A/N: This is for another prompt from beautywithin16, it didn't turn out quite how I thought but I hope you enjoy it anyway. For the purposes of this story, Ebony is 16 and Katrina is 18 (which makes Jimmy 23 (!), Nerys 21 and Andrew 12).

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ice Cream & Cricket Bats

"Boys are stupid and I hate them," Ebony announced, as she entered the bedroom she shared with Katrina.

"Seems fair," Katrina commented, looking up where she was sitting on her bed reading a book, "but I'm guessing there's a specific boy in this case."

"I really thought he liked me," Ebony whined, taking off her jacket and tossing it over her desk chair. "It's just not fair," she added, before face planting on her bed.

Katrina regarded her for a long moment, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Ebony replied, her voice muffled by the blankets, "just leave me here to die."

"Ok, let's go," Katrina said, putting her book aside and standing up.

"Go where?" Ebony asked, rolling over to look at her.

"Down to the kitchen," Katrina replied, "come on," she added, taking Ebony's hand and hauling her to her feet.

"But I don't want to go to the kitchen," Ebony grumbled as Katrina dragged her out of the room.

Katrina shrugged, "Maybe not, but that's where the ice cream is."

"Ice cream?" Ebony repeated, brightening slightly.

"Ice cream," Katrina repeated firmly.

Once they reached the kitchen, Katrina let go of Ebony's hand and headed over to the freezer. "Chocolate or vanilla?" she asked as Ebony took a seat at the table.

"Who cares?" Ebony pouted.

"Chocolate," Katrina decided, pulling the carton in question from the freezer and grabbing two spoons on her way back to the table. "All right," she continued, taking the lid off the carton and handing Ebony a spoon, "spill."

"I really though he liked me," Ebony began as Katrina took a seat next to her, "he left me a note asking me to meet him at his locker, but when I went there….he…he…" she trailed off and put a sizeable spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"He wasn't there?" Katrina guessed, reaching out to squeeze her hand sympathetically.

Ebony shook her head as she swallowed her ice cream, "No he was there," she corrected her, "kissing Kath."

Katrina winced, "Ouch," she said, taking a spoonful of ice cream.

"It gets worse," Ebony continued, "he said…" she took a deep breath, "he said that if I really believed he liked me then I was even dumber than he thought," she added before bursting into tears.

"What a jerk!" Katrina exclaimed indignantly, "That's it, I need his name and address," she continued, putting her spoon down, "I'll soon sort him out."

"Who are you sorting out?" Jimmy asked, entering the kitchen with Andrew in tow.

"What are you doing here?" Katrina asked, momentarily distracted.

"Dad has some fancy do with the brass," Jimmy explained helping himself to a drink from the fridge and passing one to Andrew, "so Mum asked me to pick up squirt from football practice."

Jimmy's brow creased in concern as he noticed Ebony hastily trying to compose herself, "What happened, kiddo?"

Ebony sniffed, "Boys are stupid," she replied primly, pulling the carton of ice cream closer and taking another large spoonful.

Jimmy nodded wisely, "I see."

"Boys aren't stupid," Andrew protested at the same moment, taking a seat at the table.

"Not all boys," Jimmy assured him, taking the seat on the other side of Ebony, "but someboys are stupid. Especially if they hurt one of your sisters," he added, slipping an arm around Ebony's shoulders.

"I just feel so stupid," Ebony confessed, putting her own spoon aside and resting her head on Jimmy's shoulder.

Jimmy gave her shoulders and affectionate squeeze, "Don't. He's the one who should feel stupid for making a great girl like you cry."

"He made you cry?" Andrew asked, horrified.

"You really think so?" Ebony asked, peeking up at Jimmy and ignoring Andrew's interruption.

"Of course," Jimmy said easily, "it's definitely his loss."

"And once we've broken both his legs, he'll realise that," Katrina added, reaching out to give Ebony's hand another sympathetic squeeze.

"I'll get my cricket bat," Andrew offered.

"Whoa," Jimmy interrupted, holding up his free hand in a calming gesture, "no one is breaking anyone's legs," he said firmly, giving Katrina a look. "Or getting their cricket bat," he added, giving Andrew a meaningful look.

Katrina pulled a face at him, "Yes, Dad," she groused, sitting back in her chair.

Jimmy stuck his tongue out at her, "Someone has to be the voice of reason in his stead."

"What happened to fun Jimmy?" she retorted.

"Since when has GBH been 'fun'?" he countered.

"GBH?" asked a startled voice from the doorway, making them all turn guiltily in that direction. They relaxed when they saw Nerys instead of one of their parents.

"Mum asked me to organise dinner," she explained, holding up two bags of takeaway, "and it sounds like I arrived at the right time," she added, giving Jimmy a hard look as she moved to the counter.

"Hey, I was talking them out of GBH," Jimmy protested.

"Hm," Nerys replied doubtfully, before she caught sight of the ice cream on the table. "Oh," she said softly, "what happened?"

"Ebony thinks boys are stupid," Andrew explained helpfully.

"Oh honey," Nerys said in a concerned tone as she came to join them at the table, "do you want to talk about it?"

Ebony shook her head, "I'll be ok," she assured her, "Katie and Jimmy took care of everything."

Nerys nodded, "Good, but you know I'm here if you need me."

Ebony smiled, "Thanks, Nerys."

"Can we eat now?" Andrew asked, breaking the moment between the sisters.

Jimmy laughed as Nerys moved to start serving the dinner, "Sure, squirt," Jimmy replied, still amused, "but go wash up," he added nodding towards the door.

"Okie-dokie," Andrew replied, rushing out the door.

"You sure you're ok?" Jimmy asked Ebony in a low tone as Katrina cleared away the spoons and ice cream.

Ebony nodded, "Yeah," she assured him, sitting up, "thanks."

"Well, I have to make up for all the times that I was the stupid boy making you cry," he said lightly, moving his arm from the back of her chair.

"Well, you don't make me cry any more, but you'll always be a stupid boy," she said with mock solemnity, making him chuckle.

"Touché," he said, tapping her on the nose as he stood up to help set the table.

Ebony smiled as she watched him go, silently grateful for her siblings. Her smile turned to outright laughter as Andrew returned to the kitchen with his cricket bat.