I wrote this two shot for a friend who asked me to and figured I might as well publish it for you guys on here! In the summer i'll be able to start more stories/oneshots and most likely continue Worth a Shot! Enjoy the Jibling love!

I sat as a guest in my own apartment awkwardly. It wasn't truly mine anymore as I stopped being Ava to be Denise. I love Ava, myself, but I can't be who I am anymore, it's a ticket to jail and after the hell i've been through I need a break. I stared at my big brother as he walked in the room from his bedroom. He had no clue it was me, of course he did think that at first but I had to trick him, and I hate it. I hate that I have to be someone else, I had Denise, I loathe her. But Denise will have to be what I am to be where I am. With my family, free.

I offer him a smile and he reciprocates poorly with a small smile I knew was as good as nothing. I was still technically his little sister still as Denise, but Julian just met me and I get it, when I met Julian it was the same but it killed me inside that he couldn't make me feel better. Julian was the one person in my life before that made me feel okay, made me feel loved and now he looked upon me as I was nothing, as if it was all starting over.

He sits down next to me however and doesn't say anything for a bit. It was awkward as everything was silent and it was cold in the atmosphere. I turn my head towards him my new horrible hair slashing against my cheek as my gaze on him was noticed. He looked over at me quickly and then down like he was ashamed or disappointed and I wasn't sure what to do. But before I could speak he quickly grabs my hand and I'm shocked. Sure all I wanted was my brother's closeness after all this to comfort me but this was quick and unexpected for Julian.

"Ava, Ava please." He starts as he stares down at our intertwined hands that I didn't dare break. "If it's you, then you know you can trust me. I'm your brother, come on i've protected you before, i'd do it again, I miss you, you can come back to me, just drop the act." He pleads now looking deep into my eyes as if he could look in them to find the real me.

I'd thought about just telling Julian but i wasn't sure if I could. Sure he would never turn me in or do anything to hurt me. Not after all we have been through, everything we have done for each other, neither of us would go back on our unspoken promise to make sure the other is okay. But it would complicate things and make everything more risky, and as much as I would love to just take off this wig and fall into my brother's arms so he can know that his little sister is okay and that she came back to him.

I froze knowing I couldn't make a decision like this too quickly. Julian looked so desperate and it broke me but it couldn't break Denise. If it broke her it would break a lot of things, like her chances and her principles. Another part of her told her to screw it and she's scared to follow it and have it backfire the way things always tended to do.

I pulled my hand up from under his warm and strong grip to place it on top of his hand. "Julian, we wen't over this, I even took a DNA test, can you not understand?" I told him in the accent I adopted as Denise.

He looked at me and then away taking a deep breath, as if he was going to let it go and give up. But I guess he loves me too much because he placed a hand on my cheek and made me look up at him and his pleading eyes. I had to bite the inside of my lip trying not to cry as I looked at my brother, broken and desperate, something I caused, something that is hard to do to Julian Jerome.

"Ava do this for me, please, I need you and you need me, You do and you know it. I know why you can't let everyone know but this is me, your big brother, it is my job to protect you, and it always will be, even if you can't tell me the truth right now, i'll protect you Ava. You are Ava, my sister because i see the fire in your eyes and the strength in you, your beauty and this is the kind of thing you would do, you'd survive and you'd find a way out of it cause that's what you do, that's what you're best at." He gave a small sad laugh that I could only hear as glossy tears blurred my vision.

Then he did something he had never done before, the thing that would crack my cover that I wasn't prepare for. "I love you, Ava." He spoke out the desperation and sadness coming off in his voice dripping off each word. Most siblings know that they love each other but I can honestly say I was never sure if my big brother did. But he did, and he just told me and as I heard it I knew it was clear my brother was the one I needed to trust because I love my brother too.

"I love you too Julian." I sob out, feeling a tear fall down quickly onto my lips that had been constantly flavored with the taste of my gum, no Denise's gum, in front of Julian as of now as the words escaped my mouth I was Ava. I hadn't been Ava in a long time not just coming to Port Charles but when I was sick I wasn't Ava, but now i'm myself and I can share that with Julian.

The look of hope slowly made it's way onto Julian as he successfully crack into me and got what he wanted, he got to have me back in his life. His eyes were tearful too as I noticed for the first time and it made me get teary again too. I picked up my hand and tore off the wig and shook out my hair, smiling at my brother as he could truly see his baby sister in front of his eyes again.

"Oh my god." He breathed out not heisting to grab onto me and hugging me, scared to let go again so glad he hadn't given up on me and i'm glad too. "Ava." I heard him faintly say in my ear as his head rested right by it hugging me tightly. I'd never been so happy to see my brother and there were many times I had actually been extremely happy to see him. Like when he saved me from Sonny or in the hospital after Avery was born. But this was for once a positive situation making it the most glorious of them all.

"It's me Julian, I'm so sorry." I told him holding onto him tightly as well although his muscles where able to nearly squeeze the life out of me and he could probably barley feel my touch too focused on everything else.

"I swear i'll protect you, I will." He told me promising me as he pulled back from the hug and placed his hands on my shoulder making sure I understood him.

"I know you will." I said nodding my head at him and he smiled at me pulling me back into his arms and I felt as if life was normal, too bad it wasn't.