16 Let's Go Fishing! [Part 1]

"We're almost there!" Arthur said excitedly as he drove the Black Ford Windstar Van near Manchester Lake. His friends called him a few days ago and invited him to go fishing at their favorite fishing spot. Since the kids were free, he decided to bring them along and teach them how to fish.

"Um? Grandpa Arthur, is fishing really fun?" Kate asked. She was seated in the front of the van beside the driver's seat. Fishing was something she never tried before, so she was very curious about it.

"Haha! Well, you will find out soon, Kate." Arthur smiled and winked at her. "Fishing is something you have to experience firsthand. Then and only then will you be able to say whether it's fun or not."

"Mmm! I understand, Grandpa!"

Arthur nodded his head to Kate's cheerful reply. He understood that fishing was not for everyone. It required patience--which was something the younger generation lacked. However, he believed that learning a few things while you were still young would help broaden your horizons. More than anything else, he wanted the children to enjoy their childhood because time was a fleeting thing.

Ciel, Claire, and Chloee, were seated at the back of the van. Chloe was sandwiched between her sister and her big brother. She knew that her sister didn't like Ciel, so she sat in the middle to prevent unnecessary conflicts from arising.

Even now, Chloe still didn't understand why her sister disliked Ciel. She could only hope that in the future their relationship would get better.

(A/N: Dear, it's because of you.)

Claire was anticipating the moment when she would learn how to fish. She was the 'outgoing' type, so she welcomed these types of activities. This was also the reason why she had a lot of friends. You can even say that it was very easy for people to be attracted to her 'tomboyish' personality.

Ciel, on the other hand, was feeling lethargic. Although he was able to get plenty of sleep, he still felt fatigued. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady. Chloe watched in amusement as his head bobbed up and down from time to time.

"Big Brother, why don't you sleep for a while? Grandpa said it will take half an hour to reach our destination," Chloe said as she looked at him in anticipation. "Why don't you lean on my shoulder and use it as a pillow? Although it won't be comfortable, you would be able to rest properly."

"Thank you Chloe."

"Anything for you, Big Brother."

"Tsk."

"Tsk."

[Tsk.]

(A/N: The other person who clicked their tongue was Claire.)

Kate pouted, while Claire snorted in disdain. The two girls were clearly annoyed, and it made Arthur's lips twitch. He remembered her daughter's comment about the kids acting like teenagers.

'Kids grow up so fast these days,' Arthur thought as he glanced at his grandson from the rear view mirror. 'When I was younger, girls confessed to me left and right. Maybe, I need to give my grandson some pointers on how to handle the ladies.'

(A/N: Go Grandpa. Teach him da wae.)

Kate was annoyed because of Chloe's slyness. She silently cursed the little fox under her breath. Claire clenched her fist in annoyance because Ciel was taking advantage of her sister.

[What a sly girl,] Stella commented. [She's good at using every opportunity to her advantage. You could learn a thing or two from her.]

'Hmph! No thanks.'

The journey was smooth and they arrived at their destination safely. Kate ran to the edge of the lake and dipped her foot on the water. Claire was more reserved and only walked. She observed the surroundings and was satisfied with what she saw.

There was a boat near the port and a few people were waving at them. The two girls waved back before returning to the van to help unload their cargo. A minute later, a black van stopped beside theirs. It was Heinz and he brought a few people with him.

Kate didn't know any of them, but Ciel greeted all of them with a smile. It seemed that he had a good relationship with them because the two ladies who came along with Heinz gave Ciel a kiss on the cheek.

"Young Master, I missed you!"

"Me too! Have you been well?"

Ciel accepted his elder sister's greetings and returned their kisses.

"Sister Nicole, Sister Abby," Ciel greeted with a smile. "It's good to see the two of you again. I hope that you enjoyed your vacation."

"Y-Yeah! It was enjoyable!" Nicole stuttered. (This is Storm)

"Uh-huh! It was so good that I almost cried a river of tears." Abby nodded her head in agreement. (This is Freya)

"Oh? Since you enjoyed your vacation so much, how about you go on another trip abroad?" Heinz asked with a smile. "Why don't you visit Italy? Our friends there would gladly show you their hospitality." (This is a bastard.)

The two girls felt cold sweat run down the back of their necks. The so-called vacation was in fact a week of hellish fighting in the Middle East. If possible, they didn't want to go on another 'vacation' again. Staying with their young master was waaaaaay better than a bloodbath mingling with burly men!

Also Italy? Odin, are you trying to kill us? First you throw us in the Middle East where we have to fight against terrorist groups. It was exhausting, but we finished that mission and returned home a few days ago.

We were looking forward to our homecoming. However, a mercenary group filled with baby snakes decided to rampage in our territory, so we had no choice but to exterminate them. Now you want us to go to Italy and butt our heads with the Mafia? No thank you!

The two girls glared at their superior. You old fart! Do you think you can bully the two of us just because we are women? Let's see how you change your tune after we run to Lady Andrea. If she hears about this, who do you think will go to Italy instead?

Heinz could read the expressions on the faces of the two women and decided to take a step back. If they really went to see Andrea to complain, things would be difficult for him.

"I was just joking."

"Hmph!"

"Che!"

The men of Lazarus were looking at the lake. They were doing their best to control their facial expression. They were afraid that if they looked in Heinz's direction they would burst in laughter. If that were to really happen, forget about getting a break. They would be immediately sent to some random battlefield where the chances of surviving was nil.

"Arthur! You sure took your sweet time getting here!" An old man with graying hair clasped Athur's hand. "We've invited you several times, but you were so busy that you have no time for us old men. You're too occupied with your lovely Alice that you forget everything else."

"Oh please, Mark. You're on the same boat." Arthur sneered. "We know that you're a henpecked husband as well."

"Hah? Me? Henpecked?" Mark spat in disdain. "I'm the man of the house. What I say is the law."

"Alright," Arthur relented. "Excuse me while I give your wife, Emily, a call."

"Hahaha! It's a beautiful day today." Mark immediately grabbed Athur's hand that was about to reach his mobile phone. "Let's not worry about our wives today and have fun. Oh, Ciel, you're here too! You've grown up well!"

Arthur rolled his eyes at Mark's shameless behaviour. He acted tough but the moment his wife opened her mouth, he would be agreeing to anything she said. 'Fine, I'll let you off the hook this time.'

"Hello Grandpa Mark. It's been a long time since I saw you."

"Indeed, it's been a while," Mark replied. He glanced at the three girls who were accompanying CIel. "Could you introduce me to these three beautiful ladies? Which one of them is your girlfriend?"

Kate and Chloe's ears perked up, while Claire's lips twitched. Ciel was about to introduce them when Chloe hugged his arm.

"Grandpa, my name is Chloe Maxwell. Please just call me Chloe."

Kate didn't want to be outdone so he clung to Ciel's other arm and introduced herself as well.

"Um, Grandpa, my name is Kate Williams. Nice to meet you!"

Claire stood in place and smiled sweetly. "My name is Claire Maxwell. It's a pleasure to meet you, Grandpa."

Mark nodded his head in appreciation. The three girls were very polite and knew how to be respectful to their elders. Not to mention, they were very pretty as well. He glanced at his grandson who was walking in their direction. A subtle smile appeared on his lips.

'It's a good thing I brought my grandson here. I hope that he can be good friends with these girls.'