Just a reminder that this fic is based on a short by TB's LMC in their '100 ways to be a better father,' number 71. I have been given permission to use this, and virtually the entirety of Chapter 2 is a direct quote from the fic.

A few days later, and Brains was down in the tunnels under the villa, coming along the hallway he walked until he realized he could hear voices coming from up ahead. He identified the first as Jeff, and then eventually the second as Scott. He kept going, caring little for what the men were doing down here. He had his goal and his mind had already gone twenty-two steps ahead to what he'd be doing with the new vacuum pump once he returned to his lab.

Then some words that were being said actually registered in his brain, making him stop dead in his tracks.

'You can leave, you know. Nobody'll hold it against you.' Brains' eyes widened and he adjusted his blue-rimmed glasses. 'I mean it, son. I can't ask you to stop living because of me, or International Rescue or your brothers. Nobody can ask that of a man.' There was a sigh. 'Did I say I wanted to leave?'

'No. But you want a life with Kaya. A home of your own, a family. God knows I get it.'

'I just don't understand why it has to be one or the other. Penny's already done a thorough check on her, Father, she's clean in every possible way. She can be trusted, I know she can!'

'Scott, no. Nobody on the island. Nobody this close to our secret. You know my stance on that.' This time the sigh was more frustrated. 'Well, maybe your stance needs to be rethought.' It was met with an equally frustrated sigh. 'I'm not going to argue this with you again. If you want to marry this girl, it means you're out of International Rescue. Period.'

Brains had crept back a ways, around the curvature of the hall so he wouldn't be seen or heard. Speaking of being heard, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Scott wanted to get married, and his father was making him choose between that and International Rescue? He'd always known Jeff's position on new members, either to the organization or the family, but…it just seemed so…rigid.

'Dad, I love her. As much as you loved Mom? I love her.' This time the sigh was a little softer. 'Then there's your answer.'

'No!' Scott bellowed, making Brains jump, his heart racing. 'I won't leave my brothers alone to do this. I'm responsible for them, Dad. International Rescue is my life, but it doesn't have to be all there is to my life!'

'What do you want me to do, Scott? If you bring one home, then the next thing you know, another one of your brothers will want to, and before you know it we'll have an island full of women who could jeopardize everything we've worked so hard to achieve! How can you ask me to put your love life over thousands of men and women who have yet to be saved?' Brains held his breath. 'And how can you ask us to grow old alone just because you've chosen to?' Scott retorted.

Brains gulped, certain that the next sound he heard was Jeff throwing a right hook at his eldest. He bit his lip, not sure whether to go on ahead to the storage room, which would take him past where Scott and Jeff were, or head back to his lab and wait for the storm to blow over before he stuck his head out again.

'Damn you, Father,' he heard Scott say. 'I'm going to ask Kaya to marry me, and if she says yes, I'm going to bring her back here and show her, and you can't stop me. You can't stop us from living.' 'Scott, listen—' Jeff growled.

'No. It's time for you to listen, Dad. You're the one always telling kids at all these charity functions that they have to believe in themselves, follow their dreams. Grab at their one chance and take it, and ride that dream to the end of the rainbow. You told that group of third graders at the space museum those very words not two weeks ago. I was there, Father.' 'Scott, I—', but Scott wasn't finished yet. 'And yet when I have a chance to be loved by someone the way Mom loved you, when I have a real shot at a family of my own, at sharing my life with someone, you tell me I can't. Not if I want to keep doing my job.'

It was silent for a moment. Brains realized he wasn't breathing and forced himself to take a few breaths as quietly as he could.

'I want you to have all that. I want you to have what your mother and I had, and more. So much more. But I can't…I'm just…' Jeff at a loss for words was a rare thing. 'You're just what? Scared? Scared that we'll bring home the wrong woman, that we'll compromise the existence of this thing we've dedicated ourselves to? Do you think that little of our judgment, that we'd pick women who would do that to us?'

'I trust your judgment, Scott. If I didn't, I never would've put you in charge of your brothers' lives.' There was a slight scoff. 'And what about their judgment?' Scott asked. 'I trust all of you.'

Brains could imagine the two men glaring at each other in the short seconds of silence that ensued.

'Then trust me on Kaya. I would never bring someone into our family who could hurt us. And if you ever want grandchildren, you're going to have to let this happen sooner or later.' Scott paused. When his voice came again, it was softer. 'You've met her, Dad. She's everything to me, I need her. As much as I need International Rescue, need to always be the one to look out for my brothers, I need her.'

Brains slunk away, fearing he'd overheard way too much already. This was just far too personal to be something he should've eavesdropped on. One thing was certain – he would be spending a lot more time down in the lab over the next few days…