Disclaimer - OK, this is what, my 7th TB story... if I owned, you'd know

Chapter 21 – Do What You Have to Do

Sarah Woodbury led Virgil into the remodeled house that contained her two bedroom condo. He smiled at her as she showed him the spare bedroom, which had been her aunt's until recently. "Of all the people, in all the towns…" Sarah gave a small laugh, but the lines around her eyes and mouth showed her exhaustion. "You won't get into any problems with your landlord will you? Because of my staying?"

"Nope. My Aunt Harriet and her, umm, well, in this state at least, her spouse Dr. Carol Watkins both worked at Mass General, Harry was a ward secretary and Dr. Watkins was a cardiologist. She died four months before my family…" Sarah trailed off for a moment before pulling herself back. "Anyhow, when I needed family, Aunt Harry was there. And when she got sick last summer, I was there for her. She had converted this old house into three condos, never charging much, just enough for taxes and improvements. But when she died she left me the building, so I am the landlord. And if you're curious, the T-Bird had been Dr. Watkins. Harry didn't drive, and so when I graduated college, she took it out of storage and gave it to me. Trust me, if I had left it at the station, someone would have felt the generous urge to drive it home for me. Like I'd let any one of them do that. I may trust them to literally pull my butt out of the fire but nobody drives my 'bird but me." She returned the smile on Virgil face before saying, "Get a few hours rest, visiting hours start at 9, but they won't release Alan any sooner than the 24 hours."

"Sarah?"

Pausing from her path to her own room, Sarah looked back. At her silence, Virgil continued. "Your family died in a fire. You were badly hurt in that same fire. How could you do it? How could you become a firefighter?"

"An off-duty volunteer firefighter pulled me out of my bedroom, but his buddies couldn't reach my parents or my sister. They gave me CPR and treated my burns – some up to third degree and covering eighty percent of my body. I spent two weeks in a hospital in Kansas City, two months at the Shriners here in Boston and almost a year in a rehab facility near Mass General. But I was alive because of that volunteer fireman. How could I become a firefighter, Virgil? The better question might be, how could I not?"

Silent, both of them entered a bedroom; intent on getting some needed sleep, but both doubting they would get any.

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By lunch time, Jeff had flown Tracy One to Boston. Logan Airport had opened back up earlier in the day and Jeff knew three things. One, he need to see his youngest son; two, he needed to find out what the police had discovered and three, Virgil really was going to need a ride home.

Jeff was preparing to rent a car when he heard someone call out "Mr. Tracy?" The billionaire turned around and smiled for the first time in nearly a day.

"Sarah. Little Sarah Jane Woodbury?"

Sarah began to laugh. "What is this? Not only do the Tracy men seem to all recognize me – thirty pounds lighter, post lasix and braces – but I am hearing myself called Sarah Jane for the first time in years."

Still smiling at the girl he remembered so fondly from his sons' childhood in Kansas, Jeff unknowingly echoed Virgil. "It's the smile Sarah Jane. You still have the most incredible smile."

Grabbing Jeff's small bag, the firefighter tossed it over her shoulder. "C'mon. My car is parked outside and the fees here are outrageous. If we didn't have parking at the station and my condo, I could never afford to keep a car in Boston. I'll drive you over to Mass General, I promised the docs I would let them check me out again and there is no sense in both you and Virgil having to return rental cars when the docs say Alan can go home today."

"Today? I thought Virgil said probably not until tomorrow?"

"You know doctors. Said if Alan goes home and you monitor him carefully, no going back to school for a week and no track for two or more weeks, they should be able to release him before dinner."

Jeff took his bag back, as Sarah led the way through the parking garage. At a 1955 black Thunderbird, Sarah pulled out her keys and unlocked the passenger door before snagging Jeff's case once more, tossing it in back. As she walked around to the driver's side, she noticed the Tracy father standing and staring at the classic car. Suddenly he smiled at Sarah one more time.

"I always knew I liked you."

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Alan Tracy was still feeling groggy. The doctor had been very careful about the medicine he had given the teenager for any pain, concerned about the head injury. He couldn't remember how he had hurt his head and his brother Virgil, who had been there since he woke up earlier, wouldn't or couldn't tell him. Alan was puzzled by two men in suits who had stopped by an hour before when his middle brother had almost pushed the men out of his room. Virgil had walked back into the room, telling the men to "come back when our father is here". What was one of his brothers protecting him from now?

"Alan!" Jeff Tracy walked in to the room, calling out his youngest child's name as he came him, almost running to the bed. The ex-astronaut quickly pulled his son into his arms, holding him close. Jeff had been holding onto his fears ever since the first call had come in, telling the Thunderbirds of the danger their youngest member was in. Pressing his face into Alan's blond hair, he whispered "You have to stop doing this to us. We can't lose you. I can't lose you, Alan."

Virgil backed out of the room, giving their father and Alan a moment together. The two had become so close in the years since the day the Hood had invaded their home and targeted their family. The other Tracy sons had long since realized one of the reasons Jeff had been so strict with Alan. Between his physical resemblance and the way Alan unconsciously echoed their mother in other ways, Jeff was afraid to lose this precious link to Lucy Tracy.

"He looks a lot like your mother." Virgil turned at Sarah's words. "I saw that last night. Tell me, can he argue with your father as well as she could?" Virgil's grin told Sarah as well as any words.

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Alan Tracy breathed in the scent he associated with his father, a combination of his soap and aftershave. No matter what trauma had occurred in his life, when his father held him, the teen always felt safe, no matter what happened. Alan always knew his father would do whatever it took to protect him and as much as he wanted to be treated with maturity, he also knew he would need this as part of his world.

"Dad, do they know what happened? I mean, no fire alarm, no sprinkler, no fire suppression at all. I thought the hotel was safe?"

Jeff pulled back for a moment, his left hand on Alan's shoulder, his right cupping the boy's face. His baby boy, someone had tried to kill his little boy… "Alan, it looks like it was arson. The police said it looks like someone not only set the fires in several locations; they tampered with the computers to turn off the water and mess with the safety systems. They want to talk with you." Jeff drew in a deep shuddering breath. "Alan, can you remember how you hit your head?" Alan shook his head slowly so as not to cause more pain. His blue eyes were wide with an unspoken fear. Jeff had to close his own brown eyes for a moment, the azure gaze so like his Lucy that it was almost scary. "Alan, the police think the arsonist may have still been in the area, that you may have seen someone. They think the arsonist was the one who hit you on the head. If Sarah hadn't gotten to you, I don't think even the Thunderbirds could have gotten you out in time."

As frightened as that made the teen, he was curious. "Sarah? Sarah who?"

Jeff smiled for the first time since entering the room. "Virgil didn't tell you?" Alan shook his head in denial again. "Do you remember his tutor from his senior year, Sarah Woodbury?" Alan smiled and nodded.

"The one who made the great cookies?"

Jeff gave a short laugh. "Yes, the king and queen of the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies as I recall." Alan grinned. "Well, she is a firefighter here in Boston. She thought she saw or heard something, went to investigate and got you to the window just ahead of the fire. She saved your life."

"I am sending you an angel."

At his son's almost hollow-voiced words, Jeff became concerned. When the young blond looked up, the father was frightened to see the wonder and fear combined in his eyes. "Dad, I remember lying there, thinking I was going to die. Then, I, I …." Alan took a shuddering breath. "Mom was there. She told me to hold on, that you and the boys needed me, that Kate would be upset and that Emily would get me better. Then she told me she was sending me an angel to guide me home." Seeing the pain in his father's face, the boy quickly added, "I'm sure it was just a dream Dad, really."

Now it was Jeff's turn to shake his head. "No, Alan. I would wager anything you mother was there. She loved her boys so much and was always keeping an eye on all of you. Not even dying would have stopped that." Jeff gathered his youngest in his arms once more. The boy was safe and Jeff had to believe that Alan had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anything else was too frightening.

a/n - just about done, but a sequel is as invetible with me as cats are to purr...