A/N: So this a pilot. Your reviews will determine if I continue to post this story here on . So thanks for opinions and support. Oh, Title from Fall Out Boy. They always have awesome inspiration for me.
Chapter 1-Dead on Arrival
~Jake~
Jake hasn't cried since he was nine. That is almost half his lifetime.
It had been his mother's funeral. He had stood in his slightly scratchy suit and watched as the one person he had in the world was placed six feet under.
After that day he told himself that he was alone. In his nine-year-old mind that meant that he was a man. Men don't cry. Men fix what is broken. Even though he couldn't fix his mother's death he could fix his future.
Now here he was. In the same situation except all the emotion had been removed. Jake watched as his father was lowered into the grave. He stood tall, back straight, his expression fixed. Jake is finally free today. He no longer is forced to answer to the man that fathered him. Jake watched the crowd. There were two young brunette girls crying not too far to his right. He didn't recognize them.
Two days later when he strolled into the lawyer's office he recognized them. He stopped and stared, now with the two teenage girls was an older woman who obviously was the mother of the two. The older one looked back at him. He murmured hello and took the only empty seat left.
Harrison, the estate's lawyer entered the room. "Ah, good you are all here." He sat down behind his desk and pulled out a thick file.
"First, let me offer you condolences to your terrible loss." Harrison said glancing at each person as he said this.
"Now, Mr. McDonald left behind a large estate which is to be shared equally between his children. Mrs. Venturi," he addressed the older woman, "Dennis states that you are to be executor of the estate and guardian of all of his children."
She nodded but looked a little confused. "Yes, I understand but I already have full custody of Lizzie and Casey."
Jake lifted his head. "Um, I do not have siblings. Dad and Mom were a onetime thing. Dad didn't mention any other kids."
The girls looked at him with big eyes.
"Dad?" the older one questioned. "Are you saying that Dennis McDonald is your father?" She choked on a sob. The younger one finally lifted her head and Jake could see his father's eyes – his eyes- staring at him.
Jake clenched and unclenched his jaw. "Are you saying that the man who took me in when I was ten is not my father and that the DNA and physical similarities are wrong?" Jake was angrier than he should be and he tried counting to ten but then the girl spoke again.
"No I am saying that you are my brother and obviously Dad had some reason for hiding you. Maybe it's because he was ashamed of you." She spat out angrily. Her blue eyes glinted at him, daring him to prove her wrong.
He glared at her. "Dad had plenty of secrets considering I am older than you." Her face fell as she registered the fact that he was older than her.
"Guess so."
Jake leaned back into his chair as he observed the other two women. Their mother was quiet throughout the whole exchange and the younger sister just stared.
~Lizzie~
The guy who walked into the room after them was tall. He's easily six foot two. She thought as she glanced at the giant when he sat down.
Now as she stared at him she can see her dad. They had the same eyes. The light brown ones that she got from Dennis, in fact if she looks closer she can see that they even are the same shape as her and her father's.
Lizzie only half-listened to Casey rant at the guy. She's placing all her anger about their Dad's death on him.
Casey was about to start to really tear into the guy when Lizzie decided to talk.
"Hi, I'm Lizzie. What's your name?" she asked. He looked at her as if she is crazy.
"Strange question to ask your big brother, isn't it? My name's Jake Milton." He answered smiling a little, as if Lizzie amused him.
"Milton?" Casey jumped. "Why don't you go by McDonald?" Lizzie looked at her and spotted the arched eyebrows, an expression that she usually reserved for Derek.
"I go by Milton because until I was nine I never met Dennis McDonald. I only knew his name from the checks that came once a month." Jake told her coldly. "Besides I never considered myself a McDonald. He never was a father, just an atm."
Casey's jaw dropped open at this. Lizzie too was shocked.
"Dad may have been absent but he is a good person. He tried." Lizzie stated. It's true. Their dad tried but he was better at being a long distant father.
Jake looked at her again. She knows he thinks she is confused and glorifying he father. But she's not. Dennis McDonald tried and that's all that matters to Lizzie.
"Ahem." Everyone turned and looked at the lawyer. Mr. Harrison, Lizzie remembered.
"I know that you all have issues with what has or has not been kept from you." Mr. Harrison gently said. He was trying to keep everyone calm. "But Jake because you are only seventeen you are now in Mrs. Venturi's custody. She also will be responsible for handling all three of your inheritances and the managing of them."
Lizzie noticed how Jake visibly tenses at this new shock.
"So will Jake being moving to London?" she heard herself asking. Her mom who had been silent looked up.
"I…I don't know." Nora answered truthfully and that is when Lizzie knows that Dennis McDonald left a mess for them to clean up.
~Jake~
His "sisters" didn't know how to react, Jake noticed. The younger one is so…..so young. She seemed almost broken at the death of her father.
Jake noticed how she defended him. She had him on a pedestal that he didn't deserve.
Then the bombshell was released. Jake thought he was finally free. Now he is forced to live with a woman he does not know.
"Why can't I live on my own with my inheritance? I am almost eighteen." Jake questioned.
The lawyer nodded. "But if you want your inheritance, you must go live with Nora and finish high school. Your father has tied up every loop-hole here."
Jake fisted his hands in his pockets. He started scowling. Just like the old fuck to screw Jake's plans.
Nora looked over at him and Jake knew that she hated him. There's no question he could see the hate in her eyes.
Unconsciously he clenched his jaw again. Another person who didn't give a damn. He had lived with enough of them to be able to survive one more year.
"Whatever. Mrs. Venturi- "
"Nora," the woman answered tightly.
"Nora," Jake amended, "is it possible for me to stay here?"
Harrison cleared his throat. "Actually, the house is to be sold and you have nowhere to live if you stay in New York."
Jake clenched his jaw even tighter. His mouth was numb but it didn't register in his mind.
"So there's no other option?" he ground out.
"Jake, there's plenty of room for you in London. But first I have to talk to my husband." Nora said politely.
Casey muttered just loud enough for him to hear. "Great! Another freaking Brady to add to the bunch."
He raised his eyebrow but she just fumed silently in her chair. Lizzie was studying as if something had just occurred to her. The only one who looked amused was Harrison.
Just peachy.
~Casey~
She stared at him. He resembled her father. He was taller but had the same light brown eyes and his hair was the same shade that Dennis had when he was younger.
She bit her lip. She could see he was obviously related to her and Liz.
How could he not tell them that he had another kid?
Casey watched as his jaw muscle jumped. She knew he was trying to resist saying anything else.
"So you are coming to London." She stated. "I guess that's another hell I'll have to live with."
As she said it she could see him clench his jaw shut even tighter as he glared at her.
She smirked at getting him pissed. If he knew he wasn't welcome then he wouldn't stay because honestly Casey had enough trouble in her life.
"You know, little sis, you need to shut your mouth. Some people don't have my patience for pains in the ass." He said coolly but Casey saw his narrowing in anger.
Did he think she was going to lie down and take his shit? Well she was going to teach him otherwise.
"Ahem, I know you will all want to go over the details of Dennis' will so I will fax it to you. But if you will please excuse me I have another meeting soon." Mr. Harrison stood up and shook all of their hands before ushering them out into the lobby of the law offices.
"Casey, let's go." Nora said to her daughter. "Jake, I will call with the flight information. We will be leaving in a week will that be enough time to get all your things in order?" Nora asked not looking at him but focused on a point behind his shoulder.
He stared at her and Casey could see disgust in his gaze. "Yes." Then he turned and left. No goodbye or anything.
Casey bit the inside of her cheek so hard she could taste blood on her tongue.
She followed her mother out into the street.
"Why should we put up with him?" She hissed, "He's rude and insensitive." Nora nodded distractedly as she tried to flag down a cab.
"Mom, did you know about him?" Casey asked. The thought just occurred to her and it disgusted her that she believed that her mother would lie to her.
Nora stopped waving her arm to get a cabbie's attention. "I am just as shocked about Jake as you are." Nora defended.
Casey nodded as Lizzie gently elbowed her. Yeah she got it, Liz. Mom's hurting bad at Dad's betrayal, keep our mouths shut.
A car pulled up next to the curb; quietly Casey entered the cab after Lizzie. Casey sighed and looked out the window at New York as it sped by. There was no one to talk to, no way to talk to anyone. The whole thing was choked up in everybody's throats and Casey just wanted to scream.
~ Edwin ~
Edwin was confused. He sat on his bed and watched as Derek hauled a mattress up the stair and into his room.
"Uh, D. What are you doing?" Edwin asked his older brother.
"Ed, give me a hand." Derek grunted pulling the mattress up two more steps. Edwin climbed off his bed and helped Derek carry the mattress up to his room.
"You don't do nice things very often. So I guess thanks but I already have a mattress." Edwin said as Derek balanced it against the wall and covered it with a blanket from the floor.
"It's not for you, Ed." Derek said turning around smirking, "It's Casey's."
Edwin stared. He had to be dreaming even Derek was not that inconsiderate. "Derek. What are you doing? You know their dad just died."
Derek continued to smirk. "That's the point Ed. If I don't pull a prank on Casey she might think that I forgot about her."
Edwin nodded though he didn't understand his older brother's twisted logic.
"Good, now help me with the next part of the prank." Derek said walking down the steps towards Casey's room.
~Jake~
The plane ride was uncomfortable. He sat next to his favorite sister, Casey.
It was so much fun. If you think having someone pointedly ignore you and mutter about how much they hate you under the breath as fun then it was like freaking Disney world.
When they arrived in London, Nora's new husband, George, picked them up.
"Hi, I'm George." He said smiling as he firmly shook Jake's hand. Jake gave him a tight-lipped smile.
They all sat in the family car in silence. Jake stared out at the new town he lived in. It looked no different than any number of towns he had seen throughout his life but it still felt different.
George cleared his throat. "So Jake, you will have to share a room." Jake looked up and saw George studying him in the rearview mirror.
"Okay." Jake replied.
George continued. "You'll be with my oldest son, Derek. I believe that you two will get along just fine."
Jake nodded and continued to look out the window. The kid was probably some loser who thought he and Jake were gonna be best friends. Yeah right.
The house was nice. Not as nice as Denis' but nicer than the one-bedroom apartment that he and his mom had lived in.
"Welcome home, Jake." Nora said opening the front door. Jake fought back a snort.
On the couch there were two kids, a boy of thirteen and a girl of eight or nine. The little girl was decked out in a dress-up gown and tiara.
"Lizzie, Casey!" she exclaimed running up to the two girls and hugging them. Then she turned to Nora. "Oh, goodie the Queen is back! Being Queen is hard work I prefer being a princess." She said dramatically as Nora picked her up and hugged her.
"Marti, Edwin I would like to introduce you to Casey and Lizzie's big brother, Jake." George said to the little girl.
She gave him a critical eye. For the first time in his life he was nervous about a child's opinion of him.
"Hello." He said.
"Cats or dogs?" she asked. Jake raised his eyebrow he looked around and spotted cat ears lying on the steps but then he saw the picture of Marti and a golden retriever.
"Um, both?" he said questioningly.
She grinned. "Good, you'll be a great big brother." She hopped of Nora's arms. "Will you play dress up with me? Smerek doesn't have time anymore."
Marti stood in front of him pouting. "I guess so." She burst out in a big smile and Jake couldn't help but smile back.
It was probably his first smile in a while and Casey looked shocked while everyone else looked relieved.
"So Jake," Edwin said standing up, "What do you think of a little business proposition?"
Jake narrowed his eyes. "I don't really spend my money on much. Just the essentials."
"It will be worth your time." Edwin said his eyes gleaming. Until Jake said no, his opportunity was wide open.
Jake sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt to listen. Is it a good investment?"
Edwin's eyes lit up. "It will be an amazing one!"
Casey huffed a little. "Can I go upstairs now?" Nora looked over at her.
"Okay sweetie." She said then looked around. "Where's Derek?" Edwin shrugged and Marti didn't seem fazed by her other brother's absence.
Casey rolled her eyes. "Why do you even bother? He is at work or Sam's but most importantly he is not here."
Just then the front door opened and a kid around Jake's age with brown hair walked in dropping a duffel bag.
Jake noticed how Casey tensed and the family seemed to brace themselves for something.
"God, Case, is it just me or did you uglier?" He asked in a normal tone before hugging Lizzie and allowing himself to be trapped by Nora. He then noticed Jake and glanced over at him.
"Who's Mr. Stick-Up-The-Ass?" Derek asked.
Jake raised his eyebrows. Stick up his ass?
"Jake Milton." Jake said firmly staring the guy down.
Derek shrugged it off. "So when's dinner?" He asked sitting down in the recliner in front of the TV.
The room seemed to diffuse of tension. Apparently the only thing that mattered to that jerk was food.
Jake was led to his new bedroom by Edwin.
Jake opened the door and saw only one bed and a huge mess. He glanced at Edwin.
"Dad didn't have time to assemble the new beds before he had to pick you up. Also, just a heads up, Derek thinks you are bunking with me but my room is too small." Edwin explained in rush.
Jake groaned internally. "He's not going to be happy is he?"
Jake saw Casey head up the stairs and into the room next door. She avoided his gaze the whole time.
Edwin noticed the (non)interaction between the blood siblings.
"Casey isn't as bad as you think." He told Jake before heading up to his attic bedroom.
Jake sighed and headed into his new room.
All of a sudden he heard something like a crash from next door followed by a shout.
"De-rek!" he heard Casey yell. He then knew what the family was bracing themselves for.