INVISIBLE

By Spense

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR & EPILOGUE

One quiet early Spring afternoon, Jeff found Alan at the lounge table putting together a jigsaw puzzle. All his sons liked puzzles, hell, Jeff did as well, and for as long as he could remember, they always had one out on a table somewhere. It was no wonder the maze set was such a hit. The latest creation was already set up and ready to go. As had become habit, they'd set it off when they were all gathered together, just before sitting down to dinner in the evening.

Gordon was just outside, swimming laps, John was around the corner making a snack in the kitchen, rattling glasses and silverware in kind of a background accompaniment, and the others were in and out. It was a peaceful afternoon, no conversations, no stress.

Jeff slid into a chair opposite Alan, and rested his elbows on the table. Alan looked up inquiringly. A truly amazing improvement from the over hostility and wariness with which he'd been greeted for quite a while, Jeff thought gratefully.

"So," he began gently, "I'd like to do something for your birthday."

Alan blinked in surprised, then looked back down at the puzzle. "You don't have to," he mumbled.

"Allie," Jeff said softly, "Please. I'd really like to. I haven't been around for the last several and I've missed out. I really screwed up this one, but I'd like to make it right, even if it is late."

Jeff almost laughed as he heard no sound whatsoever from the kitchen. John must have just frozen. Alan, on the other hand, studied his father carefully for a long, long time, then finally came to a decision.

"What do you want to do?"

Jeff smiled at the carefully worded question. Dr. Evers was right. This was a minefield. But he'd been thinking about this for quite a while. "I'd like you to tell me."

Alan looked surprised. "Really?"

Jeff nodded. "Your call. Within reason, or course. No trips to Mars or Jupiter, for instance."

Alan grinned, and Jeff smiled back. "Do you want to think about it for a while?"

Alan turned that over in his mind for a few moments, while Jeff waited patiently. Then finally, Alan said, "No, I think I know what I want."

Jeff waited quietly, letting Alan unfold his idea in his own time. With this kid, it could be anything. He certainly hoped it was reality based, and something he could actually produce. He'd hate to have to say no. That would set them back a long way, and they had come so far. Or, as Dr. Evers had said, it could just be another test. But that had been happening so much more seldom of late, that it was probably unlikely.

"I want you to take me to the Statue of Liberty," Alan said.

Jeff was startled. "Haven't you already seen that?"

Alan shook his head. "Everybody was always too busy."

Jeff winced internally at that. Story of his life. But still, this was doable. "I think we can do that. Family trip?" Jeff asked, glad to get off so easily.

"No!" Alan exclaimed quickly. "Just you and me. All day. And no work." He looked challengingly at his father.

Jeff gulped. That would be the hard part, certainly. Anytime he was in New York, everybody wanted a piece of him. And avoiding the press would be an issue as well. But he could do this. He had to do this. This was clearly a test, as well as a desire. Alan needed to know that he was more important to his father than Tracy Enterprises. It was a completely understandable request, Jeff knew. And he needed to settle it to Alan's satisfaction once and for all.

"I'll run interference for you at work," John said suddenly, stepping from the kitchen. "I never get into New York, so I'll deflect the press and take care of meetings and appointments at the same time. I need to put some time in at the office anyway. I'll just make sure the media gets a hint that I'm coming. They don't even need to know that you're even there. They'll be so busy trailing me around, they won't even realize that you are in New York."

Alan looked up at John in surprise.

Scott appeared behind John. "Brains and I will run IR. That way you can take as long as you want. You should probably stay overnight. That way you can go to dinner, and maybe catch a show as well. Virgil and Gordon can back up. We'll have TB 5 on backup. It's not like we really need somebody up there all the time anyway. John just likes it." He grinned at John, who grinned back.

John had been down since Ruth's death, and had told his father in no uncertain terms that he wasn't going back up until they had everything with Alan straightened out. Jeff hadn't even argued. Brains had been up regularly, but Scott was right. They really didn't need somebody up there all the time anymore. As technology had improved, John was able to run most of the communications from the island now. But Scott was also correct, John did like it up there. He was an astronomer, after all.

"I think it will work. Operation Cover up, or I suppose, Operation Deflection will be on in New York!" John agreed. "I'll take Dad's phone and give him a family phone. One of the cell phones that have only our phone numbers. That way Dad can't work, even if he wanted to." John winked at Alan as he said this, who openly grinned back.

Jeff laughed. "Sounds great to me. And I'll make a few calls. I think I can get us up into the closed arm of the statue, and on the balcony around the flame."

Alan's eyes got big. "Really? That would be awesome!"

Jeff grinned back. He was so glad he could do something for this son that had been so distant from him. And something so simple. "I'm Jeff Tracy. I can do anything!" He laughed at himself as he spread his arms open wide. The laughter was joined by his sons, who all began to rib him about his ego.

And that's how it all worked out.

TB TB TB TB TB

Finally, late morning, the day following the trip to Ellis Island, Jeff and Alan flew Tracy One home, leaving John to continue placating the press, and eventually fly one of the other jets back to the island.

As they neared home, Alan started to grin. "Hey, Dad?"

"Um?" Jeff said, as he ran the pre landing checks. He'd let Alan do most of the flying, but he still wasn't quite ready to let his 11 year old land the big, quick jet, no matter how competent he was proving to be as a pilot.

"Can we do it?"

Jeff had to think about that for a moment, then grinned. He hadn't thought about it in years. But Scott was manning the tower, and it had been a running joke . . . He couldn't believe that Alan still remembered that that prank from when they first moved onto the island, and his youngest son had been visiting. Scott had watched that dammed movie over and over, until they'd all known it by heart.

Looking at his son, he grinned, then toggled the radio.

"Tower, this is Tracy One, requesting fly by."

There was a momentary startled pause, then he could hear Scott's grin through the radio transmission. "Negative Ghost Rider, that pattern is full!"

And with the song 'Danger Zone' from the movie Top Gun, a perennial family favorite, blaring, Jefferson Tracy buzzed Tracy Island in Tracy One, with his youngest son laughing beside him.

As they circled back to land, Alan spoke up hesitantly. "Hey, Dad? Do you think maybe . . ."

Jeff looked at him quizzically. "What, Allie?"

Alan paused.

"Go ahead," Jeff encouraged. "What's on your mind?"

Alan took a deep breath. "Do think, maybe, um, when we land, you could show me . . . Thunderbird Three?" Alan's voice was soft.

Jeff's grin was huge as he landed the jet, eyes carefully on the runway. "I think maybe I could do that."

TB TB TB TB TB

Scott was still laughing as he went down to the kitchen to pour himself another cup of coffee. He got distracted by Onaha's apple pie, so he was surprised that his father and Alan weren't up at the office / tower complex when he returned. Brains was fussing with the radio, so he asked. "Where are Dad and Allie? They should be up here by now. Dad, at least. He'd got all kinds of messages."

Brain's grin looked like the cat that ate the canary. Instead of replying, he just brought up the 3D schematics of the hanger complex, and pointed out the image of Thunderbird 3. In the cockpit, were two lights labelled with the Tracy names, Jeff and Alan. Scott stared for a moment, then a slow grin creased his face, and he looked at Brains, who just grinned right back at him.

The communications waiting Jefferson Tracy in his office, all marked urgent and important, backed up from his days away from his phone and business, could just wait a few more hours. He was currently engaged in something far more pressing.

Epilogue

A little over a week after Jeff and Alan's successful day at Ellis Island, and everybody was back home and back in routine, the usual mail run was delivered to Tracy Island from New York. Anne Marie had marked an envelope as special attention to Jeff. Inside was the current issue of Time. And on the cover was another one of their incredibly iconic pictures. One, that, like so many before, would symbolize the American way of life. This one had been captured at Ellis Island, without Jeff's knowledge.

The picture looked up towards the statue, as its main focus, and catching in the foreground, a three quarter silhouette of a man's back. He was dressed in a long wool coat, breeze blowing the hem and the silk scarf he wore, and was pointing up towards the flame of Statue of Liberty. As he pointed, his face was visible as he looked down towards a blond boy at his side, his other arm draped over the child's shoulder, as the boy gazed raptly up to where the man was pointing. The statue in front of them, loomed huge, immense and proud, against a bright, but tarnished silver, cloudy sky.

The photograph was striking, and captured an iconic image of American life. That it was clearly recognizable as self made billionaire, astronaut, and American Hero, Jefferson Tracy, with his youngest son, made the image all that more poignant and capturing of the American imagination. The picture would go onto be become one of the all time recognizable images in the American consciousness, and made the photographer's career. That and the fact that the photo included Alan, the youngest Tracy, who was generally kept out of the public eye, didn't hurt either.

But at that moment, Jeff just stared. He didn't even realize that anybody had been that close. Everything had worked just as planned, and all the attention and press was on John. Who, instead of shunning the attention, as was the norm for him, invited it in, leaving Jeff and Alan to move around freely. They had avoided attention throughout a dinner out, and a Broadway show as well. At least he thought they had.

The photographer had obviously respected their privacy, while still capturing the amazing image. Later, Jeff requested a large print for himself from the photographer, and framed it for his office on the island, along with the magazine cover. Anne Marie did the same for the Executive Foyer at Tracy Towers, and for the main lobby as well.

In addition, Jeff had a copy framed for Alan, with a happy birthday message. As the years went on, for the family, this one picture became a symbol for them of who they were, and what was most important. Family above all else.