Chapter Thirty

Well here we are the end is in sight. Thank you all very much for your wonderful words of encouragement and appreciation throughout, it really has made it all seem worthwhile. I really hope that you will do me the honour of reviewing one last time to let me know what you think of this story as a whole, and of this chapter.

Please also give my next story a chance I will start posting it this week, I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to read and review it.

Anyway on with the story.

Chapter Thirty

"Scott!" Virgil screamed at the top of his lungs, when he snapped out of the trance that seeing his brother so lost in rage had sent him into. John and Virgil sprinted down the alley until they were just a few feet in front of Scott and his hostage. "Scott please don't do this" Virgil pleaded with his brother.

"No don't stop him, let him put me out of my misery" the man on the floor sobbed, although he was finding it harder to breath by the second. His words caught Scott off guard, and he seemed to snap out of his state.

"Virgil? John? What are you doing here?" he asked them, as if he wasn't currently strangling a man to death.

"We've come to stop you, please don't do this" John begged.

"John, this monster left his little girl to die, left her alone whilst he saved himself he doesn't deserve to live" Scott told his brother, and his voice was way too calm for John's liking. "I hate him, I hate him so much, for what he did to Shannon, and for what he has done to me" Scott sobbed, finally letting his emotions show, that John could handle, it was the cold calculating version of his brother that concerned him.

"Scott stop! You think that you broke that little girl's faith that day down the mine, well you didn't, but if you do this then you will have. She believed that you were the opposite of her father, that you were caring and warm, and that is why she had faith in you. If you do this you will have let her down, the man that she thought you were wouldn't hurt another human being this way. She had faith in you to do the right thing, and Scott, this is not the right thing" John told his brother, praying that his words would get through to the older man. Scott squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that his brother's words were true, and suddenly with all the anger drained from him he released his grip on the spluttering man and stepped away John and Virgil breathed a combined sigh of relief and slowly approached. Scott kept backing away until he reached the corner of the alley, then he slid down to the floor and rested his head on his knees, refusing to believe what he had almost done.

"Oh god! What have I done?" Scott asked himself out loud, over and over again. Virgil went to him and sat down besides his badly shaking brother, whilst John attended to the injured Mr O'Leary to see what damage his brother had inflicted.

"It's okay Scott, Mr O'Leary here is going to be just fine, just a few cuts and bruises, and a lifetime of living with what he has done. He's not going to say a word about this are you?" John asked the fallen man, a threatening look in his eye.

"No, no of course not. I deserved it didn't I?" the man stuttered in response.

"Oh no sir, I believe you deserved a lot more" John replied, helping the man to his feet. Mr O'Leary looked back at Scott.

"I am truly sorry; I know it won't bring her back or undo all of the bad things that I have done, but if I could turn back the clock, I would" the father told Scott.

"So would I sir, so would I" Scott replied, looking the older man straight in the eye.

The three brothers sat on Scott's bed in his hotel room, an awkwardness hung between them. Scott had not said a word the whole walk back to the hotel or since they had arrived. He was deeply ashamed of his actions. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling both of his brothers' stares penetrating him, waiting for an explanation that wasn't forthcoming,

"Scott its okay you know" John told him, eventually breaking the unbearable silence.

"No John, it's not. I almost killed a man today. I hunted him down intent on killing him in cold blood to avenge the death of his own daughter. What kind of person does that make me?" Scott responded, leaping to his feet as his self condemnation made his anger rise again. Virgil stepped forward to wards his brother.

"You want to know what kind of person it makes you? It makes you human" Virgil almost yelled in response. "For god sake that poor excuse of a man practically killed his own daughter, and is then perfectly willing to sell his story for a quick buck. He's a complete shit, and I think that if it had been me I wouldn't have stopped when John arrived" Virgil told him, and both John and Scott looked at him in surprise. Virgil was known as the pacifist of the family, sure he would fight if he was threatened, or if his family were in danger, but never just as revenge, yet here he was going against all his beliefs and practically condoning his brother's actions. Scott almost smiled at the turn of events.

"Oh god! What about Dad?" Scott asked, as if realising for the first time that his family knew.

"Relax he doesn't know, Gordon is on the case"

"What how?" Scott asked puzzled.

"Well he took Dad diving to get him from the house. Then when they come back Alan's going to tell Dad, that you have been ion touch saying hat you've got a problem with the jet and you might need a hand, so me and John have come to help you" Virgil told his brother, picking up the story. Scott shook his head and chuckled at how well thought out the plan was given the short notice of the trip.

"Thanks guys" he told his brothers sincerely.

"Hey you know we always cover for each other with dad" John replied.

"I don't just mean for that. I mean for the last few months, you two have been there for me the whole time without pushing or prodding, just been there when I needed you. Thank you for stopping me from crossing the line" he told them and his eyes were shining very bright as all of the emotions of the last few months of his ordeal snuck up on him. Seeing his emotions his two younger brothers stepped forward and the three stood in the hotel room, comforting each other, supporting each other, and loving each other.

The three flew back to the Island the next day. Scott felt like he needed to be at home with his family, and his two brothers were more than willing to have him home sooner rather than later.

"Do you think we should tell Dad the truth?" John asked his brother. The two were still flying home together, giving Scott some time alone to think about the last couple of days.

"No I really don't. I don't think he needs to know. Scott acted as half the population would have given the circumstances. I can't deny that I was very worried, but I honestly don't think he would have gone through with it even if we hadn't shown up, he didn't want to kill him, he just wanted him to feel as scared and hurt as he had himself for the last few months." Virgil told his brother, John looked at him amazed, it was obvious how close the two oldest Tracy brothers were, Virgil understood exactly how his brother's mind worked without even having to speak.

"I guess you're right. I think that we might finally have our brother back" John responded eventually with a grin.

Scott made it back to the Island before his brothers. He took a deep breath; the three had already made their cover stories, and detailed the specifics between the three of them, since they all knew that Jeff would undoubtedly have questions. Scott felt better than he had in a long time. He was disgusted with himself for beating up that man, but couldn't help but feel slightly better for making the man suffer even a slight bit of what his daughter had gone through. Scott finally felt as though he was himself again, not lost in a world full of fear and pain, but one of support and love. He smiled to himself, and then went into the kitchen to await his brother's return.

A few days went by uneventfully on Tracy Island, John and Virgil had provided Alan and Gordon with vague details of what had happened in New York, and left it at that, their father was none the wiser. Scott continued his training regime, but this time it was for himself, not for his revenge. All in all things were settling down for the Tracy family, and Scott decided that it would be a good time to remind his father of their discussion.

"Hey dad" he greeted his father as he found him working at his desk.

"Hello son, how you doing?" Jeff replied.

"You remember last week we were talking about IR? Well I think it's time" Scott told his father, cutting straight to the chase. Jeff put his pen down and removed his glasses.

"Son, I think you're right" he replied, he had thought a lot about the future of IR whilst his sons had been in New York, he knew that something had gone on that he was being left out of, but Scott seemed much more together since his return, and Virgil and John weren't hovering as much, so whatever it was can't have been anything to be concerned about, or so Jeff thought.

"Fantastic, but when are you going to tell the others?" Scott asked his delight evident in his voice.

"As soon as you have been up in TB1 to see if you can handle her yet" Jeff replied, and Scott paled at the thought. "That is if you think you are ready" Jeff added, as he saw his son's sudden pallor. Scott took a deep breath.

"I'm ready" he told his father determined, he knew that if he wasn't ready now he never would be. He took a deep breath and walked towards the light fitment that would take him to his craft. He hummed to himself on the way, trying to keep busy, so as to not let his nerves get the better of him. He had not been near the TB crafts since his accident, and he was more than a little apprehensive. He eased himself into his pilot's seat and strapped himself in. He flicked a few controls to move her into launch position and then he took another deep breath to steel himself.

"TB 1 to base, ready for take off" he spoke into the radio.

"FAB Scott" his father's confident voice replied. All four of the other Tracy boys were crowded around the radio link in the lounge, silently praying that Scott could do it. They knew that this was a vital step to conquer his fears and hoped that he could manage it and that it wasn't too soon. Their prayers were answered when they heard the boom as TB 1 took off smoothly from the Island, and once more Thunderbirds were go!

The End

And that my dears is that! The end of my story!

Please let me know what you think! The next story to be posted is sort of a sequel, so please check it out.

Oh for old times sake I will ask you one more time, please R+R??!!?!??!?!?