It had been almost three years since the Button's somehow landed into their mother's home town, Spencer couldn't remember if they had her eyes or those of the father she had never named, Sam stopped freezing up with hope and worry every time someone had the same hair color as Nico's or a similar tattered jacket.
Isaac had because a main fixture in their little world during that short time, the three kids constantly over at the others house as if it were their own, raiding the fridge and coursing a long trail of mess, Mr. Lahey was actually kind of scary sometimes but Claire, his wife, was always able to calm him down with a single look and Camden would laugh about how his mom was magic or something like one of Isaac's comic book hero's and Elsie had taken on the role of Parent with grace and when she wasn't pulling her hair out she kind of liked it… when they slept.
Just kidding…well kind of.
"What are you losers doing?" Camden asked from the door of the Lahey attic, having doubled back at seeing the blonde trio.
"Sshh, you're going to blow our cover!" Sam glared from over her shoulder while Spencer stared through the binoculars they'd 'browed' from Camden's room.
Walking over the Letterman wearing teen nudged his brother "what's all this?"
Isaac had an unsure smile on his face as he bit his thumb nail and looked over to the homemade catapult that had been created with masking tape, rubber bands, a bucket and the remains of the surfboard Sam had smashed to pieces after Camden had made her cry, she never told anyone, not even Spencer what was said but after an awkward apology and some pizza she was pretty forgiving "I told them not to but…"
"Come on, it's not like he doesn't deserve it." Spencer smiled while moving to load the bucket-catapult with the small tower of balloons.
Snatching up the binoculars Camden stared across the street to see the Whitmore boy playing solo basketball in his yard "what did he do?"
"He's Jackson, isn't that enough?... Ready?" Sam growls with her arms crossed, it was no secret that she had liked the boy not all that long ago, but that when she'd tried to kiss him he laughed in her face and then that morning he'd pretty much kicked Isaac off his bike and that was the reason for the curly haired blondes scrapped face and hands.
The two twins looked at Isaac with that menacing gleam in their eye before stepping aside "Isaac would you like the honors?"
The blue eyed boy looked nervously from his friends to his brother, but Camden was just stood there with this look on his face, almost daring the younger boy to do it, thinking he'd wuss out. However with a lick of his lips Isaac reached for the thick rope holding the catapult in place and with one swift tug it released and shot across the street, releasing several water balloons into the air.
They all rushed to the window as the balloons erupted all over the street, one hit the street light, another a nearby car but most important of all, two, not one, two hit Jackson, knocking the little sleaze on his ass with the force. Camden laughs along with three children as they huddle together in a fit of giggles.
"Oh my god, his face!" Isaac wales from his corner of the floor.
Camden watches them with a shake of his head and a hard chuckle because it was funny as hell, watching that little shit Jackson scream and rave at the air, unsure about what the hell just happened, it was nice that Isaac had come to him or just acted like it didn't happen for a change.
Yeah, Camden thought Sam was kind of nuts and Spencer had a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they had been good to his dorky little brother and in all honestly Camden was just happy Isaac had actual friends.
The twins had been grounded for a week after that little stunt, Isaac to with a firm smack on the head from his mother who was less than pleased after talking to Mrs. Whitmore while his father laughed with a wink across from over his paper "come on Claire, at least the kids finally growing some balls and standing up for himself. Of course Cam would have just punched him but it's a start."
He seemed almost proud of the boy and Camden shook his head while Claire rolled her eyes and smacked her husband lightly on the chest before moving to place a kiss into the curls of her youngest boy "Hank don't be so crass, besides my baby is better than that, he's a sensitive boy."
"And that's the reason the boys a weakling, all that gushy crap you sprout at him." He was no secret that Mr. Lahey wasn't too pleased about Isaac being more of nerd, with his comic books and games, than a jock, but at least the kid was smart.
"Hank! You watch your tongue!" the woman who gave Isaac his brilliant blue eyes glared angrily, snatching the paper from her husband's hand as punishment.
Without a word Isaac stood up, collecting his books as his mother asked with a raised brow "Isaac, where are you going?"
"Elsie said I could stay over tonight remember?" she hadn't, but it was that frequent that Claire didn't question it, just kissed his brow and smiled warmly "ok honey, take a jacket."
"Hey Isaac… you did good today son." His father smiled with a nod of pride before Isaac walked out wordlessly with a forced twitch of a smile.
Before Isaac was half way down the path his name was echoed from behind him, turning he found his cocky brother hot on his heels "Isaac… you forgot your jacket."
He hands the piece of tattered denim over to the frowning boy before shoving his hands into his pockets "thanks."
"Listen; don't pay too much attention to dad ok? You know how he can get." It's weak, Camden knows that but he's not like their mom, he doesn't do well with sharing feelings and stuff.
Isaac doesn't meet his brother's gaze as he nods "Yeah, I know, your dad's favorite and I'm moms little boy. I get it."
Camden knew that Isaac got ragged on a lot, knew his dad was just pushing him, wanting him to be better but it hurt and he was his little brother, it was his job to make it all better right?
"Listen, Dad said the school has been talking about creating a Lacrosse team for a while now. We could train you up if you want, get you ready for the big leagues. You won't be able to try out for the school team until High School but I know the community center have one… if you want?" it wasn't much, but the look Isaac gave his brother was confused and hopeful.
"What about Swimming?"
"That's my thing, this could be yours." Camden watches his little brothers face light up almost as he nods hopefully "I'll think about it."
"Cool… well get your ass out of here dweeb." Isaac walked away from his home with a small smile at the suggestion.
Lacrosse; how hard could that be?
Elsie opened the door with her usual Cheerful smile at the sight of the small boy "Hey Isaac."
"Hey Elsie." He says walking past her because she was used to the kid just turning up by now, the fact that she hadn't said so much as a full sentence to the Lahey's before the twins had moved in was a moot point. Besides she liked the boy, when he first started coming around and calling her 'Miss. Pink and Ma'am' she almost laughed at how old it made her feel, insisting he call her by her first name.
She watched as he kicked off his shoes, not to dirty the chocolaty-cream carpet before racing up the stairs "Their camped out in Spencer's room, dinner will ready in twenty minutes."
She watched him go with a fond smile. Isaac was a good kid, plus he was the only reason Spencer was even passing math.
When Isaac managed to get into Spencer's room he smiled in awe, it had sheets pinned to the walls with pillows and duvets cushioning the floor. Spencer was sat in superman pj's, Sam wearing some pink nighty thing with clouds on it, both engrossed with The Addams Family movie lighting up the room.
"Seriously, this again?" Isaac groans as he drops his bag to take a seat beside the twins.
"Yep, now sit your butt down and pretend not to stare at Maritsa's boobs!" Spencer smirked with small shove of Isaac's shoulder, making the boy's cheeks flush slightly with a shake of his head as Isaac snaps back "keep talking Spence, some day you might actually say something worth hearing!"
Sam rolled onto her stomach with a pout, arms crossing over her none-existent chest that she'd suddenly become self-conscious about lately, a look completely lost on Spencer who just to occupied by Maritsa Addams… but Isaac noticed, like he'd noticed when it first happened; at the pool party the Gilligan's where having a few weeks back (having invited the whole street).
He hadn't meant to walk in, really but he was dripping chlorine all over the Gilligan's floor. She was crouched in the corner of the small bathroom in her brand new strawberry bathing suite, not a drop of water on her except the thin glaze of her mint green eyes "Sam?"
"Go away Isaac!" but he didn't, he closed the door and crouched before the small blonde girl.
He sits cross-legged, in utter silence as he watches his friend fight back the sobs. It's a full eight minutes before anything is said and It makes Isaac's brow twitch as she sniffles "do you think I'm pretty?"
"W-what? Well, yeah." it wasn't something Isaac had ever thought Sam would ask him that.
"But not like Lydia Martin pretty?" She looked so sad and that was when Isaac knew Jackson had done something, because Sam had been excited about this party, about her knew suit, about finally being able to talk to Jackson rather than moon at him at school or from across the street. And it was no secret that Jackson was crushing hard on Lydia, like so many of the boys and then there was the fact that Jackson is an asshole!
It wasn't until later that Isaac would find out about the near kiss and Jackson laughing in her face but that didn't matter right then because Sam was sad, almost heartbroken by her first real crush, so Isaac pulled her almost completely onto his lap as he fingered her curls "people only like Lydia because her mom lets her stuff her shirts and wear makeup… your way prettier."
"Really?" she looked more than a touch doubtful but Isaac just twitched his lip into a lopsided smirk with a raise of his brow "Really, really!"
That had made her smile, it was weak and unsure but it was better than her crying. So he'd helped her up, watched her walk over to her brother and Elsie with a smile. Spencer scooped her up and pulled her to the pool while Isaac went back inside; he still needed to pee after all.
Now; sat in Spencer's room beside the self-conscious preteen girl Isaac shrugs "anyway, I prefer Wednesday… she's cute, in a scary way."
Spencer rolled his eyes at his best friend before looking at his sister with a quirked brow, shaking his head to look back at the screen. He acts like he doesn't notice the shy smile shared between the two, the comment having made Sam feel a tad better because yeah, she's his sister and that's their best friend so… just no!
"You three wash your hands then get your butts down here!" They shot up and turned it into a race, finding it set and a stack of meatballs waiting.
Elsie stood before them, hands on her hips as they held out their hands for inspection "Ok you can sit down."
Sam rushes to take a seat beside Elsie while Spencer and Isaac sit opposite "So Isaac, anything new?"
Elsie was more than aware of the catapult incident but after an hour of arguing with the Whitmore's and having Jackson pull a constant bitch-face she was done talking about it, the kids were grounded for a week, but other than that she was kind of proud… and she hadn't high fived the twins after yelling at them at all.
Ok she had but she'll deny it.
"Um, actually I was thinking of starting Lacrosse at the community center." Isaac muttered with a thoughtful tone before taking a big bite and smearing sauce on his face.
The twins looked at each other with scrunched noses before saying in chorus with the other "what's that?"
"It's like…um… I don't know really but I know there are nets on sticks with a ball so, yeah." It's a feeble explanation but it's all he had to go on. It was the look on his face that made the others smile, he seemed almost happy, excited.
So with a wink Elsie smiles "well that's sounds like fun, right guys?"
"I guess, are there cheerleaders?" Spencer asked eagerly, getting a smack across the head at his smirk.
"Mimzy one, Rat zero" Sam smiled into the rim of her glass with a sly smile, causing Spencer to kick her under the table "don't make me pull off your whiskers, Mouse!"
"Hey, knock it off or Isaac's getting both your deserts!" Elsie scorned with a stern point of her finger at the pair. The fighting stopped with a quick pull of tongues before Elsie turned to the Lahey boy with a smile "So, Isaac, tell us more about this new adventure of yours."
It was a good night, they ate dessert in front of the TV and Sam ended up booting Elsie in the ribs, unable to control her limbs as the other three tickled her. Sam hated being tickled and Spencer hated being poked, but Elsie loved doing both just to watch them squirm.
The four of them where huddled into the makeshift tent until the credits to 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' roll across the screen. Elsie smiled as she laid a kiss on each of the blonde's head's before standing to turn off the TV but not before flicking on the starry nightlight; she'd learned the hard way that Spencer was not a big fan of the dark and the first few weeks, sleeping without his sister at his side, was more than a little daunting.
She sometimes still caught them sneaking into the others room after a bad dream or being unable to sleep, she never mentioned it just like she never mentioned about their old lives, the one that gave them the nightmares in the first place… she didn't want to intrude, they'd come to her if they needed her.
With one last look Elsie smiled, they looked peaceful "Sweet dreams my little monsters."
Sam was already fast asleep, curled into her moth eaten, floppy eared, fluffy pink Rabbit and patchwork blanket. Isaac was squashed between the twins in his own quilt, eyes closed as Spencer stared off into the churning stars on his ceiling "Spencer, stop thinking so loud you're giving me a headache."
"Sorry… hey, Isaac?" he didn't turn to look at his friend as Isaac sighed with a rub of his tired eyes "What?"
He licked at his lips anxiously with a shallow swallow, still fixated with the slowly moving constellations "When you start this Lacrosse thing, you'll still come around right?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Isaac turns to look at Spencer in the dimly lit room; grimacing at the other boy's vacant expression.
Spencer shrugs like it doesn't matter, but in the last few years Isaac's gotten to know the boy, meaning he knows better than to believe the uncaring tone in his voice "you'll get new friends, me and Sam won't seem as fun anymore. You'll leave."
"Don't be stupid! You guys are my best friends." It rolled off the tongue like nothing, because it was true.
Spencer's minty green eyes finally looked to his friend with a hint of wonder and bewilderment "really?"
"Well yeah." Isaac looked at Spencer like he'd asked the most stupid question ever spoken, because of course they were best friends. Spending days and nights talking about nothing and everything, Isaac knew things Elsie would shiver about, like why Sam was really afraid of clowns and why Spencer hated the beach so much.
A twitch of a smile come to Spencer's lips, he'd never had a best friend before, he never had much of anyone, just his little mouse, his Sam. With a glance over Isaac's mass of golden curls to his snugly sleeping sister Spencer nods "cool… you're our best friend to by the way."
"Oh, I know. Now go to sleep you big girl" Isaac laughed, flopping onto his back while his eyes fluttered to a close, as did Spencer's, his fretful mind now at ease.
The Button twins had become an important part of Isaac's life in the last few years and it was obvious the feeling was mutual... they needed each other.
They were best friends after all.