Chapter Four
Before the island, before the famous five years, before everything..
It wasn't as if being alone was something new to the ten year old. But being completely alone in the massive mansion was so new to Thea Queen. Her mother and father had gone to a last minute business meeting and that was a day ago, before the storm hit the town. Their flight was delayed and they had to extend their stay, a distressed phone call from her parents let her know that. She had put on a brave face and told that she wasn't a baby who needed babysitting when her nanny called in to say that she wouldn't be able to come.
As the Sun crossed the horizon, descending in to the sea, the darkness seeped in with a thundering sky, lit by flashes of electric whip across the cold abyss. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the ten year old decided that it would be safe to leave the lights on. Not that she was afraid or anything, but her brother was nowhere to be found and his phone was not reachable.
It was around seven in the evening and she crawled in to bed when the power had given up. It was dark, eerie, and she finally accepted that she was scared when she screamed at her own shadow.
A crack in the sky made her quiver and she grabbed the nearby telephone to dial the only other number that she was able to remember. And it was answered in a ring.
It took all of ten minutes before she could hear the familiar expected knock on her door and she ran down the pelted stairs to let him in.
"Speedy" He came in with a smile and was attacked by a tight hug. He smirked and was duly smacked when she noticed his teasing smile.
"Sorry, but you are too adorable when you try acting brave" He said, the glint of tease was still in his dark eyes.
"I am brave" She said, and flinched when the traitorous thunder came crashing down.
"Sure you are" He said with a poker face and pulled her to the nearby couch.
"Thanks for coming. Where is Ollie? I tried calling him and he was not reachable" Her voice had a shudder and Tommy pulled her closer.
"I tried too. But I have a wild guess that he is somewhere partying, without me. I can't believe that he ditched me." Tommy complained and tried to fake a pout. Thea giggled.
"Hey, you do know, right? That he would have come home if he knew you were alone. He loves you more than anyone" Tommy said, his arms still around the frightened little girl.
"Yeah, I know." She said, softly, almost feeble, her voice lost among the ether itself. Maybe it was because he had spent almost every single day at their home during the school days, maybe it was because he had watched her grow, from piggy tails, to pony tails, to pink skirts, he had watched her colouring the walls with crayons, her stories of unicorns and fairies, he had been put in to the misery of washing the walls later, along with Oliver, but he had loved all those days where she followed them around, as if he and Oliver were the captains of their little ship.
Speedy has always been his sister and he felt an unknown warmth, bubbling in his chest to know that she had called him, trusting him to help her when she was in distress.
She yawned after two board games, (He had let her win, of course) and he chuckled when her eyes drooped.
"Okay, come on, time for bed" Tommy announced and jumped off from the couch to trail her across the stairs.
"No, let's just be here..till Ollie comes home" She pleaded and Tommy could take only so much of puppy eyes. He caved in with a sigh and she beamed a smile.
It didn't take long for her to doze off and the twenty year old carried her to the large bed, to tuck her in. Her palm fisted his shirt and he had to roll his eyes, as if he would ever leave her alone. It was nice, warm, to have her cuddled beside him. Her breathing was steady and she had this small snore and he nearly laughed at the adorableness.
He heard the door to her room creek and his eyes searched across the expanse to trace his best friend sneaking in to her room.
"Sorry, I didn't know that mom and dad weren't coming today" Oliver whispered and Tommy raised his brows, his unvoiced demand for another apology.
"And, sorry for not telling you, but I was at Laural's and my phone ran out of batteries" He whispered in another apology and Tommy had to forgive him in an instant. The Queens had a way out with their small smile, pleading eyes and even after these many years, he was still not immune to their trait.
"How is she?" He asked in a shushed voice.
"Angry that her brother didn't come home" Tommy said and tried getting up. She rustled in her sleep, a disapproving moan was let out and her palm still fisted his shirt.
"Stay" Oliver said and crawled in from the other side. He placed a small kiss on Thea's head and apologized for not being there. A phantom of smile tugged on the corners of her lips, she felt warm and light. His fingers traced her loose strands, he smiled and snuggled her closer to his chest.
There was another deep rumble from the skies above, a crash of crack somewhere close, but she didn't flinch, didn't shudder. She was in the arms of her favourite boys, no thunder could haunt her dreams, and no lightning could steal her away to the land of black coldness.
She was safe.
~.~.~.~.
Word count 995
A/n : I had to get this out of my chest, the whole cuteness of Thea and Tommy. : )
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