Chapter 20: Turbulence

All eyes were on Mrs. Rosales as she leaned against the front of her desk. She looked around the room at the faces of anticipation of her students. She smiled at the quiet eagerness of their expressions. "So it's November, and the Theater Department has finally sorted through our homeroom's scripts for the senior play. Now before I tell you which one won, I want to let you know that, despite grammatical errors in some of your scripts, the head of the department enjoyed most of your ideas and thinks you should keep these for a future project, if you so wish. I was very proud to hear that! But let's get to the part you all care about."

Swiping a paper that was situated in front of her chair, she glanced at it and then back at her class. A smile wove its way into her face, and she chuckled. "The play that our senior class homeroom will be doing is Underneath the Cherry Blossoms."

Receiving confused stares and the usual handful of comments, "Who the heck wrote that?" "What?" "Is this gonna be a foreign script?" "Okay mine wasn't picked but can I please be the director anyway?" among others, she replied, "The person who wrote this script wishes to remain anonymous. But yes, said person who wrote it choose to not direct it for their own personal reasons, so they have suggested that somebody else take their place."

"Oh! Oh! Ooooooh! Can I direct it?"

"Alfred, I'm afraid that you can't."

"What? Why?! C'mon Mrs. Rosales, pleeeeease?"

"Despite your good marks in your English courses, you uh… how can I put this…? Well when your English teachers assign you extra credit journals to write short stories, you always make them so grandiose and filled with a lot of… uhm, oddities and stuff and action and things that don't make the story flow as smoothly, so they told me to not let you direct. Oh, and they also advised me to advise you to take creative writing courses in college to better organize your thoughts when writing fiction."

His peers snickered, Alfred pouting and slumping in his seat with his arms crossed. "I didn't know what to write for those things, but I bet I can do a better job than anybody else in this class…"

Mrs. Rosales shook her head. "Anyway, we're scheduled for auditions after school on Friday, so you must all be there in order to receive credit. I know it's last minute notice, but the head takes forever deciding on these things… Unless it's an emergency, you cannot skip out on this, understand?"

"Yes Mrs. Rosales…" the class droned.

"Good, good! Well come on now. Come up and get a copy of the script and read through it so you can all decide on parts. I want to know which character or characters you're auditioning for, or what production position you want. I need to know by Friday morning so I can turn it in to the department before lunch!"

The bell rang, dismissing the students to first period.

"Alfred-san, you're not still upset about what happened in homeroom are you?" Kiku asked as Alfred skimmed through lines.

"…no why would you think that?"

"Because you look very sour and it's been 3 days since then."

His trademark pout was all Kiku needed to know. "I see. Well, change of topic then, which part did you wish to audition for?"

"Well I read through the whole thing, and I really like the male lead! This guy's the hero right?"

"Wh-Why are you asking me?"

"Uh, 'cause you read the script too? Duh."

"O-Oh. Yes, I did. Well, yes, I think you'd be perfect as the male protagonist."

"Heh heh, thanks! That's the part I'm gonna audition for then! What about you?"

"Oh, I want to be assistant director."

"Aww, you're not gonna come out in the play?"

"No, I'm not very good at acting."

"How do you know if you haven't tried?"

"Believe me, I'm not cut out for this particular field."

"Well, alright. If you say so."

The bigger roles were left for the end of the audition once the theater head decided who got what parts after hearing them.

"Alright darlings, now time for the male lead! Let's see who we've got."

Arthur walked up first. The head sighed and said, "Arthur honey, you've already auditioned for 2 other parts."

"Yes, but Mrs. Speare, I think—"

"Okay okay, whatever. Let's see what you've got."

He cleared his throat. "Good morning, your highness—"

"Stop. Get out."

"Wh-What? Why?"

"I'm not feeling it."

"I've only said 4 words!"

"You're too stuffy. Did you even pay attention to the type of character the lead is? Or did you just skim through this script?" She swatted her hand at him. "I'm giving you the role of the male lead's mother." The haughty woman jotted down Arthur's name next to the character.

"WHAT?!"

"In the old days when drama first began, it was an all-male cast, even the female roles. This is why we have costumes and make-up in the entertainment industry. Get over it Kirkland or get lost and fail your community service requirement. All the production roles are filled already so no hope there. Next!"

As hard as he tried to keep the smile on his face, he nearly ripped the script in half and walked down the stage steps to the seats. Gilbert chuckled, resting his arms on the top of the seat next to his. "You and Franny are gonna be the lead's parents. He auditioned for the father you know. Ain't that a coinkidink?"

"I'm aware thank you!"

Mrs. Speare rubbed her forehead as more guys auditioned for the protagonist role. "I leave the biggest role for last and this is the kind of acting I get? I understand you're high school students but at least put effort into it! Alright, last person, come on up."

Alfred walked up on stage radiating confidence, and smiled.

"Okay Jones, go. I have to meet my husband for dinner in half an hour so I don't have all day."

He looked at the dialogue he highlighted, then tossed the script on the floor, putting his hands in his pockets. "Good morning, your highness! Oh, pardon my manners, ha ha!" He bowed, taking his hands out of his pockets, putting a hand to his chest. "Mornings are always so nice in the spring huh? Fair and warm, like you are today! Not that you're not always fair and warm, because you are!" He scratched the back of his head. "Wh-What I mean to say is… ah." He coughed. "Well I'm here to fix… well whatever it was I was called to the palace to do! It won't take long." He paused, knowing that this is where her dialogue came in. "Oh, no you don't gotta pay me anything! Just let me be the palace's handyman, and I won't ever need compensation. It's a pleasure being in your presence. Always makes me feel comfortable, like if I was embraced by a soft warm blanket. Ah, th-that sounded weird, huh? Ah ha ha… Well, gotta get to that thing that… I uh, gotta do! I'll look for whatshisname, the servant guy! Excuse me, your highness."

He looked at Mrs. Speare with a hopeful face. She stared at him, her cheek resting on her hand, elbow propped up on the armrest of the seat. Feeling a little defeated, Alfred picked up the script and began to walk off.

"I have found my male lead!" she exclaimed, shooting up and spreading her arms like wings. Arthur's mouth hung open, Gilbert laughing obnoxiously behind him. Kiku smiled. Of course Alfred-san would get it. I wrote the character in such a way to make sure he would be the only one suitable for it.

"This is absurd! Mrs. Speare he improvised on the whole paragraph!"

"And what do you think actors do Kirkland? Honestly. Jones can't write a comprehensible story but he's one hell of an actor, a natural even! My male lead!" She wrote down his name next to the role. "You really got into character. I'm a little proud even."

"YES!" Alfred punched the air, a wide toothy grin stretching itself onto his face. Arthur fumed.

"Okay, well that's everything. So as a reminder, these are your roles. The loud Jones is the male lead, the quiet Jones is the lead's brother, Kirkland and Bonnefoy, you're the parents, Wang is the king, other Wang you're the princess—" Mrs. Speare continued to read out the roles. "—and that should cover everybody in this homeroom. Practice starts next week Monday, after school. Do not be late! Now good bye I have a dinner to be at with my hot husband."

Alfred was chipper the rest of the day, bragging to his mother about the role he obtained. Emily was more than proud, praising both him and Matthew for getting big roles.

"I'm so excited for this play! Oh, I can't wait to see it! When does it come out?"

"The play will be held at the end of May," Matthew said. "So we have about 6 months to practice."

"Good good! Then I'm expecting the both of you to work very hard! Kiku, you didn't get a role?"

"I'm not good at acting, so I'm going to be the assistant director."

"Oh sweetie, don't get down on yourself."

"It's not that I'm discouraging myself, Jones-san. It's simply a matter of fact. I'm too stiff when it comes to channeling a different persona."

"But I'm sure if you practice, you'll get better!"

"Thank you for the encouragement, but this is a big part of our graduation requirement, and I don't want to ruin it for everybody."

"Well… alright, if that's how you truly feel… But if you were to get a role, which one would you have wanted?"

Kiku couldn't tell her that the heroine of the story was actually supposed to be a characterization of him in a feminine essence. "…I'm not actually sure. Because I was set on becoming an assistant director, I didn't give much thought to auditioning for one of the characters."

Alfred skimmed through the script. "Oh hey there's a kiss scene in here between the hero and the heroine towards the end. Sweet!"

"Who's the heroine?" Emily asked.

"Mei! You know, Yao's little sister? She got the part of the princess! It'll feel a little weird kissing a girl I haven't dated, but… well, if real actors can do it, then so can I!"

Emily smiled. "Mei is a pretty girl. Make that scene realistic Al! Put your heart into it!"

"I'll do my best!"

Oh, that's right. Mei-chan got the part of the princess, Kiku thought. Though she's not at all like her in reality. I would know since I wrote it. I would've preferred anybody else get that part, even Arthur-san, but luck was not on my side this time…

"Kiku?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay? You look a little frustrated."

"I'm alright, Matthew-san. No need to fret about me, though I thank you for your concern."

He's jealous. I can tell, the younger twin thought as Kiku continued to read through the script while Alfred and Emily's conversation dragged on.

"Ah! Kiku!"

"Yes, Jones-san?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something. What are you going to do about Thanksgiving?"

"Uhm… clarify please?"

"Are you going to Yao's house?"

"…I… uhm… well I initially thought that I would be spending it with you and your family, as I have done the rest of this year." Emily stared at him, Kiku feeling like he crossed a boundary he should've stood behind. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't—I understand if it is an inconvenience and in that case I will speak to Yao-san about the—"

"But of course you can have Thanksgiving with us! Your aunt and uncle did give me custody of you after all! …er, even though there are uh… no legal papers stating that, but that's nothing to worry about!" She shooed her hand. "I'm so excited you'll be joining us!"

Kiku smiled. "I'm excited myself, and eternally grateful that you still wish to include me in your holiday traditions."

"Oh sweetie, I love having you around! And you'll continue to be a part of this family for as long as you wish!"

"…then would I be overstepping my welcome in saying that…" The color in his cheeks began to match Emily's pink lipstick. "…I hope to be a part of your family… possibly forever…? If you would permit it… Jones-san?"

She squealed, trapping him in a trademark Jones bear-hug. "Of course I'll permit it! If you ever left, why, it'd just be unnatural! You've been with us for almost a year now, and to not have you around will feel like a crime!" She kissed his forehead.

"Thank you Jones-san. I honestly don't know how I'll ever repay you for your immense kindness and hospitality."

"Aww, don't worry about it! Just keep being the sweetheart you are and stay in school, and that'll be enough compensation!" She patted his head. "We're having Thanksgiving at my cousin's house this year."

"And where does your cousin live?"

"In Texas!"

Emily giggled at the shock that surged through Kiku's expression. "So you better pack your things the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, because Wednesday evening we're taking a flight there!"

"Oh boy!" Alfred slung an arm around Kiku's shoulder. "You'll finally get to see the horses! Maybe I can ask Dean if we can ride them this time? Wouldja like that Kiku?"

"I-I-I guess?"

"Awesome!"

Matthew chuckled.

November strolled along as quickly as it had come, and soon it was late afternoon the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Kiku was double checking his suitcase contents one last time, trying to balance his cellphone between his ear and shoulder as he spoke with Yao.

"—and don't forget to pack a first aid kit either! If Alfred is going to coerce you into riding horses, you need to be prepared!"

"Yao-san, coerce is such a strong word, and I'm not a small child. I know how to take care of myself, though I thank you for your concern."

He sighed. "Yes, I know! But I can't help but worry about you now that you don't live with us anymore, and Alfred has his ways of convincing people to do things! Be wary of 'the look' as it's very, very dangerous!"

"It sounds like you've had a lot of experience with this 'look'…"

"Kiku, everyone that Alfred has ever spoken to has seen 'the look' at least once in their life, and it never fails! Even stubborn people like Arthur and Manuel cannot resist those… pleading eyes he makes at everyone when he wants them to do something!" He groaned. "I don't know how he does it, but I feel like I kicked a puppy if I don't! So I'm just warning you!"

"I have already seen 'the look' Yao-san so I underst—"

"I knew it! Even the more reason for you to be careful!"

Rubbing his temple, Kiku sighed softly, rebalancing the phone on his shoulder. "I will. If there's anybody that can handle Alfred-san, it's me. And Matthew-san will be there too, so don't worry."

"You'll be in another state—"

"Which is not that far away, honestly."

"—so how can I not worry?" Growling, Yao rubbed his eyes, giving a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, I probably sound like a mother."

"You act like that more than an older sibling, yes."

"I know, I know… Well, just be careful okay, and call me when you get there! Don't forget!"

"I promise I won't, Yao-san. Have a happy Thanksgiving."

"You too Kiku. And remember! Beware—"

"Yes yes, 'the look', I understood the first time Yao-san. Good bye."

He shoved his phone in his pocket, hauling his suitcase down to the foot of the front door, making sure he had all his bags. "I believe that is everything."

Kiku was surprised to find that Alfred's grandparents would be accompanying them. The jubilant reactions of Alfred and Matthew made Kiku chuckle, happy to see his friends so overjoyed.

"I didn't know you were coming!" Alfred said to his grandfather as they approached the terminal. "I didn't even know you were out of the hospital!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" he said. "The cancer threat is under control for now, so I feel right as rain and ready for travel! I told your mother and aunt to not tell you boys." He looked at Kiku. "And I'm surprised you're coming along! I didn't expect it!"

"I'm sorry—" He blushed when John laughed at him.

"What are you sorry for? I'm not upset or anything, just surprised! But don't worry Kiku, you'll have a good time at the ranch! It's big and beautiful!"

The flight to Texas was uneventful, except for the movie Kiku watched with Alfred and Matthew on the monitor in front of their seats. Alfred insisted they take a few movies to play on either of their laptops, so to satiate his boredom, Kiku allowed them to use his to watch Alfred's current favorite movie, The Avengers. He chuckled, stealing glances at Alfred whose eyes sparkled whenever the heroes displayed their dynamic righteous acts. He really does look like the character of Captain America, albeit a younger version. It is almost uncanny even.

When they finally landed, Kiku nearly darted to the conveyor belt to grab his suitcase. He was wary of airports and for that reason, tried to travel as light as possible. He followed the Jones family to the pick-up area where a large mustachioed man and a familiar friendly face greeted them.

Dean gave Alfred a hug and followed suit with the rest. He grinned widely when he came to Kiku. "Well shoot! Wasn't expectin' you to come out here Kiku! I'm really happy!"

"I have similar sentiments, Dean-san." He gave a squeak when Dean hugged him.

"You don't gotta be so formal y'know!" He turned to Alfred. "Does your li'l friend here ever stop bein' so goshdarn adorable?"

"No, he's like that every single second of every single day."

Kiku turned beet red, Dean laughing and escorting him and the other visitors to the truck. He had never been to Texas, and the farthest he's ever traveled outside his city was to the national forest up north. He hoped his brief stay at the Jones ranch would be enjoyable.

He looked out the window of the car as they began to drive up to the gate. "Dean-san, is all this land… really yours?"

"Yup! We've got acres of farmland. It's how we get our revenue. It's alotta work maintainin' the place, but rewardin' at the end of the day."

Alfred breathed in the fresh air. "Ah, doesn't that smell good?" he asked Matthew.

"It sure does! I forgot how much I missed this place."

"Well, I'll show y'all to your rooms, yeah?" Dean signaled for them to follow. "Pops is gonna show your folks to their own rooms." The twins and Kiku followed Dean into the large house where his mother greeted them with hugs and kisses.

"And is this the Kiku that Emily's told me about?"

"Uhm, yes, that is me."

"Welcome to our ranch! You can call me Amanda, okay Kiku?"

"Yes, Amanda-san."

She laughed. "Emily told me 'bout that honorific style of speakin' you do. As respectable as it is to speak formally, don't be so shy around us, alright?"

"I'm sorry it's just… it's a habit of mine…"

"Aww, dontcha worry! It's no problem sweetheart." She wiped down the counter. "Emily was right though. You're cuter than a rabbit in a baby bonnet."

"Uhm th-thank you, Amanda-san."

Flustered, Kiku followed closely behind Dean to the rooms. "Now, even though this is a big house, we still don't have as many rooms to accommodate folks like at a hotel. Aunt Emily and Martha are sharin' one room, your grandparents another, and that leaves you boys with the last guest bedroom, although I dunno how you wanna share the beds."

He opened the door to reveal a quaint room with two large beds and a small couch against the wall. "You can put your stuff in the closet if you'd like," Dean said, opening the doors. "You guys have your own bathroom too behind that other door there. Have ya eaten anythin' yet?"

"We ate before we took the flight here," Matthew responded. "But thanks anyway Dean."

"Alright. Well, you must be tuckered out from the trip, so I'll leave you guys to yourselves. Breakfast is at 8am sharp, and the Thanksgivin' feast will be at 5pm! Don't forget! Well then, I better get to bed asap. Gotta take care of the turkey."

"You haven't bought the turkey, Dean-san?"

"Huh? Oh no, I mean I gotta slaughter one of our turkeys that we have here on the farm." He laughed as Kiku's eyes widened. "Don't worry! I get up early so none of y'all gotta see… things ya probably don't wanna see. G'night! Until mornin'! And if you hear gobblin' in the mornin'… ehm, just try to ignore it as best as possible, ah ha." With that, he exited their room, his footsteps dying out as he continued down the hall.

"…your relatives… they actually kill their own livestock?"

"Well yeah," Alfred said, putting away his clothes. "How do you think they get income? They have cattle, chickens, pigs, goats, turkeys, sheep, and horses! Dean's family likes to raise their animals the natural way by feeding them healthy food, in contrast to the hormonally enhanced animals everyone else usually eats. Which is good I guess, since a healthy animal makes a healthy person."

"Then why don't you stop eating so many burgers Al?"

"I never said that I agreed with Dean's way of life, Matt."

Once they washed up and settled into their pajamas, the dreading question had to be asked. The three boys stood at the center of the room, staring at the two beds.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Alfred asked. "Matt, you wanna—"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"Why?"

"Because you have a habit of grabbing onto things in your sleep, and tossing and turning. And it's cold here and you'll steal the blanket."

"Oh c'mon I'm not that bad! And we have a gazillion blankets for that very reason!"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors. That is, if you don't mind the outcome Kiku?"

"I'm fine with whatever you choose, Matthew-san."

"Alright. Let's do it. Whoever wins gets the other bed to themselves for our stay here. Ready? I'll go with Al first. Rock… Paper… Scissors!"

"Shit, paper beats rock…"

"You lose Al."

"Not if my rock turns into an asteroid and obliterates your paper!"

"That doesn't count!" Matthew pushed up his glasses. "Okay Kiku, our turn. Ready?"

"Yes."

"Rock… Paper… Scissors!"

"Ah… I got Scissors… and you got Rock."

"Yeah. Guess I win. Although, if you're uncomfortable with the arrangement, it's fine. I'll share a bed with Al—"

"No I'm fine. You won fairly and I will not protest the outcome."

That was a quick response. Matthew tried not to let his smile turn into a smirk. "Okay. Well, guess that's that. Don't look so bummed out Al."

"Hmph. Kiku's a better bed partner than you anyway."

"How would you know that?"

"Because of the camping trip! He doesn't talk in his sleep about certain friends like some other people I know."

Matthew's face went scarlet. "I do not talk about Katyusha in my sleep!"

"I never mentioned a name."

"Go to sleep you ass!"

Alfred laughed obnoxiously, Matthew burying himself under five layers of blankets, refusing to continue the conversation with his twin. Kiku shook his head and slipped into bed, a little nervous about the arrangement. Why didn't I protest?! I must cease with these impulsive decisions or they will cost me greatly someday!

"Something wrong Kiku?" Alfred asked. He set his glasses down on the nightstand, cracking his neck.

"N-No everything is fine. I'm just not used to sharing a bed with somebody."

"I can sleep on the couch if—"

"Please do not do that."

"Why?"

"Uhm… b-because it's very cold and you will need all the warmth you can get."

"Aww, you volunteering to be my teddy bear?"

"N-No! It just uhm… well think of it like penguins. In the harsh winter environment in which they live, the entire colony huddles together to share warmth during blizzards. I do not mind sharing mine with you, Alfred-san, as you constantly share yours with me in your kindness and hospitality."

Alfred stared at him with bewilderment. Kiku turned pink, feeling himself begin to sweat. "I'm sorry, that sounded strange. Uhm… I will sleep on the couch…"

"No. It's… it's okay. We need to get up early. I uh… asked Dean if he'd take us on the horses in the morning after he was done with the work. So… let's just… go to sleep, okay? Ah ha ha, I don't mind the arrangement so… s-so yeah…" He turned off the lamp, pulling the covers over him, his face red. "Uhm… g'night Kiku."

"…g-goonight, Alfred-san."

Matthew put away his toothbrush in the cup next to the sink, then walked back into the bedroom. Unlike Alfred, he remembered to wake up early for breakfast. Knowing his twin would be upset to have missed it, he shook his shoulder lightly, whispering, "Al. Alfred."

"…no mom jus… I jus took one piece of pie… I promi…ss…"

"Al." He shook him harder.

"Huh? Matt, what the hell?" he asked groggily, wiping a hand over his face.

"You don't wanna miss breakfast do you?"

"No…" He stood up, stretching. Looking to his left, he found Kiku still asleep, his face barely visible underneath all the blankets. "He's really warm to sleep with, like a penguin."

"What?"

"Nothing. Hey, Kiku…" He shook his shoulder lightly. "Kikuuuuuu."

"…mm…"

"Buddy."

Kiku's eyes scrunched at the disturbance at first, eventually blinking awake. "…Alfred-san?"

He grinned. "Wakey wakey. It's morning. Don't wanna miss breakfast, do you?"

"…no… I suppose not… It's just so cold…"

"Yeah, auntie will probably turn the heater on soon. She doesn't like to have it on while she's cooking. Tell you what, I'll use the bathroom first, and then you go, so you can stay cuddled in there like a burrito."

"…if you insist…" He turned over, slowly drifting back to sleep.

I think Alfred's laziness is getting to Kiku… Matthew thought. It's cute, but at the same time worrisome…

Breakfast was plentiful and nutritious, but Kiku never wanted to leave the house again once he stepped outside. While Alfred and Matthew relished in the morning air of the ranch, Kiku wanted to recoil back to bed and hibernate.

"Ready to ride the horses?" Alfred asked him.

"I've never ridden one."

"Well it's fun! So long as you don't irritate them or anything. Not many people survive from getting stomped on by a horse or kicked in the face. They're hundreds of pounds of muscle!"

"…"

"Ah, not that they're not nice! Eh, j-just forget what I said, ah ha ha!" He coughed to clear his throat, finding Dean approaching them. "Uh, so can we still ride the horses?"

"So eager to ride 'em that I don't even get a good mornin' greetin' huh?"

"Good morning, Dean-san."

"Good morning Dean."

"Mornin' to you too Kiku, and Matt!" He grinned as Alfred huffed. "Well now, let's get y'all a horse. Follow me."

Kiku was embarrassed that he needed help mounting the horse, whereas Alfred and Matthew had no problem. Dean chuckled. "Aww, now don't be embarrassed Kiku," he said as he helped him climb on. "Horses are big animals, and well, you're pretty small in comparison."

"I'm small in comparison to virtually everyone I've known."

Dean laughed. "Well nothin' wrong with that. How do you think super tall people feel?" He mounted his own horse. "If you feel nervous, just ask Al for help. He knows how to handle horses too. But just be careful to not snap the reigns, otherwise the horse will start to run, and she's a pretty fast gal."

Kiku stood close to Dean, fearing his horse would be rebellious and take off suddenly. He watched as Alfred and Matthew went on ahead, their horses trotting merrily along the trail.

"Your horses are beautiful, Dean-san."

"Thanks!"

"Do they have names?"

"Well, mine is Buck. Matt's is Oleander, Al's is Bianca, and yours is Li'l Lily."

"Those are nice names for horses."

"Yeah. When Al and Matt first came to the ranch, Bianca took a huge likin' to Al. She gets jealous if he picks any of the other horses to ride!" He laughed. "She's a feisty girl when she's irritated, so it's a good thing Al's good at handlin' her."

Kiku chuckled. "Well she certainly seems happy being with him."

"And what about you?"

"Wh-What?"

"Are you happy?"

"I-I… I'm afraid you are mistaken, Dean-san. I'm not with Alfred-san in that manner."

He laughed again. "No no, I meant are you happy being with Aunt Emily and the boys?"

"Oh… Yes, of course I am. She is a very good person, and so are Alfred-san and Matthew-san. You all are, the entire Jones family, from what I have seen."

"Aww shucks Kiku, thanks!"

"You're welcome. It's only the truth. I have never met anybody as kind as Alfred-san… and his family of course. I'm elated to have been included in his life to this extent. I'm very happy, happiest I've been in years, to be honest."

Dean smiled. "I'm glad." The horses continued to trot at an even pace.

"You like him, dontcha?" Kiku's eyes widened, but as he opened his mouth to retort, Dean continued. "I know the whole story, about why you live with Aunt Emily, ever since Al's and Matt's birthday party. It's easy to tell when somebody's infatuated. It's difficult to hide it from people, no matter how hard you try. Those adorin' glances you give him and how you always follow after him like a ducklin' would his momma, and the way you laugh at funny things he says, not to mention that there blush you're always sportin' around him, well… I just got suspicious!"

"But—"

"I won't say anythin' to anybody. I just asked her 'cause I was curious. Reminds me of my uncle."

"Your uncle?"

"Yep. The brother of my pops. See, he was like you, liked fellas I mean. Pops said he was a really nice guy. But then… well some mean-spirited guys killed him for being who he was, so I never got to meet him. He died before I was born."

"I'm… I'm very sorry, Dean-san. My condolences to you and your family."

"Ah, thanks. It's alright though. I never knew him, but that's not to say the whole concept doesn't make me sad when I think about it. His father kicked him out when he found out he was gay, and… well you can imagine what happened after that."

Kiku looked down at the mane of Li'l Lily, softly petting her.

"My pops was furious, 'cause that was his li'l brother, y'know? My grandpa wasn't the nicest of 'em all, so pops got outta that house as soon as he was old enough to have his own place."

"…that is such a sad memory…"

"Well, just felt like sharin'. I often get contemplative when I ride horses in the mornin'. Ha ha. I'm just glad your uncle isn't like my grandpa."

"Yes… I am as well…"

The four rode horses for about an hour and a half, and spent the rest of the day indoors, trying to occupy themselves with movies or video games until the Thanksgiving dinner was near completion. But Kiku, feeling he'd be seen as an ingrate if he didn't help, went downstairs to lend some assistance if there was need for any.

"Aww, that's okay Kiku, we're just about done here."

"Amanda-san, I apologize for not offering a helping hand sooner."

"No no! No need to apologize for somethin' like that! You're a guest here, it's alright!"

"But I am essentially eating for free, and that is something that requires compensation, at least in my mind."

"Emily, where did you ever find this boy? He's as sweet as honey."

"He's Al's best friend and goes to his school! Kiku's like that at home too, always helping around and doing things that he shouldn't worry so much about."

Amanda chuckled. "Well, I'll tell you what Kiku. You can help me clean dishes when we're all done eatin', is that fine?"

"Yes. I will gladly assist you with that."

"Great! Well, go call the boys. Dinner's ready!"

Alfred torpedoed downstairs once he was aware that dinner was ready, Matthew trying to catch up to him, and Kiku not even bothering to try. "Alfred-san is always so enthusiastic about eating," he said with a smile.

Kiku stood quiet for most of the dinner, watching the Jones family eat merrily and chat and laugh amongst themselves.

"—and what 'bout you Kiku?"

"…uhm, I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

"Spaced out huh? Ha ha! I asked, what do you wanna do when you graduate high school?"

"Oh. Uhm, I'm not sure yet, Amanda-san. I've been set on becoming a doctor, but I think… I will go for something I will actually enjoy."

"That's good! What did you have in mind?"

"I don't really know. People are telling me I have talent for many fields, but therein lies the problem. If I have so many choices, I don't know which one I'd be happiest with."

"Well, you take into consideration a variety of factors, like long-term ones. You need to survive financially, but if you don't love what you're doin', well then, is there really a point in the first place?"

Kiku nodded, eating some more of his turkey.

"So do you plan to settle down with a nice fella once you're an adult?"

Coughing, Kiku punched his chest, drinking some beverage to soothe his throat. "Uhm… e-excuse me?"

"Now Amanda why do you always gotta do that?"

"What're you talkin' about Ben?"

"Don't pay any mind to my wife Kiku," Ben said, ignoring the glare Amanda gave him. "She tends to poke her nose into things that don't concern her."

"It was an honest question!"

"I uhm…" He looked at Emily, receiving a guilty look back.

"I had to tell them why you were living with me Kiku. I'm very sorry."

"No, it's alright, Jones-san. I don't mind anymore if people my situation." He sighed. "To be honest Amanda-san, that isn't something I included in my plans for the future. I'm more concerned with working to get a career. Maybe, if there's time, I would consider a… partner. Perhaps."

"Is there a classmate you like?"

"Amanda."

"Ben stop interruptin'!"

"Kiku, as a fair warnin', the women in this family like to gossip 'bout things that, again, don't concern 'em!"

"And like the men don't have their own share of gossip? Please."

"Think of this like an interrogation. Don't say anythin' until your lawyer is present."

"Uh…"

"Change of topic," Ben began as he served himself some more mashed potatoes. "Emily, we heard 'bout your horrendous encounter with Louis this past summer."

Emily's face fell, focusing on her plate, the twins staying silent. Amanda slapped his arm. "Ben, that's even worse than what I was askin' just a minute ago!"

"It's okay Amanda." Emily sighed. "He already had his arraignment hearing, but I didn't want to drag the boys along. Currently he's locked up, but his trial will start in mid-January."

"You should've taken us…" Matthew said quietly.

"I didn't want to involve you guys any more than you had to be."

"But we're a family, and you shouldn't have to take on all of this yourself. We're still that… man's kids, as much as I don't like saying it. And we're still Manuel's friends, if you don't remember. If we're not there to support him, then things will just get worse."

"I'm sorry Matthew…"

"It's okay. Just, next time you need to go to court for that, takes us too, okay?" He looked at Alfred who was playing with the cranberries absentmindedly. "I know I speak for both of us with this. Was Manuel there?"

"Maria and Jose were. They said he refused to come to the hearing which, actually, was perhaps a good thing."

"Why do you say that?"

"Believe it or not, your father is more infamous than we thought. There were reporters and a media circus."

"What?"

"Those years he was gone, he was traveling all over the state, from here to down south to up north, to the coast, the forest, the desert…" She huffed, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the table. "…for more than a decade he's been doing this to children of immigrant families. The entire state of California… What a despicable man."

Alfred finished his food, and then slid his chair back to stand. "I'm done. Thanks for the wonderful dinner mom, grandma, Aunt Amanda and Aunt Martha. I'll go wash my dishes."

"Oh, uhm, you're welcome Alfred," Martha said as she watched him walk to the kitchen. "But you don't have to…" He was finished before she could even complete her sentence. Everyone watched him walk up the stairs.

Dean looked at his father. "Pops, why did you gotta bring up somethin' terrible like that?"

"I didn't know he'd react that way."

Amanda scolded her husband for a good few minutes, Kiku making himself as invisible as possible, worrying for Alfred's well-being once more.

The plane ride back was quieter than it was coming to the ranch. Everyone tried to get Alfred's attention, but he was stoic the entire trip. He looked out the window into the clouds, his head resting against his hand, elbow situated on the armrest of the seat.

"Uhm, Alfred-san?"

He didn't respond. Kiku shuffled through his bag, taking out his laptop. "Would you like to watch a movie?" he tried to say in a chipper tone. "I have some of the animated ones you like."

"…I'm good, thanks."

"Oh… Well then perhaps… uhm…" His sentence trailed off as Alfred put his earphones in, closing his eyes. Crestfallen, Kiku stowed away his laptop, fiddling with his hands in his lap. Matthew patted his shoulder, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

"…it's not you Kiku. Al… just… I don't think he's ready to fully process this… situation yet. I know it's been almost 5 months since it happened but…"

"I understand, Matthew-san."

"If you'd like though, the two of us could watch a movie together?"

"You don't mind?"

"No, of course not."

Kiku didn't care which movie they played, so long as he was distracted. Matthew had been engrossed in it the entire duration, but when it ended and he looked at Kiku, he had fallen asleep. He noticed a sketchbook in his lap, the pencil nearly tipping over the edge of the seat.

Oh, that's a pretty good drawing. Matthew glanced at the page, his twin's slumbering melancholy perfectly captured in graphite and paper. He sighed, gently putting away the laptop. This is affecting Kiku now too, when I hoped it wouldn't. Al's being selfish with his feelings. I have to talk to him. He leaned his head back against the seat. What a mess this all turned out to be. If only he hadn't ever come back to see us… What a piece of shit that bastard is.

When they arrived back in their own state, Emily took her parents home first, then Martha. She said nothing the ride back, except if the boys wanted her to pick up something to eat. When they declined, she focused all her attention on the road, eventually pulling up in their driveway.

Maria was outside, putting away the Thanksgiving decorations she had adorned her house with. "Oh, welcome back Emily. How was your trip?"

"Ah ha, well, we've had better turkey days!"

"…I see."

"Yours?"

"Good, good. We had some family from Arizona come over, so it was pretty busy the entire weekend." She waved at the boys who greeted her back. Manuel had his back to them, watering the flowers along the small hedge on the other side of the front yard. Alfred looked at him, hoping he'd turn around, but all he did was move to water another section of the yard.

Sighing, he walked to the front door and unlocked it, dragging his feet as he climbed the stairs to his room. The others followed, Emily slowly closing the door behind her.

"Are you sure you boys aren't hungry? It's almost 5pm."

"No, I'm good mom."

"I'm fine as well, Jones-san. Thank you though."

"Well, okay. Uhm, I'll order a pizza later then, around 7pm." They heard the upstairs shower turn on. "…I guess Alfred's going to stay cooped up in his room until tomorrow." Everyone unpacked their bags and reorganized their drawers. But even when the pizza came, Alfred didn't come down. Kiku took him a few leftover slices, slowly knocking on his door.

"Alfred-san, there are 3 pieces of pizza left. We saved them for you."

He still didn't answer.

"…I can wrap them in aluminum foil so you may eat them later?"

"…not hungry," he finally heard him say through the door. "I'm going to sleep early. Tomorrow we have school again. Good night Kiku."

"Yes… good night, Alfred-san."

Once again, he felt defeated. He put away the pizza slices in the fridge, then excused himself and retreated to his room. He lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling. Alfred-san has fallen into that slump again. He's not speaking to anyone, even his own brother and I… His eyes began to water. I don't know how to help him anymore. Talking to him isn't enough. My general support isn't enough. I hate to see him so sad. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it…! I don't know… He covered his eyes with his hand, sobbing softly, the hot tears slipping through his palm.

I don't know what to do anymore.

A/N: I would've uploaded this chapter the weekend of Thanksgiving, but we went someplace where I couldn't connect to the internet, and then I had tedious finals to work on for my drawing class and animation class... so... yeah. And folks, remember to always back up any work you do digitally because if your file corrupts like my animation one did at the last minute, then you are screwed. I was so angry and frustrated I almost cried and punched a hole through the wall, but luckily I had something to show for it, so I should be able to pass the class...

...so yeah that's why you're getting this chapter two weeks late. And it's also because I had writer's block, but they say to just write something even if the block is there. I hope this chapter didn't sound like it dragged... That's not a good sign for my future career as a fiction writer, ah ha!

Coincidentally, I finished this chapter listening to Japan's MKC in the campus library. Whenever I feel uninspired with this fanfic, I try to listen to Hetalia tracks or go someplace where I know I cannot laze around. Most of the time it works. Eh, well my semester is over, and I'll be on winter break until late January, so the next chapter is, yeah you guessed it, the Christmas chapter. Uh, I hope it doesn't sound like this story is changing to a faster pace because I'm trying to be in sync with the holidays. I don't wanna rush it. With that being said, since I'm trying to synchronize my story in real-time, this fanfic will end next year, probably in the summer.

But anyway, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, and I hope you're looking forward to the Christmas chapter! I'll start on it gradually and maybe that way it'll piece together smoother than some of my previous chapters. I reread earlier chapters since I started this story in 2010 and... I am very tempted to rewrite them all until I reach the chapter where there's physical proof my writing and characterization got better.

Look at that, I rambled again. Gosh darn it to heck. Erm, anyway, yeah, I'll see you guys next update!