An apology, first, to everyone who thought it was going to be Virgil in that last chapter. See, that's what the bunnies were fighting about. One wanted me to go with Virgil, while the other kept bugging me to go with Gordon.

So, to keep everyone happy (including my Virgil!Bunny), here's our boy, doing what he does best. Backing up his big brother, while cheering him up along the way. And don't worry, he'll also feature in the next (and final) chapter.

Enjoy!

Fire And Ice

Chapter Three - Fortitude

Well, he'd checked the most obvious places. The hangar that housed the second greatest love of his brother's life. The kitchen, in case he'd come down to sneak some midnight munchies. The den, in case his need to unwind had taken a more artistic turn. But in every place where Scott had been so sure of finding his brother, there'd been no sign.

He hadn't gone to bed yet either, and... aaaah. Yes, with typically perfect hindsight, maybe he should have thought to check in there first.

Following the gentle strains of Handel to its source, Scott paused outside the door to Virgil's studio. Luckily, it was partially open - enough for him to see the family's unsung artist at work on his latest creation. There'd been enough barriers between them already today, without a closed door to separate them too.

Of course, an open door held its hazards too, and Scott now smiled at the memory. The lessons it had taught him.

One - you still knocked to let an artist-at-work know you were there.

Two - you did so nice and quietly.

Three - you never, ever, sneaked up behind said artist when he had a paintbrush in his hand.

Four - ditto for yelling "Boo!" or poking him in the ribs, or startling him, or doing anything that made his paintbrush go where he really didn't want it to.

Yeah, that had been a real experience. One hell of a way to find out that ruining your brother's painting was not a good move. And that having him sit on you while he painted your face instead really, really sucked.

Four reasons, then, that joined the more serious ones to let Virgil know he was there. And how he'd react to him - well, if he was still mad at him, that would be lesson five. And Scott really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

So, a really soft knock on the door. The same quietness in his voice.

"Hey, Virg."

Turning from mixing more paints on his palette, Virgil's eyes conveyed the same number of emotions. Surprise. Just a hint of tension. The briefest annoyance at being disturbed. But then a warming relief lit up his eyes, a relief that Scott instantly felt too. His brother was clearly pleased to see him, so there'd be no flying paint tubes tonight, and... yeah, for so many reasons, thank God for that.

"Hey, Scooter."

Thank God for that too. Using childhood nicknames was always a good sign. Of course, an eye-warming smile was even better. And as he studied his brother's still wet, gloriously unkempt hair, the one on Virgil's face grew into an all out grin.

"Don't tell me the Terrible Twins tossed you in the pool... again?"

Even if it was at his expense, Scott was grinning too. Quite how his two smallest brothers managed to throw him, the tallest, into the pool on such a regular basis still bugged the hell out of him, and... yeah. He really had to have a serious word with them about that.

But not near the pool. Not near water, of any kind. Which, considering they were surrounded by a whole ocean of the stuff, might just be a bit tricky to pull off.

Still, he'd think about that at a more appropriate time. Right now, Scott had far more serious matters on his mind. A combination of regrets and guilt that made the smile on his face turn back into an awkward frown.

"No, I... uh, just felt like a swim."

While his brother's smile stayed in place, shadows of concern still betrayed themselves through his eyes. Virgil knew his brother only went swimming when the exertion of a five mile run failed to pound out whatever was upsetting him, and - yeah, today had really upset him.

He hadn't seen Scott lose it like that since some stupid bureaucrat had tried to stop him from reaching Alan's racing car. Bad enough that he'd been sideswiped into the barriers by a reckless - and illegal - overtake. Bad enough that they'd watched their brother's car bounce and roll for so many, heartstopping times.

But when that steward had told Scott that he couldn't get to it because of 'regulation 1.6b subsection d' in his rulebook... well, all hell had let loose. If not for an equally enraged but more level headed brother holding him back, that rulebook would have been shoved where no rulebook had gone before.

And to see him now, still standing so awkwardly in that doorway - no, every single part of that was wrong. And Virgil didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Discarding his paintbrush and palette in the same movement, Virgil strode to his brother's side, and folded him into the mother of hugs. Kept him there, while he shoved the door closed with his foot. And still kept a gentle arm around him when, privacy gained and ensured, he led Scott to the couch next to his workbench, and settled him onto it.

Next step - cocoa. Thick and sweet, just the way his brother liked it. Luckily for them both, a fresh pot already stood on its stand.

Pouring out two mugfuls, Virgil carried them, and the pot, back to where his brother still sat. Finding a small table waiting for him wouldn't seem significant to an outsider, but it made him smile at its familiarity. Whenever they needed one of these 'chocolate chats', Scott always made sure they had a table ready. Despite the more serious need for it, slipping into this routine felt as comfortable as wearing a favourite pair of slippers.

Settling back beside him, Virgil gave his brother the subtlest of glances. Saw the tension still locked deep into Scott's eyes. And just as Gordon had done earlier, he slid himself across the couch until shoulder met shoulder. Side met side. Knee met knee. Comforter, making that precious connection with comfortee.

A tired smile said everything that words would eventually say. Yet Virgil knew better than to try and make Scott start talking before he was ready. Instead, he eased his body down into a comfier slouch, and smiled himself when Scott did the same. It meant his brother was starting to relax, the tension inside him ebbing away. Another promising sign.

Then, finally, a quiet apology that he knew Scott would have spent hours fretting over to get right. That he'd need just a few seconds to accept.

"I'm sorry, Virg. You needed me to keep my head today... so did Gordon, and Penny, and Parker, but... damn it, all you got instead was my arm in your face."

He'd barely said the first two words before Virgil's arm slid across his shoulders. By the time he said the last, he found himself drawn once more into the gentlest of hugs. Not just offering him comfort, or reassurance, but the forgiveness that meant more to him than anything else.

"Hey, forget it. If not for the need to get them to safety, I'd have been next in line to flatten that good for nothing bastard myself."

Scott had to grin at that. He really couldn't help it. The thought of his bear of a brother, sitting on the archaeologist's chest and politely questioning his parentage, was one that he'd enjoy for days to come.

Almost as much as this cocoa, he mused, savouring its last mouthful, then passing his mug across for a perfectly timed refill. Doing the same with his own, Virgil felt his smile widen as Scott settled back with his drink with a contented sigh. Yes, this was more like it. In just these few minutes, the awkwardness between them had completely disappeared.

Even so, Virgil knew he still had to tread carefully. Yes, it had shaken him to see his brother lose his temper like that, but the last thing he needed now was a lecture to remind him about it, and -

"Yeah, I don't doubt that for a second, Virg, but... well, we both know what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me."

- yeah, if anyone was going to lecture Scott Tracy on crossing legal boundaries, that person would always be Scott Tracy. And, Virgil dryly noted, he wasn't done yet.

"That's what dad always said was the worst part of running International Rescue. God, the times he had to tell me... we're in the business of saving lives, Scott... not fending off the lawyers who'd sue us out of it without a second thought."

Nodding agreement to the point he'd just made, Virgil thought for a moment while he considered his response. No, his brother didn't need any kind of chastisement. He'd always be first to do that himself. No, he just needed a gentle reminder to bring everything they'd been through that day back into perspective.

"And that's what we did today, Scooter. We did what we're best at. Yeah, I know it struck a bit close to home, but... well, Gordon's safe. So's Penelope, and Parker. They're the ones who are worth all the effort of you thinking about, and worrying about... not some amoral opportunist who's got every one of his priorities completely wrong."

Hmm. So much for not giving his brother that lecture. Still, from the restored twinkle in his eyes, Scott had still appreciated it.

Well, almost.

"Worry about?! Me?!"

*thoomp*

Yeah, Scott thought through a rueful wince, he'd asked for that. Still, given the alternative of having his face painted, an elbow in the ribs really wasn't so bad. And beyond the blessing of this familiar teasing, more serious thanks still had to be made.

"But yeah, Virg, you're right. I need to remember my own priorities," he said at last, raising his mug to make a toast that Virgil instantly accepted. "And for today, and for every time you've had to do it lately, thanks for covering my six. I know it's something you've had to raise to its own damn art form."

"Hey, you got it, brother," Virgil grinned, unable to resist answering his brother's military terminology with one that had become a favourite joke between them.

"Flyboy"

The grin he received in response was priceless. So was the salvo of insults that inevitably followed.

"Grease monkey."

"Stilty."

"Trunky."

"Captain Cluck."

"Lumber Bear."

"Tufty."

"Gel Boy."

If not for one teeny, tiny thing, they'd have kept at it all night. But it was a wonderful thing that brought this battle of a brotherly wits to a close. Already spluttering with laughter, Scott glanced at Virgil. His brother grinned back. Then, in the perfect synchronisation that made them such an unbeatable team, they gave in to the best feeling in the world - and simply howled.