The Lost Girl (Complete)

Chapter Eighteen - The Uncle Dilemma

"I can't believe you all," Gabriel grumbled, pulling on his hair as Celestia finished giving the newest tour crashers a hug. "This was meant to be a special uncle-niece day and you fuckers had to come in and ruin it."

"Get over it, Gabe," North growled. "It's still going to be an uncle-niece day. Just with all her uncles."

"All of you are here?" Celestia squeaked, wryly wondering whether she could have ever been prepared for them all. When she'd found the journal, she'd thought that a cordial relationship might eventually form with visits scheduled for Christmas but instead she now had roommates, an Aunt who was determined to make up for every second that Celestia had spent miserably wishing for a normal family and a group of Uncles who had just swept her into the family fold without a second thought. She loved it but how on earth was it going to look walking around the campus with a veritable gang of handsome older men, some who were wearing enough leather to warrant calling Security in case a brawl was forthcoming.

"Sang isn't," Silas assured me, glancing at each of their brothers with a touch of impishness in his eyes. "I'm not sure about the others though. They didn't mention coming along when we left."

Hiding behind her hand, she choked on laughter, "You didn't tell her you were coming either, did you? Where does she think you all are?"

"Need I remind you, Essie, that we are grown men and can do whatever we want without the permission of our tiny wife?" Sean huffed grumpily, winking at her.

"Yes and that's why you and Uncle Luke stowed away while Uncle Silas looks quite smug for keeping Aunt Sang in the dark."

"Cheeky," Luke grinned, pulling out a small chocolate bar to pass to her. "You're too observant and now you're in on the mission so there can be no dobbing on us unless you want us to blame it all on you."

"How can it be my fault?!" Celestia exclaimed, moving along with them as they started to weave through the carpark towards the large crowd of enrolling students and their families. "I'm the only innocent one here."

Gabriel nudged her, "I am too, thank you very much."

"No," She giggled. "You came over for breakfast just to avoid a lecture. That makes you guilty too."

"BETRAYAL!" He bellowed, ignoring the looks from half the people in the main courtyard. "You're fired now."

"You haven't even hired me!"

Gabe squinted, wrapping her in a side hug as he wondered how they had been so lucky once again. After seeing how much Sang had suffered through her childhood, he knew that there were children out there who turned out wonderfully but Celestia had never known any sort of kindness until meeting Uncle and yet she was a strong, thoughtful young woman who had easily slipped into their family. His children adored her if their actions were anything to go by and his wife and brothers were determined that Celestia never had to wonder if she was loved and protected again.

"You're right," He answered quietly, pushing away his shadowed thoughts. "I guess I'll just have to hire you and make you suffer that way. Getting me coffee and muffins, answering phones, taking photos of my gorgeous self for the business brochure."

"You can't torture her like that!" Luke protested, his hand tugging at her arm gently so that Celestia felt like a the rope in a game of tug-of-war. "She can come to work with me instead and learn the beauty of making fondant-covered creations."

"Yeah," Sean scoffed. "Like she wouldn't prefer to work for her Uncle Sean. I'm the nice uncle who will make sure the reception desk is filled with yummy boiled lollies."

"Fuck no!" North pointed a finger at his brother. "You're a doctor. She is not going to end up with cavities or diabetes. If Gabe is being too dipshitish, she can come work for Silas and I at either the mechanics or the construction company."