Scott was up far too early that morning. His sleep had been broken by memories he hadn't let surface for a long time. There was guilt with that. Perhaps he hadn't been paying enough attention to his younger brother's mental health. Perhaps he had once again fallen for the illusion that Virgil was the rock of the family.

Perhaps Virgil's accident was just a convenient reminder of what could have happened if he hadn't found his brother that night.

It was too early to go for a run. Too dark unless he wanted to accidentally step off a cliff he didn't see coming. So, he was left to his thoughts sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a coffee, staring out into the darkness.

Virgil was his second in command. He always had been. He was aware that his brother wasn't like him, wasn't military minded, but their differences only made them a stronger team. Virgil saw what he missed, he stood in for younger brothers and took Scott on when he needed to, just like any formal second in command would.

The man was calm, solid and as stubborn as a mule when he needed to be. Scott loved him for it.

So, it had been unexpected to find him shattered and bleeding, both mentally and literally that night so long ago.

Scott had known it had been a bad day, that they had lost more lives. He had been there when Virgil's shoulder had been reset that first time he dislocated it. Had seen the stitches in his back.

What he hadn't seen was the last straw, the moment when losing so much had finally broken his brother.

He was ashamed to admit that it was chance that he had been down by the beach hut. He hadn't even gone looking for Virgil.

But he found him.

Curled up on a rock at the edge of the lagoon, he had obviously come out here in an attempt to seek solace. But he hadn't found it.

The sound of Virgil sobbing in absolute anguish was a sound that haunted him to this day.

The sight of him tearing at his bandages, hooking stitches with his nails, and the blood on his hands...

There had been yelling and fear and tears. Scott had ended up with wet shoes and a brother in his arms desperately clinging, broken and staining his shirt in more ways than one.

The cover up and promises had been quick and hard. A trip to the mainland, hurried security checks for professionals... Kyrano kept so many secrets.

There had been long weeks where Virgil had been off rota supposedly for his injuries, but more so for his mental health.

Keeping worried younger brothers in the dark had been hell. But Virgil insisted. He couldn't show weakness. Couldn't break in front of his little brothers.

And Scott understood. He so understood.

Looking back now, it was obvious that John knew something was up. The man was their comms specialist and there was no doubt there was nothing John couldn't find out if he wanted to know.

Eventually, Virgil had returned to the Island, apparently as healthy and as strong as ever. But Scott had seen the cracks and now could see the hastily plastered walls and his brother's struggle to keep it all together. The next time they lost someone, the eldest desperately hunted down his brother terrified what he would find.

The lagoon was windy that day, its usual calm tossed by an ocean breeze strong enough to churn up waves to crash against the shore.

Virgil was sitting on the same rocks, staring out across the churned surface. His brother was composed. No sign of the broken man he had found here months earlier. But Virgil appeared to have been expecting him.

His hand twitched against his now healed shoulder. Scott had seen the scars that had formed there. The claw of his brother's own hand left tracks in his skin.

"Virg?"

That hand spasmed and, for a second, clawed at the cloth of Virgil's t-shirt.

"I need something." His fingers twitched. "I need to remember them. To honour them." Wide, sad, dark eyes turned to face Scott. "I need to feel something other than this."

His nails dented his shoulder and Scott skipped across rocks to grab at that hand, grasping it gently in both of his, holding it close to his heart as Virgil instinctively tried to pull away. "Virg."

Those eyes wouldn't look at him.

"Virg, Peter said it would take time." Peter was the professional trusted with his brother's mental health.

His brother stilled. "Time." His sigh was pain-filled. "Time to forget." A whole shift in Virgil's posture as he looked up, depression replaced by defiance. "I don't want to forget. I don't want to dismiss their lives. My failures. They deserve more!"

"Virg-"

"Do you want to forget Mom?" A swallow. "Or Dad? Grandpa?"

Scott's fingers twitched around his brother's. "No. Of course not. Virg-"

Virgil retrieved his hand, pulling away gently.

It returned to that shoulder and Scott's heart clenched.

"I want to remember them." His fingers twitched against his shirt and Scott fought the urge to grab his hand again.

A wave reached up and soaked his shoes with saltwater. "Fine. But I'm not risking you. We will find a way." Strategy. There was a solution, he just had to find it.

He didn't find it.

Virgil did.

And Scott still wasn't convinced it was a good idea.

But from that first day, that first drop of ink to stain Virgil's skin, it had worked.

The design had been Virgil's own. A mix of defiance and the Tracy coat of arms, echoing the plaque their grandmother had stuck up on the wall in the main corridor of the villa the day they had moved in.

The fact it was a bird of prey, thunderbird or not, was eerily appropriate.

The axe just chilled Scott.

But his brother now felt those upraised dates on his back whenever his hand reached for that shoulder and whatever reaction he had, it helped.

Scott closed his eyes and let his head fall into his hand. He had been so scared, so terrified he was going to lose...

Virgil was more than his brother.

He couldn't do this without him.

He didn't want to do this without him.

It felt selfish, like he had patched his brother up and thrown him back to work, but it wasn't.

It wasn't.

The hand on his shoulder startled him enough that coffee spilt all over the table. "Shit."

A hurried right of his mug and he clambered out of his seat only to collide with his father. "Dad!"

His father stumbled and Scott grabbed him. "Heh, didn't mean to startle you." His smile was unsure.

"'S okay, Dad." He ushered him to a chair. "Sit down while I grab a cloth and clean up this mess."

There was a frown eyeing him, but Scott ignored it, using the coffee dripping onto the floor as an excuse to not answer the question left unspoken. He managed to kill several moments doing just that, ending up at the sink rinsing the cloth now stained with coffee. His back to his father, he took another moment to gather himself.

He knew what was coming.

"Son?"

He closed his eyes.

The clunk of that damned walking stick on the flagstones had him spinning and holding up a hand. "Sit down, Dad." Grabbing at straws. "You want a coffee?" Not waiting for an answer, Scott began prepping exactly that, his fingers prodding Virgil's coffee machine.

"Scott. Sit down."

He looked up to find his father's sad eyes beckoning.

A swallow and Scott turned to face the inevitable.

"Son, sit down." He waved him to a chair across from him.

A sigh. So, interview it was.

He loved his father. Would go to the ends of the solar system and beyond for him, but some things never changed. Jeff Tracy was a determined man.

At least Scott knew where he got it from.

He killed the coffee machine and made his way back to the table, this time taking up a seat that set his back to the shadow of Mateo.

Grey eyes latched onto him.

"I'm proud of you son."

Blink.

His father reached over and took his hand.

Scott's eyes widened. Dad had never been one for a great deal of physical contact, but that had changed since he came back. Scott stared at the scarred fingers holding his.

"Son, I…" His father swallowed. "I need to know your brother is okay."

Scott frowned. "Virgil is okay, Dad. I promise." It was what he had been saying all along.

A drawn-out sigh. "I need to know if being part of International Rescue is in Virgil's best interest."

Eyes widening, Scott pulled back, his hand slipping from his father's as his back straightened. "Dad, no."

A held-up hand. "Hear me out."

"Dad, this happened a long time ago. International Rescue is our lives, Virgil's life. You can't take it away from him." A pause. "I won't let you."

Those old grey eyes latched on to him and his father's lips thinned. "Is he on medication?"

"Dad, you need to speak to V-"

"Is he on medication?"

"Yes. It is handled and monitored. Virgil is fine, Dad!"

His father made a sorrowful sound that cut Scott to the quick, before burying his face in his hands. "I wish…" It was muffled, but Scott heard it. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. If I had known…" But his voice drifted off and Scott was left staring at his father, his heart sinking more by the minute.

"We made it, Dad. We're okay."

His father's head shot up. "How can you say that? Virgil is suffering from a mental illness exacerbated by his job. Yet you tell me he should keep doing that job despite what it is costing him."

Voice quiet but firm. "It is his decision, Dad."

"And what happens if it becomes too much? What if-"

"Dad! It is under control. Virgil is an adult. He knows what he is doing and yes, if something does go wrong, he has all of us. We back each other up. None of us are perfect. We work as a team."

Grey eyes snapped at him. "What else don't I know?"

Scott held back a snarl. "What else do you want to know? If you think I'm going to give you the lowdown on all my brother's personal information, dream on, Dad."

Those eyes didn't falter. "Then what about you?"

"What about me? Have I had moments? Of course, I have. You know this job, Dad. It can be hell. And yes, there is a whisky stash in your desk. There always has been." He returned that piercing glare with one of his own.

"I never claimed to be perfect, son."

"And neither did we. Virgil's mental health is his business. He prefers to keep it to himself. I'm aware of it. It is being managed. End of discussion."

The steel in his father's eyes did not vanish. "I only want what is best for my children."

Scott's lips thinned as he stood up. "We're not children anymore."

"I know that, son, but I'm still your parent."

The tension in Scott's shoulders only tightened. "Dad-"

"You know, I always remember Scotty being a bit of a clone of you, Dad, but up until now, I'd never really seen how much."

A blink as Gordon slipped out of the darkness beside the stairs. He had his swimwear on and a towel thrown over his shoulder. His posture was casual, but Scott could see the tension in his shoulders. "Gordon-"

"Hey, Dad, welcome to the whacky world that is International Rescue, your local rescue organisation run by five brothers of questionable sanity. Here be the eldest, a strong, masculine heartbreaker who has an obsession complex that can drive the whole family out of the solar system. His back up and apparently medicated…" He glared at Scott. "…second in command, artist and sensitive type who takes on far too much and suffers for it. Coordinated by our communications guru who is so introverted he can't go to parties without breaking a sweat. Not to mention our aquanaut who suffers from PSTD because his body was broken six ways to Sunday and yet still managed to survive. And finally, our kid brother who has yet to be traumatised enough to sport a mental illness, but give him time." A sigh. "Honestly, Dad, what did you expect?"

"Gordon!"

"Scott, c'mon! Face it. It's a hard job. We do it. Shit happens."

Their father climbed to his feet. "Are you finished, son?"

Gordon glared at his father. "That depends." His lips tightened. "Are you seriously considering pulling Virgil from IR?"

Scott flared. "That is not on the table."

That earned him a brown-eyed glare. "Isn't it? The fact you are questioning Virgil's ability to do a job he has excelled at for years…" The glare returned to his father. "I just thought I'd let you know that if you do choose to do that, you can go find yourself another aquanaut. Because Virg goes? I'm going with him."

"Virgil isn't going anywhere!" The mere thought of losing any of his brothers… "Gordon, Dad just had some questions-"

"Yeah, questioning if the heart of this outfit was able to do his job." Gordon rounded on his father again. "If you had seen what Virgil is capable of, you wouldn't have any questions."

"Gordon, for god's sake!"

Their father held up a hand. "It's fine, Scott. As you said, Gordon has a right to his opinion." His voice was quiet enough to bring Gordon's ire to a halt and the sudden gap in conversation let the sounds of the ocean in through the open doors. "But as your father, I have a right to my opinion also. I need information. Scott has been in command for those eight years, so I am asking him for a report."

"On our brother."

"On a staff member of International Rescue." An indrawn breath. "And my son."

"Then perhaps you should speak to your son." Those brown eyes flared.

"I intend to." Those grey eyes turned back to Scott. "However, I was hoping to put him through the least amount of stress by gathering enough information beforehand, in particular what instigated this issue."

Scott straightened again. "I'm sorry, Dad. That is not my story to tell."

"Even as Commander of International Rescue?"

Ever so quiet as his eyes held his father's. "Even then."

They were all interrupted by the whine of a not-quite-out-of-teenagerhood-despite-being-an-adult at the top of the stairs. "Oh, c'mon, John. I don't need a warm milk."

Smooth musical tones. "You had a nightmare, Alan. Warm milk is the best option for a quick return to sleep."

"Really? Have you got a stash up on Five? Doesn't that UHT milk taste vile?"

"It's an acquired taste."

"Blech!" His little brother caught sight of the three of them. "Wha-? What's going on?"

Scott just felt sad as Alan and John took the last few steps into the room. But then John's eyes had that wiser-than-you-know look about them and Scott's shoulders knotted just that bit more.

Hiding anything from John was futile. And Alan?

John played for keeps.

As if subjected to an antibiotic for anger, Gordon's stance changed immediately. "Woah, John, you got the squirt up before the sun? How did you manage that without the side effect of death?"

"He had a nightmare." There was something in his brother's eyes.

"John! Geez, it was only a bad dream. I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"One that had you screaming."

"John!"

Scott stepped around the table. "You okay, Allie?"

"Oh, god, John. Now look what you did."

The elder astronaut had a rather knowing smirk on his face.

Scott glared at him.

He put a hand on Alan's shoulder anyway and squeezed gently.

His little brother growled at him. "I'm fine. It was time to get up anyway."

"It's before noon, Alan."

"Shut up, Gordon."

"Hey, I just have your teenage need for sleep at heart."

"Shut up, Gordon."

"That's enough, you two."

"He started it!"

"Alan."

"Scccottttt…" It was pure whine and a strong sign that Gordon was probably right. Alan needed more sleep.

"You going to grab some warm milk?"

"Heck, no. That was John's idea. I was just going to plug in some tunes, but he demanded I come down here. What are you guys doing anyway? Dad?"

Scott shot John with his eyes. This was worth a discussion later.

The smart ass just shrugged and smiled that smile of his.

"Dad?" Alan left Scott and hurried over to the table. "You okay?"

Scott spun to find their father reaching for his cane. Alan was there in a second and handed it to him. His little brother had an arm wrapped around his father and whether his help was wanted or not, he gave it.

"Are you okay, Alan?"

Alan rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Dad. Johnny is just making a big thing out of nothing."

As usual, the 'Johnny' moniker riled the astronaut. "You were calling Virgil's name."

The room froze.

Alan shot daggers at John from under his father's arm. "Thanks a bunch."

John tilted his head. "Well, you were." He held up his hands. "Just trying to help." But his eyes flickered to Scott.

He glared back. Yeah, right.

John's small smirk just wound Scott up further.

But he would kill his middle brother later, right now, Alan was the concern. "You want to talk about it?"

"Nooo."

"Is this about Virgil's tattoo?" His father's voice was quiet and a little sad.

"I'm fine, Dad. I'm eighteen. Not a kid anymore." It wasn't a 'no'.

"Age has nothing to do with dreams, son. I have nightmares all the time. Even some about you."

Alan shrunk back just a little. "Me?"

Their father nodded and Scott's heart finished its plummet somewhere amongst the flagstones.

"About all of you. Sometimes you're calling out to me and I can't answer. Sometimes you're hurting and I can't help. Sometimes all of you are just gone." He looked up at Scott. "In more ways than one. That I've lost you. That my one misstep cost us everything. Even now I find it hard to believe that all of you are here safe and sound." His voice hitched on that last word and Scott knew the truth. Knew that they weren't as sound as they could be.

"We're here, Dad. All of us." Alan was looking up at his father in that same way that eleven-year-old had looked up at Scott all those years ago. Eighteen years or not, his little brother still had faith.

"I know." He tilted his head and caught Alan up in his arms, burying his face in his youngest's hair. "It doesn't stop the dreams, though, kiddo. I'm still scared."

Scott swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, Dad." It was muffled against their father's shirt.

"Not your fault. I just wanted you to realise that we all have bad dreams from time to time."

"Heh, I know. Gordon walks and talks in his sleep."

"Hey! I'm over that!"

Alan poked his head up. "Newsflash, bro. Virg had to lead you back to bed three nights ago. Found you by the pool at two am talking to your 'coach'."

"Aw, shit."

"Language, son."

Gordon ignored his father. "Why didn't Virgil tell me?"

Scott was more concerned as to why Virgil hadn't told him.

"Dunno. You'll have to ask him."

Gordon muttered to himself about locks and tying himself to the bed.

Dad looked at Scott. "How long has this been a problem?"

Yet another sigh. "Long term, Dad. Left over from the Olympics. Flares when he's worried. Hasn't happened for a while. We have strategies."

"Are there any other issues I don't know about?" It was asked of the room at large, but Scott knew it was aimed at him. He pressed his lips together.

"Plenty, but they are all managed and safe." The familiar baritone echoed down the stairwell and Virgil, trailing Grandma, was the last brother to join them.

His dark eyes ranged over the family gathering, obviously making an assessment and drawing conclusions. "Did I miss a meeting?"

His brother's arm was strapped up but he was otherwise shirtless. It was obviously a statement because Virgil never went shirtless…ever.

He looked tired and worn.

"Virg, what are you doing up?"

It was Grandma who answered. "He needed his medication and I thought he could do with something in his belly before he goes back to bed." She stepped past her grandson and headed towards the kitchen.

A quick glance at Gordon and the aquanaut was moving. "Hey, Grandma, let me help you with that…" He followed her into the kitchen proper obviously vetoing any villa-burning-down attempts in the making.

Virgil took the last few steps onto the flagstones and eyeing all of them, made his way towards Scott, suspicion on his face. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Some."

"Obviously not enough."

He turned to their father. "Dad, you're up a little early, too. Anything I can help you with?"

It was a blatant barb. It was obvious Virgil thought he was the topic of discussion and Scott didn't blame him.

"Just finding my feet again, son."

Virgil nodded once before turning to Alan who was still holding onto their Dad. "You okay, Allie?"

"He had a bad dream, Virg." It was shouted from the kitchen.

"Gordon, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"You and what army, squirt?"

"Gordon!" It was choral – Scott, Virgil, John, Dad and Grandma.

"That army, idiot!"

"Alan!" Same chorus, younger name.

"He started it."

"He always starts it and you always fall for it." Scott glared at his little brother. He really was too tired for this. "It's early. Get yourself some food or drink and back to bed. I'm going for my run." The early morning pre-dawn glow was now bright enough to see by and not kill himself. God, he needed some time alone.

The expression on his father's face clearly showed the man wanted to talk further. "Dad, give it time, please?"

His father blinked, but didn't say anything.

"Trust me."

He straightened. "I trust you, Scott."

"Thank you."

Scott turned to Virgil. "And you, wear your uniform next time. Don't think I didn't notice, Thunderbird Two." He threw a glare at his second for emphasis.

That brought his brother up short. "FAB."

"And fix whatever caused the accident so it doesn't happen again."

"Uh." Virgil appeared suddenly panicked.

"Virg? What did cause you to fall?"

His brother's face fell and he slumped with a wince. "A bat startled me."

"What?"

"Did I just hear that correctly?" Gordon was far too gleeful in the kitchen. "Did you get scared by a bat?!"

"Shut up, Gordon." It was the chorus again.

The aquanaut might have said something more, but a small explosion on the stove had him yelping and hurrying to wipe milk off the walls.

"It was a bat, okay? It startled me, I stepped back and fell. Can we ignore that now, please?"

"I'll speak to Brains about finding a bat deterrent to keep them off the 'birds." Scott was firm.

Virgil turned to him and there was nothing but gratitude in his eyes.

"And if I hear anyone bugging Virgil about this, they will be cleaning all six of Two's modules with a toothbrush. Is that clear?"

There was a muttering of assent among his brothers.

Gordon had milk in his hair.

Scott turned to John. "You and I will be having words, Thunderbird Five."

"What did I do?" The astronaut was innocence itself.

"Strong words, Thunderbird Five." He glared even more for emphasis.

John shrugged. "FAB."

Alan. His littlest brother was still holding their father and didn't appear to be separating from him any time soon. "Allie, you want to talk. Any of us will listen, you know that. Dad included."

The young astronaut looked at his feet. "I know, Scott. Thank you."

"We all have bad times. We get through them together." His eyes drifted up to his father. "We do this together."

Those strong arms held Alan even tighter and his father gave him a single nod.

Scott took a step back and stared at his family, wishing briefly that Kayo was home and Penny, Parker and Brains were there as well, even if just to complete the picture.

"Grandma, I love you. Gordon, don't burn the kitchen down."

And with that, he turned towards the pool, ran out on the deck and into the beginnings of the day.

-o-o-o-

FIN.