A/N : Here we are at chapter 4. Thanx for all the wonderful reviews on chapter 3; sapofbks2002, Cordelia Osbourne, macdeniken, Starbright Moonlight, Crazy Canuck, Cassandra Anthemyst, tetris, princessvampire, ndblue123, Angel and NutbarZ (who I'm assuming was 'i_luv_ultrawoman's_fanfics' last time?) - you lot are the best!

Now, lets meet the Pelkowski family...

Disclaimer : Meg Cabot's characters - Mia, Michael, Lars, Lilly, Boris

Ultrawoman's characters - James, Laura, Nina, Lilly Amelia, Jackie, Diana

"Boris is here?" Michael whispered to his wife as she told him the news. They stood in the main foyer of the palace. Next to them was the door leading to the main sitting room where Phillippe, Diana, Jackie and Lars still sat. Down the hall was Boris Pelkowski, their brother-in-law, and his three children, whilst upstairs were two important people with the name Lilly, their new baby daughter and their distraught sister.

"Yes, he's here and he brought the children" Mia explained to her husband, "I told Lilly we'd speak to him and find out what was going on. She's just no ready to see them yet"

"What are we going to say to them?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we should send the kids out of the room and just talk to Boris first. The children do not need to hear everything"

"Good idea" Michael agreed, as he took his wife's hand. "Let's go"

They entered the door to the room where the Pelkowski family, minus Lilly, were now situated. Boris sat on a large sofa on one side of the room with his two daughters, one either side of him. The two dark haired girls could have been twins if it were not for the two years age difference between them. They looked a lot like their mother and nothing like their father at all, and they both managed a smile when they saw their Aunt Mia and Uncle Michael.

"Boris, Laura, Nina, how are you all?" Mia smiled, not even noticing the fourth figure that stood by the window.

"You know how we are Mia" Boris snapped at the Queen, "Where's Lilly?"

"Don't take that tone Boris..." Michael warned and at that moment Mia noticed her nephew.

"James?" she enquired as the figure turned. A tall young man, much taller than either Mia or Michael remembered, was framed by the light from the window. His good looks were a mystery given that Boris, although not ugly, was far from conventionally attractive, and Lilly had always resembled more of a pug than anything else.

James was different, different from the rest of his family in more than one way. His dark brown, almost black hair, was swept back off of his face and his blue eyes shone so bright it was blinding, but Michael knew something was missing. His nephew, as a child, had been the centre of attention. The cleverest child in his classes at school and one of the happiest too. Now there was a resentment and a pain inside him that shone out through those eyes that used to be so full of joy.

"Is Mom here or not?" he spat and Mia knew she should have been offended, but she wasn't. She understood that if his parents had been arguing so much that the boy was hurting. Seventeen was a tough age to be, caught between childhood and being an adult, add to that the strained marriage of his parents and it was understandable that James was hurting and he was quick to let out that hurt on other people.

"Yes, she's here" Mia answered him quickly, before Michael or Boris could attempt to scold the boy. "But she needs some time right now. In the meantime, your uncle and I would like to have a word with your father so I wondered if you would mind taking Nina and Laura and going into the next room" she tried to be reasonable and firm at the same time "Your cousin Phillippe is there with Lars and his wife and daughter. You can catch up on things whilst we talk to your Dad"

"Whatever" the young man sneered, "Come on you two" she said, glancing at his sisters, who both hugged their father before following their brother out of the room. Mia watched them leave. The rebellion in James that Lilly had spoken of was evident, not only from his manner but from the way he spoke, the way he walked and the way he dressed.

Whilst Boris had arrived at the palace in a suit and the girls wore semi-formal dresses, James wore black jeans, a T-shirt and worn leather jacket. He was not a mess but he was not as smartly dressed as guests at the Genovian palace usually were. The Queen decided that her nephews clothes, his manners, even his attitude were far from the most important issue though. The most important issue concerned Lilly and Boris, not their son.

As the young people closed the door behind themselves, Mia and Michael pulled two chairs over to where Boris remained, and sat down.

"I'm sorry about James" their brother-in-law apologised, immediately, "I honestly don't know where that attitude comes from. He used to be such a nice boy"

"It's okay, Boris" Mia told him, "It doesn't matter"

"Maybe if we could sort out the problems you and Lilly are having, then James wouldn't be so...difficult" Michael tried.

"I know, I know" Boris put him head in his hands, "It's all such a mess!"

"It doesn't have to be" Mia told him, "We want to help you. You and Lilly are very important to us and we want you to be happy, and we're going to do everything we can to make that happen"

In all honesty, neither Michael or Mia knew what they could do to help, but they were going to try. Lilly and Boris were part of the family and as such they were two of the most important people in the lives of the Queen and Prince Consort of Genovia. Together, they hoped, rather than believed, that there was no problem they could not overcome.

A/N : I'll update again as soon as I can. In the meantime, reviews are welcomed and appreciated, so please press that button and tell me what you thought of this chapter.