Disclaimer: I don't own the TBs or the Tracy family with the exception of Sam.
Chapter 23
"No matter where you are in the world, school is the same regardless," thought Gordon as he looked up at the clock. Two more hours until his swim meet. His mind had already gone into competitive mode and he barely heard his teacher's lecture. This meet would let him know if he was eligible for a regional competition in a few months. Just how important was obvious as his dad was flying to New York to cheer his son. He had made Gordon promise not to tell his siblings. Gordon's other brothers and sister would be right there with him cheering as loud as they could. Unfortunately, because Jeff Tracy was famous and well-known, there would also be a lot of news coverage.
"Gordon Tracy, you are to report back to your dorm," said his teacher when she finally got his attention. He grinned at her sheepishly as he stood up and grabbed his books. He left the building and crossed the quad to his dorm. He had just entered the lobby when Sam and John came in behind him.
"What's going on?" they asked when they saw Gordon.
"I don't know," he replied just as Scott and Virgil came in. A few minutes later Alan came in. Not sure about what was going on they went to their rooms and put their books away. Sam had a small backpack in her hand when she came back down with her brothers. When they went back to the lobby, they saw their dad.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Scott asked.
"I came to watch Gordon's swim meet. I also figured that an early dinner might be in order," he replied. Gordon shook his head no.
"Dad, I don't eat before I race. I have to wait until afterwards," he said.
"Well, then we'll eat afterwards. Oh, here Scott, this came for you the other day." He handed Scott two big envelopes. Scott looked at the return address and saw that they were from Yale and Oxford. He opened them and pulled out his enrollment forms and financial forms as well as a letter from the Dean of Admissions at Yale. Oxford was letting him know that a place was being held for him when he was ready to transfer from Yale. They had also included enrollment forms for a deferred entrance as well as the financial forms.
"Dad, can you mail these for me after I fill them out?" he asked as he began to fill in the required information. As soon as he was done, he handed the completed forms in their sealed envelopes back to Jeff. Jeff looked at his watch.
"It's time to go, everyone in the truck."
As they all ran to the truck their dad handed Scott the keys.
"You know where we're going so you can drive," he said. Scott climbed in the driver's seat and his dad got in on the passenger's side. The rest of the kids scrambled to get to the seat that they wanted. Virgil, Sam, and John shoved Gordon and Alan out of the way and claimed the back seat. Gordon and Alan had to settle for the middle seats.
"Why are you bringing a backpack?" asked Virgil as he eyed it suspiciously. He had heard about the prank that had backfired in Gordon's face.
"I just brought a couple of things that I thought that we might need." She refused to meet his eyes. John groaned as the possibilities of what his twin was planning. Sam elbowed him in his side. He grunted and gave her a dirty look.
"Samantha, keep your hands to yourself and behave," said her dad from the front seat.
"Geez, does he have eyes in the back of his head?" she whispered.
"Yes, I do as well as having acute hearing," he responded much to the amusement of his sons. Gordon turned around and grinned at her.
"At least he's watching you now. You floated below the 'dad radar' far too long," he said.
"She didn't float below the 'dad radar,' Gordon, she just got you to do the dirty work for which you got busted," said their dad. Sam laughed at Gordon's expression.
"You knew and still I got blamed?" he was incredulous.
"Of course, I knew but I figured that as long as you went along willingly then you should reap the punishments. Sam never made you do the pranks." He turned around and looked at his red-haired son and smiled. Sam had leaned forward and tapped Gordon's shoulder.
"Don't let him fool you, Gordy. I got in just as much trouble because after the first few successes, Dad, knew that there was another devious mind at work. Through process of elimination and by keeping track of the targets, he realized that I was never on the hit list but everyone else had been." Virgil looked at Sam as soon as she'd said that.
"Sam, were you responsible for my elementary school paintings being hung on the barn to 'scare' away boogey men?" Sam leaned over and kissed Virgil on his cheek.
"Love you Virgil," she said as she grinned at him.
"Sam, I was afraid to go out to the barn because of the boogey man stories," said Alan. "And now I find out that it was all a prank that you and Gordon planned."
Sam and Gordon laughed at the memory.
"See, Gordon, we make a pretty good team. It's a shame that you decided to let your loyalties lay with Alan."
"Hey, what about me?" asked John. "I thought that I was on your team. Wait, which one of you put the black polish on the eyepiece of my telescope?" Sam pointed to Gordon and he pointed back to her. Scott began to whistle from the driver's seat.
"SCOTT! I can't believe it. Mr. Perfect played a prank, I'm impressed," said Sam. "I was innocent of that prank. Dad, does that mean I can be exonerated for that prank?"
"Me too," said Gordon. "I got the blame for that one just like Sam did."
"Sam, what does exonerated mean?" he whispered. John and Sam laughed at his question.
"It means being cleared of something. In this case it would be for putting black polish on John's telescope," she answered. "Heads up Gordon, we're here. Are you ready to break another record? I have my camera all ready to get the finishing shot."
"Nothing like putting pressure on me," he grumbled good-naturedly. He was really happy that his family was so supportive of him. Scott pulled into the parking lot and found a spot near the entrance. They all got out and Gordon ran off to meet his coach and change. The rest of the family walked inside together. Sam stopped them just as they neared the restrooms. She opened her backpack and began to hand out what was inside.
"I thought we could show our support," she said as she held up a t-shirt that read "GO GORDON" on the front and "FUTURE OLYMPIAN" on the back. She looked around at her family and noted their expressions.
"Alright, let's go change and then get to our seats," said their dad as he headed into the men's room. His sons followed him and Sam went into the ladies room. When she came back out, she let everyone put their original shirts into the backpack.
"Is your camera ready, Sam?" asked her dad. He had his out and Scott had the camcorder ready.
"Yeah, it's all ready and I have extra film," she replied. She looked through the viewfinder and made sure that she had a clear view of the pool. She was still lining up her views when she noticed Gordon and his teammates coming out of the locker room. She quickly got a few shots that showed his look of concentration. He was listening to some last minute advice from his coach.
"His swimwear looks like it would be uncomfortable," commented Scott as he squirmed a bit.
"He's used to them so he never gives it a thought unless a certain sister forgets to not wash and dry them when he forgets to remove them from his laundry basket," said Alan as he looked over at Sam. "The last time that happened they shrank and he didn't know it and he had a little exposure during a practice meet." Sam's eyes widened in horror as she realized that she'd shrunk his swimwear without knowing.
"It's alright, Sam, he said it was his fault for not paying attention," he assured her. Sam still felt bad and made a mental note to order him a couple of new pairs of Speedos.
"Sam, it was his fault. Don't go feeling like you have to replace them," admonished John as he easily read the look in her eye. Virgil nudged John just as Gordon looked up in the bleachers to find them.
"Stand up, everyone," commanded Jeff as he saw Gordon scanning the bleachers. The whole family stood up and Gordon saw their t-shirts. Sam got a picture of him with a huge smile on his face.
"My family is the best and craziest," he thought to himself just as they turned around for him to read the back. He choked up a little when the unconditional show of support was relayed. When his family faced him again he waved. He knew that Sam was behind this and loved her all the more for being such a caring sister. He was called to the starting block and hurried to his spot. He lowered his goggles and focused his attention on the race and his technique. He got into position with every fiber of his being tensed as he waited for the starting signal. As soon as he heard it, he was in the water.
He cut through the water effortlessly. His attention focused on each stroke and kick of his legs. At the end of the lane, he flipped over and returned to the opposite end. He was halfway through his 200 meter race. He was in his element and using his favorite stroke, the butterfly. Three laps down and starting the fourth, Gordon was in the lead.
"GO GORDON!" shouted the Tracy family as they watched him speed through the water. His stroke was smooth and flawless and his timing perfect. He was just ahead of his nearest competitor. Sam took frame after frame of his race. She had just looked up at the time clock and gasped as Gordon's time was displayed. She looked back at her brother just as he climbed out of the pool. He had broken another record and qualified for the regional competition. He sat down and watched his teammates go through their trials. He still had a 100 meter Freestyle, a 200 meter Breaststroke, and a 100 meter Backstroke race to complete.
"Dad, can we all go to the regional competition to support Gordy?" asked Sam as she leaned over Virgil and inadvertently leaned into his lower anatomy.
"Hey, watch what you're leaning on!" he complained as he shoved her off of him.
"Oops, sorry, Virg," Sam apologized. She hadn't realized just what she had leaned on and was slightly embarrassed. She sat back on the bleacher and watched for Gordon.
"I'll think about it, Sam," answered her dad. Sam looked over at John and shook her head. She knew from experience what that phrase meant when he said it.
Later they were all waiting for Gordon to come out of the locker room so that they could go out for dinner. Some of the news reporters saw Jeff and swarmed in his direction. John and Sam were standing next to each other when they saw them heading towards them. Sam tensed and an unreadable expression replaced her smile and chatter. Scott and Jeff looked in the direction that Sam was staring and understood the problem.
"John, get Sam to the truck. Virgil and Alan go with them," ordered Jeff quietly. John grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her towards the door with Virgil and Alan right behind them.
"Wait, we just want to know your reaction to your younger brother's qualifications for the regional competition," the reporters called as they ran past Jeff and Scott. They were determined to speak with the younger ones. Especially, Jeff Tracy's only daughter, since she was always protected by her brothers and father. The Tracy kids had just got to the truck when the reporters caught up with them.
"We have no comment," said Virgil as John unlocked the truck and tried to open the passenger door.
"Samantha Tracy, how does it feel to be the only daughter of Jeff Tracy?" shouted one news reporter as Sam looked around for an escape. Alan and Virgil tried to get in between Sam and the reporter but the reporter kept moving closer to her. Sam could hear the click of cameras taking pictures of her and her brothers.
"LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU WERE TOLD NO COMMENT!" she yelled as it all became too much to handle. "All I want is for you to leave me alone. I want to be able to support my brothers and father in whatever activity they are pursuing without being hounded about being Jeff Tracy's daughter. I will give this one comment and after this I will never acknowledge the media again. I am proud to be one of SIX children of Jeff Tracy. We do not see him as an American Hero, we see him as our dad. A man who has done his best to raise us on his own since our mother died. As far as Gordon is concerned, we're all really proud of him. Now if you'll excuse us, you are blocking our vehicle and that is not appreciated." She stood proud as her brothers stood next to her. Scott, Jeff, and Gordon pushed their way through the crowd and stood with the rest of the family.
"Mr. Tracy is what your daughter said true?" one cocky reporter asked.
"If she said it, then it is true," replied Jeff. "Now, I believe that my daughter told you one comment and I'm sure that she asked you to back away from the truck so that they could get in." Scott opened the passenger door and helped Sam climb in. John and Virgil followed her and then Gordon and Alan got in. Jeff waited until Scott shut the door and walked around to the driver's side and got in. Only then did Jeff get into the truck.
Jeff turned in his seat as Scott started the truck. Sam had chosen to sit in the middle of the seat and was leaning against John. She had her eyes closed and a pained expression on her face.
"Sam, are you alright?" he called quietly so that she could hear him. After a few seconds, she gently shook her head. He could see that she was trying to calm herself and breathe through the pain of what appeared to be a migraine.
"Do we need to get you back to the dorm?" he asked.
"No, we have to celebrate with Gordy," she whispered. John relayed the message to their dad.
"You sure did tell them off, Sam," said Alan as he looked back at her.
"Sam, I am so proud of the way you handled yourself today," said their dad. She gave him a slight smile that was soon replaced by a grimace of pain. She gave a small whimper and turned her face into John's neck to block out the light that was hurting her eyes. He was rubbing her temples in an effort to relieve the pain.
"John, tell Scott to pull over," she whispered.
"Scott, pull over right now," John ordered. The words were no sooner out of his mouth that Scott was pulling off onto the shoulder of the road. Gordon hurriedly opened the door and Virgil moved out of Sam's way just as she jumped out of the truck and leaned over and got sick. Jeff had gotten out of the truck and was rubbing Sam's back and holding her hair back out of the way. When she was done, Jeff helped her back to the truck. Gordon held out his water bottle so that she could rinse her mouth out. She took it gratefully and quickly rinsed her mouth out. Jeff helped her back into the truck. She leaned against John and closed her eyes again. She felt a little better but not up to her normal self. She felt the truck ease back out onto the highway.
"Dad, go ahead and get us back to the dorm," said Gordon. Jeff turned and looked at him.
"Are you sure, Gordon?" he asked.
"NO! I will not let his celebration be ruined," said Sam. "John, hand me my camera bag." He handed it to her and she opened a side pocket that had a medicine bottle in it. She dumped two tablets in the palm of her hand and then put them into her mouth. She took a sip of water from Gordon's water bottle that she still held.
"Dad, I just took two of the pain killers that Brains told me to carry with me at all times," she said. "As long as I don't drink anything other than water and I'm not out too late I should be alright."
"Johnny, you're going to have to help me stay awake," she whispered. "I just took two Vicodin."
"Is it that bad, Sammie?" asked John. She nodded miserably but she would suffer through it because this was an important day for Gordon. Sam began to dose off on John's shoulder just as Scott pulled into the restaurant that Gordon had chosen.
"Sam, we're here," whispered John. He gently shook her until she opened her eyes.
"Thanks." She whispered as she looked at him. John was shocked to see the pain in his sister's eyes. It had been over a year since she'd had a major headache like this.
"Sam, you have to tell Dad that this is bad," he said as he looked at her. She stubbornly shook her head and immediately winced as the pain spiked. "I'm telling Dad." She took his hand and got him to look at her again.
"Please don't Johnny. I don't want to let Gordy down," she said quietly. She followed behind Virgil as he got out of the truck. She felt John right behind her. Their dad was standing next to Scott and Gordon. They all looked at Sam and John. John looked up at his dad and shook his head. Jeff understood that Sam was in a lot of pain but refused to ruin Gordon's night. Sam looked at them and walked up to Alan and took his hand.
"Come on, Alan, I'm hungry," she said quietly. Alan looked at his brothers and shrugged his shoulders. He and Sam led the family into the restaurant. Sam told the hostess that they'd need a table for seven and sat down to wait for the table to be set. John sat down next to her. He hated seeing his twin in pain and he was getting upset with her because she wouldn't let them take her back to the dorm.
"Samantha, will you please stop this stupid stunt?" he hissed at her. Virgil, Scott, and Jeff were standing near them and heard what John had said.
"Sam, I want an honest response of your condition," said her dad. Sam looked up at him and then lowered her head.
"I'm hurting really bad and the medication hasn't kicked in yet," she said quietly. "Dad, please don't make us go back to the dorm. I don't want Gordon's celebration to be ruined."
"Sammie, we can always make it a celebration when Dad comes back to see us for yours and John's sixteenth birthday dinner. I would prefer to have you feeling better than to see you suffer," Gordon said. "Dad, I really would like to get Sam back to the dorm, if that's alright with everyone else. Except you Sam, you don't get to vote on this one." Sam glared at him and the rest of her family for just a moment before she closed her eyes and leaned back on the bench.
"Come on, Sam, we're taking you home," said her dad as he and John helped her up. Scott told the waitress that they had a change of plans and would no longer need the table. Virgil held the door open as John, Sam, and their dad made their way to the truck.
"I don't want to go back to the dorm," mumbled Sam as she fought against the medicine. She leaned heavily on her dad. "Dad, I don't feel good right now."
"Shh, Honey, we'll be back at your dorm in just a few minutes and then you can go to sleep," he said quietly.
"Okay," she whispered. "Dad, is Johnny mad at me?" She was having a hard time getting her thoughts in order and she was so tired. She knew the reaction she would have from the pain medication when she took it but she hated disappointing her brothers and today was so important to Gordon.
"John isn't mad at you, Sam. He's just worried," said Virgil. He got into the truck and helped Sam get to her seat and then John climbed in after her. Sam had already leaned against Virgil and was trying to keep her eyes open. Virgil wrapped his arm around her and a few minutes later she was asleep. John kept glancing over at her to make sure that she was alright. By the time Scott pulled in front of the dorm, Sam was in a deep sleep as a reaction to the pain medication.
"How are we going to get her out of the truck and up to her room?" asked Virgil as he looked at his sister. John unfastened Sam's seat belt and shook her gently.
"Sammie, you need to wake up and get out of the truck," he said as he continued to shake her. She opened one eye and groaned but she managed to get out of the truck and stumble a few steps towards the dorm. She shook her head and was just about to sit down on the ground when Jeff his arm around her to help her to the dorm.
"Has she had this kind of reaction before with this medicine?" asked Jeff as Sam tried to stay awake again.
"She hasn't been this bad for over a year, Dad," answered John.
"Not true, Johnny," Sam mumbled. "Two in six months… didn't say anything."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" demanded Jeff. Sam groaned at the volume of his voice and turned her head away from him.
"Hurts, Dad, shhh," she whispered. "Didn't want anyone worrying." They walked into the dorm and got on the elevator. Scott was waiting on them outside Sam's bedroom. Jeff helped her lie down on her bed only to have her fiery personality flare up.
"I can get ready for bed by myself," she grumbled as she pushed them away. She made an effort to stand up and walk to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. She got as far as the bathroom door and began to sway. Scott got to her just before she fell. He half-dragged and half-carried her back to her bed. He gently laid her down and Gordon and Alan took her shoes and socks off. Virgil pulled her blankets over her. John moved a chair over to her bedside and sat down. Everyone knew that until she woke up this is where he would remain.
"I guess that medicine really does a number on her. I'm surprised that she was able to fight it for so long," said Scott. He knew from experience that the twins did not need full doses of any pain relief. "I can't believe that she took two of those tablets."
"She didn't want to disappoint Gordon," said John from Sam's bedside. He continued to watch Sam sleep. She would occasionally give a small whimper of pain. Gordon went to her bathroom and got a washcloth and ran it under cold water and then wrang it out He walked back to Sam's bedside and handed it to John so that he could put it on her forehead. Sam flinched away from the coolness and opened her eyes.
"It's alright, Sam, we put you to bed and I just put a cool cloth on your forehead to help ease the pain," whispered John as he looked down at her.
"I'm fine, John," she said quietly. She made a move to sit up only to find herself being pushed back down firmly yet gently. Looking up she saw her dad.
"You are not to get up. Do you understand me?" he asked. "I'm going to stay here tonight and tomorrow we can go out and celebrate Gordon's success in making the regional competition and breaking several records." Sam looked around for Gordon.
"Where's Gordon?" she asked. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head.
"I'm right here," said Gordon. She tried to sit up again only to be held down by both Gordon and John. "Stay still, Sam. Do you always have to be this stubborn? How do you expect your medication to help you if you keep fighting it?"
"Don't want to sleep, Gordy," she admitted. "Bad dreams every time I use this pain medicine. I get too relaxed and I can't stop the bad dreams." She couldn't stop the tear that leaked from the corner of her right eye. "I…never mind forget that I said anything." She closed her eyes and stopped fighting her medicine. She drifted back to sleep and was soon plagued by dreams of her mother dying and the paparazzi laughing maniacally at the pain the family was suffering. Suddenly, six more caskets appeared next to her mother's. In each of them was one of her brothers and her dad.
"They can't protect you now," said the paparazzi as they all drew nearer to her. She looked back at her family and realized that she was all alone.
"NO! GAWD, PLEASE DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY," she screamed as the tears streamed down her face.
"I can't live without my family, please," she pleaded. She could feel the paparazzi shaking her shoulder and laughing at her.
"Samantha."
"…need to …wake up."
"We're here…not leaving…"
She jerked awake and sat up so suddenly that she startled John and their dad. She was gasping for breath as she tried to fight down the terror that the nightmare had caused. Reaching out she grabbed John and cried into his shoulder. Jeff was really worried about her reaction and still she hadn't said a word to them.
"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere," said John as he continued to hold his sister. She just buried her face more in an attempt to block the lingering images of her nightmare. After awhile she began to calm down and let go of John. She stood up and walked to her window and looked out. Locating her mom's star, she quickly made a silent plea that her family would not be shattered again like it had been when Lucy died.
"Samantha, are you alright?" asked Jeff gently. He hadn't known that she suffered bad dreams when she took the medicine that Brains had given her. Even knowing what would happen, she had taken them because she hadn't wanted to let Gordon down.
She looked back over at her dad and shook her head. She turned back to the window and leaned her head against it. The coolness of the window felt good to her.
"Sam, why don't you lie back down?" asked Jeff.
"I don't want to sleep anymore because then I'll dream," she mumbled as she continued to stare out of her window. She couldn't get the images of her brothers and her parents in those caskets. She shivered at the thought and tried to think of something else.
"We're not going anywhere I promise you. It was just a bad dream brought on by the medicine and the news reporters," said John as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"How do you know what the dream was, John?" asked his dad. John looked over at him and pondered his answer.
"I don't know all about the dream and I don't understand how I even know any of it but I keep getting glimpses of seven caskets and Sam being chased by paparazzi." If that was just a bit of what Sam had dreamt, no wonder she was upset.
"Samantha, I want the Vicodin that you've got left. I don't want you taking it anymore. We'll get something else to use if you need it," said Jeff as he walked over to her. She went to her camera bag and handed him the bottle of Vicodin. She got back into bed and just stared around at nothing in particular. Her silence was unnerving her dad and brother.
"Talk to me, Sis." John sat down on her bed next to her. She gazed at him and tried to put what she was feeling into words.
"I'm scared, Johnny, of something happening to any of you," she said tonelessly. "It hurt so much when we lost Mom but to lose anyone else…" She couldn't bring herself to finish her thought. "I hate the dreams that my pain meds cause. We should be out celebrating our little brother's success. Instead, we get hounded by reporters and I end up with a migraine and terrified by a stupid nightmare." She got up and began to pace around her room. Her migraine had receded to a manageable headache and now that she could think she realized that she was hungry. She looked at her watch and was surprised to see that it was almost 2:00A.M.
"Have you two been awake the whole time I was asleep?" she asked.
"No, Sam, I went to John's room and slept for a few hours," answered her dad.
"I dozed off in the chair next to your bed," admitted John. "Dad had just come in to check on you, when I was trying to wake you up from your nightmare. Scott went into town and brought back dinner. He and Virgil thought that a salad would stay fresher for you incase you woke up hungry. It's on your desk along with a packet of dressing and a fork." Sam jumped up and went to her desk and sat down.
"I'm starving," she admitted as she poured the dressing on her salad and began to eat. "Remind me to thank Scott and Virgil for bringing me some food."
"Your welcome, Sis," said a sleepy voice from her door. She looked over and was surprised to see Scott standing there. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, just got a slight headache but I can manage that," she replied as she continued to eat. "This is excellent. Where'd you get it?"
"The same restaurant we always go to on the weekends," he answered. "Why are all of you awake?"
"Nightmare," answered Sam as she looked down at her salad. She put the salad down and walked into her bathroom and filled her water glass with cold water. She drank it and set it back on the sink. She was just about to leave when she saw her brothers and dad standing in the doorway.
"What?" she asked nervously as she looked from one to the other.
"How long have these nightmares been going on?" her dad asked. She shifted her gaze from her dad to the floor. "I asked you a question, Samantha. How long have you had these nightmares?"
"I've had similar nightmares ever since Mom's funeral and I saw the paparazzi taking our pictures. I tried to forget about them but I guess with the paparazzi in NYC and then the reporters last night on top of the reaction from the pain medication it was inevitable that I have one. I tend to have a really bad one every couple of months."
"How come you didn't tell us?" he asked her as Scott and John looked at each other. Sam always knew when one of them had a nightmare and needed to talk about it but they weren't aware of the ones that she had.
"I don't know, Dad. I guess I thought that I should handle them on my own." She finally looked up at her family as a couple of tears fell from her eyes.
"I'm afraid of those dreams. I'm afraid that they will come true and that I'll lose what I hold dearest to me and that is all of you," she said quietly. Jeff, Scott, and John all surrounded her and hugged her close to them.
"Don't keep those dreams bottled up," said Scott. "You can always talk to one of us. Though I'd recommend sticking with Dad, me, John, or Virgil. You can turn to Gordon and Alan if you just need a laugh."
"Thanks, Scotty," she yawned. "I think I need to get back to bed." She got back into her bed and smiled at her family and drifted off to sleep. Jeff reached out and brushed her hair from her face.
"I'm glad she opened up to us," he commented. John nodded in agreement.
"John, go to bed and I'll watch her now," Jeff said.
"Both of you go to bed and I'll watch her," said Scott. "Dad, you can have my bed and John can have his own."
"Are you sure Scott?" asked John. He was tired but he wanted to make sure Sam was alright before he went to bed.
"I'm sure. I don't mind watching over our little sister," he answered. John leaned over Sam and gave her a kiss on her cheek and then he and their dad walked out of Sam's room. They left the door open as they left. Scott shut off the lights and sat down in the chair next to Sam's bed. A few hours later, Virgil walked in and woke Scott up.
"Good morning," he said quietly. Sam moaned in her sleep and rolled over until she was against the wall.
"What are you doing up so early?" asked Scott.
"I came in to check on Sam," he admitted.
"I'm fine now. My migraine is gone and the headache that follows is gone too," Sam said as she looked at her brothers. "Thanks for going with Scott last night and bringing me a salad back Virgil." She sat up and leaned against the wall.
"Sammie!" called two voices as they ran into her room and jumped on her bed.
"Are you alright now?" asked Alan as he looked at her. Gordon was watching her face to see if she was still in pain. He couldn't read her as well as Virgil and no one could read better than John but he was still able to see that she was feeling better.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "Good morning, Gordon."
"Morning, Sam," he responded. "Ready to celebrate today?"
"Of course, I tried to do that yesterday but you guys wouldn't let me," she teased.
"That's because you'd been no fun if all you did was puke and pass out from the affects of your medicines," he shot back.
"Well, you can place the blame on the reporters. If they would have left us alone then I wouldn't have gotten the migraine and then I wouldn't have needed the meds to fight the migraine therefore I wouldn't have gotten sick," she replied.
"I'm not even going to respond to that," said Gordon. "You lost me at the first sentence." Sam giggled at his remark.
"Thanks, Gordon, for looking out for me last night," she said. He blushed at her appreciation.
"I didn't do anything that you wouldn't have done. You just do that stuff better," he said shyly. Jeff and John walked into the room and looked around.
"Started the party without us?" their dad teased. A knock on the door made them all look over. Catie and Alex were standing there. Sam waved them in.
"Gordon, you made the newspaper," said Alex. He'd seen the paper at breakfast and was surprised to see that Gordon was on the first page of the sports section with an article about his secured position in the regional competitions and the three records that he broke. There was also a mention of the family but the only quote was the one by Virgil.
"May I see your newspaper?" asked Jeff. Alex handed him the paper and walked over to Sam.
"Are you alright? I saw your dad and brothers helping you to your room yesterday," he asked.
"I had a migraine and then I took some pain meds that didn't agree with me," she said. "I'm alright now. I just react differently to meds and have to sleep the affects off." He looked around to make sure that her father wasn't watching them and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled at him and looked over at Catie and John standing next to each other. John had glanced around and pulled her out into the hallway. A few minutes later, Jeff called out and told John to get back into Sam's room so that he could see him. Everyone in Sam's room laughed at Catie and John's red faces. Jeff looked at Alex and Sam and gave them a look that let them know that he had been aware of their PDA.
"What is on everyone's agenda for the day?" Jeff asked as he sat down next to Sam on her bed. Gordon, Alan, and Virgil were already sitting there alongside Sam.
"John and I have to go to the airport for our lesson," Sam said. "Today we get to fly without the constant instruction of our instructor. He said that he's just going to sit back and let us do all the work."
"After that we're free," added John. Scott, Virgil, Alan, and Gordon all shook their heads to let Jeff know that they had nothing planned.
"Um, Dad, Virgil is supposed to start his lessons today," Sam reminded them. Since they moved to Tracy Island it had become almost a requirement that when one of the kids turned fifteen they had to start on getting their pilot's license. Scott had earned his license when he was sixteen and a half. Sam and John should have theirs in a few months time.
"I forgot that I was to start today," groaned Virgil. "I thought that it was next week."
"So what's the problem? You'll just be a week ahead," commented Scott. Sam got up and went to her bookshelf and pulled out a couple of books and manuals and handed them to Virgil.
"I'm done with these so you can have them," she said. "Pay attention to the notes that are written and just remember they weren't done by me." She mouthed the word "Scott" and Virgil laughed. Scott groaned as he realized that Sam had passed on the books that he had given to Sam and John when they began their flying lessons. Jeff cleared his throat and drew their attention back to him.
"Let's plan on an early dinner then to celebrate Gordon's performance yesterday. Catie and Alex, you two are welcome to join us. Scott, Brook can come to if you want," he said. Virgil cleared his throat and shifted nervously as everyone looked over at him.
"Dad, I have kind of been seeing someone. Do you mind if I invite her to come with us?" he asked shyly. Jeff looked around at his children and was surprised by their expressions. It was evident that none of them knew that Virgil had been dating anyone.
"Can you give us a little more information about this young lady?" their father asked.
"Her name is Jodi and she's a freshman like me. She just transferred here this semester. We're in music together as well as the drama club," he said quickly.
"Go ahead and invite her. Just warn her not to irritate Sam or she might get her hair washed in a most unconventional way," he said. Sam blushed at his comment and thought back to what she did to Kelli. Catie started laughing and Alex looked at them confused. Scott started to explain so that Alex could understand.
"Kelli was my girlfriend a couple of years ago and she was quite taken with the Tracy name. She and Sam never liked each other. Sam had a reason but Kelli was possessive of the time she wanted me to spend with her. She kept me away from the family as a way of getting what she wanted. The night of my sixteenth birthday, we went out for dinner. Catie and Sam were best friends back then as well. We were all joking around and I challenged Sam to a race. Kelli got irritated that I was going to spend time with my brothers and sister for a few hours and threw a fit. Sam told her off and went to the ladies room with Catie right behind her. Kelli excused herself and despite the warnings Gordon gave her, she went into the ladies room. Five minutes later Sam and Catie came back out to the table. I had asked where Kelli was and Sam informed me that Kelli had called her a bitch and that she retaliated by shoving Kelli's head and her hair into the toilet and flushing it." He didn't go into the rest of the episode.
Alex looked over at Sam and busted out laughing.
"No wonder Catie warned me to never get on your bad side or to insult one of your brothers," he teased. He was so glad that he'd worked up the nerve to ask her out eight months ago.
"So, I need to make reservations for eleven of us?" asked Jeff.
"Yes, Sir, that would be all of us," answered Scott. "That is if everyone wants to go."
"I would like to join you," said Alex.
"So would I, Mr. Tracy," added Catie.
"I'll call Brook and ask her. Hold on a second," said Scott as he ran to his room to get his cell phone. He quickly spoke with Brook and then hung up. "She said yes."
"Scott, can I borrow your phone to call Jodi?" asked Virgil. Scott tossed it to him and Virgil dialed the number. He went out into the hallway and spoke with her. He came back into the room with a grin on his face.
"She said she's looking forward to meeting everyone and thanks for inviting her," he said. Sam looked at her watch and groaned.
"John, we have to get ready for our lesson. We have just enough time to get dressed and get there," she said. She shooed everyone out of her room so that she could change. Ten minutes later, she came out of her room showered and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. Alex was still in the hall waiting on her. Everyone else had scattered.
"What are you up to Alex?" she asked as she saw his smile.
"Samantha, I know that we've only been dating casually but I would like to make it official. Will you be my steady girlfriend?" He took her hand in his and slid his class ring on her finger.
(Author's Note: Not her wedding ring finger, it was her other hand. I may be showing my age but that was a popular thing when I was a high school student.)
"Yes, Alex, I will be your steady girlfriend," she giggled. He looked up and down the hall before he pulled her close to him and gave her a kiss and hugged her tight. He walked her down to where John, Virgil, and their father were waiting to go to the airport. Jeff had decided to drive them and watch John and Sam fly. Virgil's lesson would be in the classroom today. Alex told them goodbye and watched as they got into Jeff's SUV.
At the airport, Sam and John worked together and did the pre-flight work and answered any questions that their instructor asked them. He was satisfied with their knowledge of the pre-flight work.
"John, I'm going to have you fly first. You need to calm down a bit during take off," he said. John blushed a little bit as he climbed into the cockpit. The instructor sat in the seat next to John. John radioed in for permission to take off. After a short wait, he was granted permission. He turned the plane so that it was on the correct runway and began to increase the speed until he smoothly began to pull back on the yoke and the plane began to lift up. He was soon airborne and managing to remember everything he'd been taught so far. The instructor kept him in the air for forty-five minutes before having him radio in for permission to land. When it had been granted, John initiated landing procedures and gracefully brought the plane down.
"Well done, John," said his instructor. John could see Sam and their dad waiting on him. He quickly climbed out of the plane and was almost knocked over as Sam hugged him.
"You did great!" she exclaimed as she smiled at him. "That was without a doubt the best that I have ever seen you do." He smiled back at her shyly.
"Thanks, Sis, but now it's your turn." She gave him another jug and jogged over to where her instructor was waiting. She climbed in the cockpit and began to check over everything. She looked over at her instructor and nodded.
"Get clearance," he said. Sam radioed in for clearance and soon received it. She taxied to the correct runway and began to accelerate. When she had reached the correct speed for take off, she pulled back on the yoke and the plane began to rise. Her take off was as smooth as John's had been. Her instructor put her through some different scenarios in which she reacted flawlessly just as John had done. He told her to radio in for permission to land within a half hour of the lesson. She was granted clearance and began her descent and with just a slight bump she landed the plane. She taxied to a stop in front of the hangar where her dad and John were waiting. She shut down the engines and started her post-flight work. John ran over to help her. The instructor climbed out of the plane and watched them work through their list that they kept with them. He nodded his head in approval. He had not had such good students since their brother Scott started his lessons almost three years ago. Now he would be getting the fourth Tracy teen and there were two more after that.
"Mr. Tracy, I believe that John and Samantha are ready to take their written and flying tests. They have logged in quite a bit of flying time by coming out here every other day and though Scott was a natural, these two are not too far behind him."
Jeff looked surprised at what he was hearing.
"So, let's get them set up to take the test. Can we get it done today?" he asked. The instructor nodded his head.
"I wanted to be prepared and I have two tests ready for them and I already tested them in flight. They both handled different scenarios that I gave them wonderfully."
Sam and John had finished with their work and began to walk to where their dad and instructor were talking.
"Uh oh, I wonder what's going on." Sam said nervously as she went over her flight in her mind.
"Samantha and John, I have one more thing I need you to do before you leave," their instructor said. "I have a test that I need you to take so I know what I need to work with you on. Please follow me." The twins followed him into an office and sat down where he told them and began the test after he handed it to them. An hour later they were done with the tests and he quickly graded them. They went out and waited with their dad and Virgil.
"Samantha Tracy and John Tracy, you have earned your pilot's license. The test that you took was for your state required license and the lesson you had in the plane was the test that you needed to qualify to take the written. All those extra hours that you logged over the past year met the required minimum to take the test. Congratulations!"
Sam and John looked at each other in surprise. With a squeal, Sam hugged John. The instructor handed them the paperwork that they needed to get a copy of their license and a certificate of completion.
"Looks like we have more to celebrate tonight," commented Jeff as he walked up to his twins.
"No, we don't, Dad," said Sam firmly. "Tonight is Gordon's night and only his."
"Sam's right, Dad, this is Gordon's night," agreed John.
"Alright, I can see that I'm outnumbered here," he responded. "So, does this mean that you'll both want a plane for your birthday?"
"Nah, you know John and I share so one plane will be enough," teased Sam. "I think that we could probably wait until Christmas. You know that they are changing some of the rules at school, don't you Dad?"
"Like what kind of rules?" he asked.
"Starting with the New Year the students that are sixteen and older can have a car while they're at school as long as they maintain a certain G.P.A. and stay out of trouble," she said seriously.
"Let me guess. You want a car and permission to drive off campus?" he asked.
"You know how much I love you, don't you Dad?" she asked.
"I don't think that is a good idea, Sam," he replied. Sam giggled and pulled a five dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to John.
"You win," she said. Jeff looked at his twins and laughed at the little bet that they had going.
"John knew that you'd say no. I thought that we might get you to cave a little since Scott was going to be gone next year," she explained. "How did your lesson go, Virgil?"
"It was basically review since I'd already gone through it with Scott," he admitted. "At least I should do well." They walked towards the truck with a final wave to the instructor. Sam and John were still amazed that they'd achieved their goal and before the time limit that they'd set.
"Let's not tell anyone until our birthday, John," suggested Sam. "I don't want to take away from Gordon's achievement."
"That's fine. I don't see any need to wave this around," agreed John.
"That's very thoughtful of you two," said Jeff from the driver's seat. Virgil, John, and Sam had opted to sit in the middle seat.
"He deserves special recognition because it isn't everyday that a swimming record is broken," said John thoughtfully. He didn't much care for recognition as long as he had the support of his family and most importantly Sam and Catie. He smiled as he thought of his girlfriend. It was just a bonus that she and Sam were best friends.
"Earth to John," called a voice next to him. He blinked and looked over at Sam.
"Sorry, did you say something?" he asked sheepishly.
"Never mind," sighed Sam. She leaned over John and looked at Virgil.
"Why are you so quiet?" she asked.
"I'm kind of nervous," he admitted. "Sam, will you please not be mean to Jodi. I don't want you to stick her head in a toilet."
"Virgil, I can promise you that I will not be mean to Jodi," she said. "I am actually looking forward to meeting her. She must be a little on the special side for you to have noticed her." Virgil blushed slightly and grinned at Sam. Sam sat back in her seat just as their dad pulled into a parking spot in front of the dorm. Sam reached over John and opened the door. Without giving him a chance to move she crawled over him and jumped out of the truck and ran to the dorm. She ran up the stairs to her floor and to her room. She quickly pulled her certificate and papers for her license out of the envelope just as Scott knocked on her door. She looked up and the papers dropped from her hand. Scott came in and bent down to pick up a paper. He glanced at it and jerked his head up and looked at Sam.
"What's this?" he asked. She reached for the paper only to have him hold it above his head.
"Scott, give it back, please," she begged.
"Scott, give it back to your sister now," ordered Jeff from the doorway. Scott handed over the paper and looked over to see his dad and John.
"That paper said that she'd completed the program and that she had passed her written and flight tests," he said.
"When it's time for you to know then John and Sam will tell you," said Jeff in a neutral tone.
A few hours later, Jeff and Scott pulled into the parking lot with a second rented SUV. Gordon, Alan, Virgil, and Jodi all rode with Jeff. John, Catie, Sam, Alex, and Brook all rode in the second SUV with Scott. Jeff had already made reservations for the group. Once they were at the restaurant, they were seated immediately. The dinner celebration went well and Jodi was included into the group without any problems. Sam had known that Virgil would pick someone like himself, artistic and sensitive.
Gordon had the group in hysterics with his jokes. Sam was happy that Gordon had made their dad postpone the dinner to tonight. They had all been right; she would have been lousy company the night before. She looked around the table at her brothers and some of their girlfriends, her dad, and finally at Alex.
"What are you thinking about?" Alex as she looked at him.
"Just how happy everyone is and how we're enjoying just being together," she answered. He looked at her hand and smiled at seeing his class ring on her finger. He wrapped his fingers around hers and leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Her eyes sparkled when she looked in his eyes.
All too soon dinner was over and Jeff paid the bill and walked all of the teens and Gordon and Alan to the SUVs. When they got back to the dorms, the boys walked the girls back to their dorm. Sam walked back with her brothers and Alex to their dorm. Jeff and Scott went to the SUVs to return the rental. Alex walked Sam to her room and as a courtesy her brothers went into Gordon's room so that Alex could give Sam a goodnight kiss. He took her in his arms and looked down at her. He lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. He let go of her and backed away.
"Goodnight, Sam," he said. As he walked by Gordon's door, he knocked on it.
"Night, guys," he called. Sam's brothers came out into the hall and went to Sam's room.
"Alright, Sam, when did he give you his ring?" demanded John. He had been thinking about giving Catie his but wanted to talk to Sam first.
"He gave it to me this morning when he asked me to be his steady girlfriend," she admitted. "Virgil, I'm proud of you. Jodi is just what I had hoped she would be for you."
"Thanks for making her feel like part of the group," he said shyly.
"Does this mean that you'll be going out on dates with John, Catie, Scott, Brook, Alex, and me on Saturdays?" she asked. They normally only met up for lunch together.
"I'm not sure. I want Jodi to give me her input," he replied. Sam hugged him and told him that she was happy for him.
"Now, as much as I love all of you, I'm really tired and want to sleep uninterrupted until I decide to wake up in the morning," she said as she pushed her brothers out of her room. John planted his feet and refused to move.
"I need to talk to you," he said quietly. Sam nodded and pulled him back and shoved the other three out.
"Goodnight guys," she said and shut the door. She locked it to prevent them from getting back in. She turned around and was surprised to see John pacing the floor. She sat down on her bed and watched him.
"Sam, how would you feel if I asked Catie to wear my class ring?" he asked nervously. "I really like her and I think that she likes me too." He looked at Sam and watched her face.
"John, let me ask you something," she said. "Does Catie make you laugh? Do you have anything in common?"
"Yeah, we have something in common and that would be you," he answered. "We have a good time together and I don't feel uncomfortable around her."
"In that case, I would be happy for you," she responded. "John, I want you to be happy just like all of our brothers. Catie is my best female friend and you are my closest brother and best friend in the world and I think that you two together are a good match. The only things that I'm asking, no begging, don't let me hear about any intimate details of your relationship with her. I've already been there with Scott and ewww." John grinned at her.
"I promise and Sam thanks," he said. He walked to her door and started to open it. "Does this mean we're growing up or apart?" She walked up behind him and turned him to face her.
"We're growing up but we'll never grow apart," she said softly as she gave him a tender hug of reassurance. "Goodnight, John." He opened the door and walked to his room.
"Love you, Sis."
"I know and I love you too."
"Yeah, we love you, Sis," called three voices from Alan's open door.
"Get to bed you little brats," she giggled.
"Who are you calling little? We're about as tall as you are," demanded Gordon. Sam shook her head and closed her door. She shut off her lights and climbed into bed. She sat on it and stared out the window and into the star flecked sky. After a while she slumped over asleep.
The next month was quite and uneventful. Jeff flew to New York for John and Sam's sixteenth birthday.
A loud banging on his door woke him early in the morning. Grumbling something about murdering the idiot waking him up, he stumbled to the door and opened it.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY!" yelled four voices at once. John looked at his brothers and closed the door in their faces and stumbled back to bed. Scott opened the door and he and the rest followed him in. At a signal, they all jumped on top of him.
"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" John yelled. He tried to push them off of him to no avail. They had him pinned to his bed.
"SAMANTHA!" he yelled.
"Aww isn't that sweet? Johnny is calling for his protector," said Scott as he and their brothers tickled him and tormented him. They were so absorbed in irritating John that they didn't see Sam sneak in until she grabbed Virgil and Gordon and pulled them off of John.
"Why'd you wake us up for?" she demanded as she stood over them. She didn't see Scott sneaking up behind her and Alan had his hand over John's mouth so that he couldn't warn her.
"Happy birthday, Sis," he said as he grabbed her around the waist. She screamed in surprise and fought against his hold and he let go and she fell on top of Virgil. Her elbows connected with his abdomen. He gasped as the wind was knocked out of him.
"Virg, are you alright?" she asked as she tried to help him sit up. He groaned as he shifted into a sitting position. He nodded his head as he tried to breathe normally again. Sam turned towards Scott and advanced on him.
"Scott, what was that comment you made to John?" she asked sweetly.
"Um, I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he looked for one of his brothers to back him up. Gordon was still next to Virgil and he was still trying to breathe. Alan was pinned down on John's bed by John.
"It was something like he was calling for his protector," she reminded him. "Where are your protectors now?" She continued to advance on him until he backed up against John's bed and then she shoved him down just as John pulled Alan out of the way. Sam pulled a marker out of her pocket and quickly drew a smiley face on Scott's chest.
"Now that is a piece of art," she giggled. Scott looked down and grinned back at her. Sam began to back up. She backed up right into Virgil and Gordon. They grabbed her arms and held her for Scott. He stood up and walked towards her.
"You know little sister that everyone gets a turn," he said. He grabbed the marker out of her hands and uncapped it. Looking at her, he tried to find the best approach. He dropped the marker and picked her up instead and took her to her room. Their brothers were right behind them.
"Virgil, turn on the cold water for Sam's shower," he ordered. Sam began to kick and scream. Scott easily held her and stood her under the cold water.
"Move, Scott, its freezing," she stammered. "I'm sorry for drawing such a sad looking smiley face on you." She tried to shove past him and get out of the water. Virgil had his hands over the faucet so that she couldn't turn the water off.
"P-p-please, S-s-cott," she was beginning to shiver. Virgil shut the water off and Scott handed her a towel to dry off with. She wrapped the towel around herself and went to her room to get some dry clothes and then went back to the bathroom to change.
Once she came out, all of her brothers were in her room. She walked over to John and gave him a big hug.
"Happy birthday, John." She handed him a small package. He carefully opened it and his eyes widened when he saw it. She had gotten him a watch to replace one that he'd lost. On the back of the watch she had these words inscribed, Happy 16th Birthday Love Samantha.
"Thanks, Sam." He handed her a small package also. She opened it and started to tear up when she realized what it was. He had bought her a ring that had their birthstones surrounded by their brothers' birthstones. The pendant that he chose to accompany it was a heart pendant with their birthstone in the center of it.
"It's beautiful," she cried as she gave up trying to hold the tears back.
"We're giving you your presents later," said Gordon as he waited for Sam to calm down.
"That's fine, Gordon," she said. "John and I have always given our gifts to each other early."
That night Jeff took his family and their boyfriend and girlfriends out for dinner.
Virgil gave John his present first. John pulled the wrapping off of the 8x10 canvas and sat there stunned. Virgil shifted nervously.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"Virgil, it's amazing," John answered. "I love it." He turned it so that Sam could see it and then everyone else. True to his word, Virgil had painted Sam in her formal gown with her mother off to the side in her wedding dress.
Virgil painted a picture of Alex, Sam, John, and Catie sitting in the restaurant that they always went to. Sam hugged him and wiped her eyes.
Gordon and Alan had chipped in together and bought both of them a new telescope.
Scott handed each of them a small package. They opened them at the same time and looked back up at him. He had bought each of them their pilot's wings. He had included a card to let them know how proud he was of both of them.
"Scotty, they don't have their license yet," said Alan. John and Sam looked at each other and then to the rest of the table.
"Um, Sam and I earned our wings and license a month ago," admitted John. "We just didn't say anything cus it was Gordon's time to shine."
"You kept it a secret this long?" asked Gordon. "Thanks for being such a great brother and sister." He got up and hugged both of them. He was amazed that they never said a thing about their achievement.
"Excuse me but before we leave, I would like to give my son and daughter their birthday present," said Jeff. He handed each of them a plaque with a picture of them together on the day they were born with the meaning of their names side by side. At the bottom of the plaque was a picture of them sitting side by side on the beach at home as teenagers.
"Daddy, its perfect," cried Sam as she jumped up and ran to give her dad a hug. John came up on the other side and hugged him too.
"Thanks, Dad."
Sam and John gathered their gifts and loaded them into the trucks. Scott and Jeff drove all of them back to the dorm. Alex and Catie gave Sam and John their gifts when they walked with them to the dorm.
"Happy birthday, Samantha," said Alex as he handed her a sealed envelope. "Read it later." He took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. He let go of her and held her hand instead.
"Catie, um, would you be my steady girlfriend?" asked John.
"I didn't think that you were going to ask me," she said quietly. "Yes, John, I will." John slipped his class ring on her finger and gently kissed her.
She handed him a sheet of paper in a frame. He looked at it and smiled. It was a certificate that stated that she had named a star after him and its location.
"Thank you, Catie, I'll never forget this gift," he said as he smiled at her.
The boys and Sam walked back to their dorms and went to bed. The rest of the semester went by quickly and soon it was time to fly back home for the holidays.