"Oh, for the love of - Virgil!" Scott called from the patio, deactivating his comm and hopeful that his brother was able to hear him. He wasn't willing to take his eyes off of the ocean vessel until he was absolutely sure it was what he thought it was. The sound of boots scuffing the wood floor told Scott he'd succeeded, but there was no urgency in the steps.

"What's up," Virgil answered from the doorway.

"Come tell me I'm wrong and that's not the Squid's Revenge sailing away from the island," the hissed curse brought with it a history of understanding. The appropriately named ship had contributed to a few of Scott's earlier gray hairs on the occasions she had been taken out without warning. Her captain had been angry and frustrated and a jaunt out to sea without his communicators had left the family scrambling when they were unable to reach him. The excuse, once the ship was brought home and said captain was cornered by two irate brothers and one holographic image that could have skinned the man alive - Gordon wanted authenticity. Pirates didn't have satellites or radios to guide them.

"It is," the engineer groaned as he stopped beside him. "Think he was smart this time?"

"Already tried calling him, no answer," a small ache began to build behind his eyes. "C'mon, we can still catch him before he gets too far."

Both brothers turned and ran for the elevator that would lead to the island's marina. Scott already had a speedboat in mind - one that was fast enough to catch their little brother and strong enough to drag his ship home if the need arose - and it appeared Virgil was of the same mind. His immediate younger brother caught a pair of lifejackets from the storage unit situated at the boat's dock, handing one to Scott with a look of aggravated determination.

"Get the lines while I run startup checks," the commander instructed as he zipped the form fitting jacket over blue denim. Virgil did as instructed and in less than five minutes they were headed into the warm, morning sun.

The waters were ideal, to say the least, and the ship they were quickly approaching would be fine if left to the will of her captain. That didn't excuse the irresponsible choice of sailing alone and without comms.

It wasn't a large ship, a galley with two triangular sails, but when they were unfurled, bending to the will of the ocean wind, she was impressive. Scott would never admit more than that, though, keeping his envy for his little brother's skills on the open water under lock and key. The few times he'd been able to sail with Gordon, it had been an exhilarating rush of constant movement until everything worked as one. How his brother did it on his own still baffled him.

Time to bring it all to an end, the commander patched into the speedboats intercom system, "Stop the ship and prepare to be boarded!"

That was easier said than done when it came to the replica, but to Scott's relief, she began to turn out of the wind. The sails followed by lowering and they watched the bow break over the waves as she slowed. Unsurprisingly, there was no sign of Gordon, the aquanaut too busy managing all the rigging and the wheel.

"Wonder what caused it this time," Virgil offered a hint of concern, with good reason. He'd been on the mission that had nearly gone disastrous for their aquanaut and the eventual grounding that had sent Gordon to sea early the next morning. As far as they both knew, the recent rescues had gone near flawlessly.

"We'll have to ask him," his own anger simmered just under his resolve, Scott bringing the boat up to the side of the Squid's Revenge and waiting. After a long moment, a line was sent over the edge to land across the deck and Virgil quickly secured the two vessels together. "Gordon?"

The brothers pulled themselves over the side of the ship, eyes sweeping the deck for the blonde and finding him on the opposite side tying off one of the riggings. Scott groaned at the site of their little brother, geared up in a pair of loose fitting tan pants and billowy white shirt. Brown leather boots and a bandana tied the whole pirate motif together.

"Ye' better have a good reason fer boardin' this ship," breathless and annoyed, Gordon was still willing to keep up the charade.

"Yeah, to tell you to turn it around and dock," Scott didn't have the patience right now to handle the blonde's shenanigans. Virgil understood this and anchored him with a solid hand on his shoulder.

An amused grin played over Gordon's face as he leaned against one of the masts, arms crossing over his chest, "I'm afraid you'll need to clear that with the captain. You'll be lucky if he doesn't make ye walk the plank."

Confusion pinched at the brunette's brow, "Gordon, stop fooling around -"

A door to their left flew open, smacking into a barrel of supplies. A figure stepped out, feathers catching in the ocean breeze as they sat adorning an intricate pirate hat. The coat was deep blue and had been seen on their little brother more than once. Scott's jaw dropped as he realised who wore it now.

"Who dares stop my ship?" Jeff bellowed with such authority Scott almost turned to leap back into the speed boat.

"Uh - what...Dad?" The brunette fumbled uselessly for his resolve.

"I am Captain Gray Beard and unless ye both want to be swabbin' the deck, ye best tell me if yer here to join the crew or cause trouble." A mischievous smile said that their father was willing to follow through on Gordon's threat of walking the plank.

Again, Scott was finding it difficult to comprehend what he was seeing, but a firm squeeze from Virgil clamped his mouth shut. His calm brother could handle this.

"Just making sure this is a safe voyage," the engineer kept it plain and simple. Their father would understand the importance, "You'll need a communicator, just in case."

Their father's arms crossed making him seem all the more intimidating. Scott got the image of when he was younger, before the troublemaker that was Gordon Tracy had even been born, when Jeff had caught his son trying to climb into a prototype ship on his own. A nod and Scott almost flinched, "I assure ye, we have taken safety measures." Lifting his sleeve, they both saw the watch communicator their father used.

Realization and immense embarrassment hit. He hadn't even thought to check if anyone had gone with Gordon. Turning, he found his second youngest brother about to burst behind a bright smile.

"Oh - ah, good, right," Scott clamped his mouth shut before more spilled free, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Sorry, we'll leave you to it. Any idea when to expect you home?"

Gordon and their father exchanged a glance, shoulders shrugging in unison before Jeff addressed his two eldest, "We'll let ye know. Now, off my ship before I decide to feed ye to the sharks!"

Both brothers couldn't stop the smiles as they turned and jumped back into the boat. Never in all his life would Scott have imagined his father playing pretend, much less on a fully functional galley ship.

"See them off and get us back on course. Adventure awaits!" Jeff sent the orders and Gordon jumped into action.

"Aye aye, Captain!" The blonde shouted, appearing at the side of the ship with an amused smile. "Ye heard 'im, off before he changes his mind."

"Alright, alright, we're going," Virgil chuckled, handing the rope back to their little brother. Scott watched the amusement shift to delight as the persona slipped. It was only a second, but all he needed to know the two of them needed this. Ever since their father had come home, his time had been spent relearning everything about International Rescue and Tracy Industries with Scott and John, along with medical treatment for his prolonged time in space provided by Grandma and Virgil. There'd been talks of college for Alan, which soon turned into remote learning with a future internship. They couldn't afford to have the young astronaut a continent away. Gordon hadn't done more than sit with the group and tell stories of their lives over the last eight years.

For the two of them to be off on their own meant something - their own version of a day out as just father and son. Scott wasn't going to interfere a moment longer, "Stay safe, Squirt." He gave a quick salute which Gordon couldn't help mimicking.

The boats separated and the two elder brothers watched as the sails unfurled and caught the wind once more. The Squid's Revenge slid over the surface of the water in all her glory, Scott's jealousy finding its way back to the surface, "Amazing…"

"Don't let him hear you say that," Virgil gave the brunette a swift pat on the back. "C'mon, let's go home."

One last look at the ship heading towards the horizon and Scott felt the tension leave his tense shoulders. They'd be fine - better than before - he was sure of it.

OoOoOoO

The wheel tipped to the side and back, the wood warm under his palms. Gordon breathed in the salty air and was never more appreciative of the old ship than now. His father stood at the bow, gazing out towards the speck on the horizon. An island, small and uninhabited, would be their landing spot until evening.

He still found it surprising that Dad would want to go sailing with him. When he'd brought up the outfits and received an enthusiastic agreement to wear them, Gordon wondered if his father was alright. There had been explanations of old movies he used to watch with Grandma - so many of which seemed to romanticise piracy. He'd shrugged it off, content to have something in common with the former astronaut.

Now, in the quiet of the creaking ship and the soft roll of the waves, there was a new sound. The tone lilted subtly from high to low, the deep melody almost lost in the breeze. For a moment, Gordon couldn't place it, but as the notes grew louder, a shiver ran up his spine. Why did it have to be that song?

In truth, Braman's song had lost most of its effect on the aquanaut after they were able to find Dad and bring him home. The song had turned into a reminder that if Gordon hadn't gone through what he did, they might never have found their father. Hearing it now, in a hushed tone over the waves and coming from the man who'd sent it across space, emotions he hadn't anticipated for this trip bubbled up. The helm grew solid under his grip, the pull of the current helping to anchor him back to his job. For now, he could ignore the tune and focus on getting them to their destination.

Gordon's attention remained on the island ahead and he nearly jumped when his father appeared behind him, "Almost there, son?"

"Shouldn't be much longer," he smiled, hoping it covered his surprise. They fell into a comfortable silence until a hum started and Gordon was thankful it was a different song, "Sea shanties?" Curiosity pulled the question from his lips before he could stop it.

Jeff, thankfully, laughed, "Your Grandma used to play them on long roadtrips. They'd get stuck in our heads for days." The elder man's smile grew warm, "Seemed appropriate."

Gordon chuckled, his own fondness for the matriarch growing. Grandma had a way of making the mundane enjoyable. It didn't go amiss that she was the instigator for this entire voyage, whether she knew it or not. He made a mental note to take her shopping in return.

"Gotta say, kiddo," a firm hand landed on the blonde's shoulder. "I'm a bit envious. You manage this ship better than anyone I know."

A flush burned his ears and his grin grew, "Really? I mean, there's not too much to it once the sails are up. You wanna steer for a little bit?"

Jeff's brow lifted, "You sure?"

"Oh yeah, it's just like flying a jet," his smile beamed. "You just can't go up, and down is a really bad option."

The hand on his shoulder moved to the bandana covered hair, giving it a quick jostle, "Just make sure I don't run us aground."

Gordon sidestepped away, adjusting his bandana before gesturing to the wheel he held with one hand, "All yers, Cap'n."

To his surprise, a flash of uncertainty crossed his father's expression, but it was gone the moment his hands landed on the solid wood. Gray eyes remained on the sea ahead as he spoke, "Where are you going?"

He was already halfway down the steps, "Crows nest, gotta make sure you don't run into anything." Giving a quick salute, Gordon left his father for the rigging that would allow him access to the small platform. His heart leapt with the swell of the wave as they crested it and he knew, even if they wrecked, nothing would take away the joy he felt of being in his element, his father at the helm.