Disclaimer: How I wish the boys were mine. But nope; they belong to someone else. Thank you all for reading. You won't believe how much I enjoy it to see that you like it! A huge thanks to my beta Darkflame's Pyre.
Standing up when Jess got up Sherry asked, "What is Marco Polo?"
Jess grinned. "It's where someone has to try and catch someone else, and if you are the one caught, it's your turn to catch someone else. Everyone has to move around to avoid being caught, and the catcher has to try and get you. While you move around, you call out 'Marco'. Those who are being chased have to say polo to let the catcher to see where you are. It's more fun in the pool but if we can clean out a room without killing someone we could try and play it. That is if you guys are up for it."
Liking the idea and knowing that this game might get everyone to go to bed, Jeff spoke up causing everyone in the room to jump in surprise. "Sounds like a good idea Jessica." Smiling when the room went quiet Jeff went on. "You lot didn't hear me and your Grandmother at all, did you?"
Finding the door Jeff said to the room at large, "Follow me please?" Everyone moved to the door and followed Jeff and Grandma Ruth down the hall and around a few corners. When Jeff stopped at a double door they all waited for him to open it. The palm reader had a yellow backlight and so it wasn't too hard to find and activate the mechanism. The light only went on when your hand touched or brushed over it. When the doors opened everyone went inside. Walking to a small window, Jeff closed it and everyone was left in total darkness.
When Jeff, Grandma and John were out of the room, and the door had closed Sherry asked. "So. Who's starting?" Walking to where she thought the middle of the room was, Jess said. "I'll start. Oh, yeah. I forgot to say that the one who has to catch people has to turn around ten times." Hearing groans coming from everyone, she went on. "Awww, come on. You got to be used to spinning if you guys are the Thunderbirds!"
Grinning, Jess started to turn. While she was counting her turns everyone moved away and to any place they thought she might miss. When Jess stopped, she swayed a bit as she regained her momentum, and then she started to call out: "Marco!"
Running past her Sherry said. "Polo!" Jumping to catch Sherry Jess almost ran smack into the wall. Spinning, she felt a warm body pass her again. Lunging, she nearly caught Scott's arm.
Stopping for a bit, she stood silently and listened as they all moved around her. She could hear someone really close. Smiling to herself Jess twisted, and before her victim could get away she had him by his shirt. Giving a yelp, Alan spun around.
Jess giggled. "Who do I have here?"
Alan pouted. "Fine. You caught me… It's Alan."
"Right." Jess ordered. "Start turning." When Alan stopped spinning he had to stand still for a bit. When he was sure that he wouldn't get sick he said, "Marco!"
Everyone started to move again. At one end of the room Scott stepped on Jess' foot as he pressed against the wall, and got a small yelp of pain in reply. On the other side of the room Sherry got trapped for a moment by Virgil when he ran to the same corner as his sister.
Tin-Tin sidestepped Alan a few times, and then promptly crashed into Gordon when she jumped back. Giving a soft grunt Gordon ducked out of Alan's reach.
Getting frustrated that he couldn't seem to be able to catch anybody, Alan stopped and waited a bit. When someone brushed against his arm he turned and grabbed for them wildly. Hearing a soft 'oh' he knew that he had caught one of his brothers.
Scott sighed and waited for Alan to move off and started to turn and count.
Stopping when he came to ten Scott gave a sneaky little smile and ran to the first person he could feel. Realizing that Scott was heading his way Gordon dodged at the last moment letting Scott ran strait into the door. As soon as he hit the door Scott could hear Sherry say: "Ooh, ow. That's got to hurt." Turning and resting his back against the door Scott waited a bit and then hearing Tin-Tin give a small yelp when someone touched her he was off again. Before Tin-Tin could get away a hand closed around her foot. Scott had dived and caught her by her foot.
After about twenty minutes and increasing incidents of collisions, Sherry asked if they wanted to play some more.
Stretching, Gordon grunted a little. "No thanks. I think my body's had enough of crashing and getting smashed around. I'm done for, and I want to go to bed if you wouldn't mind."
Smiling into the dark Sherry was glad that she got to skip the catching part. "Scott you still alive?"
She jumped when Scott spoke right next to her. "Yes, I'm here."
"How many times do I have to say that you lot should warn me before you talk? I'm going to die one day of fright!" She scolded. "Anyway. Can we do a rescue tomorrow? You guys have no idea how to rescue a disabled person. It would be good practice for you guys." Sherry grinned at that. Feeling Scott running his fingers tenderly through her shorn hair, Sherry knew that he was thinking about it. Letting go of Sherry's hair and hugging her to his side, Scott nodded, his voice firm in the darkness. "Sure. Why not? I'll talk to dad and then we'll start tomorrow morning. You girls could talk to Brains and see what he's got to make us a rescue site."
Jess grinned slowly, noticing something that Scott hadn't. "Scott I think we don't have to ask and you don't have to talk to your dad about that. Remember, they're watching us in the lounge. So there's got to be a camera around here somewhere."
Finding the door, Gordon opened it and went out into the hallway. Turning back to stop the door from sliding shut he asked, "Are you guys coming or should I let the door close?" Hearing everyone coming out he grinned and moved off in the direction of the lounge so that he could find the ramp and his room.
When most of the boys went up the ramp to go to bed, Jess and Sherry went into the lounge where John, Grandma Ruth, Brains and Jeff was still sitting and talking. Just behind the two girls, was Scott. He wanted to check on his father and the rest of the household before he could go to bed. Following John's voice, Sherry found him and with a grin splitting her face, sat down on his lap again. Feeling him grab at her Sherry laughed and gave him a hug and a quick kiss goodnight and jumped off.
John sighed melodramatically. "Your getting too old for sitting on me Sherry. You scared me."
Smiling Sherry went over to where her dad was and hugged him tight. "Night Dad." Jeff hugged her back and when he let go he said, "John she'll never grow up. She'll always hug you that way. It's the same with all of us. "
Finding Grandma Ruth Sherry hugged her as well, and then moved to Brains. She caught him as he shyly went to move away. She grinned and just gave him a quick hug and then she looked for Scott.
Jess felt Scott move away from where he was standing at her shoulder, but apparently Sherry knew what he was doing because she moved to the other side of her friend, and caught Scott from behind.
Turning, Scott hugged her tight and looked her up and down as if he was checking that everything was still in one piece on his baby sister.
Giving a sigh Sherry said, "See John? Scott will never stop checking us over before bed time."
Letting Sherry go Scott turned to where he thought Jess was. Finding her he gave her a brotherly hug too and checked her over like he had his sister. Jess couldn't help but smile shyly. Scott felt like a big brother to her the longer she stayed there. He and all of Sherry's siblings. When he let go she hugged him again and moved to where John was. Finding the chair she stopped. She didn't know if her goodnight would be welcomed or not. She knew that he only let Sherry hug him as she pleased.
Sensing Jess next to him, and guessing what she was thinking, John got up slowly and gently hugged her. Feeling her shudder a bit, he pushed her away gently and lifted her chin with his hand. "Jess? Are you alright?"
For some reason Jessica felt like crying. Why she didn't know. Before she knew it John had sat down and had pulled her into an embrace like Scott had done. He wasn't one for crying people but somehow he knew that Jess needed someone to listen to her, and being that everyone else but Scott and Sherry had left, he was it. Maybe it was because he had Sherry always coming to him when she wanted to cry or talk. It was instinctual.
Sherry moved off to the hall and when she got to the ramp, she turned and said, "Good night everyone. I'll be okay on my own." Hearing Scott come up behind her Sherry walked until she got to her door. Something was on her door. Feeling with her hand she saw that it was a star made out of metal. A big one. She felt Scott put his hand on her shoulder affectionately as she asked, "Who put this here?"
Feeling the door, Scott smiled when he found the star. "John asked Brains to put it there. I found them in the hallway talking about it."
Sherry grinned. "Now I know what Brains meant by trying to work in the dark!"
Putting her hand on Scott's hand Sherry asked: "What plaque is on your door?"
Taking Sherry's hand, Scott held it on her palm reader. "You can look tomorrow. I also have to go see what ended up on my door and if Gordon has gone and done something to make it bite me."
Sherry giggled. She felt sorry for Gordon. He always got the blame, even when it wasn't him who had done the deed. When the door opened and Sherry had walked, in she turned around and placed her foot in the doorway to hold it open. "Scott? Do you think Jessica is okay?"
"I think she just need someone to listen to her. She's in a strange place, and we're all so affectionate. I think she's a little overwhelmed with having so many men in the one house. She'll be fine."
Smiling at that, Sherry nodded. "It's cool to have her around here. I think that she was scared that John wouldn't let her give him a hug. You know how he is." Turning back into her room Sherry smiled softly. "Good night Big Brother."
Sherry walked to her bed and upon pulling the blankets down, she found the box of things she had received earlier in the evening.
The lighting came back on as she finished putting the last item away. She switched off the light as she thought about all the items that had been bought to help her with her day. She realized that having Jess around made it easier for her to accept that she was going to be blind forever. The other girl had made her see the world in a new way, and was showing her that she didn't need her eyes to live her life normally. Well, as normal as can be. Climbing into bed Sherry gave a soft sigh and soon after that she was asleep.
Down in the lounge John and Jess were still sitting in the dark. Turning her head, Jess rested it against John's chest and sighed softly. How she whished she could be one of them. They were all so close, and protected each other fiercely. But she missed her Mum and sisters. Feeling a hand rub circles on her back, she smiled.
When John looked down he saw that Jess was fast asleep. Not knowing how he would get her off or how he would get up without aggravating his back or bad arm, he nearly fell off the chair when Kyrano spoke softly next to him.
"Do you mind if I take Miss Jessica to her room?" Smiling John gently loosened Jess' arms from around his neck, and let Kyrano lift the slight girl with surprising strength into his arms.
Turning to look at Kyrano as he stood and stretched gingerly, he smiled. "Thanks Kyrano. I didn't know if I should have woken her up and walked with her to her room."
Smiling at a sleeping Jess, he ruffled her hair, and walked to the lounge door. "Good night Kyrano."
Walking to his own room John saw that someone had placed a box on his bed. He knew what was in it. He had been waiting for it to come in the post for a while now. Opening the box, he pulled something out, and then made his way to Sherry's room. Stopping beside Sherry's bed, he looked tenderly down at her. Sherry's curtains were open a bit, and they let the moon shine in. Before he could put the things on her desk and walk out again, Sherry was sitting up. Turning her head just a bit Sherry asked, "John? Is that you?"
Moving to the other side of her bed Sherry patted the warm spot next to her in an invitation for John to sit down.
John felt a little guilty. He had forgotten that his sister woke up at the smallest sound.
Taking her brother's hand, Sherry felt the thin, cold chain that her brother had on his wrist, and knew that it was the bracelet that she had given him up on the station.
Moving to sit against the headboard, Sherry spoke quietly. "So is Jess okay?"
"Yeah. She only needed a hug."
"She doesn't have brothers, and I think that she really wants you guys to be it. I can hear her smile when you lot play around, or even just chat to her. She doesn't say it, and that it's only been a few days, but I know that she thinks of us as siblings already. She's like a sister to me."
John smiled, and stood up. Fetching the items he had laid on the desk, he moved back to the bed and passed them to his sister. "This is for you Sherry."
Feeling the first gift Sherry smiled. "A watch?" She grinned. "I guess that it's to stop me from walking around the house at strange hours of the night?" Feeling around it Sherry found that it had five buttons.
"It's a Braille/talking watch. When you learn Braille you can use the top buttons. I think Jess is going to teach you. "
Putting the watch down on her bedside table Sherry said: "Thanks. I'll ask Jess tomorrow to help me start. Is that okay?"
Getting the next object Sherry saw that it was a bracelet, almost like the one she had given John. Holding it up she asked, "What's this for?"
Taking it from Sherry, John somehow got it around her left arm and while she held one end, he closed the clip. Letting go John said, "Remember what you wrote in that little note from the box you put my band in?"
Sherry nodded her head. John hugged her softly. "Then you'll know why I'm giving it to you. It has the same picture on it and your name on the inside."
Sherry snuggled down on her bed. Getting up, John smiled. She was already fast asleep. He left her room feeling like falling asleep himself. When he got into his own bed, he could hear someone come in a while later and stand next to his bed. Opening his eyes just a bit he saw that Scott was watching him. Holding his good hand out to Scott he gripped his brother's in a mutually silent goodnight. Scott left a while later.
John slept, feeling secure.
