[A/N- From now on, the story's going to be told 3rd person pov.]
Paul Galen, a violet-blue eyed blond of average height, sighed and looked at his watch. ~She's going to be late~ Just then, a tall brunette with eyes that were so dark they were nearly black ran into the cinema.
"Am I late?" she breathed.
"No, just in time. Let's go, I don't want to miss the previews!" With that, the two teens went into the movie.
"So, Paul, how's your father?" the girl asked cautiously.
"Not good. He keeps getting delirious. He mutters about Mom, only he'll describe her to me, and then he'll tell me how she looked as a girl, only the description is completely different. I'm worried about it. His health isn't good, and it can only get worse." His best friend put her arm around him. "It'll be OK." The friends pushed it from their minds and watched the movie.
Later, Paul found himself taking a tray of soup into his bedridden father. The unkempt man with hazel eyes and dark blond hair laying in the bed was a shadow of his former handsome self. Mr. Galen had been to countless doctors, but no one knew what was wrong with him. Luckily, Mr. Galen was having what seemed like a good day. He smiled at Paul as he began eating.
"Paul, how are you, my boy? How was your day? Good soup, by the way." Paul answered him. The older man looked thoughtful. "Did I ever tell you about your mother? She was a beauty, that she was. The brightest copper colored hair you could imagine. You have her eyes." Mr. Galen smiled at the memory. He had, of course, already told Paul this many times, but it didn't matter. ~He's so happy when he talks about her. He must've loved her very much. I wonder what happened to Mom anyway... I hope he gets better.~ The man had sunk back against his pillow. Then, "Oh that girl. Quite a spitfire, from the moment she was born. I knew there was something different about her, I did. Hazel eyes, copper hair..." and on he droned. Paul sighed. ~He had been doing so well, then he confused her eyecolor, as usual. Is it Alzheimer's, maybe? At least, the memory part could be?~ He thought helplessly. "Why, I remember, when she was about three or four, she would try and break into everything... how her mother yelled at her!" The man laughed in delight. "I would always comfort her, you see. I was the protector..." Mr. Galen finished eating. Paul removed the tray then began on his homework. He didn't have much and finished it quickly. He picked up the phone and dialed.
"Is Dal there?" That had been his nickname for his friend since the time he had met her. "Hey Dal! What's up?"
"What's with your forced enthusiasm, Paul? Is everything ok?" He could never put one past her. "Well, Dad's doing it again. I just don't know what to do." "Are you finished your homework? Want to go for a walk?" They agreed and started off.
"Why don't you ever want to go for walks anymore?" she pouted. Paul rolled his eyes and told her that he was on one right now. They continued walking and chatting for a good while. It began to get dark and Paul realized he needed to get home soon.
"Goodnight, Dal! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" He hollered as he ran up the steps of his house. The lights were all off, that he could see. "Dad?" Nothing. Paul sprinted into his father's room. The old man was sleeping, but he didn't look comfortable. Paul himself then went to bed.
A few weeks passed and Mr. Galen's health continued to get worse. His memory hadn't improved and he was feverish. All he could talk about was his wife. He had a doctor's appointment soon and Paul couldn't afford to do anything but wait. His schoolwork suffered because he was so worried something would happen while he was there. Unfortunately, his worst fears came true.
Paul ran home from school as usual. "Dad?!" His father was coughing and sweating. He looked horrible. He motioned Paul to his bedside. "Son, I'm sorry... I should've told you..."
"Dad, it's ok. Whatever it is, don't worry about it. You can tell me later, when you're better. Here, let-" "NO!" Mr. Galen never rose his voice. He practically couldn't in his current state of health. Whatever this is, it had to be important.
"I need to tell you... not much time... Your mother..." his eyes filled with tears, but he continued. "She didn't die. I had to... we... we were forced to split up. She lives in America... With your sister... you must go to them... she needs you... your sister..." "Dad, what are you saying? I'll... I'll call a doctor! You need to go to the hospital!" Paul was near hysterics.
"No, it's too late. Just listen to me... it's all true. She needs your help... she's not strong enough alone... you, you have the power... always knew there was something different about you- both... find her, please... you must... you can... heal... her name is Kerensa Nile...I love you. all." As the long-suffering man uttered these words, his chest heaved one last time and then he lay still. Paul gave a cry and threw himself on top of father sobbing. He knew there was nothing he could do. Numbly, he called 911. Then, through his tears, he called his best friend, Abigail Dalmont, Dal for short.
The court proceedings were not complicated. Paul went to New York City to live with his mother. However, he knew his father was telling the truth. Paul had to find his sister. Once their mother had recovered from all the shock, pain, and amazement, she agreed to ship him to Juuban through the same exchange program as his sister. She wrote a letter to Ren explaining the whole awful truth, and hoped Ren got the letter before she got Paul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ren clamped one hand to her mouth as the letter fell from the other hand. "I don't believe this... it can't be!" Her friends rushed over to her, their faces mirroring concern.
"What's wrong, Ren?!?" Kariana asked. Kerensa picked the letter up and handed it to them. As realization dawned on them, her friends gasped.
"You have a BROTHER? He's coming HERE?" Kariana, Anemone, and Ariana were bubbling with excitement. Tess was a little more tactful. "I'm sorry about your father." Ren shrugged. "I always thought he was dead anyway. Now I know he really is." She bit her lip. She knew once she let all of this really digest she'd be upset, but she didn't want her friends to worry about her. They'd be meeting her brother, Paul Galen, at the airport tonight at 7PM. That gave Ren exactly 4 hours till she had to be at the terminal. She wanted to be alone. Fortunately, she had wonderful friends who understood this.
Ren left the house wandering aimlessly. She found herself going in the direction of the pier and sat down on the dock. After Ren had skipped a few stones, she just sat and mused.
~Why didn't Mom ever tell me? Why did she have to lie to me? I mean, if she thought everything would be easier just saying my father was dead, I guess I can understand that. A little. But I have a brother! She never told me I have an older brother! Did he know about me? I guess not. Apparently Mom let him down too. He was sick. He needed her. And she just let him die, let her son watch his father die. While she was clear across the world with the sister he never knew he had. Poor Paul. This must be hell for him. Too.~ Hot tears poured down Ren's cheeks, and for once, she let them fall. ~Why, Mom? We were never close, but how could you do this to me? To our family?~ She didn't know that she could ever trust her mother again. Ren grabbed a rock and chucked it forcefully into the water, then sank back down to the ground, sobbing.
~I need some sort of distraction. I wonder what my brother will be like.~ Kerensa managed a laugh as she thought of the possibility of hooking him up with one of her friends. She
jjust needed to think of something besides how she felt. Ren knew she couldn't run from all of her feelings, but she had done enough soul-searching. Her mind wandered then to her friends and her new life. While she was still uncertain about being a scout, pondering all this was better than crying about things she had no control over. She considered her feelings for Akira. Ren barely knew him, but every time she thought about him she couldn't smiling. She wondered how Akira felt about her.
Meanwhile, Akira had come across four very confusing girls. He asked them what was going on. They showed him the letter Ren had received. ~no wonder they all look so confused.~ He let out a low whistle and asked where Ren was. They replied that she had gone for a walk; she wanted to be alone. He nodded and said he was going to look for her, and left.
"Well, if I wasn't confused before, I am now," said Tess, staring after the departing Akira. The twins agreed.
"I think he likes her," sang Nem. The others grinned.
"Oh my God! I think you're right!" Said Kariana. Ariana let out a whoop. "Oh, this is perfect ammo for future, er, pranks." Tess was torn. "Sure. It's pretty obvious. But is now a good time to figure this out? I mean, Ren is definitely not in a good mood right now and..." She trailed off. It seemed pretty useless to argue, and besides, Ren would have to cheer up eventually. Nem and the twins were right. Since it was getting close to the time they'd all have to leave for the airport, the girls hoped he found Ren.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Where would she have gone?~ Akira thought. She didn't know many places in Juuban where she could be alone besides... the pier. He knew he was right and headed in the direction of it. As he approached, he saw Ren sitting on the edge of the dock, apparently lost in thought. It was obvious she'd been crying. Akira felt his heart tug and scolded himself. Now's not the time. Ren had no way of knowing how much he liked her, and even if she did, there were more important things going on right now.
Akira hated lying to his sister and her friends. Well, they were his friends too. Especially Kerensa... But they couldn't know his secret yet. He had not been surprised when he saw the four Americans with his sister. He had known why they were here. However, he had no idea his sister was involved. This was a shock, but he got over it quickly. Akira knew they would find out eventually... He couldn't help noticing all the similarities between what was happening now and what had already happened... What he was working so hard to fight... He knew he could win.
Akira realized he had been staring at Ren as he thought about all this. She hadn't noticed him yet. He walked up behind her slowly and knelt down next to her. She turned and gave him a tiny smile.
"Hi, Akira. What are you doing here?"
"I came to find you... Our friends told me everything. Are you OK?" Akira couldn't help it. He was worried, and he wasn't going to hide it.
"Yeah, now I am. It was quite a... surprise. Thanks for your, er, concern. I suppose they sent you to tell me it's almost time to go pick up Paul?"
"No. They told me you wanted to be alone... I just wanted to make sure you were allright." Ren looked at him curiously, but said nothing. She stood up and began walking away. She didn't trust herself to look at him, and merely replied, "Well, come on. We do need to get going." They walked back to the Takeshi's together in silence.
Paul Galen, a violet-blue eyed blond of average height, sighed and looked at his watch. ~She's going to be late~ Just then, a tall brunette with eyes that were so dark they were nearly black ran into the cinema.
"Am I late?" she breathed.
"No, just in time. Let's go, I don't want to miss the previews!" With that, the two teens went into the movie.
"So, Paul, how's your father?" the girl asked cautiously.
"Not good. He keeps getting delirious. He mutters about Mom, only he'll describe her to me, and then he'll tell me how she looked as a girl, only the description is completely different. I'm worried about it. His health isn't good, and it can only get worse." His best friend put her arm around him. "It'll be OK." The friends pushed it from their minds and watched the movie.
Later, Paul found himself taking a tray of soup into his bedridden father. The unkempt man with hazel eyes and dark blond hair laying in the bed was a shadow of his former handsome self. Mr. Galen had been to countless doctors, but no one knew what was wrong with him. Luckily, Mr. Galen was having what seemed like a good day. He smiled at Paul as he began eating.
"Paul, how are you, my boy? How was your day? Good soup, by the way." Paul answered him. The older man looked thoughtful. "Did I ever tell you about your mother? She was a beauty, that she was. The brightest copper colored hair you could imagine. You have her eyes." Mr. Galen smiled at the memory. He had, of course, already told Paul this many times, but it didn't matter. ~He's so happy when he talks about her. He must've loved her very much. I wonder what happened to Mom anyway... I hope he gets better.~ The man had sunk back against his pillow. Then, "Oh that girl. Quite a spitfire, from the moment she was born. I knew there was something different about her, I did. Hazel eyes, copper hair..." and on he droned. Paul sighed. ~He had been doing so well, then he confused her eyecolor, as usual. Is it Alzheimer's, maybe? At least, the memory part could be?~ He thought helplessly. "Why, I remember, when she was about three or four, she would try and break into everything... how her mother yelled at her!" The man laughed in delight. "I would always comfort her, you see. I was the protector..." Mr. Galen finished eating. Paul removed the tray then began on his homework. He didn't have much and finished it quickly. He picked up the phone and dialed.
"Is Dal there?" That had been his nickname for his friend since the time he had met her. "Hey Dal! What's up?"
"What's with your forced enthusiasm, Paul? Is everything ok?" He could never put one past her. "Well, Dad's doing it again. I just don't know what to do." "Are you finished your homework? Want to go for a walk?" They agreed and started off.
"Why don't you ever want to go for walks anymore?" she pouted. Paul rolled his eyes and told her that he was on one right now. They continued walking and chatting for a good while. It began to get dark and Paul realized he needed to get home soon.
"Goodnight, Dal! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" He hollered as he ran up the steps of his house. The lights were all off, that he could see. "Dad?" Nothing. Paul sprinted into his father's room. The old man was sleeping, but he didn't look comfortable. Paul himself then went to bed.
A few weeks passed and Mr. Galen's health continued to get worse. His memory hadn't improved and he was feverish. All he could talk about was his wife. He had a doctor's appointment soon and Paul couldn't afford to do anything but wait. His schoolwork suffered because he was so worried something would happen while he was there. Unfortunately, his worst fears came true.
Paul ran home from school as usual. "Dad?!" His father was coughing and sweating. He looked horrible. He motioned Paul to his bedside. "Son, I'm sorry... I should've told you..."
"Dad, it's ok. Whatever it is, don't worry about it. You can tell me later, when you're better. Here, let-" "NO!" Mr. Galen never rose his voice. He practically couldn't in his current state of health. Whatever this is, it had to be important.
"I need to tell you... not much time... Your mother..." his eyes filled with tears, but he continued. "She didn't die. I had to... we... we were forced to split up. She lives in America... With your sister... you must go to them... she needs you... your sister..." "Dad, what are you saying? I'll... I'll call a doctor! You need to go to the hospital!" Paul was near hysterics.
"No, it's too late. Just listen to me... it's all true. She needs your help... she's not strong enough alone... you, you have the power... always knew there was something different about you- both... find her, please... you must... you can... heal... her name is Kerensa Nile...I love you. all." As the long-suffering man uttered these words, his chest heaved one last time and then he lay still. Paul gave a cry and threw himself on top of father sobbing. He knew there was nothing he could do. Numbly, he called 911. Then, through his tears, he called his best friend, Abigail Dalmont, Dal for short.
The court proceedings were not complicated. Paul went to New York City to live with his mother. However, he knew his father was telling the truth. Paul had to find his sister. Once their mother had recovered from all the shock, pain, and amazement, she agreed to ship him to Juuban through the same exchange program as his sister. She wrote a letter to Ren explaining the whole awful truth, and hoped Ren got the letter before she got Paul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ren clamped one hand to her mouth as the letter fell from the other hand. "I don't believe this... it can't be!" Her friends rushed over to her, their faces mirroring concern.
"What's wrong, Ren?!?" Kariana asked. Kerensa picked the letter up and handed it to them. As realization dawned on them, her friends gasped.
"You have a BROTHER? He's coming HERE?" Kariana, Anemone, and Ariana were bubbling with excitement. Tess was a little more tactful. "I'm sorry about your father." Ren shrugged. "I always thought he was dead anyway. Now I know he really is." She bit her lip. She knew once she let all of this really digest she'd be upset, but she didn't want her friends to worry about her. They'd be meeting her brother, Paul Galen, at the airport tonight at 7PM. That gave Ren exactly 4 hours till she had to be at the terminal. She wanted to be alone. Fortunately, she had wonderful friends who understood this.
Ren left the house wandering aimlessly. She found herself going in the direction of the pier and sat down on the dock. After Ren had skipped a few stones, she just sat and mused.
~Why didn't Mom ever tell me? Why did she have to lie to me? I mean, if she thought everything would be easier just saying my father was dead, I guess I can understand that. A little. But I have a brother! She never told me I have an older brother! Did he know about me? I guess not. Apparently Mom let him down too. He was sick. He needed her. And she just let him die, let her son watch his father die. While she was clear across the world with the sister he never knew he had. Poor Paul. This must be hell for him. Too.~ Hot tears poured down Ren's cheeks, and for once, she let them fall. ~Why, Mom? We were never close, but how could you do this to me? To our family?~ She didn't know that she could ever trust her mother again. Ren grabbed a rock and chucked it forcefully into the water, then sank back down to the ground, sobbing.
~I need some sort of distraction. I wonder what my brother will be like.~ Kerensa managed a laugh as she thought of the possibility of hooking him up with one of her friends. She
jjust needed to think of something besides how she felt. Ren knew she couldn't run from all of her feelings, but she had done enough soul-searching. Her mind wandered then to her friends and her new life. While she was still uncertain about being a scout, pondering all this was better than crying about things she had no control over. She considered her feelings for Akira. Ren barely knew him, but every time she thought about him she couldn't smiling. She wondered how Akira felt about her.
Meanwhile, Akira had come across four very confusing girls. He asked them what was going on. They showed him the letter Ren had received. ~no wonder they all look so confused.~ He let out a low whistle and asked where Ren was. They replied that she had gone for a walk; she wanted to be alone. He nodded and said he was going to look for her, and left.
"Well, if I wasn't confused before, I am now," said Tess, staring after the departing Akira. The twins agreed.
"I think he likes her," sang Nem. The others grinned.
"Oh my God! I think you're right!" Said Kariana. Ariana let out a whoop. "Oh, this is perfect ammo for future, er, pranks." Tess was torn. "Sure. It's pretty obvious. But is now a good time to figure this out? I mean, Ren is definitely not in a good mood right now and..." She trailed off. It seemed pretty useless to argue, and besides, Ren would have to cheer up eventually. Nem and the twins were right. Since it was getting close to the time they'd all have to leave for the airport, the girls hoped he found Ren.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Where would she have gone?~ Akira thought. She didn't know many places in Juuban where she could be alone besides... the pier. He knew he was right and headed in the direction of it. As he approached, he saw Ren sitting on the edge of the dock, apparently lost in thought. It was obvious she'd been crying. Akira felt his heart tug and scolded himself. Now's not the time. Ren had no way of knowing how much he liked her, and even if she did, there were more important things going on right now.
Akira hated lying to his sister and her friends. Well, they were his friends too. Especially Kerensa... But they couldn't know his secret yet. He had not been surprised when he saw the four Americans with his sister. He had known why they were here. However, he had no idea his sister was involved. This was a shock, but he got over it quickly. Akira knew they would find out eventually... He couldn't help noticing all the similarities between what was happening now and what had already happened... What he was working so hard to fight... He knew he could win.
Akira realized he had been staring at Ren as he thought about all this. She hadn't noticed him yet. He walked up behind her slowly and knelt down next to her. She turned and gave him a tiny smile.
"Hi, Akira. What are you doing here?"
"I came to find you... Our friends told me everything. Are you OK?" Akira couldn't help it. He was worried, and he wasn't going to hide it.
"Yeah, now I am. It was quite a... surprise. Thanks for your, er, concern. I suppose they sent you to tell me it's almost time to go pick up Paul?"
"No. They told me you wanted to be alone... I just wanted to make sure you were allright." Ren looked at him curiously, but said nothing. She stood up and began walking away. She didn't trust herself to look at him, and merely replied, "Well, come on. We do need to get going." They walked back to the Takeshi's together in silence.
