A/N Well Everyone, It's that time of year again... Carollers in the streets, puddings on tables, idiotic authors jabbing themselves in the eye with their Christmas trees... (Don't laugh, I did it 10 minutes ago) and Santa Clause riding around my suburb on a fire truck. Ahh Yes... as I write this chapter, I can hear all the little children around screaming for lollies from the jolly fat man...
Chapter Two – Moonlight Sonata, A concert, and Coffee
Ashley and Aurora returned home, to a cheery family, and a small celebration.
"Our first rescue!" Katrina, the second youngest toasted her sisters, with a grin.
"To our first rescue..." Ashley raised her glass of champagne that Becky had cracked out from their crate.
Amelia took a sip, and then lowered her glass, surveying her daughters.
"Now we're finally in business..." She turned to Ashley, "Are all your affairs in order, dear?"
Ashley sighed.
"Tonight's my last concert mother... then I'm quitting..."
"Good..." Aurora drained her glass, and slammed it onto the coaster, Becky wincing at her sister's un-lady like attitude.
Ashley frowned.
"Good that I'm quitting the only thing I love? Good that I'm leaving what I do best, to join some rescue operation that's unnecessary?" Ashley stood angrily.
"No... Good that you're going to be able to focus on saving people's lives... not your four hours of practice each day!"
"International Rescue already exists! We don't need to--"
"--How dare you--"
"--We don't need to--"
"--You don't seem to WANT to do something--"
"GIRLS!" Amelia screeched, and the two fell silent.
"Ashley - we love your music, but now that we've started this organisation, we need everyone on board, and working purely for us... Aurora - I know this means everything to you, but you could be a little more supportive of your sister..."
Ashley looked smug.
"Oh stuff you Ashley..."
"Stuff me? How dare--"
"Don't give me that--"
"-- You insensitive jerk--"
"--Self-centred bitch--"
Ashley stormed off outside, slamming the door behind her.
She left silence in her wake.
"Good one Aurora..." The eldest Castra shot a glare at the youngest.
"Shut up Becky..." Aurora stormed up to her room, fuming, and Amelia sighed, retreating to her study.
That left Becky and Katrina.
The two looked at each other, shrugged, and both uttered one word.
"PMS..."
- - - - - -
"You did what?!" Virgil shouted angrily, and Alan winced.
"I accidentally spilt coffee on your copy of Moonlight Sonata..."
Virgil fell silent, but Alan knew he was still angry…
The twitch in his eye was sentiment to that fact.
Virgil stalked off, grabbing his wallet, and keys.
"I'm going dirt-side..." He grabbed a boat, and piloted his way back to shore - only hoping that My Music would have a copy of the treasured Beethoven piece.
- - - - - -
Virgil walked through the doors of the music shop, and took a deep breath, his eyes scanning around for the sheet music stand.
After spying it, he walked over, and started rummaging through the piles of scores, and examining price tags - to try and at least find the location of the Beethoven music.
His hand brushed that of a young girl - barely 22, and he looked up, their eyes meeting, and she smiled slightly.
"Sorry..." he muttered, returning the grin, and grabbed the last piece of music she was looking at, walking up to the counter and purchasing it.
It was then Virgil realised what it was the last score to -
Moonlight Sonata.
Silently cursing himself, Virgil stuffed his hands into his pockets, and sulked out the door, deciding just to look around a little.
- - - - - -
Ashley held the score in her hand, smiling.
She finally had a legal copy of her favourite piece of all time.
Walking down the street, she looked into a few shop windows, finally deciding to walk into Chanel - to get a nice black dress for her last musical Concert - A tribute to Bach.
- - - - - -
"Thank you so much... my brother will be very grateful..." Alan hung the phone up, and silently patted himself on the back.
Maybe he couldn't replace the manuscript, but he could do his best to bribe Virgil into forgiveness.
He grinned, and walked outside, where Gordon was sun-baking & Scott was reading, sinking into a chair with a contented sigh.
Scott looked over his book.
"You look awfully happy for someone Virgil's about to skin alive..."
"He won't..." Alan smiled smugly.
"And you know this how?" Scott raised an eyebrow.
"I bet he got Virgil tickets to that musical recital on tonight... A tribute to Beck... or something like that..."
Alan smiled, his grin faltering and fading to a glare as Gordon mumbled in his ear, "It's Bach, Idiot"
Scott's jaw dropped.
"I thought those tickets were impossible to get!"
"I have connections..." Alan tapped his nose, grinning.
Scott raised his eyebrow again.
"Nothing illegal, I hope?"
"No! Nothing like that!"
"I hope not..." Scott eyed his brother suspiciously, his eyes burning holes in Alan's back as the youngest Tracy sprinted inside.
"He means Lady P's connections..." Scott sniggered, and then went back to reading his book.
Either way, he didn't have to try and calm Virgil down once he returned.
- - - - - -
Ashley paced backstage, feeling a fluttering in her stomach.
"You'll be fine Ash!" Katrina hugged her sister, handing Ashley her mallets and her violin.
"I hope to God you're right..." She took the instruments, and smiled, checking her appearance in the mirror, before dashing up to the stage.
- - - - - -
Virgil got his ticket checked, and took his seat at the front of the auditorium, his eyes scanning the program.
"Wow..." He let out a sigh of amazement, reading the orchestral list.
- - - - - -
As the evening wound to a close, the conductor turned around, to face the audience.
"And now... to finish the concert, and to say goodbye to one of our most promising young musicians... We would like to play for you an old favourite - Toccata and Fugue in D minor... with a xylophone solo..." He held his arm out, "And on Xylophone, the girl who has brought amazing music out in the orchestra for 3 years... The girl who is retiring tonight, at the end of this concert... Ashley Castra!" Ashley timidly stepped out on stage, smiling.
Virgil sat bolt upright in his seat.
It was that girl from the music store... the same blonde who took the last copy of Moonlight Sonata!
She took her place behind the xylophone, and the conductor started the introduction.
He keyed Ashley in, and the sound of each note on the xylophone resonated around the hall.
Virgil sat in amazement, each note sounding better than the last.
That girl was good...
- - - - - -
Virgil joined the other concert-goers in the hall afterwards, where they mingled with the orchestra, and he looked around the crowd for that girl...
Ashley Castra...
He eventually spied her by the refreshments, and Virgil casually walked over.
He also took a glass of punch, and then turned around, spying out of the corner of his eye, the girl looked at him.
"Wait a minute..." A smile played around Virgil's lips.
"Weren't you at My Music this afternoon?" he turned to face her.
"Yes... I was..." she smiled, a twinkle in her eye.
"And you were looking for Moonlight Sonata..."
"And you took the last copy..." Ashley smirked.
"So it was you..."
The two stood in an awkward silence, until Virgil opened his mouth.
"You played well tonight..."
"Thanks..."
"If you don't mind me asking... how come you're retiring?"
Ashley stopped drinking.
"Whoa... wait a minute... I don't even know you..."
Virgil smiled, and held his hand out.
"Virgil Tracy..." Ashley was taken aback by his sudden warmth, and just blinked.
Virgil withdrew his hand, and his cheeks became flushed. Ashley noticed this.
"Sorry... I'm just... not used to people being so open... I'm Ashley... Ashley Castra..."
Virgil nodded.
"And I'm retiring because of my sisters... all four of them..." She placed her cup back down on the table, and turned around.
"Four sisters?"
"I know..." Ashley flicked a blonde hair from in-front of her eyes, "Four... and I'm the middle child..."
"I know what that's like..." Virgil stated off-handed.
"Having four sisters? Or being the middle child?" He looked at Ashley's big grey eyes, as she looked up at him.
"I have four brothers... And I'm the middle child..."
"Really?" Ashley scanned his face for signs of joking, but she didn't pick any up.
"Really..." Virgil smiled.
- - - - - -
For the rest of the night, Virgil and Ashley chatted away like old friends, until the after reception drew to a close.
"Miss. Castra!" Ashley's head snapped in the direction of the voice.
"Your sister has arrived to take you home!" Ashley groaned.
"That bad?" Virgil raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Well... Yes and no..." She sighed, "It's probably my eldest sister, Aurora... and she and I had a fight this afternoon... that's why I went dirt... I mean... That's why I went to the music shop... to get my mind off her..."
He smiled thoughtfully.
"If there's one thing I know about siblings... they do forgive and forget..." Ashley smiled at Virgil's optimism.
"Miss. Castra! Your sister really wishes for you to return home..."
Ashley sighed.
"I'm sorry... but I do have to go..."
"I understand..."
"But... I really would like to see you again..." Ashley stood up, and Virgil smiled, following suit.
"Here..." She handed him her number, on a slip of paper, and bit her lip.
"Call me..." she briskly walked outside, and hopped into Aurora's car.
"What took you so long?" Aurora snapped, and started driving off.
"Nothing..." Ashley sighed, and stared out the windscreen, her mind wandering off, hand in hand with her imagination.
Back at the hall, Virgil's hand closed around the card Ashley had given him, and he smiled to himself.
It had been a long time since that had happened...
- - - - - -
The next morning, Ashley awoke to the harsh sounds of the rescue alarm beeping - the infernal noise echoing around the confines of the Castra house.
Begrudgingly, she got up, and followed Becky downstairs, knowing she wouldn't get the chance to go back to bed.
"What's up this time?" Ashley asked, between yawning.
"There's an underground shelter with about 50 people inside collapsing... we need Lightning-bolt six out there immediately..." Katrina nodded, and then looked over at Ashley.
"Ready to go?"
"No..." Amelia shot her daughter a dirty look, and Ashley rolled her eyes, yawning again as she trudged over to the portrait.
"The things I do for this organisation..."
"Oh! Ashley! And another thing... Aurora's already left, but International Rescue might be on the scene... do take care to keep our identity secret!" Ashley groaned.
The last thing she wanted today was a fight.
The LAST thing...
- - - - - -
"Thunderbird one... this is Thunderbird two..."
"Go ahead Virgil..."
"What's your ETA Scott?"
".5 minutes... Yours?"
"1 minute... do you think we'll get there first?"
"I hope so..." Scott pushed his throttle forward, and Thunderbird one was pushed to its limit.
"Yes!" Scott let out a cheer as he examined the rescue zone.
"We got here first!" As soon as Scott pulled Thunderbird one into a landing, there was a roaring of jets by him, and the sky blue ship pulled up next to him.
"Too late!" Scott smiled smugly, as the auburn haired girl frowned.
"We still have better equipment than you!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Bull!" Scott smirked.
"That's the best you can come up with?" She smirked back.
He rolled his eyes, and she descended the ramp.
"You can go back to your base... Lightning-bolts... we've got the situation under control..." she looked sceptical.
"Uh huh... right... you just keep thinking that..."
"I will..."
"Immature brat..."
"What?!"
"Immature… brat..." She repeated slowly, and Scott gaped.
"You don't even know me!"
"Even more the reason for you to be ashamed!" She sneered.
The two were still in a heated argument, when Virgil touched down Thunderbird two.
"Oy Scott!" The eldest Tracy's head snapped in the direction of the voice.
"I thought we got here first!" Scott shot him a filthy look, and turned, preparing to contact base.
Aurora, on the other hand, walked back up the loading ramp, and to her radio, hailing Ashley.
"Lightning-bolt two... this is Lightning-bolt one..."
"Sup Aurora?"
"Asha! You need to be more professional! Not... sup!"
"I just woke up... I don't give a fuc--"
"Ashley!"
"Get to the point Aurora..."
"Turn around Asha... International Rescue got here first..."
"Good..."
"What was that?!" Aurora heard Ashley cough, and the unmistakeable sound of her second youngest sibling laughing.
"Fab Rora..." Ashley bit her lip, shooting a dirty at Katrina, whilst she turned her jet around.
She'd at least get more sleep...
- - - - - -
Just before Aurora pulled up out of reach, she leant out her window, and caught Scott's eye.
"You know that his means?" He looked confused.
"This means WAR!" Aurora leant back in, and flew off, leaving a bewildered Scott and Virgil in her wake.
"Umm..." Scott blinked.
"Umm indeed..." The two turned around, and quickly got into the mole, and they successfully completed their mission...
Duh.
A/N Still hearing the children shout…
"HERE HE COMES!!! SANTAS COMING UP OUR STREET!!!" That was my neighbours...
Gotta Go….
(Hey... even people who poke their eyes with Christmas Trees need cheap Santa Lollies!!)
f1r3