They caught him post mission.

They didn't even let him shed his uniform. He was covered in muck, mud in his hair and cranky as ever.

Scott grabbed one side, Gordon the other, and Alan played interference when those tired but still heavy-lifting muscles protested.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Scott grunted as Virgil attempted to wrest his arm away. "This is an intervention."

"What?!"

Gordon grimaced on the other side of his brother and Scott gripped his side tighter, just in case. He needn't have worried though. Gordon had hidden strengths.

"If you don't stop wriggling, Virgil, I'm gonna stamp on your toes."

And tactics.

Finally, the engineer went limp and did as he was told. Quietly they marched him out of the villa and down to the nearest beach. They dragged him up to the water's edge, and, with Alan grabbing his legs in an imitation of a football tackle, they dumped his squawking ass in the ocean.

It may have been a concern with all the equipment Virgil stashed in his uniform, but as with all their IR gear, it was waterproof. Anything lost could be easily replaced.

The three of them stood at the waterline as Virgil spluttered and surfaced, wiping seawater from his eyes. "What the hell, guys?"

Scott stood tall. "You, my dear brother, have been a grumpy ass all week. You're snarling so much you're scaring the natives in the danger zones." An indrawn breath. "You. Need. Downtime." Each word was punctuated. "If you won't give yourself a break, we will. You're off rescues for the rest of the week." He glared at his drenched brother.

Virgil had hair in his eyes. He opened his mouth.

"Or longer if you don't behave." Scott gestured at the beach. "Slow down. Reconnect with the planet or whatever it is you do. Feel the breeze. Smell the flowers. Watch grass grow. I don't care. Just give yourself some time."

Gordon opened his mouth. "Yeah, bro. We love the bear, but the claws are getting sharp."

Virgil stared at them. Scott watched emotion flicker across his expression. Anger, remorse, anger again, a touch of fear, only for it all to be replaced with exhaustion. Virgil's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry."

Scott sighed. "No need to be sorry, Virg. Just look after yourself."

His brother's eyes dropped to the gentle wash of the water he was standing in before looking up at them again. "I guess the lack of sleep is getting to me."

"You guess?" Alan's voice was high-pitched. "You're scary, bro. You had me and three of our rescuees hiding in the back of Two's module the entire way home today. I didn't know you could even snarl like that. They thought you had a mental health issue. Took some fast talking, let me tell you."

Virgil's shoulders dropped even further, totally dejected.

Scott wilted a little. "C'mon, Virg, this isn't you. You need rest."

"Yeah, before you rip someone's head off. Possibly mine."

"Gordon!"

"Hey, you didn't have to listen to today's lecture on which buttons I was and wasn't allowed to touch on Two's dash. Anyone would think I might break something."

Alan piped up. "In Virgil's defence, you have broken things in the past."

"They were accidents."

"Accidents that Virgil had to repair. I recall one taking half a day and two trips to Aotearoa for parts."

"Hey, who are we lecturing here?!"

Scott stepped in on that one. "Anyone who needs it."

"Oh, in that case, I have a list."

"Gordon."

"What?"

Virgil stepped forward into shallower water and sat down. Drawing his knees in closer he dropped his forehead down to rest on them.

The small waves produced by the caldera washed around him with a soft rhythm.

"Uh, Virg?" Gordon was frowning at his brother. "Whatcha doin'?"

Muffled. "You can go now."

"Virgil?" It was Scott's turn to frown.

A sigh. "Go. I will do what you want. Just go."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Just go!" The bear emerged and snarled.

Scott took a step back and held up his hands. "Okay, Virg. We're leaving. Just take some time."

"Go."

Gordon shot Scott a worried look. Scott answered with a frown and a gesture with his head. "We're going. Call us if you need us."

His brother grunted and Scott backed off up the beach, dragging Gordon and Alan with his eyes.

Once they hit the tree line, Scott turned and started striding up towards the villa. He thumbed his comms. "John?"

"Mission accomplished?"

"Yes. Can you keep an eye on him?"

"FAB."

A glance back at the beach between the trees and he left, taking his two brothers with him.

-o-o-o-