Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.
Happy Birthday, Angel-Sue! This was not what I intended to write, or even plan B. But apparently it's easier just to go with what the boys want.
"Just get lost if you won't help!"
Virgil froze, one foot hovering over the bottom step. He glanced up the stairs, thinking longingly of his bed. No one had seen him; no one knew he'd heard the frustrated shout. He could still get away with it…
The slam of a heavy door made him lower his leg, sighing wistfully. His early night was going to have to wait.
Retracing his steps, he was unsurprised to find Alan in the lounge, looking moody.
"What happened?" Virgil asked when his brother refused to acknowledge his presence. Alan shrugged.
"Alan." The warning tone made his kid brother look up. Alan was scowling, the petulant look that seemed to be the norm of late.
"Gordon's in a mood," he muttered. "Nothing to do with me."
"Sure about that?"
Alan narrowed his eyes. "Take his side, why don't you? You always do: the pair of you are inseparable these days, after all. I'm going to find Scott."
He got up, moving towards the door. Virgil cleared his throat. "He's not here."
"John, then."
"Also not here."
"I can still talk to him, can't I?"
Virgil shook his head as Alan disappeared. His brother was tired; they all were. Still, the rest of them seemed to keep better check on their tempers compared to the youngest member of the family. That being said… Gordon had sounded as if he was in a mood, and that alone was enough to ring alarm bells for Virgil.
He glanced longingly at his portrait before turning on his heel and heading towards one of the other concealed entrances. A heavy door masquerading as a section of wall gave way to a long flight of stairs down into the silos. This was the way Gordon had come - if Virgil had any chance of finding his brother before midnight, he'd have to go the same way. His chute would only bring him out by Two.
His footsteps echoed loudly as he hurried downstairs, shivering in the cool air and wishing he'd brought a sweater. He had a spare in his 'bird: if he couldn't find Gordon quickly, he'd detour. If he had to deal with Gordon's rarely seen temper, then he was going to damn well make sure he was warm while doing it.
But - to his surprise - the silos weren't as dark as he had been expecting. The cliff-face was open and he could see his landing strip lit up, the emergency fire-hoses standing guard. Gordon had moved quickly if he'd already set them up.
Virgil headed in that direction, blinking in the setting sun and looking around for his brother. Gordon was by the control panel, isolating one hose. There was a large container on a trolley next to him, and Virgil sighed as he approached.
"You know that's a two-man job," he said by way of greeting. Gordon jumped, spinning around to look at him with a guilty expression. Despite his earlier shout, he didn't look angry. He looked tired and frustrated.
"Oh look, there's two of us," he responded with a shadow of his usual smirk.
Virgil folded his arms. "You didn't know I was coming."
"Did. All I needed to do was make enough noise coming down and you wouldn't be able to resist."
"That's bull, and you know it."
Gordon glanced down before looking up to meet Virgil's eye. But Alan had made a good point: they had been spending more time together recently. As Gordon became more active in the operation, the long flights on Thunderbird Two had made Virgil feel closer to his brother than ever before. Sometimes they talked; sometimes not. But he knew his brother's tells.
"I was just-,"
"Tell me the truth," Virgil said, his tone soft. Gordon's gaze flickered again: from the controls, to the hoses, to the container. For a long moment, Virgil didn't think he was going to answer, but then he sighed. His shoulders slumped, and he scrubbed a hand over his face.
"I wanted to make sure they were fully operational."
Virgil didn't say anything. It was Gordon and Alan's turn. The four earthbound brothers all took responsibility for their own 'birds, but for the general maintenance jobs, they took it in turns, with the younger two picking up the slack if Scott and Virgil had been on a lot of missions.
"You know, check the foam levels," Gordon continued, waving a hand at the hoses.
"I know what it means to ensure they are fully operational," Virgil said drily. "What I want to know is why you're doing it on your own."
"I didn't want to leave them," Gordon mumbled, "just in case."
Virgil understood that as well. Events with the Navy had shaken Gordon more than he would ever admit to. He had been the one to trigger the hoses: Virgil knew he still dwelled on the sight of Thunderbird Two coming into land; smoke billowing, fire blazing, and no response from her pilot. The fire hoses were the one job his brother never slacked on.
"Still missing the point, Gordon. Why are you doing them on your own?"
"Because Alan won't get off his ass to do it."
"It could wait until morning." They'd been down in the silos all afternoon. While Virgil knew Alan had a habit of skipping out on jobs if he thought he could get away with it, he always completed them eventually.
"And if you're needed tonight?" Gordon asked.
"Then you'd have time to do them while I was out," Virgil said, shrugging. "Doesn't explain why you're so frustrated by it."
"I just wanted Alan to help, for once."
"It's never bothered you before." Out of all of them, Gordon had the most patience with dealing with their youngest brother.
Gordon suddenly found the ground very interesting.
"Come on," Virgil sighed, "I'll help you do them on the condition you then tell me what this is really about?"
"I can-,"
"Screw up your back if you try and do them on your own," Virgil said, "yeah, brilliant plan. You'll be a real help to me out on the field if you've done something stupid."
If Virgil hadn't been watching for it, he would have missed the look that shot over Gordon's face. As it was, he just raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. A deal was a deal, and he took hold of the trolley, wheeling the container to the right place to connect the hoses.
"You set the commands," he called over his shoulder in a tone that even Gordon didn't dare argue against. Now he had an idea what the problem was, Virgil wanted to get this sorted, tonight. He'd rather have everything under control before Scott got back from his supply run.
Anything for a peaceful life.
It didn't take them long. It took both of them to connect everything up - it was a bulky job, but they'd had enough practice to get it done quickly and efficiently. Virgil only had half his focus on the task, knowing that Gordon would run all the checks afterwards, anyway. Instead, he was watching his brother, trying to work out what had triggered the sudden change in his mood.
With the checks complete and all systems green, Gordon made to head inside. Virgil cleared his throat, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
"Walk?" he suggested, motioning to the runway. It wasn't long, but it offered a spectacular view over the ocean when they got to the end. Sure enough, Gordon suddenly exhaled loudly, the soothing motion of the distant water having its usual calming effect on him.
"Thanks," he mumbled, giving Virgil a sideways look. Virgil shrugged, feigning innocence. But he'd known full well what the rhythmic motion of the waves would do to his brother.
"Gonna tell me what this is really about?"
"Alan didn't want to-,"
"Gordon."
"You could've done them on your own," Gordon muttered. "Sure, it would've been awkward and taken twice as long, but you could've done it."
"I don't-," Virgil made to deny it, but Gordon shook his head.
"I know the two-person rule was only put into place because of me."
"That's not true," Virgil protested. But Gordon's expression said he saw straight through his older brother. Virgil ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what to say; not knowing what Gordon needed him to say.
Gordon didn't say anything, but turned his gaze back to the view in front of them. Virgil watched his brother's profile instead. He had a feeling he knew what this was about, but he needed Gordon to admit it out loud, to put into words what was bothering him.
"What if we put it into place for you?" he asked quietly, "is that such a big deal?"
"Yes." Gordon sighed. "No. I don't know. For something like this, I guess not. It would be stupid if I hurt myself just trying to sort out the fire hoses. It's not about them. It's… I hate that we even have to consider different rules because I'm a liability."
"That's not true!"
"Isn't it? You don't have to put in special measures for Alan and he refuses to even complete his training."
"Special measures don't make you a liability." He couldn't believe his brother would think such a thing - and couldn't believe that he hadn't realised beforehand. Everything Gordon did slightly differently was a reminder of his past.
"I don't know if I can do this, Virg," Gordon said softly. Virgil didn't speak. He waited patiently, standing on the end of the runway while his brother found the words to acknowledge what was going through his mind. It took a moment before Gordon spoke again.
"I fought so hard to walk again," he muttered, "and thought I'd beaten the odds. But out on a rescue? All it will take is one wrong move, and what may be a twinge for anyone else will lay me up for weeks."
"We discussed this when you first said you were prepared to join," Virgil said. "What's suddenly brought it up now? I thought you'd processed all of this."
"Scott," Gordon admitted. Virgil raised an eyebrow. Scott took his team leader duties seriously: there was no way he'd do or say anything that might make Gordon doubt his place in the organisation. Virgil knew the pair of them had spent hours discussing it when they first started up.
"What'd he do?"
"Got himself knocked out."
"Oh," Virgil said, suddenly understanding. "When that beam fell?"
Gordon nodded. "It could have killed him," he said. "He shouldn't have got in the way. When I asked him why he did it, he said…"
Gordon trailed off, but Virgil didn't need him to say it. He knew.
"It would do less damage to him than it would have if it had hit you?"
A supporting beam in a burning building had been on a straight path for Gordon. Supporting a casualty, he had no chance of moving in time. If it had continued its trajectory and struck his back… Virgil didn't want to think about what that would have meant for his brother.
Scott had been close enough to react. Close enough to know that it wouldn't end well, but not seeing any other option. It had taken a while before Virgil had could reach them - and he still wasn't sure which of his brothers had been paler.
"You think that your past injuries put Scott in danger?" Virgil said, keeping his voice even and resisting the overwhelming urge to reach out and cuff his brother over the head for being an idiot.
"I don't think it, Virg. I know it. If I hadn't been there-,"
"True, if you hadn't been there, he wouldn't have done it."
"I knew it."
"But if I hadn't been on that riverbank the month before, he wouldn't have ended up in the water."
"He said he slipped."
"Yeah… after I'd already lost my balance. He grabbed me, pulled me back, and lost his own balance in the process. I couldn't return the favour."
"But-,"
"Gords, you idiot. You're not the liability out there. Scott is. Do you really think that he wouldn't have done exactly the same if it was me, Allie or John in that position? He'd do it because he's Scott, and he always thinks the cost is lower if it is him in the firing line."
"I…" Gordon looked down, but then forced himself to meet Virgil's eyes. "I thought he did it because it was me, y'know? That the consequences would be too severe, take too long to heal from if that beam had struck me."
"He did it because it was you," Virgil admitted, "but not because of the reasons you think."
Gordon finally nodded. He kept his gaze fixed on the ocean, but Virgil saw some of the tension leave him. That rescue had been a few weeks ago, and he cursed himself for not realising there was something playing on his brother's mind.
"Is that why you've been trying to get everything done?" he asked. Over the last few days, Gordon had been determined that all his maintenance tasks were complete, the silos spotless, and made sure his brothers knew he was on hand if they needed him. "You felt like you had something to prove?"
Gordon shrugged, refusing to look him in the eye. Virgil gave in: he reached out and whacked Gordon over the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Because I could," Virgil told him. "Because you're not a liability, you can handle more than you think, and if you don't accept that, then I'll…"
"Yes?" Gordon was grinning - Virgil could hear it in his voice.
"I'll do something spectacularly dramatic that will leave you trembling in fear," he informed his brother.
"Really?"
"Yep. Absolutely quaking."
"Even the thought is making me tremble." Gordon finally turned to look at him, and Virgil could see the relief in Gordon's eyes. Virgil shook his head.
"Next time there's something playing on your mind, talk to one of us. Me, Scott, John, even Kyrano if you don't want us knowing. The only way you're going to be a liability out there is by second-guessing and doubting yourself. You've always listened to your instincts, Gords. Don't stop now."
"You sound like Scott."
"Eurgh," Virgil groaned. "This is what you're doing to me. You're turning me into the Smother Hen. C'mon." He nudged Gordon lightly. "We should head back. You still need to close up."
"I do? Don't you mean we? You helped me, after all."
"Nah," Virgil said with an affable grin. "You need to prove to yourself that you can do it."
"By putting away the cleaning equipment?" Gordon sounded disbelieving.
"Baby steps, little brother."
"Jerk." Gordon fell into step with him though and they made their way companionably back towards the silos.
Despite his words, Virgil assisted his brother with getting everything back inside and sealing up the rock-face. Some jobs were still quicker with two people, even if one could manage on their own.
They didn't speak as they worked: they didn't have to. Virgil hid a smile. Gordon might doubt his place, but his brothers didn't. He'd grown used to having Gordon around: a second pair of hands, a voice quietly asking him to explain a finer detail on Two. Gordon had taken his duties as co-pilot seriously, even if he wouldn't admit it.
Once everything was back to where it should be, Virgil led the way back upstairs. But before they reached the comfort of the villa, Gordon called him back.
"Don't tell Scott?" he said, looking nervous again. Virgil rolled his eyes.
"I've tried telling Scott he's an idiot for years," he said, "and he still doesn't listen. I've given up."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know." Virgil smiled at Gordon. His brother grinned back, looking relieved.
"On one condition," Virgil said, tone serious. "If you think like this again, you tell someone. I mean it, Gordon: you are part of this team. But if you're doubting yourself, that's when you become a liability."
Gordon nodded, and Virgil could tell that his brother was taking his words to heart. He knew better than most that second-guessing yourself on a rescue was the most dangerous thing any of them could do.
He turned, but Gordon called him back again.
"Now what?" Virgil grumbled. This time, Gordon's smile was shy.
"Thanks."
Virgil winked. "That's what I'm here for. Now come on, let's get out of here. You can get me a coffee."
"I can, can I?"
"Sure. Got to prove you're up for anything, right?"
It showed how much Gordon had needed someone to see through his false pretences that his brother didn't even rise to it, but followed him up the stairs. By the time they reached the house, Virgil had added a bagel, popcorn and some chocolate onto his request, figuring this was going to be the one time Gordon might actually deliver.
At least, while they were at home.
Out on a rescue, he'd never had any doubts.