Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.

Happy Birthday, Bee! It might be an insanely weird year where everything has gone out the window, but some traditions need to remain...

One advantage to the co-pilot's seat being positioned further back was Gordon had a good view of his brother as they flew home from their latest rescue.

As forest fires went, it wasn't the worst, but it had still been a long and gruelling process. They'd all breathed a sigh of relief when Scott announced the area was clear and it was time to head back to Base.

Now, however, Gordon ignored the lights flashing on the panel in front of him, satisfied Virgil had everything under control. Instead, he watched as his brother reached forward to adjust their altitude. For the third time in almost as many minutes, he rolled his neck as he sat back and this time, lifted a hand, digging his fingers into the muscle. Gordon guessed his brother didn't realise he was doing it.

He didn't say anything, though. Virgil was still in 'rescue mode' and, until they were back on the island with debriefing out of the way, he wouldn't listen, not even if it was about his own health. He wasn't injured, and that was enough.

But Gordon had spent so long ensuring he was fit for duty that he knew the signs. This wasn't something he planned on letting go.

Rather than speaking his mind though, he just sat, watched, and made a note of all the times Virgil winced.

Once they were home, Gordon didn't get the chance to act on it. The debriefing was quick, then their grandmother called them for lunch. There wasn't time to think of anything other than beating his brothers to the table to ensure he got first helpings before Alan started on seconds.

After that, Virgil disappeared to the silos, wanting to check over Two.

At least, that was what he told their father and Brains. Gordon wasn't fooled: Virgil wanted to tinker with Brains' newest upgrades without their friend finding out what he was doing.

Wondering if confronting his brother in the privacy of the silos was better than drawing attention where anyone could hear them, Gordon made to follow him down.

Passing the lounge, however, he paused. Scott was using the opportunity of the room being empty to talk to John, sitting in their father's chair while John's portrait was active. Gordon paused in the doorway, making sure neither older brother was aware he was there. John would tip off Scott, and Gordon would lose his chance to watch for a moment.

A moment was all it took.

Talking to Virgil wasn't enough; the problem was bigger than one brother. Even from the distance he was at, Gordon saw the tension running through Scott's upper body. He wasn't surprised - the man literally carried the weight of the world and had done since before Gordon could remember. But this was the first time Gordon had examined his brother with that in mind, and couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. That much stress wasn't good!

But with Scott suffering the same as Virgil, Gordon's plan to confront his brother went out of the window. Getting Virgil to listen would've been hard enough: both would be impossible.

Changing direction, Gordon hurried to his father's office. He could hear the man's deep voice and knew he'd planned to spend the afternoon on conference calls. But Gordon needed to deal with this before they had more callouts: International Rescue was their one free pass for interruptions.

Waiting until there was a lull in conversation, Gordon knocked and entered when his father bid him. He was pouring over paperwork, but looked up, surprised, when Gordon walked in. Gordon smirked: it wasn't a room he often approached on his own volition.

"Is everything alright?"

"No." He perched on the edge of a chair. "I need to talk to you about Scott and Virgil."

"If this is one of those pranks you boys are always playing on each other-,"

"This is serious," Gordon said, interrupting. "Next time you're with them, feel Virgil's neck and Scott's shoulders."

"Gordon?"

"You'll see what I mean."

Gordon stood to leave. He needed his dad to see this for himself. Words might persuade him to investigate the situation. But if he felt the problem, he'd set a plan in motion too fast for either brothers to protest.

"Are they fit for duty?" His dad must have sensed his concern. Gordon shrugged.

"For now," he said, heading out. After all, he still had his own muscular problems to deal with. Scott might not notice he himself was rigid with tension, but he'd pay attention if Gordon didn't follow his usual routine.

Later that evening, sitting cross-legged on his bed and looking over some of Brains' designs for Four, Gordon heard a soft knock on his door. He knew who it would be even before his dad entered – none of his brothers would've knocked.

One glance at the man's expression, and he knew he'd done what Gordon had asked.

"They're going to hurt themselves if they carry on like this," Gordon said, speaking before his father had the chance. "Then recovery time will be twice as long, and Scott will be a bigger pain in the ass than usual."

"You know more about this than any of us," his dad said, ignoring the insult. "What do you suggest?"

Gordon smirked. He knew exactly what his brothers needed. There was only one problem.

"They won't like it," he warned. His father raised an eyebrow, grabbed Gordon's chair and sat down.

"Tell me," he ordered. "I'll handle your brothers."

Grinning, knowing full well how both Scott and Virgil would react, Gordon outlined his idea.

"I can't believe Dad agreed to this," Virgil muttered in an undertone to Scott. Dressed in only swimming shorts and a robe, he felt totally exposed. "We can't have you, me and Gords away at the same time. What if something came up?"

"John checked it out," Scott said, "he thinks it's quiet."

Virgil wasn't fooled; Scott hated this as much as he did, and they both knew nothing brewing was no guarantee. None of them had run a rescue independently before, and the idea that Alan would have to be the first… Virgil trusted his brother, but that didn't mean he was happy.

"You're planning on having a nice, relaxing time then?" He didn't bother keeping the sarcasm out of his tone, and Scott's answering look was scathing.

"I'm planning on walking out of here, and being halfway home before Gordon realises we've gone," he muttered, "and leaving the kid here as payback."

Virgil grinned. Without another word, the pair of them hurried to the main door. Scott pulled it open, and Virgil crashed into his brother's back when he abruptly stopped.

"Can I help you with anything, sir?"

Peering around Scott, Virgil saw the receptionist standing in front of them, blocking the way. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, and Virgil knew there would be no ducking past him.

"Something's come up," Scott lied. "We need to reschedule."

To Virgil's surprise, the man just smiled, not moving.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir," he said, smooth as before, "only rescheduling is not possible."

"Then we have to cancel."

"Also not possible, I'm afraid, sir."

Virgil looked at him again. The faint smirk gave him away, and Virgil knew that, whatever reason Scott came up with, the man wasn't going to move.

"Gordon put you up to this, didn't he?"

The man nodded, his grin widening.

"Under no circumstances am I to let you leave without him." The complete lack of apology in his voice made Virgil roll his eyes. He grabbed Scott by the back of his robe and yanked him into the changing rooms, shutting the door again.

"What are you doing?" Scott hissed, pulling himself free. Virgil gestured to the door.

"Gordon has been coming here for years," he said. "He's probably best friends with that man. If the kid has set him up to this, do you think there's the slightest chance he's going to back down?"

Scott glowered but didn't argue. Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"This is stupid," he grumbled. Virgil agreed, but took a deep breath.

"Shall we just get this over with?"

Scott nodded, and the pair of them walked towards the exit at the opposite end of the lockers.

"I still can't believe Dad agreed to this," Scott muttered, right behind him.

Virgil self-consciously tightened the belt on his robe. He had changed in front of his brothers – even strangers - more times than he was comfortable admitting: their job meant that there often wasn't another option.

But opening the doors and stepping out into the room beyond felt like a big deal. He was convinced everyone would stare at them. Despite having played for sizeable crowds before, Virgil much preferred being invisible.

His courage gave out, and he stepped backwards, only to stand on his brother's foot as Scott blocked his path.

"Thought you said we should get this over and done with?" Scott hissed. Virgil glared, but then moved into the large, softly lit room, gentle music playing in the background.

Gordon was waiting for them, one eyebrow raised and smirking. It was clear he could guess what had happened in the changing rooms. He was stretched across a lounger, his own robe undone, completely at ease. Virgil was put out by his brother's comfort, while he resisted hiding behind Scott.

"Took your time," Gordon said. He kept his voice down though, respecting the tranquil surroundings. Scott sat on the next seat, but remained upright, hands clenched, body rigid. Gordon rolled his eyes, prodding him with his foot.

"You're supposed to relax, y'know."

"This isn't needed," Scott said, "and stupid all of us being here at once."

"I wouldn't bother arguing," Virgil told him, sitting down on the lounger the other side and leaning back, although he was as tense as Scott. This wasn't the type of environment they were used to.

Gordon shot him a startled, but pleased look. Virgil glared.

"Only because I've been trying since this damn trip was arranged and hey, I'm still here. Don't think I'm happy about this."

"For God's sake," Gordon said, his smile slipping. "I'm trying to help the pair of you dunderheads out."

Virgil had a retort ready, but the words died as Scott shook his head, and he backed down. Gordon was only trying to help: it was the only reason both he and Scott had gone along with it. That Gordon went to their father first spoke volumes about how serious he was.

"So, what should we expect?" Scott asked, steering the conversation to neutral ground. "Who's this Jane woman you've been going on about for years?"

Gordon grinned. "Blonde. Fit. Hands that work magic."

"And I thought you came for your back," Virgil said, his tone deadpan. Gordon's smile slipped into a smirk.

"I do," he said, "but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what this place has to offer. Check out your three o'clock: those two have been eyeing you up since you walked in."

Virgil subtly glanced to where Gordon indicated. Then he attempted to look more relaxed when he saw the girls watching. Their own robes were folded on the end of their loungers and they stretched out, bikinis highlighting them in a way the dim lighting didn't.

"Gordon?"

It was a woman's voice, and Gordon's answering smile was genuine.

"And if it isn't my favourite lady of all," he said.

Virgil looked around, aware of Scott doing the same. They'd been hearing about Jane for the last two years, although only their father had met her. Virgil had pestered for details once, convinced there was something more to these trips, but Gordon surrendered no information, just turned away with a glint in his eye.

Virgil didn't anticipate a woman around their father's age.

She was blonde.

She was in shape.

And completely not what Virgil was expecting – or what Gordon had implied.

The dumbfounded look on Scott's face made Virgil laugh. His brother did nothing to conceal his surprise and Gordon looked from one to the other before also laughing.

"I never lied," he said, swinging his legs around. "You just heard what you wanted to hear."

Virgil cursed, realising that Gordon was right, and he should've known better.

"C'mon, kid," Jane said with an affable grin, "let's be having you."

Gordon stood up but didn't move any closer.

"These are the idiots I was telling you about," he said, waving a hand in Virgil's and Scott's direction. Jane pursed her lips and walked towards them.

"Up," she ordered.

Virgil did as he was told: he was used to following commands and wondered what that said about him. But, to his surprise, Scott was also on his feet, although the bewildered look on his face showed he wasn't sure how it had come about.

Jane circled them. Virgil tried not to squirm as her hand slid along his neck, then felt better when she did the same to Scott. Both blushed at her tut.

"After everything I've taught you, Gordon," she scolded.

"You try talking to them," Gordon grumbled. Virgil shot him a withering look, and Gordon pulled a childish face at him. Jane tutted again and waved over her shoulder.

Virgil saw two people emerge from the same door Jane had come from.

"Maria and Brad," she introduced as they approached.

Virgil stood up straighter, then realised what he had done when he saw Scott do the same thing. Maria was gorgeous.

"They're going to sort you out," Jane continued. Jane beckoned Maria forward. Virgil tried to act casual, as if he did this sort of thing every day.

"Maria, take-," Jane paused, eyeing the pair of them up. Her lips twitched at the sudden improvement in their postures.

"- Scott," she continued, "and use treatment room one."

Scott shot Virgil a satisfied look as Maria beckoned him forward. Brad gestured to Virgil and, with one last helpless glance at Gordon, he followed.

The room was softly lit with quiet music playing. Unlike his brothers, Virgil both recognised and appreciated the classical melody.

"Robe off and lie face down." Brad said, nodding at the bed. Virgil hesitated.

Brad smiled. "You've not done this before, have you?"

"That obvious?" Virgil muttered, shifting.

"Try to relax," Brad murmured. "We need to ease the tension and strain on the muscles. I'll give you some exercises for afterwards. Do you have an active lifestyle?"

Gordon had a cover story with Jane: she knew about the Olympics and the accident, but Virgil couldn't remember what his brother told her about his day-to-day activities. As far as Brad knew, he was just a playboy son of Jeff Tracy, but his physique would give away he didn't spend his days lounging by a pool drinking cocktails.

"You know who I am, right?" It was the only response he could think of, as much as he hated it.

Brad shrugged. "The one who spends too much time bent over controls."

"What?" Virgil stared at him, nonplussed.

Brad looked at him. He grinned, shrugging.

"Gordon told us. Your brother, the older one? He tries to save the world, and you spend all your time hunched over. That's why your neck's so bad. Right?"

Virgil sniggered as he took off the robe and lay on the bed. He shouldn't have been surprised. Gordon got away with a lot when they were younger, not because he lied, but because he bent the truth enough to make it believable. It appeared he hadn't changed, but Virgil was glad he didn't have to fabricate something himself.

Brad placed a towel over his waist, and Virgil tensed. Gordon might be used to this, but Virgil wasn't. It was the first time he'd voluntarily put himself in this sort of position.

If anything about this entire trip could be considered voluntary.

But when Brad started putting the oil on his back, Virgil forgot where he was and what he was doing. He bit back a groan, his body relaxing as Brad started massaging out the knots in his shoulders.

He'd known his neck was bad once his father had drawn attention to it. But he hadn't realised the tension spread down his entire back. If he was this bad, he wondered what Scott was like.

He had been jealous when Jane had put his brother with Maria. But there was no denying Brad was an expert at his job.

An hour later, Virgil came out of a doze with a start when he realised Brad had stopped.

"How d'you feel?"

Virgil sat up. Brad was standing near the door, writing something on a notepad, but he glanced over as he spoke, a knowing smile on his face. Virgil twisted first to one side, then to the other, and gaped.

"Amazing!"

He jumped down from the bed and slipped the robe back on. But a sense of well-being flowed through his entire body. He suddenly had Gordon's confidence, and could leave it unfastened.

"Drink plenty of water," Brad said. "I've also set out some exercises that will help stop it tensing. Judging by your fitness levels, I think you'll know how to do them. Any questions, ask your brother – Gordon has done all of these at some point."

Virgil nodded, slipping the piece of paper into his pocket when Brad passed it over.

They ensured they stayed fit and active, ready for a callout at any moment. People's lives depended on them being at the top of their game. But Virgil had never considered relieving built up tension and kicked himself that Gordon noticed first.

"Is there anything else you need?" Brad asked, passing over a glass of water. "Questions?"

"One thing," Virgil said with a sheepish grin, taking a sip. "Don't tell Gordon I enjoyed that?"

Brad laughed. "Your secret is safe with me. I'm hoping you'll come back with your brother sometime – preventing a build-up is more beneficial in the long run."

"We'll see," Virgil said. He wouldn't admit he was already thinking about offering to fly Gordon over for his next appointment and slip into the spa after Jane had taken his brother. Brad's grin revealed he saw straight through Virgil's lack of commitment.

"Head on through," Brad said, "and feel free to use any of the facilities."

Virgil left the room and was able to look around properly this time. There were treatment rooms spread around, as were various saunas and steam rooms. The spa was designed for relaxation, but when Jane had moved here from her own small clinic, Gordon had followed, despite the ribbing he'd got from his brothers.

Realising how freely he could move, Virgil felt guilty for teasing his brother. Not that he planned to tell his brother that – Gordon still had to pay for dragging their father into this.

He couldn't see either of his brothers and decided to follow Brad's advice and use the facilities while he could. He picked the first room he came to, slipped out of his robe and hung it on the hook before entering. The steam made him gasp, but Virgil quickly adjusted and perched on one of seats.

The next hour was a pleasant blur as Virgil tried out some of the other rooms. He kept expecting to see the others and had excuses and denials ready: sitting around relaxing was not a trait the Tracy brothers were known for.

But - despite his vehement protests to his father - he couldn't deny he was enjoying himself. For the first time in a long while – possibly since International Rescue started – Virgil didn't feel the need to do anything.

He eventually saw Gordon leave his own treatment room. He didn't look as relaxed as Virgil felt. Gordon didn't come here to unwind; he came to keep moving.

"Hey." Virgil kept his voice down, crossing to his brother's side. "Swim?"

He'd seen the pool while exploring. Gordon nodded, and the pair of them slipped into the water. After a few lengths, Gordon exhaled sharply.

"Better?"

Gordon nodded again. "How was Brad?"

Virgil shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. "Good at what he does."

"I saw your face when Maria took Scott." Gordon leant back on the side of the pool, letting his legs drift in front of him. "You got the better end of the deal: she has the driest wit I've ever known; Scott won't know what hit him."

"I haven't seen him," Virgil said, looking around, expecting his brother to appear now they were talking about him. He couldn't help but think of Scott's earlier plan to run away and, for a wild moment, wondered if his brother had done so. Gordon saw the look on his face and laughed.

"Derek won't let him out," he said. "I'm going to make the most of being here."

He pulled himself out of the water, but Virgil stayed in. It was as close as he got to admitting he'd already tried most of the rooms while waiting. Gordon's smirk suggested he wasn't fooling anyone.

Virgil swam for a little longer. He normally exercised on land, then used the pool to chill. But he couldn't remember the last time he'd swum for the sake of it and had forgotten how much he enjoyed it. He'd change that when they got home – if he could persuade Gordon to share.

Eventually, he got out, looking around. Scott should have been out by now: he should've been finished the same time as Virgil. Trying to decide if he should worry or not, Virgil looked for Gordon instead.

He didn't have to search for long: Gordon emerged from a sauna, hair sticking to his forehead. He brushed it away, caught Virgil's eye and grinned, jerking his head to one side. Virgil followed him around the corner.

"Gords-,"

Gordon shushed him, holding one finger to his lips. Bewildered, Virgil did as he was told. Gordon led him towards the sun-loungers and, grinning broadly, pointed to one.

Virgil laughed before he could stop himself. Scott had left his treatment around the same time as Virgil. But he hadn't got as far as discovering the rest of the facilities.

Instead, he was stretched out across a lounger, fast asleep.

"I haven't seen him look that relaxed in a long time," Gordon said, his tone serious despite the smile on his face.

"I haven't seen him look that young for a long time," Virgil murmured. He grabbed a spare robe from the shelf next to the loungers, shook it out and awkwardly put it over Scott, hoping he didn't wake his brother. Scott didn't stir.

For a moment, the pair of them just watched. Gordon had spoken the truth: it had been a long time since they'd seen Scott let his guard down like this.

Virgil nudged his brother with his elbow.

"Thanks, kid."

This hadn't just been about their physical well-being, although Virgil couldn't deny how much better he felt now he could move his neck properly. He felt relaxed, at ease, and suddenly realised Scott wasn't the only one who hadn't stopped for several months.

Gordon smiled, an understanding expression on his face. He didn't say anything though, and Virgil was glad; they weren't the sentimental type. But he wanted Gordon to understand that he appreciated being forced to come.

"We should leave him sleep," Gordon muttered, backing away. Virgil followed suit. The fact that Gordon was letting this go without comment showed he knew how badly Scott needed the rest.

"Have you tried the mineral room?" he continued, and Virgil shrugged.

"It's alright."

It was his favourite so far.

Gordon rolled his eyes. "You know it wouldn't kill you to admit you're enjoying this. I swear I won't tell Alan."

"I'm admitting nothing," Virgil smirked, "but I want the seat on the far side."

Gordon elbowed him, but led the way without further comment.

For the first time, Virgil followed his brother without protest.