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Taio looked every bit the half crazed obsessive lunatic Virgil had expected yet hoped never to encounter, his skin was clammy and his eyes were bloodshot in a way that suggested a lack of sleep or perhaps more caffeine than Jeff Tracy consumed in a year.

It didn't look like the man had changed his clothes in days and the smell of tobacco smoke was choking the air. Flashes of memories where the Thunderbirds had worked in scenarios which reflected the scene assaulted Virgil's mind but only the beginnings of each situation, how they had panned out seemed suddenly beyond grasp.

He forced long breaths through his nose as he gritted his teeth, hands wrapped round Taio's wrists as though he had any chance at all of wrestling the knife away. It was pressed firmly against his throat and cut into his skin with each panicked quick gasp of air, threatening to spill his life out onto the hospital floor.

"Seems my luck has changed." Taio spat the words into Virgil's face, he was literally shaking with adrenaline. "Getting to Alan was going to prove difficult, but then you stroll right on by. Apparently your father doesn't care much for his families well being as he keeps letting you all down."

Virgil was aware that the hospital had gone to great lengths to secure the perimeter and increase the security, but he also knew that they were in a rough area of the town and didn't have much in the way of funding or backing from the police department. If he got through the day he swore to himself that it would be rectified, he'd make sure things improved for the sake of the staff and patients.

"You're going down for what you did to Alan Taio, don't make it worse for yourself. Walk away now and you can hand yourself in, it'll work in your favor." He picked his words carefully and spoke slowly, trying not to allow his fear to edge them.

"Do you really think I care about that? After what Jeff Tracy has done to me and all I've lost because of him!" He hissed the words but his voice was rising, if he was any louder he'd draw attention to the fact he was there. Virgil hoped maybe it would come in the form of Troy, head of security, and not the middle aged motherly looking nurse who'd guided him to the room.

His eyes darted around the darkened room quickly, taking every small detail in and looking for something he could use as a weapon. There was nothing, anything that may have been remotely useful was sat on the other side of the room by Tess's bed.

Tess. He'd forgotten about Tess. Suddenly he was urgent, eyes pleading out for Taio to take in the sleeping figure on the bed behind him.

"Taio. Your daughter."

"You killed her! What did she do to deserve that?"

"No. No we didn't." He tried to keep his voice calm, to try and regain some control over the situation though he knew he had none other than his own words. "She's going to be ok, she's alive Taio. Tess is alive. Just look be…"

"Stop lying to me." The knife pressed closer making Virgil's breaths painful. "All you do is lie, you Tracy's are all the same… I'm so sick and tired of letting Jeff walk over me. We used to be friends and this is how I'm treated? My own daughter is dead because of you!"

"Look behind you." Virgil gasped as he felt the first drops of blood rolling down his skin. His head forced back so he was staring up at the ceiling.

"Look behind me? What kind of fool do you…"

"Dad?" The word was an expelled breath but in the quiet of the room sounded all too loud to be mistaken.

Taio released the pressure of the knife but kept his hold on Virgil, eyes widening and skin instantly paling. He didn't turn though.

"Dad…" Louder, life in the words which couldn't be mistaken. "What are you doing… let him go!"

Virgil could hear Tess scuffling in the bed but his whole attention was on the man before him, unsure whether Tess's awakening at that moment in time was a good or bad thing. Machines started to beep and he realized with sickening dread that she was trying to move towards them, broken bones and bruised battered skin inching closer,

"Stay where you are Tess! You… your body can't take the movement, stay where you are or you'll do more damage!"

He still couldn't see her but the scuffling stopped. The machines continued to beep from whatever damage she'd done, any minute someone would be entering the room to see what the problem was, unfortunately it would most probably be one of the nurses or doctors and not security. Taio remained motionless, still staring wide eyed straight through Virgil as though in shock or frozen in time, Virgil couldn't tell.

"Dad? Please, look at me… I'm not dead, but if it wasn't for the Tracys I would be. Dad?"

Taio blinked wide eyed and took long deep breaths, steadying the shaking of his hands before focusing back on Virgil. Confusion and indecision lingered in his expression before he pushed away from Virgil and finally turned to look at his daughter. It was all Virgil could do not to slide down the wall in relief, though he was still trapped and didn't dare risk running for the door.

"Tessa? La mia figlia… I thought you were dead. Come siete…?"

The Italian mixed effortlessly with his English but carried the same tone, lost and unsure yet the longing for reassurance and perhaps relief. He waved his hands in the air hopelessly, running one through his disheveled hair before stumbling forward to stand by the bedside. Mouth opening and closing wordlessly before looking between Virgil and his daughter. She'd pulled her IV out which left blood running down her arm, stark red against the white sheets, screaming life.

He stared at the blood for a moment before back to her face, eyes locking. "Siete ferito?" He came closer, tears in his eyes as his whole body seemed to deflate, he reached out but she waved him away. The action lacked any real energy and she sagged back on the bed but he didn't try again.

"I'll be ok Papa, though seeing you going round attempting to kill people doesn't make me feel great. What are you doing?" Tiredness was heavy in her voice but it made her point all the more clear, for the first time Taio bore a look of guilt. The weight on her shoulders was all his. Maybe if she could just get him to understand.

Virgil daren't have moved, he remained leant against the wall, eyes drifting to the door and closed blinds in the hope that no one would enter at that moment. Before he'd wished so desperately for the door to swing open for the cavalry to arrive but now father and daughter needed time to make clear their understanding, to make clear the real blame and to stop things before they were made worse.

Taio took some long breaths, gripping the bed frame unsteadily, knuckles flashing white. "I thought you were dead Tess… you were with Jeff and then I heard that you were… he took everything from me! Everything! First he refuses my business and suddenly he's taken my daughter, what was I meant to do?" Anger sparked his words but he was confused now, doubt lacing their meaning and power. "I have nothing left Tess. Nothing."

"You have me. And if you didn't have me? You'd have Mama's memory to protect and live by. You think Mama would have wanted this? What would she say if she knew…"

"You have no idea, she was gone before you even had a…"

"I know. Don't ever think that I don't." Tess closed her eyes, leaning back into the pillows as she concentrated on her breathing. "When she died I didn't lose just one parent, I lost two. I have no idea how to make you understand because I don't even know you, yet you're killing people in my name? Do you see how ridiculous that is?"

"It's not like that." He edged towards her, knife hanging loosely in one hand whilst the other sought out her blood free hand. "I love you Tess, you must know I'd do anything for…"

He suddenly span as the door opened, finding himself face to face with a surprised Scott Tracy, eyes darting over the room and surveying the situation. Confusion was quickly replaced by anger.

Seeing Virgil backed against the far wall and the bright red blood staining the hospital bed Tess lay on, it only took a split second for Scott to glance at the knife in Taio's hand and come to his own conclusion of the situation.

Virgil opened his mouth to try and stop him but it was too late and even if he could have spoken he wasn't sure what words would have worked, Taio had seriously hurt Alan and in Scott's eyes the guy was going down whatever.

He'd tried to kill their youngest brother, allowed his men to almost run over Virgil who had only been spared by Tess's actions, and cost the emergency services thousands on putting out a blaze which could have easily been so much worse.

Scott dove towards the man, spitting rage before he truly knew what he was going to do, only intent on making the man pay for the hurt and pain he'd caused. Taio was taken by complete surprise but instinctually raised the knife, unsure of his actions but his objective as ever to protect his own before anything else.

Virgil finally found his bearings and leapt forward to help but everything moved so fast, he had no time, only an all too close view of Taio throwing Scott to the floor before they both grappled for the knife, the machines by the bedside were shoved aside and more beeping arouse, the silence completely shattered by the high pitched and shrill sound of falling apparatus and bodies.

Scott quickly got the upper hand, kicking Taio in the ribs and clambering over him to restrain the man, but Taio kept forcing the knife closer and closer towards Scott's chest and in a clumsy moment of confusion it was not Scott who found himself injured. He pushed against the weapon, turning the holder's hand so it faced back at him and glinted in the light, for a few long seconds they seemed to have reached a stalemate but it didn't last. Taio's arm shook and gave under the pressure Scott forced upon it, collapsing down onto his own body and inadvertently sending the knife into his chest and deep into his heart.

Maybe it was a heart attack or the mere depth of the blade, but the man was dead before his last breath had left his lungs. Eyes flickering surprise before his life flashed away.

The room was suddenly filled with medical staff and the security guard they'd seen when entering the hospital, Troy. Virgil wasn't entirely sure where the guy had been but his sudden arrival must had made him painfully close the entire time he'd been trying to literally save his neck. The man pulled Scott away and easily restrained him against the wall, Scott was still driven by adrenaline and didn't seem to realize what he'd done but Troy was a foot higher and build of muscle. Confusion hung in the air as staff rushed not just to the fallen man's side but to Tess's, her arm still pulsing blood. She lay back on the bed white faced and unmoving but for her lips, silent words as injected drugs took effect.

For his part Virgil tried to explain over the frantic buzz of noise but no one was listening, there was a doctor trying to resuscitate Taio, pumping his check and breathing breaths into unresponsive lungs. Machines were wheeled into the room and electric sparked but the man remained unmoving and unresponsive.

The flurry of activity and urgency found Virgil quickly ushered into a family waiting room along the corridor, alone and concern for Scott worrying him. Picking up his cell he called his dad, hoping beyond hope that the situation wouldn't find a way of turning against them.

Amid all of the worry, fear and panic, one emotion began to arise with a certainty he could believe in above all over; Alan was safe.

The realization that Taio was actually dead didn't hit him until Scott was being escorted from the room by two members of security, he was still resisting with the full intention of making sure the guy knew exactly how upset he was.

As he was backed out into the corridor Scott saw the machines surrounding the man who had caused his brother so much harm, he saw a white coated doctor giving Taio chest compressions and the small but significant shake of head from a nurse that said it was all over.

Karma could do whatever it wanted to him because Scott sure as hell wouldn't have said that he was upset or that he regretted his actions, for all he knew he'd potentially saved lives by taking the man down.

Plus, he was still unsure as to exactly what had happened in the room. Virgil look shaken up and had bloody marks on his neck and Tess had blood dripping down her arm, foxes caught in the headlights as he'd swung open the door to greet the situation.

The security guards escorted the eldest Tracy son down to their office rather publicly, camera phones flashed as he walked along corridors, down on the elevator and through the main accident and emergency reception. No amount of money could fix that, in a matter of moments the internet would be ablaze with Scott Tracy's dramatic hospital arrest.

He couldn't care less. For the first time since he'd been a child he realized that it didn't matter what the outside world thought, how newspapers perceived them as a family or how they could use their public image to gain power and money. All that mattered was family, it was all that ever mattered and if it meant taking the ultimate stand to protect them then he'd stand in front of those cameras and happily ride the media wave which followed.

"Wait here Mr. Tracy, we'll be locking the door so would appreciate your co-operation."

What they really meant was 'leave and it'll make us look bad', but Scott did as he was told and sat himself down in front of the stacked screens of hospital CCTV. Idly watching the black and white recordings as his head put together what had happened.

His father had sent him after Virgil a few minutes after the guy had left to see Tess with the farce that Virgil needed support, though Scott knew full well that his father wanted to talk to Alan alone. Gordon and John had been sent in search of coffee and food and he was the last remaining obstacle between Alan and a heart to heart chat slash chick flick moment.

Scott quite fancied his own talk with the kid without his family listening in, he needed to tell him how loved he was and how the family needed him. Things he'd never said yet presumed Alan had always known, though there was nothing like nearly dying to get those words voiced out loud.

Swinging back on the swivel chair he closed his eyes and took a moment to truly appreciate the feeling of knowing Alan was safe. After everything was sorting the kid would have to become some kind of master black belt or kung fu champion.

It took a while to piece together what had happened, though admittedly the police were better at piecing together clues on a crime scene than they were at tracking missing people. Different departments were involved and there were witnesses willing to give statements, Tess had been moved back into the high dependency ward but she had woken long enough to give a short account of events.

Virgil had got his nerves back in check and had been relieved to have the chance of explaining what had happened, he had marks on his neck where Taio had pressed the knife - that couldn't be argued with. Or the fact that the guy was already a wanted man and had been dressed in hospital garb, pin badge stolen from a visiting physician and unauthorized access to a security clearance floor.

Scott was cleared, for then at least, they were classing his actions as self defense and that when the knife had struck Taio's check the hand gripping it had been Taio's own. If it came to court that should have been evidence enough to see that Scott wasn't sentenced. His brother had been threatened and trapped, and Scott had clearly seen blood on Tess, he'd taken charge of the situation and it had ended in an 'unfortunate' manner. The words of the cops, not Scotts.

John and Gordon had retrieved their two stray brothers from the security office where they'd been left some hours later and after a trip to the station and back, they'd been offered a hotel but with Alan still freshly back in their lives they'd opted to find accommodation later. There were always hotels and being a Tracy, there was always money.

Jeff had wanted to know everything, from his son's involvement to the true cause of death of Taio Zucco which was as yet unknown. He'd had his lawyer in New York put on standby and had Penny dealing with the aftermath of the press coverage and questions from the media. There was already a rumor going around that Scott Tracy had been arrested but later released without charge, Penny just had to inject some more truth and make a few subtle comments when 'accidentally' running into the press. Maybe a few overly loud phone calls with Jeff discussing how things were…

The biggest worry right then was Alan's well being and continued recovery, the kid was a fighter but he had a long road ahead of him. John had been the one of break the story to him later in the day when he'd questioned why his family kept vanishing, and in the end it had been John to fall asleep before they'd returned and not Alan.

A week later found the world turning at the same speed as it always had, the hospital food was still just as bad and Alan's bedside manners still left room for improvement.

"How long till I can go home?"

"It'll be another week at least sweetheart."

Alan sat propped in bed, his private room being welcomed into yet another new day. The nurse opened the curtains to bright sunshine and a dazzling blue sky. After a few days of refusing to leave his bedside he'd finally been able to persuade his family that he really didn't need them there twenty four seven, they needed rest as much as she did and if they kept falling asleep around him he'd start developing some type of complex.

"One of my brothers is a doctor, doesn't that count for anything?"

The nurse pulled the window open a few inches letter fresh air into the stale room, distilling the smell of antibiotics and cleaning fluid that forever assaulted the nostrils. She came round to Alan's bedside and leant him forward gently so she could plump the pillows.

"You're not fit for transport Alan, it doesn't matter if your brother can perform surgery blindfolded, one wrong move and you'll be setting yourself right back to the start." Sitting him back she went to check the notes on the end of the bed, snagging the clipboard. "Looks like you'll be having some new x-rays later today with doctor Howarth, she'll be able to give you a better idea of how things are going. Plus you'll be able to see for yourself."

"Reckon I'll be allowed to keep them?" He enquired, raising an eyebrow questionably. "Just need one of those light box things and my room would look pretty awesome."

"Your room here or at home?"

"Both?"

"So you want your bedroom at home to look like a hospital? And here's me thinking that you were wanting to get out of here."

Alan rolled her eyes at her but they shared a smile, she wasn't about to admit to him that X-rays no longer required light boxes and in fact were nothing more than computer files. They were viewable on doctor Howarth's computer screen, though no doubt she could email him them if he really wanted proof of his broken bones.

He closed his eyes for a minute, she was beginning to think he'd fallen asleep when he blinked blue orbs at her and frowned.

"How's Tess today?"

She sighed, replacing he clipboard at the end of the bed and perching next to Alan. "Slow progress but she'll get there. You should be thankful Alan, your hospital visit is going to be fleeting in comparison to hers."

"Is she still declining visitors?" She hadn't allowed anyone other than doctors and hospital staff in since her father's death, Virgil had tried but he'd been turned away.

"Tess allowed a friend in yesterday, it wasn't for long but she seemed more upbeat afterwards. She'll get there Alan, don't spend so much time worrying. Some people don't bounce back quite as quickly as a Tracy but it doesn't mean that they won't."

Alan smiled thinly. "Maybe she needs to get back in the sun as much as I do, I see a well deserved holiday heading our way. What do you think? Reckon I could get my dad to take some time off?"

"For you Alan, your dad would do anything. Ask for a day and he'll give you a year, right now is the perfect time to make cheeky requests. Exploit the opportunity." She grinned wickedly before heading to the door. "I'll be back in ten with your breakfast, you stay right there you hear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"It's Mary, how many times…"

I cannot believe I'm saying this but there's one chapter left, it feels like an end to some kind of annoying lack of updates era... Overdose me with reviews.