Dare to Love

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing

A/N:

Chapter 36 (Day with the Cousins)

"Martin, your uncle looks like George Clooney!" Martin looked up as Kelly rushed into the room. His eyebrow arched high as the family around the table laughed. His aunt commented about that being Mike, her husband. The man came walking into the kitchen with a chuckle.

"You've been here two days and your girlfriend just now decides to make that comparison." Michael Sutherland had fluffy grey hair and a stubbly grey beard and moustache. He did resemble George Clooney a little bit, or at least, the younger version. In Kelly's defense, the house was typically packed with relatives, so it was hard to just focus on one person. "Anyhow Martin, we have something for you. Since your friend told us he broke your last phone, I went out and bought a new one for you."

"Really?" He started to smile as Michael set an orange box on the table, the box had an image of a Smartphone on the front. His eyebrows shot up and he immediately grabbed for the box. Upon closer inspection, it had not been tampered with, so he wouldn't have to worry about any crazy tracking devices. "Thanks Uncle Mike!" Kelly sat beside him and watched as he hurried to open the box and remove the phone. He was a little concerned that he didn't have it on any type of plan or anything. To his astonishment, Michael set down another item, a fire-red back cover for the phone, and on the back was a brilliant dragon. His heart leapt up and he fought off the urge to give his uncle a huge hug. "This is amazing, thank you! I uh, I don't have a plan anymore, or at least I don't think I do."

Mike closed his eyes and waved his hand in place, "No need to worry about that. I've done you a favor and we've added you to the extensive family plan. You have 3 GB of Data on that phone, 400 minutes, and unlimited texting." He gazed down at the phone and snapped the case onto it. Kelly touched his shoulder and his glance shifted to her, then back to the phone. They didn't understand how big this was to him. This phone, he would cherish, and he didn't often make things such a big deal mostly because he never had anything to do that with. "What are you thinking of?"

"I've never had anyone really get me anything. Not even a family plan…"

"Oh? What were you using on your last phone?"

"My…cousin got me that phone…" A shiver ran down his spine and he slowly looked up towards his uncle. "I would have to buy those phone cards and whatnot, so there's really nothing to fret over there. I really appreciate this, Uncle Mike. You have no idea…" Mike smiled proudly and nodded his head.

"I'm glad." Michael sat in a chair on the other side of Martin and set his hand down on the table. "Martin, we're going to try and decorate the house a bit for Jack's party tonight, how do you feel about spending some time with your cousins? Jack and Isaac are heading down to the lake for some fishing. I think they're meeting Josh at the bait shop." Joshua was Aunt Marna's and Uncle Mike's second son, he hadn't been staying at the house when Martin arrived. Rather, Josh was attending the University of Chicago and staying in the dormitories. He was twenty years old. Martin met him a day prior when he stopped by the house. "You'll meet the rest of your cousins out by the lake." There were two others he hadn't met yet, Marna's youngest, her daughter Sarah. She was eighteen, and already starting her first year at the college her brother was going to. Then Uncle Sam and Aunt Teddy had one other son, James, who had been visiting Teddy's family in Colorado for a bit before flying in to Chicago.

"I'd enjoy that." He was definitely itching to spend some time with his cousins. It was a bit upsetting that he was close to feeling like he was replacing his other cousins, but they were all the same bloodline. What did it matter? He at least was on good terms with David before, but his cousins were now a lost cause. "Seems almost ironic…my mother's side of the family is the better side. Why does it always seem to be the mother's side that's the nurturing side?"

"Oh Kelly!" Marna reached over and put her hand on Kelly's. The girl smiled politely in response. "Would you stay here and help us decorate?"

"I'd be happy to, Mrs. Sutherland."

"Oh please, call me Aunt Marna. I don't mind, the Mrs. makes me sound old."

"Okay."

At the bait shop, Martin watched his two cousins scale the aisle for all kinds of bait. Jack was born just two years before him, while Isaac was just nine years younger than he was. Cousin Joshua had already picked out his bait of choice and was purchasing it at the register. Josh didn't look too different from him, the same spiked blonde hair, the same build, but he had brown eyes rather than blue, and was a little tanner than he was.

"Ever gone fishing before?" Josh asked, walking over. Martin chuckled and shook his head, he never had time to fish. Hell, he didn't even know how to fish, really. "We'll show you, it's just one of those things we all like to do together. Whenever we all get together, we have a lot of fun together."

"I'm looking forward to it. I guess Sarah and James are already out on the lake?"

"Yep, they went ahead to pick a perfect fishing spot." Josh glanced over to Isaac, who was still staring at the same two bait racks he'd been staring at for some time. "Come on Isaac, make a decision already. We'd like to get to the lake before sundown."

"Shut up Josh," Isaac laughed. Jack walked around to where Isaac was and pointed to the tray on the right.

"That's the bait, grab it," Jack remarked. "If you don't, we're going to have to leave you here. The fish aren't going to be biting all day, you know." Isaac sighed and scooped the worms into his plastic bucket. Martin gripped the edge of the counter and shook his head, chuckling at his cousins' banter. Already these cousins seemed closer together than his father's side of the family.

It almost brought a tear to his eyes, he never thought he might actually miss them. Knowing the truth about his family, it was hard to take. At least this family, Erin couldn't screw up. There was a chance for true happiness here, something he wanted to take advantage of. Thankfully, they were all actually making him feel like family rather than making him feel awkward.

"I thought we all were going to head to church?"

"We're actually going to the evening service," Jack looked over from the aisle he was in, "It's difficult for Grandma and Grandpa to wake up for the morning one, so the family always go to the eight o'clock service."

"That makes sense. Same service?"

"Usually it's the same sermon and all, so yeah." Jack paid the cashier for his bait, then looked to Isaac, who was now just staring at his bait. "Isaac, come on, they're just worms. They're really not going to jump out at you!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one that got the bucket of worms spilled on him last year!" Isaac chortled. Martin raised an eyebrow as Jack and Josh laughed. Isaac walked up to the front counter and glanced over at Martin. "Last year we all got together during the summer to go fishing, right? I'm carrying the buckets of live worms out to the boat, trip on a rock, and all the bait goes flying onto my head!"

"Ouch," Martin stifled a laugh and cleared his throat while Isaac gazed at him with suspicion, "I'd hate to be caught up in that mess. The worms in the pants would be enough torture."

"They were!" The cousins laughed, earning them a glare from Isaac. After they paid for the last cup of bait, they were on their way towards the lake. On the way there, Isaac and Martin were in the back of the car while Jack and Josh were in the front, Jack was driving. Isaac looked towards Martin, possibly pondering some things. "Martin, is it all right if I ask you what your dad's side is like? Or what Aunt Auda was like?" Martin tensed for a split second, not really wanting to think of them. Josh looked over his shoulder at the question while Jack took a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "Sorry if I'm overstepping…"

"It's fine." He breathed in slowly and crossed his arms. "My earliest memory of dad is that he was a kind man at some point of time. That changed when I was like two or three. My cousin Brad was a couple years older than I was, so he actually remembered more of when things were 'normal' for everyone. Aunt Erin came into the picture, everything changed. They became violent, just polar opposites of what they once were…"

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah though, Mom and Zach were good people." He looked to the window, relishing in the memories of his little brother and his mom. His cousins smiled as he did. "I mean sure Mom wasn't able to do much, and the one thing Dad managed to do was keep Erin from being able to find any of you guys…she was strong, always trying to take care of me and of Zach if she could."

"What happened to Zach?"

"He got caught up in this whole mess like I did, forced by Aunt Erin. He…" Martin shut his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his nerves as he remembered his brother's body lying motionless on that castle floor. The brother he always tried to protect. "He was killed because of Erin's little 'game'. She just wanted to control everything, and so she went ahead and sent him in a bad time…"

"I can promise you Martin, we are nothing like that." He smiled at Isaac and slowly nodded his head, he was beginning to see that more now than ever. These people were genuine, honest, and without a doubt some of the best people he'd met in his life. "Also, I don't know how your other cousins are like, but we are awesome! I mean you can't just sit around with us and expect to be bored, we're a crazy bunch, and that's crazy in a good way." Martin laughed as Josh reached over to high five Isaac. Jack smiled into the mirror and nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that." He put his left temple to the window and gazed out at the passing scenery. It was still hard for him to cope with everything, and he wished that he could have at least talked to his family once more. No, at least David. A part of him wanted to visit Uncle Maxwell in the hospital, but he knew that would be fruitless. Another part of him wanted to see Uncle Eric, to confirm what Tabitha had been saying all this time. "David, Tyler, Brad and Rebecca…Those were my four cousins…"

Could he truly open up to his family? They all told him they would be there for him whenever he was ready to really talk. It was hard for him to trust family, but these people seemed easy to trust. Could he put his heart out there? He was scared of it shattering, frightened to death of something going wrong.

"I wished they could have been saved from all this mess, free…but really only David was closest to ever being 'normal'." Isaac frowned and moved his hand to Martin's shoulder, patting it lightly. Martin dipped his eyes onto the cars in the other lane, staring at the black tires slamming on the grey streets. "David killed himself yesterday, that's what that woman said that came over…I don't really know how to react."

"Just take some time to breathe."

"Yeah. Brad…tried to kill my girlfriend, Tyler tried to attack that Princess."

"What happened to them?"

"Dead…both of them…" He winced as the cousins exchanged sorrowful glances. "I'm sorry, I don't want to ruin our time."

"It's fine," Josh replied, "We're all hanging out to get to know each other and enjoy each other's company. We'll listen to you if you want to talk, that's what we're here for. We're family, we look after each other."

"Thank you."

"What about that other one?" Jack asked. Other one? Rebecca? He really didn't want to tell them about her, but he'd already opened up to them this far.

"David's sister. She's…really messed up in the head. She's into incest and all that crap, really tormented. She's almost as bad as Aunt Erin is towards me. She never did anything to me because David and the other cousins usually kept her at bay." He didn't want them to think there was going to be a problem with fearing the one female cousin he had on his mom's side of the family.

"Well, when you meet James and Sarah, I think you'll find they're good hearted people. Isaac knows his brother well, and I know my sister. You'll like her." He started to smile and quickly nodded. He was trusting them to their word.

Arriving at the spot on the lake designated for fishing, there were two people setting up the long boat. Sarah had shoulder length, feathery, sandy-brown hair. Her eyes were bright blue and her face had a pleasant expression. James had shaggy brown hair and a perky step. "They're here!" James called out. Sarah looked up and rushed over to her brothers, hugging their necks.

"Finally! What took you guys so long?"

"Isaac was afraid of the bait," Jack smirked. Isaac quickly protested to defend himself. "Anyway, this is our cousin Martin. Take it easy on him, I know you're always energetic, but trust me when I say he values personal space." Martin raised an eyebrow and Sarah nodded, holding up her thumb.

"Got it." She seemed nice, nothing like Rebecca was. He could get along well with this group of cousins, no doubt about that. "So Martin, Josh tells me you can't fish! Well, get in the boat, we're going to teach you how to fish." He laughed nervously and let his cousins lead him to the boat, this was going to be an interesting day.

Seems the old group of cousins just can't compare to these, they're accepting of Martin too, so that is always good. I'd say he has no reason to fear. What do you think of this chapter? How do you like Uncle Mike's gift to Martin as well?