HEY, BROTHER

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I smiled, running my fingers through Jake's hair as he awoke. It had been a good few weeks. I was in more control of my body, and felt more comfortable around my husband. He was patient as ever, and I was forever grateful for it.

"Mornin'," he grumbled, rolling over to face me. I chuckled. One of my new favorite things was watching him sleep. I had an infinite amount of things I could do at night – practice control, learn a new skill, take online classes, etc. – yet all I wanted to do was watch Jake. It was the only time he truly looked at peace with this world.

He pecked me on the lips, and I smiled even more. He tucked a piece of hair behind my head, and I leaned into his hand gently.

"You're amazing," he whispered, staring at me like I was a goddess.

"Stop it," I told him. "Do you want breakfast?" I asked him. I could hear Mom puttering around downstairs, but I wasn't sure if she was making anything or not.

"I'm good for a little while," he said, pulling me closer to him. I groaned.

"Jake, we can't," I rubbed his arm. I just got comfortable with the small things again, I couldn't risk the big thing right now.

"I know," he comforted. "That doesn't mean I can't get a better look at you," he winked. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want, a strip show?" I teased back, giggling like a school girl. Jake shrugged.

"It doesn't involve touching," he pressed. I shook my head. Of course he found a loophole, I groaned to myself. I sighed and walked into my new closet, finding the sexiest outfit I could find. Luckily, Alice was one step ahead of me as usual. I was almost completely changed when I heard the front door smash open.

"Ryan, you need to calm down," I heard Jasper say to him. There were others in the house too. I immediately became alert. I could hear Jake shuffle around in the bedroom as well.

"I fucking killed someone!" Ryan growled, and there was more crashing downstairs. Jasper yelled for Emmett to restrain him. Ryan killed someone?

"Dani," Jake whispered, knowing I could hear him. I covered up with a robe, the best I could do under the circumstances, and rushed out to him. Despite me being stronger, he pushed me back.

"Habit," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

"I should go check on him," I mentioned. Jake held me back.

"They've got him, don't get involved," Jake warned. I shook my head.

"I'm under control," I promised. "Maybe he'll listen to me."

"Not in that he won't," Jake pointed towards my outfit. The robe wasn't exactly covering much, unfortunately.

"Then I'll change," I stuck my tongue out, grabbing my clothes from earlier. I quickly switched outfits and headed downstairs before Jake could disagree with me again.

The sight downstairs was frighteningly familiar to when Ryan and I were trapped in Peter's basement, and it irked me.

"It's necessary," Edward mentioned as I came downstairs.

"Is it, though? He's not an animal," I complained, walking over to Ryan, who was breathing heavily in a chair. In the moment, he had destroyed most of what was around him.

"I fucked up, Principessa," Ryan mumbled from his chair. His head was hanging low. Jasper stationed near him. I didn't believe that Mom and Dad were home, although I was sure they would be shortly.

"You can't change who you are, Ryan," I whispered to him softly. I could hear Jake's steps coming down the stairs. I felt terrible for Ryan. I had barely hurt Jake, and I was a mess inside for weeks. I couldn't imagine what it felt like to actually lose so much control you took a life away.

"I'm a monster, just like queri Volturi bastardi," He grumbled.

"You're nothing like them," I promised him. Yes, Ryan in many ways was a pain in the ass, but he wasn't a monster. He didn't kill for fun. He wasn't them.

"She was a mother," Ryan looked up at me, finally. I held his gaze in my eyes, and for once, I didn't see the annoying boy who had been a part of my life for what felt like years. I saw a young boy who had grown up in a terrible situation. A boy with a mother who was a slave to vampires, and was killed because of it.

"You didn't mean it," I took his hand gently. "It was an accident. You never would have done something like that on purpose."

Ryan didn't respond, so I just sat there with him in silence. After a while, once Mom and Dad came back, I told Edward and Jasper to head back to their homes. It was weird saying goodbye to them, but Edward needed to be with his daughter and Jasper was no longer needed. Jake sat with us for a little while, but even he found something to watch on TV after an hour or so.

"Can I go for a walk?" Ryan spoke sometime in the early afternoon. Dad, who was patiently waiting, nodded. Ryan got up out of his chair and followed my dad outside. Mom sighed from the kitchen. This wasn't the first time Dad has had one of these conversations with his children. I was afraid that it wouldn't be the last.

I thought Ryan was gone, so I got up out of my own seat to join Jake on the couch, but Ryan placed his hand on my shoulder and stopped me. I tensed up, my body not prepared for the contact, but prepared for a fight.

"Relax, Danielle," Ryan sighed. "I just wanted to thank you. You care for me much more than I deserve. I haven't been fair to you or your - husband," he hesitated on the last word.

"You've got your baggage, Ryan," I told him. "But you're my brother now. We've come a long way together. I have your back."

"Brother, huh," Ryan mused. "It's funny you say that. You know, your eyes were the first things I noticed about you when I first met you. It was how I knew it was you. We had the same eyes."

"We still do," I joked, referencing our still red newborn eyes. Ryan chuckled for a moment.

"I suppose so," he sighed. "I guess…I liked you, Danielle. I've always liked you, but I've also wondered if there was more to it than that. I always hoped you'd dump your boy toy for me, but I can see that won't happen. Still, you can't deny we have a connection."

"I think that's enough," Jake stepped in. I put my hand on his shoulder. We didn't need another fight.

"My apologies, Jacob. I didn't mean it like that. I've just…been thinking. Since we were trapped at Peter Piper's house. What he said about us being a family? I've always wondered if maybe he chose us for a reason. Think about it, he chose you because you're his daughter, but why would he pick me if I'm not his son?"

"Convenient target?" I offered. Ryan shook his head.

"I was a slave to the Volturi," Ryan mentioned. "Peter paid to get me back to him."

"Are you kidding me?" I scoffed. "That's ridiculous." What could Peter have possibly paid...nevermind, I really didn't want to answer that.

"It's true. We were both intentionally brought to that house. He wanted us both there for a reason. I just wonder what that reason was."

"It's in the past, Ryan," I changed the subject, and squeezed his hand. "Go talk to my dad for a bit. Take a walk. Clear your head. Everything is going to be okay."

"Yeah," Jake added on at the end. I could tell he just wanted Ryan to leave.

"Thank you, both of you. I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. I'm still adjusting, you know," Ryan defended.

"Ryan, you were a pain in the ass long before you became a vampire," I commented. "Now get out of here before I need to fight you myself." Ryan chuckled, and nodded before walking off.

"You're going to obsess over what he just said, aren't you?" Jake asked me, pulling me into his arms. I nodded. I couldn't forget what he said.

"He's right. There are plenty of other nomads who would probably fall for Peter's trap. Why pay the Volturi to give up Ryan?"

"How do you know Ryan isn't lying?" Jake countered. "He's probably playing some mind trick or something."

"Ryan is sneaky, but he doesn't lie," I argued. "We did have the same eyes, Jake," I commented. "And the same hair color."

"You were born in different countries," Jake challenged. "There's no way…"

"We think we were born in different countries. You and I both know that in this world, anything is possible," I played with the hem of his shirt.

"So you really think…?" Jake asked.

"I do," I affirmed. "I think Ryan could be my biological brother."