A/N; Apologies if you're getting bored, things will start to speed up after this chapter. (i.e, the fire and everything). This was just something wanted to write as I have never seen anyone actually write about the time they spent leading up to the showcase, and I also wanted to show how close the siblings were. Makes it more gut wrenching later. At least I hope it does. :)

'Anyone need anything else whilst I'm up?' Rena said, addressing the group of friends lazily lounging around the battered old sofa in the corner of the garage. 'I'm gonna get a coffee, does anyone else want one?'
'If that's alright! Milk and two sugars.'
'Same here please.'
'I'll take mine black cheers.'
'Any chance of a herbal tea?'
'We literally live in a cafe - OF COURSE there is herbal tea! OK so, two with milk and sugar, a black coffee and a herbal tea. Right.' Rena turned towards Hiro, typing frantically on a keyboard. 'You want anything?'
He waved his hand towards her distractedly, 'BUSY!'
Tadashi rose from where he was sitting and carefully stepped over his friends towards his sister. 'I'll come help you.'

'Aww thanks Big T!'

'Where the HELL has that come from?'

'Suits you.'

'If you say so. Squishy.'

She narrowed her eyes at her annoying big brother. He grinned at her as he opened the door up to the cafe.

'Race you!'

'You're literally so old. Never in my life have I met someone so imma- HEY STOP CHEATING!' She bounded up the stairs two at a time, determined to beat him. He was almost at the top when she managed to grab the edge of his blazer and pull him back. He stumbled and grasped the banister. Rena took her chance and slid under his arm, beating him to the top of the stairs. She raised her arms in the air in mock victory. Unfortunately, she didn't see the cap that he'd pelted towards her face.

'OW! That's mean, I won fair and square!' she yelped, rubbing her cheek.

Tadashi scoffed. 'I wouldn't exactly call it fair and square!'

'Whatever. You cheated as well.'

She thrust his hat back into his hand and stalked over towards the kitchen, grabbing mugs out from the cupboard, spooning coffee and a tea bag into each one. Tadashi filled the kettle and set it to boil. The kitchen was silent other than the whistling of the kettle and the sound of Rena rustling around in the fridge for the milk.

'Hey - you're not actually mad are you?'

'What?' Rena said, turning around to face her brother. He was looking at her with concern, chewing his nails. Her face softened. He only chewed his nails when he encountered something that stressed him out, or made him anxious.

'No, course I'm not mad. The nickname isn't that bad, really. T, you worry too much.' She turned back to the fridge, finally locating the milk bottle hidden behind a stack of mince meat and butter.

'I'll do this and you grab some snacks, there's some half opened chips in the cupboard and some muffins that need using just under the microwave.' She started pouring the milk into the respective mugs, and realised that Tadashi hadn't moved.

'Oi! Bonehead! Did you me?'

'What? Oh.. I- yeah.'

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. He was not acting like Tadashi. She folded her arms and faced him.

'Hey, what's wrong?'

'Nothing! Sorry, just got lost in thought a bit. I'll grab them now.' He tried to move towards the cupboard but she held out an arm, blocking him.

'You must think I'm stupid. Just because I'm not as smart as you or Hiro doesn't mean I'm oblivious. There's clearly something bothering you, spit it out.'

'Course you're as smart as us.' He mumbled.

'Yeah yeah whatever. Now tell me what's wrong.' He winced at the harshness of her tone and she softened slightly. 'Please.'

'I- really, it's nothing.' She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed heavily.

'They told me you cried. At SFIT.'

Rena blanched. She had completely forgotten about that, choosing instead to suppress any memories of the incident and forget about it completely. She hated, hated crying in front of other people. Especially those who were close to her. The idea that Tadashi and her friends had taken the time to actively begin worrying about her wellbeing made her squirm. Anything to do with vulnerability, particularly the act of discussing it, she utterly and completely despised. She preferred to suppress everything bad that she felt, that way life was easier. Cleaner. Much, much better to understand. There was a reason she liked science and maths. She liked things to be clear and organised. One correct answer to a problem instead of 100 different solutions, each having different outcomes. She knew it was unhealthy. Knew she should talk about the coldness that crept up on her and threatened to choke her. Knew she should talk about the stupid thoughts that kept her up until ungodly hours in the morning, but she couldn't. She didn't have the words, and even if she did they would never come. She hated dealing with people and their emotions - she would much rather leave the therapy to her brother. He was kinder, more understanding. He knew how to fix things. She didn't.

'I- Tadashi I'm fine! You worry way too much. It was nothing.'

The kettle emitted a shrill whistle, startling them both. She turned around quickly, busting herself with the act of pouring the hot water into each of the mugs. Hot tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked them away angrily. 'No.' She thought to herself. 'Not again, not in front of him. He'll drag me off to therapy before I even get a word in edgeways. Not happening.'

She put the kettle down and Tadashi grabbed her wrist.

'Hey. You know I love you, right? So does Hiro, I know he does.'

'I know, T. I know.'

He didn't look convinced, and opened his mouth to say something more before she interrupted him.

'Come on. The others will be wondering where we got to.'

Thankfully he didn't notice how much her hands shook as she carefully carried the tray back downstairs.

'Ok here's one for you Rena - Krei, Professor Callaghan and Fred.'

'Ok well I'm gonna marry Krei cause he's the obvious choice. So. Much. Money. And-'

She looked over at Fred, who made a very unattractive kissing face at her. She gagged and the rest of the gang laughed appreciatively.

'This is a hard one, I must admit. But I guess I'll kiss Fred and kill Callaghan. Wouldn't want to kiss Tadashi's one true love - he'd never forgive me.' Tadashi spat his coffee out as the rest of the friends roared with laughter.

'Oh come off it Tadashi, we all know you'd literally give anything to snog Callaghan. You're OBSESSED with the guy.' Gogo teased.

Tadashi grimaced. 'Ok. SWIFTLY moving on, I have one for you Wasabi...'

Rena tuned him out as she looked over at Hiro, brows furrowed in concentration as jabbed at a tiny robot with a screwdriver. He looked tired, his eyes were dropping and she could see that his grip kept slackening on the screwdriver and slipping out of place. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him out of the garage, not feverishly working on his microbots. She hesitated, unsure whether or not to interfere with what he was doing. Before she could come to a decision however, she was rapidly snapped back to the present.

'Hey! Rena! Oi!' Gogo was snapping her fingers in her face.

'What? Oh, sorry. Just got lost in thought there.'

Gogo smiled, slightly evilly. 'We're gonna play truth or dare.'

'Oh dear god.'

'And unfortunately for you, it's your turn! Truth or dare?'

She hesitated. Last time they played truth or dare, they made her eat a raw egg. She was off school for a week with the worst food poisoning she'd ever encountered.

'Truth.'

'I expected that after the egg incident.' Gogo sniggered, 'ok. I've got one for you - what's your deepest, darkest fear?'

'Jesus that's a question and a half.' Rena replied, 'lemme think about that one for 3 hours and I'll get back to you.' They looked at her expectantly and she paused, thinking. There were hundreds. Deep water, being kicked out of SFIT, Cass dying, Hiro dying, Tadashi dying, cars, the human centipede film that Fred had made them watch a few years back.

'Um, probably any more of my family dying on me.' she answered sheepishly. She laughed gently, but everyone else was looking at her in concern. She cringed, wishing she had gone with the centipede film. Tadashi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

'Well luckily no one's gonna be leaving you anytime soon! Unfortunately you're stuck with me for the long run.' It was like magic, all tension was instantly removed. Tadashi was good like that.

A few hours passed quickly, they played a few more rounds of truth or dare (the most entertaining part of this being Wasabi having to take his sock off using nothing but his teeth. The rest of them were utterly convinced he was gonna hurl all over them. Luckily he did not.) Before they knew it, it was 10pm and they had no choice but to go home, leaving the 3 Hamada's alone in the garage. Tadahsi stretched out on the sofa, yawning as Rena stacked the empty mugs and bowls onto the black tray they had brought them down on, then promptly flopping down onto Tadashi's legs. He kicked his legs into the air, sending her sprawling onto the floor. She made a very rude gesture to him that she would never dare do in front of their Aunt and he smirked at her.

'Don't know why you're getting so comfortable, we best be heading back upstairs. It gets freezing in here at night, wouldn't recommend sleeping here.'

'I'll go in a minute.' Tadashi yawned, turning over and burying his head into a cushion.

'No I'm being serious, come on. You can help me take all of this upstairs.'

'Fine, fine! I'm coming.' He groaned, standing up and grabbing a couple of empty wrappers that were still scattered across the floor. He straightened up and looked over to where Hiro was still working feverishly, his hair standing up on edge he had run his fingers through it that many times. Tadahsi strode over to him and spun his chair around so that he was facing him.

'Come on, time to go back upstairs now. You've been on here for ages. You can carry on tomorrow.'

'Can't.' Hiro mumbled, 'I still need to-' he was interrupted by Tadashi lifting his chin up and looking carefully into his eyes.

'Hiro,' he said in concern, 'when was the last time you ate? Or slept?'

'I don't know, yesterday? The day before? It doesn't matter now, I need to work on the-'

'Uh uh. You're not staying in here any longer. It's unhealthy.'

'So? I-' Hiro yawned massively 'I'll tleep sater.' His words were becoming increasingly slurred and Tadahsi was quick to notice the way his hands shook ever so slightly as he brushed his fringe out of his eyes. Without a word, he pulled Hiro's arm and lifted him out of his chair. The fourteen year old's back cracked so hard that Rena winced. Hiro stumbled slightly as he made his way towards the door, and Tadashi picked him up in one smooth notion and began to carry him up the stairs, despite his brother's faint, feeble protests. Rena made his way over to Hiro's desk and tidied it up a bit. She stacked all of the papers into a pile, saved his work and shut the computer down. She then packed away his tools carefully, before turning the light off and heading back upstairs.

When she got into the kitchen, Tadashi was watching over some bread in the toaster, and Hiro was nowhere to be seen. She shot him a questioning look and he responded instantly.

'He's burnt out. Low blood sugar. I've given him some orange juice and making him some toast,' he gestured towards the toaster, 'he's not going down into there tomorrow. The microbots can wait.'
Rena nodded in agreement, setting the tray of mugs next to the sink. 'I'll wash them tomorrow.' She said, yawning. Tadashi nodded and as he did this, the toast popped out, as if it were waiting for a cue somehow. Tadashi busied himself with buttering it, and Rena took this as her cue to leave. She headed back towards the living room, where Hiro was stretched out on the sofa. He was muttering something to himself, and the glass of orange juice sat next to him on the coffee table, untouched. Rena sat down next to him, and he didn't even notice that she had done so until she had slung an arm over his shoulder.

'Oi. Drink your orange juice or you'll drive stresshead over there off a cliff.'

He smiled, 'Ok.' He quickly downed it, so Tadashi wouldn't realise that he hadn't touched it until he had been told to. 'Where is Tadashi? He's been ages?'

'I dunno, he was making toast a minute ago. He'll probably be through in a minute.' Rena yawned hugely. Again. 'Damn, I'm tired. How'd you manage to stay up for a solid 48 hours?'

'In fairness I didn't realise that it had been two days. The crushing feel of failure probably got me through it.' He laughed, but she could tell he was being serious. She was about to say something when Tadashi came in, holding a plate of toast and some muffins.

'Here you big baby.' He said, thrusting the plate at Hiro who took it appreciatively.

'Fanks,' he mumbled through a mouthful of toast, spitting crumbs out everywhere.

'Nice.' Tadashi retorted sarcastically, 'don't do that again alright?'

Hiro nodded, but he wasn't really listening. Rena could tell he was itching to get back to his invention, and wasn't taking in a word of what Tadashi was saying. She rolled her eyes at him, and took a chocolate muffin from the tray. She sat back, watching in mild enjoyment as Tadashi tried to scold their younger brother, listing off plenty of dangers and health risks of what he had just done. Her eyes drooped slowly, and she noticed Hiro's doing the same.

'Ok, ok Tadashi we get it, you read big medical textbooks for fun. I'm going to bed, and I think you should be as well.' She gestured to Hiro at this, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

'You can't boss me around.'

'Oh yeah? Watch me.' She teased, and grabbed him by the ankles. 'Bed time for baby Hiro!' He protested weakly, knowing that he could not overcome her strength. You wouldn't think it, but she was easily the strongest out of the three of them. The best at fighting as well, now that he thought about it. He gave in to the fatigue slowly creeping into his brain, and became limp in her grasp.

'Fine! Fine! You win.'

She grinned. 'Of course, why would you expect any different?'