“You’re chopping wood!” Abby said, pulling the covers off of him.

He shivered and blindly searched for the blankets. “Abby it’s early.”

“I know…but chop some wood for us and mom, Aunt Debbie and I will have a nice hearty breakfast waiting.” Abby said, sitting on him. “Pleeease.”

Ian blearily opened his eyes. He sat up slowly, and just stared at her very eager face. “But…I don’t wanna.”

“Pleease.” She asked, pouting.

“You know, if I could glare at a face like that, I would.” Ian said, heaving a sigh.

“You are wonderful.” Abby grinned, kissing him on the cheek. “Okay. Here’s clothes. I’m going to go make breakfast. Do you like chocolate chip pancakes? Or regular?”

“Regular…” Ian said, looking at the clothes she laid out for him. “Tell me, do I really have to wear plaid?” But by now Abby was sprinting down the hall and taking a ride down the banister, Michael most likely behind her, judging by the thud he heard.

Alec went to the room and knocked on the door just as Ian got his jacket on. “Hey, come on, let’s go.” He said, looking bleary eyed, himself.

Ian shuddered from the sudden cold as they stepped out of the house and towards the lumber shed. “Okay,” An energetic Andy said from inside. “axes, here. Take some.”

“We’ll just be splitting wood, so nothing too tough, Ian.” Their father said, emerging from the shed. “Aaron’ll show you how.”

Ian was having a tough time getting the axe to hit the wedge between the pieces of wood that he was given. After at least five useless tries, he let out a swear. “Come on, Ian…it’s not that difficult. Lift the axe, hit the wood.” Alec said, already on his fifth log.

“He’s just a pussy Australian.” Aaron replied. “It’s not his fault.”

“And I’m holding an axe.” Ian corrected. “I can’t chop wood, but I’m pretty sure I can throw this thing.”

“Whoooa…guys…guys…splitting wood not heads.” Andy said as he collected some of Alec’s pile. He watched as Ian split a log. And another, and another. “See, all we had to do was call you a pussy Australian…we don’t really mean it…although with Aaron…you can never be too sure. We’ll just castrate him when he least expects. He’s really harmless.”

Ian just stared at Andy like he was insane. “Riiight.”

“What you’ll learn is that these boys are all talk.” Their father Cliff said, now coming to get Ian’s pile. “They talk and talk and talk, but they’ll never do anything. Especially Alec.”

“Hey!” He said, stopping mid chop.

“See.” Cliff answered. “Okay…just a few more logs boys and we’ll be set for the week.” Ian made his way through more wood as did Alec. Aaron was more preoccupied by the way his jacket didn’t fit.

“Done.” Ian said, looking at a very tall stack of wood. “Wow…I feel like I just swam a 1500.”

“You did chop a whole bunch of wood…in a short amount of time.” Alec offerred. “Unlike Aaron over there.”

They came inside brushing off snow and talking animatedly about why the Red Hot Chili Peppers are just so effing awesome, and stepped into the breakfast nook, which really wasn’t a nook, more like another huge room. “You know…I just realized Mike didn’t come with us.” Alec said loudly for Aaron and Andrew to hear.

“What?! Let me get that pansy.” Andy said tearing through the doors.

Michael, who was just sitting at the table enjoying his pancakes, looked like a deer in headlights as he saw Andy charging at him. Michael ran away from the table, and Andy was quick to follow him into the hallway where they ended up wrestling. Aaron came into the room for breakfast and said “Why are Andy and Mike wrestling?”

“Because Mike stayed inside.” Alec answered simply, as he piled the butter onto his pancakes.

“He helped out!” Their mother Nancy said, indignantly.

“He needed to be out with the men.” Aaron insisted. They heard Andy and Michael laugh loudly and they came back to breakfast with grins on their faces. “What, what happened?”

“I had him in a headlock, and then Michael started making kissy faces. And I swear I thought he was kissing me but it was actually Maggie, the dog.” Andy said. “And Michael was laughing at me, and I started laughing.”

Ian looked up at Michael who was still looking pretty winded and just shook his head, chuckling to himself. He sat next to Abby who was helping herself to some hot apple cider and a rather large stack of pancakes. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, “I think I’m going to have to do a lot of swimming to work this off.”

“Hah, you shouldn’t talk.” Abby replied. “I don’t swim, and still, I eat.”

“So how much longer till World’s?” Michael’s mother asked him.

“Four months.” Ian and Michael answered simultaneously.

“What are you racing?” Abby asked. She received two very loud, and food filled answers. “What are you racing Ian?”

“The 100, 200 and 400 free, and the free relays.” Ian answered, before downing some juice.

“100, 200 fly, 100, 200 and 400 free, the relays, and the 200 and 400 IMs.” Michael replied before putting a huge stack of pancakes in his mouth.

“You are insane.” Abby said. “You did that at the Olympics and you nearly tore my head off when I asked for salt at dinner the fourth night.”

“Really?” Ian asked interestedly. “I always thought you were a nice boy.”

“Hahahaha, ahh you kill me, Ian.” Alec said, sitting next to Michael. “This guy? He might appear nice, but he’ll tear your eyes out…in your sleep.”

“Okay now you’re just lying.” Ian laughed.