Cute brotherly day trip!


"I still don't want to be here."

John sighed at Alan's fifth complaint of the morning as he sat in the passenger seat of Scott's car, his older brother perched behind the steering wheel. Alan and Virgil were in the back and pouting like children.

"Yeah, well I don't want to be stuck with you complaining the whole day but it seems like I'm going to be." came Virgil's snide response, causing Alan to scowl deeper.

"Just can it, guys." Scott stepped in before they had a proper falling out. "Dad wouldn't appreciate the way you're acting."

"Well Dad's not here." Alan huffed, petulantly folding his arms.

"Alan, just chill, would you?" John practically begged. "Just try and enjoy the day. We don't usually have any opportunities to go out together so let's try and make the most of it."

"Where are we even going?"

"Yeah, that's right John, where are we going?" Scott whispered to his co-pilot, having no idea where he was actually ferrying them to.

"Uh… that's a good shout, actually. Where do you want to go?" John asked his siblings.

"To an art gallery?" Virgil piped up, causing his brothers to groan.

"Yeah, not happening." Scott shook his head, making an executive decision. None of the other brothers had Virgil's fondness for art.

"How about… the aquarium?" Alan quietly suggested, thoughts with his stricken brother. "It's indoors too, so can keep us out of the rain."

"Aquarium sounds good to me!" John chirped, "Virgil? Scott?"

"Yeah, okay." Virgil nodded.

"Aquarium it is." Scott smiled. "You got the directions there, buddy?"

John rolled his eyes and pulled out his mobile phone, "Of course I'd have to play navigator for you."

"You know me too well." Scott smirked.

John chuckled and opened up Google Maps on his phone. "Alright, for the Sea Life Centre you need to take a left turn at the next roundabout."

"Okie dokie, Johnny-boy."

With John's help with the directions, Scott soon made his way to the aquarium's large car park. The four brothers got out of the car and walked towards the building.

Once they'd paid and were inside, the group made their way through the aquarium, admiring all of the fish and sea creatures swimming about in the spacious tropical tanks mounted to the walls and floors all around them.

Virgil's eyes lit up in delight as he processed the various colours of the fish glimmering in the ambient lighting. "I wish I had a canvas here. I need to paint this." he mumbled to himself.

"I'm sure you could buy them from the gift shop, maybe?" John suggested.

"No, no, now's not the time." Virgil shook his head, knowing he'd be annoying the other patrons if he set up an easel in the middle of the walkway. "I'll just take some photos for reference." he slid his phone out of his pocket and did just that.

Across the way, standing next to a shark tank was Alan, who was again feeling sorry for himself. He couldn't stop thinking about Gordon, and being in one of his aquatic-loving brother's favourite places was not helping as much as he hoped it would. An arm dropped around his shoulder, causing him to flinch.

"Hey sprout. That one looks pretty mean, huh?" Scott pointed towards a Black Tip Reef Shark swimming over them.

"Gordon wouldn't think so." Alan replied with a sigh, hugging himself. "He'd say it looks pretty darn beautiful."

Scott gave him a solemn smile, "He would, wouldn't he? He finds the beauty in anything aquatic."

"He just loves the sea and everything in it. In his past life he must have been a fish."

Scott snorted, "He's practically a fish in this life, never mind his past one."

This got Alan to finally smile. "You're right there. Any chance he gets to get in the water and he's there."

His older brother chuckled, "Remember that time he tricked Dad into taking us to that water park?"

"How could I forget? That was the last time Dad took directions from Gordon." Alan chortled.

"I still find it funny how he packed everyone's swim gear and hid it all in the boot of the car. He just knew his plan would work!"

"That's Gordon for you." John inputted, overhearing their conversation then strolling towards them. "Always the prankster. Devious, too."

"He will get better again, won't he?" Alan turned to his older brothers, blue eyes brimming with hope. "I don't think I'd be able to cope otherwise."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Alan. He just needs some time to rest up. He'll soon be up and kicking, I'm sure of it." John smiled falsely, really trying to believe his own words.

"Yeah, Gords is a trooper. He'll pull through. Then once he does he'll be the first one to tease you for stressing so much." Scott said.

"I can't wait until he does." Alan exhaled, praying his brother would pull through.

"Virg is fascinated by those fish. Just look at him!" John changed the subject, noting the middle Tracy still staring at the same tank he'd left him standing by. The artist had finished taking photos and appeared to have zoned out whilst taking in the underwater paradise.

"Earth to Virgil!" Scott called out, causing Virgil's head to whip around. "Chosen one to marry yet?"

"Oh shut up. You just have no appreciation for artistic beauty!"

"Artistic beauty? They're just fish!"

Scott snorted as the two blondes beside him started laughing.