Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer does. I own Mel and Jace though.

A/N: I know I suck! I do know that I have been exceedingly slack, this chapter has been written for nearly a month and I just haven't had a chance to post it. I have wrote the prologue to another story which should be up after exams, and a chapter of this as well as She Wolf is in the works. Again I am sorry, but my very expensive university degree comes first and after Thursday I shall be free! And New Moon is out on Thursday so all will be great . Much love and please review. punkwerewolf

Chapter Six: Oh Brother. . .

I was still in a semi-euphoric state over how well the night had gone even after I had showered and dressed for bed, deciding that the break in the weather and the lightening of my mood needed my summer pyjama's that I had stuck in the back of my cupboard when I had gotten here.

After a couple of hours laying awake in bed thinking about how much I had enjoyed myself, sleep finally claimed me. As always I expected to dream of the wolf and the guy who managed to attack me just before I woke up but for some reason tonight it changed.

I dreamt of Jacob instead.

We were on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and he was telling me the stories of the Quileute legends as the moon made its way across the sky.

And for the first time in a long time I slept through the night.

I woke up to a clap of thunder, my eyes fluttering open to my darkened room as rain began to streak outside my window. I was slowly getting used to waking up most days with clouds looming over head, but somehow today it didn't damper my mood. I don't think anything could have made me forget the cling of happiness that had stayed with me since Jacob had drove off from my house.

I attempted to curl up under the doona and go back to sleep, but the thunder outside continued to pound against my temples so I finally conceded defeat and got up. I took a detour from my room to the bathroom, throwing my hair back in a ponytail before brushing my teeth and heading downstairs. My attention wavered on the window outside as I walked into the kitchen and came across the only person who had ever made my life bearable.

"Looks like you need to catch up on your beauty sleep little sis..." I heard his voice before I saw him and an excited scream escaped my lips before I launched myself into his waiting arms. My brother always knew exactly how to make an entrance and as we embraced for the first time in three years our sibling connection flared back to life.

"God I've missed you Jace..." My uttered welcome was muffled as I buried my head in his chest, inhaling the scent that had always comforted me from my nightmares. Jace had always smelt of salt water and oranges, it was a weird combination but I had always associated it with home.

Jace chuckled as he returned my embrace, his strong arms erasing the pain of the last couple of months as we stood in our father's kitchen. "Yeah I heard that you had really gone off the deep end without me to pick up the pieces, the old bag still giving you strife about not being the perfect kid?"

It was then I realised he didn't really know the truth.

Mum hadn't told him.

Dad had called him home on a whim, hoping that my brother could get through to me when no-one else could.

I stiffened as I realised I was going to have to tell him the truth. I was going to have to tell Jace something that I didn't even know how to explain.

"Jace...You don't know the half of it..."

Jace had dropped his gaze to my face, confusion evident on his features as he tried to figure out exactly what I was hiding from him.

"Enlighten me, Mels."

I sighed as I pulled from his embrace, moving so I was leaning against the kitchen counter and so that I was staring anywhere but at his face.

"After you left it got worse, she started going on about how if I didn't start hanging around the right people and doing better at school that I was going to end up like you. I never knew why that was so bad and then one day I come home and I've got a pile of college applications that she wants me to fill in for early admission because Robert has some huge connection with the Dean of Harvard or something. But I guess she could just see me repeating all the mistakes you made, the more she pointed out what I was doing the worse I got. Jace I couldn't handle it and then I started seeing things...it started as dreams and then it just escalated into seeing things when I was wide awake. She got me in therapy so fast my head spun, drugged me out on that many anti-depressants I couldn't get out of bed...and then when nothing else worked she sent me here so that I couldn't mess up her image. I'm the tanned kid she had when she was young and naive. I'm the mistake that was still a thorn in her side. I hated it and every time I cut school or did something stupid I was doing it because of you."

I finished telling him and finally refocused on his face, watching as Jace nervously ruffled the front of his hair his gaze holding mine before he held his arms out to me again. I collapsed into his arms once more as a sob wracked my frame, everything I had wanted to tell my brother since he left had just been left out in the open. I had missed him with every fibre of my being and now we were on an even playing field again.

"You should have picked up a phone, Mel. I would have been on the first flight home and dragged you away from the nutcase." I could hear the chastising tone in his voice, the tone he only ever used when he was angry that had kept something from him. Granted normally it was just that I neglected to tell him I'd received detention or had snuck out without him knowing.

"I couldn't do that, you were jet-setting across the world away from her and I didn't want you involved because I knew it would get worse."

I knew it was cowardly but I hadn't wanted Jace involved, he was my safe haven away from all of the drama that my mother had instilled in me since we had moved. Jace had only been with her for a short time, he had felt the brunt of her anger and disapproval before but somehow I knew if I had of called him home she would have kicked me out of home for good.

"Well you and I are back together to take on the world, so no more secrets okay little sis?" He ruffled my hair before the two of us pulled away, I took the chance to punch him in the gut as I reorganised my hair, taking great delight in the grunt he gave me before I set about trying to find something for the two of us to eat for breakfast.

"Where's Dad?"

"Got called in to work, some old lady's electricity went out and she's afraid her cat will go without its fix of soaps so he went in to see what he could do..."

I laughed at Jace's assumption, throwing a box of cereal at his head before the two of us sat down at the kitchen table. Although as I lifted my spoon to my mouth I rolled my eyes, catching the smirk on Jace's face as he stared at me from across the table.

"What?"

"Dad told me you have been dating..."

"Correction, Jace, one date. I've been on one date which involved meeting people my age, I wouldn't exactly call it the most romantic outing I've ever been on. And another thing how is it any of your business?"

I had answered too quickly, I knew. Nothing got past Jace.

"Cause Dad let me know that you would be meeting said date tomorrow night and I had to play the big brother card seeing as he won't be here..."

Oh great. Jacob would definitely run away as soon as Jace put on the stern older brother face.

"I hate you Jace..." I grumbled as I set to work trying to concentrate on the cereal in front of me rather than the bizarre look on my brother's face.

"Yeah I love you too Mel..."