I'll be there for you: Cause you're there for me too -- TBD

I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it when he mentioned Uncle Chris.  I had not thought of him in years -- not since he left and was disowned and never to be seen again.  "Wait... Uncle Chris saved you?  He took you away and kept you hidden?" I asked, the hurt so obvious in my voice.  I could normally control myself much better than this.  I was so glad that if either one of us were saved, it was Austin.  But... he had died.  We had a funeral for him.  I ran a hand through my hair.  "Fine.  I'll listen.  But if I even think you are a complete nutter, you're gone.," I said to him.  There really was no denying that he had to be Austin -- we were very similar in appearances and mannerisms -- just like we used to be.

I waited until I knew Lincoln wasn't going to do something he would regret before I allowed the brothers to be alone and went to make the tea. I smiled at Abel and Elliot. "It looks really good guys." I said about the picture they were colouring, a Unicorn that Elliot just loved. I quickly made the tea and brought it back out to Lincoln and Austin. "Here you go." I looked between them. I wanted to stay to make sure that my husband would give his brother a fair chance to explain himself but I didn't want to invade their privacy either. "I can leave if you want, let you two talk privately." Either way I would respect their wishes.

I smiled back at my sister and put her cup of juice in front of her before pouring one for myself. I sat back down next to her and looked at the picture. "What part should we colour next?" I asked. I looked up and smiled as Juniper came in to make some tea. "Thanks." I replied politely when she said the picture looked good. "I told you it looked neat." I said to Elliot.

I looked up at Juniper and shook my head.  "No, you can stay.  You'll end up hearing it all anyways," I said to her before looking back at Austin.  "Go ahead..." I braced myself for this story, not entirely sure what to expect from it.

I smiled, rather pleased that my picture was pretty.  "Thanks," I said to them.  I looked at Abel.  "Go listen... I can color on my own," I said, knowing that Abel wanted to know what was going on with the grown ups.

I thought it was good that Juniper was staying -- I thought that she was the only reason why Lincoln even considered speaking to me.  I took a deep breath, not entirely sure exactly where to begin.  The beginning was probably best.  "I remember falling down the stairs," I said to my brother. "And when I woke up.. Uncle Chris was there, taking me away.  He told me we would come back for you when the time was right..."  But that apparently never came, the right time.  I sighed.  "Growing up, I would ask him if it was time... and he told me things were good with you.  That things went back to the way normal families were.  An why would I not believe him?  It was Uncle Chris!  I mean... I know he disappeared from our family, but he got out.  It made sense that he knew best, right?  But this last year or two, I really started to investigate everything because I still though it odd that I hadn't heard from you after the numerous owls I had sent.  I figured you were mad at me for leaving you in England."

I looked at Lincoln and then at Juniper, and back again to my brother.  "What I found out... terrified me.  I felt so guilty.  I left you in that?  Things weren't better for you like Uncle Chris said... and then to find out that Dad died... I never got to say goodbye to him.  Mum being in Azkaban for his murder?  You ending up with our grandparents?  I confronted Uncle Chris then... we had a huge fight.  He hit me," I said, shaking my head.  "But I took it just like I was always shown how.  How else would I be able to get away from him and to you?"  I knew it was a quick overview of everything, but I had to make sure that Lincoln would even believe my story before any of the details.

There were only two moments in his story where it tore at my heart.  He was upset that he did not get to say goodbye to our father.  I could relate to that; I never got to say goodbye to my brother.  I could hear the emotion in his voice when he said that.  I had always wanted to keep any pain away from him that I could, and I failed at that.  Learning all of this... had cuased him so much.  Uncle Chris hit him?  I always thought that he was different... apparently he was not.  And the fact that he just took it because I showed him it was better that way --- even though I learned in the end that it was not.  

I watched Austin closely and could see a mark on his wrist that it was clear he was trying to keep hidden.  "Austin," I said, having to stop because it was almost too difficult to even call him that.  "Please tell me that mark on your wrist isn't what I think it is... What did you do when you found all of this out?"  I had a bad feeling i knew what that was.  I was sure that if he rolled up both sleeves, I would see matching marks on his wrists as he had tried to take away his own pain.  I knew because I had to struggle with that a lot when I was younger.  Until I met someone who needed me -- Juniper -- more than I needed to escape my own life.  But for Austin to learn that he was lied to all his life... that his big brother was hurt so badly... went through everything that I did... I knew it had to be hard for him.  And how else would I know that if this was not my brother sitting in front of me?  There was no way to deny it.  We always had a bond... and now it was being reconnected and I needed to know everything.

I bit my lip, looking between my sister and the doorway leading out of the kitchen where everyone else was. I did want to listen to what the adults were saying but I didn't want to get in trouble if I was caught. I compromised by moving to sit in the chair closest to the doorway so I could hear them a bit better. I smiled at Elliot, "This will be close enough." I assured her. I looked down at the picture. "We're almost finished." I was trying to be as quiet as possible so I could hear Lincoln and Austin but they were talking rather quietly.

My eyes widened as Austin told his story. I couldn't believe it. I was happy that Austin gotten out, but to find out his brother wasn't okay like he had been told must have been horrible. I knew that Lincoln would be upset that his little brother had gotten hit when he had spent so much time and energy into preventing that from happening. When Lincoln mentioned his wrist, I looked down and saw the marks. I absent mindedly started scratching my own left wrist, happy that neither brother was paying much attention to me. I stayed quiet as they talked, not quite sure if there was anything I could say.

I pulled my sleeves down further on my arms, having thought that I covered it well enough.  I dropped my gaze, not wanting to see anything in my brother's eyes -- like disappointment.  I took a sip of the tea that Juniper had made for us, trying to figure out a way to avoid that question.  "I left as soon as I could and came here to find you," I answered, avoiding the question at all cost.  "Trust me, I'm fine now.  I had a protector in the States, too."  And that tore at my heart thinking that little bit of Fiona. 

I did not want this to turn into my mistake that I made when I started figuring all this out.  "I know this all seems crazy to the two of you," I said slowly.  "I'll talk about anythign and answer any questions but that."  And by that, I meant what Lincoln was trying to get me to talk about.

I smiled at Abel, knowing that he liked to listen to what was going on.  It was how he would find out whether or not we would be leaving homes again before we were actually told.  "They aren't whisper fighting are they?" I asked, knowing that in our other homes the adults used to do that all the time.  I hated it.

I looked at him intensely -- a look I had received more than once by the Lupins when they asked me questions before they knew the entire truth.  "When did you find all of this out?" I asked him, trying to make a timeline in my head about the man who sat in front of me who was definitely my brother.

I was kind of startled by the question.  "Oh, about six or nine months ago," I said to him honestly.  "I had the argument with Uncle Chris when I got home from school - after graduation - and then I had to wait a couple more months to make sure I had the funds... now here I am."  I was not entirely sure what else he wanted me to elaborate about that.

I took a few moments to actually listen to what was being said and attempted to process the information. "I don't think so." I said before picking up another crayon to colour. "Either way, they aren't talking about us. They're talking about Austin, the other man in the room that looks like Lincoln."

I looked at Austin and sighed.  "I think I need some air," I said, standing up.  I did not mind if it was alone or not, but I just did not -- could not be with the man in front of me right now.  I put my hands in my pockets and walked outside onto the front porch.  I was not entirely sure if I could believe him.  I wanted to -- oh, how I wanted to believe him! -- but I could not bring myself to wade into his story so easily.