X-Sammii-X, thank you so much. I'm really happy you enjoy my fanfics. I love writing about Cal and Ethan (well, you probably guessed that!) and it's amazing that you think I can actually write these incredible characters. Thank you for your review.

20BlueRoses, I'm sorry Cal omitted the truth, but I felt the same way as you - it's part of Cal's character to try and get out of it! But he won't get away with it for long. Ethan will find out everything. Thank you for your review - I'm so happy you like the story.

CBloom2, yes, it is very difficult to imagine Ethan agreeing to leave it at that! But Cal always has to try. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

tracys dream, thank you for your review and your kind words - I'm so happy you like the story. I agree - Cal is making a mistake by trying to get out of telling Ethan because Ethan will find out!

Tanith Panic, thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the ending - although Cal is trying to wriggle out of telling Ethan, he has made some relevant points which I don't think he considered himself when he was in Ethan's position. I love that you can see the positives in what Cal is trying to do.

Ethan sat still as he thought about it. It was tempting, of course. He loved his adoptive mother and it did seem disloyal in some ways to look for his real mother when it had been Matilda who had loved, supported and looked after him.

He could understand, for once, what Cal was saying. Finding their real mum – or most likely mums – would be an emotional experience. It could bring them nothing but heartbreak. Their real mother – or mothers – hadn't wanted them when they were born and the chances were she – or they – wouldn't want Cal and Ethan in their lives now. They couldn't even be sure their mother was still alive – perhaps that was even why they'd been adopted: because they'd lost their mother when they were too young to remember her.

Perhaps Cal was right. Perhaps they should weld the lid back on this can of worms and try to forget about it.

But even as Ethan thought it, he knew he couldn't.

He looked at Cal and even without speaking, he must have managed to convey something. The hope in Cal's eyes faded, to be replaced by pain and fear so deep, Ethan could almost feel it.

Even in the midst of his emotion, he felt that was wrong. Why would Cal be hurt and frightened by Ethan's choice? It was true that, in finding out about himself, Ethan might find out about Cal too, but it seemed unlikely that his mother – that the elder Matilda – would adopt two boys from the same family. The odds would be against it. Cal would know that.

It was possible she'd adopted them both together. Perhaps she'd been able to look after Cal as a baby, but not long after Ethan was born, something had happened to prevent her from looking after her children. It could be death; serious illness or injury; the loss of a partner not long after Ethan was born. There were many possibilities. But most people who wanted to adopt a child wanted a baby. It was far more likely that Matilda had discovered she was unable to have children and had adopted first baby Cal from one family, then baby Ethan from another.

It was unlikely, therefore, that Ethan would learn anything about Cal in his quest to find his mother.

So why was Cal so frightened? Was it because knowing even about Ethan's past would make it too real?

Or was there still something Cal hadn't told him?

He didn't want to think that; that even now, Cal might be keeping secrets from him. But with Cal, that was always a possibility.

Ethan opened his mouth to ask, but then a thought came to him; a thought so obvious that he seized onto it with more relief than perhaps he should have done.

Cal didn't want to know because he wanted Ethan to be his brother.

Moved by this, Ethan took Cal's hands in his. His brother's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull away, as Ethan had thought he might. There was guilt in this eyes, but that could mean either that he felt guilty for keeping the secret or that he felt guilty for telling him.

Ethan felt a rush of emotion, but he tried to speak calmly as he explained his point of view. "Cal, I know this has been a big shock for you. It's a shock for me too. I do respect your point of view absolutely and if you don't want to trace your biological mother, that's your decision."

Cal nodded but said nothing, a wary look in his eyes.

"But we've always thought differently about a lot of things and now is one of those times," went on Ethan. "Somewhere out there, I have a mother and I can't forget that. I know there's a chance that we are real brothers and that whatever I discover could affect you too, but the chances of that are very small - and now I know this about myself, I can't just stand by and do nothing. I know it's going to be emotional; I know I might be setting myself up for rejection; I know it might not give me any answers at all. But I have to do this, Cal. You're right that I'm perhaps not in the best frame of mind for making this decision, but tracing a relative takes time. By the time my mother has been found, I'll probably have had months to think about it. So I'm going to start the process now. If I change my mind, I can do that at any time."

Cal was shaking visibly. It took him a couple of attempts to speak. "You want to… meet her?" he said hoarsely.

Ethan felt a stab of fear at the thought, but his resolve didn't waver. He nodded. "Yes, I would."

Cal let his head fall into his hands.

"I understand it's difficult for you," said Ethan carefully. He put his hand on Cal's shoulder and squeezed it. "But you've known about this for a while: I know you have… do you honestly feel no curiosity about this at all?"

"Of course I do," whispered Cal. "But that doesn't mean…" He lifted his head. "Oh, Ethan. Ethan, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" said Ethan blankly, but then he realised. He'd almost realised before, but he'd pushed the thought away, perhaps because he was afraid of finding out that it was true. But there were many clues, if only he'd allowed himself to see them.

Cal's insistence that Ethan was his brother was odd under the circumstances. If he really meant that he saw Ethan as his brother because they'd grown up together, he would almost certainly have said that.

His desperation that Ethan shouldn't attempt to trace his real mother was also slightly surprising, even if you took into account Cal's apparent unwillingness to undertake a search himself. Cal had asked him not to try to find his mother, but he'd never at any stage asked what Ethan's blood group was or suggested that he should have it checked. He hadn't once said that Ethan might not be adopted. These were all things he might be expected to say if he really knew nothing, but he hadn't said them.

If there hadn't been so much else to distract Ethan, he would have realised before.

He sighed and let his head sink into his hands as he fought with his emotions. "Cal, there's more, isn't there?" His voice rose; the anger too great to be controlled. "You haven't told me everything! You're still holding something back."

Cal just looked at him, his eyes bleak. "I'm sorry."

"You've checked out all this already, haven't you?" spat Ethan. "Without even telling me! You already know I'm your biological brother."

"I told you, Ethan. I wanted to have answers…"

That sounded weaker every time Ethan heard it. "And I told you, Cal. I don't think that was the real reason at all." The emotion caught in his throat: a mixture of anger and hurt that brought him close to tears. "I can't believe I actually thought you cared about me. This was all about you, just like everything else!" Ethan got to his feet and stormed over to the lift controls. "Do you know something, Cal? I don't care. I don't care anymore. I should have learned my lesson when you stole my money. I should have learned my lessons when you went off and left me to take care of Mum. You obviously didn't care about her, so why would you care about me? Why? I'm only your brother!"

He punched the lift controls so hard, his hand hurt, but he didn't care. He wanted to feel the pain. He punched it again and again and kept on until he felt Cal taking his hands, pulling him away and holding him behind his back as he struggled to free himself.

"Ethan! Ethan, don't do that. Please don't do that." Cal sounded like he was crying, but Ethan had no sympathy. Cal continued almost desperately: "If you must hit something, hit me! I'm the one who deserves it. I'll tell you everything. I promise you I'll tell you everything this time."

"Why should I believe you?" said Ethan.

"Because once I've told you," said Cal, "you'll know I didn't make it up."