Buried Emotions
Disclaimer - Geesh! I still have to say I own nothing but my OC's?
Hope I answered all reviews. Life has been crazy. But I will be wrapping this up soon. And I will have a bit of an announcement soon.
Chapter 23
Jeff Tracy was ready to jump out of the vehicle as soon as Deputy Gage had driven up the drive. It was only the anxious Tin-Tin holding his hand for support that stopped him.
"I'll let you out here, sir," Ron Gage said with a respectful nod. "There's no parking here, so I'm guessing it will be a bit of a hike from the parking lot."
Tin-Tin gave a tremulous smile as she followed Jeff out of the car. "Thank you," she softly said.
Gage nodded at her before returning the smile. "Those Tracys are tough. I wouldn't worry so much."
"They are tough," Tin-Tin agreed. "But they are also all too human."
Gage watched the pair walk anxiously towards the main entrance until a horn from another driver made him start and put the car in gear. "Want a ticket, dumb ass?" he muttered, knowing full well Jean wouldn't like him causing trouble outside of Bailey. But as he silently memorized the license plate of the car behind him, Ron found himself hoping the idiot crossed into his territory – soon.
Jeff and Tin-Tin had almost made it to the door when an all too familiar voice was heard.
"Mr. Tracy!" Ana Nevada gushed as she rushed towards him. "And, um…Ling-Ling, isn't it?"
Tin-Tin glared at the woman. "The name is Tin-Tin. Ling-Ling was a panda – and a male one at that."
"Whatever," Ana said breezily. "So, Alan has been found! How wonderful. But I hear he is near death from the kidnappers. How are you handling this? And, um, how are you, my dear?" she cooed at Tin-Tin. "Are you upset that your marriage into one of the wealthiest families in the world has been ruined?"
"Alan and I have known each other more than half our lives," Tin-Tin snapped. "His family's status has never been important to me." Tin-Tin was used to hearing snide remarks like that, she had encountered them repeatedly at college, although she had never told Alan about the veiled accusations that she had "gotten her hooks into the son of a billionaire before anyone else had a chance."
OK, so she had gotten used to them. But she sure as hell didn't like them.
"Ms. Nevada," Jeff said coldly. "I need to see to my family. I am fairly sure that as a member of the media, you need permission to be on hospital grounds. Now I and my son's fiancée are heading in, you are neither wanted nor welcome to join us. I will be contacting security when I get inside and advise you to leave before you are arrested for trespassing."
"No need," Daria said with false cheerfulness as she came up the sidewalk. "I will love the excuse to arrest her."
"You don't have any," Ana snidely remarked.
"Depends," Daria said with a definite cat-ate-the-canary grin. "Let's see…" Daria pulled out a cell phone and hit send for a number she had typed in as soon as she had seen the bothersome reporter. When Ana's phone began to ring, the grin grew into an all-out smirk.
"So we'll start with interfering in a federal investigation and take it from there," the agent coolly said.
Nodding at Jeff and Tin-Tin, Daria watched as the pair hurried into the hospital even as she read Ana her rights. Just then, Gage came running up the sidewalk.
"I – oh, man, she didn't – I thought they would be fine for a few minutes," the deputy babbled.
Daria handed over the now-cuffed reporter and also picked up the woman's equipment to give to Gage. "No harm done. Hey, will you be upset if Dutton loses his job?"
At Gage's wide-eyed (but kinda pleased) look, Daria smirked again at Ana.
"I found his repeatedly using his cell phone odd. So I got his records and then I got security footage for your hotel. There's a nicely placed camera just outside your room. Really, lady, you should have waited until you were both in the room before you started ripping off his clothes. I wonder what will happen to your career? Trading sex for info on confidential police matters? You have to wonder who is more screwed over."
Gage grinned at the agent. "Man oh man, you're going to make the Sheriff's day – she'll finally have an excuse to fire Deputy Dumbass."
Daria grinned back at him and headed towards the entrance, ignoring the screaming reporter as she did except to offer one piece of advice to the deputy.
"Taze her if you have to."
As the door closed behind her, Daria missed Gage having to take that advice when a cuffed Ana Nevada tried to attack him. The security cameras didn't however and when the footage was eventually released, it became one of the most watched you-tube videos ever.
The Tracys sat in the waiting area, Jean Landman having left when a new FBI agent called to speak with her. The sheriff had promised to return, not only to check on Alan but to pick up her husband who had accompanied the medical team into surgery.
Julie watched John and Virgil continue to talk quietly in the waiting area they had been shown to. Turning, she could see Gordon continue to stare out the window and she went to join him.
"Gordon," Julie softly spoke, touching his shoulder. When Gordon didn't react, Julie stifled a sigh.
"As soon as we know Alan is out of danger, I will be leaving," Julie said to Gordon's back when he refused to turn.
THAT made him turn. "What?" Gordon snapped. "Why are you cutting and running?"
"Gordon," Julie sighed. "Your brother will need you and you need to think about our relationship. Don't think I forgot what you said when we were driving to the graveyard. It was not my fault, in any way, that Alan was kidnapped. I was the recipient of too much scorn from my so-called mother and her family. I will not be your, um, your scape-mule."
"Scape-goat," John said helpfully from his chair, ignoring the glare from his red-headed brother.
Gordon sighed in return. "Fine, you're headed back to New York -"
"Actually," Julie said firmly. "I am on leave from Tracy Industries now. I was mainly here for Alan's wedding, remember? I am going to head to France, I still have friends there. I will find someone to stay with until I can move into the Olympic Village. The Games are more than a month away. But I do know that the facilities are open to anyone who has made one of the teams." Julie had qualified for the US Women's Olympic Swim Team the weekend before.
"If you'd like Julie, you can use one of the Guest Executive Apartments the company has in Paris," Virgil offered.
"I do not wish to be a bother," Julie began only for John to wave her aside.
"I'll text Ann-Marie now," John said firmly, pulling out his phone and doing so. "She'll want something to do. My call to her a little while ago made her frantic. Alan is as much her baby sometimes as he is ours."
Julie smiled gratefully at John, ignoring her boyfriend – who she was still a bit mad at – and accepting the spot of the couch offered to her by Virgil. Gordon let out a put-upon sigh and dramatically leaned against the wall, ignoring the other seats and choosing to glare at the others who had managed to take up the sofa together.
John was about to say something when two newcomers made him leap to his feet.
"Dad!" he breathed in relief, the overwhelming childish feeling of "Dad is here, everything will be ok" being forced into "good, someone else is here".
The three brothers hugged their father and Tin-Tin, concerned about the run-in with Ana Nevada, relieved that Scott and the other Island residents all had been updated and expressing their concern that no one had updated them yet on Alan.
Julie led a shaking Tin-Tin to a small loveseat and maintained a soft, rambling whispers of comfort. The fact that Julie spoke in French and that Tin-Tin understood her – something that surprised the Tracys – was absently noted in their worry over Alan.
Just as they were sure someone would break, a familiar face entered the room.
"I have news on Alan."
"Hey, Tracys," Edward Eppes said, his surgical mask held in his hand. "I was here for Uncle Don and Aunt Robin – Dad wanted to come, but he started having chest pains and I grounded him. When I heard Alan was being taking into surgery, I asked to scrub in."
"How is he?" John asked, having moved to stand behind their father, placing a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder. He absently noticed Virgil and Tin-Tin clasping hands while no matter how annoyed Julie might be with Gordon, she still had wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned into him in comfort – thus assuring John that his second-youngest brother still had a chance for a relationship that lasted longer than a weekend.
"Someone was watching out for Alan," Edward sighed. "If you are going to get stabbed, that was the one good spot to do so. And somehow the bullet followed the knife wound perfectly. It should have had more power behind it; it should have gone through or even shattered his shoulder bone. But it was just laying next to the bone and could be plucked right out. There's some infection but we removed only what we had to and scoured out the rest. The concussion is annoying but should help keep Alan from pulling any of those escape artist routines Kate assures me he is famous for."
"Kate and Scott," Jeff groaned, smacking his forehead. "I forgot to call back to the Island -"
"Already called," Daria grinned as she entered the room. "And I heard, Ed-Ster. Awesome."
Edward rolled his eyes. "I hate it when you call me that," he murmured, ignoring Daria's cheerful, "I know."
The physician took the opportunity to embarrass his cousin's friend. "So Kate says you need a pregnancy test."
Daria glared at Edward. "No, I don't."
"If you are pregnant, yes you do," Don Eppes said as he entered the room.
"She's nauseated at the smell of dead bodies and blood," Edward interjected. "At least that is what Kate said."
Don nodded briefly before pointing at Daria. "Report later. You to the lab now, Edward will have someone put in an order for a STAT pregnancy test."
"May I remind you," Daria grumbled. "You are the former Director of the FBI and no longer my boss."
"And may I remind you," Don smirked, "that I am old friend's with the current Director and have him on speed dial."
"I'm going," Daria sighed and left the room.
"Will she be alright?" Virgil asked in mild concern.
"According to Kate, except for a brief period around her fifth month that called for bed rest, Agent Delgado worked up to the last day possible, closed a serial killer case before handing the paperwork to her partner and telling him she had to go to the hospital as her contractions were fifteen minutes apart," Edward said dryly. "She'll be fine. I have to go put in that order for lab work. Oh, and you can see Alan in about ten minutes. We would keep him in recovery longer, but I worry about the doors of this place if we try and keep you away from him any longer than that. I'll send someone for you once he's being moved."
"Edward," John said softly. "The lack of oxygen – Alan had an inadequate air supply for an unknown amount of time. Has that affected him?"
Edward sighed, pulling off his surgical cap and running a hand through his dark curly hair. "The team in the ED seemed to not be too concerned, but we can't be sure until he comes out of the anesthesia completely. Let's not buy any trouble, shall we?"
Murmuring to his uncle and clasping the older man's arm, Edward left the room with an "I'll see you soon."
"How is Mrs. Eppes?" Gordon asked.
"Her blood pressure is stabilizing," Don sighed before walking over to Julie. Taking the younger woman's hand, Don squeezed it between both of his. "And thank you. Katie told me how you saved both Robin and later Jason. I can never say thank you enough."
"Then do not," Julie smiled gently. "Consider it God's Will. Mrs. Tracy – Kate – has told me many stories of all the lives you have saved in your career in law enforcement. I am sure many families thanked God you were there at the right time. So when you needed someone to be there, I am glad Our Lord asked me to be there."
Don chuckled. "You really were raised in a Convent, weren't you?" Turning to Jeff, he smiled and held out a hand. "Make sure I get to see Alan before you sneak him out of here. And Tin-Tin? I still plan on dancing at your wedding, whenever and wherever that happens."
After Don left, the Tracys waited for an anxious nine minutes and thirty eight seconds – not like they were clock watching or anything – until a friendly faced young nurse came into the room and told them to follow her and she would take them to Alan.
Down at the Sheriff's office, Deputy Bill Roy was showing FBI Agent Nick Gibbs to the holding area.
"We have him down here," Roy assured Gibbs. "Dr. Landman had to sedate him."
"You have to call your boss's husband Dr. Landman?" Gibbs joked.
"Nah," Roy grinned. "Him we call Billy. His Daddy, however, is a big wig in Kansas City. HIM we call Dr. Landman. He's back at the clinic with Charlie – that's Jean and Billy's boy – if you need anything. But he says Mitchell will be out for at least two hours. However, his medical recommendation is that the prisoner is escorted via ambulance."
Gibbs looked at the man lying on the cot, shaking his head. According to Agent Delgado, the man had fallen apart completely at the death of his younger brother.
"According to the Agent in Charge," Gibbs said, "it was apparent the man suffered from a severe dissociative episode." At Roy's puzzled look, he explained. "He had a complete nervous breakdown."
"Why don't you just say that," Roy groused. "Everything is an "episode" these days. Political Correctness is going to send us all on the path to Hell with its good intentions."
"Amen to that," Gibbs muttered as he sent off a text. He needed an ambulance with an armed guard. He'd worked with Kate Eppes before and he was making sure this was done by the book . Gibbs was sure she was taking this personal.
When they were shown the room, it seemed that Alan wasn't there yet. The nurse made sure there were enough seats in the private room before heading out to see if she couldn't "hurry things along".
Seeing Julie looking thoughtful as she sat by herself, John headed over to her side, assured that Virgil and Gordon had their father and Tin-Tin in hand.
"Julie?" John asked as he sat down, holding out a hand to shake. "I know we really haven't met, but I want to echo Mr. Eppes' thoughts – you've done so much for our family. Of course," he grinned. "If Gordo has half a brain, you'll probably end up as family."
Julie blushed. "I hope that as well," she shyly admitted before her expression grew confused. "May I ask you a question?" When John nodded, Julie whispered, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
At John's shocked look, Julie hastily explained. "In the graveyard – first there was a light, but later, we could see someone. Gordon identified him a Tomo? Apparently he was a friend of Alan's. And just before Alan knocked away the gun, making the bullet end up in his shoulder, I could have sworn…I thought…Mon Dieu. I thought I saw Mrs. Tracy."
"You thought saw Kate?" John said, confused, not realizing they were no longer whispering.
"Non," Julie hastily said. "I thought, it looked like…"
"It looked like Mom," Gordon supplied, smiling wryly when John and Julie looked over at him. "It was the briefest flash, but looking back – yeah, I think I saw Mom." He continued to smile as he looked over at their father, even as tears gathered in his eyes. "She's still protecting us, isn't she, Dad?"
Jeff smiled as well, sensing that his beloved Lucy was with them even now.
Tin-Tin looked over at the group and whispered, "A mother's love never dies, but lives forever in the hearts of her children."
The group's smiles only grew when a bed containing an unconscious Alan was wheeled into the room.
Now if Alan would only wake up and they knew he would be fine, their world would be right once more.
The nurses and orderly smiled and left them alone after some quick questions from Virgil. Tin-Tin sat right on the bed and brushed some of Alan's hair from his face.
"Hati Saiya," Tin-Tin whispered. "Bangun."*
Alan groaned slightly before his dazed blue eyes slowly opened. "Andu begitu cantik."**
Tin-Tin began to sob and gently lay on Alan's uninjured shoulder. As he whispered words of comfort to his fiancée in Malaysian, the youngest Tracy son looked up at his father.
"Dad, we're getting married on the beach. Family only. Deal?"
Jeff nodded, too moved to speak at the moment. "Whatever you want, Alan," he finally managed to say. "Whatever you want."
Julie watched the family for a moment then quietly slipped out of the room. It wasn't the place for her now…and unless Gordon treated her with a bit more respect, she feared it never would be. But with her head held high and her heart thanking her God, Julie walked away, vowing to leave her problems in His hands for now.
After all, as Sister Therese was so fond of saying, "Turn your problems over to God at night – He will be up all night anyways."
Translations (Alan and Tin both speak fluent Malaysian)
*Tin-Tin – My heart, wake up.
**Alan – You are so beautiful.
And "Sister Therese's quote was actually from my Memere (Kinda French for Nana or Grandma). She wrote me all these great letters when I was in the military. I learned so much about my family and these great stories. Like how when my Auntie Anne was born, almost twenty years after my oldest Uncle Tom, this only girl became the apple of her father's eye. Pepere even brought Memere a rose. I also would hear her talk about the pain of sending one son, Paul, to Vietnam and receiving a flag, some medals and a wooden box in return. When I say something like "there is no pain like a parent outliving a child" I have seen the haunted to in her eyes and knew it to be true. Sadly, we lost her to something worse...Memere developed Alzheimers. We lost her years before she died.
More soon.