So I decided after all this "gee, fanfic of the Chan Clan's lives outside of being detectives would rock" it was about time I, um, actually WROTE some!

Tom Chan was not afraid of thunderstorms. Not in the slightest. All of his nature and meteorology studies had taken care of that; a thunderstorm was a natural occurence, formed by the uplifting of warm and humid air. The thunder and lightning were simple sound effects caused by other scientific factors.

It was like a horror movie. Once you knew the monster was an actor in heavy makeup and latex, or that the blood was a red dye, the scare factor was gone. With that in mind, Tom pulled the blanket tighter around himself and tried to go back to sleep.

"I'm not afraid," he muttered. He was thirteen years old, that was too old to be afraid of storms.

CRASH! BOOM! BZZT!

But did they have to be so loud?

CRASH!

This was not working.

-x-

"It's just a storm," Anne muttered, glancing across the room at her sleeping sisters. "Just a storm. You're tough, you've been chased by monsters, you can handle a little storm."

"Anne?"

"Yikes!" She nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning around, she gave the intruder a dirty look. "Darn it, Tom, you can't sneak up on a person like that," she grumbled. "What do you want?"

"Well...as you can see, or rather hear, there's a nasty storm going on outside. And I thought...well, you're just a girl, and-"

"You're scared, aren't you?" Anne and Tom had always been pretty close, at least enough for her to know when he was lying or hiding something. Tom's shoulders slumped as he returned her dirty look with his own.

"I am not scared. The acoustics produced by the thunder and lightning are simply making it hard to fall asleep," he said. "Why are you still awake?"

"Same reason," Anne said. It was almost funny, she realized, both of them obviously spooked by the storm and knowing they could confide it to each other, but still refusing to do so out of stubborn pride. Suddenly feeling warm and generous, she pulled back the covers. "Get in."

"Well...if my presence will ease your discomfort, Anne, I'll be glad to keep you company," Tom said, but he couldn't get in next to her fast enough. Anne smiled.

"Here...if he'll make you feel better, you can hold my hand."

His fingers closed around hers, and in the dark she could see him smile gratefully as she squeezed back.