Chapter 23 An Appeal and A Peel
"Well, it doesn't sound any worse than what Lady Penelope offered me." Marie was pacing carefully around the room with the new limb.
"Oh?" Brains frowned slightly.
"Some kid was being difficult, fighting with siblings, moody, angry, being impossible. His father wanted me to 'straighten' him out. I don't care how much money someone has, I don't mess with teen-age angst." She took an experimental deep knee bend and didn't see the flit of emotions cross the scientist's face. Ones of amazement, understanding, and then amusement. He let a snort escape him, but covered it up quickly with a cough. Seems he and the Tracy boys weren't the only ones concerned about Virgil.
"But I don't think being your research assistant is in my range of expertise either." She flopped herself down in the chair facing him. "I'll give you detailed reports on the leg, I would do that anyway, but I think I need to settle a few things with myself first."
"I understand. If there is anything I c-can do?" He smiled hopefully.
"This is fantastic." She thumped the leg enthusiastically. "I feel much better already."
"W-would you feel a little b-better if I told you that he m-misses you, too?"
She looked up at him the infectious grin fading from her face. "No. Cause he isn't here, is he?"
"Wanna bet?" Brains pushed on his wrist communicator. "Now, V-virgil." He looked at the confused woman. "You better answer the d-door."
"But..." Her prostests were interrupted by the chime of the doorbell.
"Brains could fail." Scott said seriously.
"Do you think we should go with the original plan?" Gordon looked more gleeful than glum.
Alan, who had seen the costume which would make him look like a giant banana, snarled. "No!"
Scott shook his head sadly. "Remember all the times Virgil took care of you, changed your diapers, helped you with your homework, taught you how to drive...this is how you pay back brotherly love." He sighed dramatically. "Not to speak of what I've done for you..."
"Oh all right darn it, but no pictures." The youngest Tracy grumped.
Nonononono."Gordon soothed. "No pictures."
Virgil checked his reflection in the shiny metal surface of the door. Did the tie look too formal? After all they had been around each other dressed more casually. His reflection gave a distorted leer as he thought of her in that wispy piece of silk that clung so casually to...he dragged his thoughts from that direction. Would she be happy to see him? He smiled broadly at his reflection which smiled back goofily. He shifted the bunch of pink tea roses from one sweaty hand to another. Granny had been surprisingly calm about him ravaging her pet flowers. She had guarded the bushes agressively from all and any tropical pests and intruders which included the Tracy boys. She had given him a kiss, and a swat on the rear end. And...his hand stopped short of its goal.
"Now V-virgil." Echoed from his wrist communicator.
He punched the doorbell decisively.
"Well, it doesn't sound any worse than what Lady Penelope offered me." Marie was pacing carefully around the room with the new limb.
"Oh?" Brains frowned slightly.
"Some kid was being difficult, fighting with siblings, moody, angry, being impossible. His father wanted me to 'straighten' him out. I don't care how much money someone has, I don't mess with teen-age angst." She took an experimental deep knee bend and didn't see the flit of emotions cross the scientist's face. Ones of amazement, understanding, and then amusement. He let a snort escape him, but covered it up quickly with a cough. Seems he and the Tracy boys weren't the only ones concerned about Virgil.
"But I don't think being your research assistant is in my range of expertise either." She flopped herself down in the chair facing him. "I'll give you detailed reports on the leg, I would do that anyway, but I think I need to settle a few things with myself first."
"I understand. If there is anything I c-can do?" He smiled hopefully.
"This is fantastic." She thumped the leg enthusiastically. "I feel much better already."
"W-would you feel a little b-better if I told you that he m-misses you, too?"
She looked up at him the infectious grin fading from her face. "No. Cause he isn't here, is he?"
"Wanna bet?" Brains pushed on his wrist communicator. "Now, V-virgil." He looked at the confused woman. "You better answer the d-door."
"But..." Her prostests were interrupted by the chime of the doorbell.
"Brains could fail." Scott said seriously.
"Do you think we should go with the original plan?" Gordon looked more gleeful than glum.
Alan, who had seen the costume which would make him look like a giant banana, snarled. "No!"
Scott shook his head sadly. "Remember all the times Virgil took care of you, changed your diapers, helped you with your homework, taught you how to drive...this is how you pay back brotherly love." He sighed dramatically. "Not to speak of what I've done for you..."
"Oh all right darn it, but no pictures." The youngest Tracy grumped.
Nonononono."Gordon soothed. "No pictures."
Virgil checked his reflection in the shiny metal surface of the door. Did the tie look too formal? After all they had been around each other dressed more casually. His reflection gave a distorted leer as he thought of her in that wispy piece of silk that clung so casually to...he dragged his thoughts from that direction. Would she be happy to see him? He smiled broadly at his reflection which smiled back goofily. He shifted the bunch of pink tea roses from one sweaty hand to another. Granny had been surprisingly calm about him ravaging her pet flowers. She had guarded the bushes agressively from all and any tropical pests and intruders which included the Tracy boys. She had given him a kiss, and a swat on the rear end. And...his hand stopped short of its goal.
"Now V-virgil." Echoed from his wrist communicator.
He punched the doorbell decisively.