This Christmas

Growing up my brothers obviously spent a lot of time on the ice. I mean I will admit to being there too, I just didn't have the same passion for the game as they did. I liked art, I liked drawing and creating things and playing instruments.

It wasn't weird though to find me on the rink with them during the cold winter months as they skated around the yard playing small games against each other or taking out aggression. All the major fights I really remember from when we were younger seemed to happen on the rink that Dad flooded every year. Now, Henry Staal was a patient man but god forbid you step on that ice before it was ready.

"You take her! All she does is get distracted anyway, it doesn't matter what team she's on." Jared argues pushing my on my skates towards Marc and Eric. I glare at him and make a move to hit him only to have Marc pulls me into his side grinning over at our younger brothers who were both smirking at my anger.

"That's fine, she doesn't want to be on the loosing team anyway."
"HA!" Jared laughs, sneakily I push my stick out towards him, laughing as he almost trips on it. I high-five Eric as us big kids skate to the other side of the rink. Some of us, Marc, flipping the bird over to Jordan and Jared who were laughing at us. I knew I should have gone shopping with my Mom and the girls. Sibling bonding my ass.


"No, I'm staying in Toronto for the weekend. Jordan has a game here Friday night so I'm going to go and then fly to Washington with them. I'll see you Monday I think. I have some editing to oversea late on Sunday afternoon but… since I'm awesome I've already booked the red-eye. Marc is picking me up at the airport though so you don't have to worry."

"I wouldn't have minded picking you up, that is what boyfriends do" he reminds me as I pace around my Toronto apartment. I really needed to work on getting this place ready to move out of. I was hardly ever here anymore and the rent money I was using could be put to use in one of the other cities I frequented. I mean I do love my brother's but staying with Eric sometimes ended up with me baby-sitting and trying to get work done, Marc and Lindsay were still going at it like rabbits most of the time, and staying with Jordan usually ended up with me getting pulled away from my work and going out with him and his team-mates. Then there was Jared… I usually avoided staying with Jared…

"I know you wouldn't mind, but Marc offered and it was just easier to say yes then explain everything… I'm sorry." I apologize, sliding into my bedroom my socks gliding on the hardwood floor. I start picking up random clothing I'd need for my 3 weeks of travel and shoving it into my suitcase.

"Are you staying with him?" he questions and I snort, yeah, most definitely not.
"Nope, I'm going to get a hotel room, downtown most likely, I'm not sure if Lindsay is going to be around and they're still in the honeymoon phase. I'm all for bonding with my twin brother but he's still kind of pansy-ish. I mean after Eric got married he acted the same but he's back to normal now, mostly."

"I was actually going to talk to you about that…"
"About Eric being a pansy or the loud sex Marc and Lindsay have?" I ask confused, my nose wrinkles and I make my way into the bathroom picking up my makeup bag and fingering through to make sure all my essentials were in it.

"No..er.." He clears his throat into the phone nervously. I could almost picture him blushing and nervously fiddling with something. Then again that was probably my imagination, he was most likely stretched across his couch watching the television.

"You could consider moving in with me, I mean you are here quite a bit now and it could cut down on the hotel costs and…I… want you to."

"I…"
"Just think about it. You can tell me when you see me. Or-"
"I'd love to" I interrupt quickly noticing my makeup bag contents now all over the floor. I feel a large grin spreading over my features as I sink down onto the floor, not being able to contain my self as I give an excited little squeal.

"Well..good.. I, I hoped you'd say that," he manages to say and I know, then that I'd made the right choice when I agreed to go on a date with him.

"Told you she was a bad pick, she's drooling all over herself. Are you sure you don't play hockey? You look like Marc after Eric hit him, concussion much?"

"Ohhh" Jared laughs giving Jordan a high five. Marc thrusts his keys from his pocket into my hand, "Pocket those for me, I don't want to injure Jordan when I show him exactly how Eric hit me, oh wait-"

Shaking my head I pocket the keys into my jeans, they were the keys to the barn, we were trying to keep Jared out of there since his Christmas present was being stored so we had literally put it under lock and key. Like the caring siblings we are we bought him a car, all chipped and bought him one. He had missed out on the whole, first car experience and now we were making up for it. Even though he leased a car currently and probably wouldn't want to drive this all the way back…

That was going to be fun for him.

Buying Christmas gifts for my brothers had always been pretty easy. Sports stuff growing up and then as they all got older and made millions, their gifts to me finally got good. I mean, they usually all just got me some sort of body spray growing up. The income change brought about some pretty good gifts. Like gift cards and one year a sister ring with all of their birthstones. That was during Eric's pansy phase. I always knew he loved me best.

"Mads, shoot it!" Marc yells. I look up lazily and see the puck down by my feet. Eric had Jordan in a headlock while Marc was pulling Jared back by the hood of his sweater which he was quickly trying to slip out of.

Rolling my eyes I turn the stick around so the blade was on the ice and slowly backhand it towards the one net giving them an unimpressed look.
"Can we go in yet, or are you four done beating each other up?"

All at once the four of them stop fighting before turning their attention to me where I was suddenly considering jumping in a snow bank to get away from them.
"Get her!"
"I got the arms, someone get the legs. We don't want her to cut Jordan in the arm like last time."
"We could pull the skates off? Dump her over in the snow bank over there?"
"Hurry before Mom and the girls get back, if we get caught we're dead" Marc finishes as they all quickly jabber away. I skate backwards as fast as I can, which isn't really that fast, it only take about two-seconds for the four NHL level (I'll throw Jared a bone) players to reach me.

As much as I loved them. I also hated them at the same time.



"Mads, keys. We have to relocate the car tonight, Jar's getting suspicious."
I narrow my eyes at him setting my mug down on the kitchen island, "You gave him a hint didn't you?"

"I did nothing like that, now… I need the keys," he insists. I shake my head and dig into my pocket pulling them out and tossing them on the island.

That's when time slowed down, it was like I suddenly lived in that old movie Clockstoppers only this time the clock didn't stop. Marc makes a grab for the keys and I stare in horror as my ring glitters up at me, his large hands enclosing around it.

"Marc can I-"
"I'll be right back, keep Jared occupied if he…the hell," he mutters more to himself then me as he opens his hand sticking a finger through the ring and holding it up to his eyes. He looks up at me, our matching eyes connecting for a second before his easy, carefree expression turns into one of disappointment and almost…anger.

"What the fuck is this, Mads?"
"Marc," I sigh reaching up to take it gently from his fingers, his hand closes quickly as he frowns down at me.

"We'll talk later," he informs me tightly, grabbing his jacket from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. I watch his shoulders hunch up to his ears, and I knew he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Fuck.