A/N: So, this is the final installment for this story. Thank you to all of those that left a review, favorited or followed this story present and future. I had a good time writing this even if it wasn't very much fun for the Tracy family.

Hope you enjoy this final chapter and hope to see reviews, those are what make writing worth it.

Thank you friends and fellow readers/writers.

On with the story!

Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010

When Jeff returned to the hospital with Virgil, Scott and Gordon they all made a bee line for Alan's ward in the adolescent intensive care unit. There they found John reading aloud to Alan and the youngest with a cold compress on his forehead. Alan's eyes were cracked and he was looking at his brother that was propped on the bed and reading softly but adding character to the speakers in the book. When Jeff came in with his other sons Alan weakly turned his head to see his dad before extending a hand and reaching for his father.

If you'd told Jeff that Alan would one-day act like a young child despite being fourteen years old, he might have laughed. But as it was, Jeff was more than happy to quicken his stride until he was bending down to hug his youngest son. Jeff saw John place a bookmark in his book before he stood to motion to his brothers, giving Jeff a chance to spend a little one on one time with his youngest whom he'd nearly lost…again. As if the first time wasn't bad enough with the avalanche and losing his wife, he had to almost lose his youngest child not once, not twice but three times already. The second time was a few months earlier when the Hood had infiltrated their home base and hijacked Thunderbird Two to attempt the biggest bank heist known to ever go down in history.

"I'm so sorry we couldn't get to you quick enough. I swear we didn't know until you notified John. He told us what was going on and we didn't know how to help you without getting you killed." Jeff said, squeezing his eyes tightly shut to ward off the tears that were welling in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Alan reached up with the hand that had the IV feeding him pain medications and patted his dad's arm comfortingly.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know." Alan mumbled softly under his breath. He didn't groan or fuss when his dad kissed his temple and forehead like he usually did but he took comfort from the affection. Neither Alan nor Jeff dared to let go of the other and they got comfortable where they were on Alan's hospital bed. Alan fell asleep after some time and a refreshed cold compress later. He had tilted his head just so and was using his dad's chest as a pillow which was more than okay with Jeff. He was just relieved that he'd get to spend more time with his son, that Alan's being shot hadn't been what ended his life. Jeff hoped to spend more time with Alan until they'd both lived full lives and died at a much later age.

John, Scott, Virgil and Gordon returned a while later and quietly crept into the room to see their dad dozing lightly with his head resting on top of Alan's. Gordon being the more playful of the brothers, couldn't resist the temptation of snapping a picture of their patriarch and youngest brother. He smiled at the endearing picture before saving it for future blackmail. The brothers sat around Alan's bed quietly until their dad woke up after maybe a half an hour cat nap. He smiled at his son for a moment before looking up at his other sons and whispering with them while Alan slept.

"How's he doing?" Scott asked as he was carefully appraised of his little brother's condition. Alan's cheeks were an almost dusky pink hue and the patriarch placed the back of his hand against Alan's cheeks before checking the temperature of the cold compress. When he was dissatisfied with the temperature of the compress, he removed the compress to go refresh it in the sink within the room.

"He's still got a bit of a fever, but his doctor said he'd be surprised if Alan wasn't running a small fever after his ordeal." Jeff said before he returned to replace the compress on Alan's forehead. "He was made vulnerable to infection after the gunshot wound, but the doctor has him on a battery of antibiotics to ward off any possible infections. Alan's biggest threat right now is the possibility of gangrene but his doctor is keeping a close eye on Alan's wound and checking it frequently."

"Did the doctor say when he'd like to transfer Alan to a normal room?" Gordon asked as he looked carefully at his brother.

"He doesn't believe Alan will be in the AICU any longer, provided he doesn't encounter any complications. When I talked to his doctor just before Alan and I took a nap, he told me that he'd like to move Alan as early as tomorrow provided he doesn't take a turn for the worse. So, we'll just have to wait and see." Jeff said softly.

"Well, I for one will be more than happy when he's ready to come home to convalesce." Scott commented before he sat on a chair beside Alan's bed and watched him with a careful eye once more.

… … … … … … … … … … …

"Okay, Alan. You're going to feel a little weightless for a moment. Just let us do all the work." Alan's doctor said as a couple aides lined the bed two on each side. Alan closed his eyes and felt himself stiffen as he indeed felt weightless before he was transferred to a new bed in a room all his own. Once he'd been adequately settled, Alan was allowed to have visitors once more and he smiled tiredly as his dad and brothers entered his room.

"Hey." Alan said softly, holding out one of his hands and gracing his dad with a tired smile. "How are you guys today?"

"We're better now that we can see you." Jeff said before he leaned down and pressed a kiss on Alan's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Tired mostly." Alan said, stifling a yawn.

"Nurses waking you all hours of the night…huh Sprout?" Gordon asked as he walked forward and raked his fingers through his little brother's hair. "How's your side?"

"It's alright. Still hurts." Alan said, shifting slightly as his side throbbed at the mention of the gunshot wound which not only resulted in a recovery surgery to retrieve the bullet lodged, but an appendectomy. Alan's appendectomy wasn't mandatory, but his surgeon went ahead and did it anyway because the wound had gotten infected and he feared the future necessity of a second surgery would impede Alan's recovery.

"Just a while longer then we can take you home and you can be reassured that you will be allowed to sleep through the night, barring Gordon's pranks waking you up." Virgil said as he sat on the edge of Alan's bed and smiled at his little brother. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"You and me both." Alan said before he thumbed the controls for his bed and slowly raised the head of his bed. "Have any of you heard from Jared or Matthew?"

"Not from them per se, their parents took them back home once they were cleared. They just needed some fluids and some minor bandages for some scratches. Andrew though has been pestering his dad and he's coming out to the house to visit with Fermat tomorrow. Andrew and Fermat were scared out of their gourds when everyone started shooting." Scott said as he copied Virgil and sat on the other side of Alan's hospital bed. "We talked to them just before they were discharged and they asked us to keep them updated on your condition. I've been emailing them but I haven't heard back from them yet. I assume they're spending time with their family after the kidnapping."

"Can I have their email addresses when we get home?" Alan asked, turning a tired smile at John. He was more than thankful that John had been at Thunderbird 5 and was able to contact their family. He wasn't sure of when the relay system quit on his watch, but he wondered how much of his ordeal his family heard.

"Sure, Sprout." Scott replied before he gently squeezed Alan's knee.

"Thank you for not giving up on me." Alan whispered tiredly.

It wasn't that he was incredibly tired, he was just feeling out of it from being woken up periodically by the nurses to check his vitals and to monitor his fever. Alan knew he was a light sleeper and it was hard for him to sleep if anyone entered the room he was sleeping in. He seemed to sense when they came into the room and he woke up to see who was in his room. Still it wasn't a surprise to the family when they noticed that Alan had fallen asleep.

"Thank you for not giving up on us, your classmates and yourself." Jeff murmured as he watched Alan settle back into his pillows.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

It was a week and a half later that Alan found himself discharged. He was slow to move, his limbs lethargic as he dressed to leave…or try to dress. His limbs felt weighted down with the heaviest lead available so he didn't balk much when Scott took it upon himself to help Alan dress.

"Okay Al, here we go." Scott said before he bunched the shirt up from hemline to neck hole. Alan lifted his head and looked at his oldest brother through dark circled eyes. He was tired beyond belief, was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed back home. He lifted his hands when Scott reached through the arm holes to pull his arms up and through. Once Alan was dressed, Scott knelt to prop Alan's feet on his knee so he could put Alan's slippers on. "Okay, you're all ready to go. Now we just lack your discharge paperwork."

"And your wish is my command." John said with a smirk when he and their dad entered Alan's hospital room to present the mentioned paperwork. "Is our little intrepid ready to go home?"

"I think our little intrepid is ready for a nap." Scott commented when his little brother leaned his head against the elder's hip. He draped an arm around Alan's shoulders and he rubbed his upper arm comfortingly as he noticed Alan was very quickly falling asleep. "Hey kiddo, do you think you can try to stay awake a few more minutes?"

"No…I'm tired." Alan whined as he tried to pry his heavy eyelids open.

"I know you're tired kiddo, but you can sleep in the car…okay?" Scott said before he let his dad take control of the wheelchair handles and they walked out together. When they went by the front desk, the family waved at the staff on shift.

"Good luck out there kiddo."

"Get to feeling better here soon."

"We'll miss you kiddo."

When they got out to the parking lot, Alan watched with disinterest as the family SUV pulled up alongside the curb. He waited until John reached in the backseat to pull the seat forward so Virgil and Gordon could clamber in before Alan was allowed to crawl into the middle seat and lay down. With the wheelchair being moved away, John climbed in on the other side and he grabbed a pillow from the floorboard before laying it in his lap so Alan could lay his head on the pillow.

Before they made it out of the hospital parking lot, Alan was asleep. Scott sat in the front passenger seat and he watched his baby brother and immediate younger brother fondly. He was glad that Alan was recovered enough to go home. Now the only problem they faced was ensuring that Alan was well enough to fly home. They were still in Canada for that matter and they were going to head back as far as they could get to the border so that they'd be that much closer to getting Alan back home.

The drive was nothing special, Virgil and Gordon sat in the far backseat talking quietly amongst themselves while John stared at the scenery whizzing past the window as they drove. He had a hand on Alan's shoulder, rubbing his thumb up and down – reminding himself that Alan had been rescued and he'd be okay with time. He was still reeling from Alan thinking to connect the relay station on Thunderbird 5 so that John had a blow by blow account of just what the hell was going on. He knew his brother was smart, but he'd admit that he often underestimated just how smart and clever Alan could be.

Turning his gaze back on his brother, John marveled at how much the kid had matured. He remembered a tiny blonde that followed he and the rest of his brothers around like a lost puppy. The little brother he recalled had grown so much over the years and John counted himself lucky to have a second chance to be a better brother to Alan. He deserved that at least. The kidnapping and being lost in the wilderness opened John's eyes to just how quick a life might come to an end.

"John, I need your passport." Scott said, breaking John from his thoughts. The younger grabbed Virgil and Gordon's passports as well as his and Alan's before handing them up to Scott. When he glanced up he could see they were at the border, thus the reason for needing their passports. When they made it across the border, it was with a deeply exhaled sigh. They were that much closer to getting back home. Now all that was left was to get to their penthouse and sleep for the night then fly out at first light.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Once they'd made it to the penthouse, Scott took the liberty of hefting Alan up into his arms carefully when the younger stayed asleep. The younger boy must have been exhausted, he didn't stir much at being picked up nor jostled when Scott was trying to get comfortable with supporting Alan's weight. They made it back up to the penthouse without issue and Jeff helped Scott get Alan settled in his bed. Once the youngest was settled, Scott and Jeff backed quietly out of the room so as not to disturb Alan's sleep.

"Is he good?" John asked softly when Jeff pulled the door shut.

"He's sound asleep." Scott said with a nod.

"Good, the kid must have been tired." Virgil said with a sigh.

"If you ever tried to get sleep in the hospital…you'd understand." Gordon said knowing from experience that though the medical staff meant well, a hospital was just no place to get adequate sleep.

"Oh, when are we leaving?" Virgil asked as he prepared to go sit on the couch.

"I figure we can leave a little after eight. It'll give us all a chance to sleep and gives Alan a break from being on the move." Jeff said hoping that Alan would recover from this incident. Jeff was hesitant to send Alan back off to school despite getting a good education. Maybe Alan was right, maybe he should be educated through home studies. It'd certainly be the safer option.

With that, the family felt the pangs of hunger and they ordered out. When it'd been delivered, they'd been more than a little surprised when Alan's bedroom door cracked open and a sleepy blue-eyed boy emerged from within. He was holding his midsection where he'd been shot as if he was in pain and Virgil went over to lend a hand to the slow-moving boy.

"There any for me?" Alan asked when he saw the white Styrofoam containers stacked on the coffee table.

"We didn't know what you'd be in the mood for so we got you some chicken noodle soup." Scott said before he picked up the Styrofoam cup and removed the lid.

"Works for me." Alan mumbled before he sat on the couch beside Virgil and accepted the cup of soup. He sipped on the broth while the rest of his family ate their meals in silence. When Alan finished his soup, it was a contented sigh that told his family that Alan was soon to fall asleep again. Virgil being the closest to his youngest brother set aside his dinner so he could help Alan up and get him tucked back into bed. He'd need to check Alan's side, but he'd let it slide just this once so Alan could go back to sleep. He led the younger back to his bedroom and got him situated before providing him with the antibiotics and pain pill prescribed to him by his attending.

"Okay kiddo, time for you to get some shuteye." Virgil said before he pulled the blanket up higher to cover Alan's shoulders. The middle son could see Alan was on a fast track for slumbersville and he sat with Alan for just a few more minutes before the youngest was sound asleep once more.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The following morning came much faster than expected. When the Tracy's loaded the family jet, they couldn't help but to treat Alan like he was a piece of fragile China and Alan didn't blame them nor did he mind being coddled for the time being. He'd tolerate it for now, just being glad for the chance to be cossetted by his father and brothers. When he'd been lost in the wild with Jared and Matthew, he wondered if they'd ever find help. He didn't remember much.

According to the two boys with him Alan had been in and out of consciousness the longer they went without proper nourishment, hydration and the more blood Alan lost. He'd needed three units of blood upon arrival to the emergency room and there'd been several specialists in the operating room when Alan was whisked in. He'd needed a pulmonologist or a specialist for his breathing, a trauma surgeon to remove the bullet and ultimately his appendix, a cardiologist to monitor his heart function, a neurologist to check his brain function and how his brain might have been affected by the breathing difficulty and that wasn't including the phlebotomist administering the units of blood and watching for shock as his blood supply was replenished or the countless nurses and other emergency personnel.

Virgil and Gordon who'd been the ones to deliver Alan to the emergency room had thought the hall was sheer pandemonium, but they weren't in the operating room so they didn't see the hordes of people involved in Alan's care.

What Alan did remember was patchy, he'd come in and out, lose track of time and be utterly confused one minute and completely out of it the next.

When they'd gotten home, Alan had asked to walk to his room. He was permitted to do so, but Virgil had mandated that Alan would be spending the night in the infirmary for the foreseeable future, at least for a few days. Once more Alan didn't fight too much about it. He was just glad to be back home.

"Okay Virgil, you have my word." Alan said before he slowly stood from the chair that his brothers retrieved for him upon descending the jet and he placed a hand gingerly on his abdomen and walked painstakingly slow to the lift that would take him to the main floor in the villa. When he exited the lift, he was welcomed by Fermat and Tin-Tin. The two teens both greeted Alan exuberantly, only barely remembering that he was still recovering from a wound they both heard about from Brains and Kyrano; warning them they needed to be gentle with the older boy. "Hey guys."

"Alan! I'm so glad you're home!" Tin-Tin said with hushed excitement while wrapping her arms around Alan's neck and pressing a kiss on his cheek.

Fermat was next to hug Alan and his younger friend was shaking as he hugged Alan and it didn't surprise the older boy as much as it should have that Fermat feared that his best friend was dead after knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Alan had been shot. He'd been there, as much as he'd like to deny the things he'd seen…he couldn't ignore the lasting impression of hearing the loud booms as the bullets began to fly, seeing Alan stumble and the arm not being wrenched from its shoulder socket wrap around his midsection or worse yet; hearing Alan yelp as the bullet made impact with his body and Alan wasn't able to stop. The whole trip was a reminder of why he was glad to live on a sparsely populated island with the Tracy's and the Belegant's.

"Alan!" Fermat didn't know what to say other than his best friend's name. He'd worried endlessly that the next time he saw his best friend it'd be in a casket. Sure, he didn't believe that Alan would die right away, but realistically speaking Fermat knew that it'd be only a matter of time before Alan succumbed to his injuries or worse; infection. He wasn't ignorant, he knew that Alan had less than a 50/50 chance of surviving once the three kidnapped teens had been discovered as missing by the K-9 units.

"I'm okay Fermat, I'm okay." Alan said though it was clear that the older boy wasn't okay. He'd developed a sheen of sweat on his forehead as he remained standing and his breathing had taken on a labored air.

"Come on, you need to be in bed." Tin-Tin said before she gently wrapped an arm around Alan's back. Fermat copied Tin-Tin's actions and they both led Alan to his room where they turned their backs to grant Alan the illusion of privacy while he changed into his pajamas. When he was dressed, he accepted the help from the other two teens as he was settled into his bed. "Can either I or Fermat get anything for you?"

"No, I'm good for now. If you want to stay and visit with me though, I'd greatly appreciate the company." Alan said tiredly. He offered his friends a smile and he was careful about laughing so he didn't jar his wounds or pull his stitches. When dinner time rolled around, Alan was helped down the stairs by his friends where he was permitted to sit on the couch instead of at the table to eat dinner.

When dinner was done, Alan was led to the infirmary by Virgil who checked Alan's healing wound to be sure none of Alan's stitches had popped.

"Alright kiddo, you're good to go." Virgil said before he removed the gloves he'd donned. "Doctor's word still goes, you'll be taking it easy until your next appointment and I don't want to see you trying to help with chores, no matter how bored you get." Virgil said before he made it a point to tuck Alan into the infirmary bed. "Go to sleep, I'll wake you when it's time for your next pain pill. Though I want you to wake me up if the pain gets bad."

"Okay, thanks Virgil." Alan said before he settled back into his pillows. He smiled up at his brother when the medic ruffled his hair gently.

"No problem kiddo." Virgil said, dimming the lights before he left the infirmary. Alan yawned widely before he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Virgil." Alan mumbled as he came awake, hoping when he looked around he'd see his older brother nearby. The infirmary was empty aside from Alan and the teen was wondering where his brother was. He tried to ignore the reason why he woke up and soon he couldn't ignore it. He sighed lowly to himself as he kicked his blankets back and stood, holding a hand to his midsection gingerly. The grimace was clearly visible and the boy didn't bother hiding it. He needed to go and get Virgil, his brother seemed to have fallen asleep or forgot that he had to provide Alan his pain pill. He glanced at the clock on his way out of the infirmary and felt dismay. It wasn't time for his next dose. Fighting the tremble of his bottom lip, Alan pushed onwards.

He slowly made his way to his brother's bedroom just down the hall from the infirmary and when he got there he nearly cried in relief. His brother however was sound asleep and Alan knew it'd be a struggle to wake him, but the pain was bad and he didn't think he could last until his next dose. He walked over to Virgil's bed and gave him a gentle shake.

"Virge, wake up." Alan said, not bothering to be quiet. Virgil's room was nowhere near the rest of his family so the chances of waking somebody else was nil to none. "Virgil."

The older brother groaned as he came awake and he didn't appreciate the early wake up, but being a member of International Rescue had its setbacks.

"What?" Virgil asked, voice rough from sleep and coughing into his pillow when it became clear that he needed a drink.

"Can I get my next dose early?" Alan asked as he stood above Virgil, a hand held to his midsection.

Virgil struggled to keep his sleep deprived eyes open as he checked his watch.

"You're two hours too early." Virgil said groggily before looking at Alan to ascertain if Alan really needed the next dose.

"I know, but it really hurts." Alan said his voice trembling because of the pain he felt. The elder pushed back his blankets before he stood to escort Alan back to his bed in the infirmary, together they walked and after Virgil gave him half of his pain pill. Alan laid awake talking to Virgil while they waited for the medication to kick in.

By the time Alan's pill kicked in, Alan could barely form a coherent sentence and he soon fell into a drugged sleep. Virgil checking the time decided to unmake one of the other infirmary beds and go to sleep there so if Alan should awaken again before Virgil, he wouldn't have to go far to find him.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Alan was on restricted duty for another two weeks and by the time he was released by his doctor, the school year was over and Alan along with Fermat ventured back to the school for the end of the year awards ceremony. The dean of the school made it a type of tradition that on the last day of school, the students could dress down and wear what was comfortable. Alan wore basketball shorts as did Fermat. When they entered the auditorium, Alan was welcomed back like a hero. Even students that didn't regularly talk to him came forward to offer him a pat on the back and a 'welcome back'. Matthew and Jared were much the same and soon the ceremony was beginning.

"Gentlemen, congratulations on another year done here at Wharton's Academy for boys. You've all done remarkably well and I must commend you all for your accomplishments. First, I'd like to start off by welcoming those young men that had been kidnapped a few weeks ago back. It wasn't the same without you all here and I'd also like to praise Mr. Alan Tracy, Matthew Taylor and Jared Hawthorne for keeping their cool after they became lost in the woods while escaping their captors. I'm glad you three gentlemen are okay and I hope you'll forgive us for not protecting you better, I think I speak for everyone here today and I hope you'll accept our apology." The dean said as he got up on the stage and greeted the students and faculty members before he turned his attention on the students that had been traumatized by their experience.

It wasn't announced by the dean, but the insurance agency that insured the school was covering the medical bills of the students that had been hurt or otherwise traumatized during the kidnapping and subsequent capture of the other three students that escaped on foot and survived in the woods for three nights.

With the commencement of the award ceremony, those that didn't necessarily want to be there soon found themselves struggling to keep their eyes open. Alan was among those that didn't want to be there. He would have preferred to be at home lounging around in his pajamas, but his dad told him that he needed to show his face so his class mates would know he was okay. Needless to say, he was surprised when he heard his name over the speakers and he looked up to see the dean motioning him to come forward.

Alan who was sitting on the outside edge, stood and made his way to the stage where he was given an award certificate for most improved grades as well as a second award. It was a bit of a surprise to be given a second award considering he hadn't done anything for it, but it was much appreciated. The second award was enclosed in an envelope and Alan didn't think to open it immediately. He didn't open it until he was loaded in the car with Fermat and Parker had begun driving.

"W-What is that Alan?" Fermat asked as he stared at the regular business envelope. Each of the students that had been on the trip where they'd been kidnapped had been given a similar envelope and Alan was curious. Fermat looked at his before looking back at Alan with a look of confusion.

"You've got me." Alan replied before he ripped the flap and removed the contents. He read them quietly, eyes growing in size as he saw what it was. "Dude, you've got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Fermat asked before he leaned over and snatched the paper from Alan's hand to read it before he tore into his own envelope.

"The faculty asked my family what was one thing I wanted and I got two all-expense paid tickets to see Daytona 500 next year. There's also a letter explaining that the faculty pooled together to get something for each of the students that were kidnapped." Alan was shocked at what he'd received, those tickets didn't come cheap and he knew he'd need to begin writing up thank you cards to send to the faculty members. "What'd you get Fermat?"

Fermat looked at the contents of his envelope with eyes equally as big. Believe it or not, he'd never been to a theme park before and he'd always wanted to experience the thrill of amusement park rides. Needless to say, that he'd gotten tickets to Six Flags and he'd always looked longingly at the commercials. He didn't want to ask his dad if they could go and he refused to ask Mr. Tracy. They were all busy enough as it was, they didn't need an added trip to make life more difficult.

Alan whistled when he saw the tickets and he smiled at Fermat when he saw a similar letter.

"Sweet!" Alan was impressed. He hadn't thought the school faculty would have done anything other than excuse the extended absences of the students that had been kidnapped after they'd been recovered and returned to their families.

"Misters' Alan and Fermat, we'll be landing shortly if the two of you would be so kind as to put on your safety belts once more." Parker said as he radioed to Tracy Island and prepared for landing.

"Yes Parker." Alan and Fermat said, both boys fastening their seatbelts and waiting eagerly to be returned to the island where they could drop off their suitcases and start their summer vacation.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

A month later found Alan and Fermat with their combined island family, the Belegants included at Six Flags Amusement Park and with it there was lots of laughter and smiles. Alan, Tin-Tin and Fermat ran ahead of their respective families to eagerly wait in line for the ride Bizarro. Alan, the family thrill seeker was holding Tin-Tin's hand smiling reassuringly at her. She was scared to death despite being excited, this being her first time on a roller coaster as it was for Fermat. Alan was the only one out of the group of three friends that had been to amusement parks before.

It was a pleasant experience for everyone, a good way to relax and recover after the last few months. Alan had been cleared by his doctor, they'd completed the rest of their school term via home studies and were preparing for another year at Wharton's despite the previous encounter. The school reassured all the families of the students enrolled that security would be increased, including having a guard present on the bus with all the students on any future excursions.

Everyone was lucky this last time that it hadn't turned out to be something more disastrous. The school wasn't taking chances, especially since the boys enrolled in their facility were children of some of the world's most powerful or otherwise influential parents. The school learned their lesson as did the students both on the bus that fateful day and the ones at the school that were dealt the devastating news that friends or relatives on that bus had been kidnapped. Nobody was going to take that risk.

Jeff and his sons as well as Brains watched their two boys, both of whom had been kidnapped that day less than two months ago. They all smiled, thankful that they were blessed to have more days with their boys. Jeff couldn't help but to thank his lucky stars that Alan had been spared while Brains was thankful that his only child had been out of danger as soon as the members of the FBI and other law enforcement officers had the opportunity to intervene. Each of the Tracy brothers marveled that Alan was recovering as well as he was. Scott, Virgil, and Gordon recalling vividly how poor Alan's health was when they'd offered their assistance. The three of them doubted they'd soon forget. John doubted the memory of the gunfire ringing out would ever leave his head, the memory clear as day. They'd probably always remember, but then they didn't want to dismiss how much Alan meant to them all and they would rather remember how close they came to losing him as opposed to taking his presence for granted. This kidnapping and subsequent journey through the wilderness was paramount to reminding them how precious life was for them all. Each of them could soon find themselves on a rescue or like their mom, on an innocent vacation that could just as easily claim a life.

They had to enjoy each day no matter how much they drove the other crazy and not take them for granted. Because in the blink of an eye, it could all change.