'Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson was playing on the radio in the garage. Crickets chirped in the twilight hour and a soft breeze blew through the lot. A faint buzz from the fluorescent lighting could be heard by a trained ear. A second voice joined in with MJ and the harmony was perfect.

A red race car was on a rack and was being lowered by the hydraulic lift. The driver and main mechanic singing along, using his star wrench like a microphone as well as a tool for tightening and loosening bolts and nuts. Grabbing the baseball cap he wore on hot days, he flipped it onto his head as he pivoted around on his heels. He couldn't do this around the guys in the shop, too many eyes watching - both human and mechanical.

Night was the opportune time for him to unwind, sing like nobody was around and dance freely to release any pent up energy. It wasn't good dancing, just dancing to his own rhythm. Soon the song changed to a different melody – some song from Glee, must be Charlie's mix of CD in the automatic disc tray. Alan knew the song though and he sang along. He whipped the oily rag he held onto his shoulder so his hands were free.

The jumpsuit he wore for fixing cars was too hot in the evening breeze so Alan stripped out of the sleeves and left them drape down by his hips. Tossing his head back, Alan sang along – the melodious tenor blending in with the singers on the CD. When the song changed again, Alan chuckled.

The song was something he'd sang when he was drunk at an after party held with him and his pit crew after a successful win. He could still remember what he sang and it still made him laugh. Trying to contain his laughter, Alan began singing along with Redbone. Come and Get Your Love was a great song and Alan thought he was pretty good – in his own right anyway. He didn't like people listening to him but he had a little musical bone in his body, probably his pinky.

He'd been up for several hours, should probably think about heading to bed but he wasn't quite tired yet. In truth he was stumped. His engine kept disengaging when it reached 95 mph and Alan continually would gain then lose speed. He was wondering if it was a defunct part in the engine. It had been a refurbished engine after all. But Alan trusted the manufacturer who sold it to him, the manufacturer had been a sponsor of his team for the last two years. All parts they got from this specific manufacturer had been tested before being turned over to the team. This particular engine was what won Alan's last three races and he had a week until his next race. He needed to figure out what was going on with this engine or forfeit the race and lose his bracket.

Grabbing a creeper, Alan moved his toolbox to be within reach from under the vehicle. He was wondering if it might be a loose wire that kept causing his engine to disengage. Everything topside seemed to be in the proper place and everything was working as it should. Shaking his head, Alan lay on his creeper and wheeled beneath his car. He placed his flashlight between his lips so he could see what he was doing. Raising his wrench, Alan began meticulously removing parts and placing them in various places around him. Something wet dripped on his cheek and Alan looked up with a wrinkled brow. That wasn't supposed to be dripping fluid. Grabbing his grease rag, Alan swiped the fluid from his face.

"Damn engines and their damn problems…" Alan growled under his breath. So focused was he that he failed to notice how close his foot was to the jack that was holding up a part of his car.

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Virgil groaned as he went down the stairs. Alan wasn't back yet from the garage. Shaking his head, Virgil muttered. Sometimes Virgil felt like a babysitter rather than a roommate to his kid brother. He worked occasionally as a mechanic with Alan's race car team and so the brothers thought it wise to rent a townhouse together. It was just the two of them in the townhouse, a two bedroom house. Glancing at the clock Virgil sighed. Looks like he'd need to go drag his kid brother's sorry ass back to the townhouse and force him to go to bed.

Stepping into his tennis shoes, Virgil grabbed his keys to his Porsche. It wasn't a far drive, just across town, but Virgil still hated how often he had to drag his brother back home. Sometimes Virgil wondered if it'd be more beneficial for them to empty one of the offices at the garage and live there as often as his brother stayed to work on his car. Sighing again Virgil climbed in his car and backed out of the driveway.

Giving his car a touch of fuel, the Porsche purred as it drove down the two lane street into town. The brothers lived in a more residential area and it thankfully wasn't too heavily populated yet. The Colorado town they lived in was more rural as opposed to Metro and that was something Virgil himself preferred. The glow from the dash illuminated the dark interior of the car and made Virgil feel cool. He loved the green glow of his dash lights, it was something Alan convinced him to put in the Porsche when they'd been rebuilding it together.

Yeah, both Virgil and Alan were auto junkies. They both had a fondness for cars and for Alan it was a sheer need for speed – the legal kind and for Virgil it was the inner workings. He had always been curious about how things worked and when he'd been a kid he had a habit of dismantling all of his and his brother's toys and putting them back together simply to understand the mechanics. It was a never ending source of frustration for their father. Jeff was forever calming a wailing child after they'd discovered a favored toy of theirs in pieces on Virgil's bedroom floor or the kitchen table. Naturally Virgil got very good at reassembling toys and often making them better – more durable.

Grinning, Virgil drove down the familiar stretch of highway that led to the garage the race crew utilized as their primary base. He smiled in mirth when he spotted Alan's ratty car. It was an old piece of junk that Alan was restoring. He refused Virgil's help though, insisted on fixing it himself. So it was taking a little longer for the car to be in proper working order, without the muffler falling off or the rusty cancer like spots that spread sporadically all over the vehicle's body. Pulling up alongside Alan's car, Virgil turned off the ignition and climbed from the interior.

He could hear music playing faintly from inside the garage. As he opened the garage door, he was met with the melody of Good Fight by Unspoken. Good song in Virgil's opinion.

"Hey Alan! Time to go, come on!" Virgil spoke. He waited to hear a reply from his brother. When he didn't hear anything Virgil walked up by Sexy as Alan had dubbed his racecar. He rolled his eyes at the name. He couldn't understand why his kid brother named his car Sexy, but whatever. Virgil didn't care, he did after all name his piano Baby – so it must just be a guy thing. "Alan? Come on, it's four in the morning. You and I need to get to bed."

When there still was no reply Virgil figured his brother in the bathroom. He walked over to the restroom/locker room and opened the door. He listened for sounds of a shower – sign that Alan was getting ready to come home. There was no pounding of water on the tile floor, nor any telltale drip of a shower that had just turned off. There wasn't even any steam to signify that a shower had been taken. Entering the room further, Virgil checked the stalls to see if Alan was occupied elsewhere. There were no feet visible in the stall nor closed doors. The three stalls were open and vacant as were the shower stalls.

Taking his chances Virgil checked the girl's locker room to see if Alan might have had a lady friend in the garage and might be having a quickie though dear lord he hoped not. He knew Alan preferred doing those things in the girl's locker room with the ladies because there was no chance of male colleagues entering and catching them in the act. There was only Charlie and she didn't care one way or another about who was in what room. She was one of the boys, occasionally if Alan or another guy was occupied with a lady in the changing room she'd use the men's room to give them their privacy and none of the guys gave her shit about it since they knew that she could take them down with her little finger.

Covering his eyes because come on that's his little brother – he doesn't need to see anything x-rated his brother is taking part in, bad enough he might hear something. Opening the door Virgil listened, he listened for panting or other noises that might signify someone having sex and when he didn't hear anything Virgil felt it safe to open his eyes. The room was pitch black and when he turned on the light there was nobody abso-fucking-lutely nobody in the room. And that was odd to Virgil. Alan would never just leave his car and go off somewhere. He took it with him everywhere. No matter how trashy it may be.

Furrowing his brow Virgil pulled his cell from his pocket and called his brother's phone. Here he'd gone and dragged himself from his warm and comfy bed to haul Alan's sorry ass home. If Alan went off with some racing floozy without even a text to let Virgil know he wouldn't be home, Virgil was planning to wring his neck. Placing his phone to his ear, Virgil listened as the dial tone rang and immediately somewhere in the garage Alan's cell rang.

Following the ring, Virgil slowly walked back over to Sexy. He could hear Alan's ringtone that Alan had set on his phone for when Virgil called. It was some obscure band that Virgil couldn't recall. The ringing seemed to be beneath Sexy. Doing a quick walk around of Sexy, Virgil's cell phone slowly slipped from his fingers. Once he'd gotten to the left of the car, the side he couldn't see when he'd initially entered on he spotted Alan's boots.

"Holy shit! Alan?!" Virgil dropped to his knees and shook Alan's legs. When he failed to get a response, Virgil dropped to his stomach and peered under the vehicle to see if he could see Alan. He wasn't moving. "Hey Alan can you hear me?! Hey!"

Alan failed to reply and Virgil quickly looked around. He needed help, there was no way he could get the vehicle off Alan by himself. He spotted the jack which was lying by Alan's foot. Setting it up with shaking fingers, Virgil began lifting the car. The jack however must have gotten broken when whatever happened to cause the car to collapse on top of Alan. Grabbing his cell phone, Virgil punched in 911 and tried to stay calm. But how could he? His baby brother could be dead for all he knew and he was just sitting there on his nuts doing nothing.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"My brother, he's stuck under his car! Please you need to send help!" Virgil barely kept his head. But with each passing second, Virgil feared Alan would die if not already dead.

"Sir, please calm down." The operator said which only served to make Virgil angrier.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down! I just found my little brother's car is on top of him in his mechanic shop! Now are you going to send help or will I need to take this to the higher ups after I find out my little brother might be dead under his damn vehicle?!" Virgil yelled into the receiver. He was panicking he knew, but how is one truly supposed to act when they've discovered someone they love and care for to be hurt or in danger?

"What is the address sir?" The operator asked in a no nonsense tone. After being berated and brought to speed of how dire the situation actually was – there was no time to lose. Help was needed and it was needed right now.

After rattling off the address to the garage, Virgil dropped to his knees and tried to talk to his little brother. Tears were pricking his eyes and no matter how much the elder brother blinked, he couldn't banish them.

"Alan? Little brother can you hear me? Help is on the way, just hang on." Placing a gentle hand on his brother's foot, Virgil squeezed in hopes that Alan could feel that Virgil was in fact with him.

All too soon Virgil could hear sirens. Sounded like police, firefighters and an ambulance. The entire entourage. Lights lit up the lot and Virgil stayed by Alan. He was afraid to leave. A couple of firefighters came in in full gear, followed by police officers. Two EMTs followed with a stretcher to load the injured and Virgil watched in what felt like slow motion as they went about working to free his little brother from beneath the vehicle.

Two firefighters on either side of Alan with two more on the other side of the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from tipping. On the count of three they all lifted. It was no surprise to Virgil that they could lift the weight of a car, race cars were built for speed so were lighter than the average car. Once they'd lifted the vehicle off of Alan, a couple of police officers grabbed the creeper Alan was lying on and pulled it out from beneath the vehicle. Alan's eyes were closed and the room was silent except for the music that continued playing.

An EMT came forward and checked Alan's pulse and flashed a light in Alan's eyes to check for concussion. A stethoscope made an appearance and was used to listen to Alan's heartrate and breathing. Alan was transported to the stretcher and the emergency belts fastened around his lower legs, waist and chest. Alan was fitted with a breathing mask and Virgil watched mutely as Alan was wheeled from the garage. His heart had stayed in his throat almost the entire time and now that Alan was free, it would seem that the older brother was in shock.

"Sir, would you like to ride with your brother?" The driver of the ambulance asked when he saw the pallor of Virgil's face. Virgil nodded and was assisted with the climb into the back of the ambulance. The back door was closed without further delay and had Virgil not been holding on to Alan's hand he might have found himself thrown on the floor when the ambulance began moving. But as it was Virgil was able to keep his feet planted and he held fast to his brother's hand.

"Alan, you're going to be okay…you will. I'll call dad and let him know when we get to the hospital." Virgil said softly as his baby brother's head lolled to the side. "Just hang on."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil sighed as he gazed up at the clock on the wall. It'd been two hours since Alan had been brought in to the hospital. Two hours since he'd called his father and reported that Alan had been taken to the hospital. An hour and a half since getting a frantic phone call from Gordon in Russia insisting to find out his brother's condition. The artist had to reassure the WASP soldier that their little brother was fine (though Virgil wasn't yet positive) and Virgil was forced to use rank on Gordon and force him to stay at his post and not travel to see Alan. Gordon had quieted immediately but then Gordon's commanding officer got on the phone and stated that in no uncertain terms if Alan took a turn for the worse, Gordon would be excused from duty and given a first class ticket back state side to be with family. After all it's not every day your little brother is crushed by the car he's working on for an unknown amount of time.

John was in space and was assumed to be in hyper sleep as they were currently traveling to the moon to retrieve data chips from the lunar lander that was stationed up there to document. Virgil was able to get the message of Alan's crisis to John's boss and the man swore that he'd get the message to John, while Scott was with their father on the family jet in route to the hospital. That was the nice thing about your father who was CEO appointing the eldest to be the executive officer for the family business. Your eldest brother had other responsibilities aside from going out to play super hero in other countries.

"Family for Alan Tracy?"

Virgil looked up and waved over the doctor who had entered the waiting room. Standing briefly, Virgil shook hands with the physician.

"Thank you for doing all you can to help my brother." Virgil said as the doctor motioned for him to sit.

"Your brother was lucky to have a brother who cared enough to find out why he wasn't home at a normal hour. If he'd been under there any longer I'm afraid you'd be planning a funeral instead of contacting your insurance providers." The doctor said. At the questioning look on Virgil's face the doctor went on to explain. "When the vehicle dropped onto your brother, because he was on a raised surface it caused a few of your brother's ribs to break under the weight. He suffered a couple broken ribs, a punctured lung and was unfortunate enough to acquire what's known as a pneumothorax."

Virgil winced. He knew enough from the medical classes he'd taken that that was a collection of air or gas in the chest cavity.

"So what's been done to help Alan?" Virgil asked.

"We went in and inserted a draining tube to drain the excess air that gathered in your brother's chest cavity and we're going to slowly re-inflate your brother's lung. The puncture in your brother's lung has already been mended, now we just need to wait for him to wake up. When you're ready I can take you to him so you can see for yourself that he's okay now."

Virgil nodded, he wanted to see his brother for himself. He sighed as he walked through the hall with the doctor. He felt his heart leap into his throat at the thought of seeing Alan. The last time he saw his brother, the kid had been unconscious and very well on his way out the door they called life. So yeah, he was feeling unnerved. When they stopped in front of a door, the doctor turned to Virgil.

"We have your brother intubated to give his lungs help, I know it can be shocking but try to keep in mind that we are doing all we can to help your brother."

Virgil nodded again before he inhaled deeply. The door was just opened and there lying on the bed was his baby brother. Walking slowly into the room, Virgil couldn't help but to gape mutedly at his brother. Alan was there, he was alive – but had Virgil not gone to drag Alan back home…what would have been the chance Alan would have lasted another hour without medical attention? It seemed as though his feet moved of their own volition

"Oh Alan…I'm sorry I couldn't have been there sooner." Virgil murmured as he pulled up a seat beside his kid brother. "You must have been so scared."

All that answered Virgil was the hiss of the ventilator that breathed for Alan. Virgil looked over Alan, mentally cataloguing his injuries for himself. Minor black eye, probably from getting hit in the face when the car dropped on him. Chipped tooth – that'd need a cap put on it. Alan couldn't go through life having a chipped tooth, wasn't healthy nor aesthetically appealing. Bruised collar bone and broken ribs. Cuts and scrapes on his hands from probably trying to claw his way out from under the car. The worst of all being a punctured lung and the pneumothorax which caused the punctured lung to collapse.

Yeah Alan was in for a world of hurt, but it'd be a worthwhile pain if it meant he got to live another day. Virgil gently squeezed Alan's hand and smiled at his brother.

"You'll get better and be back out on the track in no time." Virgil murmured at his brother. Alan seemed to have heard Virgil and he responded with a quick squeeze to the medic's own hand. Virgil smiled softly at his brother as he whispered. "Just keep fighting kiddo. I'm right here."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

A few hours later and Virgil stepped out of the room to greet his father and eldest brother. Both Jeff and Scott looked haggard, though Virgil looked worse.

"Hey dad." Virgil said softly. His voice was worn out and tired. "Hey Scott."

"Hi son. How're you holding up?" Jeff inquired as he hugged his middle son.

"I'm alright." Virgil replied as he returned the hug. "Better now that Alan's been seen to."

"How's the kid doing anyhow?" Scott asked as he peered over Virgil's shoulder through the glass at his kid brother who was sleeping peacefully.

"He's okay. He was hurt pretty badly when I found him initially." Virgil said as he scratched the back of his head. He glanced over his shoulder into the dimmed room at his brother sleeping.

"What was he doing at the garage by himself?" Jeff asked softly.

"He said he was trying to fix a glitch in the engine." Virgil said as he raised his gaze to meet that of his father.

"A glitch?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, every time he has a heat run he lets the throttle go and when he reaches speeds of 95 miles per hour the engine disengages and he begins to lose speed." Virgil said. Scott inclined his head in question at that. He knew a thing or two about engines. After all, he was helping design the engines for their top secret operations with his father and a new associate that was called Brains by his colleagues.

"I'd like to take a look at it sometime." Scott said. "If that's okay with Alan."

"Yeah, you can probably go down when Charlie or Buddy are down taking a look at the car. They'd gladly show off Alan's car." Virgil said with a tired smile.

"Virge, why don't you go home and catch some shuteye, you look exhausted." Jeff commented as he took in the tired appearance of his son.

"I can't, not until Alan's woken up." Virgil said as he turned to gaze back at his brother. "I…He needs me."

"He needs you to look after yourself. He'll be fine while you go catch some Z's." Scott said before he gently pushed passed Virgil. "I'll keep an eye on him for you. Just go get some sleep."

Virgil looked like he wanted to argue, but one look at Alan slumbering peacefully and Virgil nodded slowly in agreement. He'd do as asked and go get some sleep, but he was determined to be by Alan's side like he should have at the time of the accident.

"Call me when he's awake…please. I need to see him awake to know he's okay." Virgil begged, his brown eyes shining with worry, his eyebrows pinched together in the middle, making him look desperate.

"You have our word." Jeff said as he crossed his heart to show Virgil he had no intention of lying.

Virgil nodded before he turned to leave. He was still in his pajamas, hair still wild from sleep earlier that morning. He looked done to say the least. Jeff and Scott watched him go before they turned their eyes over to their unconscious family member. Alan was out cold. His face was bruised, lips swollen from whatever broke his teeth. He had a black eye and it looked like his nose was possibly broken as well.

"Kid looks like he went toe to toe with a bouncer." Scott commented as he moved a chair closer to his kid brother. He grimaced as he took stock of each of Alan's injuries.

"He's alive though. That's all that matters right now to me." Jeff replied softly, his eyes matching the tenderness of his voice.

Scott looked up slightly to gaze at his father. He knew his dad was remembering when Alan was born, how his wife – their mother had passed away due to placental abruption when birthing Alan. Scott thought back on that day. He'd begged his mom to let him be there when Alan was born, Jeff and Lucy were of the mindset that it'd be okay for the boy to watch his sibling be born. If nothing else, it'd create the bond to end all bonds between brothers. John and Virgil were given the option to join, but they chose to stay at their grandmother's with a year and a half old Gordon. Scott would never forget it…how could he?

'Scott sat beside his mother as she bared down to deliver the baby. He held one of her hands while his father held the other. They both looked at the tired blonde woman as she breathed through the pain, staying quiet so as to not frighten Scott with any screaming. The doctor in the room sat on a rolling stool between Lucy's legs as she worked on getting the baby out of her body.

"Come on mom, you can do it." Scott murmured as he squeezed his mom's hand. His mom gave a small whimper before turning her head. She however didn't turn towards Jeff, but Scott and put her head in the crook of his neck. Scott used his free hand to comfort his mom and brush her bangs from her eyes. "Don't give up. You can do it mom. Just don't give up."

Lucy stiffened as another contraction tore through her and with renewed strength she pushed with all her might. Scott focused on his mom and being her rock while she struggled to birth the baby. She'd been in labor a long time and though Scott was given the option to not have to stay through the entire twelve hours of labor, Scott knew he'd rather be present than miss out on something so extraordinary.

Scott kept his eyes on his mom, not daring to look up at the mirror that faced his mom. He wanted to be present for the baby's birth, but he didn't wish to see the baby exit his mother's body. The place the doctor was working at was no man's land in Scott's opinion. He knew he'd someday have kids, but at ten years old he had no desire to gaze upon something he didn't wish to see. His mom gave a soft cry which was immediately followed by the sharp and shrill cry of a newborn baby.

Scott looked up, tearing his gaze from his mom's rapidly paling face to the baby the doctor held that was covered in blood.

"Somebody get the kids out of here!" The doctor barked as a nurse grabbed Scott's shoulder and ushered him along while another nurse carried the wailing and blood covered newborn. The door was slammed behind Scott mere seconds after having passed through the threshold. Scott ran behind the nurse carrying the baby, wanting to be there with the precious bundle that hadn't stopped crying since leaving his or her mother's body. He stayed in the room, watching as the newest member of the family was cleaned, drops put in their eyes, weighed and measured. The nurses were doing something that piqued Scott's interest.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked timidly as he watched the nurses' work.

They turned to Scott and gestured for him to come forward. One nurse pulled up a chair for Scott to stand on to look over their shoulders.

"We're doings what's known as Apgar score." One of the nurses answered.

"What's Apgar?" Scott asked as he saw the baby's nose wrinkle when a toe was pinched. "Don't hurt the baby!"

"We're not hurting your brother, its part of Apgar scoring. Apgar stands for appearance, pulse grimace, activity and respirations. We're trying to make sure he's healthy." The other nurse said as she wrote on a clipboard, documenting everything there was to know about the newborn baby. After a few moments of silence, it registered to Scott what the nurse said.

"I have another little brother?" Scott asked with a large smile. "Can I hold him?"

"Normally we don't let children hold the newborns unless we have permission from the parents." The first nurse said as she looked at Scott's blue eyes. He knew how to use the puppy dog pout just as well as his little brothers, he's the one who taught them to use them. One look to the other nurse and they were both agreeing that since the parents were indisposed it wouldn't hurt to allow Scott to hold the baby. "Sit down and we'll let you hold him."

Which Scott did instantly, he sat down eagerly and looked upon the nurses excitedly before they placed the bundled newborn in Scott's arms. Scott looked upon his new baby brother and smiled as he glimpsed upon the baby's face. He knew if the baby had been a boy that his name would be Alan. So needless to say Alan was a beautiful baby.

Barely ten minutes went by before another nurse hurried into the room. She walked in and spoke softly to the other nurses before they took Alan from him and Scott was escorted back to the room where Alan was born. Scott walked in and saw his father holding his mother's hand. Lucy was very still and very quiet. Jeff turned and looked at Scott tearfully before he opened his arms to his eldest son.

Scott walked to his father and let the man hug him tightly, it was then Jeff began to cry.

"What's wrong dad?" Scott asked, unsure why his strong super-hero father was crying.

"It's…your mom…she didn't make it son." Jeff whispered as he held Scott that much tighter. Scott turned and looked at his mother. She lay with her hair combed out, her face cleaned of all the sweat and tears she shed as she delivered Alan. Her hands were folded neatly over her stomach and her eyes were closed. Scott pulled away from his father and moved closer to his mother. Tears welled in his eyes as he gazed upon her. She looked like she was asleep. Sitting on the bed beside his mother, Scott reached up and gently moved a strand of hair from her face. Slowly Scott lay his head on his mother's shoulder and cried for the loss. He was aware of his dad leaving the room to give Scott a moment with his mother and Scott began to speak.

"Mommy, you weren't s'possed to die. What about Alan? Didn't you want to hold him?" Scott whispered to his mom in hopes she'd open her eyes and request to hold the baby that was born of her body. When she didn't move Scott just cried harder. "It was a boy like you hoped for mom. He's your Alan…wake up mommy…please…wake up."

"Scott."

And just like that Scott was drawn from memories deep in the past and was keenly aware of his dad staring at him.

"Yes dad?" Scott asked.

"I was asking if you wanted me to get you a coffee. I could use a boost after that long flight." Jeff said as he looked upon his troubled son. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Scott said, he didn't wish to remember anything more of when his mother passed away. It was a happy time and a sad time. Happy because Alan came into their lives, gave them a renewed reason to live and sad because they lost one of the most important foundations of their family, they lost a mother and his dad lost his wife. They knew it'd been a risky pregnancy, but they thought it was just the pre-eclampsia that was the troubled factor. Nobody, not Lucy, Jeff or Lucy's OB thought Lucy would die from placental abruption. They didn't think it'd happen. But it did and it forever scarred them as a family, but it also made them a stronger family unit.

They began to recognize family as the most important thing in their lives. They cherished everything about each other. They cherished the tantrums, the boo-boos, the nightmares, even the stomach bugs they'd occasionally get. They cherished the smiles, the laughter and tears both good and bad, they cherished the secrets, the mistakes and the intentional. Birthdays, holidays of any kind. It became a family affair to swap valentines on Gordon's birthday so that nobody was left out if they didn't have a valentine – they could be the other's valentine. It didn't have to be romantic – thank god for that – but they loved each other. They were a family.

They cherished the time Alan was rear ended during his state driver's test by someone who got road rage over a student driver who was learning the controls when he was fifteen. They cherished the time Gordon accidently spilled a pot of tomato sauce on Virgil after Alan tied his shoelaces together and tricked the redhead. They cherished the moment Scott graduated from basic training in the Air Force with top honors, they cherished the moment John graduated as valedictorian of his graduating high school class. They even cherished it when Alan announced he didn't want to go to college right away, instead choosing to race cars and motocross for a while.

How could they not? After Lucy passed away, there was no reason for them not to. They thought she'd be around forever, not…having her life cut short because of an unforeseen complication involved in childbirth. Many people thought them crazy for not judging Alan, it was his birth that killed Lucy. Scott was once asked by a member of his platoon in the barracks how he could love his brother so much and not carry any anger or hatred for his little brother. Honestly Scott was offended at the thought of hating Alan. True, Alan's birth led to their mother's passing, but it wasn't the sole cause. Nobody was truly at fault. Not Jeff, not Lucy, not Alan nor the doctor who worked feverishly to save Lucy once he realized there was a problem following the birth of Alan.

"I'd love a coffee, thank you." Scott murmured as he sat by his brother's bedside. When his dad left the room Scott leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead to Alan's. Whispering softly, Scott begged his brother. "Please wake up soon little brother, we're all here and we're all very worried for you."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil sighed tiredly as he stood beneath the spray of the shower head. He was exhausted, but memories of finding Alan sandwiched beneath his racecar was making it impossible to sleep. He was hoping a nice hot shower would relax him enough to sleep. Tilting his head just so, Virgil sighed as the hot water cascaded over his shoulders, easing the tension that'd built up over hours of sitting hunched, head bowed in prayer and thought whilst waiting for a doctor to come tell him how Alan was doing.

He was thankful Alan hadn't been more seriously hurt. Virgil didn't know when the car fell on Alan, and Virgil had no way of knowing how long Alan was trapped. He's assuming it'd been quite a while, because he couldn't imagine Alan having not been trying to squirm out from under the vehicle. The kid could be crafty when caught between a rock and a hard place. He'd managed to evade four brothers over the years, especially the grizzly that Scott could become when he'd had his buttons pushed a little too much.

Yawning greatly, Virgil turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He finally felt tired enough to sleep. He didn't bother with getting dressed, he went as far as putting on a pair of boxers and that was his choice of pajamas for the next couple of hours as he tried to sleep. Crawling down beneath his blankets, Virgil was soon asleep and he'd never enjoyed sleep quite as much as he was currently.

A few hours later found Virgil waking up and he was feeling refreshed for a change. He no longer felt quite like someone had thrown a handful of sand in his eyes. He grabbed his cell phone and checked it for messages before he decided he'd go see how Alan was. He went to the kitchen and found Charlie sitting on the counter in his and Alan's kitchen. It wasn't uncommon for them to see Charlie there in the mornings. She had a key to their house as when Alan and Virgil would go visit their father and brothers in New York, she'd house sit for them.

"Hey Charlie." Virgil said as he spied the coffee mug filled with piping hot coffee just the way he liked it. Charlie waved at him before she hopped down to grab a plate of food from the microwave.

"Eat up!" Charlie said as she handed Virgil his mug of coffee and breakfast and forced him to sit at the table. "Scott said you tend to not eat when worried or stressed and he's given me the job of making sure you take care of yourself."

She smiled at Virgil with what Alan and the boys at the garage called 'the annoying little sister head tilt'. Virgil couldn't spite her for it either. She was like a sister to most of the guys at the garage, Virgil and Alan included.

"Alright Charlie, you caught me." Virgil said as he obeyed the woman before him and sat to eat his meal and drink his coffee.

"And don't worry about Alan's car, no damage came to her." Charlie said as she smiled. "How was Alan when you left?"

"Out like a light." Virgil commented before he began to tell about what all had happened leading up to the accident. He seemed puzzled by one thing though. "Why weren't you there with him?"

"I had cramps really bad last night, Alan took me home before he went back to the garage." Charlie said, not at all bothered with discussing private matters with Virgil. She worked at the garage with the boys and they didn't keep secrets from each other…Charlie wasn't shy to ask for money to go on tampon runs – occasionally she'd even ask one of the boys at the garage to do it for her. They didn't like it, but they'd do it sometimes.

"Okay." Virgil said as he nodded. He never liked hearing about Charlie's girl problems but then he doubted no guy liked hearing about things they had no knowledge or experience in. "Have you or Buddy been able to figure out what's going on with Alan's car?"

"Nada, we can't figure it out. I'm thinking we're going to need to just take the engine out and send it back to the manufacturer. Alan's benched from the race anyway. David's gonna have to take his place in this race since Alan is hurt." Charlie sighed. "Neither Alan nor his car are going to be in driving condition until the next race anyway. If David places, Alan gets his spot back in the ranking."

"That's if David places…you know how David gets though." Virgil commented. "David can be a real hothead and he could get us booted should he let his fuse get lit."

"I know that and Buddy knows that, but what else are we supposed to do? David's as good as Alan – and since our star racer is laid up in the hospital…it's gonna have to be David that races." Charlie argued. She wasn't happy about it, but she knew David was the only other person who could do as a good as Alan.

"I can't understand how David is the only other driver that could take Alan's place. Isn't there anybody else?" Virgil asked as he leaned back in his seat and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "David can't be the only other driver on the team."

"I'm sorry, but David made it clear that nobody else could take his place. Nobody really wants to step on toes." Charlie said as she lowered her gaze from Virgil's face.

"So everyone chooses to listen to David and not Buddy? I thought Buddy was the head honcho of the team? He's the one who asked Alan to join the team and he was the one who asked me to help out on occasions during racing season." Virgil asked even as he took a healthy sip from his mug of coffee. Running his tongue over his teeth, Virgil couldn't help but think to himself how he needed to brush his teeth before going to visit Alan and check on Alan's car at the garage. "Correct me if I'm mistaken."

"No, you're right…but it's just Buddy sometimes lets David call the shots otherwise we all have to deal with drama Dave and drama Dave isn't fun to be around." Charlie said as she looked away with a sad look.

It's true that David wasn't fun to be around when he threw a tantrum. He made it hell working in the garage, and he harassed everyone – even those that didn't do anything to deserve the harassment. Like Charlie, once when Buddy decided to replace David with Alan because of some stiff competition – David hurled a torque wrench across the pit in a fit of anger over the decision and hit Charlie, breaking her nose and knocking her unconscious. It was unintentional, but then after that David would regularly throw a fit if a decision was made that he didn't like in order to get his way. And Buddy let him do it to avoid conflict. Virgil wondered why Buddy didn't just fire David after each stunt he pulled.

Virgil sighed as he stood from the table, taking his empty mug and plate to the sink. He rinsed them both, before he set them down to be washed later. Turning to Charlie, Virgil spoke.

"I'm going to go get dressed and brush my teeth. You're more than welcome to tag along while I go visit Alan or stay here." Virgil offered.

"I'll stay here if it's all the same to you. I don't really want to infringe on family time spent together." Charlie said even as she tucked some of her long brown hair behind her ear.

"Charlie, cut that out. You are family." Virgil said as he ruffled the young woman's hair playfully.

"Still, I'd like to stay here if that's alright." Charlie said as she smiled at the medic. "Go, get ready to visit Alan. I'll get dinner started."

"Thanks Charlie, you're the best." Virgil said as he leaned in and swiftly kissed Charlie's forehead. The younger woman smiled at Virgil before hugging him.

"Send my regards to Alan, I want to see his ass flying down the strip in the next race or I'll be kicking it to kingdom come." Charlie said.

"You got it sis." Virgil murmured before he turned away to go get ready.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan came awake with a moan before he pried his eyes open. His head hurt, come to think of it – Alan didn't think there was a hair on his body that wasn't throbbing in time with his heartbeat. He tilted his head and sighed when he came face to face with Scott. The elder was asleep, leaning against the bed to the right of Alan's shoulder. Lifting his head slightly, Alan glimpsed his dad sleeping in the recliner across the room by the window.

Laying his head back down, Alan tried to lay back slowly but his abdominal muscles released him back too fast and Alan fell back none too gracefully and began to choke as the wind was knocked out of him and he became aware of something being in his throat.

"Alan?!" Alarmed shouts from both Dad and Scott didn't bypass Alan's notice, but currently he was trying to breath.

"Sit him up slowly." Dad murmured to Scott who with the care intended towards a baby or a small child, sat Alan up. Alan continued to choke, but it didn't hurt quite as bad as it had been when he was lying down. "Are you okay son?"

Alan nodded even as he raised his non injured hand to try to pull out whatever he was choking on. He felt like he was strangling for a few moments but when he tried to remove the thing choking him, Alan's hand was stayed by Scott's own hand.

Alan looked at Scott with a pitiful look. Scott seemed to get the message and he spoke up telling Alan why it wasn't a good idea to pull the tube out of his throat.

"You need the tube to help you breath. You got hurt at the garage and now you need assistance with breathing." Scott said softly, waiting on Alan to freak out royally. When Alan just looked at Scott, his eyes lit with confusion – Scott explained. "Virgil found you at the garage, you were hurt and you needed immediate medical attention."

Alan tilted his head slightly before he recoiled. He just gagged on the tube in his throat.

"Sit up." Jeff instructed before he leaned Alan back against the pillows he stacked up. Alan made the motion like he was sighing. But he sent a look of thanks towards his dad which Jeff smiled at. "How are you feeling?"

Alan raised his hand and tilted it from side to side showing he felt okay but not one hundred percent. Jeff carded his fingers through Alan's hair and Scott squeezed Alan's knee affectionately. Alan looked around, trying not to move his head very much. He personally didn't want to choke on the tube in his throat again. That was unpleasant. He did however meet his dad and Scott's eyes and gave them a questioning look.

"You're wondering where Virgil is?" Scott voiced Alan's question, knowing exactly what thoughts were running through Alan's head. At least he liked to think he knew what Alan's thoughts were. Alan lifted his hand and shook his fist up and down. Scott looked at Alan, wondering how Alan knew sign language – true he and John taught Alan when he was a baby but he couldn't believe it stuck with the kid over all these years.

Jeff spoke up, also surprised by Alan's use of sign language. He knew the fist shaking up and down meant 'Yes' in American sign language. "We sent Virgil home to get some sleep. He stayed with you until we got here and he was practically dead on his feet."

"Is someone talking about me?" Virgil showed up right at that moment and entered the room, unzipping the hoodie he wore and taking it off before sitting on Alan's bed and jiggling Alan's toes. "Hey kiddo, glad to see you're up. You had me pretty scared."

Alan looked at Virgil and raised his hand again and began finger spelling. Virgil watched Alan's hands intently to put the words in the puzzle together.

'How did you find me?'

"I came down to the garage around four to drag you home – I know how you get buried in your work and lose track of time sometimes. When I couldn't find you I called your phone and heard it ringing from beneath Sexy." Virgil said, telling Alan how he'd found him trapped under his car. "I walked around to the side you were working under and found you being crushed. When I couldn't wake you up I called the cops and the fire department came out too."

"What happened Alan?" Scott asked as he looked at his brother intently.

Alan looked at his lap before lifting his hand and finger spelling again.

'I was listening to music and working on Sexy, she's been having trouble with her engine lately and I was trying to get her ready for the race next Friday.' Alan looked up at his gathered family and continued spelling. 'I'm not sure, but I think I kicked the jack holding Sexy up and caused her to fall on me.'

"You think you caused the accident?" Jeff asked as he squeezed the back of Alan's neck gently.

Alan lifted his fist and shook it up and down before resuming finger spelling.

'I took Charlie home, she wasn't feeling well and when I got back I found David under the hood of Sexy. I called him out and reminded him of Buddy's rule that nobody beside the driver is allowed to be around their car unless help is specifically requested. David got mad and after calling me a hotheaded bastard he left to go home.'

"Wait, you found David under the hood of Sexy? Is that why you stayed late to work on her?" Virgil asked as his eyes narrowed to slits. He was there when Buddy told every driver they were responsible for their cars and their cars only – like Alan and Buddy said, only when help was requested could another driver be under, in or around another driver's cars. "What was he doing?"

'I don't know, I didn't ask him why he was around my car. I called him out from under the hood of my car and told him off. Then when I was alone, I decided to give Sexy a once over to make sure he wasn't sabotaging my girl. I turned on some music because it helps me to focus.'

"Did you find anything wrong with Sexy when you were working on her?" Scott asked as he began to suspect the problems Alan was experiencing with his car might be due to sabotage.

'She was leaking what I thought was oil, but I couldn't be sure. I wiped it off and when I reached my hand up to check something, the next thing I know I'm trapped under my car and I can't breathe.'

"Would you mind if I go down to the garage and take a look at her?" Scott asked. Now his curiosity was piqued and he was interested in what was wrong with his brother's car.

'Sure, knock yourself out. Virgil can vouch that I gave my permission.' Alan signed.

"Later. Right now I want to spend some time with you." Virgil said softly as he tilted his head to look at his brother. "You really had me scared you know."

'I know, and I'm sorry.' Alan signed to Virgil.

Jeff seemed to sense that Virgil and Alan needed a moment alone together and he urged Scott to go get a coffee with him. Once the two younger brothers were alone, Virgil slid up closer by Alan and rest his head on Alan's shoulder, giving in to the tears and just taking comfort that Alan was here and he'd be okay. Alan reached with his good hand and squeezed the back of Virgil's neck in comfort.

"I thought you were going to die. When I found you and you weren't moving, I panicked." Virgil whispered before giving a soft sob. "Please don't do that to me again Al, don't scare six years off my life like that again…please."

Alan couldn't say anything to Virgil that'd provide even a touch of comfort. He had a tube in his throat and couldn't talk – he'd need to use hand signals to convey the words he needed to say. Patting against Virgil's chest, Alan was able to get Virgil to look up and meet his gaze.

'I'm so sorry. Please know it wasn't intentional. I'd never intentionally try to scare you like that.'

"Apology accepted Al, just know that I love you." Virgil whispered before he hugged his baby brother gingerly.

'Love you too.' Alan signed before he smiled at his brother. 'When can I get out of here?'

"Soon little brother…soon." Virgil replied before he smiled back at his brother also.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

A few hours after Virgil and Alan's heart to heart, Scott and Virgil went down to the garage so Scott could take a gander under the hood of Alan's car. When they got there, Virgil immediately went on the defense when he and Scott caught David fiddling around in Alan's cab.

"What the fuck are you doing in Alan's car David?!" Virgil was immediately incensed at the sight of David lingering around his baby brother's vehicle.

"Oh hey Virgil. Nothing, just checking to make sure she wasn't damaged after your brother's little "accident"." David replied, adding extra emphasis to the word accident as if there were something more behind his words.

Virgil gave a loud growl and hauled David away from Alan's car by the collar of his shirt.

"And what do you know about it? You weren't here when Alan was hurt and I haven't heard any of the other boys express concern over Alan's mishap. As far as I know only Buddy and Charlie know about it and that's because I told them about it. However I asked them not to announce Alan's accident, for privacy's sake. So unless you have mind reading capabilities, which I doubt – you shouldn't know anything about what happened."

"Virgil! Hey, come and talk to me kiddo!" Buddy called, forcing Virgil to give up on David and go see what Buddy wanted.

"We're not finished." Virgil hissed before he pushed David away sharply. He turned with a put upon smile towards Buddy. "Hey Buddy, this is mine and Alan's older brother Scott – we were wondering if it'd be alright for Scott to sneak a peek at her."

Buddy shook Scott's hand and nodded his head when Virgil motioned to Alan's car as he addressed Alan's car Sexy. "Yeah, that'd be fine as long as Alan's okay with it."

"He gave his permission before we left the hospital that Scott could tinker with her." Virgil replied with a smile.

"Then go on ahead and have at her. But be gentle with her, she's Alan's girl and he defends her like a mama bear would her cubs." Buddy said before throwing an arm over Virgil's shoulder and walking away with him. "So what was going on with you and David?"

"He was digging around in Alan's car." Virgil replied harshly. "You know the rules and David shouldn't be immune to them."

"I know, but that doesn't give you the ability to give him a beat down." Buddy said as he looked over his glasses at the young man that stood before him. "Just don't piss him off any more than he's gonna be for getting the boot."

"Whoa, what?" Virgil asked in surprise as he looked at the mentor to those that worked in the racing and mechanizing world.

"Yeah, you heard me right. I'm planning on firing his ass from my team after the race. He's making work in the garage difficult for everyone and this is supposed to be a relaxing and fun atmosphere." Buddy whispered to Virgil. "Not only that but he's getting fired for screwing with your brother's car."

"Wait, you mean he…" Virgil began to ask but was cut off by Buddy. The mentor gestured for Virgil to enter his office where the team gathered to watch replays of their races so they could see mistakes made to better their driving skills.

"That's the beauty of having security cameras, instead of catching people from opposing team's breaking and entering or vandals, you catch a saboteur in your midst. Caught red handed." Buddy went to his computer and pulled up the film to show Virgil. The middle Tracy son watched as Alan escorted a doubled over Charlie from the garage, holding her against him like a concerned friend. Virgil knew now from what Charlie said about her having cramps was the truth – her cramps would often get pretty bad and she'd wind up resting in the loft, only working when she was absolutely needed. Not that it bothered anyone and Buddy was cool with it. He'd still pay her, but he'd always remind her there was a loft upstairs that had a couch and futon for people to sleep on if they needed to catch some Zs.

It was a few minutes after Alan and Charlie left that David was seen sneaking from the back garage door. The young man popped the hood of Alan's car and began tinkering around under the hood, making what appeared to be adjustments to the car. He worked for all of ten minutes before turning sharply to confront Alan when the young man returned from taking Charlie home. Alan began to approach him, raising his arm up as if to make himself bigger to scare off a potential predator. David argued a few words before leaving and therefore leaving Alan alone, but not before tripping on a jack and falling. Alan laughed at the display although David didn't find it funny. David stood and ran from the room before Alan moved across the room to put on some music at which point Buddy stopped the tape to look at Virgil.

"Now you know why I'm firing him." Buddy said softly. "I can't have him sabotaging other racer's cars. We're a team and he's not acting like it. I don't like sore losers on my team. So I'm going to let him race in Alan's place, hopefully he'll place us in the rankings then I'm terminating his contract."

Virgil was in awe at Buddy, in all the years he'd known Buddy – the older man never stepped in to take charge like he was now. He wondered if Alan getting hurt as a result of sabotage had something to do with it.

"How's your brother doing anyway kiddo? Judging on the footage, it was quite the ordeal for not only Alan but for you too." Buddy asked as he pulled up the particular footage to show Virgil. He fast forwarded once the car fell on Alan, trapping him underneath. Virgil wanted to throw up when he saw Alan's feet struggle and his kid brother attempt to buck his hips in hopes that he'd free himself from his temporary prison. When Alan stilled in the footage and quit moving, Virgil felt tears gather in his eyes and he balled his fists.

Alan had been trapped for two hours under the car, two hours beneath a metal behemoth that couldn't have done anything more than potentially kill his brother. Virgil drew in a deep breath through his nose as his lip trembled before he sat in the empty seat in front of Buddy. Bowing his head, Virgil allowed himself to have the release of emotion he needed after such a harrowing rescue. Raising his fist, Virgil held it against his mouth to stifle a sob. He shook violently as everything flooded over him.

He very nearly lost his baby brother this morning and had he not done his nightly walk about to check the windows and locks – he'd have never discovered Alan wasn't home and Alan could have suffocated. A warm hand laid over his shoulder and squeezed gently.

Virgil lifted his misty eyed gaze to look at the monitor and saw a filmed version of himself try to awaken Alan before trying to lift the car himself off of Alan. When he failed, Virgil watched as he hurriedly dialed for police. Within minutes, Virgil watched as police, EMT's and firefighters stormed the garage and worked to free Alan. Virgil remained kneeling next to Alan's feet in the footage as firefighters tipped the car on her side before someone grabbed the creeper Alan laid on and pulling him out of the danger zone. When Alan was loaded onto the gurney and Virgil followed paramedics to the ambulance – Buddy stopped the film as there was nothing else to see.

"He's recovering for now, he's here and not dead. But I want a piece of that sabotaging fucker so he understands why you don't mess with my baby brother!" Virgil growled. He wanted payback for his brother very nearly losing his life.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

The race went on as planned, David was none the wiser that his job was on the chopping block or that police were waiting to arrest him for destruction of private property or attempted manslaughter. Buddy and Virgil managed to convince police to wait until after the race. Fans of Alan had heard about the 'accident' and had sent get well cards, stuffed animals, balloons, flowers and a few words of encouragement to their hero and favorite racer. They hoped to see him return for the last race of the season, would be rooting for him from now until forever and it made Alan smile despite being unable to participate in the race.

David was down in the pit with the rest of the crew. He smiled and waved like the cocky bastard he was in Virgil's opinion. The older brother watched on with disdain as the guy who made an attempt on Alan's life paraded around his car. When the signal was given, the cars were taken out to the track and the driver's got in and started to rev their engines. When the light turned green, the cars left the starting line and flew around the track.

David as was assumed, was in the lead. He wasn't letting anyone have a shot at inching past him. He went full throttle and despite Buddy's shouted commands to pace himself, David continued to fly around the track. Crowds screamed, hoping David would win Alan the first spot.

It was announced during the press release that because of Alan's injuries a few days prior, he'd be unfit to race. Fans were severely disappointed and many held a candlelight vigil in Alan's honor hoping he'd make a speedy recovery. Prayers had been offered up and Charlie acted as Alan's spokeswoman. She announced that David would race in Alan's place and many fans booed over that particular announcement, but Buddy who was present told fans that when Alan was well, he'd take his spot back but until that time David would race in his stead.

As Virgil watched the race, his eyes strayed to the leaderboard, proving Alan would have a spot in the next race and though it was bittersweet. Virgil knew that despite the injuries, Alan had already won. David was looking at a pink slip after this race for tampering with Alan's car despite the rules and he was also looking at a little while in jail for nearly killing Alan. Virgil honestly couldn't find it in himself to be angry, in fact he was happy. The atmosphere in the garage would relax and things would be easier without David around demanding attention.

The moment David crossed the finish line crowds erupted in cheers, not because David won, but because their favorite racer – Alan would have one more chance before the end of the season to win the title and go home the king of racing. Pulling in to the pit, David stood and pumped his fist as he reveled in his win. Buddy was burning in anger though, David ignored many of his commands and that is not what a racer does. They don't always but they are supposed to listen to their manager and David blatantly ignored everything he said or suggested.

As David was led to the stage to receive his accolades, he was taken off guard by the numbers of police officers waiting nearby. But he felt sure of himself and went to accept his tributes. He stood beside the second and third place winners and smiled. He had no knowledge of things yet to come. When he did finally go to return to the pit and get his things, he was dismayed when he was met by police.

The officers waited until they were away from cameras before they addressed David and his atrocities.

"David Williams, you are under arrest for the attempted manslaughter of Alan Tracy. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…" As the officer read David his rights, Buddy came forward and tucked his pink slip into the left breast pocket of his racing jumpsuit.

"Consider yourself unemployed. Now get." Buddy offered no other explanation as he turned to leave. He himself as Alan's manager had some news to deliver to his best racer. David was flabbergasted but remained silent as he was led away by police. Virgil watched from the doorway as everything unfolded. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked back at Scott.

"You did good saving Alan, kid." Scott praised before he led his younger brother back towards their dad. The three of them were going to visit Alan after going to sit in on the race at Alan's insistence.

A/N: So, I've been working on this story for a little over four months now. I hope you all enjoy. But since I dropped one of the classes that has been making it more than a little difficult to focus on my writing, I've felt more like writing again and was able to finish this. I wrote it using the song Good Fight by Unspoken.

Comments appreciated, constructive criticism only please.

Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010