7 days to Christmas
**Sam's POV**
That's it for my much needed me-time.
I have been looking forward to having the house all to myself until the kids come back from school sometime in the afternoon.
And then Alex called and everything changed.
My plan was to sleep in, have a healthy breakfast, go for a quick workout in the nearby gym – I really try hard not to overdo it during this school break, but I also won't allow myself to become a lazy bastard like some of my brothers – and then just chill out in the living room by myself.
It is a rare occurrence that the main areas in this house are completely free of other living souls and I was adamant to make the most of it. Watch some football on the big TV without having to defend my choice of entertainment against demanding siblings. Or worse, fighting over the remote. Which normally ends with me giving it up, just to keep the peace.
Obviously, I could easily win any such fight against the little pests, since they are no match for me physically. It would be slightly more challenging if I were to take on Jordan or Alex, but Jordan isn't around to fight with – and Alex would never be caught acting so childish. He'd simply demand that the remote be handed to him and anybody would cave, me included. I am by no means scared of him, but if he chooses to put on his infamous no-nonsense expression, it leaves no room for arguments.
Luckily, Alex doesn't have to put on his scary face too often. It doesn't suit him and his personality at all when he has to be this stern, parental figure. He is a very calm and collected individual and he doesn't believe in yelling at the kids or threatening them. Sometimes his approach to try and reason with our kid siblings instead of putting down the law, however, doesn't have the desired effect. He had to learn that the hard way over the years, as he has admitted a few times since he became the guardian of our youngest five siblings.
I am still impressed by how well Alex handles this huge responsibility. He will be turning 30 this coming February and he has already raised five boys into adulthood and there are still five more kids to come. Considering everything that happened to our family, I'd say he has been pretty successful so far. With the help of the oldest set of twins, of course.
But at the end of the day, my big brother is the head of this family and that means in a way he is responsible for all of us. He is a great role model for me and by stepping in and helping out whenever I can, I try to show him just that.
I'm in my last year of college up in San Jose, meaning that I am not around during the week when Alex and Josh have to organize this crazy bunch. And I am often away on the weekends, too, since I play football in college. This is also the reason why I moved into the dorms after commuting back and forth for the first two months. It was simply impossible to keep up with the demanding training schedule, the college courses themselves and looking after my younger siblings.
But whenever I can arrange it, I come home to take the kids off my older brothers' hands and spend some time with them. This allows Alex and Josh to get some time off, too. We all decided together that we will raise these five additional kids when they showed up pretty much out of nowhere more than seven years ago. And although I was only 14 at the time, I vowed to contribute my share to make this work. I take this commitment very seriously and it would never occur to me to let them down.
What I always appreciated in our family and the way Alex "runs" it, is, that we all get to have a say in things and make decisions together. For example, when Sean asked if he could do his master's degree in Chicago, all of us had a say and we agreed unanimously that he should take the opportunity since he was offered a full scholarship. Nobody felt like he let us down because he moved two time zones away from home. Sean more than pulled his weight in his last year of high school and while he was getting his undergraduate degree at a college nearby.
The same goes for Jordan. When he finally found something that he likes and joined the military, all of us felt so relieved. He had been going through a really rough patch after his college football plans were ruined due to that horrible injury he sustained at one of his final high school games. It literally pulled the rug out from under his feet and I know that Alex and Josh were very worried about him for a while. He managed to delay being deployed for as long as possible after the little twins and Lily came along. About one and a half years ago, he eventually left for his first tour to the Middle East.
Both of them, Sean and Jordan, have been very involved in raising our baby sister from the moment she was born, while the rest of us younger brothers tried to help Alex with Aid and Noah, leaving him to focus on the last two additions to our family, Will and Jack. Those boys were quite traumatized and in a really bad state when they joined us as they had been physically neglected by their mother, which also affected them emotionally. They pretty much required the oldests' undivided attention the first two years until they were properly integrated in our family and knew the dynamics well enough to feel safe.
My phone rings, bringing me out of this impromptu trip down memory lane. I quickly accept the call and hold the phone to my ear while I lower the volume of the TV.
"Alex?" I greet my brother, having expected him to call me back.
"Hey, Sam. I called the school. You can pick them up at lunchtime which is in..."
He must be checking his watch but gets interrupted by someone yelling something in the background. I decide to save him the trouble since I can figure this out myself.
"... in 10 minutes," I chuckle, getting up from the sofa. "It'll take me 15 at least."
"That's okay. They'll be waiting for you in the principal's office."
"Why not outside?" I wonder.
"They're seven and nine, Sam," Alex groans. "Of course they're not going to be waiting in front of the school all by themselves if nobody else is leaving. Anything could happen."
I can just about imagine how the line on his forehead grows deeper with every word that leaves his mouth. While I understand Alex's slight paranoia when it comes to the safety of our kid siblings, I still sometimes think he is exaggerating.
Surely, nobody would steal three rambunctious children from in front of a school. They'd return them in a heartbeat because they can be unbearable when they fight with each other over the pettiest things, or when they act hyperactive. Which is pretty much a constant reality with these three.
Actually, I am still not sure what bit me when I decided that I'd let them tag along on this unplanned trip we're about to take. It's probably the Christmas spirit that has taken hold of me.
Since my break started, it has been near impossible to escape all things Christmas-y in our house. I do like the festive season, I really do, and it has definitely been way more enjoyable in the past seven years with the little ones around than it has been ever since my mom died, but there is a limit to how much Christmas I can bear, weeks before the actual event.
At least Alex put his foot down when Lily insisted that only Christmas songs should be played during the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. Just the thought of having to listen to "All I want for Christmas is You" for a month is pure torture.
Instead, Luke, being the self-proclaimed best brother (she agrees with him there) aka the most annoying younger brother (this is my personal, completely non-biased opinion), likes to keep his baby sister happy and therefore regularly plays these songs for her. I wonder when he finally realizes that she's totally taking advantage of his weakness of not being able to resist her manipulating ways – and those insufferable puppy dog eyes.
"Gotcha," I confirm, seeing as there is no point in arguing with Alex about where to pick up the kids.
Looks like I'll have to waste more time by actually fetching them from the inside of the school.
"Please drive carefully. I don't want you to take any risks just to get there in time," Alex reminds me.
I roll my eyes at his overprotectiveness.
As if I would ever drive unsafely with any of the kids in the back!
If I didn't know that he just can't help himself when it comes to everybody's safety, I would actually feel a bit offended for him questioning my driving skills.
Trying to put on my shoes with my one free hand, I confirm that I have everything under control.
"Good. I trust you to take care. – And thanks for doing this, Sam. It's really considerate and a great treat. They'll be so happy."
"Yeah, sure. I just thought..."
Loud noises can be heard from Alex's side of the connection. I hear a rustling sound and then his muffled reply as he talks to whoever interrupted his call. A few seconds later, he's back.
"I gotta go. We're in the middle of something – I'm coming! – Sorry, Sam, things are getting a bit hectic around here. I don't know when I'll be home tonight. Just call Josh if there's anything you guys need," Alex tells me, sounding slightly distracted.
"I know the drill, man. Just go already. We'll be fine. Bye," I say quickly.
Without awaiting his reply, if there even was one, I disconnect the call and shove the phone in my pocket. I grab the car keys and hurry out of the house. A quick look at my watch tells me that the kids will have to wait in the principal's office for at least 10 minutes.
I wonder if Alex told them, respectively the principal, what this is all about. If not, I guess the little guys might be getting a bit nervous right about now, wondering what they got caught doing wrong. But he hopefully let them know that it is nothing bad. I don't want to deal with a handful of scared kids that I first need to comfort.
*******
"Come on, guys, get in. – Noah, you go in the passenger seat. You two, in the back," I command.
Holding the back door open, I motion for Aidan and Lily to climb in. But, of course, nothing ever goes efficiently if these three are involved.
"Why does he get to sit in the front?" Aidan promptly complains, glaring at his twin.
Noah, in turn, looks triumphantly back at him from his higher up position in the passenger's seat. His smug expression is unmistakable and I groan inwardly. This decision I made for them, meant to speed things up, is going to bite me in the ass any second now.
"Because it's his turn," I claim breezily.
I have no clue if Aidan got to sit in the front this morning, but my guess is that it was the case since he turns into a little monster whenever the daily who-is-sitting-where-drama unfolds. Noah normally gives in just to avoid an argument.
A bit like me, always one for the role of the peacemaker.
"But I'm older!" Aidan continues to argue with me.
"You're literally the same age, Aid," I sigh.
I just about manage to refrain from rolling my eyes because if I do, I'll be accused of hypocrisy next. Alex is still trying – and mainly failing – to instill manners into these kids and, according to him, that can only work if we lead by example.
"No, I'm 15 minutes older!"
"That's completely irrelevant," I claim.
"It's not! It's even more relevant than Josh's stupid 7 minutes and he reminds us of that all the time!"
I guess Aidan has a point there, because it is the sad truth that our second oldest brother uses this petty argument to his advantage whenever possible, so I unfortunately can't really argue against his logic.
"Just get in the back, Aidan."
I slightly push him towards the seat, hoping that he gets the message because I am not beyond picking him up and depositing him inside the car if I have to.
"That's favoritism," he growls indignantly, now glaring daggers at me.
I won't deny that Noah has a special place in my heart because the little guy and I have a lot in common and I love spending time with that kid. Obviously, I won't admit this out loud right now because that would be counter-productive.
Also, I know Aidan would hate me for saying what is going through my mind right now when I notice his glare, so I bite my tongue. It is actually rather hilarious. His wannabe icy look may not be quite as cute as Lily's, but it has a similar effect on me. Meaning, it doesn't really scare me off my plan but instead, it makes me want to hug him. I refrain from doing that, too, and instead just pat his head before ruffling his hair.
"How about you be the mature older twin and do as I say?" I suggest.
"I don't want to sit in the back with a baby."
Aidan points at our little sister, who is already in her car seat, kicking her feet back and forth, obviously bored by the delay.
"I also don't want you to sit in the back with me," Lily remarks, obviously having listened to our exchange. "And I'm not a baby."
To emphasize her point, she crosses her arms in front of her chest and narrows her eyes at Aidan.
"I'm counting to three. If you're not in there and buckled up by then, you'll be going back to class and I'll only take Noah and Lily," I threaten, done with their childish behavior.
Here I am, sacrificing my treasured alone time at the house for this.
What's wrong with me?
Fortunately, my threat seems to have done the trick because before I even get to start counting, Aidan is in his seat. I witness how he forcefully kicks the back of Noah's seat but decide to let it slide. After shutting the door behind him, I walk around the rear of the car and open the one on Lily's side to check if she is buckled in properly.
"Where are we even going?" Noah asks once I have pulled away from the school.
"It's a surprise!" I announce in an overly-eager voice.
"Tell us, tell us!" Lily chants from the backseat.
"Yes, tell us!" Noah backs her up.
I just smirk and shake my head.
"Tell us already, Sam!" Aidan echoes, pushing my seat to get my attention.
"You just be patient, my little darling siblings," I laugh at their attitudes.
Teasing my younger siblings is so much fun. I miss this when I'm in school. It's so easy to rile them up. I should probably be a bit more mature than that and not take advantage of them being so gullible, but it is great entertainment, I really can't deny it.
"Why are we going on the highway? How long until we're there?" Noah continues to question me.
"About an hour."
"An hour? Are you trying to kill us?" Aidan groans, dramatically throwing himself back against his seat with a loud huff.
"Not at all. I would never," I laugh.
"We're going to die of boredom. If I had known, I would have stayed in class," the third youngest claims.
"I promise you, my surprise will be better than school."
"Anything's better than school," Noah readily agrees.
Poor kid.
Noah hates school and I can totally relate to him. I never really liked going, either. And staying on top of my classes was quite hard work, too. That's another thing we bond over. But while he is still suffering and struggling, I have a long time ago learned to accept that school is a necessity to achieve something in life. Being able to play football and receive a scholarship out of it sure helped me decide to continue with my education and get a degree.
But I guess it doesn't help if you have a twin who excels in all of his subjects without even trying to. I'll just have to make sure that I can be there for my littlest brother whenever he struggles and make him see that it is worth the effort in the end.
"I'd much rather write a math test than being stuck in a car with you lot for an hour," Aidan loudly complains. "That's a two hour return trip. Kill me now."
Was I this dramatic at their age?
I don't think so. Aidan sure is in a league of his own when it comes to either being grumpy, moody or overly dramatic. But he can also be very witty and with that incredibly funny if he wants to be. It is a constant up and down with that boy and I think Alex dreads his upcoming teenage years already. Recently, he has developed an interest in playing football, however, and I hope that this will have the desired effect and redirect some of his energy into something positive.
"We can easily practice your calculation skills, if you like," I offer, inwardly hoping he won't accept the challenge.
I hate maths with a passion!
"Shut up, Sam."
I chuckle at that. Alex would have scolded him but I leave that parenting stuff to my older brothers. I really don't mind if they mouth off to me as long as it's within limits. Usually, ignoring them is the most effective way to get them to stop. It is less fun to try and argue with someone who doesn't argue back. It's the (often predictable) reactions that trigger fights.
"Why isn't Jack here?" Lily asks after a moment of surprisingly peaceful silence.
"He's gotta write a test this afternoon, bug. Plus, there's not enough space in the car for more than three of you rugrats," I tell her.
"There's loads of space back here," she points out, waving her small arms around.
I can't help but grin at the slight lisp when she pronounces the s due to her missing front tooth.
"For now, yes. But we'll have someone join us on the way back," I decide to reveal.
There is no reason to keep them in the dark for much longer.
"Who?" three curious voices ask simultaneously.
"We're picking up Jordan from a military airbase. He's coming home for Christmas."
This was a very last minute development, hence also a bit of a surprise for the rest of us. Actually, other than Alex, Josh, Ben and I, nobody else knows about it yet. Well, now the kids do, but the rest of the family has not yet been told.
Apparently, there was an ambush on Jordan's squad a couple of days ago when they were out on a mission. Three soldiers died on impact, others were gravely injured and some – like our brother – got away with a few minor injuries. His captain decided to send all the remaining men and women from the squad home, whether they were injured or not.
"Jordan's coming home?" Noah is the first to find his voice.
"Yes. – And I thought you'd all like to come with me to pick him up. Since you guys always get so excited when you get to see the big military cargo aircrafts. If we make it in time, you'll see it land and taxi to the base."
"Woah, that's so cool!" Aidan and Noah exclaim in unison.
"So, are we in agreement that this surprise beats a math lesson?" I ask them.
"Definitely!" Aidan yells while Noah shouts: "Always!"
"You excited, too, squirt? To see the big plane and to have Jordan back?" I address Lily, who has been unusually quiet since I revealed the news.
"Jo-Jo will celebrate Christmas with us?" she clarifies.
I confirm that and watch in the rearview mirror how her face lights up at the thought.
*******
"Hold your horses, kiddos!" I call out when the twins want to run off as soon as they got out of the car.
They freeze in their movements and I can't help but feel a bit satisfied that they actually listened for once. I help Lily out of her car seat and put her on her feet. After closing the door and locking the car, I take her tiny hand in mine and we walk up to the front of the car where Noah and Aidan are waiting.
"I want you to hold hands until we're in a good spot to see the aircraft land."
"Oh, come on, Sam, that's so embarrassing," Aidan promptly whines.
"We're not babies anymore," Noah agrees.
"And do I look like I care? There's a lot of people here and you guys could easily get lost. Not to mention all the military vehicles and cars driving around. This is no playground for kids and I don't want to risk losing you guys or one of you getting hurt. Understood?"
I guess there are times when I can't suppress the parental mode completely. They'll just have to deal with it until I can hand that role over to Jordan. At least I hope that he will be in a condition where he can act as the parental figure until we're back home. I have no details about his injuries but Alex assured me that he is fine. Otherwise, I would have never even considered bringing the kids. I don't want to traumatize them.
"Noah, grab Lily's other hand. And you Aid, come here."
I hold out my free hand towards him and he begrudgingly stomps over and takes it. Giving it an extra squeeze to show him that I appreciate it, we start walking towards the growing group of people that is gathered along the airfield. Looks like we are not too late as they all still seem to be anticipating the aircraft's arrival.
"Woah, have you seen those awesome planes, Noah?" Aidan exclaims, pointing at a few fighter jets that are parked in front of a huge hangar. "I wish I could fly in one of those someday."
I don't really care about anything do to with the military and I would never voluntarily join, but I can understand the fascination all the equipment holds for the kids. As long as they're not getting too excited about all the deadly weaponry, I'm fine to go along with their enthusiasm. That's why I decided to let them tag along. They have been fascinated with all the machinery ever since Jordan once showed them around a few years ago when he was working on a base near our city.
"Me, too," Noah agrees, his voice full of awe.
When we reach the crowd, I tell the twins that it is okay if they go to the front of the people to get a better view. Thankfully, the crowd lets them through once they realize that two 4'4 boys are not going to be an obstruction for their view. I stay in the back and pick Lily up to allow her to see everything from a vantage point. She lets out a cute giggle as I flip her through the air like a ragdoll before positioning her on my shoulders.
After only five minutes or so, the atmosphere starts buzzing when a big dark blob appears at the horizon. Then everything goes really fast and a few moments later, the massive aircraft taxis past us and stops in front of the main hangar.
I have to admit, it is quite impressive when the loading door at the back is slowly being opened and we watch as women and men, all wearing camouflage pants, military green t-shirts and combat boots, exit the aircraft. They walk past a lineup of officers wearing dress uniforms and then stand to attendance in front of an even more senior looking officer. A few words are addressed to them, which we don't hear acoustically from this distance, then they are dismissed.
We didn't spot Jordan, at least not for sure, but that's not exactly surprising, seeing as around fifty combat-gear wearing people got off the plane. A few guys matched his above average height but we were too far away to get a detailed view.
I call the twins back to my side as the crowd quickly disperses, all of them eager to welcome their loved ones home. Keeping Lily on my shoulders and grabbing ahold of a twin's hand in each of mine, we make our way towards the main area to look for our brother.
"You hold on up there, okay, squirt?" I remind Lily because I have no hand free to secure her.
Instantly, I feel her legs tighten around my shoulders and armpits and her fingers grab onto my hair. I let out a small groan, having forgotten that this is what she usually does if someone carries her on their shoulders.
"Jordan!" Aidan suddenly exclaims and before I can react, or hold him back, he slips his hand out of mine and rushes off towards our brother.
I get almost a bit emotional as I watch my second youngest brother happily jumping into Jordan's open arms, but I also don't miss the wince that escapes my older brother at the impact. I make a mental note to make sure he's okay before we get on the road.
My attempt to warn Noah to be a bit gentler with his greeting is futile because just when I get ready to inform him that Jordan might be a bit sore, he is already running after his twin.
When we reach the trio, both kids are hanging onto Jordan with their arms around his neck while he is supporting their butts with his arms. His luggage is lying discarded on the ground by his feet.
My brother lifts his face after affectionately kissing the boys' heads as I approach. For a brief moment, I detect a sliver of pain and grief in his eyes before Jordan expertly hides it and puts on happy expression, which is clearly for the benefit of his younger siblings. Although, I cannot quite shake the thought that he also thinks he can fool me. But in that split second, I have seen enough to know that whatever this incident was, it has shaken my big brother to the core.
A few weeks break with his family will do him good.
Now, after schooling his features, I can tell that Jordan looks exhausted, but I am relieved to find his face also displaying genuine happiness. He is very tan, and if it weren't for his torso being slightly slumped forward – which could also be due to the weight of the twins that he is still supporting – he looks to be in better physical shape than ever before.
"Sam! Kiddo!" Jordan announces our presence and puts the twins back onto their feet.
I notice him wince again when he straightens his upper body. There must be some bruised ribs involved. If they were fractured, I doubt that he would have allowed the twins to attack him like they did. Or maybe he would, because Jordan considers himself something like a superhuman. Which would be funny if it didn't mean that he regularly ignores doctor's orders, which we think jeopardizes his recovery. Of course, he always dismisses our concerns.
I lift Lily off my shoulders to avoid him doing it and straining himself unnecessarily. Not to mention that it is for my own good, too. Depending on how roughly she were to be pulled off, a concussion might have been a very likely result of one of her shoes banging against my head.
It surprises me a bit when I am next in line to be greeted by Jordan. I allow him to pull me into one of our well-rehearsed brotherly man hugs. It feels incredibly good to have him back, and still more or less in one piece, too.
"Welcome home, J," I say happily.
"Thank you, Sammy."
I lightly punch his shoulder for using that dreadful and childish nickname on me. Even after I grew to match his height, he never stopped calling me that because he knows exactly that I hate it. I guess certain sibling banter never ceases, no matter how old you get.
"How're you feeling?" I ask in a low voice, not wanting to alert the kids.
"M'alive and kickin', that's the main thing," he replies evasively.
We exchange a silent look and I think I read his non-verbal message correctly: if he is willing to talk about it, it certainly won't be here, with our younger siblings around. I nod to signal my understanding.
A tugging sensation attracts my attention and as I look down, I find my little sister hiding behind my legs, peeking around me at waist-level. Furrowing my eyebrows, I study her for a moment, feeling a bit confused by her weird behavior.
This shy side of hers normally only surfaces in the presence of strangers. We are still working on getting her to act more confident around people outside her family and her friends. Josh has been particularly invested in this and he reported a partial success a few months ago when he finally managed to get her to go on a playdate at someone else's house instead of having Lily's little school friends coming over to our place.
Anyway, all of that does not explain why she is acting so guarded around her favorite brother. Which is a known fact in our family that we have accepted years ago.
Jordan seems to have a similar reaction to mine to this unexpected situation, but he is clearly better equipped to handle it than me. While I am still contemplating how to deal with this, he has lowered himself into a crouching position. Again, I don't miss the short moment where pain is reflecting in his eyes at the strain this must be putting on his battered body.
My eyes briefly check on the twins to make sure that they haven't wandered off unsupervised and I find them talking to a guy that I think I remember as one of Jordan's closest friends from the military. Satisfied that they are in good hands, I nod at the guy to acknowledge him as he glances at me, too, and then I return my attention to the scene in front of me.
"Hey, baby. I'm so happy you came with your brothers to pick me up and I'd love to say hi to you properly. – D'ya think you can come out from there and give me a welcome home hug?" Jordan coaxes Lily in a gentle voice, holding his hand out towards her.
Luckily, it does the trick and her small hands let go of the fabric of my jeans. I watch with a now much lighter heart as she steps around me and throws herself at Jordan with surprising speed. I am not sure, but I think I detect a suspiciously glossy shine in my older brother's eyes when he engulfs her in his arms. She almost disappears in his hold, literally melting into his body.
"I missed you, Jo-Jo," I hear her say into his t-shirt.
"Oh, you have no idea how much I missed you, my little pumpkin. I'm so glad to be back."
Jordan lets out an unmissable groan as he gets back into a standing position, keeping Lily firmly in his arms. I give him a pointed look to let him know that he better not try to hide anything from me when we talk later and he glares at me in that fuck-off-way he has perfected over the years.
I just grin back at him. It has been years since I was afraid of him. His intimidation methods have literally no effect on me anymore, and he knows it. Even less so if he is slightly weakened by some battle wounds.
"Hey, JT, is that the little cutie you wouldn't shut up about?" Jordan's friend joins our small group, the twins in tow.
"Yep, that's Lily. – Pumpkin, meet Tyler. He's my best friend, like you and Gracie are best friends."
"Like, he's your bestest friend? Your bff?" Lily asks, looking curiously at Tyler, who, I can tell, almost melts because her f's come out slightly wonky, too, thanks to that missing tooth.
"Absolutely. JT here is my bestest BFF in the whole wide world," Tyler replies, that incredibly commendable serious expression never leaving his face.
Lily gifts him with a wide smile and it is clear that he has successfully weaseled his way into her little heart with his sincerity.
"His name is not JT though. He's called Jo-Jo," she corrects him in all seriousness.
I can't help but laugh at the deer-caught-in-headlights expression that is taking hold of Jordan's face when she says that. Clearly, his baby sister's nickname for him has never before been revealed to his buddies. I guess that's gonna change now.
Despite all the chaos they cause, you simply gotta love the sweet innocence of baby siblings!
A/N - Here you go, in the Taylor Universe where Christmas is still ahead of them, they had an unexpected reunion of sorts. Now all of the siblings should be together to celebrate. Yay! What a treat, lol. Longest chapter yet, btw, because we all deserve some Sam, don't we?
I hope all of you who celebrated this holiday had a wonderful Christmas!