HAT: I got this idea last night right before I fell asleep, so here it goes!

Dislclaimer: I own nothing besides the plot and Lyon.

FIRST MEETING:

Skimbleshanks follows Ruthenbalt through the train station, Carlisle Station, and today he's meeting the another Railway Cat of another railway train, something that Skimble's been looking forward to for the longest and he learned thatthis cat has an apprentice so the orange tabby's really excited, almost bouncing, but being 14, he has to be a little professional. Ruthenbalt's black tail flicks for his apprentice to stop and Skimble's eyes flash in curiosity, wondering why they stopped in the middle of the station when nothing big's coming their direction. Ruthenbalt gets on all four white legs and slips under a door and Skimble hesitates before following his mentor into the room.

He enters and sees his mentor talking to a large yellow-orange she-cat with wide blue eyes and a white chest and front paws wearing a vest. Beside her's a black and gray calico tom-kit with blue-gray eyes that looks to be about 9 years old wearing a vest very similar to his mentor's. The marmalade tom goes and stands beside his mentor and the tom-kit stares at Skimble in awe, something that the orange adolescent would expect from some kit he just met.

"Sashimi, this is Skimbleshanks, my apprentice," Ruthenbalt says, one strong white paw on Skimble's shoulder. "Skimble this is Sashimi and her apprentice Lyon."

"Hello, pleasure to meet you," Sashimi replies with a polite smile. "Ruthenbalt's told me a lot about you."

"H-hello," the embarrassed young tom replies, glancing up at his smirking mentor.

Lyon moves forward shyly. "Hi!" he squeaks in an Irish voice, making Skimble smile at how cute he is. "Is it true you can take down armies of hench-cats?"

This causes Skimble to wince, but he shrugs. "It's a little exaggerated, but I've had my fair share of fights and won."

"Cool!"

The two of them talk, Scottish and Irish, and have fun while their mentors watch and talk quietly, smiles on their faces.

BROTHERS:

A Few Months Later:

Skimble sits on the crate, looking down at the younger tom. "Say, what's it like at your home?"

"It's fun, Sashimi's really nice and even lets me curl up with her on stormy nights!"

"You stay with your mentor?"

"Yeah... she found me when I was little and raised me with her part of the Jellicle Tribe. We come here a lot because this is where the train ends up before going to our city."

Orange ears prick. "Really? That's so cool. I don't stay with Ruthenbalt... well, not often. It's mainly our Gumbie Cat and Protector I stay with."

"Skimble... do you remember your family?"

Skimble jolts and looks down at Lyon, his mind flashing to his deceased parents and his beloved sister. "Yes..."

Lyon has a far away look, not looking at Skimble, but out into something that Skimble can't see. "The color of their fur? Their eyes? Do you remember their scent?"

"Yes..."

"I wish I could say that... I had a mother and a father, but I never had a memory of them, just know I had to have had one of both to be alive but I do remember I had a big brother... and for the life of me I can't remember anything about him..."

This tugs on the heart strings of the orange tabby and he moves down and hugs the black and gray calico. "It's okay... I'll be your big brother if you want."

Blue-gray eyes lift to meet glass-green ones. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course."

Lyon lovers his gaze and smiles. "It feels good to have family..."

"Yeah..." Skimble shoves his new brother and grins at the shocked look he receives. "Big brothers get to pick on little ones."

Lyon grins and jumps up to tackle his new brother. "And little brothers get to mess with big ones."

The two play fight for a while, happy as two young brothers can be.

SISTER:

It's been a long time since that day and Skimble decided to bring his sister to meet their new brother. He leads his sister carefully through the streets towards the railway, Ruthenbalt on a long trip and Lyon being in town. He follows Lyon's scent and has his sister follow him into the room he first bet Lyon in.

"Lyon! I know you're in here. I brought someone in here for you to meet."

Lyon pops his head out of a box and sees his brother. "Hey Skimble," he calls before getting down and skidding to a stop in front of the blood siblings. "Hello... I'm Lyon, pleasure to meet you."

Skimble knows that flirtatious tone anywhere and the fact that Jenny's blushing makes him more than a little upset. "Stop the flirting, this is my sister, Jennyanydots."

Blue-gray eyes blink. "Really?"

"Yes. Jenny, this is Lyon, another Railway Cat apprentice," Skimbleshanks says.

"Nice to meet you," the leopard spotted she-kit replies.

The black and white tom-kit bows. "I assure you, the pleasure's all mine."

Throughout the entire visit Skimble tries to keep the two from flirting and he eventually has to take Jenny home, but the next day Skimble grabs his fellow Railway apprentice and slams him against the wall.

"What was that about yesterday?" demands the angered marmalade adolescent.

"What do you mean?"

"You were flirting with her. She's my sister, which makes her yours too!"

"No, because I didn't say I was her brother, I said I was yours."

"Don't flirt with her anymore."

Lyon smirks. "Little brothers get to mess with big ones," he reminds.

"But everyone knows you don't mess with sisters! Blood or not!"

Skimbleshanks shakes his head. "If I see you flirt with her again, I'll forget that you're my brother."

Lyon blinks in disbelief. "You wouldn't!"

"I would. Jenny's the only thing I have from my old life and I don't play when it comes to her," Skimble reminds, letting the calico fall before he walks away, leaving Lyon staring after him in disbelief.

SCUFFLE:

Ruthenbalt and Sashima have another meeting, this time bringing their apprentices. Skimble's still sour about Lyon flirting with Jenny, but he acts civilized until Lyon mouths 'Jenny's real pretty...' and then Skimble looses it and surges forward, grabbing the other apprentice's vest. Both teachers drag their apprentices away from each other and they reach for each other, trying to land another blow on one another, but they keep them well away from one another so neither get injured.

"You two were getting along so well... what happened?" Sashimi questions.

The two of them are quiet and glaring at each other. "Explain yourselves!" Ruthenbalt roars.

"He's just mad that I can flatter the queens," Lyon mutters.

"That's a lie, he's been flirting with Jen even though I told him she was off limits."

Ruthenbalt shakes his head. "Lyon, you have to understand, Jen's the one he's most protective about. If he doesn't like you flirting with her, then you shouldn't. He doesn't react well to that."

Sashimi nods. "Yes, his past shows he's not one to be trifled with. Now I don't want anymore scuffles from either of you two, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," the two mutter before they go their sepeaate ways.

ANNOYING LITTLE IRISH TOM... BUT STILL BROTHERS:

Ever since that day Skimbleshanks has been irritated and annoyed with the little Irish Tom and it seems that Lyon's goal is to get with Jennyanydots to really get on his nerves. Every now and than the two are like brothers again, laughing, talking, joking, but those are far and few because every time they start getting back to normal Lyon has to ruin it by mentioning his sister and then the two have to go at it again and Skimble ends up winning, but that's to be expected. Skimble figures this will go on forever... until...

Skimble looks at the door, the one he'd gone through years ago with Ruthenbalt to meet Lyon. He decides to go in, for old time's sake, and when he enters he's shocked by what he sees... He sees Lyon curled in the spot where the two declared themselves brothers and he's crying. Old instinct kicks in and Skimble jumps up to Lyon's side, shocking said tom.

"What's wrong?" Skimble asks, having not seen this tom cry in years.

Lyon shakes his head and wipes furiously at the tears. "N-nothing."

Skimble frowns. "Don't lie to me... tell me, what is it really?"

Reluctantly the younger tom speaks. "I... I miss when we were brothers. I remember we used to have so much fun. Now we don't have as many good times anymore and even though I'm doing what little brothers are supposed to do, I don't know... it doesn't seem so fun anymore."

"I... I don't know what to day."

"You don't have to say anything. I know you hate me..."

"I don't hate you, I just get so annoyed about you wanting Jenny that... I lose my temper."

"I still saw you as my brother you know."

Skimble hugs his little brother. "There were plenty of times I saw you as my brother too."

Lyon smiles and the two do as they did when they were younger and act like brothers again.

HAT: Not my best work, but not my worst either. But before I fell asleep I thought about the two having to be held back during their first meeting, but I decided against it.. Tell me what you think!

Cassndra: Wow, interesting little story you got here.

HAT: Oh, hey Kohana. Will you say it please?

Cassandra: Please review for HAT.

HAT: Now let's go, I think Alonzo said he was doing something.

Cassandra: What?

HAT: I'm not suppose to tell you. Review please! *drags Cassandra to be wooed by Alonzo*