My Brother

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Setting: See first chapter.

A/N: I have been receiving a lot of emails saying that many people have added this story to their story alert/favorite stories. That's great! However, I would much prefer it if those people could review! That way I know what people think of this story.

Robert's car wasn't ratty. There were no stains or rips on the tan leather seats, no empty bottles littering the floor, no crumbs sprinkled all over the place. It was well taken care of and the light green outside shone. But it wasn't what Tristan was used to; it was a Volvo, and Tristan never drove in anything less expensive than a BMW. But he got in the car anyway after Robert and closed the door behind him with a finality he hardly felt. Robert revved the engine while Tristan buckled-up next to him, and then they were off.

"So you've been going to Chilton for how long, Tristan?" Robert asked him cheerfully between breaks in his whistling, which was getting to be irritating.

"It's a High School," Tristan told him dryly, his hands resting in his lap in a prim, businesslike way. He didn't want to talk.

"So you've been there since…?" Robert pushed the topic on him and Tristan wanted to jump out of the car. "I went there too you know," Robert told him quietly, which completely shrunk the question of how long Tristan had been going to Chilton.

"Really?" Tristan was interested now. "Wow. Was it the same? Was that stuffy, prim Charleston still the headmaster?" He sounded way too eager to be cool. Tristan mentally reminded himself to tone it down and then craned one ear toward Robert, who was chuckling.

"Yeah, Charleston was the headmaster and it was basically the same, except for the students." Robert seemed to be giving the hint that they should drop the topic.

Tristan pretended not to understand the hint. "And did you like it at Chilton?" he asked in what he knew to be a pushy manner.

"Well…I liked it more than the school I was banished to after Chilton," Robert told him solemnly, turning the wheel to the left a little to avoid a collision.

"What school were you sent to after Chilton, then?" Tristan asked him as casually as he could, though he really wanted to know.

"Um…it was this stuffy Boarding School type of thing," was all Robert would tell him, though Tristan tried to push the topic further. The rest of the journey went on in silence until they were at the door of Tristan's mansion. Robert really did know the way.

"So, we're here," Tristan told him with little to no enthusiasm, swinging his loaded backpack onto his back and heading toward the doors of his house while Robert slammed the doors of the car and closed the trunk. "Coming?" Tristan asked him. Robert nodded, though he was still gazing transfixed at the building. Finally he walked toward Tristan and reached over to ring the bell.

(…)

"So who was that guy, Rory?" Paris asked her as they stepped out of the school, their heavy backpacks weighing them down significantly. Rory shrugged, which was hard due to the load on her strained back.

"Was he really Tristan's brother?" Louise asked with curiosity as she applied some makeup to her lips without looking at Rory. Rory didn't care to answer.

"I think I saw him driving off with Tristan in his car," Madeline said seriously, watching Louise carefully as though trying to learn the proper way to apply lipstick. She didn't seem to care too much about Tristan and the mysterious new man.

"Drive off in his car?" Rory pronounced her first words after leaving the school. "Oh no. Do you think he might have been…taken against his will?" She was worried, even though this was Tristan they were talking about.

Paris laughed with no humor. "Hello, Rory? We're talking about Tristan here. He wouldn't let anyone take him away against his will. And they were in a crowded parking lot! Not possible, Miss Dreamer." Paris paused, grinning at Rory, who walked looking at the curb, blushing slightly. "Wait…was that worry I heard in your tone?" Paris teased.

Rory blushed a little more as Louise and Madeline stopped and turned toward her. "Rory? Worried about Tristan?" Louise asked with a big grin on her face, her lipstick only half-applied. "No, not possible! I thought it was just us normal girls who swooned over Tristan!"

"I am not swooning over Tristan!" Rory told them sharply, her tone making it clear they should be quiet, quick. But Paris wouldn't give up so easily.

"I've seen the way Tristan looks at you…and the way you look at him…you should become a couple, Rory! It would be such a perfect couple, too! You, the naïve schoolgirl who does nothing but study and does her best at school. Tristan, the hot guy who charms all the girls and can be found with one pressed up against the lockers, eating her face, who nearly never studies and gets in trouble regularly. You would make such a perfect match!"

Rory was angry. "Look, Paris, I have a boyfriend and he's 1,000 times better than Tristan could ever be. So just because you've been swooning over him since first grade doesn't mean I do it too!" As soon as she said it Rory wanted to clamp a hand on her mouth. Or rewind her life just a little bit. But the words had come out and were hanging painfully in the air between her and Paris.

Paris was frighteningly calm as she stopped and addressed Rory. "I should have known; you will never be the right girl for Tristan, prissy, perfect, Mary, schoolgirl as you are. He would never even let his gaze linger on you for two seconds more than it lingers on a dying flower! I was so wrong to suggest that you could ever be a couple. My mistake."

Rory was relieved that Paris hadn't exploded. But she was clearly mad at her and was letting it leak out in a very non-Paris way, by remaining frosty and insulting her. But Rory wasn't insulted; she didn't care if Tristan never looked at her. She didn't like him anyway, annoying as he was. Paris could have him if she wanted him.

(…)

The large doors of the mansion were opened by Mary-Anne, one of their countless maids. Tristan greeted her pleasantly and introduced Robert as a friend. But Mary-Anne was old and clearly knew who Robert was. She gasped, her brown eyes round and huge, as she took in Robert's appearance. "Master…Master Robert!" she exclaimed, her mouth an 'o'. Robert smiled dashingly at her and kissed her hand, flirting without shame.

"The one and only. But if you would step aside, Mary-Anne, I really do need to go see my parents," he told her in his most charming voice while Tristan watched them curiously. Wait…this scene, this display meant that…meant that it was all true. All of it. Robert was indeed Robert DuGrey…his older brother.

"I'm sorry, Master Robert, but I cannot let you in. You know I have strict orders not to let you into this house, received from William himself. You will have to leave." Mary-Anne did look sorry. But Robert didn't seem put-off in the least.

"Fine, fine, Mary-Anne. I understand. Tristan, would you go to our parents and tell them there's someone by the door who wants to see them? Thanks…little brother." Tristan gazed at Robert in shock. Little brother…

When he recovered his senses he said to his older brother, "I don't think it would be such a good idea to try and shock them, you know. I believe you now anyway, you really are my brother. Besides, they would just get mad and…" Robert made a face at him that even Tristan couldn't refuse. Scowling at his older brother, he said, "Oh, alright, alright!" and followed Mary-Anne inside to see his parents.

They were sitting at the dining room table sipping at their coffees like the dignified snobs they were. "Uh, Rose…William…someone wants to see you. He's by the door," Tristan announced, hesitating in the doorway. Rose immediately got up from her seat at the table and patted her son's cheek as she passed, and William followed her.

When they got to the doorway and saw Robert, Rose and William were shocked into silence. Robert broke it, grinning at them like a fool. "Hey, why not a fond hello for your son!" he told them, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice. "Hello Mom, hello Dad!" he greeted them in mock cheerful tones. Tristan winced as Rose burst into tears and William glared at his oldest son. Robert really had succeeded in shocking their pants off for sure. That was never a good thing.