37.

(I had fun writing this, sorry in advance. It's probably stupid, but I laughed. Hope you do too.)

Saturday, October 13

🎵I always feel like somebody's watching me

And I have no privacy

I always feel like somebody's watching me

Tell me is it just a dream?🎵

Emerson sniffed, his hand coming up to wipe at his twitching nose. Why so itchy? He roughly rubbed it, brushing away the invisible enemy before his hand dropped back to his side. Off he went, dozing in wonderland.

Someone giggled.

"Shhhhh."

Paying no mind to his surroundings, Emerson shifted in bed trying to find the cool spot of his sheets. He was a hot sleep, hence why he usually slept in his boxers, tossing a sweatshirt on once awake. But with his little sister running around, he had the decency to wear a random pair of gym shorts.

Disgruntled mumblings left his lips when he swiped at his nose again. It felt like he had to sneeze even though he didn't. Talk about frustrating.

Emerson groaned and yanked the comforter over his head, leaving his arms up by his head. He was trying to steal as much precious moments of sleep as possible. In order to get the weekend off, his coach personally made sure he did a workout Friday morning at the ugly hour of 4:30 in the morning. Just him and the coach, and two hours of endurance. Woooooo, kill me.

And then he didn't go to bed until... he didn't even know. Him, Francis, Glen, and surprisingly Dakota, got a little carried away playing Call of Duty. They had a sweet set-up too, thanks for his quick thinking to bring his television and x-box from his apartment home for the trip.

Just a couple of dudes chilling in their natural habitat.

Until Colton popped his head out of his bedroom and suggested Glen go to bed because he had practice in a couple hours.

Poor Smiley, kid couldn't even play but yet had to attend practice at the wee hours on a weekend.

Bahahahahahaha.

Emerson absentmindedly scratched his head before letting his arms fall heavily against the comforter, his eyes remaining closed this whole time. Unfortunately, due to his nosy court-reporter nature, his ears were on high alert for the tiniest of movement, the quietest of sounds. Feeling a little tense, it looked like he wasn't going to be going back to sleep now. At least the room was quiet. He wasn't sure if Dakota was present or not.

A shiver ripped through him, even though he was hot, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Something just seemed off.

He sucked in a breath of air before accepting his fate, pulling pushing the comforter away from his face. He was never one for scary movies. Taking the risk, he very slowly opened his eyes, before abruptly pinching them closed again. From that brief second, he took in the natural sunlight and his ceiling. Trying again, this time he forced himself to blink a couple times, until his vision cleared up. So far so good, but Emerson couldn't get rid of that 'off-ness.'

Was this the moment he was going to die?

Please God, spare him and his dashing good looks.

Knowing he had to face the inevitable eventually, he pressed his lips together and rigidly turned his head to the left only to come face to face with identical blue eyes staring right back at him. Except, theirs had a twinkle of mischief shining in them.

"Boo."

Emerson, much to his dismay, let out the loudest, most super embarrassing, girly scream, surely waking up the entire house if they weren't awake already.

Laughter erupted in the room, courtesy of two wicked siblings.

"Oh my fucking God," Dakota wheezed, holding his chest in actual pain from laughing so hard. "I got that all on camera. Fuck yes, that was gold." He high-fived his partner in crime, who else but Sunshine. The girl was finding this just as hilarious, if not more. Tears leaked from her eyes as she gasped for air, out of breath from crackling too much.

"Ha ha ha," Emerson deadpanned. If looks could kill, his siblings would be 6 feet under by now.

"Good morning, Emerson," Hayes eventually calmed back down, blessing him with a smile. She then decided to launch herself onto his bed, landing directly on his stomach and accidently knocking the wind out of him. It had been a pleasant surprise to find out that morning that her brother had actually come home for her birthday.

It would have been a surprise for all of them if Emerson hadn't gotten that flat tire.

He gave her a stink eye, able to hold it for merely five seconds before his mood did a 180 and he hugged her tightly.

"Can't breathe," Hayes rasped out.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Emerson exclaimed, yelling directly into her ear. "Wait, I was suppose to wake you up," he whined, squeezing her extra tight. Her head was caught at an uncomfortable position against his chest with her arms bent at her sides.

"Yeah okay," Dakota snorted, "Hard to wake someone up when she'd been buzzing since the crack of dawn."

The only reason why Dakota was even awake at this terrible time of day on his day off of work was because there was a premiere league soccer game that he wanted to watch. Due to the time changes from Europe to the United States, kick off was early here. Imagine his non-surprised face when he walked into the family room only to see his little sister already planted on the couch with Family Feud playing.

The second television came in clutch, the two able to stretch out on the couch and veg together while they watched their separate shows.

"Damn," Emerson muttered as he glanced over to where Dakota leaned against his own bed, legs crossed at the ankles while fumbling around with his phone. Emerson had completely forgotten his sister was the prime example of a morning person.

"I can't believe you're here," Hayes pushed herself up to a seated position, her knees digging into his stomach as she got comfortable. "My birthday wish already came true!"

"I was your birthday wish?" Emerson asked. Dear Lord, his sister held his heart.

Hayes shrugged, becoming real shy all of a sudden. She didn't mean for that second part to spill out.

The bedroom door was unexpectedly barged open, catching the three siblings off guard. Hayes would have fallen off the bed if it wasn't for Emerson's quick reflexes. The door slammed against the wall as the intruding knucklehead joined them, followed by Austin's shouting from somewhere in the house, "Will we please stop slamming doors?"

"My bad!" Francis yelled back before gracing everyone with a grin. "Good, Sonny, you're up! Video games, now. Andiamo. Let's go." He rubbed his hands together in excitement before motioning with his hands for Emerson to get up. "Rapidamente."

"rapid-a-pee-pee, first," Emerson scratched his head as he propped himself up on one arm.

Hayes made a face, "I thought we were going to the Course soon?"

Having had no legitimate plans set for her birthday, last night Baker had suggested the obstacle course that his SWAT team uses. Since her body had long since stopped hurting from Monday's event, Hayes had absolutely no objections.

And surprisingly, neither did any of her brothers.

It would be fun, especially with how competitive the whole lot of them were. Fun and probably a lot of entertainment for anyone who happened to pass by.

"Exactly, soon. Cole and Glen aren't back yet," Francis explained as he pulled Hayes completely off the bed. He kept his arms wrapped around her, swaying them back and forth. "Happy birthday, Sissy," He sung for the 50th time that morning.

Warmth encompassed her as she soaked up all her brother's affection, something she'd never get sick of.

"Okay, great. Now get the hell out of my room," Dakota grunted, not even looking up. His socialization hour was up and now was time for some R&R before he was forced to join the family outing.

"It's my room, too," Emerson stated, swinging his legs off the bed as he fully sat up. He scratched his chest before cracking his neck.

"Whatever," Dakota grumbled, suddenly pushing off the bed. "Austin! Are the pancakes done yet? I'm fucking starving!" He yelled as he strolled out of the room, but not before swatting Francis on the back of the head.

"Ow," Francis rubbed the pain away, mumbling "ugly brute."

"Get off your ass and come find out!" came Austin's prompt reply.

Hayes giggled, seems like the second part of her wish was still a work in progress. But her brothers had until the end of the day to make it come true. All she asked was they got along for longer than two seconds.

Totally reasonable.

Totally...

Nah.

————

"Happy birthday, Sunshine," Baker kissed Hayes' cheek, making her blush. He chuckled, fondly tugging on her ponytail before moving to an open seat next to her at the breakfast nook. "Ooh, pancakes," he snagged one of the chocolate chip pancakes off her plate with his bare hand.

"How rude," Hayes puffed her cheeks. Austin had made those especially for her.

Especially, because her brothers had already done the exact same thing Baker just did, eating all the pancakes in a blink of an eye.

It seemed they had forgotten in their stupid boy brains, that it was her birthday, hence it would defeat the purpose if she didn't even get to enjoy one of the very special chocolate chip pancakes courtesy of Austin.

"Yeah, man, fucking rude." Dakota frowned, placing his phone on the table "I already called dibs on her plate."

"Sharing is caring, children" Baker tutted, roughly knocking his knuckles against Dakota's head in greeting.

Dakota scowled, quickly sticking his leg out to trip up Baker. But Baker was two steps ahead, and smoothly dodged the attempt with no sweat.

"Don't mess with me, little bro, I'll fuck you up," Baker promised, making the 'I'm watching you' motion, to which Dakota rolled his eyes, his attention going back to his phone. Baker then returned his focus to his little sister, playfully narrowing his eyes when he saw her actively watching him, "And you, Sunshine, heard nothing. Capeesh?"

Hayes nodded, an innocent grin on her face. Of course, she didn't hear Baker curse right in front of her, unless she needed a bargaining stance for something. Then it was fair game.

He pursed his lips, scrutinizing her for a moment as she held his gaze. Her smile widened when he placed the bag he had been carrying on the table.

"So, where is everyone?" Baker asked casually. He put his hands on the table, palms down, leaning his weight forward.

"Umm, Franny and Emmy are in the family room and Austin is getting changed," Hayes replied, twirling the fork in her hand. She was acutely aware of the bag that was sitting in front of her.

Daring her... Taunting her...

"Perfect," Baker took a box out of the bag, effortlessly placing it in front of the birthday girl. "Ta-daaa."

Hayes smiled, her eyes lighting up with happiness when they connected with Baker's. He winked.

"Eat it fast though," Baker suggested, pulling out the chair to sit down. Getting comfortable, he stretched his legs out in front of him, his arm resting on the back of Hayes' chair. "Before someone sees it and takes it away."

"Eat what?" Dakota asked curiously, looking over the top of his phone to see what Hayes got. His eyebrows rose in slight surprise at the petite-sized ice cream cake, meant to make one little girl very happy.

"Thank you!" Hayes expressed her gratitude, immediately leaning over and wrapping her arms around Baker for a hug.

"You're very welcome, Sunshine" Baker returned the hug with the same amount of gusto.

Dakota shook his head, oddly the mature one in this scenario, "way to encourage her bad habits, man."

Baker shrugged, his fingers finding Hayes' ponytail and twirling it gently. "It's her birthday."

"Yeah, Kota," Hayes said, sliding her finger along the edge of the box to break the tape and open it. "It's my birthday. Think I can eat it all right now?" She questioned, using her fork to munch on the ice cream.

Dakota mumbled something to himself sounding similar to "your death wish." Because Dakota knew something that Baker didn't know.

Baker brushed off his grumpy brother. "Maybe not all of it," he smiled at his sister as he used his thumb and index finger to playfully nip her chin. "You excited for the obstacle course?"

"Yes!" Hayes nodded enthusiastically. She was ready to kick some butt. She had looked up some youtube videos on what potentially they were going to be doing, and to say she was excited was certainly an understatement.

She was ecstatic!

"Excuse me, Missy, what are you eating?"

Hayes' eyes briefly widened like a deer caught in headlights before shrinking back into her chair, looking at anything but her eldest brother who walked into the kitchen. "Nothing," she mumbled, caught clear as day with ice cream on her fork and in her mouth. Dang rabbits, she only got two bites of the cake.

"Hey, Austin," Baker grinned, like nothing was wrong with eating ice cream at 10:30 in the morning. Technically, it was lunch time, yes? It was when Chick-Fil-A switched over to their lunch menus. Same thing.

Austin shook his head at their shenanigans, removing the remaining ice cream out of Hayes' reach. "Didn't I already tell you no?"

Way to make him be the bad guy, Baker.

"Did you?" Hayes asked, a cheeky smile playing on her lips.

Yes. Yes, he did.

Told you so, Dakota mouthed silently to Baker who subtly held up his middle finger.

"Very cute," Austin said dryly, putting the box in the freezer to save it for later. It wasn't part of his plans to deal with a sugar rush so early in the day. Because after a rush came an inevitable crash and that meant cranky Hayes.

And they had a long day ahead of themselves if that was going to be the case.

Baker nodded, very impressed with his sister. Great minds think alike. "Did you seriously ask for ice cream for breakfast?"

Hayes' shoulders rose to her ears. "I plead the fifth," she copied Colton's words from last night. It was worth a shot.

Austin opened his mouth to respond before deciding better of it. Biting his tongue, he walked back over to where his little sister anxiously sat, watching his every move. He stood behind her chair and tickled under her chin, making her squirm, before bending down and kissing her forehead. "Nice try there, Sunshine."

Her head tilted back as she looked up at him, the mischievous twinkle prominent in her eyes, "It was worth a shot."

Austin barked out a laugh as he shook his head, "Oh Sunshine, you sure are one of a kind."

"You love me for it," Hayes grinned.

"I do love you," he agreed, "very much so, even with your sneaky ice cream ways."

Hayes' grin widened, going ear to ear, feeling nothing but adoration for her brother, "Love you mostest."

"Hey," Baker complained with a pout on his lips, "What about me?"

Hayes turned her head to look at him, as Austin's hands landed on her shoulders. "You know I love you, B."

"I wasn't talking to you," Baker rolled his eyes so hard that Hayes snorted.

"Ouch," Austin mock-gasped. The two eldest brothers shared a chuckle at the sound of their sister's giggles.

"Love you, Baker," Hayes obliged. Her eyes flickered up to Austin before returning to Baker, "and thanks for the cake, you're the best," she stage-whispered, bursting out in wholesome laughter when Austin's fingers tickled her sides.

"What am I? Fucking invisible?" Someone else scoffed now, gaining Hayes' attention as she whipped her head to the other side of the table. The laughter simmered briefly as Dakota stared at her expectantly. "Love you too, Kota," she beamed so bright, the flushed cheeks giving her an angelic appearance.

He nodded, accepting her words. Dakota then waited until his eldest brothers were distracted in conversation about today's plans before grabbing Hayes' attention again. He raised his right hand, subtly signing to her. I love you.

Hayes' heart was so full.

Today was a good day. She could tell.

————

"Alright, troops, who's up first?"

The siblings stood side-by-side in a casual line, Peyton included, as Baker paced back and forth in front of them, his hands crossed behind his back like a drill sergeant. They held back their smirks, finding it entertaining to watch Baker in his element.

Well, most tried.

Hayes hadn't stopped smiling since she woke up.

"Nose goes," Francis called, immediately touching his index finger to his nose. Emerson followed suit. The two weren't stupid, they knew there was some sort of twist to Baker's idea of an 'obstacle course' and didn't want to find out the hard way what it was.

Only took them a couple years to figure that out.

"Pussy," Dakota coughed behind his fist.

Baker stopped walking and spun on his left foot, facing his brother. "Uncalled for," he barked out, keeping character, "Drop and give me 20."

Dakota rolled his eyes with a huff as he took off the camera strap from around his neck. He handed the camera to Glen who happened to be standing beside him before taking a step back and doing as told. He didn't need Baker up his ass the whole time so better to get it over with. His younger brothers snickered as they watched him place his hands on the ground and getting into push-up position.

Hayes' hand shot straight up in the air.

"Yes, Sunshine?" Baker addressed her.

"I want to go first!" She was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I'll go with her," Colton volunteered, taking a step forward.

Baker squinted at them, scrutinizing their partnership before nodding. "Very well, soldiers."

"Hayes, did you stretch?" Austin asked, catching his sister by the upper arm right before she skipped off to the starting point.

"Yes," Hayes nodded, she had warmed up just like the rest of them. Her arms swung back and forth, excited for some action. She didn't exactly know how she was going to get past some of the obstacles but with Colton, surely he could just toss her over the barricade. Or, he could give her a piggy back ride through the course.

That actually sounded like fun.

"Let's go, kiddo!" Colton called her over to where he and Baker were standing at the assumed start-line.

Hayes turned to them for a second before looking at Austin. He winked at her, an easy smile forming at how excited she looked, "Kick his ass, Sunshine."

"Sir, yes, sir," She playfully saluted him before running off. Austin chuckled, watching as she spanked Colton on the butt and then consequently being thrown over his shoulder. Her childlike laughter could be heard from miles away. Seems like that was becoming her new thing, having picked up on it from her brothers. Playing sports naturally molded them that way. Better than stomping on their feet, he supposed.

The remaining brothers and Peyton kicked some dirt around as the young ones took bets on who would win.  Austin shook his head, they were always betting on something. This morning he caught them betting on who could eat the most pancakes at once. Francis claimed victory but Austin lowkey didn't believe him.

"Hey you," Peyton nudged his arm with her elbow, her arms hugging herself against the breeze.

"Hey Peyton," Austin greeted his sister-in-law, a calming presence as always. The two were alike in that manner, which is why they got along so great. He couldn't think of anyone better who could handle Baker and their chaotic siblings like she could. It was like she was meant for their family.

Though he acknowledged her with a quick glimpse, his attention was scattered. Austin's eyes constantly flickering between his siblings. He was particularly interested in that moment on what Dakota and Glen were conspiring about, as Glen tended to steer clear of his mischievous brother. His question was answered when he saw Dakota hand over his beloved camera once again before cuffing the back of Glen's neck for a final threat. If Austin had to guess, 'break my camera, I break your face'.

It was a classic Dakota statement.

Thankfully, Glen made sure the camera strap was secure around his neck and the camera itself gripped tightly in his left hand before jogging off to go capture Hayes and Colton in action. The two were already off to an entertaining start as Colton had to assist Hayes in even reaching the top of the wooden wall. Once she pulled herself up and straddled the walls, she raised her hands in victory as Baker playfully shouted at her.

And yes, she was already covered in dirt with her blonde hair that was pulled back into a messy ponytail blowing in the wind.

"You seem a little nervous," Peyton pointed out, her eyes twinkling as she hid her grin. Austin was such a worry wort, bless his heart.

"Someone has to be," Austin replied, glancing at her in his periphery. "You have met my siblings right? It's not the question of if someone will get hurt, but who and when."

Peyton laughed, playfully slapping his arm with the back of her hand "Lighten up Boss, Baker's got it all under control..." She paused as her face morphed into a grim look, "wait, on second thought, I'd definitely be worried."

"Exactly." Austin nodded, so serious.

"Mhmm."

When Peyton started laughing again, most definitely at his dispense, Austin chuckled softly. He knew he had the traits of a helicopter parent, he couldn't help it, as he had experienced the hands-off approach growing up and vowed to be the exact opposite for his siblings.

He turned to look at Peyton to tell her to 'laugh it up' before doing a double take. "Francis James!"

Francis froze where he was, standing on top of one of the wooden beam poles. "What?" He hollered back. It wasn't like he was going to jump off of it by doing a flip or anything...

Okay, yeah... that was exactly what he was going to do.

Francis cursed under his breath.

Busted.

The yelling caught Baker's attention who promptly put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. "Get the fuck down, Francis! This isn't parkour!"

Francis sighed, but did as he was told, safely climbing back down while grumbling the whole time. With his feet firmly planted on the ground, his grumbling continued as Emerson patted him on the back, snickering at his misfortunate.

By then, Baker left Colton and Hayes at the spider ropes and approached them. He emulated a pissed-off drill sergeant very well as he gave Francis further instruction, "20 push-ups."

"What? But I didn't do anything," Francis sputtered as he flung his hands up in the air.

"You want 20 burpees instead?" Baker crossed his arms. "You too, Emerson," he ordered the co-conspirator. When Emerson opened his mouth to complain, Baker added, "you're just as guilty for not stopping him."

"I'm a innocent bystander," Emerson's jaw dropped in disbelief as he lifted the hat from his head to brush his hair out of his eyes.

Baker snorted, "And I'm the jury. Push-ups, now."

The double trouble brothers complied, but that didn't mean they did it quietly. No, not with Francis shouting, "this is child abuse, I tell you, child abuse!"

"Shut up, Fran," Emerson groaned, lying flat on the ground with his arms spread out when he was done. He faced Francis, his cheek on the hard ground, "I swear, if you make us do more..."

"Nobody loves me," Francis dramatically wailed as Baker rolled his eyes.

"It's called tough love, baby brother," Baker added as he walked away.

Austin shook his head, "Dumb and Dumber, I swear," he glanced at Peyton, holding out his arm towards his younger brothers, a clear answer for his constant concern, "and that would be why."

"I get your point," Peyton said, barely suppressing her grin. Francis and Emerson definitely gave the brothers a run for their money. Glen and Hayes weren't too far behind and Dakota... yeah.

She understood Austin's and Baker's concerns loud and clear.

Austin rolled his eyes, struggling to contain his own grin as he heard the teasing in her voice, "I know, I know, laugh it up."

"I'm just messing with you," Peyton nudged him again, "I know how much you care. You and Baker, what you guys have been through, you're amazing. I'm honored to be part of such an amazing family."

Austin nudged her back, "Baker is a lucky man to have you."

"Yeah well... he certainly is something," Peyton replied, making the both of them chuckle.

A gentle, comfortable silence enveloped them as they both got distracted by the action going on in front of them. Speaking of Baker, he was certainly a site to see right now. Hayes was currently refereeing the army crawl under the wire as Colton and Baker raced through the dirt on their arms. She wore Baker's baseball cap backwards on her head that was probably two sizes too big for the girl.

He hoped Glen was documenting all of this.

"Come on, fuckers, you call that fast?" Dakota hassled his older brothers, his hands forming a funnel by his mouth. "Francesca can go faster than you hoes!"

"Hey!" Francis yelped, offended. He crossed his arms in an annoyed stance.

Peyton shuffled her weight on each foot, her arms tightening around her chest as the wind picked up for a moment, "are you happy, Austin?"

"What kind of silly question is that?" Austin stared down at her, a wrinkle in his forehead as he was confused, "of course I'm happy, Peyton."

"Like, truly happy?"

"Absolutely." Austin replied with no hesitation. End of discussion.

Peyton chewed on her cheek, knowing there was a fine line she may be crossing, but she worried about him. And though the brothers all teased each other about their relationship statuses, they never seriously talked about it, the idea of change often scary for them to even imagine, "You ever feel lonely?"

Austin's eyes narrowed as he stiffened, "What are you getting at? Did Baker say that shit?"

Peyton shook her head, raising her hands up to placate him, "no, no, he hasn't said anything. God no, your boy talk stays between the two of you."

Austin arched an eyebrow, "boy talk?"

"Puh-lease, you two and Colton gossip more than me and my girlfriends do. Don't even try to deny it," Peyton matched his raised eyebrow before taking her opening, "speaking of girlfriends, I have a friend-."

"No," Austin interrupted sharply, "don't even finish that sentence."

"Austin-."

"Peyton," Austin copied her, "seriously, I see what you're trying to do and I'm asking you, don't. I cannot afford to have any distractions in my life, not when there's more important things to focus on."

Peyton ducked her head with a scowl before nodding, "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Austin pointedly stared straight ahead, glancing off into the distance as he regained his control. He didn't mean to snap at her, but God forbid Hayes and Glen overheard even a snippet of their conversation about bringing a lady into their life... Scratch that, all his younger siblings under Colton were still sensitive about it. It just wasn't something they were ready for at this time. He wasn't necessarily ready either. Austin imagined the possibility of how they'd go berserk and then shut down, right back to square one.

"You just caught me off guard," Austin finally spoke, shooting her a grin as he nudged Peyton. Although she brought it up, that didn't mean she deserved to get the cold shoulder. He respected her and knew she was genuine. "I didn't expect to get the third degree today, that's all."

"Well, it was worth a shot," Peyton easily shrugged off his short fuse, since she was the one who pushed him, before sobering up, "honestly though, I just want to make sure you're okay, Austin. This is a lot of change for all of you, which includes you."

"I'm fine, scout's honor," Austin held up three fingers.

"I highly doubt you were a Boy Scout," Peyton chuckled, remembering some of the stories from last night "rumor has it, you were quite the character  as a kid."

"I neither confirm nor deny," Austin joked. He readjusted his position so that one arm crossed over his chest, cupping the other elbow as he raised his hand to his mouth. He ran his hand over his mouth, feeling a day's old scruff having not shaved that morning. "Honestly though," Austin repeated Peyton's words, "I am truly happy and fine and whatever else you need me to say to get you and Baker to stop worrying about me."

"I believe you. Just FYI, nothing you say will ever make me stop worrying about you."

"I figured," Austin believed that. "This family has made me happier than I could ever imagine. I wouldn't change this for the world, Peyton. They may be a bunch of goofballs, for lack of better words, but they're my goofballs."

"You're a good man, Austin Powers." Peyton squeezed his arm.

Good? He didn't know about that, but he was trying his best.

"Austin, Austin, Austin, Austin!" His eyes darted around, looking for his little sister who was cackling right now as she called his name.

"What in God's name," Austin exhaled as Peyton chuckled from beside him. All he could do was shake his head, running a stressed hand through his wind-blown hair. His fingers twitched.

Hanging by their bent knees on the horizontal bars were Hayes, Francis, Emerson, and shockingly, Dakota. Below them and slightly off to the side were Colton and Baker, ready to step in in case one of them happened to lose their grip and fall.

"Look, I'm a monkey!" Hayes acted out scratching her head and belly. The movement had untucked her shirt from her Nike shorts, causing it to fall down over her face. "Oops, little help, please." Her arms dangled aimlessly by her head, her shirt practically falling all the way off at this point, covering her eyes so she couldn't see a thing.

"Pretty sure bats hang upside down, not monkeys," Glen commented from behind the lens. He lowered the camera away from his face, revealing the smart-alecky smile on his face.

"Shut up, Glennard."

"Easy does it," Colton to the rescue as he assisted Hayes up so she could grab onto the bar with her hands. He could tell she was getting tired and losing strength and he didn't want her to accidently fall. With Colton's support, she smoothly unhooked her legs from the bar before dropping down into Colton's arms. Weeeee, trust fall.

"Woah, head rush," Hayes teetered a little once she was standing on solid ground again. Her face was very flushed from all the blood previously rushing to her head. Colton kept his hands on her shoulders, one, to stabilize her, and two, to stop her from climbing on something else.

"Please be careful!" Austin rubbed his hand down the side of his face as all the scenarios of how this could end badly ran through his mind.

"Breathe," Peyton kindly reminded him, the smirk on her face letting him know she found this hilarious. At least one of them did.

Right, just breathe.

Just do it.

Meanwhile, Dakota did a crunch-up, showing off his athletic capabilities, and grabbed the bar on the sides of his knees. He slid his legs off the bar, swinging by his hands for a second before releasing and softly landing on his feet. "Did you get the shot?"

"Yep," Glen replied, nodding his head like a bobble head. He carefully handled the camera in his left hand as he awkwardly pressed the bottoms with his right middle finger, pulling up the last photos he took.

"Fuck yeah," Dakota murmured, looking over Glen's shoulder, "that'll do, Smiley, that'll do." He clapped Glen's shoulder in approval, "These are good. Shit, you could be like, my little prodigy."

Glen grinned at the rare compliment coming from his most difficult brother. Dakota patted his shoulder before tilting his head towards where Austin and Peyton were walking. Might as well show off his prodigy's work.

Getting the hint, the kid ran over to Austin and Peyton as Dakota lagged behind him. "Hey Austin, wanna see the pictures? They're really cool."

"Sure, Smiley," Austin smiled down at his brother as Smiley fumbled with pulling up the first picture of the series. He fondly ruffled Glen's hair before leaving his hand on the back of his neck.

Glen's eyes flickered to where Peyton stood, "Umm, you can see too if you want," He shyly invited her, still cautious but definitely trying to include her.

Peyton smiled, briefly meeting Austin's eye. "I'd love to." She moved a step closer to the two brothers, though still keeping a comfortable distance from Glen, and bent her head like Austin to see.

The adults were very impressed with what Glen was flicking through, held captive by his talent.

"Aye! Look I'm a monk," Francis exclaimed, holding his hands in a prayer position as if he was meditating, still upside down, "So hummm... So hummm... food in my belly... So hummm..."

Hearing Francis' voice, Austin quickly glanced upwards only to see him be the remaining brother hanging upside down. He had no words, only able to watch with raised eyebrows as Emerson began pushing on Francis' upper back by his right shoulder blade, making him swing precariously. Francis squealed in surprise.

Just breathe, Austin.

"Hey, don't be a fucking moron, Sonny," Baker intervened, putting Emerson into a headlock as he dragged him back a couple feet before releasing. "Francis, get the hell down before you hurt yourself."

Baker's got it all under control.

Taking a deep breath, he looked away for a second, only a second, to glance at Glen who was saying something.

"Ow, frickity frack." Francis somehow landed on his tailbone. Only that boy could manage such a thing. Thankfully though, he shook off the pain and grabbed Emerson's outstretched hand, jumping right back onto his feet. They enthusiastically slapped each other on the backs before both turning to engage Baker and Colton in conversation or to convince them to allow them to do something stupid.

His money was on something stupid.

All the while, their little sister was practically bouncing out of her skin by their side. She was thriving in the outdoor setting, looking like she was having the time of her life. Because she was. Happiness was a good look on her.

Austin found himself smiling, like he always was when thinking about his siblings.

He loved his goofballs.

————

"So you're telling me, that this place only sells Mac and cheese?"

"For the 20th time, yes." Austin said, exasperated. He was beginning to wonder why Dakota accompanied him to pick up dinner if all he was going to do was complain.

"How the fuck do they stay in business?" Dakota picked up the menu off the counter and flicked through it before dropping it back down. He wasn't impressed, to say the least.

But, his little sister was adamant about macaroni and cheese for her birthday dinner, and so that's what they were having.

"I don't know, why don't you ask them?"

"Was that sarcasm?" Dakota pursed his lips, "that's not very nice."

Glen snickered from where he stood on Austin's other side. He also volunteered to go for the drive, having been best buddies with Dakota since the obstacle course.

Somehow the two managed to snag the first showers so they were dressed and ready to go when Austin on his way out the door.

The worker returned to where the brothers waited, three bags of hot food in her hands. The brothers didn't have to wait much longer than five minutes as Colton called in their food orders ahead of time.

It also helped that it was only 4pm on a Saturday afternoon, making it an early dinner for the family. Every last one of the siblings voiced their hunger when they returned home, all muddy and smelly, from the training course.

Austin wasn't complaining; early dinner meant early cake for desert which meant early bedtime for him, hopefully. He had a long drive ahead of him tomorrow and could use all the sleep he could get before then. He didn't think him nor Baker were going to get much of it the next couple days.

"Thank you," Austin smiled closed-lipped as he grabbed two of the bags. Glen picked up the third, leaving Dakota to carry nothing.

Go figure.

"Make yourself useful and open the door, will you?"

Dakota huffed as he held the door like a gentleman, "Dakota, do this. Dakota, do that."

Austin chuckled, "Kota, you driving us home?"

"Dakota, be my fucking chauffeur," he replied in a high pitch voice as he pickpocketed Austin for the car keys. Finding them, he twirled the ring around his finger, whistling as he strolled ahead.

"Who the hell was that suppose to be?" Glen laughed as he trailed right behind his older brothers.

"Fuck if I know," Dakota smirked as he glanced over his shoulder, "you're cool if I drive, right Smiley?" He didn't think Glen had any problems with the car, but one could never be 100% sure.

Austin thought it was very thoughtful of him to even ask. Very mature.

Glen shrugged, "doesn't bother me."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Dakota mumbled as he unlocked the car. Glen followed Austin's lead with putting the food in the trunk before hopping into the back seat. "Buckle up, bitches. Safety first."

Austin took that back.

Oh, Dakota.

————

The ride home was a pleasant silence, not much happening besides Austin's calming voice giving Dakota reassurance every few minutes.

Too much quiet freaked him out, too much noise freaked him out.

Austin provided the happy medium.

Glen didn't know what the big deal was, Dakota was a great driver, way better than Francis.

Well, anyone was probably better than Francis.

Just kidding, Franny was a good driver, too. The brothers had to pass the 'Austin test' before they were allowed to hit the roads, even with their license. He took driving very seriously, for good reason, too. After all that the family has been through, no one would dare argue against him.

Glen remained preoccupied with his phone as the group messages he was a part of kept him busy. The messages weren't even for him, though, but for Hayes, all wishing her a happy birthday.

Their best friends from Florida... Patrick Rayon... their new friends - Johnna Paula, Abe, and Theo... and the boys' varsity basketball team.

She really needed to keep her phone by her side. Glen didn't enjoy playing her assistant all day long, though he did find it comical how everyone knew Hayes wouldn't be reading their texts.

"We're back," Austin called out as he walked through the foyer. Dakota scooted on by, dropping the keys back in Austin's pocket, and disappeared up the stairs to his room to do whatever it was that he did.

Glen quickly kicked off his shoes, using the toe-to-heel method before dropping off the bag he carried on the dinner table. He could hear his brothers playing video games in the family room and hurried in there.

"You're playing CoD without me?" He perched on the edge of the couch, nearly sitting on Hayes' feet if she hadn't moved them in time. Their sister was content on the couch with her head on a pillow, laying on Emerson's lap. Emerson had an Xbox controller in his hands, periodically reaching down and affectionately scratching Hayes' head.

"Snooze, you lose, baby bro," Francis retorted from where he sat on the other end of the couch, safely out of reach from Glen's grabbing hands. Instead he resorted to chucking a pillow at his face, but Francis ducked just in time.

"Hey, game off guys, it's dinner time," Austin demanded, sticking his head in the room. "Where are the adults?

"Uh, right here," Emerson pointed to himself.

"The real adults," Francis grabbed the pillow that Glen threw and hurled at Emerson. It was obvious to him that Austin looked at anyone younger than Colton as a kid, though Dakota slipped up there every now and then. "They're outside," Francis informed Austin.

Austin thanked Francis while chuckling at their antics. He walked to the backdoor and glanced through the small window before opening the door. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him with a gentle thud.

"Everything okay?" Austin had seen the look of displeasure on Baker's face and a certain sadness mirrored on Colton's and Peyton's.

"Fucking got called into work," Baker grunted, clutching his phone in his hand. He just got off the phone with his Lieutenant. "I specifically told them do not call me in, and what do they do? Fucking prick heads."

Austin took a quick look around at Colton and Peyton before subtly nodding his head for them to head inside. Peyton squeezed Baker's clenched fist, slowly dropping it as she stepped away.

"I never ask for anything, for fuck's sake. You know what, those fuckers saw us actually having fun on the Course and they said, 'you know what, let's ruin his day.'" Baker seemed to be talking to himself as he angrily stuffed his phone in his pocket. He abruptly looked up, catching Austin's eye. "How hard is it to understand? What's Hayes' going to think? If I can't fucking spend her birthday with her, what else can't I do?"

"B, stop," Austin chuckled, holding up a hand to stop the rant.

Baker's gaze darkened before he closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. "I know, I know," he exhaled, significantly calmer than he was just a moment ago.

Austin's eyebrows rose, "Know what?"

Baker laced his hands together, resting them on top of his head as he kicked dirt on the ground. "It's only a big deal if I make it one."

"Alright," Austin nodded, going along with it. That was easy, and not exactly what he was going to say. "and..."

"I'll give her a hug and kiss goodbye and I'll see you guys in the morning." Baker dropped his hands to his side, "Fuck man. I wanted ice cream cake."

Austin blinked in surprise before barking out a laugh, "Don't sweat it man, I'm sure Hayes will convince us to get some ice cream tomorrow."

"Yeah," Baker blew out hot air, "Yeah, she totally will, that little sneak. Too cute for her own good."

The eldest brothers embraced each other, the overlying thought that every time Baker donned his uniform, he was in danger. Austin slapped his back, holding his shoulder. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

The two went back inside and right away, the rest of their siblings picked up on the mood change.

"What, uhh, what's wrong?" Emerson bravely spoke for all of them.

"Nothings wrong," Baker replied, "Just got called into work is all." He walked over to where his sister sat, staring up at him with a frown. "Come here, Sunshine," he opened his arms for a hug.

Baker hugged her tight, ducking his head to lean against hers. "I'm sorry I have to leave," he murmured. "Happy birthday. I love you so much."

"Love you, Baker," she mumbled against his chest. Her fists tightened as she held on to his shirt.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Bright and early," He pulled back so he could look her in the eyes. Baker wanted her to see how much he dreaded having to leave, on her first birthday back with them.

Hayes nodded, "Bright and early," she chirped, putting a smile on her face.

"Love you," he said again, this time sealing it with a kiss on her forehead.

————

Dinner was one helluva time, which basically meant it was just as chaotic as the siblings' nightly dinners. Though everyone enjoyed their macaroni and cheese, they came to a silent agreement that it shouldn't be tried again, at least not for the main course. Nothing against it as a side dish.

Everyone but Hayes, because she loved her delicious mix of chicken in the mac and cheese bowl. Seems as though they found her new favorite meal, right behind the ice cream, pizza, chocolate chip cookies, and french fries... yes, she declared those all nutritious meals as well.

The siblings were now sitting in the living room, having migrated there after dinner per Glen's request. Apparently his present for Hayes involved the piano. Baker and Peyton had long since departed, leaving together to head home for Baker to grab his uniform before turning around and reporting to duty.

"Here," a wrapped present fell on Hayes' lap.

Hayes gently held it in her hands, shaking it a little as she couldn't help but try to guess what it was. She told her brothers no presents, but alas, they did not listen.

And why would they?

Her and Glen deserved to be spoiled for their birthdays, Christmas, and every single day besides those.

"Damn, there goes our changes of having the best gift," Emerson playfully grumbled to anyone who was listening as he slouched back against the couch. His present for the girl sat on the floor by his feet.

Dakota smirked, "Sucks to suck."

Hayes eyed the box, skimmed the room, before eyeing the box again.

"It's not going to bite you."

Hayes poked her cheek with her tongue, "I know." She gripped the box in both hands.

"Any time now..." Dakota crossed his arms, a frown forming.

Austin held up his hand, telling him to relax. "Need help, Sunshine?"

"No," Hayes dragged out. Finally, she put the box back on her lap, laying her hands on top. "I just," she shrugged, at a loss for words.

"HayHay," Glen grabbed her attention. He pointed at the box, "open it."

Hayes twisted her lips to the side before nodding. Very carefully, Hayes unwrapped the wrapping paper, revealing an Amazon box.

"Keep going," Dakota drawled when he saw her hesitating some more.

Colton, who happened to be sitting the closest to the girl, pulled on a strand of her hair, still slightly damp from her shower. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You'll love it, trust me."

She trusted Colton, so with those simple words, Hayes continued with the reveal. She easily undid the tape and opened the top flaps of the box. She reached in and pulled out a black box and a power cord. "What is it?" She looked to Dakota for answers.

"Why don't you plug it in and find out," he replied, waving his hand to an open outlet. He didn't think it'd be this painstakingly difficult, but then again, he had to remind himself that she probably never seen anything like it before. He highly doubted their previous living arrangements had photos lying around, less something like his gift.

Hayes obeyed, getting to her feet and shuffling over. Plugging it in, she glided her hand over the front of the box thingy, waiting for something to happen.

"You got to turn it on, babe," Austin joined her by the wall, instantly knowing what the present was. He smiled, already loving the gift. Dakota did it again, that boy.

"Oh-kay," Hayes' finger skimmed the outer part, pressing the on/off button when she finally found it. "Woah," her mouth dropped open but no other sounds came out.

"Wait, I want to see," footsteps were heard as every single one of them, minus Dakota and Glen, huddled around to see what she was looking at. As they were all distracted by the digital picture frame, Dakota ambled to the piano and pulled out the bench to take a seat. Glen stood next the the piano, his left hand gripped his cast.

Hayes was gobsmacked as she watched the slideshow, photo after photo appearing on the screen. Dakota had basically documented her life since her and Glen had moved in. And on top of that, sprinkled throughout, were a few photos of when she was a little girl, no older than probably 2 or 3.

She literally stood there in utter astonishment, watching as her life flashed before her eyes.

When her hands started to tremble, one of her brothers took the frame from her as another embraced her in a hug.

Austin.

His fingers fondly ran down her hair, comforting her more than words could in that moment as she was feeling way overwhelmed. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

Glen cleared his throat, trying to gather his siblings' attention. When everyone looked expectantly at the boy, including Hayes who turned her head against Austin's chest, Glen nodded at Dakota.

Music began flowing to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' as Dakota's nimble fingers hit the piano keys. It was a simple song, but he was good. It left Hayes wanting to know what other songs he could play.

Glen begun to sing, waving his hands in the air the best he could with a cast, pretending like he was a chorus conductor, "Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, You smell like a monkey, and you act like one, too!"

Hayes snorted as she wiped away her traitorous tears with the back of her hand, her brothers chuckling in the background. Such hooligans, they were.

She smiled; but they were her hooligans, and she loved them all very much.

Happy birthday to her, indeed.

Now, all that was missing was her puppy.

~~~~~

**27 days until Christmas. Not that I'm counting or anything...**