I don't know, after watching Slingshot, I felt as if they were a little too 'Meh its cool' with the whole idea of Alan essentially strapping a bomb to the underside of Thunderbird three, even if it was used to get him and Kayo and the Mining Man out.

But then I thought, but what if he never actually told them, for we don't actually see if he tells them about the cracker or not. Just that its a crazy idea and he's letting them decide what level of crazy his idea is.

So then this little piece of work came to mind and wham!

After the mission to the asteroid and the mining man and his little plant were returned safely to Earth, Kayo and him were essentially questioned by his older brothers, and he had excused himself saying he was going to sleep, Alan found himself in Three's silo.

Staring at the large scorch mark left by the Cracker.

He knew that Scott would most likely kill him should he ever find out what his somewhat crazy plan involved. And then Virgil would find a way to bring him back simply so him and Gordon could kill him all over again and then by some miracle John would revive him and Alan Tracy would be dead three times over.

So he simply never told them about the cracker. There was certain things that his older brothers needed to be aware of and that was not one of them.

"Alan Tracy crazy, or Should I be worried crazy?"

'deffenantly the second one', Alan thought, cringing at the large scorch mark in his sight. There was no way he could hide that forever and would take him weeks to get enough paint to cover it up.

Oh he was so dead.

But not tonight, he turned, to night he was tired and he was going to sleep. So pushing all thoughts of the cracker, space, the large comet, and that stupid plant from his mind, Alan turned around and walked back up the steps and to his bedroom.

He never made it to his bed.

"ALAN SHEPHERD TRACY!"

Alan awoke with a start at the shout. Not necessarily at the wording as it was common to hear his (or Gordon's) name being shouted in such a state. No, he was woken up startled at the person behind the angered shout.

What was he doing down here?

Didn't he go back up to 'Five yesterday?

Crap.

Alan's bedroom door was slammed open and in the door way (his only way of escape, if one didn't include the window) stood his older blonde (I know he's a red head in the show, but in my mind and canon he will forever and always be blonde) normally up in the space station brother, John, and he looked pissed. The older boys eyes narrowed at Alan's lack of response. Alan gulped.

"What. Did. You. DO"

Immediately Alan knew what he was talking about. How could he not, it was huge, black, and 'Three was naturally red. It would have stood out like a sore thumb.

"Well!"

Alan gulped again, "W-What do you mean?"

John did not look amused and when he moved, Alan felt as if the anger was rolling off his brother in waves, anger and something else. John grabbed him by the arm and turned around, pulling him towards the door. The house was surprisingly silent and still for this time of the morning. As they walked, more like, John stalked and Alan was pulled along, passed the kitchen the younger blonde caught the time on the stove.

11:30.

Yep, it was seriously too still, too quiet. Scott would be making breakfast while simultaneously making conversation with Virgil, and Gordon would be doing laps in the pool, Kayo would be on the computer (but she was probably still asleep as that is what Alan would rather being doing after last night). But, most of all, John would still be up on 'Five doing whatever it was that John did in the morning while up on 'Five.

John marched them down the stairs to the silos and Alan swore he saw his very life flash before his eyes. There, in front of them and coming closer with every step, was the others. Scott, Virgil, and Gordon were standing right there in front of them looking up at the under side and the end piping of Thunderbird Three.

Staring right at the scorch mark that the cracker had made.

John stopped on Scott's left and shoved Alan lightly (but firmly) forward. At his arrival all eyes turned to him. Scratching at the back of his neck, Alan gave a nervous chuckle. He would at least like to have a last meal before he was put to death this fine morning.

"Alan..What is that?"

Leave it to Scott to take up John's normally calm persona during these sort of things. It was much more preferred if their oldest brother would explode, after finding something like this.

"Um... A s-scorch mark"

"And, how'd it get there?"

Alan looked around the room, a way to escape, but the look that Virgil was sending him (and John, man he was a scary dude when he wanted to be) was telling him that if he tried, it would not end pretty.

"Um..."

"Answer the question Alan"

"Um...The cracker.."

"And whats that?"

It was Virgil this time, the family's medic and all around nice guy, until you go and put yourself in danger. Like Alan had the night before.

"Um.. A c-cracker.. Is a type of bomb"

There was silence. A long period of silence as all four older brothers turned as one to look up at the scorch mark, a large black smudge going up the side of 'Three from underneath her underbelly. Alan was starting to wonder if being trapped out in space for the rest of his short (becoming shorter by the minute) life.

"So.. Let me see if I get this right", Gordon sounded uncharacteristically firm, but then again, they were all being sort of uncharacteristic for themselves, "You, strapped a bomb to the underside of 'Three, set it off, fired the thrusters as hard as they would go, an used that to get yourself home?"

"...Yes..."

There was a moment of silence, before the room was full of commotion. Scott was no longer calm and collected 'John' he was back to being Scott, and yelling about how he could have killed himself and when 'You had said 'crazy' I didn't think it meant suicidal crazy' and how he was in so much trouble. John was no longer speaking, but the anger was clear on his face.

"Infirmary. Now."

Alan made to protest at Virgil's command. He was fine, not a scratch any where and no burns in any places. Well, if you didn't count 'Three.

"NOW ALAN"

John's eyes were spewing fire, and even Scott turned to look at his direct younger brother when he shouted. John was naturally very even tempered, but when something did get to him enough that it tipped the scale, that was when they all ran for the hills and stayed out of direct path of fire until he was calm again.

And, apparently, finding out that his baby brother had taken a bomb and strapped it under his bird and detonated it while it was under there, was enough to send him into a rage.

Alan nodded silently and followed the family medic out of the silo and to the infirmary.

Virgil had taken enough X-Rays to last him a couple more years and more tests to take him into his early twenties, until he deemed Alan of perfect health (although he did say he suspected brain damage, but he was joking, Alan thinks). Alan wasn't out of the woods yet though, for John and Scott were still fuming and Gordon was still being uncharacteristically silent.

From the infirmary, Alan was led in Virgil's all seeing eyes to the living room, where he was shoved onto the couch and became a victim of the 'Four Older Brother Line Up Of Doom'. Finally after ages and ages, John gave a withering sigh as he scrubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair, as he relented and his anger faded out as he flopped himself down on the couch beside his youngest brother.

Cuffing him over the head softly (but still firm enough that the sting was felt), John pulled on Alan's shirt sleeve and pulled him into his side. Drowning him in a hug. He rested his head on top of Alan's golden locks.

"If you ever, and I mean ever, do something on that level of crazy again, I will personally tan you hide worse then dad had ever done so and then release you unto Scott, who is way worse then me, you understand me"

Alan nodded into his brother's shirt covered chest.

At John's dissipated anger, the others seemed to deflate, and flung themselves down on the same unnaturally large couch. Scott pulled Alan's other half into his lap, but never moved him from his other blonde brother's embrace. He'd been on the receiving end of many John glares in his life time and he would readily admit that they were very frightening to be on the other side of. Gordon squeezed into Scott's other side as Virgil did the same on John's.

Someone pulled the blanket over them all,but no one would fess up to it.

"Oh Allie"

Alan yawned once and had fallen asleep in the middle of the 'Tracy Puppy Pile'. John smiled down at him and shifted a little to let Virgil lean into his other side more comfortably, wrapping his arm around his middle brother. Scott repeating the process with Gordon.

Grandma found them like that when she finally came back from her walk on the beach. Seeing them all cuddled together on the couch, a novelty since Jeff's disappearance (what with John spending more of his time up on 'Five and Scott taking up the 'father role' and leaving his 'big brother role' behind), seeing the boys in one of their own little puppy piles was nice for a change.

The world could wait for another hour or two.

SO? It didn't turn out as I thought it would, but I hope it still makes sense and stuff!