The children woke up early so the boys could hurry off to their own bedrooms, the three agreeing to ask Hannah about the secret passages to make it easier next time. Sad to seem them go, Samantha held the boys' hands for a moment longer before letting them leave, smiling at them with a mix of sorrow and excitement before they slipped away, leaving the girl alone in the seemingly giant bed.

Today was the day, Samantha reminded herself, pulling up the blanket to her chin and dozing a little. It was her first birthday away from home, but as Aunt Agnes had said, the manor was always meant to be home for all her relatives, so Samantha supposed that counted in a way.

Falling back asleep, the girl was jolted awake by the sound of a knock on her door, her eyes going wide as Samantha sat bolt upright, the feeling of waking up in an unfamiliar room momentarily startling her before the girl remembered where she was.

“Sam, are you awake?” came her mother's voice, the girl glancing around before remembering she'd closed the bed's curtains.

“Ah, yeah, one sec,” Samantha called back, also remembering that she was entirely naked.

Her heart racing, Samantha hurried out of bed, momentarily having to fight with the bed curtain before stumbling out onto the floor and glancing about in a panic trying to recall where her shirt was.

Fortunately, though, Lily had never been the type to overtly invade the privacy of others, and the girl was able to squirm her way into Camp Sherwood shirt before hurrying over to the door.

Pulling it open, Samantha grinned up at her mother, the woman wearing a long silken nightgown that seemed as anachronistic as it was expensive looking, likely worn by Agnes herself when she was a young woman. Lily's long red hair was down, flowing elegantly over her shoulders, as opposed to Samantha's own, which was still a tangled mess that made her mother sigh a little even as she smiled and shook her head at her daughter.

“Oh, Sam,” Lily sighed softly, brushing the little girl's hair back off her forehead, “Looks like we have some work to do.”

Samantha nodded in agreement, wincing a bit as her mother's fingers got caught a bit in her tangles. “I heard you guys have a bathroom in your bedroom,” the girl commented slyly, Lily chuckling softly and nodding as she lead Samantha out into the hall.

“Well, yes, but I understand there's a perfectly serviceable one on this level as well,” the woman responded, slipping an arm about the girl, “Plus, I've heard there's even one of those old bathtubs with clawed feet in there.”

“Well, as long as they don't run away with anyone inside,” Samantha replied, her mother chuckling in response as the girl glancing at the handful of landscape portraits that decorated the wood panelled walls they passed.

“I'm sure they'd find that difficult given that the front and back feet face in opposite directions,” Lily pondered, pausing as they came to door decorated with carvings of seashells and marine life, “Anyway, here we are.”

Tugging a bit at the hem of her shirt, Samantha half-wondered if she'd grown a little during the night, the garment no longer covering her knees at all. Taking a deep breath, she then followed her mother into what turned out to be a rather spacious bathroom, its air feeling warm and heavy.

Glancing at the large tub, it did indeed have clawed feet keeping it supported off the floor, but was also already filled with warm soapy water. Glancing up at her mother, Samantha gave the woman a curious look.

“Aren't showers usually quicker and easier?” the girl inquired, Lily chuckling softly in response as she leaned over to run her hand through the soapy water.

“Yes, but I want you look your best today,” the woman explained, glancing over and smiling lovingly at her daughter, “And that involves a proper cleaning. Plus which, your hair's a mess. I really need to help you with that.”

“Oh, I'm pretty sure I can handle it,” Samantha replied with a nervous chuckle, the girl folding her arms and nibbling her bottom lip as she glanced at the tub, feeling a little weird about her mother still being there.

“Nonsense, get in and I'll help you with it. I'm sure you can handle the rest yourself, though,” Lily chuckled, Samantha blushing at the thought.

When was the last time she'd even done something like this? The girl could hardly remember. Still, it wasn't that big a deal, Samantha supposed. Plenty of people had seen her naked, why would her own mother be such a big deal?

Taking a deep breath, Samantha nodded slowly, her hands shaking a little as she slowly lifted her shirt off, half-wondering if her mother would be at all disappointed that her body hadn't really started developing at all yet. But then, it was hardly something the woman was likely to be overly concerned about, the girl supposed.

Trying not to show her nervousness, Samantha hung her shirt up on a hook on the inside of the door, thankful that her mother was focused on the water and not staring or anything weird like that. Taking a deep breath, Samantha stepped into the tub, the water only slightly too warm, but otherwise fine, especially since the soap suds were likely to keep most of her body hidden.

“See? It's not so bad,” Lily chuckled, using both hands to pour water over the girl's hair as she leaned back, Samantha's crimson locks spreading out in all directions.

“Is this a turning twelve thing?” Samantha inquired, closing her eyes and smiling a little in-spite of herself as her mother's fingers moved through her hair, untangling it a bit before grabbing the shampoo.

“Well, this likely will be the last time you let me do this,” the woman said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice, “And well, my daughter does only turn twelve once, you know.”

“Is that a challenge?” Samantha inquired teasingly, Lily grinning as she poured shampoo out into her hand and proceeded to rub her fingers gently against child's scalp.

“You're so much like your father,” her mother chuckled, smiling fondly down at the girl as Samantha closed her eyes and sighed softly, her mother's long nimble fingers moving slowly and thoroughly through her hair in a way that felt absolutely wonderful.

Relaxing completely, Samantha smiled to herself, leaning her head forward as her mother brought her hair up out of the water so she could scrub it properly. “I wasn't aware that dad jokes were genetic,” Samantha giggled, closing her eyes tighter as thick globs of soap oozed down from her hair and threatened to get into the girl's eyes.

“Seems likely,” Lily replied thoughtfully, managing the get the child's long hair up into mostly a single soapy mass, her fingers pushing through it in various ways, making sure not to let any of it go without a good cleaning, “Although I meant more the way both of you seem to enjoy being challenged, and always seem to wind up putting people in their places when they need it.”

Samantha smirked, letting out a bit of a laugh. “You mean the boys, right?” the girl inquired, her mother chuckling softly.

“I don't think I'll ever have to worry about you with them, that's for sure,” Lily mused, pulling her daughter's hair down into the water, the girl sliding her body lower so she could dunk the back of her head, “Although I do sometimes wonder which one of them you'll wind up with one day.”

Closing her eyes a little tighter, Samantha winced a bit at the comment, her body tensing. “I don't play favourites,” the girl stated sternly, her mother's fingers easing the tension she felt, “I'd never choose between them.”

Sighing softly, Lily smiled as she leaned forward and kissed the girl's forehead affectionately. “Time will tell, my love,” she chuckled softly, running her fingers through Samantha's hair, Lily smiling to herself as the woman found her daughter's soft hair to be free of tangles.

Dropping down under the water for a moment, Samantha came back up, brushing her hair back with both hands, glad to finally be able to see again. “Not gonna happen,” the girl muttered, glancing askance at Lily as she stood up, the woman smiling down at her daughter for a moment before walking towards the door.

“When you're done, there's a few outfits in your wardrobe,” Lily explained, pausing with her hand on the door handle, “Pick whichever you like and head down to the backyard for breakfast, okay?”

“We're dressing up for the occasion, then?” Samantha inquired, raising an eyebrow and trying to decide how she felt about putting on a dress as Lily nodded.

“You only turn twelve once,” her mother reminded her, giving a teasing smile before slipping back out into the hallway.

Samantha sighed softly, the girl closing her eyes again and enjoying the warm water for a moment longer before setting about properly washing up. “Well, at least I won't be the only tomboy wearing a dress today,” the girl mused, half-considering co-ordinating with her cousin, but deciding that whatever they chose individually would be fine.

“No sense making the adults think we actually like this sorta thing, after all,” Samantha told herself slyly before finally reaching for a cloth and setting about making herself presentable for the occasion...

*****

An hour later, Samantha met the boys as they came out of their rooms, the two of them dressed somewhat similarly to the way her great-grandfather was dressed in the portrait the girl had in her room. Both of them wore dark suit jackets and trousers, with white silk shirts and dark ties that Samantha had to admit fit rather well upon the two.

Doing a bit of a double-take as they spotted her, the two boys grinned at the girl, Samantha blushing a bit as she saw their eyes cast over the long lavender dress she wore.

Swallowing hard, Samantha couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious at the way it tightened a bit in the middle, the frilly collar disguising Samantha's lack of breasts, but still giving her a bit of a figure. Lower down, the garment widened about her hips, the long skirt nearly brushing the floor, its length decorated by additional frills at the waist and at the bottom hem.

“Dang Sam, you look like a girl!” Zack laughed teasingly, the redhead glaring at him with faux-anger, curling her fingers into fists and standing a little taller so she could look him in the eye more directly.

“Oh yeah?” the girl replied with a toothy grin, her eyes narrowed as she closed the gap between them and looked straight up at the boy, half-wondering if maybe Zack had gotten a little taller again during the night, “Well you look like a penguin!”

Smiling smugly, Zack leaned down a bit, the children's noses pressing together. “Does that mean you're gonna give me little rocks in exchange for sleeping with you?” the boy inquired teasingly, Samantha's train of thought immediately derailed as she stared back at Zack with a confused look.

“He's been watching documentaries again!” Evan laughed, shaking his head in amusement, the boy straightening up as he heard the door to Hannah's room open.

Spinning about at the sound, Samantha gave Zack a playful elbow jab as he tried to rest his chin on the top her her head to get a better look at the teenager as she stepped out into the hallway.

Grinning at the three of them, her hands on her hips, Hannah's choice of formal wear seemed to be as practically minded as it was aesthetic. Consisting of a long pale green skirt that billowed at out at the bottom, with a white blouse that was especially frilly about the collar and cuffs over which was a long sleeved dark green suit jacket of sorts that was left open in the front but fastened about the waist to accentuate the girl's figure, Hannah's outfit making her seem more like she was about to pilot a pirate airship instead of attend a children's birthday breakfast, though.

“You like it?” the teenager inquired with a grin, spinning about to make the hem of her skirt flair before taking a deep breath and pushing her chest out to them, a mischievous gleam in her green eyes as the teenager saw the way the boys looked at her.

“I kinda wanna wear that for Halloween at some point,” Samantha chuckled with a grin, “But only if I can find the right sword to go with it!”

Hannah laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “I'll be sure to send this outfit your way in a couple of years once you're able to fill it out properly,” the older girl assured, glancing over her shoulder before stepping closer, her hand pushing up Samantha's chin as she quietly added, “Which I'm pretty sure ya will.”

The little girl swallowed hard, their eyes locked for a moment, her body trembling as Hannah gave into her impulse and pressed her lips gently against Samantha's, the child's heart fluttering for a moment as her cousin took a step back, grinning with amusement.

“Dang, you're cute!” the teenager laughed teasingly as she shook her head before turning and heading to the stairs, Samantha slowly letting out the breath she'd been holding, the girl speechless for a moment.

“I am so hard right now,” Zack muttered, Evan's laughter snapping Samantha out of it.

Taking a deep breath, Samantha let Hannah get a head start before glancing over her shoulder at the boys. “Ready for breakfast then?” she asked, doing her best to keep her cool, the girl's heart still beating quickly, a familiar tingling making itself known to her.

“Let's have it then,” Evan replied, Zack nodding in agreement as Samantha lifted her head and lead the way down the stairs to where her family waited...

*****

The back patio looked different to Samantha in the morning light, the wide terrace bordered by a low, decorative stone railing with stone planters at the corners, each overflowing with colourful flowering plants she didn't recognize, but was certain Margo would.

Beyond this, the backyard, if that was even really the proper term for something so wide and expansive, stretched the length of the manor and beyond, bordered by the property's high stone wall, beyond which the tops of an endless sea of thick pines could be seen.

The patio itself held a long table, covered in an ornately patterned cloth and was laden down with what seemed like an endless variety of breakfast foods that went beyond what the children were used to. At a glance, they could see bowls of fruit that seemed almost as decorative as they were nutritious mixed in with several less conventional breakfast foods that they suspected were more common that far north.

Trying not to laugh as she heard Zack's stomach rumble a little, Samantha grinned as the already seated adults looked up and greeted the children, Evan creeping a little to one side to hide behind the girl as Zack grinned merrily at the calls of “happy birthday!”

“I'm going to need your camera for a moment, Zack,” said Lily as she stood up, a gentle breeze elegantly catching the hem of the woman's fancy, emerald green dress, and walked over to the trio, the boy giving her a look of faux-surprise.

“My camera? How do you know I have my camera with me?” he inquired teasingly, the woman giving raising an eyebrow at him in a way that implied she knew his middle name and wasn't afraid to use it.

Grinning and reaching into his jacket pocket, the boy handed the device off to Lily, the woman giving him a mildly amused smile before motioning the trio over to the front of the patio where she could get a better view of the backyard.

“I really hope she doesn't go through your camera roll,” Evan whispered teasingly as the three dutifully walked over to stand before the stone railing, Zack grinning as he tried not to laugh.

“Don't worry, I took that video I made of her off of it,” he whispered back, Samantha chuckling nervously as she glanced askance at the two.

“Uh, I'm a lot more worried about the stuff on there that involves us,” she confessed, Zack giving an amused, helpless shrug.

“I almost wonder what she'd think of it,” he teased, Samantha resisting the urge to swat at him.

Lining up in front of the railing the three smiled up at Lily as the woman held up the camera, taking careful aim at the children and trying not to laugh a little at their antics.

Samantha was leaning back, her hands on the stone railing with her foot pressed against one of the decorative support pillars, giving the camera a smug smile. Zack and Evan, meanwhile were standing to either side of her, posing like they were in a movie poster for the next big budge spy thriller.

Sighing softly, Lily indulged them, taking a few pictures before herding the the children into more respectable poses she could actually show her parents. “Okay, that'll do for now,” the woman told them, the children grinning as they hurried back towards the table, Lily placing the camera firmly back into Zack's hand. “Don't you dare loose this, you're not getting another one for a few years yet,” she told him, the boy laughing and nodding.

“This is turning out to be the best day of my life,” Zack said slyly, glancing askance at Samantha, the girl blushing a bit as the boy grabbed one of each of the three different types of sausages and both kinds of bacon.

“Just don't get fat, okay?” Nancy cautioned him teasingly, Evan letting out a laugh at the thought.

“Naw, Zack's got a quantum singularity in his stomach, he's fine,” he replied with amusement, Samantha trying not to laugh as her grandmother gave the boy a confused look.

“Oh, um, black hole...” Evan muttered, shrinking down a little as his friends laughed, the older woman smiling with amusement.

“So, you lot wanna try firing crossbows after?” Hannah inquired, the girl grabbing several waffles for herself, “Maybe work off some of your breakfast?”

The children exchanged interested glances before Samantha looked over at David, her brother leaning forward to to see Hannah past Jennifer, the older boy's expression suddenly very interested.

“I wouldn't mind giving that a go,” he confessed, Hannah grinning and chuckling softly in response.

“I'll have to see what you can do with a sword while we're at it then,” the teenager promised, glancing teasingly at Jennifer, momentarily distracted by the way the blond girl's bosom was barely contained by the pale blue dress she wore, “Would you be up for that too?”

Jennifer gave a small shrug, smiling sheepishly. “I'm not really much of an athlete, but I could give it a try,” she replied as Hannah's mother chuckled softly, shaking her head.

“Don't let her pressure you into anything you don't want to do, dear,” Imogen cautioned, “Hannah tends to be rather enthusiastic about her hobbies, and likes to sweep other people up into them.”

Jennifer nodded, smiling at David, the girl pleased to see him happy. “Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, she said teasingly, “I'm sure she'll teach him a few good habits along the way.”

“Imagine what she'll teach us,” Zack whispered, Samantha playfully kicking at him under the table, the girl smirking a bit as Evan tried not to laugh, having a pretty good idea of what the other boy had said.

“So anyway, we were thinking of having a little party for you three around lunch time,” Lily interjected, glancing at Agnes, the woman smiling and raising a cup of tea to them, “We figured that way you three could change out of your formal wear before you did too much adventuring around here, and it works better for Agnes, as well.”

“She wants to talk to me,” Samantha commented thoughtfully, glancing at Hannah who give the girl a reassuring smile.

“Well, it's not like you're in trouble or anything,” Lily chuckled, taking a slow deep breath and glancing at Jim for a moment, “Not that I'd recommend getting on her bad side or anything.”

“That's practically impossible,” Hannah laughed, shaking her head, “Grandmother Agnes is one of the most patient, easy going people I've ever met. Probably why she's lived so long.”

Samantha nodded, glancing down the table at her great-grand aunt, the woman surprisingly full of life for someone in her mid nineties, and still with a decent appetite, the girl supposed.

Going back to her meal, Samantha quietly hoped she'd be like that when she was older, even if it was kind of a scary thought. Giving the boys a secret smile, Samantha knew that whatever happened, the three of them would always be together and that was all that really mattered...

*****

After breakfast, the children followed Hannah back to her practice area with David and Jennifer not far behind while Samantha's parents received a guided tour of the rest of the grounds.

“It's always a good idea to get a bit of exercise after you eat,” Hannah explained, opening the tiny shed that held more than just gardening tools, “I like to do a bit of practising most mornings, and bike into the village after to stir up a bit o' trouble with the other kids, but I'm more than happy to do things a bit different this week.”

“We should probably take of tour of that at some point as well,” Jennifer remarked, giving David's had a squeeze, “This manor is beautiful beyond imaging, but I wouldn't mind going into town and taking a look around there as well.”

“Oh, don't worry about that,” Hannah laughed, the teenager coming back with a pair of very modern looking crossbows, “The adults've got a whole itinerary planned for you lot. It's just up to you how much of it you wanna be part of.”

“Some footage from town would look good in the video we're making,” Zack admitted, aiming his camera at Hannah, the taller redhead holding her crossbows up proudly as the boy zoomed in on them.

“So, what can you tell our viewers about those?” Zack asked with amusement, Hannah grinning broadly, the girl setting one of the crossbows down before going into a lengthy explanation of how they worked, how far their effective range was and how much of a punch they actually packed.

“So you could probably go through a door at close range then,” David commented with interest, his cousin nodding enthusiastically as she handed him and Jennifer both of the weapons before rushing over to grab her quiver of bolts.

“I've heard there's places you can get them diamond tipped, like they do with drill bits,” the girl laughed, shaking her head, “But my mum told me that that was strictly off limits. Especially seeing as there's really nothing lurking in the woods that'd really call for something that crazy.”

“So, do you actually hunt anything with them?” Samantha inquired, Hannah sighing softly and shaking her head in response.

“Naw, the biggest thing around here are some fairly sizeable rabbits,” she explained, “I've gone out hunting them a few times with my dad, actually. I gotta say, they're pretty tasty!”

Samantha nodded as Zack zoomed in on David's attempt to draw the weapon's firing mechanism back, Hannah grinning as she drew closer and showed him where the release mechanism was.

“Something like this would've taken way more effort to reload back in the day,” she explained, David letting out a surprised sound as he realized that the crossbow folded almost in half, pulling itself into position before locking everything into place, “With a modern one, though, all you need is a bit of strength and the right leverage.”

David nodded, trying a couple of times to find just the right way to maneuver everything into place before the crossbow made a satisfying click sound before he snapped everything back into place.

“Okay, your turn,” David told Jennifer teasingly, the blond girl's blue eyes going wide, swallowing hard at the prospect of trying to ready her weapon.

“It's not that hard, even my mum can do it,” Hannah said encouragingly, the girl moving behind and to the side, her hands moving to cover Jennifer's, guiding them to the proper places to hold it, “Okay, now push the release and slide the end down.”

Jennifer nibbled her bottom lip, feeling everyone's eyes on her as she tried to figure out the unfamiliar device. “Like this?” she asked, wincing and wiggling a bit as her breasts got in the way, Hannah grinning as she tried to guide Jennifer through the process, her eyes glancing at the blond teen's chest a couple of times.

“There ya go!” Hannah laughed encouragingly as the mechanism snapped into place, the bow string pulled taught and held in position, Jennifer's hands being guided to bend everything else back into place.

“That could a lot harder, I guess,” the blond girl laughed, lifting the readied crossbow up as Zack zoomed in closer, the boy giving her a thumbs up.

“Just don't take the safety off until y'all are ready to fire,” Hannah cautioned, taking out a pair of bolts, the girl stepping over to David first, meeting his gaze as she brought one of them up to his crossbow.

“This part's pretty easy, but it's a good ideal not to mess it up,” she cautioned, loading it more slowly and carefully than she otherwise would have, the girl giving David a bit of a smirk as she rubbed her hip against his leg in the process, his dark green eyes going wide for a moment, “otherwise something's likely to go flying in your face.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” David told her, watching Hannah go out of the corner of his eye as she went over to Jennifer and loaded the girl's crossbow as well.

Glancing over at the children, the trio watching with amusement as he gave them a smug smile before lifting his weapon and aiming it at one of the distant targets Hannah had set up. Taking a moment to be sure of his aim, David slipped his finger around the trigger, exhaling slowly before pulling it back.

To David's surprise, though, the crossbow didn't respond, making only the softest sound of metal touching metal as he realized what had happened. “The safety's on, isn't it?” he muttered rhetorically, glancing askance and glaring a little as the children starting laughing.

“I like to save that part for last,” Hannah confessed with a grin, moving back to her cousin and giving him a teasing smile as she reached over and unlocked the firing mechanism, “Safety first, after all.”

“Always a good idea to use protection, I guess,” David said quietly, Hannah smirking at him slyly.

“Okay, let see what you can do,” the girl replied, taking a step back as David went through the process again, this time choosing the next furthest target, the boy eager to prove himself after failing so badly.

The crossbow let out a rather satisfying sound as its mechanism shot forward, the bolt flying out across the lawn and striking the target a short distance right of center. “There we go! That's how you do it!” Hannah laughed, slapping David on the back as the children cheered and Jennifer smiled at him approvingly.

“Did you get that?” David asked, looking meaningfully at Zack's camera, the boy grinning and nodding.

“One day it'll be an important moment in our family's history,” the boy replied with amusement.

David smirked, letting out a bit of a laugh before turning to Jennifer, the girl hesitantly lifting up her crossbow and pushing forward the safety switch. “Just take your time, and remember to breath,” Hannah explained, walking up behind her again.

“It doesn't have much kick back, does it?” Jennifer inquired, Hannah shaking her head as she pressed closer again, the blond girl taking a deep breath as she found herself basically held from behind.

“Not very much, really,” the redhead explained, pressing her breasts a little more firmly against Jennifer's back as she adjusted the other girl's aim a little, once more covering the blond's hands with her own, “Just make sure to keep your hands in the right spots and try to hold steady.”

Glancing over at David, Hannah was amused by the look the boy had in his eyes, a mix of brewing jealousy and desire as his cousin slowly pushed her hips a little more firmly against Jennifer's round bottom.

Too distracted by focusing on not messing up what she was doing, Jennifer hardly noticed Hannah's antics, even as the girl's lips came dangerously close to her ear.

“And just remember to breathe,” Hannah whispered softly, Jennifer narrowing her eyes and nodding, taking a deep breath before pulling the trigger.

Once more, a hard snap filled the air for a heartbeat and Zack did his best to move his camera at just the right moment to go from Jennifer firing and the bolt striking its target.

The children cheering, Jennifer couldn't help but let out a happy laugh as she found that she'd hit the target at all, even if it was rather high up and far from the center.

“Anything that hits the target isn't a miss,” Hannah commented with a grin, releasing Jennifer and taking the crossbow from her, “Now then, how about you three?”

The children grinned, running over eagerly as the girl gave David another teasing smile and took the crossbow from him. “You can give it another go once I give these three a quick lesson,” she promised with a sly smile, “maybe after I'll see what you can do with a sword in your hand.”

David flashed Hannah a quick grin as his cousin set about showing Zack and Evan how to reload the crossbows, the boys struggling a little but managing to get everything in place. Samantha, meanwhile watched them with interest, the girl finding that some part of her rather liked seeing the boys learning some martial skills, a tiny bit of a familiar tingling going through her as Zack aimed at one of the unused targets.

As he fired and struck it not overly far from the middle, Samantha felt her heart beat faster for a moment, the boy grinning as he took a moment to pull his camera out of his pocket and show where he'd hit the target.

“Well, I guess it's on then,” Evan chuckled, the two boys grinning at one another.

“Try aiming a little higher than where you wanna hit,” Hannah suggested, Evan nodding as he pushed the safety forward and took aim.

“It's too bad we can't make this interesting,” Zack said quietly, leaning closer to Samantha as the girl watched with intense interest, needing a moment before giving him a questioning look.

“How so?” the girl inquired with a mix of suspicion and amused curiosity.

Zack held up his camera as Evan readied himself, the boy exhaling loudly before pulling the trigger, his bolt slamming into the target very close to his friend's.

“Hey, not bad!” Zack cheered with a laugh, the blond boy grinning as he adjusted his glasses and walked over to Samantha, offering her the crossbow.

“Just remember, you only have to get a little closer than David did,” he whispered teasingly into the girl's ear, Samantha letting out a laugh as Hannah stepped closer.

“You got this, cousin?” she inquired as Samantha frowned a little, the girl momentarily wishing she had a third hand.

“I got this...” Samantha muttered, gritting her teeth and straining a bit to ready the crossbow, the girl grinning with satisfaction as she offered it up to Hannah, her cousin carefully inserting the bolt.

“Not to shabby,” Hannah said teasingly taking a step back as Samantha raised the weapon at her target, “Now just move your feet a little further apart, it'll help with your balance.”

Samantha nodded, the others watching her with interest, the girl glancing askance for a second at Zack's camera. Taking a long, slow breath, Samantha smirked a little to herself. All she really needed to do was hit the target, but if she got even a little closer to the center than David, that'd be a definite win. Plus, the video of it might increase her subscriber count a little.

Taking as much of Hannah's advice as she could, Samantha adjusted her stance and did her best to support the crossbow in her arms, the girl closing one eye as she stared down the length of it at the painted circle on the target. Suddenly remember the safety, the girl let out a laugh, quickly finding that there was a bit of a trick to sliding it forward before setting up to try again.

Taking careful aim, Samantha wondered what Zack was talking about. How would they have made this more interesting? Pushing the thought away for the moment, the girl sighed softly, remembering to lift the crossbow slightly, uncertain as to how much gravity would really pull the bolt down over such a distance. Exhaling softly, Samantha pulled the trigger, releasing the bolt.

Staring at where it landed for a moment, the boys laughed and cheered, the bolt having landed between the ones they'd fired. Staring at it for a moment, Samantha laughed as well, the girl shaking her head and taking it as a sign that the three of them really were inseparable.

“Not bad!” Hannah commented with a grin, teasingly ruffling Samantha's hair, the girl giving her cousin a faux-dirty look as she ducked away, feeling a bit embarrassed by the gesture, “Anyway, did you wanna give it a few more tries? I'd like to see if your brother's got any talent with the sword.”

“I'd be up for that,” Zack replied, Evan giving a thoughtful nod as Samantha fixed her hair before trying to see if she could reload a bit faster than before.

Hannah nodded, glancing over at David with a teasing smile. “Just remember, kids, anything you shoot, you have to eat,” she told them teasingly, Samantha leaning away from the sly grin that Zack immediately gave her as Hannah fetched her practice swords.

“Now just remember, it may be made of wood, but it's still meant to be a finesse weapon, not a simple bludgeon,” Hannah said teasingly as she tossed one of the swords to David, the boy smirking as he caught it one-handed.

“Oh, I dunno, I can see it having other uses,” Jennifer replied slyly, taking one of swords that Hannah more politely offered to her, the blond girl glancing askance at David, the teenager raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“What are you-?” he started, only to have his girlfriend slide her arm down and back before slapping him teasingly on the bottom with the flat of her sword.

“Hey! No fair!” David shouted, Jennifer laughing as she quickly backed away, David advancing on her with a bit of an embarrassed flush to his cheeks, the young man mockingly threatening to swat her bottom with his own sword.

“Okay, okay, calm down you two!” Hannah laughed, shaking her head as Jennifer stumbled a bit, her dress making running away a bit more difficult than she would've preferred, “This time let's see what you can actually do, okay?”

David sighed heavily, giving Jennifer a meaningful smirk, the girl giggling and laughing as the two turned back to Hannah, both interested to see what she had to teach them.

The children meanwhile continued taking turns firing at the targets Hannah had set up, all the while keeping an eye on the teenagers, the three smirking and exchanging glances now and then as they noticed the way David looked at Hannah.

“If he only knew,” Zack said softly, grinning as he took another shot at the closest target, the boy happy to see he was closer to the center than before.

“You think he'll make a move at some point?” Evan inquired, watching as David swung his wooden sword about, Hannah laughing as she danced about, easily parrying his clumsy swings.

“Jen would kill him,” Samantha replied with a smirk, her brother's girlfriend laughing and cheering him on as the older boy actually seemed to be learning a bit more patience with his sword swings.

“Well, unless she agreed to join them,” Zack replied with a teasing smirk, Samantha giving a shudder as she lifted her leg, bending it at the knee to give her better leverage to reload her crossbow with.

“I'd rather not think about it,” the girl muttered, taking aim at the target and exhaling slowly before pulling the trigger, “But somehow I wouldn't be surprised if he at least tried.”

“Nice!” the boys said in unison, the bolt striking closer to the center than David's had, Samantha giving it a smug smile before handing the crossbow to Zack.

“So, what was this about making things more interesting?” she inquired, the boy letting out a laugh, grunting softly as he readied the weapon again.

“Oh, I just thought it'd be amusing to use this as a bit of a competition,” Zack explained, glancing over at the three teenagers again, Hannah trying not to laugh as Jennifer stumbled a bit, the girl clearly not cut out for sword swinging, but still having a good time trying, “Like, whoever gets closest to the center wins a prize, ya know?”

Samantha raised a suspiciously amused eyebrow at the boy, smirking a bit to herself. “A prize, eh? You mean like a 'who gets to go first' prize?” the redhead inferred, folding her arms and glancing askance at Zack, the boy grinning mirthfully.

“That's... a thing,” Evan commented as Zack lined up his shot, the three staying quiet until the boy pulled the trigger, his bolt landing across the center from Samantha's.

Thinking for a moment as Evan reloaded, Samantha felt she liked the idea, but still had one important question. “Wait, what happens if -I- win?” she asked.

Zack frowned thoughtfully as Evan took aim, his expression becoming extremely focused, knowing full well that the stakes had been definitely been raised.

“Well, the way I see it,” the blond boy replied in an even tone, slowing his breathing as he took his time to line up the shot, “We can't both go first, and I think it'd just cause problems later if we made you choose on your own...”

Samantha nodded slowly, the logic was simple but accurate, the girl's heart fluttering a little as she realised the two were now in the midst of a friendly competition. Over her nonetheless. But at the same time, Samantha didn't really want to be left out of the game.

Waiting for Evan to pull the trigger, his bolt landing ever so slightly closer to the center than Zack's, Samantha frowned thoughtfully, glancing back towards the patio.

“Okay, how about this,” the girl said slyly, mischief sparkling in her emerald eyes as she took the crossbow from Zack, finding herself getting used to reloaded without there being as much grunting involved, “If I win, I get to choose someone else to 'go first.'”

Both boys' eyes went wide, the two exchanging meaningful glances, the stakes rising even higher than before. “Seriously?” Zack inquired, Samantha grinning as she snapped everything back into place.

“How much do you want me?” the little redhead inquired, Zack inhaling sharply, his expression becoming uncharacteristically serious as he held the girl's gaze.

“More than anything,” he admitted in a level, serious tone, Evan nodding vigorously in agreement.

Samantha giggled teasingly, the girl glancing askance at them as she took aim. “Then I guess one of you'd better beat me at this then, right? How does each of us getting three tries at this sound to you?”

“Three works,” Evan agreed, glancing a bit nervously at Zack, “Plus it's sort of our number, right?”

Zack nodded in agreement. “That works...” he pondered, raising an eyebrow as he looked back at the girl, “But that still leaves the question. If we you win, who would you... you know...?”

Samantha grinned, pulling the trigger and letting her bolt fly, the girl turning to them without checking to see where it landed. “I'll flip a coin,” she told them with a mischievous grin, the girl's heart racing now, uncertain of just how serious she was about what she was about to propose, “and that'll tell which of your dads I should I ask to help me out first.”

The boys stared at her for a moment, Samantha's stomach tightening as she wondered if perhaps she'd gone too far. But then Zack burst out laughing at the absurdity of it as Evan gave a nervous smile, the boy looking a little bit weirded out by the idea.

“Careful, I might loose on purpose just to see if you'll actually do it!” Zack replied teasingly, the boy grinning as Samantha fixed him with with a faux-glare.

“Don't make me try harder to win,” she shot back, Evan laughing and shaking his head as he motioned to the target.

“Well, you might want to try a little harder,” the boy noted, his friends glancing at the target, both of them laughing as they noticed that Samantha's bolt had struck the outer most ring.

“It was my practice shot,” the girl replied, shaking her head, half-wondering if she'd subconsciously done so poorly.

“Just make make sure your next two count, it's more fun if it's a challenge,” Zack said with a sly smile.

Giggling softly, her pulse racing Samantha nodded thoughtfully. “Just don't expect me to throw this one,” the girl explained with a smirk, “It's more fun if you earn it!”

“Always has been,” Zack agreed in a somewhat serious tone that made the girl's heart flutter, “Now take your second shot. We need to see what we're up against...”

Not far away, David was once again facing off against Hannah, the two panting heavily from exertion now, the older boy wiping the sweat from his brow as he grinned at the girl.

“See?” Hannah told him with an equally mischievous grin, glancing momentarily at Jennifer before meeting David's gaze once more, “You've got a strong arm, but but sometimes problems need finesse to solve!”

“You're quite the problem, I'll give you that,” David replied teasingly, Hannah letting out a laugh as the two slowly circled one another, “But I'm done trying to solve you yet.”

“Careful, cousin, your girlfriend's watching,” she replied in a low tone, smirking a bit as she caught David's eye.

“And what if she wasn't?” David inquired slyly, barely above a whisper, Hannah laughing as he lunged forward, his cousin turning sideways and tapping the back of his leg firmly with the flat of her sword.

“Well, you've got your mother's fire, that's for sure!” Hannah laughed as David grunted, stumbling forward, the older boy struggling for a moment to find his footing as the girl took a step back, toying with David a little longer.

“Yeah, you really don't want to make either of them mad!” Jennifer agreed, her tone teasing as she took a moment to glance over at the children, the three of them seeming to be taking their opportunity to try out the crossbows very seriously for some reason.

Regaining his footing, David spun about, smirking at the comment. “You should see what I get from my father,” he replied in a low tone, Hannah raising an eyebrow at him.

“Maybe,” she told David with a shrug before hopping forward and bringing her sword up quickly, “if you can disarm me first!”

David winced, stumbling back a bit, feeling the wooden blade rap against his knuckles before pulling suddenly back, the teenager almost dropping his weapon as Hannah gave him only a moment to recover.

Swinging hard, David brought his sword down as Hannah came in for another try, the boy grinning as he thought he had her, but the girl had other ideas. Laughing as she dropped her arm, David's sword swishing harmlessly through the empty air, Hannah spun about in place laughing.

Before he could react, the girl met David's gaze again, her long red hair whipping about behind her. For a moment, his heart leaped, Hannah was nothing like Jennifer, if anything, she reminded David of his sister. Only more dangerous, he supposed. That, though, just made Hannah all the more attractive.

“What'd I say about getting distracted?!” Hannah teased, the teenager flipping her sword upwards before slamming the pommel downward, the solid wood hitting David's wrist just hard enough.

With a yelp, the older boy's fingers flew open, his eyes going wide at the instinctive reaction, cursing as his sword dropped at his feet, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

“Hey! Good try, David!” Jennifer called out encouragingly, the blond girl hurrying over as Hannah took a step back, her expression amused as she gave him a teasing look.

“You held out for quite a while there,” she remarked as Jennifer laughed, hugging him close, David wrapping his arms about his girlfriend as he gave Hannah a look that clearly said that things weren't over just yet.

“Well, do you practice pretty much every day, I guess it shouldn't be that surprising,” David replied, trying not to sound too grumpy about it, “But things'd be different if we were on a rugby field together, I'll tell ya that.”

Jennifer laughed at the idea, hugging him tighter, the older boy taking a deep breath at the sensation of the girl's full bosom pressing firmly against him. “Hey, there's a reason they won't let you play against the girls anymore, you know!” she chided teasingly, Hannah just shrugging, her eyes sparkling with mischief at the possibilities.

“Well, I should go check on the kids,” the redhead responded, still panting a little, “And I did promise to show them around a little before the main event happens. Feel free to keep practising if you want, just be sure not to get too carried away, okay?”

“Thanks!” Jennifer laughed, grinning as stepped back, holding David's hands as she smiled happily up at him for a moment before kissing the boy fondly, not noticing the way his dark green eyes followed Hannah, the redhead swinging her hips a bit as she walked back to children.

“So, you three having fun?” Hannah inquired, making sure to stay behind Zack as he took his time aiming, his friends watching with intense interest, Samantha holding his camera to make sure she recorded the moment.

Pulling the trigger, Zack closed his eyes tightly and exhaled loudly. “You have no idea,” the boy breathed, opening one eye and grinning as he saw the result of his third shot. He'd definitely out done Samantha with the last one, so that was one less thing to worry about, he supposed. But Evan still had the deciding shot.

Hannah nodded as she glanced over at the target they were using. “You're getting better, that's for sure,” she commented approvingly as Evan took aim, the boy sweating a little as he took aim.

“They kinda have an incentive,” Samantha said cryptically, the girl blushing a little, momentarily zooming in on Evan's rather intense expression, loving how the way the boys were taking the little competition so seriously.

“Oh?” Hannah inquired curiously, quickly catching on that something was up, trying not to laugh at the way Evan's ears turned a bit red as he blushed, “Anything I should know about?”

Zack waited for Evan to fire his first shot, the bolt landing beside one of his own, before stepping closer and lowering his voice. “We've decided to use this as a way to, ya know, decided who goes first,” the boy explained in a conspiratorial tone, grinning as Hannah's eyebrows went up, the girl covering her mouth and trying not to laugh.

“Oh, that's adorable!” Hannah replied, keeping her voice down, “But what happens if she wins?”

Samantha let out a laugh, the girl shaking her head. “I was gonna ask one of their dads,” she explained, giving the target a bit a faux-sour look, “But I guess that's not an issue now.”

Hannah couldn't help but laugh again, the teenager glancing about to see if any adults were within earshot. “Wouldn't be the first time something like that happened 'round here,” she told the children with a sly smile, Samantha inhaling sharply, her eyes going wide at the thought.

“Your first time was with someone's dad?” the girl whispered, feeling a bit amazed that that her cousin would actually do such a thing.

“Well, to be fair, it wasn't my first time... and I did have to get him a little drunk first, but it worked out pretty well in the end,” Hannah replied with a shrug, sighing softly as she noticed that Evan hadn't fired his second shot yet.

“S-sorry,” the boy stammered, trying not to be too distracted, ignoring the slight pain in his arms from holding the crossbow so for long and so tightly. Easing his grip, Evan calmed himself and took his second shot, the bold landing a little further out than Samantha's second shot had.

Hannah sighed, shaking her head as Evan quickly reloaded. “Just calm down and don't over-think it,” she told him, the boy nodding slowly, “Try focusing on you real goal. The reason you're doing this.”

“Very elaborate foreplay?” Evan inquired sheepishly, his friends laughing, unable to deny his statement.

Hannah just grinned as she glanced at Samantha. “I have to admit, it's kinda hot,” the teenager remarked, her cousin, smiling nervously as she looked away, “Two boys showing off their martial prowess to see which one is worthy of having the first go at a young, sexy virgin. How could a girl argue with that?”

Zack grinned as Samantha tensed. Hannah wasn't wrong, the whole idea definitely sparked something within her, even if it did make her feel a bit funny to openly admit it. Lifting Zack's camera again, she took a moment to show Evan aiming before moving the view to the target, patiently waiting for him to pull the final trigger.

Evan, meanwhile, wet his dry lips and tried to ignore the three people staring at him, hardly noticing the sounds of laughter as David tried to help Jennifer improve her sword skills. Hannah was right, he knew. He had to focus. If Evan didn't try his best, win or loose, he'd be failing the girl he loved.

Exhaling slowly, Evan blocked out the rest of the world as best he could and adjusted his aim. Without further ado, Evan pulled the trigger, the boy hardly having time to notice where the bolt had struck before his friends started cheering.

“That's our genius!” Zack laughed merrily, slapping Evan on the back and nearly causing the boy to loose his glasses, startled as he felt Samantha grab him from the side.

“Oh, my hero!” the girl laughed teasingly, Hannah grinning broadly as she motioned towards the target.

Looking down the lawn, Evan's pale blue eyes widened with disbelief. For a moment he stared at where the bolt had struck. Completely speechless. Somehow, some way, Evan had managed to strike the target in the direct center.

“Well, that solves that mystery,” Zack chuckled with bemused smile, holding his hand out to Evan, “Congrats, bro!”

Evan swallowed hard, finding it impossible not to smile as he took the boys hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “I guess someone had to win,” Evan replied cautiously, Zack laughing and shaking his head.

“There's no one else I'd rather have go before me,” he said in a more serious tone, Evan nodding in understanding.

“I'm sure I'll find a way to balance the books eventually,” Evan replied a little nervously, realizing just how much responsibility was no on his shoulders.

“Just don't chicken out at the last minute!” Samantha teased, the girl grinning as her heart raced. The most important decision of her life had just been made. It was definitely going to be Evan. That was probably the best choice, Samantha realised with a bit of a laugh, that way Zack could document it with his camera more easily. He'd probably have some fun with the video later, too, the girl mused, finding the idea both funny and oddly arousing.

“Well, if you're up for up, I was thinking of giving ya'll a partial tour of the place before lunch,” said Hannah, breaking Samantha out of her reverie, the older girl nodding to Zack, “You do have a promise to keep to my great-great grandmother, after all.”

Zack grinned and nodded, taking his camera back from Samantha and checking how much space he still had. “This will be my first proper documentary!” the boy promised, glancing fondly at Samantha, “even if your last name isn't Attenborough.”

“Oh, shut up!” the girl laughed, swatting Zack playfully as the group walked back towards the house...

*****

The children followed Hannah down the now familiar hall, past the rooms they'd already seen, Zack pointing his camera at anything even remotely interesting as Hannah opened doors to various rooms, some in use, some not, the older girl telling them anecdotes and stories about each as they went along.

“This part of the house used to mainly be for hangin' out with guests and having meeting and stuff,” Hannah explained, the girl grunting a bit as she pushed open the door of an old sitting room, its door sticking a bit, “But it's also where most of the entertaining was done.”

Stepping into the dusty room, Zack panned his camera about, old furnishing and decorations still where they were left, collecting dust for what must have been at least a decade. His camera zooming in on a small table with a pair of chairs near one of the windows, an unfinished game of chess sitting upon it, still waiting for its players to return.

“Oh, I wouldn't touch that,” Hannah said solemnly, the children glancing up at her curiously, “That was the last game they ever played together.”

“Oh...” said Zack quietly, taking a moment to get a good shot of the area around the game as Evan stepped quietly up behind him, the blond boy frowning thoughtfully and pushing his glasses higher up his nose.

“They were both really good,” he said after a moment, moving over and ducking down as he examined the game more closely, “It was a very even match. Honestly, neither one has the advantage of the other as it stands now.”

“Why did they stop playing?” Samantha inquired hesitantly, Hannah chuckling softly, flashing the little girl a quick grin.

“Because that was the day you first visited here,” she replied, her cousin's eyes going wide for a moment.

“I don't remember that,” the girl said softly, feeling a bit guilty for it, her gaze locked on the chess set for a moment.

Hannah shook her head dismissively, chuckling quietly. “You were weren't even a year old yet, there's no way you would,” she assured, putting a hand on Samantha's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

“So, technically, I met him, then?” Samantha asked, pursing her lips and thinking about the painting in her room that featured her great-great grandfather as a boy.

Her cousin shrugged, frowning thoughtfully. “Kinda sorta,” Hannah admitted, “Not that I remember much about it either, seein' as I was like three or whatever. But yeah, apparently they just got busy with everything that day and it just sorta got forgotten about.”

“What was he like?” Samantha inquired, frowning thoughtfully at the chess

Hannah took a slow deep breath, the girl smiling sadly. “From what I remember, he was.. what's the word... Mirthful? I think that's what Aunt Agnes called him. But also very wise. Good listener too. Always had time for the kids, ya know?”

Samantha nodded, Zack and Evan stepping closer as she reached out to take their hands. “I wish I'd come by sooner, I could've met him when I wasn't a baby,” the girl said sadly.

“Life happens,” Hannah said with a shrug, smiling sympathetically at her cousin, “From what I heard, your parents had a lot going on when you were little. Anyway, we should get going, there's still lots to see.”

Glancing back one last time at the unfinished game, Samantha nodded, quietly vowing to make sure not to leave anything in her life unfinished before following Hannah back out into the hall.

Carefully closing the door, Hannah took a deep breath before continuing on, making a bit of a show of a supply closet that was at least the size of Samantha's bedroom back home before showing off a handful of unused bedroom where servants once stayed.

“I'll have to show you how they got around when we're less dressed up,” the teenager promised with a bit of a mischievous smile as she lead the children up to a pair of large double doors at the end of the hall, “But for now, this'll have to do.”

Grabbing hold of both door handles, Hannah pushed the dark oak doors inwards, revealing an expansive, multi-level room filled with countless bookshelves, long wooden tables and comfortable chairs. The lower level had an unlit fireplace, and several old lanterns still hung in a few places despite the green shaded electric lamps that had been brought in some time ago.

“Well, every good ancient manor house does need an impressive library,” Evan remarked, the boy slowly turning around as he stared up at the distant ceiling, its surface decorated by an ancient painting of Prometheus stealing fire to bring it to humanity.

Hannah nodded as Zack hurried into the room so he could start filming and Samantha took a moment to run her fingers across a row a leather bound books. “It's a good thing to have 'round when you're homeschooled,” she chuckled, flipping a switch on the wall by the door to illuminate the darker corners of the library.

“Does that happen a lot around here?” Samantha inquired, suddenly reminded that Evan was advancing a grade ahead of her and Zack, and thus would be changing schools a year earlier than them.

Hannah nodded as she looked out one of the tall windows that overlooked the front yard. “Yeah, the village has always been fairly small. It's one of the reasons this house was built here,” she explained, turning and flashing Zack a quick grin as he focused his camera on her, “It's the sorta place you can go to get away from big city problems, I guess. But, like I was sayin', most kids wind up doing whatever it is their parents do, so there's not much call for higher education 'round here most of the time. Although now and then, some of us run off to the big city to try and make something of ourselves.”

“So, like, you've never been to a real school then?” Samantha inquired, giving a ladder that was attached to rails an experimental push.

“Not even once!” Hannah laughed, shaking her head in amusement, “My dad did eventually, though. As did my uncle Derrick. Although, fun fact, your great-great grandmother was the one who taught them to read when they were kids. It was kind of a hobby of hers. She even invited kids from the village over so they wouldn't miss out on that sorta thing.”

Samantha nodded thoughtfully. Her great-great grandmother was yet another relative had no memory of, but she supposed she could always ask Agnes about her later.

“So where do all these books come from, anyway?” Evan inquired, the boy venturing up the curving staircase to the next level where he leaned over the railing to peer down at the first floor.

“Oh, here and there,” Hannah chuckled with a non-committal shrug, the other children following Evan's lead so they could explore the next level, “Some of our relatives were world travellers and others just had small libraries of their own that they eventually donated and stuff. Which does kinda means that there's a huge variety of stuff here. Something for everyone, I guess.”

“Including racy seventeenth century romance with pictures,” Samantha giggled as she flipped through a random book she found, the girl holding it open so Zack could film it, the hand drawn figures it depicted making the boy laugh.

Shaking her head with amusement, Hannah pulled another book off a different shelf. “Yeah, but there's also really wholesome stuff here too,” she replied, holding up a children's book from her grandparent's time, “But yeah, you can pretty much find anything here, I guess.”

“I'll take a proper look in a day or two and get back to you,” Evan chuckled, letting Zack get a few more shots of the second floor before following him to the third.

Here they found several comfortable couches, with tables and smaller chairs along with a handful of books left out from last time they were read. “This is also a nice hang out spot,” Hannah remarked, smiling as Zack focused his camera on her again, the girl glancing mischievously askance, “Kinda private most of the time too, so there's that.”

The children glanced at one other with amusement, quietly speculating what the teenager got up to when the rest of her family wasn't around before going back to exploring the upper level.

“How are we doing on time?” Evan inquired, leaning against the polished wooden railing so he could get a better look at the ceiling.

Hannah motioned towards an old clock sitting on one of the tables with a bemused smile as Zack got a shot of it. “I'd say we should start heading back,” she replied, “No sense being late for your own birthday after all. Besides, we can do some more exploring later.”

Zack glanced at Samantha and smirked a bit, the girl rolling her eyes, knowing immediately what he was thinking, the girl trying not to laugh. “Yeah, we have all week for other stuff,” she agreed with a nod before following her cousin back the way they came...

*****

While the children were away, the adults had taken some time to decorate the back patio a bit, attaching colourful balloons to the corners of its stone railings, with someone having put a party hat on one of the statues. A banner that read “Happy Birthday” was put up over the backdoor and smaller balloons were taped to the backs of the long table's chairs, making for a somewhat absurd, but still festive mix of new and old.

Samantha couldn't help but grin with amused excitement as the group stepped out onto the patio, her father and grandfather fussing about a BBQ that had been set up in the corner, while Lily, Imogen and Nancy laughed and chatted as they set the table once more, a small collection of gifts sitting in the center quickly attracting the children's gaze.

“Oh good, you're here and not covered in mud!” Lily laughed, hurrying over to the children, the woman taking a moment to fuss over Samantha's hair, the girl rolling her eyes a bit, “A little sweaty, I guess, but that's fine.”

“Don't worry, I wasn't planning on taking them out to the bog until later,” Hannah said teasingly as Lily made a few adjustments to Samantha's dress before moving over to Zack and straightening his collar.

“Honestly, I was more worried the thee of them would be rolling around in the dust from some of the older rooms,” Lily replied teasingly, smiling fondly at the children before letting out a soft sigh and rushing over to adjust Evan's tie.

“Just do be careful when you go exploring the basement, okay?” Imogen added with some concern, “it's a bit of a labyrinth down there.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, smiling with amusement as she noticed David and Jennifer walking towards the patio hand in hand. “Mum, I grew up here, I know this house like the back of my hand,” she assured the woman.

“I know, I know,” Imogen replied, her smile a little resigned, “But I'm a mother, it's my job to worry.”

“And it's my job to give you things to worry about!” Arthur laughed as he came up behind the woman, flashing her a teasing grin before turning to the children. “So, how are you liking it here?” he asked teasingly, giving Samantha a wink, “Still as nice as you remember it?”

Samantha laughed, shaking her head. “Not a single thing has changed!” the girl replied with a grin, her grandfather chuckling and nodding happily, “But I'm definitely having more fun than last time!”

“Duh, you were a baby,” David muttered, rolling his eyes, wincing as Jennifer elbowed him.

“Ah, David, my boy!” Arthur chuckled, clapping his hands together, “Looks like you two've had a busy morning as well!”

“We ah, took a walk,” Jennifer replied a little nervously, the girl's hand adjusting her hair, only to find a small twig stuck in it, the older man's eyes sparkling with mischief as she blushed a little and quickly tossed it away.

“Anyway,” Nancy interrupted, slipping her arm through her husband's as his eyes wandered across the blond girl, “We're just about ready to go, and the others will be here soon, so don't wander off or anything.”

“I wouldn't miss this for the world,” Zack assured her with a grin, the boy scanning about with his camera, momentarily focusing in on the food before turning slowly to show off the banner.

“This all just feels so weird, though,” Samantha added, the girl clenching her fists to keep from trying to grab the boys' hands, once more envying David and Jennifer's ability to so brazenly display affection.

“Surreal,” Evan said helpfully, his tone a little nervous, doing his best to smile politely as Hannah's grandfather opened the backdoor and started helping Aunt Agnes out into the warmth of the early afternoon sun.

Samantha glanced up at the woman, feeling her great-great grand aunt's gaze upon her, the elderly woman momentarily giving her a rather knowing smile, Agnes' emerald green eyes alight with excitement despite her frailty as she walked arm in arm with her grandson over to her seat.

“She could be the Queen or something,” Zack chuckled softly, following the woman with his camera for a moment.

“She's older, I think,” Evan pondered, Samantha barely noticing them, her mind momentarily fixated on the old woman's insistence that the girl come talk to her after the celebration.

“Okay, so who's hungry?” Jim asked, double checking to make sure everyone was present, the man glancing at Zack and flashing the boy a quick grin, “Well, obviously not you, but anyone else?”

The children laughed as they took their seats, doing their best to sit still and not stare too much at the gifts that were waiting for them as the adults pre-emptively gave them birthday greetings and well-wishes. The children grinning and nodding, occasionally exchanging meaningful glances.

This wasn't going to be the only celebration of sorts they were planning on having that day, after all, and even after they opened their gifts, there was still going to be one final important one left to exchange.

Settling in as Samantha and Hannah's fathers finally brought out the food, the children soon finding themselves fielding numerous questions about their lives and their future plans. Samantha didn't mind being the center of attention, but Evan found himself trying to hide inside his clothes through much of it, and Zack had had his mouthful most of the time, leaving the girl to field most of the questions.

Eventually, though, Lily and Imogen slipped away, the two returning a few moments later with a large, single layer cake that they pushed out onto the patio on a cart. Elaborately decorated and topped with three lit candles shaped like the number twelve, the two families starting to sing happy birthday as Lily motioned the children over so they could blow out the candles.

“Wait a sec,” said Zack, glancing up at Lily speculatively, “Doesn't this cake say that we're thirty-six?”

Samantha fixed him with a faux-dirty look. “Don't make me wish you'd stop making dad jokes,” she told with a smirk slowly sliding across her lips.

“Fine, fine, whatever,” Zack chuckled, the three children leaning closer, glancing at one another as they took a collective deep breath.

The three blowing out the candles, the adults cheered and applauded, Samantha smiling proudly as several of them took pictures before the three returned to their seats...

*****

Once everyone had had their fill of cake and the children's gifts had been opened, Agnes sat a little taller in her chair, Hannah's grandparents the first to notice and quickly and quietly passing along the message that the woman had something to say.

As all eyes turned to her, the old woman smiled, lifting her head proudly, Agnes having an air of authority about her that made the woman seem somewhat regal despite her relative frailty. “I hope that no one minds, but I think now would be a good time for me to monopolise the girls for a little while, assuming there are no objections?”

“No time like the present,” Hannah agreed with a nod, Samantha taking a deep breath as both girls stood up, glancing at Agnes as Jim helped Agnes to her feet, the old woman smiling fondly at him and patting his hand as she took his arm.

“I keep thinking she's way taller than she is,” Samantha whispered, noting how the woman barely came up to her father's shoulder.

“It's her gravitas,” Evan whispered back with a sly smile, the girl giggling softly as the two approached, Hannah quickly moving around the table to stand beside her.

“Oh, don't worry so, dear,” Agnes chuckled as she linked arms with Hannah, smiling down at the boys as she did, “I'll have her back shortly, but dear Samantha has one more gift to receive today.”

The boys nodded as Samantha glanced at her mother, Lily's expression seeming concerned as she looked down at the table, Jim's arm about her shoulders. Samantha didn't need to the genius in her group to know something was up, but decided she'd find out soon enough.

Taking a deep breath, Samantha followed Agnes and Hannah back inside, the elderly woman leading the two a short way down a hallway to pair of modest wooden doors. Insisting on opening them herself, Agnes took a firm hold of the handles and moved slowly forward, the doors swinging easily inwards.

“I'm not really one for stairs so much any more, I'm afraid,” the woman explained with a soft sigh, leading the way into a comfortable sitting room, “so some time ago, I took over the rooms my parents used when they grew too old for such things as well.”

Samantha looked about with wide eyes, the room was cosy dispute its size, with windows overlooking the front yard, a large decorative carpet covering much of the hardwood floor and a large fire place to keep the room warm in the winter. The walls were decorated with family photos and a few paintings, as well as baring a few large bookshelves, with a door that likely lead to Agnes' bedroom and such.

But what really caught Samantha's attention were the two identical, and rather ornate crossed swords that hung on the wall across from the windows, both gleaming in the afternoon sunlight with tiny text engraved upon their blades near the hilt that the girl could almost make out.

Samantha's questions about them were quickly dismissed, however, as Agnes sighed softly, the old woman smiling up at the large painting over the fireplace, the girl swallowing hard as she followed the woman's gaze to the portrait of a much younger Agnes standing beside her brother Angus.

Both appeared to be in their late teens, well-dressed as always, Agnes looking forward boldly and proudly, as Angus' expression betrayed a hint of mirth behind his well-trimmed fiery red beard.

“That painting was commissioned just before we both got married,” Agnes explained, the old woman slowly and carefully lowering herself into a comfortable chair, “One of the last days we had together before adult responsibilities weighed heavily upon our shoulders.”

Taking a seat across from Hannah, Samantha nodded, taking a moment to note how much the two really did resemble one another, the fact that they were twins still easily noticeable so close to proper adulthood.

“So, you got along really well, then?” the girl inquired, feeling a bit envious that her great-great grand aunt actually seemed to get along well with her sibling.

The old woman nodded slowly, her smile a little sad as she reminisced. “We were the best of friends, right up until the end,” Agnes replied, the woman breathing a heavy sigh, “To be honest, we were closer to one another than we were to our own spouses.”

Samantha glanced at the small table that sat between the three chairs and nodded a little sullenly. There'd always been friction between her and David, but she'd always had the boys. They'd always managed to fill whatever role brothers would, and so very much more.

“Don't worry, dear,” Agnes said softly, fixing the little redhead with an understanding smile, “Sometimes it just takes until you're both adults for some siblings to start getting along. Anyway, I promised I wouldn't keep you both very long, so I shouldn't.”

“Hey, we still have all week to get into trouble,” Hannah replied teasingly, Agnes chuckling softly.

“Oh, this house has had no shortage of mischief,” Agnes agreed with a bit of a nod, her eyes fixed upon the portrait for a moment longer, “Anyway, let me first start by getting the family business out of the way. As I'm sure you're both aware, I'm no longer a young woman, and every day for me is a gift. A reminder that there is still a bit more work that needs to be done.”

The girls exchanged glances, their expressions becoming serious, Samantha's heart racing as she realized she was likely being draw into an at least somewhat grown up discussion.

“To that end,” Agnes continued, looking to each girl meaningfully, “I want you both to be the first to know that when I pass, the ownership of the McAlister Estate will go to both of you equally.”

The girl's exchanged glances yet again, a weird mix of dread and excitement washing over both of them. “You see,” old woman explained, “in a way, I'm hoping to make sure that this family remains one.

“As it stands, my family is divided. Those from my side and those from Angus', but I never want anyone from either half to forget that we're one whole. Thus, I think it's important that this house be co-owned by those who represent both myself and be brother. I hope you understand.”

The girls nodded slowly, the weight of the responsibly being handed to them seeming like a rather heavy prospect. “We'll do our best,” Hannah promised, her great-great grandmother smiling sadly and giving a slow nod.

“I know you will, dear,” Agnes replied, her gaze moving to the twin swords on the wall to her right, “Now then, there is one other thing I want to be sure you both inherit...”

Both girls followed the woman's gaze as Agnes smiled fondly at the twin blades. “I want each of you to have one of those swords,” she told them in a tone that was both happy and sad at the same time, “They belonged to us, you know. Each engraved with our names. I think it only right that my dear Hannah inherits mine, and you Samantha should get Angus'. Think of them as a symbol of our family. Something to be passed down through the generations to whomever shall be the rightful owners of this home.”

Samantha exhaled slowly. Things definitely were getting rather heavy, especially for a newly minted twelve-year-old, but she'd never been one to back down from a challenge. Plus, the girl reasoned, it would also make David insanely envious once he found out about it.

“Now then,” Agnes said in an even more serious tone, the girls quickly turning towards her, the woman holding each of their gazes in turn, “I need you both to make an absolute promise. A vow, I suppose, that so long as I live, neither of you shall speak a word to anyone about what I am about to say.”

Samantha's stomach immediately tied itself into knots at the woman's words. The idea of hiding something. Anything. From the boys was almost painful to contemplate. Still, she supposed, there would eventually come a day when she could tell them whatever it was Agnes was swearing her to secrecy about.

“You have my word, grandmother,” Hannah said quickly, without hesitation, the teenager's tone far more serious than Samantha realized her cousin could manage.

Swallowing hard as she felt Agnes' gaze upon her, Samantha nodded. “I promise, Aunty” the girl replied with a moment's hesitation, swallowing hard before continuing, “Not a word. Not even to the boys.”

Agnes smiled sadly at her, clearly knowing she was asking a lot of the child. “All right then,” the old woman continued, “this is... something of a confession. This family, both sides of it, I might add, has no shortage of secrets, large and small, and this is one both myself and Angus kept for all our lives. But now, I feel as though it's only right to come clean about what happened back then, when we were young and full of life.”

Samantha's eyes widened, staring at her great-great grand aunt with nervous excitement. Agnes wasn't wrong, after all. Even she'd racked up quite few secrets in her young life, and she could only imagine what mischief the woman was about to admit to.

Closing her eyes, Agnes sighed heavily. “Where to begin?” she asked rhetorically, glancing up at the painting again, “When we were both about Samantha's age, things began to, well, change. And not just in the obvious ways.”

Samantha blushed a little, the girl glancing down at the carpet. Things had been changing for a while now, but it still felt a bit embarrassing to have any of it mentioned so openly.

Giving the younger girl a sad smile, Agnes took a moment to sort out her thoughts before continuing. “It may sound strange to you, my dear, given your relationship with your own brother,” the woman said sadly, “but I loved Angus. More even than I should have.”

Hannah took a deep breath, clasping her hands together in her lap and looking down as Samantha's eyes went wide, understanding slowly dawning upon her. “You mean...?” the girl whispered, suddenly not wanting to raise her voice.

Agnes sighed softly and nodded. “Yes. At some point, I can't even say when, exactly, we fell in love,” the old woman admitted with a sad smile, glancing at each of the girls in turn, “It was a terribly bad idea, I know, but it's not really something a person has control over.”

“I'm not super surprised, to be honest,” Hannah said nervously in a low tone, sheepishly glancing up at her great-great-grandmother who gave her a small smile in return.

Samantha meanwhile felt both bad for the woman, being in love with someone she could never be with would've been terribly difficult, but also the idea of having feelings like that for her own brother. That was something that would -never- happen. Even the idea of touching him made her skin crawl. But as Agnes had said, not everyone's relationship with their brother was same as her own.

“But you both still got married to other people, right?” the girl inquired, the woman nodding slowly, smiling sadly.

“Things get more complicated the older you get, and sometimes the responsibilities of adulthood get in the way of what you really want,” the woman replied before adding with a soft chuckle, “Not that we didn't also love our spouses, but it was, at least in part, what was expected of us. In the end, we had few regrets, but our children were never among them.”

Hannah glanced at Samantha, her smile a little mischievous as the girl looked back, her eyes going wide, suddenly realising what her cousin was about to ask. “So, ah, did you two ever...?” the teenager asked as delicately as she could, Agnes unable to keep from smiling, the old woman chuckling softly.

“Yes dear,” she replied, her smile momentarily broadening, “we were together many times, and yes, it was wonderful.”

Samantha blushed, glancing down again, trying not to glance at the painting over the mantle beside her. Agnes and Angus were definitely attractive in their youth. The woman had once had long, flowing scarlet hair, draped over one shoulder, her breasts pushing proudly out against her dark green dress.

Angus was tall, broad-shouldered with a squarish jaw, his countenance both approachable and imposing. It was easy to see how things could have gone that way for them, the girl supposed.

“It's still really sad that you couldn't be together, though,” Samantha said carefully, the girl glancing askance, wondering what she'd do if she were ever separated from the boys.

Agnus nodded slowly, thinking a moment before responding. “It was quite difficult, but we managed,” she explained, the woman giving a bit of a mischievous smile, “And, I might add, we both continued to live here for our whole lives, so it wasn't as though we were ever truly separated.”

Hannah smirked a bit and Samantha blushed, deciding better of asking the question that immediately came to mind as Agnes leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Anyway, that's the story I needed to tell, I hope you don't mind that I brought this to you, but I felt it was important to tell someone, preferably family,” Agnes continued, the girls nodding sympathetically, “But, I think what I want you both to learn from this, is that when you find someone you love, never let them go. No matter what. Even if things get complicated, do what you must to hold them close. It's well worth it.”

Samantha took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She'd heard now and then from adult about how they wondered which of the boys the girl would eventually wind up with. But Samantha had made up her mind long ago, and she'd never choose between them, no matter what.

“Um, I do have one question, though,” the girl replied, thinking about her own family, “My mum, she's been a bit out of sorts since we got here. Did something happen last time we were here?”

Agnus sighed heavily, giving Samantha a sympathetic look as she slowly shook her head. “I'm sorry, dear, but that's... not my story to tell,” Agnes explained carefully, the woman frowning thoughtfully, “Our family has its fair share of secrets, and for now, the difficulty your mother is having will have to wait until she's read to address it. I hope you understand.”

Samantha nodded slowly, it wasn't like she wasn't keeping a fair bit from her mother herself, after all. “You think she'll ever tell me about it?” the girl asked, her great-great grandmother letting out a soft chuckle.

“Oh, she'd better,” the woman replied with amusement, “but, it likely won't be be until you're older. Just be patient, my dear. It will happen. Anyway, I've kept you both for long enough. Thank you for time, though, it meant a great deal to me. And remember, not a word outside of this room.”

“Never,” Hannah agreed with a firm nod as she stood.

“Don't worry, I'm really good at keeping secrets,” Samantha added with a bit of a chuckle, momentarily glancing at her cousin.

“Thank you,” Agnes said softly, smiling fondly at the two, “Now go out and have some fun. It's still the children's birthday, after all. Make sure it's a memorable one!”

Samantha grinned, blushing a bit as she turned towards the door, afraid that her expression might give away too much while Hannah nodded enthusiastically. “I'll show them around a bit more before dinner,” she explained with a mischievous smile, “Maybe guide them through a few of the secret passages so they'll know their way around better.”

Agnus chuckled softly. “Just avoid the dustier ones for now,” she advised as the two made their way to the door, “those outfits don't cleans themselves, you know.”

Hannah grinned and nodded, ushering Samantha back out into the hallway before quietly closing the door behind them, leaving Agnes to her thoughts...

*****

Hannah lead the children upstairs for the next part of their tour, showing off a cosy, but cluttered room that served as Arthur's office, a billiards room complete with a small, well-stocked bar, its own washroom and a balcony that overlooked the backyard.

She then lead them through a door out onto a spacious walkway with with numerous chairs and small tables, with a railing that looked out over a huge room with a white marble floor.

“The ballroom doesn't see much action these days,” Hannah explained as Zack aimed his camera up at the pair of crystal chandeliers that hung over the room, “But I've heard it saw a fair bit of use when the manor was first built.”

“I knew I should've learned to dance,” Zack chuckled, leading the way down a wide staircase to the lower floor, the boy panning about his camera, getting a shot of the double doors on one side and the small stage on the other where long ago live performers would play music for the manor's guests.

“There's a few girls in town who'd probably want to stop by if you could,” Hannah replied teasingly, Samantha laughing as she grabbed Zack's hand, the two spinning about and clumsily trying to imitate half remembered movements from an old movie they'd seen once.

“Naw, if he's gonna step on anyone's feet, it'll be mine,” the girl called back to her cousin, Zack then purposely trying to to just that as Samantha swatted playfully at him before spinning about and grinning at Evan.

“My mum can probably teach you a few things later if you're actually interested,” Hannah chuckled as Samantha grabbed both of Evan's hands, the two spinning in circles and laughing for a few moments before deciding to continue the tour, “She joined a club for historical re-creationists, and they do stuff like that sometimes, but with how remote we are, she doesn't get much practice with the dancing part.”

“So, is there anything this house doesn't have?” Evan inquired, panting a little as Samantha let him go and the older girl pushed open the double doors into another hallway.

“Well, besides decent internet, there's also no indoor pool here, but there is a beach not too far away if you don't mind swimming in the ocean,” Hannah replied with a shrug.

“We've got that at home too,” Samantha added with a shrug, “it's been a while since we've been, though.”

“I'll add it to the to do list,” Zack replied with a grin as Hannah pushed open a door and switched on a light, revealing a narrow wooden staircase that lead down into a dimly lit basement.

“Now if anywhere in this house is gonna be haunted, it's here,” Evan commented teasingly, Samantha making a bit of face at the thought, the girl lifting the hem of her dress as the group descended.

“Haunted by spiders, maybe,” Hannah chuckled, the girl stepping out across the stone floor, motioning to the stack of ancient kegs set into one of the walls, “Anyway, we've had relatives make their own wine down here off and on. I wouldn't try anything in the kegs right now, though. It's probably vinegar at this point.”

Zack nodded, capturing the kegs and a few of the more artfully place spider webs before following Hannah through an open doorway, the room beyond stretching for some distance and lit by bare bulbs attached to the ceiling.

“My mum does that sorta thing too,” the boy noted, capturing the rows of wine racks along the walls, focusing in on a few of the older dated labels, “Just not on such a grand scale.”

Hannah nodded, smiling mischievously as she ran her finger along one of the shelves until she found what she was looking for. “Here we go,” she remarked, “We keep the drinkable stuff in this area here for when guests come over and such. I doubt anyone'll miss this.”

Slipping a bottle out from its holder, Hannah melodramatically handed it to Samantha, the girl's eyes widening. “Happy birthday, cousin!” the teenager laughed teasingly, “Just don't let the adults catch you with it!”

“Now all we need are candles and rose petals,” Zack commented slyly, Samantha blushing a bit at the romantic connotations.

“We could probably arrange that,” her cousin remarked with amusement, heading to the end of the aisle before giving one of the stones that made up the wall a hard shove.

The children let out a gasp and laughed with amusement as Hannah then moved a section of wall inwards, revealing a secret passage beyond. “Come on, I'll show you how to get to your room from here so you can hide it,” the teenager explained slyly, “Not that I'd know anything about that.”

Creeping into the narrow passageway, Hannah took a lantern off a hook on the inner wall. “The trick is to bring these back occasionally,” she chuckled, lighting it up before leading the way through the gloom, “Or just remember to bring your phone, I guess.”

The passage rounded a corner before ending a spiralling metal staircase, Zack grinning as he made sure to capture it on video. “As I said, servants needed to get around unseen most of the time,” Hannah explained, leading the way upwards, the stairs going all the way to the third floor, with passages leading off from it at each level.

“It must be easy to get lost in here,” Samantha commented as Hannah got off at the first floor, the group shuffling sideways down a narrow passage, past several intersections before coming to another tightly spiralling staircase.

“It's been known to happen,” Hannah chuckled, leading the way up to a small area with what appeared to be the back ends of a pair of wardrobes, one on each side. Frowning thoughtfully, the teenager nodded to herself before sliding the back of the one on the left open.

“So, do all the bedrooms have these?” Samantha inquired, her cousin shaking her head in amusement as the group stepped back into her bedroom.

“Only some of them,” Hannah chuckled as Samantha glanced about the room, trying to find the best place to hide the bottle before settling for just putting it under the bed, “But most of them started being locked up when I found out about the secret passages when I was little.”

“So no more spying on your parents having sex, then?” Zack inquired teasingly, the teenager letting out a laugh and shaking her head again.

“Well, Samantha's parents don't know about the secret passage yet, so maybe I'll drop in on them later. See if they need any help!” Hanna replied slyly, her cousin inhaling sharply and looking a little embarrassed by the idea, “Anyway, we've still got some time before dinner, and I wanna show you guys the attic. It's full of random stuff I used to play with as a kid and piles of random antiques we don't use anymore. Including some crazily creep dolls!”

“We're gonna need to put a PG rating on the video we make just for that,” Zack chuckled as the group headed out of the room and continued their exploration of the manor...

*****

Samantha opted to take another bath after dinner, her parents somewhat surprised, but thankful that the girl was seemingly becoming more responsible despite her true motives. The boys caught on fairy quickly, and quietly agreed to follow suit, the three of them wanting to be neat and tidy for the important and very secret event they had planned.

Waiting for the adults wander off to the sitting room again, Hannah quickly intercepted the children, her smile sly and mischievous as she hushed them and spoke in a low tone.

“Remember when I mentioned there was a larger bathroom with a really big tub?” the older girl inquired, the three children's eyes going wide at what she was suggesting, “You three wanna give it a go? The adults'll be distracted for a while, so they probably won't come looking for ya.”

“That sounds really interesting,” Samantha whispered, glancing down the hall as if expecting her parents to be walking down it towards her as Zack grinned and Evan tried to hide his smile, the boy casually adjusting his glasses.

Hannah nodded and waved for them to follow, leading the trio down yet another unfamiliar hallway before pushing open a door into a comfortably sized room with tiled flooring, alcoves for clothing and neatly stacked piles of towels.

Beyond it an open door lead into a larger room, with windows overlooking the back yard, a raised portion of the floor containing a large, sunken pool that reminded the children a little of the hot tub back home, but with proper faucets and a selection of soaps and other bath accessories close at hand.

“I believe the word is lavish?” Evan commented sagely, Zack nodding in agreement, quickly pulling out his camera, the boy thankful for the waning rays of sunlight that shined in through the windows, making the scene more dramatic.

“Okay, I'll leave you three to it,” Hannah chuckled as she slipped out the door, “I'll go see if I can't stir up some trouble elsewhere.”

Watching the door close behind her, Samantha turned to the boys, her excitement rising as she realised they were alone, and likely to remain so for the rest of the evening. They didn't even have to skip school to make it happen this time.

Taking a deep breath, the girl glanced down at her dress. It would probably need a cleaning before it was worn again, with a few odd wrinkles as well as dirt and dust in places along with a few strands of cobwebs she'd collected along the way, but Samantha wasn't too concerned.

“Wanna help me out of this?” she inquired with a sly smile, Zack grinning and nodding as Evan gave a sheepish smile, adjusting his glasses, both boys moving quickly to flank the girl, both of them laughing a little as they tried to figure out how to even get the girl out of it.

“You sure you're not just using this as an excuse to grope me?” Samantha teased as Zack finally found the hidden row of buttons in the back, the boy smirking as he gave the girl's bottom a firm slap, the blow cushioned somewhat, but it was the thought that counted.

“That'll be way more fun once we get you out of this,” Evan observed, slipping the top over the redhead's shoulders once Zack had gotten far enough down the row of buttons.

Samantha grinned, her body trembling as she felt Evan's hands slide down her arms, taking her dress with them as Zack moved her long red hair aside so he could kiss her neck. “Take your time,” the girl giggled softly, closing her eyes as she felt Evan's lips touch lightly against the skin of her chest, drawing a line of kisses towards Samantha's nipple.

“Unwrapping our gifts is definitely the best part of birthdays,” Zack chuckled, his hands caressing their way down her back, helping to push the garment ever lower until he was able to cup both halves of her bottom.

“I thought you just liked getting to have cake,” Samantha replied teasingly, inhaling sharply as she felt Evan's lips suckle her nipple hard, his tongue playing across it, his hands sliding down the girl's firm thighs, pushing her dress the rest of the way off.

“Well, there is only one thing I like the taste of more than cake,” Zack chuckled softly into her ear, the girl letting out a soft squeak, her cheeks flushing at the innuendo.

Glancing upwards, Evan gave a small, mischievous smile as Zack's hands moved, his fingers slipping underneath of Samantha's panties. “You know, the door to his room doesn't seem to have a lock,” the blond boy remarked slyly, Samantha inhaling sharply, her body trembling.

“Oh, that's a shame,” Zack chuckled, squeezing Samantha's bottom firmly as Evan slowly started slipping her panties off the girl, “What if someone were to walk in right now?”

Samantha gritted her teeth, her eyes closed tightly, pressing her thighs closer together as the boys' words heightened her excitement. “N-no fair-!” she managed, letting out a soft gasp as Evan pulled her panties down far enough to expose her folds, the garment sticking to them a little.

“Well he's not wrong,” Evan chuckled softly, the boy leaning closer, slowly running the flat of his tongue across the girl's folds, the sensation shooting through Samantha, making the girl squirm helplessly.

“Wait! I'm all sweaty!” Samantha laughed, covering her face with both hands and shaking her head as Evan refused to stop, the boy moaning with an exaggerated hungry sound that made what he was doing almost more amusing than fun.

“Don't worry, he's just cleaning it off for you,” Zack chuckled teasingly, his hands slipping around her before sliding upwards, the boy's fingers capturing and squeezing the girl's nipples teasingly.

“Are you saying I can't wash myself?” Samantha shot back with a smirk, the girl panting heavily, a helpless moan escaping her lips, Evan's tongue squirming between her folds, pushing a little inside of her.

Zack chuckled slowly, nuzzling the girl's neck before nibbling her ear as his fingertips gently rubbed circles over Samantha's nipples. “It's true, you're terrible at it. You clearly need our help,” the boy said, making her giggle and squirm.

“Then maybe you two should get naked and start running some water,” Samantha managed, glancing towards the tub, suddenly realising how much fun they could have there.

“Mmm, good point,” Evan murmured, giving her clit a teasing kiss, making the girl squirm before standing back and up and quickly starting to disrobe, smiling teasingly as he looked at her over his glasses, “Go get the water running, we'll be there in a bit.”

“But...” Samantha whimpered, her body aching for more, but knowing that the boys wouldn't leave her hanging that easily. Sighing heavily, the girl nodded, slipping away from Zack, slipping out of her panties and walking into the other room.

“I'll never get tired of seeing that,” Evan remarked in a low tone, both boys taking a moment to watch the girl's firm round bottom as Samantha walked over to the tub, the girl looking into it for a moment before heading down the three steps to the bottom.

“I need to get a drone camera or something,” Zack chuckled, glancing over to the shelf where he'd stashed his camera, the two boys quickly disrobing as Samantha started running the water, distracting them by bending over in the process.

“We are so lucky,” Evan sighed wistfully, this friend nodding in agreement as both boys went back to quickly undressing, making sure to fold everything up nicely before using the provided alcoves and hanging Samantha's dress up on one of the provided hooks.

“You think there's any secret passages into here?” Zack inquired.

Evan nodded, opting to hold onto his glasses for the moment. “Servants would've needed to change the towels and such,” he explained sagely, glancing about and noticing the row of fluffy white bathrobes hanging in a larger alcove, “Plus they could take out the discarded clothing when people leave just wearing one of those.”

“Handy,” Zack replied as he lead the way into the main area, “Maybe one day they'll get some robots or something around here to take care of that sorta thing.”

“Now you're just being lazy,” Evan teased, the other boy grinning down at Samantha, the girl sitting on the edge of the tub, her feet in the water, leaning back on her hands and smiling mischievously at both of them.

“Naw, I just have my priorities straight,” Zack chuckled, both he and Evan doing their best to act casual as they stepped into the small pool, Samantha smirking at their semi-hardness, the boys shafts bobbing in a way that almost made her laugh.

“We're just about there,” the girl commented, pushing up her foot to stir the water, whatever she'd found to put into it covering the surface with a layer of soapy bubbles.

“I'm so used to the shower, I'd almost forgotten what this is like,” Evan chuckled as he and Zack sat down on the submerged ledge, both of them exhaling softly as they entered the heated water.

Satisfied with how full the large tub was, Samantha leaned over and turned off the faucet before sliding down into it, the girl sighing softly as she knelt in the middle of the pool, the soapy water coming up to her neck.

“Are you gonna offer one of us a sword or something?” Zack inquired teasingly, Samantha opening her eyes and giving him a nervous chuckle.

“Um, actually, about that,” the girl began, glancing askance as she made note not to mention the other part of the conversation she'd had, “Apparently Aunt Agnes wants to leave me hers in her will at some point. She wants it kept in the family sorta thing.”

The boys nodded quickly in understanding, both of them a bit envious of the idea. “Well, from the looks of things, you'll probably be waiting until your at least in your twenties before that happens,” Zack chuckled motioning for Evan to follow him deeper into the now still water, “Agnes seems way to lively to just give up anytime soon!”

“You think she's secretly draining the youth from the children she lures here from the village?” Evan inquired teasingly, Zack's eyes going wide with mock-horror.

“You don't suppose that Hannah's grandfather is actually her little brother do you?!” he replied, Evan letting out a faux-fearful gasp, covering his mouth with pretend shock as Samantha laughed, splashing them both with soapy water.

“Oh, shut up!” the girl managed, letting out a playful shriek as the two boys started splashing back, both moving to flank the girl before laughing as they tackled Samantha and dragged her underwater for a moment.

Coming back up, the three of them grinning and panting Samantha closed her eyes happily, feeling the boys hands sliding randomly across her now slippery body, both of them randomly kissing and nuzzling her neck and face.

“I'm not sure how clean this is gonna make us,” Samantha giggled softly, sliding her hands along both boys thighs until she found their shafts, giving both of them firm squeeze.

“Naw, this is the best way to get clean,” Zack chuckled softly in her ear, the girl uncertain who's fingers were now sliding gently across her folds, but not really worried which of the boys it was.

“Plus, its better to soak for a bit before doing any actual scrubbing,” Evan noted, Samantha inhaling sharply as she felt a hand slide across her bottom, a finger pressing between her cheeks, rubbing gently against her.

Samantha sighed softly, her hands gently stroking the boys' shafts, loving being the center of attention as they nibbled her ears and kissed her neck, the girl's excitement quickly rising.

Opening her eyes just a little, Samantha looked towards the other room at the door they'd come through. There really didn't seem to be a lock on it, making it entirely possible that someone could come through at any moment. Plus, the girl realised, the windows behind her did overlook the backyard, making what they were doing twice as dangerous.

Smiling to herself, Samantha closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations that flooded her, the girl's whole body tingling with excitement as she squeezed the shafts in her small hands more firmly, her movements becoming a bit erratic.

Arching her back and panting heavily, Samantha let out a sudden cry, her body shaking hard as the boys kept licking and kissing and caressing her, the child's voice echoing somewhat in the mostly empty room, but Samantha didn't much care.

All that mattered was the wonderful sensations she felt, the boys grunting and straining softly in her ears, a hint of desperation in the sounds as she came dangerously close to getting them off as well.

Letting out a soft whimpering moan, Samantha forced open her eyes, glancing at each of them in turn. “G-Get up,” the girl managed, the girl panting heavily, her body still shaking, begging for further release, but Samantha desperately wanted to return the favour.

Confused for a moment, both boys untangled themselves from her before managing to find their feet, the water coming up to just under their groins, which suited Samantha just fine.

With a hungry smile, the girl waved them both closer together, the boys moving to stand directly in front of her, both of them smiling down at Samantha. Taking a deep breath, the girl then leaned forward, taking Zack's shaft in her mouth, moaning softly as the boy's wet shaft felt so deliciously warm and hard against her tongue.

Slowly bobbing her head, the little redhead stroked Evan's shaft at the same time, the girl's chin constantly hitting the water as she moved, the gentle splashing noises making her giggle as much of her face got covered in soap suds in the process.

“We need one of these at home,” Zack panted, grinning as Evan nodded in agreement, Samantha pushing her long wet hair back over her ear and glancing up at the boy teasingly.

“What are you talking about?” she childed him slyly as she moved her head back and moved over to Evan, “You already have me at home!”

With giggle, Samantha hungrily wrapped her lips around the other boy's shaft, her tongue caressing it as she suckled hard, her tongue slipping under Evan's foreskin as she went back to stroking Zack's manhood at the same time.

“You are such a brat,” Zack chuckled teasingly, holding onto the girl's shoulder for support.

“Yeah, but she's our brat,” Evan replied with a shrug, grinning as his eyes crossed a little, the girl pulling back just enough to nibble playfully at his foreskin.

Hearing the boy's panting intensify, Samantha pulled back, grinning up at Evan as she went back to stroking his shaft. “Not yet,” she teased, bringing her mouth down on Zack again, the boy letting out a low groan, closing his eyes tightly as he curled his fingers, trying to calm down a little.

“Don't tease him too much, you know he can get,” Evan chuckled, laughing a little as he felt Samantha's hand cup his balls, her fingers gently toying with them as she hungrily suckled Zack's shaft.

“I- I don't think she minds so much,” Zack managed with a grin as Samantha brought him to the edge before pulling away again, her hand slipping back up to Evan's shaft as she grabbed Zack's with her free hand, the girl's eyes moving from one boy to the other.

“You turned twelve today,” Samantha panted, glancing up at them for a moment before going back to watching the way their foreskin moved back and forth over the heads of their hard shafts, “You think you can do it now?”

Both boys swallowed hard. The idea was intensely exciting. What would happen if they did? How much would there even be? Samantha was surely close enough that most of it would land on her. That would certainly be something. Zack would definitely need to take a picture of that!

Both boys gripping the girl's shoulders tightly, both of them finding themselves letting out strained groans, the sensation becoming intensely overwhelming as Samantha paused for a moment. With a teasing giggle, the girl pulled back their foreskins so she could run the flat of her tongue up along the underside of each boys shaft in turn, wriggling the tip of her tongue at the end each time.

“Keep doing that, and I might!” Zack managed, inhaling sharply as Samantha wrapped her lips around the end of his shaft before pushing the tip of her tongue under his foreskin and slowly dragging it around in a slow circle.

His body shaking, Zack gritted his teeth, running his fingers through Samantha's thick wet hair, the boy boy straining as he tossed his head back, letting out a sharp grunting groan.

Going back to stroking him again, Samantha opened her mouth, teasing the head of shaft with the tip of her tongue, looking up teasingly at the boy as his hips moved involuntarily, Zack gasping and groaning in response, the sensation overwhelming him but not quite granting Samantha the effect she desired.

“Almost,” Samantha giggled teasingly, dragging her tongue slowly across the head of Zack's shaft, the boy inhaling sharply at the intense sensation.

“Hey! I'm working on it!” Zack laughed, panting heavily before taking a seat as Samantha moved over to Evan.

Glancing over at Zack, the girl smirked teasingly, her hand gently stroking Evan's shaft, giggling as she she kissed the end of it, enjoying the look on Zack's face as he watched.

“This just makes me want to a bath every day,” Evan chuckled breathlessly, Samantha glancing up at him with a quick grin before swallowing down his shaft, the boy taking twin handfuls of her hair as the girl quickly bobbed her head.

Closing her eyes, Samantha moaned softly, feeling her hair being gently tugged, the sensation sending a pleasant sensation though her body, the girl sucking his shaft harder, trying to encourage Evan to pull a little harder.

Groaning happily, Evan closed his eyes tightly, curling his fingers a little tighter, tugging at the girl's hair harder, Samantha letting out a soft whimper as she felt her desire starting to rise again.

With a sudden hard grunt, Evan reached his peak, the boy pulling the girl close as he thrust his hips several times, instinctively trying to push his seed deeper into her, even if he did once again fail to properly ejaculate.

Holding her breath as he pushed a bit into the back of her throat, Samantha tried to relax, the girl finding she rather liked being used in such a way, not minding one bit that Evan had momentarily disregarded her comfort.

“S-Sorry...” the boy managed, brushing Samantha's hair back as he pulled out of her mouth, his shaft twitching, the girl taking hold of it so she could give it a few gentle strokes.

“For what?” Samantha giggled, the twelve-year-old smiling slyly up at him, the only thing she regretted was that Evan still hadn't cum for real. Even if it would've likely caused her to gag a bit.

Before Evan could answer, though, a gentle knock on the distant door sent a chill down the children's spines, the three of them letting out a gasp as they heard the door starting to open. Without a second thought, the three of them dove under the water, the trio poking their heads out just enough to watch the door as Jennifer cautiously stepped through it.

Exchanging glances, the children's hearts raced as the teenager switched on the light, the setting sun no longer casting as much light into the room as it once had. Looking about, Jennifer gave a momentarily confused look before noticing the neatly folded clothing.

With a chuckle, the teenager stepped into the main room, folding her arms, smiling with amusement at the three children as they tried to hide under the soap suds.

“You three are adorable,” Jennifer commented, shaking her head slowly as Samantha lifted her head out of the soapy water and gave her future sister-in-law a wide grin.

“We ah, thought it might be fun to try out the big bath tub,” Samantha explained, trying to keep the nervousness from her voice, glad that the older girl wasn't freaking out just yet, “did you, ah... wanna join us?”

Jennifer threw her head back and laughed, her bosom bouncing a bit as she covered her mouth with one hand, not noticing the boys exhaling loudly, blowing bubbles in the water around them.

“Oh, so you guys can be little perverts, then?” the blond girl replied with an amused smile, the boys heads breaking the surface of the water so they could both finally breathe.

“I uh, well...” replied Zack, glancing askance at his friends, the boy giving a nervous grin as he slowly looked back up at Jennifer, “we're unsupervised right now, so I guess some ah, adult supervision wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, right?”

Jennifer let out a laugh, shaking her head in amusement before standing a little taller and looking down at them. “Wait a sec...” the teenager pondered, lifting her skirts a bit so she could kneel down and get a better look, Samantha blushing as her heart raced, “Wait, are you guys... naked?”

Sucking in her lips, the little redhead glanced at Evan, the boy clearing his throat and pushing his glasses back up his nose. “Well, um, we are taking a bath,” he replied, trying his best to sound sagely, thankful that the soap suds were hiding his nervous erection.

The older girl frowned thoughtfully for a moment before giving a shrug. “Yeah, that makes sense,” Jennifer chuckled, her concern seemingly melting away, “Although you three might not wanna do this sorta thing much longer. It'll probably start getting a bit weird for you pretty soon.”

Samantha nibbled her bottom lip, trying not to laugh as Zack ducked down under the water again, holding his nose and hiding his smile. Jennifer had no idea just how “weird” things had already gotten, after all. Which was definitely for the better.

“Well, then it's best to enjoy it while we can, right?” Evan inquired, trying not to grin as he realised he was on a bit of a roll, Samantha taking hold of his hand under the water and giving it an approving squeeze, “You're only a kid once, so we should have our fun now, I guess.

“There is that...” Jennifer agreed in a careful tone, the blond boy gave a dismissive shrug.

“But if you're worried, there is plenty of room...” Evan added, swallowing hard, squeezing Samantha's hand back, “You could be our 'adult supervision' if you like.”

To the three's surprise, Jennifer sighed softly and shrugged. “Well, did David say he wasn't feeling well and went to bed early,” she explained thoughtfully, “And the other ladies are busy playing old people card games, so I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing I could do.”

The three children's eyes went wide as Jennifer turned and stepped back into the other room, the boy's mouths falling open as Samantha stared at Evan. “You -are- a genius!” she whispered as quietly as she could, the boy quickly covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.

“She's gonna do it!” Zack whispered as loudly as he dared, Samantha shrinking down a little, the girl grinning with amusement.

“Just play it cool,” she whispered back, motioning for the three of them to follow her to the other side of the tub where they could not only act more casual, but also get a decent view.

Waiting quietly, the three watched Jennifer from afar, the teenager mostly keeping her back to them as she undressed, the boys taking a deep breath as she bent over a little to slide her panties off, causing Samantha to giggle softly.

Glancing askance at the two, she couldn't help but grin as they couldn't help staring, the girl casually slipping her hands into their laps, finding them fully hard once again.

“Don't forget to blink,” Samantha whispered, the boys both chuckling softly, feeling a little embarrassed as Jennifer grabbed one of the larger towels and wrapping it about herself before turning to walk back into the main room, “And don't stare too much either...”

The boys nodded, their bodies tense, both of them needing a moment to notice what Samantha's hands were doing. “N- not helping,” Zack whispered, the girl giggling softly as both boys shafts throbbed needfully in her hands.

“Quiet, she'll notice,” the girl replied, the soap suds hiding what was going on beneath the surface, the boy nodding slowly, trying to only watch Jennifer out of the corner of his eye.

Pausing as she reached the edge of the pool, Jennifer looked past the children out into the yard, the sun having disappeared behind the trees, the light from the room illuminating a portion of the lawn which was thankfully devoid of onlookers.

“Okay, no peeking,” the blond girl chuckled, stepping into the water as the trio tried their best not to stare too obviously, Jennifer slowly unwrapping her towel, the children's eyes going wide at the almost magical way the teenager's bosom somehow managed to defy gravity, “and no mentioning this to David, okay?”

“Not a chance,” Samantha giggled, smirking smugly, David was the last person who needed to know the things the children got up to.

Jennifer smiled, leaning back a little and submerging her body completely for a moment before rising up again, her long hair straightening out wetly behind her as the older girl's bosom made the boys' eyes go wide when it pushed its way out of the bubbles.

“So, are you three enjoying your vacation so far?” Jennifer asked conversationally, turning around to grab a nearby shampoo bottle.

“Oh, it's been great,” Samantha chuckled, feeling the boys' shafts twitch in her hands as Jennifer turned back around.

The teenager nodded, closing her eyes and lifting her arms to start lathering her hair, not noticing the way it caused her breasts to rise higher on her chest.

“Yeah, there's so much to see here,” Zack added, smirking at Samantha tried not to laugh, the three of them momentarily distracted by the way Jennifer's nipples rose and fell as liquidy soap oozed down from her head and across her bosom.

“I just hope people like the video we're putting together for it,” Samantha replied with a mischievous smile, the girl glancing at the boys as she got to her feet, “Anyway, hold on, you look like you could use some help.”

“Oh, thanks,” Jennifer said gratefully, Zack and Evan grinning as Samantha moved behind the blond girl, slipping her small hands into the thick mess of shampoo and long golden locks, “It's always easier when someone else does it for me.”

Samantha nodded, grinning at the boys as she moved her hands about, making sure to actually do her best to lather up the teenager's hair properly. “Hey, we're practically family, it's the least I can do,” the redhead replied, the boys giving her thumbs up as Jennifer let of a soft, happy sigh, the little girl's fingers caressing her scalp with surprising skill.

Jennifer smiled, leaning her head back a little, momentarily forgetting about the boys in front of her. “We'll make it official once we're done with school,” the blond giggled, sighing softly and arching her back, Zack and Evan covering their mouths as they watched the rivulets of soapy water flow across the blond girl's ample bosom.

“I'm looking forward to it,” Samantha admitted with a hint of amusement, running her hands down the length of Jennifer's hair, straightening it out before lightly touching the sides of the teenager's neck, gently caressing her way to her shoulders.

“You're just hoping we'll move in together,” Jennifer chuckled softly, her body relaxing as the child squeezed her shoulders before caressing her way down the older girl's back.

“Naw, our parents'll probably just let you move into his room,” Samantha replied with a smirk, catching Zack and Evan's gaze again, the boys doing their best to keep their breathing quiet as they carefully masturbated under the water.

“Oh, don't worry, we won't stay too long,” Jennifer chuckled, Samantha's hands sliding up the blond's back to her shoulders before sliding slowly down her arms. Leaning forward a little so she could glance down at the blond's breasts, the little redhead flashed the boys a quick grin, “We do kinda want our own space eventually.”

“Especially if you want your own kids,” Samantha said teasingly, Jennifer letting out a bit of a laugh, hardly noticing as the child's hands slid down from her shoulders, her fingers slowly and gently caressing their way across her breasts.

Jennifer let out a soft, sighing moan, leaning her head back against Samantha, distracted by their conversation as the girl's fingers caressed her so softly, the teenager almost didn't notice, the sensation so pleasant, that Jennifer found herself too distracted to care.

“Well, we're planning on waiting a little bit for that,” the teenager chuckled softly, exhaling slowly as Samantha's hands slid slowly around the circumference of her breasts before slowly sliding up towards Jennifer's now hard pink nipples, “but I guess it's kinda inevitable.”

“Mum told me I can't make her a grandmother before she's at least forty,” Samantha replied slyly, looking across at the boys as they stared at the two with intense interest, the girl slowly bringing her fingers closer together, gently squeezing the blond girl's nipples, causing Jennifer to let out a surprised gasp, her eyes flying open.

“S-Samantha!” the older girl panted, her body trembling, the boys sitting across from her desperately trying to look as innocent as possible, “What- what are you doing?!”

“Um, nothing...” the little girl replied with a nervous chuckle, her hands trembling a little as she gave a gentle squeeze.

“That... doesn't feel like nothing,” Jennifer responded, swallowing hard as she stared down at the child's hands, her sizeable breasts making them seem even smaller than normal somehow, the teenager taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out.

“Sorry, I was just, um curious, ya know?” Samantha explained with a bit of a nervous shrug. Had she gone too far? Was she going to get in trouble for this? Best to just play it out and see what happens, the girl supposed.

Jennifer gave a nervous laugh, shaking her head slowly and she gently removed Samantha's hands and moved forward before turning around the face the girl. “Maybe a little too curious,” she chuckled, the teenager still panting a bit, her nipples looking deliciously hard as far as Samantha was concerned.

“Well, ya know, it's not like I have them yet,” Samantha replied with a shrug, the girl glancing askance and trying not to laugh, getting the feeling that Jennifer had had more fun than she was willing to admit, “So I just wanted to, ya know, get an idea of what it might be like.”

Jennifer nodded, the girl running her hand over her head and remembering that her hair still needed a good rinsing. “Well, uh, just ask first next time, okay?” the teenager laughed, a hint of nervousness in her tone before dunking her head underwater, Jennifer quickly doing her best to get the shampoo out of her hair.

Samantha glanced at the boys and grinned teasingly. “I don't think she minded that much,” the girl whispered, the boys trying not to laugh as Jennifer came back up, pushing her hair back behind her.

“Ah, I think maybe I should go see if David's feeling any better,” the blond girl said quickly, glancing over at the shower stall and nibbling her bottom lip uncertainly as she noticed it didn't have a privacy curtain, “I really should have a proper rinse off first, though.”

“Don't worry, we won't try to join you or anything!” Zack laughed teasingly.

Jennifer gave a short laugh, shaking her head as she stood up, keeping her back to the boys, but giving Samantha a full view, making the child's eyes go wide. “You'd better not,” the teenager chuckled, trying to ignore the fact that the two of them were now staring rather openly at her bottom, before stepping as nonchalantly as she could from the pool and heading to the shower.

“I think we've gone far enough for one day,” Evan whispered sagely, the three children stealing a few sideways glances as the water started running.

“Well, just as long as she doesn't say anything,” Zack chuckled in a low tone, glancing over as Jennifer pushed back her long blond hair with both hands, the teenager's breasts pushed out towards the running water, the remaining soap washing quickly away, sliding elegantly down her soft, pale skin.

“I don't think she will,” Samantha replied confidently, even if she still did feel a little nervous, as well as a bit turned on.

“Worth it either way,” Zack added with a grin, the others nodding and trying not to laugh.

“It was a prelude to better things,” Evan observed, Samantha blushing a bit as she smiled at him.

Just then, the water shut off and Jennifer took a deep breath, the older girl boldly stepping back out into the main area, the children a little surprised that she wasn't making any move to cover herself at all. Instead, Jennifer moved as casually as she could, the children stealing a few glances at her, the three of them getting a pretty good idea of what David saw in her.

“Don't stay up too late, okay?” Jennifer told the trio, glancing over her shoulder at the children as she reached the doorway to the antechamber, “You don't want to sleep your whole vacation away.”

Smiling in amusement, the children nodded, knowing full-well that they more than likely wouldn't be going to sleep any time soon. Jennifer, meanwhile took one of the fluffy white bathrobes and wrapped it about herself, the girl smiling, sighing softly at the comfort it provided and pushing her feet into a pair of slippers she found before quietly slipping out the door.

*****

Reaching the top of the stairs, Hannah smirked to herself as she saw David, arms folded, leaning against the wall next to the door to her room. “Hey, where's your lady love?” the girl inquired teasingly, amused that the children were likely having more fun in that moment than the older boy was.

David chuckled, pushing himself away from the wall. “She said something about going to take a bath, she'll be a while,” he explained, sauntering boldly closer, his cousin raising an eyebrow.

“Not gonna join her?” Hannah inquired teasingly, her smile smug as she lifted her chin a bit to look up at David, the boy stopping slightly closer than was polite in front of her.

“I told her I wasn't feeling well,” he replied with a smirk of his own, his dark green eyes wandering across the girl for a moment, “I thought we could have a moment to like, talk, ya know.”

“Oh? What about?” Hannah inquired with challenging amusement, standing a little taller as David leaned a bit closer.

“About early today,” he replied, narrowing his eyes a little, putting his hands behind his back as the two nearly touched foreheads.

“What about it?” the girl asked, trying not to laugh, glancing down for a moment and noticed the bulge in his trousers before meeting her cousin's gaze once more.

David took a slow deep breath. “You enjoyed making my girlfriend laugh at me, didn't you?” he replied, a hint of anger in the boy's tone.

“It made you fight harder, didn't it?” Hanna replied with a grin, “Besides, I think you were improving by the end of it. Ya gotta stop getting so excited, though, ya know? Timing is important, and so's patience.”

David smirked, chucklingly softly. “Timing and patience, eh?” he remarked, casually glancing about, “Like waiting for the right moment to get you alone?”

“Oh yeah?” Hannah laughed, shaking her head slowly, “So you can do what, exactly? Stand around tryin' to look tough. You know I could kick your butt again if ya wanted.”

“Last I checked, I was the only here with a weapon,” David replied with a grin, his arms suddenly going about Hannah, both his hands grabbing the girl's bottom and squeezing firmly before pulling her towards him, “Or am I getting too excited for you, cousin?”

Hannah laughed, putting her hands on her hips, fixing him with a challenging look. “Well, I can certainly see why ya insist on swinin' a sword like it's a bludgeon,” the girl remarked, rotating her hips just enough for him to feel it, “But I think ya might have an inflated sense of self, callin' that a weapon.”

David scoffed, rolling his eyes as his fingers groped the girl's bottom more firmly through her dress. “Well, you haven't seen what I can do with it yet,” he replied, Hannah smirking teasingly back up at him.

“Somehow, I don't get the feelin' that your lady love'd be on board with that sorta thing, though,” his cousin chuckled in response, David glancing over his shoulder for a second.

“Like I said, Jennifer's taking a bath right now, she'll be a while,” he explained slyly, the boy's eyes full of hungry desire, “Plenty of time to show you what I can really do.”

“Well, I guess I have a minute and a half to spare,” Hannah replied with a half shrug, David's expression momentarily darkening as he pressed himself hard against her, his dark green eyes narrowed.

“You're really asking for it, aren't you?” he said in a harsh whisper, his cousin's breath quickening, but otherwise just seeming soft of amused.

“I gotta be honest with ya, cousin. It's usually way more fun if you don't ask first,” she told him teasingly, the boy taking a deep breath before leaning down a little, his nose brushing against hers.

“Is that so?” David murmured hungrily, pressing his lips to Hannah's, his cousin sighing softly as the boy pushed his tongue into her mouth, the girl responding in kind for a moment before he pulled back panting.

“That's your room, right?” he asked, Hannah letting out a laugh.

“Yeah. So?” she replied with a teasing grin.

David narrowed his eyes, grabbing his cousin tightly by the wrist. “You're such a brat,” he growled, the girl laughing as David pulled her the short distance to her door, the boy throwing it open and leading her inside.

“I save the bein' polite for dealin' with adults,” Hannah said with a grin, laughing as David spun her about and pressed his lips to hers again, leading the girl backwards towards the bed, his hands groping about for how to get the redhead out of her dress.

Reaching her bed, David pulled away, stepping back, grinning at Hannah as he panted heavily. “Screw it!” he laughed, his cousin letting out surprised gasp that turned to laughter as the boy spun her about and pushed the girl forward, Hannah landing half on her bed, bent over it with her bottom in the air.

“Not wastin' any time, eh?” Hannah teased as David yanked up her skirts, the teenager letting out a surprised sound at the sight of his cousin's naked bottom, the girl not having bothered with panties that day.

“Hypocrite,” David laughed, giving the girl's bottom a firm slap, causing Hannah to let out a moaning grunt, the girl's body quivering as the pleasing sensation shot through her.

Taking a deep breath, the redhead looked up over her shoulder at David, her long wavy hair spilling artfully no one side. “You sure your girlfriend won't mind this?” she asked teasingly, inhaling sharply as she suddenly felt the head of David's shaft rubbing insistently up and down against her folds.

“She ain't gotta know,” her cousin replied with a sly grin, his free hand gripping the girl's firm bottom tightly, the teenager panting heavily as he pushed gently forward, waiting for her to be wet enough to accept him.

Hannah giggled, wiggling her bottom at him, the girl letting out a soft gasp as she felt the head of David's shaft push against her opening. “D- Do you fuck her like this?” Hannah asked, David letting out a snort of laughter and rolled his eyes.

“Not often enough,” he replied, the teenager's breath quickening as he pulled back slightly before pushing deeper, his expression strained for a moment, Hannah letting out a grunting groan, the boy pushing just a bit further than she was ready for.

“You know that hurts, right?” Hannah panted with a bit of a sly smirk, catching the hungry look in her cousin's dark green eyes.

“You think I care?” David responded, his hand shooting out to grab a handful of the girl's hair before pulling her head back, his hips thrusting forward as hard as he could.

Letting out sharp cry, Hannah's body shook hard as David filled her completely, the mix of pleasure and pain causing her inner walls to moisten further, making it easier for her cousin as he started roughly thrusting.

Closing her eyes, Hannah groaned as David pulled at her hair with each thrust, the girl bucking her hips back at him in response, the boy's lack of technique being made up for by his enthusiasm.

“T- Take it, you slut!” David grunted, his shaft throbbing hard inside of Hannah, his cousin's inner walls gripping him tightly as he slapped her bottom again, giving it a hard squeeze, amused by the sound of Hannah's giggling moans.

His thrusts becoming more shallow, David's breathing quickened, grunting and groaning as Hannah arched her back, the girl letting out a long, happy moan, her inner walls squeezing him tightly, her body shaking hard.

“You- You like it rough, don't you?” the boy panted, his cousin letting out a bit of a laugh.

“Yeah? So?” Hannah managed, wriggling her hips, making David wince as he tried to push forward at the wrong moment.

“Then I guess I'd better give you want you want!” he laughed, giving his cousin's hair another hard yank and slapping her bottom as hard as he could, doing his best to keep thrusting hard.

With a strained growl, David found the will to pull himself free, his cousin letting out a distressed gasp that caused him to let out a laugh. Letting go of the girl's hair, David rolled Hannah over onto her back before dropping on top of her, stabbing at his cousin's folds several times with the wet end of his shaft before finding her opening once more.

Letting out a deep, satisfied moan, the girl's eyes fluttered for a moment, her hands grabbing onto his shoulders, smirking up at David with amusement as shoved himself fully inside of the girl before starting to madly thrust once again.

“You- you do this a lot, don't you?” David grunted, grinning down at the girl, his emerald eyes flashing with challenging amusement.

“Not much else to do 'round here!” the girl laughed, bringing her knees up, making it easier for her cousin to push deeper.

David groaned hungrily, feeling his shaft bottom out inside of the girl, his balls tightening as they slapped hard against her bottom. “So you just whore yourself out to the whole village then...?” he panted teasingly, giving his cousin another hard kiss before pulling back panting.

“Do... do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Hannah teased with a giggle, David rolling his eyes at the comment.

“You- you know you like it, you slut!” David shot back with a dark grin, shifting his weight onto his knees and grabbing the girl's firm thighs, panting heavily, watching the way Hannah's breasts shifted beneath her dress.

“Do you call Jennifer that?” his cousin teased, grinning with amusement, her hand moving to cup the side of David's face, “Do you call her that too? Does she beg you to fuck her like a proper whore?”

David winced, glancing askance, his hips slowing for a moment. “Shut up,” he muttered before taking a deep breath and continuing as he had, Hannah wincing even as she grinned, panting heavily once more.

“So that's a no then?” the girl chuckled teasingly, David glaring back at her, pushing Hannah's thighs down against her so he could thrust harder, the girl beneath him letting out a long whimpering moan, her eyes crossing tightly.

“Shut up, okay?!” David hissed through gritted teeth, leaning down, bringing his face close to hers again, “Seriously, you- you're worse than my sister!”

Hannah managed a smile, the girl gripping David's shoulders tightly. “Is- is that why you're fucking me so hard?” she managed, grinning up at David as he stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, his hips moving instinctively.

“Uhg, d-don't even joke about that,” he shot back, glancing askance for a moment, David's expression a mix of embarrassment and anger.

“Hey, that's fine by me!” his cousin replied only half-teasingly, “If you wanna play pretend like that, I'm cool with it.”

David swallowed hard, his shaft twitching hard inside of his cousin as he felt a surge of desire push against his embarrassment. “You promise not to tell?” David asked, his gaze intense, deadly serious.

Hannah nodded, pulling him closer and giving the boy's ear a nibble. “Not a word to anyone,” the redhead promised, doing her best to move her hips in time with his, “Now fuck me like ya wanna fuck your sister.”

David took a deep breath, the girl's words shooting through him, hitting hard as he slipped his arms under his cousin and gripped her shoulders tightly to keep her from moving too much. Closing his eyes, David began to thrust his hips desperately, her legs wrapping about him.

“Come on, big brother, fuck me like you mean it!” Hannah whispered teasingly in his ear, adjusting her tone to try and imitate Samantha's as best she could, “Fuck your little sister like the slut I am...”

His body tensing for a moment, David found himself momentarily torn between wanting to just let go. To live in the moment and embrace the fantasy. To get his feelings out of his system before things went too far. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and even guilty.

David had crossed a line with Samantha already. And he'd watched Samantha sporadically on her Talking To Strangers streams. He knew what she'd been up to. How far she'd gone. Someone had even archived a few of the streams he'd missed.

While they'd been fun to watch, David knew it was wrong. At the very least, it was kind of an invasion of Samantha's privacy, but at the same time she was putting it out there for everyone to see. But she was also his sister. Normal people didn't generally find themselves frantically masturbating to their little sister's online shenanigans at three in the morning, that was for sure.

David found himself worrying a bit that this might only encourage his obsession, that he might find himself wanting more. More than he'd already taken. But at the same time, this might be his chance to get Samantha out of his system. Then he could go back to just ignoring the little brat and focus on his relationship with Jennifer. Maybe if he just pretended for a little bit, he'd be actually do the right thing and delete the videos on his laptop and get on with his life.

Taking a deep breath, David lifted his head, looking down into Hannah's eyes, the girl's expression a mix of amusement and hunger. She was definitely into it. There was no denying that. Grinning, the boy realised he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. She probably wouldn't let him.

With a nervous laugh, David pressed his lips to his cousin's, closing his eyes and imagining it was Samantha as their tongues entwined for a moment. Slowing his pace, his breathing heavy, David drew himself almost completely out of Hannah before slowly pushing himself back in, the girl whimpering, her nails pushing hard against the fabric of his button up shirt, threatening to leave marks on his skin.

In that moment, David didn't care, though. He was too busy imagining it was his little sister he was with, pushing himself all the way in and pausing before pulling back again, teasing her as the girl's body trembled, hanging on the edge of ecstasy, begging for him to speed up once again.

“You're always teasing me. Teasing everyone,” David panted as he drew his lips away, resting his forehead against Hannah's, their noses brushing against one another as he clung to the fantasy, “If people knew what you really up to, you'd get so much more than just my dick.”

“But yours all I want, big brother,” Hannah replied teasingly, brushing her lips against his, her hands sliding lower down the boy's back, pulling him closer as he pushed back inside of her, “Unless you're just here to tease me. Unless you're not man enough to fill your little sister's pussy with your cum.”

David inhaled sharply, his imagination getting the better of him for a moment, the teenager moving his hips hard and fast once again. His cousin letting out a surprised cry, the girl arched her back, moaning desperately for more. Kissing and biting at her neck, David didn't stop. He could feel his balls tightening, his shaft throbbing, his body desperate for release.

“I'll show you who's man enough,” David grunted, any concerns he had vanishing from his mind as the teenager gave in to his lust, the boy letting out a long, hard groan, the building pressure inside of him finally starting to release.

Her eyes going wide, Hannah inhaled sharply, the girl letting out a whimpering moan as her body shuddered, the head of David's shaft bottoming out inside of her before suddenly flooding the teenager's insides with an intense warmth as he came.

Letting out a hard grunting groan, David's body shook, both teenagers clinging desperately to one another, their lips pressed together as David's hips bucked, shallowly thrusting in and out of the girl, grunting each time he felt another spurt of his incestuous seed pump into his cousin.

Closing her eyes tightly, Hannah held David tighter, her body shaking as she came as well, the girl refusing to let his pull out too soon as she savoured the feeling of him inside of her.

“S, sorry,” David managed, a bit of clarity returning to him, realising what he'd done, this cousin giggling in amusement as she kissed his ear.

“Don't worry, it should be safe, plus I have something to take care of things just in case,” Hannah panted, her body squirming a little, trying to draw out any of his left over sperm.

David nodded, panting heavily, both of them sweating and too exhausted to move anyway. “Okay, I just... I just wouldn't want any weird surprises in a few months is all,” he chuckled, his cousin shaking her head slowly.

“We should be fine,” Hannah assured him with a teasing giggle, running her fingers through David's now sweaty hair, “And maybe if you can actually beat me in a sword duel, maybe I'll let you try this again.”

David laughed a little, shaking his head in amusement. “I'll see what I can do,” he assured her, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be in his own bed, that Jennifer might wander back to their room and notice that he wasn't there, “But ah, I should get going.”

Hannah sighed heavily and nodded. “Yeah, wouldn't want the lady love wondering where you are,” she chuckled, giving the boy a quick kiss before he pulled himself off of her,

“Maybe I'll give her round two when she gets back,” David chuckled teasingly, squeezing his shaft as he slowly pulled out of Hannah, making sure to leave the last few drops of his semen inside of his cousin, the teenager loving the way it felt to cum in the girl.

“Maybe we can have a threesome later,” Hannah teased, grinning mischievously up at David, the boy pausing for a moment, wondering just how possible that really was.

“Hey, I wouldn't say no,” he laughed, backing off of the bed before putting himself away and heading towards the door before glancing over his shoulder at the girl before leaving, “'course, Jen's always been kind of a 'good girl' you know? Might take some convincing.”

Hannah chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. “Oh, I've always enjoyed a challenge,” she replied, the girl running her fingers across her now sticky folds before bringing them over to examine David's cum more closely, “I guess we'll see what happens.”

David nodded, his eyes widening as he watched his cousin lick her fingers clean, the teenager reminding himself that he really should be hurrying along before closing the door and quickly sneaking back to his room...