Alan ran from the living room of the villa, head bowed. He didn't care that it was raining outside, nor did he care that it was stormy outside. All he cared about was getting away. He couldn't believe she said that. Is that really what she thought of him? He thought they were past that.

No…they weren't past that. Probably never would be. Racing through the kitchen, Alan hurtled past Scott who was just getting ready to take a nibble of pie that Grandma made and left to cool on the counter. Alan lowered his gaze before flinging the door open and darting past the threshold, out into the pouring rain, away from the argument, away from her.

… … … … … …

Tin-Tin stood in the living room, hands clutching at her head as she sobbed. She couldn't believe she'd said that to him. She had to be the worst girlfriend for having said such hurtful things. It was just an argument and it'd escalated to epic proportions, beyond that if Tin-Tin was being honest.

"How could you say such a hurtful thing to my mom?! Just because you don't like cauliflower doesn't mean you need to tell her that her cooking is disgusting!" Tin-Tin's olive complexion brightened to a shade of red as her temper reached her boiling point.

"I never said her cooking was disgusting! I said I thought cauliflower was disgusting and I felt that broccoli would be better!" Alan threw his hands up in the air as he defended himself. He hadn't told Onaha that he thought her cooking was disgusting, far from it in fact. He'd actually told Onaha that he just didn't like cauliflower and she nodded her understanding before offering to make it with broccoli next time to see if it sat better with his pallet. He'd apologized for not eating dinner the night before without gagging on the cauliflower that had been put in the vegetable medley.

"You did so! I heard you! Need I repeat what you said?! I think cauliflower is disgusting and it didn't make dinner very tasty last night! That right there says you told my mother that her cooking was disgusting! Do you realize how much that hurts her feelings to hear that the food she cooks out of the goodness of her heart is not appreciated?! That's practically the equivalency of my saying that I'm happy your mother is dead!"

Tin-Tin paused as soon as the words left her mouth. She couldn't believe she'd just said that and judging on the look on Alan's face, he couldn't believe she'd said it either. His eyes began to shine slightly and Tin-Tin, her anger melted instantaneously when she realized that she'd hit a nerve – one that she shouldn't have even tried to hit. Stepping forward, Tin-Tin reached out a hand, but Alan was having none of it.

"How could you?" All that was whispered before Alan turned and ran from the living room, the glimmer of tears concealing his sapphire blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry Alan." Tin-Tin who still clutched at her head, tugging on her hair at the roots whispered mournfully into the empty room.

… … … … … …

Alan finally came to a stop on the north beach. The weather and the roiling ocean matched his mood and it was all Alan could do to not begin blubbering like a little baby. Sinking down onto the saturated sand, Alan hugged his knees to his chest as he allowed the sobs to break free. His shoulders shook violently as he wailed into the shelter of his arms.

He jumped when he felt a warm and strong arm pull him forcefully into an equally warm chest. He however didn't give a damn over who was witnessing him cry. All that mattered to him was that his heart was breaking and there wasn't a thing that anyone could do to fix it. There weren't any G.I. Joe Band-Aids big enough to close the jagged crack tearing his heart into two.

"Ssh, Sprout…it's okay."

Alan just released his heartbreak into the strong chest and he didn't care to notice that the rain inexplicably stopped even though he could still hear the pounding of rain on the ground all around him. All he noticed was the comforting embrace that held him close, the burn of his tears streaking across his face and the gentle murmuring of his always-there-to-kiss-the-boo-boo big brother. Scott would make this all better, he had to…he couldn't afford not to.

Right?

… … … … … …

Tin-Tin sat before her mother and father and Mr. Tracy, head bowed in shame as she received a reprimand from not only her mother and father but the silent reprimand that Mr. Tracy handed out to people he was truly angry with. She knew she'd gone too far saying what she'd said to Alan and she wished she could take it all back.

"Tin-Tin, I asked Alan for his feedback about dinner. You of all people should know that I am always asking our family how I can better improve my cooking." Onaha reprimanded, having watched a tearful Alan race out the door – immediately followed by Scott who'd gone out with just an umbrella for shelter from the storm. "Why would you get so mad as to hurt Alan the way you did?" The unsaid words of 'I thought you loved him flitted through the air, making Tin-Tin feel like 10 times the heel than was physically possible.

"I didn't mean to mother – father…Mr. Tracy. I…I just felt so mad when I overheard Alan saying what he said…I didn't stop to verify the facts and as a result I let my tongue over-ride my brain and something I never should have said was said. I am deeply sorry for what I said and how much pain I've caused Alan. I'm not expecting forgiveness, simply put that I don't deserve it."

"I know you don't deserve it."

All eyes flitted up to the door to meet the enraged glare of a sodden Scott Carpenter Tracy. His gaze was dangerous and anybody who crossed him had to have a death wish. His gaze however was locked on Tin-Tin and she resigned to her fate that she'd probably ruined the best thing she'd ever had simply because she hadn't allowed Alan a moment to explain that he was offering constructive criticism that her mother asked for.

"Anybody who makes my little brother cry – lover or not should be more than a little ashamed. Do you have any idea how much you damaged Alan? He wouldn't even come back into his home for fear of seeing you and…of you picking the scab of the wound just a little bit more than anybody should." Scott's nares flared as the anger he felt claimed him. "He'd rather sit out in the freezing rain and sob his heart out over the girl he loved smashing his fragile heart into tiny bits than come back in and get warm to avoid catching cold. I had to force him to come back into our home!"

… … … … … …

Alan lay curled up despondently beneath his blankets, hair slicked back against his scalp. His eyes were closed against the onslaught of tears and Alan had given up holding them in. The only thing he hid was his sobs and he'd tried to hide those by smothering his mouth and nose with a pillow. It hadn't worked…Gordon and Virgil still came in to find out why he was crying and loudly at that. But Alan hadn't told them what was wrong and he'd got them to leave simply by rolling over onto his side and ignoring them. Alan's thoughts turned back to the words of a Kelly Clarkson song he'd never admitted to liking but having a secret file saved on his iPod of her song Cry…

"Is this what it feels like to really cry?" Alan whispered aloud, but just barely loud enough for himself to hear.