Fandom 14
Title: My Brother's Keeper
Fandom: Thunderbirds
Rating: G
Summary: Jeff tries to talk to Scott about troubles in school.
Jeff waited until the boys had been back from school a day before summoning Scott to his office. His son trailed in with a sullen expression on his face. Clearly, he knew exactly why he was there or at least, had a very strong suspicion. He sat down without meeting his father’s eyes and locked his hands together onto his lap. There was a bruise on one of his knuckles.
“All right, Scott,” Jeff said, keeping his voice as steady and calm as possible. “I think you know what I want to talk to you about.”
A shrug. Scott had clearly learned that volunteering information was a mistake. Jeff tapped his fingers lightly on the desk and Scott looked up.
“Do you know how many phone calls I’ve gotten about you in these past few months?” he asked and Scott nodded his head after a moment.
“Quite a few,” he hazarded.
“Yes,” Jeff agreed “Quite a few. You’re getting good grades which you know I’m pleased about but your headmaster tells me that you don’t seem able to go for a week without getting into a fight of some description. What is that about, Scott?”
Scott fidgeted, and turned his head to one side. Jeff waited, seeing no reason to repeat himself. Scott knew that he would have to answer sooner or later. He wasn’t going anywhere until they’d talked.
“They say stuff,” Scott said eventually, his voice flat.
Jeff had to admit that he was a little surprised. Scott didn’t really seem a bully magnet on the surface. He was strong and confident and bright.
“All right,” he agreed. “That happens. Boys say stuff. You say stuff to your brothers all the time.”
“That’s not the same! That’s different! I only say stuff! They say … other stuff.”
“What do they say?” Jeff asked, keeping his voice calm.
Scott’s fists clenched. He folded his arms and his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.
“They say stuff about … about the others,” he said eventually, his voice just a little shaky. “They say Virgil’s like a girl because he’s pretty and he likes art and music and they say John isn’t normal because he likes to be on his own a lot and … and other stuff. And Virgil and John don’t fight so I have to so they’ll be left alone!”
Jeff stared at him. Scott stared back, his expression furious and stubborn.
“Does fighting really solve any of it?” Jeff asked him quietly.
“They leave them alone,” Scott said defiantly. “Afterwards.”
“Or they just don’t say anything around you,” Jeff pointed out. “Or find different ways to make your brothers unhappy. Do you think if I called John and Virgil in here now, they’d say they’d been left alone?”
Scott shrugged.
“They know they can tell me if they need me,” he said. “I’ll sort things out for them.”
“You’ll sort things out?” Jeff repeated. “You sound like a thug, Scott.”
That got a reaction. Scott’s lip quivered slightly and he looked away, unable to meet Jeff’s eyes any more. Jeff sighed.
“I’ve always tried to teach you boys that there are better ways to sort things than with your fists,” he said. “I’m sorry to see that you don’t seem to have learned that. It’s admirable that you want to protect your brothers but the way you’ve chosen is the wrong way.”
“But someone has to do something!” Scott said fiercely. “Otherwise, they’re always miserable! They just don’t tell you because they think you’ll be disappointed but they tell me! They just don’t tell you!”
Jeff closed his eyes. There was clearly no point talking to Scott any longer. He was getting upset.
“All right, Scott,” he said. “Go to your room until you feel more able to talk sensibly.”
Scott stalked out, chin raised defiantly. Jeff sat back and tried to work out what he ought to do next. Scott’s family loyalty was certainly to be admired but his methods were not. And it would be hard to talk him out of it. Scott had grown up protecting his brothers, even before Lucinda’s death. Afterwards … well. Jeff knew that it was partly his own fault that Scott took so much responsibility for the others. He’d left them so long with his own mother that they’d become a close-knit group with Scott mostly in charge of them. He protected and took care of them and saw it as a duty.
He gave Scott the “you-are-a-disappointment” silence for the rest of the day. Scott didn’t try to plead his case. He stayed silent too, not really talking to anyone. The other boys sensed the atmosphere and were quiet too, obviously not sure what to do. Everyone went to bed early in sullen moods and not for the first time, Jeff entertained the fantasy of selling all his sons as slaves and using the money to buy a tiny island where no people lived.
Fandom: Thunderbirds
Rating: G
Summary: Jeff tries to talk to Scott about troubles in school.
Jeff waited until the boys had been back from school a day before summoning Scott to his office. His son trailed in with a sullen expression on his face. Clearly, he knew exactly why he was there or at least, had a very strong suspicion. He sat down without meeting his father’s eyes and locked his hands together onto his lap. There was a bruise on one of his knuckles.
“All right, Scott,” Jeff said, keeping his voice as steady and calm as possible. “I think you know what I want to talk to you about.”
A shrug. Scott had clearly learned that volunteering information was a mistake. Jeff tapped his fingers lightly on the desk and Scott looked up.
“Do you know how many phone calls I’ve gotten about you in these past few months?” he asked and Scott nodded his head after a moment.
“Quite a few,” he hazarded.
“Yes,” Jeff agreed “Quite a few. You’re getting good grades which you know I’m pleased about but your headmaster tells me that you don’t seem able to go for a week without getting into a fight of some description. What is that about, Scott?”
Scott fidgeted, and turned his head to one side. Jeff waited, seeing no reason to repeat himself. Scott knew that he would have to answer sooner or later. He wasn’t going anywhere until they’d talked.
“They say stuff,” Scott said eventually, his voice flat.
Jeff had to admit that he was a little surprised. Scott didn’t really seem a bully magnet on the surface. He was strong and confident and bright.
“All right,” he agreed. “That happens. Boys say stuff. You say stuff to your brothers all the time.”
“That’s not the same! That’s different! I only say stuff! They say … other stuff.”
“What do they say?” Jeff asked, keeping his voice calm.
Scott’s fists clenched. He folded his arms and his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.
“They say stuff about … about the others,” he said eventually, his voice just a little shaky. “They say Virgil’s like a girl because he’s pretty and he likes art and music and they say John isn’t normal because he likes to be on his own a lot and … and other stuff. And Virgil and John don’t fight so I have to so they’ll be left alone!”
Jeff stared at him. Scott stared back, his expression furious and stubborn.
“Does fighting really solve any of it?” Jeff asked him quietly.
“They leave them alone,” Scott said defiantly. “Afterwards.”
“Or they just don’t say anything around you,” Jeff pointed out. “Or find different ways to make your brothers unhappy. Do you think if I called John and Virgil in here now, they’d say they’d been left alone?”
Scott shrugged.
“They know they can tell me if they need me,” he said. “I’ll sort things out for them.”
“You’ll sort things out?” Jeff repeated. “You sound like a thug, Scott.”
That got a reaction. Scott’s lip quivered slightly and he looked away, unable to meet Jeff’s eyes any more. Jeff sighed.
“I’ve always tried to teach you boys that there are better ways to sort things than with your fists,” he said. “I’m sorry to see that you don’t seem to have learned that. It’s admirable that you want to protect your brothers but the way you’ve chosen is the wrong way.”
“But someone has to do something!” Scott said fiercely. “Otherwise, they’re always miserable! They just don’t tell you because they think you’ll be disappointed but they tell me! They just don’t tell you!”
Jeff closed his eyes. There was clearly no point talking to Scott any longer. He was getting upset.
“All right, Scott,” he said. “Go to your room until you feel more able to talk sensibly.”
Scott stalked out, chin raised defiantly. Jeff sat back and tried to work out what he ought to do next. Scott’s family loyalty was certainly to be admired but his methods were not. And it would be hard to talk him out of it. Scott had grown up protecting his brothers, even before Lucinda’s death. Afterwards … well. Jeff knew that it was partly his own fault that Scott took so much responsibility for the others. He’d left them so long with his own mother that they’d become a close-knit group with Scott mostly in charge of them. He protected and took care of them and saw it as a duty.
He gave Scott the “you-are-a-disappointment” silence for the rest of the day. Scott didn’t try to plead his case. He stayed silent too, not really talking to anyone. The other boys sensed the atmosphere and were quiet too, obviously not sure what to do. Everyone went to bed early in sullen moods and not for the first time, Jeff entertained the fantasy of selling all his sons as slaves and using the money to buy a tiny island where no people lived.