It's Okay, There's Always Tomorrow

John has always missed his mother since the day she died, so when he makes a wish to see her again. His wish gets granted but in doing so he meets his twin sister whom he never even knew existed

It’s Okay

There’s Always Tomorrow

Part I

The Sister I Never Had

Chapter 1 " Sunshine

 

The braying of the dogs as they chased madly around after Alan, clearly enjoying the clement weather, caused a smile to creep slowly across John’s face. It was the first smile of the entire day for the blond hair boy and it didn’t go un-remarked. “Ha, the cloud has finally been lifted, I knew it wouldn’t take you long,” the cheeky grin was oh so typical of Scott but for once the older brother used it to lighten the situation rather than prove a point that he had won.

 

Not that there was really anything to win between the two eldest brothers, they had had their fair share of successes over the years and had planned their lives out to a certain extent so many years before that now everything was a long waiting game. They had never been rivals at school or for affection from their father due to a four year age gap so they had invented a sort of friendly ‘better than you’ game in order to have something to keep them going.

 

“Oh shut up,” John replied, leaning his chin down onto his jeans with half a sigh, “it’s hard not to smile when those three get going.”

 

Scott chuckled, watching the two Springer spaniels chasing after the swimming trunk clad six year old who was their youngest sibling. The boy looked almost a carbon copy of John, with his blond hair but had his father’s green eyes. They were a deep emerald green, captivating and filled with mischief though hopefully one day that would change to some form of wisdom. Though Scott really didn’t want to think what the tiny terror would be by the time seven years had rolled by. “Heh I know what you mean,” harshly he clapped John on his shirt clad back and grinned, “Makes me wish that I was still able to do such a thing.”

 

Looking up to the tanned and well worked out body which almost glistened in the sunshine, John scowled at the other, “The only reason your not doing so today is cause you’re not sure if Penny’s going to turn up and you don’t want to ruin your six-pack with sand.” It was always the same argument and normally spoken in good jest but today the boy just didn’t feel like joining in the fun of the seaside.

 

He was not like his older brother who was at the virtual peek of physical perfection nor was he like his half crazy younger brother who could easily get away with running around with Amberly and Diesel cause it looked cute. John was spindly, drawn out almost as if his body couldn’t quite decide what to do with itself and no matter how hard he tried he could never get a bronzed looking tan. If he was left out in the sun without being covered for more than five minutes he tended to end up looking like a tomatoes and it wasn’t fun in the slightest.

 

Sometimes he envied his brothers; they had definitely gotten the lion’s share when it came to looks. Even Vincent, the middle brother who was swanning off in some distant part of the world in order to play his wonderfully composed music, whilst dressing like a suicidal duck still managed to out rank him in the looks department. John felt that he had been deliberately swapped with someone else, just in order for there to be a contrast between the family members.

The only thing he could truly say that he even remotely liked about himself was his eyes. They were a light shimmering blue, like sunshine bouncing off the waves that lapped in. They dazzled many a person and were unique in the family of five men because they belonged to his mother.

 

Sighing, Scott ruffled the young man’s hair and shook his head, “I know, kiddo, but there are just some things that you have to let go sometimes. I bet you Mum is going to be fuming because you’re not having a good time, on her birthday as well.”

 

Elbowing the other in the stomach, none too gently, John tried to change subjects, think of anything but that horrific night five years ago and move on with the rest of the day. The only problem of course was the fact that this whole day revolved around his mother and celebrating her life. It had become the traditional thing to do, since doing anything on the day she had died always proved to be far too emotional for all involved so this was the best compromise that they had come up with. To celebrate the day that Lucy Henderson had come into the world and enjoy the happy memories that brought them all.

 

But for some unknown reason, this particular year her second son was just not in the mood to do so. If he had the choice he would have gladly stayed in bed, under the blankets and wept openly for many long hours but sought no comfort. Scott backed off slightly, recognising the signs that the other wanted to be left alone but not prepared to do so today. For a while his eyes followed the black, white and brown speckled dogs as they fought back and forth over a large stick which then snapped in two causing both to go running off in completely different directions.

 

Jeff, a tall ex-military man with a greying cru-cut and their father, set off yelling loudly after the dogs despite not knowing which one to chase off after first. Alan had started attempting to finish digging a hole to the very centre of the earth which was his current fancy. The boy looked so determined in his task that Scott was thankful they had a caravan to go back to because the very thought of being stuck in a three hour long car journey with a very tired six year old was something that he did not want to comprehend.

 

Tilting his head back towards John, he was only mildly surprised to see the once only blond male had slumped further forward so that his eyes were resting on his knees. Despite the fact that the younger had put on the longest pair of swimming trunks, sensible shoes, a white vest top and a light blue shirt it was clear to see the red lines forming along the skin. It was more than probably that he wouldn’t sleep tonight if they weren’t treated and Scott knew that the sooner it was done the quicker things would return to normal.

 

“Come on Spocky,” he said, pulling himself up and rather ungraciously scooping the younger male into his arms, “someone needs a good wash down.”

 

Receiving next to no complaint from the other, which in itself was quite a feat and a half, the journey back to the caravan was undertaken without any hassle. It wasn’t until they were back inside and Scott had laid the other down did he realise why. The back of John’s neck was red raw and the burns had started to creep around the front. “Oh you old girl,” he commented dryly, running his fingers through the soft blond hair, “you’re never going to get anyone like that now are you?”

 

John looked up sheepishly, his eyes large and unsure of the situation but holding an apology. Rolling his eyes, Scott once again ruffled the hair and went to close the curtains but found John’s hand latching desperately onto his arm. “I dreamed….last night,” the voice was raw, like the jagged edge of a tin can.”

 

Placing a light kiss on the fifteen year olds forehead the dark haired Henderson smiled lightly, “I know, I was there. Just rest quiet here for a few seconds okay?”

 

Over the years Scott had gotten used to dealing with this situation when it cropped up. Ever since the other was born he had suffered from albinism though unlike a majority of cases it was harder to see. Granted his mother had been aware of the trait running the in family for some time and had taken steps to ensure that the chances were reduced but John still had the genetic coding which could cause problems. Thankfully the doctors had been able to do something in order to help out as well but since Scott was no medical student and never liable to be he had just taken it as red that his brother sometimes needed extra care and attention.

 

Having closed all the curtains and blinds, the dark haired man made his way quickly over to the bathroom and turned on the taps. The water couldn’t be freezing cold nor scorching hot, it had to just be a sort of lukewarm that took years upon years of practice to achieve. At one time he had been absolutely rubbish at getting it right, now it was one of the art forms which he cherished dearly. Satisfied with the water temperature and level, the nineteen year old returned to his brother to gently remove the clothes he wore before placing him in the water.

 

If it had been anyone else, Scott would have been all fingers and thumbs over the whole situation but this was a perfectly normal situation to them. One that had been played out a thousand times over and would probably be played out a thousand times again. “On the count of three,” Scott joked as he plopped John into the water and smiling at the slightly strained chuckle which escaped from the other, “Now I’ve only brought Mr. Duck-Duck with me, will that be okay for sir?”

 

John glared at his brother, “You’re annoying.” A cough followed but he couldn’t help but appreciate all that Scott did for him, he really was wonderful indeed. In one way he didn’t want the other to go off to University in the next few months, it just wouldn’t feel quite the same. Not that the older man would have answered any questions on such a subject right now since he was busy cleaning away as much of the dead skin as he could from his very pale brother and once again wondering about the curious shaped scar on John’s left hand side.

 

It was long, like someone had cut into the skin in numerous different places but kept it flowing from one central spot. There was no real explanation for it, though he had asked Jeff more times than he could count but had never received an answer which satisfied his curiosity.

 

“Scott?” John asked at length, trying to distract the other from the scar which often had him worrying about what had really occurred in his early life and get him to talk once again as he felt more inclined to do so now.

 

Shaking his head to snap himself out of his thoughts, Scott looked up at John, “Sorry, what do you want?”

 

John considered his answer for a few seconds, “What would mum think of us all?” 

Chapter 2 �" Wishing

 

For a long while, Scott was quiet, tending to John’s abrasions and fetching the cream which they always had to order in especially. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to answer that particular question, especially on a day like today, it was just that he couldn’t quite think as to how would be the best way. He knew in his heart what he thought of them all but substituting that for someone who meant so much to them was not going to be a nice thing to do to anyone. Tactfully he busied himself, trying to gain time by doing things that required concentration and careful application. It was his way of saying ‘give me time to think’ without offending anyone. Though there were plenty out there who just presumed that he had no opinion on the matter and would pass it off as a stubborn refusal to speak.

 

Not five minutes later, John was lying on the sofa with his back exposed to Scott’s careful hands that rubbed the sticky cream into the pale skin. For a second he thought of bringing up the topic again but opted against it, he knew better than to push for something that wasn’t going to come willingly. Scott, getting the impression that he had to speak at least a few words to break up the silence between them, finally began to tackle the problematic question in the only way he knew how. “I’m not sure what she would think to be honest,” it was always remarked in his school reports that he wasn’t exactly the most flowing of people when it came to the English language, “I can only hazard a guess at everything but you know mum, she was always full of surprises.”

 

John blinked his eyes, staring at nothing in particular and trying to piece together the vital pieces of information that Scott was not saying. He was a great believer in the unspoken word but right now his brain was filled with far too many variables due to the stinging sunburn. At least the cream was helping to get rid of the sting but it would be a long while before it was completely gone. “I do know one thing though,” Scott cut into his thoughts with another cheeky grin, “She would be over the moon that a certain someone has been offered a scholarship.”

 

“I don’t even know if I’ll get the grades to fully take up that scholarship as of yet Scott,” John’s face looked even redder now that he was blushing, “It’s not guaranteed in the slightest.”

 

Rolling his eyes skyward, the elder couldn’t help but begin to draw a smiley face on the others back with the cream, “You have been the smartest out of all of us ever since you started watching Countdown when you should have been watching Thunderbirds.”

 

“I did watch that show,” John immediately shot in though still utterly failing to hide the blush, “it was one of my favourites. Dad should have known better than to change channel half way through.”

 

“But that’s the whole point,” came the reply whilst the large friendly hands worked on obliterating the smiley face, “most kids would have just walked away in sheer boredom but you grabbed hold of a sheet of card, a red crayon and started working it all out on your own. Love your brains John; they’re far better than any of ours.”

 

Before the young man who couldn’t stand the light that often could reply, Jeff returned with Alan and the two dogs. Debates about things that happened in the past which could affect the future were quickly lost in the tirades of food, getting Alan to bed and trying to stop Diesel licking all the vital cream off of John’s back. Bedlam wasn’t the correct word to describe the situation but it came pretty close to it on a few occasions. Finally the darkness of night drew in and the curtains could be opened a little so that the stars were visible.

 

Jeff sent Scott off around ten thirty, telling him to call his pretty lady friend and confirm that all was going according to plan for the garden party she was having. Once he was gone, the ex-military father smiled as he sat down next to John and lovingly helped him onto his back so that his head could rest upon the left leg. It was something that father and son had always done though John never knew quite why. When he was younger odd thoughts had occurred to him that someone else should be on his father’s right hand side at the same time that he was lying or sitting like he did. There was no real reasoning behind it, just a hidden knowledge that something �" or more correctly someone �" was missing from that knee.

 

Only once had he attempted to lie on the opposite side when getting comforted but found that it was one of the worst experiences of his life. It was like someone was there who wasn’t happy about him taking their place and he had worked himself up into such fettle that he swore never to do so again. Jeff had never dared comment on it past that one incident though the look in his eyes said that he possibly knew something more. John however did not wish to find out anything more about the incident and it just passed away as a mere odd occurrence that had happened one night.

 

“Feeling better?” Jeff asked his son at length, gently running his hand through the blond hair and trying not to pull too much of it out. Scott had somehow managed to learn a trick to keeping all the hair on top of the other’s head but unfortunately for the father he had a habit of taking a fair amount out without meaning too.

 

John gave a tight smile before nodding silently and sighing. The burns had gone down a little but now were generally the time that they took his voice away so speaking was hard. “I guess you’re going to sleep here tonight right?” Jeff always hated one side conversations, they brought back memories of fights he had with Lucy and how she could always win anything but just being silent, “Do you need anything at all?”

 

John started to shake his head but then paused and licked his lips, “No, Scott…care.”

 

“Hey don’t wreck yourself on my behalf,” Jeff said with a knowing smile, “I don’t want to have to send you back to the hospital again.”

 

Another scowl crossed the young man’s face and Jeff couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the youth below him. “Okay, no more hospitals. I promised remember. I’m going to put a movie on because I won’t fall asleep for a while, want to help me pick one?”

 

Nodding, John lay staring at the ceiling for a few long moments whilst his father went to choose the movie. Quietly he reflected on their good fortune at being able to afford so many luxuries but didn’t dwell too hard. Picking the film, John settled down to watch with his father, glad to be receiving this sort of comfort today. Normally it would drive him crazy but tonight it was graciously received.

 

Strangely though, John found he could barely focus on the screen despite the film being one of his favourites. He wasn’t even really aware that the dogs had come in and were slouched across his feet, nor that Jeff was snoring lightly above him. It felt like the world was almost at a standstill, yet still moving gently as if he were on some form of lazy river ride in a water park. His eyes weren’t dropping and no yawns escaped him, there was just the screen which shone a lively blue white colour. After a while, though he could have sworn he imagined it, a sphere of white light �" not blinding but soft and gentle �" appeared to slowly creep out of the screen. Like a child meeting someone for the first time.

 

Blinking at the sphere caused it to change into a young girl, possibly no older than four or five. She had deep olive coloured skin, long flowing golden hair and a white free flowing dress which pooled around her. Though John barely noticed any of these small facts at it was the girl’s completely white eyes which catch his own blue ones and made them shimmer gently. “You have been chosen John Henderson, to accept a gift that few ever receive. Though it shall only be temporary,” the voice sounded old, full of wisdom and prowess but at the same time was innocent, child like and playful. It reminded John of the first snow drops in spring, the little white flowers which would push their way through the snow and almost appear to say ‘spring is returning.’

 

“I have?” he asked stupidly, still captivated by all that was going on and having no real clue as to what he was supposed to do in this situation.

 

The child nodded, “Speak but one wish and it shall be granted to you.”

 

John had heard of these sorts of stories before, he had read so many books on the subject and knew that he had to be careful. It was a bit childish to take this all for real but right now the teenager was prepared to give anything a go. He knew what he would wish for if he were given half the chance, had known for the last five years what it would be and now here was a young girl offering him the chance to have the wish.

 

“I wish to see what life would be like if my mother were still alive,” he said carefully but found his attention drawn towards the slumbering Jeff’s right knee. There was still nothing there, like always, but something told him that there was this time.

 

The girl smiled before bowing low, “Before the clock strikes, you wish shall be granted. Sleep now and awake with new light.”

 

Panic gripped briefly at John’s heart as the girl suddenly glowed brightly, filling up the entire space for only a moment before disappearing with a snap. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots which were dancing about in front of his eyes, John stared around the living room of the caravan. It was exactly the same as before, the film however was long over and only static was showing. For a moment he considered going up and turning the set off but then his eyes felt heavy and sleep took him.

 

Not before, just very faintly, almost on the verge of hearing he heard the words, “Wish granted.” The clock ticked around and chimed out the hour.  

Author's Note

This was written as my Second Nanowrimo challenge and was based originally off a Thunderbirds Fanfiction which I did. I actually managed to complete this one in the month, which was quite a feat given everything that went on with it, but it was still good fun. First draft of the full story so please forgive if it gets strange.