"You're late." Zoi told the pair at the door from his spot cuddling with Ami on the couch.

"Her fault." Kunz replied shortly pointing over his shoulder at the cheerful blonde with him. "All her fault."

"Is not!" She replied, butting her fists on her hips. "I'll have you know Treen and Una were just as much to blame. Jasper too. He's cute."

"He's late for his karate class, that's what he is. Am I the only one who understands the idea of punctuality?" He threw his hands in the air, obviously annoyed.

"You were skypeing your family?" Neph asked from where he was trouncing a button-mashing Rei at Smash Bros. "How are they? Is Una out of her cast yet?"

"Cast? I didn't see a cast." Minako shot a look at Neph, which he couldn't see and would have ignored anyway.

"Yeah, she broke her arm getting her cat out of a tree. HAH!" He crowed, jumping up as Rei lost her last life. "Told you Link was a pansy. Why do you think I play Fox?"

Rei just stuck her tongue out at him. Then she replayed the conversation in her mind. "Wait, what? Kunz has siblings?"

"Well, yeah. We all do." That was from Zoi, looking bemused. "You mean, none of you knew that?"

"I knew about yours, and I think we all know about Jad's. I didn't know about the other two's." Ami broke in, not opening her eyes.

"So Kunz has three siblings? I figured he had at least one younger sister. Probably quite a bit younger." Mamoru responded in turn.

"How did you know that?" Usagi replied, turning to him with shock on her face.

"It has to do with the way he phrases things now and then. How much younger are your siblings?" The last was directed at Kunz, who was now, in the guise of Donkey Kong, beating the stuffing out of Jad's Pikachu.

"Eight for the girls, thirteen for Jasper. Yes!" He replied, punching Jad lightly in the shoulder as Pikachu missed the ledge they were fighting on by the barest margin and plummeted to its death.

"Does your father spend much time at home?"

Neph answered this with a snort. "I'd been his friend for two years and was over countless times before I ever met his father. The man dotes on his children, but is often away and very, very prone to spoiling them."

Usagi laughed delightedly at that. "It explains why he acts like the stern patriarch of the group, that's for sure. Makes me glad, for once, that my brother's younger."

"You have a younger brother too? Aren't they a pain?" That was Neph, looking long-suffering. "Oh, by the way, I got an e-mail from Jacob. He's changing his major. Again. Apparently he's going after a philosophy degree this time."

"Well, he's certainly the master of BS-ing, that's for sure. Yeah Kunz!" Zoi punched the air as Pikachu took a vicious hit. His actions jostled his girlfriend, who punched him in the shoulder before settling back down. "Callie's still dating everything with a pulse, and Dad's looking at investing in a shotgun. Now that she's in grade 12, she's convinced she's a queen. So far, she hasn't found anyone else up to her high standards, though, so I think she's fine for now."

Kunz groaned at that. "Don't remind me. That girl ambushed me every time I turned around for a year! And she's just a kid! A foolish, headstrong, spoiled kid!"

Minako joined in the laughter at his aggravated expression, but she was a trifle uneasy. The girl they were talking about being a child was only a year younger than her, and the rest of the girls. Except Rei, who was a year older than them.

Zoi shrugged expressively, causing Ami to smack him again. "What can I say? She's Mom's little baby and Dad's baby girl. I'm just glad you just went icy on her. If she'd thought you'd hurt her feelings... Well, it wouldn't be good, that's all I can say. Callie's got a set of lungs on her."

Usagi laughed. "My brother says the same about me. Often. That's what siblings do. Complain about you. That's fine, though. I complain right back."

"That you do, Usa. Though truth to be told, I always envied you your brother. Even when you fight, you're still obviously fond of each other." Mako informed her with a smile. "Heck, I'dve liked a brother just for the fighting."

"You just say that because you've never experienced it." Usagi informed her loftily. "However, if you really want one, we could give you Jad, I'm sure."

"Hey! I'm older than all you girls! And you can't just give me away like that. You're not my mother!" Came the indignant response from said still-failing-at-video-games blonde. This time he'd lost to Rei, who was still button-mashing happily. Mamoru shook his head at just how bad of a showing Jad was making today.

"She acts older. And considering it is Usako we're talking about..." His comment was met by identical shrieks of protest from blue-eyed blondes. "You know," He interjected into the moment of quiet there was after their grumblings died off. "The more we hang out, the more this feels like a family. You know what they say. "Friends are the family you pick for yourself." That certainly applies to us."

"And this greybeard here," Minako interjected, patting Kunz's head. "Is the Daddy." He glared up at her, and she just gave him an absolutely adorable look of childish hope. "Can I have a pony?"

That set everyone off laughing again, this time at the affronted look on Kunz's face.


Sorry for the long wait. My account has been a pain to do anything with for the last little while. The only reason I got the wotd ones up was much hoop jumping. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. Have a great day!