Winter Tales

Chapter 5 - Epic Battle

++Luke's POV++

Once we arrive home, we make quick work of taking the shopping inside. With the four of us, it only takes two trips each. Lily is meanwhile busy showing off her rental snowboard to the others. It is really cute how excited she is about this.

I am glad that Alex removed that stick up his ass and finally gave in to her pleading. I mean, come on, how is snowboarding any more dangerous than skiing? I don't think there is much of a difference on the danger scale.

I have been snowboarding for years, so probably I am a bit biased. But I am looking forward to teaching the kid some moves. That is, if Jordan and Sam ever even let me get anywhere near her. They will most likely smother her with technical instructions and well-meaning advice. At least I am pretty sure Sammy will do just that, seeing as he is a certified instructor, or whatever. Jordan might be a teensy bit less anal about technique and stuff.

I, on the other hand, would just let her learn it the trial and error way. She is a talented little kid, after all, and she will get the hang out of it one way or the other, eventually.

Loud shrieking and whooping pulls me out of my thoughts. It comes from outside. I hurry towards the front door, Ben right behind me. The sight in front of us makes me laugh.

Jordan is busy burying a screaming and kicking Jack in a massive pile of snow. The little guy has no chance to defend himself against the mountain on of a man that is our brother. It is actually quite unfair, but he has brought it upon himself when he called Jordan a man whore earlier. You clearly have to have a death wish to do something like that.

While I lean my shoulder against the door frame and get comfortable in order to watch the scene play out in front of me, I see from the corner of my eye how Alex and Josh are pulling on their jackets and rush past me.

Are they really going to get involved to save Jack's ass?

Ben joins me in the doorway and I realise that we are now the only ones still inside. From the looks of it, the terrible twins – aka Noah and Aidan – have already been busy building some kind of a snow structure while we were shopping. Sam must have have been helping them, because I cannot think of any other reason for him already being outside. Will is nowhere to be seen, but that is not exactly a surprise.

Then I suddenly understand what made Alex and Josh join the fun. I see Josh pull Aidan off something and then Alex lifts a squirming Lily into the air. That definitely makes a bit more sense than them simply rushing to come to Jack's aid.

I shake my head and exchange a quick look with Ben. They really should ease up a bit with their overprotectiveness towards the little runt. She can totally hold her own, as she has proved various times in the past. I don't understand why they always feel the need to shelter her from everything. Thankfully, they are not around all the time, or else she would never grow the balls – figuratively speaking – to stand up for herself.

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Ben interrupts my thoughts.

I find him shrugging into his jacket. We exchange another pointed look and I eventually realise what he is on about. A smile flashes across my face and I nod. I quickly grab my own coat and a random pair of gloves.

We dash outside and towards our oldest brothers. Alex has meanwhile put Lily back on her feet, but he is keeping a hand loosely on her shoulder, ready to pull her back should she even think of joining the snow fight again.

Lily must have noticed our approach, despite having her back towards us. With the commotion going on around them, it is actually quite surprising, but I am glad. I motion for her to not give us up and to get out of the way.