Disclaimer: I don't own the Thunderbirds or the Tracys with the exception of Sam.

A/N: Thanks to Lillehafrue for letting me bounce some ideas off of her after another plot-bunny bit me. I have to give her some of the credit because she came up with some of the story line.

Secret Admission

Virgil was walking along the beach with no thoughts except for how beautiful his sister's wedding had been and most importantly how radiant she had looked in their mother's wedding dress and veil. After everyone had retired that night, Virgil had sketched his sister and brother-in-law as Alex had kissed his bride. Virgil had also sketched a portrait of Sam and their dad dancing in the soft light by the pool.

For no reason he could understand, he began to think about the fall semester at school. Gordon and Alan had transferred to another boarding school in Colorado so that they could be closer to Gordon's teammates and training area for the U.S. Men's Swim Team. Sam and John had begun college at Harvard with Alex. Scott had moved to Europe so that he could attend Oxford University. Virgil was the only one of six siblings still at their first boarding school and all was not well in his world. He dreaded the thought of going back to New York for his final semester of high school and had thought about asking his dad if he could transfer to Boston and attend a public school there and live with Sam, Alex, and John.

He paused and stared out over the seemingly tranquil water of the ocean. With a sigh he sat down and thought over the past semester while absent-mindedly rubbed his side where he had taken a bit of punishment at the start of the semester.

Flashback to the last semester:

"Hey, pretty boy!" taunted a voice that Virgil was all too familiar with. "I don't see your brothers and sister here. Did they leave because they finally realized that you were an embarrassment to them? Seriously, a family full of athletic kids and then you have one son that plays piano and paints. What does that tell you?" The group of teens around them laughed menacingly at their leader's quip. Virgil shook his head and tried to walk around them.

"Did I say you could leave, pretty boy?" growled the bully. He grabbed Virgil by his arm. "Do you think that you have us fooled by walking around with the so-called girlfriend of yours? Really trying to hide the truth aren't you?" Virgil jerked out of Danny's grasp and backed away.

"What the hell do you think that you're doing?" demanded Virgil. "I haven't done anything to you and I don't even know why you insist on bothering me." Danny grabbed Virgil again and glared at him.

"We don't want you here and now that your brothers and sister aren't here, we thought that we'd have some fun with you," he snapped. "Everyone left you alone because no one was stupid enough to mess with a Tracy when five others would be quick to defend you. All of us had heard how your sister took on a boy by herself after he messed with that golden boy brother of yours." Virgil tensed up at the snide comment about John. Danny noticed the change of posture and laughed.

"Did I say something about your boyfriend?" he asked. "Keeping it in the family, were you?" Virgil could no longer tolerate the taunts and before he was aware of his actions, he was in the middle of a fist-fight with three bullies. Virgil tried to hold his own but the odds were not in his favor and he was slowly beaten to the ground. Luckily for him, a teacher saw the fight and hurried over to break it up. Virgil was curled up on the ground, holding his side. Blood dripped from his lip and the corner of his eye where some of the blows had landed. He could see that one of the bullies had a slowly darkening eye.

"At least, I got one of them," he thought to himself as he carefully stood up. He refused to go to the nurse's office. Instead he went back to his dorm and went to the bathroom to clean the blood off his face. Once he had gotten back to his room, he slowly took his shirt and winced at the bruises that were starting to show.

"That's gonna hurt like hell later," he said out loud. He put on clean shirt and went down to dinner. The rest of the semester went the same; he was taunted and on a couple occasions involved in a fight. Jeff was called and Virgil begged him not to say anything to his brothers or Sam. His bruises healed and at the end of the semester, he packed all of his belongings and called his dad.

"Dad, I want to transfer to Boston and attend school there," he announced. "I can stay with John and Sam. They would make sure that I got to school everyday. I just can't take another semester like this."

"I don't have a problem with you transferring to Boston," replied his dad. "Actually, I think it'd be better if you were with family. This semester has been harder on you than what you're saying. Your Headmaster has called me on more than one occasion about the fights that seemed to revolve around you. Pack up all of your stuff and leave what you'll need at the townhouse and I'll let Sam and John know that you're transferring at my request."

"Thanks, Dad," Virgil said as they hung up. He turned in his textbooks and key to his room and loaded his stuff in the SUV and drove to the airport to prep the prop plane. He loaded everything on the plane and stored the SUV in the hangar until he could come back and get it. He had flown to Boston. Sam had his room already and the bed made. They helped him unpack his stuff but didn't ask any questions, though Sam kept glancing at him.

"I guess that means I'm really outnumbered now," she said at dinner that evening. They still had one more day until Scott would arrive. She grilled some steaks and prepared a salad for the four of them as well as baked potatoes. Virgil had relaxed in the presence of his family and joined in the conversation. He was relieved that no one bugged him about the real reason he had left in the middle of his final year of high school.

End Flashback:

"Virg?" called Sam. He looked up and saw his sister approaching him. "Do you want to talk?" He started to shake his head and sighed. Sam sat down next to him and waited for him to speak.

"I know you're curious as to why I transferred," he started. "I didn't realize until this last semester how much the presence of my brothers and sister kept the bullies away from me as well as the constant harassment." He stopped and looked back towards the ocean. Sam wrapped her arm around her next youngest brother.

"I take it, that you were targeted because of your love of the arts," she said. "And they said that you were, well, not straight." Virgil sighed again as he nodded at her statement.

"Evidently, they never saw you coming out of your room with a hickey on your neck," she said. "Or heard your girlfriend crying out for more as the headboard of your bed hit the wall between our rooms." Virgil blushed at her comment and shifted uncomfortably. Sam laughed at his reaction.

"Not to make you uncomfortable, Virg, but you are definitely not homosexual," she said. "I'm sure Jodi could vouch for that. How many fights did you get in?"

"A few but never got hurt that bad," he answered. He grew quiet again and Sam took his hands into hers and studied them. He looked at her and raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Do you know what I see when I look at your hands?" she asked. "I see the hands of a man that can create wonderful scenes on canvas. A man taking his audience away from their worries with beautiful music. These hands are also those of a man that when he finds the woman he loves, he will make her very happy and satisfied." Virgil blushed again but smiled at his sister. She leaned over and kissed him on his cheek.

"I won't tell anyone," she said. "Would you like to escort me back to the house? I think that Gordon and Alan have a wild game of volleyball going on the beach and Scott and John were getting their butts kicked. Alex was trying to referee but each side said he was pulling favorites." Sam stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts and then took her shoes off. She walked in the water alongside Virgil and they enjoyed each other's company. When they got within sight of their brothers, Virgil stopped. Sam stopped next to him and looked up at him.

"Thanks, Sammie," he said quietly. "I hope that I don't cause any problems when I start school and live with you full-time."

"Virgil, you won't cause any problems," she replied. "I'll be happy to have you living with us and Johnny feels the same way."

"So do I," added another voice. Sam and Virgil looked up and were surprised to see Alex in front of them. "Sam and John missed you this past semester and both have been happy to have you with them again." Virgil looked over at Sam for confirmation.

"You know how important family is to Johnny and me," she said. Alex wrapped his arm around his wife and the three of them watched Gordon and Alan defeat Scott and John. Virgil grinned at his brothers and sister and let the past semester's problems disappear.