Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.

As usual, massive thanks to Silver Bee for helping pull this into shape!

Thought it was about time to start posting again...

"Where are you two off to?"

Virgil turned at his father's warm tone, hitching the coil of rope more securely onto his back. He glanced at Scott and the helmets in his brother's hand.

"Climbing," Virgil said, thinking the gear made it obvious.

"Is it safe after yesterday's storm?"

Virgil hid a grin: they were more qualified than most for judging the safety of an area, but it seemed their father would never stop worrying about them. Scott shrugged.

"That's what we'll find out. We need to check for any debris on the east cliff that could cause a problem when Two launches."

"Be careful then."

Virgil knew a dismissal when he heard one, turning as he hauled the ropes up again.

"Be back for lunch." Their father was already leaving, glancing over his shoulder as he spoke. "The supply plane comes in this morning."

Both brothers grinned as the man disappeared. They always ate well, but their grandmother outdid herself once a week when fresh supplies arrived from the mainland.

"Let's get out of here," Scott muttered. Virgil nodded, allowing his brother to take the lead.

They moved out of the house, through the gardens and were soon trekking the edge of the jungle, losing themselves in the wilderness surrounding their home. They both knew where they were going and neither put a foot wrong despite the undergrowth.

A companionable silence stretched on as they walked. They didn't always need to share their thoughts, often knowing what was on the other's mind. Tension lined Scott's back and Virgil knew his brother needed this physical release; to forget the responsibility he had felt since their rescue operation started up a few months ago. There was nothing to say though: Scott wouldn't share the burden, even if he could.

Trees blocked out the sun before the pair curved towards the base of the mountain. When Scott stopped, Virgil threw down the coil of rope, rolled his shoulders and stared up at the looming rockface above him. It didn't intimidate him – it wasn't the first time he had scaled the cliff – and he grinned at the prospect of a challenge.

He glanced at Scott, only to laugh at the same expression on his brother's face. He, too, was ready to push himself and Virgil knew they'd race to the top.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get this over and done with. I'm not missing lunch."

It took them no time to get everything prepared. Not only had they climbed this mountain several times, but they had learnt how to work effectively as a team. Virgil even let his brother check his harness twice with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. Scott shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry."

Virgil didn't mention he knew what he was doing and hadn't felt the need to double-check Scott's harness. Their equipment was in good condition and his brother had tied the knots himself. Sometimes, though, it was easier to humour him.

It had been an age since he had climbed for enjoyment: no one in danger; no race against time; just him, Scott and the cliff. He relished the burn as he pushed himself, understanding his limits in a way he hadn't imagined a couple of months ago.

Scott clearly felt the same and the ground fell away beneath them as they climbed with ease. They were near the top when Virgil looked over, catching his brother's eye. Scott grinned, picking up the pace.

"Cheat!"

Virgil said nothing else, saving his effort for climbing and scrambling after his brother. It had been a long time since Scott had let a younger brother win just to avoid the sulks. But Virgil was in better shape that before and, despite Scott's head-start, he was on his brother's heels, reaching the top even as Scott disappeared over it. A hand appeared and Virgil gave in, letting his brother haul him up before lying back, staring at the sky as he caught his breath.

Scott sat down next to him.

"Cheat," Virgil muttered again, the grin on his face undermining his words.

"Thought you were ready for anything?"

"We're at home," Vigil complained, propping himself up on his elbows. "Doesn't count."

"Living with Gordon all these years and you still believe that?"

Virgil chuckled and sat up. He rested his weight back on his palms, feeling his heart-rate settle. He looked over the island, his mind sorting through his palette, picking the colours he'd need to capture the view…

"About Gordon," Scott said, hesitant. Virgil blinked, looked at his brother and then away again. He recognised that tone: whatever was on Scott's mind, he had been thinking it for a while. He didn't crowd him but waited for Scott to continue.

"I want to get him more involved in rescues," Scott said. "He's proven himself beyond what I expected over the last few months and I know he's still young, but he could do so much more given the chance and-,"

"Scott," Virgil said. He looked at his brother, smiling. "Save your breath. You don't have to convince me: I agree."

"You do?" Scott stared at him in astonishment and Virgil chuckled.

"I'm the one with him on rescues, remember?"

Scott stared, then grinned, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck as he stood. He took a step away, turning until he was looking down on Virgil.

"I thought you'd complain he was too young to see the things we do." Scott slipped a finger under the strap of his helmet, loosening it. "That we should protect him."

"We can't shield him from everything," Virgil murmured. "He'll have to deal with it one day. Better with us there than, for some reason, facing it alone."

The look on Scott's face showed he'd been thinking this for a while. But Gordon wasn't a child – and had been through more by the time he was twenty-one than most men had in their entire lives. They couldn't run International Rescue with just the two of them out in the field. Gordon was ready.

He stood up, wanting to move before things got awkward now Scott had said what was on his mind.

As he moved, an almighty crack filled the air. He froze, as did Scott. Virgil looked at his brother, then at the cliff. They'd come here to check for damage, but Virgil couldn't figure out where the noise originated from. Instinctively, he stepped towards his brother. A second crack made him flinch even as part of the cliff-face crumbled away…

…right where Scott was standing.

"Scott!"

Virgil sprang forward, not thinking about his own safety. Debris caused him to stumble more than once but he made it to the edge before dropping to his knees, peering over. The jungle looked small from up here.

"Scott?"

Relief crashed through him as he realised Scott couldn't have fallen the entire way. Lying on his stomach, he wriggled forward until he could lean further out, rewarded by a flash of colour below him.

"Scott? Can you hear me?"

There was no answer and Virgil swore. From what he could make out, Scott had hit a ledge around ten feet below them, but his prone form gave Virgil no clues whether he was badly injured or just knocked out. He reminded himself that Scott had only loosened his helmet, not removed it, and the man had a track record of walking away from accidents with barely a scratch.

Backing up, Virgil made it back to his feet and grabbed the ropes. He retied them, making sure they would hold his weight and away from the unstable ground, before looping them around his harness and edging backwards off the top of the cliff.

He normally loved abseiling. This time, he barely noticed, sliding several feet at once before he could correct his grip. It only took seconds to reach his brother and Virgil winced as he swung himself onto the ledge. Scott's helmet had stayed on – but it had an almighty dent in it and his eyes were closed, his face pale.

Virgil did a quick visual, checking he wasn't about to make things worse, before hoisting his brother further onto the ridge. It was a sheer drop from here and Virgil knew even Scott's luck wouldn't survive that fall.

"Hey," he muttered, pressing his fingers against his neck. A strong albeit unsteady pulse reassured him that his brother was in no immediate danger and he reached for his watch, realising too late he should have called for help before throwing himself off the cliff after Scott.

"Gords? Grab Dad and a stretcher, would you? There's been an accident."

Their position meant Gordon needed to bring the correct gear to get Scott down again and Virgil filled him in. After Gordon's panicked promise to be as fast as possible, Virgil turned his attention back to Scott.

Satisfied their ledge was stable, he drew off his brother's helmet. Despite having it on, there was still blood in his hair and Virgil winced, uncertain he wanted to know how hard Scott had hit his head.

"Thought you were the thick-headed one," Virgil murmured, needing to break the silence. He applied pressure to the wound and once the bleeding was under control, he checked if there were any other injuries. Considering Scott had just plummeted off the side of a cliff, he was remarkably unscathed, other than the obvious.

He shifted position, pressing his back against the rock and stretching out his legs. He moved, shifting Scott until his brother's head was resting on his leg so Virgil could continue applying pressure to the cut.

"Grandma ever tell you to be careful what you wish for?" he said softly. "Looks like Gords is coming out with me after all."

He didn't imagine it; Scott's eyes flickered. Grinning, Virgil carried on speaking, telling his brother that he shouldn't be allowed on rescues if he couldn't walk around their own home without hurting himself.

By the time Gordon and their father arrived with a stretcher, ropes, harnesses and a medical kit, his brother's eyes were open, even if he wasn't entirely lucid.

"How's the invalid?"

Virgil looked over his shoulder as Gordon sauntered into Scott's room without knocking. Scott half-heartedly glared at him, but his lack of focus undermined his attempts to look stern.

"Still alive," Virgil said. Brains had done a thorough check, but other than a concussion and a few bruises, there was no sign Scott had fallen off a mountain the previous day.

"Fine!" Scott protested.

Gordon sat cross-legged on the bed, nudging Virgil's feet off. Without looking, he raised a hand in greeting towards Scott's desk. Virgil looked himself, grinning at the expression on John's face. Scott's laptop was open with a live connection to Thunderbird Five: the three of them had been chatting in a way they hadn't for a long time. His grin widened when he thought how they could have that conversation in person in just a few hours. Scott's accident had given John the leverage he was after to persuade their dad to let him come home for a while. Brains had agreed to go up to the station and Alan had launched as soon as Scott regained consciousness.

"Well, at least you know Two is clear for launch," Gordon said, making himself comfortable. Virgil looked at Scott, who was watching their brother with a shrewd, thoughtful look on his face. He didn't need to ask to know Scott was thinking about their conversation on the cliff.

"Why?" Virgil asked, half-distracted, half-suspicious. He put his feet back up, nudging Scott as he did so and shaking his head when his brother glanced at him. Gordon could handle it, but Scott would look for any excuse not to be grounded if they got a call-out before he had recovered.

"Scott pulled half the cliff down. There's no debris left!"

"Exaggeration," Scott protested, pouting. Virgil laughed – and he wasn't alone. "And I'm fine."

"Of course," John muttered. Virgil looked over; he knew his brother well enough to know when John was distracted – even if he was trying to hide it. John had twisted in his chair, fiddling with a few controls off-screen.

Virgil wasn't the only one to notice.

"What have you got?" Scott demanded, sitting up straighter.

"Nothing." John didn't sound convincing and Virgil exchanged amused looks with Gordon.

"You know we're not letting him go anywhere, right?"

Scott scoffed. "As if you'd stop me."

"They won't. I will."

All four brothers – John included – looked to the door at the unexpected voice. Their father stood framed in the doorway and Virgil wondered how long he had been there, just watching them.

Before any of them could speak, their dad crossed the room, putting a hand on Scott's shoulder.

"Did I hear that right, John? You've got a rescue?"

"Possibly," John reported. "Nothing's been called in yet but radio calls are going in and out of one of the underwater facilities in Taiwan. They're submerged in a lake, but it sounds like they are letting on water and no one can get out to them."

"Can you patch through to them?" Gordon asked, his tone serious. John nodded.

"Already have. I've told them we could patch them up or evacuate if required. Waiting on a response now."

"I've always wanted to see one of those places," Gordon mused. Virgil thumped him on the arm.

"People could be in danger."

"They've got some of the most sophisticated underwater technology down there."

"Focus on the issue at hand, Gordon."

"I am! Do you realise the things they could discover?"

Virgil caught Scott's eye and grimaced. He needed Gordon to take it seriously – for Scott's sake. But before either of them could say anything, John spoke again.

"They've said yes to help. Engineers will take too long to get there and they could lose the whole place."

Scott tried to rise, but Virgil saw their dad's hand tighten on his shoulder.

"You're not leaving this bed, Scott."

"They can't run a rescue without me."

"I'm not sure there is a rescue."

"Dad!"

"Listen to me." Their father sounded stern and Virgil was not the only one to sit up straighter. "No lives are in danger. We cannot fly to the rescue of everyone who needs a repair. We're International Rescue, not a tow-truck service."

"If we don't go," Gordon said, "the seal on that place might blow. It could flood the whole compartment. Depending on the water speed, people may not reach the escape pods or the emergency equipment in time. If we don't go, Dad, the lives of every crew member down there will be at risk."

Virgil glanced at Scott, who shared his grin. They were right: Gordon was more than up for this. Virgil stood, linking his fingers and stretching his arms above his head.

"Suit up, little brother. We've got a rescue."

"F.A.B." Gordon sped from the room and Virgil followed. He paused before leaving and looked back.

"We'll be okay. I promise."

His brother bit his lip and Virgil left before Scott could try to talk him out of it. Their father would make sure Scott didn't try anything. It was the perfect mission to come now: even if they had been up to full capacity, there wouldn't be much for either of them to do other than wait for Gordon.

As the elevator whisked him towards Thunderbird Two, Virgil crossed his fingers. If anything happened on this rescue, Scott would hold it over them forever. Virgil hoped reminding his brother he had fallen off a mountain while standing still would be enough to keep him quiet.

He started up the pre-flight checks and changed, moving on autopilot. Selecting Pod Four, Virgil slid into his seat as Gordon arrived on the flight deck. Hoping the cliff was stable, Virgil prepared for launch.

It was an enjoyable flight. John kept contact with the stranded crew, who kept them informed of the water levels. They had time, and Virgil took the chance to enjoy how his 'bird flew. To his surprise, Gordon felt the same way and the journey was smooth.

Finally, Gordon returned to Four and Virgil was left in silence.

It didn't last. The radio crackled straight away. Virgil rolled his eyes and connected.

"Go away, Scott. We're fine."

There was a pause. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I can't believe you're even asking. If you're making contact just to see if we're okay, then I'm disconnecting."

"I wasn't. I just… Good luck out there, Virg. I know you'll be fine, but, well, neither of you have done this without me."

"We'll manage, Scott." Virgil hid his impatience. He could hear Scott's nerves and understood how his brother felt. "You'll be telling us what to do in no time. But I'm cutting the line. We're approaching and I need the comms open for Gordon."

"F.A.B."

Scott fell silent and Virgil shook his head. His brother had lasted longer than Virgil thought before making contact.

Having received the co-ordinates from John, Virgil circled the lake once, warned Gordon and dropped his brother with an almighty splash. Watching from the window, Virgil smiled as a yellow streak shot from the pod and vanished under the churning waters.

Gordon reported in often, but there wasn't much to say. Being in a lake compared to any other body of water meant there was no current to contend with and it didn't take long before he was applying Brains' sealant to everywhere in danger of springing a leak. Virgil wondered if his brother was being extra vigilant just to gawp at the facility.

His earlier assumptions about his own role were correct. There was nothing for Virgil to do other than circle the area and wait for Gordon to surface again. It was over an hour before Gordon confirmed he was secure back in the pod and Virgil descended with a thankful sigh. He was getting stiff sitting in one position and, if he was honest, bored.

No sooner had he turned for home though when a warning light started flashing at him. Ignoring Gordon's quizzical look, Virgil aimed inland instead. He had noticed a clearing in the dense forest that surrounded the lake, and he landed, securing the loose catch causing the problem.

Unable to resist, Virgil stretched his entire body and breathed the fresh air.

"You know," Gordon said, making Virgil jump. He hadn't heard his brother approaching. "It's not often we get to see the world without a paranoid big brother not letting us out of his sight."

"He's not that bad; Scott's always been like that."

"I wasn't talking about Scott." Gordon smirked, "John's worse."

Virgil rolled his eyes even as Gordon laughed.

"We could explore," he continued.

Virgil stared at him, an answer on his tongue: it was stupid, reckless, dangerous…

"Let's do it."

If he surprised Gordon, his brother hid it well. He was right; they flew to various parts of the world but never got to enjoy the beauty of them. Virgil knew Gordon's love of the ocean made him appreciate nature and Virgil himself saw things with a different eye to his brothers. There was no telling when they would get a chance like this again and Virgil felt a sense of daring come over him he hadn't experienced for a long time.

The pair of them stripped out of their uniforms and into the normal clothes they kept stashed for emergencies. As much as he liked the spontaneity of being reckless, Virgil wasn't stupid. While Gordon was still changing, he put in a call to Base, informing them of their landing, confirming there was no problem and asking for permission to stay on the ground for a few hours. John admitted no rescues were brewing and their dad agreed they could explore – if they were careful.

He disconnected before Gordon appeared, unsure how his brother would react. But Gordon gave him a knowing look and said nothing. As wild as he could be, Gordon knew the importance of safety.

It took Virgil a long time before he was convinced that he had secured everything, but Gordon didn't mock him for it. Secrecy was just as important…and his 'bird was as much at risk if Virgil missed something.

But finally, there was nothing else for them to do other than plunge into the forest. Gordon set off at a run, his carefree laugh trailing behind him and making Virgil grin. He sprinted after his brother, enjoying being alive. Letting out a laugh of his own, Virgil trailed his hand along the rough bark of a tree and marvelled at the sensation.

They explored for a few hours, having fun in each other's company. Virgil knew their dad was stopping the others from continuously checking in and he was grateful. It was nice to relax off the island.

Eventually though, Virgil sighed. "We should head back," he muttered.

Gordon reluctantly nodded but then froze. Virgil followed suit, recognising the tension running through his brother.

"What is it?" His own voice was nothing more than a whisper, following Gordon's lead.

"I thought I heard something," Gordon breathed. They both stood still, scanning the area. "Maybe it's nothing."

"Let's go," Virgil said. The peaceful atmosphere had fled and Virgil swore he felt someone watching them. They hurried on, but the sense of foreboding grew with every step.

"Stop!" Gordon grabbed Virgil's arm as he spoke, hauling him back behind a tree. Virgil didn't get the chance to ask what the problem was as gunfire ripped through the air and ammunition splattered the ground where he had just been standing.