Sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner. I was hoping to get it out before the school year started for me. But alas, that couldn't happen, life and getting ready for college got in the way. But I'm happy to say I was at least able to get this one done right where I wanted to leave it off.
Enjoy.
Chapter 9
"Oops, forgot they were here." Serena said before Quatre could say anything. Serena turned her attention back to her brother, "Sorry, I got so excited about you being back that I forgot I had friends here."
"They're friends of yours?" Quatre asked, with a smile. He was happy that he finally got to meet some of his sister's friends.
"Yes." Serena answered with a nod. "Quatre, I would like you to meet Amara and Michelle." Serena introduced, pointing each out as she said their names. "Amara, Michelle, I would like you to meet my brother, Quatre."
"It is nice to finally get to meet some of my sister's friends." Quatre politely stated.
"It is nice to meet you as well." Michelle said from where she sat. "Until recently, we didn't know that you were Serena's brother. We have always thought that the Tsukino's as her family."
"Oh yes, that's right! I forgot you have been staying with them." Quatre stated, realization hitting him.
"How could you forget something like that?!" Serena said with a pout, while playfully hitting Quatre's arm.
"Almost like Sammy." Amara muttered quietly, with a smirk. The statement was spoken more to herself than to anyone else.
"What was that?" Serena asked, turning her pout to Amara.
"Oh nothing." Amara replied, the smirk never leaving her face. She was starting to enjoy teasing Serena in front of her brother.
"Sammy? He's the son of the Tsukino's isn't he?" Quatre asked, with a faint smile on his face. He couldn't help but smile at the display before him, but, for now, he was going to act like he either didn't notice or that it didn't bother him. Which in reality, it didn't bother him, so long as it didn't turn into a fight. He was happy that his sister's mind could be taken off of her troubles.
"Yeah, he is." Serena replied. "He tends to get on my nerves, but I can tell that he cares."
"That's good to know." Quatre absently stated, as a teasing smile slowly appeared on his face. "I wouldn't want him to cause you too much trouble."
"Too much trouble?" Serena repeated, as the meaning of Quatre's words hit her. Quatre noticed the change in her expression, and started to move slowly away from her, hoping to make his way over to the stairs. "Hey! Who said he can cause me any trouble?!" Serena somewhat yelled back with a half pout, half angry look on her face.
"Sammy gets to have some fun, right?" Amara said, still smirking. She could tell that Quatre was teasing his sister, and she figured that she would help, if not join in on the teasing.
"Hey!" Serena somewhat yelled, looking over at Amara. Then Serena's expression turned into a pout as she realized that Amara was going to gang up on her by helping her brother. "Not you to, Amara." The only reply Serena got to that was Amara's smirk turning into a grin.
With the distraction, Quatre was able to make it all the way over to the stairs. Quatre was able to make it to the first step before he was discovered.
"And who said you could go anywhere?" Serena asked, looking over at Quatre, her arms crossed over her chest, looking as if she was going to start tapping her foot at any moment.
"Serena, let him go. I'm sure he will be back down before you even realize he's gone." Michelle answered, before Quatre even had a chance to say anything.
"But, Michelle…" Serena started to whine, though it seemed to be a playful whine.
"No, buts, Kitten." Amara stated, leaving no room for an argument.
"You two are no fun." Serena said with a pout, as she sat back down where she was before Quatre came home.
"Don't worry, Serena, I'll be right back. I just have to go to my office to take care of a few things. That's all." Quatre explained.
"Fine." Serena said, with a sign, giving in.
Quatre gave her a reassuring smile before turning to Rashid, who was standing in the background watching everything. "Rashid, could you come with me for a moment?" Quatre asked, then started up the stairs, knowing that Rashid would be right behind him.
Of course, Master Quatre." Rashid replied, as he followed Quatre up the stairs.
"And there he goes." Serena mumbled as Quatre and Rashid disappeared up the stairs and out of sight.
"He seems like a nice guy." Amara commented once Rashid and Quatre were out of sight and out of earshot.
"He has to be." Serena answered, looking over at Amara.
"What do you mean by that?" Amara asked. Michelle nodded, wondering the same thing.
"Well, you see, Quatre is the heir to the family." Serena explained, almost shyly, looking away from her friends. "After all, he is the only male sibling we have. Even though he is the youngest among us."
"'Youngest among us'?" Michelle repeated, curious, wondering what their princess meant by it.
"Are you saying that you have more siblings than just Quatre?" Amara asked, wondering if she understood the hint right.
Serena looked at Amara and Michelle for a moment before she answered, "Yeah, Quatre is my only brother, all the rest are sisters."
"How many exactly?" Amara asked, giving her princess an accusing look.
"I have…twenty-eight sisters." Serena answered, looking away from her friends again.
"Twenty-eight?!" Amara and Michelle nearly shouted in surprise and amazement.
"How do you have that many siblings?" Michelle asked, after the idea sunk in.
"Your parents adopted a lot, right?" Amara asked, with what sounded like hope in her voice.
At Amara's question, Serena turned her attention back to the floor. She didn't know how to tell them. What if they thought badly about it?
"Serena, what's the matter?" Michelle asked, noticing a slightly worried look on her princess' face as she looked at the floor.
"No." Serena simply said, after a few moments of silence, still looking at the floor. Amara and Michelle gave her confused looks, not knowing if she was answering one of their questions or not, but Serena didn't notice the confused looks she was getting because she was looking at the floor, still somewhat wondering if she should tell them or not.
"No, what?" Amara asked, when Serena didn't continue with an explanation.
"No, Amara." Serena said, still confusing Amara and Michelle as to what she meant, so she continued. "No, our parents didn't adopt. All twenty-eight of my sisters are related to me and Quatre by blood."
"Then, how is it possible for you to have twenty-nine siblings?" Amara asked, trying to keep the seriousness out of her voice.
Serena glanced at the two of her friends, before she turned away. She didn't want to see their reactions when she told them the truth. "You see, Quatre and I may be twins, but all thirty of us were born the same way." Serena started to explain, then paused, looked up at Amara and Michelle noticed their confused looks. With a sigh, she looked away again and continued her explanation, "You see, all of us…we're test-tube babies."
Serena started to get nervous as silence reined.
"So, you're a test-tube baby?" Amara plainly asked, trying to keep her emotions in check.
Serena glanced up at this, and she noticed that Michelle was holding onto Amara's hand and was lightly squeezing it.
"Yeah…yeah, I am." Serena replied, looking at the floor as she stood up. She knew this was a bad idea to tell them. Now they were going to think poorly of her.
"Serena?" Michelle said with some worry.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go upstairs and get something out of my room." Serena stated as she headed over to the stairs and quickly disappeared up them.
The fact that Serena had to go past Quatre's office on her way to her room, and besides the fact that Quatre was currently in his office, never crossed her mind as she ran to her room.
Quatre looked up from what he was doing and looked to the opened door to his office just in time to see his sister run by. He could feel her strong emotions coming, before she even ran by. Quatre dropped what he was doing on his desk and ran to the door. He got there just in time to see Serena run into her room and close her door.
"Serena?" Was all Quatre could manage to say as he watched his sister's bedroom door close.
This chapter seemed rather shorter than the other chapters, and I'm sorry about that, but this ended where I wanted it too, so I guess this will have to do for now.