Admittedly it takes him a solid minute to realize that the weight laying over his body isn't his ship with a leak somewhere, especially so when he lifts his head to the feeling of something nuzzling in closer to find himself staring down at the mess of blonde hair. John's not exactly bulky like Scott or Virgil, but he's still rather large in girth then his youngest brothers, but seeing Alan trying his hardest to latch onto him trying to make what is perhaps the most apt impersonation of a baby koala.

Gently, he strokes blonde strands from his youngest brother's face, smiling softly at just how young he looked when he was asleep. It takes another moment to remember why he has a baby koala clinging to his front.

"~John, we have an unauthorized docking, the controls have been taken over and I am unable to regain control.~"

Grunting from a semi peaceful slumber, the second eldest Tracy shakes his head to clear the fogs of sleep. "Let them dock, contact the pilot, and tell them they're grounded for at least two months."

"~You know the intruder, John?~"

Pushing himself out of bed, the astronomer uses the guide rails to ensure he met the late night intruder once the airlock was stabilized and the guest allowed inside. "I do, EOS," ever the concerned big brother, John knows that Alan would never come up to 5 without a reason this late at night. He runs his fingers through his auburn red hair to push it back. "Give me his vitals?"

"~Blood pressure is elevated and elevated heart rate. Breathing is choppy at best.~"

"Is the airlock secured and stabilized?" Panic attack, something or someone had sent his baby brother into a panic attack, and the best solution he could come up with was to fly a damn rocket away from the source which indicated the source was something or someone from Tracy Island. A beep of confirmation and he's slamming his hand on the button to open the doors. "Alan?"

Shaking far too much, the little blonde can't unhook his helmet with the way his hands are shaking, and in his current mental state that alone is enough to have him screaming a pained sob as he bends over trying ever harder to accomplish a feat that he's been doing fluidly for years.

"Hey, hey, hey, here let me help, can I touch you?" John kicks himself forward, waiting for permission, though his hands are already reaching. Big brother instinct. It kills him waiting but first rule of dealing with panic attacks is to wait for permission to touch and when he garners that nod of approval he's pushing himself forward with haste curling his hands around around his youngest brother's helmet as Alan's fingers curl around his forearms. Eyes wide and wild, pupils blown, right on the edge of a full blown meltdown. Best to avoid that at all costs. "Shh, take a few breaths, twisting the astronauts helmet, the latches unhook and hisses as he removes it. "No, no, Allie, take your breaths. What do you need? What can I do?"

John tugs the boy in gently when he holds his arms out demandingly, hands still shaking rather badly so there's no finger flexing, but he's sure if he was capable of it there would be. "Okay, I got you, little brother. We've got to steady your breathing now." Curling his hand around the youngest's outward facing ear. "My turn, do you hear my breathing, inhale and exhale?" A warm little head, potential fever is noted, he rubs his thumb under the kid's ear lightly. "Hold your breath for five seconds and as you exhale match mine."

Alan nods and tugs on his arms. His turn. "U–U–Up J–Johnny?"

"Got you, kiddo." In zero gravity it is rather easy to lift the youngest up under the arms like John had done many many times when they were younger. Breathing under control. Check. Alan turning into a baby koala as he buries his fevered face into the side of his neck. Check again. "Okay, my turn, what's the strongest thing you smell right now." Turning, "EOS turn on the Artificial Gravity." Stepping into 5 truly, he pushes the button to seal the docking station from the rest of his Bird. "Come on, kiddo, I let you koala, my turn now." Alan shakes his head quickly. "Come on, Allie, the strongest thing you can smell right now, give it to me."

"Y–You."

John smiles despite the situation. "Oh yea," his baby brother nods lightly. "What do I smell like?"

A small giggle against his neck. "Chocolate."

"Best food in the world."

Another giggle as that fevered face slowly pulls away from his neck. "My turn?"

"Nah, still mine." He silences complaints with a quick dig into the dip of his youngest brother's side and earns a shriek of laughter for his efforts. Panic attack averted. "What brings you up to me of all people at this time of night and does anyone know you left?"

"Grandma knows. Me…Me and Scott got into a really bad argument and…and it got worse when Virgie and Gordo took my side." And there goes the fever fading face burrowing into the side of his neck again. John has a few choice words. It must have been something important and meaningful if Gordon and Virgil both took their baby's side in this unknown argument. "J–John, you and Scott share guardianship right?"

"Well, we do, yes, but it's kind of hard for me to take care of my half of that arrangement being all the way up here." That, admittedly, is not a question he'd thought he'd be hearing tonight. "Why do you ask?"

"I don'...I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay, keep sleeping buddy, had a rough night and quite frankly I'm both impressed and horrified you flew a rocket while in the midst of a massive panic attack." John rubs his hand down the back of the boy's head. "But, I need to get up."

"~John, there's an incoming call from Tracy Island.~"

"Figured there'd be one coming." Trying to escape the baby koala was futile, every attempt at removing himself garnered a tighter grip, John exhales deeply but it's fondness and nothing less. "EOS turn off the Artificial Gravity please." And back to zero gravity, Alan's still his own personal baby koala, but no gravity allowed him the ability to keep one arm around the sleeping baby koala while also completing other tasks. "Thank you."

Sighing, preparing himself, unconsciously curling his hand around his baby brother's ear. "Hello, Scott, how's your morning going?"

"Alan's up with you."

"Oh, tell me, what gave it away?" He rubs the kid's head lightly. "My new baby koala. Why was I woken up three in the morning your time to EOS alerting me that someone was docking and my controls for the airlock had been hacked into remotely?" Baby Koala nods closer. "And can you explain to me why Alan's standing in my airlock so panic stricken I'm frankly astonished he managed to dock safely?"

"Send him down. He can't just run away when things don't go his way."

"I think I'll keep him for a bit actually, he needs the rest."

"John, I'm not in the mood, send him back down."

"I think you're forgetting that we share Guardianship of Alan, Scott. I'm not forcing him to go back to a place he was so desperate to get away from. We're in orbit, you want to come get him, I wish you luck without having Alan's rocket there." John scratches his fingers through his little baby brother's blonde strands. "How about you tell me why when asked about his sudden arrival he only said there was a massive fight between you two that both Virge and Gordo took his side."

"He can't stay up there forever."

"Well all things considered," John shrugs lightly. "I can get rations from other stations around in orbit, wouldn't be the first time, Thunderbird 3 could easily be dispatched from 5–in all actuality it would make more sense considering he'd be readily available–" Alan mumbles and he hikes him up slightly, rubbing his back to ease him back to sleep, works wonders. It's kind of pathetic in John's unspoken opinion that it seems he knows more about their youngest then the rest of them. "And I don't mind having my own baby koala, you know he's actually pretty light for a kid his age, he's a warm baby koala too." He smirks at his older brother's downright murderous glare. "So, to contradict, yes, Alan could stay up here on 5 with me for as long as he wanted." He reaches for a specific button on his console. "Now this conversation has been great, very enlightening, but gotta get kiddo up for his classes and can't very well do that with the main reason he flew a fucking rocket into orbit, hacked my systems, and refuses to stop being my baby koala. So, good morning, and I wish you luck in fixing this fuck up you made for yourself. Oh, and just know, considering I get literally no time to spend with our baby of the family, I won't stand in your way but by all means I won't be of any assistance."

John closes the communication with a quick push of a button. "Now, on to the matter at hand. School." He peers down and blinks when he meets star blue eyes, they share a grin, and he pulls the kid closer to brush a kiss over his forehead. "You're gonna get it one of these day's kiddo, I meant what I said too. Stay as long as you need. You're still on for rescues and you've got to stay up with your studies. But I think EOS and I can make room for a new roomie." Alan nods, leaning in close again, with every intention of becoming a baby koala again. The red head lets him, curling an arm around him to encourage it, after the night before he needed his rest. "We're also going to have to talk about it, kid, you know that."

"Later Johnny?" He feels a large yawn against his shoulder. "Still sleepy."

"Sure, baby brother, later."

…..

"It was about schooling actually." Gordon nods in agreement behind their middle child brother, Virgil is clearly still heated about the interaction, as is their fishhead. "We got a call from one of Alan's teachers–"

"More like Professor–"

"Gords hush. Anyway, we got a call from one of his teachers, little baby brother has been holding back on us. They said his grade had dropped in Astro Physics. John. He's taking Astro Physics. At fifteen." Okay, keep note of that, little Alan was rather good at keeping his secrets. "All Scott heard was poor grades and he went off. Now, we all know that no high school has any such subject such as Astro Physics, meaning–"

"That Alan is taking at least one college course, and an advanced one at that, and nobody would have noticed the funds disappearing from his college funds account because he changed access to it with a skill that's admittedly impressive." John hums in astonishment when even he's blocked from access. "Everything and anything the Sprout it actually up to is stored on his personal laptop and his personal laptop alone. Nobody is getting into that thing, not even I can get into that thing, for someone his age his coding is rather stunning."

"He said he was going to send him back to the mainland–"

Gordon shakes his head is anger. "Wouldn't even listen to the kiddo, Alan tried to tell him, but Scott wasn't having it. We knew as soon as Astro Physics was spoken, and Grandma confirmed that he was enrolled into more then one advanced college course. So we took Baby Bird's side."

"He said he was going to send him back to the mainland?" John's tone takes on a hint of incredulity. "Alan hasn't been away from our sides since dad's death and he thinks sending him away from all he's known in the last five years is a good idea."

"Scott wasn't listening and said he was sending him the following morning, the morning he called you after we found 3 missing from her Silo, admittedly Alan had run off and we were just more then a bit concerned due to the clear panic displayed for all to see. But he knows this island better then any of us." Gordon brushes his fingers through his hair. "We should have known he'd be hiding in his Bird, we searched the Rocket top to bottom and found nothing out of place, Kayo helped but we suspected she knew where he was the entire time. No fault for her not telling us. Everyone on the island heard the dressing down Alan received. It wasn't until she had already taken off, at an hour of the morning not meant for rockets to be taking off mind you–" John smirks but keeps his thoughts to himself. "And we slept well because we knew he was heading to 5 and would then be in good hands but Scott, Johnny he was enraged, but with Thunderbird 3 currently docked with 5 and your space elevator up on 5 as well….Keep Allie up there, ok, Scott….We all know how much Allie looks up to Scott and you and the things he said…"

"Don't say anything further, I don't want you guys to get too worked up over it, just avoid Scotty for as long as you can or until Grandma puts him back in place. I'll take care of our baby brother." John turns to spy the teen floating midair, legs crossed in front of him, tablet in hand as he works on whatever class he's currently working on. "Don't worry about him, he's in a safe space, keep out of the way until Hurricane Scott dissipates. And if he starts in on you two too I want you to call me, got it?" God, he's not the oldest, he shares guardianship of their youngest two brothers with Scott due to carrying the stress that would come with it together would be better then carrying it on one's own shoulders on their own. "I'm gonna go check on Allie. But like I said, call me up, no exceptions."

He only pushes away from there when they give their affirmative to his demand. John peers over at their youngest again. Astro Physics, huh, what else are you hiding kiddo? "EOS, can you attempt to get into baby brother's laptop remotely for me?"

She understands his reasoning for whispering his request and thus answers in similar fashion. "On it, John."

"Thank you." Nodding, he pushes himself forward, curling his arms around his baby brother as they float together. "What class are you working on, kiddo?"

"Uhh…"

Resting his chin on the boy's shoulder he flicks the screen of the tablet up to his own systems, eyes widening as he adjusts his position, sitting cross legged floating with the same baby brother sitting in his lap due to the arms around his waist. "Alan," John turns the lesson model around with a swipe of fingers. "Is this…Are you taking Aerospace Engineering?"

"Um. Yea." Alan leans back against his chest and chuckles sheepishly. "I…I uh, well you see I aced out of my high school classes and I didn't want to just be sitting waiting so I spoke to Grandma and she said that either you or Scott would have to sign the forms to allow me into the class because, you know, my age and I vaguely asked Scott and he said I was basically lying without lying even though Grandma backed up my claims soooo that only left one other person…"

"Sprout," he squeezes the kid closer. "Are you telling me that you forged my signature to get into these classes?"

"Maaaybe. Did you know that my astronomy class still uses your book as the textbook?"

"I'm coming back to you forging my signature later, the honor I feel that my own baby brother is following in my footsteps, I could cry from pride." John closes out the class currently being worked on, taking note of the excelling grade he has in that class, and flicks through the surprising amount of courses his youngest baby brother is taking. "So, dearest Gordo and Virge said you were struggling with Astro Physics, I come to offer my help if you'd like it."

Alan turns to look up at him, opening the lesson he's currently in for that particular class, smiling in a way John can say with certainty is the most sincerest way in almost four years. "Yes please! I'm so confused on this one section! I should have asked sooner but…"

"I get it kiddo." Kissing the back of his head. "Always know that you can always come to me for help, okay, for anything." John smiles down at him before turning their attention back to the problem at hand. "Okay, let's dive in here."

…..

Admittedly John forgot what it felt like to have someone physically there, especially if that aforementioned 'someone' was one of his younger brothers, he was just fine remaining in space. Preferred it that way, but this was nice, this he missed.

Granted they all grieved their dad's loss differently.

He'd retreated to 5 and stayed there.

Scott became stricter and took on more of dad's role forgoing big brother Scott in the wake of it.

As said, he himself retreated to 5.

Virgil isolated.

Gordon became easily enraged.

And Alan, poor little Alan, was ten years old who was just told his dad was presumed dead in a space accident and the ones he'd always turn to for anything and everything were left all alone. He trained, did what was necessary to take over their dad's place as the Astronaut, and that was that. In their grief, which they were all entitled to of course, they'd robbed their baby of what childhood he had left.

Throwing the kid around, Alan shrieking in surprise at the action, flying towards one of the windows. "Good try, baby brother." Kicking off the top edge, John laughs softly as he catches the kid mid tackle, both of them swirling around. "Aw is my little koala coming back for a nap?"

"Not yet!" Notice the phrasing there. John always found himself sleeping with a baby koala now. He wasn't complaining. "John let go! You're breaking the rules!"

Maintaining a solid grip on the kid, he slowly lets them swing upside down, hugging his ear to the kids belly as fingers mix into his hair. "It's my game. I can't break the rules." He claws his fingers into the youngers sides and smiles when he squeals a laugh. "Don't pull on my hair again, squirt."

Alan bends over his brother's head, shrieking with youthful laughter, tugging desperately on his older brothers auburn hair. "Johohon! Stohohop!"

"Not until you let go of my hair!"

The Fifteen year old throws his arms out, let it not be said that the second eldest doesn't have a sense of humor, tugging the younger down. Alan regrets letting go of his only leverage (John's hair) when large hands swing him around and arms curl around his midsection, squealing with an arch of his back as ten fingers claw viciously into his sides, throwing his hands back to shove at his shoulders.

Unfair. So unfair. He has no leverage of his own to use against his older brother. Why was Johnny so good at this stuff!-Oh right. Three younger brothers. Understood.

So all he can do now is shove at his older brother from behind as he has to deal with his big brother's soft teasing as his fingers explore his torso. Coming to this point, Alan curls inwards, shrieking with laughter as he curls himself into a little ball.

"I missed this." Arms curl around him again, tugging him back into the red head's chest, no attacks this time allowing him to catch his breath. "So thank you."

…..

So, okay, this might sound odd. Alan has three older brothers down on the Island and one big bro living in orbit. He's had plenty of hugs from his three earthling siblings, cuddle time after a bad mission, he's a tactile person and he hopes he's getting this across.

But getting those from John were rare, and it wasn't just because of his assumed slight aversion to touch, living in space made garnering such things rather difficult.

Out of all his brothers it was John who gave the best of everything.

He was not slightly touch averse in person. Point here: John was the one who curled around him from behind and fell asleep on his shoulder. Alan is impressed with his flexibility and knows the fact that they are floating in zero gravity is a major player in this. John was just as tactile as he was; he just didn't have anyone to interact with.

There was something about the warmth of his brother acting like a blanket and looking out at space.

The beeping on the monitor snaps him out of his thoughts. He knows where it's coming from. Reaching out slowly, his hand is smacked away from a larger one from behind, his brother groaning awake as he presses the comm button. "Hellooo Scott."

Alan feels reassurance when John rests his chin on his shoulder. "Alan, get your butt back to earth immediately, this running away stint is not helping your case."

"Did you really call up and interrupt my nap for this?" Uh oh, John's not a happy camper, a sleepy and irritated John is a dangerous John. "Nope, no, I ensured that this would never happen again. I'm sorry kiddo," Alan can't speak at the moment but does smile slightly at the peck to his cheek. "EOS managed to get passed a portion of the encryption on the Sprout's laptop, the fact that he feels the need to use such encryption–we'll leave that for another time–You must have been giving him a harder time than usual for a while now for A Change of Guardianship form already halfway completed." He tries to turn his head but his brother presses their heads together and therefore keeps him from turning to look at him. "Sorry kiddo, and guess what, I signed them. So, from yesterday morning forward, Allie is my ward and anything that involves him going forward goes through me and me alone."

"You found–"

Fingers pinch his hip pointedly and he throws a hand over his mouth before a shriek can escape him. "Hush, child, the adults are talking." Usually Alan would take offense, but when it's John, when it's John who says it it doesn't sting so much. The thumb tweaking at his hip still definitely helps keep him from trying to speak out on that matter any further too. "We're going to be coming down for a bit to get him a few things and to visit our other brothers. When you get your head outta your ass you can speak to my ward again."

"You did wha—"

Alan keeps trying to squirm away from the fingers playing at his hip, his eyes widen considerably when his older brother, new apparent Guardian, basically hangs up on their oldest brother. "I can't believe my nap was interrupted by that nonsense." He smiles as his older brother returns to his previous position before the call had gone and broken the comfortable silence. "Barely get any sleep and what little I do is interrupted by idiocy."

The little blonde tilts his head back. "Hey, EOS, can you capture this image and send it to my tablet please?"

….

"Come on, Johnny, we played those games when I was a kid."

"And, Allie, I wanna play them again. Come on, baby bird, I barely get to see you as it is. I finally got my baby brother back." Damn and now Alan knows where Gordo learned his 'puppy dog eyes' trick from. "Please blondie?"

Alan gives him the most unimpressed glare, which, in return, he smirks because John knows he's won this battle. "Fine. I hate you."

"Hey," kicking forward the young astronaut shrieks as his brother tackles him blatantly, doubling over in laughter as he's tugged in close. "Don't talk to your guardian like that!" When he was growing up, John was already in college when Alan was old enough to remember things that wouldn't be rewritten with something new some time later, it's not to say that John didn't adore his baby brother and that Alan didn't pick favorites when it came to his brothers (it was the stargazing one). "Wanna play the statue game?"

He hates that game. Alan hates it. It was John's invention and he allowed their other brothers to take his game and play it too. Alan hates it because it requires you not to move and he's the prime example of hyperactivity disorder. Which is why his brothers always chose that game to play when he was younger. See, the Statue Game is as it sounds, you've got to be as still as a Statue, no movements, none, absolutely nothing. Johnny's a cheater though. Any movement is punishable by death. He blows lightly into his ear, and Alan shrieks, shaking his head. He has ticklish ears, okay.

Like he said, big brother's a cheater.

Not that it matters, Alan squeals when his brother buries his face into the side of his neck, pushing against his older brother's chest as fingers claw in under his arms and his pushing against his chest immediately ceases. Okay, maybe–little hands fly down to try and yank the larger one away from his belly–playing kids games with his brother isn't so bad–"NO! JOHN!"

His older brother laughs into his shoulder. "Then stop moving, kid, you've played this game more than a few times."

"I cahahahhahahan't!" Their youngest is in no position to become a statue again, not when he's secured back against his brother's chest, both hands clawing viciously into his belly. "Jooohn! Plehehease!"

"You know the rules, kiddo." Does John feel a smidge bad for taking advantage of his brother's worst tickle spots…No. He doesn't. "Got to be a statue if you want me to stop." Little fingers curl around his shoulders and he grins as their little baby bird arches away from his fingers. Weird position. But he falls still save for wild giggling. "You can't stay in that position."

"Watch me!"

"Oh, I'm watching you, don't you worry."

"Gonna be watching for a while then!"

"Oh, I can wait." John hums playfully. "Technically your arms shaking counts but I'll let you have it because that means someone's about to fall."

"Nope!"

"Oh yea!" He opens his arms slightly. "Those arms are about to give out. I can see it with my own eyes."

Alan hates to admit it but his arms are about to give out. "Mercy?"

"Never."