It was late at night when Tristan was watching The Big Bang Theory on TV in the living room. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved t-shirt and dark blue pajama pants. He was drinking a soda at the time. He didn't drink alcoholic drinks because his wife Serenity had to spend the beginning of her childhood with an alcoholic father and neither one of them wanted to put their son through that same nightmare. Plus Tristan doesn't really like the taste of beer.
Tristan had spent a lot of the day at work and the rest of the day at the park with Serenity and their three-year-old son TJ (short for Tristan Junior), and Serenity and TJ wanted to give Tristan some time to himself, so they went to bed early that night. But it wasn't the greatest night to go to bed early. It was storming hard outside and the wind was really howling. But then the rain and howling winds suddenly stopped. Tristan muted the TV and listened carefully. Everything was quite. Too quiet.
Suddenly, as Tristan relaxed in the recliner, the words "Tornado Warning" started flashing across the TV screen. He immediately shot out of his chair and darted upstairs to his and Serenity's bedroom.
"Serenity! Wake up!" Tristan exclaimed as he opened the doo.
"Tristan?" Serenity said as she woke up, "What is it?"
"They've just issued a tornado warning for our area!" Tristan said, "We need to get down to the basement right now!"
Serenity gasped and shot up like a rocket.
"Tristan, are you sure?" Serenity asked.
"Yes, I am," Tristan said.
"Mommy? Daddy?" said a voice from outside in the hallway.
Tristan and Serenity turned to see their son TJ standing in the doorway rubbing his eyes and holding a stuffed Simba doll in his hand. TJ was a small boy with cream-colored skin, grey-green eyes, and short auburn hair that split down the middle like his mother's. He looked remarkably like Serenity.
"What's going on?" TJ asked.
"We need to get to the basement right now, TJ," Tristan said as he lifted his son up.
"Why? What's happening?" TJ asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"There's a tornado coming and we need to get someplace safe," Tristan said.
"Tornado?" TJ asked.
Serenity immediately got out of bed and ran over to them.
"Renie, you take TJ down to the basement and I'll get the emergency kit," Tristan said as he handed TJ to Serenity.
"Okay," Serenity said as she took TJ and headed for the basement.
"Mommy, I'm scared," TJ said.
"It's okay, baby," Serenity said, "Mommy's here. Mommy's not going to let anything happen to you."
As Serenity walked down the stairs leading to the basement with TJ in her arms, they heard the wind outside getting louder, causing TJ to cling to his mother even more. When they got downstairs, Serenity sat in a rocking chair and rubbed TJ's back.
"Here we are, sweetheart," Serenity said, "We'll be safe here."
TJ didn't say anything. He just whimpered as he heard the loud sound of blowing wind. Moments later, Tristan came downstairs with the first aid kit.
"You guys alright?" Tristan asked.
"We're fine, Tristan," Serenity said.
"I'm scared, daddy," TJ said.
"Oh, it's okay TJ," Tristan said, "As soon as the tornado's over you can go back upstairs."
"Okay," TJ said, "But what's a tornado?"
"A tornado is a funnel cloud that touches the ground and destroys everything in its path," Tristan explained.
TJ gasped. He had no idea tornadoes could be that dangerous.
"Tornadoes cause a lot of destruction, and sometimes people die," Tristan continued.
Suddenly, TJ started crying.
"Tristan!" Serenity snapped at her husband, "Stop it!"
"What?" Tristan asked.
"You're making your son cry!" Serenity shouted.
Tristan then looked down at the crying toddler in Serenity's arms and he instantly felt horrible. He then knelt down and put his hand on TJ's back.
"Oh man, I'm sorry TJ," Tristan said warmly, "I didn't mean to make you cry. I guess sometimes I forget that you're a little shy."
TJ looked at Tristan with a teary smile, "It's okay, daddy."
Tristan ruffled TJ's auburn hair and smiled, "That's my boy. Now why don't you give your old man a hug?"
TJ then reached over and gave Tristan a hug. Tristan closed his eyes gently hugged him back. Serenity looked at her son and husband with a teary smile. This was exactly how she thought family was supposed to be. Suddenly, they heard a loud crashing noise and the power went out. Tristan then handed TJ back to Serenity.
"You guys stay here," Tristan said, "I'm gonna go see what that was."
"Tristan, don't go upstairs until the tornado warning's over," Serenity said.
"But I have to see what that was," Tristan said.
"Tristan, you could get hurt. Or worse," Serenity said, "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Please don't go, daddy," TJ pleaded.
Tristan sighed, "Okay, TJ. I'll stay here with you guys."
The next morning, Tristan, Serenity and TJ went outside and saw the damage left by the tornado. There were power lines down and trees uprooted everywhere. But luckily, the house was still intact.
"Look at this place," Tristan said, "It looks like a warzone here."
"I just hope nobody was hurt," Serenity said holding TJ, who was sleeping in her arms.
Suddenly, a car pulled up and parked in their driveway. Then, a young man about Tristan's age with messy dirty-blonde hair and dark brown eyes got out. It was Serenity's older brother, Joey Wheeler.
"Joey, you're okay!" Serenity said as she walked quickly towards her brother.
"Yeah, I'm okay sis," Joey said, "You guys alright?"
"We're fine," Tristan said as he walked over to them, "Sorry we didn't call you, man, but the power's out and our cellphones wouldn't work."
"Yeah, I saw that the cell tower was down," Joey said, "Well, I'm glad you're all okay."
Just then, TJ started waking up.
"Hey TJ," Joey said with a big goofy smile.
"Hi Uncle Joey," TJ said with a yawn.
"Rough night, huh?" Joey said.
"Yeah," Serenity said, "TJ couldn't sleep at all last night because of the tornado."
"Aw, poor kid," Joey said, "Well would it make you feel better if I took you all out for breakfast?"
Serenity smiled, "Sure, that would be great. How would you like that, TJ?"
"Sure," TJ said with a big smile.
Me: This is my first attempt at a one shot. Hope you guys like it. I only own my OC TJ. Please review.