Disclaimer: A new year and we can't claim ownership of the Tracys, IR, or the Thunderbirds. We can only continue to borrow them for our stories.

A/N: I've decided to finish this story instead of leaving it as it was. The rest of this story is being written in memory of Lissysue. Mystikstorm, a good friend of mine was kind enough to step in and help me torture John and the rest of the Tracys. Sam1

Chapter 11

Thinking on what his brother had said as he drifted back into a troubled sleep, memories flooded his dreams, showing him the truth of his brother's words.

An excited young Virgil ran through the house, searching for his dad. Sliding to a stop just outside the kitchen door, he found him having a cup of coffee with Grandma. "Dad, Ms. Edwards said I have a good chance of winning the talent contest." He pulled out a chair and sat next to his father and proceeded to tell him what piece he'd chosen to play. "I know it's kinda old but I thought I'd play Moonlight Sonata. Mom really liked that and…" A fleeting look of sadness dimmed his exuberance before he sat up and determinedly continued. "And it was one of the last things she and I worked on."

"Mom, thanks for the coffee. I'd best get back to work and finish up the rest of that bid before tomorrow afternoon." Rinsing out his coffee mug, he barely glanced at his third born. "Make sure you write down when the rehearsals are so that we can make sure you have a ride home from school." With that, he walked out of the kitchen and headed to his home office. Once again, locking himself within and isolating himself from the emptiness he felt since Lucy died. Never once did he stop to think how much his actions hurt his sons. Especially Virgil, who had slumped in his chair, following his father's indifferent response. Jeff may have missed the tears that pooled in Virgil's eyes but Grandma didn't. Nor did the older brother in the hallway, observing his little brother's pain. Icy blue eyes flashed dangerously when his brother let himself be enveloped within their grandmother's arms. Stealthily, he moved away from the kitchen door and towards the stairs.

Muttering, he hurried up the stairs, ignoring his oldest brother. "Stupid…mean…not my brother…" Scott stared after his normally calm brother and felt a niggle of worry. Unfortunately, the Tracy family had also learned that beneath the calm exterior laid a fiery temper mixed with a formidable intelligence.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Scott continued towards the kitchen only to come to a dead stop when he saw his middle brother being comforted by their grandmother. He'd only taken one step towards them when Grandma raised her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. Melting back into the shadows of the hallway, Scott only caught a glimpse of the front door closing. "Oh, man, this can't be good." Hurrying towards the hall closet, he grabbed his coat. He slipped it on just as he reached the front door and attempted to follow his elusive and irate younger brother. After searching the front and side yards, he noticed the garage door wasn't completely shut. He peeked through the crack before going in. "Johnny? Are you in here?" He was met with complete silence that didn't deter or fool him for a moment. He knew just how sneaky his brother could be. "I know you're in here and I know you're angry at someone." Cautiously, he approached the space between their father's SUV and Grandmother's mini-van. "I also know that whoever you're angry at did something to Virgil. Grandma is taking care of it so you don't have to do whatever it is you're planning to do."

Sliding out of the shadows that had hidden him from Scott's view, John spoke, "He did it again, Scotty. He can't keep doing this to my little brother. I won't let him."

His memories flashed forward in his dreams a few years…

It had been three years since their mother's death and life moved on as intended. Scott had moved up to the high school, leaving Virgil and John in the middle school. The one thing that didn't change was Jeff's continued indifference to Virgil's accomplishments in both music and art. Nor had he really bothered to see his son. Sure they had dinners with the rest of the family. Went on vacations and such but he really never saw his son as his own person. Just a painful replica of Lucy. The indifference was a ongoing source of arguments between his mother and him. As well as the basis for many arguments and subtle disruptions such as flat tires…not one but all four. At the same time. Yet he was unable to prove that any of his sons were behind the subterfuge. Though he strongly suspected his quiet son. He'd noticed an icy glare being directed at him from his second born more than once. Usually, it was after he'd walked away from Virgil so that he could attend to business matters.

Active in the Arts Department at his school, Virgil auditioned for and was selected to participate in a musical at the high school. Even though Virgil had been on stage many times for recitals and such, he still battled nervousness. This time wouldn't be as bad because Cats was the chosen musical. He'd pretty much be unrecognizable…Until he started singing. The musical director had selected him to sing Memory along with the female lead. He managed to keep it from his family until opening night. It wasn't until he met up with them after the show that he realized that his dad hadn't come. His happiness deflated right before his brothers' eyes. His shoulders slumped in obvious dejection and his gaze focused on the floor. He never saw the sudden tenseness in his older brother's shoulders or the way his eyes flashed in anger. Granted, Grandma tried to make excuses for his father's absence but Virgil had heard it all before. Shrugging it off, he led the way to the parking lot. He wanted nothing more than to go home and hide in his room so that he could nurse his hurt feelings alone.

A little while later, a lone figure sat next to his brother's closed bedroom door. Fists clenched in anger every time he heard a mumbled word or a hushed sob. He was old enough to know that his father tried to make it to as many sports games that he, Scott, Gordon, or Alan were in but when it came to going to anything that Virgil was in on stage he couldn't be bothered. It was then that he decided that flat tires weren't enough this time. This time his father had really hurt his brother and that was something that he would not tolerate under any circumstance.

He had gotten a bit cocky and Jeff found out just who was responsible for the subterfuge. It was bound to have happened sooner or later. He forgot just who he was messing with and the consequences he would face once he was caught.

Reluctantly, he was drawn from the dream state he'd been in to that period of time when the lines of consciousness and sleep blur. He lay there for a few moments before gradually letting his eyes open while trying to shove the blanket that covered him off. Then the panic set in. He couldn't move his arms or legs. Turning his head from side to side, he tried to see what was holding him down. Then something caught his wild gaze and his panic increased tenfold, setting alarms blaring as his heart rate and respirations increased.

"No, please go away." He fought against the restraints desperate to be free before he felt the icy tendrils of the shadows that were inching their way towards him. He knew they were eager to claim him after having been beaten back several times before. His frightened gaze locked on the shadow, he didn't hear or notice his youngest brothers run through the door. Nor did he hear their frantic attempts to calm him down. Suddenly, Gordon noticed how John's eyes seemed to dart between two shadowed areas of the infirmary.

Muttering to himself, "It's the shadows. That is what has him so freaked out." Snapping out of his self-directed monologue, he barked, "Alan, get the lights turned on full brightness now." Ever ready to argue, Alan was about to tell his brother off when he saw how Gordon was staring down at their big brother and then across the room. He hurried to the light switch and increased the brightness of the room. The shadows disappeared and almost instantly John began to calm down. Just as Jeff, Brains, Virgil, and Scott all ran into the infirmary.

All of them heard Alan question Gordon. "What the hell just happened?"

"It's okay, Johnny, they're gone," Gordon said, ignoring Alan. He lightly rubbed his brother's shoulders, trying to help calm him more. "They're not going to get you. Not while we're here and protecting you."

Some of the wildness in his eyes diminished as he looked up at his brother. "You won't let them take me away?"

"Never, brother mine, you belong right here with us," Gordon reassured him, seemingly oblivious of the confused stares he was getting from their family. The panic induced adrenaline slowly bled from his system and John gradually fell asleep again.

"Would you care to explain what the hell just happened here?" Jeff demanded.

He continued to rub his brother's shoulder while looking up at his father. "It was the shadows that had him freaking out, Dad." His eyes widened as he willed his dad to remember the shadows he had battled just after his hydrofoil accident and he'd developed an infection. An infection that resulted in a fever induced delirium.

"You think he's experiencing what you did?" Jeff asked, worried. He remembered all too well the terror in his son's eyes while a fever raged through his broken body.

"What? What do you think John's experiencing?" Scott demanded.

Swallowing hard, Gordon felt himself cringe as he remembered, "Remember right after my hydrofoil accident and I developed an infection?"

"Yeah but what does that have to do with John?"

"While the infection raged through my body, it caused me to suffer from fever induced delirium. I kept seeing shadows creeping towards me. Strangling me with their icy cold tendrils that snaked up my legs and around my chest." Shivering at the memory, he glanced down at his sleeping brother. "It was as if they were trying to pull me away from everyone I loved. That was…is my greatest fear, losing any of you. I guess that's Johnny's biggest fear, too." Brushing back his brother's sweaty hair, he almost whispered, "I won't let them take you, Johnny."

A/N: The part with Gordon realizing what John was seeing was Lissysue85's idea and she should be credited for it. sam1