Previously

"You want one of us to go with you?" Mamoru asked

"No" she said shaking her head "I have to do this alone…I have to figure this out"

There was silence before Minako spoke up

"I can't believe I had another cousin out there and mom never said anything!" she hissed "I thought we told each other everything after dad died" Minako shook her head "I can't believe her!"

"Mimi, I'm pretty positive that Aunt Millie didn't know" it was then that Usagi shared what had happened all those years ago.

"Wow" Mamoru whispered "I think you should tell your mom Minako…that is if it's alright with you Usako"

"It's alright with me; you can even take my journal…" Usagi said handing her mother's journal over to her blond cousin "I think it's time she knew the truth"

Military Life

Chapter 23

Taking a deep breath she knocked, her palms were sweaty and her face was pale, she was nervous…scared-but Nothing was going to keep her from finding out the truth. As she waited a small smile crept on her face as she thought of the man she was visiting. She thought of their similarities, their blond hair that held a hint of silver, their crystal blue eyes and light pale skin…she remembered his smile, the smile that matched hers…she couldn't believe he was really her brother…and then she looked up to find the man she was thinking up standing and staring at her.

"Tsukino-san" he whispered, to say that Kakeru was nervous is an understatement, not in a million years would the young English instructor think that the young sister he had always wished to meet…to talk too…would be standing in front of his apartment door…his palms were sweaty and his face paled as he stared at his younger refection.

"Usagi please" she said gently "I mean…we are related"

Nodding his head he moved out of the way to allowing her entrance into his small but cozy home. "A-alright" he said closing the door once she was in. "I suppose your right" he added

Usagi giggled as Kakeru looked to her with a small sad smile. The melody that came from her lips sounded so much like their mother.

"What?" she asked when she noticed his sudden smile

"Nothing" he shook his head "it's just…your laugh...it sounded a lot like…like moms" he said quietly

Usagi only nodded as her eyes casted down. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Kakeru spoke up "would you like some tea?" Usagi nodded as he waved for her to sit down "yes tea is what we need…some hot green tea" he mutter to his self.

As he walked back into the living room he shakily handed Usagi her tea, which ended up spilling all over her. With a small scream Usagi jumped up waving her hands around as the heat from the tea soaked though her clothes and on to her skin, burning it.

"Shit" Kakeru hissed as he ran over with a rag trying to help his sister "I'm so sorry " he apologized as Usagi took the rag from his hand and began to dry her left leg "god, I'm such a klutz when I'm nervous" he said frantically "I'll pay for the dry cleaning"

Usagi shook her head "It's alright" she said releasing another one her melody like laughs "I'm nervous too"

Kakeru ran his hand though his hair trying to offer the blond his sweat pants or a pair of shorts, but his counterpart declined.

"I'm guessing you read the journal" he said quietly once the two had calmed down

Usagi nodded "it's a relief" she said looking to her hands "that I'm not as alone as I thought I was" she said looking up at her brother

"Usagi" he began "about last night"

She held her hand up to stop him "it's alright" she whispered "I'm not one to hold a grudge…I know that Ami and the others had good intentions, I can't say I'm not curious as to why some actions were taken…but I do know that nothing was meant to hurt me"

Kakeru nodded silence fell upon the two once again

After a few moments Usagi continued "I found it funny" a smile graced her lips "that after all this time thinking I was the black sheep of the family…that I'm really not…that different" she sighed "reading her journal…her words, hearing how she wanted so much out of life, but yet couldn't have it…always having to keep her mother…Grandmothers image in her mind…really gave me something to relate too"

Kakeru nodded "I've never meet moms mom…well except once but that wasn't really a meeting" he looked to his tea

"the night Ann passed away" Usagi said looking at her brother as he nodded "I've been to nana's house quite a few times growing up…mom I mean Ikuko told me that nana was her mother…her and of course my, our aunt Millies mother…" she took a deep breath "man this is confusing and hard" the blond confessed "I know that I'm supposed to be upset with Ikuko…maybe even hate her…but honestly…I can't" Kakeru nodded "she raised me, she was good to me…to me she still is my mother…even if I don't approve of what she did…I still love her"

"Usagi, I for one will not try to change your perception of Ikuko…I'm just happy to hear that she was good to you" he said with a genuine smile "you have no idea how many nights I stayed up wondering if you were eating right, sleeping okay, did you have nice clothes? How would they punish you?"

Usagi laid a hand on her brothers "I was loved" she answered softly "my parents loved me unconditionally, sure it was hard…being the daughter of a Marine is never easy, but I never wanted for anything like clothes, food or shelter…I always had a home, a place to lay my head at night"

"a-and your father?...how was he?" Kakeru asked as Usagi noticed his nervousness "I shouldn't have asked…I mean you just lost him"

"We" Usagi squeezed his hand "just lost him" a sad smile came across his face "Dad was…dad was one of a kind" she said smiling "he knew how to make you smile and he knew how to make you cry" taking a breath she continued "honestly there was never a dull moment in the home, if he wasn't fixing something or building something, he was singing and dancing in the kitchen" she laughed at the memory "he even took my Marine Corps ball gown to work with him just to fix the back strap for me. It was funny to see such a dedicated and old fashion Marine sewing a woman's dress" she giggled as did Kakeru

"He sounded like an amazing man" Kakeru whispered, Usagi stared at him for a few moments "What?"

"You're lying" she pointed out "When you said it, you avoided eye contact"

"What are you FBI?" he laughed

"Maybe" she teased

"Alright alright, it's true I lied" he shook his head "it's just...after everything that happened…"

"It's okay" Usagi said holding his hand "I get it, the man wasn't a saint"

"I'm sorry Usagi I know he was your father" Kakeru said with an apologetic look

"Its fine, actually I kinda have this feeling" she thought for a moment "I honestly believe that he never knew Serenity was trying to make contact…" she looked up into her brothers confused eyes "it's just, I know dad and if he knew that she was wanting contact…well he wouldn't of fought it"

"What are you saying Usagi?"

"I know dad made mistakes…but if he knew…he wouldn't have stopped her. When he told me…told me that she was my birth mother, he looked so regretful and not in a way your thinking…he sounded as if…I don't know like he wished he could of changed things" she shook her head "changed things somehow"

"When mom received the papers, stating that she could go see you…she went that very moment" Usagi nodded remember reading this story in her journal "I remember her telling me that…that Ikuko used my life as a bargaining chip"

"She stays away and your kept a secret" Usagi whispered "I'm sorry you had to go through this…if I would have known…" she shook her head feeling tears come to her eyes "I'm just really happy you're in my life" without another word the two embraced both sharing tears of happiness.

After a few moments Kakeru pulled away "so, it's about lunch time…hungry?" as if on cue the young blond's stomach let out a loud growl. With a laugh Kakeru nodded "that settles that" he stood up and headed to the kitchen to whip up some sandwiches.

As her older brother exited the room, Usagi walked over to a mantle that held a variety of photos.

She smiled sweetly as she stared at a two year old Kakeru covered in what looked like ice-cream with his arm around a much older woman; she guessed it had to be Ann. She moved on to the next photo and stared longingly at the woman who gave birth to her, she was bending over a bit holding a six year old Kakeru on her back. Her long blond hair fell to the left side cascading down in waves; she smiled brightly laughing as she looked at her smiling son. The two were adorable. Usagi couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, as she stared at the happy photo. Shaking her head she moved on to the next. The photos moved on to Kakeru and Serenity standing on a skateboard together at the age of 8, then what looked like his freshman year of high school, She smiled at a photo of Kakeru with a young dark haired teen-it looked as if they were heading to a dance. Then she moved on to Kakeru graduation where he stood with the same dark haired teen, their mother, Unazuki and to her surprise Mr. Juno. She moved on to the next photo it was of Kakeru and the same dark haired girl only this time they were older…she would have guessed 18, the dark haired woman held her finger up as an enormous diamond sat upon it.

"That's Himeko" startled Usagi turned around "sorry" he said taking the photo off the mantle

"We're you…" she was afraid to ask

Kakeru nodded "we were supposed to be married last fall"

"w-what happened?" Usagi asked having a feeling she already knew the answer

Taking a breather he whispered "she died"

"How long?"

"A year ago" he whispered

I'm so sorry" Usagi whispered as she embraced her brother "I never meet her…but she had to of been amazing"

He nodded "she was" he let out a small sad full laugh "it's ironic…that in one night I would lose my whole family…my future…"

Usagi looked to him confused "whole family?"

Kakeru nodded "that night I not only lost the love of my life but…mother and Grandmother"

"Wait…Dad said mom died 3 years ago" she said with wide eyes

"They were lied too"

"What? By who? Who would lie about something like this?"

"Me"

Silence came before the two, after a few moments Usagi spoke up "why would you do that? Why would you tell them she died three years ago? "

He shook his head, taking a breath as he continued placing the photo back and grabbing her hand "I only lied because I knew that Ikuko had just pasted away…I honestly couldn't take any of them showing up…I was just so angry"

"Did you tell them that she was killed by a drunk driver? Was that even true?"

"No" he shook his head, this time his eyes were wide and confused "they were killed by the drunk driver…" he let go of her hand and took a seat on the couch, which Usagi fallowed "but I should of known they would turn it around" he said, his voice full of disgust "mom never drank…she hated the taste of alcohol. They knew that…Christ they grew up with her! They knew the only way she would even consider drinking anything alcoholic-that it needed to be extremely diluted"

"Well…I honestly don't know what to think…" Usagi said quietly "can-can you tell me what my history instructor has to do with all of this…I saw him in your graduation picture"

"Oh" he laughed "that's actually a funny story" he said with a smile "you'll get a kick out of it, I meet Ty when I was a freshman in high school…he took me under his wing and helped me out though some hard times."

"You were picked on a lot?" Usagi asked curiously

Kakeru shook his head "I'm guessing you haven't noticed our age difference?"

"Your 24, so that would make you 7-8 years older than me?"

He laughed "Usagi, Mom had me at 14 remember?" Usagi thought back to the journal and nodded "and at what age did she have you?"

"18, but what does that have to…oh" she looked to her brother with wide eyes "and you're a teacher?!"

He nodded "I'm only 20"

"But how?"

"Like I was saying, my fresh man year was tough for me because everything was too easy, there was no challenge. I was basically teaching the teachers…Ty saw this and well he took me in. He had me tested and found out that I was smarter than your average 14 year old"

"So technically you're a genius" it was more of a statement then a question

Kakeru nodded "I graduated high school at 16, I attended college that fall and graduated early last year in December top of my class…and well here I am"

"Wow" she whispered

"That's not even the big news" he said smiling "The night of my graduation Ty expressed his undying love for mom…the two were married a month later."

"This is insane" she whispered

"It's a lot to take in I know…how about we stop for today" he went to stand when Usagi grabbed his hand

"Please, I don't want to stop…I need to hear the rest…I want to hear it all"

Kakeru nodded as he took his seat again, they spent the rest of the day in each other's company each sharing stories with the other.