The Stories of Our Heroes

Cookie-Os

Carter's POV

"Felix, I think that's enough penguins!" I shout to one of my initiates.

"Sorry, they just love it so much!" he called back.

"Yeah, brother dear, don't be a fun killer. It's the penguin's time to shine!" Sadie said to me as she walked by in a sing-songy voice.

"Whatever," I huffed. I kept walking, trying to reach the library, when I crossed paths with Walt and Jazz bundling some of the littler kids in coats and hats and scarfs. "Uh, what's going on here?" I asked them.

"Going outside to play!" Jazz exclaimed excitedly.

"Don't tell us we can't go make snowmen, Carter. I'll have to tell Sadie on you," Walt teased.

"I'm not scared of Sadie, but I wasn't going to tell you you couldn't go play." As soon as the words left my mouth, one of the little girls hugged my leg. I patted her head softly. "Have fun guys."

Set on track for the library again, I kept walking. Why anyone would want to play outside in the cold when they could sit and read a book? I have no idea. Well, unless Doughboy is in the library. Then I can understand.

"Carter!" I hear a voice yell behind me, just as  I was about to enter the library. I turned around to see my uncle. He had snow in his hair and on his boots.

"Hey Amos, what's up?"

"Just got back from the First Nome, but I heard Sadie is in the kitchen attempting to make Christmas cookies." He smiled and his eyes twinkled, so similar to Dad's.

"Sadie? In the kitchen? Making cookies? Is that considered a fire hazard or a recipe for disaster?"

"It'll be fine, I'm sure," he said with a small laugh. "But you better go supervise just to be sure."

"Um, I don't really know how to cook either, sorry. Maybe Jazz can help her or something."

"No, no, you two will be fine." He playfully shooed me towards the kitchen where I could hear Sadie cursing at the dough. Why in Horus' name is Amos forcing us to do this? Probably some quality "sibling-bonding time." I suspect Mom is behind this.

"Amos said I should help you," I told my sister once I was inside the kitchen.

"I don't need any bloody help, thank you very much," she retorted sharply.

"Alrighty then, I'll just be leaving-"

"Wait Carter, I lied, I might need a teensy weensy bit of assistance." She was covered in flour and stuff was spilled all over the counter.

"Knew it," I muttered. She glared at me.

Half an hour later, we had the first batch of Christmas cookies in the oven. We made a huge mess, but with a few words and a swish of her wand, Sadie had it all cleaned up.

"Why did we have to make those bloody cookies?" Sadie demanded angrily. "Why do we even celebrate Christmas anyway? It's not an Egyptian holiday. Wrong religion."

I opened my mouth and took a deep breath, ready to tell her, for the millionth time, about how all religions and beliefs co-existed and Christmas was a huge deal, but she cut me off.

"You know what? I don't want a lecture, and I don't care." Then she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving me to wait to take the cookies out of the oven.

"COOKIES!" I screamed throughout Brooklyn House so everyone could hear. I sent Khufu out to tell the kids playing outside. Everyone gathered around the table and I set the plate in the middle. Everybody dug in... except Khufu. He was glaring at me.

"Oh, Khufu..." He turned is head away from me. "Uh, lucky for you, these are special cookies... they're called Cookie-Os!"

Clever, Sadie mouthed at me. Do you have anything better? I mouthed back. She shrugged and held her hands up in a surrender position. I smirked.

Khufu seemed a little skeptical, but he took a cookie anyway. Good baboon.

I looked over at all the residents of Brooklyn House, talking and laughing, enjoying the cookies. I caught Amos' eye and he smiled. I smiled right back. I guess I love Christmas time.