Again, I must thank Sailor Centauri, for suggesting this idea for my latest story.

Just to give poor Scott a break from all the angst and suffering, I'm putting Alan through it instead. Based through the events in Runaway and Slingshot, he's just had enough of people not taking him seriously - including two of his brothers. Luckily, of course, he still has one more of them who knows exactly what he's going through.

This first chapter starts immediately after the end of Slingshot. As always, I hope you enjoy, and thanks again, Sailor, for giving my Angst Bunny such a great carrot to nibble on.

Growing Pains

Chapter One - When The Bough Breaks

Virgil didn't know what had prompted him to look out of the den, down to the floodlit pool below. All he did know was that what he'd seen was just... wrong. Troubling enough to make him frown, and forget the sonata he'd been working on before he'd taken this 'artistic coffee break.'

The figure who sat on its edge wasn't the brother he'd expect to see. Too blond to be Gordon. The wrong colour clothes too. Hell, those garish shirts of his were like a lighthouse with sleeves. As Scott so often teased him, if their own power ever failed, they'd just plug the damn things into a socket, and use them instead.

For once, though, Virgil couldn't enjoy this long running joke. His thoughts were still focussed on the tiny figure below him. And from the slump of his shoulders, he knew that was exactly how Alan was feeling.

Small, when today's heroics had made him a giant of - what? Caught between the carefree innocence of childhood, and the harsher demands of becoming an adult, it was a surprisingly difficult question to answer.

He was still trying to find its solution as he trotted downstairs, striding through the kitchen, and out to the pool. There'd been a world of difference, of course, between his own teenage years, and those of his youngest brother. As the middle kid, he'd been blessed with what his father had called 'the inbetweenies.' He could leave all the big brother stuff to Scott and John, and all the kid brother antics to Gordon and Alan. For such a quiet, calm-loving child, it had been the best place to be. The perfect way to hone those natural, peace-making skills into the vital assets they were today.

But what about Alan? How would the kid brother who they all fought so fiercely to protect, who took all their jokes and teasing in mostly good humour, make this hardest of transitions from boy to man?

The answer was right there on his brother's face, as Alan glanced up to see who'd sat beside him. Its anguish alone prompted Virgil to slide his arm around his shoulders, and snuggle him into a comforting hug.

"Hey, kiddo, I thought you'd be in bed already. You've had one hell of a day."

Watching Alan's reaction, Virgil winced too - mentally kicking himself that he'd said the one thing he'd wanted so much to avoid. Of all the times to start babying his baby brother, this wasn't it. And the quietness in his brother's voice spoke even more worrying volumes.

"Couldn't sleep."

Uh oh. An Alan Tracy who looked and sounded this discouraged was not a good sign. Normally, his brothers would treat it as just another teenage tantrum, but... no, this was different. Beyond their tiredness, the normally bright blue eyes were dulled with apathy that didn't belong there, and Virgil didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Nor did he like the sight of his uniform, always worn with such pride, now a crumpled heap by his feet. Stared at, with such an inexplicable glare. Or the tremors that he could now feel rippling through his brother's shoulders.

Before he could say anything, though, the dam that was holding them back, and Alan started to cry. Softly at first, but then with sobs that took him over so violently that his whole body started to shake.

Caught completely by surprise, Virgil acted on the purest instinct he had. Lifted him gently sideways, until Alan was cradled in his lap, and wrapped tight in his arms.

So much of him was telling him to find out what was wrong. An ever greater depth of experience was telling him it wasn't the time. The time for talking, and coherent responses, could only start when this torrent of tears stopped. So instead he just spoke words of soothing comfort. Calming reassurances, kissed into his brother's hair.

"It's okay, Alan, I'm here... easy now, I've got you... I've got you, it's okay... everything's gonna be okay..."

He'd assumed his brother was still too upset to respond. For once, he'd assumed wrong.

"No, Virgil, it isn't okay! It's not okay, Virgil... I'm - I'm sent out on these rescues, risking my life, for people I don't even know, and... and no one takes me seriously... not even my own brothers take me seriously, and... and I'm sixteen, Virgil! Sixteen! I'm a sixteen year old kid who puts his life on the line every day, and they - they don't even say thank you!"

As this tide of anger, and bitterness, and frustration poured out of his brother's mouth, Virgil realized his normally faultless empathy had been way off the mark. What shook him even more was that he just didn't know how to react to it. But then that burden was taken away from him, as Alan broke down once more. And the only comfort that Virgil could find for him, and himself, was how tightly his brother was holding onto his shirt. A silent plea for him not to let him go.

Yeah, like there was any chance of that. Damn, he'd crawl through hell itself before he'd even consider it. Instead, he went back to rocking, and soothing, and holding his baby brother as tightly as he dared. Holding him, comforting him, softly stroking his hair, until the torrent of tears stopped, and the tiny body in his arms finally stopped shaking.

Even then, Virgil didn't let him go. As experience had taught him, this was the moment when a scared, or hurt, or distraught little brother needed him the most. Seemingly welded against his chest, this little brother wasn't going anywhere - except the place that his older, wiser protector knew he needed to be.

"Hey, it's getting kinda chilly out here," he said at last, brushing Alan's hair out of his eyes so that he could see the love and concern in his own. "Let's get you inside, and we can talk this out where it's warmer and comfier... okay?"

If he'd hoped to see a smile, then he was sadly disappointed. Instead, Alan winced - the fallout from his breakdown turning a razor sharp mind into a muddled blur that could only focus on meaningless trivia.

"Scott's gonna be mad at me for - for being up so late. Got studies tomorrow. Getting behind again."

Recognizing this less than coherent mumble for what it was, Virgil just smiled. It was the exhaustion talking, he knew that. The familiar story of a sixteen year old kid trying to juggle growing up, and studies, and trying to save the world into a day that just didn't have enough hours. And if Smother Brother One stood in the way of him getting the sleep he so badly needed... well, Smother Brother Two would just need to tell him to move.

"Hey, he won't be mad at you, Allie... and even if he is, you just leave him to me... okay?"

It took a few moments to get there, but Alan finally nodded, turning himself around so that he could wrap his arms around Virgil's neck. Another silent plea that, again, was instinctively answered. Yes, after so many years of practice, Virgil had the tricky manoeuvre of standing up with a little brother wrapped around him down to a fine art.

Of course, Scott had the role of biggest big brother on the planet pretty much pegged too. And the sight of Virgil carrying their youngest into the kitchen kicked every one of those instincts beyond their highest levels. Hit them clear off the scale when he saw Virgil raise his hand, mouthing a silent warning over the top of Alan's head.

'Not yet, Scott. Let me talk to him first. Get him calm enough to get him to sleep.'

Knowing better than to argue, Scott just nodded - all thoughts of midnight munchies forgotten as he watched his brother stride past him towards the stairs. Once he'd disappeared from view, he then slid off his stool, and started to follow. He would never defy the family peacemaker's advice, and he had no intention of doing so now. But even if his presence passed unheard and unseen there, there was only one place now where he just had to be.