Roger arrived a little later. Z, being the observant little girl she is, saw him immediately.

"Hello, Z," Roger said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'm coming."

She grabbed her stuff and followed him out to the limousine. As she climbed into the back seat, Roger noticed she looked different. She was paler, for one thing. She was taller than when he'd last seen her, but also thinner, as if she hadn't been getting enough to eat. The shadows around her eyes that marked her as an insomniac were darker, and her eyes looked... almost dead. Almost, but not quite. There was a spark behind them, as if for the first time in a while, she was daring to hope.

Even though they drove for a long time, Z didn't say a word; just stared out the dark window.

A couple hours later, they arrived at the huge building with the sprawling green lawn.

As the little girl stepped out in front of the familiar gate, Roger saw another change. Her eyes, formerly so much more expressive than her brother's, were different again. They were...

Empty.

No emotion, no feeling, no anything. Her face was completely stoic. She'd put up the walls her brother always wore. Roger realized that she had missed her brother so much, she became even more like him.

As they walked up to the door, a young boy came out to meet them. He was an albino, about Z's age, with steel-colored eyes and curly white hair.

"Oh... Z, this is Near. Near, this is Z. She'll be staying here for a little while. Why don't you show her around before dinner?"

Near started twirling a lock of his snowy hair around his finger idly.

"Okay... follow me."

Near gave Z a full tour of the orphanage, even though she still remembered every corner of it.

As they walked, Near asked Z a bit about herself. He didn't learn much, she was very secretive... completely different from most girls at Wammy's. She wasn't loud and obnoxious, didn't jabber endlessly about things he didn't care about. He found it fascinating, the way she was so... different. Granted, as they walked, she became a bit more talkative, but was still very quirt.

He was beginning to like her. Just a bit, though.

What? I'm... liking her? What's going on?

When they finished with the last room, an empty rec room, Near asked,

"So why are you here?"

It was a simple question. Anyone could have asked it. After all, Wammy's was an orphanage... you were only here if you had no place else to go. It was an innocent question.

But it was all it took.

All the things she'd been through the past three years; kidnapped, separated from her brother, the three-year long search; it all came crashing down on her live a ten-ton safe, and, as if the memories had physical weight, Z fell to her knees.

Her walls, the walls she had so carefully put up to protect her heart from those around her, shattered like glass. She felt tears come, thick and fast, and drip down her cheeks. She curled up, hugging her knees and wishing everything was like it used to be, wished her brother was here to hold her and make her feel better.

But he wasn't. Z's heart had broken, all from that one question. She didn't know why, didn't know why that one question had forced the pain she'd endured out to the surface, all she knew was she was making a total fool of herself, crying like a big baby... but she just couldn't stop.

Near didn't know what to do. Normally, he wouldn't have cared, either. He normally didn't care one way or the other about any girl. But this one was different. He didn't know why, but he didn't want this girl to cry. He wanted her to stop being upset, wanted her to feel better.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He wasn't that good with feelings, but Near decided he was going to try.

He knelt down and hugged her.

What is it that is so special about this girl? He wondered, marveling at his own action.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you cry... please stop... I'm sorry..."

Finally, Z stopped crying.

"Damn it... I'm sorry Near... I must seem so stupid to you right now..."

She swore again, angry at her weakness.

It's not your fault, it's mine... I shouldn't have been so... inconsiderate," Near said, helping her to her feet. "It was very rude of me."

She sighed. "Now... it's even more obvious I have to find him..."

"Who?"

she sighed again. "My big brother," she said quietly. "We were separated three years ago... and now I have to find him. Before I have another break-down like that one..."

Near didn't say anything. But as Z headed to her bedroom, he silently swore he would do whatever it took to help Z find her brother. He would do anything to keep her from crying like that again.

Okay... I personally think this chapter sucks. But, I couldn't think of anything else, so here we are!

I also tried to make this chapter longer, 'cause my other ones were kinda short.

If you don't think this chapter was the worst, cheesiest, chapter you've ever read, then please review, 'cause I need something to boost my self-confidence. If you do think it's terrible, please refrain from saying so in a review, 'cause I have rather low self-esteem...