Title: We'll be home for Christmas
Day Four – Five Billionaires and No Wives – Part 2
Author: Gumnut
29 Jan – 11 Feb 2020
Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS
Rating: Teen
Summary: The boys can't fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.
Word count: 2951
Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Artist!Virgil, Minor various ships, mostly background.
Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos we haven't seen it yet.
Author's note: For scattergraph. This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic :D
I'm still writing this, I promise :D I hope you enjoy this bit.
Many thanks to vegetacide and scribbles97 for cheering me on and their wonderful support through this craziness. And to onereyofstarlight for geeking out with me over the setting.
Disclaimer: Mine? You've got to be kidding. Money? Don't have any, don't bother.
-o-o-o-
Scott was angry.
He strode down the beach looking for his missing brother and fumed. He had finally been able to relax, finally been able to let go and now Virgil pulls a disappearing act.
Sure, Virgil was a grown man and he could look after himself, but Scott would always be his big brother, always look out for him, always worry about him.
Black sand kicked up as his toes hit a small drift and he stumbled. It brought him to a sudden stop and he found himself standing in the middle of an isolated beach fuming at the sand.
Who was he kidding?
And what the hell was he doing?
He dropped his hands to his knees and stood there bent in half, just breathing. The Virgil in the back of his head...because yes, there was one who sat beside both the Mom and the Dad in the back of his head...it was a crowded space...raised an eyebrow.
He was over reacting, wasn't he?
Scott let out a breath and cursed the sand beneath him before pushing himself upright and continuing his slog down the beach. He would just be happier with Virgil in sight.
The Virgil in his head rolled his eyes.
Yeah, well, it's my prerogative as your big brother.
The beach curved slightly, which explained why Virgil was likely out of sight, but Scott discovered his brother's detritus before he found the missing man.
Discarded red flannel shouted amongst the greens and greys surrounding a small steaming spring. Footprints led to it and then away. Scott's eyes tracked the direct line to the water...
"Virgil, what the hell?!"
His brother was almost waist deep in the surf, each wave battering at him as it rolled in. Apart from the fact the idiot wasn't supposed to submerge his incisions in the water, what the hell was he doing?! "Virgil?!"
Unable to hear Scott above the surf, his brother continued to stare out to sea. As if to taunt Scott, he took another step deeper.
Scott cursed and shed his shirt and shoes, dumping them beside the red flannel, and ran towards the water.
-o-o-o-
Virgil was frustrated.
He could feel the questions, the song in his body, but he had no way to answer. Without the technology to shift his voice to the right frequencies, he wouldn't be heard. Without amplification, any vocalisations would be muffled by the water.
He so wanted to answer.
The whales knew he was there. They hovered out of reach, beyond the surf line. He hummed deep in his throat, echoing the thrum vibrating through the water. Without thinking, he stepped closer, wanting no more than to be able to reach out and touch.
A large head peered over a dissipating wave and a huge eye latched onto him for only a second before disappearing beneath the surface.
Another step.
A hand landed on his shoulder and gripped hard.
"Virgil, what are you doing?!"
Scott.
Blink.
The thrum stopped and Virgil wilted. His feet shifted as the next wave hit him and he stumbled. Scott grabbed his arms, holding him up. "Virgil?"
"I'm good." But it was automatic. He realised he was far too deep, his incisions submerged in the water, his heart was pounding and Scott was staring at him with worried eyes.
Another wave hit side on and soaked the both of them. Virgil spat water.
He didn't get a chance to turn towards shore before Scott was dragging him in that direction. His brother didn't say anything further, but the grip on his arm was tight and Virgil knew he was going to pay for this.
Fortunately or not, Mel was standing on the shore waiting for them when they finally stepped out of the waves. Her eyes darted back and forth between them, but she didn't say anything, simply handing the both of them their shirts and shoes and Virgil his phone as well.
"They followed us."
"Who?" Mel was frowning up at him. Scott's hand tightened on his arm.
"The whales. The mother and calf. They're out there." He pointed out into the bay.
Mel's frown deepened. "Are you sure? They should be migrating south. They need the feeding grounds. Maybe they are another mum and calf?"
His lack of knowledge slapped him in the face, but something told him it was them. "It was them."
The frown didn't disappear, but her gaze did flick to Scott and back. "Okay. We should tell Sam."
"First we change your dressings." It was the Commander who spoke and Virgil found himself automatically straightening in response. Hell, even Mel stood taller, her eyes widening as she looked to his brother.
The surf hissed around Virgil's feet as an extra large wave dissipated on the sand.
Scott hadn't let go of his arm.
Internally, Virgil sighed. Great. His brother was pissed and stressed again and it was all his fault. His shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry, Scott."
Blue darted at him and the thin line of his brother's mouth tightened for a moment before softening. "C'mon." And he was being led back towards the other end of the beach.
-o-o-o-
The walk back was nowhere near as relaxing as his initial venture down the beach. Scott let go of him eventually, but his eyes hardly left him. Overreaction much?
He would have shouted that he was fine, that he could take care of himself, for crying out loud, but it was so obvious that he had screwed up royally, that he didn't bother.
To be honest, he was a little freaked himself. He hadn't intended on going into the water that deep. It wasn't like he had almost drowned himself, but he had been caught up in an almost thrall in the whales' voices.
Scott had a right to be at least a little concerned.
Being Scott, he blew a circuit.
And Virgil wrecked three solid days of his attempt to get the man to wind down.
He spent the walk back mentally kicking himself.
Gordon strode up grinning, but that grin faltered badly when he caught sight of Scott's expression. Virgil saw the moment the dots connected and his fishy brother's shoulders dropped. John's reaction was less obvious, but his frown at Virgil's soaked appearance was pretty clear.
Sam, somewhat clueless, bounced up all grins and smart comments. Liam was a little more sensitive to the situation and grabbed his husband by the scruff of his neck.
Suffice it to say that the party packed up and climbed back up the hill rather quickly. Scott on Virgil's heels the entire way.
The damned hill he had to climb didn't help and by the time they made it to the island's small infirmary, Virgil was tired and frustrated.
The finger that pointed him to the examination table was firm. Mel had made herself scarce. His brothers had quite willingly fed him to the wolf once they found out why Virgil was being glared at by his older brother.
Of course, nothing was stopping Gordon and Sam from locating those whales now they knew they were there and John was roped into helping with Five. They had all found a decent excuse to run off.
So, the two brothers were left alone in the infirmary with plenty of time to 'talk'.
Initially, Scott was silent, his actions abrupt and precise as he removed Virgil's old and now sodden dressings, exposing his stitches to the air. The incisions were actually quite small, thank goodness for keyhole surgery, but they cut through his abdominal wall and messed with his movement.
His brother wiped him down with antibacterial solution. "You better hope you haven't caught yourself an infection." The tone was cold.
"I will be fine."
"How do you know that?" Scott stopped and glared at him. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I'm fine, Scott." The problem was he hadn't been thinking.
The dressings were ripped out of their packaging rather vehemently and Scott's ministrations, while gentle, were sharp and vibrating with suppressed anger.
"You do know I can do that myself."
Scott stopped what he was doing. His shoulders dropped and his eyes closed. His sterile and gloved hands hovered in the air as if lacking direction. He didn't say a thing.
Virgil struggled to push himself into a seated position, levering his feet off the bed, grabbing his brother's arm. "Scott-"
"Why?" Blue eyes opened and were actually pleading at him. "Of all of them, I trust you the most to not do something stupid."
"What? So, I got my dressings wet. It's not a big deal."
"Virgil-"
"I'm fine. Quit worrying so much." He grabbed his brother's arms and squeezed gently. "Take a breath."
"Virg-"
"Stop. Take a breath."
Fire ignited in those blue eyes, but Scott stopped.
Air whistled across his teeth.
"Now. I'm sorry I apparently vanished. I was not aware I couldn't be seen. I'm sorry I got my dressings wet. I was distracted." Very distracted. Zombified was a more apt description. "But I can look after myself. You don't have to worry so much."
"You're my brother." It was a simple sentence, but it said so much. "Now lie down so I can make sure your wounds are properly protected."
Virgil sighed, his own shoulders dropping in parody of his brother's moments ago. But he didn't lie down.
Instead he looked up at his brother and drew him into a hug. "I'm okay, Scott. I promise. It was nothing. It was stupid. I'm fine." Please calm down.
Scott's arms curled around him, sterile hands still held out awkwardly, but the man said nothing.
"You need to relax."
"I was relaxed until you up and disappeared."
"I went for a walk."
"Into the damned ocean."
"I was looking at the whales."
"You didn't hear me. I called you repeatedly."
"I was focussed on their song."
Scott pulled away and stared down at him. "They were singing? I didn't hear anything."
"You can't hear most of it. It is below our hearing range."
"Then how?"
"I could feel it." His whole body was the receiver.
Scott eyed him a moment before swallowing and grabbing a new dressing. "Lie down."
Virgil rolled his eyes and did as he was asked. Scott finished his administrations quickly and quietly.
"I want you to go to bed and rest while we pack to leave."
"Scott-"
A hand came up. "No. You do stupid things, you give me this."
Virgil sighed. "Fine."
His brother helped him up again and off the bed before letting him go.
Virgil left him putting away equipment, making his way out the door and down the steps. Okay, if he was honest, all that walking, more than he had done for days, not to mention that blasted hill down to the beach, had taken a lot out of him.
And the song...
Kind hands helped him the last two steps onto the grass, John still sporting that frown. Great another brother he had to convince yet again he wasn't dying.
"I'm okay, John."
Turquoise flashed in the sunlight. John's voice was quiet, but firm. "We know that. But you have to understand, you scared us. You folded while flying. What would have happened if you had been flying alone? Could you have made it home?"
Virgil froze. The sun was warm, but he felt chilled. "I would have done my best."
"We know that. But you scared us. You scared Scott. Satisfy our need for reassurance." An indrawn breath. "Especially Scott."
A stare was the only reply Virgil could manage at first. Quiet. "Okay."
John's smile was small, but fond. His hand landed on Virgil's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Now, go rest. No doubt what he told you to do."
A resigned nod.
"I'll take on 'the Commander'." John sighed quietly. "Don't disappear again."
"I won't."
His shoulder was squeezed once more and let go, John stepped gracefully up the steps and vanished into the infirmary.
Virgil let out a breath.
Well, shit.
Guess he was 'resting' for the next hour or so at least. Resigned, he turned and headed off to the hostel.
-o-o-o-
John watched as Scott put away the last of the extra dressings. His brother knew he was there, he had no doubt of that, but neither said a thing.
Eventually Scott finished up, straightened and turned to face John. "What?"
"You're going to have to back off."
"Why?"
"You're hovering like a distressed parent. Virgil is a grown man. Sure, he did something stupid, but this is the brother who throws himself through walls into burning buildings on a regular basis. He had appendicitis. He had surgery. He is recovering." Eyebrows for emphasis. "You're overreacting."
"He was alone on a beach, waist deep in surf and walking deeper. It was like he didn't know what he was doing!"
John flashed back to the day before when Virgil had sung to the whales. It had been worrisome.
"We will keep an eye on him. But back off."
"Easy for you to say. You're not responsible-"
"Bullshit, Scott." He took a step forward. "I send all of you into danger, everyday! Don't you lecture me on guilt!"
"I'm in command."
"You're on vacation!" He drew in a breath and forced his calm facade into place. What was it with Scott that messed with his control so much?
Family knew how to press all the buttons.
"I am responsi-"
"No, you're not."
"John-"
"We are all adults here. Yes, even Allie." And he said it with sadness. "You need to relax. This isn't good for you."
"Yes, everyone says that. 'Relax, Scott, put your feet up." He waved a careless hand. "You're on vacation. It never stops, John. Never! I'm still responsible. It all comes down to me."
A sigh. "It really doesn't."
Scott stared at him.
"We are responsible for ourselves."
"John-"
"I guess from my perspective, it looks different, but I have to trust my brothers know what they are doing. I can't reach out a hand to catch them. I have to trust them." He straightened a little. "You have to trust, Scott."
"I do trust you."
"Do you really? Do you think Virgil really would have drowned himself?"
Scott opened his mouth, but frowned instead.
John pushed the point. "Do you really think Virgil has lost his mind enough to voluntarily injure himself?"
"Well, no."
"When he vanished on the beach, did you think he was in danger?"
"I...well, maybe..." A blink. "Okay, no, not really, I just...am used to being in direct communication with all of you and he wasn't answering. What am I supposed to think?"
John had to concede that Scott had a point. They were spoilt with the ability to contact each other on whim. Virgil obviously hadn't thought of that when he removed his shirt and left his phone behind. "You have to trust that Virgil will be okay. That he can handle himself."
Scott made a disgusted sound and threw himself into a chair, rubbing a hand over his face. "Easier said than done."
John grabbed another chair and sat down opposite his big brother. "You do it every time we go out on a rescue. You do if for me all the time I'm on Five."
"Yeah." But it was a mocking sound.
"You have to let go."
"I can't! You're my brothers!"
Different tactic. "Do you have any idea what you did to all of us those first few years after Dad went missing?"
Scott's head came up, his eyes wide. "What?"
"You went nuts. Taking horrible risks. Virgil was beside himself. He ended up on Five terrified we were going to lose you as well as Dad. Did you know that?"
Mouth open. "N-no..."
"He said he spoke to you several times. It wasn't until the aurora generator incident that you finally started to listen."
Eyes on the floor, but focussed ever so far away. "He didn't tell me."
"Yes, he did. But you weren't listening. Please listen now." Another indrawn breath. "We don't want to lose you, either on a mission or to burnout."
Ever so quiet, Scott's entire body slumped into the chair. "Okay." Whispered. "I'll try."
"As for the whales...I think we should throw Virgil at Gordon. He knows what he is doing. We can trust Gordon to keep Virgil safe, can't we?"
Vulnerable azure glanced up at him. "Yeah." Back down at the floor. "Yeah, we can."
John shifted where he sat. There was silence for a moment as he reordered his thoughts to work out a way to draw Scott back out again. The last thing they needed was for him to retreat to nurse his wounds and suffer in silence.
Alone.
"So, you going to dish on what's happening between you and Mel?"
That startled him. Even a small smile appeared on his brother's face. "What did you want to know?"
John snorted a little. "Without going into detail, spill, big brother."
That smile, to John's relief, widened. "She's remarkable."
"And not immune to a little Scott Tracy charm, apparently."
"Hey, I play to my strengths."
A soft smile. "Then go play some more while the rest of us pack up."
"Virgil has gone to rest."
"I know. Now you go rest and talk to Mel. You're on vacation."
His brother's lips thinned, but he stood up and offered John a hand, catching his eyes.
John took his brother's hand and found himself drawn into a heartfelt hug. His big brother, holding him tight. "Thanks, John."
"Anytime." Scott's shirt was soft under his cheek. "We're brothers, remember?"
"Yeah, we are." His brother drew in a breath.
"We are."
-o-o-o-
End Day Four, Part Two.