17. The Aftermath

As soon as his consciousness kicked in the first thing that struck him was that he felt lumpy. Which would probably indicate that he was in the hospital and hooked up on drugs due to his severe injuries. Lucky him.

Alan sighed on the inside as he relaxed and began to think back to the events that led him to his temporary stay in the hospital.

(Flashback – Moments before the explosion)

Blaze had been right about that there was little to nothing they could do about the bomb, even with him to assist the self-proclaimed bomb expert. Alan just stared at the ticking device that was just a minute away from blowing up and destroys anyone or anything that was in its path. "So what are we going to do? Run away and save ourselves or try everything we can and let ourselves get blown up in the process," Alan asked, plainly stating the obvious with a sarcastic tone. "Normally I wouldn't recommend getting ourselves barbequed, but sometimes life happens and what do you do."

Blaze shrugged his shoulders. "That's the thing isn't it?" He sighed heavily. "Look, I've been angry at you for so long because you left us, but I don't want to feel that way anymore."

Alan blinked confused. "Blaze…" He started to say, but got interrupted when the older teen pulled him into a hug. He froze up for a second before he relaxed and embraced him back.

"I'm sorry," Alan whispered. "I never meant to leave you guys behind or forget you. Life's just a witch."

Blaze only chuckled lightly and pulled back, but not fully letting go of him. "Yeah, I know. But I'm glad that you found a place that you feel safe and people that makes you happy. Which is why I'm telling you to go."

Hearing that response made time stand still or at least it did in Alan's mind anyways, because his first brother since he was taken away from the Tracys' was asking him to leave him behind and he was supposed to be okay with that and do as he says. Was he really that stupid that he thought that he would abandoned him once again after what happened the last time?

Whatever was going on in the older teen's head, he obviously knew what exactly he thought about the subject since he said softly afterwards, "I know what you're thinking, and no you can't talk me out of it, even with your super special charm of yours, because you need to keep your promise to that kid and get out of here alive. And I will do anything in my power so that you don't have to break that promise."

Alan shook his head. "No-no-no. You can't be serious! I won't leave you!"

"Look, kid, you have so many people who loves you and cares about you. You need to go back to them. You need to go back and take care of Renée, making sure she gets completely out of the game and give her the same fresh start that you had."

Tears were building up in the corner of his eyes, threatening to stream down his cheek like a waterfall. He continued to shake his head. "Please…don't ask me to do this. I don't want to lose you."

And for the first time he smiled since the conversation started and replied as raw and sincerely back, "And I don't want to lose you. So let me make up by being strong and protect you one last time."

He didn't want to do it, but no matter how many times he asked and begged him there was no way he would change his mind. And they didn't have more time to discuss this because otherwise they both would end up as barbequed steaks. So with a heavy heart he pulled away from the older teen. Blaze gave him one last reassuring smile, with eyes that were glowing with pride and love, and said, "Goodbye, Alan. My little brother."

Alan turned away after that and began running away from Blaze, the bomb and everything and headed towards the exit and safety. As his feet dragged him towards the warmth and safety that the outside world provided he ignored every part of his body and soul that was screaming at him to stop and don't leave behind his family. It was hard and heart breaking to do it, but he kept on convincing himself the several reasons why he shouldn't turn around and get killed along with Blaze. When he finally reached the exit the explosion happened and the impact from the explosion blew him off his feet and then everything went black.

Remembering the events that brought pain and heart break over someone he considered as an older brother, even though he had several brother figures before, but losing one of them was a horrible and suffocating pain that he wasn't sure he had the strength to bare now or any time soon. Nonetheless he had to opened his eyes and face reality, especially since he could practically feel the gazes on him and the annoying hovering over him. So he sighed heavily on the inside and slowly and carefully opened his eyes.

The first thing his eyes gazed upon was a boring white ceiling. Then his gaze turned downwards to see the hospital room and its current visitors. It shouldn't have surprised him, it really shouldn't have, but it surprised him anyway to see Jem, Haley, Fermat and the whole Tracy clan sleeping on every space that was available. Honestly, he didn't know what to think about the image he was seeing, but the image of a huge group managed to fit all together in one tiny hospital room was still hilarious to watch.

He moved slightly in the bed, suddenly feeling the numbness coursing through his body that literally made him groan, which ultimately were loud enough to awaken everyone in the room since Jem opened his eyes and said with the biggest relief that he has ever heard from his adoptive brother's mouth. "Alan? You're awake?"

Unable to form words in his mouth, Alan simply nodded his head and began feeling the tiredness that came along with the numbness from the drugs. Urgh, he absolutely hated hospitals and hospital drugs, he thought to himself annoyed before he turned his attention back on all of his visitors who hovered and began talking all around with him. His mind still lingered on Blaze and his death, but somehow talking and listening to his growing family eased the pain slightly. He was aware there was a lot of things that needed to be mended and talked about, but being around all of these people gave him a tiny hope that everything was going to be all right despite the tricks of terror life had thrown his way.

Things didn't magically fix itself and make all the worlds problems disappear despite his wishes, because reality wasn't as easy or wonderful as one wished it to be. Still he had to deal with the FBI, Blaze's death, the Golden Cobra's destruction and the whole mess with his family tree. The feds seemed to be focused on having him as well as Renée to act as consults for the FBI, especially since that was the only good option except for going to jail for his past crimes as a kid. It was unbelievable that they would do such a thing to a couple of kids who didn't know any better at the time and had no other means of escape the life. But then again this was the government we're talking about.

As for his family issues well…it was complicated, but in some ways fun to watch since the Cassidy's, mainly Jem, butted-heads with his biological father and Scott about his up bringing as well as custody issue.

Alan found easier to slip into the safe retreat called Fermat, silently talking and apologizing for how he had managed to get himself caught up in this screwed up past and now had the front-row seat to even more screwed up issues with his life. His best friend, bless his good soul, forgave and forgotten everything and only asked to be given the same in return, which he for one had no problems giving.

His other older brothers, including Virgil, turned out to be a blast to be around if you counted out the guilty looks on their faces. His father was the same as well, which made Alan feel even crabbier about himself than he already was, because none of what happened to him were their faults and he for one didn't blame them. Not when he heard how they had believed he had died and took his death really hard just as they did with mom.

Still he enjoyed himself in their company, even with the guilty looks and sometimes awkwardness they tended to exhibit around him. In honest opinion he had no idea where his life was heading at this point, and he didn't care either way because anything was better than living in a horrible life as master criminal, but he was going to keep the promises he gave both to his best friend and to his fallen brother. He was going to stay with the people who loved and cared for him and meet the world in whichever shape it came in. After all that's what Tracy men do, right?

.

.

.

That's it, I think. End of the story. Thank you for the response I have been receiving, hope you guys like this chapter.

I'm sorry that this chapter is short, but in the end I didn't have any good ideas how to end the story besides this. And then there was the fact that I'm currently busy with my exams, so I thought that I might as well end it before I ruined the whole thing completely.

With that said, please please please continue giving me reviews, favorite and/or followings. And I will once again thank you for the love and support I have received from all of you for this story.

xXrebelgirl07Xx