One week later…
"No! Nonononono! Put me down!" John squawked from his position slung across Virgil's shoulders, struggling but unable to escape.
"Okay!" Virgil grinned and changed his grip on John, who almost relaxed… until he saw what he was now in range of.
"NOT THERE!" John redoubled his efforts, struggling with the same frenetic energy of a cat being taken to be bathed. "Don't you dare! I'll replace all your jazz music with k-pop!"
"Happy landings!" Virgil grinned broadly and tossed John into the pool.
Splash!
John surfaced, spluttering and promising terrible revenge as Virgil doubled over laughing.
"I'll avenge you John! Space bros unite!" Alan brandished a sword made out of pool noodles and charged at Virgil, tackling him around the knees and into the pool as well.
"Gordon! I need backup!" A still laughing Virgil managed to get out just before John pounced on him to drag him underwater with Alan's help. The fourth son hollered out a war cry and dove in, dragging Alan off Virgil's back and getting him in a headlock for a noogie. Kayo meanwhile had appropriated one of Gordon's water guns and sniped at anyone within range from her vantage point on the lower diving board.
Scott laughed as he watched his family's antics, taking a break from the pool to get a drink. Lady Penelope was perched on the canopied daybed, Grandma beside her and Sherbet between them. "It's good to see everyone relaxing again." He said as he leaned on one of the corner posts, sipping his glass of orange juice.
"The last of the Pandora arrests should be any moment now." Penelope smiled with a polite measure of smug satisfaction. "And with their network cracked wide open I daresay their silent partners will soon follow. EOS, Parker and I will make sure of that."
"Having a celebration to mark it was a great idea, it's going to be a relief to head out without the spectre of them hanging over us. But I'm surprised they all started rolling on each other as easily as they did." Scott commented, a small frown creasing his brow. "It almost seemed too easy."
"Don't worry about it Scott." Grandma reached up to pat his shoulder. "It's survival instincts, like rats deserting a sinking ship. They were too busy trying to save themselves to think about saving their organisation. It's what happens when you build on hate, not on love. As soon as there's a snag, it all goes to pieces."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Scott nodded, drained his glass and set it down in a safe spot. He spotted something, grinned and nodded to the two women. "Excuse me."
"What on earth is he doing?" Penelope asked as Scott dove into the pool, but instead of joining the fray as she'd expected (it had turned into something of a wrestling match, Alan sitting on John's shoulders grappling with Gordon on Virgil's) he instead circled around the tumult, using it as cover as he swam towards a different target.
Grandma Tracy connected the dots and smothered her laugh. "That boy's ignoring his own survival instincts, that's what." She said, pointing to what Scott had spotted.
Penelope followed her direction and muffled her own giggle. "Oh dear." She rather hoped the surprised shriek was going to be worth the inevitable payback when Scott surfaced under the diving board, grabbed Kayo's dangling foot and dragged her into the water.
Fin.
A/N: And we're done! What a ride that was! Thank you very much to everyone who commented, this story fought me right in the middle, and reading your comments encouraged me to keep going and belt this thing out.
On another note, all going well I'll have something new for you soon. You're all going to hate me.
Be safe out there,
-Maria