Title: Birthday Blues
Summary: As Virgil and Ava's birthday approaches they ask for something that can't be bought at a shop. Time with their family. 5/24
Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds in any way or capacity, anything recognizable belongs to the rightful owners.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
AGES: Scott - 17; John - 15; Virgil and Ava - 13; Gordon – 10; Alan - 8
Scott was away at a camp and John had been selected to be part of a group that went on a special star-gazing trip. Virgil and Avalon Tracy were miserable. They were about to turn 13 and become teenagers and yet – they couldn't tell their grandmother what they wanted because all they wanted was their brothers to be at home, their father to have a day off work and their mother to still be alive. All of these things their grandmother couldn't control. Not even Jeff having to work. Despite telling him harshly that it was all the two nearly-teens asked for. Virgil wrote out a list anyway. It included paints, a new canvas set and new brushes. Avalon wrote out her own – asking for a new set of picks for her guitar and a new notebook. But most of all they wanted time with their family that was top of the list.
Virgil woke to the soft sound of sobs. He shouldn't really be sharing a room anymore with his sister but they did so he knew it was her. Plus Ava refused to have her own room, she enjoyed sitting up talking to all hours with Virgil. And even on the Island they had a room to share and it hadn't changed at their Grandmother's. She was sitting up in her bed, knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in them.
"Avs?" She looked up from her knees and gave him a watery smile. Virgil moved to sit with her, squeezing himself between her and the wall.
"Hey, Virgil." She whispered. He put an arm around her shoulders and held her close to him.
"What got you all sad?" He asked, reaching over her and grabbing the tissue box, Grandma insisted they have in their room.
"Dad's at work, Scotty's away and Johnny's not here either." She sobbed harder now and Virgil pushed some tissues into her hand. She sniffled and used the tissues to wipe at her nose.
"It'll be ok, Ava. We'll have fun together. We're teenagers!" He said, trying for her sake to be happy.
"Yeah but…I still kind of wish Dad didn't have to work so hard, and Scott was here and not at camp and that John hadn't gotten the chance to go star-gazing." She grumbled to her knees.
"Hey, look – we are 13 today. Our friends know about it! Haven't you and Caitlyn started to give gifts to each other on your birthdays?" Virgil said, Ava scoffed.
"Caitlyn is not my friend. She wants to be friends with me because she has a massive crush on you." She snapped turning her head to look at him sharply.
"Does she? That is not ok." Virgil said.
"No it's sickening. Her notebooks have Mrs. Virgil Tracy written on them." She told him, matter-of-factly. Virgil made an ugly face.
As the day dragged on Ava's mood got darker and darker. Even when Virgil sat down next to her in all their classes, and kept trying to make her laugh. She just wasn't having a good day and it didn't get any better. Caitlyn gave her a present like she always did. It was a new notebook and gel pen set. Ava was thankful and she managed a smile. Her other friends all wished them a Happy Birthday and although her smile was forced, it looked natural enough and Virgil was playing happy as well. Her sadness was rubbing off on him. Or maybe it was the fact that as it got closer and closer to the end of the day they knew they'd have to go home and only have Gordon and Alan for company.
Grandma had promised to make them a cake and make sure each of them had some lovely presents. But nothing would cover the fact that their brothers weren't home with them. And their father's job meant more to him than his own kids.
Ava knew where she'd rather be today. On the island. However, during school times they stayed with Grandma on her farm in Kansas. It was a shred on normalcy in their crazy lives. Their father spent a lot of time on the phone to someone he called 'Hiram' and it seemed like Hiram had so many ideas to share with Jeff. Jeff didn't have time for his children anymore. At least that was how it seemed.
When the end of the day bell rang, Virgil and Ava made their way to Alan's classroom to collect him and then to Gordon's. Both younger boys knew their sister was sad. Alan tried to fill the silence but chattering on about his day and how his friends and he had played outside with one of his friends' older brothers in the older kid's playground. That he'd played soccer and now he wanted a soccer ball for Christmas. Gordon linked his arm with Ava's and she gave him a small smile. The two younger boys liked it when Ava smiled. She was the closest thing they had to a mother now after their Grandmother and they didn't like it when she was sad.
"You should smile Ava! You're a big kid now!" Gordon said, as soon as Alan stopped talking. Alan agreed linking his arm through Ava's other arm.
"What would I do without you two, huh?" She said as she paused and knelt down to hug them tightly. Both boys accepted their sister's tight hugs, she gave the best ones after all.
When they got home they dumped their bags and shoes by the door and all went upstairs to get out of their sticky school uniforms – summer in Kansas sucked. Alan and Gordon had clothes laid out for them by their Grandmother – they had a small party planned and they had organised to maybe even go out for dinner just the five of them. But even Alan and Gordon knew that Avalon and Virgil wouldn't have that good of a time without Scott, John and their father.
Still Ruth made the two youngest wash off and clean themselves up. She helped them – mostly Alan – clean-up, she started to help Gordon but he proclaimed that he was a big boy and could do that by himself. Alan needed a little help and his Grandmother reminded him to use his pull-ups, Alan didn't wet himself during the day only at night did he have 'accidents'.
Ava and Virgil pulled out their best clothes at their Grandmother's insistence. Virgil and Ava shared a look, before reaching into the closest and Virgil retrieved his best jeans – the ones without paint stains – and his favourite shirt, it was a deep green and he loved it. Ava on the other hand pulled out her best dress, not the one she wore to Church (that they only went to when they are on the mainland), her 'party dress'. It went to her knees and was a deep blue colour. In fact their clothes matched their comforters on the Island.
Ava paused in searching for her shoes when she heard a car outside. She looked up at Virgil who was pulling on his boots and he got to his feet and darted to the window.
"Ava! Come here! Look at this!" Ava got to her feet and made her way over to Virgil at the window. Their father's car had pulled up in the driveway. John was with him and behind them just as Ava made it to the window was Scott's car. They were home! Suddenly Ava was much happier and with Virgil's help they found her shoes. Together the pair raced down the stairs to greet their family. Their father gave them his biggest smile at the two teenagers emerged from upstairs. Their biggest surprise was seeing their siblings. John and Scott looked just as excited to see them.
"Hey guys! Happy birthday! You're teens now! All grown up." Scott said grabbing Virgil in a hug.
"Yeah you're big kids now. Ready for the real world!" John laughed gripping Avalon tightly in a hug of his own.
"I'm glad you're home, but why? You weren't supposed to be home til tomorrow!" Ava said as they sat down for dinner. They had gone out to Ava's favourite restaurant and they planned to go to Virgil's favourite Ice-cream parlour for dessert.
"The camp got washed out. It poured rain when we got there. There was no way we could do all we could and several of the cabins leaked so we couldn't use them either." Scott said with a wry grin.
"And your star-gazing trip?" Virgil asked looking at John who shrugged and shook his head.
"Can't see stars if it's cloudy. Even with a telescope." He said simply, also with a wry grin.
"So, Ava what did Caitlyn give you for your birthday?" Scott asked.
"New notebook and gel pen set." She said, sourly.
"I thought you two were friends you don't sound too happy about it." John said a little confused.
"We're not friends. We're civil and she wants to be my friend because she's got a crush on Virgil." Ava said. Scott raised an eyebrow. Virgil pouted at the amused looks he was getting.
"And Virgil?" Scott asked.
"I don't like her. Simple as that." Virgil replied, "You were right Ava. This birthday – though has now redeemed itself, sucks." The family laughed, they all had birthday they wished to forget and for the twins maybe this would be it for them.
There you have it! And next up in an Avalon-Centric one. Completely looking at her inner-turmoil but hiding a dark secret from her family…