Alan TAG POV
Alan woke up hearing Gordon's loud snoring. Something had his hand in a firm grip. Alan realised that it was his squid of a brother that had his hand captured. Why was his brother sleeping next to him and holding his hand. Alans head hurt. The lights were dimmed but they still managed to hurt his eyes. He looked around trying to find out where he was. Everything started spinning when he turned his head and he felt nauseous.
Alan closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath, hoping that it would make it go away. It didn't work. Alan realised that it hurt to take deep breaths, it was kind of hard. That was disturbing. Alan was afraid that he would throw up if he opened his mouth to try to wake Gordon.
What could he do? Gordons hand was still holding Alans. If he could pinch Gordon awake, he could do it without speaking, opening his eyes or turning his head. Alan wanted answers. So, he sacrificed his brother's hand and pinched him.
Nothing happened. "Stupid sleeping squid of a sibling, sleeping when I need you!" Alan thought as he tried pinching Gordon again, much harder this time. Finally, it had the desired outcome. Gordon jerked awake. A couple of seconds later, he heard Gordon ask him sleepily "Alan? You up?".
Alan could only let out a whimper in response to his brother. His head hurt. It was too loud! He was nauseous, in pain and almost worst of all, very confused. He remembered glimpses of what happened, a rescue, lying hurt in Thunderbird two as Gordon reassured him and a doctor asking questions when he only wanted to sleep. He's anxiety was acting up. He needed someone to take the terrifying feeling away.
Gordon, his partner in crime, had finally managed to read his mind. It never worked when they were little kids no matter how hard they tried. But after dad disappeared Gordon had become almost scarily good at understanding Alan. They could talk with looks and monosyllables if they wanted to. They usually didn't, playing with words were much more fun! But times like this, it was glorious. He had a squid sense and a sibling sense! Gordon carefully climbed into Alans bed, even slower than a sloth, and managed to wiggle himself under Alan like a snake. Without causing pain to Alan or worsening the nausea.
It must have looked hilarious; Alan was so annoyed that he couldn't witness it with his own eyes. Alan couldn't open his eyes without the light hurting them and his head. Alans head hurt too much for any explanations or demand for answers from his brother.
Lying on top of his brother made Alan feel safe again. Alan had since childhood always felt the safest in one of his brothers' warm embraces. Hearing Gordons calm and steady heartbeat calmed the anxiety monster screaming in his chest. Feeling a new level of appreciation for his brother, Alan rewarded him with gently squeezing the arm that held him in thanks.
Alan interpreted the low sound Gordon made as being smugly pleased. Alan quickly fell asleep in his brothers' arms after that. All was currently good enough.
A few moments later Gordon followed Alan into the dreamworld.
Movie Jeff 2004 POV
Jeff was up early. He was eager to finally find out what was going on with the two "guests" they had. After he got dressed, he headed off immediately, to satiate his curiosity.
When he walked by the infirmary to see if they were awake. He was shocked at what he saw, as he was looking in through the glass windows from the hallway. The other versions did not look the same as Jeffs children. This Gordon was blond! This Alan had not hit his growth spurt yet. But somehow, they still looked like they belonged. Like Tracy's.
There was some movement in the infirmary. The other version of Alan pinched his brother awake. The other version of Gordon asked if the youngest was awake and got a pitiful whine in response. Then, in what was at the same time the most awkward and adorable move Jeff ever had the pleasure to witness. The other Gordon acted like some kind of oversized slug, to position himself under Alan without jostling him too much.
Alan, safe in his brother's arms, squeezed Gordons arm approvingly. Gordon grunted happily, and they fell asleep within seconds. A picture said more than a thousand words.
Jeff had to chew down on his cheek to keep himself from laughing out loud and disturbing them. He could wait a bit longer for answers. The day was young after all.
Completely certain that they were not a threat to his family. Jeff escaped outside before he let his laughter go. His brain decided to replay the slug moment again and again. How Gordon bit his tongue that was sticking out of his mouth in total concentration doing something so utterly ridiculous and loving at the same time. Alan, who had him wrapped around his finger, catering to his every whim without even realising it.
They reminded him of his own kid's antics, before he lost his beloved wife. Before he got lost on the road of life for a bit, fighting against his grief, trying to find his way back home to his children. He still had a hard time forgiving himself for forgetting what truly matters. For a time, it was just easier to shut down, to not feel anything at all. It took several years before he became fully present for his children again. It was his biggest regret. Not being able to be strong for his children when it mattered the most.
Raising five kids was hard but rewarding. Especially when you lose your wife and stumble a bit on the way. He fell back on his military training as a coping mechanism. More times than not he felt like a drill sergeant instead of a father. Time with the family was limited with running a business and starting an international rescue organisation on the side.
Finding the balance was proving to be quite hard. Jeffs temper sometimes got the better of him. Being the commander of international rescue did not make it any easier. Weighing what was best for his family, against what was best for the world that Jeff so desperately needed to save. With trying to balance the different roles he often felt like a failure.
This caused his relationship with his youngest son, Alan, to be quite strained. His efforts to protect him, made him instead feel like an outsider. It had taken a madman, called the Hood, trying to kill them all a few years ago to repair their relationship. Alan was supposed to be safe at home. The Hood had lured the family to Thunderbird five to invade their island and take their Thunderbirds. Putting his youngest son at great risk where he was supposed to be the safest, in his own home.
Alan was the one who saved their family's lives, together with his friends, unfortunately at the cost of risking his own. Fortunately, this saved Alan's and Jeffs relationship, as they came to understand each other better. Alan was doing his last year of high school now. Finally thriving at the boarding school. Working in the "family business" on his breaks. Also being updated by a new device Brains made, so that he did not have to worry as much about his family during rescues. The new device let Alan stay updated on the family's health during rescues, instead of relying on watching them on the news and worrying with bad second-hand information.
Nobody is perfect, not even Jeff Tracy, he tried to remind himself. Jeff had always set impossibly high standards to hold himself to. "We can only reach for the stars in everything we set our mind to and hope for the best." That was Jeffs own fathers' motto. A big part of becoming an astronaut was his father's motto, it gave him the courage to reach for the stars as a country boy. His father used to joke that Jeff always took him too literary. Jeff did follow his old man's saying, to reach for the stars. How he managed to then get there, was with his own effort. Jeff missed his father.
Jeff snuck into the kitchen, got himself a cup of coffee and went outside again to watch the sunrise. Thinking back fondly of all the bizarre and funny moments his kids had given him. Trying to raise them felt like an emotional roller coaster going in five different directions at the same time. Money and fame had nothing to his family. He would not change his kids for anything in the world.