CONSEQUENCES

By Spense

CHAPTER ONE

Dropping his bags inside his dorm room, Alan Tracy stomped back out immediately. Fermat, his friend and roommate, looked after him worriedly, but didn't say anything. He knew better than to get in the middle of this one; Alan was going to take a really, really long time to cool down.

Fermat moved slowly to the door to shut it, when Scott Tracy hurried back through it.

"Alan! You forgot . . ." He stopped abruptly, looking around, then looked inquiringly at Fermat.

The boy sighed. "Alan's gone already."

Scott shook his head in annoyance. "Well, that didn't take long, did it? First he sulked all the way here, and now he's off to pout some more," he comment, his patience with his little brother about used up.

Fermat knew the wisest course when dealing with the Tracy brothers was to say nothing. You were generally safer.

"What was it this time? Is he mad because Dad didn't bring him, or because he has to come back at all? Or is it something else altogether?" Scott finished up tiredly.

"Don't know," Fermat mumbled.

Scott grinned suddenly. "Or won't tell me? Sorry Fermat. It isn't your fault my little brother's being an ass. Didn't mean to take it out on you. Give him this, will you?" Scott handed off the chemistry book Alan had managed to leave behind in the car.

"O-okay, Scott."

"See you later," and with a wave, Scott was off.

Fermat stared after him for a moment, but turning with resignation and dropping the book on Alan's desk. Why was it with a family that smart, they could be so stupid when it came to each other sometimes?

TB TB TB TB TB

Alan slammed his gym locker shut after changing into running clothes and headed out to burn off steam. He headed out through the historic buildings of the Wharton Academy grounds, ignoring the returning students and their parents.

What really groused him was that they looked so happy. Not like they were just getting dumped off, out of the way. Out of sight, out of mind was the credo his family lived by when it came to him. At least he finally understood why. His father hadn't wanted him in the first place, and now was stuck with him.

Alan had really thought that it would all be different now. After the events of the last week, when he, Fermat, and TinTin had formed together to save his family – the anonymous group that formed International Rescue. His father had basically confirmed that when he given them their Thunderbird pins, stating that there had been no shortcuts. He was sure that now he would be accepted into the 'family business', and be a true part of the family – not somebody who was just tolerated.

The remainder of Spring Break had seemed to confirm that. It had been fun. He and Fermat and TinTin had ridden along on the two other rescues that had occurred, and had gotten to observe and begin training. Then, one right after another, the blows had fallen. Right in succession, Alan had found the letters, Spring Break ended, and Jeff had sent Alan back to school.

Going back to school in itself had been a blow alone, and an unpleasant surprise. He had just assumed that he would get to be home-schooled now. He had never thought that his father would send him away again. He supposed he should have, once he'd seen the letters. But everything had happened so fast. He found the letters late Saturday afternoon, then when he was coming up from the basement, still digesting the disturbing information and the shifting of his world, his father had called him into his office to tell him he'd be taking him back to school in the afternoon the next day and to work out a timetable.

The subsequent blow-up was as big as anything that had happened before, but the worst was the words his father had said to him before sending him to his room like a little kid.

"I thought you'd matured Alan, I guess I was wrong."

That had been a blow in the gut, and it had hurt. Alan had been struck speechless at that comment, right when he'd been opening his mouth to throw the letters in his father's face. But actually, he knew he'd matured more than his father believed when he bit his tongue and kept silent. Alan finally understood now why he was always sent away.

Alan had half expected his father to request the pin back, but he hadn't done that. He'd told Alan to go to his room and calm down before Alan could respond. But before anything further could be done, the klaxon went off, and Alan was back where he started, watching the Thunderbirds take off, and his family leaving him behind once again. Only, this time, with his father's words, both spoken and written, burning in his mind, he knew why.

The rescue had been a long one, overnight and into the next day. Only Scott had arrived back in the quicker Thunderbird One in time to transfer to the Tracy jet and provide the chauffer service for Fermat and Alan.

Alan had had a chance to really think things through, and was thoroughly disillusioned. His brothers had never said anything about the upheaval while his mother had been pregnant with him. And Scott would have been 12, and John 9, so they certainly would have know something was going on. From the sounds of it, it would have been hard to have missed. How had his father reacted when he was born? Did he even care? Or did he resent the child he'd wanted terminated?

His trust level in his older brothers eroded as Alan realized the secrets that they clearly held close. Therefore, Alan hadn't made any attempt to speak to Scott on the ride down, and Scott was in no better mood than Alan. He was tired, and he was just under the wire for safety in flying, so he was in a hurry to get home before he got grounded in New York. It was not a pleasant trip.

Now, here he was, once again, dumped off out of the way, therefore allowing his father and brothers to do what they did best. Alan didn't have to guess which was more important to his family – Alan or International Rescue – it was pretty clear. And he had his father's own words, written indelibly in ink, to prove it.

Alan took his time with his run. Skipping dinner, he added a few extra miles, enjoying the sensation of burning off the rage. He ran until he was absolutely exhausted. At least maybe he'd be able to sleep.

By the time he pushed open his door, Fermat looked up in stark relief. Alan noted his friend's expression with a sardonic thought. Well, at least somebody cared.

"G-geez, Alan, I t-thought you'd gotten lost. Are y-you okay?"

"Fine," Alan said shortly, digging into his stash of granola bars that he brought with him Ohana made them from scratch at the island, and Alan was addicted to them. Since she was always on him to eat more, she made sure he always had some on hand. Grabbing two, he headed for the shower.

"U-uh Alan, you're Dad called. He w-wants you to call him back," Fermat said carefully. Sometimes he just hated being the messenger.

"Whatever," Alan said shortly, and disappeared into the bathroom, obviously having no intention of returning the call.

Fermat gazed at the closed door for a moment before turning his attention back to his book. It was going to be a long quarter.

TB TB TB TB TB

Jefferson Tracy clicked off the vid-phone thoughtfully. Fermat had said Alan had gone out for a run right after arriving and still wasn't back. That was not a good sign.

John Tracy wandered into his father's office. "What's the matter?" he asked, seeing the pensive look on his father's face.

"Alan," he answered, turning to his second eldest with a wry smile.

"Who else?" John laughed. He then turned serious. "Scott said he sulked all the way to school."

"Well, that could also just have easily have been the fault of the pilot. Scott was not in a good mood when he learned he had to provide chauffer service," Jeff said lightly.

"No," John conceded. "He wasn't, was he."

"Scott and Alan are just too much alike sometimes. Pity neither of them realize it," Jeff commented.

John just gave an amused snort of agreement.

"No," Jeff continued, "I just wish I could have talked to Alan before he left. We really didn't leave things on a very good note last night."

"Story of Alan's life. Sometimes I think that kid just exists to make waves." John agreed.

Jeff smiled wryly in agreement.

"Why don't you call him?" John finally suggested. He could tell that this was really eating at his father.

"Already tried. He's out. Fermat didn't know where, or when he'd be back. He skipped dinner."

John, always sensitive to his father's moods, picked up on the worry. "He'll be okay Dad. He's a teenager. He's supposed to have mood swings," he finished grinning. "He'll get over it as fast as he got angry."

"I hope so," Jeff said, concern still evident. Somehow, he had the feeling that it might not be that easy. "But Alan just has a way of having to do things the hard way."

John couldn't help but agree.

TB TB TB TB TB

Alan managed to avoid his father, much to Jeff's chagrin. Jeff alternated between being irritated and concerned. He knew Alan could be hot-headed, but for the most part he has as much common-sense as his other sons. He was just younger and had less experience.

Jeff knew that Alan was going to make a terrific team member for IR. But he desperately wanted Alan to have a true childhood, and a life outside of IR. At his age, he needed to experience life, not just jump feet first into the only thing he knew.

Sometimes Jeff really regretted the necessity of living in such a remote place. For Scott and John, who had already lived on their own outside the family, it was fine.

Virgil as well. As an artist, he was used to looking beyond physical barriers and leading with his mind.

Gordon, with his phenomenal swimming ability and his time in WASP had also looked beyond the 'family business'.

But Alan never had had the chance. At it really didn't help that there was such a gap in age between Gordon, his second youngest son, and Alan. Gordon and Alan were very close, amazingly so when you considered the age difference, but there was still the fact that Gordon was over 18, and Alan had a long way to go.

So, realistically, the island and IR was all Alan knew, and that worried Jeff. That was a major reason for sending him to Wharton Academy in the first place, and having him continue there until he graduated.

The experiences and the diversity of the student body ensured a mind-broadening experience, yet the security assured Jeff of his son's safety.

Jeff sighed again as he wrestled with the dilemma. It was for the best, he thought again, staring out at the turquoise ocean through the huge windows in his office. Too bad Alan didn't see it that way.

He really wished he knew how to impart his thoughts to his son, but Alan would have none of it. Especially after his first taste of working a rescue. At fourteen, life was all excitement and you were going to live forever.

It didn't help that things were so busy now. Time was just slipping by him. Rescues seemed to be up, and Tracy Enterprises was absorbing a great deal of his time right now. Unfortunately, Alan seemed to be losing in the time department, and that wasn't right.

Jeff determined to try again to reach his son, and get him to talk to him. He had to go to New York next week. Maybe he'd go a day early and take Alan with him.

Jeff was mulling over the idea when the klaxon went off. Another day, another rescue, he thought as he went into action.