Unfinished

?11?

"Oh, she totally was when she was little," Elodie chimed in, now within earshot of their conversation.

Piper felt the need to defend herself.

"I really wasn't!" She insisted. Maybe it came with being the youngest, but being referred to as the baby of the family by her family was bad enough. She didn't need her friends thinking the same.

"You were pretty small for seven," Finn added on, slinging an arm round Claire's shoulders.

"Ew, you're all sweaty!" His girlfriend wriggled away, but he caught onto her hand.

"Aw, you don't really mind that, do you?" He smiled, and managed to coax a smile out of her too.

"No, I suppose I don't..." Claire said contentedly, before Finn leaned forward and pecked her on the lips.

Piper focused on Elodie.

"Young love!" Jack cheered, but waved further along the path, "But it's not getting in the way of our hike! Come on, let's pick up the pace. I want to be home before next week."

Elodie and Finn simultaneously rolled their eyes and walked past Jack, with Claire still holding on to Finn's hand. Oscar had already raced ahead, and was trying to break a stone off the side of the mountain.

"You alright there?" Jack snapped Piper out of her thoughts, hanging at the back with her.

"Mhm," She replied, forcing her tired legs onwards, "Just thinking about when we were all little."

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"She's really cold!" Finn panicked, pulling James' coat tighter around Piper.

She swatted his hand away from her forehead, and forced herself to speak through her chattering teeth.

"I'm fine," The brunette insisted, her hair plastered to her forehead.

Her time in the river hadn't lasted long, as James had jumped in almost immediately after her. Finn liked to think he'd been almost as heroic, by helping to pull them both out from the river afterwards.

"Well I'm not giving her my coat," Mikey protested, sitting with crossed legs and crossed arms beside them.

"But I don't have a coat to give her!" Finn responded, pulling a small pebble out of her hair.

"I said I'm fine," Piper forced out again.

They were waiting by the river bank for James to come back with Deborah. He'd raced off to go and get help, giving Finn and Mikey strict instructions to keep her warm.

Kneeling next to her, Finn wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"That's not going to help, you idiot," Mikey spat at his brother.

"Penguins do it," The blonde replied, before peering into the woods to see if James was coming back.

Piper didn't say anything, but turned into Finn and rested her head on his shoulder.

Although she felt physically fine, albeit a bit cold, she couldn't stop the tears pricking at her eyes. She didn't want Mikey to see her cry, or he'd just make fun of her.