**A/N**
Sorry about that huge block of writing that was at the end of this chapter guys. All fixed now! I think it was because I copied the text from my iPod and it was formatted all weird... I didnt even notice :(
Chapter 10 - Belonging
Aerrow sat watching the red haired girl asleep on her bed. It seemed like it had been hours since he had found out that this was his twin sister, but in actual fact, it had only been around 20 minutes. Sitting up straighter on his desk chair, Aerrow crossed his legs in front of him and slouched over, his focus not once leaving Aerrin's sleeping form. A million questions raced through his mind as he continued to observe her; was she really his sister? How had he never heard of her existence before? Was he really the descendant of Lightning Strike, or was he adopted into the family years before the great Sky Knight's demise? The paperwork sat beside him on his desk, but he dared not pick them up. Something inside of him needed Aerrin to be sitting there with him when he discovered this information.
Aerrow closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If this girl really was his sister, he should be glad, right? A part of him was grateful for the way his life turned out; his mother and father's death had made him who he was today, but another part of him had always wanted a family and to know where he came from. Aerrow opened his eyes again as Aerrin stirred. He smiled softly as she frowned in her sleep. He immediately realised the resemblance between Aerrin and himself.
Aerrin's expression softened again and she slowly began to open her eyes. Catching her gaze, Aerrow gave her a warm smile and uncrossed his legs. He stood up and slowly made his way over to her side, seating himself on the floor beside the bed. She eventually returned the smile, reaching out and taking his hand in hers and holding it close to her. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes again.
"What time is it?" she asked quietly, "How long was I out?"
"You were only unconscious for 20 minutes or so." Aerrow replied, just as softly as Aerrin had spoken.
"Its still hard to believe,"Aerrin spoke again after a few moments, "I have a twin brother, who'd have known?" she chuckled to herself and opened her eyes, "if my friends at home knew about this, they would probably freak out and run for the hills screaming, 'There's two of her! Run for your lives!'" Aerrin gripped Aerrow's hand a little tighter as she laughed.
Silence fell again as Aerrin calmed down and looked up at him.
"What else do we know?" she asked seriously.
"I wanted to wait for you before I read anything else," Aerrow rested his head on the mattress as he spoke, "but we don't have to do it right now if you don't feel up to it." Aerrin sat up as fast as lightning, suddenly very awake. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the room. Aerrow knew she was looking for the papers and pointed to his desk with his free hand.
Still holding his left hand in her own, Aerrin jumped off the bed and dragged the Sky Knight over to the desk. Aerrow took his place in the chair again and patted his thigh, motioning for Aerrin to sit with him. She sat down on his lap and leaned against him as she picked up the papers from the desk.
"I...I forgot that I can't read this." She glanced around at Aerrow, who took the top sheet of paper from her and began to read aloud.
"What's up with you guys?" Finn asked from across the kitchen table. Neither Aerrow or Aerrin had said a word since entering the kitchen for lunch. Aerrin slowly lifted her head up from the table and caught Finn's eye, before letting her head fall back onto the table again with a loud 'thump'. Finn raised an eyebrow, "Ooookay? Aerrow, what's going on?"
Aerrow glanced over at his sister's motionless form and smiled, "I think its finally setting in." Aerrin nodded, dragging her face over the table. Aerrow placed a comforting hand on his back.
Junko looked over at Aerrin, then over to Aerrow, "Uh, what is it that's setting in exactly?" Aerrow pulled Aerrin back up into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her gently.
Finn immediately stood and glared at Aerrin, "Are you two dating?"
"No! God, no!" Aerrin screwed up her face and looked from Finn to Aerrow. Aerrow couldn't help but laugh at Aerrin's reaction.
"Thanks for that, sis."
Finn sighed in relief, "Well that's good to know," he walked over an planted a soft kiss on Aerrin's forehead, "I thought you had ditched me for my Sky Knight, and that would just NOT be cool- wait, did Aerrow just call you 'sis'?"
Aerrow saw Piper lean over her plate and try not to laugh. He grinned up at his Sharpshooter, "I might have." Everyone's eyes widened.
Finn was speechless, he looked at the two hugging siblings and tried to say something. When he was unable to make more than a squeak, he seated himself next to Aerrin and stared wide-eyed at the table, "So, I'm dating my leader's sister?" Junko burst out laughing, slapping his friend on the back.
Aerrow let go of Aerrin and just sat there grinning, there was nothing else he could really say. The room was silent for about a minute before Finn spoke up again, "Um, so, am I still allowed to date her?" Aerrin, Aerrow and Piper all burst out laughing. "Of course you can!" Aerrin said, trying to catch her breath. Aerrow attempted to give her a stern look, but couldn't manage hold a straight face.
Aerrin laughed at her brother and looked back around at Finn. "Finny, honey," she said softly, making him blush a little, "Aerrow is my younger brother. I'm the boss of him, not the other way around." The look that came across Aerrow's face was absolutely priceless, and Finn couldn't help but laugh.
"Aerrin, you're older than me by two minutes! I hardly think that justifies you being in charge of me."
"You're right, its because I'm smarter, more mature and far better looking." she winked back at him.
"You wanna go Aerrin? I'll take you on."
"Yeah," Aerrin chuckled, "I don't have a death wish."
By this point, everyone in the room was laughing; even Stork, who had been keeping to himself until now. Once everyone's laughter had died down, Piper addressed Aerrin, "So, what else did you find out from those papers?"
"Well," she started, as everyone in the room turned to face her, "I learned that my full name is 'Aerrin Karine Strike' and that my parents—sorry, our parents," Aerrin corrected herself, getting a nudge from Aerrow, "were Caelik and Illyra Strike. Caelik, or Dad, was Lightning Strike, the original leader of the Storm Hawks."
"HA! Points for originality! Caelik Strike is Lightning Strike!" Finn laughed.
Aerrin took a moment to narrow her eyes at Finn before continuing, "He was also known as Striker... Anyway, Aerrow and I were born on Atmosia, two minutes apart... and I'm the oldest," she laughed, earning another nudge in the ribs from Aerrow.
"You're never going to let me forget it, are you?"
Aerrin grinned and shook her head, "It'll never get old." Aerrow poked his tongue out at her, leaning back and out of the way just quick enough as Aerrin tried to grab it.
"well, this does explain a few things then," Piper said quietly, "Like why Cyclonis brought Aerrin here in the first place." There was a deadly silence that followed, which was interrupted by Aerrow's heavy sigh.
"Yeah, but using my only living relative against me... She must be really desperate to finish us off now, which can only mean that Cyclonia must have come up with another plan for taking over the Atmos." Aerrow's eyes swept over his squadron as he spoke, "I think we need to look further into this as a team." At that point, Aerrin groaned and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Finn asked, grabbing Aerrin's left hand.
"This is a team discussion, and I'm not a part of the team." Aerrin sighed, "It's fine though, I have some things I need to take care of anyway."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Aerrow scowled, grabbing Aerrin's free hand, "you belong here too!"
"She's not a Storm Hawk, Aerrow" Piper turned to address her leader, "there's no need for her to be here." All of the eyes in the room narrowed and glared at Piper. Aerrow looked as though he were about to yell, so Aerrin spoke up first.
"It's okay guys," she squeezed both his and Finn's hands as she spoke, "really, it's fine. I-I have to go and... Go and finish a project." Her voice shook more and more with every word. Not once did her gaze leave the floor. "You catch me up later anyway." And with that, Aerrin snatched her hands out of Finn and Aerrow's and quickly made her way out of the kitchen. As soon as the door closed behind her, she began to run down the halls, holding back tears as she went. It wasn't until she got to the safety of her bunk that she finally let them fall. How could something so insignificant and meaningless make her feel so terrible? So what if she wasn't a Storm Hawk! She didn't need to be!
Somehow, these thoughts seemed toxic to her, and she began to cry even harder. Burying her face into her pillow, she sobbed aloud. For some reason, she had really hoped to be accepted by the Storm Hawks, and not just because of Aerrow being her brother. She had never felt more at home than she had during her time on the Condor, but clearly she had overstayed her welcome.
She lay there crying for what seemed like hours, until she felt a weight beside her on the bed and a gentle hand on her back. She knew immediately who it was.
"Are you alright?" Aerrow asked at an almost inaudible volume. Aerrin slowly nodded into her pillow.
"Yes and no," she muttered in reply, rolling onto her side to look up at Aerrow, "I'm not dying or anything, but you know..." she trailed off.
"You think that the rest of us think the same way that Piper seems to?" Aerrow asked, "we don't you know, and neither does Piper." He climbed over Aerrin and lay down behind her, gently wrapping one of his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.
"you're my brother," Aerrin sighed, "you have to say that."
"Oh really?" Aerrow laughed, "As I understand it, brothers are supposed to downright shits to their sisters, so no, I don't have to say that." Aerrow poked Aerrin in the ribs, making her flinch and hold back a laugh, "And anyway, if you ask the guys how much I talk about you when you're not around, the answer would be 'a lot'. When we met on Cyclonia, I was about to give up... on everything I mean. I was caught again and I was sick of fighting, until I started talking to you. You're spirit seemed to give me my old one back." he held Aerrin as close as he could as he continued, "and as for the rest of the team, you've got them all wrong. You should have heard Finn scream at Piper after you walked out. Its just too bad that the rooms are sound proofed. He went ballistic and started swearing his head off at her. Radarr bit her and left the room. Stork glared at her until she finally left as well, and Junko... Well, Junko got nervous with all of the yelling Finn was doing and sat there quietly, but he was concerned for you too."
Propping himself up on one arm, he saw tears streaking down Aerrin's face. He hugged her again and whispered, "cheer up sis."
"Yeah, or we'll cry too." Aerrin heard a soft voice from the doorway.
"Finn, you girl." Aerrow teased, before looking back at his sister, "but seriously, we will." Finn wondered over and sat down next to Aerrin where Aerrow had been sitting earlier. He sat there silently for a minute or so, watching Aerrow stroking Aerrin's hair. Eventually he laid down on the edge of the bed, facing Aerrin.
"Wanna go on another date? I know a place that could totally take your mind off all of this." he whispered. Aerrin gave him a small smile and nodded slowly.
"Where do you have in mind?" Aerrow asked, "Its not where I think you're thinking, is it?"
"Oh yes, it is." Finn grinned at his Sky Knight, "Terra Tropica!" he cried, grabbing Aerrin's hands and clapping them together. Aerrin just laughed as Aerrow grabbed her hands out of Finns and used them to push on Finn's chest, causing him to fall off the bed and onto the floor. Finn sat up and glared over the edge of the mattress at Aerrow.
Aerrow chuckled and pointed at his sister, "She did it!" Finn just grumbled and picked himself up off the floor.
"So what d'ya say Aerrow? Can we go?" Finn asked sitting back next to Aerrin. Aerrow bit his lip and hummed.
"Pleeeeeease Aer?" Aerrin pleaded, "I'd really love to go."
Aerrow sat there silently for a moment, thinking. Eventually he sighed and nodded, "but the whole team gets to go too." Finn cheered and stood up, about to race off to tell the rest of the team. He stopped himself and turned around to address an uncertain looking Aerrin.
"Relax, okay?" he smiled, "The whole team loves you, despite what Piper said before. And anyway, you're more of a Storm Hawk than any of us."
Aerrin snorted, "How the hell do you figure that?"
Finn shrugged, "You and Aerrow are Storm Hawks by birth."
"So are you Finn" Aerrow mumbled. He was clearly beginning to drift of to sleep.
"Yeah, but I wasn't Striker's kid. I'm the son of the original Sharpshooter"
"Doesn't matter, you're still as much of a Storm Hawk as me and Aerrin." Aerrow said lazily, burying his face into Aerrin's hair again, "But that doesn't mean that the others are any less either." He tightened his hold around Aerrin's stomach and closed his eyes.
Aerrin motioned for Finn to lay down with her again. "I won't let you fall," she whispered, seeing that Finn was uneasy about sleeping on the edge of the mattress. As he lay down she placed an arm around him and buried her face in his chest. She relaxed when she felt his fingers slowly trailing along her arms and she began to drift off into a light sleep.
**A/N**
YYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH! 10 Chapters! Woo! I think that's worth celebrating! :) :) :) :) Hopefully this chapter was okay. Its a bit mushy, but I figure that if I get it all out of the way now, there will be less when the story REALLY gets going. Oh yes, I have BIG PLANS for this little fan fiction! So add the story to your alerts (if you haven't already) and get ready, because the story is going to get very interesting VERY SOON! (If not next chapter, the one after... just so that you guys don't get too let down if the next one doesn't quite get to it)