Team8s and Counting

129. The Early Morning Alarm

It was around 5 in the morning. The sun had yet to rise, and the entirety of the Team8s household was sleeping peacefully.

However, that quickly changed when the entire household was greeting to the blaring sounds of the fire alarm. Almost instantly, everyone woke up. All the adults sprang out of bed, the first thought being to make sure the kids got out of the house safely.

"Coiny, go outside and keep the door open." Needle ordered, "I'll get Dimey. Pin, you go get Thread."

Needle instantly burst into Dimey's room, who wasn't sure exactly what was going on.

"Mommy? What's happening?" He whispered.

"I'll explain later," Needle said, trying to hide her anxiety, "Get out of bed now and go outside."

Still groggy, he got out of bed and listened to his mother, running down the stairs and out the door.

Meanwhile, Barf Bag and Donunt each scooped up one of the twins, who were shaken by the sudden loud noise. The two were trying to calm down their kids in any way they could.

"It's okay, Sprinkle," Barf Bag whispered, "We're all going to be okay."

Sack clung to Donut for dear life as he ran out the door. "I'm scared dad," he softly choked out.

"I've got you buddy," Donut said, "You're safe with me."

Gaty ran out the door as fast as she could as Saw went to go get bladey from her room.

"Why is it so loud!" Bladey said, crying and visibly shaken.

"We need to get out of the house, now!" Saw said assertively.

Bladey sprang out of her bed, and followed the others outside.

Finally, despite Thread getting harder to carry by the day, the minute Pin burst into her room, she found the strength to carry her daughter downstairs.

"Where are we going, mom?" Thread asked, scared.

Pin found her wheelchair and placed her in it, "We're just going outside, there might be a fire in the house somewhere."

"A FIRE!" Thread said, becoming even more frightened.

"Yes," Pin said, in a stern tone, "We just need to get everyone outside just to be safe."

Once seemingly everyone made it outside, Gaty did a head count just to be sure, "Okay...that makes twelve of us."

The whole group sighed in relief to find out that everyone had made it out of the house unharmed.

As the cool early morning air wrapped around the group, they stood huddled together on the front lawn, still shaken from the sudden fire alarm. Pin adjusted Thread in her wheelchair, trying to keep her daughter calm, while Needle held Dimey's hand, both of them wide-eyed and silent. Sack and Sprinkle clung tightly to their parents, still frightened but comforted by the safety of their embrace.

"What now?" Bladey whispered, her voice trembling as she looked up at Saw.

Saw knelt down beside her. "Now we wait for the fire department. They'll check everything out."

Coiny, still catching his breath, looked at the house, scanning for any visible signs of fire. There was no smoke, no flames—just the incessant, shrill blare of the alarm.

"I don't see any fire," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Doesn't mean there isn't one," Needle replied, her voice steady, though her eyes betrayed the concern she was feeling. She crouched down to Dimey's level. "You did a great job, sweetie. You got out of the house really fast."

In just mere minutes, the fire department made their way into the house. Instantly, they made their way inside to see if there was any fire.

"Mommy?" Bladey asked Gaty, "Why are the firefighters here, I didn't see any fire."

Gaty crouched down to her level, "There could be a fire we don't see honey. The alarms went off, and we need to be safe."

As the firefighters moved through the house, checking for signs of smoke or fire, the rest of the family huddled together on the lawn, waiting anxiously. The alarm had finally been silenced, but the ringing in their ears and the tension in the air remained. Barf Bag rocked Sprinkle gently, while Donut stood with Sack wrapped tightly around his leg, looking up at the house with wide, nervous eyes.

Once the fire department finished checking the house and gave them the all Clear, the group made their way back inside.

"Mom?" Thread whispered to Pin, who was pushing her inside the house.

"What is it sweetheart?" She asked.

Thread nearly started crying again, "What if that happens again, but...for real?"

Pin wrapped an arm around Thread, "Then we'll make sure to get you out immediately."

"Yeah but like," Thread's eyes started to water, "Wh-What if I'm alone...and I can't get out quickly enough because...well, you know..."

Pin's heart ached as she looked at her daughter, tears welling up in her eyes. She knelt down beside Thread's wheelchair, taking her hands gently in hers.

Pin squeezed Thread's hands, her voice soft but firm. "Listen to me, Thread. You are never alone. We're always here for you. And if something like that ever happens again, we'll make sure you're safe."

Thread sniffled, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand. "But what if I'm not fast enough, Mom? What if—"

Pin cut her off, shaking her head gently. "You don't need to be fast, sweetheart. That's why we're all here. You're never going to have to face something like that on your own."

Thread blinked, her eyes searching Pin's face for reassurance. "But... what if you can't get to me in time?"

Pin smiled through her own tears. "I will always get to you, no matter what. And even if, by some chance, I'm not right there, someone else will be. This family is a team, remember? We all look out for each other."

Thread nodded slowly, still looking unsure but comforted by her mother's words. Pin stood up and gave her a kiss on the forehead before pushing her further into the house.

"Alright," Pin said, her tone lighter now. "How about some pancakes to shake off that scare?"

Thread managed a small smile. "With chocolate chips?"

Pin grinned. "With chocolate chips."

As they made their way to the kitchen, the rest of the family began to settle back into the house, the anxiety from earlier slowly fading away. Gaty was already at the stove, starting breakfast for the group, and the smell of bacon and eggs began to fill the air.

Donut gave Sack a playful toss in the air, finally getting a giggle from the frightened boy. Barf Bag sat with Sprinkle, soothing him with quiet reassurances. Needle was already laughing with Dimey about how fast he'd bolted out of bed, while Saw helped Bladey get comfortable on the couch.

Despite the early morning scare, the warmth of the kitchen and the presence of family slowly melted away the fear, leaving behind a sense of safety and togetherness.

As the sun finally began to rise, casting a golden light through the windows, it seemed like the worst was behind them, and they were ready to face the new day as a team.

........................................................

Fun fact: this chapter was actually inspired by real life events! At like 6:45am (which mind you for college students feels like 4 am) around 2 weeks ago, the fire alarm woke everyone up. The sight of 650 college kids standing outside the dorm in pajamas was certainly something to experience. No one knows what hapend still, lol.

Anyway, not my favorite chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyways. Hopefully by the time I upload again, TPOT 13 will be out (fingers crossed!). See you in the next chapter!

- Sunny