11. Sibling Quarrels

It's been nearly a week since the twins fight had begun and Rory was starting to get very irritated with their behavior. In just two weeks the twins would be fifteen years old. They couldn't be fighting on their birthday, but with the way they've been carrying on, Rory feared it would continue past then.

"Rise and shine miss cranky pants!" Rory smiled as she threw the curtains to the sides of the windows.

"I'm not cranky! In fact today is a great day!"

"What got a plan to keep fighting with Sawyer?"

"So you're on his side?"

"I'm not taking any sides! You both are my friends," Rory folded her arms in defense.

Stevie sighed and walked over to her closet and changed into her clothes for the day.

"So you're not talking to me now? Is that it?" Rory asked.

Stevie turned to Rory and huffed.

"Okay then... I'll be in the library if you need me," Rory said as she walked out of the room.

As Rory walked away Henry walked into Stevie's room.

"You know... pushing away your best friend isn't going to help you any."

"I know it's not, but I'm hurt and I know it's not her fault and I shouldn't take it out on her and she's just trying to help but I just don't know what to do!" Stevie let out a cry as the tears previously threatening to fall from her eyes fell down her rosy cheeks.

Henry rushed over to his Princesses side and embraced her arms side open. She fell into his embrace. Stevie instantly felt at ease, but she couldn't let Henry see her like this and think she's weak... because she's not!

"If you ever speak of this moment you know I will come after you right?"

"I am aware Stevie," Henry softly chuckled as he held his best friend close, "You know you might have to be the bigger person for once and fix this... right?"

"And that's the hardest part... you know that's not my forte," Stevie said as she dried her eyes and got up, "Thank you for being here."

"Of course... not just because it's my life's purpose or anything... but because I genuinely care about you," Henry smiled as they sat on the floor across from one another. He ruffled around in his pocket and found what he was looking for, "I got you an early birthday gift."

Henry held out a small blade in front of her. Stevie took it from his hands and took the blade out of the cover. She put the blade back in and put it in her pocket before hugging Henry a thank you hug.

Rory arrived at the library, and she was right Sawyer was there. He had his nose buried in a book. From what she could gather from the title it was a romance.

"Hey," Rory announced her presence.

Sawyer shut his book and looked up and smiled once he realized it was Rory's voice that interrupted his reading.

"What brings you here... well besides the books that is?" He says as he stands up.

"I wanted to hang out. Stevie and I got into a fight and I think she just needs time to cool down."

"Ah... I won't press you for details, but are you okay?"

"Yes of course... I just don't have anything to do now since I'm not with Stevie," Rory answered flatly.

"Oh, uh... we could go for a horseback ride?" Sawyer suggested.

"It's raining," Rory awkwardly smiled.

"Oh, then maybe we could work on our sword skills?" Sawyer suggested.

"That's something Stevie and I do... I feel like she'll take it as a betrayal if I do that with you."

"Yeah you're right... are you hungry?"

"I could go for something to eat!"

"Thank God! At the rate we were going I figured we would just stand here and debate on what to do the entire day!" Sawyer laughed after saying so. Rory smiled as she lead the way to the kitchen.

"So what sounds good to you?" Rory asked as she looked around the kitchen for food.

"How about we make something ourselves?" Sawyer suggests, "Have any family recipes you want to make? Maybe it'll cheer your family up?"

"That's a great idea Sawyer! I know just what to make!" Rory said as she grabbed the flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and chocolate chips.

"Cookies?" Sawyer asked.

"Yes, but my mom makes them super special she adds a fun ingredient!"

"And what is that?"

"Marshmallows! and then she melts some of the chocolate chips and dips half of the cookie in that and leaves it to dry."

"That sounds very sugary... but delicious... let's get started! I can't wait to try it!" Sawyer smiled as he went to grab the aprons so that they didn't get their clothes dirty.

Rory started measuring the ingredients out and dumped them into the mixing bowl that Sawyer was stirring. Finally she added the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Once the dough was no longer lumpy they separated the dough into smaller balls and placed them on a baking pan. Then they went over to the oven and placed it in after starting the fire. Rory worked on melting the chocolate while Sawyer watched the cookies bake.

"Rory do they look done to you?" Sawyer asked pointing to the cookies.

Rory walked over to the oven and looked at the golden brown cookies, "They are perfect!"

Sawyer happily got a hook and reached for the pan from the oven and then he slid it over onto the table to cool. After they cooled Rory dipped the cookies in chocolate.

"They look so good!" Sawyer smiled.

"Now we just have to wait a few more minutes for the chocolate to set and then we can dig in!" Rory explained.

"I can't wait!"

A few minutes went by and Rory and Sawyer read as they waited. Sawyer set his book down.

"Are they ready yet?" Sawyer asked.

"hmm let me check," Rory said as she set her book down.

She held her hand a few inches over the cookies and then poked one.

"Yep, they are ready!" She announced.

Sawyer bolted over to the cookies and picked on up and lifted it to his mouth and took a bite. Rory picked the one she poked.

"Oh my gosh!" Sawyer said in between bites.

After he finished his first cookie he went back in for a second and then almost a third if not for Rory smacking his hand away.

"Remember we made these to share!" Rory scolded him.

"Yeah I guess..." Sawyer sighed.

"You like them that much huh?"

"I've never had cookies this good before!"

"I find that hard to believe!"

"Well believe it, because these are the best cookies I've ever had!" Sawyer smiled.

"Alright let's put these on a plate to take over to my family and then a separate plate to take to Henry and Stevie," Rory suggested.

Sawyer frowned at the idea of going to see Stevie at the moment. He wasn't too fond of her trying to play match maker and get him and Rory together. He wasn't really mad that she put it out into the world that he has a crush on her. What he was truly mad about was the fact that she just couldn't let him do it in his own time.

Rory and Sawyer walked side by side to her families accommodation. Sawyer opened the door for her and revealed her five younger siblings running around the main room. They didn't even realize Sawyer and Rory standing in the doorway.

"Hey!" Rory shouted, "Sawyer and I made cookies!"

They all stopped dead in their tracked and rushed over to the pair in the door. James came out of his and Diane's bedroom and grabbed one. He smiled at the cookies that Diane had shown Rory to make when she was just five years old. He looked at his daughter now fourteen and thought to himself that they did a good job with Rory.

"Your mother is awake right now how about you guys take her a cookie?" James suggested.

"Good idea father! That will raise mothers spirits for sure!" Rory smiled as she walked into the bedroom and over to her mother's bedside.

"What's this?" Diane smiled.

"I made our special cookies!"

"How did you know that's what I've been craving?"

"Call it daughters ituition?" Rory shrugged still holding the plate of cookies.

"Thank you sweetheart," Diane smiled.

"No problem mother... Sawyer and I are going to give Stevie and Henry some now... Sawyer and Stevie got into a little fight and I was hoping the cookies would help patch things up."

"You're such a kind hearted girl Rory!" Diane smiled.

"I love you mom!" Rory said as she kissed her mom's cheek.

"I love you too Sweet girl!"

Rory and Sawyer left her families place and headed on the other side of the place back to Stevie's room. Rory was the one who knocked on the door.

"Hey Stevie... we made cookies!" Rory said through the closed door.

"Who's we?" Stevie answered from the other side.

"Sawyer and I!"

"I'm fine... Henry and I just had breakfast not too long ago," Stevie said.

"Stevie..." Henry sighed.

"Well if you want them they'll be out here... Sawyer and I are going to go read if you don't want to talk."

Rory set Stevie's plate on the table outside of the door and her and Sawyer walked to the library with a few cookies in hand.

"How long is she going to be like this?" Rory asked as they got into the library.

"Who knows," Sawyer shrugged.

Rory and Sawyer spent the majority of their day reading. That is until it stopped raining. The two of them decided they should go for a ride through the palace grounds. They stopped by the pond and Sawyer took a blanket off of his saddle and set it on the ground before sitting down and asking Rory to join him.

"So are you excited to turn fifteen?" Rory asked trying to start a conversation.

"Not particularly... that means I've got one more year of freedom before I get all of this responsibility piled on me... because then I have to start seriously learning everything it takes to be king and all of the customs of every neighboring country and then even the far away one and then Stevie and I will be announced at our coming of age party to basically tell the world of aristocrats and royals that Stevie and I are open for business... I'm not really sure I want to start dating..." Sawyer trailed off and looked at Rory who seemed to be upset by his last statement, "I mean I just don't like many of the girls that my father has tried to match me with in the past... even just as friends... they all seemed too self absorbed and entitled and I don't want to be with someone like that and in all honesty Rory I want to be with someone like you..."

Rory froze as soon as he said that. I mean she had a feeling he had feelings for her. She came to that conclusion the day at the book store when he and Stevie got into that fight. She had an idea but she didn't know for sure and even now she didn't know for sure.

"I mean if I can't be with you I want to be with someone like you..." Sawyer awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Wait... what do you mean if you can't be with me?" Rory asked him to clarify. She needed it to be crystal clear exactly what his feelings were for her.

"Rory I mean I like you and I want to be with you... not anyone else... even though I just said I would like to be with someone like you if not you... but I don't know I just get this... feeling when I'm with you... like I don't want the moment to end or when you leave I can't help but feel a little sad... or I think about you when I read books about love and when I wake up you're my first thought and I know we're only fourteen and we have our whole lives to live and our whole lives to learn what love truly is but I just have this feeling that I already know that its you," Sawyer blushed.

'See I can do things on my own!' He thought to himself.

And there it was... Sawyer's crystal clear feelings toward Rory and all she could do was sit there with her eyes wide open in surprise. She wasn't really shocked, but his words were some thing that she didn't expect... at least not without Stevie pushing him to say so.

"Rory please don't feel pressured to feel the same way... if you don't... I understand completely and you're feelings won't change our friendship," Sawyer smiled weakly. He was beginning to lose his nerve with every second Rory remained silent.

Rory smiled and took Sawyers and into hers, "I like you too Sawyer!"

Sawyer smiled and embraced her with a hug. He let go of the breath he was holding and held her in his arms.