'A' is for Alligator

By BeeBeeGee

Part 2 of 2

TBTBTBTB

Alan's headache had faded to a dull throb by the next day, the result being that he was able to fully enjoy his birthday celebration. After the last gift had been opened and the last slice of cake had been eaten, Alan was able to reach a goal he'd been trying to attain all day: a moment alone with his brother Gordon.

Gordon looked around nervously when he realized that he and Alan were the only two people in the room. Alan stepped into Gordon's personal space and flung an arm across his brother's shoulders. His smile was bright and friendly as he stated, "Here we are, alone at last."

Gordon worried at his lower lip with his teeth. "Er, ah, yes, I guess we are."

Alan turned to look his brother in the eyes. Gordon turned away from Alan's intense glare while his younger brother stated, "Gordon, you seem a bit nervous. Is everything all right?"

Gordon shrugged. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

Rather than having the effect of removing Alan's arm, Gordon's shrug caused his brother's arm to shift up and around his neck, pulling him in uncomfortably close to Alan. The younger Tracy snarled, "Cut the bullshit. Tin-Tin ratted you out, you sneak."

Now that Gordon knew for sure what they were talking about, he prudently ducked down and away from his brother's tightening grip. He laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alan raised his voice. "Like hell you don't! Alligators, my ass!"

Gordon tried to look innocent and failed miserably. "I noticed you walked all the way down the hall to the other bathroom last night. Is there something wrong with yours?"

Alan grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby sofa and chucked it toward his brother's head. Gordon easily dodged the fluffy missile. Alan cursed. "You know damn well what's wrong with OUR bathroom, you asshole!"

Gordon dodged around the sofa and out of reach of his rampaging brother. "I just wish I could've seen the look on your face when Tin-Tin gave you your present. I bet it was a real Kodak moment."

Alan snarled, "Just remember, paybacks are a bitch, and you're a bastard!"

Gordon shook his head, feigning a scold. "You shouldn't speak ill of our father by using the 'b' word."

"I'm speaking ill of you, because there's no way you and I are related!" Alan let out an impressive string of curse words and began to circle around the sofa toward his brother.

Gordon was fully prepared to let Alan chase him around the sofa a few times. He was not prepared for the flying leap that Alan took at him right over the top of the sofa. Well, the attempted flying leap. It seemed that one of the lingering effects from Alan's concussion was that his balance was slightly off. Instead of clearing the sofa and landing on top of his brother, his feet and lower legs impacted the top of the sofa and caused the whole thing to fall over onto Gordon with a tremendous crash.

Alan looked startled and more than a little bit worried. He'd managed to jump clear of both Gordon and the sofa as he fell. "Shit! Gordon! Are you okay?"

Gordon winced. "Ow!"

The rest of the family came running at the disastrous sound.

Jeff Tracy roared, "What the hell is going on?"

Gordon responded, "I think we might've broken the sofa." He added, "And maybe, me?" He pushed weakly at the object pinning him to the floor. "Would someone please get this thing off of me?"

Scott and Virgil quickly moved into action, removed the sofa, and helped Gordon to sit, and then stand. After a quick physical assessment, Gordon stated, "Nothing's broken. I think I'll live."

Scott shook his head. "You're going to have a fine set of bruises. By the morning, you might be regretting the fact that you're alive."

Jeff interrogated the youngest Tracy. "Is there something going on between you two?"

Alan shook his head in denial. "Nothing more than usual. I just got a little bit too enthusiastic in thanking Gordon for my present."

Jeff was confused. "If this is how you react to a gift certificate to Amazon, I'm glad I got you a clock."

In fact, perhaps out of guilt for his part in Tin-Tin's pygmy alligator purchase, Gordon had given Alan a rather generously loaded gift card to be used toward any Amazon purchase that Alan cared to make.

Virgil examined the sofa. "I'm afraid the cost of repairing this will make it just as economical to replace it with a new one."

Jeff declared, "I'm sure that both Alan and Gordon will be more than happy to contribute the replacement cost."

Gordon questioned, "We will?" At Alan's sharp look in response, he turned his question into a statement of fact. "That is, of course we will."

The family members filed out of the room, with Alan and Gordon the last to leave. Gordon was slightly ahead when Alan stated, "Gordon, hang on a minute."

The redhead hesitated. "I don't know, remember what happened the last time we were alone together?"

Alan rubbed a hand against his aching head. "Despite my concussion, I do in fact remember the last few minutes." He dropped his hand and looked his brother straight in the eyes. "Look, I don't care what you do or how you do it, but get rid of the damn alligator." He added, "Hopefully, without hurting Tin-Tin's feelings."

Gordon nodded. "Hey, if it means I don't have to worry about paybacks, then you've got a deal."

Alan had a brief memory flash of the small pygmy alligator superimposed over the giant alligator in the swamp that had nearly ended his life and decided that he was not quite ready to unconditionally forgive his brother. He responded, "We'll see."

TBTBTBTB

The next day, Alan flew out to New York to attend to some business for his father. He was greeted by a smiling Gordon upon his return.

"Did you have a good trip?"

Alan nodded. "Yes, I did." He decided to get right to the point of the matter that was uppermost in his mind. "Did you get rid of the alligator?"

Gordon made a show of his reply. He pushed his shirtsleeves up his arms and announced, "Nothing up my sleeves. Abracadabra and Presto-Chango, no alligator." He smiled brightly. "If you don't believe me, go look in the bathtub."

Alan's shoulders slumped visibly in relief. "That's okay. I actually believe you. Thanks."

Gordon waved off Alan's thanks. "It was no problem." He decided it was time for a change of subject. "So, are you hungry?"

Alan replied, "You bet! What's cooking?"

Gordon headed into the kitchen with Alan. "Well, little brother, it just so happens that I've been taking cooking lessons." He approached a pot that was simmering on the stove and removed the lid. A delicious aroma surrounded the two men. "This is authentic Cajun cooking, something called 'Etouffee,' I think it's just a fancy name for stew, but what do I know?" He dipped a spoon into the mixture and sampled the contents. His face bore a blissful expression. "This is so good."

Gordon dipped the spoon into the pot and offered a spoonful to Alan. "Here, try some."

Alan was not always quick to trust his brother, as Gordon had a well-earned reputation as a prankster. However, Alan had watched Gordon eat from the same spoon, so he decided that it was safe to take Gordon up on his offer to try a little bit of the stew. Alan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Mm. This is good." He grabbed another spoon, and the two men began to eat directly from the pot.

Alan analyzed the ingredients as he ate. "Okay, I recognize the celery and the tomato; and the onion; with, hm, a bit of garlic?"

Gordon nodded, too busy eating to offer a verbal response as Alan continued, "And the meat. First, I thought it was chicken, but now I'm not sure."

Gordon set down his spoon and took a step back. He spoke. "You're right. It's not chicken." He paused for dramatic effect, then continued, "You should be able to guess what it is."

Alan decided he didn't want to play this particular game. "I could think of a dozen things that taste like chicken, including chicken. Why don't you just tell me what it is?"

Gordon pointed toward the pot and declared, "It's alligator meat."

Alan put down his spoon. "Ha-ha." His stern tone of voice let Gordon know that he did not believe his brother. "No, it's not."

Gordon used his index finger to trace an 'X' over the left side of his chest. "Cross my heart."

Alan quickly added, "And hope you lie. It's not alligator."

Their discussion was interrupted by Kyrano's appearance. The older man made a 'tsking' sound. "You boys better not be eating from my pot."

Gordon did not bother to respond to the accusation, instead stating, "It's my pot, too. I helped."

Kyrano admitted, "Yes, you did. That does not mean you can forget your manners."

Gordon returned to the subject of his earlier discussion with Alan. "Hey, Kyrano, tell Alan what kind of meat is in this Etouffee."

"Certainly. It is alligator meat."

Alan took a step back, shocked. "It is? You're kidding." He quickly corrected himself. Gordon might be lying, but not Kyrano. The older man was one of the most honest people Alan knew. "Oh my god, you're not kidding." The stew that he had been praising mere minutes ago now sat heavily in his stomach. He hoped that it would not make a return trip. "Ah, look, I just got back from my trip, and I need to, uh, go." He quickly left the room.

Gordon lifted a hand an drew an imaginary '1' in the air. Sooner or later, Alan would discover that the alligator meat for the Etouffee had been provided by a specialty delicatessen. The former resident of Alan's bathtub was now living happily in an alligator sanctuary. Gordon hoped that Alan would discover that fact later rather than sooner. He was having too much fun.

With a happy sigh, Gordon grabbed a dish and served himself a generous portion of Etouffee. He hoped that Alan would appreciate the book that was currently sitting in the middle of his bed. Gordon had paid extra for express delivery so that the book would be present to greet Alan upon his return from New York.

TBTBTBTB

Gordon was halfway finished with his stew when Alan slammed a book onto the table in front of him. "Just so you know, I hate you." His eyes widened at the sight of the stew in Gordon's dish. Alan placed one hand across his mouth and an arm across his stomach as he hurried from the room.

Gordon picked up the book and began to read. "Alligators All Around, by Maurice Sendak. An alligator jamboree, with all the letters, A - Z."

TBTBTBTB

End