Post by Jack Trove on Dec 26, 2007 16:38:14 GMT
Christmas Eve, 6.30a.m.
"It's going to take ages to get home," Kira said softly; her voice muffled beneath her thick scarf. "Ages. I wish our family could've made it back here. But the snow got in the way."
Jack raised an eyebrow, glancing up and down the freezing station. Kira sounded almost surprised at this fact. Funny, dreamy girl. Would she be shocked too, if her plane got canceled due to bad weather? Even this station hadn't quite avoided the onslaught of ice and snow. Lee sat beside her, a small smile on his face, and Jack knew he was thinking the exact same thing.
"You look exhausted," Kira said happily.
"It's 6.30 in the morning," Lee pointed out. "Why shouldn't he look tired?"
"Just sayin'-," Kira may or may not have continued her sentence, but her soft, musical voice was so muffled, Jack could barely hear it. Besides, the trains were huffing and puffing all over the place. Cardsdale needed an upgrade. It was all built in the 1800s for God's sake! What was so great about the 19th century anyway? Pretty? Ugh. Pretty things weren't worth it.
Change was practical, that's what Dad always says.
Dad. Jack wasn't sure whether or not to roll his eyes at the thought. So he was gonna see that man again- the man he happened to hate. Then there was Mum. She was alright. But not worth coming home for. Far too vain. Far too fussy. Far too... fatuous. She tended to remind him of a dying light bulb that flickers on and off at random intervals- usually fuelled by a glass of wine or five. The only reason Jack was actually going home was for him...
Malcolm. Mal. His brother.
The guy he respected more than anyone else on the planet.
The guy he couldn't wait to spend Christmas with.
"Is that us?" Lee said, glancing up now. The train seemed to be moaning. Jack jumped up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. He hadn't brought much. At his home, he wouldn't need it.
"Yuh huh," Kira smiled, standing up gracefully, and Lee followed. She looked at Lee, tugging slightly at the scarf around her mouth. "Did you say anything to Madeleine?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." A small frown furrowed her brow. "Okay. I wish you hadn't."
"I know."
"What about Madeleine?" Jack asked, following the two as they headed up and climbed the little steps onto the train. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Lee shrugged.
Jack's eyebrows furrowed, but he didn't press the issue. Yeah, right. He wasn't an idiot. Rugby hadn't knocked the brains out of his skull yet. And from the way Kira was looking at Lee, Jack was missing out on something important.
Mal doesn't leave me out.
Jack relaxed at that, settling himself down at the window seat. Kira and Lee sat down beside him; Kira now babbling about Ireland or something. Lee held onto her every word like it was a precious jewel. Jack ignored it, stretching slightly.
God, he was tired.
"I'll see Mal soon," he kept reminding himself, smiling every time, as the train pulled out of the station with a metallic groan, and began to puff its way across the barren, icy landscape of No Man's Land.
I'll see Mal soon...
Soon...
"It's going to take ages to get home," Kira said softly; her voice muffled beneath her thick scarf. "Ages. I wish our family could've made it back here. But the snow got in the way."
Jack raised an eyebrow, glancing up and down the freezing station. Kira sounded almost surprised at this fact. Funny, dreamy girl. Would she be shocked too, if her plane got canceled due to bad weather? Even this station hadn't quite avoided the onslaught of ice and snow. Lee sat beside her, a small smile on his face, and Jack knew he was thinking the exact same thing.
"You look exhausted," Kira said happily.
"It's 6.30 in the morning," Lee pointed out. "Why shouldn't he look tired?"
"Just sayin'-," Kira may or may not have continued her sentence, but her soft, musical voice was so muffled, Jack could barely hear it. Besides, the trains were huffing and puffing all over the place. Cardsdale needed an upgrade. It was all built in the 1800s for God's sake! What was so great about the 19th century anyway? Pretty? Ugh. Pretty things weren't worth it.
Change was practical, that's what Dad always says.
Dad. Jack wasn't sure whether or not to roll his eyes at the thought. So he was gonna see that man again- the man he happened to hate. Then there was Mum. She was alright. But not worth coming home for. Far too vain. Far too fussy. Far too... fatuous. She tended to remind him of a dying light bulb that flickers on and off at random intervals- usually fuelled by a glass of wine or five. The only reason Jack was actually going home was for him...
Malcolm. Mal. His brother.
The guy he respected more than anyone else on the planet.
The guy he couldn't wait to spend Christmas with.
"Is that us?" Lee said, glancing up now. The train seemed to be moaning. Jack jumped up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. He hadn't brought much. At his home, he wouldn't need it.
"Yuh huh," Kira smiled, standing up gracefully, and Lee followed. She looked at Lee, tugging slightly at the scarf around her mouth. "Did you say anything to Madeleine?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." A small frown furrowed her brow. "Okay. I wish you hadn't."
"I know."
"What about Madeleine?" Jack asked, following the two as they headed up and climbed the little steps onto the train. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Lee shrugged.
Jack's eyebrows furrowed, but he didn't press the issue. Yeah, right. He wasn't an idiot. Rugby hadn't knocked the brains out of his skull yet. And from the way Kira was looking at Lee, Jack was missing out on something important.
Mal doesn't leave me out.
Jack relaxed at that, settling himself down at the window seat. Kira and Lee sat down beside him; Kira now babbling about Ireland or something. Lee held onto her every word like it was a precious jewel. Jack ignored it, stretching slightly.
God, he was tired.
"I'll see Mal soon," he kept reminding himself, smiling every time, as the train pulled out of the station with a metallic groan, and began to puff its way across the barren, icy landscape of No Man's Land.
I'll see Mal soon...
Soon...
