i'll tell you a story

Tyler sunk into her seat on the airplane, keeping her three year old nephew, Tom, on her lap, scrubbing a hand over her face anxiously. Not only had Tom been a complete nightmare throughout security, but they now faced a long flight, consisting of almost twenty three hours, with a layover, 30,000 feet up in the air. Letting the little boy rest against her, Tyler bit her lip, knowing that nobody liked to be sat next to any kind of child. Hopefully the boys' tantrums had been enough to wear him out and let him sleep, but Tyler had come prepared with colouring books, too - just in case.

Luke patted Michael's shoulder as he boarded the plane, instantly going to look for his seat. It had been a busy few weeks in the UK for promotion of Youngblood, but Luke was so happy to be heading back home to Australia. Luke found his seat with almost no problems, and he instantly sunk into his chair. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would do for the next twenty two hours, just until he could get home and straight into bed.

Michael watched Luke pass him but he followed Luke, finding himself walking through the aisle to get to his own seat, wanting to relax while he could. When he came to his seat, though, he spotted a woman there with a child and he tried not to feel disheartened. Sitting down, he offered a weak smile to the pair as he leaned back in his seat, not wanting to be rude, but definitely wanting to get some rest. “Hi,” he greeted quietly, trying not to come off as rude.

Aurelia chewed on her lip nervously as she carried her niece, Sally, onto the plane. Sally’s mother - Aurelia’s sister - had left to head home to Australia the week prior, for work, so Aurelia was flying back with Sally today, and Sally had been wild most of the day. It made Aurelia worry that they’d annoy other people on the flight, but she tried not to think about it too much as she moved to sit down next to somebody, Sally resting on her lap for the moment.

Tyler offered Michael a nod, not speaking to him, not even looking directly at him. Not wanting to come off as rude, Tyler focused instead on running her hands through Tom's hair, grateful that he had calmed down and was ready to nap. Looking out of the window, Tyler listened to the intercom, her hold tightening around Tom before take off.

Luke glanced as someone sat beside him, his heart dropping in his chest slightly as he saw a woman, not far from his own age, with a toddler. Great. Still, he offered a small smile, hoping that he'd still be able to get some rest during the long flight. "Hi." He greeted quietly, not wanting to seem rude, or make the woman nervous. She seemed nervous enough as it is, and Luke didn't want to make that worst.

Michael watched the pair quietly, shifting a bit with her silence. For a moment, he wondered if maybe he should just leave them be, but he didn't want her to think he was rude or inconsiderate. At the same time, he didn't want to be a bother, either. “I'm Michael,” he said quietly after a bit, “If you want, I could ask for a blanket for the kid. It can sometimes get chilly.”

Aurelia held Sally to herself, tensing a bit when the man had spoken, worried that things would turn sour. She'd seen plenty of looks from the other passengers, all seeming to dread the fact that a child was on board, and she was sure the same went for this man, even if he was being nice. Still, she nodded slightly in greeting, but she didn't talk, too worried about getting Sally excited.

Tyler blinked in surprise with Michael's words. "Oh, uh, thank you." She spoke at last, almost cringing at how tired she sounded, being quiet to ensure she didn't stir Tom up. "Sorry, it's been a long day." She murmured. "I'm Tyler. This is my nephew, Thomas." She introduced. "It's nice to meet you, Michael. I'll do my best to make sure he doesn't annoy you." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Luke smiled sympathetically. "She's adorable." He commented, not looking over, not wanting to freak out the beautiful woman beside him, or scare the little girl. "Is she yours?" He asked with curiosity. Still, Luke offered another smile. "I'm Luke, it's nice to meet you." He spoke softly, sensing that Aurelia wasn't in the talking mood, but still wanting to seem approachable.

Michael listened quietly but nodded in understanding as he offered a small smile. “It's okay,” he assured her quietly before he moved to call one of the stewardesses to get a blanket for Thomas. “It's nice to meet you, too, though, Tyler. And the same goes to Thomas.” He smiled as he watched them for a moment but shrugged. “You don't have to worry about any of that. I'm sure he'll be just fine.”

Aurelia listened quietly to the man, holding Penny close still. “She's my niece,” she said quietly after a moment, chewing on her lip before she peered over at him. “Her name's Penny. I'm Aurelia.” Shifting Penny gently in her hold, she ran her fingers gently through Penny's hair. “It's nice to meet you, too, Luke. I'll try to make sure Penny doesn't cause any problems.”

Tyler exhaled quietly with Michael's words. "I hope so." She murmured, staring out of the window once more, although she was happy so far with Thomas' behaviour. He seemed to settle, and having someone (somewhat) understanding sat beside her made Tyler feel more at ease, too. Running her fingers through Thomas' hair as the plane prepared for take-off, Tyler looked to Michael once more, studying him carefully, wondering how fast his tune would change if Thomas was to begin crying. People always changed their story when Thomas' inner-demon switch flipped.

Luke listened to Aurelia's explanation carefully, nodding with a smile. "Penny's a cutie." He smiled, hoping that his open attitude to the situation would make them both feel at ease. Being on a long haul flight, for both the toddler and the woman, probably wasn't going to be the easiest journey, but the more he thought about that, the more sympathetic he became. "Do you want me to ask for a blanket for her?" He suggested with a smile. "Or if you need anything, let me know." He reassured, although he blinked with her later words. "I'm sure she'll be fantastic." He promised, smiling. "Don't worry about it."

Michael could feel his expression soften fondly as he watched Tyler and he offered a smile as he nodded slightly. “Have some faith,” he told her quietly, letting himself relax back against his seat. “And if you end up needing any help with anything at all during all of this, feel free to ask. I’d be happy to help, really - in whatever way I can.” He couldn’t guarantee he could do much, but he’d try his best.

Aurelia watched Luke with surprise, though listening to him, she could feel herself relax a bit, comforted with the fact that he wasn’t freaking out and getting angry about the situation. “Um, that’d be really great, if you don’t mind,” she admitted quietly, not wanting Penny to get cold. “Thank you, really. Not many people would take this whole situation as well as you are.”

Tyler looked to Michael with surprise and shock, but so grateful for the offer. "Thank you, Michael - really." Offering a genuine smile to the ruggedly handsome man then, Tyler allowed Thomas to relax against her, looking out of the window as she wrapped the baby in the blanket, wanting to make everything as comfortable as she could for Michael. "Well, you know..." Tyler laughed. "Some adult conversation would be awesome, if you're up for a chat sometime during the flight."

Luke could feel Aurelia relax beside him, and he smiled a gentle, dimpled smile, because he didn't want Aurelia - or the sweet little girl she cuddled - to feel as though they were unwanted. "Of course I don't mind." Luke promised, standing to his feet. "I have to be careful, I'm tall." He joked, getting the attention of a hostess and asking for a blanket for Penny to be warm. When she returned, Luke thanked her, unfolding the blanket with a hum. "You know, people who complain about babies aren't exactly nice people." Luke offered, sitting down as he placed the blanket around Penny. "I have to remember that I have a niece this age back home."

Michael smiled and he shook his head slightly. “You don’t have to thank me, really,” he promised as he watched her, though he watched how she was with Tyler, finding the sight something amazing to behold. Still, he grinned slightly and nodded with her suggestion. “Adult conversation sounds great to me. Any specific topics in mind?”

Aurelia watched Luke quietly, her heart swelling a bit with knowing that he was putting this much effort into this. She smiled, watching how gentle he was with putting the blanket around Penny, and she nodded slightly. “I suppose. But… Some people are tired, it happens,” she murmured, though she blinked, “You have a niece?”