Title: Nothing Gold Can Stay

Author Name: TrueLoveFan

Rating: PG-13

Warnings for: None (for this chapter)

Notes:

- The title "Nothing Gold Can Stay" comes from the poem by Robert Frost.

- No Jalex interaction in this chapter, sorry. ducks flying objects

Disclaimer:

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of TrueLoveFan. TrueLoveFan is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Dinner at the Michael's household was extremely quiet. The only talk that had commenced was between the parents and Jacob & Anna about the typically school stuff. The silence unnerved Justin a great deal being so used to almost constant chatter at dinner. Jacob spent most of dinner glaring at Justin, though Justin wasn't that surprised. After all, for thirteen years he'd been the oldest brother and now here was Justin trying to take that from him. Anna didn't look up from her plate once after finishing her discussion; if it could be considered that, with her parents and little Marie spoke not one word. That was probably the most peculiar thing of it all. She was six. Six-year-olds talked your ear off. That's common knowledge. Sit quietly through dinner they were not.

After dinner, Jacob and Anna took their plates to the kitchen, washed them, dried them, and darted upstairs as if there were a fire on the first floor. A few minutes later Marie followed their suit with her dish, with Lauren's help of course. After Marie had finished washing her dishes, Lauren returned to the dining room, grasped Fred's plate as well as her own and returned to the kitchen. Fred opened up his newspaper and quickly became absorbed in the events. Justin had to wonder why everyone else had to wash their own dishes but not Fred. Justin finished last, having had hard time with the silence, and followed everyone's except Fred's suit and washed & dried his own dishes.

With the used dishes now clean and put away, Lauren took Marie by the hand and lead her into the living room. The two sat down on the couch and Lauren opened a storybook that Justin had not seen her carrying. A few lines into the story Justin knew what it was. Cinderella. A classic fairytale. A small smile graced Justin's lips as he heard Marie recite the "poor Cinderella" poem that in the book was stated by the mice. With nothing to do, Justin went up to his room and upon opening the door cringed. Even with the boxes and stuff covering his room, it was still cold and inhospitable. He shut the door, making sure fist that his 'Please knock before entering' sign was in place, first. He quickly made his bed with the bedding he'd taken with him from Waverly Place. Not bothering to unpack any of the rest of his stuff, Justin lay down on his bed and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. He wasn't sure he'd get any sleep tonight.

He pulled his cell phone free of his back pocket and flipped it open. Nothing had changed since the last time he checked it. He flipped his phone shut and placed it on the empty desk next to his bed. Alex had never gone this long without talking to him before. Her pout record with dad may be four days, but her pout record with Justin is about two hours. He hoped that everything there was better than here. His door slammed open and Justin jumped startled by the door that dare interrupt the serenity of the silent house. There in the doorway stood Jacob, looking quite pissed. Justin figured that Jacob was trying to appear intimidating standing in the shadows like that, but it wasn't so much intimidating as a very bad attempt at copying some mobster movie.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Justin asked polite as ever though he was secretly tempted to laugh very loud at his younger brother's imitation techniques. He didn't because he didn't want to Jacob to dislike him more than he already did. Jacob stepped forward out of the doorway and into the box crowded room, closing the door behind himself.

"Yeah." Jacob replied pretending to ponder it a bit. "You know there is something you can do for me. You can leave." Jacob stated angrily taking two steps toward Justin who was now sitting with his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. Leave? Boy, did Jacob have no idea how much Justin had been considering the same thing himself. He had to stay, get to know his real family. He looked Jacob up and down. Even if they didn't want to get to know him. "Or I'll make your life here a nightmare." Jacob threatened and once again was Justin tempted to laugh. Jacob was the sort-of person Justin was afraid. Not even when he had been thirteen.

"Sorry, buddy, no can do. I'm here to stay." Justin replied.

"Alright, do not say I didn't give you fair chance." Jacob said with a shrug his shoulders and started toward the door. Justin stood up to escort his brother out of the room. With quick reflects, Jacob turned around, grabbed Justin's phone, and darted out of the phone. Justin stared after him with a small sigh. How old was Jacob again? This take and chase game was something he'd expect from Marie. With a quick shake of his head at Jacob's immaturity, Justin tore off after him.

"Dad! Justin was trying to call the half-bloods! "Jacob declared once he reached the dining room, slightly out of breath and clutching Justin's phone in his hand. "I stop him before he could talk to any of them." He told his father who was now standing in front of him. Fred held out his hand out for the phone. With a grin, Jacob gave him the phone and then moved to stand behind his father. Justin came running into the room two seconds later almost unable stop before slamming into Fred.

"Jacob tells me you were trying to call the Russo's?" Fred stated, but it sounded like a question. Justin eyes landed momentarily on his new little brother. He was grinning like an idiot standing there behind his father with his arms crossed like a tough guy.

"I wasn't, sir. My cell phone was merely sitting on my nightstand." Justin responded. He added the sir because…well…it had felt like a sir type of moment. Fred face was all red and blotchy. He was acting as if Justin had been caught spray painting on the walls. What was going on here?

"We do not tolerate liars in this household!" He shouted getting right in Justin's face. Justin blinked. Seriously, was this like a family joke or something? If so, it wasn't all that funny. Lauren came in and took Justin's cell phone from Fred's hand. He was glad because in the fit that Fred was now, Justin had been pretty sure his poor cell would be crushed.

"Check my recent calls list. I haven't called anyone today." Justin said in his own defense. He would not be false labeled a liar when he was not lying. Jacob got this panicked look on his face when he realized Justin had an out. Lauren opened the phone to do just as Justin suggested and Jacob grabbed the phone from her and "accidently" threw it in the flower vase on the table. Lauren and Fred turned to Jacob and frown. He shrugged.

"Opps."

"Justin," Lauren started to say she grabbed Justin's hands and pulled him into one of the seats at the dining room table. "It would be easier on you to adjust to life with us here if you have no further contact with those people." She said her voice dripping sweetness, but her words were venom. Justin stared at her blankly. How was that going to help him adjust to being a member of their family? If anything, he thought, not having contact with the Russo's would hinder his adjustment.

"I don't see how that-" Justin began to say, but stopped as Fred stepped up to him rather menacingly.

"You are to have no further contact with those half-bloods! Do you understand me?" Fred demanded and Justin couldn't believe it. It was unthinkable what they were demanding of him. They couldn't honestly expect him to do that, could they? "Do you understand me?!" Fred demanded louder and right in his face. Justin nodded; what else could he do?

A/N: You know the drill at least five reviews before I start writing the next chapter.