Chapter 10

The warming sunlight streamed through the slight gap in the beige curtains into the sleeper's bedroom. The white beam woke Ariel from her deep slumber and to her irritation wouldn't be going anyway for the rest of the morning. The strawberry-top rolled over and pulled away the soft duvet, slumped out of the cosy double bed and strolled over to the balcony door which hid behind the curtain. For so long Ariel hadn't seen the beautiful sight of the sea and jungle, her home. She looked with dreamy eyes and with a deep intake of fresh, salty air flopped against the rail of the balcony.

It was a fantasy compared to New York. For all of her educated life, Ariel had been sent off to a boarding school, four separate high schools and now a university in which she was studying engineering and advanced P.E. She always insisted she never took after her dad or uncles, but they all beg to differ and know that it's more in her blood than through choice.

She hated it.

She hated being cooped up on a campus were although she had friends and Eric, her boyfriend of 3 years she still felt trapped and lonely. She had been to four separate high schools for one simple reason; the stubborn Tracy gene. She'd found herself in scraps and shouting matches and on several occasions Gordon had been called in to sort it out. The tally was up to 23 visits to the mainland for Gordon, and 2 from what could have only been considered a pissed off Granddad and an equally annoyed Scott 5 times. Ariel wondered what it would have been like to take a hot headed Alan along; he would have probably got her kicked out in no time, knowing he would have taken her side over anything.

Tracy Island had such freedom and was home to her large family, so no matter where she turned someone would always be there, even if it was Alan in a strop. On the thought, she turned sensing someone stood behind her; leaning on the doorframe with his hands in his pockets was her dark eyed uncle,

"Uncle Virg! How'd you know I was here?"

"Hey beautiful, I saw your jet in the siding, welcome home"

Virgil braced himself for the force at which Ariel was approaching with her arms spread wide. Virgil bounced off the door frame as she slowed her pace and met for a warm embrace. Ariel loved hugs from her uncles and even though she was 19, her uncle's still saw her as a little girl. Not that Ariel would admit it, but she loved the attention and the affection she got, it made her feel truly loved. She smiled up at Virgil knowing he would never live it down if she told him that he was probably the best hugger in the world, so turned and went to lean on the rail once more with Virgil following,

"I'm sorry I left my jet on the runway; I was shattered when- hang on. It's in the siding?"

"Yeah, I thought that's where you left it?"

"No, someone must have moved it"

"Must have either been Johnny or Scott then, I've only just got up"

"Huh. Ok then, so where's Dad?"

"I would assume either gulping down bacon and waffles or he's still having his morning swim"

"He doesn't know I'm here does he?"

"Does he not? How'd you get back? You didn't fly alone did you?!"

"Well, kinda. Johnny helped me though, but it's not like I'm incapable!"

"Uh huh, well let's hope Scott doesn't pick up on it"

Virgil looked to Ariel expecting a smile of sorts, but looked to the side of her head as she looked lost out at sea. Virgil even waved his hand in front of her face, but got nothing and even clicked his fingers to bring her out of her daze,

"Earth to Airs, come in Airs"

"How do you not stare at this for hours?"

Virgil looked out over the jungle and turquoise sea, stretching out for what seemed like forever,

"I do, when I'm painting it though, not for any of that mushy thinking stuff, that's what thunderbird 2's for"

Ariel turned as Virgil did and met his eye. She cocked an eyebrow and placed a hand firmly on her hip,

"Mushy stuff?"

"Not mushy stuff...?" Virgil replied.

Ariel sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she turned to walk inside. That's when it clicked with Virgil and as quick as lightening jumped in her tracks and gently held her by the shoulders, trying to look her in the eye as like a negative to a negative, she avoided them completely,

"Weren't you meant to be coming home next week?"

"Yeah, I left early"

"Again? This is the 6th time Airs"

Ariel shrugged her shoulders free of Virgil's hands as she could feel the storm cloud approaching,

"And?"

"You can't keep doing this Airs- is something wrong?"

"I guess you could say that"

"Is it that Eric guy?"

"No, if anything he's been trying his best to help"

"Help with what baby?"

Ariel finally looked to Virgil's face and turned to sit on one of the deck chairs situated close by. Once she was sat with her shoulders' and head far too flumped for his liking, Virgil knelt in front of her. He noticed just how pale she had grown within the minute and started to become concerned,

"Ariel has something happened? Are you ill?"

"No! It's just, nothing. I should really ask Dad"

"I am a doctor Airs, you know that so maybe I could help more if it's that sort of thing?"

"Thank you Virgil but if you're suggesting pregnancy then your way off the marker"

Virgil felt a ping of relief inside his mind. He thought that was it, not that it would have been an issue as such, but for a 19 year old girl it wasn't something she needed on her mind and at such a young age,

"Ok, that's one off my list"

Ariel giggled lightly as she saw Virgil's tensed form relax a little and her storm cloud fade away,

"It's just everything that's been playing on my mind. And one of those things was about mum"

Silence fell amongst the two as the brunette stroked Ariel's soft hair and sighed at her sad eyes. He knew she had been having problems with the idea, and never having the mother figure meant she had missed out on so much. However all the boys, including Virgil knew the pain; but they had known their mother, Ariel never did,

"I'm sorry baby"

"But that's not all"

"Oh?"

"I can't stop thinking about it all. What a mother is to someone, what they do, and their love. I've seen a nurse in America and she said I'm suffering from depression because it's always in my mind. It's affecting my studies and my life! I want nothing more than to leave New York and live here. I can't stand it anymore! I want to stay home; I want Dad, you, granddad, Johnny I just don't want to be alone! I just don't want to be alone anymore"

Ariel suddenly broke out in tears and thumped her coiled fist against the wall after leaping from the chair; something Virgil could predict was going to happen and lead her inside and sat her on her bed before fetching a box of tissues from her bathroom. She sniffed, not caring about the shooting pain in her hand and continued to cry as she curled up next to her uncle,

"I just want to be here. Nowhere else!"

"It's ok Airs, your here now and you're not leaving"

"But Dad, Granddad and Scott are going to tell me to go back. That's how it's always is, do the hard work first then home. And then there's Mum! I don't know a thing about her! Maybe I wanted to grow up to be like her, not like Dad. And then Dad! Ugh, He's never talked about her and probably never will; he's never even told me how she died"

Virgil bit the inside of his cheek and truly felt for the crushed teenager. So much was rushing through her head and was stressing her so much so that it was starting to show in her appearance. In her hugging nightgown it was clear that she hadn't been eating right, and when Virgil looked over to the bedside table he spotted the pills, the depression pills. He leant over to read the back, and recognized them as the same branded one's Jeff had used after Lucille had passed away, but they never helped and if anything made everything worse,

"Ariel, you need to understand that it hurt your Dad a lot when Kim passed away. It was unexpected and not to mention that there was you to consider"

Ariel's ears pricked up. She knew through Alan that Gordon hadn't known about her till her mother's death, but hadn't really heard about how Gordon had responded to what sounded like the 'burden' of a baby,

"He probably wished I was never born"

"Airs, don't say that. Gordon has loved you since the first day he met you. He was devastated about your mum and wanted nothing more than the best for you after knowing you existed. If he had to give up you or thunderbird 4, I would say bye-bye yellow submarine"

Ariel knew how much IR meant to her Dad and especially his little 'toy' of a thunderbird as she regarded it, and smiled sadly at the idea of him having to watch his other baby be destroyed,

"I should probably go find him. Thank you Virg, I'm sorry I burst out crying and babbling"

"Hey, it's ok. You're not as bigger wuss as Alan can be"

Ariel laughed, her emotions turning quickly again as she remembered the last time Alan got into a temper about something so pathetically ridiculous; it was all history now,

"I do mean it Virg; I don't think I would have been able to tell Dad that, Thank you"

Ariel hugged Virgil once more before hopping up and making her way to the bags left next to the door,

"Johnny must have bought these up"

Virgil was still concerned that he could just about see Ariel's ribs through her nightgown but knew after a few days of being on the island, she would sort herself out. A little voice however in his head was shouting at him,

Look at her! She's clearly not well, do something! Say something, don't just sit here and act as if everything's ok now!

"Airs?"

Her shinny blue eyes flickered up just before she entered the bathroom, their lust and sparkle hadn't faded although her tear-stained face only made them look more beautiful,

"Airs, I have to say you're not looking very well"

Ariel looked down at her figure, and instantly knew what Virgil was talking about. Ever since her depression had raised, she had had a dramatic weight loss and her skin had paled a few shades,

"I know; I haven't been eating right. I've just been so drained and tired of all this crap"

"I'm not having you leave Ariel unless that's what you want. But even then, I'll have a big say as to whether or not your fit enough. I'm slightly annoyed that you flew by yourself at night, you're probably not fit at the moment to fly angel, but your here now and that's all that matters"

"I know I shouldn't have, but otherwise one of you would have had to come out, or Eric would have had to stay with us here, and IR would be in the way of that"

"Eric can fly?"

"Yeah, started when he was about 13, he's a great pilot; I'm sure he would like to meet you and Scott. He's a major motor head too, so Alan would probably gain a new friend"

"We can discuss it with Granddad later, but for now go get washed up and I'll see you down stairs for breakfast ok?

"Thanks again Virg"

"Don't mention it; I'll see you in a bit. Hopefully there is some breakfast left"

"Me too I'm starving"

Virgil left with a last smile to Ariel and closed the door gently, he was glad she had admitted to feeling hunger and not have tried to hide it. He looked down into his hand at the pills he'd swiped from the bedside table and shook his head heavily as he walked away. Ariel continued into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror; she was fairly shocked with what she saw. Ariel did look awful. Her eyes were the only thing that looked right; everything else was pale and thinned. Her usually vibrant, softly coloured strawberry hair was starting to fray, and her ribs were defiantly showing through her gown, along with her cheek bones being more prominent than before. The depression and stress had really taken its toll, and it was only now that Ariel saw it,

"No wonder Eric was so concerned"

She turned round to look at her back with her head spun tight around her left shoulder, and sighed when she saw her shoulder blades forming what looked like sharp rotary blades. Ariel had a quick, cool shower and dried before slipping on a summery dress with leggings and a small cardigan, attempting to hide her figure. With one last look in the mirror she applied some light foundation to hide her paleness and smiled as if she were about to greet her Dad. Frowning at her false attempts, Ariel felt tears welling up in her eyes,

"It'll do. I'm sure uncle Virg or John have said something by now anyway"

Ariel slowly walked out of her room and followed the corridors till she came to the living room. Sat inside was nobody, and when she spotted the open balcony door she knew where everyone was. As she went to move forward to meet her family, she felt a huge sense of excitement build and a smile blossom on her face. She hadn't felt so happy for so long and bounced along to the balcony door and flew outside toward the pool.