Okay, first off I cannot apologise enough for unacceptable amount of time it has taken me to post this chapter. Basically, I started back at school and it's my last year so we've started the dreaded UCAS applications - if you're not from the UK, its your university application and the bane of a 6th years existence.

Another reason I couldn't write this chapter was because I didn't really know where to go from where I left off. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter and it's not particularly exciting but I just needed to get past a hurdle to get the story moving again. I know I also said I was going to keep it Scott's POV but I think that's what was causing me so much trouble so that idea has been scrapped.

And just so everyone knows - I fully intend to finish this story and I will not abandon it, it might just take a little bit longer than originally planned.

Sorry for all the rambling but lastly just wanted to say that the reviews have been so amazing and I appreciate them so much. Thanks!

Jeff Tracy was in a business meeting. A very boring one at that. The man standing before him had started a new delivery service and wanted to make a deal with Tracy Industries, to be their sole delivery service.

Jeff already knew he wasn't going to take it. When he'd agreed to this meeting he had not been informed that the man in question was a baffling fool who clearly intended to use Tracy Industries to jump start his failing business. He was only amusing the man now as he listened to all the supposed benefits this deal would bring.

Honestly, he'd spent the entire time wishing he was at his sons recital. He hadn't meant to be so harsh on Scott this morning. The truth was, he had forgotten it was today and what's even worse was if he'd just admitted that he could have called in, re-scheduled this meeting and gone. He was just too damn stubborn to confess he'd forgotten. He already felt like he'd let his boys down so much he didn't want to admit to doing it yet again. It was only now he was realising he might be causing more damage than good missing it today.

Just as he was about to bring this awful meeting to an end, his secretary Julie burst through the doors.

"Mr. Tracy! There's been an accident! ...it's your boys"

Jeff was immediately on his feet, the delivery man forgotten as he stormed out of the room. What had happened? Were his boys alright? Julie started giving him details as they walked, he wasn't taking in much and just about registered the hospital name through his panic. His boys. His boys were hurt. In the hospital.

His chest was painfully tight, this feeling was all too familiar. It felt just the same as when he'd gotten the news about his darling Lucille.

He began running at this thought leaving his secretary in his dust as he ran to his car. Turning on his phone as he went he was alarmed to see all the missed calls and messages.

Strapping in, he turned on the engine and just about floored the accelerator in his haste.

What have I done? Echoed in his mind over and over.

...

Once Scott had regained his composure, he pulled his little brothers back to lie on the bed on either side of him, his upper body was propped up against the headboard. Alan fell asleep almost instantly - it'd been a bit of a long day. His Grandma sat down on the chair next to the bed, watching closely as Scott clung to his brothers - refusing to let go.

Grandma cleared her throat "Scott dear, are you alright?"

Scott kept his gaze down, staring intently at the bedspread. "Yeah I'm fine" he replied rather harshly.

"Scott look at me." Grandma scolded lightly. Scott looked up with dread filled eyes. "I need you to tell me what happened."

Scott sighed as his eyes started watering again. He really didn't want to re-live this. He resorted to trying to be as vague as possible.

"It was my fault" His voice trembled slightly and he felt Gordon snuggle closer to him.

Grandma put an encouraging hand on his leg, looking him directly in the eye.

"You're going to have to tell me more than that Scott"

Scott really didn't want to tell his Grandma how badly he screwed up, how badly he let his family down. He was sure she would hate him afterwards. He didn't think he could deal with his family turning away from him. But then, did he even deserve them? He had nearly killed most of his family due to his stupidity. Why would they want him around? Best just to get it over with instead of delaying the inevitable.

"Well it started this morning..." Once he started he couldn't stop. He told his Grandma about everything - the recital, their dad forgetting, taking the car and very very briefly - the crash.

His voice was very thick by the end of it and he could feel the tears leaking out. "...so basically I screwed up exceptionally badly...and I'm so so sorry." He was choking out the words now "I didn't think this would happen I swear...I'm sorry" he got quieter and quieter towards the end sobbing "I'm sorry - I'm sorry"

His Grandma, who had sat patiently while listening to the account stood and lifted Scott's chin so he was once again forced to look her in the eye.

"Now Scott, don't bury yourself into the ground here. We both know you shouldn't have taken the car, but we also both know that it was never your intention for this to happen. Everybody makes mistakes but you have to move past them to make things right. We don't know what's going to happen from here but we do have to face it as a family. A whole family. I also think we need to have a long conversation with your father, it seems he is not entirely innocent in this incident either."

His Grandma sighed. She honestly hadn't realised things had been this bad for her Grandson's. Scott seemed to be oblivious to the fact that he was still just a kid - he didn't need to shoulder the blame for everything. She really needed to talk to Jeff, he clearly hadn't been doing nearly as much as he should have for his children. God, she loved her son but he could be incredibly stupid and oblivious at times. "I have to take some blame too Scott, you've clearly been struggling with a lot on your own for a while now and I should have been there, for that I am sorry." She gently wiped the tears from his face.

Scott didn't know what to say. His Grandma made everything sound like it was going to be okay. But she couldn't know. What if something happens to John or Virgil and they weren't fine. They couldn't move past that. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He looked down to Gordon's teary face "It's not you fault Scott" Gordon looked up to their Grandma, his lip quivering "It's my fault Grandma...I was being bad. That's why Scott crashed"

He burst into tears and Scott instincts kicked in immediately as he slung an arm around his brother shoulder, pulling him close and rubbing his arm.

"Shhhh Gordon, it okay. It wasn't your fault"

Grandma sighed "You boys are all as bad as each other. No one's solely responsible for this boys. There's no point in blaming yourselves - its been a long day and there's no reason to make it worse. We need to support each other now" Grandma leaned in to Gordon's teary face "Okay?"

She got a shaky nod in response and turned her attention to Scott, making eye contact "Okay?"

"Yeah"

"Okay now why don't you two follow Alan's lead and get some rest." As Scott made to protest she quickly added "If anything happens I'll wake you up straight away, okay?"

Scott still not entirely satisfied but noticing he was struggling to even keep his eyes open nodded.

"Good. I'm going to go talk to the doctor now. I'll be just down the hall if you need me"

She turned the light out as she left and before as she was leaving she heard a quiet 'Thank-you' from the bed.

...

Jeff ran through the doors of the hospital, heading straight for the reception desk. There was a woman standing on the phone behind it. She was an older woman and the grey hair was beginning to show through the tight bun she had her hair in.

"Excuse me"

She briefly looked up from the computer with a slight glare and gestured towards the fact that she was on the phone as if Jeff hadn't realised.

Jeff groaned in frustration, he was so close to his boys yet he couldn't get to them. He would willingly start searching door to door all around the hospital if he thought it would get him to them sooner but he figured his best bet was to wait for this infuriating woman as she painstakingly slowly typed information she must have been getting off the phone call into her computer. God forbid the people who came to this desk with a genuine medical emergency.

She finally put down the phone and turned her attention to him, peering over the glasses which sat on the end of her nose.

"How can I help you Sir?"

"My name is Jeff Tracy, my sons were in an accident"

Her stare turned to one of great disapproval in seconds and Jeff felt himself shrinking behind her glare.

"Mr. Tracy - the hospital has been trying to get a hold of you for quite some time now"

Jeff visibly paled and he suddenly felt a great need to explain himself to this women "I know...I'm sorry, I was in a meeting" Even to him it sounded pretty awful but he was turning desperate "Please, I just need to see my children"

The women, sensing his distress, softened her features slightly. Jeff could see that underneath that death-glare she had perfected she was clearly a caring woman - probably just to people who actually deserved it.

"If you head to the third floor - room 312 - you should find your mother, she can fill you in."

Jeff logged the information and said 'thank-you' as he was already walking off. He jogged to the lift - pressed the button a lot more times than necessary - as if that would will it to come faster, and headed up to his boys.

As the lift doors opened he came face to face with his mother who's surprised look turned quickly into a glare far worse than that of the receptionists.

"Jefferson, we need to talk young man"

"Mother, please just tell me - how are the boys?"

She sighed, taking a hold of his arm and guided him down the hall until they came to a couple of chairs pushed against the wall.

"Sit down, Jeff"

Jeff sat reluctantly, he was suddenly wondering if he wanted to hear this at all. His mother was clearly furious with him, yet no yelling had ensued. Something was clearly wrong and his heart was clenching at the thought.

"How bad is it?"

His mother sat opposite him "I'm afraid it's not good Jefferson"

Jeff's breathing faltered slightly. She continued "The good news: Gordon and Alan are fine - a little shaken up that's all." Jeff exhaled slightly at this and signalled for her to go on. "Scott is relatively okay, he sustained a mild concussion in the crash and was in severe shock. He's doing alright now though."

Jeff nodded at this, relieved beyond belief. He a bad feeling that his mother was taking him through it best to worst though and steeled himself to shakily ask "John and Virgil?"

His mother sighed and Jeff felt the dread set in. "In the crash, John's airbag didn't inflate and he cracked two of his ribs off the dashboard. Unfortunately one of these ribs punctured his lung. The doctor's put him on a ventilator as he was having trouble breathing but he assures me it's just a precaution and that John most likely will not need surgery and should be breathing on his own in less than 24 hours"

Jeff was having to take deep breaths to control himself. His son, his second oldest, had a punctured lung. A friggin' punctured lung. And he hadn't been there. He had been too busy working while his son was struggling to breathe. His hands were shaking. He didn't think he could handle anymore but he had to get this over with. He feared he wouldn't like what was to come next. Forcing his voice to be steady he asked "And Virgil?"

His mother took his hand in hers and he looked into her eyes with showed great dread. Jeff's heart stopped for a moment fearing the worst. "He not..."

His mother squeezed his hand tight "No Jeff, he not. But he's not good either"

Jeff let out a shaky breath, keeping eye contact with his mother and refusing to let go of her hand. He felt like a little boy again. He needed her comfort. "Tell me"

Her eyes drooped "He suffered a very severe head injury - a compound skull fracture the doctor said. His CT scan showed slight swelling of his brain. He hasn't woken up since the accident and his doctor believes that due to the head injury he is currently in a coma. They don't know when or if he will wake up and- and" Even his mother was having a hard time with her emotions now "and if he does wake up the doctor said he might not be the same as he was before." She pulled him into a tight embrace. He didn't even have the capabilities to hug back as his body froze with the news. It was too much.

His mother continued holding him tightly, giving him as much comfort and strength as she could as he broke down in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Jefferson"

To be continued...