John yawned as he made his way down the stairs. He wasn't sure why he was up at two in the morning but now that he was he needed hot chocolate. As he made his way from the stairs across the foyer to the kitchen he noticed a faint light coming from the living room. Not wanting to scare who ever was in the room, if anybody was he slowly made his way closer. As he entered the room he noticed that the light was coming from the TV, that was on a very low volume. Not seeing anybody in the room John reached over to turn off the rerun episode of Numb3rs, and turned around to head toward the kitchen.

When John rounded the corner to enter the kitchen he ran chest first into something that fell to the ground with a pained "ow". Quickly John reached forward to turn the light on to the kitchen, where he was greeted with the sight of his youngest brother sitting on the floor rubbing his left elbow.

"You okay Kiddo" Jon asked extending a hand to help Alan up.

"Yeah" Alan replied as he made his way over the stools that lined the kitchen counters. "What are you doing up so late?"

John stifled a laugh as he grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. "I could ask you the same thing Sprout isn't it a little past your bed time."

"Couldn't sleep" Alan mumbled, causing John to take a good look at the kid. Being the two blondes of the family John and Alan have always looked more like each other than any other members of there family. They both have the same pale blonde hair and dark blue eyes, the thin and tall frame that made Alan at 14 already taller than Gordon and closing in on Virgil in height. But right now it was more than that t was the pale skin that both the brother shared neither looking like they lived on a Tropical island, it was also the dark circle under the eyes that gave them both a look of sadness and sleepless nights.

Most days John would wonder what had his normally care free baby brother so bothered but right now new. Less than a week before Alan had come home from his boarding school for Spring Break and by the next day the entire family had almost died at the hands of a mad man. Jon had the unfortunate pleasure of being unconscious for most the families misadventure but he knew that Alan had been subject to the whole thing. The first night after the incident both Alan and John were made to stay in the on island infirmary. John for a minor concussion and Alan for several bruised ribs. The entire night was dealt with i silence from the two patients neither much liking the room or what it meant.

Now several days later no one in the family had been able to get Alan to talk to them about what had happened and it was painfully obvious that it was taking it's toll on Alan. John sighed as he made heated up the water for the hot chocolate he knew tat he should talk with Alan but he honestly did;'t know how. The two had been fairly close when the family first moved to the island both having rooms on the same floor of the house and enjoying quite looks at the stars when their brothers were asleep, but recently. John spent must of his time up in Thunderbird 5 and Alan at school the blondes' island schedules hadn't crossed since last summer.

As he stared to mix in the coco John realized that even if he didn't really understand his youngest brother any more he still how to help he sleep. Handing one of the mugs to Alan he carefully guided the teenager over to the living room couch and turned on the TV. Grabbing the remote he started to flash through the channels until he found what he was looking for. A late night showing of Unwrapped, this particular episode was about chocolate kisses. Tossing his feet on the table and his arm over Alan shoulder john took in the show smiling softly as Alan was asleep within the first ten minutes.

More to come. -Stormi