A.N Wow – thanks for all of the reviews guys. I wasn't quite expecting to get so many in so short a period. Still it's all good and I saw the movie on Sunday finally so I feel really happy and had a good laugh at it with my mate so it's going to get fun writing this story (and my other one)
To my reviewers: Willow Tracy – I'm continuing it - killhill2003 – glad you're liking it and FAB to that - Fran Lavery – hope you like the next bit and hopefully Phil's lovely enough for you – and Captain Phoenix – hope it's more intriguing for you now
Chapter 2 – Monday morning
"John! Wake up!" came Scott's voice but it was a little distance away from where John had fallen asleep. John groaned and rolled over – almost falling off the couch but just stopping himself in time – just managing to make out the room he was in. "John!" came Scott's more persistent voice.
"All right, Scott I'm up! No need to yell!" he called back seating himself up right. He rubbed his temples, trying to shake the sleep from his brain. He vaguely wondered why Scott hadn't set the younger two on him instead of shouting but as it was the holidays there was no guessing as to where the terrible two would have gone.
"Good, come on. Grandma's been calling for breakfast for the last fifteen minuets" Scott's face wasn't as loud as it had been but John took the hint. Grandma was not one to be kept waiting for anything and he had the feeling that he wouldn't be the only one who would be likely to end up in trouble with her today.
John got up and stretched, before heading towards the kitchen. His mind filtered through the events of last night and he wondered if Scott already knew about it. 'More than likely' John thought to himself.
There was a shout from somewhere behind him and on instinct John moved to the left side of the hallway and laughed as Virgil ran past, "Hey, Virgil, you're not supposed to run around like a mad chicken you know" he shouted after the middle Tracy brother.
"You try avoiding Scott when he's in a mood and you'll run!" Virgil just called back before skidding to a stop, and quickly turning left with a yelp.
John shook his head as a mere second later Scott, noticeably drenched, charged after him. Checking that the coast was clear, John made it to the kitchen without getting attacked by anyone else.
Grandma smiled and waved at him, "Morning John, sleep well did we?" she asked while picking out some rashes of bacon from the pan.
John smiled heartily, "Yeah, I did, thanks Grandma" he said before spotting Gordon sitting with a bowl of cereal almost behaving.
"Gordon, what have you done now?" he asked, carefully watching his second youngest brother. The boy looked up at him with innocent eyes, "I haven't done anything, John...why do I always get blamed for stuff?" Gordon asked taking a sizable spoonful of cereal from the bowl.
"Cause, Gordon, you're usually the cause of the problems around here" said a female voice that did not belong to Grandma.
John paused, his coffee cup only a fraction away from his lips, not quite sure that he was awake yet. Gordon rolled his eyes, "I'm not! Al's more the problem than me, mom".
Lucille Tracy appeared in John's sight and he could not believe his eyes. There was his mother, standing right in front of him, almost exactly the same as he remembered her. But there was a small difference, she had a few more worried lines on her face and her blond hair was cut short almost as if it were meant to be spiked.
"Well it's true, you're supposed to be his big brother and set an example for him...I'm sure he gets half if not more of his ideas from you" she said playfully ruffling his hair.
Gordon stuck his tongue out at his mother and looked quizzically at John, "Hey Johnny, you turned into a statue or summat?" he asked before receiving a clip on the ear.
John blinked and snapped himself out of his thoughts, "What? No, I'm fine" he said hurriedly before resting his blond head in his hand, still not believing that this was happening.
"Honey, are you okay?" asked Lucille's kind and rather concerned voice. John looked up and allowed his eyes to meet with hers. All of his memories of her came back to him, all of the good and all of the bad. For a brief second he heard the car crash going through his head but then it all stopped and he felt as if that weight had been lifted from his shoulders, "I'm fine, honestly mom. I guess I was just up late last night" he said.
She smiled, as if knowing that something was still bothering him but letting it drop. Partly due to the fact that Scott had reappeared, "Where is he?" he asked, sounding a little too like Jeff.
"I don't know, Scott – but before you..." Lucille started before Scott was off again shouting something at his younger brother.
"Those two get worse everyday" Lucille chuckled before pausing and rounding on Gordon, "Speaking of two getting worse where's the other troublemaker?" her tone was slightly threatening but in a playful sort of way.
Gordon shook his head, "I don't know – I know he came down before me so I thought he'd gone to get John" a sly wink was directed at John and he knew exactly what that meant, "But I haven't seen him since".
John and Lucille frowned, that could not be a good thing, "Alan, I am going to kill you one day" said Lucille, flicking a strand of blond hair out of her eyes.
"You're not going to be the only one" said Scott ducking in from the patio, pushing a rather complaining Virgil in front of him.
"What's he done now?" asked John, already dreading the answer. Scott's sceptical looked told him all he needed to know but something made him stop.
All four of the Tracy brothers were in the kitchen – so who was Alan about to play a prank on? Before he could enquire about anything there was a shout from upstairs and a thud as something hit the floor.
John was about to get up when Virgil held him back, "I would stay put...fireworks are going to fly" he stated carefully watching the stairs. If it had been a movie then cups and plates would have started bouncing off the table.
Alan appeared at the bottom of the stairs and charged off before Scott or Gordon could grab him, "Alan, you come back here!" called another voice.
John turned and stared in even greater surprise than what he had done with Lucille. Standing panting at the bottom of the stairs was a girl who could not have been more than eight or nine by the looks of her. She had long black hair, which had possibly been ring-letted earlier on but now was looking as though someone had attacked it with a mixture of honey and cream. Her eyes were a jade green and flashed with malicious ideas of how her closest elder brother was going to die when she got her hands on him.
'My doll?' John asked himself mentally, frowning slightly. "Where did he go?" she asked and John realised that her tone was of his fathers.
But who was this girl?
After a couple of seconds she frowned, "Mom, where did he go?" she asked again.
Lucille did not want another fight on her hands, "Outside somewhere, but..." she paused as the girl started to move before Gordon intercepted her. "Let me go, Gordo!" she snapped a little irritated.
"Oh no, little sister, you stay put. We'll get Alan for you" said Gordon holding tightly onto her arm.
John tried hard to keep his face emotionless but it was getting more and more tricky by the minuet. He had a little sister?
"No! I want to get him, Gordo let go!" she wriggled vainly, trying to slip out of the jacket that she was wearing and nearly succeeding until Scott grabbed hold of her other arm, "Feathers! No...you stay here, okay?" it wasn't a request.
The girl seemed to contemplate things for a few seconds but then gave up rather huffily, "Why can't I get him?" her tone was whiny but playful.
There was a sigh from Lucille, and John could have sworn that given half the chance she would have quite happily strangled Alan and this girl, "Because, Miss Philadelphia Tracy, you would only get yourself even more messed up. Scott, go and get that little brat this instant and the rest of you go and get sorted out. I'm not having us all looking like we've been dragged through several hedges backwards at this party this evening".
There were a lot of protests from the boys but a stern glare from their mother quickly silenced them all. Within seconds the kitchen was empty except for John, Lucille, Grandma and Philadelphia.
John shook his head, still trying to work out if this was a dream or not. Not only did he have a younger sister but she was called Philadelphia as well! The shook seemed to numb his brain totally.
"Why aren't you going to get cleaned up young lady?" asked Grandma helping Philadelphia onto a seat opposite John as Lucille had disappeared outside more than likely to locate Alan and tell him firmly off.
The look from the eight-year-old was enough to say everything, "Cause Grandma, they'll take ages and plus I want to see what happened to Alan" her voice was soft and gentle but filled with mischief.
John smiled faintly as he watched her, somehow this felt right to him. He had always suspected that there was more to Lucille's death than what his father had let on but was this girl the missing link?
Had his mother been pregnant when she had died?
"What's up with you big brother?" asked Philadelphia tilting her head.
"Nothing, guess I was up late last night" he said not quite sure how to act with a younger sister who until now had never been in his life.
Her jade green eyes flashed happily, "Were there any pretty stars last night?" her curiosity well embedded and somehow John remembered various conversations with her about the stars and what different things meant and were.
"Just the same as normal sis, but there was a shooting star" he said finding himself slightly playing with her over this. John could not help but smile at seeing her face light up with joy and amazement, her mouth open wide.
"There was?" her happy voice sounded in his ears, "Why didn't you wake me, John? You know I've always wanted to see one" there was a little disappointment but her voice was still filled with wonder.
"It was very late last night and you were fast asleep, Phil. I didn't want to disturb you" he said, trying to think of a way of telling her something without blurting that she hadn't been alive last night.
Phil seemed to contemplate something for a moment but then grinned, "Tell me about it, please?" she asked.
John shook his head, "I can't remember many details, Phil. It just came and went in a flash" that was partly true and partly false but he doubted that Phil would know anything else about it.
The girl grinned happily before wriggling off the chair and mis-judging the distance to the floor. John looked under the table, laughing at the sight of her sitting looking rather bewildered before chuckling at herself and rubbing her head, "I'm a idiot" her grin becoming bigger by the minuet and giving her an even prettier than before.
"At least you said that and not me, squirt" said John, moving around the table in a couple of quick steps and scooping her up. She laughed harder and hugged into him when he had finished swinging her around.
John couldn't help laughing himself, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy hearing a child laugh. He held onto her, feeling like she had always been a part of his life and that he would do anything to protect her.
"John?" came Phil's voice from the depths of his shoulder.
"Oh sorry, forgot about that" he said, loosening his grip slightly which allowed her to lock her sparkling eyes on his pleasant blue ones.
"Can I ask you something?" her voice was a little bit quieter now but still filled with joy and wonder.
"Course you can. What do you want?" he said automatically remembering what his three younger brothers had been like when they had asked him that question.
She slightly bit her lip before answering, "Next time you look at the stars, can I stay up really late and watch them with you?".
John starred at her in disbelief, she wanted to look at the stars with him? A smile lit up his face, "Of course, Phil...but not too late"
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, not needing to say thanks in any way. But before the moment could last long there came an almighty shout of "PHIL!" from somewhere up above.
"Uh-oh. Heh, I better go" she said, jumping from John's arms and running up the stairs. John watched her go and smiled heartily, somehow feeling that this was the best thing that could have happened to him.
But a lingering thought came slowly into his mind, 'How long is this going to last?'
A.N A good question John but don't worry I've got plans for this Well what you lot think of it then? Philadelphia Tracy any good?
Let me know and I'll see what I can do with this party that they're going to – that's just slightly worrying me already.
Still Please please review