The latest Thomas story...
Don't own anything.
Thomas and the car
"Doggy dada" called little Thomas Flynn, struggling against the safety belt across his chest to point out the car window on his side. The bright summer sun shone down upon his golden head, red cheeks squinting from the harsh gleam it created against the glass. "See" he tried again, this time succeeding in grabbing his fathers wavering attention away from his mother.
"Do you know what type of dog it is Thomas?" asked Mike, smiling happily at the toddler through the review mirror. He watched his son's face scrunch up in confusion as he contemplated the question. Suddenly his face broke into a smile as he threw one hand in the air, his usual response when he was happy or proud of himself.
"Doggy" he called again loudly before dissolving into giggles at the site of the small Dalmatian across the road. Mike drifted into his thoughts for a second, watching the gorgeous sight of his child laughing. Thomas cheeks were tinged with a youthful red, though whether that was from happiness or the sun it was hard to tell; the amount of time the pair had spent chasing ducks around the backyard was hard to remember. The child's whole face lit up when he laughed and nothing or no one could stop him when he found something hilarious. Kate had often told him she wished for a daughter one day, simply for the reason that two Flynn boys with such gorgeous smiles was proving too much for her to handle, though the fact that she found them both gorgeous was enough to content him, at least until they got around to the daughter part he thought with a grin.
"What?" asked Kate, tangling her free hand with his over a stray juice cup and teddy bear stuck oddly in the middle of the car. He wrapped his hand tightly around hers, squeezing it strongly in a silent gesture of understanding.
"Nothing" he answered a moment later, smiling mysteriously before turning his eyes back to the road ahead.
He glanced back at his wife who was leaning against the head rest, eyes closed to try and catch a moment's rest. She looked so peaceful, a small relaxed smile playing across her lips as she felt her husbands gaze on her. Like her young son, the sunlight shone off her golden hair and Mike couldn't help but grin at the site of his beautiful family.
He turned back to Thomas who sat watching the scenery blur past him outdoors.
"What sound does the doggy make?' he asked, watching the impish smile appear on Thomas' face as his head jerked back to his father.
"Woof Woof" he called out, throwing his hands up in the air, a fit of giggles encompassing the car and the happy family within.
"No, Daddy" sobbed Thomas, grabbing hold of Mike's navy whites firmly, his grubby hands leaving a mark against the neatly pressed uniform.
"Thomas" sighed Mike regretfully, pulling the screaming child away from his shoulder to look him in the eyes.
"Come on buddy, I'll be home in no time" he coaxed gently, wincing in pain as Thomas cries filled the crowded pier once more. He pulled the shaking child back to his shoulder, rubbing his back soothingly in the hopes that the sobs would subside.
He desperately hated leaving Thomas and Kate behind, but they'd gotten into a routine, and the little boy had not once reacted this way to Mike's departure. Usually he'd grow quieter or clingier; he'd follow Mike around the house like a shadow, copying his every word, action and motion with scary ability, but not once, not ever had he cried, screamed or made a scene and it was breaking Mike's heart to see his little boy so obviously distressed.
"I have to go" he murmured to Kate, smiling apologetically at her.
"I know" she sighed, offering a similar, strained smile in return. He could tell she hated the situation as much as he did, probably more as she now had to look after the screaming child without her husband by her side.
"Thomas" she called gently, rubbing a hand against the soft cotton fabric of his t-shirt.
"Daddy has to go on his ship now sweetheart" she coaxed, reaching over to grab a hold of him and pull him into her arms.
"NO" called the toddler defiantly, grabbing hold of Mike's collar tightly and almost choking the poor man. The two adults shared a confused glance, both wondering what had brought on the young boys tantrum.
"Maybe because you were home for longer over Christmas" offered Kate and Mike nodded in agreement, desperately trying to extract himself from the child's grip though his heart was tugging at him to not let go.
"Come on mate, I have to go make sure uncle Chefo doesn't get hurt before the baby comes" he tried, knowing the mention of Chefo and his unborn child would grab the toddler's attention. True to form Thomas' little head perked up, the tears coming to an abrupt halt as he sniffled loudly.
"Ta baby" he stated softly so that Mike had to lean down to hear him. He pointed towards where Jen stood cuddled against Chefo's side, the obvious baby bump having grown even more over the holiday season. With Thomas' attention drawn away momentarily Kate took the opportunity to grab a firm hold on the boy and pull him gently into her arms. When he realised he had been shifted out of his fathers arm's he gave an annoyed squeak but it was quickly muffled as Mike leant over to kiss Kate goodbye.
"Love you" he murmured softly, smiling at her over the tops of the quietly sniffling child. He bent down to Thomas' height, offering the boy a smile in apology for leaving. All he received in return was a desperate frown and sniffle that he guessed was supposed to make him feel guilty.
Knowing the frown meant he'd been forgiven long ago, and that the toddler was only trying to keep up the charade for attention, he ruffled his golden head affectionately before kissing his small forehead and smiling goodbye.
As he stepped onto his beloved ship he turned to watch Kate pointing out the birds circling the pier. From his vantage point he could still see her beautiful smile, could make out the strain she was trying to hide at watching her husband leave once more, could still see the unshed tears welling up behind Thomas' eyes as his daddy set off on the water away from him. He quickly turned, sending a smile and a salute to one of his young sailors while desperately trying to hold in his own unshed tears. As he climbed the metal ladder towards the bridge he found himself silently wandering if he really should be leaving his family behind; it killed him when ever he had to go, and obviously it was having the same effect on Thomas. Was he missing out on the most important thing in his life because of a ship?
He heard Nav call out to him from somewhere below and as he turned he noticed Chefo talking to Swain. He shook his head in annoyance, reminding himself that his men gave up just as much as he did yet they didn't complain.
"Yes Nav" he called loudly, swinging down the stairs for another day's work at sea.
"Thomas" coaxed Kate gently, eyeing the solemn boy through the review mirror.
"Smile sweetheart" she laughed; a request that usually brought a gorgeous, dimpled grin to the little boy's face. Today all he could manage was to look in her direction before glancing back down at the colouring book, lying dejectedly on his lap. Kate sighed in defeat, wandering briefly if two year olds were supposed to be so moody.
"Dada" came a babbled sigh from the backseat, surprising her, before she turned her head to smile softly at her little boy.
"You miss daddy sweetie" she stated rather than asking, this time succeeding in gaining a small shared smile from the boy who was nodding in agreement. She turned her head to face the road once more, checking her surroundings before chuckling at how protective she had become since Thomas had been born.
"How about we visit Sally and Chloe today?" she suggested, not turning to look at Thomas, but imagining his face light up at the mention of his little friend. It had been a running joke amongst the crew that Thomas had a thing for Swain's 4 year old daughter, much too both the children's fathers horror.
Thomas opened his small mouth to babble a reply but his words where cut short as his eyes widened in horror. Suddenly the only sound he could hear was a terrible screech of tires and metal crunching and smashing together in a horrible heap as a speeding car from the other side of the road crossed the line, straight into their path.
The hot smell of burning rubber against the pavement and the sound of a motor spluttering filled Kate's senses as she blindly reached around for Thomas, crying out in pain as her arm met with the metal sticking deeply into her flesh. Tears streamed down her paling faced, streaked with blood and pavement, before she heaved a cry, calling out for her little boy of whom she could not hear. She desperately wanted him to cry out, even if in pain, just so she could hear he was alive, that there was a chance, but as the world around her blurred into blackness she could not hear a thing, only the creak of metal against metal and sirens in the distance, and then, as a shadow passed across her mind and she heaved a painful sigh; nothing.