A/N: I cannot apologize enough for not updating in so long. I'm a horrible person, okay? I can at least blame part of the delay on me working on the apocabigbang fic, which took up half of 2011. The rest of 2011 has been crap for my personal life, full of school and work and family drama that no one cares about, least of all me, haha. 2011 has probably been one of the worst years of my life, but things are finally looking up for me, so fortunately that means more time and energy for writing.

I have the next few chapters written, so the delay between updates shouldn't be too long. Although, you have my permission to bother me on Twitter and Tumblr if you think I'm slacking off, lol. I need both a cheering squad and whipping squad to get my butt in gear. Same username both places: ourdreamsunfold. Links in my profile.

Anyway, I just want to thank everyone who stuck with me through this heinous wait for an update. I really appreciate you guys, as I wouldn't have had the motivation to keep writing this story without you. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: A year later, and I still don't own WOWP. Imagine that.

It is a few days before Justin really spends any time with Alex again. He has kept to himself as much as possible because he wants to avoid any awkward moments, like him trying to kiss her. Because that never goes over well.

So when he sees Alex out front of the Sub Station, actually sweeping, he knows something is wrong. While she seems to be fine, behavior back to normal, Justin knows she rarely does any kind of work at all unless she's trying to keep her mind occupied.

Through the window, he watches Alex accost some poor guy about littering and wonders what could be wrong with her. He knows she isn't over Riley, no matter what she claims, but he can't do anything about that. Only time can give her what she needs.

Justin finishes wiping down the tables, and when Alex comes in, she passes behind him. He feels her fingers run a line down his back, and for a moment he thinks he must be hallucinating as he shivers. But when he looks at her, she sticks out her tongue and turns back around, heading for the lair.

He stares at the wet tabletop with the barest hint of his reflection, wishing he didn't still feel the burning trail left by her nimble fingers. He takes a deep breath and goes after Alex. He tries to not think about her touch, but Alex spends the wizard lesson tormenting him as usual. She even shoved a hockey stick inside him, and he felt like it should have pierced his heart instead of harmlessly passing through his body.

That is why Justin volunteers to help his teacher put together the student worksheet for the upcoming museum field trip, hoping to keep his mind occupied. For a few blessed hours, he is able to forget about Alex, to the point where he almost doesn't want to see Mona that day because that means he will have to talk about everything, and he will never get any peace.

Yet after school, Justin gets on the train going opposite of Waverly Place, and he meets Mona at a small British pub that is dimly lit and smells like fish and alcohol. The man behind the bar eyes him suspiciously, so Justin tries to hide his backpack as he joins Mona in a secluded booth in the back. She greets him with a smile and places the file she was reading in her large purse. Her brown hair is tied half up, and she is wearing a pair of simple, black-framed glasses that give her a more youthful appearance than her usual red, pointed pair.

Justin swings his backpack into the seat and settles across from her. "Hi, Mona. So why did you choose this place?"

"Their fish and chips are to die for." Mona flags down the only waitress and orders the food along with a soda for Justin.

He doesn't know how to start the conversation for this meeting, so he is glad that she takes the lead.

"How have you been the past few days?" she asks. "I didn't receive anymore emergency phone sessions."

She laughs, and Justin is again surprised that a simple gesture can make him feel so much more relaxed.

"I've been okay," he says.

"That's it? That's all I get?"

It feels odd to smile at this point, but he does, and he adds a shrug. "I've kind of been keeping my distance."

She quirks a brow, an almost disapproving look.

"Not like I've been avoiding my sister or anything," he corrects. "I've just been trying to not make things any worse for myself."

"I see. So no more trying to kiss her?"

His behavior and near-actions over the weekend still bring a shameful heat into his cheeks. "No. I've, uh, I've actually been trying to keep myself busy, you know. It helps if I have other things to focus on."

"Understandably. Good for you, Justin." She stirs a sugar into her iced tea before she speaks again. "Do you mind if we talk about something else today?"

Justin raises his eyebrows. "Like what?"

"Like...tell me about your relationships with your family, your friends."

Justin isn't sure he likes where this is going, what Mona might discover about his personal life. But she has been so kind and understanding, he figures she deserves as much honesty as possible.

"Well, we're a pretty normal family. I mean, we're kind of horrible to each other, and my mom and dad aren't the most able parents in the world, but we're good. We may not always get along, but we all love each other."

"I can tell just by the way you talk about them. You and your dad, do you have a typical father-son relationship?"

Justin doesn't know what typical means, but he knows his family is anything but that.

"Did you father teach you how to play sports? Teach you how to be a man?" Mona can hardly keep a straight face as she clarifies.

"No, my dad's more of a watcher than a doer when it comes to sports. I didn't help because I wasn't into that kind of stuff as a kid. I was too busy reading robotics manuals and engineering textbooks. I only got into baseball earlier this year to get close to a girl. Dad seemed proud of me for a while."

"So you are close in other ways?"

"Yeah. My dad likes to teach us about our family history and stuff." It is the closest he can get to the truth.

"That's actually very cool, I think." Her blue eyes twinkle. "Tell me about your mother."

Justin laughs. "She's uh...she's self-absorbed like she thinks she's a soap opera star. But she really loves us."

"Of course. So you say your parents won't win any awards but they have good hearts?"

"Yup."

"I'll let you in on a not-so-secret secret, Justin. No one wins any awards. Parenting is hard work. You have to be responsible for these new lives when most of us are still trying to figure out ourselves."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asks with an incredulous laugh.

She smiles around her straw as she drinks her tea. "Only to help you understand that no one is perfect."

"I'm just even less so." Derision shadows his words.

"Perhaps in our current society you feel that way. But you have to realize that not so long ago, incestuous relationships were the norm. Even some cultures today still practice incest."

"Really?"

"I can lend you some of my literature if you want to read about it."

Justin doesn't respond because reading about how incest is accepted in other cultures might make him feel like his situation is okay, and that isn't why he's talking to a therapist.

"But it's not okay here," is all he says.

"Well, yes. But most states won't prosecute unless there's some other criminal activity involved."

"Like where?"

She thinks for a moment. "Like right next door in Jersey."

So close. But that's not the point of this conversation. "How do you know all this?"

"I was curious about your situation, so I did some research."

Their conversation lulls as the waitress brings the baskets of fried food. The batter is light and crispy around the flavorful fish, and the potato wedges are salted to perfection.

"You're right, this is really good," Justin says. "My brother probably wouldn't be content until he puts something gross on it."

"Your brother?"

Justin realizes he forgot to mention Max. "Yeah, he's a few years younger than my sister and me. Still in junior high. He's kind of clueless, but he's really much smarter than he acts."

"Ah, trying to differentiate himself from you and your sister." She nods sagely, as if it is something she hears all the time. "Are you two close?"

"He prefers to make trouble with my sister. Usually the two of them ganging up and pulling pranks on me."

Mona laughs delightedly. "I can see that happening."

While they finish their food, Justin finds himself telling Mona about the art museum field trip he has been helping his teacher plan, and making it incredibly obvious how much of a geek he is.

"So you have a friend who's into the same geeky things, that's great. What about girlfriends?" Mona asks.

"The usual, I guess. Never goes more than one date. Except my first girlfriend last year. I really liked her, and I thought we would last longer than we did."

"First relationships rarely do. Why did it end?"

"I don't know." But that is a lie because he knows exactly why things with Miranda ended so quickly.

"Did you fight?"

"No. After what happened with our first kiss, she could pretty much forgive anything."

"Oh? What happened?"

"It was this horrible day where Ale-" Justin quickly coughs to cover his slip. "My sister tried so hard to get me my first kiss, it was such a complicated mess."

He rubs his eyes with one hand, but he knows he is smiling at the memory.

"So your sister was involved in your first kiss?"

"Yeah, and of course she had to turn it into a competition or something, so the next day she just up and kisses this random guy at school like it meant nothing. And she looked at me like..."

"She wanted to make you jealous the way she was probably jealous over your girlfriend."

Justin never would have said that aloud. "I don't know why I think that."

"Because you know it's true."

"I don't know that," he says adamantly. "My sister has always had her own reasons for doing things."

"Do you really think it's so complicated, as you put it? I think you may not realize it, but it sounds like a lot of your sister's life involves you, Justin."

He tries not to think too much about the things he said to Alex the previous week while Mona crunches her teeth around a cube of ice.

"As her older brother, you've been in her life as long as she can remember. She's spent years trying to keep up with you, and now both of you are growing up, stuck in an awkward stage where you are no longer kids but not yet adults. You show an interest in a girl, so she shows an interest in a boy. She probably feels like you are moving on without her, and she doesn't know if there is a place for her in your life anymore."

Justin remembers the hurt in Alex's brown eyes when he told her his life didn't revolve around her. Oh god.

"She is afraid to lose you, Justin, so she might try to replace you with a boyfriend. This is the kind of situation that happens with closely bonded siblings."

It is hard for Justin to think of Alex as a scared little girl because she's hidden away the vulnerable parts of herself for so many years now. But inside, he knows Mona is right. In many ways, Alex is the most vulnerable of the Russo siblings, but she is also strong enough to overcome her fears. Justin wishes he had half her strength.

"I get it now. It makes sense," he says. "So, is there an explanation like that for what's happening to me?"

"Mm. Not so much. Are you ready to tell me why you broke up with your girlfriend. This was before the revelation of your feelings, yes?"

Justin sighs. He thought she would have forgotten about that. "It was something I realized at the time that is just so much worse now when I think about it."

"Is it so bad? Knowing you, I don't think so."

He doesn't understand what she means by that, but he has to answer her. He needs to talk about it, no matter how it sounds. He puts his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes like he can rub the incident out of existence.

"She looked like my sister."

Mona is silent when he least expects it. When he finally lowers his hands and stops hiding, he finds her staring intensely.

"Really?" Not a judgment but a simple curiosity.

Justin sucks in a deep breath of courage and dives into the explanation. "At the time, my girlfriend had brown hair with streaks of color in it. She was smart but rebellious. She was, frankly, too cool for me, but she actually liked me no matter how much of a dork I am."

Mona smiles. "I think you underestimate yourself. So, she resembled your sister?"

"Not really. I thought it was a coincidence that my sister also happened to have color streaks in her brown hair. And the same attitude."

"Hm. No wonder your sister interjected herself into your relationship. She probably felt like she was being replaced even more."

"Then why did she help me so much?"

"Because she's still your sister, and while she might make fun of you, I doubt she honestly wants to see your relationship fail."

Justin nods. "Okay, sure. Well, my girlfriend and I dated for nearly a month before I realized she was so much like my sister. After school, she came to meet me, and from the side, I thought she was my sister. It just, I don't know. It was only a split second, but it still freaked me out. So even though I liked her, I broke up with her. I didn't even tell anyone, they just assumed something happened. So, that's it."

"Uh huh. And what do you think of that in light of your current situation?"

"I hate it. I hate that I chose a girl so much like my sister, and no one said anything. I wouldn't have noticed. And my sister helped me kiss her. It's just so wrong." He groans and leans back against the booth seat, making the vinyl squeak.

"It's not such a big deal," Mona says. "Most people actually try to find partners with qualities they like, qualities they are familiar with. Where do you think these qualities come from? Family members. Most people never notice."

"But not everyone does that."

"No, but you know they say the exception proves the rule."

"Who says that?" Justin laughs.

Mona shrugs. "Professionals, I guess. So, does this incident with your first girlfriend lead you to believe you did it on purpose?"

He shakes his head. "No." Then he glances out among the other patrons laughing and having a good time, oblivious to the internal torture happening in the corner of the room. "Maybe. I don't know how long I've liked my sister without realizing it was in such a wrong way. Maybe it was all subconscious. Maybe nothing would have happened if my mom hadn't said something about it."

"You can't go back now, so there's no way to tell."

A dangerous thought sparks in the back of Justin's mind. No, no. One of the Wizard Rules forbids wizards from tampering with time. Of course his family has never been good at following rules. Still, it is completely out of the question, and Justin locks the idea in the dark recesses of his mind never to be touched again

"Justin? You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"No problem. Can I ask, how did it make you feel when you thought your girlfriend was your sister?"

He would really rather block out the memory instead of analyze it, but if he can't do that, then he is simply wasting his and Mona's time. He thinks about seeing Miranda out front of the Sub Station last year, and god she really did look just like Alex in that moment. He doesn't actually remember much else besides the warmth in his chest that made him smile and almost call out her name. The wrong name. Then he realized his mistake, and even now all he feels is the cold choking the breath out of him.

"Justin, we don't have to talk about it." Mona's warm hand slides across the table to rest on his forearm, a gentle point of contact that pulls him from his thoughts.

His tongue feels too heavy as he pushes out the words. "I was happier at the thought of seeing my sister than my girlfriend. How can I be so messed up? How could I not know?"

"Oh, Justin. You have to stop beating yourself up over this. You haven't done anything to be ashamed of, and you have to accept that people have no control over their feelings. We can't control who we are attracted to or who we fall in love with. It's human nature. And it's bound to cause problems."

"Guess you'll never be out of work," he says, giving her a tremulous smile that falls into a clenched jaw.

"You'll be okay, Justin. I believe in you." She pats his arm before withdrawing back into her own space. "So, have your dating habits changed now?"

The non sequitur throws him off. "Um, I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

She raises her brow at him.

Okay, maybe he simply doesn't want to admit it. He sighs. "I pretty much only look at blondes now."

Mona laughs. "Oh, Justin, sweetie. That's no good. You're severely limiting yourself."

Justin rolls his eyes. "It's not like I've been looking at too many girls lately."

"Maybe you should." With a start, she checks her wristwatch. "I don't want to leave you hanging like this, but I have an appointment at five. Going back to what you told me earlier, I think you should find more things that hold your interest to help keep your mind off unwanted subjects. Try some new hobbies. Maybe meet a nice girl. Who isn't your sister." She ends with a playful wink, and Justin shakes his head with a weary but amused smile.

"Gee thanks, big help." When she stands to go, he says, "No, really, thank you. Without you, I would keep this all bottled up and probably go truly crazy."

"You've said that before." She gives him a kind smile. "But really, you are the only one helping yourself, Justin. You have a good head on your shoulders. Don't forget that in your haste to fix yourself."

She waits to pay the bill at the counter.

"Same time next week?" Justin asks. "On a Friday, I mean."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." She whirls around with a concerned expression. "I'm going to be gone next week to a conference in California. After that, I don't know when I'll be back." She hesitates. "I was considering taking an offer to lecture at a traveling seminar."

Justin's stomach flutters, and he can only say, "For how long?"

"Three months."

He thinks he keeps a straight face, but he must be mistaken because she tells the busy man behind the counter to keep the change and leaves the money folded in an empty glass. Then she takes Justin by the arm and guides him to the street.

"I got the offer before I met you, Justin."

"It's okay, I understand," he says quickly. "It's a great opportunity for you."

"It is," she agrees. "But I don't want to abandon you."

"I'm not your responsibility. You don't need to rearrange your life to help me when I'm not even paying you."

Mona stops on the corner, waiting for the signal to change. "Suddenly I feel like a whore."

Justin flushes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, I know. I can refer you to someone if you feel like you need weekly in-person meetings."

"I can't talk to anyone else about this. I feel comfortable with you. I can wait until you get back, if you still want to help me."

"Of course I do." They cross the street, and on the other side, she continues, "I'm not cutting off contact with you if I go. You can call me, and here—" she digs in her purse, pulling out a case of business cards. With a pen, she sloppily writes on the back of one card. Justin steers her around other pedestrians until she hands him the card.

"This is my personal e-mail where you can always reach me."

He can't stop his smile. "Freudgirl83?"

"Hey, I was a young psychology student, what do you expect? This way you can keep me updated with what you're doing and any developments with your sister."

"Developments?"

She doesn't answer him. "I'm late for my appointment."

"Sorry. Thank you for doing this, I appreciate it."

"I know." She smiles and turns her back. "Talk to you later, Justin."

He watches her go into the building, then pockets her card and heads for the subway. He rides to Waverly Place in a daze, trying not to panic. He supposes he got too used to the meetings with Mona, anyway. Always relying on her having free time and taking his calls when he has almost given in to his feelings. He has been selfish the past few weeks, but no more.

When he gets home, he goes to his room and sends Mona a simple e-mail message that reads:

Thank you for today. Have fun at the conference.

Then he goes and helps at the Sub Station until closing. Justin thinks he notices Alex staring at him every time he brings an order to a customer's table. She doesn't say anything until they are on the couch waiting for dinner.

"Library again?" she asks.

"No, I met up with a friend."

"Not-a-date girl?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"What? I'm not."

"You are. Did you kiss her yet?"

"Alex, shut up," he hisses, checking over his shoulder to check that Jerry and Theresa didn't hear. "Why won't you listen to me? She's just a friend who respects me enough to actually listen to me and have a conversation with me." He can't help his biting tone because once again she is sitting too damn close and it is getting to him.

"What is this?" she asks, crossing her arms in an obvious pout.

"Feels like an interrogation," he says. "Why do you care?"

"I don't."

They fall into silence, and this isn't what he wanted. Why can't he just control himself around her? He sighs, keeping in mind everything he discussed with Mona about Alex's motivation for her recent behavior.

"All right, Alex, if you want to talk to me, I'm going upstairs for a while."

She snorts in dismissal, but when he gets up, he hears her light footsteps following. It is enough to make him smile as he climbs the stairs. He goes into his bedroom and sits on his bed to pull the textbooks and notebooks from his backpack. He pretends like he isn't watching Alex casually inspect the collectibles on his shelves.

"I better not find anything missing," he says.

"Like I want any of your dolls."

"Action figures."

"They look like dolls. Does your girlfriend collect dolls? Is she a nerd, too?"

"I don't know if she's a collector. She's highly intelligent, if that's what you mean by nerd." He opens his Calculus textbook to his homework problems, but he closely watches Alex's reaction when he adds, "And she's not my girlfriend."

Alex turns to him with an unreadable expression. "Whatever you say."

She doesn't say anything else, and Justin wonders if there was something on her mind or if she never even wanted to talk at all. Maybe she does only want to spend time together. The notion does little when Alex sits beside him, stretching out her legs alongside his.

Her body is lined up with his. Perfectly too intimate as always. Justin tries to shift his focus from her body to something more appropriate.

"Are we good?" he asks.

"Good?" Alex looks at him, but her face is so close, he settles for staring at his Captain Jim Bob Sherwood figure on the opposite wall.

"You and I. We've been having some problems ever since your birthday, and I just-"

"Ugh, please, don't make this all sappy."

"I'm just saying, Alex. We've always been close, and it's hard when we're both growing up."

"You're starting to sound like Mom."

Justin stops trying. "She talked to you?"

"Yeah, last month. I get it. Teenagers, hormones, blah blah blah."

A strange thought occurs to him. One that makes the knot in his stomach coil tighter than ever. Maybe Theresa had the same conversation with Alex that she had with Justin. Maybe that's a possible explanation for her recent behavior –- she was freaked out by the idea. Their conversations over the weekend flash through his mind. All of Alex's pondering about incest. Her conclusions about incest. Oh god, no.

He can't start assuming things like that. It is only his own insane wishful thinking, and it isn't good for him.

Justin almost jumps out of his skin when Alex leans her head on his shoulder, and he quickly moves away to stand near his desk.

"Sorry, Alex, but I have homework and things to finish before the field trip this weekend." It is the best excuse he has.

Alex glances at the books on his bed then back to him. "The field trip? Okay."

But she doesn't move. Not until Theresa calls up the stairs that dinner is ready. Alex walks out the door without another word. Justin sits at his desk for a moment and checks his e-mail. He ignores his slightly trembling hand on the mouse.

He finds Mona responded to him:

I'm not leaving until next week, but thank you. I enjoy being able to help you, so keep in touch with me. I'll call you if I decide to take the position in the seminar.

He opens a new message to reply to her. He wants to tell Mona about Alex's possible conversation with their mother, but instead he writes:

I appreciate everything you do for me. I look forward to your call because you better take the position. Also, I talked with my sister.

He stops typing when he hears footsteps outside his door. He turns to see Alex.

"Mom wants you downstairs. By the way, do you have the answers to the History homework?"

Justin shakes his head. "Not a chance."

Alex groans and walks away, and again, things feel normal between them.

Justin adds: We're good to the message before hitting the send button. After today, Justin feels like he better knows how to handle the changes between him and Alex. He can actually see things getting better, easier for him now. Maybe. As long as he can keep his feelings for Alex under control and his thoughts focused on productive activities. He has to walk the fine line between being the brother Alex needs and keeping an acceptable distance that won't get him into trouble. Because it may be a lie that Justin's life does not revolve around Alex, but he sure as hell is going to try to make it true.