Author's Note: This is going to be a very long story, and as always, will tend to build slowly. Alan is 10 in this story, with movie verse age separations.

Thanks to SubRosa7 for letting me bounce ideas off of her. I can write little kids, teenagers and adults just fine. But 10 year olds? Not so much. This was a stretch for me, and she really helped me make sure that behavior was age appropriate.

The story hook of Alan living with his grandmother until he is 10 came from TBMom's story 'Stroke', and is used with her permission. Although ages, situations, etc. are significantly different, that original idea was hers. In addition, also used from that story is Alan's electronic locks and security systems that he's designed, and the company that his grandmother helped him set up. This will come into play later in the story. Any of the additional characters outside of canon, including Anne Marie Watkins, are mine.

Don't own, don't sue, etc.

INVISIBLE

By Spense

Chapter One

Ten year old Alan Tracy lay on his side on the bed in the dark room, gazing out the window into the dark night. It was late. Probably just after 1am, if he cared to look. Not that he did. He had decided that this was the longest night of his whole life. And absolutely the worst.

Grandma Ruth was dead. He still couldn't quite comprehend that. She'd had a heart attack that afternoon as they were talking after school. Alan had lived with her for as long as he could remember. He knew that he'd lived with his dad and mom and brothers until he was three. He remembered only little bits of that. Mom's voice, and her laugh. Dad's laugh. Then white. White snow, white walls, cold, more white. The avalanche that had killed his mother, and left him badly hurt. Then he remember lots more white walls after that. The hospital. He didn't like remembering that. Scotty was there all the time. And Grandma. But not Daddy. At least, not that often.

The whole family had moved in with Grandma after that. Alan and his brothers that is. He knew his father was there sometimes, but not much. Not until later. He'd missed his mom and dad, but he loved the farm, and Grandma and Scott made sure he was safe and that nightmares didn't bother him.

Then his Dad was back more often. That was a fun time. It was all of them, although Dad was at work a lot. And then his Dad bought an island. A real island, just for the family. And it was decided that Gordon and Virgil would go to boarding school. Since they were just starting middle school and high school respectively, it made sense. John was going to start college, and Scotty was going to quit the Air Force and go to the island. And Alan was to stay with Grandma, and go to the local school.

Alan missed his brothers, but he loved the farm, and he loved Grandma, so that was all okay, as far as he was concerned. So he stayed home, where everything was normal and familiar. He and Grandma went to the island every summer for a vacation, and he saw his family on holidays. Whichever members could make it out, that was. Very seldom could they all get together unless they were on the island.

Although Alan enjoyed seeing his brothers and father, his normal life was just he and Grandma. He liked it there on the Kansas farm when his dad had grown up. And honestly, Alan didn't really remember ever living anywhere else.

But now, everything was changing. It had started late that afternoon when Grandma was sitting knitting, and listening to him talk about the day, and especially, the track team he got to join at the local athletic club. One of his first practices had been that day, and he was full of the news. She'd suddenly gasped, and dropped her knitting. Then calmly, she'd told Alan to call 911.

The men had come, and they'd let him ride in the front of the ambulance. Then he'd had to wait in a little room for a really long time, until finally, he'd been able to see her. She'd told him to be brave, and that she loved him. Then he'd waited some more in the room, and they told him that she had died.

Alan was having a very hard time grasping that he wouldn't see her again. That really didn't seem to be possible. He just kept waiting for her to come out from one of the swinging doors, and they'd go home. But no. It just wasn't going to happen.

He'd been told that his father was on the way to 'make arrangements' and to pick him up. They would keep him here at the hospital until he came, and they gotten him some dinner, and let him watch TV, then put him to bed. Now he was just waiting.

Alan felt frozen. Things were going to change. This time, he was leaving all his friends, and he was going to the island to live. And Alan really wasn't sure what to think about that.

TB TB TB TB TB

Alan must have fallen asleep, because he woke up to voices, and a sliver of light from the doorway. He'd turned over at some point, because now he was facing the door. His father's bass rumble was clear, and other deep voices, he didn't recognize. The door opened wider, and he could see the silhouettes of a group of men.

"Thank you, Dr. Carver," the man in front was saying.

That was his father. But he seemed bigger than Alan remembered.

They were all shaking hands.

The doctor was acknowledging the other men. "Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon. I'm sorry to meet you under these circumstances."

Alan went cold. These were men. They weren't his brothers. True, he hadn't really seen much of them in a couple of years. But they couldn't have changed this much in just a couple of years! Could they? He'd talked to them on the vid-phone, but . . .

Alan realized, heart sinking, that they had all grown up. Except him. And he was going to have to go back to Tracy Island with a family that was essentially made up of strangers.

TB TB TB TB TB

Alan sat in the corner of the living area of the large hotel suite his father had taken in Kansas City. Pulling his feet up onto the chair, he wrapped his arms around his knees, and silently watched the activity going on around him. They were high up, on the top floor, in the penthouse, and had come here straight from the hospital last night (this morning?). Anyway, really, really late.

He wasn't sure why they hadn't gone back to the house – it had been lots closer, but they were here in the hotel, a good hour and a half away from the town where members of the Tracy family had lived for over 150 years. But, he'd woken up in a strange room, and when he wandered out, it was very late morning, and the living area was buzzing with activity.

Jeff had said something to the person he was talking to on the phone, then smiled at Alan, and told him to get himself some breakfast. It was set out on a side table. Then he was back into his conversation.

Alan had done so, then had retreated to the out of the way, corner chair he was in now. He wasn't really hungry, so he just picked at his food, and finally set it aside. He'd been sitting here a while now, taking it in, and the activity hadn't slowed much.

Jeff and Scott were on respective couches across a coffee table from each other. Both had been on the phone all morning, as long as Alan could tell, and both had laptops in front of them. This was normal, for Jeff at least, in Alan's opinion. But Scott? When had Scott become so immersed in the business of Tracy Enterprises? Anytime the youngest Tracy had seen Scott, he'd been the cool older brother who knew just what to do if Alan was scared, or had a nightmare, or was just bored.

When they'd all been living together on the farm, before his dad had bought Tracy Island, Alan had always gone to Scott before approaching his father. Scott was always nice, and never too busy for him. But now, he was grown up. And seemed just like Dad – always busy with something to do with the business. To Alan, that was certainly not an improvement.

Outside, the private infinity pool for the penthouse suite was in use. Gordon was swimming laps. Alan knew Gordon was going to try out for the Olympics, and was being tutored at home for his classes, so he could concentrate on swimming. Alan thought that was incredibly cool, and admired Gordon. Even if he could be a real pain at times. But it did mean that he couldn't go swimming. Usually, Gordon was always up to take a dip in the pool, but he was too serious now to goof around with.

Virgil and John had come into the room just after Alan had sat down, adding more noise to the chaos. Virgil came in through the door sideways, overloaded with shopping bags. "Got the clothes for the Sprout," he declared, as he dropped the bags onto the nearest chair in relief. Jeff nodded acknowledgement, but didn't stop his conversation.

John was still on his phone as he came in sedately behind his brother. He smiled a greeting at Alan, and went up to his father, who actually put his own call on hold for a moment.

Alan heard snippets of conversation. Something about funeral services, and arrangements, and tomorrow. Jeff nodded, said something to John in return that Alan couldn't catch, then went back to his call. John said something to his own phone, and hung up. Turning he came over to Alan.

"Hey, Sprout," he smiled, tousling Alan's hair. Alan scowled and moved his head out of the way. He really hated that. John just grinned. "How are you? Slept long enough, huh?"

Alan just shrugged. How was he? He didn't really know. Grandma was gone. And everybody else just seemed busy, and like they were feeling normal. He didn't feel like everything was normal.

John smiled at him kindly, seeming to understand. As he opened his mouth to say something, Virgil charged over to Alan's corner, holding a couple of the bags. "Got you some new clothes, Sprout," he announced, as he dropped them next to Alan. "For the island. Bet you only have winter clothes that fit, so Dad sent me out for shorts and stuff."

"Virgil!" Jeff glared at his chestnut haired son, as he set down his phone. "Put them in the bedroom. It's crowded enough in here."

Virgil rolled his eyes, once again picking up the bags, and headed for Alan's bedroom.

"John, could you please go to Alan's school?" Jeff continued. "Pick up the rest of his assignments for the remaining term. He can work online for the rest of the school year."

"Dad, why don't I go. I've been talking to his teachers, along with Grandma, for the last few years," Scott said, looking up from his laptop. "They know me."

Jeff shook his, typing something into his computer, and picking up his phone again. "No, I need you to coordinate with Anderson for the meeting this afternoon. We'll have to attend remotely, but that should be the only change." Jeff grimaced. "This couldn't have happened at a worse time, with the meeting already scheduled. It's too important to cancel. No, John can go."

"Okay," Scott answered with a shrug, then looked back across the table at his father. "Oh, and we need Virgil to get back with Brains on that glitch on . . ." He broke off suddenly.

But Jeff just nodded. "He can call from the other room."

John just acknowledged his father with a little wave, and picked up his keys, clearly not bothered a bit by the madness. He turned back to his youngest brother. "Sorry, Allie. Gotta go. See you in a little bit okay? We'll be heading back to the island after the service, probably tomorrow or the next day, so it's going to be a little crazy. There's a lot to do here, and Dad and Scott are closing a huge deal today and tomorrow. I'm going to stay on the island instead of going back to the lab for a while, so we can catch up then."

Alan just nodded, somewhat overwhelmed. Where had his family gone? These weren't the brothers he saw on vacations or holidays. Then, they always had time to do something together. They went to movies, or the park, or something. If this is what they were all like when they were working, this was going to be worse than he thought. As he watched John leave, he wished, for the umpteenth time, that Grandma was here.

TB TB TB TB TB

Jefferson Tracy felt numb. The last few days had been rough. Getting the call from the hospital that his mother had had a heart attack, and then had passed away. That was tough enough to get a handle on, but then to think of Alan there at the hospital, waiting. He didn't want his son to stay with friends in town, he needed to get to him himself. This was going to be hard on his youngest, that was for sure. Telling his older sons, shutting down IR for a few days, getting John back dirtside, and getting on the plane for Kansas. It was all a whirl.

Picking up Alan, planning a funeral, greeting old friends and accepting their condolences, all while trying to keep up with the needs of Tracy Enterprises. As always, Scott was there, capably shouldering much of the load for his father. Whether it was watching Alan, answering emails or what have you, Scott was there. And Jeff was grateful. Everything just seemed like a blur. There had just been so much to do. He had just put his emotions on the back burner, and concentrated on getting everything taken care of.

Now they were through the funeral, and just greeting Ruth's friends and mourners back at the house. It still just seemed so impossible to comprehend. His mother, Ruth Tracy, was dead. That indomitable force, seemingly indestructible, was gone. He was just frozen at the thought of it. She'd always been the solid bulwark behind him, encouraging him to (literally) reach for the stars. She'd also been the mainstay for his children after Lucy died. It just didn't seem right to have both of them gone. He knew it was going to hit him soon, and hit him hard. But right now he could just concentrate on the many details of the arrangements that needed to be made.

The thought of children made him look around for Alan. At 10, he was still so much a child in comparison to the rest of his sons. Even Gordon, having just turned 17, had a greater maturity about him. But then again, that came from having weathered the storm of his mother's death, which really, Alan had been too young to remember. And from being in on the onset of International Rescue, which again, Alan had been too young to be involved with.

Jeff and Ruth had both been in strong agreement on that. Alan needed a real childhood, just like his brothers had had. Running around with friends, riding bikes, going to school, and all the interaction that could be had in a small Kansas town. Since his spacewalk, and the growth of Tracy Enterprises, privacy was getting harder, and harder to come by. Alan needed the normalcy while he could get it.

So when Jeff had purchased the island, and began to gear up International Rescue, it was actually good timing. Alan was just starting first grade, and Gordon was going to start middle school. Instead, Gordon went to a boarding school which specialized in young athletes, as their family fish was showing signs of being an elite swimmer. Virgil, starting high school, also switched to a boarding school, this one specializing in both strong math academics as well as fine arts. It was the right time to make those changes, especially with the island as their new home, even as it made the most sense for Alan to stay with Ruth. As hard as it had been on Jeff to leave his three youngest children in the States, it had worked out well, and was clearly for the best.

Alan stayed in essentially the only home he could really remember, as they had returned to the farm house with Lucy had died. Jeff's growing company had made the move to New York, and he shuttled back and forth when he could, and Ruth and Scott took care of the children. For the four older boys, it was just an 18 month blip. For Alan, it was his first real memories. And his father had been absent for much of it. Jeff swallowed hard once again. He still missed Lucy so much. But he was so incredibly grateful to both Ruth and Scott for keeping his family together during that time. He'd really let everyone down.

Jeff wandered away from the crowd in the house for a moment, needing a moment alone. He moved to a solitary spot, out of the way. The guests who had come out to the farmhouse following the funeral were beginning to disperse. Scott, Virgil and Gordon, were talking to old friends, and catching up, and seeing people out. Jeff spotted Alan out the dining room window of his mother's house, his childhood home. Alan was on the swingset, John with him. His two blond sons. They were just sitting on the stationary swings, talking quietly together.

Alan had been so quiet these last few days. The exuberant little boy Jeff was used to had not been in evidence since he'd arrived. Not surprisingly, he supposed. Ruth's passing had been hard on him. Jeff felt a pang. Poor Alan. But this too would pass. Children were resilient, and a change of scene would be good for him.

As always, there was good and bad in each situation. Alan would finally be home with his whole family on a permanent basis. No matter how much Jeff had wanted Alan with him, he would have been hard pressed to uproot the child for any other reason than Ruth's passing. Alan was so well adjusted, and clearly liked his life here with Ruth. But now? He was going to finally take Alan home. It was February, and he could home school for the rest of the year, complete his assignments with his Kansas school online. They'd figure out next year at a later time.

With the loss of Ruth Tracy, Jeff just felt the urge to gather his family around him, and keep them close. Alan still didn't know about IR, and Jeff wasn't ready to tell him. His other son's were in full agreement. Alan was too young, and let him grow up some before that was dumped on him. 'Operation Coverup', as Gordon had dubbed it, worked well enough when Alan had been visiting the island. No reason to think it couldn't still work.

Looking back outside, he saw John walking back toward the house, and Ruth's attorney, Brad McCutcheon, a local man, sitting next to Alan on John's recently vacated swing. Knowing the Brad had been a close friend of Ruth's, it was kind, and not all that surprising, to see him checking on Alan.

Satisfied that his youngest son was occupied, Jeff saw the emptying room, and through the front window, the horde of reporters that were being kept away by the sheriff's office. Now that the funeral was over, it was time to get back to the island. They wouldn't be able to hold the media off forever, and Jeff wanted Alan out of range. They'd managed to keep him out of any articles, and restrict any pictures from being used, and Jeff wanted to keep it that way. But the longer they stayed, sooner or later it would be inevitable that one of them would manage to get that picture of Alan. And Jeff wanted to avoid that as long as possible.

Moving back into the kitchen, Jeff glanced once more at the emptying room, and pulled out his phone. He may as well begin making the arrangements to store the house's contents, and get the farm on the market. The sooner those tasks were done, the sooner they'd be back home on the island.