"So, Mom, Dad," Daria paced the living room in front of the TV, her rage giving her roles as presiding judge, duly seated jury, and ever-so-angry prosecutor. "Did you bring her back to finish the job?"

For emphasis she hiked her skirt high on the right and twisted her leg to exhibit her right thigh to her mother, father, Quinn and this Braje girl. As all but Quinn gasped Daria let them linger their attention on her white line of evidence.

Daria shied away as the girl Braje dropped from her seat on the couch and stuck a hand out at her thigh. Braje's other hand clapped itself over her mouth and Braje went no farther allowing herself to let Helen pull her back onto the couch.

"Daria, no, kiddo, uh," Jake surprisingly was the first to attempt an answer although Daria was not surprised at her father's ineptitude at the attempt.

Quinn was sitting to one side of Braje who was in the middle of all the Morgendorffers and facing Daria directly. Quinn was staring transfixed at newly-presented, at least according to her parents, sister Braje's three-quarters profile.

As Helen, Jake and Braje struggled to answer Daria's question, put in her usual deadpan tone and about deadly matters, Daria had a moment to be amazed at the object of Quinn's evident fascination.

"Braje is absolutely beautiful," Daria thought as she watched Quinn turn her head side to side to look at Braje. Quinn did not bother to even try to hide her perusal of the older teen. Daria did not know which aspect of the bizarre situation Quinn was more fascinated with: the prospect of another sister or Braje's beauty, likely both. Daria was surprised the she herself was so cognizant of Braje's attractiveness.

"No other word for it, Braje is beautiful. The most beautiful Morgendorffer here or ever or Barksdale either I guess. Probably now the most beautiful girl in Lawndale. Think of the Fashion Club's impending reaction!"

Quinn was cute, an inadequate word to describe the charm, grace and attractiveness of her kid sister, at least her kid sister at first overall impression. Daria knew that she herself was quite attractive; she neither regretted that fact, tried to hide her features overmuch or play them up. In public however, whatever the audience and situation, Daria knew that she and Quinn would have been utterly ignored while in the company of the creature currently on the couch in front of her.

At least if the spectators looked into the face of the high-cheeked, peaches-and-cream, green-eyed visage of the girl-creature after ignoring the doughty, frumpy, baggy clothing the body hanging limply on the body.

"God," Daria thought. "I should take ugly dressing lessons from my assailant. I think there is a slender, healthy body in that mis-matched mess of cloth pieces somewhere. What the hell am I thinking of? This most beautiful Morgendorffer tried to kill me. No amount of underdressing me makes up for that."

Daria shook her head to clear it and listen to her mother and father stammer.

"Kiddo," Jake began. "Daria, I mean. My sister, your aunt."

"Yeah, Dad," Daria said dryly. "My father's sister is my aunt. That's the way it works."

"Your aunt and uncle, Daria, Quinn," Jake said more confidently. "They passed away a week ago."

"Mom and Dad." The Morgendorffers were startled by Braje's sudden cry and sobs. She buried her face in her hands and shook.

Helen went over to Braje and held her. Quinn and Daria looked at each other their mouths gaping unable to come up with words. They were used to their mother being the parent to relate hard news while Jake stood by as backup and emotional support, if he did not flee the room in panic.

"When we said each year, kiddos," Jake continued. "That we were going on a marital retreat, well, we lied kind of sort of anyway. We were visiting Karen and Sam and Braje."

"Go on," Quinn said tightly.

With Quinn's unexpected comment it came home to Daria that this surreal situation and possible threat concerned more than herself. She stood in front of Quinn and extended her hand. Quinn bit her lip then took let Daria gently pull her up. The two younger sisters stood in front of the TV and looked at their family.

"Karen and Sam," Jake pressed on. "Died in a car accident a couple weeks ago. Well, it's complicated but Braje grew up thinking they were her parents. Mom and I are her parents naturally or biologically or you know; Karen and Sam, they couldn't have children, the either of them and after, um, after, Braje, um"

"Cut me," Daria said to help him out.

"Yeah, after that incident well, we thought she needed, you, we all needed a, a breather."

Jake swallowed hard and sighed harder at the inadequacy of his words.

"We took Braje her to live with them and over the years, it was just for a little while that she would stay there at first, but they loved her and she loved them and forgot us, I mean forgot your mom and I were, you know."

Braje gave out an enormous sob then stood dropping Helen's hands from her.

"They were my Mom and my Dad," Braje pronounced. "And now you are and always were my mom and dad too. Not many people can say something like that. I'm blessed. I would rather not have to have them pass to find out but I have to take what the Lord gives as my trial and testing."

Daria made note of the religious seeming talk barely familiar to her as it was and tucked it in the back of her mind.

"F-," Daria said. Jake and Helen winced.

"F- and f- again," Daria continued. "Just one question, no two. Braje or whoever the Hell you are. Do you still want to hurt me? Do you want to hurt Quinn?"

"No, no," Braje instantly protested. "I forgot all about it until Aunt Helen and Uncle Jake, I mean, you know. Mom and Dad told me and we talked it out. I just remembered it as a bad dream. Daria, I was a little kid, please, please forgive me. I didn't even know you guys even existed, I want to know my kid sisters."

Before Daria could brush that aside as too early in the game, Quinn spoke up.

"Mom, Dad, um, okay, I just want to know. Well, more later but like, how did you get control oh, what do they call? Custody of her?"

Braje nodded even as the rest of the Morgendorffers gaped at Quinn's unexpectedly and uncharacteristically perceptive question.

"She's still legally ours, even if," Helen paused, "Even if she has been called 'Braje DuPont' for years."

"And that's who I still am," Braje said tightly.

Quinn shook her head not convinced or still taking it in.

"Okay, whatever. Now, second and thirdly. What's a 'Braje'? Where does that even come from? And how old are you?"

Jake started out, "When Mom was pregnant with any of you, we never took, um, things, but girls you know we were, um, indulgent on weekends only mind you, at the old commune in Iowa. One night we were pretty mellow and just tossing around names and creating names."

Jake smiled for the first time that day, "I came up with 'Braje'."

"And I liked it immediately, so strong and forceful. Just what a girl needed to fight The Man." Helen said looking at her oldest daughter.

"And I hated it at first but I'm the only one in the world with that name. I wouldn't change for the world," Braje finished. "Not even to be called 'Barbara'."

"Oh, and I'm 17, Quinn. I was real sick as a kid and they had to hold me back a year in school so I actually have two more years of school. I'll be a junior in the Fall, like Daria. In same class or two as Daria, I hope."

This was too much for Daria. She sat down hard on the ottoman. Quinn sat next to her. Daria instinctively shied away from Quinn's embrace but she leaned into it as her scar prickled suddenly.

Helen blew out a huge breath. "We're all exhausted. Okay, Daria, Quinn, this is too much I know. We've reserved a nice room for Braje at Le Grand Hotel. She can stay there a few nights until you want her here. I think that's a good way to ease into this."

Daria stood, "No, Mom, I think Quinn and I can stay at the Le Grand for a few nights on your dime. I hope you got the best room, a double. Braje can take the guest storage room here. I think that's a good way to 'ease into this'."

That said, Daria stood and nodded to Quinn. She stuck her hand out to her father who weakly put the keys to the Lexus into Daria's palm. Daria and Quinn packed wordlessly and drove off.