A/N: First off, thanks to ALL who reviewed, it's so nice to be liked! ^^ That means thanks to Naruka, ln1, ranma, Chang Wumei (I'm glad you like it, but I'm not sure if it will stay BradRan. That's just the Pairing my muses were headed toward. They may change their minds.), and Anime the Fallen Angel. If you guys keep reviewing like this, I'll have this story done in a week! There are only supposed to be 10 chapters (according to my VAGUE outline) and I've already done 5! Thanks all of you!

"Speaking"

__ Thought Speech __ (usually initiated by Schu)

'Thoughts/Thinking'

~~

"Where'd you put it?!?"

"Put what?"

"My HAT!" (A/N: I love the hat he wears in Gluhen; beats his bandana/headband)

"I would never stoop so low as to touch that disgusting piece of- "

"Don't finish that sentence, Yohji."

"Ran? YOU'RE sticking up for him and that hat?"

"Yes. You have a cross painted on your chest; Schuldich has a hat."

" . . . "

~~

It had been a few weeks since the newer - and larger - Weiss had moved into their new home, and everyone was still trying to find their place in the group. There had been a few fights, another underwear incident, and a coffee incident that no one was willing to talk about. All in all, though, they had merged nicely. The problems that arose were problems that anyone could expect with eight young men living together.

Schuldich had unconsciously begun to feel protective of Ran, asking if he was okay, making sure he had had enough to eat, and glaring at Brad every time the older man looked at Ran. Ran had noticed the treatment, but instead of fighting it, he found it nice to be taken care of. His mother had been the only one to really do that, and even she stopped when Ran reached High School.

The others were all acting like themselves, including Farfarello, who had made it a game to chase Ken around the house with an eggbeater. At 7:00 in the morning. Ken had begun to leave his room later in the day, or before Farf woke up. Not that he was avoiding him; he just didn't appreciate starting the day screaming, and getting screamed at. Brad started every morning by stooping the chase and reading the paper. Schuldich and Yohji both started their day at noon by eating 'breakfast'.

Omi and Nagi both woke up around 8:oo in the morning, and on weekdays, got ready for school. If there was no school, they usually took the morning shift at the flower shop. All of the ex-Schwarz members worked in the shop, even Farfie, although he usually stayed out of the customers' sight.

__ Hey, Rannie? What's wrong? __

"Stay out of my head, Schuldich."

"I figured you would be more willing to let me know if you didn't have to say it in front of others."

"I don't *have* to say it at all."

"That's true. But I was hoping you would be willing to tell me anyway."

"Maybe later." Ran sighed, and headed next door for his shift in the flower shop. Schu was the only one that Ran was really willing to talk to. If Ran asked, he would stay out of his head, and he really seemed to listen and care. 'A perfect psychologist,' Ran thought cynically.

~~

That evening, Schuldich decided to check up on Ran, and see if he was ready to talk yet. When he opened the door, he saw Ran sitting in the window seat, trying to stop crying. Schuldich pushed the door closed behind him as he walked over to the smaller man.

"Rannie? What's wrong?" He asked softly, wrapping his arms around him.

"N- Nothing. I'm f- fine," Ran stuttered, desperately swiping at his eyes.

"Of course you are," Schuldich said, gently. "Because everyone knows that people cry when they're fine. It's when they smile that you have reason to worry." He looked down at Ran, who had hidden his face in his hands. "Come on, why don't you tell me what's going on? It might make you feel better."

"I just m- miss them. K- Kaasan, and Aya, and even . . . even Kouga," Ran sobbed. He had his head lowered, so he missed the look of pain and guilt that crossed the German's face.

"Could you tell me something, Ran?" Schuldich asked, tipping Ran's tear- streaked face up so that their eyes would meet. Ran gave made a sound that Schuldich took as a request to continue, so he did. "Why do you call him Kouga? I asked you before if he was your father, and you didn't give a real answer." Ran lowered his head again, and leaned against Schuldich.

"He and my mother were married when I was born," Ran said, his tears beginning to stop. "But he isn't my real father." Schuldich was about to ask what he meant, but Ran was able to continue without prompting. "She had an affair less than a year after they were married. The guy was this Japanese/German man with two kids of his own. I don't know his name, but his last name was Kitada."

Schuldich's eyes bugged out when he heard the name, and his hold on Ran's still-trembling shoulders tightened momentarily. 'Kitada? How many Japanese/German Kitada families could there be? Hanae might remember if this has something to do with Papa. I'll ask her next time I see her.' Out loud he said, "Is that why you were called a . . . um . . . "

"Bastard?" Ran finished, talking into Schuldich's chest. "Yeah. Kouga claimed me as his on the birth certificate, but he never let me forget that I wasn't really his. He would always say stuff like that, even when I was too little to understand the words. He even tried to make Aya hate me at one point." Ran laughed softly at the memory. "She told him that nothing he could say would make her hate me. By that point, she loved me more than Kaasan did. And then . . . " Ran buried his head in Schuldich's chest, trying to keep from crying again. Schuldich looked down at him, then lifted him and re-situated him so that Ran was sitting in his lap. The smaller man looked up at him questioningly, and Schuldich gave him a small grin.

"It's easier to hold you like this, and if you're going to keep talking to me, I need a good grip on you." Ran accepted the excuse and laid his head on Schuldich's shoulder. Within a few minutes, however, he had fallen asleep, clutching Schuldich's shirt in both fists. "Wore yourself out already? You must've been crying for awhile before I came in here," he whispered, standing up and walking over to Ran's bed. He lay the sleeping man down gently, and tucked him in. Before leaving the room, he whispered a soft "goodnight" and kissed Ran's forehead. Ran smiled slightly in his sleep, and turned somewhat so that he was facing Schuldich's retreating form.

~~

"I don't care Hanae, I need to talk to you. Now."

"Schuldich, this is going to have to wait. I'm very busy right now, and I can't just leave because you say you need to talk."

"But it could concern our little brother!" Schuldich could hear the woman suck in her breath. It wasn't easy to surprise her, but apparently that comment had.

"Where did you say you wanted to make?"

Schuldich smiled, knowing that soon he would have answers. "In the coffee shop a few streets down from the flower shop. Meet me there in fifteen minutes?"

"Wait for me, and I should be there in, at most, half an hour."

~~

Less than twenty minutes later saw Schuldich and Hanae both at the coffee shop. The woman codenamed Manx looked a little upset, but she got straight to business. "What do you mean 'our little brother'?" she asked, watching Schuldich closely.

"Just tell me a few things first, and I'll let you know, okay?" Schuldich looked imploringly at his older sister, and finally she conceded. "Did our father ever . . . get with a married woman?"

Manx looked at her brother, fighting disgust. "What kind of question is that?" she demanded.

"Just answer."

"Maybe once or twice. When are you asking about?"

"About twenty years ago. When you were four."

"Yes, I think he did." She didn't miss the smug, and proud, look on his face. "Will you tell me what's going on now?"

"We have a younger half-brother."

"What's his name? Or do you need more questions answered before you tell me?"

"I only needed those answered because I wasn't sure. Now I am." Manx raised her eyebrows as if to say 'Well . . . ?'. Her eyes widened in surprise when Schuldich smirked and answered her question. "His name is Fujimiya Ran."

~~

A/N: Okay people, you know the deal. Please review and tell me if you like, hate it, or if you've had Ramen Noodles in the past week. I have a craving for them right now. v.v;; But don't worry about the almost-cliffhanger. If you notice the two little dates at the top of the story, you'll see that I'll more than likely be updating tomorrow, or Friday at the latest.

Schu: If you tell them that, what's the point of making a cliffhanger?

Elfsong: I didn't make the cliffhanger. You guys did.

Ran: Us?

Elf: Uh-huh! *nods head* You're my muses for this story!

Ran and Schu: *looks at each other* That's a scary thought.

Elf: Is not! *pout*

Ran: Please review Elf's story. If you do . . . um . . .

Elf: If you give your email address I'll send you a cookie!

Schu: . . . *sweatdrop* Whatever . . . just please review.