Title: Best Laid Plan
Summary: John's best laid plan is about to go awry.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Thunderbirds.
A/N: Set in their adolescence.
"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley."
Robert Burns
Translation:
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
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Sixteen-year-old John Tracy walked into the house that he shared with his father and three of his four brothers to find only absolute silence. He heard no voices, no television, no music, nothing. He knew that the house would be empty though. His father would still be at work, Virgil would be at school practicing for his upcoming piano concert, Gordon would be at swim practice, and Alan would be watching Gordon. And he didn't need to worry about his only older brother, Scott, since he was away at Yale and their grandmother, who was off visiting some distant relatives in Michigan.
John was a chocoholic with a plan. He got out a bowl and a spoon. Then he went into the freezer to unbury his pint of ice cream. Once that was found and on the table, he took out the whipped cream from the refrigerator. He put his newly purchased double chocolate chip brownie into the bowl. Then he opened the pint of ice cream.
Someone had found it! John sighed as he saw that a third of the pint was gone. But there was still plenty left for his plan, so it didn't bother him much. He used the spoon to scoop out some ice cream onto the brownie and then he put the ice cream away. Once whipped cream covered everything and was away, he sat down to enjoy his treat.
He'd barely gotten the first bite into his mouth when he heard someone clearing their throat.
He sighed, and slowly looked up. His eyes first registered pajama pants, then the bottom of a gray shirt, and as he raised his eyes, he saw it was one of his father's old NASA T-shirts.
"Virgil?" John asked. "What are you doing home now?"
"Got kicked out of school after classes ended. Seems I'm running a fever," Virgil answered, coming into the kitchen. "I hope you plan on sharing."
"No!" John laughed. "Especially since you're sick."
Virgil pouted, but said nothing. He just went into the freezer, unburied the pint of ice cream and set it on the counter. He grabbed a spoon, left the top of the pint on the counter, and sat across from John.
"So, you're the one who got to the ice cream," John mused as Virgil took a bite.
"You always hide it in the same place," Virgil replied. "I'm surprised nobody else has found it."
"Maybe they have and they know better than to eat my ice cream," John said.
Virgil snorted. "Yeah, right. Dad's the only one who'd leave it alone. Alan and Gordon would eat it on you without hesitation."
"You're right," John sighed. "You're not going to tell them, are you?"
Virgil shook his head, then grinned wickedly. "And share with them? Not a chance."
John only laughed. Sometimes it was nice to know that there's an ice cream cohort in his corner.
"You sure you don't want to share?" Virgil asked. "Two bites? Small ones, even."
John rolled his eyes. "If I get sick, I'm blaming you."
"Fair enough," Virgil grinned.
John pushed the bowl over to Virgil, who took his first bite. And true to his word, it was small. Then he pushed it back to John, who took another bite of his own. And then back to Virgil for his second bite, and then back to John, so he could finish his sundae.
Once the brothers were done and their dishes clean, they went into the living room. Virgil sprawled out on one couch, closing his eyes. But before he'd allow Virgil to sleep, John took his temperature and made sure he'd got medicine in him. Then John settled into a chair and opened his book. Virgil was soon asleep, the effects of the fever kicking in.
It wasn't much later when Jeff returned with Gordon, Alan and pizza. Before waking Virgil, John explained to the three that Virgil was running a fever. Then he woke Virgil, and the two joined Jeff and the two youngest in the dining room for pizza and conversation.
"So, what did you both do after school?" Jeff asked since John didn't have an activity and Virgil had to miss his own.
"I mostly slept," Virgil shrugged.
"I read," John answered.
And the two shared a quick, secret glance. And John surprised himself, he didn't mind that his plan had gone a little awry.