*skids in for a late update* I'm still on time... just!
"Virgil!"
Scott was on his feet barely even before he had finished processing what he was seeing. Their own boat wobbled precariously and John was forced to reposition himself in the middle, holding onto both sides in order to stop the whole thing from capsizing.
"Scott, what..?" John made to ask what Scott was doing, but as his brother simply dove off the side of the boat, he guessed that he should have known what was coming. Watching Scott resurface, gain his bearings and then strike out for Virgil's boat, John sat down, grabbing the oars. His own eyes were also fixed on Virgil's boat, and he couldn't stop the sigh of relief when he saw his brother resurface again. Virgil might have been coughing and spluttering, but Scott was on his way and John knew that his brother was going to be okay.
"Virgil!"
The yell from the bank caused the blond to whip around from where he had been attempting to make the boat move. Gordon and Alan had clearly finished their turn and had come to watch their big brothers. None of that crossed the star-loving Tracy's mind, however, as he saw the distress on Gordon's face as Virgil disappeared back under, and the way the child bent down, clearly looking like he was going to take his shoes off.
"Gordon, no!" John yelled, changing course slightly now that he had managed to get the thing to move. Once he managed to get a small amount of momentum, it really wasn't that difficult. There was no way that he could match the speed they had been travelling at before, but he was at least making progress. Originally, he had been heading straight towards where Virgil had disappeared. But on seeing the man in charge also heading that way, John changed his mind. If the instructor was out on the lake, there would be no one on the side to stop Gordon simply diving in. Not that John doubted that his brother could handle himself in the water - he would possibly reach Virgil before Scott did - but he didn't want Alan trying to follow suit or for all of them to end up in the lake. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Scott had almost reached Virgil and, tugging sharply on the oars once more, John brought the boat to a stop, halfway between his brothers and the side.
"Gordon, stay right there! I need you to look after Alan." If there was one thing John had picked up from watching Scott handle their younger brothers, it was how to get them to do something in an emergency. All he had to do was play on Gordon's desire to be an awesome big brother, and the redhead wouldn't so much as blink in case it gave Alan the wrong idea. The child froze but John could see the distress on his face even from the distance he was at.
"It's okay, I've got him!" Scott's hoarse-sounding voice suddenly rang across the lake, his breathing sounding remarkably even for someone who had just swum as fast as he possibly could and then dived into the depths the third time Virgil had disappeared under.
John's head shot back around that way so fast that he felt his neck crick, but he sagged in relief at the sight that greeted him. Scott did indeed have their brother. Virgil's head was leaning back on Scott's shoulder as the older boy kept them both above the water. The ten-year-old was gasping and spluttering and John wasn't sure whether the water running down his face was from the lake or from tears, but as Virgil managed to take a few deep breaths, John breathed out a sigh of relief himself. Not that he had ever doubted that Scott would get to their brother, but seeing Virgil disappearing under the water had done things to his insides that he had only ever experienced once before. Considering they had ended up losing their mother the last time he had felt like that, John couldn't say that he was going to be prepared to let this incident go.
As the instructor got to the pair, somehow managing to balance his own boat and take Virgil from Scott, John felt a flash of anger so uncharacteristic for him that it almost took his own breath away. Before he thought about what he was doing, he had grabbed hold of the oars once more and was heading back towards Scott. Now that Virgil was out of the water, he knew that Gordon would stay put; John wasn't needed there. Instead, his gaze was locked on the smirking boy who was avoiding the instructor's eye whilst being yelled at. John wasn't even thinking of getting over there to help Scott out of the water, he just wanted to get to Oscar. It wasn't often the thirteen-year-old's temper was sparked off, but when it was, the results were explosive.
His eyes locked on the younger boy, John jumped so violently when Scott suddenly appeared at the bow of the boat that he almost fell in himself. His brother was shivering slightly, but there was a fire in his eyes that outdid even John's. The older boy grabbed hold of the boat, hands hooked over the side as he tried to pull himself in. Getting the hint, John reached forward. Grabbing Scott by the neck of his now sodden top, he helped to practically topple him into the boat. The instructor had finished yelling and was in the process of rowing steadily back to shore. Scott's fiery gaze softened slightly as he gazed after them, and John suddenly realised that the only reason Scott wasn't in that boat with Virgil was because there simply wasn't enough room.
"Get us back," he muttered tensely, knuckles turning white as he gripped the side of the boat. John nodded, revenge pushed aside for a moment as he focused on getting them back to the shore and back to Virgil. Whilst the issue of space was the only reason why Scott was not in the boat, the fact that Virgil was being moved away from them was also the only reason why Oscar hadn't felt the wrath of the Tracy brothers. It had always been their unspoken (or sometimes spoken, depending on how bad the situation got) rule that no one messed with them without having to face the others. Even Alan had once kicked someone in the shin when they were rude to Scott. Not that the oldest brother had let it go, firmly telling the then-four-year-old that it was wrong, but John had seen the small smile on his face. If even the youngest was that protective, Oscar had no chance of getting away with what he had just done.
John rowed silently and steadily, not even thinking about asking Scott to help. A small growl of annoyance came from behind them at one point, and the brothers couldn't help but grin at each other. John had mastered rowing on his own and could even maintain a steady speed. Three years younger and not yet having reached a growth spurt, Oscar could not. He was stuck until someone went back out for him.
After what felt like an age, not helped by Scott muttering profanities that would have had their grandmother reaching for her rolling pin if she had heard him, the two finally reached the shore. Scott sprang out almost before John had brought the boat alongside the decking, running across to where the man had lifted Virgil out. The youngster was sitting on the side, a blanket being wrapped around his shoulders even as Scott went racing across.
"Virg! Hey, kiddo, talk to me."
John had to smile at Scott's frantic words even as he managed to tie up the boat – albeit roughly – and climb out himself. He almost lost his footing on the wet deck and might have slipped if it hadn't been for Gordon. The seven-year-old grabbed John by the elbow, not saying a word before beginning to tug the blond over to the rest of their family. Alan had run across as soon as Virgil had appeared and was worriedly stroking his big brother's arm. Virgil was pale and shaking slightly, but could be seen to visibly relax as Scott pulled him into a hug. They were both as wet as each other, so it wasn't as if it made any difference. Hurrying over, both John and Gordon dropped to their knees beside them, Gordon immediately jumping on Virgil and getting himself soaked in the process, and John squeezing his brother's shoulder. Virgil's smile was no less at John's contact than Gordon's, knowing his brother was not the physical type.
Obviously satisfied that the ten-year-old was being well taken care of, the instructor quickly set out in his boat again. John couldn't help but notice that he didn't have nearly the same urgency as he steadily rowed his way out to where Oscar was still stranded. As his head turned to watch the man's movement, something caught his gaze out of the corner of his eye and he stood up. Virgil was safe in Scott's hands and John would be lucky to get a word in edgeways now that Scott had firmly entered protective mode. Instead, the blond made his way over to where a girl a little younger than him stood on the side. There were dried tear tracks coursing down her cheeks and her hands twisted at the fabric of her sundress as she looked at Virgil.
"It's Vicky, right?" the thirteen year old muttered, suddenly wondering what he was doing. Scott was the one who talked to girls; he just went red and started stuttering. As she looked at him and slowly nodded, John had to force himself to meet her eyes and not simply run away in the opposite direction. Heck, he would even opt for jumping in the lake if it got him out of this, but he owed it to Virgil.
"Are you okay? I saw what Oscar did."
"I'm fine. Is Virgil okay?"
John grinned and nodded as he heard a slight protest coming from behind him. One glance showed that Virgil was recovering from his fright. Either that, or he had just seen who John was talking to, for he hastily pushed himself away from where he had been leaning against Scott. The oldest brother didn't seem quite satisfied that Virgil was as okay as he was making out, but then he too saw what Virgil was looking at. The second-oldest brother wasn't sure whether Vicky noticed the way Scott suddenly smirked and rolled his eyes before subtly whipping the blanket off Virgil again. The young artist jumped, his eyes going wide in surprise before he smiled his thanks. Despite his pretence, he still accepted Scott's helping hand as he was pulled to his feet. There seemed to be some sort of unspoken message shooting between John's immediate older and younger brothers, before Scott nodded softly. Whatever they had been talking about, the older boy had just granted permission for Virgil to continue, regardless of the fact that he was shaking slightly. Whether it was the coldness of the lake or just shock over what had happened, it wasn't clear.
John, however, had stopped watching. The boats had just got back to the shore and Oscar was standing behind the brothers. Feeling a wild flash of fear over the fact that Alan was standing closest to the boy, John took a few steps forward, his eyes locked on the child who was ruining his brother's holiday. After getting slightly closer, John stopped again, frowning. There was a strange look on Oscar's face, something mixed between sadness and envy as Scott called Alan back from going too close to the edge and Gordon took it upon himself to help Virgil over to talk to Vicky, regardless of the fact his big brother's face was slowly turning red as she smiled at him. The second that Oscar realised that John was looking, the expression disappeared and the smirk was immediately back in place, but John found that he couldn't bring himself to move any closer. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if that one flash, that one look present for only a few seconds, suddenly gave him an insight into Oscar.
"Such a baby," the boy drawled, making to move forward and deliberately bumping into Scott as he did so.
Any sympathy John might have been feeling disappeared the second Oscar's mouth opened and John felt his own face change as he practically growled. He wasn't the only one - Scott also stepped forward. The fifteen-year-old had always had a more fiery temper than his younger brother, and this time when John moved, it was to intercept Scott.
He didn't quite anticipate having to use his full strength in order to keep his big brother back, but it seemed that Scott had truly had enough of the brat. If he was honest, John couldn't blame him. Oscar seemed to have found all the buttons to make Scott explode and was happily jabbing his greedy fingers all over them. Virgil had heard the cruel words and had turned, the pinkness on his cheeks deepening, but for a different reason this time.
"John, get off..." Scott's voice was low, almost a growl. But all it managed to do was make his little brother cling on tighter, his feet sliding slightly on the slippery deck. If Scott continued like this, John was going to have to let go or risk ending up back in the water. Scott was bigger and stronger than him, not to mention angrier.
"You can't hit him, Scott, he's younger than you," John grunted, almost falling over when his brother suddenly stopped fighting him. Even so, John wasn't prepared to let Scott go just yet. He didn't trust his brother's temper when it came to looking out for the younger ones. John had seen firsthand through incidents at school that Scott could hold his own in a fight, but he wasn't sure his brother would be able to forgive himself afterwards if he hit Oscar. However good it might feel at the time.
"Damn him," Scott cursed, tugging against John's hold. But this time, it was not to try and get to the younger boy, but a signal for his brother to let go. "I'm fine, Johnny, get off..." Scott knew what it would have meant to John to physically try and restrain him. The blond had never been good with contact, but it had got a lot worse in the last year. It hadn't been uncommon for the child to be snuggled into their mother's side each evening with a book in his hand. Now he had lost only contact which had made him feel comfortable, it was as if John was getting worse. Scott wondered whether he would need to talk to his father about it, but before he could even let the thought process begin to unwind, Oscar scoffed. He was standing in front of them, only just out of Scott's reach. This time, however, it wasn't Scott who needed to be held back.
John had had enough. He was normally the most calm of the brothers, the one who would sit patiently through Virgil's rants over missing a note in a piece of music, even if no one else could hear it. He was even the one to calm down Scott, especially when something like this happened. The oldest brother didn't tend to think straight when his siblings were involved. But whilst John's temper was not often seen, when he did explode, it was ferocious. He could stew for hours, and then let it loose on the world in a way that only made sense to a thirteen-year-old. But rather than his mood then bouncing back, John would be angry for hours, days if given the chance. Seeing the warning signs, Scott grabbed John's arm, jerking him back a pace or two, making sure that his brother couldn't reach Oscar.
"He's younger than you, too," he muttered, letting go of John's arm but making sure that he positioned himself in-between the two. He wanted nothing more than to just let John go and see what would happen – something told Scott that John was not as defenceless as everyone seemed to assume. But he had a responsibility to keep his brothers safe and out of trouble. Oscar had already undermined that when he pushed Virgil in and Scott had no desire to fail another brother because of the kid. After Oscar's performance the day before, Scott knew that he would use anything that happened to his advantage. But whilst he knew that he couldn't let John loose, Scott failed to see someone else moving.
Gordon had heard John's muttered words to his brother, and now Scott's response. Biting his lip, he glanced from where Virgil was trying to hide the fact that he was shivering as he spoke to Vicky over to where his other two older brothers were attempting to calm each other down. Oscar was standing directly between the two pairs, a smug look on his face as he believed that he was safe. It was clear that he, too, had heard their words and now believed that he was untouchable, Virgil was clearly otherwise occupied. The seven-year-old scowled, glancing to where Alan was chewing on the edge of his sleeve, watching the confrontation with wide eyes. Somehow, it was the innocent look of his only little brother that made up Gordon's mind for him.
Walking forward, he tapped Oscar on the shoulder. Waiting until the older boy had turned, he then kicked him sharply in the shin and punched him on the shoulder as he bent down slightly.
"OW!"
"Gordon!"
Despite the admonishment in Scott's tone, Gordon knew his brother too well. Scott was constantly telling him off, meaning the troublemaker had learnt how much trouble he was in by the tone of voice. Scott's words might have been scolding, but his voice was laughing.
"What?"
"You know what."
"This?" And so saying, Gordon kicked Oscar again, causing John's lips to twitch.
"I'll tell my father! He'll make you pay for this!" Oscar yelled, hopping up and down on the spot. John also smirked, sensing that Scott was doing the same. Gordon had a hard kick, they could vouch for that.
"And what would you tell him?" the fifteen-year-old asked, walking forward and wrapping an arm around Gordon's shoulders. It was almost in a protective manner, making sure that Oscar couldn't get back at the redhead. "That you were beaten by someone three years younger than you? I would have thought that he would be more disappointed that you didn't come out triumphant than angry at my brother."
Oscar's face fell as John brushed past him to stand with the others. He opened his mouth a few times, clearly trying to make a comeback. But he couldn't seem to find the words to say, and Scott wondered just how close to the truth his words had hit. John was thinking the same thing, his mind full of Oscar's earlier expression when the boy had showed just a flicker of vulnerability. Yet no one said anything, for none of the Tracys had any desire to try and make the child feel better. As Virgil suddenly appeared by Scott's side, the oldest brother repeated his actions and wrapped his arm around Virgil's shoulder. Glancing back, he saw Vicky walking off.
"Everything okay?"
"Her folks are expecting her," Virgil muttered, leaning into Scott's side now that he wasn't trying to pretend any more. His big brother frowned at the way the younger boy was still shivering. The shock must have worn off by now since he had been talking to the girl happily enough. Deciding it must be the cold, Scott began to turn, taking Virgil and Gordon around with him.
"Come on, let's get cleaned up before dinner," he muttered, not drawing attention to the fact that it was Virgil he really wanted inside and in a hot shower. He didn't want to give Oscar any more ammunition and, as Virgil looked up at him, Scott smiled. He could see that his brother knew what he really meant, and was grateful to Scott for not fussing as much as he could have. "John, can you-?"
"I got him." John didn't need Scott to finish his sentence, for he knew what his brother was going to say. Before Scott had finished speaking, the thirteen-year-old had already held out his hand to Alan. The youngest member of the family grabbed hold happily. Whether it was because Alan was the youngest, or whether it was because he had spent the last year pulled around all over the place as the family tried to deal with what had happened, he never kicked up a fuss about holding anyone's hand. Unlike Gordon, who tended to immediately try and run in the opposite direction.
As Alan moved past Oscar, he suddenly stopped, staring up at the boy who was twice his age.
"You're not very nice," he announced seriously, and Scott's lips twitched as he caught John's eye over everyone else's heads. He had always known that it wasn't just the older brothers who looked out for the family. First Gordon and now Alan... Oscar was going to be lucky to get anywhere near Virgil again and, as he glanced down, Scott saw that the artist knew it. There was a small, fond smile on his face. Scott, John and Virgil couldn't really say anything to Oscar, not with the way that the boy would twisteverything to work in his favour. Gordon and Alan, however, could almost do whatever they wanted.
"You little brat," Oscar snarled, clearly having had enough of coming up against a wall when it came to trying to get one over on the Tracy brothers. Stepping forward, he shoved Alan on the shoulder so hard that, even though he was holding onto John's hand, the five-year-old fell over backwards. Landing with a thud on the decking, Alan just sat there for a moment, clearly trying to process what had happened.
"You-"
"John, no!"
It was too late, though. By the time Scott had opened his mouth, John had leapt at Oscar. Unwrapping his arms from Gordon and Virgil, Scott ran forwards even as Alan started to cry. Deciding that it was time for him to take on the big brother role, Virgil dropped down next to his youngest brother, giving him a hug.
"You're all wet," Alan giggled, forgetting his tears almost instantly as he squirmed away from Virgil. The artist laughed, ruffling his hair before turning to see what was going on. He almost groaned at the sight that greeted him, wondering how on earth they were going to get away with this.
John had managed to knock Oscar over, but Scott had arrived before anything else could be done. Hooking his hands under John's shoulders, the oldest brother had bodily pulled the younger away, struggling to hold onto him.
"Stop it! Think of what we said earlier..."
"I don't care! He clearly doesn't!"
Taking a step backwards, Scott dragged John with him, desperately trying to hold onto his brother. He had hit a growth spurt recently, and there just seemed to be limbs everywhere, making John extremely hard to hold onto.
"You're better than he is, Johnny, don't do this." Deciding that if holding him back wasn't going to achieve anything, then it was down to words, Scott continued muttering soothing nonsense in his brother's ear as he backed up. Unfortunately, Oscar was just sitting where John had pushed him, smirking. The child clearly believed that Scott was more worried about his brothers getting into trouble than he was about making him pay for pushing over Alan. Gordon, however, had no such qualms.
With a running leap, he threw himself at Oscar, sending them both flying backwards and skidding towards the water's edge once more. Wondering where on earth the instructor was, Scott glanced between John and Gordon, trying to work out who was more trouble. John was still fighting to get back at Oscar and Scott knew that it wouldn't be safe to let him go. But whilst Gordon's intentions were clear, he was the younger one out of the fighting pair. Not to mention how close they were to the water. Oscar hadn't hesitated before pushing one Tracy in, so why would he do so with a second?
"Gordon, stop!" Coming to a decision, Scott pushed at John, forcing his brother over slightly before putting him in a headlock. John might have grown, but he was still waiting for the muscle to catch up with him. He was no match for Scott as his brother dragged him over to Gordon. Reaching into the scuffle, Scott winced as someone kicked his leg and a fist hit him in the stomach, but somehow managed to grab Gordon by the back of his collar.
Backing away whilst holding two brothers was not an easy feat, especially when both were fuelled on anger and struggling to get loose once again. He managed to get back a few paces before taking the easy option and just falling over backwards, taking them down with him. Immediately, Scott pinned Gordon down with his legs and grabbed John by the arms once more.
"Stop!" he grunted, refusing to look at Oscar. If the boy was smirking again, Scott wasn't sure he could be held accountable for his actions. "He's not worth it; you're giving him what he wants. Just stop it, the pair of you!" Even though he'd taken charge of looking after his brothers for a year now, Scott wasn't sure he had ever sounded as much like his father as he did in that moment. Gordon seemed to sense it and immediately fell still, stopping his pushing against Scott's legs. John froze for a moment before attempting to wrench himself away.
"You're not dad, Scott. It's not your job to stop us." The quiet note in John's voice made Scott falter slightly, knowing that his brother had a point. But he didn't realise that John just knew him too well. As soon as he hesitated, John pulled away and jumped to his feet. Now that his temper had been sparked off, John was not backing down.
"Gordon, stay there!" Scott yelled, jumping after John. He hit his brother in the back, sending them both back down to the floor and keeping him pinned there this time. John bucked, trying to get the older teenager off him, but Scott refused to budge. He opened his mouth once more.
"What the hell is going on here?" a voice thundered, causing Scott's own words to die in his throat. He might have been able to sound like their father when the time called for it, but no one could sound as intimidating as the man himself.
Twisting his head around awkwardly, Scott swallowed.
Their father had arrived, looking positively fuming as he took in the sight of his sons sprawled across the decking in various positions, both Scott and Virgil soaking wet.
