Chapter content warnings: allusions to underage drinking; discussions of drug use;

Don't forget that you can find me on tumblr: we - are - all - of - legend - now and that my ao3 account is wearealloflegendnow (even though I haven't posted there yet)!

~TLL~

Rose let herself in the unfamiliar front door.

Her house. What would have been her house, if she hadn't been adopted. Her parents wouldn't have stolen her but, Rose had to admit, that someone would have had to stolen her. She had an identical twin! No amount of denial could ignore that. As Rose quietly locked the door behind her with her brand-new house key, she wondered if she would be doing that if she had grown up with Carl and Melinda. Or, if she had grown up with them, would she be introverted and friendless like Lily was?

It was rude and Rose knew it. She just couldn't bring herself to care that it was mean. If it weren't for Lily, she never would have been discovered. She could be carelessly carrying on with her life, instead of trying to remember the layout of this unknown house.

There was a light on in the living room. Rose knew enough to know that she would have to turn herself in. She strode into the lamplight, where Melinda was sitting in one of the stuffy armchairs, a book opened onto her lap.

"It's very late," Melinda said, after carefully inserting a bookmark into her book and shutting it.

"I know," Rose said. "Most times, I would have spent the night, but I thought that you would want me here."

"Your father allows you to spend the night?" Melinda asked.

The fact that Melinda had said 'your father' made Rose want to cry. All day she had felt like everything was being taken away from her. This isn't your father, these aren't your brothers, your mother might have been a thief. Here's your mother, your father, your twin sister; here is who you should have been. It was such a relief to have one of these intruders on her life to acknowledge her life. Rose took a few steps into the room, sitting carefully on the edge of the leather couch.

"Well, not without precaution and discussion. I would have to call or send a message that I was spending the night. He would leave his ringer on in case I found myself in a situation where I wanted to be home but couldn't do so. We had numerous talks about drinking, drugs, peer pressure, even sex! He wanted me to be able to spread my wings but know he was there," Rose said earnestly. "He's a good father."

Melinda nodded. "I think, if I were him, I would have done the same thing."

"You would?"

"I want you to be safe, above everything else. But, I can't do that at the expense of you growing and finding your place in the world. There are, of course, things that Carl and I can't condone – like drug use – but so many people who have had some beers at a house party in high school have gone on to be amazing people. It's not something that I want you to feel expected to do but it's something I want you to feel welcome to explore."

Rose stared at the woman's face, thinking they really did look alike. Rose certainly didn't look anything like the woman she had known as her mother, who she would always think of as her mother. That mother had looked the most like Kyle. Short, round, dark hair, skin, and eyes. She had often wondered what her mother would think of her, if her mother was still alive. Even though Melinda was never a person that she had wanted to know, Rose felt herself thinking, for a flash, that Melinda and her mother probably had a lot in common.

"Thanks," Rose said. "For saying that and for letting me go in the first place. I didn't say it earlier but I guess, if I were you, I probably wouldn't let my long-lost child run off to a party."

Melinda chuckled. "We're so grateful to know you're alive and to have a part of your life. You're almost old enough now to be making your own decisions about where you want to be and who you want to be. Carl and I aren't naïve enough to think we can demand a spot in your life. We want to be a part of it, even if we know it's hard right now to think about all of that."

Rose played with the fringe on a throw pillow, thinking that she wasn't quite sober enough to be going through all of this. Yet, Melinda seemed to know that. More than that, Melinda seemed to accept it.

"It could take a while to get things sorted out with my father, you know," Rose said awkwardly. "Do you think you could, um, talk to the caseworkers for my brothers? I'm not asking for you to foster them or anything but see if we could do dinner or visitation? Would that be possible?"

"I don't know if it's possible but I certainly will ask."

"You will?"

"Assuming your father didn't do anything wrong, I would love to know him. Your brothers certainly didn't do anything wrong and I would love to know them." Melinda offered her hand across the space between the couch and the armchair. Rose stared at it uncertainly. "I want to be a part of your life, whatever your life is."

Rose reached out and took Melinda's hand, holding it as tightly as she had her own mother's when she was a toddler.

"How's Lily?" Rose asked, knowing that she should care.

"Lily's probably going to feel a little embarrassed in the morning. She's not one for going out."

"Trixie and Spud implied that," Rose mumbled.

"I think you're going to be good for each other," Melinda said. "She's very introverted and grounded, despite her creative mind."

"And I'm just wild?" Rose asked.

Melinda smiled. "Hey, you said it."

Despite herself, Rose smiled back.

"Come on, up to bed," Melinda said. "It's late."

Rose followed Melinda up the stairs to where the bedrooms were, letting herself into the guest bedroom that she'd been given and told to make her own. Rose scrubbed the makeup from her face and put on pyjamas and got into bed. She'd thought that she probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep in this strange place but between the late hour and the drinks she'd had, Rose hardly had time to think that she missed her bedroom in her real home before she was fast asleep. Before she knew it, her alarm was going off. Rose rolled over quickly, thinking that no one in this household was likely getting up this early on a Saturday. Rose slipped out of bed and changed into her jogging outfit and fished out her headphones. She crept down into the living room for her stretches, surprised to find a kitchen light on.

Carl was in the kitchen and he waved at her. He also looked like he was dressed for exercise.

"Morning!" he said. "It's unusual I have someone up this early with me."

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Me too. What are you doing up?"

"I like to go for my runs early," Carl said. "I would never have the motivation after work and I like to keep up the habit on the weekends."

"That's what I think!" Rose said. "My dad always like to go for his runs after work which I think is silly especially in the summer because it's so hot."

Carl was starting to smile at her. "Would you like to join me on my run?"

"Sure," Rose agreed, not letting herself think too much about it. She had been determined not to like these people or integrate herself into this family at all because they weren't her family.

It was hard to hate Carl and Melinda, though, when they were just so warm and reasonable about everything.

Rose thanked him for the water bottle he handed her and then they went outside. Rose stretched in the cool air and then she nodded at Carl when she felt ready. She let him take the lead, although she was faster, as they pounded through the quiet dawn lit streets.

(-.-)

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Embarrassed," Lily admitted.

Jake took his phone off speaker and shifted it up to his ear. Haley would definitely be eavesdropping and his parents didn't need to know everything. He'd been honest about going to a party and he'd made it home safe. Everything else was his business.

"Hey, it happens to everyone. Most of those people probably don't even remember it."

"I do," Lily said. "Rose does."

"Has she been a jerk to you today?"

"I don't know if I'd call it that. Mostly, like, ignoring me. She went on Dad's run with him this morning and I guess she and Mom stayed up most of the night talking. She won't even look at me." Lily sighed. "Can we do something today? Just you and me? I can't be here all day."

"Oh, um …"

"You already have plans?" Lily asked, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"No, we do," Jake assured her, "just with other people."

"Oh, please, Jake, don't make me see Trixie and Spud after last night," Lily begged. "Please. They're only going to think less of me than they already do."

"They invited all of us last night – Rose is going too," Jake tacked on.

"What?! Who … Spud?"

"He organized it. I mean, it's just the skate park, not a lot to organize."

"I'm not going," Lily said firmly.

"Come on," Jake coaxed. "Come hang out. Especially with Rose going. You'll be able to spend some time together and it's way more chill at the skate park than at a house party. You might actually get to talk."

Lily grumbled. "Do you think I should?"

"I want you to come with," Jake said, "but if you would rather hang out one on one, I can ditch my friends."

"No," Lily said. "I don't want you to ditch your friends for me. I'll go. Rose and I will meet you there."

"Promise me you won't let her get to you," Jake said. "Just let her be bitchy if she wants to be. Remember it's not about you."

"Thanks, Jake. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

Jake slowly started getting ready. Susan seemed disappointed that he was going out again but Jake just kissed her cheek and went on his way. It was freezing again today, even though there was a weak January sun high in the sky. Jake was the second at the indoor skate park they frequented during the winter months. Trixie was already sitting on one of the bleachers, her helmet on the ground in front of her, her head between her legs. Jake sat down next to her and greeted her loudly.

Trixie smacked him. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."

Jake chuckled. "Aren't you a little young for hangovers?"

"God, that was too much tequila," Trixie said.

"You gonna say never again?"

"She could but we all know she'd be lying," Spud said, rolling to a stop in front of him, a shit-eating grin on his face. "While you were getting too drunk last night, guess who I was hooking up with?"

"Stacey," Jake said. "Rose told me she saw you."

"Oh, now I really am going to throw up," Trixie said. "Spud, how can you stomach that girl?"

"You say that about Lily all the time. I think you just want us both all to yourself."

Trixie pretended to gag but it almost turned into a real gag.

"Hair of the dog," Spud advised. "You sure you can skate today?"

"I can outskate you any time, no matter what."

Trixie rallied, standing up and grabbing her skateboard. "You coming, Jake?"

"I'm going to wait for Lily."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Of course. Is she going to have any fun today or is she going to sit here looking miserable while being too virtuous to actually leave?"

"What's virtue got to do with it?"

"Boys," Trixie scoffed. "Come on, Spudinski."

Jake watched his two friends glide into the more advanced area of the park and he let eyes wander over to the beginner section where two parents were trying to get their small child to understand that he had to stay on the board and couldn't just hop off. Jake watched the little girl fall on her face several times before he saw Lily walking toward him, Rose keeping pace wither easily. Rose looked much different today. Rose looked a lot different, now that she wasn't dressing to impress. She looked more like someone who would be Lily's twin in her high-top sneakers, tight jeans, and fuzzy pink sweater with cat ears on top of the hood.

Jake jumped to his feet and kissed Lily's cheek before saying anything. He always liked her to show the affection, even though holding hands counted as PDA to Lily. She looked at him bemused and even a little grumpily as she took her spot next to him on the bleachers.

"Hey, Jake."

"Hey, Rose."

And Lily looked grumpy about that too.