I have lots of excuses for lateness, all things considered I had hoped for a longer chapter but due to lack of computer access this chappy is a mere 3771 words. I have a shared computer so not exactly great for writing on so you have no other choice but to await updates. The positive side to this is it gives me time to think through what's going to happen and delete/add bits and pieces. And let me tell you... it'll be good ;)

Anyhoot! Questions and whatnot from reviews:
Batman theme
Other than Teen titans I have no idea about Batman so the whole Taio/Tony Zucco thing was unplanned. Maybe I saw it somewhere and it sunk in, alas I do not know. Subliminal messaging at it's finest?
English/American
I'm really sorry but I honestly have no idea I'm even doing it. I've gone through a few chapters to try and clean up the English but I can't actually spot it myself. Though in this next chapter I have really tried to avoid Englishness, notice my use of the word "couch". If I say "colour" instead of "color" then please don't get too upset, I am writing in English after all ;) Shall try and make the Tracys speak American though!
Thanks for all your reviews, they really do help and make me find time to get to a computer. Also if you're watching and haven't yet reviewed, even if you just do it once in the whole story please do so. It's always good even if it's just to see how many people are reading :)

They'd all headed back to the Tracy's apartment at the top of Tracy Towers, including Tess who didn't seem all too comfortable with the looks Scott kept giving her. Every time she looked up he seemed to be glaring, she was beginning to wonder how long it would take before she actually did burst into flames.

Tracy Towers was one of the main office buildings in the city used by Tracy Enterprises, the choice to go there came from the knowledge of the heightened security that had been put in place since the whole Zucco incident, and Jeff wanted to have words with both Alan and Tess somewhere more private.

Alan wasn't feeling too great and he knew it had nothing to do with his injuries, since they'd met back up at the hospital his brothers and father had been strangely quiet, it seemed like the lull before the storm and this storm promised to be a big one. Thinking back on things with the knowledge he now had he understood why they were so worried but at the time finding the truth seemed to outweigh everything else. When it came down to it, if they'd told him the truth in the first place they wouldn't be here now.

Upon entering the apartment it opened into a large living area with a small open plan kitchen, rooms led off to the various bedrooms and bathrooms. It was simply furnished, almost like a hotel but with the distinguishable feature of family photos on the walls and placed on various surfaces around the room. It seemed more like a holiday home than anything.

On one of the walls hung a large flat screen TV, couches arranged around it with a coffee table in the centre. This is where they'd gathered, Alan and Tess sat nervously side by side on one couch, Jeff on one of the smaller couches to the side, and the rest of the boys opposite in exception to Scott who didn't seem able to sit. As soon as his behind so much as touched the couch he stood again and began to pace, his mind working around the situation angrily.

Alan knew this was coming, as soon as he'd walked out of the hospital he'd had the future of this conversation set in stone awaiting his arrival. Now he was here he just wanted to get it over with.

"You can start yelling at me now." He muttered, downcast eyes occasionally flicking up towards his dad. "I know I shouldn't have left the hospital, it was immature and reckless, who knows what could have happened." This is what his dad would usually have said and Scott would have mirrored. He'd hoped the words would have bought him some leeway in their understanding. If Jeff was in a rush a simple apology of the sort would have sufficed, it was too bad Jeff was willing to give up the time to talk.

Jeff ran a hand through his thinning hair, mouth opening a few times before settling on his words. In exception to the avalanche that had killed his wife he couldn't remember a time he'd ever felt more worry for one of his own, even on rescues there were rules and regulations set in place to prevent such fear. This wasn't a rescue though, it was Alan being just that, Alan.

"Do you have any idea what kind of worry we've all been going through?"

He took his time to calm his nerves, he knew how easily his temper could rise and he had been trying a lot harder recently to reign it in. Alan was distancing himself from them and he could see it more and more each day, as his other sons reminded him - his temper didn't help.

"Why did you just disappear like that? And why the hell didn't you answer your phone?"

Leaning back into the cushions on the couch the youngest blonde sighed, eyes rolling towards the ceiling before looking back at his dad with a frown.

"You've all been lying to me, I couldn't get the truth from any of you so I had to get it somewhere else." He nodded to Tess who smiled awkwardly, clearly not enjoying the situation in the slightest.

"You went to the daughter of the guy trying to kidnap you? What kind of idiotic plan was that?" Scott hissed, he'd stopped pacing and now leant against the arm of the couch opposite.

Alan looked between his brothers, they'd all looked at him that way some point in his life but all together? It was disconcerting and he found himself wishing for their smiles and playful teasing back, especially Gordon who had so far remained silent.

"I didn't know Tess was related to Zucco because none of you bothered to tell me what was going on! Do we need to go through this again?" He growled angrily as he thought through the prior logic. "I had scenarios in my head that I was dying of some awful disease! Why the hell would all of you follow me to the mainland for a hospital check up?" He glared at Scott, the anger from before rising once more. "I don't know why you didn't just tell me!"

John spoke from the end of the couch, he was looking at his hands as his fingers knotted together. He was probably the calmest Tracy but also the quietest, his worry showed through is withdrawal. He didn't like getting involved but often found himself stepping in the calm things down.

"We talked about it and the possibility of you running off and doing something stupid seemed to rank top of the list kiddo. And you've just gone and proved us right." He looked up and gave a sad smile, wishing Alan would for once see things as they all did.

Alan glowered, not missing a beat. "Well I guess my idea of you leaving me out of the family once again also lived up to expectation then."

Jeff sighed loudly, staring up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath before turning back to Alan. "You know it wasn't like that… all we've ever tried to do is protect you yet as per usual you take matters into your own hands. It was dangerous Alan! Even if Taio Zucco wasn't after you it would have been dangerous and you know that."

"How come Tess is able to walk around as she pleases? Their family name is as well known as ours yet she lives in her own apartment, has her own car and has so far not called anyone to tell them where she is."

Suspicious eyes fell on Tess as the Tracys thought it through, she twisted uncomfortably in her seat, skin feeling suddenly hot.

"Alan you've not met my dad." She said, eyes shooting their best apologetic look to Jeff who by the look on his face was apparently was still blaming her for a part in this. "Things are very different with us, I don't think you can really compare..."

"Well… would he lie to you?"

"No."

"Well there you go…"

She broke in. "Because I never see him Alan, we don't speak enough to even make time for lies. It would be nice to have a family that actually worried about me when I'm not where I'm supposed to be but unfortunately not everyone in the world has that." She could feel the eyes still boring into her yet leant back and stared up at the ceiling. "Can I go now? I don't really see why I'm at all relevant in this family argument."

She knew Alan would be angry at her for that but it was true, from what she'd so far seen and heard about the Tracy family she knew they'd do anything for each other. Alan didn't know how lucky he was.

"So you haven't spoken to your dad recently?" Gordon chimed in, finally joining the conversation as he leant forward with a frown. The usual spark in his eyes had gone and for once he actually looked serious.

"Nope." She looked up, relieved that the dagger filled gazes had softened slightly. "Not since the party, and before that?" She ran a hand through her hair, thinking through when that would have been. "A few times a year maybe, if I'm anywhere near where he's working I try to but o be honest I don't really know the guy."

She remembered the last time well, funerals of close friends and families were hard to avoid and unfortunately it meant uniting for a joint front. It was just that though. A front.

Scott let out an exasperated breath as though slowly deflating. "So you've got no info on him then?"

"Hey." John smiled softy at Alan, not liking the tone of Scott's voice and wondering how long it would take before he finally snapped and said something stupid. In some ways Alan and Scott were very much alike. "At least Alan's safe, if Tess had contact with her family it might have been a different story." He held up a hand to stop Alan who was about to cut in. "All we're saying is that we were worried Sprout, ok? I can understand why you did it and how paranoid you must have been but you can't just take off like that."

The youngest Tracy rolled his eyes, John was hard to be mad with. He just had that look that made you forgive him in an instant.

Tess interrupted. "I didn't say I didn't have info. I said I hadn't seen him in a while." Eyes shot back to her and she sat up. "The only reason I'm still in this country is because I was trying to sort this problem out, ever since you spoke to me I've been trying to trace my father."

She looked to Jeff who nodded for her to continue, her voice had a tone of exasperation yet she ploughed on anyway.

"I can give you all the info I have but if you're going to get involved then I guess I'm going to have to stay for the ride." She wasn't happy about that but by the way the men grouped together to protect their own she knew she didn't have a choice. So much for going home.

"What kind of info?" Scott frowned once more, slowly edging his way onto the couch as his temper resided slightly, forcing his other brothers to shuffle up.

She smiled. "I might not know where he is but I know where he's going to be. It's next week though, I had planned on going on my own…"

"Where?" Gordon sat forward and suddenly there was a line of Tracys looking set for action. All except Virgil.

"As useful as this is, can I check over Alan before he falls asleep?" Virgil had stood in a motion that suggested the end to the evening debate. "I want to check him over and make sure he hasn't done any more damage to those ribs or foot and I'm sure as hell we're not going to be chasing Taio Zucco tonight. Right?"

The scowl he gave made Alan shiver slightly and unconsciously scoot closer to Tess, he was happy not to be on one side of the almighty shouting match he had expected yet his thoughts had been so busy thinking about what would happen that he'd forgotten to add the minor details like Virgil wanting to check on him. That was always a certainty and the fact that he'd avoided medical attention to begin with wasn't going to bode well.

Luckily Jeff broke in before he had to voice his distemper with the planned check over, standing his other sons followed leaving Alan and Tess sat. "I need to speak to you." He motioned to Scott, unsurprisingly his constant second in command and backup. "In private. The rest of you… Virgil?" The brunette nodded. "Go into one of the bedrooms and check Alan over. Tess?" She looked over warily. "Could you go with them? I need to speak to you in a bit and discuss what we're going to do. If that's ok?"

"Fab." She muttered, lazily following Alan and Virgil away. She missed the frown Scott sent her way.

Gordon was rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet, he had managed to position himself in front of one of the main phone lines without seemingly moving. "Can we get some food in? All this wild goose chasing makes a man hungry." A simple smile from Jeff was all he needed to begin dialling.

"John? Can I speak with you to." Jeff, Scott and John headed over to the small kitchen area whilst Tess, Virgil and Alan left.

"Not really sure why you need to check me over." He grumbled, hobbling over to the first bedroom leading off from the living area. "If I'd damaged anything I'd just tell you…" The door swung shut behind them and Alan found himself steered towards the bed at the end of the room.

As with the living and kitchen area the bedrooms were simply decorated and strongly resembled a high rating hotel, the bed made in a way that just told you that someone had been employed to do it.

"Ye have little faith." Virgil chuckled, smiling at Tess who had already caught on to Alan's constant grumbles and simply smiled back in that knowing way. "Come on, lay down. Let's get a look at those aching bones of yours."

With Virgil hovering over the blonde and Tess sitting awkwardly at the end of the bed Alan lifted his shirt before his older brother did it for him, his stomach was still a mass of different shades of blues and yellows and although his brother was gentle he couldn't help hiss in pain as he ran his hands over them.

"How do you even know what you're looking for?" Tess asked after a minute, she'd been playing with the ends of her hair but her eyes occasionally looked over in question. She didn't want to make Alan any more uncomfortable than he already was but couldn't help but be intrigued.

"He's a doctor." Alan hissed as Virgil felt along a particularly painful rib. He'd begun to wish he'd worn the ridiculous looking guard that was meant to protect his ribs whilst they healed. He'd tried it once and the resemblance to a ice hockey player had thoroughly discouraged him from wearing the thing.

"A doctor?" She sat back on the bed crossed legged and swivelled slightly, one sceptically raised brow. "How old are you? Twenty?"

"Twenty one." Virgil blushed slightly, it was a familiar question whenever people found out he was medically trained yet he still hadn't gotten used to the embarrassment.

She tilted her head looking at Alan for some kind of explanation as Virgil didn't seem like he was about to divulge any more info on the matter. The brunette had busied himself checking Alan.

Alan grinned widely, he didn't mind divulging any info that might embarrass his siblings. "He graduated when he was fourteen, he was a doctor by nineteen. Virge here is your first rate nerd."

Rolling his eyes Virgil risked a look up at the now astonished Tess, it took her a moment but she grinned at him. "Well that's impressive." She chuckled. "Here's me thinking you Tracy kids were normal."

Jeff leant against a worktop in the small kitchenette area of the apartment, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he ran through what he wanted to happen. Scott and John stood there expectantly, Scott's eyes slowly drifting to the coffee machine hopefully.

"Right." Jeff finally straightened up, tapping his fingers for a second before smiling in a way he hoped was confident. "Here's what we're going to do, I'll speak to Tess but if she's right then we have a bit of time before we can catch up with Zucco again. We can't leave International Rescue in limbo for that long so I'm going to send some of you boys back to manage things."

"Wait, wait, wait." Scott frowned. "You're going to make us going home whilst Alan's still in danger? Why don't we just take him with us?"

"I've thought about it but I spoke to Virgil earlier and we've both agreed that he needs to get those ribs looked at properly, without running off. So he's going to need to stay another day at least. I can always send back after that."

John nodded at the idea. "I'm guessing you're not sending us all back? Surely you need some backup?"

"Way ahead of you son." Jeff smiled and went over to the coffee maker, flicking it on in the hope that Scott's fixation on it would lesson. He didn't know who craved coffee more, him or his eldest son. "Virgil will need to stay to manage Alan's injuries, and I'd like Scott to stay to help with the Zucco situation. Are you ok with that?" He gave John a hard look trying to weigh up how well this was going to go down, he breathed a sigh of relief as the blonde nodded.

"I'm ok with it though I'm not sure Gordon will be, I'm not totally happy but I think it's probably for the best. You sure we'll be able to cope with two men?"

"You'll have Brains, he will act as your command and control centre on the island in case you're called out. And if you put out an alert that the Thunderbirds are running on a low capacity then hopefully you won't be inundated with unnecessary calls." He withdrew his cell from a pocket and put it on the worktop. "If you need anything don't hesitate to call, no matter what time of the day or wherever you are. I'll take the satellite phone as well, any questions?"

"What are we going to do?" Scott looked over to the closed door of the bedroom his youngest brother was in, he was sure that the concern over the last few hours would be sending him prematurely grey.

"I want you to take Tess back to her flat so she can pick up some stuff, I'll have a word with her but hopefully she'll stay and help out however she can."

Scott couldn't help but frown. "You trust her then?" They'd known her all of ten minutes, he couldn't help but be disbelieving to this whole honesty act she was playing. Sure she'd seemed genuine enough at the party but people could be whoever they wanted among strangers.

"I'd consider myself quite a good judge of people and so far she hasn't put a foot wrong, so yes I think I do." Jeff looked to John for his opinion. "What do you think? Even if I'm wrong I'd prefer to keep her close."

"I'm with you, dad. At least talk to her first and see where she stands though, we can't jump the gun and presume she'll stay. I know she said she'd help but that didn't quite involve living with us." John didn't like judging people from the first impression but he was happy for Tess to stay if it meant it helped, he could also understand the distaste for such an idea from Scott however. They're whole lives were full of trust issues and letting an unknown person walk into their lives wasn't going to be easy. "We'd better tell Gordon before he's distracted by pizza."

Jeff chuckled.

"I'm not sure about you boys but I think I'd quite easily be distracted by some pizza right now."

I am going to involve all the Tracys in this so if you feel Gordon has been somewhat left out so far, don't worry! He's not sat in a corner crying over lack of involvement.

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