The night was a welcome cool from the smouldering heat of the day. The sky was a cloudless ink black, speckled with millions of twinkling stars. This was John Tracy's favourite kind of night.

He eased his bedroom window open, conscious of his brothers' soft snores from the neighbouring rooms. He himself should have been asleep hours ago but perfect nights like this didn't come often enough for him to let this one pass without taking advantage. With one leg out the window he breathed deep, the stars had never looked so close, if he could only reach out far enough he could take one in his fist so that its light would shine through his fingers. Lifting his other foot to bring it to the window it connected with a baseball, sending it banging to the ground. He swore quietly to himself. Why did he have to be so lanky? He strained his ears to try to determine if he was caught. The snores continued.

With both feet safely out he lowered himself onto the grass below, a breeze blew through him sending shivers down his spine. He looked up again. Wow. There was only one place to go in his mind. The cliff top, where the stars looked so close you felt like you could scatter them with your finger tips. Eagerness overcame him and he started to jog in the cliff's direction.

The sea roared beneath him as he started the steep climb to the top of the cliff. He felt giddy with excitement, he should have bought his telescope, he should have done some research he should have...

"Johnny?"

He whirled around and couldn't stop himself from smiling. His youngest sibling and only sister was barefoot, in her pyjamas and staring up at him with big adoring, sky blue eyes that mirrored his. How the hell did she get out here? Oh yeah, he didn't close the window. Damn.

"Johnny, why you out here all on your own?"

"I could ask the same about you, Valentina."

Valentina. Such a big name for such a tiny little girl. Jeff and Lucille Tracy had named all their sons after astronauts and their daughter was no exception. Although since she made her first steps, the family had taken to calling her "Shadow." Anywhere John went, little worshipping footsteps padded in his wake. They were inseparable. Her escape out his window should have been expected really.

"Come on Tina let's get you back to bed"

"Will you go to bed too?"

"Of course"

"Big liar"

John snorted. 4 years old and couldn't be fooled apparently. He watched her stifle a yawn and widen her sleepy eyes.

"I promise I'm not tired"

Should he take her back? That risked wakening his mother and father who wouldn't be pleased at his nightly escapade. Plus he'd never shown Tina the stars.

"Fine Shadow you can tag along as usual," he teased.

Hoisting her up unto his shoulders, he completed the steep climb to the top of the cliff. As they made their way through a thick growth of trees, she sang a hushed little song to herself.

"I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river in my soul..."

It was her song that their mom had taught her to sing when she was scared or upset.

"What's the matter, missy? Everything ok?"

Her grip tightened around his head.

"Who was that, Johnny?"

He span around. Shadows danced in the breeze all around them.

"Nobody there, sweetheart. It's just shadows like you," he laughed although the breeze blew colder, sending a sick feeling to his stomach.

She didn't seem convinced as she laid her head on his with her dark curly hair covering his eyes.

"Don't worry I'm here, I'll always be with you, won't I?"

He felt her nod against his head.

They reached the cliff top just as John was convinced his shoulders were going to collapse. He set his sister down and lay flat on his back, motioning for her to do the same. She wriggled around until her head was nestled in the crook of his arm. The stars looked like they were putting on a show for just the two of them, John looked down to see Tina's eyes widen in wonder as she took in the spectacle.

"John, it's so beautiful."

He smiled. He remembered the night his father took him to see the stars, he knew Tina would remember this night for the rest of her life and he felt honoured to have shared it with her. He pointed up.

"Do you see Orian?"

"Who?"

"Do you see the three stars in a row? That's his belt and the three stars above them are his head and shoulders."

"How'd he get up there?"

John hadn't thought about that.

"I think you're going to live in the sky someday, Johnny" she giggled "and I'll come too and we can keep Orian company."

That was John's big dream. To float above the earth among the stars like the researchers in their space stations. He sighed, even with his dad's billions he couldn't imagine that ever coming true.

He heard a crack behind him. Tina tensed, eyes big and fearful. John scanned around, nothing there again, just palm trees and boulders.

"There's nothing there, I swear." He said it just as much for himself as for his sister.

She nodded again, she had always trusted what he said. They turned their eyes back to the stars, two pairs of identical sky blue eyes both marvelling at what humanity had marvelled at since the beginning. She yawned, not able to conceal her sleepiness anymore.

"I love you, Johnny"

He felt his heart ache. Even though her every movement had always shown it, she'd never put it so simply before.

"Well you know I love you too, kid"

The breeze brought a new smell, wafting among the sea spray. It was sweet, sickly sweet. It became less like a waft and more like a cloud, filling his lungs and head and arms and making him feel so dizzy, so awfully dizzy and heavy like his limbs were made of lead and even though he tried to sit up, do anything, his eyelids were pulling themselves down down down...

"JOHNNY!"

He sat bolt upright, the feeling had gone and so had Tina. Pricks of ice cold ran down his body as his mind went still.

Tina.

The cliff.

His long limbs felt like putty as he pulled himself to the edge. The sea dashed on the cragged rocks, unmerciful and much too strong for his Tina to fight. His head was filled with noise. Wild and pitiful, it sounded like a wild animal in pain. With his fingers covering his face he realised it was coming from himself. Panic ran through his body freezing his joints and all he could do was curl up by the cliff edge and wail, unbidden images of his Tina falling over the edge, hands flailing out to his sleeping body...

"Johnny! What the hell's going on here we couldn't find you or.."

Jeff saw his son's face, pale white and frenzied in the moonlight, one hand clutching the edge of the cliff and all Jeff could do was stare.

"Tina" John's whisper could hardly be heard over the sea, crashing and crashing and endless crashing on the rocks below. He couldn't meet his father's horrified stare, he wished he would say something, anything, how were they going to tell mom...

"Dad..I.. she.."

The slap stung across his face before he even saw it coming.

John woke, soaked in sweat, his throat raw from screaming, her name echoed around Thunderbird 5 and he was so alone. He tried a few deep breaths but it didn't stop him shaking. The nightmare wouldn't ever end. 12 years ago,his only sister had followed him to her death and it was his fault.