Author's Note: If you're familiar with Tamuril2's version, of this story, you may recognize a lot of this chapter. However, this is really where things start differing.

Jean-Luc sets up the computer screen and waits for Robert to call. His left hand grips his right wrist hard as nerves begin to rise again. Jean-Luc takes a deep breath. He's not talked to Robert for a very long time. He'd thought…back when he'd been recuperating from the Borg, he'd hoped…Jean-Luc sighs.

It feels like forever ago, and yesterday that he's visited his childhood home.

Robert had been, well, Robert, but there'd been a sense that bridges were being mended.

Jean-Luc plays with a string on his shirt.

That'd changed quickly enough.

It always did, with Robert.

Jean-Luc never could understand the resentment and hatred his older brother seemed to hold for him.

Even back when Jean-Luc was truly twelve, Robert had seemed to go out of his way to intimidate his younger brother.

( Flashback )

The blow, when it lands, comes out of nowhere. At least, that's how it feels to Jean-Luc. One moment, he's seated on a thick log near the vineyards, reading a Vulcan essay on transwarp technology. Asil really does have the most interesting insight into the topic that Jean-Luc's ever seen. Who else would've thought to –

Suddenly, everything is pain, pain, pain!

He dimly hears someone cry out over the high-pitched ringing in his ears. His vision goes black for a second.

When he can see again, the grass is inches from his face and the back of his head stings. Jean-Luc sucks in a hissed breath, shakily trying to raise himself on trembling arms. His vision blurs as the pain spikes. When it returns a pair of dusty boots has come into his line of sight.

He blinks, and ignores his aching head as he glances up. "R-Robert?"

Robert scowls down at him, though the stick in his right hand is all Jean-Luc really cares to take notice of.

"You just had to be smart, didn't you?" Robert more states than asks.

"Wh-what?" Jean-Luc shakes his head, an instantly regrets it when his stomach clenches. Acidic bile starts to creep up his throat. He roughly swallows it down. "Wh-what are you –"

"Oh, shut up," Robert says. There's an ugly fire in his eyes that's more and more common these days.

Jean-Luc refuses to acknowledge the fear that begins to churn as his brother glares down at him. "But-"

"I said, shut up!" Robert shouts, taking a threatening step forward.

Jean-Luc cringes back against the log, the rough bark digging into his back. He nods frantically to appease his brother, though he's no idea what he's done this time. He winces at pain that flares in his head. With tentative fingers, he probes the back of his head, hissing when he brushes against a sizeable goose egg. His eyes widen.

Robert's never gone this far before.

A few smacks here and there, yes, but never…this.

He eyes his older brother with renewed fear.

Robert snorts. "You just had to show-off this morning, didn't you?"

Jean-Luc swallows.

"Didn't you?!" Robert shouts, shaking the stick in his hand at Jean-Luc. "It was supposed to be about me! My big day! But you just had to swoop in and take all the credit!!!"

"I-I didn't m-mean to," Jean-Luc stammers, eyes never leaving the stick.

The boy now knows exactly why Robert is angry... although one would think he should be grateful. There was a county fair, today, where the high schoolers had been allowed to participate in a bake off... but the generator, for the ovens, had broken down... and Jean-Luc repaired it. Everyone spent the day praising Jean-Luc... and their parents only talked about what a hero Jean-Luc was... and not Robert's 5th place ribbon.

5th place might have had the lowest cash prize... but out of the more then two hundred participants, 5th place was pretty darn good... and their parents hadn't mentioned it outside a token hair ruffle... while showering Jean-Luc with praise. But it wasn't Jean-Luc's fault!

While Jean-Luc's parents were praising him, Jean-Luc had been bragging to his friends, about his big brother "The master chef."

"Of course not," Robert rolled his eyes. "You never do. Just comes naturally to you, I suppose. What with how Father spoils you."

"Father doesn't spoil me!"

"Yes, he does!" Robert growled. "Why else would he be considering your idea about Starfleet? You know he's dreamed of having you help run the vineyard."

"But I don't want-"

"It's always about what you want, isn't it?" Robert interrupts. "Jean-Luc wants new boots, so we'll skip the annual vineyard contest."

"That's not true!" Jean-Luc dares to interrupt as well. He flinches back as Robert narrows his eyes, but he won't stop there. "You know I needed those new shoes. Mine were getting too small. And – "

"What, couldn't handle a few pinched toes? You know how important that wine contest is to Father."

"I didn't ask him to –"

"No, you just whined and complained about your shoes until Father gave in."

"I did not!" Jean-Luc snarls. He'd mentioned it one time, one time! and that was it. How was he to know his Father would be willing to give up their spot in the contest to take him to get new shoes?

"Shut. Up." Robert spits out. "As if you haven't noticed. You can never do anything wrong. Jean-Luc gets better grades. Jean-Luc has more friends. Jean-Luc, Jean-Luc, Jean-Luc!" It seems he had a list of grievances. Today was just the last straw.

Robert takes another swing and Jean-Luc just barely ducks in time. He scooches back as his brother closes in. Jean-Luc hates this! Why has Robert changed all of a sudden? Why does Robert hurt him? Jean-Luc's not doing anything.

"P-Please, Robert, I didn't mean it. I-"

But it doesn't matter.

Later, when Robert disappears into the fields, Jean-Luc will tell his mother he fell out of a tree. She'll laugh and say something about 'boys' as she uses a dermal regenerator to repair his many bruises. Jean-Luc will grin sheepishly, because he somehow can't seem to muster the strength to tell her that he thought Robert was going to kill him today.

( End Flashback )

Jean-Luc shivers at the memory. No, he and Robert haven't gotten along in a very, very long time. Oh, that's not to say they never did, but the times that they had, where Robert hugged away his tears, and checked his closet for Klingon razor beasts... well, those are hazy memories, at best. The crueler times are much more poignant.

Which is something Jean-Luc knows is just the human mind's default. Or maybe it's just his mind that's so fixated on the bad? It's not something Jean-Luc's going to broadcast by asking Deanna. It's not that important anyway. That's the past, and Robert-

Jean-Luc blinks and realizes the computer is chirping at him. He pales when he sees its been trying to get his attention for a full minute. Wonderful, he's made Robert wait. This will not endear him to elder brother at all.

He presses the screen on, regardless, and pastes on a smile. "Robert."

The pinched face of his brother sours even more as his brother frowns. "I thought we agreed to call at 1200. Did I get the time wrong?"

"I…" Jean-Luc shakes his head. "No. I apologize. I was thinking. I didn't notice –"

"Too busy with your head in the clouds." Robert smirks. "I see nothing's changed. You always were distracted at this age."

Jean-Luc bites down on the hot retort that almost escapes him. Instead, he opts for the easy: "How are you?"

"Fine." Robert glances down at something "I see you've already gotten in trouble. On your first day, with Riker as your official Caregiver, no less."

Jean-Luc forgets how to breathe for a few seconds. Robert is getting reports on him? Will…no, Riker is reporting on him to Robert? About his punishments? Jean-Luc can feel his cheeks warming as embarrassment and shame floods him. Bad enough it happens, now he's going to have to hear about his failings again from Robert.

"Dianna tells me Riker was a bit too quick to dull out a hiding." ... the Counselor was the one reporting his punishments? Well Robert was his legal guardian. She is legally obligated to report certain issues to him. Jean-Luc tries hard not too feel betrayed. "Although, she admits you probably needed one for a while now. Have you been misbehaving, Jean-Luc?"

Robert says it with a chuckle, but Jean-Luc's eyes widened, and he visibly starts shaking.

"Jean-Luc," Robert blinks. "What's wrong?" then his own eyes widened, with realization. "Oh God! YOU'RE SCARED OF ME!!!" He yells, making Jean-Luc whimper. The man is floored. "I... Jean-Luc, I know I was a bully to you, the first time you were this age... but we talked about this. We cleared the air. WE FIXED THIS!!!"

Jean-Luc quickly nods, too scared to disagree.

"Jean-Luc... I'm not that angry kid anymore. I... Dammit, WE FIXED THIS!!!" Robert yells again.

Jean-Luc gets up and bolts to his room, running right passed Will.

Will hears Robert yelling for Jean-Luc, and goes to find out what happened from the older man... given Jean-Luc locked his door and is refusing to come out.

"We fixed this..." Robert mutters, for perhaps the 10th time. Just as Will steps up to the computer. "How can Jean-Luc possibly be scared of me? We hashed out everything. We repaired our relationship. We were closer then we ever were as children."

"Deanna says old traumas feel fresh to them," Riker sighs. "He's been having nightmares about it."

"He's been having nightmares about me..." Robert whispers, looking horrified.

"Not sure," Riker admits. "I think it's mostly about the times he was tortured, or converted into a Borg. That stuff be hard for an adult to deal with."

Robert groans, "When Jean-Luc visited me, after the Borg, he was thinking about quitting Starfleet." That's certainly news to Will!!! "They broke him, Captain... and I put the pieces back together. We've been through all this. It was damn difficult, and far too mushy for my taste... As a child... I was a terrible big brother... I was jealous, and a damn right bully...

"but we mended our bridges. We got through it. He forgave me... and now... he's more terrified of me, then when we were actually children."

"I'll arrange group family sessions, with Deanna." Riker promises.

Robert groans, "Damn head shrinks."

"I think it will help," Riker assures

"It probably will..." the old man grumbles. "All right, I'll schedule it for the same day as our weekly calls. I'll get my weekly report from her. Then we can see the shrink. Let Jean-Luc have a couple hours to recover. Then do our call."

Author's Note: My version of Jean-Luc's relationship with his brother, while taking many elements of Tamuril2's story, is vastly different then their own.

While Robert was Definitely a bully, as a child, he's grown into a good man. With my story, focusing more on repairing their relationship. Then portraying Robert as an Abuser.

In my version, he was a child that acted out, because despite doing everything expected of him, he was often overshadowed by his genius little brother. As an adult, he realizes that wasn't Jean-Luc's fault. And worked to repair their relationship, despite still being a grumpy old man.