where I was in Scott's room I could see Alan and Gordon putting together a model plane under the trees in the garden. Scott would know that too. Young rascal. He had probably added... and my Dad's at the Office... and my Grandma is downstairs getting dinner ready.
My natural instinct was to call out on the top of my lungs.
"Scott, Adelaide I've left a snack for you while you study."
However I think I must have been getting worse in my old age. Instead of that I decided to put the tray on the sideboard in Scott's room, creep into Alan's room, which was next to the bathroom...and you guessed it … listen to what was happening.
Can you visualize a sixty two year old woman eavesdropping on her eldest grandson at the door? Have you no shame Josie? I remember thinking that at the time. Well where Scott was concerned I had none but Scott was to have more shame than I was that afternoon.
Now remember Scott, you deserve this. You could have told me about the party in the kitchen before but you didn't so I'm telling everyone now.
This is what I heard...
"Are you sure no-one will come in?"
"The door's locked."
"Do you know how to use that?"
"Sure I do."
"Have you used one before?"
"Uh yeah."
"You don't look like you know."
"I do."
"Well come on then."
"Hang on a bit. I can't get it on."
"Scott. You've never done this before have you."
"I have"
"Well hurry up."
Silence. My hand was on the doorknob ready to rattle it in the next ten seconds when I heard a whisper of embarrassment.
"It doesn't matter. It's too late now any way."
"Scott. That's disgusting."
Now you are probably thinking that I should be ashamed of myself for not bursting through the door and saving my grandson from his first sexual encounter but I think the lesson he learnt from his embarrassment in front of that worldly little Adelaide slowed him down on that front for quite a while.
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THE AIR FORCE
Life turned a full circle in the Tracy family when Scott finished in College and enlisted in the Air Force as his Father had done before him.
The little boy with the fire in his blue eyes who wanted to be like his Daddy had become the man with the burning desire to achieve more than his Father had done.
He wanted to be respected for his abilities and not because of who he was.
You see, he was the son of Top Gun Pilot Jeff Tracy who was plucked from his job by NASA for bigger and better things and everyone knew it.
Most of all Scott knew it and he hated being compared to his Father.
He copped a caning from the other recruits when his natural ability in the air was rewarded with rapid promotion as Jeff's had been twenty-five years before. Scott worried the promotion came as a result of his Father's achievements. Scott knew that Jeff was personally interested in his career in the military and had a lot of buddies who were high ranking in the service.
Every now and then he came close to accusing his Father of influencing his Commander who had originally been under Jeff's command. Scott felt many commendations he received were as a result of connections and not his own abilities. Of course that was nonsense. His Father would never intervene.
Scott doesn't know we know about the time he had to bail out of the five million dollar air force jet before it crash landed into the Atlantic Sea. It happened only three days before he was to be looked at by the Top Gun commander for a certain place in the squadron.
Now as I've said before. Pride is everything to the men in the Tracy family. Scott was badly shaken and lucky to escape with his life. Fortunately he got away with only a bruising to his ego, a black eye and a large dressing down from the Commander as a result of it.
The military made no statement about the incident and Jeff only found out through his connections. As a result, he was uncertain as to whether he should discuss the incident with his son, especially as Scott had lost his opportunity in Top Gun because of it.
I thought he would have at least confided in his Father what had happened but there was no chance that Scott would ever admit to a failure. Even now in International Rescue he hates to fail.
I spoke to Scott most days when he rang to ask after his father or younger brothers. He was very close to them all and even though he was miles away from them building a life of his own it still worried him whether Virgil & John were paying attention in their classes in College and who was checking Gordon and Alan's homework in Junior High.
One day I heard myself ask Scott the question that had changed his Father's life.
"Scott. Are you happy sweetie?"
He sounded surprised on the other end of the line.
"How's that Grandma?"
"I asked you if you are happy."
He became guarded.
"I love the Air Force Grandma but I'm not as good as Dad was in the air and that sticks into me a bit."
I thought he might come clean about the accident at that point but he didn't mention it.
"I'm asking you about more than just your career Scott. You've been looking out for those brothers of yours for years. It's time you tried to find a little girl of your own and thought about raising your own sons."
I had to say that. Grant wasn't here to do it and Jeff certainly wouldn't say anything to push Scott into anything he didn't want to do.
Initially he joked with me about giving enough bottles to screaming babies in his life-time already but then he said quietly.
"I'll only tell you because I know I can trust you. I'm taking things slowly and don't want Dad or the guys to know yet, but Grandma I am seeing someone. I've been seeing her for a while. It's pretty serious."
A very cautious statement compared to his Father's "Mom she's the one", when he fell head over heels in love with Lucy the first time he saw her.
But that was my grandson Scott.
Careful. Calculating. Thorough.
He had grown into a fine man and I hoped that whoever this young lady was that we would soon get to meet her and they would be very happy in their lives together. I began to think about what my great grandchildren might be like in this circle of life.
Scott never got that far in his one true serious relationship.
He got the call from his Father that changed his life.
He wanted him to sign up for International Rescue.
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INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
Resigning from the Air Force to become Chief Pilot and second in command of International Rescue did not present a problem to Scott. In a lot of ways his seven years in the Air Force had been a disappointment to him, particularly the failure to make it into Top Gun.
The problem that surfaced was the fact that in returning to Tracy Island he had to leave behind the woman he had been with for nearly four years.
Jeff was adamant that no outsiders were to be admitted to International Rescue for security purposes. It was to be a family business and that was that.
Scott asked her to marry him. If she accepted she'd be family then.
She said no and admitted she wanted more in her life than just being the wife of a man who lived a secret life in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, irrespective of the role he was unable to tell her about.
I did not understand why and he was devastated.
I became angry.
What more could any girl want but the heart of my wonderful, gentle, generous Grandson? He was a young man with fire in his eyes and a value of his family.
He had already lost one woman he had loved unconditionally when he was a little boy. Now, twenty years on as a man, he was losing another.
Broken hearted and without a word to anyone except me, he returned to Tracy Island to begin work for his Father.
He would have been the most wonderful husband and such a special Daddy if she had only given him the chance.
Now his role would be to save lives. So far he has carried out that role magnificently.
However when he and his brothers sit on the balcony in the evenings in the darkness he sometimes lets his guard down when he thinks no one is watching him.
But Scott your Grandma is watching you.
I recognize the hurt and yearning I see in your dark blue eyes when they glisten with tears as you think about her, what might have been and what you gave up for your Father's dream.
I love you my darling.
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NEXT CHAPTER - VIRGIL - LUCY'S ARTIST
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CHAPTER 2 - SCOTT - HIS FATHER'S APPRENTICE
He's lingering in the kitchen for a reason.
He usually does when he wants a chat with me. Look at him standing around making small talk with Kyrano while all the time his eyes are fixed on me. He's got something to tell me all right.
Maybe he wants to tell me about the party because he knows I'm about to spill the beans on him.
When I finish up in here I might sit down in our usual place at the bench and chew over what's bothering him for a few minutes. He always comes to me when he's bothered about something to do with his Father or his brothers. He takes his role as eldest son very seriously and being his Grandmother can be worrying sometimes.
But he knows I know a lot of things about him. Things his Father doesn't know and things he doesn't want his Father to find out about.
Nope. He's worried I'm going to spill the beans.
Sorry Scott. Don't look at me with those dark blue eyes of yours and expect me to keep quiet.
Jeff tried that on the balcony earlier. It didn't work and you are so like your Father.
You always have been like him and that makes me very proud.
I know your Father is grooming you as his Apprentice.
Jeff Tracy won't head International Rescue forever.
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The Apple of his Parents Eye
Scott Jefferson Tracy was the first-born child for my son Jeff and his young little English bride Lucy.
I say bride here because Jeff and Lucy had only been married eight months when he arrived. Scott was supposedly born a month premature and of course Grant and I pretended to be fooled that the healthy, strong, nine pound little boy who was our first grandson was not already on the way before those two were married.
Come on Jeff!
Nevertheless Grant and I traveled to Houston as soon as we heard he was born to see him. He was a beautiful baby, the image of Jeff from what we could see with a head of dark hair and dark blue eyes.
I remember walking into the hospital to see Jeff holding him as he sat in the chair next to Lucy's bed. Jeff had such a look of love and contentment in his eyes as he stared down at his little son and Scott, whilst he could not focus his eyes gazed blankly up at his Father. It was a beautiful moment in my life to see them like that.
Life is wonderful in how it allows you to relive your own times. Looking at those two reminded me of Grant holding Jeff in his arms twenty-six years before. I thought at the time if little Scott was going to be anything like his Daddy, the Tracy family was blessed indeed.
Both Jeff and Lucy doted on that little baby despite a few shocks to them both about what parenthood entailed. They were still in honeymoon mode and I think having a child so quickly jolted them into reality about what real married life was like. Jeff was trying to study at the time for his space mission and Lucy was ill-prepared to look after a baby even though she had turned twenty-four.
However she soon got the hang of motherhood despite the night feedings and crying of my grandson. Both she and Jeff learned to cope. Jeff made me laugh by saying in all sincerity that premature babies were a lot of work. Yeah sure! When you actually had one later on Jeff you found that out!
Scott grew into a toddler before Grant and I knew it. One minute he had been a tiny, wrinkled little scrap of a thing that did nothing but wail, the next minute he was walking and into everything with Lucy chasing after him before he broke something else. I was sorry I didn't get to experience much of his babyhood but Jeff had to be in Houston with his career and that was that.
Grant loved dangling Scott on his knee and riding with him on the tractor and my little grandson loved his Grandpa. He followed him around the farm for hours when Jeff brought him to visit. Even though Grant and Jeff still had underlying differences over his career choice Scott seemed to hold them together as a common link. I would often hear Grant giving Jeff advice on raising Scott and Jeff nodding in agreement.
Lucy adored her son and whilst he was quite a bold little fellow, Scott always returned to the security of her arms when he got out of his depth, which was often. They shared a special and close bond as only a mother and her first-born son can.
However the bond that was closer still was the one he had with his Daddy.
It was always Jeff's lap that he insisted sitting on in the evenings which was difficult with Jeff trying to study. It was always Jeff who was required to bath him or take him to the nearby park and only Daddy or Grandpa was allowed to roughhouse on the floor with him.
When Jeff left on his second shuttle mission, life was hard for little Scott. He missed his Daddy, and at eighteen months he had been too young to understand where he had gone. Still mommy had been there but it wasn't the same.
When Scott was joined by his new little brother, I saw the beginnings of his later personality.
He was a very caring little boy much like Jeff had been but whilst he had no trouble sharing things the one thing he refused to share with Virgil was his Daddy.
Jeff wasn't allowed to hold Virgil while Scott was in the room or he'd put on a tantrum bigger than any tornado ever seen in Kansas. Jeff and Lucy tried to ignore the tantrums but in the end it was easier for Lucy to let the baby cry if she was busy rather than ask Jeff to pick him up and upset three-year-old Scott.
Once Virgil was a little more interesting to Scott, he relented a bit and allowed Jeff to do some things with his baby brother. However it just took Jeff to give Virgil one too many hugs or throw him up in the air once too often and he would start up again.
Scott's view was Virgil had mommy and he had daddy. Scott wanted to be an astronaut like Daddy and ride in the big moon rocket that Daddy showed him on the newscast. Virgil could stay home with mommy and drink his bottle.
Nothing pleased Scott more than when Lucy took him with us to Cape Kennedy to watch his Daddy go to the moon and Virgil got left behind with the babysitter.
He watched the launching and counted down like Jeff had taught him.
"5,4,3,2,1. Blast off!" he yelled on the top of his lungs much to our amusement as the rockets engines roared into life with Jeff at the helm.
Then "Lift off!"
Then "Come back soon Daddy!"
Then "Grandpa I watched it for you."
It had only been four weeks since Grant died.
Then "Don't cry Grandma."
Grant had loved Scott so much.
Then "Don't cry mommy."
Lucy was so afraid for Jeff. A moon mission was a much bigger risk for him to take with his life than the shuttle expeditions
Scott watched the television every hour he was awake during that mission, which was most of the time. He could will himself to stay awake for nearly twenty-four hours even then. Lucy had to allow him to have his meals and sleep there in case he missed seeing daddy. Lucy didn't mind as she was glued to the newscast herself for an entirely different reason.
Scott was excited. She was afraid.
Scott saw his Daddy walk on the moon and I don't know if he ever remembers that day but I'll never forget watching him watch Jeff, his little eyes sparkling with that something special that lay deep within him.
"I'm going to be like Daddy one day Grandma." he said excitedly.
I nodded then as I nod now. Yes Scott Jefferson Tracy. You would be like your Daddy.
Well Daddy came home and to Scott's horror told him he wasn't going to be an Astronaut any more. He was going to design aircraft and construct parts for more space launchings. This was not the least bit exciting to the little boy who had watched the big yellow rocket blast off into space. He wanted his Daddy to keep going up there until he was big enough to go too.
Jeff assured him he would still fly planes and once his business was established he purchased his own plane. He often took Scott up in the sky with him and let him hold the controls.
He had to.
Mommy had brought home another little brother to share Daddy with and this little brother was no Virgil. He was hard work and Jeff was forced to help Lucy with him, tantrums or not.
Inanely jealous of this baby, five year old Scott did some terrible things to his little brothers that he thinks no-one knew about even though I know deep down that he loved them.
One dreadful thing he did was to little Virgil.
I was baby-sitting the three of them one evening in Boston while Jeff and Lucy were at a dinner when Virgil who wasn't quite two yet, crawled up on to his parent's bed to take a nap. Little John had been asleep in the cot next to the bed.
Scott had taken off Virgil's diaper while he slept and then woke John up. John's hysterical screams startled Virgil and he ...well Jeff and Lucy weren't too happy about sleeping on the couch that night.
I originally thought I must have lost my touch with fastening diapers but when I saw the condition of it I knew a certain little five-year old had taken it off.
No wonder he was so close to his Daddy. He didn't let his little brothers get anywhere near Jeff for very long.
He started school a few months before his sixth birthday and showed the same extreme intelligence as Jeff. Jeff had already taught him to read and Lucy had taught him to write. He was a keen learner and a born leader in the playground.
His leadership skills were never more evident than when his Mother had an accident seven months into her pregnancy with Gordon. He was seven years old at the time.
Lucy fell very heavily in the shopping center car park and was badly hurt to the point that onlookers had called an ambulance. Scott stayed with his Mother and held on to the hands of two year old John and four year old Virgil while the paramedics attended to her. He told the paramedics his name was Scott Tracy and he lived at 550 Paramount Road and his house was about three blocks that way. His mommy's name was Lucy and Daddy's name was Jeff. He rattled off Daddy's mobile telephone number and said he was in New York on business. He said Mommy's baby was due in April near his birthday.
The paramedics were astounded at the little boy who could convey information with such clarity and preciseness. Most seven-year-old boys would be crying and hysterical if their Mother was lying there hurt. Not this one. They knew they were treating Jeff Tracy's wife and by the look of it they had a premature baby to contend with.
Lucy was rushed to hospital with Scott in charge of his little brothers in the back of the ambulance.
When Jeff returned from New York in a mad panic he listened with great pride at how well his eldest son had conducted himself.
"I'm proud of you Scott," he said. "And Mommy will be too when she wakes up."
Now I know I've already told you about that night Jeff and Lucy made my fifth grandson and I had inadvertently gone back for my purse but what you don't know about is the conversation I had with young Scott after I'd fled the house.
I returned to the car feeling more than a little miffed and he could sense it. He asked me what the matter was. I told him there was nothing wrong. All of a sudden he came out with it.
"Was Daddy kissing mommy again without his clothes on Grandma?"
I didn't know what to say. How was Jeff bringing up my Grandsons if they knew that?
"No. I never saw Daddy doing that." I said. What else was I going to say to an eight year old?
"And he kisses her in front of the television when he thinks we're not watching Grandma, " added Virgil who was nearly five but had a lot of knowledge for a little boy it seemed.
"Daddy must love your mom a lot to spend that much time kissing her." I replied tightly. This was all too much for me but I was totally unprepared for the final comment.
"Yeah Grandma he says that but he still likes kissing Mommy without his clothes on. He does that when we go to bed. "
I held my breath and hoped they weren't going to ask me why. Scott may have been the apple of his parent's eye but he did them no favors that night. They didn't do themselves any favors in my eyes either.
Maybe I should have told Jeff and Lucy they needed to shut some of the doors around the place! Jeff doesn't know I know Scott knows about that.
I don't think Scott even remembers that he knows. Lord I hope he doesn't!
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A Little Boy Lost
That dreadful day came when Scott lost his mommy and whilst I've told you about that, there are few special little things that need to be said here.
Scott cared for his Father so deeply and nothing showed that more than this conversation.
As I prepared to leave the hospital that night to return home Scott refused to return with me. He stood near poor Jeff and looked up at him.
"Daddy. I'll come home with you." he said slipping his hand into his Father's.
"No. Run along with Grandma Scott," Jeff had whispered, trying not to cry. "I've got things I have to do for mommy now."
"I'll help you do them. Please Daddy."
Jeff had crouched down and their identical eyes had met.
Scott couldn't be allowed to be with him when he rang Lucy's mother or when he rang the undertaker and started the funeral arrangements.
"No Scott. I need you to look after your brothers for me especially Gordie OK?"
"But who is looking after you Daddy?"
Jeff had swallowed before hugging Scott tightly to his chest.
"Just go with Grandma son."
"Grandma can look after Gordie Daddy. I need to look after you."
I had taken Scott's hand and said gently.
"Daddy has things to do sweetie. I need you to help me at home."
"Daddy you'll come home won't you?" he had pleaded.
Jeff had nodded at him unable to speak in his grief.
After Lucy died that became Scott's biggest fear. He was terrified God would take his precious Daddy too. He became very anxious whenever Jeff the house in those early days.
Scott coped very well with the funeral, for a little one.
Jeff allowed him to read a passage from the Bible at the service and listening to his steady little voice in the church when Jeff and I could hardly see from our tears was very comforting.
He held his Father's hand as Lucy's coffin was lowered into the ground but despite his bravery at the service, he cried and cried as his beloved mommy left him behind to go to heaven. I wished I could have done more to make it better for him.
He had a bit of trouble relating to Alan at the beginning as he was old enough to understand what had happened to his Mother but I needed him to help me and couldn't have him pretending he didn't have a baby brother. Fortunately, the more interaction he had with Alan, the more he grew to love him. After two weeks he was willing to give him his bottle. As you know that was Godsend with what we went through with our youngest family member.
What I noticed the most about Scott in the first month after Lucy died was his complete change in role. Before Alan was born he was the tough older brother who climbed trees and did suicidal dives to impress Virgil and John. Now he was the caring big brother they could turn to, the one who made sure Virgil had a drink for dinner, picked up John's toys when he forgot, messed about with Gordon in a cardboard box and came when I called him to help with Alan.
And what did we do to show our appreciation of him?
We were so caught up in our grief and dire financial situation that both Jeff and myself forgot his ninth birthday.
Birthdays in the Tracy household had always been wonderful and special events. Lucy always had a party for her boys and even when she had been ill in hospital on Gordon's birthday in February, Jeff had taken over the job of hanging up balloons and organizing games to play.
We hadn't had a birthday since Lucy died four weeks before.
I had been absolutely exhausted that night and had gone to bed early.
I don't know why I woke up but something willed me to go downstairs.
I heard the piano playing.
I thought I must have been losing my marbles from the stress.
It was one o'clock in the morning.
I had to be hearing things.
There was only one light on in the Hall, the one we left on all night for the night feeds.
I peered around the corner into the Lounge room to see if I was imagining things or not, when I recognized the tune.
"Happy Birthday to You."
Then I heard Virgil's sweet little voice singing Happy Birthday to his big brother, who sat next to him crying. When he finished the tune he embraced Scott in the darkness and whispered.
"Don't cry Scotty. Daddy will remember next year."
My hand flew to my mouth and tears spilled from my eyes. Oh no. How could we have forgotten something like that?
I didn't know what to do. Go in there and gather him up in my arms and apologize or wake his Father who really didn't need any more pain right now and tell him he had forgotten the son who loved him with all of his heart.
I scurried upstairs to Jeff's room. Loathe as I was to do it I tapped frantically on the door before walking in and turning on the night light. I knew this would wake the baby and I wasn't looking forward to the screaming but this was more important.
In the chaos that was now my son's room, I saw him screw up his face at the light. His eyes opened and I saw they were still swollen and red from crying. Obviously he had been crying after Lucy again and had not long gone to sleep.
"Mom. What's wrong? I've just got Alan to sleep."
We looked over at the cot in the corner of the room. The tiny bundle in it was stirring.
"Shh Jeff. Everything's wrong." I whispered desperately praying the baby would not wake up. "You have to go downstairs now. Scott and Virgil are awake."
He sighed. "Mom. I'm exhausted. I've got to get some sleep. Can't you see to them?"
"Sweetie. It was Scott's birthday today and we forgot." I told him and watched the horror fill his face. "You just have to get up. He's down there crying."
"Oh no." he breathed, tears in his eyes again. "Mom, what sort of Father am I?"
He quickly got out of bed and pulled on his t-shirt. He paused in the doorway as the little bundle in the cot started to whimper.
"Mom?" he pleaded desperately.
"See to your eldest son." I said as I walked to the cot and picked up Alan. "Send Virgil upstairs and I'll put him back into bed."
Fortunately a little bit of Grandma's singing and a some rocking was enough to stop Alan fussing and I was able to put him back into his cot in a few minutes without too much trouble.
I crept down the stairs and stood in the now darkened hallway in case Jeff needed me to apologize to Scott too.
I could see Jeff sitting on the couch with his back to me with his arms around his little nine-year old. From what I could see Jeff was crying and Scott was the one doing all the comforting.
"Daddy don't cry. It's all right."
"Scott it's not all right for me to forget your birthday. I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't matter Daddy."
"It does matter. You should have had a party and we should have played games."
"I don't feel like playing games any more Daddy. Not without Mommy."
"I should at least have remembered your birthday. I don't even have anything to give you."
"It doesn't matter Daddy. Virgie sang to me and played the piano."
That made Jeff cry harder.
"Your Mommy would never forgive me for doing this to you Scott."
"Grandma says Mommy knows you are trying your best Daddy."
Scott crawled onto his lap then and burst into tears too. He buried his head against Jeff's neck.
"Daddy. Why did mommy have to die? I loved her."
I turned away and went back upstairs. I couldn't watch that naked pain any more.
I know a lot of things but this I know this more than anything.
Jeff was close to all of his sons but the bond he had with Scott was the most precious of all.
If Scott Jefferson Tracy's childhood ended with the death of his mother, the breakdown of his father two months later made sure of it.
He was nine years old.
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The Teenage Heartbreaker
I hated four o'clock in the afternoon. Every school day at four o'clock the bus would pull up at down the road and out of it would step my grandsons. Towering head and shoulders above them all was sixteen year Scott, his dark curls lifting in the breeze, his blue eyes sparkling and his hand in that of a girl.
You might ask what my problem was with that. Well, I didn't really have one other than it never seemed to be the same girl. It got me into more trouble than I care to mention.
I'd say. "Hi sweetie." when he came through the door.
He'd say." Hi Grandma. You remember Cindy or Sally, or Amy or Chrissy or Jenny or Libby or Kelly or...or ... or..."
It confused the hell out of me why every girl he ever brought home had a name that finished with a "y". It was one of those unfortunate co-incidences that kept getting me in trouble.
I'd say. "Of course. How is your Mother dear?"
Today's young lady would say. "My Mother ran off with her boyfriend last week." when I was certain she had a bad case of the poison ivy.
I'd say in a flap. " I'm sorry. How silly of me. I must have been thinking of Virgil's little friend."
He'd say afterwards. "Aw Grandma. The mother of the girl with the poison ivy was at least four girls ago. Why can't you keep up?"
I shook my head. I couldn't keep up with him. Jeff had never been this popular with girls. I guess attending class in a small school in Kansas was much different to attending class in a huge High School in Boston.
Give me the younger boys any day. All Alan and Gordon wanted to do was play baseball. All Scott wanted to do was chase girls... and fly.
Jeff had started giving him serious flying lessons and he had taken to them as a duck takes to water.
"He's good mother," Jeff would say, nodding his head in respect of Scott's natural ability. "And he seems to want to do it."
"Well he will." I smiled.
He looked doubtful, still remembering how hard it had been to deal with Grant's expectations of him.
"I just don't want him to do it because I did." he said looking worried.
"Scott would tell you if he didn't." I said.
He looked out at the Boston sunset as he sighed.
"Even so, it was hard telling Dad I didn't want to be a Farmer. I don't want Scott to be afraid to tell me his ambitions if they're different to mine "
Yes I remembered Grant and Jeff's argument all those years ago, but this was different. Jeff didn't know what Scott had said in the lounge room the day he watched him walk on the moon.
"I'm going to be like Daddy one day."
Still despite the flying lessons, Scott was a typical young man of his age. He enjoyed music and books and girls. Especially the girls.
Well when a young man's mind turns to young ladies a communication breakdown seems to occur between his heart and his head. I knew that Jeff had talked seriously to Scott about women a two years before so he had the information in his head. He just forgot where it was that particular day and it didn't help that his dear old Grandma didn't know how to mind her own business.
Scott doesn't know I know this and he would simply die if he did.
As usual Scott was playing the field with all of the young ladies in his year.
However I noticed that he had started to bring the same girl home a few times in a row. Her name was Adelaide. Why I remember her name so well after all these years is that at least it didn't finish with a "Y". Naturally Scott confused matters by calling her "Addy".
She was an attractive little sixteen year old with blonde hair and flashing green eyes. I did think she dressed a bit provocatively for a young girl still in High School though and naturally that would not have gone un-noticed by that young man. Whilst she was pleasant enough I saw how she acted with Scott. I'd have to watch her.
One afternoon after they had gone to "study" upstairs, Gordon came into the kitchen complaining.
"Grandma. I can't get into the bathroom. Scott's been in there for nearly half an hour. I can't hold out much longer."
I frowned. What was Scott doing that would take him half an hour in there?
I shooed Gordon off to his Father's bathroom and stood in the kitchen debating whether to go and see if he was all right in there. After all where was Adelaide at the moment?
Well, the easiest way to find out anything to do with my Grandsons in those days was through their stomachs. They ate us out of house and home those boys.
I poured two glasses of orange juice and put the glasses on a tray together with some freshly baked chocolate cake. I proceeded to go upstairs.
I passed Gordon coming downstairs from the second bathroom. He rolled his eyes as only an eight year old can.
"He's still in there Grandma and she's in there too. "
I nearly dropped the tray. The bathroom door had a lock on it whereas none of the bedrooms did. I didn't want my Grandson behind a locked door with a girl when he was only sixteen years old!.
I went into Scott's room and sure enough they were both missing.
My mind raced. Where were all the other children? Normally the Tracy household was a place that you couldn't do anything without having an audience. Unfortunately today, Virgil was at football practice, Johnny was at a friend's house and from where I was in Scott's room I could see Alan and Gordon putting together a model plane under the trees in the garden. Scott would know that too. Young rascal. He had probably added... and my Dad's at the Office... and my Grandma is downstairs getting dinner ready.
My natural instinct was to call out on the top of my lungs.
"Scott, Adelaide I've left a snack for you while you study."
However I think I must have been getting worse in my old age. Instead of that I decided to put the tray on the sideboard in Scott's room, creep into Alan's room, which was next to the bathroom...and you guessed it … listen to what was happening.
Can you visualize a sixty two year old woman eavesdropping on her eldest grandson at the door? Have you no shame Josie? I remember thinking that at the time. Well where Scott was concerned I had none but Scott was to have more shame than I was that afternoon.
Now remember Scott, you deserve this. You could have told me about the party in the kitchen before but you didn't so I'm telling everyone now.
This is what I heard...
"Are you sure no-one will come in?"
"The door's locked."
"Do you know how to use that?"
"Sure I do."
"Have you used one before?"
"Uh yeah."
"You don't look like you know."
"I do."
"Well come on then."
"Hang on a bit. I can't get it on."
"Scott. You've never done this before have you."
"I have"
"Well hurry up."
Silence. My hand was on the doorknob ready to rattle it in the next ten seconds when I heard a whisper of embarrassment.
"It doesn't matter. It's too late now any way."
"Scott. That's disgusting."
Now you are probably thinking that I should be ashamed of myself for not bursting through the door and saving my grandson from his first sexual encounter but I think the lesson he learnt from his embarrassment in front of that worldly little Adelaide slowed him down on that front for quite a while.
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THE AIR FORCE
Life turned a full circle in the Tracy family when Scott finished in College and enlisted in the Air Force as his Father had done before him.
The little boy with the fire in his blue eyes who wanted to be like his Daddy had become the man with the burning desire to achieve more than his Father had done.
He wanted to be respected for his abilities and not because of who he was.
You see, he was the son of Top Gun Pilot Jeff Tracy who was plucked from his job by NASA for bigger and better things and everyone knew it.
Most of all Scott knew it and he hated being compared to his Father.
He copped a caning from the other recruits when his natural ability in the air was rewarded with rapid promotion as Jeff's had been twenty-five years before. Scott worried the promotion came as a result of his Father's achievements. Scott knew that Jeff was personally interested in his career in the military and had a lot of buddies who were high ranking in the service.
Every now and then he came close to accusing his Father of influencing his Commander who had originally been under Jeff's command. Scott felt many commendations he received were as a result of connections and not his own abilities. Of course that was nonsense. His Father would never intervene.
Scott doesn't know we know about the time he had to bail out of the five million dollar air force jet before it crash landed into the Atlantic Sea. It happened only three days before he was to be looked at by the Top Gun commander for a certain place in the squadron.
Now as I've said before. Pride is everything to the men in the Tracy family. Scott was badly shaken and lucky to escape with his life. Fortunately he got away with only a bruising to his ego, a black eye and a large dressing down from the Commander as a result of it.
The military made no statement about the incident and Jeff only found out through his connections. As a result, he was uncertain as to whether he should discuss the incident with his son, especially as Scott had lost his opportunity in Top Gun because of it.
I thought he would have at least confided in his Father what had happened but there was no chance that Scott would ever admit to a failure. Even now in International Rescue he hates to fail.
I spoke to Scott most days when he rang to ask after his father or younger brothers. He was very close to them all and even though he was miles away from them building a life of his own it still worried him whether Virgil & John were paying attention in their classes in College and who was checking Gordon and Alan's homework in Junior High.
One day I heard myself ask Scott the question that had changed his Father's life.
"Scott. Are you happy sweetie?"
He sounded surprised on the other end of the line.
"How's that Grandma?"
"I asked you if you are happy."
He became guarded.
"I love the Air Force Grandma but I'm not as good as Dad was in the air and that sticks into me a bit."
I thought he might come clean about the accident at that point but he didn't mention it.
"I'm asking you about more than just your career Scott. You've been looking out for those brothers of yours for years. It's time you tried to find a little girl of your own and thought about raising your own sons."
I had to say that. Grant wasn't here to do it and Jeff certainly wouldn't say anything to push Scott into anything he didn't want to do.
Initially he joked with me about giving enough bottles to screaming babies in his life-time already but then he said quietly.
"I'll only tell you because I know I can trust you. I'm taking things slowly and don't want Dad or the guys to know yet, but Grandma I am seeing someone. I've been seeing her for a while. It's pretty serious."
A very cautious statement compared to his Father's "Mom she's the one", when he fell head over heels in love with Lucy the first time he saw her.
But that was my grandson Scott.
Careful. Calculating. Thorough.
He had grown into a fine man and I hoped that whoever this young lady was that we would soon get to meet her and they would be very happy in their lives together. I began to think about what my great grandchildren might be like in this circle of life.
Scott never got that far in his one true serious relationship.
He got the call from his Father that changed his life.
He wanted him to sign up for International Rescue.
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INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
Resigning from the Air Force to become Chief Pilot and second in command of International Rescue did not present a problem to Scott. In a lot of ways his seven years in the Air Force had been a disappointment to him, particularly the failure to make it into Top Gun.
The problem that surfaced was the fact that in returning to Tracy Island he had to leave behind the woman he had been with for nearly four years.
Jeff was adamant that no outsiders were to be admitted to International Rescue for security purposes. It was to be a family business and that was that.
Scott asked her to marry him. If she accepted she'd be family then.
She said no and admitted she wanted more in her life than just being the wife of a man who lived a secret life in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, irrespective of the role he was unable to tell her about.
I did not understand why and he was devastated.
I became angry.
What more could any girl want but the heart of my wonderful, gentle, generous Grandson? He was a young man with fire in his eyes and a value of his family.
He had already lost one woman he had loved unconditionally when he was a little boy. Now, twenty years on as a man, he was losing another.
Broken hearted and without a word to anyone except me, he returned to Tracy Island to begin work for his Father.
He would have been the most wonderful husband and such a special Daddy if she had only given him the chance.
Now his role would be to save lives. So far he has carried out that role magnificently.
However when he and his brothers sit on the balcony in the evenings in the darkness he sometimes lets his guard down when he thinks no one is watching him.
But Scott your Grandma is watching you.
I recognize the hurt and yearning I see in your dark blue eyes when they glisten with tears as you think about her, what might have been and what you gave up for your Father's dream.
I love you my darling.
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NEXT CHAPTER - VIRGIL - LUCY'S ARTIST
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