Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own Outnumbered or any of the characters...as much as I want to...they still belong to the BBC
"Ben! Ben! BEN! YOU DO NOT EAT THE CRAB!" shouted Pete, from someway along the harbour-side pavement. Jake, sitting on the bench, looked up to see Ben trying to stuff a live crab into his mouth.
"But people eat crab, don't they? I mean, Nan gives us crab sandwiches when we go to her house for dinner sometimes. So, why can't I eat this crab?" gabbled Ben, who had (thankfully) put the crab in the bucket beside him. Karen now had her hand inside the bucket, and was stroking the crab softly with it.
"You just...can't..." spluttered Pete. The question was so random that he couldn't actually think of an answer.
"Because it's raw, and it has claws and it's ALIVE." snapped Jake, glaring at his brother. He still hadn't forgiven him for ripping up and colouring in his textbooks that morning.
"Oh, and Dad?" added Jake. Pete looked at his oldest son expectantly.
"Karen's sticking her hand in the crab bucket and stroking the crab." Jake said, pointing towards his little sister and the crab bucket. Pete glanced over, and sure enough, Karen was doing exactly as Jake had said.
"Oh, Karen." hissed Pete, under his breath.
"KAREN! STOP PETTING THE CRAB...IT HAS SHARP CLAWS!" shouted Pete. Jake rolled his eyes skyward, and gave his dad a superior look.
"Dad...they're called pincers." he sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.
"Okay! SHARP PINCERS! THE CRAB HAS SHARP PINCERS!" Pete called across to Karen. He saw his daughter stand up, luckily putting the crab in the bucket.
"But it's cute!" she shouted back. Jake rolled his eyes again. When you lived with his family, it was hard not to roll your eyes every five minutes.
"Why didn't I go somewhere else like your mum did?" Pete sighed, looking over at Ben and Karen. Jake looked up at his dad, shielding his eyes with his hand; it was quite windy and sunny at the same time.
"Because mum's smart." replied Jake shortly, going back to listening to his iPod. Pete nodded at first, but then looked at Jake with a look on his face (THIS LOOK: ./multimedia/archive/01020/SNF0802TVCC-280_ lol)
"BEN! TAKE THE CRAB OFF YOUR HEAD!" shouted Pete suddenly, as he noticed Ben's new form of 'headwear'. Ben stuck his tongue out and continued to run around the harbourside with the crab on his head.
"I AM SUPER CRAB MAN! I SAVE THE WORLD...WITH CRABS!" yelled Ben, as he ran through the somewhat crowded pavement, holding the crab on his head. Jake shook his head, and turned the volume up on his iPod, to drown out the noise of his brother.
"DA-AD! BEN STOLE MY CRAB THAT I CATCHED!" shouted Karen, pointing to 'Super Crab Man'. Jake smirked at his dad.
"Well, good luck then, Dad." Jake smiled smugly, as he looked at Pete's confused, stressed face. He began to snigger quietly to himself.
"THE CRAB THAT I CAUGHT!" replied Pete, correcting Karen's grammar. Jake spluttered with laughter.
"Dad, you have two kids running riot and all you worry about is Karen's grammar?" sniggered Jake incredulously. Pete glared at him.
"NO, DAD, I CATCHED IT! NOT YOU!" yelled back Karen, as she began to chase after Ben, knocking over several peoples' crabbing buckets. Pete smiled as an idea hit him; an idea so simple and yet, so brilliant.
"Who wants ice-cream?" he called. Karen and Ben came running over immediately, clamouring eagerly for ice-cream.
Jake sighed, and turned the volume up even louder...
Okay, okay! A short chapter...sorry XD! I just wasn't sure how much more that even Ben and Karen could do with a crab XD (That sounded sooo much better in my head!)
Also, I got a lot planned for the new chapters *grins*
Anyway, please R&R and tell me if you think this chapter was too short! Who knows? Maybe I'll even post an extended version of this chapter, if that's what you guys want :-D