Authors Note: I am so sorry it took so long. First, I couldn't decide where to go with this chapter. Then life started getting CRAZY and I haven't even been on the computer for about a week and a half. But here it is. FINALLY! Oh, and this chapter has a slight spoiler for the episode "Prodigal Father", but it doesn't affect the story, so if you haven't seen the episode, then don't worry.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, or the show. I'm just borrowing them. Also the title isn't mine, it's from the Green Day song "Jesus of Suburbia". Don't sue, I'm not making any money from any of it.

Wow, I'm pathetic. Right now, I'm realizing what just happened. I got an e-mail from my sister, I freaked out, I ran to the bathroom, and now I'm sitting here ready to cry. Why? Why do I want to cry? It's my sister, for goodness sake. My sister. Who runs away from their sister? Not only that, but my twin sister. Identical twins, we look freakishly alike. We had some fun with that when we were kids, even in high school. I remember the time when I was 14 and decided that I didn't want to be "TaraOrLana", I wanted to be Tara, so I tried to die my hair bright, wine red. What I didn't know that on my already blonde hair, it would come out bright pink. Yeah, that was interesting. At least people didn't confuse us.

Now that I think about it, we were pretty tight. We used to serve detention for each other if one of us had plans. Come to think of it, it was mostly me serving detention for Lana. But she would go to gym for me sometimes, and I would go to biology for her, because we had it during the same period. That worked out well. We never did get caught. I'm telling you, it's freakish how identical we are.

We also had some really great times together. Once, when we were 17, we convinced my aunt to let Ashleigh and us go to a Bangles concert in New Jersey, unsupervised. That was a lot of fun. I still remember all those fun times. The bad ones usually shadow them, though.

I took a deep breath in and regained my composure. Aw, crap, I left the e-mail open on my computer. I thought. Lucy is probably reading it right now. That's the trouble with her. She has to know everything. Occasionally, it is endearing, but most of the time, it's just plain annoying.

Sure enough, when I walked back into the bullpen, everyone just kind of looked at me. They were all at there desks, but I knew something was up.

"What is everyone staring at?" I ask innocently.

"You look at your computer, turn white as a ghost, then run out of the room, and you expect that everyone is going to ignore it?" Myles answered in his snide way.

I rolled my eyes. "Look, if you guys read the e-mail, then just tell me." I looked around. No one responded. "Come on," I encouraged. "I promise I won't be mad." Still no response. "Are you telling me that in this room full of gossips, no one bothered to look at what made me upset?"

"You make it sound like we're a bunch of 90-year-old women," Jack said.

"Yeah, we have respect for your privacy," Lucy added. "Although, if you want to tell us what it is, that would be perfectly fine with me."

I inhaled deeply, then exhaled it in a big sigh, thinking. Maybe I should tell them. Wow, this secret that I've worked so hard to keep for a dozen years, now I was considering telling all of these people. But, they're like family. I should tell them. "Ok," I began. "But you have to promise not to say a word until I'm done. This is gonna be hard enough as it is."

"Fair enough." Bobby said.

"Alright, first of all, the e-mail was from my sister-"

"You have a sister?" D cut me off. That happened sooner than expected.

"Yeah," I answered, giving him a look. "An identical twin."

"You mean, there's two of you?" Myles asked. I should have expected it. I just ignored him

"Look, do you want me to tell you the story, or not?"

"Sorry," D said. "Continue."

"Anyway," I continued, "as I was saying the e-mail was from my sister, Lana. The reason that was so surprising, is that Lana and I haven't spoken in 12 years." Bobby let out a low whistle. "She said that there was something up with my mom, and she, Lana that is, is coming to DC in two days. The thing is, I haven't seen my mom since I was seven years old. I never met my dad, so when my mom split, Lana and I were raised my aunt and uncle, my mom's brother. Lana had some issues when we were teenagers, and she fell into drugs. When we turned 18, she found my mother, living in San Diego, and skipped college to go live with her. The thing is, I never forgave my mother for leaving us, so when Lana decided to forgive her, and throw her life away for this woman," I was almost in tears now, "I told her to kiss our relationship goodbye. So, she wrote me a couple of times right after the move, she had gotten my address from my cousin, Ashleigh, but I never responded. About six years ago, the letters stopped coming. Until now." I felt a tear run down my cheek, and onto my chapped lips, which stung with the salty bitterness. Everyone was silent. I let out a half-laugh half-cry. "Isn't someone gonna say something?"

Sue was the first one to speak up. "Tara, I am so sorry," She said.

"Don't be," I told her, "It's not like you have anything to be sorry about."

"Well, I-I just don't know what else to say."

"I understand," I said. "That is the first time I have ever told that story. I didn't realize how much I was holding in."

"So, what are you going to do?" Jack asked me.

"I guess…I'm gonna see her. I mean, I don't know what else I can do." The whole situation was overwhelming. My head was spinning.

"Maybe…you should go home, relax, think," Sue offered.

I shook my head. "No, I have some stuff to do here. I'll be fine." Sue looked worried still, but I ignored her concern. Working would be good for me. Looking around, I realized that no one had moved in since I finished my story. "We have work to do, people." With that, everyone started going back to their desks, working. But they kept looking at me. I wish they would stop that. I'm a normal person, with a not-so-normal childhood. It's not like I'm the only person with that problem. Bobby's dad left when he was six, although at least he had a mother. I really needed to get back to work. Work sounds really good right about now.

As I walked into my apartment, I noticed that the red light on my answering machine was blinking. I clicked the play button and listened to a message from Stanley telling me that he was taking me out to dinner tonight for my birthday, and to look nice when he got there at 8:00. I smiled. That was exactly what I needed right now. Maybe it would take my mind off of the events of today. I looked at the clock. 6:56. Shoot. I quickly got into the shower and washed my hair, the proceeded to get ready for tonight.

A/N: So, that's where I'm gonna leave it for now. Feedback would be beautiful. Next chapter: Tara tells Stanley, and prepares herself for Lana coming.