I'm back again and with a new chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to update I just wasn't motivated enough to type. I own nothing, enjoy the story.
Chapter 13: Arrivals
Chris's PoV
I looked around at about 1:45 and noticed me and Matt were the only one's not asleep.
"Hey Matt what do you say we go put her down and then get some sleep?" I asked.
"They all look so comfortable and knowing the way ER's brain works I do believe this would be perfect blackmail." Matt said.
"You're right where's the camera when you need one?" I asked.
"In the junk drawer which is the top left next to the stove." Matt answered. I went and got it then snapped a few pictures which would be, like Matt said, great blackmail when they were developed. After putting it away I looked back at Lizzy who was in a content sleep. "She sure grew up fast didn't she?" Matt asked breaking my thoughts.
"Yeah she did but they all seem to do that. I mean even though I watched it I can't believe it you know?" I said.
"Yeah she looks a lot like Mom." Matt mentioned. "She's definitely gonna be chased by a lot of guys up there at that prep school."
"Well yeah but I don't think any of them will get too close with Dean as her boyfriend." I said motioning to her current heartthrob who was snoozing away on the couch. Matt looked across the room and seemed to be watching Dean. ER rolled a bit in Matt's lap causing her shirt to ride up a bit. "Whoa." I whispered.
"What?" Matt asked looking up at me.
"Look at that." I said pointing to Lizzy's back.
"Go get me the flashlight. It's in the same drawer as the camera." He ordered. I brought it to him and he gently lifted her shirt and shined the light on her lower back. "Damn is that what he did to her?" I nodded. "When I get my hands on that little brother of mine I will kill him." Matt swore.
"I know what you mean but she doesn't want us too, he's our brother and what he's done was wrong but for some weird reason she won't want us to hurt him." I reasoned.
"I hate it." He said meaning that he hated not being able to do anything about it or being able to protect her.
"I do too." I answered. "You know maybe the two of you can go there some time this week and you can threaten him."
"Yeah that might work."
"Let's go to bed it's pretty late." I said. He nodded and shifted ER so she was resting comfortably in his arms. I leaned down and picked her up. Matt stood up and took her back then led the way upstairs. He turned to go down the hall to her room but she shifted.
"Don't leave me alone on Christmas Eve Matt. You know better than that." ER mumbled. Matt looked back at me and I shrugged.
"You know she doesn't like being alone on this night." I said. Ever since she was three she wouldn't sleep alone on Christmas or New Years Eve. We never knew why, we just knew that she wouldn't. Dad stayed with her until she was ten and then after that she would come into Ben's room and camp out on his floor.
So Matt turned around and took her into his room. I looked around and saw that his room hadn't changed much since the last time I had been in there. The normal hockey posters were still in the same spots and so were the family pictures. I had never noticed before but I looked closer at the pictures now and saw that there were absolutely no pictures of Alicia. I mentioned that and he turned to me after putting ER down on the bed and said "That bitch has never nor will ever be my mom. She may be Dad's wife but she doesn't deserve a place with my family or in our pictures especially after what she made me do to Lizzy." Something else I noticed now that wasn't there before was pictures of our real mom next to pictures from ER's peewee hockey games. I said this and he smiled. "I thought she deserved a special place and next to hockey was where she belonged." He paused and sat on the edge of his queen sized bed. "Chris you know I love you don't you?" He asked.
"Of course I do. I've known that since we were little. You and I might not have been as close as you and Seth because of the whole hockey thing but I know you're always here for me if I needed you." I answered sitting next to him. "Why do you ask?"
"I just wanted to make sure because I've never really spent that much time with you after Seth and ER were born. Especially after ER was born. I know it wasn't fair and I just wanted to make sure that you knew that I did and do love you in case something happened to me."
"I know Matt, sure sometimes I got jealous that you spent so much time with Seth and ER but I knew that they shared your love of hockey and they needed you to show them what you knew just like Ben shared my love of baseball. The only times I ever felt mad at you for not spending time with me was when I was in bed at night just thinking, during the day I was too busy with Ben to really give it much thought." I said.
"Do you think mom's watching over us?"
"Yeah I do, sometimes during a baseball game when I'm standing on the mound and watching the pitches Ben wants me to throw and we can't get them straight I look up at the sky and a pitch will come back to me that we haven't used in a while and I'll look back at Ben and he'll know which one I want to use. Well that and the fact that I'll get a feeling that something was wrong with Lizzy and I was usually right. There are just some things that I can't understand that make me think Mom's up there watching over me and all of us."
"Chris, Matt it's 2 in the morning get some sleep. You know the 10 kids downstairs ain't gonna let you sleep any longer than 9 in the morning so the sooner you go to sleep the more sleep you'll get." ER barked sleepily rolling to the center of the bed. Matt sighed and lay down next to her on one side. I stood up to leave. "Leaving me again Chris?" She asked.
"I was just moving to the other side of the bed." I answered covering my real intentions.
"Sure you were." She said yawning. As soon as I lay down she moved closer to me and fell back asleep.
"Good night Matt." I whispered.
"Good night kids." Matt answered clapping off his lights.
ER's PoV
The next day after all the chaos of Christmas morning was over everyone but Charlie, because his mom and step-dad had come over and brought him clothes, needed to go home to change and spend the day with family. Charlie and Dean didn't want to come with us to the airport so they went with Fulton back to his house. We split up and I took Jesse, Connie, Guy, and Adam home while Averman and Goldberg rode home with Chris and Ben and Matt drove straight to the airport.
Before I got to the airport I dropped Adam off, then Guy, then Jesse and Connie. When I reached the airport I parked near what I knew to be Chris's truck and met my brothers in the predetermined place of the oh-so-wonderful food court. "Who's landing first?" Matt asked as I sat at the table.
I pulled out the contents of my pockets which included my car keys, license, cell phone, cash, and list of who's landing from which flight at which time and gate. After finding the list I put the rest of my stuff away. "According to this list it was supposed to be Dwayne and Julie at noon but since Dwayne called and cancelled it's just gonna be Julie on flight 612 from Bangor, Maine at gate 5A." I answered.
"Then who?" Chris asked.
"Luis and Ken at one. Ken is on flight 713 from San Francisco, California at gate 3B and Luis is on flight 822 from Miami, Florida at gate 7D but some could be early or late you never know with the weather around here." I said. Ben nodded and was about to say something when he was cut off by an announcement.
"Attention flight 417 from Austin Texas via Cincinnati, Ohio at gate 2C has been delayed one hour. Again that is flight 417 will now be landing at 1:00 instead of at 12 due to snow." The lady announced.
"That's the plane Tex was supposed to be on if he didn't bail on me." I said.
"Attention flight 612 from Bangor, Maine at gate 5A has been delayed one hour. Again that is flight 612 will now be landing at 1:00 instead of at 12 also due to snow." The lady announced again.
"Looks like Jules is gonna be late too." I said but before I could say anything else Matt cut in.
"So you two stay here and Chris and I will go get you guys some lunch." He said.
I drummed my fingers on the table top and chewed on the inside of my bottom lip. "Hey baby what's wrong?" Ben asked.
"I'm just thinking that what if someone else decides not to show? I mean why should they? None of them know me that well and the one that did said he didn't want to even see me now." I said looking up and then laying my head on my arms that I had crossed on the tabletop.
"Hey baby if they had changed their minds they would have called this morning but no one did so I believe they all like you or at least like what they know of you, and don't worry too much about Dwayne he'll come around." Ben said as Chris and Matt brought us our food.
"I know I just don't want to screw this up, you know that runs in the family."
"Just 'cause Charlie has a slight screw up problem doesn't mean you do." Ben put in.
"I guess." I said still a bit bummed.
"Come on Fire-arm they really must like you if they're really willing to come all this way and stay with you for an entire week." Chris added. I nodded and ate my lunch not looking at the three of them. Had I been paying more attention to what was going on around me I would have noticed the hushed conversation between Matt and Ben. Fifteen minutes before one Matt looked at me.
"Alright here's what we'll do Ben and I will go down to gate 3B to fetch your friend Ken I do believe?" Matt said. I nodded. "Chris you can go down to gate 7D and wait for Luis and ER you can go meet Julie. Everyone understand?"
"Yup." Me, Ben, and Chris answered.
"Good we'll meet back here about 1:30." Matt said walking with Ben in the other direction. Chris walked with me to the gate and then continued his way farther down the terminal. Her plane landed and I stood trying to see over the sea of passengers looking for the familiar head of blonde hair.
Julie's PoV
I was looking out my window on Christmas Eve when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I spun around and nearly jumped out of my skin. "Hey Cat, Dad wants to know if you're packed and wants you to come down for dinner." My 18 year old brother Kyle said.
"Hey Kyle do me a favor and don't do that again." I said.
"Ok I won't so..."
"Yeah I'm packed and I don't think I'm too hungry right now." I said looking down at my shoes.
"You nervous about tomorrow?" Kyle asked.
"A little." I confessed.
"About the flight or about staying with her?"
"Staying with her. I mean I've known her for 3 weeks and that's barely at all. It sure was nice and all but I feel like I'm intruding on strangers."
"Hey Jules did you ask if you could stay there? No she offered so obviously she wants to get to know you all better and what way would be better than spending an entire week with you guys?"
"I don't know I mean it's only been a week since she found out that her oldest brother Matt wasn't dead and apparently they were really close. I just think that maybe we might get in the way of their time to re-bond."
"Don't worry about it Cat she obviously wants you all there. Let's go get some food and enjoy this time together before you leave tomorrow." Kyle said.
"Thanks Kyle."
The next morning we were standing in the airport when my mom looked at me. "You've got everything? Ticket, emergency info, home phone number, hockey stuff, clothes, teddy bear?"
"Mom, I have everything and I'll be fine alright so stop worrying so much." I said before she could get anything else embarrassing out in the open.
"I know I'm just nervous."
"Christine must we go through this every time she gets on a plane to go back to school?" My dad said butting in.
"Oh hush dear. Now Julie did you leave us the number of her parent's house?"
"Mom the number to where I'm staying is on the fridge under Dean Buckley's office number. And I've told you before it's not her parent's house any more it's her brother's." I answered.
"Brother, you never said it belonged to her brother and that her parents wouldn't be there." My mom said.
"Mom she told you that when she first called, his name is Matt, he's 26, and a professional hockey player. Please just relax she'll be fine." Kyle chipped in.
"Ok dear just call when you get there and when do you think you'll be back?"
"I will and spring break most likely." I said as the plane started boarding. "There is only one week left in the break anyway. I love you all but I'm gonna miss my plane if I don't go now." I said heading to the gate.
"Take care of yourself sis." Kyle hollered.
"Have fun at school Kyle." I called back.
Several hours later the plane started it's decent into Minnesota and I started getting nervous. 'What if they forgot? I mean maybe they're too busy right now. What if they don't know my plane's late? I guess I could just call a taxi and try to find Connie's. Alright just take a deep breath and calm down everything will be fine. Luis and Kenny's planes have to be landing about now too.' I thought as we de-boarded. I got to the gate and looked around finally spotting her over by the window her long brown hair falling down her back. I walked over to her hesitantly.
"Julie." She squealed throwing her arms around me in an awkward hug. I hesitantly returned the hug.
"You don't know how close I came to not coming." I said. She pulled back and the look on her face made me regret saying it.
ER's PoV
"You too?" I asked when I heard she had thought about not coming.
"Um someone else thought about not coming?" Julie asked pulling back and looking like she regretted bringing it up. I dropped my arms to my sides and looked at the floor.
"Not thought about it, they actually didn't." I said quietly.
"Who?" She asked gently in a soft voice.
"Tex, he said that his aunt was coming down and that made it impossible for him to come."
"Oh ER I'm so sorry."
"It's ok you're here and I think Luis and Kenny just landed too. Chris is waiting for Luis and Ben and Matt are waiting for Kenny. So anyway you got luggage we have to go get or did you come back empty handed?" I asked laughing slightly.
"Yup let's go get it then we'll meet the boys." She smiled softly. After we picked up her stuff we walked back to the food court and couldn't find my brothers. "Let's sit down they'll be here soon enough." She was right, soon enough Ben showed up with Kenny and they were shortly followed by Chris and Luis.
"Hey Ben didn't Matt stay with you?" I asked.
"Well yeah but then he had to go get something and said he'd meet us at home." Ben answered.
"So this is everyone? Well lets go. We'll see you at home ER and we'll pick up Charlie on the way."
"What about Dean you want him to walk?" I asked.
"No we figured you would want to give him a lift in your sweet ride." Chris said smirking.
"He's seen my Mustang several times."
"Probably the back seat more than the front." Luis put in. The look on Ben's face made me want to sink into the ground.
"No, that's what the bedroom is for. Besides we've never done it." I said as we walked out into the cold winter air.
"Anyway Matt swiped your keys and left you the Camaro. He only said that if you defiled his car he would kill you then Dean." Ben said.
"He just doesn't want me to defile it before he gets the chance. And I can't believe he loves my boyfriend more than me. He could at least kill Dean first and let me explain before he killed me." I was smiling but still thinking about Dwayne.
"The Camaro's two rows over." Ben said as we stopped next to the truck.
"Yeah but their stuff won't all fit in the trunk." I said putting the tailgate down. Julie, Kenny, and Luis loaded their stuff and followed me to the black 1969 Chevy Camaro Z28.
"How in the world did your brother get a Chevy Camaro?" Luis asked as him and Kenny climbed in the back seat.
"Corporate sponsors Dad won't let him have a muscle car. Last time I checked he had an 82 Hotrod Dad had gotten from him." I said climbing in and starting the engine. "Damn this thing is powerful."
"Why wouldn't your dad get him a Camaro?" Kenny asked.
"Seat belts on now. I don't feel like getting pulled over and explaining why I'm not on his insurance card." I said. They complied and looked at me for an answer. "Funny story actually. I learned this sometime last week. Matt's not the best driver so after he wrecked the '82Roadster Dad got him, Dad told him he wasn't buying him another expensive car." I told them as we pulled out of the parking lot and passed Chris who was in the truck.
"One wreck and your dad stopped getting him muscle cars?" Luis asked.
"Actually it was 4th wreck he was in third expensive car he wreck. He's only ever pissed Mom off once with a wreck."
"How many wreck's has he been in?"
"Six last time I checked. The first one caused the judge to throw the good book at him; mind you Dad was laughing his ass off when they got home."
"I'm kinda scared to ask but what happened?" Julie asked.
"He had an old jeep just a fixer up and he was driving too fast around a curve; he claims he didn't see the ditch. He took out the mailbox, the fence, and the side of a barn. The farmer called the cops who called our dad. He said the only good that came out of it was the fact that he met the farmer's daughter who became his third girlfriend. I will never forget what he told me was the reason he was driving so fast."
"What was it?"
"It was why the judge threw the book at him and why Dad was laughing about it. He said he only did it because the chicks dug it. I crack up every time some one brings it up. All they have to say is 'Matt you remember how you met Suzan?' and everyone who knows the story cracks up laughing."
"He didn't get in trouble for that?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah of course he did. Dad restricted him from driving for two weeks except for to school and practice but Dad still smiles at the memory because it reminds him of my mom when she was younger. The second time he crashed a car it was a 72 Firebird. He totaled it into a tree that was cut down two months later. Dad was pissed and grounded him for three weeks. He wasn't even allowed to drive to school. The next time is the only time Mom's been pissed at him for wrecking a car. Dad went postal when he got the bill for the repairs."
"That's harsh." Julie said.
"Hush Julie I want to hear what happened." Luis said.
"Matt was still on probation for wrecking the Firebird but he had a date and Mom and Dad were out for the weekend. Matt left Seth, Ben, and I in Chris's care for a few hours and on the way home from his date he crashed the car into a telephone pole. Mom and Dad came home a little later saying that they were late because some idiot caused a huge back up by wrecking a Mercedes-Benz into a telephone pole. Chris looked up at Dad and asked if they got a good look at the car and they said no so Chris told them that they shouldn't be mad and Matt walked in the door right at that time. Mom looked at Matt and then out in the driveway where a cop car was sitting. They got so mad. He was already on probation for wrecking his car and now he was grounded for even longer for wrecking Mom's. Matt was so upset. It wasn't his fault but he couldn't get out of it. He was grounded for an extra two weeks for wrecking the car and Dad forced him to get a job when he got the bill for the repairs. Dad didn't want to buy Mom a new car so he paid to get it fixed. The car was the only thing she brought to the marriage."
"Bet Matt was pissed about being grounded."
"Kinda but him and the rest of us kids thought it was funny Dad didn't scrap the car and buy her something new."
"Why didn't he?" Kenny asked.
"I don't really know. Anyway after he wrecked the Benz Dad got him the Roadster. He was taking me to school I think and he swerved to miss a Great Dane, he hit a fence and a ditch and guess what."
"What?" Luis asked.
"Let me. He totaled his car, walked away without a scratch but still hit the Great Dane." Kenny put in.
"Yup, Dad was mad and forbid him from asking for another expensive car. Matt had to pay the owner of the Great Dane compensation for killing him and he was grounded for three weeks. Matt didn't care about any of that."
"What happened to you?" Julie asked. "Or were you already at school by then?"
"I ended up in the hospital. That's why Matt didn't care about getting into trouble; he just wanted to make sure his kid sister was ok and was gonna make it." I said pulling up my sleeve and showing them the scar on my right forearm. "This scar and three operations are the only proof besides the memories of that accident."
"Three operations?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah the first one was exploratory, just to find out what was wrong and all. The second one was to take out a small part of my liver that they couldn't save and the third operation was shortly after that when they took out my appendix. Matt says that it was good they got it out when they did because it erupted in the doctor's hands right after he took it out." I said smirking. "Anyway that's they only time someone else had been in the car with him when he wrecked."
"That's a good thing isn't it?" Julie asked.
"Yeah I guess. Anyway the next time he wrecked wasn't his fault. He had his new used car an 86 Plymouth. He was driving through a green light and the other driver ran the red light crashing into his passenger side door. There wasn't too much damage so the insurance paid for the repairs. He ended up getting the Hotrod because the engine gave out. The car was only five years old but somehow the engine gave. I don't know how he got into his sixth wreck they wouldn't tell me, but he did say that the wreck was the reason corporate wouldn't let him get the Eclipse Spyder or the Stingray so he settled for the Camaro." I explained.
"Whoa sounds like Matt's not that good of a driver." Kenny put in.
"He is but it always seemed to be raining when he wrecked except the time with the barn and the time with the dog." I said.
"What about you're other brothers? Any of them banned from driving something?" Julie asked.
"Just Chris. He's only ever owned three minivans and he's wrecked all of them. Total damage to all of them and he won't drive a minivan. Seth is superstitious and won't drive a Ford; he says Ford stands for Fix or repair daily. Ben is also superstitious and won't drive a Dodge. He says they break down too much and they'll leave you stranded in the middle of no where. I don't see what's so bad about being stranded in the middle of no where with some one you really care about but he says it's a bad thing and won't drive a Dodge. Chris tried to get him to drive one for a test drive but he knew the car was a Dodge just by looking at it, it was creepy. I don't have a problem driving anything." I said flipping on the radio to some odd channel that started playing 3 Doors Down. I sighed but none of them asked me to change the station. "Ya'll can change it if you want." I said when they were quiet.
"No I just didn't think you liked to listen to this stuff." Julie said.
"It ain't too bad I prefer country but this works too." I answered. Then they started talking about the campout they had after the goodwill games and I drove on sorta tuning them out but still listening to the radio at the same time. Finally we reached Fulton's house. I blew the horn and it blared out the first line of 'The Yellow Rose of Texas.' I cringed and banged my head on the top of the steering wheel a few times. "Now had I known he had that type of horn I would have just gone and knocked." I said as Dean and Fulton came outside and down to the car. Julie put her window down and they leaned in slightly.
"Sweet ride kid who'd you swipe it from?" Fulton asked.
"I'm older than you are kid and no Matt swiped my 'sang and left me the 'vette." I answered. "Hey where's Charlie?"
"Ben and Chris already picked him up, Charlie asked why Port wasn't coming with them and they shared a glance and said you wanted to show off you're sweet ride." I could feel my face heating up.
"Something wrong Baby?" Dean asked.
"Just something Ben told her at the airport." Kenny said.
"Yeah he said that the only caution Matt said when he left her the Camaro was not to defile it or he'd kill her then you." Luis put in.
"Yeah and she couldn't believe he would kill her first." Julie added. "It's like he doesn't trust her."
"That's only because he has almost exactly the same personality and beliefs that Seth has." I said quietly. Dean bit his lower lip.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm fine now unless you plan on walking back I suggest you get in." I said.
"Alright." He answered climbing in the back seat.
"See ya later Fult." I called driving away. They started talking again about something and then I pulled into the driveway. The car got quiet. I got out and looked in the back of the truck. "Hey ya'll get out, something wrong?" I asked when I saw them climb out and their mouths dropped open.
So what's so shocking? Tune in next time to find out and review if you want to.