A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. 4 MONTHS. I'M SORRY.

Word count: 1, 220

Without further ado, since I've kept you up for soooooooooo long, here's Chapter 8 of Rugged Boy!

Rugged Boy

By TheMaskedGirl

8:00pm

"Did you have fun?" Jack asked his sister. They were in one of the spare rooms in Jack's house. Its walls were covered with pink floral wallpaper. A closet was on one side and a dresser beside it. A bed was situated near the window.

"Definitely," Claire said happily. "They are so warm and kind. This place so beautiful too!"

He grinned. "That's Mineral Town."

The blonde sat down on her comfortable bed. "Thank you, Jack."

He sat down beside her and put his arms around her. "No problem. And sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome home."

They stayed like that for a while, Jack hugging Claire and protecting her. Just like old times, she thought.

Suddenly, the telephone rang. Jack broke the hug and kissed his sister's forehead. "Go to sleep. You need to rest. Good night, Claire. Big brother loves you."

She felt tears forming in her eyes. When their parents died, Jack protected her. He became her mother, father, brother, and friend. If it wasn't for Jack, Claire wouldn't be where she is. They had only parted for two years, but it already felt like forever.

"Good night, Jack. I love you too!" she said. He smiled at her and switched off the light. She closed her eyes. It had been a while since she had a tearless night.

Fall 16

6:00am

"RISE AND SHINE!" Jack greeted as he opened the curtains inside Claire's room. She just covered her head with her blanket.

He frowned. "I said, rise and shine!" He pulled her blanket away from her in an attempt to wake her up.

She shivered from the cold, but continued her sleep.

Jack sighed and walked out. A few minutes later, he came back carrying a plate filled with bacon. He placed it right under Claire's nose.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited. But he got no response. "CLAIRE SUMMER WILLOCKS, WAKE UP!" he screamed and shook her awake.

"The food doesn't smell good," she muttered, her eyes still firmly closed. "I want Kai's food. Get me some of Kai's food."

Jack's jaw dropped. How could his sister say that about the food he prepared? "Look here, missy. I woke up early to prepare some breakfast. I chose you over my poor animals that are probably hungry now. If you don't want to eat it, fine. Don't eat it. Just don't go expecting that I would cook for you again!"

He started to walk away but the blonde's hand shot up and grabbed his. "I was just joking, Jack," she said. She laughed softly.

"Jokes are half-meant," he grumbled.

She laughed again and sat up on the bed. She picked a piece of bacon and ate it. "It tastes good!"

He glared at her. "Shut up. I'm not going to buy any of your attempts to make peace!"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to act mad, Jack. I know you're not."

He sat down beside her and took a piece from the plate. "But why didn't you wake up immediately, anyway? You scared me a bit you know." He frowned.

Claire smiled ruefully. "Yesterday felt unreal. It was like a dream. I didn't want to wake up because if I did, you might disappear. Mineral Town might disappear," she whispered.

Jack hugged her. "Hey! Stop being so dramatic!"

She scoffed. "You started it!"

He laughed and patted her head. "Come on, pup. This dog won't leave you." He stood up and pulled her away from the bed.

8:15am

"I miss my animals," Claire whined. "I want them back! I want them back."

Jack groaned. "I told you already, they're still yours."

"I want them here now!" She was lying under the apple tree while Jack slaved in the field, harvesting the sweet potatoes.

"Gotz is still expanding my barn!"

"I want to see them! Where are my pets?" Claire asked as she continued to eye her brother.

His strong arms were built for this job, but Claire knew it would take him so much time to harvest all the crops. She stood up from her spot and joined his brother in harvesting.

"They're with May," he said. "One of my cows just gave birth so my hands are full. I asked her to care for them while you were not around."

Claire sighed. She placed the sweet potato in a basket. "She lives in Yodel Ranch, right?"

Jack nodded and wiped a sweat off his brow. He looked at his sister and said, "Go on. Get your pets. I can handle this."

Claire grinned and hugged her brother. "Thanks, Jack! I'll be back in a jiffy!"

She exited Jack's farm and ran as fast as she could to Yodel Ranch. She spotted May playing with her pets and another dog.

She grinned and whistled. March's and Cindy's ears perked up at the familiar whistle. They saw her standing just beyond the gate. She entered the ranch, sat down, and opened her arms. The cat and the dog ran to her and she engulfed them both in a big hug.

Cindy purred softly and March yipped happily. "Oh, goddess, I missed you both so much! Did my babies eat well? Did you sleep well?" she asked them.

"I made sure that they eat a lot and I made them sleep in the empty bed upstairs," May said softly.

Claire looked up at her and saw the sincerity in her big eyes. The other dog, a brown one, barked as if to confirm the little girl's statement. The blonde grinned at her and said, "I don't doubt it. I'm sure you take care of animals very well."

May nodded. "I do!" She smiled at the farmer. "You're very pretty, Miss Claire!"

"Thank you," she said with a big smile. "You're very pretty too, Miss May!"

The girl's eyes widened and she blushed cutely. "T-thank you."

Claire put down her pets and stood up. She offered her hand to the little girl. "Would you and your dog like to come to my brother's farm?"

May's eyes lit up. "I'll ask grandpa first! Wait for me, okay?"

1:30pm

"Good job, May!" Jack cheered as May harvested her first sweet potato. She smiled widely and put it in the basket.

Claire brought her to the farm as promised. They were supposed to play with the animals, but May proposed that they help Mister Jack in harvesting. "He looks tired and I think he needs some help."

So the duo helped him and by the time the siblings finished harvesting all the crops, May had finally reaped her first. "What are we going to do next?" she asked excitedly.

"Well, I've finished caring for the animals, watering the crops, harvesting the crops, putting the crops in the bin," Jack said as he counted it off with his hands.

May looked at him in anticipation.

"The next thing we need to do is… eat lunch!" he exclaimed.

The girls cheered. "Where do you want to eat?" he asked them.

"Kai's shack!" Claire said. "I want to visit him too."

Jack grinned. "Well, ladies, our next destination is the Snack Shack! Last one there is a sour sweet potato!"

They sprinted off to the beach, May ran as fast as she could while the siblings only did so half-heartedly to let the little girl win.

A/N: It's just a filler sort of thing. But anyway, Gray will be in the big picture soooon. And by soon, I mean the next chapter. Ha!

So, I just want to explain why I've been out for so long. I've been really busy. To be honest, I started this chapter as soon as I finished the seventh. I just didn't have time to finish. I barely got to use my laptop to write during the holidays. And life as a grade ten student is hard, but it's definitely fun! I hope you enjoy this chapter because I did. The siblings are adorbs!

Have you watched Answer Me 1997 and Shut Up Flower Boy Band? My oppas are there. I love Infinite!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl