Brother

Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom Stallion.

AN. I change my normally editing process to try to get out more stories before the 8/36/13 deadline, sorry for any grammatical/spelling errors. Free feel to point them out and I'll be sure to fix them. Also if you don't know what deadline I'm referring to please check out my profile.

Brother is defined by Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as: a male who has the same parents as another or one parent in common with another.

But can such a short, dry definition really tell you what a brother is?

Rachel and Ryan

To Rachel a brother is someone to play with when your parents are too busy screaming at each other to notice you. A brother is the person who notices you when your parents are so consumed with ignoring each other, they ignore you. A brother is the only one you'd do anything for; even try to learn to ride a huge, smell beast. A brother is the only person who doesn't just despise or envy you. A brother is the only person who truly cares.

Ely's

A brother is someone you can blame the broken lamp on. He was probable the one who tracked mud into the house and ate the last of the cookies too. They're someone to compete against and someone to just hang with. They're rivals and best friends. They're the people who mock you constantly, but the first ones to defend you. They'd fight you and fight for you. When you need help they'll be there; when things are good they'll be there; when things are bad they'll be there. When you just want to be left alone they'll be there. A brother is someone who is always there.

Pepper and Ross

Sometimes brother aren't related a t all. Sometimes a brother starts out as a complete stranger, like the big cowboy who never talks or the red-headed runaway. Over time a person can grow on you. Go from just a co-worker to someone you look forward to spending time with every day. The person you'd trust with your life. The person, you don't mind, maybe even enjoy sharing the bunk house with. The person you do the talking for because you know he's embarrassed by his stutter, plus you know what he's gonna say anyway. The person you'd lend your hat, coat, gloves or mitts. The person you let turn the house into a sauna because he hates the cold. A brother is a person, who regardless of blood, you love (In a platonic, masculine, cowboy-y way.)

Sam and Cody

For the longest time Sam thought she knew what a brother was. She thought Jake was close enough. She'd been told enough times they fought like brother and sister and despite their vastly different appearances strangers often mistook them for siblings. She figured she couldn't be missing out on much, but as she got older, she (and everybody else) began to realize Jake and her didn't share a sibling kind of love. She soon found out a brother is someone your proud of for seemly no reason at all. A brother is someone you strive to be better for, set a good example. A brother is someone you let sleep in your bed on stormy nights (so he can make sure you're not scared of course). A brother is someone who can stop you in your tracks with the simple words "wait for me, sissy". A brother is someone you do unsavory things for, like change diaper and wipe noses. A brother is someone you love because he is your brother.