As Brains headed toward the main kitchen he glanced down at his watch. This was the normal time that he went to breakfast every morning. Maybe his watch was off. Something was off because he didn't hear the normal clatter of voices and sounds coming from the kitchen. Even on this day there was always noise coming from the kitchen.
He and Fermat shared a self-sufficient apartment in the Tracy Complex as did Kryano and his family. However, Jeff Tracy had always insisted that they all have breakfast together. He felt that it gave them all a chance to touch base so to say no matter what the course of the day may bring.
As soon as he walked into the kitchen, he knew he was at least on time. Onaha was at the stove preparing breakfast, Tin-Tin at her side helping her. Alan and Fermat were already at the table chatting, although quieter than normal. Other than those two things though nothing seemed quite right. Brains wasn't sure what but he knew something was up.
For starters, two of his brothers were in the kitchen and neither were teasing Alan. Gordon sat at the table quietly. That in itself was strange. Gordon was always talking or telling a joke. Jeff had always made the joke that Gordon talked sometimes just to hear himself talk. He had driven teachers crazy when he was in school.
The other Tracy boy in the kitchen was Virgil but he wasn't sitting at the table. He was standing against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. His face looked like a storm cloud. Brains didn't miss the angry glances the boy cast at his father.
As for Jeff Tracy, he sat at the table the morning paper untouched in front of him. Brains didn't miss how tired his friend looked as he took a seat at the table next to him.
"Good morning, Mr. Tracy."
"Good morning, Brains," Jeff replied trying to smile. The smile was forced though.
Over Jeff's shoulder, Brains saw John walk into the kitchen. John looked as tired as Jeff did. Brains wondered when John had returned to Tracy island and why. He assumed that Scott had taken John's place on Thunderbird 5 as he was the only Tracy Brains had yet to see.
When Scott walked into the kitchen not far behind John though, Brians new that something big was going on in the Tracy family. With all of them on the island, Thunderbird 5 must have been on auto. Jeff rarely did that. Brains knew it wasn't his place to start asking questions though. The Tracy's would tell him what was going on if or when they were ready too.
Gordon got up from the table and walked toward John. He threw his arms around his older brother giving him a hug as Scott stepped around the two and sat down at the table next to his father. Virgil stormed out of the kitchen, walking by John with out even acknowledging him.
That little action caused Brains to really wonder. John was usually welcomed home with open arms by everyone on Tracy Island whenever he came back and he normally didn't appear quietly in the middle of the night. Brains couldn't imagine what had happened to make Virgil not even want to acknowledge his brother's presence. He also didn't miss the look that passed between John and Jeff although he had no clue what it meant.
Breakfast that morning, on Tracy Island was the quietest one that had ever taken place. Virgil never did come back and no one mentioned his exit. Brains shared a look with Kryano as Onaha finished serving and sat down herself. They both knew something was up with the Tracy's and Brains knew they would be talking after breakfast trying to figure things out.
As he steered the boat back toward Tracy Island, Gordon looked ahead at his brother Virgil who stood silently in the bow of the boat. After breakfast, Gordon had gone looking for Virgil. He had found him down on the beach just sitting and staring.
Gordon had tried to talk to Virgil, but his usual easy going brother snapped at him. No matter how he was feeling, Virgil had always been intense. He had no problem showing what it was he was feeling. Right now, Gordon knew he was angry but wasn't sure who he was angry with. Or maybe it wasn't anyone in particular but the entire situation.
Whatever it was Virgil adamantly refused to talk about it. There whole trip to the mainland that morning had been quiet. They hadn't said more than three words to each other. Gordon couldn't wait to get back to Tracy Island. He hadn't to get away from Virgil. Virgil was starting to drive him crazy with his silence.
As he docked the boat at Tracy Island he didn't have to worry much about getting away from Virgil. Virgil quickly tied off the boat and then stormed off toward the house. As Gordon finished securing the boat, he shook his head. His family was all going crazy. He wasn't sure which brother to be more concerned about.
He knew Scott felt responsible for everything that happened. He always did. If any of them ever got hurt on a mission, no matter how minor Scott felt it was his fault. Gordon liked to drive his oldest brother crazy by calling him an old mother hen.
John, well that one was obvious. Gordon couldn't even imagine ever wanting to take his own life. He had no clue as to what his brother was going through. He had yet to talk to John. He didn't know what to say to him but when he had seen him this morning Gordon felt he had to do something. Had to let his brother know that he was there for him and so he had hugged him. Gordon hadn't even been able to tell his brother that he had loved him. He just hoped John knew that.
And poor Alan. He was too young when there mother died. Gordon cherished the memories he had of his mother - her voice, smell of her perfume, the sound of her laugh, the talks over milk and cookies. Alan didn't even have that and their father had kept almost everything that could be a reminder of their mother packed away when they moved out to Tracy Island. Each of them had one picture of her in their rooms or the one his father kept in his office, but that was it. Gordon knew where that stuff was kept and had snuck up there countless times.
Gordon had never felt comfortable talking about their mother or what happened to her with his younger brother. Dad avoided that conversation and Gordon felt his father knew best. Plus, as far as Gordon knew, Alan didn't remember the fire at all. Gordon felt that was a good thing. He had wished countless times that he could forget that day but he couldn't.
But now, Gordon knew that Alan was twice as lost as the rest of them. Without those memories he couldn't possibly understand what John was feeling. How could he? And Alan had seen Jon holding the knife to his wrist, his father had told him that much. Just hearing about it from his father had unnerved Gordon. He was thankful that he hadn't seen that for himself. That it hadn't been him to find Jon. Gordon didn't know how he would've handled that.
Then there was Virgil. Gordon had never seen his brother so angry. Of all his brothers Gordon felt the closest to Virgil, even though he knew that Virgil didn't feel the same way. Gordon knew how close John and Virgil had been when they were younger. He knew how hurt Virgil had been when John had started pulling away from him, from all of them.
That had started gradually. First it was just that John was putting distance between their father and them but nothing had changed between the brothers. Then John had started even pulling away from them. Not wanting to join them playing games or just hanging out. Still, John had still stayed close to Virgil for awhile but then he had started to pull away from even Virgil. That was when Virgil had started coming to him. Talking to him about things. About John. None of them had been surprised when John had volunteered to be the main person to man Thunderbird 5 but it didn't mean that they missed him any less.
Gordon stepped off the boat, onto the dock and looked up toward the house. He could see Virgil just approaching the base of the steps leading up toward the pool area. With a sigh, Gordon broke off into a jog to try and catch him. He had to try and reach Virgil.
"Virgil, wait up," he called as he neared the steps. Virgil was half way up the steps and Gordon was relieved when he actually stopped. Gordon took the steps two at a time, all the time hoping his brother didn't change his mind on him.
"Virgil, come on talk to me. What are you so angry about?" Gordon asked him as he reached his brother.
"What do you think I'm angry about," Virgil shot back at him. Gordon shrugged his shoulder. He thought he knew his brother but even he didn't recognize the angry person standing in front of him.
"Virgil, talk to me. Let it out before you end up doing something your going to regret."
"It's too late for that," Virgil said sitting down on the steps.
Gordon sat down on the steps beside him without saying anything. He knew Virgil was about ready to talk.
"You think I like the way I'm feeling right now. My brother just tried to kill himself and the only thing I can think of is how mad at him I am at him for doing that to me. For being so selfish. And I mad at Dad and Scott for letting it happen. All I can think is that its there fault. They should have known better and I don't like myself for feeling that way."
Gordon reached out and put his hand on Virgil's shoulder. Virgil instantly stood up.
"Don't," Virgil told him! "I'm a rotten person. I don't deserve anyone's sympathy," Virgil told him his voice rising.
"Virgil," Gordon started to say.
"Just leave me alone," Virgil yelled at him and then ran up the steps. Gordon ran after him.
"Virgil," Gordon yelled again as he reached the top of the stairs.
Virgil was heading up the steps into the house. Gordon stopped running. It was pointless anyways. He slowly walked across the patio wondering if he might have just made things worse. Gordon was so preoccupied in his own thoughts that he didn't notice John sitting in a lounge chair near the pool with a book in hand.
"Can you help me yet?" Alan asked his older brother and father as he stuck his head into his father's office.
With no one up on Thunderbird 5, Jeff and Scott were trying to keep track of Hurricane Bill in the Atlantic from information being relayed from the space station. The other storms had fizzled out and even Hurricane Bill had been downgraded to a category 3.
Scott looked down at his father. They both knew exactly what Alan was talking about. It had been Jeff's idea. After talking with his youngest son earlier that day Alan had once again expressed an interest in his mother. Jeff was begining to see how his inability to face and deal with his wife's kids was really affecting his kids. He had promised Alan that he would go up to the attic with Alan this evening and bring out all the stuff he had never packed away that was either Meg's or reminded him of her. Plus, he thought it was time that he put some more pictures up around the house.
Jeff looked down again at the satellite pictures and projected course of the Hurricane. On its current course Hurricane Bill should stay out to see not causing much problems for the North America coast line. Jeff set the computer up to alert him if the Hurricane should change course and looked up at his son.
"Yeah, we can help you," Jeff told him standing up.
Jeff and his two sons headed out of the office and toward the attic. Jeff wasn't exactly sure where he had put everything ten years ago so it took some time to locate the boxes he wanted but when he did the three of them carried downstairs to the family room.
Virgil was at the piano, playing a Beethoven song. He completely ignored his father and brother's entrance. Even when Jeff asked him to join them he didn't even acknowledge him.
"Dad, what about John?" Scott asked his father as he sat his box down on the coffee table. He had left his brother up in their room. "Should we ask him to join us."
"Join what?" John asked coming into the room.
Scott looked at his father worriedly. He was worried that going through old pictures and mementos might be too much, too soon for his brother.
"We were going to go through some things I packed away years ago. Some of your mother's stuff. Alan keeps asking about her so I thought it was about time to share some memories with him," Jeff Tracy told his son watching him carefully.
"If you don't want to we'll understand," Scott said speaking at the same time as Alan.
"It doesn't have to be tonight. It can wait."
"No its fine," John said knowing exactly what his family members were getting at. "Where's Gordon?"
"I haven't seen him in awhile," Scott admitted.
"Tin-tin and I saw her down on the beach last but that was about an hour ago," Alan said.
"Should I go look for him?" Scott asked his father.
"No," Jeff said. "When he shows up we'll invite him to join us then."