Today's Gift
It was that night that they were going to Doc's for Christmas; Maddie was looking forward to going. All her other Christmases weren't much fun, having to be with people you didn't want to be with, except her aunt, uncle and cousins. She had one cousin with her at Docs but it didn't seem to matter because Alex was sitting between Buzz and Johnson. Maddie was beside Robbie and across from Jack.
They had played football, Herb had gone and Doc brought them back into the house to warm up and for dessert. Maddie had hardly eaten any of the dinner and any of the dessert but she had eaten a ton earlier.
"Who won the game?" Alex asked. "Minnesota or Boston?"
"We weren't really playing a game, just for fun." Pavelich answered.
"Oh right, so there was no competition whatsoever?" Alex asked deviously.
"You want me to explain something?" Buzz asked. "We're a family."
"Yeah Mark." Maddie called out.
"You kept the team together." He replied.
"That was my job." Maddie smiled. "Except I don't get paid."
"Paid?" Robbie asked. "You need to be paid now?"
"Someone in this family's gotten bring in the cash." Alex joked, taking Maddie's side.
"When we win it'll be worth it." Buzz broke in.
"Yeah." Jack added as well as most of the others.
"Well Maddie, the team got you a little present for doing whatever it is your supposed to be doing." Rizzo announced and handed her a box.
She held it in her hands and gently tugged the bow off and stuck it to her head. Robbie chuckled, it was a tradition in the McClanahan family to enjoy everything about presents, including the wrapping. Maddie slowly pulled off the paper and tied it around Alex's head. She opened the cardboard box and inside was her very own jersey reading 'M. McClanahan, ½'. She laughed as she pulled it on over her t-shirt and jeans; it hung down past her waist but not quite to her knees.
"Thanks." Maddie smiled. "It means a lot."
"Not as much as your other jersey." Alex grinned.
"Other jersey?" Rizzo questioned.
"The one that says 'O'Callahan'." Maddie stated matter-of-factly.
Jack shook his head in amusement. Maddie looked at Alex and the two girls laughed. No one else laughed until Robbie said something that was barely audible then everyone burst into laughter. Maddie stopped for a second to glare at Robbie then Jack smiled and she laughed again.
"Man the joys of Christmas." Buzz remarked.
"I could show you more joys-"
"Alex." Maddie cut her off.
"What?"
"No way, you always do this kind of thing, you're going to get your own heart broken some day." Maddie remarked with a half smile.
"Until then I'll be a heartbreaker." Alex stated proudly. "Forever and always."
"Forever's a really long time." Robbie added.
"That's how long you'll be stuck with me brother." Maddie nodded.
"Or until death do us part." Robbie laughed.
"No, we're not married." Maddie emphasized the not. "Plus you'll die first, I know it. I can see the future."
"Really? Do I find true love?" Rizzo asked.
Maddie looked up for a minute, faking a prediction. She quickly looked back at him with a grin on her face.
"Yes, she's very pretty too." Maddie smiled.
"Her name?"
"Katie McClanahan my other cousin."
"That's my damn sister." Alex retorted.
"She got lucky, unlike you."
"You're real lucky, I can read the future too, you never find true love because you die a day after the Olympics and I know 'cause I hire a hit man but at the last minute, he confuses me for you and it turns into a massacre."
"Violent enough?" Jack asked.
"Coming from you?" Maddie laughed.
She got up from her chair and wandered to the other side of the table, smacking Alex in the back if her head in the process. She climbed onto Jack's knee and sat there. Alex eyed her suspiciously before whipping a green thing at her. Maddie picked it up off her leg and admired it in her hand.
"Merry Christmas Madds." Alex smiled deviously. "It's mistletoe."
Maddie shifted her eyes from left to right before nodding to Alex. She turned around and faced Jack. He rolled his eyes at her before being kissed. Maddie turned around, stood up and wandered over to Alex, mistletoe behind her back then she whipped it out from behind her back and held it over Buzz and Alex.
"Merry Christmas to you too." She whispered.
Robbie shook his head, he knew she was weird; he knew she was fun but mostly he knew she loved to get back at people for anything possible. Maddie eyed him and smiled, she was waiting for his smile and when she saw it, she squealed quietly. Alex planted a big one on Buzz and Maddie squealed even louder. Alex pushed her backwards and she fell, darting upright and laughing like a maniac.
"Madds, you coming to the rink later?" Mac asked.
Maddie gasped, it was another tradition. Every Christmas she and her brother had gone to the nearest rink and played a bit of one on one. Her gasp soon turned into a smile and she stood up long enough to stumble into the closest chair.
"Yes."
"Can I come?" Alex whined.
"No." Maddie snapped jokingly. "You can if you can skate now."
"You always have to complicate things huh?"
"Of course."
XxxxxXxxxxX
Maddie stepped onto the ice followed by Robbie. Neither really had any gear on, just a helmet and skates, and her new jersey. She had a stick, it wasn't anyone's just an extra they left in the locker room she guessed.
"You like your present?" Robbie asked.
"I love the jersey."
"No. The hockey stick."
"But-"
"You're a hockey player now, I mean me, Jack, the whole family."
"Yeah." Maddie sighed.
"What?"
"You know this whole thing should've happened because you're my brother, because you were always there for me and this, right now, is about the only family time I'm shared with just you since the third practice. But I would've missed you more if I had to stay in Minnesota by myself, you are my brother." Maddie smiled.
"If you didn't come out the first game, I wouldn't have either."
Alex sat in the stands with Buzz, Jack, Johnson and Ramsey. She watched the two siblings play before answering many questions from the guys.
"Why do they do this?" Ramsey asked.
"Play on Christmas? When they were little, like old enough to cross the street and talk and stuff they would always hate having Christmas with the family because the family didn't really want them around, I don't remember why but my mom always told me that they might come to live with us soon but they never did. When Maddie hit sixteen, they left the house and moved to where they live now and every Christmas, they would leave the house earlier than everybody else. One year I wondered where they went so I followed them and this is exactly what I saw." She pointed to the two laughing and playing on the ice. "I didn't understand but every Christmas since then I'd sneak after them and watch from the stands, trying not to get noticed. They never noticed me and when Maddie was nineteen, I realized that they loved this so much the whole world just vanished and they were really a family. I even once tried yelling but they were out of it so far that by the time they left it was four in the morning and they wandered out into the parking lot and acted like they had never breathed in fresh air. Those two are the weirdest siblings I've ever seen. Then when I realized Madds wasn't coming home for Christmas, I called Robbie and he arranged for me to come down and celebrate with them, I would never miss this for the world. This is Christmas for me, watching two people connect every year at the same time. And I watch them and I know what I want the next year for Christmas. I wish that I could be there the next year to see it all and that until one of them dies, they'll keep having their tradition, so Jack, no matter what happens, I want you to make sure she comes here next year, because she may not be able to see the future and I may not either but I know that what she's got with you is just as tight as the relationship she has with Robbie and if you break her heart, I swear I'll-"
"What?" Jack smirked.
"I'll stop talking to you." She retorted.
"Really?"
"Oh my god." Alex muttered.
"Would you honestly stop talking to him if he broke her heart?" Johnson asked.
"Not, I'll talk even more." Alex grinned.
"No worries here." Jack replied. "She's got my full attention."
"That's what Jake said." Alex muttered.
"I heard about him the other night, what did he say?" Jack asked.
"Well he was the star player for Maddie's high school football team. She fell for him, he was madly in not love with her and she dumped him, it was his own fault though, all he really wanted was to-"
"Yeah, I know." Jack shook his head.
Maddie slipped on the ice and wiped out. She yelped with pain and Jack immediately stood up. Alex pulled him back down as Robbie hoisted Maddie to her feet. He pulled her around the rink, switching from backwards to front wards.
"What was that for?" Jack asked with an attitude.
"There will be no distractions, this is the one night she's indestructible. Trust me, okay. She may have a bruise later but right now, she's good." Alex answered. "I mean, look at them go."
XxxxxXxxxxX
Alex wandered around the rink towards the tape player. She threw in a tape and hit the play button and the whole rink filled with the sound of Aerosmith's 'Dream On.'. She knew that the siblings loved that song; it was played constantly when they were feeling down. The two didn't even notice but eventually they were jumping and spinning. It was three before wither of them felt tired. And at four, Maddie and Robbie headed outside and almost collapsed when the darkness hit them. Alex walked out of the arena followed by the four guys. Maddie turned around to come face to face with them all.
"What?" She questioned them.
"I brought them here to watch you guys." Alex answered.
"And you've been here the whole time?" Robbie asked.
"Yeah, six long hours." Buzz replied, emphasis on the long.
"You didn't have to stay." Alex stated.
"He was checking you out." Ramsey said quietly.
"Yeah I was." Buzz added.
Maddie rolled her eyes. She was watched for the past six hours, not even realizing them, not one breaking up her moment. Silently she thanked them all with the look in her eyes. It was the only time she had on Christmas to spend with Robbie and nothing would ever change that.
"Did you like the show?" Maddie asked.
"Yeah." Jack replied only to her. "You were the best part."
"Even when I wiped out?"
"Oh my god." Alex yelled at them. "He wanted to run down there and pick you up himself. I stopped him."
"Why?" Maddie asked.
"Didn't want to ruin the moment." Alex answered.
"Oh, hey, you left this at Docs." Maddie stated and whipped the mistletoe piece at Alex. Alex turned around and waved it in front of her butt as Maddie rolled her eyes but Alex couldn't see. "Very nice."
"Let's go." Robbie suggested.