Disclaimer: unfortunately, i still don't own the Thunderbirds or any of the characters mentioned, although that would be quite a cool christmas present!
I couldn't get this idea out of my head, so i simply had to write it! Happy Christmas everyone!
The snow blanketed over the Kansas farmhouse, causing Virgil to declare that it looked like something out of a picture. There was indeed something magical about the thick layer of snow surrounding the house, leaving the inhabitants feeling isolated, but at the same time, full of warmth and joy.
The scene playing out inside the house was just as angelic. The baby had drifted off to sleep, nestled in his mother's arm. Her other arm was draped around her second eldest, whose nose was, as per usual, buried deep within a book. The soft music from the baby piano came floating through the lounge as another son struggled to get the piece just right, a few chords missed here and there were stressing him out beyond reason. Although with no skill at the piano himself, his father sat perched behind him, encouraging the boy when he managed to get it correct and keeping him calm when he didn't. The eldest was crouched on the rug in front of the sofa, intent on helping his three year old brother with the puzzle, although his advances were not always appreciated. The little red head was determined he would figure out which way the fins on the fish went himself, adamant he didn't need his big brother. Having gone through the same with John and Virgil before hand, Scott didn't mind. He knew what to say when and when to keep his mouth shut, meaning the puzzle was slowly taking shape with amazingly few tantrums.
The delicious smell of freshly baked mince pies wafted through the house as Gordon let out a huge yawn, too focused on his puzzle to realise that he was tired. Jeff and Lucille shared knowing smiles, fully aware of the battle about to come. Christmas Eve was always a challenge to get the boys into bed. At least Alan was too young to know what was going on, but even next year would be showing a different story. The excitement of his brothers would be enough to infect the youngster, even if he didn't know what the excitement was about. Unhooking her arm from John, Lucy stood, carefully balancing the snoozing baby in the crook of her arm. Her movement made Gordon look up for the first time in hours, only to suddenly gasp in absolute horror.
Sensing his brother's distress, Scott frowned in concern, noting the trembling lip with dread. Virgil's tantrums had been bad enough, but Gordon's were becoming some what legendary. Boy, that kid knew how to scream.
"What is it, Gords?" He asked quickly, anxious to try and diffuse the fiery boy before he exploded.
"Will Santa still come to Allie, Scotty?" Gordon's voice was filled with such worry and concern that Scott was hard pushed not to burst out laughing. With Gordon focused on his brother, Lucille risked a glance at her husband, whose eyes glinted with amusement.
"What makes you say that?"
"He didn't write a letter," Gordon explained, as if everyone should have realised that. "He's too little. Does Santa not come to little people?"
"Then you would have a problem, wouldn't you, Gords?" Virgil called over from the piano, immediately earning himself warning glances from his father, mother and eldest brother. John was completely oblivious to all that was going on around him, too transfixed by his book to even notice that his mother had moved.
"It's alright, sweetheart," Lucille interrupted quickly, before Gordon could work out he should be offended by what Virgil had said. "Daddy wrote it for him and it went off with yours. So yes, Santa does still come to little people. Alan will get presents just like you."
"Oh." Gordon stated, sounded relieved. Unable to stop himself, Scott smiled, turning away slightly so that the younger boy didn't realise he was being laughed at. "That's alright then."
With the problems of the world solved, Gordon went happily back to his puzzle, only pausing to rub at his sleepy eyes. Lucille looked at Jeff, who pointedly nodded his understanding. Let the battle commence. Taking Alan upstairs, Lucy removed herself from the war zone, anxious to keep the baby asleep. Crossing the room, Jeff crouched down next to his second youngest, unable to believe this was Gordon's third Christmas already. This year had been a shock; not only with the new arrival to deal with at Christmas as well, but finding out that Scott was not the only one who had stopped believing in the man in red. Although John always thought things through so logically, his father was surprised that it had taken him this long. However, both boys had been very mature about it, keeping up the pretence for the younger ones, even writing their letters to "Santa" as normal. It was going to be harder once Virgil found out the unwelcome truth, but at least this year would run smoothly.
Before Jeff could say anything to his son, Gordon managed to finally get the piece in the right way around, thus completing the puzzle that had taken him most of the evening to achieve.
"Look, Daddy, a fish." Smiling fondly down at his son, Jeff went through the pretence of being amazed at how clever the little boy was, secretly swelling with pride at how much Gordon was growing.
"Did Mummy take you to see Santa today?" He asked softly, trying to work out whether mentioning the legendary figure was a good idea or not. It would either make Gordon very excited, or would remind him that for the man in red to arrive, he would need to go to sleep. Nodding happily, Gordon launched into his tale about his day.
"…and Scott didn't want to sit on his knee anymore, so I did it all by myself." He concluded sounding very satisfied for what he had managed to achieve. Scott glanced up from where he was sprawled across the floor at the mention of his name and grinned ruefully at his father, who winked back.
"Wow, you're getting to be such a big boy." Smiling contently at his father's praise, Gordon yawned again, ignoring the looks passing between Scott and Virgil. The young artist had been on the brink of making another comment, only to be stopped by his older brother's glare. The message was clear, "don't upset Gordon's Christmas," Conceding in a good nature, Virgil backed down for once, leaving his brother to wonder when he had become quite so surly. He was only six! If this was what he was like now, Scott shuddered at the thought of what he would be like as a teenager.
"Do you think that it is time to go to bed now, Gordo?" Jeff asked, past experience telling him that it was always a good idea to let them think that they thought of the idea rather than being told.
"But Daddy, I'm not a bit sleepy," Gordon's reply lost any believability as he let out another yawn, making his father chuckle softly to himself.
"Come on, little man. It's time for bed. The quicker you go to sleep, the quicker Santa will arrive." Eyelids dropping, Gordon nodded, wrapping his arms around his father's neck as he was lifted off the floor.
"Another half an hour, then it's your turn, Virg," Carrying Gordon out of the lounge, Jeff didn't wait to hear Virgil's reply. Passing his wife in the doorway, Jeff smiled in satisfaction as she looked surprised about how smoothly it had gone. Planting a kiss on her son's forehead, Lucille bid her little red head goodnight as Jeff carried him up the stairs. Entering the lounge, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight of seeing her three older boys so relaxed. Perching on the edge of the stool, Lucille joined Virgil at the piano, teaching him the correct way to play a well known Christmas carol.
Jeff returned to the lounge shortly after, having managed to get Gordon settled in bed. John had just finished his chapter and had actually looked up from his book for the first time all evening, only to be engaged in a quiet conversation with his older brother. Echoing his wife's smile, Jeff crossed the lounge and joined the two of them on the sofa, marvelling at how mature their conversation was sounding. The time flew as Virgil's bed time came and went, the six year old staying tactfully quiet as both of his parents were too engaged to notice the time. Finally though, just as he finally mastered the carol that had been eluding him all evening, his mother looked at her watch and let out a small gasp of surprise.
"Come now, Virgil, time for bed, honey. Gordon isn't the only one who needs to be asleep before Santa comes, we all do. Up you go, I'll be up in a moment."
Knowing that he was lucky for it to get this late without being sent to bed, Virgil chose not to argue and went quietly up the stairs.
"When are you going to change, Jeff?" she asked quietly, anxious to keep her voice low so the children upstairs wouldn't hear her.
"I'll give it another half an hour. You know that Gordon won't be able to stay in bed and Virgil needs enough time to at least pretend to settle down. Boys, are you two going to go up as well?"
"John's coming into my room for a bit," Scott told his father, knowing what the plan was. He had been informed of it the year before, his constant questioning meaning that his parents had been forced to let him in on the family secret. Scott himself had told John when the blond had admitted to his brother that he knew that Santa wasn't real, shocking the older boy. Standing up, Lucille left the room, making her way up the stairs to check on her boy and tuck him in. Mirroring Scott's thoughts from earlier, the mother couldn't quite comprehend the attitude her son had developed. Neither Scott or John had gone down that route, she only hoped Virgil was the only one and Gordon and Alan steered clear as well.
With Virgil tucked into bed, although the boy's growing excitement meant she knew it would not be long before he was back up again, Lucille returned to the lounge, giving the all clear for the plan. Jeff ran swiftly from the room and up the stairs, ready to dig out the suit that remained hidden for nearly every day of the year, but one. Giving their mother a peck on the cheek, Scott and John also left the room, flopping down on Scott's bed to continue their conversation. The debate of how quick it would be to get around the world was a common one between the two brothers, each having very different ideas about the possibilities.
It only took half an hour before the pattering of small feet could be heard coming down the corridor. Scott and John smiled at each other, inching Scott's door open as softly as possible so they could watch the outcome. A small red headed figure had reached the top of the stairs when Virgil's bedroom door also opened.
"What are you doing up, Gords?" he whispered, all previous attitude disappearing as the boy's voice echoed with excitement.
"Santa might have been," Gordon told him, eyes shining. Slipping out of his room, Virgil took Gordon's hand and the two pyjama clad figures crept down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. Watching them from the crack in the door, their older brother's smiled gleefully as the two heads disappeared from sight.
The hallway looked dark and frankly, quite scary when their parents weren't around. The thought that their mother was hiding in the kitchen, watching everything, didn't even cross the children's minds as they crept down the hall, Gordon clinging tightly to his big brother's hand. Pushing the door to the lounge silently open with his free hand, Virgil led the way into the lounge, before stopping suddenly. His brother's sudden movements automatically made Gordon hide behind him, before peering carefully around his back. Letting out an audibly gasp, the three year old gazed in wonder at the Christmas tree and the figure standing with his back to them, clearly placing the presents under the tree.
Virgil stood stock still, his mouth hanging open as he watched Santa place yet another gift under the brightly coloured tree. Both boys remained frozen as they watched Santa, only jumping when he stretched up with a merry "ho, ho, ho." Both spun on the spot when the man moved, crashing into each other before disappearing behind a sofa, anxious that if Santa saw them, he might think they were being bad and take the presents away. After a few moments of silence, Virgil carefully poked his head out from behind a cushion and gasped. Santa was gone.
Running swiftly and silently back up the stairs, the two children jumped into bed and pretended to be asleep. Climbing out from behind the arm chair, Jeff smiled, satisfied. Although he had had his back to them for the entire time, Gordon's gasp when he had first seen "Santa" was enough to let him know what the reaction was. He knew that the two of them would have hidden when they saw him turn, making his disappearance up the "chimney" all the more easy as he folded himself into the gap behind the armchair.
Pulling the itchy beard away from his chin, Jeff smiled lovingly at his wife as she walked into the lounge, positively beaming. Like Jeff, Lucille had only a limited view of her sons, but had managed to see the excitement on their faces as they had practically sprinted back up the stairs to bed. It made it all worth it. Taking her husband's hand, the two of them climbed the stairs to bed themselves. Alan, Gordon and Virgil were all fast asleep, the excitement having been enough to wear out the older two. Pushing Johns' door open, Jeff frowned when he saw the bed was empty, only to be called away by his wife's soft call. Smiling fondly into Scott's bedroom, Jeff joined Lucille by the doorway. Both Scott and John were fast asleep, spread across Scott's bed. Unfolding the spare blanket, Lucille draped it over their sleeping sons, making sure they were both covered.
Another successful Christmas Eve complete.
Hope that all of your christmas's are as succesful as the Tracy's! :)