By Arashi no Baka
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: I know it's really bad form to post something else whilst you still have fics on the go, but seriously, Judas is a major headache at the moment. First, my computer decided to catch a virus, and it ate my chapter. So I wiped it and then re-wrote some of the chapter. Then, my clever little brother decided it would be fun to delete stuff from my computer whilst I wasn't looking. He wiped chapters of fics, pics, and worst of all my GORDON FANART! Drawn for me by a friend! So…he will pay severally when I'm through with him. As for Judas, you'll have to b patient. I'm only glad I wrote in my pad before writing it up.
More Notes: as for this fic….It's a Tracy Kids fic, that no doubt has been done to death. Well…I'm doing it again ; p
Code: Italics: Thoughts Bold: Time Normal: Normal time.
Updated: 24th October 2004: Thanks to Tikatu for pointing out a few things in this fic : P First off, I changed the ages for Alan and Gordon. Some of you may have noticed that I had Alan at 9 and Gordon at 8. I changed it so that Alan is now 12 and Gordon is 13. (I know that's not late teens, but Ill need to re-write the whole chapter again otherwise, and I'm lazy : P) This is also Tv-verse purely, because I've done too much movie so far…also, I'm having a bit of trouble with the American School system, so if anyone can help me Id be purely grateful.
Chapter One: 14th October 2053
11:00
"Gordon Tracy!" Gordon looked up from his doodling, to see his teacher looking at him from the front of the room. Her expression told him his report Card wasn't a good one, and he swallowed as he made his way between the rows of tables, taking the card from her outstretched hand.
Sighing slowly, he sipped back into his seat, hands shaking as he stared at the seemingly-innocent piece of card. Sure. Innocent. But for Gordon, it was a matter of life or death. His fathers rebuttal from the last card still rang in his ears, and he knew that this one would decided just what his future consisted of.
And seeing his father disappointed in him again….Gordon didn't think he could handle that. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he slid out the card from the small envelope. He was dimly aware of others doing the same as his eyes slid down the card, fear settling in his gut.
"Oh no…." He shut the card and threw it on the table, his mind already conjuring up images of exactly what his father would say. He wondered how far away he could get from the state, if he started off now.
13:50
John glared angrily and tossed the boy off. He knew that if his father knew he'd be in trouble, but what Jeff didn't know, didn't hurt him. Right? He narrowed his eyes and spat a reply. "I'll never stoop to your level Billy. You're a jerk."
Billy snarled and grabbed hold of the front of John's jacket, his face inches from the blondes. "Is that true? Well, Tracy, do I have to remind you what I'm capable of? Or have you forgotten what I did to your beloved brother?"
John's head snapped back, his eyes blazing with a fury he felt rarely. He scrunched his hand into a fist, and smacked it into Billy's face, sending the boy sprawling, his hands releasing John's jacket on reflex. John stared down at him, his expression incredulous. "No. I haven't forgotten. And I swear, if you come near Alan, or any of my brothers ever again, this is the nicest thing I'll do to you. Got it?"
Billy Thomson may have been a bully, but he wasn't stupid. He knew well enough what John was capable off when he was pissed. And even more so what he was capable of when you put his family in jeopardy. The humiliation he felt from the last time John and Scott had beaten him up was still fresh on his memory. And the fact that John was the calm one, had made it that much more humiliating.
Which was why he had taunted John on passing. Only to suffer more at the hands of the blonde. John sneered and turned away. "I don't have time for this. Stay out of my way Billy, and I won't have to hurt you."
John shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away, surprised by how much he had enjoyed punching Billy. He hoped he wasn't going to start liking the fact that he was punching people…that just wasn't good…
16:00
Scott Tracy stared at the piece of paper in disbelief. Something had to be wrong. Had to be. This couldn't be happening again. Now for the second time in four months. His eyes flicked to the blonde in front of him, and then back down to the paper, as if looking away would deny what it was telling him. "You know what this says?"
"How could I not? They wouldn't just send me home without telling me why…"
Scott couldn't believe the tone of voice his brother was using. How could he be so flippant? Blue eyes crackled with a defiance Scott had yet to understand, let alone master. The fierce strength and determination in those eyes belied the small frame. "Dad…."
"I don't care Scott. Really…"
The harsh disappointment in the young voice put Scott on edge. He wondered what distance this would put between father and son. As if the gap wasn't impossibly wide already. "You have to tell him. When he comes home. That's if he doesn't know already…."
"Yeah? So? Like it will change anything."
Scott bit back and angry retort and stared at his younger brother angrily. "And you wonder why with an attitude like that? When are you going to start growing up Alan?"
His younger brother snapped. The anger in the intense blue eyes vented through his mouth and actions. "You just don't get it do you? It doesn't matter what I do! If I'm good, it never seems to matter, because you've all done it before me! And when I'm bad, I get yelled at and then ignored! No matter what I do, Alan Tracy might as well not exist!"
Alan snatched the letter out of Scott's hand and tore it up. He let the pieces flow to the floor, taking perverse delight in the way Scott's face changed to one of disbelief and horror. "I hate being a Tracy! And you know hwy? Because no matter what I do, I will never live up to what people expect of a Tracy son. Ever. So why bother trying?"
So saying, Alan disappeared into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
17:45
"Alan? What's up?"
Alan glanced up from his position on the bed as his brother entered the room, his expression concerned. He shrugged lightly and then spoke his tone deliberate and soft. "I was expelled Gordy….this afternoon."
There was silence for a minute, and then Alan felt the bed sag, where Gordon had sat down on it. "What did you do this time Alan? You'd didn't get into another fight did you?"
"Hardly. I doubt they would have expelled me for that, although I wouldn't put it past them. No. This time I…uh…I got into a verbal fight with the teacher, that ended...badly." Alan sat up, so that he could see his brother better, Gordon's face gave nothing away.
"Al…does Dad know?"
"Quite likely, considering the head teacher mentioned something about ringing him. He's going to be decidedly unhappy with me." That was an understatement, and they both knew wit. This wasn't exactly the first time Alan had been expelled.
"That makes two of us then" Gordon's words brought Alan's head back up, his eyes searching his brothers face for any sign of what was wrong, It was then that Alan spotted the report card in his brothers hand. He raised an eyebrow, his expression impassive.
"Bad marks?"
"Bad probably isn't the word I'd use. And it won't be the word dad uses either." The two of them sat in silence for while, not exactly happy, but glad to have someone to talk to, and to be there when you needed them.
18:15
"Alan Shepherd Tracy!"
John cringed as the front door slammed. He eyed his younger brother from across the table and could see the sympathy on both Virgil and Gordon's faces. Scott kept his face impassive as their enraged father entered the room.
What had Alan done this time?
Jeff glanced angrily at Alan, and they could all see him holding back from yelling. Alan was oddly calm, pushing back his chair slowly, and blinking at his father, his face seemingly impassive. But John could read the flicker of defiance beneath it. Jeff waved a hand angrily.
"I got a call from your headmistress today. Do you know why?"
"I should imagine it was to tell you that I was expelled." John stopped, fork halfway to his mouth. Virgil started choking on his peas and Scott slapped him hard on the back. From the suspicious way Gordon was looking at anything but his brothers, John suspected he already knew.
Hardly surprising considering that he and Alan told each other everything.
"And you think this is something to be proud of?"
"Not really. But then I doubt you would have even noticed had she hadn't contacted you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Alan let out a derogatory snort and threw his arms up in the air.
Although only thirteen his defiance and mannerisms were very much
advanced. "Oh come on dad! Don't pretend you don't wish I could be more
like them!" He waved a hand vaguely at John and his brothers. "You hate
me! I see it in the way you act and talk to me! You hate me for so many
things. Not least the death of our mother."
All activity in the room ceased. John felt an icy trickle of fear slide down his back and even Scott looked slightly fearful of Jeff's reaction. "Don't you dare Alan Tracy! Don't you dare!"
"Why not?! It's all true! Look me in the eye and tell me it wasn't my fault!" Nobody moved. Not even Jeff. Alan laughed self-mockingly and stared straight into his father's eyes. "That's what I thought."
He left the table and disappeared in the direction of his bedroom. Gordon sighed, and made to follow his brother but Scott placed a hand on his arm. "Leave him Gordy…" His red-headed brother just removed his arm and stared at Scott in silence. Then, slowly, he spoke.
"If I don't go in there, nobody will." He disappeared after Alan. Scott, John and Virgil could only look at their father helplessly as he stared after his two sons.
18:35
Gordon sighed slowly and sat in the chair, eyeing his brother cautiously. Neither had spoken since they had entered the room, but then, they didn't normally speak to each other much at all. They had no need for words most of the time. But Gordon felt he needed to talk to Alan now. After all, he hadn't exactly spoken up for his brother before had he? "Alan? I'm sorry I didn't say anything at the table…"
"Its okay Gordon. I didn't expect anyone to speak up against dad anyway. I'm not sure I even wanted me to. I'm just a huge disappointment to Dad sometimes."
"Its not just you Alan. I'm not exactly top of his list at the moment either." Alan raised an eyebrow and then motioned at the report card still lying on the desk, where Gordon had left it earlier. "You're not going to show it to him then?"
"I don't know…what do you think I should do?" Gordon looked at Alan silently, hoping that his brother would have advice where he did not. Alan had far more interaction with Jeff than he did, and the fact that Alan was more often than not in trouble, gave Gordon a better idea of what Jeff would do.
"Just don't disappoint him Gordo…whatever you do, don't give him reason to hate you as much as he hates me…"
20:00
Talking with Alan had left Gordon feeling more confused than ever. He stood in the kitchen, the report card dangling from his hands, above the trash can. To throw it away would solve so much…but then….his father would know when he didn't receive it. Alan had said not to disappoint Jeff, and Gordon knew that his brother was likely to know best.
But what should he do?
The angry red pen marks on the card were burned onto Gordon's memory. If he was receiving marks like this at thirteen, what were his future marks going to be like? He knew he would never be a successful student, not like Virgil and Scott.
Closing his eyes briefly, Gordon tore the report card in half, his mouth suddenly dry. Throwing the remains of the card in the bin, he left the room, not realising that someone had seen.
Virgil stepped out from behind the door, frowning as he looked into the trash. He recognised the report card for what it was instantly and stared after Gordon in wonder. He picked up the pieces and pushed them together. The marks stood out like a sore thumb and Virgil knew now why Gordon had thrown it out.
That left Virgil with a difficult decision. Tell his father, or keep the secret.
Gordon. Or Jeff?
21:50
The last rays of the sun spread across the grass as it descended below the horizon. They illuminated two chairs on the porch, both occupied. The first had a brunette sprawled in the chair, head resting on the side, eyes closed as he dozed lightly.
Virgil eyes his sleeping brother carefully. Scott was exhausted and had been the one in with Jeff, trying to calm their father down. Virgil had no idea how Scott coped with keeping their family together. Lord knew it was difficult for him to keep the brothers all together. But Scott….
Scott was his father's rock as well as theirs. It was hard to imagine Scott as the seventeen-year-old boy he was. To the brothers, he was their second father. He had raised them, perhaps more than even Jeff.
To Alan especially, Scott was a father figure.
Thoughts of Alan made Virgil think of Gordon. He still had no clue what to do. He only hoped that the morning would bring answers.
He didn't know how much longer he could keep the family together if it didn't.
Notes: hmm. That's the first chapter done. Should I continue? Or leave it?