Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine.

A snow storm had hit Castle Rock the other night, leaving the entire town to look like someone had dump a large case of powdered sugar on it. The schools had been closed, leaving various children to play outside and build snowmen while some of the older kids tried to shovel out driveways in order to make a quick buck. Some businesses, however, were not so lucky so various adults had to head in for work.

Denny Lachance was lying on his bed, his back against the headboard, wearing a sweater and snipping some hot chocolate while his younger brother sat next to him reading him his newest story. Denny listen intensely and watch his brother's mouth moved rapidly as he describe to him the words he had written. He couldn't help but feel proud and blessed to have such a creative and smart brother, though there was once one time where Denny didn't feel all that bless to have Gordie around.

Denny had been four going on five when his parents had called him to come into the living room one day. They had sat him down and his father had explained to him that his mother was pregnant and that he was going to have either a little brother or sister. His parents seem a little worried about the news as they weren't sure if they would be able to support two kids. Young Denny, on the other hand, was ecstatic about this. He had always wanted a younger sibling. Some of the other kids in the neighborhood had older siblings and now he was going to become one himself.

The months had passed. His parents had rearranged their home to accommodate the new baby. Denny watched as his mother's stomach grew bigger and bigger, occasionally touching it to feel the baby kick. He really wish the new baby would hurry up and come out already; he was really hoping the baby was going to be a girl so he could teach her all kind of things and protect her.

One night a scream broke out in the Lachance home, waking a young Denny up. A few minutes later, his dad came into his room telling him that the baby was now coming and he was going to take his mom to the hospital. Denny wanted to go to but his father decline and instead sent him to stay with their neighbor Mr. Whitehall as it could take all night before the new baby was born.

Hours had passed and Denny had fallen asleep on Mr. Whitehall's couch before a knock came from the door. Mr. Whitehall opened it and in came Mr. and Mrs. Lachance pushing a baby carriage. Seeing this, Denny immediately jumped off the couch and ran over to his parents, a big smile on his face. His mother smiled as she bent down to pick up the baby while his father just had a neutral expression on his face.

"Dennis, say hi to Gordon you're new baby brother."

Denny's smile dropped.

"B-Brother?"

His mother nodded and unfolded some of the blankets so Denny could get a better look. There, in her arms, was a little baby sound asleep. The baby looked really pudgy and puffy. Denny leaned in closer and suddenly the baby stirred away, revealing large brown eyes, just like his. Denny leaned in even closer and, slowly, stuck out a finger and lightly pressed the baby's little nose.

Doing so caused the baby to start crying, loudly, which in turn caused young Denny to also scream and start crying himself over the loud noise.

And thus the start of a beautiful relationship was formed.

Months had passed and Denny grew to despise the new baby. All the baby ever seemed to do was cry all hours of the night or smell really bad. Denny also didn't like how the baby had taken over his crib, even though he was too big for it, it was still his. The baby had even taken over some of his old toys too!

"Hey!" Little Denny shouted as the baby crawled over to his old stuff bear, "That's mines!" Denny grabbed the bear but the baby had gotten to it first and was holding it too. Denny tried to pull the bear away but the baby wouldn't let go, quite a grip he had. It had turned into a tug of war between to two until they both pulled too hard and the bear's left arm started to rip. Denny gasped and dropped the bear. Tears started swelling up in his eyes as the baby just innocently bounced the teddy bear around.

Denny started to get red in the face and stomp his feet.

"I hate you!" Denny screamed, "I hate you, you broke my teddy bear and I hate you. I wish you weren't born anymore and it just me, Mommy, and Daddy again!" But the baby just looked at him with a blank expression. Angry, Denny snatched the bear and went into the kitchen where his father was doing work and his mother was doing the dishes. "Mommy, Daddy, look at what Gordon did!" He shouted, lifting up the bear.

"Jesus Christ Dennis, can you see I'm trying to get our bills in order? You want a roof over our heads, do you?" His father complained. Luckily for him, his mother was more sympathetic.

"Sweetie, he's only a baby. He doesn't know any better. When he gets older, you can show him how things are done. Now give me the bear and I'll have him fixed up in a jiffy, ok?"

Denny just sighed and handed the bear over. He went back into the living room and sat on the couch, watching TV and shooting daggers at little Gordon.

Things had gotten worse once Gordon started to learn how to walk and talk. Suddenly he started following Denny everywhere he'd go and whenever he tried to talk it was always, "Denny! Denny!" His parents thought it was adorable.

"That just means he looks up to you. You're such a great big brother."

Denny felt like he couldn't do anything. Whenever he wanted to play outside or go to the park, Gordon would follow. His parents even were encouraging him to bring his brother along with him whenever he went out. The only person who seemed to understand his pain was his friend Jackson, who was different from a lot of people in town as his and his family's skin was darker than everyone else.

"Why don't you send him back and trade?" Jackson asked.

"Huh?" Denny was surprise by this. The two were sitting on a hill in the park.

"When my Pap has a car part that doesn't work, he sent the part to Mister Pressman and they trade for a new one. Maybe if you send Gordon back to the hospital, they'll trade you for that sister you always wanted." Jackson explained. Denny thought it. It really did seem like a good idea and he was still a little upset he didn't get that little sister he always wanted.

So later that day Denny and Jackson had gotten a box, snuck up behind Gordon, and put him inside of it. The two then got on their bikes and rode them to the hospital Gordon was born in. Once they got there, they got off their bikes, walked through the doors, and put the box on the ground. When the secretary looked over the desk, the two boys looked up at her and smiled.

"We like to trade this baby for a sister, please." Denny asked, opening the box realizing Gordon.

The secretary immediately called the boys' fathers.

Jackson got a hiding and wasn't allowed to leave his room for three weeks. Denny got a slap on the wrist and just had to stand in the corner for five minutes to think about what he did. Jackson didn't like how Denny got off easier than him and they both blamed it on Gordon.

It continued on like this for awhile. Gordon would follow Denny whenever he go and Denny himself would get frustrated at this.

The turning point of their relationship came when Gordon was three years old. Their parents had step out a few minutes ago and Denny was left in-charge of looking after his brother. Denny went into the kitchen to make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when guess who came waddling in a second later. Denny looked at the younger boy and frown.

"I'm busy, go play over there or something." He told him, pointing at the other direction. Gordon just cocked his head and strangely did what he was told. As Denny was getting out the bread and peanut butter and jelly jars he heard a door squeak. As Denny took out a knife and was spreading the peanut butter on the slice of bread, he heard something clack on the ground and a slushing sound. When he looked over, he dropped his knife on the floor. There on the ground was his brother lying on his back with a bottle of bleach attached to his lips before he jerked and dropped the bottle, coughing and gagging loudly as the liquid spilled from the bottle.

Denny instantly ran over and stare at the coughing boy before said boy stop and grew silent.

"Gordon?" He asked but no response. "Gordon?" This time he shook him but still no response. "Gordon? Gordon, are you dead? Please don't be dead, Gordon!" Denny yelled yet the younger child still lied there. Denny's vision started to blur as tears welled up in his eyes and he started crying. "I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want you to keep following me around but I didn't want you to die!" Denny cried on the floor before he heard a knock on the door. Wiping his tears, he went to answer it and saw Mr. Whitehall on the porch. He asked him why all the noise and through tears Denny said Gordon was dead.

Staring at him oddly, Mr. Whitehall didn't understand what the boy was getting at until Denny pointed towards the kitchen and he saw Gordon lying on the ground. Mr. Whitehall instantly ran into the kitchen and checked on the boy, tapping his face lightly, waving his fingers in front of his lips and pressing his ear to his chest. He told Denny that Gordon was still breathing and his heart was pounding. He then went to the phone and told the operator to connect him to the hospital. After he explained what happen, Mr. Whitehall tried to comfort Denny and tell me him everything was going to be all right.

From what the doctors said, they don't think Gordon ingested too much of the bleach but they would like to keep him overnight in case anything else happens. Denny received the lecturing of a lifetime for what happen. Being called irresponsible and reckless, how Gordon looks up to him and he let him down, wondering if they should have let Whitehall watch over them. All Denny cared about if Gordon was going to be ok and how he wished he could take back every nasty thing he said about him just to see him again.

A day later, his parents came back home carrying little Gordon. Denny ran up to him as his parents set him down.

"Gordon?" Denny called. He then gulped and called out again. "Gordon? Gordie?" Suddenly, Gordon's eyes fluttered open and the little boy smiled.

"Denny!" He shouted. A smile broke out on Denny's face and he wrapped the younger boy up in a hug. But the hug was interrupted when their dad pulled Gordie back and smacked his butt four times.

"Don't you ever try to drink bleach again, do you hear me young man!" Their father yelled before leaving to his study. Their mother looked at them before leaving also. Gordie started to cry when Denny grabbed him by the hand and lead him to his room. Once they got inside, Denny grabbed his old teddy bear and gave it to the boy.

Once Gordie got it, his eyes lit up again and mumbled something Denny couldn't understand but he didn't care. Looking into those eyes, just like he did when Gordie was born, made him realize that he truly did love Gordie. That his brother was the best thing to ever happen to him and that he would look out for him and protect him for the rest of his life. And that they would be together forever.

Denny broke out of his thoughts when he looked over at Gordie who was still reading his story to him.

"Gordie?" Denny said, making the other boy stop.

"Hm?" Looking up at him.

"I love you."

Gordie just smiled. "I know." The Gordie returned to his reading, "'And then, he threw the grenade into the alligator's mouth. Suddenly, BOOM, it exploded. Blood and guts everywhere!'"

Denny just laugh and shook his head, setting his hot chocolate down and letting himself be wrapped up into the story.

The End.

A/N: Can you believe this week is Christmas? Have a Merry Christmas, have a Happy Hanukkah, have a Happy Kwanzaa, and if you don't celebrate any of these Holidays these week, have a happy... week. lol