Fonziebirds: Trouble With Tracys

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 31: Trials and Terrors

Fonzie watched as his father and Jennifer embraced. Smiling broadly, he noticed with joy the change wrought on his dear friend. She was standing tall and proud again and she had truly met his and Howard's eyes. Always before, she would look around them, but never directly into another person's eyes. She was gaining back her self-esteem and worth. Looking back on the pair still locked in an embrace, he noticed her sharp blue gaze piercing him. Grinning widely, he gave her thumbs up and nod which carried more meaning then words could have at that moment. Brown eyes crinkled and she minutely bowed her head in thanks.

A siren split the stillness and contentment of the two rooms. Howard hopped over to his desk, closely followed by Jennifer. Fonzie was already turned away, attempting to ascertain the problem. Slapping the intercom, he radioed his younger brother.

"Fonziebird 5 to Richie. Please respond as soon as possible….This is International Rescue to Richie, pick up immediately," Fonzie waited in breathless silence for several minutes. "Come on, Rich." he muttered to himself. "Answer."

Suddenly, the control room of the space station was filled with the frantic voice of the second youngest son.

"Fonz, Fonz, do you copy? Come in, Fonziebird 5!"

"Rich, I'm here. What's your status? Why did the emergency siren go off?"

"Fonz, there's been a cave in! We were hoisting the dad to safety with Potsie being the last to leave. As soon as the dad was to safety, the ground moved and the hollow the family had been in just gave way! We're removing the rubble now…but, Fonz…I don't think…"

"Just keep at it, Rich; it's all you can do. Keep me posted. Let me know the minute you clear that area."

"F.O.N.Z." Fonzie watched as his brother's face winked off the screen. The pain the young face had held… Punching another button, he radioed based.

"Dad, I've got some bad news."

Fingers drummed the consul in front of the seated man. It had been thirty minutes since his brother's last contact and for Fonzie, that was twenty-nine minutes too late. When the alarm sounded, it barely made it through one beep before he hit the connection button.

"Rich, what's your status?" The words were out of his mouth before he caught sight of his younger brother's face. The golden brown skin that hinted at the amount of exposure he allowed himself in the tropical sun was now a deathly white. His eyes were wide and rounded with a look of horror. "Rich, what is it?" The eyes fixed on him as incomprehension and sorrow swirled and merged in them. Gradually, the blank look cleared and the wide eyes locked onto Fonzie's.

"We, uh, cleared the rubble out of the area."

"And Potsie?" Swallowing visibly, the younger man swept the question away with a loss of eye contact.

"We found a connecting tunnel to another cave. By the look of things, Potsie was dragged into the second cave either right before or during the cave in."

"Who'd be down there? Richard, where is Warren?"

"Um…Fonz? Can you put me through to Dad? I don't think I can say this more than once."

Fonzie quickly made the connection and filled Howard in on the information Richie had notified him on before. Howard and Jennifer traded a worried glance. Both could tell by Richie's face that the information was not going to be good. Could Potsie be…? Howard could not help but remember a similar event not that many months before. Was this a repeat?

"Dad…we went into the second cave. We found Potsie's watch and his pack laid neatly in a corner, waiting for us. On top was a note." Richie was fighting a losing battle against the tears that were flooding his eyes. "It was from the Candy Man…" Two sharp intakes of breath could be heard from the two men listening to the report. Jennifer, on the other hand, had backed away from the screen; her gaze wandering aimlessly around the room before lighting on the picture of Potsie that hid the lift to Fonziebird's hanger. Walking slowly, almost dreamlike, she made her way over to it brushing it with her fingers.

Howard left his chair and hobbled over to her. Lightly touching her shoulder, he searched the side of her face.

"Jennifer?" He watched as her mouth opened and closed over and over again. As he watched, he began to realize her lips were moving, as if she were trying to form words that would not come. Her breath swept her teeth whistling out to form a hiss. Her eyes never wavered from the picture as tears sprang up and over the clenched muscles around her eyes. Her breath began to catch forming a guttural sound after the hiss. Her whole body shook as if she were locked in some desperate, unseen battle. "Jennifer!"

Oh, she was fighting! It had to come out; He had taken everything else from her. She would not let him have Potsie! He would not have her! It first came out as a whisper, as the unused muscles protested the sudden use, but rapidly grew into an uncontrollable shriek.

"Potsie…Potsie…Potsie…POTSIE, POTSIE, POTSIE! NOOOOO, POTSIE!" As her body crumpled, Howard tried to support her fall, leading only to both of them ending up on the floor. Burying her head in his chest, she let the sobs overcome her as she moaned out his name over and over again. Howard was torn between pure fear for his eldest son and pure delight that this girl who had become like a daughter to him had finally said a word. Slowly rocking her back and forth while rubbing her heaving back, he turned to the screen.

"Fonzie, keep us informed, will you? And Richard, join your brothers in their search. Don't worry, boys, we'll find him."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad. We'll keep you informed. Fonziebird 5 out."

Ralph and Al were using the scanners on Mobile Control to search for heat sources in the surrounding area, ones that could possibly be human ones. After factoring out the number of rescuers and rescuees, they began scanning within a range of fifteen miles. Al assured Ralph that no vehicles had left the scene and he doubted that they were further then ten to fifteen miles away from the rescue scene.

"Guys, have you found anything yet? Like a sign saying Potsie is held here?" Ralph grimaced.

"Cute, Rich. Real cute. Do you think this is the best time to be kidding around?"

"Tense situations always are." Before the two brothers added physical attacks to the verbal assaults, Al was saved by the scanner.

"Heat scans have picked up four or more sources clumped together about eight miles from here. Here, let me show you on the map," Pressing two buttons brought up a map overlay. "They're not too far off the highway. Probably lying low until everyone leaves." Ralph was moving before Al could finish his sentence.

"Right, let's get going. Potsie's not gonna stay one minute longer in their clutches then I can help."

Howard sat next to the sobbing girl, cradling her head in his shoulder. Running his hand through her cut off hair, his mouth twitched up. He remembered another incident with this hair.

Howard walked in the door and sighed as it closed behind him. It had been a horrible day at work. His accountant had found an error in the bookkeeping and one of his plants was behind in a commission from the government. Opening his eyes, he found Marion watching him. With a wane smile, he reached out and hugged her. After a quick embrace, she pushed him to arms length.

"You need to have a talk with our son and your daughter." Howard heaved a huge sigh.

"What have Potsie and Jennifer done now?"

"Oh, you have to see it. My description can't do it justice." Smiling, evilly in Howard's opinion, she walked away. So much for peace and my home, sweet home. thought Howard. He headed for his second eldest's room where he was sure he would find his son and Jennifer Danvers, his best friend's daughter, happily entertaining themselves with total destruction. Opening the door, he looked down at the two conspirators playing with planes. Howard had to chuckle to himself. Of course his son would not be normal and play with cars. He would have to play with planes and swear at six years of age that he would be flying the fastest ones of them. And of course, Jennifer would follow him. They were just two peas in a pod. Looking down, he caught his son's eyes just as they were raised.

"Hi, Daddy." Jennifer's innocent brown eyes raised up, mirroring the slightly hesitant air that surrounded his son as well.

"Hello, you two. No need to act innocent with me. My mole, Marion has told me you two criminals were up to something today. Care to spill the beans here, or do I need to bring you down to the station and grill you!" The station, or the kitchen, was an old game the two adult Tracys had played with their sons and Jennifer. They never let their kids get away with anything but they had sworn long ago not to intimidate them into telling them. They wanted to make sure the children felt comfortable coming to them and admitting their guilt. It had always worked so far.

The two children giggled but Howard saw them exchange glances. Finally, Jennifer stood up and came over to him. Taking off the baseball cap that had been seated firmly on her head, she let her ruined hair fall down to her ears, chin and shoulders, depending on the length. Howard's keen eyes saw that his wife's shears had been put to "good" use. Keeping his expression neutral, he gently grasped the young girl's chin in his hand and turned the small head first to one side and then the other.

"Hum, ahhh, I see. Well, Jennifer who was your barber 'cause they did a really terrible job with your hair," She gave him a sheepish grin. "Okay, what were you doing and how bad should I punish you?"

"Potsie and I kinda…well…were trying to beat these two other guys in a fight and…well…one of them didn't really play very fair. He grabbed my hair and twisted it really hard. I couldn't get away and it hurt so bad! Potsie tried to get him off me but he held on until my hair just kinda…came apart. We ran and came back to the house but my hair looked kinda…funky. So, S…I thought we could…fix it with some scissors."

"So…let me guess the rest. You and Potsie came into the house through the sewing room window and found Marion's shears sitting ready for use on a table. Potsie was the one to give you your…unique trim and when you realized the great idea was not working out quite the way you thought it would, you hid it under the cap. Would that be just about right?" By this time, Jennifer's co-conspirator had joined her in front of Howard.

"Yes, Sir." both chorused. Both were staring at the floor, their young faces lined with the thought of the punishment for their "bright idea" and the fight they had gotten into.

"Okay, well let's get you two to the judge for your ruling," Leading two very sorry children down the hall, Howard marched them through the kitchen and into the den where Marion was waiting. "Sweetheart, we've got two very repentant criminals that need their sentences given." Merry blue and brown eyes attempted to look stern but utterly failed.

"Well, let's see. I rule that Jennifer come with me on errands. We've got a short stop to make at the hairdressers," Jennifer sighed and shuffled her shoes. She hated sitting still in that seat and having the ladies cooing all around her. "As for Master Warren, I think some time in the chair is called for until his father and I have a chance to talk further on his punishment. The rest of Jennifer's will be up to Mr. and Mrs. Danvers." The rest of the day went pretty much the way Marion had said. After Jennifer returned from the hairdressers with a distinctly shorter hairstyle, she joined Potsie in a seat facing the wall.

Howard was in his office, thinking of ways to tell Danvers why his daughter's hair was noticeable shorter when a knock on the door halted his train of thought.

"Come in," The door opened and closed by itself. That limited the number of people it could be to two. A small head peaked it's way around the side of the desk. "Hello, Ralph. I haven't seen you all day. How are you doing, Son?" The small boy came beside his father's chair and waited. Howard knew something was going on because usually his sensitive son would be holding his hands up, expectantly, ready to be seated on his father's lap. "Is something wrong, Ralph?"

The young boy nodded. Climbing up onto his father's lap, he looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Why did you punish Potsie and Jennifer?" Howard's father senses shot straight up. Something was up.

"Why do you ask? Do you know something?" Wide eyes dropped down to small, clutched hands then moved back up to the kindly brown eyes regarding him.

"Potsie and Jennifer got into the fight 'cause of me. The bad boys were being mean." Hugging his son close to him, Howard allowed a proud smile to rest on his mouth. His son and friend's daughter had stood up for young Ralph and done their best to protect him.

That evening found Danvers being greeted with a daughter with much shorter hair then she had originally had and two parents relaying to him the good reasons for the change. Before she left for the night, Howard gathered Jennifer up his arms and gave her a big hug. Running his hand through the cleaned up strands of hair, he breathed a thank you for helping his youngest son.

As the memory faded back into the distant past, Howard looked down at the young lady who was still leaning against him. Jennifer's tears had slowed and finally stopped leaving her in that state between unconsciousness and awareness. She was not asleep but neither was she really aware of what was going on around her.

Sitting on the floor with her, Howard's gaze flew to the desk as the indicator signal turned on. Fonzie was trying to contact him. Howard's gaze ruefully rested on the slim body in his arms and back to the desk that was so far away. With a sudden idea, he grabbed his watch and contacted Fonzie.

"Fonzie. I'm rather indisposed at the time. Could you switch on the monitor from Fonziebird 5?"

"Sure thing, Dad," When Fonzie came on the screen and saw what had kept his father from the screen, he had to laugh. "Yeah, I can see where you might be 'indisposed'." Both men looked down at the woman, who had finally gained some measure of peace. "Oh, Dad! I completely forgot with all this! Ralph, Al and Rich've found Potsie!" The ecstatic father almost leapt up in his joy; before he remembered the resting woman on his legs.

"They found him? Really found him! Is he alright? Did they capture the Candy Man?" Fonzie had to smile at the battery of questions being thrown at him.

"They really found him and yeah, he's okay. He's got a good knock on the head and was groggily coming awake when the guys and Al found him. I got some bad news though. They didn't manage to capture the Candy Man. He made his escape while his hoods tried to hang onto Potsie. They got the two associates in custody but no such luck with that jerk. He got clean away." Jennifer chose this most inopportune time to regain consciousness. Wide, fearful brown eyes turned up to look into Howard's steady brown eyes.

"P-Potsie? Got c… away? Candy Man?" Tears welled up again and the father realized that she had believed the words meant the Candy Man had gotten away with Potsie. Before more tears could be shed, he shook his head.

"No, Jennifer darling. Potsie's fine. Ralph and the rest got him back for us. They weren't able to capture the Candy Man and turn him over to the authorities but in my mind, that's a small price to pay for having Potsie back."

A smile of pure radiance beamed up at him.

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 32: To Speak or Not to Speak

A tired and sore Potsie slumped against the restraining straps in the copilot seat of Fonziebird 2. Heavy lidded eyes kept focusing on the slim, silver ship cruising beside the big green giant. Ralph, after checking wind speed and flight pattern, turned to his brother; he could see how worn out his older brother was.

"I'm so glad we got you back, Pots. I don't think me or any of the others could take another disappearance like last time." Potsie smiled tiredly.

"I'm glad you got me back too, Ralphie. I don't wanna ever go through anything like that again! I just want to get home. The way Dad was, I can't help but think that a storm was brewing between him and Jennifer."

"Yeah, Fonzie made mention that something had gone on." Potsie said nothing but only straightened his spine and furrowed his brow.

Because of the faster speed capability of Fonziebird 1, Richie was the first to make it back to the island. After running post-flight checks and shutting down all systems, he made his way through the maze of halls and lifts until he made it to his father's office. He was just about ready to throw himself onto the sofa when a look from his father staid him. Sighing down at his torn dusty uniform, he semi-collapsed onto the floor and positioned his legs Indian style. Howard looked down at his second youngest son with concern.

"Rough job?" The jokester's spirit revived for a moment.

"That could be one interpretation." The older man allowed a slight smile at the sarcastic answer.

"The rest on their way?"

"Yeah, Fonziebird 2 was right behind me. Ralph's probably being overly cautious. 'We've been too rough on you today, old girl. Let's take it slow and easy; wouldn't want to hurt you,'" Richie heard a snort of laughter come from behind him. Sluggishly turning his head, he caught sight of Jennifer seated haphazardly on the sofa, a small smile still hovering over her lips. A baseball cap was seated firmly on her head. "Was pretty good, wasn't it? Hey, Jennifer, glad to see you all in one piece. You and Dad didn't go at each other's throats while we were gone, did you?" The two quickly stifled sheepish looks told him everything he needed to know. "You're not serious? You and Dad actually argued about something?" Before either could answer the charges levied against them, the com sounded.

"Saved by the com," Richie heard his father mutter as he flipped the switch to answer his third born. "Reading you loud and clear, Fonziebird 2."

"I'm on final approach, Base. All clear?" Howard quickly checked the radar around the island making sure there were no aircraft or ships in the vicinity.

"All clear, Fonziebird 2. See you both when you land."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad. Fonziebird 2, over and out." With in a few minutes, the occupants of the room heard the low rumble as the huge green ship came in for a landing and taxied into the underground hanger. Seconds later, the lift doors for Potsie and Ralph flew up and two tired men stumbled out of the tubes. Collapsing on the floor next to Richie, the two men crossed their legs like school boys and leaned against the desk. Jeff studied his two older sons who were one step away from snoring against the hard wooden desk.

"Potsie, how are you doing?" Blue eyes opened for a moment and regarded their father for one brief moment then closed as the shoulders raised in a deep sigh.

"I'm alive and home. Anything more is asking for miracles." Howard continued to gaze at his second eldest son until Potsie opened one eye and glared at his father.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay. The Candy Man didn't catch me this time."

"Can someone tell me what happened?" Ralph's eyes flew open and glared at his father.

"I'll tell you what happened. A family of four was needlessly put at risk 'cause some bozo's after us. The Candy Man created this whole rescue so he could capture one of us. At least one person almost died because of us!" Howard was shaking his head before his son finished.

"What the Candy Man does isn't our fault, Ralph. I hate that he involved those innocent people too but are we going to stop all the good we do just because of this one mad man?" The three men sitting around him glanced at each other and then shook their heads. Despite everything, the Tracy family was totally committed to International Rescue. The thought of one person losing their lives because they refused to leave their island retreat to give aid was too horrible to consider.

Before Howard could continue the debriefing, Potsie staggered to his feet.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I'd be able to contribute to this meeting a lot more if I were cleaner." He watched as his father's gaze rested on each of the exhausted young men.

"Get on out of here. Shower and get your butts back here as soon as you can. I'll admit, the ambiance of the room will be much better after you three leave." Richie, the eternal jokester, could not allow his father to get away with such a statement.

"I don't know, I think this room could use our air freshener. There's nothing better then good, honest sweat."

"Honest maybe but good is a bit of a stretch." Six pairs of eyes flew to the corner of the room where Jennifer lounged on the couch by the window. Blinking back at them, she stood and made her way over to where Potsie stood, halfway to the door and the bliss of a shower. Hesitantly, he took a step towards her.

"Did, did you just…I mean, it sounded just like you used t…but of course it can't be. I'm just really tired right now, that's all." Jennifer smile grew and, so it seemed to Potsie, took on a mischievous air.

"What did you think I said?"

"I thought you joked about what Rich said."

"Oh, you mean honest maybe "but good is a bit of a stretch?"" Potsie felt his eyes widen while he was struck dumb with shock. Al had assured them that there was no physical damage to her vocal cords. They all knew how strong Jennifer's will was, Howard had told her many times that what she had was the old western grit-to the point of bull-headed stubbornness at times. Potsie had killed any seed of hope in him that Jennifer might break through the mental block she had built around herself but now hearing her speak made him feel…nothing. He just stood there in shock.

"Potsie?" He focused on the hesitant face, the shinning blue eyes regarding him with a question hidden in their depth. He saw that his silence worried her; that she was waiting for him to acknowledge her miracle. Abruptly, he grabbed her in his arms and gave her a bone-crushing hug. Happily, she returned it. They remained in that position for sometime, with the rest of the family waiting, joyfully watching the scene play out in front of them.

Finally, Potsie pulled away and regarded his friend with a sharp eye.

"When did this happen? Is it all of a sudden or have you been hiding it from me?" She shook her head.

"I…never…from you." She frowned and rested a hand on her throat. Her voice had worked fine before then suddenly it was hoarse and about to give out.

"Jennifer, what is it? What's wrong?" Shaking her head, she tried to tell him what was wrong but nothing came out. Agitated, Jennifer grasped her shoulders sharply. He gazed worriedly at her, watching her panic rising. "Dad, get Al! Maybe he can figure out what's wrong."

After a hasty call to his phone, the paged man came running into the room. Stopping right beside the young woman, he pulled out a penlight aimed it into her mouth.

"Hummmm, ooooh yes. That could ex-explain it. Would you move down to the clinic? I'd like to have you undergo some tests." Howard rose from his seat and hobbled over to the trio.

"What do you think it is, Al? Will she…can she still…"

"Of course, Mr Tracy! I don't know for sure but my hypothesis is that because the voice muscle hasn't been used for a while; it's atrophied. She'll be able to tell to her heart's content all she wants." Jennifer turned a half questioning, half glower to Potsie. He grinned.

"I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me." Everyone laughed even Jennifer as the tension from the rescue eased with the sound of Jennifer's laughter.

"Well, you're making sounds now. My advice'd be to start slow. I know you want to make up for lost time but you're going to have to work out the muscle. I'd give it till the end of the week, maybe into next week and you'll be jabbering like a parrot." The two Tracys and Jennifer hid smiles at the ruined simile. She nodded and took the spray that would numb her throat when it grew sore from overuse. "By the way, I think the Green Bay Packers won the baseball game in 1957." Potsie raised his eyebrows at this change in subject and then noticed the hat gracing the head of his friend.

"Jennifer, I thought you cheered for the Springfiedl Isotopes? You finally pick the right team," Her look spoke volumes for her saying: "Packers, the right team? In your dreams!" He reached for the bill to pull it off her head but she slide off the table landing in a defensive crouch. With one hand, she made an insolent "come on" motion and raised one eyebrow. Potsie laughed and mimicked her. They stood for several minutes watching and gauging each other. Howard watched amused while Al stared with a worridly puzzled gaze on his face; he had not been privy to the early years of these two as Howard had. Suddenly, Potsie spun and high kicked at Jennifer's head. Ducking, she slid to one side and attacked his open left side. Spinning, he blocked and let his right hand follow through with an attack on the back of her head. Lurching forward, she turned her fall into a controlled leap over his head using her momentum and his shoulders to launch her over. Al, who had been stammering out a warning about delicate equipment, stopped mid-syllable.

Howard leaned over and whispered "Impressive, isn't it? They've been learning different styles together since…well, I can't remember when they started. Pretty young, though. They know precisely what they're doing; neither your equipment or any of us is in any danger." They continued to watch the strange ballet taking place in front of them as the two opponents laughed and goaded one another. Finally, Potsie hooked one leg around Jennifer's ankle and brought her down. The baseball cap went flying leaving the woman lying breathless with her ragged hair spilled out around her head.

Potsie's gaze turned from humor to puzzlement and then suddenly, his face dissolved into helpless laughter.

"It looks like you're no better a barber then I! When did you do it?"

"After your dad yelled at me." The croaked out words would have been humorous if they were not so startling.

"Dad yelled at you? Over what?"

"My cowardice."

"You! A coward? Never!"

"Yes, I've been…" a brief cough broke off her sentence. "I allowed the Candy Man too much power over me and this," she pointed to her hair. "was the first step in breaking that control."

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 33: Changes

Potsie sat back from the computer screen, clicked his mouse once and sighed with relief. It had taken two days but he had finally finished his report on the Moscow incident. A bomb had been planted in a bank while hostages had been tied up inside. The terrorists were going to set off the bomb if their demands were not met. They also threatened to set it off prematurely if anyone tried to get too close. The Fonziebirds had used their equipment and machines to set down on the roof of the building undetected and infiltrate the building. A few hours later, it was all over; the bomb defused, the hostages rescued and freed and the bad guys turned over to the police.

We couldn't have done it without Jennifer though. He ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled thinking back on the hard mission. Knowing that he and his sons would be needed inside, Howard had agreed for Jennifer to run the equipment set up on the roof and monitor the operatives and the heat signatures of the people, both hostile and friendly, inside. She had been superb and had saved at least three of the brother's lives with her quick contacts concerning the movement of the hostiles. Things could have gone a lot differently if she had not been there.

Stretching, he logged off and meandered down the hallway, no particular destination in mind. When he heard racing footsteps, he waited till the last possible moment then spun around and caught the unsuspecting brother off guard. Looking down at Richie's surprised face, he laughed.

"Where's the fire, Rich?"

"No fire, bro. Just something you might want to see." Potsie allowed his younger brother to lead him down to the training room. When he saw the simulation booth was in use, he turned on his leader.

"What's going on, Richie?" Grinning, the young man gestured to the screen showing the progress of the participant.

"See for yourself." Moving closer to the plasma screen, Potsie watched as Fonziebird 1 executed a difficult maneuver trying to outrun and out fly the missile directly behind it. Tapping one part of the screen, he changed the picture to the interior of the sim capsule. He watched as the pilot flipped the control almost 180 degrees sending the ship into a controlled dive straight down to the ground below. Right before the point of no return, they banked right and barely cleared the tree tops. After several minutes of death-defying stunts, the missile detonated in the ocean and Fonziebird 1 soared off home.

Stepping out of the way as the door slowly lifted up, Potsie grinned at the pilot.

"Hope you never have to actually do any of those stunts you pulled. Dad'd have a fit." Jennifer smiled.

"More like you would. I know how protective you are of her. You'd kick me from here to tomorrow if I did anything to harm your 'bird." They both smiled as Richie enjoyed a large laugh at Potsie's expense.

"That was pretty fancy flying, though. You didn't tell me you were practicing." Jennifer looked slightly embarrassed.

"I…I just thought that I should be ready in case you ever needed an extra pilot." Potsie watched as his usually sure friend sheepishly looked away as her dream was given voice. He knew how much she loved flying but had obviously not been able to indulge that love for several years. Clapping a friendly hand on her shoulder, he laughed.

"Just don't show dad that tape or I'll be out of a job."

"Yeah, right." The sim chamber reverberated with laughter.

The next day, Potsie gave his dad the look at breakfast. Howard nodded and then turned back to his conversation with Al. In the Tracy family, everyone knew the look when it was given to them. It was a way to communicate the need to talk to that person without everyone knowing. Potsie used this non-verbal communication technique often with his father and Ralph because he had never wanted his younger brothers to worry about what he might be wanting to talk about or trying to listen in, in case it might pay to hear some juicy tidbit. He knew his brothers well.

After breakfast, Howard retired to his office to work on Tracy Enterprises and Fonziebirds paper work. Roughly an hour of decent work time later, the door slide open to reveal his second eldest son. Spinning slowly around to face him, Howard favored Potsie with one long, measured look. Nodding to the couch, he shifted his chair till it faced that corner of the room.

"You've got something you need to tell me, Potsie."

"Yeah. Dad, we've both been discussing how IR has been growing. With more and more people trusting us and believing in us, we've had a record number of calls. And as much as I hate to admit it, often on those rescues we've needed at least one other pair of hands." Howard sighed.

"I know, Potsie and I agree with you. But we started this operation as a family organization and I just can't agree to losing that."

"I don't think we should. I think if the Fonziebirds cease to be our family, we'll loose our edge, our ability to work so well together and carry out these successful rescues."

"Then what do you suggest, Potsie?" The younger man leaned forward slowly and steepled his fingers together.

"Let Jennifer become one of us." Potsie had prepared himself for a storm, for an explosion, for anything but what he got. Jeff stared at him for several minutes then swiveled back to face his desk. Glancing at the video link between the base and Fonziebird 5, he nervously grabbed a pile of papers and began shuffling them into a neat stack. Suddenly, he looked down and realized that he was mixing a labor report and the financial report for two separated Tracy Enterprises factories. Hastily setting them aside, he turned back to his expectant son.

"Believe it or not, Potsie, I've thought hard over that very thought. I know she'd be a great addition to the organization. She's got many qualifications, some which would be of great use to us in dangerous situation that would require both of your military backgrounds. But I just can't ask it of her. Potsie, as much as I, you and everyone else on this island wants her to stay, she's free to leave and regain a life of her own. Can any of us ask her to give up the life she's definitely got due to her? Can we do that to her after all she gone through?" The young man could not look at his father after those reasons. He knew his father was right, but could he or any of them, for that matter, bare to loose Jennifer after they had finally found her? Finally, he steadily and firmly raised his gaze and met his father's.

"I think we should keep it in the family."

The weeks flew by and before any of the inhabitants of the island base knew it, Chachi, Joanie and Gina were back at home for Christmas break. Howard flew the whole organization to the States to buy a large full evergreen tree for their Christmas tree. That night found them all enjoying hot cocoa while trimming the tree. Jennifer laughingly admitted that it would take a bit of getting use to with an evergreen on a tropical island; why there would not even be any snow. The passing of days found the mountain of presents multiplying faster then a family of rabbits. The door to the lounge was soon kept under lock and key as Richie had discovered how amusing it was to hide the various presents around the house and wait to see how soon it took for anyone to notice. His plan had been to keep them hid till Christmas morning but the elder Tracy brothers and Jennifer had not grown up with him for nothing. Oh yes, Fonzie was finally home for some R&R. To make sure that none of the Tracy boys had to miss Christmas, the various machines of Fonziebird 5 had been set on automated for a few days.

The day Fonzie came down from the space station, he took a walk along the beach to a rocky point. The afternoon sun was shining brightly as he picked his way across the mismatch of rock and sand. There he found Jennifer where he knew she would be. When he came up to the side of the rock she was seated on, she made no sound but made room for him. Sitting beside her, he let his gaze move to horizon, far away in the distance. He loved being up among his stars but nothing could compare to an ocean's horizon. The distance seemed everlasting and the beauty of the waters unparalleled. He turned back to Jennifer, only to find her gaze cemented on him. Smiling slightly, he raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

"I was just thinking how beautiful your hair looked. Not now, Captain Duckhead! But before when it had that short back and sides look," Fonzie looked down, sheepishly. Jennifer, realizing how the words had come out, quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Fonz. It's just that so much has changed. Chachi was…so very, very young when I last saw all of you. You, Potsie and Ralph have grown into fine young men, graduated and…oh, I don't know! I sometime feels like I stood still while the rest of the world fast forwarded around me! I feel…lost."

Fonzie was silent as his friend vented her feelings. He had often been in this role after the cornfield episode. While Potsie was her best friend, Fonzie was her listener and occasionally, her comforter. He had held her as she cried at her best friend's funeral in high school. He had gone with her to the gym and held the bag as she punched her frustrations with her father out on the defenseless bag. The elder Tracys and Jennifer had long been each others confidants and comforters. Fonzie vented to Potsie, Potsie vented to Jennifer, Jennifer to Fonzie, Ralph to all three and all three to Ralph. It was ironic to the point of humor at times the movement of feelings and news within their small group. Fonzie smiled softly to himself at that thought but focused his attention on his friend.

"…You were lost, Jennifer. You were lost to us, lost to the world. But you held on, brought not only Potsie back to us but finally yourself," Both knew he was referring to her recent ordeal and newly discovered ability to speak. "You shoulda told us before that you felt this way. We've been actin' as if nothin's happened but…everything has." Fonzie's words tapered off with Jennifer's hand rested on his arm.

"No, it's okay, Fonz. I want to be treated the same. No matter what he did to me, he did not take away sis Danvers," A small smile. "I just…I guess it's the holiday. Do you remember how we used to celebrate it?" Fonzie nodded as his smile grew wider. Yes, he certainly did remember. The Danvers and Tracys would nearly always eat together. The men would laugh and joke together while the women, in Marion's words, "stood each other." The Tracy kids and Jennifer had no problem waging total destruction on a normal day so in the midst of holiday spirits and too much sugar and unusual food, they would wreak devastation on the same par as world war. After the massive desolation, the kids would be rounded up and open presents. By then, the Danvers had generally had enough and would depart leaving their crushed daughter with her all but adoptive family for the rest of the Christmas holiday. She had always bounced back and enjoyed the time but Fonzie and the others could tell it was bittersweet for her.

"I…miss them," Fonzie's head snapped around to stare at his friend. The setting sun had stretched a shadowy hand across her face, shielding her scars, face and pain-filled eyes from his view. Her gaze was riveted on the fiery horizon. He could think of no words to say so he waited for her to continue. He did not have to wait long. "I never thought I would. Michael, well sure, he was my baby brother and I loved him. I…I'd always bring him something whenever I got leave. He…he always carried the small model of my jet." Fonzie followed the track of a single tear as it fell to her cheek, slowly and steadily it marked a path down her skin before it pooled and sank to the ground. "I miss my mom even after all the biting comments and ignoring me. And…Danvers." She gathered her knees close to her chest and rested her forehead gently on them. Her next words were muffled but they were meant to be heard. "He died…because of me. He died because I was in the Air Force. He died because I was too stupid to check my back. He died…" Here she could not go on, her words had risen to a shriek and her breaths stolen by sobs.

Fonzie at first was at a lost. His brothers very rarely broke down; besides, he was usually too far away to do any good anyway. But here was one of his best friends, a sister in all but name for many years who had opened up to him in a way she never had before, not even to Potsie. Fonzie hesitated only a moment longer, then moved quickly to enfold his friend in his embrace. As he held the shaking body in his arms, he wondered what he could say; how he could take away some of this guilt and pain that was eating away at her heart. Jennifer laced her long fingers into his jacket and held on as if it would destroy her to let go. Her sobs grew harder and harder until she could hardly draw breath. Concerned, Fonzie murmured kind inconsequential phrases trying desperately to calm her down.

Suddenly, in the middle of this scene of drama, Fonzie's watch communicator beeped, signaling one of the Tracys was trying to reach him. Glancing down at the figure now slightly calmer, he then glanced back desperately at his still beeping watch. He did not want to move Jennifer or in anyway break the mood and scene. However, he knew his father or brother would expect him to answer soon; he did not want to cause them undue worry.

"You should answer that," The statement was muffled by the speaker's face being pressed into his jacket but he still heard it. "They'll give you hell if you don't."

Smiling slightly, he answered the call. "Fonzie here. Go ahead, International Rescue."

"Potsie here. Why weren't you answering?" Fonzie traded a sheepish grimace with Jennifer and then allowed his expression to smooth out. Turning back to the watch face, he answered his younger brother.

"Sorry, Pots. I was in the middle of somethin' and was unable to answer right away. Anyway, what did you need?"

"I needed to talk to you about a you-know-what for you-know-who." Fonzie felt a smirk form on his face.

"No, Potsie. Da Fonz does not know the you-know-what for you-know-who. You mind explaining it to me in a little for rational and intelligible manner?" Potsie's deep blue eyes clouded over slightly before a bark of laughter signaled his amusement at Fonzie's words. "Meet you at the airstrip in fifteen. Potsie, over and out."

Jennifer smiled up at Fonzie before moving back to her side of the rock.

"You'd best start out now, Fonz. The airstrip's practically across the island and he didn't give you much time to get there. As is, you'll probably have to make it on a run. To get the you-know-what for the you-know-who." She favored him with a very mischievous smile. Standing up, he gave her a very graceful bow and came up grinning.

"As you say, Ma'am. This humble footservant is always here to please."

"Be gone with you and your wit!" Jennifer watched as Fonzie hurried away through the underbrush. She smiled after him until he rounded a bend and was gone. Letting her expression fall, she sighed as she pulled her knees back up to her chest. Laying her chin firmly between them, she silently berated herself for letting all her feelings spill out to Fonzie. Normally, it would not have been a problem but he had caught her at the wrong time. She had not celebrated a Christmas in many years and the season was bringing to her thoughts memories that she would have sooner left buried. It was best to leave the images that haunted her night buried deep, never spoken or thought of.

She shot straight up and began walking furiously through the jungle. Finally, she came to the vehicle she had left half a mile away from her seaside spot. As the engine came on, she gazed, unseeing, at the dashboard. She had finally gotten the last of her presents for everyone and wrapped it and set it under the tree before coming to her hideaway. Chachi's present had been the hardest to obtain with careful thought going into the gift itself. Jennifer knew Chachi was still dealing with emotions and memories from the Candy Man's first attack on International Rescue. To give him something to show himself what he could accomplish and was capable of, she gained permission from Howard to use some of the Fonziebirds imaging systems to gather pictures of Chachi fulfilling his duty as an International Rescue operative. They had also had some on record, him grinning with Ralph and Richie after his first official rescue and, Jennifer's personal favorite, Chachi next his father with one arm around the other. The youngest Tracy wore his new Fonziebirds uniform and a huge grin decorated his face. These pictures were loaded in a tiny projector which came with a large screen masquerading as a photo frame. The projector could be program to flash the pictures at different intervals and even use transitions and change colors in the images as this happened. There were two set of pictures stored in the projector. Jennifer had included a set of family and island pictures that contained nothing concerning International Rescue; Chachi could use her gift at school as well without the fear of blowing their cover.

Smiling, she slide the all terrain vehicle into gear and headed off to the house. She would have to make herself scarce when Potsie and Fonzie returned but till then she could continue her search online for a job. She could no longer be a burden to the Tracys. After Christmas she was going to set off on her own and leave all of her terrible memories behind her. Secrectly, Jennifer longed to stay with this group of people who were her family in all but name. She felt, however, that she was not pulling her weight and wanted to do something with her life.

Maybe through that, she could atone for her family's deaths.

The last few days flew by and before anyone knew it, it was Christmas Eve. The Tracy family, Jennifer, Al, Gina, Marion, Joanie, Lori Beth and Tom were all gathered in the lounge. The only light in the room was the tree's lights. This had been a Christmas tradition in the Tracy family since the boys had been very small. They would go around in a circle and each person would tell one thing that had changed for them since last Christmas. Usually the person would bring up a happy event such as graduating or going on a first date. This year, it was a little differently and yet similar tothe previous years.

Howard started them off. "I've gained a daughter." Everyone smiled over at Jennifer who ducked her head, bringing it up just in time to catch a look in Howard's eyes she could not figure out. Puzzled, she returned her attention to the rest of the group. The boys went by their ages.

"Second Astronomy book half way completed."

"New appreciation for Ralph's job." Ralph had taken the post at Mobile Control on the last rescue because of a sprain and Potsie had been the one to operate the Mole and Firefly. It had been a tough rescue for both of them, because they were both doing a job they were not the best at during an extremely trying rescue.

Ralph grinned at that one. "Three new paintings and two compositions."

"Thirty new pranks pulled off without a hitch." Nearly everyone groaned at this. Richie had been particularly mischievous the past year.

Chachi thought for a moment. He did not know what to say. This had not been a great year for him in many ways. Yet through it all, he had grown. "I feel a year older." Everyone nodded; they knew what he meant. Howard wrapped his son in a one armed hug. He flashed back to that one horrible moment when he had thought his youngest son was dead then he had felt that hope filling pulse. His gaze switched to his second eldest; his heart reliving each painful moment of Potsie's capture. So much had changed for all of them…much that they were unwilling to admit or allow themselves to feel.

Marion and Joanie went next. Marion gave her standard reply of her daughter changed every year. Blushing slightly, Joanie spoke of her lessons in scuba diving by Richie. She loved the water and had wanted to learn for so long.

Al nervously cleared his throat. He had spent much time considering what he should say but finally had decided be spontaneous. "Some of my ideas for the Fonziebirds." He made no further elaborations; after a moment, Howard nodded at him with a look that said they would discuss this latter.

Gina thought for a moment then said "Literature." Like her uncle Al, she had always excelled in math and science while doing less well in English and History. She had worked extra hard this year and had raised her marks greatly. She smiled as she was wrapped in a quick hug by her uncle.

Tom was next much to his embarrassment. "I didn't have ta use my…talents for Lori this year." Smiling, Lori Beth Creighton-Ward said "And I've got a new friend." The two young women exchanged smiles. Finally, it was Jennifer's turn.

For several minutes she could just sit there, silent. What had changed for her? What had not changed for her? How could she sum up the last few months and the difference between them and the years before? Looking up, she found she held the attention of the entire room. Shifting slightly in her chair, she glanced up at the wall length picture of the Tracy men which hide the elevators to the Fonziebirds hangers. So much had changed and yet, so very little.

Smiling, she favored each person in the room with a glance. "Speech. Freedom. And being with the only family I've ever known." Eyes glistening dangerously, she looked at Potsie, who had seen her at her worse and at Howard, who was the father her biological father had never been. "I'm thankful. That's what's changed since last Christmas."

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 34: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Rolling over, Jennifer snuggled deeper into her covers. Breathing slowed and she let out a soft sigh as her mouth fell slightly open. A slight noise intruded on her silence, but she quickly dismissed it and sunk deeper into slumber's arms. Her breathing slowed further, and soon she was in the deepest stage of sleep. A giggle drifted through her senses, and she tensed before letting out another sigh and slipping back. Another giggle, louder this time, invaded her slumber. She climbed back to conscious thought, careful not to breathe any deeper and let on her state of consciousness. Now that she was fully awake, she could hear stage whispers all around her.

"If you don't stop giggling, Chach, so help me…"

"Shut up, both of you, do you want to wake her up?"

"So, Rich. How do you plan to wake her up, Christmas morning style?"

"Better yet, how do you plan to carry it out and get away safely?"

"See this?" There was a moment's silence, then Jennifer could hear Potsie's voice clearly.

"That's cruel." Jennifer thought it would have sounded much more accusatory if he had not laughed as he said it. Fonzie wasn't much better.

"Oh, she will kill you."

"Jump through the window after you do it; that'll give you a fast getaway."

Chach, Jennifer thought. I'm gonna have to hurt you. You're getting sneaky like Richie.

"You guys ready?" Under the covers, Jennifer tensed slightly, ready for anything. The bed dipped slightly and she felt a drop of water hit her neck.

"Rich," Ralph sounded worried. "If you want this to work, I'd hold that bucket still." A bucket! Before anything more could happen, Lona shot out of the bed, hit the bottom of the bucket with her palm and somersaulted over to the other side of the bed as the water gushed all over the second youngest Tracy. Everyone dissolved into fits of laughter as Richie attempted to push away the wet hair that was plastered to his head. Richie was not quite as pleased.

"Come on, guys. It wasn't that funny." Fonzie grinned widened.

"You're right. It wasn't funny, it was hysterical!"

"I hope you're not angry, Rich." Richie grinned at the older girl grinning across the bed at him.

"Not really; actually, it was pretty damn funny." Jennifer smirked.

"Let that be a lesson to you, young man. Never interrupt an older woman's beauty sleep." Potsie caught her eye.

"Like you need beauty sleep." Ducking her head, she let a brief smile touch her lips before fixing each of them with a glare.

"Now out, all of you! If you want to open presents at a decent hour, then let me get ready." The boys glanced at each other, incomprehension written on each face.

"It's Christmas morning, Jennifer. PJs are required. Come on."

"What, what are you doing? Put me down, I'm not decent!"

"You're clothed."

"My hair's a wreak! I've slept on it all night and it's not long enough to put in a sloppy ponytail! I look horrendous!" Potsie, who was carrying her through the open doorway, looked down and smiled at her.

"You've never looked horrendous. Not even in the Candy Man's clutches." This last was said softy, so only the two of them could hear it. Looking up into his blue eyes, Jennifer read only truth and nodded.

Howard looked up from his discussion with Lori Beth on the possibility of having a network of International Rescue agents when the noise level of the room skyrocketed up 500. He had to smile as his sons raced into the room with Jennifer struggling fruitlessly in Potsie's arms. He had heard about the surprise Christmas wake up Richie had planed for the old family friend and had made sure to stay as far away from the danger zone as possible. From the looks of things, Richie had gotten the surprise rather then the intended victim. Howard watched as Jennifer was deposited on the couch with Potsie on one side and Ralph seated on the arm of the couch while Fonzie sat of Jennifer's right. Seeing the four of them together brought back so many memories of the scraps the quartet had cooked up.

"Well, whose ready for some presents?" Before anyone could answer, the leader of International Rescue continued. "No, I think those can wait for awhile. Why don't we start with that great breakfast I've been smelling for an hour. Marion, you want to serve?" Pleas and exclamations of no appetite sounded from the children including some of the older ones. Lori Beth laughed.

"Mr Tracy, how cruel! They've been tormented for weeks now. Allow the destruction of the wrapping to begin." Howard gave an elaborate and slightly teasing bow.

"Your wish is my command, Milady." Once the laughter had died down, the patriarch of the Tracy family began the distribution of the presents.

After several minutes, it was time for Jennifer's gifts. The first gift picked up by the gift giver told who would get their presents first; when they received all their presents, the next one decided who would be second. Even Howard had received his, he had been the fourth. Jennifer's presents to everyone had been particularly well received. Everyone could tell the thought that had gone into them. Chachi had favored Jennifer with a look that spoke volumes of his gratitude. Howard had loved his hand carved business card holder; and had loved it more for the tiny mended heart inside which symbolized so much. Fonzie had laughed out loud at his programmable projector that shown the night sky upon his bedroom ceiling.

"It's for here so you don't miss Thunderbird 5."

"To make it truly realistic, you should've provided a radio or a talking parrot." That had gotten a laugh out of everyone. Ralph had gotten set of records of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Richie had received 1001 Jokes to Pain your Friends With as well as various and a sundry practical joke equipment. And Potsie, he received a record. Turning it over and over in his hands, he finally could not take the suspense any longer.

"Okay. Thanks. What is it?" Jennifer and Ralph exchanged glances.

"Put it in the record player." When Potsie did, he heard his favorite Elvis Presley song in a rendition done by Ralph; then he heard a beautiful voice singing the lyrics.

"Ralph, how cool; the piano's great. But who's singing? Their voice is gorgeous." Lori Beth could not believe how professional it sounded.

"It was nothing, Lori Beth. Just me and Jennifer fooling around. We know all of Potsie's favorite Elvis songs so it was easy." Lori Beth favored the young woman with an expression akin to exasperation.

"You sing, do martial arts; tell me, is there anything you can't do?" Lori Beth smiled.

"Look good in pink." Howard had never seen Lori Beth laugh so hard. All her aristocratic dignity was lost as her face dissolved in laughter. He was even more surprised with her retort; she was defiantly becoming familiar with the family.

"Yes, it does take special qualifications."

"Well, I think the gifts have been around to all but Jennifer. Let's see what we've got for you." Jennifer's gifts from everyone were wonderful. Lori Beth gave her three outfits, none of them pink, including a sundress and a training suit. Chachi and Richie gave her a projector, just like she had given Fonzie. This projector however, was programmed to show different weather and underwater views as well as space. Fonzie gave her a lovely tooled leather journal and an old fashioned portable writing desk and set. On the first page, he had written For all the times you need to talk and someone ain't around. Ralph's gift was a record with his renditions of her favorite songs. Looking through the songs, she found one she said they had to listen to immediately. Soon everyone was rolling over the five Tracy boys singing "His Latest Flame". Then Howard handed her Potsie's present. Carefully unwrapping the colorful paper, she found a small velvet jeweler's case. Opening it, she found a locket. Engraved on the top was a heart, broken but completely mended standing in front of an open cage. Tears brushed her eyes as she held it in a tight grip. Looking over at Potsie, she smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you." His eyes answered her. He, more than any other person in the room, knew what she had gone through and what she felt.

There was only one more present under the tree and it had her name on it. Howard brought it over to her and sat down on a chair close by. The bow was undone and the paper neatly pulled apart. Lifting the lid of the box, she sat it aside and turned her attention to the contents. Peeling away a layer of tissue paper, her hands shook then stilled as her brain registered what her eyes were seeing. There in front of her was a completed set of adoption papers. Her name and information was entered as well as the Tracy's information.

Hesitantly, she picked it up and flipped through the pages. There was only one blank left; her signature.

Silence reigned over the room as she sat, head bent over the paper packet. Everyone knew what it was; everyone wanted to know what the young woman would do. Deep brown eyes raised up to meet Howard's gaze.

"Jennifer, we love you. You've always been a daughter to me and a sister to the boys. And I realize that you might want to leave us and make your own way. You don't have to accept this; we'll understand if you don't. But we'd love to welcome you officially into the Tracy family."

"Tracy Zoo's more like it." Richie chimed in. With the laughter this comment brought, the tension in the room was lessened. Trust Rich to find the humor in every situation and ease it. Jennifer thought.

Lowering her gaze back to the packet, her blurry vision winked in and out. Choices, changes…and yet, how much of a change would it be? But what of her plans to live her own life? She'd never had a chance…

Potsie watched as Jennifer made her decision. He was not about to rush her, this was a life changing moment and he did not want in anyway to influence this choice. Potsie, however, was not quite as patient; or, more likely, could not take the tension.

"If you need to go somewhere private and think things through, we'd completely understand." Brown eyes once again moved up to focus on the oldest Tracy man. Standing, she made her way over to him and knelt down beside his chair.

"I don't need any extra time and I know exactly what I've gotta do," All of a sudden, she threw her arms around Howard. "I love you, Dad."

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 35: The Tracy Family

Jennifer found her ribs being threatened by Howard's return embrace. Running his hand lightly through her hair, he continued to hold her as she dissolved into tears.

"I don't need a piece of paper to tell me what you are to me and the rest of us. But we wanted you to know, to make it official in your eyes and the eyes of the world."

"Thanks." It was not enough but words have never been invented to express how Jennifer felt at that moment.

"This is by no means a hindrance to your plans to leave…"

"Oh, no! Now that you've got me, you won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

"Well, that's good to know. There's more to your present." Jennifer looked at him, puzzled. "In the box. Check the bottom." Taking the box that Potsie had brought over, she pulled out the rest of the tissue paper and gasped. There lying in the box was a brand new International Rescue uniform sporting a badge saying JENNIFER. Looking up at her…father, she straightened her spine and saluted.

"FONZIEBIRDS ARE GO!"

After the huge lunch Marion had made, most of the inhabitants made their way to the pool for a dip in the pool. Howard, however, made his way to his bedroom and walked out onto the deck outside his window. From there, he could see his family and friends laughing and roughhousing in the pool. Smiling, he let his gaze linger on his daughter. His daughter. Those words held such a new meaning for him. Though he had always loved her as the daughter he never had, he had always been careful to not act too much like that. It had always been a tricky balancing act between Danvers and him with poor Jennifer in the middle.

Now, perhaps finally, Jennifer could get the family she always dreamed of. She certainly deserved it after all she had gone through. He had worried if he should ask her to stay with the family or let her go and live her life. In the end, though, he had to give her that choice. Selfishly, he had wanted her to stay but he wanted it to be her decision; not what he or his sons wanted. His sons…and daughter. A chuckle sounded as he remembered what had occurred in the lawyer's office.

Howard sat, outwardly calm in the lounge of his lawyer in the States. He was roughly fifteen minutes early and the secretary was glaring at him. He had scheduled the appointment a little late, but it was the only time he could do it. Kevin had seemed to understand. Howard was drawn from his thoughts by the inner door opening and divulging his long time friend, Kevin Ruthers, attorney at law.

"Howard, what brings you from your tropical hideaway to this dreary city? And how are you and your sons doing?"

"We're doing great, Kevin. The boys are getting down right lazy on me with all that lying out in the sun. I've been threatening to send them out to my companies just so I can get their lazy butts amoving!" The two friends laughed as they headed into the dark mahogany sanctum. Motioning his friend over to a comfortable leather chair situated in a corner of the room, Ruthers poured two shots of liquor and seated himself across from his friend.

"Well, Howard, what can I do for you? I don't think this is just a social call; last time I checked, you didn't need to set up appointments with my secretary to talk to me. What's going on?" Howard sighed and set his drink aside. Casting his eyes to the light colored carpet under his feet, he ran a hand through his still dark hair.

"Jennifer's alive." Raising his eyes, he was in time to see the look of disbelief mixed with joy on Kevin's face.

"You're not serious." The whispered phrase spoke volumes of his friend's emotions; emotions Howard had dealt with from the beginning.

"I am. She's been a prisoner of a…madman since before her family's deaths. She and a Fonziebirds member escaped together. The organization brought her to us. We were the only people she could think of who would take her in."

"Is she…alright?"

"She's…coping. It's been hard for awhile. She was so…scared, Kevin. You knew her. She was always in control and ready to face any situation. Now, we can't even get her to leave the island for forever. God!" By this time, Howard had left the comfortable chair and was frantically pacing the room. "I don't blame her!" Silence ruled the room for several moments. Finally, Ruthers broke the silence.

"Howard." The Tracy patriarch turned around to face his friend. "Is Jennifer okay?" Howard sank heavily back into his chair.

"Yes. We had a breakthrough a month or two ago. Something shocked her enough into speaking. She had to take it slow at first, she hadn't used her vocal cords for a while but she's making up for lost time now." A slight smile graced the worried face, softening the lines marking it.

"I'm glad she's alright and that she's alive at all. I was so shocked when I was told the Danvers were dead," Suddenly, the lawyer sat up straight. "If she has been a prisoner since the accident…it wasn't an accident, was it?"

"No." Silence once again descended on the room until Ruthers shook off the gloom that had fallen over them.

"Well, Howard, it's late and my wife will want me home before I have to come back to work. What can I do for you?"

"Kevin, I want adoption papers drawn up." At first, the lawyer did not answer, then he understood.

"Jennifer. You are going to adopt Jennifer," Howard nodded, wondering how his friend would react. "It's perfect. Let's get to work."

A few hours later found one almost completed form and an impatient secretary waiting to be a witness. Before Ruthers finished the papers, he turned to his friend.

"What about a marriage clause?"

"MARRIAGE CLAUSE!"

"Howard, you've got five boys out there and one girl who grew up with them. Her and Warren in particular were the best of friends. You can't tell me that you never pictured those two together."

"Well, yes, when they were younger. But, Kevin, she doesn't need a relationship right now; she needs a family."

"I understand that, Howard. But what if her and one of boys comes to an understanding? You've seen the media storm something like that causes when there was no clause concerning marriage between a biological child and an adopted one. If you put one in now instead of later, it would put all of you in a better light later on rather then hastily putting it in later and looking like you were covering something up. For you all, with the history between your family and Jennifer and that fact that the Tracy boys are considered extremely newsworthy, I would want to cover all your bases. But that's just my professional opinion." Howard sat for several minutes, contemplating his options. He would not have to tell anyone about the clause unless it was needed.

"Okay, Kevin. I'll take your advice. Write it in."

Howard stood, his eyes gazing unseeing at the pool where his children continued to horse around and splash everyone in the near vicinity. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Half turning his head, he found his daughter looking up at him, grinning. Sitting down beside her, he smiled back at her.

"Are the boys kicking your butt?"

“Maybe a little. Don’t tell them, but I’m just letting them win. Strengthens their ego.”

"Oh, yeah. That's it…letting them win." Howard was treated to a mock scowl before Jennifer turned her attention with a quick twist of her head to the horizon. The clear blue sky met the soft blue waves as her eyes took in all the beauty around her. The hushed tranquility around them was broken by a question that echoed the thoughts of both.

"Are you ready for this?" The younger companion sighed.

"I'm gonna have to be, aren't I?"

"I won't ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with." Deep brown eyes, snapping dangerous, met his gaze unwaveringly.

"I think I've had enough of my comfort zone. If Chachi hadn't snapped me out of it when Lori Beth was here, I'd still be a shell, probably not even able to respond to anything. I haven't left this island once," By this point, Jennifer had forsaken her chair and was pacing the small balcony. "Because I allowed that man too much power over me. If I were to see him right now, every bit of me I've fought to gain back would be gone. I know that. For four years he tortured me, body and soul." She paused for a moment, and rested her palms on the railing. Leaning with all the pressure on her palms and lower arms, she let her gaze roam over the swaying palms and bright, sandy beach. "I may not want to do this but I'm human. Since when has anything been good for us that we actually wanted to do?" A hand rested lightly on her back that still bore the marks of her imprisonment.

"You're ready."

The day after Christmas was not the let down it usually was. A freak blizzard in the north western section of the United States and a massive fire in Bangkok kept the Fonziebird operatives busy far into the night. Finally, the two ships crept back to the small island and deposited the weary rescuers onto land. Howard did not even pause to tell everyone the meeting would be tomorrow. They all headed to their private rooms and rinsed off the smoke, ash and sweat that had mixed together.

Jennifer dragged herself out of the shower and flopped down on her bed. Throwing a light sheet over her satin pajama bottom and tank top, she sank down into the blissfully soft bed. She let out a long sigh of relief and closed her eyes. Soon she was sleeping deeply.

"Where is it, Miss Danvers?" Crack "I'm getting tired of this game. Four years you have remained silent, but no longer. I will make you speak!" CRACK

Overly bright eyes, both from sleep and fear, flew open and Jennifer shoot straight up in bed. Her harsh breathing shattered the silence of the darkened room; raking her hand over her brow, she found it soaked with sweat. Slowly, she calmed her breathing and lay limply back against her pillow. Soon, she rolled over and had regained her slumber.

"Thanks to the Tracys, you speak once again. And now, you've got a new family. I hope nothing untold happens to them…like the last one," Screams echoed through the room. Jennifer tried to twist her head to see what was going on but strong, unseen hands held her focus on the overweight sinister man before her. His eyes grew red and the pupils shrunk to cat-slits. "I could rip the information from your mind; but then you won't be any further use to me. I'll kill every single one of them if you don't tell me. TELL ME!"

Jennifer rolled quickly onto her back, tears rolling down the sides of her face. Why now, she wondered. I haven't had dreams of that place for months, She rested her head wearily on her hands and let out a sigh straight from her soul. It's because I've finally left the island and moved out of my comfort zone.

Throwing off the sheet, she slid her feet into slippers and padded out the door and down the hall. Turning the kitchen light on low, she set some water to boil and prepared a tea strainer. She refused to use the modern teabags, saying they destroyed the flavor of the tea. Smiling, she remembered that the moment she had realized she and Lori Beth were meant to be friends was when both had turned at once and refused the tea Howard had made using teabags. She poured the water over the leaves, then cleaned up and left, taking the tea cup with her. She kept wandering around the complex until she came to her father's study. Pausing for only a second, she seated herself behind the desk and began to sip her tea.

On an impulse, she pushed the button which started communications with Fonziebird 5. The screen sprang to life, revealing most of the control center with Fonzie at one end of it checking gauges. A signal shrilled through the air, alerting him to his watcher. Sitting back down in his chair, he playfully rolled it over in front of the screen.

"Jenny! Great to see ya! What are you doing up so late? It must be close to 3:00 your time."

"It is. Can't sleep."

"Excitement and restlessness from the rescues?" Jennifer hesitated for a moment, then decided the question was not by itself intrusive.

"No." The dark haired young man waited patiently for her to finish her answer but no more information was volunteered.

"Nightmares?" The sip of tea Jennifer was taking almost chocked her, but she covered her surprised response rather well. Enough for her reply to not appear as asinine as it truly was.

"When was the last nightmare you had, Fonz? Ten? Twelve at the latest? Nightmares." The young man, however was not fooled. He had seen Jennifer and Potsie play their games too many times. Time for brutal honesty.

"The last nightmare I had was three weeks ago," The partially cooled cup paused on its assent. Blue eyes snapped their focus on the screen and held those of the man thousands of miles above the earth. "All of us have had it since the experience last Spring Break. Either we're in Fonzebird 5 and it blows up around us with Chachi's face on screen the last thing we see…" Jennifer watched in silence as her friend, now brother, relived for a moment the horror that idea entailed. "Or I gotta watch as that maniac kills my family in front of me." Fonzie looked back up at the screen in time to watch Jennifer's eyes devoid of any emotion and glazed over as she gazed at something not truly there. "Jenny?"

"He tortures me. Asking me…the same questions and destroying what I've been able to build back up. He hurts all of you, trying to get to me and it works. Oh God, it works!"

"How often have these been coming?" Fonzie's soft voice contrasted with the harsh voice that had died, having spoken the last of its pain.

"They started when I first came to the island but haven't come in awhile. For some reason, tonight's been really bad. I'd go back to sleep and it would come right back to me. I finally gave up sleep as a bad idea and got my tea."

"You're doin' better now?"

"You know, I think I am. Plus my eyes are about to fall out of my head. Think I'm going to attempt some more time in the sack."

"Good idea. Talk to you later?"

"Sure, bro. G'night."

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 36: Knock on Wood

Four months later, everything was running smoothly on Tracy Island. Lona had crewed and flown several missions, and had proved to be a real asset to the organization. Slowly but surely, the Tracy boys and their father were training their new family member on all the Fonziebirds. Richie had just been flown up to relive Fonzie and Jennifer had experienced her first space flight. Fonzie had joked that Richie might not have to serve his duty; that Jennifer could take it.

Whipping her head around, she had said in a serious voice "Not this time." Chachi, Joanie and Gina had also returned to the island for spring break.

Howard leaned further back in his chair and smiled. The whole household, minus Richie, were enjoying a sunny day by the pool after three days of bad weather. A typhoon had missed the island by miles, but they had experienced enough of the weather around it. Luckily, International Rescue's services had not been needed.

A song suddenly split the air. Everyone started, looking around for the source of the sound. Howard, realizing it was his cell phone, hurriedly pulled it out of his back pocket.

"Howard here." It was Richie.

"Dad, we've received a call from the Bank of England. There's been a bomb threat. Someone called and claimed that they had planted a bomb in the vault with enough explosives to level roughly five blocks around the bank. The police are trying to clear the area of people, but the bank remembered how the Mole came in the last time and wants us to try to get to vault and defuse the bomb before it blows. If that bomb goes off, it could bring Britain to her knees. The vault has been sealed and the officials can't get in before it goes off."

"How long have we got?" Howard was in full commander mode now. His brow was creased and his voice carried that hint of steel in it when he was getting ready to issue orders.

"The bomb is set to go off at 6:00 their time. That gives us roughly three hours before detonation."

"Right. Richard, call the bank and let them know the Fonziebirds are on their way!" Standing up, he raised his voice and addressed his earthbound children.

"FONZIEBIRDS ARE GO! No briefing, head straight for your ships; you'll get the details on the way." There was a mass exodus from the pool and soon the Tracy family was traveling to the danger zone in Fonziebirds 1 and 2.

"Fonziebird 2 to Fonziebird 1. Potsie, what's your ETA?"

"Dad, me, Fonz and Jennifer will be at the danger zone in 30.5 minutes."

"Right. Potsie, set up Mobile Control in Jubilee Gardens. Jennifer, coordinate with the Scotland Yard and get a few officers to guard 1 and 2. And Fonzie, use the computer on Mobile Control to plan a route for the Mole."

"F.O.N.Z." The patriarch of the Tracy family turned to his second oldest son, who currently served as his copilot.

"Ralph, I want you to pilot the Mole. Chachi, when we get to the scene, I want you to take over Mobile Control and keep us informed of events. You haven't had much time on it lately."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad." Both sons repeated immediately but when Chachi sat back in his seat, he was not too sure about his orders. He knew, as did Ralph, that he was not placed on Mobile Control often because of his age. Youth simply did not inspire confidence. The only reason he was being placed in the command center was because his father felt it would be safer then manning the Mole and descending into a vault that currently housed a time bomb.

Forty-five minutes later, Howard, Potsie and Ralph were manning the Mole and had set a course straight to the hole which it had dug the previous Spring Break. Jennifer was leading Fonzie and, oddly enough, Tom to the vault door. Lori Beth had been confident that her employee could gain access to the large vault faster then the Mole ever could. Chachi, therefore, was left to tend Mobile Control alone. After several minutes, the young teenager received reports from both groups and then sat back with a sigh. Lacing his hands behind his head, the boy heaved one more sigh as he readied himself for the long silence before the next report that would come only when one of the groups breached the vault.

He never knew what hit him as unconsciousness fell upon him like a wall of bricks, or one, to be precise.

Howard had refused to tell his sons but any Bank vault was the last place in the world he ever wanted to be. I think I'd rather be in the Hood's stronghold then here. Then again…well, it's a toss up, I guess. Ever since those consecutive nights of nightmares, he had almost sworn to never set foot in a Bank again. But, like his sons, Howard would do anything-sacrifice anything-if lives could be saved.

Finally, the occupants felt the final jolt that signified the Mole breeching the floor of the vault. As soon as Howard stepped out of the Mole, he knew there was no bomb in the building.

Because the Candy Man was standing right in front of him.

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 37: Choices and Consequences

Jennifer stood behind Tom, close enough to see what was going on but far enough away so as to not constitute "looking over his shoulder". She couldn't explain it but she wanted to get in that vault as quick as she could. Ruefully, she admitted that it could only be because she still did not really like to leave the island; but all in all, she did not think that completely explained it. Looking at her watch, she realized that it was long past the time Chachi was suppose to update them.

"Jennifer to Mobile Control." Static. "Jennifer to Mobile Control, come in, Mobile Control!" Fonzie and her traded worried glances, then Fonzie moved towards the exit.

"I'll go out and check around."

"Right. I'll wait here and get everything ready for when Tom gets the door open." As the quick steps faded away from the two people, they glanced at each other before the former criminal returned his attention to the stubborn vault. Jennifer, figuring on a long wait, leaned her back against the cool stone and closed her eyes. Sliding down until she was seated on the cold floor, she rested her weary head on her arms. Something was not right, she just knew it. Suddenly, the vault gave a light click and Tom stood, dusting off his hands. Raising her head, her gaze asked the silent question.

"The vault's open, Jenny." Standing in one swift movement, she checked to make sure she had all the rescue equipment she might need. She turned to the Brooklyn-born Butler who had opened so quickly one of the best vaults in the world.

"Tom, I need you to check on Fonzie and let him know that the vault's open. We don't have a lot of time to waste."

"Okay, Jenny." She watched as he walked around the corner before shouldering the portable bomb kit and stepping into the yawning mouth of the vault. Silently, she made her way past rows and cages full of bonds and cases. Casting her gaze back and forth around the vault, she searched frantically for the bomb; there was very little time left before the scheduled explosion.

Suddenly, voices off to the side drew her attention. Her eyes narrowed slightly; no one other then herself and any Tracy who might have been with her was suppose to be in here. She continued steadily down the path between the two high shelves, but now her senses were fully alert. A slight shiver ran unheeded down the young woman’s spine. Coming to the end of the row, she stealthfully slide one eye around the edge. All of the voices were coming from the right; everyone should be in ahead of her. Cautiously, she stepped out into the open aisle, after checking over her shoulder to assure herself of the impossibility of an ambush. After a few steps towards the back of the vault, she was able to distinguish words.

"You!"

"Yes, Howard! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jennifer's skin seemed to crawl at these words. She knew that voice; it would haunt her nightmares the rest of her life. The Candy Man was in the building! Smiling grimly, she realized how stupid that sounded. In that one moment her brain processed several facts at once. She realized the likelihood that there had never been a bomb in the vault. She realized that at least Howard and probably two of her brothers were now his prisoners. Chachi was most likely out of commission and possibly so was Fonzie. She was probably the Fonziebirds last hope.

Her eyes narrowed as her breath quickened. Her whole being was in conflict with itself. She would not, could not in a hundred years leave her family to the Candy Man's mercy; but she had fought inwardly long and hard to never see that man again. Before she could bring this inner argument to a close, a soft scrap of cloth on stone was all the warning she had before two strong arms descended on her. Instantly, her whole body tensed and before a sound could be heard, her attacker was out of commission. Grabbing the small handgun her attacker had carried, she slowly crept closer to the drama unfolding ahead of her.

Howard was once again trapped and unable to save his boys. The Candy Man had his children once again. He had had the father restrained while his minions quickly tied up the younger son and separated the eldest from his family. Howard had shouted for them to stop but the father's plea was ignored by the hardened men. Finally, the leader of International Rescue had stopped struggling and gave into the crushing despair tearing at his heart. Closing his eyes, Howard hung his head and prayed desperately that his remaining children were safe and would discover a way to stop the plans of this evil man.

A sound to his right caused him to wearily raise his head before it came up faster, snapping up in alarm. An enormous dark man held his youngest firmly at bay despite Chachi fighting desperately.

"Chachi!"

"Dad!" The poor man could read the fear in his son's eyes. Howard's mind flashed back to the talk they had had before Chachi's return to school. Finally his youngest had spoken out loud of his fears, of his hatred for all that this evil man had done to his family. Now his son would once again have to face his worst fears.

Yes, Charles. Your father is once again a spectator in our little drama. But don't worry; this time, yours isn't a solo part." Confused by his words, the two Tracy men turned to his right and saw a terrible sight. Chachi gave a half gasp, half whimper while Howard's eyes constricted with pain.

There, hanging from a rafter by his wrists, was Potsie, shirt torn off and a whip lying beside him.

Jennifer cursed silently when she beheld the horrific tableau in front of her. The Candy Man held four members of International Rescue prisoner and was free to do what he wanted to with them. No one would wish to come near the bank for quite some time, and she had no way of letting Fonzie know what was going on without calling attention to herself. When her attention was drawn to her brother hanging helpless from the rafter, she found her mind flashing back to her captivity. How could she possibly be of any use against four men, one of them Eugene and the Candy Man himself? Yet, could she leave her father, her brothers in the hands of that ruthless man?

Howard was living his nightmare. He had realized this the moment the Candy Man had shown him his eldest son strung up, completely helpless. His gaze wavered between his eldest, starting to awaken and grimace in pain from the unnatural position his bonds placed him in and his youngest who was trapped behind Eugene's muscle bound arms. His heart clenched as he was forced to watch the Candy Man make his way over to his eldest and pick up the whip shaking it out-readying it for use.

"Well, Howard," How he hated how that evil man put mocking accent on his name! "It seems you've got a choice. I'm sure it must be a hard choice for a father but which son do you wish to live to see another day? Your second oldest, who has so recently escaped my clutches, or your youngest, who still has so much life to live? You had best decide soon, Howard!" With these words, he gave a vicious cut with the whip to the man hanging beside him. Potsie stiffened and a small cry was wrung from his throat.

"Well, Warren, there's no Jennifer here to help you this time, is there? But don't worry, her punishment will be much greater than yours!"

"No! We won't let you touch her. You've got no power over her."

"Really, Warren? I rather think I do…after all, I hold several members of her family prisoner," With a harsh yank, he pulled Potsie's head straight back by his hair. "But I'll have fun with you and your brother before then." Twisting his head painfully to the left, he allowed the older brother to gaze for but a moment on his younger brother, staring back at him, fear clouding his eyes.

"Hang in there, bro."

"Like you're doing, Warren? Oh yes, Charles. Don't you want to be just like your brother?"

"Leave them alone," Howard could not take the Candy Man's callous taunting of his sons any longer. "Whatever quarrel you have with International Rescue, it's solely with me."

"Ah, but Howard, whatever I do to your sons hurts you a hundred times more then anything I could possibly do to you," Blast the man, he knew his opponent too well! "But you're right. The authorities will eventually become suspicious; we really don't have much time. Therefore, Howard, I once again ask you; which one of your sons do you want to live?"

"What kind of mad man are you? How can I choose the death of one of my sons? NEVER! I'll never do such a thing!"

"Oh, Howard, so defiant, even at the end. This time, though, there'll be no last minute salvation. Finally, you'll pay for what you've done to me!"

"What I've done to you! Everyone at the sight thought that we had pulled the last survivor out. You can't save everyone! We pored our heart and soul into that rescue, only to find that most of your workers had died in the cave in because you had chained them together! What we did to you?" Howard was answered by the silence surrounding his outburst but, as he gazed into the eyes of his enemy, he knew he would pay dearly for it. He was proved right as the Candy Man began once again to beat his second eldest son. Suddenly, he stopped and walked over to Howard.

Raising his head painfully high with the handle of the whip, he had just used on his son, he said "Since you're unable to decide, I'll take both from you. You could have saved one but now both will be lost to you forever!" Striding back to the middle of the room, he handed the whip to a servant and accepted the pistol that was held out to him. Briefly checking it, he spun around, met the head of the Tracy family's eyes and lowered the barrel until it was pointed directly at Potsie's slumped head. Not even sparing a glance for the pitiful sight, he locked his gaze completely with the father.

"Say goodbye, Howard."

One shot rang out.

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 38: Back to the Beginning

Jennifer was given no time to think. Before she realized fully what she was doing, she had broken into a full run towards her friend and adoptive brother. Knocking him forcefully out of the way which caused a near scream of pain from him, she stumbled back as the bullet whizzed over her ducked head and shattered part of the rock wall behind her. Bits of stone pelted both her and Potsie but she barely noticed. Leaving his side, she was rushing the man who had almost taken him away from her. Two bodies collided and all hell broke loose. Eugene was now holding a squirming body; it was all he could do to keep him under control. Howard struck out with both elbows and feet at the men holding him. Slipping away, he was trying to figure out who to save first when a hand on his shoulder made him spin around instantly. Standing behind him was his middle son.

"Ralph!"

"I'm okay, dad. I played the classic rope trick when they were tying me up. I've been working at 'em while the Candy Man had his eyes on you. Sorry I wasn't more of a help…"

"You did great, Ralph. Go cut Potsie down and I'll get Chachi; then we'll help Jennifer."

The two central figures had no idea of the chaos around them. They were locked in a struggle that was mental as much as physical. Lona held onto his upper arms while he did the same to her. Both were using their body weight to keep the other person from the rest, but the Hood was-of course-playing dirty. His eyes were red as he gazed deep into her eyes, attempting to take control of her will. She, however, would have none of that. Her focus was on anything but his eyes, attempting to keep in control. Suddenly, she realized that he was maneuvering her while they were locked in this position where she would have to see his eyes. Knocking the Hood away from her, she tried to quickly bring her breathing down from the small, quick gasps she had been using. Soon he was upon her again, this time using his mental powers to throw her aside. Gritting her teeth, she climbed back to her feet and shoot her hand, palm up, into his chin. He went reeling back, shaking his head slightly to clear it from the hit. Back and forth this went, until Lona chanced a full look at her opponent. He had her. She felt her muscles relax on their own, while her body came to a stop in front of the evil man. A sinister smile slide momentarily onto his face before disappearing; he had her where he wanted her. Walking slowly up to her, he paused just out of arm reach to study his reclaimed prisoner.

"Miss Danvers, you've got no idea how good it is to have you back." He took the one fatal step further. With a painful groan, her eyes snapped fully open and her body tensed instantly. Her right leg moved fast into a high kick that sent the Candy Man flying for several feet. She felt her legs seize and she came down hard on one knee. Breathing like she had run a marathon, Jennifer smiled tiredly. She had fought his control and won. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder; too tired to move her head, she allowed it to sink forward in a nod and promptly fell over. Distantly, she heard people she thought she knew talking, but answering or thinking would take far too much energy. Sleep was better.

Howard surveyed the battlefield in the Bank of England vault. Most of the Candy Man's men had been lead away by London Bobbies, leaving only one or two more and the Candy Man himself. His eyes passed quickly over the prone figure who had yet to wake up from the injuries he had received with that last kick of Jennifer's. Howard had made sure that none of his boys nor himself were set to guard him. There was no telling what any of them might do.

The chief investigator walked back over to him. He sighed. The good news was that he had yet to recognize him as the owner of Tracy Industries; the bad was that he seemed to take deep delight in going over the chain of events every five minutes. He had not even had a chance to check on his own daughter. Ralph had come by and let him know she was still unconscious and that he would let him know when she woke up. Sighing again, he turned and began answering the same questions he had answered less then seven minutes before.

Potsie leaned back in the seat of his Fonziebird and let out a huge sigh. He had been treated for the whip marks he had received at the hands of the Candy Man and now was finally able to go home. His father was beside him in the pilot seat, flying him and Jennifer back to base. Wincing slightly as he moved, he glanced behind him to where Jennifer sat, gazing silently out the window. She still had not spoken about what had happened. They had been forced to make all kinds of promises that they would send a written statement of what she saw and did before the police would allow them to leave. All, however, had agreed that whatever had happened, it was best to not force her to tell anything at the present time. The man in charge of England's prison system had personally met with the leader of International Rescue and swore that they would never allow this evil man to escape. You allowed him to escape last time and look what happened! Potsie knew he was tired if he was being so cynical. They would do their best, he knew but it would not be enough. Having spent enough time in that man's presence for several lifetimes, he was firmly convinced no walls could hold him.

A sharp pain in his hands caused him to glance down. Slowly, he exhaled and attempted to open his tightly clenched fists. The muscles were spasming, he had held them so tight for so long. Potsie risked another glimpse behind him at his sister. The darkened cockpit with its many lighted panels cast a dark shadow over her as if she had pulled it around her to hide from the world. Potsie was mad and confused after the Candy Man's attack but much of this was caught up with the fact that his friend and now sister had been forced to face her deepest fears and doubts without any help or support. The Tracys had let her down in her time of greatest need.

Howard allowed his eyes to wander from the view outside the cockpit to his second eldest son beside him. Potsie was slowly opening and closing his hands, as if to work out the tension that must have gathered in the muscles. What could he say to his son? What could he say to any of his children? They had been attacked and their lives threatened by this mad man once again. And Howard knew this wasn't the end of it. The Hood would keep coming after his family; as long as they were International Rescue as long as they had in their possession the amazing machines that were the envy of many. The Tracy family would never really be safe as long as the Candy Man was alive.

"Commander." Howard made no move to turn around. His daughter addressing him as the head of International Rescue rather then as her father did not bode well.

"Jennifer. What can I do for you?"

"I think you should allow me to man Fonziebird 5 this turn. Fonzie gets hardly any ground time and it's been awhile since he and Richie got any time together. I've ran through the sims until I can recite them in my sleep." Howard kept his back turned on Jennifer pretending to be working on business while listening to her. In actuality, the father could do nothing but stare through the computer screen in front of him. It had been barely two weeks since the Fonziebirds had limped back home from England. During that time, Jennifer had scarcely said two words together to anyone on the island. Even a visit from Lori Beth had done nothing but earn Lori Beth a nod and a half-smile before Jennifer had retreated into her room. Nothing anyone could say or do had any effect on her; the distant Jennifer had returned and Howard feared she was going to stay permanently this time. Howard was fairly certain Jennifer was asking to take Fonziebird 5 duty to escape everything for awhile. Still, Howard had to concede that it would be good to give Fonzie more earth time and more time with all his brothers. Perhaps duty up in the space station was what Jennifer needed to deal with the emotional and psychological fall out from the latest incident.

"Okay. Tomorrow, I'll send Potsie and Fonzie up with you. Fonzie can get you settled in and everything for the month you'll be up there. Check with him, Richard and Marion to make sure the station has everything you'll need." Jennifer nodded, which of course Howard could not see and walked silently out of the room. When the echoes of her footsteps had fallen silent, the dark head fell into the waiting hands. Howard was not sure if he had done the best thing but he dearly hoped he had not done the worst thing.

Potsie, Fonzie and Jennifer sat silently in the cockpit of Fonziebird 3 as it rose stately through the upper atmosphere and towards the orbiting satellite hanging serenely above the world. Ever watchful, the station’s position allowed it to see everything concerning the welfare of the plant and monitor all its communications. For an entire month, Jennifer would remain alone and monitor all the radio transmissions from around the world. With the sophisticated equipment Al had installed, all transmissions were automatically translated into English for the family members (all but Fonzie-who spoke three or four languages fluently) who had barely passed Spanish in high school. Finally, Fonzie could not take the laden silence anymore.

"Jen, did you remember to bring…"

"Yeah."

"Did you try…"

"Yeah."

"Did…"

"Yes, DAD! I remembered to pack my socks and underwear," She smiled weakly as her brothers faces turned red with embarrassment. "I'm fine, okay? I know you don't want to trust your 'bird to anyone else but believe me when I say I'll take good care of her."

Fonzie smiled. "I know you will. Otherwise I'd go up and stand over your shoulder the entire time." Jennifer shuddered as she remembered the many times the Tracy boys had tormented her by standing right behind her and gazing over her shoulder at whatever she was reading or doing.

"You do and they won't find the corpse!" Her eyes sparked with fire but the small grin on her face gave it away.

Soon they arrived at the floating station. Stowing the newest member's gear, Fonzie took her on a quick tour of the workstation, as well as the galley and the entertainment area. Lona was pleased to find that because of the long periods the Tracys had to spend up on the station, the DVDs and library were extensive. She would not be bored in between disasters.

All too soon, it was time for the two boys to leave. With all four up at the station, as she was reliving Richie from his duty; if there was a rescue, International Rescue would be very short staffed. Fonzie gave his sister a quick hug and smiled at her.

"I'll give a call later today to make sure you've settled in okay." Jennifer nodded. She knew an attempt to argue with him would only be a waste of breath, so it was better to just agree. Hopefully, it would just be a quick check in. Then Fonzie climbed through the airlock leaving her alone with Potsie. Jennifer had been avoiding him since the incident at the Bank of England and was not anxious to be here now. She knew both Scott and Jeff had been watching her since the Bank of England affair. Whether they thought she would leave or something even more drastic, she was not sure. It was however, most annoying. All she wanted was to be left alone. That was what was best for her right now. With so much insecurity and fear flooding her mind, she hoped the peace and quiet of space would be what she needed to clear her mind and try to-again-rebuild her life.

"Jennifer, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jennifer grimaced slightly, but since she was gazing out of a porthole, he could see nothing. Without taking her eyes off the awesome beauty in front of her, she gave him a curt nod of the head.

"Yeah, Potsie. I'll be fine. I'm not totally useless."

"I never said that."

"No, none of you have. But I spent most of last year being just that. Well, at least now I'm earning my keep."

"Jennifer, this has nothing to do with being useful or earning your keep," Potsie was beginning to become frustrated and was not completely sure why. If he thought for a moment, Jennifer was actually goading him… "We're worried about you, that's all. We…" Potsie was interrupted by Jennifer twisting around and piercing him with the harshest gaze he had ever seen. He had seen Jennifer angry many times but never, he realized, at him. He took a cautious step back. "Jennifer…"

"I'm not gonna break, Warren! God! You treat me like I'm about to break! Get back to your island and let me make my small contribution to the great International Rescue. Or am I not trustworthy anymore? What am I? Do you guys think I'm some mental case? I've always been strong, why should now be any different? …Just…go, Potsie. I've got work to do." As those final words rang dully yet solidly in the airlock, Potsie nodded at the turned back and pushed the button the close the safety doors.

Lost in a haze of disbelief and hurt, Potsie settled in the copilot seat and stared unseeing at the controls in front of him. He must have answered Fonzie and completed his tasks, because soon they were heading back to the earth-bound base. But Potsie knew none of this. All he saw was Jennifer's angry visage and heard her last full phrase.

"I've always been strong, why should now be any different?" Potsie was not sure if the question had truly been directed at him, or if she had unknowingly asked herself the one question she was desperate to answer.

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 39: Late Nights and Punching Bags

As soon as the red craft pulled away from the hovering space station, Jennifer let out a long sigh of relief. She had been so afraid that Howard and the boys would see through her act. Of course she wanted Fonzie and Richie to get some time together, but she had to admit she had asked for this placement for purely selfish reasons. Jennifer was tired. She was tired of the fear that had been her constant companion for years. The whispered insults and jeers that echoed through her brain in her sleep and many of her waking moments. The screams from her mother and brother were sometimes all she ever heard. And finally, images of Potsie and, later, other members of her family at the mercy of the mad man. It was all too much, and all she had wished was to be left alone; yet, that was the one thing the Tracys refused to give her. On some level, she understood that their concern for her made them unable to allow her to retreat away from the pain. They were acting only for her own good.

Angrily, she stalked over to the gym and stripped down to her sports bra and shorts she had worn under her uniform. She had known a harsh work out would be in order when she reached the station. When she reached the room however, she did not even warm up but began indiscriminately hitting the punching bag hanging in one back corner. No gloves, no calm thoughts or reasoning behind any of it. She beat the bag until it was stained pink by the blood leaking out of her busted knuckles. She did not stop until the pain in her hands finally began to drown out the hurt and pain within her.

Cursing softly, she made her way to the bathroom and began the painful process of binding her wounds, made difficult by the fact that the hands that were aching were the ones that had to move to bind the sores. Finally, it was done. Sighing, she stood and made her way back to the main hub of the station and sat down in the pilot’s chair. She sat for a moment, sweat-soaked clothes barely covering her ravaged skin. Shivering lightly in the cool, recycled air, she gazed unseeing down on the small, blue ball hanging in the middle of the vast, deep black that surrounded them.

A sudden, harsh squeal broke the silence that had cocooned her, notifying her that there was a call coming through. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was from Tracy Island. Glancing down at her lack of dress, she cursed softly, and then ran to find her discarded uniform. Before she made it to the hatch, a voice behind her brought her mad dash to a halt.

"Jennifer, what are you wearing?" Looking back, she forced a smile on her face and turned to face the large screen image of her father.

"Sorry, it was so cramped in Fonziebird 3, I ran through a quick workout to stretch my poor muscles out."

"It takes some getting used to. That's fine, just make sure that your uniform's always close at hand; if you had to answer a call in person…"

"I know, I promise to be a good girl and play nice up here." She hoped the joke would lighten the mood, which seemed so tense. "So, what can I do for you, fearless leader." Howard favored her with a mock scowl and then allowed a small smile to grace his face. The two of them had not talked like this since…the Bank of England incident. A small frown briefly touched his lips before he shook it off.

"Just wanted to make sure you’d settled in okay."

"Sure, I see no reason for there to be a problem. Do you?" He could almost see the storm cloud forming around his beloved daughter.

"No, darling, I just wanted to check. I still check on Fonzie and he's there most of the year. It can get kinda lonely up there." Jennifer suppressed a growl. That was the whole damn reason she was up here in the first place. No people, no questions, no pity and no emotional outbursts threatening to burst forth.

"I'm fine, really. Well, I'd better go find my missing uniform. TTYL?" Howard just sat there a moment before he nodded silently. And the screen went black.

Howard sat back and let out a quiet sigh. His daughter was not at all herself and truthfully, he was worried about her being so far away from home right now. Not that he did not trust her; that was the furthest thought from his mind. He did however, think that she needed the support of a loving family at this time, instead of distancing herself as she had been doing for sometime now. But, one thing Jennifer was well known for was her stubborn streak and her obsession with fixing her own problems. She would not come to any of the Tracy men for help, she would try to work it out on her own. That was what had Howard worried; her seeming inability to do just that. Something else bothered him too; during the entire conversation, Jennifer had hid her hands behind her back like a guilty child. Frowning, he pushed his worry from his mind and focused on the multiplying paperwork from his international company.

The complex was completely dark as the figure made its way stealthily through the long hallways. Finally reaching its destination, it keyed a code into the pad and the door unlocked, sliding into the wall to allow access to its secrets. The shadow confidently strode through the non-lit room, knowing its way well. Seating itself in the chair, it paused before touching a button on a screen. He waited a few minutes, then repeated the action. Suddenly, the screen lit up and a very disgruntled figure peered at him, its glare lost in its sleep laden eyes.

"Someone better have a damn good reason for waking me up. If the island isn't sinking, I ain't interested," The figure grinned, then switched on the desk lamp so the speaker could see his face. "Fonz, long time no see. Let's see, only seven hours since our last visit; didn't know you'd pine for me already." Fonzie's grin grew stronger.

"Glad to see you too, Jennifer. Most of the guys found the first night up there pretty lonely so it's tradition to call a first-timer on the first night and see how they're doin'. You like it up there?" A pregnant silence settled on the two figures before the woman sighed and slumped in her chair.

"Yeah, it's peaceful up here," The dark head nodded but said nothing, waiting for the speaker to continue. "So, how's the family?"

"They're good. Missing you of course. It's just not the same anymore without you." Jennifer's hand brushed aside the complement. "You think you'll have enough to do up there?" Fonzie had been careful not to meet Jennifer's eyes, but rather asked the question in an offhanded manner while toying with the letter opener in front of him. Jennifer shot him a brief, questioning glare, then forcibly calmed herself down.

"Oh, yeah. The gym's great and you've stocked the library with plenty of books and movies. I doubt I'll be bored. That's of course assuming there's no rush of rescues for me to monitor."

"Busy work." Now Jennifer was sure there was something behind her older brother's remarks.

"Well, what do you expect me to be doing during my free time? Twiddle my thumbs?" Fonzie sighed. He did not want to be drawn into an argument now.

"I just thought you might be enjoying the quiet and be making good use of it. That's all." Jennifer frowned but said nothing. Running a hand through her chin length hair, she let out a sigh and leant back in her chair.

A flash of white caught Fonzie's eye before he could stop himself, he was pressing his face towards the screen and half yelling in concern "Jennifer, what did you do to your hand?" A grimace passed over the young woman's face but was quickly stifled.

"Nothing, just wasn't watching where I was going and nicked it. It's fine." Fonzie, however, was not fooled. Thinking back over their conversation, he remembered another flash of white, on the opposite hand. The oldest of the Tracy children knew something was up with his sister and he was not about to let anything go-particularly when he knew she was hurt, by herself, up in a space station.

"So, how clumsy do you have to be to catch not one but both of your hands?" Jennifer's eyes lowered and refused to meet his. "Jennifer? What happened? Please…" Jennifer made no sound, just stared at some distant point to the left of the monitor. Her eyes seemed to grow more haunted with each passing second. Fonzie echoed her silence knowing that any sound now would only push her further away.

Finally, in a whisper so low he had to max the volume to hear it, she said "Sometimes I wonder if I even escaped from that place," The astronaut had a fair idea of the place she was referring to but wanted her to say as much as she was willing to at this point. "At the beginning, I'd dream that someone would sneak into my cell, wake me up by covering my mouth so no sound could come out and lead me through the dark corridors, into a waiting helicopter and whisk me away to some paradise. I would look back and see that hell-hole in ruins, and know that jerk would never come after me again. But life isn't a fairytale or a James Bond film, is it? They don't show the aftermath, do they? The sleepless nights, the mind-crushing fear that floods your soul. The screams of agony as the emotional torment becomes physical pain. I…I thought it was fine, you know? I thought I'd locked it away…that life here had healed the gapping wounds left by that madman. I was wrong. Do you know what it's like to have all your mental defenses stripped from you and have someone else control your body? Al told me…He made him reveal the control room to Him. Imagine…years…whispers in your mind telling to attack someone you'd never seen before. Having a front row seat to watch your body beat a stranger to a pulp while inside you're screaming…" Fonzie remained silent as he watched his sister's body shiver uncontrollably from the releasing of such a buildup of powerful emotions. Her arms were wrapped around her scarred arms in a defensive position, trying to shield herself from the world around her. Her eyes stared straight ahead, glistening with tears she was savagely suppressing, while her monotone voice had finally died away from the painful whispers that had harshly broken the silence. "I…I never wanted to see Him again…he said he would hurt you all…Potise, Chachi…hurt…no!" The last word had been almost a controlled shriek, cracking sharply at the end and proving the final break in the armor.

Dry sobs shook the young woman’s body mercilessly as she screamed out her despair for her loss, for her pain, for her never ending nightmare. The blond boy could only sit there, only watch this heart wrenching scene take place. Trying to think of something to help, he began to try to calm her down, speaking random things that made no sense, the words not mattering as much as the tone and the love behind it. But he was truly helpless; in secluding herself from people in order to not deal with her emotions, she had denied herself the ability for someone to provide comfort if a break down should occur. And it would have occurred; a week from now, a month from now-it would not matter except the longer it took, the worse it would be.

After a couple hours of continual weeping, Jennifer had calmed down enough to understand Foznie's words. Her eyes slowly drew back from their distant gaze and settled on his worried eyes. Glancing down at her bandaged hands, now wet from tears, she sighed and could not meet his eyes.

"I…had a rather lengthy discussion with a punching bag."

"Without gloves."

"Sure." Fonzie sighed and nodded. The pain and torment had to come out somehow, though tears and words were infinitely easier then physically damaging yourself. At least, this seemed to be a one time thing…hopefully.

"Do you feel any better?" Her eyes narrowed in thought before a self-deprecating grin tugged at one corner of her mouth.

"I didn't before. Do now."

"Who'd have thought?" The sarcasm was light but obvious. A slight flinch ran through Jennifer's body before she nodded.

"I've always been one for the hard way."

"Hard way? Damn…Sorry, this isn't helping and just is not the time."

"I don't know; a good kick in the pants might be just what the doctor ordered." He shook his head slightly; unbelievable, one minute, she's in the midst of an emotional break down and the next, she's trading light jabs back and forth-never, never would he get her limit.

"You made sure that was impossible. Little ways away, you know." She smiled and nodded her understanding of the slight accusation behind his words.

"Coming up here might not have been the smartest idea."

"Now she tells us!"

"Hey!" The siblings shared the first real smile in…it seemed like an eternity. Another round of silence crept in around them, but it was a different kind of silence. No longer were words quietly begging to be said but rather there was the calm after a storm. Many of the terrible feelings had been laid out on the table and acknowledged. There was much still to do but healing could begin.

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 40: Epilogue

Months passed and life slowly returned to normal…well as normal as the Tracys ever got.

"Rich, I swear by all that is sacred, I'll rip your head from your body and stick it on the flag pole! I'll steal one sock from each of your pairs! I'll…kill you, dig you up, clone you and then kill all your clones!" The boy in question was currently hiding in a broom closet off the main hall, guffawing silently as his sister's voice rang throughout the house. Sisters were great! Why didn't his dad think of this sooner! Within the last three days, he had placed whoopee cushions in no less then four of her seats before she noticed, done the old feather and shaving cream bit on her, given her five Wet Willies and now, had just successfully exchanged her shampoo for a rather delightful shade of hair dye.

"Jennifer, what on earth is going on? You're making enough noise to…AGH! UM…that is…ahhh…a new hairdo? It's…ahem…definitely a change."

"Richie put PINK hair dye in my shampoo bottle! If it is permanent, Dad, I'm going to KILL him!" And it was definitely pink, a pink that almost put Lori Beth to shame. On Jennifer, it was…not her cup of tea. Howard was giving his attempt not to laugh a very manful try and was failing miserably.

"I'm sure it's not permanent. Richard's not that…insane as to permanently dye your hair pink. Even if it is, we can always get another dye to cover it. I'll go look for Master Richard Gordon Tracy. I think Potsie and Ralph needed you to help them on Fonziebird 2."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad." The exasperation in her voice was plentiful as she turned stoically to face the glee her brothers were sure to have on seeing her current predicament.

Howard was sitting calmly in his office attempting to curb the multiplying to paperwork from both International Rescue and his company.

"I swear it breeds like rabbits." he muttered while he signed yet another sheet of paper before grabbing a new sheet and repeating the arduous process over again.

Suddenly, the klaxon rang harshly. Howard quickly used the palm reader to switch his office into mission control, and switched on the screen to Fonziebird 5.

"Fonzie, what have you got for us?"

"Oil spill, Dad. Off the coast of Spain. The scientists are very concerned about the ecosystem and the there have already been several reports of injured, ill and dead animals. The Spanish government needs help and could only think of turning to us."

"Understood, Fonzie. Tell them we'll be bringing a water craft, Mobile Control and plenty of muscle."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad. Have fun and stay clean."

"Not likely." By then, his children had already made their way to the control room. Looking around, he saw they had heard the message and knew what to take. Turning the island command room over to Al, he quickly outlined his preliminary plan.

"Potsie, I want you and Jennifer to take off and set up Mobile Control. Jennifer, I want you to be in command on this one. You're good at making sure the government cooperates; you must be taking lessons from Lori Beth."

"Mr Tracy, all I must do is calmly explain the situation. These things always work themselves out." The boys all chuckled at her accent. Howard smiled then attempted a mock frown.

"Get out of here. We've got work to do. Oh and Jennifer, better where a kerchief or something to cover your…dye job." A glare was sent Richie's way before she leveled her gaze back on the Commander.

"F.O.N.Z." Walking confidently to the tube heading towards Fonziebird 1, she allowed one brief proud smile. Who would have thought her life would have taken such a turn? An International Rescue operative, about to command a major mission and a loving family to aid her every step of the way; everything was surprisingly good. Executing a perfect military turn, she looked her father, the one who had always been her father, in the eye and smiled.

"Fonziebirds Are Go!"

THE END

[BRIAN005]

Alicia Silverstone doesn't look so Jewish - her parents met when her Scottish mom was working as a Pan Am flight attendant - but yes, she's a member of the tribe.

[Race's Girl]

Originally Posted by BRIAN005

Alicia Silverstone doesn't look so Jewish - her parents met when her Scottish mom was working as a Pan Am flight attendant - but yes, she's a member of the tribe.

Pardon my French but Alicia Silverstone has nothing to do with this fanfic but she's a great actress