A Million Miles Apart

A/N: Hi! Happy (late) Independence Day! I know it's an American Holiday and I'm not American, but everybody should be able to celebrate independence, whether the almanac says so or not!
I have been waiting to write this chapter for so long, and I have been thinking long and hard about what to put in here- so much so that I decided that it would be necessary to split it all up into two chapters so it wouldn't be so long and so there wouldn't be too much for you to remember for the future. So I split it and hopefully I will complete the second chapter very soon.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and please review, favorite and follow!

Chapter 55, From Sister to Sister

When it comes to emotions, there are a few that I am more familiar with than others: distrust, disgust, suspicion, even jealousy weren't strangers to me. But the one I guess I could say I'm the most familiar with is anger- and in one day I had been angry not one, not two, not three, but four separate times. That was a record, even for me.

But out of all those episodes, I was scolded for all but one, which was quite new. No one had ever really told me to essentially get over myself and shut up. That was new, and no one had taken my side today. Seriously, two guys are bad-mouthing my friends, I try to stand up for them, and what happens? They tell me that it's not worth the effort and to just ignore them! How's that for appreciation for me trying to be a good friend? And then Donnie goes on about how telling these guys off isn't gonna solve anything? How else are we gonna get rid of bigots if we aren't allowed to speak up? Ugh, it's just stupid!

And Starlee had been especially disrespectful towards me today. I could understand her still being sore over our argument back on Zerij; I'm not above holding grudges. But today she had acted like she was above listening to me, she had done me physical harm and interrupted me when I tried to deal with a situation. That dragon guy had just wasted our time and was clearly too drunk to think straight, so why not get the answer straight away and then be on our way? I can deal with Traximus, Mona and Donnie not agreeing with me, but Starlee was my sister! My younger sister, too. She was supposed to listen to me and learn from me, not act like she knew better than me.

We were in our room, having just eaten dinner down in the hotel's restaurant and now getting ready for bed. Starlee was taking a bath after I had taken a shower and now I was currently sitting on my bed, fingers on the sword I always kept in my belt and on my still wet, waist-long hair. After Mona Lisa had cut off her own hair, I had wanted to do the same, since my long hair was a pain to look after and took a lot of time and effort to maintain- much more time than I wanted to spend taking care of hair, of all things. But I wasn't sure how to do it, since it was hard to see how it looked behind me. Especially since there wasn't a mirror in this room and I didn't want to disturb Starlee in the bathroom. I could make it easy and just cut it as short as Mona had with her hair, but I didn't quite want it as short as that. But it was hard to know how to cut it and make it look good. I gripped the handle of the sword with one hand and grabbed my hair with the other and held it up over my head, gently placing the sharp blade against it. I was about to cut through when I hesitated again and started to move the blade up and down, trying to measure where to cut.

"Jhanna, what are you doing?" I looked away from my hair (having my eyes rolled so far to be able to see well was starting to make them ache) and at the bathroom doorway, where Starlee was making her reappearance, dressed in her newfound light blue nightgown and her hair hanging down and clinging to her cheeks and shoulders. I immediately put the sword down- absentmindedly hearing it hit the floor- and let go of my hair, letting it fall down my back.

"Nothing! I was just, well... trying to cut my hair. That's all." Starlee tilted her head slightly to the side, then smiled lightly and came up to me, sitting down beside me on my bed. I looked at her from over my shoulder, but her colorful nightgown distracted me from her face. I still had to get used to her new, more colorful clothes and hairstyle, but I was glad that she finally ditched that ugly Federation uniform. It made me feel slightly better that she had willingly left the Federation life behind.

"Do you want help?" She smiled and picked up the sword from the floor. I was about to snap that No, I most certainly did not, but then decided against it. I seriously didn't want her to resent me any more than she already did. So I just nodded without saying a word and let her grab her hairbrush and get a good grip on my hair. She hummed quietly to herself as I felt the brush move through my hair for a few minutes, my scalp tingling pleasantly at the sensation, until she felt satisfied. Then she grabbed the sword and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"So, how do you want it? How much do you want to get rid of?" I shrugged and pushed my fingers through my bangs, pinning them up on my head and then letting them fall down over my face again.

"I don't know- just... shorter." Then I turned to look at her again. "But not as short as Mona's hair, just so you know." I said it firmly enough to make sure she got the point, but still made sure I didn't sound angry. She nodded and I faced forward again, looking distractedly out the window. I felt Starlee finger at my hair again and heard her hum quietly again. I could feel the sharp edge of the sword lightly tap against my neck; then she pulled it with mild force and I promptly heard sharp snipping sound and suddenly my head felt a lot lighter. Starlee got up from the bed and ran into the bathroom with my detached hair to dispose of it before quickly returning with a small pair of scissors in her hand, plopping back down beside me on the bed.

"Just let me trim it a little bit- it'll just take a minute." She started to cut the ends of my hair and then made me sit with my face towards her, grabbed her brush and brushed through my disheveled bangs, blinding me as I had to close my eyes so I wouldn't get hair in them. Starlee brushed a little, then I heard and felt the scissors cut through my bangs. But after a while I started to get sick of the silence and peeked an eye open to look at her.

"How did you get so good at cutting hair, Star?" I couldn't help but ask. Starlee laughed lightly and I felt the scissors snip dangerously close to my ear and I couldn't help but jump in surprise.

"What, do you think dad took care of my hair for me? I did it for myself. Most of the things I've learned that aren't technology or science or math I've taught myself, since Mom wasn't around to teach me." She became a bit too quiet after she mentioned Mom and just grabbed a towel, dried my hair and brushed through it again before she seemed satisfied. She smiled and placed the towel over her arm.

"So, what do you think?" I got to my feet and ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. It was almost like I was looking at someone else, 'cause it sure didn't look like me. My hair, which had always been disheveled and not very clean or pretty, was now cut in an actual hairstyle. My hair now reached a bit below my shoulders and Starlee had cut my bangs into side bangs, which showed a tad more of my green eyes- it all just looked tidier. Unfortunately, it showed a lot more of my scar, but I honestly didn't mind so much. I had gone through sixteen years of my life with that scar so I guess it wouldn't hurt if it became a tad more visible. And I honestly liked the new look, so I couldn't be too upset.

I turned to look at my sister and smiled. "It's awesome! Thanks, Star, you're awesome!" Starlee smiled widely at me and grabbed a garbage can, starting to brush the hair off my bed and into the small metal can. I grabbed my bag and pulled out the shirt I usually slept in. It was a bit big for me and just about reached my knees, so it could pass as a nightgown for now. It was way too warm to sleep in the full outfit anyway, so it was better that way.

I walked out on the small balcony, placed my arms on the railing and leaned forward, looking out over the green city. The two suns had almost set now and a soft, cool breeze blew through my slightly wet hair- it was relaxing. It was still pretty hot outside, but not quite as much as when we had arrived. Starlee came out and walked up beside me. She sighed and rested her elbow on the rail and her chin in her hand.

"It's really pretty here, isn't it? The whole city looks like it's made of gems and crystals." She smiled at me with big eyes shining in the dying sunlight.

I shrugged and smiled lightly, though I kept my eyes forward. "I suppose we could have landed on a worse planet. Though, if I have to be honest, I can't say that I'm too impressed by this one's inhabitants."

Her smile faltered and turned into a frown. She sighed and looked back over street. "Yeah… You know, I know that they warned us about this whole reptile-prejudice thing, but I had kinda hoped it wouldn't be this bad." I looked over at her, sighed and looked back out over the busy streets.

"Yeah, well now you know. Reptile prejudice has been a thing for a long, long time and it doesn't seem to be dying out anytime soon."

Starlee stared at me, her mouth slightly open in shock. "Yeah, but why?"

I turned to look at her, shrugged and returned my gaze to the street. "I don't know. People want to have someone or something to blame for the Triceratons' war against the galaxy or something." I caught her eyes and saw that it wasn't enough for her, so I rolled my eyes and glared. "Hey, you're the scholar here- I have no idea what the galaxy looked like a thousand years ago. I just know how it looks right now- and it's not a pleasant place. I can only assume that all kinds of different people assume reptiles have teamed up with the Triceratons and assume they're all the same or something." Starlee took a moment to process this, shook her head and glared up at me.

"But… but... That's not fair!" She exclaimed and looked at me both as if it was my fault that people didn't like reptiles and as if I could do something about it, but I just shrugged and kept my eyes out in the street. The beggar across the street was doing some kind of dancing performance to pull in some extra coins.

"Life's not fair. You'd better get used to it, sweetheart." I felt her eyes boring into my head, but I tried to ignore her. I was starting to have enough of Starlee and her new attitude.

I heard her groan at me and saw her turn around to walk inside again. But I watched in my periphery as she stopped in the doorway, turned back to look at me and narrowed her eyes. "You know, with that kind of dismissive, cold, know-it-all attitude, it's really no wonder you don't have any friends." I felt like someone had just punched me in the gut, but when I whipped around to face her, she had already gone back inside. I stood frozen in place and mentally debated if I should shrug her off or go inside to confront her. Donnie's words about letting anger and insults wash over you still rang in my head, but my impulsivity took over and I stomped back inside the room.

Starlee was sitting on her bed with a book in her lap and her goggles over her eyes, obviously trying to ignore me as I came in through the door. I stomped over to her bed and glared down at her with my arms folded over my chest.

"And what exactly do you mean by that, sis?" I put as much authority as I could into my voice and put extra emphasis on the word 'sis', to really capture her attention, but she just kept her eyes glued to the page and didn't move a muscle to acknowledge that she had heard me.

"What? I just said what was on my mind. Isn't that what you always do?" Her tone was so calm and nonchalant, as if she hadn't noticed mine. Or maybe she had and she just didn't care. I growled in anger, grabbed the book and flung it across the room.

"Hey-! What the heck? I was reading that!" Starlee scowled up at me, visibly boiling, and now I finally had her full attention. I glared right back down at her and tried to stare her down, but my usual angry look didn't seem to work on her. On the contrary- she glared up at me with about as much anger as I had. It made me feel a little uneasy and at first I had no idea where to go from here. Starlee standing up to me wasn't something I was used to. But I mentally slapped myself over the face and leaned down so I could look her in the eyes.

"Okay, Starlee, I have had just about enough of this. You and I are gonna have words about this new attitude of yours. What makes you think you can just give me the silent treatment or imply that I don't care about anything?" Starlee's cheeks started to turn purple with anger. She stood up from the bed and tried to shove her face up in mine, despite the fact that she was, like, a head and a half shorter than me. That apparently didn't discourage her at all.

"Oh, so I'm the only one with an attitude, huh? What about you, Miss Warrior Princess? You walk around acting like you know everything and like I'm too stupid to understand anything about the real world! Like I'm so innocent and naïve that I don't know anything! How's that for an 'attitude'?"

I had to press my lips together and take a deep breath so I wouldn't start yelling at her, then I had to hold myself back from screaming, "Well, you don't! You've been locked up in a house all your life! Dad's been feeding you all kinds of lies since the day you were born! Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds a lot like someone who doesn't know much about how the outside world works or how to handle social situations. You don't know as much as you think you do!"

Starlee narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into the flesh of her hands to the point where they almost started to bleed. "Alright, Jhanna; I probably don't know as much as you do about how people act or how to handle certain situations- I'll give you that. But guess what? Neither do you."

I drew a small breath and pulled my face away from hers a little. But before I could give any response, she started talking again, this time with a much calmer and lower voice. "You let your anger and impulsiveness control you and you have no patience with anyone. You pretty much threatened a man who obviously wasn't in his right state of mind just because it took a bit longer than you liked. And when two idiots were being idiots you just had to give them the attention they were looking for. You let every little thing that annoys or frustrates you control your actions, and that's not a very good quality to have. I may be naïve, I may be a bit gullible- I'll totally give you that. But at least I don't resort to violence or throwing threats and insults around as soon as someone mildly inconveniences me." I took a step away from her and tried to think of something good to say, but couldn't come up with anything. Starlee narrowed her eyes at me and placed both hands on her sides.

"Jhanna, I'm so sick of you talking as you know what my life has been like. You talk about how I was Dad's favorite, how he gave me everything I could possibly want and how my life has been perfect- but it wasn't! No one has ever taken me seriously or talked to me on the same level as an adult. Dad always talked down to me, Moriah brushed me off and you treated me like an idiot. And the servants weren't that much better! Half the time it was like I was invisible and the other half they just gave me stuff so I would stop talking. And there's also the fact that I wasn't allowed outside the house and no one told me why! In fact, that's a good sentence to describe my life: no one ever told me why! Why did Mom leave? Why can't I go outside? Why does Dad treat you and Moriah differently? I don't know, 'cause no one tells me why! Maybe I don't know everything I should- but it would certainly help if someone would tell me the things I need to know! I'm sick and tired of it all!"

I just stared at her and had to sit down on my bed as I took in what she said. Starlee sighed and looked down at me with tired eyes. "I don't want to fight with you, Jhanna. You're my sister and I love you, but you give me very little reason to do so. You go around saying you hate know-it-alls and people who tell you what to do, but you constantly do those exact things. You tell me to listen to you and do as you say because you know best and barely let me come with my own ideas, shooting down my ideas like they're not worth anything. I'm sorry, but it's really hard to find any redeeming qualities in you when you act like that. I just hope you don't hate me for all of this."

I sighed and rested my head in my hands. Deep down I knew Starlee was right. Hearing her words made memories flow into my mind of how I had acted over the course of this journey. Sure, Starlee had gone along with a lot of what I had said and done, but now hearing her thoughts and feelings made me see those events from her perspective. And I started to feel a little nauseous as the bad feelings came crashing down on me.

I snorted a little in an attempt to shrug off the guilt I was also feeling and looked up at my sister. "I don't hate you, Starlee. I never have and I don't think I ever could. It's just…" I trailed off and looked down at the floor. But before I did, I managed to catch a small glimpse of Starlee's face, and she looked a lot less angry and a little more remorseful. I sighed again and brushed my fingers through my bangs.

"Did I ever tell you how I got my scar?" I gestured to the blemish and Starlee shook her head.

"No, you didn't. Dad always said you had been especially disobedient when I tried to ask him. And Moriah never said anything about it when I tried to ask her." I chuckled coldly and looked away from her.

"Yeah, of course he did." I sighed and looked up at my sister again. "It's a bit of a long story, but the short and sweet answer is that I disagreed with Dad about killing innocent people just to show power, and he wanted a punishment that really stuck with me for the rest of my life. Didn't even bother to send a doctor to make sure it didn't get infected or to stitch it up." Starlee's eyes widened and her arms hung limply at her sides, her mouth wide open.

I sighed and looked away from her again, unable to maintain eye contact and keep myself composed. "I know I walk around saying I disowned him as my dad when I was a kid. But I think that he was the one who disowned me as a daughter that day. He has never once treated me like his child since he gave me this scar, and Moriah stopped talking to me all together. I was left completely alone." I didn't see Starlee's expression, but I heard her gasp softly and in the corner of my eye I saw her cover her mouth with both her hands.

Before I could do anything to stop it, a small laugh escaped my lips.

"Heh... you know, Star, you're so much like Mom was; kind, caring, compassionate. She was the only one I felt like I could talk to when I was a kid. Moriah and Dad turned their backs on me; you were too young to understand at the time. Mom was the only one who actually listened to me. But she left so quickly, saying she couldn't stay with Dad and see him become a monster. She didn't have the courage to take us with her, so she left you, me and Moriah with Dad." I sighed and moistened my lips before I started talking again.

"I guess I learned to not trust anyone because they would never stick around. Mom left, Dad disowned me and Moriah stopped talking to me entirely. You were so young at the time, I didn't want you to become just like Moriah: a puppet for Dad to control. So I tried to warn you about him, but you refused to believe me because he was our dad and he was always so disgustingly nice to you and gave you everything he never gave me. A proper education, soldiers that helped you with everything you needed, everything you ever wanted. He was as close to a caring father as he could get. You got everything you could ask for, while I never got anything, and it really burned me up to see how he treated you when he barely acknowledged me."

Starlee looked at me with big, watery eyes. Her lips were lightly pressed together and I almost expected her to cry. But instead she just tried to look me in the eyes. "You were jealous of me?" I shook my head.

"No. I- I mean, yes. Ugh, I wasn't jealous just because of how Dad treated you. I was jealous because of how you got everything I wanted to have. You were a part of a family and you had people who loved you around you. Moriah cared about you and Dad treated you like his little angel. You guys were a family, to an extent, and I wasn't a part of that. And you were blissfully unaware of how they treated me, always saying 'Daddy does it because he loves you', when I knew that wasn't true. I felt like I had no choice but try to get away from that life, 'cause I knew I wasn't welcome in that family."

A few tears fell from Starlee's eyes and she came over to my bed, sat down beside me and threw her arms around me, nuzzling her cheek into my shoulder. "I-I'm sorry. I'm s-so, so sorry. I- I didn't know. I swear to the Aeons that I didn't know." She was sobbing lightly and buried her face in my oversized shirt. I looked down at her in shock. I had not expected her to react this way, but now that she did, I didn't know how to respond. I awkwardly placed my arms around her and hugged her tightly to me. Starlee shifted slightly so she could lean against my side and we just sat like that for a while.

I sighed and chuckled a little. "No, how could you know? Dad practically had you brainwashed since you were born. He was determined to make sure you didn't turn out like me and would be obedient and sweet, instead of crass and defiant." Starlee stared up at me.

"Did no one ever care about you? Were you alone for all this time? I mean, I know what you said about Mom... but was there really no one else?" Her voice was barely a whisper by the time she forced the last question out, looking heartbroken. I bit my lip and looked away from her.

"Maybe. I mean, yeah, I guess there was. I mean, the Professor was a good friend to me, but I didn't get to see him that much, since Dad was hunting him. And, well…" I bit my lip, took a deep breath and then looked down at Starlee so I could meet her eyes. "Moriah and I used to be really close when we were kids. I have quite a few memories of how we used to play together, pulling pranks on the servants or going to the marketplace together. I even remember her teaching me a few things about how to use a sword. We used to do everything together, but then, one day, Dad came in to talk to her and suddenly it was like she was a completely different person. I couldn't play with her anymore; I could barely gether to acknowledge my existence. She just… shut me out, and I never knew why." I took another deep breath and looked away from Starlee again.

"I guess I've always been taught that, whether it was intentional or not, relying on people would only either result in pain or it would lead you nowhere. And since Dad suspended my education after I turned nine, everything I learned after that, I learned on the streets. I learned to do what it takes to survive, even if I had to play dirty. I learned to be manipulative, sneaky and in some cases even underhanded. It's all I've ever known, and since it was in the real world, I guess I assumed the world is just as dark, dishonest and evil as Peblak was. I hardly knew anyone that was kind to me, and the ones that were were always taken away from me or I couldn't see them that much or for very long."

I kept my eyes away from Starlee, but after about a minute I felt her hand on my arm, causing me to look back at her. She smiled lightly for a second, but then her sad frown came back again.

"So when you tried to tell me how the world worked, and how people act, you were just trying to protect me? You knew Dad was a monster and didn't really care about us and tried to warn me, didn't you?" I nodded and looked down at her with a small smile.

"My purpose in life is to protect you, Starlee- it always has been. I always wanted to make sure you knew the truth about our dad and what kind of abomination he was, so when you refused to listen that day I decided to run away- I didn't know what else to do, so I just decided to leave. It broke my heart, but I just... couldn't stay there anymore. I couldn't stay in a family that didn't love me on a planet that was constantly at war."

Starlee looked at me with pity and leaned back against my side. She lightly nuzzled her head against my chest, sparing me a glance through her eyelashes. "Then why did you come on this mission? Why did you choose to get involved in such a massive fight when it was exactly what you were trying to avoid?" I sighed and did my best to fight back tears.

"Starlee, I'm… I'm not an explorer. I have never dreamed of other worlds or wondered what they were like. Now, don't get me wrong, I love fighting and adventure and I see myself as a warrior type of girl. But I've never dreamed of seeing other planets- I never really wanted to leave D'hoonib. I just wanted to help those that needed help, just like you do. And I wanted to feel like I was a part of something, like I belonged somewhere. That's all I've ever wanted. And when I learned that that kind of love didn't exist, I decided I had to get away from the pain and find a better place. If kindness and love was never genuine or real, I had to at least find a somewhat decent life somewhere else." I let out a shaky breath and a small laugh left my lips.

"But then… when I met Donnie, who actually treated me with respect and kindness, I didn't know what to think. I thought I had it all figured out; life's a game that you can't win and you have to learn how to play by the rules if you want to survive. I had never met anyone who would talk to me like that and treat me kindly, especially not a boy. All boys I had met treated me like an object or a freak, depending on how they knew me. But Donnie gave me smiles and respect and even protected me from a Triceraton when he attacked me, even when I constantly talked down to him and was nothing short of a jerk. He showed kindness and compassion, despite how nasty I was, and it turned my whole world upside-down. Everything I had learned throughout my whole life suddenly seemed wrong, or at least not as right as it had seemed when I was young. He told me of warriors that fought- not just to survive the day, but to defend those who needed it and protect people that were in danger for no reason other than that it was the right thing to do. It confused me, but when he told me of his world, I knew that I wanted to live there. I wanted to see that world and see if it was a wonderful as it sounded.

"So that day in prison when he said that his planet was in danger… I cared. I wanted to help- I didn't understand why, but I did. So I promised myself to help him and do what I could to save Earth, even if it cost me my own life. Because being around him, well… being around all of you, really, is the closest thing to a real family I've ever had."

Starlee raised her head from my chest and looked up at me. She looked a bit teary-eyed, but she smiled and hugged me tightly.

"You really care about him, don't you? Like, really care about him." I nodded and smiled lightly.

"Well, yeah. He was the first guy who ever treated me like I was an equal. In fact, if anything, he looked to me for answers on how to get away from D'hoonib. That's something I don't think had ever happened before, and I didn't want to admit that I didn't know as much about the planet as I tried to act like I did. So yeah, we had a rocky start the first few days, but he never once treated me poorly just because. He snapped and yelled back a few times, but only because of my behavior. But as we got to know each other, I saw that he really was a kind, gentle soul with a big heart, but still had a fiery spirit and the guts to stand up to a Triceraton. Most wouldn't even dare trying. And he started to make me believe that there was something redeemable in me that wanted to come out. He started to make me believe that I was a good person." I realized how sappy it all sounded and snorted and tried to laugh it off, to try and maintain some of my pride.

"I don't know, maybe I've got my head in the clouds, but it was kinda nice to finally meet someone who actually acted like he cared about me. And he brought out the best in me."

Starlee smiled lightly and shifted away from me, placing a hand on my arm. "Jhanna, I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren't loved... I really do love you. I mean, you're my big sister! I look up to you and I care about you more than you can possibly imagine. But that still doesn't mean that you don't have a lot of foibles that you need to work on." I tilted my head to the side and narrowed my eyes slightly to make her understand that I didn't know what the meant. "You know, weaknesses. Sides of yourself you need to work on." Ah, alright, I got it. I nodded and looked down at my lap.

"Yeah, I know. I guess my only defense is that no one ever really sat me down and told me that what I did was wrong. At least not in a very good way. But I'll work on it, I promise. Just… promise to try and be patient with me." Starlee smiled widely and hugged me again.

"I will... If you promise not to overreact if and when I tell you that you're going too far." I chuckled and nodded.

"Deal." We grabbed each other's hands and smiled at each other. Starlee yawned and stretched her arms over her head before she turned back to me.

"There's something I want to say. I'm sorry for how I blew up at you down in the caves before. It wasn't the right time or place to tell you those things. I guess I have a few things I need to work on, too." I shrugged and smiled.

"Yeah, but who doesn't, really? I mean, no one's perfect, right? Perfect people are boring; flaws make people more interesting, if you ask me." Starlee nodded and flashed her big, bright smile, showing off her pearly white teeth.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. But I just want to know if we're cool. Are we friends now?" I couldn't help it. I smiled widely and a little laugh managed to get out again.

"Yes, I'd like to think we are. I hate fighting with you, too, and I'd rather have you as my best friend than my enemy." She smiled back and flung her arms around my neck. This time I didn't feel as awkward when I returned her hug. We sat like that for a while until we both pulled away from each other after a few minutes. Starlee yawned again and rubbed her eyes a little. I smirked at her teasingly and gently nudged her towards her bed.

"Well, you'd better get to bed, Sis- before you fall asleep on the floor." She got up from my bed, allowing me crawl under my own covers. But just when I was about to turn off the lamp on my nightstand, I saw Starlee glance over at me again, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Uh, Jhanna? Can I... sleep with you tonight?" I was really taken aback by her question. She wanted to sleep in my bed? That had never happened before- like, EVER. Starlee wasn't afraid of the dark, so that wasn't a problem. Maybe she felt a little clingy after everything I had told her tonight and wanted to be extra close to me. I shook my head with a fond smile and shifted over in my bed, patting the space beside me.

"Sure. Come here, Sis." Starlee smiled wider and hurried over to the bed, crawled in beside me and got as close to me as she could. I placed my arm around her and then turned off the lights.

"Goodnight, Star." She laid down with her head on my shoulder and nuzzled her face against my neck.

"Good night, Jhanna."

A/N: Yay, part one is done! Finally I'm able to give some more depth to these new characters and show them from more than one side. Oh, I've tried to do that before, too, but here I'm dedicating a full chapter to character development. No enemies, no threat and no violent conflict- just people talking to each other. That's always nice, right? The next chapter will hopefully be finished very soon.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review, favorite and follow! G'night everybody!