Standard Disclaimer, don't own the thunderbirds.

Hi, this is the second part to Chapter five, if you didn't read the first part it doesn't' really matter, this carries on from where John and the boys are in the tree house… Enjoy. TBZ.

Double Trouble

Chapter 5 –part II, Midnight snacks

John is awoken by a deep feeling of unease, Virgil would call it his big brother radar, Virgil was superstitious like that, but the more logical John recognised it as his senses registering things his conscious mind hadn't noticed. He lay quietly allowing his senses to show him what was wrong, his eyes adjusting to the darkness he notices that the fireflies are gone and the moon is low in the sky near setting, filtered light reaches him where he lies, he can smell the cool damp soil of the fields; feel the subtle breeze ruffling his hair and the leaves of the trees, taste the freshness in the air. Beside him he can hear the quiet breaths and sighs of his youngest brother, stretching his senses John listens, something is missing, The quiet of the tree tops is broken only by his own quiet controlled breaths and Alan's sighs, 'Gordon, I can't hear Gordon.' Quickly sitting up John looks for his second youngest brother. On the other side of Alan a rumpled sleeping bag lays empty.

John sits as panic starts to build frantically he looks around the small space of the tree house in a vain attempt to convince himself that Gordon isn't missing and is just hiding, Alan lays beside him oblivious.

"Damn it where is he?" he whispers to himself. Scrambling out of his sleeping bag in pokes his head through hole in the floor down to the base of the tree. "Gordon!" he whispers loudly, not wanting to disturb Alan.

"GORDON COOPER TRACY, where are you?" Looking at Alan John is torn between going and looking for his missing brother and staying with Alan. He knows he can't get Alan out of the tree house on his own, nor can he leave the sleeping boy on his own and Alan, like Virgil is impossible to awaken from a deep sleep.

Sighing in frustration John tucks Alan in tighter and puts a torch next to the boys head switched on. He pulls on his shoes and quietly creeps to the hole in the floor, intent on slipping down the tree quickly to have a look for Gordon.

Slipping on the forgotten loose slats of wood, John falls to the ground, bashing his knees and knocking the breath from his body. Sitting immobile for a moment in the still darkness, John gathers himself and grunting heaves himself to his feet, hobbling towards the house, guessing that is where Gordon has gone.

He stumbles around the pool and up the steps in through the back door into the brightly lite kitchen.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demands of Gordon.

Gordon spins around from the bench; his eye's wide like a deer caught in a spotlight. "John!" he gasps in shock, "…you scared the shit out of me."

"Language Gordon." John growls, "What are you doing?" he stomps over to Gordon to see bread laid out and an open jar of peanut butter.

"I needed to go, and I didn't want to disturb you and Alan, so I snuck down here, then I decided that I was hungry, so I was making a sandwich to take back." Gordon says in a rush. "I was coming back."

John shook his head, "Next time wake me, OK?"

Gordon nods with a bashful grin, "Wanna sandwich?" John nods and gets some bread out for himself, preparing a sandwich. Gordon goes into the pantry and brings out the milk, "You wanna drink." Shrugging John nods and grabs two glasses from the cupboard.

The two are standing eating their sandwiches and sipping their milk, when a scream shatters the night. Gordon drops his glass in fright and the milk splashes across the kitchen floor.

"Alan!" John cries, slamming his glass on the bench and running for the back door followed by Gordon. The two bolt across the yard to the tree and scramble up into the tree house to find a hysterical Alan crying and rocking with his head tucked in his knees again. "Alan, Allie…" John wrapped his arms around the small boy. "I'm sorry Allie, I'm sorry…" Alan turned angry eyes on his brother, "You left me!" Feeling intense guilt John pulled Alan into his arms. "I'm sorry Allie. I'm here now."

Gordon patting Alan's back says, "It wasn't John's fault Allie, It's mine, I went down to the house without telling him and he had to come looking for me."

Alan looked at his next older brother with tear filled eyes, "You left me on my own!" Gordon hands Alan his teddy bear, "I'm sorry Allie, forgive me?" With a pout Alan reaches out to Gordon for a hug. He sits back looking at the redhead, "You been eating peanut butter sandwich, I can smell it!" he accuses. Apprehensively Gordon nods, "Yeah, I was hungry, want me to get you one?" Alan nods eagerly. Smiling Gordon looks at John. "No, you stay here, I'll go."

John clambers back down the tree. In the kitchen he quickly wipes up the spilt milk and pack a couple of sandwiches in a lunch pail. He grabs three plastic cups and the carton of milk, looking around the kitchen he pulls down the cooking barrel, there are six of his grandma's chocolate chip cookies left, 'I wonder how they escaped Scott' he thinks, he tucks them in with the sandwiches and returns to the tree house.

The boys quietly eat their sandwiches and drink the milk, while watching the dark night, the stars wheeling above them. "What's that one John?" Gordon points up to a bright star.

"That's Vega see it's a bluey white color, if you follow those stars there," John traces his finger around to several other stars, "you can kind of make out a lyre."

"Liar, who's a liar." asks Alan.

"Not Liar, Lyre it's a musical instrument, sort of like a guitar, ask Virgil." John laughs.

"What's a guitar doing up there," asks Gordon a frown on his face.

John chuckles, "The Lyre is the instrument of Orpheus the son of the Greek God Apollo."

Still non the wiser Gordon replies "Oh… OK."

"So what's that one", Alan asks pointing to another star low on the horizon.

"That's Arcturus, the spring time star." John grins. "It won't be in the sky for much longer now."

"And that one." Gordon points determine to find one John can't name.

Grinning John replies, "Andromedae, it's part of the Square of Pegasus."

"That one."

"Antliae in the constellation of Aquila."

"That one," Alan shouts joining in the game.

"Arcturus, constellation of Boots the herdsman"

"That one." Gordon points to another bright star in the northern sky.

"That's easy, Polaris, the north star."

The competition goes on for a while longer, John naming each star the younger boys point to, while to the west the moon slips below the horizon. Yawning loudly Alan rolls into his sleeping bag tiredly.

Noticing John laughs, "That's enough, time to get some sleep." He pushes Gordon towards his sleeping bag.

"I think you were just make some of that stuff up!" Gordon pouts.

"I'll show you in my altas in the morning if you want!" John challenges.

"Books, yuck. No thanks, I believe you." Gordon shudders.

Yawning both the boys follow their youngest brother's example and drift to sleep.

--

John is woken by a screech and Alan's body colliding with his stomach, "What was that?" the terrified boy asks. Gordon looking equally scared sidles closer to his brothers as the sound is heard again a shadow diving above them causing the boys to duck, Gordon lookes up searchingly, and grinning in relief he identifies the intruder, "It's a screech owl…" He patts Alan on the back, "don't worry they're only little, can't hurt us."

"I don't like it," Alan snivels.

John hugs his little brother closer, "Com'on Allie, go back to sleep. You're safe." Snuggling close to his brother the young boy drops back to sleep, Gordon pulls his sleeping bag closer to Alan and John, John noticing the movements pulls Gordon in close to his other side, slowly the boys settle back to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

TBC…

Hope you are enjoying this; I'm certainly enjoying writing it.

Next part of this chapter is back to Scott and the repercussion of drinking…

Please review.

Thanks again.

TBZ.