Disclaimer: I don't own the Thunderbirds or the Tracy family with the exception of Sam.

Chapter 14

Arriving back at their boarding school, Jeff helped them to take their belongings up to their rooms. Giving his children a hug and some spending money he left. He had some business to attend to at Tracy Enterprises.

Knocking at Alan's door, Sam and Virgil waited for him to answer the door. Slowly the door opened and they could squeeze in. Once again the room had been destroyed.

"What'd you lose this time?" asked Sam. She began to clean up the room as Virgil set about straightening the bookshelves and desk.

"Same thing as last time," admitted Alan. He was still looking through his wardrobe. Lying down on the floor to scoop stray objects out from under the bed Sam found the missing item.

"Here it is Ally. Now will you please stop doing this?" she asked. "I'm tired of cleaning your room cus you're a slob and can't keep track of your stuff." Alan looked down at the floor but not before Virgil saw the brightness in his eyes.

"Sam, why don't you go check on Gordon," suggested Virgil. Sam gave him a quizzical look but complied without argument. She figured that Virgil would talk to her later. He waited until she closed the door and then turned to Alan.

"Talk to me little brother." Alan just stood there and said nothing. Virgil walked up to him and guided him to a chair. Kneeling down in front of the chair he was able to look Alan in the eyes. He wiped away the tear that had begun to fall from Alan's eye.

"Its okay, Ally. She's not mad at you she just wants you to stop losing things," he explained. Alan shook his head again and another tear fell. The stubborn Tracy pride wouldn't allow him to give into his feelings. Virgil stood up and grabbed Alan around the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Without warning, Alan shoved Virgil away from him and ran from the room and to the elevator. Before Virgil could catch up with him the elevator was closed and taking him to the ground floor. Alan ran to the little park like area behind their dorm and sat down on a swing. He was so upset that he wasn't even aware of how cold it was outside or the fact that he was shivering.

"SAM! Get out here now," shouted Virgil as he pounded on Gordon's door. In response John and Scott's doors also opened and they came out into the hallway.

"What Virgil?" demanded Sam in a tone that let him know that she was not happy with his summons. Stepping up to her, he jabbed a finger in her shoulder. Gordon tried to step in between the two incase they decided to take a swing at one another.

"Ally is upset and ran out of the dorm. He wasn't like this until you got on him about his room. Now go find my baby brother," his tone let her know that he was seriously angry with her. Gordon, Scott, and John looked from Virgil to Sam trying to understand what was going on.

"He ran out," whispered Sam. Turning on her heel she ran to the stairs and ran down to the ground floor. Hitting the door at a fast pace she never paused as she rushed out into the cold, wintry evening.

"ALAN, Where are you?" she screamed. Thinking fast she thought of the times during the last semester that she and Alan would sit in the park and swing. Just being together and indulging in a fun childhood pastime. She ran to the back of the dorm and into the park and to her relief she spotted Alan sitting on a swing. He was slowly pushing himself. He didn't even look up as she stopped in front of him.

"Ally, are you ok?" she asked as she looked at him. "Come on let's get you into your room and get you warmed up." Alan continued to sit there and ignore her.

"Please, Ally I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just frustrated." She still got no response from him. She reached out to pick him up only to have him smack her away.

"Alan, you have to get into the dorm and get warmed up before you get sick." Again, she tried to pick him up. This time he shoved her backwards causing her to overbalance and fall backwards. Not able to stop herself she hit the back of her head on the frozen ground with a loud thump. She had hit hard enough that she was momentarily stunned and that gave Alan a chance to run again. Fortunately, he ran right into Scott. Scott held him tight so that he couldn't run again. He heard a groan from near the swings and dragged Alan over to them to investigate the noise. Sam was lying there holding her head and groaning.

"Sam, what happened are you alright?" Scott asked. He was afraid that she had taken another bad headache.

"I think I fell and hit the back of my head," she whimpered. "Scott, it hurts and the pain isn't stopping. Take Ally back in and let John take care of him. Ally, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. Please forgive me…aagghh…Scotty, you'd better hurry. I'm cold and I know Ally is."

Whatever anger and hurt feelings Alan had until that moment vanished when he heard the concern in her voice was more for him than the fact that she was in pain. She was still trying to protect him at all costs. Struggling out of Scott's grip, he ran back to Sam and grabbed her hand in his.

"Come on Sammie. Let's go inside together," he said softly. He didn't want any loud noises hurting her head worse. He tried to help her sit up but she was fighting that awful feeling of getting sick. Slightly shaking her head, she began to slowly sit up and took the help offered to her by Alan. Scott got on her other side and supported her that way. The boys guided Sam inside the dorm and up to her room. John had heard them coaxing her along the hallway and came out to make sure that Alan was ok. His complexion paled when he saw the state his sister was in.

"What happened to Sam?" he demanded loudly. The volume of his voice alerted Virgil and Gordon that their brother and sister were back in the dorm but it also caused Sam to groan in pain. Shaking his head, Scott and Alan helped Sam into her bed and took her shoes and socks off. They covered her up with extra blankets as she began to shiver.

"G-g-give A-ally.. a..blanket..he's..cold, too," she stammered as she looked at Alan. "Ally, c-c-come he-here." She lifted her blankets and let him crawl in next to her. Scott quickly tucked the blankets tightly around them and John grabbed a blanket to wrap around their heads, he left just their eyes, nose, and mouth uncovered. Slowly, they began to warm up and stop shivering. Warm and comfortable, they both began to doze off with Sam's arms wrapped around Alan. Her chin rested on the top of his head and he had buried his face against her neck. The rest of the brothers sat on the floor and talked in quiet voices.

"What happened, Virgil? Why'd you go off on Sam like that?" John asked.

"She jumped Alan about the mess in his room and how she's tired of cleaning it up and it hurt his feelings," he began. "When I tried to talk to him he pushed me and ran off."

"So you decided to take it out on Sam?" questioned John in a low voice that let the others know just how close he was to losing his temper.

"John, shush Alan is asleep and I think that there has been enough arguing amongst us," whispered Sam. "Virgil had every right to voice his opinion and besides he was just looking out for Alan just like any of us would have."

"Virgil, would you come here a second?" she asked from underneath the pile of blankets that she was unwilling to leave. Virgil stood up and walked to the side of the bed Sam was on.

"Yeah, Sis, I'm right next to you," he responded. He leaned closer to her so he could hear her whisper. Unbeknownst to Virgil, Alan was a wake and he and Sam were conspiring to grab him and squish him between the two of them. With a sudden squeeze of her hand, she and Alan sat up and grabbed him. Laughing they pulled him down on top of them. Not wanting to be left out, John, Scott, and Gordon all piled up on top of them.

"Okay, guys, you're squishing Alan and I down here," laughed Sam as the pile of Tracy's came in danger of falling to the floor. Carefully, they all climbed off of Sam and Alan.

"Are we okay, Virg?" she asked. Virgil grabbed her in a big bear hug.

"Always, Sis," he answered.

"Ally, are we okay?" she asked her baby brother. Alan put his hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes.

"Yeah, Sammie, we're okay," he agreed. Quickly, he gave her a wet kiss right in the middle of her forehead. All five brothers laughed at the expression on her face.

"Ya think that's funny, do ya?" she asked as she grabbed all the brothers she could reach and gave them all wet kisses. The only one that escaped was Scott. He backed away from his younger brothers as they began to fan out and surround him.

"Scotty, we think that Sam has something just for you," Gordon informed him just as the others grabbed him and marched him back to where Sam was waiting for him.

"Did you really think that you'd get away that easy?" she asked rhetorically. With her brothers holding him, she gave Scott the biggest and wettest kiss on his cheek that she could muster. Giving into their laughter the rest of the boys and Sam fell onto her bed. Scott looked around for something to wipe his face off with.

"Remember, Scotty, girl cooties can only be rubbed in not off," said Alan in a knowing tone. A knock on the door got their attention.

"Lights out in 10 minutes," said the dorm monitor. The boys helped Sam remake her bed and gave her a hug on their way out. Scott was the last one out.

"Sam, how's your headache? Do you need anything for it?" he asked. She still looked a bit pale.

"I still have a headache. I'm going to take a couple of aspirins to help fight it. I think when Alan knocked me down I hit the back of my head just about where I had surgery," she admitted. Gingerly, she felt the back of her head and felt a bump on the scar from her surgery.

"What is it, Sam?" Scott asked as he turned her around to look at the back of her head. Lifting her hair, he was able to see the scar from her surgery and the bump that was directly on the scar. Without another word, he went to her laptop and quickly logged on. Almost instantly he was connected to their dad.

"Dad, I have a question about Sam's head injury," he began as soon as his dad greeted him. "She fell and hit the back of her head on the ground and then got a slight headache. She and I just checked the back of her head and she has a bump directly on the scar. She has admitted that her head hurts bad enough to take some aspirin. Should we be worried or did the surgeons say anything about knocks to the head especially at the sight of her injury?" They waited a few minutes for Jeff to respond.

"Get her to the nurse's office if the headache gets worse," he replied. "I'll call the surgeons in the morning and ask them if we should be concerned. In the meantime, keep an eye on the bump and for the sake of keeping me sane quit the roughhousing. Call me directly if you need anything else and goodnight." With that he logged off.

"You heard the man," Scott said. "I'll leave my door unlocked if you need me come and get me. If not, I'll see you in the morning for breakfast." After he left, she went into her bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth and changed into her warmest flannel pajamas. She filled a small cup with cold water and swallowed a couple of aspirins and washed them down with the water. When she was done, she rinsed out her cup and shut the light off. She made sure that her books were ready for the morning classes.

Walking to her windows, she looked up into the clear, wintry sky and located her mom's star. Saying a quick prayer, she closed the blinds and curtains. She climbed into bed and shut off her bedside lamp and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning was a flurry of activity as everyone got ready for breakfast and classes. They made their way to the cafeteria and ate their breakfast. The rest of the day went by fast. It seemed that with all of their classes and Gordon's swim practices and Sam and Scott's cross-country practices the semester flew by. During which, Scott turned 15 and Virgil was in more of the school concerts.

The boys made more friends during the second semester but Sam was another story. During the first semester some girls had approached her and asked her to join their group of friends. A few weeks later and Sam found out the true intentions of her so called new friends. Sam had gone to the girls' bathroom and some of her "friends" had come in to fix their makeup and chat. One of them asked if anyone had any luck with getting Sam to set them up with one of her brothers. Sam had made herself known and let the girls know under no uncertain terms that it would be a cold day in hell before any of them got near her brothers. From that day on, Sam received glares from all of the girls in her class. Her only form of socialization was with her brothers and teammates from cross-country and soccer. Her grades reflected the amount of studying that she did as a result of not having any friends to hang out with. She matched Scott with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Another plus for the boys was that Sam helped them keep their rooms clean and checked over any school work that they had problems with. Even though Sam and John remained close he had made a few friends that he spent time with during some of his free time. Gradually, John became more extraverted and Sam withdrew into herself a bit more than normal. By the time their dad picked them up for summer vacation Sam was more withdrawn and quiet. She was looking forward to being back on Tracy Island and desperately wanted a chance to speak to her dad.

"Dad, can I talk to you?" she asked as she entered the lounge. Her dad looked up from the papers that he was reading through.

"Sure you can Sam. I always have time to talk to you or your brothers."

"Can we take a walk on the beach? I don't want anyone to overhear us," she replied. After stacking his papers, he took her hand and walked with her to the path that would take them to the beach. As they passed the pool, her brothers realized something was wrong by the set of Sam's shoulders. John and Virgil could both tell that she was trying hard not to cry or show any weakness. But unlike her brothers, Sam would express her feelings verbally.

For awhile she and her dad just walked not saying a word. When she felt that they were far enough away from everyone she stopped and sat down in the sand. Her dad sat down next to her and waited for her to start.

"Dad, I don't want to go back to school in the fall. I don't fit in. I haven't made one friend all year. The girls that asked me to be their friend only used me to get to Scott, John, and Virgil. They didn't want me as a friend. Even my teammates only talk to me if it's something related to our team or sport. I feel like I'm a third wheel when my brothers invite me to hang out with them and their friends. John…Johnny has..." she began to sob for fear that she was beginning to lose her best friend. Drawing a deep breath, she struggled to regain her composure.

"Even John has been able to find new friends. Not that I'd want to begrudge him having friends, Dad. It's just that I'm being left behind and I spend all my free time in my room studying or doing extra credit work that really doesn't matter because I'm already at the top of my class," she said. "Do you want to know what hurts worse than anything?" Jeff nodded and encouraged her to continue as he put a protective arm around her shoulder.

"What hurts the worse is that those girls didn't even give me a chance to be their friend. They couldn't see past the fact that I have five handsome brothers and that is all that they wanted. Because I told them that it'd be a cold day in hell before they got near one of my brothers they have been saying things like I like girls cus I only hang out around boys." Sighing deeply, she stared out over the water. Her dad sat there a few more minutes before he said anything.

"I'm sorry things have been rough this year but you have to go back to school in the fall," he began. "As far as your brothers are concerned, you know that they will be there for you just as you are for them. John has come to feel accepted and if you want to know the truth he used to feel just like you do when we lived in Kansas. Don't have him give up his friends because you're hurt. The new school year will bring in new students. You might be surprised and meet a girl that is willing to be your friend because you are Sam Tracy not because you are the sister to five handsome brothers." Leaning against her dad's shoulder she relaxed.

"I couldn't ask John to give up his friends, Dad, I love him too much," she said. "You're right though maybe I can make a friend that likes me for me and not who I'm related to. Besides if I don't go back to school, who will look after the Terrible Two?" She continued to lean against her dad content just to be home. Before long they heard the sound of a motorcycle. Looking back towards the path to the house, they saw Alan coming toward them on his new motorcycle.

"I wonder what was going through Santa's head when he brought that thing for Alan," Jeff grumbled as he watched his youngest son. Moments later, Alan stopped next to them and shut off the engine. He stayed on the cycle to keep it balanced in the sand but lifted the face shield of his helmet.

"Dad, there's a call for you back at the house and Grandma says it's time for lunch," he reported the messages that he'd been given. "Sam, want a ride back to the house? I brought your helmet."

"Only if I get to drive," she replied. Alan shrugged his shoulders after all Scott and Sam had taught them all how to ride their motorcycles back in Kansas. Sam grabbed her helmet and quickly strapped it on. Alan slid back and let her get on.

"See you at the house Dad. And thanks for listening I feel much better now that I have a plan," she grinned at her dad as he began to walk to the house. "Alan, are you ready?" A squeeze on her waist let her know that he was ready. She started the cycle and drove a little further down the beach before turning around and heading back to the house. Once she had gotten back to the spot she and her dad had been talking she sped up just a bit. There was nothing better than a ride on a motorcycle. All too soon, they were back at the house and she parked the cycle and shut it off. While she was waiting for Alan to get off the back she took off her helmet and shook out her long hair.

"Thanks Alan. That was great. After lunch let's go to the hangar and I'll prep my cycle and we can go riding again," she said with a big smile on her face. Alan was glad that he'd been able to do something to make her happy again. He knew that she'd been feeling left out at school but wasn't sure what to do about it.

"Sure, Sammie, we can explore some of the new trails that Dad was telling us about," agreed Alan. Together they went inside to get cleaned up for lunch. The rest of their brothers were already at the table and waiting for them.

"Where were you guys?" asked Scott as he took a big bite of his sandwich.

"That's gross, Scott. You're supposed to swallow your food before you talk to people," admonished Sam. Scott looked up at her just as she quickly chewed some of her food and opened her mouth.

"Samantha Michelle Tracy, that is not lady like behavior," snapped Grandma just as Jeff came up behind her and flicked her on the ear. Her brothers busted out laughing at her. Unfortunately for Scott he had just taken another bite of his sandwich. When he began to laugh he sprayed Virgil with pieces of chewed up food. In retaliation, Virgil flipped some potato salad at Scott. His aim was true and he pegged Scott right between the eyes.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" thundered Jeff as he looked at his children. "Virgil, Scott, and Sam I want to apologize to everyone for this crude behavior right now.

"Sorry everyone," they said together in a contrite voice. Looking down at their plates they were quiet for the rest of the meal. As they finished, they asked to be excused. They took their dirty dishes to the sink and rinsed them off before heading outside to escape the glare of their father.

Sam decided to go ahead to the hangars so that she could begin checking over her motorcycle. She checked the oil level and quickly refueled it. Once the maintenance stuff was done, she filled a bucket with soapy water and washed it down and then rinsed it off and dried it. By the time Alan got to her, the motorcycle was ready to go. She went to a storage locker and grabbed her riding gear. She went into the bathroom in the hangar and changed.

"Alan, are you ready to go?" she asked as she walked back to her cycle. In response she heard five motorcycles start. Looking up for the first time since she left the bathroom she saw all of her brothers in their riding gear and ready to go. She strapped on her helmet and put her gloves on and started her cycle. She shifted into first gear and exited the hangar with her brothers all around her. Before long they were all racing along the new trails that had been made.

Hours later, they all parked their cycles in the hangar and put their helmets and gloves in their storage lockers. They each gave a general wipe down of their cycle and refueled it for the next time they went out. Walking back to the house in their riding gear and carrying their regular clothes, they talked about what they'd seen while riding.

The summer days were spent swimming, snorkeling, and riding their motorcycles. In the evenings all of the children on Tracy Island could be found on the beach. Jeff had built a shed that they could keep a stocked cooler. They also stored an oversized beach blanket in the shed as well as a telescope belonging to Sam. During rainy weather, they could be found in the private cinema or the game room.

All of the kids noticed that Jeff and Brains disappeared for hours at a time and that large shipments of crates were being delivered to the island on a weekly basis. Yet none of them knew where the stuff was going.

The week before they were to start school, Jeff flew them back to New York City so they could do their shopping and enjoy some of the city's finest entertainment. Jeff had to drop them off the Friday before school began because he had a meeting to attend in Japan concerning Tracy Enterprises.

"Call me if you need anything, ok?" their dad asked as he climbed back into the limo after he had helped them take their stuff to their dorm rooms.

"Have a safe trip, Dad," Scott said. "Don't worry about us we'll be okay." The Tracy children went back into their rooms and began to organize for the new school year.

The next morning they headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. Sam was joking around with her brothers and didn't see the petite redheaded girl until she ran into her.

"I'm so sorry," Sam said in embarrassment. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking." The girl looked at her and stuck out her hand.

"That's alright no harm done. My name is Catherine but I go by Catie," she said in way of greeting. Sam shook her hand and began to introduce herself and her brothers.

"I'm Sam and these are my brothers. Scott, John my twin, Virgil, Gordon, and Alan." She pointed each brother out as she said their name.

"I didn't see you leave the girls' dorm," said Catie.

"My dad made special arrangements for me to stay in the same dorm as my brothers. This is the first boarding school we've attended," she explained. "Would you like to join us for breakfast there is plenty of room at our table?" Catie nodded her head and followed them to the table they always sat at.

From that day on Catie and Sam were close friends. Out of respect for their friendship, Catie never tried to get Sam to hook her up with any of her brothers even though she thought that Scott, John, and Virgil were extremely handsome. As a result of having a friend at school the year went better for Sam.

In October Sam and John turned 14. Jeff flew into NYC and drove to their school to take his children and one friend each out for dinner. After dinner he took them back to the school and let them know that he'd be picking them up for winter break the afternoon of their last class.

On the last day of the semester, Sam gave Catie her email address and urged her to contact her during their break. After loading their stuff into the limo, the Tracy family headed back to the private airport to begin their flight back home. As they had done the year before they stopped in Kansas for the night. They also did their Christmas shopping and then headed back to the island to be with their family and close friends for the holidays.