AN: FINALLY AN UPDATE:P

So I bent the vampire sunlight tolerance a little, I had to, so there:P Prepare for a long chappie :P I just let my creativity flow and took my time with it :)

Scott is pretty tame for a vampire isn't he:o

I just can't stop shaking right now, it's annoying :S

Okay, so I'm hustling a little with the universes, couldn't help it ;) Just ask if you get confused :)

About the goth thing, it's not that I don't like goths, but calling Scotty a goth would be a bit ... weird. 0o (I like goths believe me, love the black, and the dresses and stuff. Though not the people who take it to far with the clothes, and worship death :o)

Check out my photobucket/artwork album to see a crappy vampire Scotty pic :o (forgot to color his hair black though ' )

Little sentimental at the ending but oh what the hell, nothing new right:P

Okay, I never said I was good, so if this is crap, I apologize :)

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Juud18

Scott Tracy was a modest man, but he knew that he was usually the one that had kept the family in one piece when it threatened to fall apart like it was now. He didn't want to leave his family in pain, and ripped apart at the seems. He wanted to go back, to be part of International Rescue again, and protect and help his brothers. It was what he did best. What he was born to do.

"Hey, Scott!" Virgil called over his shoulder. "You're gonna have to fly, you know! I can't see shit in the dark!" This made Scott laugh, setting off Virgil as well.

"I'm glad you're back, man.. I missed you.." The youngest whispered to the dark. An owl hooted as if to respond, and the man the words were aimed at, smiled. His hearing was so acute these days, he heard a pin drop from miles away.

"I missed you too, Virgil.." Scott said, loud enough for Virgil to hear and wonder how Scott could've heard... "I missed you too.."

Half an hour later, the boys were well on their way to Tracy Island. It was dark outside Tracy one, but for Scott that wasn't a problem. His hearing wasn't the only thing that had improved since he had become a creature of the night..

Just thirty minutes ago, while they had been finishing flight preparations, he and Virgil had had a most interesting conversation about why he (Scott) wasn't killed by the fading sunlight. It was common knowledge vampires despised sunlight, and couldn't stay in it for even a second. It would kill them in an instant! Hence Virgil's confusion. But as Scott explained, if it was nearing dark, -real close to dark, say about an half an hour away-, the sunlight wouldn't even compare in strength to a midday sun. Even then, it still hurt, but at least it wouldn't kill him. The same could be said about shadows, he was able to stand in the shade in daytime, but if only a ray of light hit him, he was a goner.

Virgil was sleeping now against the soft furnished seat, looking for all the world like he collapsed on it and fell asleep. Who could blame him for being exhausted anyway? It had been a tiring two days for the man. He had been hanging out in the middle of the night, getting back from some serious drinking, when his believed-to-be-dead brother had appeared out of nowhere. Because of this, he hardly slept that night. Sure he had fallen asleep on Scott, but he was haunted by strange dreams and nightmares. In the morning he had woken up at eight, -partly force of habit, partly shock-, and was unable to fall back asleep. His mind had kept mulling over the fact that his not so dead brother -who was a vampire of all things!- was camping out on his couch. All added up, it was the reason he was now sleeping on Tracy One.

Finally tearing his gaze from his brother, Scott leaned back against his seat. He raised his glance up at the moon. He had put Tracy one on auto pilot, and was now glancing at the white orb in the sky. It was the only light source he was able to tolerate as of late. The midday sunlight would kill him in an instant. Definitely a downside of being a vampire...

After staring unseeing at the moon for a few minutes, Scott took Tracy One off the auto pilot again and took the controls back in his hands. Dead or not, he still loved flying. The freedom it gave him... If he was back home, and his father allowed him, he'd visit Thunderbird 1, and take her out for a spin.

If Alan hadn't busted her up too badly...

Alan was the back-up pilot of Thunderbird 1, and had first dibs on her if Scott was indisposed.. But that didn't mean he was always careful with her. With the Hood he had gotten her back in one piece, and with the inferno in the Atlantic ocean too, but the vampire clearly remembered a time where he hadn't gotten her back unscathed.. Scott had been unable to fly because he had badly burned his hands, so Alan had to pilot Thunderbird 1.

The youngest team member and brother ended up broad siding a tree, denting the poor 'birds left wing and scratching her left side badly. She hadn't been able to go back in her silo either because the wing refused to retract. They could've been discovered in the hours Thunderbird 1 had to stay outside so Brains and Scott could repair her wing. Scott shuddered at the thought.

He was very protective of his Thunderbird, most of all, but there had been two risks as well.. Firstly, people could've found out that the Tracys were International Rescue in the time his bird was outside, and secondly, Alan could've gotten himself hurt or even killed. The last one was most important and scaring to the Tracy heir. If he had to choose, he'd choose his brothers over his Thunderbird and discovery of International Rescue any day, but that still didn't mean they were allowed to crash the former into trees and other related objects. Scott had made sure the blond man knew all those facts when he had given Alan a telling off.. If there had been strong winds, he'd have spared his brother the lecture, but there hadn't been any reason for him to slip up like he did.. The blond man had done an excellent job on previous missions if Scott for some reason was not able to fly, and then that happened. Scott had been easy on him still. He had given his brother a lecture, but he had complimented Alan too. Warned him that if he did it again, he'd tan his hide, because Alan was just too good to let such a thing happen.

Virgil snorted as he woke up and shocked Scott out of his thoughts.

"Geez, Virg.." Scott muttered, holding his hand to his chest. His heart would've been racing it was still able to beat.

"Sorry Scott.." Virgil muttered. He stretched until his hands reached the roof of the plane and yawned. "We there yet?"

"No, not yet..." Scott said. He was already thinking ahead though.. "What did you tell dad?"

Virgil yawned again and sat up properly in his seat. As he checked Tracy One's lit gages in front of him, he said:" I told him I was coming home. I cut him off before he could tell me not too."

Scott looked at his brother, momentarily speechless. Virgil practically disobeying dad? "You... cut him off? And you didn't tell him I was coming?"

"Yes, and no... He wouldn't agree on me coming home, and he might think I lost it completely..." Virgil stared at the darkness outside Tracy One.. "He already sent me out to work at Tracy Enterprises for a month because he thought I couldn't handle my responsibilities as a rescuer anymore."

Scott glanced sharply at his brother, and swallowed. "I... I'm sorry, Virg... If I had known... I'd have come back sooner..."

"Not your fault, Scott." Was all Virgil said. First of all, it really wasn't Scott's fault, and secondly, what good would it do to be sorry about it now? The past was the past, nobody could change the events now.

Silence fell for a while, until Scott softly told Virgil to ask for permission to land.

"Permission granted, Tracy One. I want a word with you, Virgil." Jeff Tracy's voice sounded trough the radio. He sounded tired, yet he still managed to hold the authority in his voice..

Scott sighed.

Half an hour later, at one in the morning, they were walking up the steps that lead to the back of the house. There was someone swimming energetically in the pool beside the path. There was no question about who it could be... It made Scott smile. It was good to know some things just didn't change.

"Hey Gords! Isn't it past you're bedtime?" Virgil called out, joking. He watched with amusement how the redhead popped up from the water. The aquanaut smiled as he recognized his older brother.

"Hi Virgil!" He called out happily. Then almost immediately, the smile slipped off Gordon's face. " I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare..."

Virgil said nothing, but he knew the redhead had been suffering from nightmares quite a lot lately. Ranging from his hydrofoil accident to Scott's disappearance. Virgil had gotten Scott's big brother priveliges after he was gone. Gordon usually went to Scott if he had a problem, and sometimes to Virgil.. But now Virgil saw him all the time the redhead had a nightmare, or felt bad. It had overwhelmed him a little in the beginning, because Virgil never knew how much the brothers were still scared of certain things in the night. They all had their painful run-ins, piling up behind them. John had the attack on Thunderbird 5, Alan had the face off against the hood in the bank of London, Gordon had nearly been buried under rubble with Thunderbird 4 while saving Ned Cook and his cameraman, Virgil himself couldn't forget about his accident with Thunderbird 2, and Scott.. Scott couldn't get the little girl that died in the mudslide out of his head. He had awoken in the middle of the just two weeks ago, screaming. International Rescue really wasn't all that great sometimes.

"It'll get better, Gords.." Virgil said, as he followed Gordon glance to his side. Scott was standing there, not sure what to do. He didn't know if he should interfere as the oldest brother, or keep his mouth shut until told to do otherwise. He might scare Gordon even more. Although... The redhead didn't look all that scared right now, he seemed confused.

"Hi Thomas!" Gordon greeted Scott after a moment of hesitation, and then went back to swimming. Scott looked at Virgil and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"After you went away.." Virgil started telling, as he opened the screen door and walked into the familiar Tracy house, "We hired a new secretary at Tracy Enterprises. The other one suddenly left. That girl with the short black hair and the creepy eyes.." He made a vague gesture, "The new one looks a lot like you, and knowing Gordon, he has his eyes full of water.." Virgil muttered, laughing softly.

Scott smiled. It was strange though. They were so used to him being dead it seemed.. That guy must look a lot like me...

"Virgil!" A cry sounded from their side. "Why are you home already?" Virgil looked to the side, and in an instant, he paled. Jeff Tracy was standing in the doorway of his office, and was looking livid!

"Father, I..." Virgil tried, but was immediately cut off again.

"And why the hell did you bring Thomas?!" Jeff Tracy growled loudly.

Scott stared blankly at his father, and was really surprised that the patriarch was running his own son into the ground like that. He had seen his father in a lot of moods. But never this one. To say the man was mad was putting it lightly. Scott remembered their father to be a calm, patient and righteous man, and only was really mad when one of the Tracy offspring had pulled one hell of a stunt. That would be the case with Alan and Gordon mostly.

"Dad... That's not Thomas.." Virgil muttered softly, not wanting to antagonize his father, and not sure how to break it to him either.

Jeff's expression immediately changed. He could only stare at the pale man behind his son. He had mistaken his secretary so often with his son, that every time he thought he saw his oldest son, he would just say Thomas, knowing it couldn't possibly be Scott.

"If that's not Thomas..." Jeff muttered. He searched the other man's face with sharp grey eyes, and found there were subtle differences in the other man's face... The familiar stranger looked paler, but also older then his secretary. Thomas was younger then Jeff Tracy's son, that had been the first thing Jeff had noticed when he had hired the man. The man before the Tracy patriarch had hair wilder then Thomas, eyes bluer and brighter then Thomas, and had dimples in his cheeks that Thomas lacked..

It couldn't possibly...

"S...S.. Sc.." The older man couldn't get his son's name out of his mouth. He'd make Brains proud with a stutter like that. "You... How... It can't be..."

"Father..." Scott whispered. He had never seen his father like this. The other man was slowly turning white, and grabbed onto the door post with one hand and at his heart with the other. To make matters worse, Alan came storming into the lounge, followed by a dripping wet Gordon towel drying his red hair and a sleepy looking John, dressed in only pyjama bottoms and the upper side of his chest bandaged..

A moment of confusion fell in the room, and the new arrivals looked from Scott, to their father, and back to Scott. After a few seconds, the vampire started feeling a little uncomfortable under the staring gazes of his brothers. He threw a glance at his father and noticed that the patriarch looked just about ready to fall over. Jeff appeared like he had aged ten years in just seconds time.

"Come father." The vampire said, putting his arm around the older man's shoulder as means of support, "before you fall down." Jeff nearly flinched when his oldest son spoke, and touched him. This proved even more that he wasn't dreaming, that his son was really standing in front of him. But that was the whole problem... Scott was standing before him.. That meant he was alive, but... Did that also mean they left him to die that day, when they had thought he was dead? Or was he seeing things?

Scott led the older man to the couch, -passing a tense looking Virgil- and sat him down. He knelt down in front of his father and noticed the other man was looking at him quite intently, his sharp, grey eyes filled with unshed emotion. The oldest Tracy refused to release it though.

"I've got some explaining to do..." Scott muttered, looking at his father as the man tried to collect his faculties. He seemed out of sorts, as if someone had taken his world like it was an hourglass, and had tipped it upside down. It was so unlike the Tracy patriarch..

Scott ran a hand trough his dark hair, as he felt slight frustration creeping up, but only managed to muss the wild locks up even more. Jeff raised his hand and ran it trough his son's dark mane, smoothing it down for Scott, who was only succeeding in making things worse, unlike his usual self.. This was definitely not Thomas though... It was his eldest son.. Alive and well... Smiling as he thanked his old man.

"Come on, boys.." Scott said, addressing his brothers as he rose up to his full height. "Sit down.. I'll explain some things.." He smiled when they stared at him for a few seconds longer, before John moved -hiking up his drooping pyjama bottoms as he went- and Gordon, Virgil and Alan followed.

Scott sat down beside his father and waited for his brothers to be seated. He took in all their faces, and saw how much his younger brothers had grown in such little time. Gordon seemed like he had grown more serious. His face had a serious expression and his sand colored eyes held less of the mischievous twinkle it once did. The same could be said for Alan. The 'terror two' seemed to have grown considerably, and he wasn't speaking about their physical age. Alan had always been slightly immature, especially when he had been so driven about becoming a Thunderbird. Like Scott at that age, Alan had been impatient with a lot of things. The youngest Tracy wanted to catch up with his brothers, even though it seemed impossible sometimes. He was born in an family of overachievers; Scott had graduated top of his class. Alan could have too, if he just took things easy. It seemed, that he had finally found that patience.

Beside the two sat Virgil.. Scott hadn't noticed it the day before, because he was too busy with other things, but Virgil had seemed to have hardened as well. He seemed to have matured, like the others. They all seemed as if they had grown out of their age, just because their oldest brother had supposedly died.

Finally John. The blond glanced at him as intent as their father, concern in his lively blue eyes. If he knew how much he looks like mother right now... Scott thought. John still was the one -beside Alan- who looked the most like their deceased mother.. It wasn't just the oldest blond's looks, it were his mannerisms too that reminded the Tracy heir of his mother. Scott wondered why he was sporting bandages around his chest though.

"What happened to you John?" He asked.

"You first.." John answered back.

Scott sighed as he looked at each family member from John to Alan. Finally, he held Virgil's gaze as he said;" That night, when I disappeared. I didn't die. I was in the process of packing in Mobile Control when someone grabbed me from behind and knocked me out. Next thing I know, I wake up in the middle of the night in a barn, covered in hay with a headache the size of a cow. It took me so long to get back because I couldn't remember certain things."

Scott could see in Virgil's eyes that he knew that he had lied, but he didn't show or say it. Almost unnoticeable, Scott nodded at Virgil, and received a small smile in return. He'd explain to Virgil later why he hadn't told the others what really had happened to him.

"You mean," Alan muttered, "That while we thought you had gone to tempt the angels, you were actually up to your neck in hay in a barn?!"

Scott scratched himself behind his head, and despite the grim situation they had just been in, the youngest blond broke the silence as he started laughing. Then his other siblings followed, until finally Scott joined them. It did sound kind of stupid, even if he lied. He just had to swallow his pride and let them laugh at him. Everything to prove to them he was still alive and not going anywhere. He'd worry about the consequences later. It felt good to see his brothers again, laughing even.

Jeff smiled, and threw his arm around his oldest son. He found him to be a little to cold, but thought nothing of it. He saw Alan get up, and motion for his other brothers to do the same. Gordon seemed to know what the blond was planning and grinned. John and Virgil looked clueless, but quickly caught on when Alan jumped his older brother.

Minutes later, after a fierce battle for dominance, two struggling Tracy's were carried out of the house by three other Tracy's. Scott held Alan in the firemen's carry as he opened the screen door and walked to the edge of the pool. He waited for Virgil and John who were carrying Gordon. They stood at the pool looking at each other, as they held onto the struggling brothers.

"Ready?" Scott asked, and received a simultaneous nod. "On three!" He shouted.

"One!" Scott took Alan off his shoulder and held one arm under his brother's back, and the other under his kneecaps. Alan was looking up at him with big, blue eyes, pleading his brother not to throw him into the pool. For Gordon it didn't matter, he just came out of the water, but Alan was fully dressed. He had not desire to get wet.

Scott just grinned.

"Two!" He shouted. Jeff Tracy stepped out of the house and watched the proceedings, laughing. He couldn't be happier. He had all his sons back. He had lost them all when the oldest one had supposedly died. Now, he had them all back, just because the lost one had returned, and he truly couldn't be happier because of this.

"Three!!" Simultaneously, Gordon and Alan were thrown into the pool. Right after them, the others jumped in, not caring a bit about their clothes. The splash all five of them created was big enough to get their father wet who was standing further away.

When they all surfaced, it was silent for a few minutes, before Scott started laughing. Then the rest joined.

The Tracy family was complete again.

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A week later, it seemed like nothing had happened. Scott was doing his best to get adjusted to day life, staying well away from the sun pouring in trough the windows. He wore long sleeved shirts, long trousers and gloves to spare himself at least a little. Rather unhelpful, Alan had called Scott as a goth in the middle of a disagreement.. The vampire did wear a lot of black and was pretty pale, but hell, to be called a goth was a bit of an insult to the man.

"I'm far from being a goth, young man!" Scott pointed out. Life really had settled back to normal. It seemed that Alan wasn't as mature as Scott had thought him to be either.. "But what would you know about it huh?"

Scott could almost see the flames of anger ignite in the younger man. The older Tracy knew full well that Alan hated being at school, being cut off from his brothers and the happenings on rescues. Only in the spring break was he allowed to come home and be a Thunderbird, but that was never enough for the youngest blond. Scott knew that his little remark would piss alan off for the rest of the day. He needed to get him out of his hair quick anyway.

"Oh! Bite me!!" Alan yelled at Scott. Blue eyes unusually bright, he stalked off. For the best, because Scott's eyes went red for just a second, just as Alan turned his back on his oldest brother.

"Don't tempt me..." Scott muttered. He felt his teeth ache and knew that he better make himself scarce.. A figurative cold finger ran up his spine, making him shiver as the reason why he should go twisted his gut.. Quickly, he went off to the kitchen to raid the fridge, before he really sank his teeth into his youngest sibling. He had to find a solution to the blood thirst one of these days, before in his anger and hunger he really bit one of his brothers. That was the last thing he wanted. He had accepted being a vampire pretty quick, and so had Virgil, but Scott wasn't all that able to control the urges just yet. He didn't know if he was able to restrain himself if the situation should occur, and frankly, he didn't want to find out.

Virgil found the Tracy heir a little later, swearing softly as he was putting mayonaise on his sandwich. "What got you so riled up?" He asked as he stole a piece of lettuce from Scott's plate.

Scott didn't miss a beat. He finished making his sandwich and cut it in half. He gave half to his brother,- who took it from him gratefully-, and walked to the table with his own half.

"It's just Alan again.. Clashing ego's, nothing new." Scott muttered, sitting down before taking a bite of his sandwich. Virgil sat down opposite his brother and nodded, smirking. Those two were too alike, that was the problem... This really wasn't the first time..

Like Scott, he took his time finishing the sandwich. Only then, did he ask:" Why didn't you tell dad?" There was no question about what he was talking about. But Scott didn't answer right away. He stared at the table for a few seconds, searching for the right words. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't know how he should phrase it.

Finally, he said:" He barely seemed to believe I was alive.." Again, he thought, and then added:" Do you really think that if I told him I was a vampire he'd believe it? Or the others? They'll think their big brother finally lost it. I'm surprised you didn't take me for a fool, Virg. You're only one that knows. And I'd like to keep it that way, before they are gonna think we both went crazy."

Virgil thought for a second, and then nodded. "I guess you're right. Dad already looked like he was gonna have a heart attack."

Scott sighed and felt the ache in his teeth ease off. "Precisely. I'm trying to avoid scaring him more then necessary.."

"You know what that look on his face reminded me of?" Virgil muttered. Neither of them looked at each other, but at the table surface instead.

"The day after mom died.." Scott said, filling it in for him. It was pretty indescribable how Jeff Tracy had looked that day. Mostly struck with heart wrenching grief he wouldn't even wish upon his worst enemy.

Scott sighed and rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna do some maintenance work on Thunderbird 1 and then find Alan.." He said, and stood up. He started to walk past Virgil, but was grabbed by his wrist by the man. It effectively halted him, and made him turn to face the brown-haired man.

"Scott, I..." Virgil started to say, but didn't know how to continue. "We... I know you won't be going anywhere anymore, but... when I thought you'd died, I just kept telling myself that I should've told you that," He paused, unsure of his next words.. Then:" I love you." Virgil finished lamely. They were Tracy's, they weren't used to putting their hearts on their sleeves... At least, to Virgil and Scott, it was so far into their systems they had trouble with saying such things.

"I know, Virgil... "Scott muttered. "When I was dying by her hand, that was one of the things I wished I had said to you guys.." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around his brother. "Love you too.." He muttered in his brother's ear as he held him for just a few precious seconds. Then with a smile on his pale face, he let go and left the kitchen.

Virgil watched him go, and smiled as well. For now, all was well in the Tracy household. That was all that mattered to him right there and then...

OH MY GOD! Finally! Took long didn't it ;P Longest chapter so far :D

To be continued? You tell me ;)

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Juud18