Day Four: Safe/The Glue Incident.

'Hide me!'

Virgil glanced up from the workbench to see Gordon rushing in and hide behind the door to the faint roar of their eldest brother.

'GORDON!'

'Do I want to know what you did?'

'No. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to big bro.'

'But you want me to hide you, thus incurring the wrath of said big bro anyway?'

'Yes! I'm your wingman!'

'Two weeks dish duties.'

'One.'

'I don't know, Gordon. I'm not sure it's worth my while.'

'GORDON!'

'Better make your mind up, FishFace.'

'Okay! Okay! Two weeks!'

'And one day scrubbing the carbon deposits off Two.'

'But that's Alan's Job!'

'Well…'

Rushing footsteps heralded a rapidly approaching angry bird and Virgil smirked at his younger brother.

'Okay, just hide me, quick!'

Virgil lifted up the protective cloth he'd laid on the bench he was working on and Gordon slipped under with a smile.

'You'll be safe under here. Just don't touch anything.'

'As if.'

Yeah, that was his brother all over. Virgil returned to the intricate soldering work he was doing as Scott burst into the room. He looked up to see what was up with him.

Angry bird indeed. His biggest brother was a big angry blue bird.

Virgil bit his lip in an effort to not laugh, even as he knew Scott would see right through him. There was a little part of him that wondered why on earth Gordon would ask him for help, knowing that he couldn't keep anything from Scott, but then he guessed that his brother was just desperate.

'Have you seen Gordon anywhere, Virg?'

As Scott asked the table banged and moved slightly. Scott's eyes narrowed and he practically sauntered over and casually leant on the covered bench.

'Why, no, Scott. I haven't seen him all day.'

He never was any good at lying, as the thump and slight scrape of the bench moving seemed to indicate. Then the bench began to shake, as if Gordon was deliberately holding the legs and shaking it.

Scott's eyebrows shot into his forehead, as did Virgil's. Then a thought hit him and he groaned. He knew what his brother had done.

'Haven't seen him, eh, Virg?'

'Um…'

The table shook again.

'Well, if you haven't seen him, perhaps you could help me instead.'

'Er…sure, Scott. What do you need?'

'I need some of that dye remover that Brains has for occasions like this.'

'Oh, he keeps it…'

'No, Virg. Come and get it for me.'

And Scott grabbed Virgil's arm and pulled him out of the workshop.

Gordon waited for five minutes before hissing his brother's name.

'Virgil?'

'Virgil?'

'Virgil?'

Nothing. Gordon sighed heavily, knowing that he now had no choice. He was well and truly stuck.

'John?'

'Yes, Gordon?'

'You gotta help me.'

'Got to?'

There was a raised eyebrow, but a telling lack of questioning as to why Gordon was sitting cross-legged under Virgil's workbench with his hands on two opposing legs. Gordon swallowed. He knew better than to demand anything from John.

'Please, John. I'm stuck.'

'How can you be stuck. Didn't you hear Virgil when he told you not to touch anything?'

'Ye-es.'

'So, what did you touch?'

Gordon's eyes darted to the tube sitting on the floor beside him.

'Oh. That was you not touching anything.'

'I just picked it up to move it!'

'Uh huh.'

'Please, John! I need to get out of here before Scott gets back.'

'Yes, blue might be his favourite colour, but all blue doesn't really suit him.'

'He and Virgil have gone to get the dye remover. They'll be back soon!'

'What's it worth, Gordon?'

'I'll do all your chores the next time you're dirtside!'

'Hmm…'

'And I'll personally buy you a replacement chocolate cake and send it up!'

'Well…'

'With a box of Swiss chocolates!'

'Ok.'

'Thanks, John.'

'Sit tight and I'll get Alan.'

Gordon nodded gratefully, and it was barely any time before the cover was pulled back and Alan crept into the space beside his brother.

'Hey Gords, what's up? John said you needed me?'

'Hey Al. Can you go grab the dissolver from Brains' lab?'

'The lab where currently out big blue brother is?'

'Yeah. Come on, do your favourite big brother a solid.'

'You're not my favourite. Scott is. Or John. Possibly Virgil.'

'I'm wounded!'

'The others don't ask me to do things that will cause me to be murdered by my oldest brother.'

'But Scott luuvves you.'

'Not that much.'

'Please, Al. I need it! I need you!'

'Oh ok.'

'Thank you, thank you, thank you. I owe you big time, Al.'

'Well, Three's due her ion engine overhaul. I think that you can help Brains on that.'

'But that takes hours!'

'Yeah, I know.'

Gordon sighed.

'Ok, Al. You win.

Alan grinned happily and got up and left.

And Gordon waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He had just begun to think that Alan had abandoned him when the cover was pulled back and Gordon was faced with the last person he wanted to see.

'Oh, hey, Scooter. How's things?'

'Things are fine, Gordo.'

Gordon cringed, the least favourite of his nicknames. Scott sat in front of him, cross-legged and patient. Oh, so patient. Gordon was good, but Scott had years of practice on him. And eventually Gordon caved.

'Please, Scott.'

'Please, Scott what?'

'Can I have the dissolver?'

'I don't know. Can you say the magic words?'

'I've already said please!'

'Not that magic word. The other magic words.'

'I'm sorry?'

'Nope.'

'I'll never do it again?'

'Nope.'

There was a glint in Scott's eye that Gordon just didn't like, and suddenly he knew exactly what his brother was after. He sighed.

'I promise I will clean One inside and out and scrub off any carbon deposits.'

Scott reached out and pulled the asked for tube out, applying it liberally to Gordon's hands. Within five minutes he was free, and he couldn't help but hug Scott.

'One more thing, Gordon.'

'Yes, oh great master?'

'Grandma has a plate of cookies ready for you.'

Gordon gulped.