The thing about the whole step-brother-thing was the novelty. It was new, different. A relationship that he had never experienced before, and sometimes he takes a moment to think about it. Because shouldn't he love his brother and sister more than anything in the world? And then there's the step-brother, and he just has to think about it. He just has to think about what this new, different person does that changes his life so abruptly.

He thinks about all the best things.

Like when Leo and him entered the robot fighting contest and then went out for ice cream, and how he had never felt so much like a brother in his whole life with Adam. Or when Leo helped him stage his first protest against 'The Man', and told him what he could be if he was willing to take it, and then he was just thinking of how Adam only told him about what he was, how Adam had never even tried to show him any part of the world like Leo constantly did. Or even when he acts like an idiot and screws something up like only he can. Leo has always had his back the way a brother should and the way Adam almost never does.

Like when he screwed up the drone thing and Adam and Bree were busy fixing their own screw-ups and Leo kept saying it was about himself and getting himself on the team, but he always thought that maybe Leo was doing it for him too. Or when, when you really stop to think about it, perhaps it wouldn't be the most awful thing in the world if Leo was on the team, if Leo was there to have his back. Or even when he does something wrong and it ends up hurting Leo. Leo called him a brother and maybe that glowing feeling is just for older brothers.

Because how is he supposed to know? His 'picture perfect family' is only picture perfect if that picture happens to be by the definition of 'dysfunctional'. And before Leo, he'd never been an older brother. He'd been the youngest, the baby. Though that may come with perks when you're an actual baby, the fact that Adam and Bree will only ever see him as their annoyingly arrogant baby brother is just plain aggravating for a teenager. However, he is older than Leo. He will never be a baby to Leo. He gets to be a big brother for the first time in his life, and so for all he knows that feeling, that mixture of pride, adoration, protectiveness, and all-encompassing affection is a feeling reserved for big brothers, and the younger brothers play a different role.

The only mix of emotions he feels about Adam are a positive and a negative, never something that powerful and that wonderful. Chase thinks he remembers feeling utterly safe and loved, and happy, from when he was younger. Now when he sees Adam, there's still that familiar sense of safety, of home. The warm love that fills him from the heart out and the childish will to fold himself into his brother's arms and just be held. Then Adam opens his mouth and says something demeaning, a backhanded compliment or thinly veiled insult, and Chase feels like crying. Fear penetrates the warm, fuzzy emotions, and anger, self-hatred, anger. But of course, he's almost a full grown adult and he can't cry over a joking insult. So he throws one right back with the smug smirk, exuding superiority just to let Adam know that, in more childish terms, 'I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you'.

Of course, it's not like Leo doesn't insult Chase exactly the same way. Leo calls him creepy, mocks his social awkwardness, and seems to fully enjoy taunting Chase's supreme intelligence in that annoyingly cocky voice. But it's a different relationship dynamic there. Chase expects Leo to dish it out like a pro, and he truly loves to give it back without shame or hurt feelings. With Adam, Chase expects subtle encouragement and high-fives and brief, one-syllable acknowledgements of achievement. Chase expects a mature older brother, which he supposes he'll never get. And perhaps it's hypocritical of him to expect that from Adam and then turn around and start messing with Leo, but that's his only example of how a brother-relationship-thing works. So Chase works with what he's got, and never hears any complaints from Leo. And the thought of turning into Adam, and Leo into Chase...

...that leads to not-so-good thoughts.


Though the novelty of it all never seems to wear off-the side effect of being a bi-polar half crazy fire cracker like Leo in a family of super geniuses and bionic humans-it does become less impressive after a while. Like when Bree begged and begged and begged for that talking, walking, 'Real Life' baby doll and Mr. Davenport finally caved and bought it for her. The doll was a new, different, foreign alien into their safe haven of a world. Something like that, the first bit of the outside world they'd ever gotten, would never get commonplace or usual. But after a few hours Bree got sick of playing with the doll and hardly ever touched it again. He thinks that's what this is, this fear and uncomfortable knots-in-his-stomach feeling. He thinks the shine has worn down to the very last shimmer, and he thinks about what he can see underneath.

He thinks about all the worst things.

Like when Mr. Davenport turned to Leo to get sponsors for his Jetwing stunt and assigned Leo to be some sort of 'pilot' while he was like a freakin' co-pilot, and it seems like no one trusts him to do anything on his own anymore. Or when Leo gets to use the lab, use his tools, and Leo starts to build things like a little Davenport, pretending all the while that he doesn't know exactly whose territory he's stepping into as he does that. Or even when it's something as simple as making a mockery of him at school. Leo should realize Chase goes through enough hell all on his own without needing anyone to start piling on like that.

Like when Leo told the whole school that he was scared of sharks and that he was screaming at the movie, and afterwards the jocks arranged a nice dumpster dive for him. Or when Leo messed with his bionics during a talent show, and doesn't he realize how dangerous that could have been, how the secret could have been out and they were lucky it wasn't nearly as bad as it should have been, all because he was trying to have one cool thing to impress the mass of Neanderthals with. Or even when he's trying to just disappear into the background. Leo somehow always finds a way to shine a spotlight of humiliation right on him.

Because it's all about Leo. Because Leo spent his whole life as an underdog. Because Leo finally has a hot girlfriend, and a wedgie-free day, and a small degree of popularity and what kind of brother would take that away from him? And suddenly being that mature, big brother is just so hard. It used to be about Chase. Well, Adam, Bree, and Chase. But Chase took after Donald at such an early age, and while Adam and Bree were being 'average' bionic humans, he got to play with daddy. And sure, playing with daddy involved highly dangerous electronics and complex math equations that could turn Stephen Hawkins' head.

But still, he was the golden child. Adam couldn't spell 'math' and Bree, though clever, was by no means 'book smart'. Adam had strength and Bree had her speed and instincts, but Chase was just smart. Incredibly so, and that made him the center of Donald's overall affection since before he could remember. Then comes Leo and he's just so smart, so ready to learn. So good at learning. Chase hates to see him succeed, as horrible as it sounds. But every time Mr. Davenport gets that look in his eyes, the one that Chase had always assumed was reserved for him, and starts going over Leo's project like he's supposed to do for Chase, it's like a punch to the gut. It's like, hey, look how easily you can be replaced!

It's like all those things Adam and Bree say about how insignificant he is to the team is true, and not even Mr. Davenport is on his side.


Wow, has it really been that long? Darn, I kinda suck. Well, here's a new chapter for anyone still reading! And, uh, if you could just hit that review button for me? Go on, it won't bite...