Disclaimer: You know the rules by now. I don't own. Understand?

AN: I'm going to borrow a couple of characters from my fic 'Glimpses of the Next Generation'. Elma and Oskar are the children of Max and have grown up in Germany, which is why they tend to speak in German instead of French and generally celebrate with German, instead of French, traditions.

"Did you get everything?" Elma whispered as Oskar stepped in.

"Ja-of course!" he whispered back in a slightly annoyed tone as he handed her the bags. "I'm not some absent-minded dummkopf."

"Well sorry for making sure!" she hissed back, her brown eyes flashing behind her round glasses. "I can't make Oma's Cherry Marzipan Streusel cake without the right ingredients. And I want it to be a surprise for Grand-mère and Papa."

Oskar flexed his fingers gently, not bothering to remove his gloves.

"It's verflucht cold out there," he said as he shook the snow off his boots. "I swear, my toes are frozen solid."

"Too cold even for your precious flowers," Elma asked with a smirk and Oskar rolled his eyes.

"Natürlich dummkopf," he said with annoyance. Elma opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden noise from their father's room cut her off. She settled for sticking her tongue out at him, a gesture that he probably couldn't see through his misted up glasses.

"Eggs, sugar, marzipan, baking powder, flour, powdered sugar, salt, pure vanilla extract, butter and buttermilk," she said as she emptied the bags and hid their contents with surprising swiftness. "Danke. You didn't miss anything," she said and Oskar glared at her over his glasses.

"I told you that I had everything!" he said and Elma rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but I had to be sure," she replied with a smirk. "After all, Grand-mère might be coming with news about your petite amie and you might be a bit distracted."

"Marie isn't my girlfriend," Oskar said as he started cleaning his glasses. "And I already have a freudin, remember?" He added, emphasising the word freudin. "A freudin I actually see more than once or twice a year."

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt," Elma said in a sing-song voice and Oskar lightly bopped his sister on the head.

"It's not denial if it's not true," he said as he removed his coats and gloves. "Marie has a copain, I have a freudin, what's to see?"

Elma responded with the mature response and stuck out her tongue once more. Oskar rolled his eyes once more. She might be thirteen technically, but in his opinion, she was more like six. AT least mentally.

"And it's not like you can talk," He continued, before smirking. "I'm sure Hans Kemp wouldn't object to your Cherry Marzipan Streusel cake."

Elma blushed and she was grateful that her skin tone was too dark to really change colour. Unfortunately for her, Oscar knew her too well. He suppressed a giggle, but she could see his body shaking slightly.

"I couldn't do that!" she protested. "He's cute and perfect and amazing and-"

Oskar couldn't help himself. He started to laugh out loud.

"Oskar, stop teasing your sister," Max said as he walked into the kitchen. Oskar raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think that I'm teasing Elma?" he protested and Max raised an eyebrow.

"Based on past behaviour, there's a seventy-two percent chance that you were teasing her," he said with amusement. Elma stuck her tongue out at Oskar from behind Max's back. "And put your tongue away," He added without turning around. "There is a ninety-six percent chance that's what you were doing."

"I cleared the drive," Oskar said, quickly realising that his snow-covered boots were still visible. "And the path in front of our house."

"Merci," Max said as he poured all three of them cups of coffee. "I'll give you a lift to school. Do you have everything?"

"Oh! My homework!" Elma said, quickly dashing to her room. Max turned to his son.

"You know, you should have gotten your sister her ingredients after school," he said and Oskar stared in mute disbelief. "I'm sure whatever marzipan recipe she's preparing for Grand-mère will be wonderful."

"How-"

"I saw the receipt," Max said with a smile as he prepared breakfast.

(German) Ja=yes

(German) Dummkopf=idiot

(German) Oma's=Grandma's

(French) grand-mère=Grandma

(German) verflucht=damned (as an adjective)

(German) Natürlich=of course/naturally

(French) Petite amie=girlfriend

(German) Freundin=girlfriend

(French) Copain=boyfriend

(French) Merci=Thank you/thanks

(German) Danke=Thank you/thanks