Virgil jolted awake at the sound of the incoming call, just managing to stay balanced on the sofa without disturbing Scott. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, knowing his eldest brother needed the rest.

"Sorry," John murmured quietly, "I thought you'd have gone to bed by now."

Virgil shook his head, "Where are the kids?"

"On their way back now, they're fine." John assured, "You slept all afternoon."

Virgil looked to Scott again and nodded, "We needed it."

John's shoulder sunk a little, "Is he okay?"

Virgil looked up to John and sighed, leaning back against the arm of the sofa again, "It was catching up to him again," He dropped his voice as he swung his feet off of Scott's legs, "He thinks that he needs to be Dad, or at least make up for not finding him."

John looked away, his face darkening as he uttered, "That wasn't Scott's fault."

"It wasn't anyone's fault," Virgil was quick to point out, his voice hardening as he looked to John waiting for him to look back, "You know that."

John looked to Virgil and sighed again, knowing that arguing was pointless, "Yeah," He breathed, "Okay."

He looked to his older brother, slouched back on the couch with his arms spread out. Scott looked exhausted, his eyes were heavy even in sleep and the fact that he had slept through his call told John just how badly his brother needed the rest.

"He's really pushing himself, isn't he?"

Virgil nodded and looked up to John, "Yeah, he thinks if he pushes to the limit, then it somehow makes everything better, it somehow wipes out the times things haven't gone to plan."

John sighed, sinking back from the holocall, "I guess we forget don't we? Scott's doing his job and Dad's."

Virgil shrugged, "You've taken your share, I've offered to do what I can. Scott's just too…" He trailed off with a shake of his head, "He wants to be Dad but he doesn't realise he never will be."

John offered a small smile to his younger brother, "He'll realise eventually, I guess people always saying how like Dad he was must have left it's mark."

Virgil snorted, "We both know the determination is from Mom as much as from Dad."

"Yeah," John smiled, fighting a yawn, "Go and get to bed, if the kids don't wake him up I will."

Knowing the conversation was finished, Virgil looked to Scott once more before nodding, "Night Johnny."

"Night Virg," John murmured, "I'm going to call Casey, see if I can get her to do something about the GDF."

"Isn't she still on annual leave?" Virgil frowned, halfway to the steps.

John nodded, "But we can't keep on like this, I'm sure even she will understand that."

"Okay," Virgil sighed moving towards the stairs, "Night."

"Night." John repeated.

Neither noticed the shadow listening in from the corner of the room.

Scott groaned and stretched as someone gently kicked his leg again. He moaned as he rolled his shoulders, "What?"

"You can't stay here all night kid." Grandma told him sternly, "Up the stairs with you."

Scott yawned and sat up, "Did I fall asleep?"

"You slept through the whole afternoon," Grandma nodded, "Come on, the others are back now."

Scott frowned, "What?"

"There was another rescue, Alan and Gordon sorted it." She cut him off with a look as he began to protest, "You were exhausted and needed a break."

"But-"

"Scott," She warned, hands planting themselves on her hips, "You've been pushing yourself, and your brother's too far."

"Dad-"

"Stop!" Grandma exclaimed, "What your father did and what you need to do is two entirely different things." Scott's shoulders sunk as she stood over him and he knew he was in for a lecture, some way, somehow, Grandma had gotten wind of what had happened earlier that same day.

"You are not the same man your father is Scott," She told him, leaving no room for doubt, "You are Scott Carpenter Tracy. You will never be the man your father is," She crouched down as Scott's head dropped, resting her hand on his shoulder for support, "But nobody expects you to be."

Scott slowly looked back up, his eyes tired and pained, "He always knew what to do, he always had another idea up his sleeve, or something." He sniffed and shook his head, biting his lip as he blinked furiously, "Dad's gone, and I couldn't find him. I need to make up for that, prove that it won't happen again."

"Scott," Grandma sighed, moving to sit on the sofa next to him, "You and I both know that there are rescues that don't go to plan. From the start, your father always told you that we can't save everyone - no matter how hard we tried."

"But-"

"Scott," She sighed again, her hand reaching up the back of his neck to rub light circles in his short hair, "There are no buts. It is no good running yourself into the ground in order to save somebody else." Gently she pulled his head down to her shoulder, like she had always done when he had been a little boy, "Your father would be so proud of all of you boys, he always was." She kissed his hair, "You have nothing to prove to anyone, and nobody expects you to be him. The others need you now though, if something happened to you we'd all be crushed."

Scott sniffed again, wiping his face on his sleeve, "I shouldn't have pushed, I should have-"

"Hush now," Grandma murmured, "You're all tired, exhausted even, it's not an excuse for putting yourself and your brothers in danger though." She rubbed his shoulder, "By all means, push the limit Scott, but don't get people hurt by doing so."

Scott nodded, "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise," Grandma sighed, "Not this time." She nudged him to get up, "Now, come on, bed. Some sleep and a fresh start tomorrow will work wonders."

Scott smiled and rubbed his face with his palms, "Okay."

"And Scott?" She called as he headed to his room, making him pause and turn back to her. Smiling to him Grandma nodded reassuringly, "You did everything you could to find your father, so stop thinking of 'what ifs', it doesn't do anyone any good."

Scott nodded once, "FAB Grandma."

The older woman smiled as he went, being sure not to let the grin drop until he was out of sight.

Turning to the full length windows, Grandma looked up to the night sky, hoping as she did every night that her own little boy was looking up to the same moon she was. The set of arms that wrapped around her shoulders didn't surprise her, she'd seen Kayo coming in the reflection of the glass, "Anything?"

Kayo nodded once, "Casey's going to analyse what we found, I can't say for sure yet."

Grandma smiled and patted the younger woman's hand, "We won't say anything to them, false hope is of no good."

Kayo nodded and looked to Grandma, "Are you sure you're holding up okay?"

Grandma finally pulled her gaze from the stars and smiled to Kayo, "Don't you worry about me. I'll be just fine dear."

Kayo just smiled back, knowing that her smile was just as fake as Grandma's, but also knowing that when the boys were this tired, it was all the pair of them could do to keep smiling.