Well, it's still early days, but I think this story may count as the fastest one for TAG I'll ever do! It's another 'end of episode' tag to the truly brilliant Unplugged, and it took just four hours to write.

Of course, it's pretty short, but - oh, my goodness, I loved every second of both the episode, and writing this story. Grandma and Virgil - what a team!

I've made a bit of a 'guesstimate' on Virgil's height. From the promotional shots I've seen online, it looks as if Scott is the tallest, then John, then Virgil. But he's definitely taller than Gordon, and they all tower over poor Alan!

He's more powerfully built too - all of which makes his diving for cover under Jeff's desk in Ring Of Fire even funnier. I mean, seriously, Virg - man up!

It looks as if this in-joke over Grandma's awful cooking is going to continue through the series. You saw another glimpse of it in Unplugged. Poor Virgil, and his rumbling stomach! But the lovely moments between them in that episode got me to thinking - what could possibly persuade him to take his life into his hands, and go where no Tracy would dare to tread?

Well, read on, and find out!

Food For Thought

Virgil stood at the top of the stairs, listening to the familiar crashes and curses from the kitchen below. He was going to regret this. Every part of his famous common sense was telling him he'd regret this. Even his stomach was telling him that, whatever noises it was making, this was a really, really, bad idea.

'No, really, I'm not rumbling out of hunger... I'm rumbling out of self preserving terror...'

Catching sight of himself in a nearby mirror, Virgil pulled a face at his six foot plus reflection. What kind of world-saving hero was scared of his very own grandmother?

A familiar aroma of something burning answered that question enough to make him wince. Yet, despite the gurgles of protest from his stomach, Virgil chose to ignore them. Instead, squaring his shoulders, he forced his feet to take him downstairs, into the culinary hell that awaited him below.

The scene that greeted him wasn't exactly encouraging. It was all he could do not to turn on that final step, and leg it back up the rest.

Grandma + oven + eye-watering smoke = yet another night of cramps and antacids.

But then he glanced down at the compass in his hand, remembering the legacy that it represented - and thoughts of what his grandfather would do in this situation gave him all the courage he needed to offer his grandmother a cheery wave.

"Hey, Grandma."

Still peering at her latest creation's smouldering remains, Grandma turned to greet him in puzzled but happy surprise. However unexpectedly - and yes, this was definitely unexpected - she was always happy to see her boys.

"Hey yourself, kid."

Glancing outside, to where Gordon and Alan were chasing Scott around the pool, she shook her head - her pretence of disapproval really not helped by the smile that grew into indulging laughter.

"Just in time, too. I think the head of International Rescue needs some rescuing himself."

Still smiling at the yells of brotherly warfare, she then turned her attention back to her other grandson. That face, that smile, and those big brown eyes, had gotten him out of countless 'oh, Virgil!' scrapes. And yes, they were as irresistible now as they'd been then. Damn, right now, he was as cute as a puppy.

But when his grandmother was in the mood to tease him, determined to find out why he'd really come down here - no, nothing he did with that apple pie face could save him from her wit, or more serious wisdom.

"So, what brings you into my evil lair? Why aren't you out there, helping your poor brother?"

Caught off guard, Virgil felt a rueful smile match the grin on his grandmother's face. Yeah, she had him there. Even if she couldn't make them to save her life, his Grandma was one sharp cookie.

More seriously, she'd know the impact that this precious keepsake had made on him. How deeply it had touched him. Even if he knew it was already doomed to fail... yeah, time to pull out the famous Virgil Tracy charm.

"And have those crazy kids try to toss me in there instead? I'm still drying out from this morning," he grinned, nodding to where Scott now disappeared under a threeway tangle of arms and legs. "No, I think I'll sit this one out. 'sides, Scott's a big boy now. He can take care of himself."

"Yes, he's certainly showing those two who's boss," Grandma agreed, her voice suspiciously twitchy at the inevitable scene that was unfolding outside.

Against the Terrible Twins, height and seniority had done her eldest grandson no good at all. To howls of laughter, both outside the villa and in its kitchen, Scott went sailing into the pool.

Victory for his tormentors, though, was short-lived. Revenge came with speed, and stealth. Too busy laughing at him to think of its repercussions, neither Gordon nor Alan noticed the hand on their ankles until it was too late.

Watching them flail into the water, Virgil met his grandmother's eyes with the same amusement. Of all the threats they faced each day, none of them compared to a soaking wet Tracy. So three soaking wet Tracys? No, anyone with a grain of common sense would stay well out of it.

"Yeah, Grandma, looks like I made the right call there. I'm much safer in here."

Reminded of the more serious choices that he'd had to make the previous day, his smile then faded. A supposedly easy trip to London had turned out to be anything but, and... yes, it had affected him. Denied all the technology that he'd tried to impress on her, he'd had to rely on his grandmother's good old fashioned wisdom. From that, and so much else, he'd learned a priceless lesson.

More than that, though, he'd been entrusted with a gift that came with two poignant connections. Originally meant for his missing father, it had belonged to a grandfather that he'd never had the chance to know. As his grandmother proudly noted, her boy wouldn't be a Tracy if he didn't want to know more about him.

His eyes, as always, gave him away. So did that shy, little-boy smile. The complete seriousness in his voice.

"No, I just thought I'd make the most of this quiet spell, and -"

"- hear some more stories about your grandfather?" Grandma finished for him, proudly thinking how much of her husband she could see now in him. Give him a few more years, a bit more experience of the real world out there, and - yes, he'd be every inch the hero she'd always known he would be.

Patting his arm, and thinking what a nice change it was that she didn't have to tie him onto it, she then nudged him gently onto a nearby stool.

"Well, there's plenty to tell. So get yourself comfy, kid, while I find us some cookies."

Watching her rummage through curiously untouched jars, Virgil found it impossible not to smile too. Yes, he'd surely pay for this, and it would take days for his poor stomach to forgive him, but - well, if it meant sharing more moments like these, a night of indigestion would always be worth it.