Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.

So, here I am again with another long story. This is the final instalment in the `Never Too...` series. Never Too Late and Never Too Lost should be read first as otherwise this will make no sense. They were written a while ago though, so hopefully my writing has improved since then!

Finally, a huge thank you to Bee who has once again, even after all these stories and countless mistakes, put up with me and beta-d this for me!

I hope you all enjoy!

Scott sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes and looking around. They had been out here for hours after a burst dam caused severe flooding along some low-lying land. Despite the authorities trying to get the people to move somewhere safer, the locals had insisted on staying. That stubbornness was why International Rescue had spent the last four hours trying to get people out of their flooded homes before it was too late, while simultaneously patching up the dam.

Gordon had been pushing Thunderbird Four to her limits as he battled against the rising water, hindered further by another downpour of rain. If he was honest, Scott wasn't sure where Virgil was anymore. His brother had been hovering over the scene for most of the rescue, leaving Two on autopilot as often as he could to use the platform to hoist people up. John had offered a continuous commentary as he monitored everything from the sky and Scott had just finished delivering another report to Base. He knew his father would be on the edge of his seat, gradually inching further forward with each report and Brains would be hovering by the man's side, hands wringing together as he heard how his machinery was handling the pressure.

Once the report was complete, Scott slumped over Mobile Control. He was completely drained as he surveyed the scene in front of him. All the people were now accounted for and Virgil answered his previous thought as Thunderbird Two suddenly flew overhead. He was heading upstream and Scott knew it meant that Gordon had also done as much as he could. He didn't envy his younger brother having to spend all of that time squashed in a sub. He knew Gordon wouldn't complain, but he also knew that his brother would be reaching for the pain meds when they got home to ease his back.

Scott hoped Gordon would have the chance before Alan excitedly rang from school having seen or heard something about the rescue. They could never slip under the radar when it came to their youngest brother, but sometimes he called too soon. They needed time for the adrenaline and exhaustion to balance out before dealing with Alan. Scott shook his head fondly. He wished he could say he was the same at that age, but he had been a very different person at sixteen. His sixteenth year had been terrifying and he wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially not his brothers. If speaking to them stopped Alan from worrying, then Scott would take the call every time, regardless of how he felt.

"…Scott!"

Scott blinked, staring at Mobile Control as he straightened up. Judging by the exasperation in Virgil's voice, that had not been the first time he had tried to get a response. Scott grimaced and pressed his thumb down on a button.

"Yes?" He tried to sound like he had been paying attention. It wouldn't do any good for the Field Commander of International Rescue to be zoning out while a rescue was still underway!

"I've landed upstream. Four is on board and Gordon has already crashed out. The kid was asleep as soon as he got out of the sub. I don't think he has ever concentrated for so long. Are we done here?"

Scott once again went over everything he had reported back to Base. They had successfully managed to get everyone out and Virgil had just confirmed the dam was secure. Scott agreed that they were done and was about to disconnect but Virgil spoke again.

"How's the leg?"

"Virg…."

"Just humour me. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Scott looked down with a grimace at the bandage tied around his leg. One of the families had been particularly stubborn about being rescued, wailing and clinging on to him despite it making the situation more dangerous. One girl in particular had practically sprung at him, causing Scott to slip from where he had been attempting to balance. A jagged piece of metal had sliced into his leg. He still didn't think it warranted the way Virgil had paled and dragged him into Two to be checked out, muttering about infections and dirty water. Luckily for Scott, there was still too much to do and Virgil had been forced to let him carry on, despite the scowl on his face saying otherwise.

"Which means it is hurting you about eight out of ten right now, am I right?"

"Virg…"

"Fine, fine, I'll back off. If…."

"What?"

"You let Brains have a look when we get back?"

"Deal. Now go and get our brother home."

"F.A.B."

Scott shook his head fondly as Virgil signed off. He figured that he stood more of a chance at avoiding Brains than he did Virgil. If anyone asked, he would deny that he had agreed to anything. Sometimes, it was easier to humour his brother and let Virgil believe that he had got his own way despite having no intention of doing what he said. Stretching, Scott rolled his neck and went to find the authorities.

Right now, he thought Gordon had it right by already being asleep. A roar of engines told him that Thunderbird Two was heading for home and Scott inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He was never satisfied until they were home, but leaving the rescue zone always put his mind at ease a little.

It took him no time at all to tell the locals that they were finished and it was up to them to secure the area. In the early days of International Rescue, the boys would stay until the very end. But they quickly realised they weren't needed and it was taking up hours, especially when people kept finding them jobs they were more than capable of doing themselves.

Scott groaned as he sank into his seat, safe inside Thunderbird One, knowing everything was packed up and he was ready for home. He flicked on the engines and let the pre-flight checks begin as he lent back in his seat, closing his eyes.

Just as he began to relax, the radio came to life.

"Still alive?"

"Virgil ask you to check up on me?" Scott didn't move as he activated the screen and brought his space-bound brother into view. John shrugged apologetically. Scott was instantly back on alert, sitting up so fast that John flinched, despite there being thousands of miles between them.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" Scott demanded, causing John to look at him in incredulity.

"I'm supposed to be checking up on you."

"So there is something wrong?"

John looked as if he was going to argue, but then realised he was cradling his shoulder, massaging it with his thumb. Scott knew that was his old way of alleviating it whenever it began to ache, often without realising he was doing it. As the years passed, it had troubled John less and less, but still it would flare up occasionally.

Scott levelled his stare at his younger brother until John squirmed. It took all of Scott's self-control not to let his smirk be seen, glad that he still had the touch after all of this time.

"Fine. The heating system went a little crazy last night and you know it always aches in the cold."

"Didn't the heating do that last week? You need to come home for a bit, man. Let Brains take over up there before the kids get back for vacation."

John made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat and Scott grinned. He knew John hated not finishing his rotation, but if being up there was giving him problems, then as Field Commander, Scott couldn't allow him to stay. He needed all of his team focused, even if they weren't on the planet. Not to mention the big brother in him just wanted John home for a bit, hating the idea he was uncomfortable in space and there was nothing Scott could do to help.

During their conversation, the pre-flight checks finished and Scott used that as an excuse to cut John off. John opened his mouth to protest, knowing Scott could take off with his eyes shut, but Scott flicked the switch faster than his brother could speak. He knew that John would no doubt reconnect but he would be too annoyed at Scott's dismissal to remember to check up on him. Scott loved knowing his brothers too well at times like this!

If he was honest, his leg was painful but whatever Virgil had given him earlier was working and Scott wanted nothing more to get home. Even if he admitted to it hurting, there wasn't anything anyone could do until they reached Base anyway, not considering it had been at least fifteen minutes since Virgil had taken off.

It only took five minutes for Scott to catch up with Thunderbird Two. He slowed down, deciding to pace his brother back to Base. It gave him a sense of companionship when he could see Thunderbird Two out of the corner of his eye, especially when Virgil waved.

The radios stayed quiet for the rest of the flight, even from Thunderbird Five. When both his sensors and instincts told him that he was approaching the island, Scott shot off into the horizon, knowing from past experience that both of them trying to land together was pure chaos. It was easier for him to get there first, especially as his engines took longer to cool down anyway.

The landing was smooth and Scott just about had time for a quick shower before Virgil and Gordon made it upstairs. Something told him he didn't need to rush; their grandmother wasn't going to sit there and let the debriefing happen when Virgil was dripping mud. Considering Gordon had crashed as soon as he was on-board, there wouldn't have been the opportunity for Virgil to change on the flight home.

The hot water made him grit his teeth as it ran over his leg, but he felt a lot better by the time he finally got back downstairs. It came as no surprise that Gordon was with their father in the study, but that Virgil was nowhere to be seen. Scott joined them.

They sat and talked companionably until Virgil appeared – clean and in fresh clothes - and then, without a break in the conversation, they slipped into a debriefing. It didn't take long – most of the work had been repetition. John informed them that authorities were already beginning discussions about getting the dam properly looked at. It had been a long and draining rescue, but at the end of the day, they had done their job.

The debriefing smoothly turned back into a general conversation, only interrupted when Scott's stomach reminded the family how long it had been since the boys had eaten. Almost on cue, Kyrano appeared and announced that dinner was ready. Virgil and Gordon hurriedly said goodbye to John as they sped from the room, indicating that Scott was not the only hungry one, but the eldest brother paused. He glanced over to where his father was just reaching out to deactivate the screen.

"Dad?" His words were enough to make Jeff pause, glancing over his shoulder. Scott shrugged. "Okay if I go and get John tomorrow? His shoulder is playing up and it's not the first time it has happened either. The heater is on the fritz and it is causing problems, Brains should really take a look."

"Scott!" John hissed, instantly dropping his hand from where it had been lifting to his shoulder again. Their father turned back just in time to see the movement and he sighed.

"I thought the agreement was that you told me when you were having trouble?"

"I'm not, I'm fine. Besides, I can fix the heater…" It was ironic really. Just as John finished speaking, there came a sparking noise from behind him. Scott watched as his brother turned, swore, then turned back with a grimace. "Although I apparently no longer have the parts up here to fix it."

"So can I go?" Scott repeated, knowing it was making him sound like a child wanting to go and play. His father shot him a fond look.

"You can. John, we better go before your grandmother has my hide, but we'll continue this after dinner, understand?" There was no messing with the man when he used that tone of voice and Scott knew he had just landed his brother in hot water for not reporting that his shoulder was giving him grief, John reluctantly confirmed, also knowing that he was in trouble. Scott shot him his best innocent grin as John glared at him, but then his stomach distracted him. His father disconnected and the pair walked through the villa together, a companionable silence falling between them.

Dinner was anything but silent. Gordon's sleep on the flight home meant that while his brothers were exhausted from the rescue, he was bouncing. Eventually, their grandmother threatened him with the washing-up and no pudding unless he calmed down and they were able to eat. The conversation was casual and easy and Scott shared a knowing grin with Virgil when the phone rang just as they finished.

No doubt Alan wanted a full report.

Deciding to let Gordon use up his energy that way, Jeff handed the phone over to his son and Scott made a quick getaway, Virgil on his heels.

"How long until you think Al realises Gordon spent the entire rescue in the sub and only knows our parts from debriefing?" Virgil said, falling into step with him.

Scott laughed, privately agreeing with his brother. Alan only liked hearing about the "exciting" stuff and Scott had a feeling four hours mending a wall from inside a submarine didn't count. He moved through to the lounge, frowning when he realised Virgil was following him.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just making sure you stick by your word of getting Brains to check out your leg. In fact, you should probably do it now if you are taking him up to Five tomorrow. You need to talk to him about that anyway, don't you?"

Scott gaped, staring at Virgil. He had been hoping to get away with it but he should have known that would never happen.

"In fact, you'd want to give him time to pack and tell Fermat he is heading up, so why don't we go and tell him right now?" Virgil grabbed hold of Scott's arm, heading towards the more secluded part of the island, the one place they knew they would find their resident genius.

Scott dug his heels in. "I think I…"

"You don't think period, Scott, so don't try that one. Now, come on."

Scott wasn't sure whether he was too surprised to resist or whether Virgil was stronger than he had given his brother credit for, but he was being dragged through the house before he could stop it. He tried to pull back when they reached the infirmary but Virgil pulled harder, marching him through the doors and onto a bed at the same moment Brains appeared. Scott only needed to glance at Virgil's face to know his brother had already contacted Brains and this whole thing had been set up. He scowled, but Virgil's hand on his shoulder stopped him from going anywhere.

"I cleaned and disinfected it at the site, but I'm not sure if it needs a few stitches," Virgil muttered and Brains nodded at Scott to show him the wound. Scott complied and Brains winced and nodded.

"It d-does n-need s-s-stitches. And a s-shot of antibiotics."

"No." Scott's hands had clenched into fists by his sides and there was a scowl on his face. This time, he would not be tricked.

"Scott…"

"No, Virgil. You know why." Virgil stared at him for a moment, but Scott met the gaze steadily. He would not allow a needle near him for something like this.

"Is there anything he can take orally instead?" Virgil eventually muttered and Brains nodded. He bustled around and handed Scott two white tablets, which the pilot immediately dry swallowed while Brains was still fetching water. The man blinked in surprise and put it down again.

"Not f-for the s-s-stitches. I w-won't be able to numb it."

"I'll be fine." Scott moved around to a more comfortable position and lay back. If Virgil had already made contact, then Brains would have everything ready.

Scott didn't watch as Brains got out everything that he would need, instead focusing on Virgil coming to sit on the other side of him. Scott knew why – Virgil was there as a distraction, stopping him from looking.

There were not many things the Field Commander of International Rescue was afraid of, but someone approaching him with a needle made him break out in a cold sweat. Last time it had happened, he had ended up hyperventilating so badly that Virgil had forced an oxygen mask on him. Despite the brothers normally teasing each other about everything and anything, they all knew the reason for Scott's terror and how deeply it ran. Even Alan, who didn't remember, knew it was not something to be mocked.

Brains wiped a few solutions over the leg, helping to numb it a little even if he couldn't do it properly and Scott stubbornly stared at the opposite wall. His hands continued to fist in the sheets and he grunted and flinched as Brains stitched his leg.

Scott was trembling and there was sweat on his brow when Brains finally moved away. The genius instantly left the room, clearly knowing that Scott hated witnesses to his moment of weakness. Virgil simply sat there, watching his brother closely as the pilot regained control of himself and gingerly sat up. There was a fresh bandage around it and he knew it would be as good as new in a couple of days.

"Okay?" Virgil asked casually, clearly meaning the whole thing rather than just the stitches. Scott knew he had a tendency to snap whenever needles were brought up, despite no one calling him out on his fear. He nodded tersely, swinging his legs down from the bed and standing up. Virgil was suddenly by his side before Scott realised he was swaying and the older brother could only smile in gratitude as Virgil helped him keep his balance.

"I think I'm going to turn in," Scott muttered. He was in no mood to be sociable, plus he was genuinely tired. Virgil watched him for a long moment, as if he was weighing up whether Scott was telling the truth or not before he nodded. Scott wanted to tell his brother that he could manage, but before he knew it, Virgil had helped him to his room before bidding him goodnight and slipping off down the hallway. Scott had a feeling the younger man would also be heading for his bed. It had certainly been a long and exhausting day.

It took Scott longer than he was happy with to get into bed as his leg refused to bear his weight. But finally, his head sunk into the pillows and he let out a sigh of satisfaction as the tension seeped from his body. The rescue was done and the day was over. They were all alive. Scott let sleep claim him.

Only to instantly fall into a nightmare.

He was back in the rescue zone. He could see Virgil was across the river to him, beckoning him. Scott stepped forward, only to realise someone was behind Virgil. He couldn't see who, it was a faceless menace. But Virgil was struggling against them, being held out over the water while Scott was too far away to do anything about it. Virgil was calling for him, pleading for Scott's help as his attacker held him and forced him further out.

Scott tried to run forward, but as he did so, something snapped around his wrist, yanking him to a stop. He tried to fight against the feeling, not being able to see what restrained him. As he clawed at his wrist, the feeling manifested into something physical and solid. He felt cold tendrils of terror eating into him when he realised that it was a thick manacle locked around his wrist. He tried to pull, but the more he did so, the more of the chain became visible. Eventually, a wall formed out of nowhere, a wall he had seen before. He was tied to it.

Virgil's yells drew his attention back to his brother and Scott struggled wildly. There was nothing he could do, though, no way of getting free as he watched Virgil slowly being forced closer and closer to the water. Just as Scott yelled out for his brother's attacker to let him go, Virgil was shoved. He didn't stand a chance, plunging straight into the water and not coming up again. Scott screamed and cursed, fighting for all he was worth.

Eventually, he looked back at the attacker, fury pounding through him at the same rate as the terror. A needle appeared in the man's hand, visible even from this distance. As Scott watched, frozen by his own fears, the man seemed to become more obvious and a face began to appear. Scott shook violently, part of him realising this was a dream and he needed to wake up, but he couldn't. The figure took a step forward, sneering…

"NO!"

Scott lurched bolt upright, heaving for breath as he fumbled wildly for his light. The illumination of the room made him blink for a moment before he finally was able to look at the clock. He felt as if he had been asleep for hours, yet it was only an hour later than when he had gone to bed. The dream had filled those moments for all eternity, the feeling of helplessness making it stretch for longer than it actually was.

Scott shakily wiped a hand across his face, trying to control his breathing. It had been a long time since he had had a dream like that, especially one that bad. But in a way, he guessed he should have known it was coming. The exhaustion and tension from the rescue, John's shoulder, his leg and the avoidance of needles… That many signs in one day normally led to something. Scott assumed it was his own tiredness that made it so bad.

Before he had time to do anything else, the door opened. Scott glanced up to see his father, but didn't say anything as the man came into the room and sat down on the edge of his bed. Jeff didn't say anything either and Scott knew he wouldn't until he worked out how panicked Scott was. Talking about it too soon just left Scott an emotional wreck. He was glad it was only ever his father that came in after a nightmare. He had no doubts that his brothers knew about them, but just as they wouldn't say anything about the needles, they wouldn't bring them up unless he did.

Scott didn't know how to talk about them to his siblings.

Eventually, he let out long sigh that signalled to his father that he was ready to talk.

"Who?" the man asked softly. Scott knew he didn't mean who was the threat - that never changed. He meant which brother was being threatened. It normally alternated between Virgil and John, as they were the two who had been most affected by everything that had happened the first time around. Occasionally Gordon was the one in trouble and on very rare occasions, it was Alan.

"Virg," Scott whispered, feeling his father's hand resting comfortingly over his ankle for a moment. He didn't say anything; there was nothing for him to say. Scott knew as well as his father did that it was over and he was safe. Hearing it from someone else didn't stop the images playing out in his mind when he slept. Rational thought didn't come into the equation. His father gave his ankle a squeeze.

"You should try and get some more rest if you are going to collect Johnny tomorrow," he murmured and Scott nodded. He knew there was no way that he could just settle back down and hope for a restful sleep now. But there was nothing else his father could say and with a final squeeze, he stood and left. They both knew there was nothing he could do.

Scott waited a few moments to make sure the man had made it back to his own room before slipping out of bed. He was still shaking, but grabbed a t-shirt and limped down the hallway, pulling it on as he did so. This was much harder when it was John as the victim; his brother either being in space or still awake if he was on the island. At least with Virgil, Scott knew there was no chance of him stirring when Scott slipped through his door. He tipped a load of clothes off Virgil's chair and lowered himself into it, stretching his legs up to rest on the end of his brother's bed.

He only intended to keep watch for an hour or so before returning to his own bed. It was his way of knowing that Virgil was alright, that the nightmare had been nothing more than that. But this time, Scott had underestimated just how tired he was. He had only been in Virgil's room for half an hour at the most before his eyes started closing on their own accord. Before he knew what was happening, he had fallen asleep sitting in the chair.

And this time, there were no memories of Blag's sneering face to plague him while he slept.