"That's a wrap!"

Dot sighed in relief; they must have shot and reshot this scene twenty times now. It didn't help that the director was a real piece of work… cranky, demanding, and just plain unpleasant. He reminded Dot a lot of Weed Memlo, and she could tell from the sideways smirks and eyerolls Yakko had directed her way that he was thinking the same thing. She could only assume that Wakko did too, but he had been acting kind of weird since the third take. He was quiet, even for him, and seemed completely focused, which was also strange. She and Yakko had been casting him inquiring looks at him between takes, since there wasn't enough time to talk, but he didn't seem to notice.

"All right, take five, everyone."

Yakko cast both his siblings a grin as they headed off-set.

"Well, he's a real charmer."

Dot giggled at that, but Wakko stayed silent, his eyes on the ground. After exchanging a concerned look with Yakko, Dot moved in front of her immediate older brother.

"Okay, that's it," she said, poking his chest. "What's eating you?"

Wakko blinked, as if coming back to himself, and looked at her. He immediately smiled, but it wasn't hard to tell it wasn't full wattage.

"What d' you mean?"

Yakko moved over in front of the middle sibling too, his brow raised.

"I think ya know what we mean, sib. Something's bugging you, we can tell."

Wakko's eyes darted around as he began twisting the bottom of his sweater. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere rather than where he was right now, and that made Dot even more concerned. None of them had ever had a problem with talking about something that was bothering them, especially with each other.

"I… I just…"

When he hesitated, Dot glanced at Yakko. He was wearing a serious expression that his siblings didn't often see on his face. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Wakko's shoulder.

"Is it something the director said when he talked to ya?"

From the middle sibling's expression, Dot knew right away that their older brother had guessed right. His eyes moved to the floor, and he gave a tiny nod. Dot could see that his eyes were getting strangely bright, and realized it was because they were welling up. Her own eyes widened, and her concern grew even stronger. The same concern was obvious in Yakko's voice.

"Wak? What'd he say?"

Dot saw Wakko's jaw tighten as he swallowed hard, then finally he stepped forward and rested his forehead against his older brother's stomach. His voice was quivering, as if he was going to start crying at any moment.

"H-he said… I was stupid."

Dot felt her jaw go slack, feeling so stunned she didn't know what to feel at first. She looked at Yakko to see the same shock on his face. She saw a very brief flash of anger, but it quickly changed to a look of deep concern as he placed a gentle hand on their brother's capped head.

Very few people knew, or even suspected it, but Wakko could be more sensitive than he seemed. He got plenty of good-natured teasing from his siblings, and that never bothered him… probably because he knew they would never say anything bad to him and mean it. But when other people did, he could very much take it to heart.

Dot's shock very quickly dissolved in a rush of fierce, burning anger. Something that hurtful, that deliberately nasty, and that insensitive jerk had the nerve to say it to her brother? She was immediately tempted to march right back to the set with her mallet and smack him so hard he wouldn't see straight for a month. But she controlled herself with a deep, calming breath, and her anger turned into sympathy and concern. That wasn't where she was needed right now.

Yakko kept stroking a hand over his younger brother's head, and his voice was gentle and soothing when he spoke.

"He shouldn't 've said that to you. It was wrong, and it's not true. You're not stupid."

Dot heard Wakko's sniffle before he spoke again.

"But… but I…"

"No buts," Yakko said, his voice still gentle but firm. "Maybe ya don't think the same way as other people, but that doesn't make you stupid."

He then placed his hand under his brother's chin and lifted it, so Wakko's teary eyes were looking up at him.

"Besides, that guy doesn't really know you. We do. You'd trust what we say over what he says, right?"

Wakko sniffled again before nodding, and Yakko smiled as he ruffled his cap.

"Well, there ya go," he said. "I don't think you're stupid, and neither does Dot."

He then glanced up at her, and she immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her immediate older brother.

"I don't," she confirmed. "Not in a million years."

Nestling close, she began purring. It was a little comfort mechanism she'd developed that proved very effective in cheering her brothers up. After a few moments, Wakko returned her hug and she smiled when she saw his drooping tail perk up a little. Yakko joined in, and there was a very adult air to his words when he spoke.

"People can be nasty about someone, but it's usually because they just don't understand them. And if they're not willing to take the time to get to know you, they're not worth your attention. Far as we're concerned, it's their loss."

A few more moments of silence passed, and Dot's smile widened when Wakko's tail began to wag ever so slightly.

"Thanks, guys," he said softly. His tone still lacked its usual exuberant energy, but Dot could tell he was smiling.

"Anytime, sib," Yakko replied, and Dot nodded in acquiescence before they drew apart. The smile on Wakko's face was smaller than usual but it was there, and it was genuine, and that was enough for her. Yakko gave him a grin as he ruffled his cap again.

"Ya know, I think I saw some donuts at the craft service table."

That immediately made the middle sibling perk up even more, and Yakko's grin widened.

"You go on… we'll catch up," he said. Needing no further persuasion, Wakko dashed off. Yakko then looked at Dot, his grin growing darker. She matched it as she nodded, and with that Yakko pulled out his mallet and both headed toward the unsuspecting director.

No one insulted their brother and got away with it.

Author's Note: the idea that Dot purrs as a comfort mechanism is a head canon by madelynartz on Tumblr, and the art that inspired this story is courtesy of mattmonss on that site.