AN: I'm not very happy with this chapter but it's as good as it's going to get past midnight. Thanks to all my reviewers from the last chapter! Also, is anyone interested in betaing for me? PM me if you are

Disclaimer: The Tracys are sadly not mine.

"Hey, Onaha" Alan greeted the Malaysian woman.

"Hello, Alan" Onaha looked up smiling. But then she frowned.

"You're still far too thin. Don't they feed you at that school?"

"They feed me fine, Onaha, but once a person gets used to your food, which is excellent, it's hard to like the stuff we're offered at Wharton's. School food's not exactly five star."

Onaha smiled. "Well, I'll just have to fatten you up while you're here. If I know you, though, you'll be undoing all of my good work with those runs you love going on."

Alan smiled. "Can I help it if I like running? I'm not wasting away, I promise."

"Alright then. What brings you back in here so soon? You're usually either with my daughter and Fermat or staring at one of those Thunderbirds like it's your long lost love."

"Onaha, I do not! But, thanks for reminding me. I was looking for Scott, have you seen him?"

Onaha nodded. "I saw him head towards his room. Is something wrong?"

Alan shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong, I just wanted to talk to him. Thanks, Onaha, I'll see you later."

He made his way to Scott's room but hesitated outside.

I really don't want to do this. What if he's still mad? What if I only make this worse? Maybe it's better if I just leave it. But, if I don't apologize he might think I'm sulking and it might make him even angrier. It's better to just get it over and done with now. It's not going to get any easier.

Mind made up, he knocked on the door.

His eldest brother's voice came from within.

"Come in."

He opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind him. If there was going to be another shouting match, he'd prefer for his other brothers not to hear it.

"What now, Alan?" Scott's voice was irritated and his expression matched.

Alan took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about earlier, I shouldn't have gotten upset with you for telling me off."

"Finally," Scott snapped.

Alan looked up with an incredulous expression on his face. "What?"

Scott looked at him. "Are you going deaf now, Alan? I said 'finally' as in I'm glad that you've finally decided to grow up and accept it when you've screwed up. It should've happened a lot sooner but I suppose we should take what we can get."

Alan's temper flared in spite of himself and he couldn't stop the retort that fell from his lips. "Hey, I wasn't the only one at fault!"

"Oh, wonderful, you're going to try and shift the blame to someone else now? You messed up, Alan! Accept it and apologize! Stop defending yourself and trying to shift the blame to someone else because we both know that you're the one at fault, not me!"

I knew that this was a bad idea. He's right, though! It is my fault! But I wasn't trying to shift the blame or defend myself! I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut but there's nothing I can do about that now. The best thing to do is just apologize again and then just leave. But it wasn't my fault!

"I am sorry, Scott. I know that it's my fault and I'll try to be more careful next time."

"Good. I'm glad that you get it, Alan. Was there something else or is that it? Because if it is then I really need some sleep."

"No, that was it. Sorry I disturbed you." Alan turned back around and left.

Understanding

Alan went to one of the hiding places he'd had since he'd been about nine. It was just a tiny storage shed on the outskirts of the jungle but no one else went there and no one would bother him there. It was one of the places he went to when he wanted to be alone.

What's wrong with Scott? I thought he was just tired earlier but now I'm not so sure. What he said really hurt.

Scott's words echoed in his head. 'You messed up!' 'You're the one at fault!'. Scott had just been letting off steam, hadn't he?

Alan was startled out of his thoughts by a voice saying his name. Gordon. But how had he known where Alan was? He'd been sure that no one else knew that the storage shed was one of his hiding places and Gordon wasn't very good at stealth. He would've known if his brother had followed him. But then he froze. Gordon wasn't calling him, he was talking about him. And the person he was talking to was most probably Virgil. He was about to announce his presence when what he heard made him pause. "… can't believe we have to come and find the brat. It's so inconsiderate of him. And the way Scott said he acted!" Virgil. Virgil was the one talking, the one calling him an inconsiderate brat. He didn't want to believe that. He didn't want to believe that Virgil would say that type of stuff about him. But now Gordon was talking.

"Alan's always been that way. Only thinking about himself and making problems for everyone else." Alan brain didn't want to accept this. Gordon had always been the brother he was closest to and now… But maybe they were all just really tired. It had been a difficult rescue from what he'd heard and they were probably just feeling the after effects of it. He ignored the voice in his mind saying that they'd had time to recover from the rescue. His brothers wouldn't say that type of stuff about him. They loved him, right?

AN: Let me know what you think