Lucy followed Aria into her two-story home, lugging the car seat with baby Nathan inside. Aria stopped right inside the doorway, shrugged off her jacket and slid out of her black heels. She turned to Lucy and peered inside the car seat.

"He's sleeping." Lucy reassured her.

"Thank God." Aria sighed. "Do you mind putting him up in his crib?"

"Sure."

Lucy gently lifted her sleeping nephew out of his car seat and carried him up the stairs. Aria curled up on her sofa, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She shuddered, trying to erase the day's events from her memory. There was a short knock on the front door followed by her mother's voice.

"Lucy? Aria?"

Aria jumped. She watched as her mother and Chris came in lugging the left-overs from the funeral.

"Where should I put these?" Chris asked holding up the trays of food.

"Ugh, Mom! I told you I didn't want them!"

"Honey, you'll be thanking me tomorrow. I doubt you'll be up to making yourself food and you need to eat." Julie first replied to her daughter, giving her a stern look. Aria slumped back down on the sofa.

Julie turned to Chris. "Just put those trays down on one of the counters. I'll put it away."

Chris gave Aria a sympathetic look before going into the kitchen. Lucy descended the stairs and came into the living room the same time as Chris who was returning from the kitchen.

"Chris," she said with happy surprise.

Chris wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist and pecked her on her forehead. Aria turned away at the display of affection but not before Lucy caught the pained expression in her eyes. She removed Chris's hand from her waist and murmured.

"Not here, not now."

"Of course," he murmured back. "I should be going," he said aloud. "I'll see you tomorrow, Luce?"

"Yes, Sweetie."

Chris walked over to Aria and clapped a hand onto her shoulder. She looked up, her tear-filled hazel eyes meeting his green ones. "My deepest condolence. Jake was a great guy. I'm going to miss him."

"Thank you," Aria whispered in a choked voice.

Chris waved to Lucy and left. Julie came out of the kitchen and turned to Aria.

"Honey, I'm going home, alright? If you need anything give me a call. Okay?" She wrapped her arms around Aria's slender shoulders, hugging her daughter close to her chest. Aria had wanted to be alone but her mother refused, afraid of what she might do to herself. They compromised, agreeing that Lucy would stay. "Call me, okay?"

"Okay?" came Aria's muffled reply.

Julie let go and wiped her eyes. "I love you, Aria."

"I love you too Mom."

"You'll be alright?" her reluctance to leave was obvious.

"No," Aria replied truthfully.

Julie, who had been in middle of putting on her jacket, stopped. Lucy stepped forward.

"I'm staying here tonight, Mom. I'll take care of her."

Julie stood uncertain. She shouldn't leave her daughter in such a fragile state.

"We'll call. You should get some sleep, Mom."

Julie sighed. "Okay." Lucy would take good care of her sister. She finished putting on her jacket and walked to the door. "Goodnight girls," she said closing the door behind her.

"Goonight Mom," Lucy responded.

Aria was lying on the sofa with an afghan pulled up over her shoulders and she didn't say anything. Lucy came over and sat on the sofa across from her sister. Aria's eyes were closed and her breathing deep. Lucy wasn't sure if she was sleeping or not. Even though Aria's cheeks were tear-stained and her mascara smudged the pinched look that had been on her face all day had eased. Even with the crease between her fine brows she looked peaceful. Lucy decided not to disturb her.

Lucy watched her sister, profound sadness spreading through her. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She and Aria were identical twins. They both had thick dark hair and eyebrows, both had large hazel eyes and both were petite though Aria was an inch taller than Lucy. Something that had bothered Lucy immensely during her teenage years. That is until she realized all she had to do was wear taller heels than Aria.

Although physically they were so similar, their personalities were quite different. Where Lucy was outgoing Aria was introverted. She wasn't shy but she didn't feel the need to speak unless she had something worthwhile to say. Lucy was friends with everyone; a smile constantly gracing her pretty face. Aria smiled rarely but when she did it was like the sun coming out after the rain. It lit up her entire face. Aria liked to think of it as her best feature.

They were both talented in their own right. Aria was the writer. She gazed at the world with a deep penetrating gaze, taking everything in, her journal never too far away. Aria then took her observations and poured them out onto the pages of her various notebooks. She wrote prose and poetry. Her favorite, though, was to write lyrics. She would then compose the music to go with it. Music flowed through Aria's veins.

Both Aria and Lucy had piano lessons as children though it was Aria that showed a real aptitude towards it. Aria would sit for hours at the piano composing her own unique music. She played the guitar as well as the drums but piano was her first love. Although Aria had a nice singing voice Lucy surpassed her in that regard. They both took voice lessons as well but Aria quit after a while. Aria was the musician, Lucy was the singer. Lucy had a penchant for drama as well, something that Aria shied away from. Lucy was ambitious and dreamed of one day starring in a Broadway show. Aria dreamt of a family and a two-story home and f being a best-selling author as well.

They always got along as children but as they reached their teenage years things got a little dicey. Aria resented her family moving from Tennessee to California so that Lucy could jumpstart her career. Aria was jealous. While she went to school like any other teenager Lucy was on her way to fame. Sure she loved her sister but that didn't stop from being jealous at her sister's success. It especially irked her when fans excitedly approached her thinking she was Lucy. Aria would smile a bitter smile and say the three words she hated most.

"I'm not Lucy."

But then Aria went to college and found love and it was Lucy's turn to be jealous. Jake Parker was his name. Tall, blond hair, blue eyes, he was the most popular guy on campus. And the most unattainable. He was majoring in business management, training to join his family's multi-million dollar business. Aria never thought they'd have anything in common but at a frat party, after too much to drink, and a bet from a friend, Aria approached him. To her surprise (and the surprise of her friend) she fell for him, hard. And him for her. Lucy watched as Aria blossomed in her relationship while sadly her own heart was torn out and trampled upon first by David and then Alex.

Aria married Jake right out of college and two years later Nathan was born. Lucy was happy, no ecstatic, for her sister and she squashed any feeling of jealousy deep down in her heart. She had Chris and he made her happy. One day she'd be that happy, too.

Tragedy struck. Jake had been on his way home from work one evening when a drunk came careening out of nowhere and crashed headlong into Jake's BMW. He died instantly leaving behind a widow and a five month old son. Lucy wasn't jealous anymore.

Lucy's eyes flew open as she heard Aria moan out Jake's name. Aria had her arms outstretched as if they were around another person's torso. She was still asleep.

"Jake."

Her arms floundered, searching for contact.

"Jake. Where are you?" She whimpered, her anguish plain.

Lucy's heart broke. She couldn't even imagine how much pain Aria must be going through right now. She reached over and shook Aria's shoulder calling her name. Aria jerked into wakefulness.

"Huh?"

"Honey, Jake... Jake isn't here."

Aria stared at her wide-eyed.

"Why don't you go up to your bedroom? You'll be more comfortable there."

Yawning, Aria stumbled up the stairs and into her room. She shrugged out of her dress, not bothering to put pajamas on. She walked over to her nightstand and lifted the framed wedding photo of her and Jake. She lovingly traced his face with her finger. Lucy stood watching her from the doorway. Aria looked up.

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

Lucy nodded sadly.

"I was pretending," Aria paused, hesitating. "It's so much easier. To pretend." She wasn't speaking in full sentences as if it was too difficult to string one together. "He could be on a business trip. He's done that before. Gone for a few days."

Lucy shook her head. "No Aria. Don't pretend. It's only going to hurt more when you come to face reality."

But Lucy realized Aria wasn't ready to hear that yet and that even though she wasn't able to admit it, deep in her heart Aria knew he was gone. Lucy pulled back the blanket for her sister. Aria crawled into bed with the photo clutched to her chest.

Lucy swallowed the lump forming in her throat and flicked off the light. "Goodnight Aria."

"Goodnight Lucy. Thanks for everything."

As Lucy turned to go she heard Aria sob into her pillow. "Goodnight Jake. I love you."

A/N:

I know this isn't exactly a Lucian story or en Ezria story but a cross between them so please let me know if you want me to continue. I have the basic outline of the story planned and it will probably be around five chapters. That is, if you want me to continue.

Questions, comments, and criticisms are appreciated.

Enjoy!