Realistic or Modern (Accepting!) Lost and Found (Dark family Drama)

[Just A Potato]

Etienne was nervous.


It was more than that.


He wasn’t sure there was a word for what he was feeling. His heart was bursting with excitement and indescribable sadness all at once. The pit of his stomach was cold with fear, and churned with discontent as though he were a fifteen year old boy getting ready to ask his long-time crush to the prom. His hands were shaky with fear that should have been long abandoned after fifteen plus years on the force. His mind was racing, and no amount of cop-like reasoning could make it slow its rate.


He was about to meet his son…again.


Allyn, Eteinne’s foster daughter, had been transported to their Reprieve family after school on Thursday, the same day they’d found out about Daniel. They’d never gotten the chance to tell her in person, or to really talk to her at all. She’d been taken by the Kirk’s after school.


Etienne had sent her a text.


Allyn, I love you, and we’ll explain everything soon, okay? Daniel’s been found, and we have to go get him from the hospital.


We’ll be home soon. For now Jamie and Lynn are going to take you to their place for a few days. They have a house key, you’ll be able to grab whatever you need from the house.


We love you. We’ll see you in a few days.


Etienne


Yeong and Mila had come along with them, and had been dropped off at the hotel just two miles away from the hospital with strict instructions to stay in the room. Etienne had sworn that they’d be back soon, and that no one should worry. He’d also insisted that they call him from the hotel phone once every hour. He didn’t bother disguising the reason. He’d lost one son, he wouldn’t lose another child.


Now, as he walked behind a sickly-thin, older nurse, he couldn’t help but be nervous. They marched through the sterile, white hallways, weaving around medical supplies carts, and dodging nurses and doctors alike.


Finally, they reached the room, and for a moment, Etienne found himself consumed by doubt. What if Daniel didn’t recognize him? What if he’d been brain washed? How badly had he been hurt? Did he blame them for not watching him better? What if he’d forgotten them entirely?


The nurse knocked on the door, a hollow sort of noise that shook Etienne to the bone. She pushed it open, and he walked inside, his eyes falling on the too-thin boy. His hair had darkened, his skin had paled, and his features had become less baby-ish and more teen-ish, but he was still Daniel.


Etienne hadn’t expected to cry, but tears streamed down his face anyway. With a large hand, he wiped them away, determined to stay strong for his son, who was, undoubtedly more frightened than he was. “Danny?” He asked. “Danny, do you know who I am?”

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong lay splayed across the one of the hotel beds, the black frames of his glasses pressing uncomfortably into the bridge of his nose as he pressed his face down into the blankets. He hadn't said a word to his parents or his sister on the drive up, and he had flopped down on the bed the moment he arrived at the hotel room. Yeong had continued to lay there for some time, though he wasn't entirely certain how long. The teen boy wasn't quite sure what to make of everything that was happening. It wasn't as though anyone had expressed the desire to hear his thoughts on the matter, and so he decided not to bother trying to form any. Instead, he simply lay there, not thinking about anything in particular.


Perhaps he was supposed to feel something or do something. There was no one to tell him what he was supposed to be doing though, and Yeong likely would have ignored them if there was. It still might have been nice to have something to ignore though, instead of having nothing at all. His father had told him and his sister to call every hour, so perhaps he should do that. Turning his head just enough to glance at the clock on the nightstand, Yeong realized that it had really only been five minutes. It had felt like much longer than that.


With a sigh, Yeong managed to roll onto his side, reaching out to grab the television remote that lay on the nightstand beside a paper with the channel listings. Without bothering to refer to the list, Yeong lay back down and switched on the television. He had shifted positions to lay on his stomach facing the television, his chin resting on one hand while stretching out his other hand to start channel surfing. Yeong wasn't sure what he wanted to watch, barely giving any program a minute before moving on to the next. He was feeling bored, or perhaps listless. Yeong couldn't quite tell which it was. He still felt that there was something that he should be doing.


"What do you want to watch?" Yeong asked, turning at last to his adoptive sister Mila. He had been ignoring her, but now that it came to the ever pressing matter of what television show to watch, his attention became focused on her.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

After Etienne had left, Mila sighed softly from the strict rule to stay in the room. "I mean, seriously?" she mumbled to herself, but it was loud enough for Yeong to hear since he hasn't been saying anything since everyone got in the car to drive up to the hospital. "We have to call every hour?" She still wasn't used to all of these rules, but she would follow the ones Etienne gave her and Yeong. Mostly because her adoptive parents had just found their missing son and Mila didn't want to be the cause of anymore stress or worry to them at the moment. She would have enough time to do that later when they got back home, after everything has settled down with the family.


Mila was sitting on the other bed across from Yeong in the hotel room, her back against the headboard with her legs propped up. She had a sketchbook sitting against her legs, a mechanical pencil in her right hand. She didn't look up once as she drew, trying to get her mind off the current situation. She wasn't too sure how she should feel around this time. She didn't even know Daniel personally to have any strong emotions toward all of this. But she knew her parents must both be emotional wrecks right now.


The fact that Mila's brother wasn't saying anything to her made her feel more at peace as she drew, her pencil moving quickly across the page. When she heard him ask her a question, she slowly looked up from the page with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, so now I exist?" she replied to his question sarcastically with a smirk. "I'm drawing. I don't want to watch anything" she told him, glancing at the tv screen. "I'm sure nothing good is on anyways. But thanks for asking." She looked back down at her sketchbook and tried to retain the flow she had while drawing before she was interrupted.


After a few minutes, Mila sighed dramatically and put her sketchbook down on the bed. "What time is it?" she asked, looking at Yeong again. "I can't believe Etienne is making us call him every. Single. Hour. It's a bit much" she added with a mumble, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong, who was pouting and continuing to channel flip, turned his attention back to Mila, quirking an eyebrow at how melodramatic his sister was being. Although he agreed that an hour was a bit much to have to call their parents, it wasn't as though they were doing anything so important that they couldn't call as much as Eteinne wanted them to. That was likely the point, since the 'every hour' time constraint would keep them in their hotel room. They couldn't wander out to catch a movie or anything else that would be mildly interesting.


Pushing himself up on the bed, twisting around to look back over at the clock. In the background he could hear the Wild Kratts talking animatedly as they explored the Indian Ocean. Yeong shut off the television before responding to his sister.


"We've still got another half hour," Yeong replied, adjusting himself on the bed as he turned just enough to be facing towards Mila. "I don't even know how easy it'll be to reach him at the hospital. It seems like he'll be busy..."


Sighing, Yeong shook his head, rolling over onto his back and peering over at Mila, who was now upside down from Yeong's perspective. It was somewhat amusing to him, though he was not sure why.


"Still, he'll probably flip out if we don't call when we're supposed to," Yeong continued. "Assuming that he's not too caught up in the reunion to remember us. We might not even reach him when we try to call."


He smiled a bit wryly, continuing to watch Mila carefully to gauge her reaction to his words. They weren't meant to be upsetting, not entirely, but a part of him wanted to know what his sister was thinking through all of this.

 

[Protocol]

Jem fidgeted, closing and opening his fists on his lap, as he waited to meet his parents again for the first time in, apparently, ten years. His skin tingled all over and he felt like he was standing on the edge of a tall building leaning over the side. What if they didn’t want him anymore? What if when they found out how broken he was they decided to give him away? Or what if it was a mistake? He wasn’t their kid. He knew he wasn’t and the cops and doctors had gotten the family excited for nothing. They’d be disappointed and angry and it would be all his fault. He wrapped arms around himself to keep his heart from bursting out his chest. His ribs screamed in protest where they were still healing.


He jerked at a knock on the door. He froze, deliberately lowering his arms. Breathe. A nurse came in along with a tall pale man with well defined muscles.


Jem studied the man’s face for anything familiar. A dip of a nose, the curve of an eye, anything. He had a vague memory, calling for “Daddy.”


The feelings associated with the term were mixed. There was warmth, a deep voice, and a deep sense of safety, but stronger than that was a layer of aching pain, of fear and lost and his mom's--or the woman who had pretended to be his mom--voice yelling that Jem didn't have a dad. That his dad didn't love them. He'd left when Jem was a baby and didn't want anything to do with him.


Then the man did something completely unexpected. He began to cry. Jem's lips parted, soft brows pulled together in worry. He nodded, frowned and shook his head helplessly. He wanted to tell the man that he did. That he remembered him, he wanted to ease the lines of pain in the man's face, but he didn't want to lie. A sound of frustration left his lips as he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. He winced as he touched the left one, still a bit swollen. I don't, but maybe I will. Give me time! I'll try. I'll try. Please don't be angry.





The old nurse turned to Etienne with soft eyes. "He's mute," she said. "His vocal cords are intact so he can make noise, but the doctors said there seemed to be damage to the Broca's area, affecting Daniel's ability to form words."


Jem shook his head faster, cheeks heating. He hated this. Hated not being able to talk or speak for himself. Hated being a freak and knowing that this would only hurt the kind looking man further. Lowering his hands, Jem (he still struggled thinking of himself as Danny), looked up at Etienne with wide eyes. I'm sorry that I'm not him. I'm sorry I'm not who you expected.

 

[Uxie]

Allyn Gray

"So your foster parents' lost son, huh?" Annie said from her cross-legged position on the bed, her blue eyes observing Allyn curiously. Allyn nodded from the window, her gaze directed on the tree directly beside the glass panes.


"What's he like?"


Allyn shook her head.


"How old is he?"


Allyn shook her head.


"Do you know anything about him at all besides that he was your parents' lost son?"


Allyn paused, then shook her head.


Annie let out an exasperated sigh, flopping backwards such that her head was pressed against the cool mattress. Allyn finally turned to look at her friend, wordlessly moving from the window over to a seat by the bed. When she'd seen Jamie and Lynn there to pick her up instead, she'd...fear had... She couldn't even properly describe the fear that had swept across her. She'd felt like she was drowning.


Drowning in fear.


They must be here because Mom and Dad don't want me anymore. I was too bad of a child, I- her paranoid ramblings had been interrupted by a short explanation by the smiling Kirks, and she'd felt the weight lift off her heart marginally. They'd took her over to the Bell's house to pick up a few things, though the only possession she'd really made sure she'd brought with her was her camera, the one thing that brought her undoubted comfort.


She'd called Annie over, whom arrived shortly after, flanked by Xander who was currently being interrogated by the Kirk's on every detail of his life downstairs. Allyn lifted the camera and snapped a picture of Annie, who smiled up at the ceiling upon hearing the click.


"They'll come back for you, y'know?"


Allyn's eyes widened as her best friend said the one thing she'd been dying to hear, had needed to hear, and a small smile danced on her lips.


"Thanks."

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"Right," Mila nodded her head as she looked at her adoptive brother, agreeing with him. "I'm aware that we have to call him, I'm not saying we shouldn't. It's just a little overboard" she stated her own opinion. "But I'm honestly not surprised." This was nothing new from the strict rules they had at home, rules that she ended up breaking either intentionally or unintentionally. Trouble just always seemed to find Mila one way or another.


She watched as Yeong rolled onto his back while on the bed, no sign of amusement on her face since she wasn't in the best mood at the moment. "Even if he is busy dealing with everything at the hospital, we should probably still try to call him just in case. Don't want to take any chances of him disciplining us when he gets back." Mila looked out the window of the hotel room that only showed the hotel's parking lot, thinking about how Etienne must feel, seeing his son that he lost all those years ago.


Mila stood up from the bed suddenly and ran her hands through her medium length hair before putting it up into a messy ponytail with one of the hair ties on her wrist. "Half an hour is enough time" she muttered as she stretched then put her sketchbook in her bag, not wanting Yeong messing with it. She wasn't sure if he would or not but she didn't want to take any chances. Mila wasn't shy about a lot of things, but her art was one of the things she was quite reluctant to show to others, even her own family members. She took out her wallet then turned towards her brother, stuffing her wallet into the back pocket of her jeans. "I'm gonna grab something to eat from the cafe in the hotel's lobby. I'm hungry, obviously" she told Yeong simply without any other explanation. Mila didn't get a chance to eat anything before her parents took her out of school in the middle of the day to come here, and now she was starving. Though she did remember the small cafe as she walked into the lobby with Yeong and her parents.


"I mean, he wouldn't mind me getting something to eat right? I'm still in the hotel." She made her way to the hotel door before glancing back at Yeong again. "Do you want to come? You look restless" she offered, her voice in a monotone as she spoke. "We'll be back before our thirty minutes are over to call."

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong smiled, the expression more genuine as he sat up. His glasses dangled somewhat awkwardly on his face, and he pushed them back into place as he got up from the bed. He was glad to see his sister behaving somewhat like herself, breaking the rules in a fairly innocent way. It was interesting to hear her justify the decision, as Yeong himself would simply disregard the rules when he felt like doing something.


"I was just about to suggest we head out actually," he replied. "If we're gonna have to sit around the hotel room and be bored, we can at least do it on a full stomach."


He slid off the bed and onto his feet, striding over to the door. As he did so, he reached back to let his hair down out of it's ponytail, letting it fall down around his shoulders. Yeong's hair had gotten a bit messed up from his rolling around on the bed, and he combed his fingers through his hair as he walked, pausing as he reached Mila's side.


"You've got the key right?" he asked, wanting to double check. Yeong had locked himself outside of the house more times than he would care to admit, and so he'd gotten into the habit of double checking before he left anywhere. It was one of the few things that was careful about. At least, it was one of the things which he tried to be careful about. Old habits die hard after all.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"Of course I've got the key" Mila muttered. She rolled her eyes, knowing how Yeong is with his double checking business. She patted her hands against her jean pockets just in case to see if the key was there. She pursed her lips as she realized that she didn't have it, causing her to turn around and quickly grab the key off the dresser. "Yeah, I got it now" she said with a shrug, playing it off as she walked past Yeong and opened the door. Mila slipped the key into her other back pocket then started to walk side by side with Yeong down the hall.


She kept mostly quiet until they entered the elevator. Mila quickly pressed the lobby button a couple of times then leaned against the elevator wall. "I wonder how he looks like now, after all those years. Don't you wonder how he looks?" Mila aksed Yeong curiously, looking at him as the elevator descended. She recalled seeing pictures of Daniel when he was younger, before he was taken, before all the drama.


"I feel like everything changes from here on out" she spoke again truthfully. "Our parents have their perfect child from so long ago again. Where does that leave us, Yeong?" Mila wasn't sure how her parents would try to get Daniel accustomed back into this type of lifestyle again. "I mean...we've always been the rebound kids" she mumbled with a shrug as she glanced down. "At least, that's how I feel like sometimes." She furrowed her eyebrows, quickly catching herself. "Why am I actually telling you how I feel?" she questioned out loud, walking out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

 

[Just A Potato]

@Protocol and Just a Potato collab

​

Etienne’s heart shattered a little as his son shook his head. Something close to fear shone in his eyes as he dipped his head, and pressed his hands to his eyes. “No, no, Danny, buddy, it’s okay.” He assured him, his voice soft and low. It was the same voice he used with victims in the field, the one that said he was sure someone was going to break any second. “Buddy, it’s all okay. You don’t have to remember, okay? It’s alright. You’ll get there.” He swore, tears streamed down his face, but he never bothered to wipe them away.


The truth was, Etienne didn’t know if Danny would ever get there. He didn’t know if he’d ever remember him or his mother. The nurse informed him that Danny was mute. Anger bubbled up inside of Etienne’s chest, but he was careful to keep it away from him eyes.


What had that monster done? What did ‘trauma’ mean in this situation? Had he been hit? Judging by the bruised face he was sporting, abuse wasn’t a far-fetched idea. Murderous thoughts wormed their way into his brain, and try as he might, he couldn’t shake them. It took every ounce of control in his system not to clench his fists, not to allow his eyes to go cold and empty.


He pushed as much of the anger away as he possibly could, and walked slowly to the bed, making sure to keep his movements predictable. He pulled from the inner pocket of his shirt a pad of paper and a pen, something he always kept on him, a habit from the field.


He was suddenly thankful for it. He handed it over to Danny. “Would you prefer to write, son?” He asked, placing a large hand on Danny’s shoulder. It occurred to him that Danny might not have ever been taught to write. “Or draw?” He quickly amended. “I’ll buy you a dry erase board today, and bring it by, okay? That way you can talk to people. Sound okay, love?”


Jem's shoulders relaxed. It was strange, but the man's voice made his insides settle a bit. When his...dad, called him Danny or Buddy or Love, it made his chest tighten with a strange warm emotion that made his eyes sting. He wasn't Danny, but Jem, hearing the love in Etienne's voice, wished he was.


His mother, Ruby, had never called him by an affectionate nickname. He was just Jem or brat or little shit. He was her Jem, her treasure, but when she called him that...it wasn't loving like this man was. When Ruby called him her treasure, her gem, there was a sense of possessiveness.


He took a few deep breaths and gave Etienne a watery smile.


He took the notepad and pen. I can write. He wrote the words semi large so that Etienne could see without taking the notepad back. Sorry I don't remember. I He bit his lip and paused. remember your voice. Sort of. Something about it made Jem feel safer.


Etienne read the pad as the boy worked on it. "Don't apologize, honey." He answered. "It's okay, don't push yourself so hard. Everything is okay now." He swore, but the words were more for himself, and in truth, he didn't know if he believed them. I remember your voice. Somehow the words struck a cord with him.


He bit back the emotions that flooded him. Questions exploded in his mind. What did he remember him saying? Did he remember the loving tones? The many times that Etienne had tucked him into bed and sung Frere Jaques with him? Or did he remember his harsh tones? Was the voice he remembered angry over something small and stupid? Something Etienne didn't even remember himself. Did those words Etienne wished he could erase from history ring in Danny's mind?


An idea came to him, and he crouched down, so that his lips were close to Danny's ear. "Je t'aime, bonne nuit mon ange." He whispered. The words tumbled elegantly off his tongue, in the way only someone who'd grown up speaking the language could manage. He used to repeat those words to Danny every night when he put him to bed. "I love you, goodnight my angel." He translated the words, in case Danny didn't know what they meant. "I used to say that to you every night." A slight accent colored his words as he spoke. His hand tightened against Danny's shoulder, and he pulled the boy into a gentle half-hug. "I've missed you so much, Danny. I love you." He said, the words were strained and shaky, as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I love you so much, Danny."


Jem squeezed the pad in his hand, crinkling the pages. It wasn't okay. He could tell. He could tell that he was hurting this man and he wished he could fix it. He wished he was Danny. The man's face was twisted in pain and Jem could tell he was holding strong emotions back.


And then the tall man, the one with the familiar voice and the kind words, crouched by him. His breath tickled Jem's ear as he breathed something in French. Jem choked. A hand flew to his mouth. Je t'aime.I love you. He remembered. He remembered those words and kind hands and a smile in the dark. The man held Jem and Jem threw his arms over his dad's neck. A wail split from the teen's lips and he nuzzled his face into Etienne neck. Daddy. Daddy. Daddy.


It was true. He was Danny. He still didn't remember much else, but those words broke something in him. Je t'aime. Je t'aime. A memory broke through the surface. He was little, back when Ruby kept him in the basement, before he'd been a 'good boy.' Back when Jem was bad and called out for 'mommy' and 'daddy,' but the mom that came wasn't the one he wanted. Ruby would tell him that Jem didn't have a father, that his father had left him. Under his breath Jem would whisper 'Je t'aime,' over and over again to remind himself it wasn't true. His dad loved him.


Etienne sucked in a deep breath as Danny practically threw himself at him. Shit! Holy fuck, Danny either remembered him, or...or what? Etienne was a better option than anything else he had? Etienne couldn’t bring himself to care what the reason was. He was just so thankful that Danny was here, hugging him. Something he never thought he’d do again.


His lips pressed against Danny’s cheek. “Je t’aime ma petite.” He repeated the words over and over. “I love you, my little boy.” His words were strained and thick with emotions. His arms wrapped around the teen’s thin frame, careful not to hold him too tightly, careful not to hurt him. He still hadn’t been told what injuries he had, and he didn’t want to risk that there were stitches or broken bones beneath the hospital gown that draped over him.


Etienne wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, nor was he sure who pulled away first, but eventually the embrace ended, and immediately, he longed to feel his warmth in his arms again. He brushed away tears, a broken laugh spilled from his lips. God, he never thought he’d see Danny ever again. Never thought he’d know what he looked like at an older age.


He pressed his lips together in a thin line as he tried to think of how to breach the subject at hand. “Danny,” he began after a long while. “Do you remember that we used to foster children? That children without homes would come to us? We still do that, Danny, and just like we adopted you when you were young, we’ve adopted two more children. One boy and one girl. Their names are Mila and Yeong. They’re your siblings, Danny, and you’ll meet them soon. Is there any questions you happen to have? Anything you’d like to know? About anyone?” He asked.


Eventually Jem...Dan's breathing evened out and the embrace ended. He wiped furiously at his face. He blushed, embarrassed by his outburst. He barely knew this man, but Dan wanted him to care. He took a few deep breaths and listened to Etienne, to his dad. His lip curled up and he held back another burst of emotion.


The teen was tired. His ribs hurt from where they'd been cracked and his sprained ankle throbbed under its boot. Adopted? So...he wasn't really theirs. His face fell. Do you still want me? He quickly scribbled the words out. Jem didn't want to hear the answer and he didn't want to make the man feel guilty if the answer was 'no.' Plus...even if his parents still wanted him they could change their minds soon enough. Once they realized how broken he was.


His whole world was spinning. First they'd told him he wasn't Jem Hasting. His mother wasn't his mom and he'd been kidnapped. He was already struggling with the fact that was two years older than he thought and his name was Daniel Bell. Now he was adopted and had two siblings.


It sounded like he'd already been replaced. Jem faked a small smile and quickly wrote How old? He'd always wanted siblings in all honesty. Maybe...maybe it would be okay. Maybe they'd get along. How long? Even trying to feel optimistic however, he still needed to ask how long it took them to get over him. Had they kept looking for Danny after they got their replacement kids?


Jem frowned. He was feeling bitter and jealous and that wasn't like him. When can I meet them? Where's, he paused a struggled to write the next word mom?


It was hard thinking that he had another mom, somewhere. One that wasn't Ruby. Or whoever that woman had been. The police guy who'd talked to him earlier had informed him that Jem Hastings didn't exist and neither, apparently, did Ruby Hastings. The names were fake.





The first question that Danny scrawled along the page was enough to pierce Etienne’s heart. His hand tightened against the teen’s thin shoulder, his other gently took Danny’s chin, and nudge him to look at him. “Danny,” He said, his voice soft, and loving. “You are our son.” He insisted, his lips turned upward in a smile that didn’t reach his misty eyes. “We will always want you. No matter what, okay? Nothing that you could ever do would make us stop loving you.” He swore, it was a sentence that he had often heard repeated in his own home. Etienne had, at one point, been a wild child. His mother had told him that same line after every fight.


Etienne answered each of Danny’s subsequent questions. He explained that Mila was sixteen, Yeong was seventeen. Mila had only been with them for a short time, her adoption had been finalized within the last few months. Yeong, however, had been with them for nearly three years, and his adoption had been finalized a year and half prior. He also explained that they had another girl with them currently. Her name was Allyn, and she was fifteen.


Etienne wasn’t sure when the kids would meet him, hell, he wasn’t even sure when they could take Danny home. He still needed to talk to a doctor about when they could get Danny transferred to a hospital closer to home, if he even needed to stay much longer.


His mom was out in the hall, he’d informed the teenager. The nurses had been adamant that only one parent get to go in at once. She’d insisted that it be him. Etienne secretly thought it was because she felt responsible for his disappearance…and as far as he was concerned…she was.


He glanced down at his watch. Ten minutes, his kids had ten minutes to call before he called them. Etienne reached up, running fingers through Danny’s soft hair. “It’s so good to have you back, son.” He said, his voice just above a whisper. “We’ve missed you so much.”

 

[ApfelSeine]

Having listened in relative silence to what Mila was thinking, Yeong shrugged. He was leaning against the faux wood paneling of the elevator, his hands curled around the flat metal bar that encircled it. He pushed himself away from the wall, following closely behind Mila as he stepped out onto the carpeted floor. It seemed that his sister was quick to try to close off her feelings again, but Yeong was glad that she had ended up sharing them. It was a relief to know that he wasn't the only one who was worried.


"I dunno why. You're usually pretty grumpy," Yeong remarked. He gave his sister a playful nudge on her arm, though his smile was gentle. "I understand though. This isn't the sort of thing we could have anticipated. Who knows how things are going to change, or what is going to happen to us. They might have expectations for us to immediately love and accept our new brother, or maybe we'll find out that we were replacements all along. We'll have to wait and see."


He paused briefly, feeling a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. They were both adopted to fill a void, or so it seemed, but Yeong was the one who was a replacement son. And a highly imperfect replacement son. It had worked out fine so far since his adoptive parents liked fixing people, but now they had a new project. A new boy to lavish their affections on. Someone who would probably fit the title of son a lot better than he would. The fact that the kid would be even more messed up that Yeong would likely be another reason for them to push Yeong to the wayside. He knew that this wasn't only his problem to worry about though, his sister wasn't in a much better position. Neither of his sisters were.


"However our parents end up treating us though, and even if they lose interest in us to take care of their perfect son, I'll still be here for you... not in a sappy way of course," Yeong continued, quickly correcting himself to prevent sounding too mushy. "It's just... I don't want you to feel like you have to go through this alone. I don't know if you see me as a real brother or anything like that but... you're not half bad. For a sister at least."


Yeong reached back to rub the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged a faint pink as he averted his gaze. He had tried to avoid becoming all sappy, but failed pretty miserably. He hadn't even managed to sound particularly 'cool' or anything. Yeong had just awkwardly let his feelings slip out. Even in all the years he'd known her, he'd never really called Mila a sister outside of his head. He'd always just thought it quietly to himself, where he couldn't be judged or teased for thinking that. But even if Mila didn't feel the same, Yeong knew he'd still keep thinking of her as his sister. He'd even started thinking of Allyn as a sister. And as little as Yeong knew about being a brother, he knew that he should be there for them when they needed him, no matter what.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"I'm not grumpy" Mila retorted, sending a quick glare to Yeong. "At least not intentionally." She couldn't help the smirk that formed on her lips though when Yeong nudged her arm. "It'll be hard to immediately love and accept him" Mila pointed out. "I mean, would he even love and accept us? I'm sure it would be complicated for him also."


Mila turned into the main lobby with Yeong as she listened to him, the color in her own cheeks turning a light shade of red. Her eyes widened slightly. Mila wasn't used to someone actually showing affection and concern toward her. Sure, her adoptive parents did, but to Mila, it did't seem much like they cared about her personally. To her, the impression she got was that the Bells just cared that they didn't lose another child like they lost Daniel. It wasn't usual for her to hear those things.


"Um thanks for making it sound extremely sentimental and making me feel awkward" she responded sarcastically, glancing at Yeong from the corner of her eye. It came out a bit curt, but that wasn't Mila's intention really. She just wasn't sure exactly how to respond to what Yeong said. She could tell that Yeong felt awkward talking about that too, noticing the blush on his cheeks also. "Hey, the same applies for you. You're not my real brother by blood but you're my adoptive brother. That still makes you my brother." She said it quickly, keeping the response short so she didn't start getting sentimental over it like Yeong did.


Mila didn't smile though, wanting to mask her emotions as best as she could. "Anyway, let's hurry up before our time is up so we can call Etienne. Wouldn't want him getting pissed off at me on the day he reunited with his son." She sighed, looking around for a moment before spotting the petite cafe. She tapped Yeong's arm before she started to walk over to it.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Mila hadn't given Yeong much of a reaction, but he had been somewhat expecting that. It was frankly a bit of a relief, and he simply nodded and followed Mila as she headed towards the cafe. Yeong liked Mila's matter of fact way of stating things. It had certainly helped pierce the growing awkwardness between them. In the future it would most likely be best for Yeong to not be so liberal with his words. Unless he needed to be of course. With the uncertain nature of the future, it was reassuring to have someone on his side. Yeong was the type to take what he could get in terms of friendships and connections to others, but a semi-close bond with his adoptive sister was more than he really dared to hope for.


He would take care not to let himself become too greedy and start wanting to be part of an actual family. Yeong had resisted the temptation so far, though he would at times act as though he hadn't. His position felt fragile, and Yeong cared too much for his sanity to let himself put too much trust on others. He had a sister to confide in, at least a little bit, and that would be more than enough.


"As long as we're approximately on time I'm sure it'll be fine," Yeong said. "Though it probably is better safe than sorry. We should bring the food back up to the room with us and call him as soon as we get back. That might be a bit on the early side, but at least it'll be over with. I'm not even entirely sure he expects us to talk about. I guess he just wants to know that we're both there, so it probably won't matter."


When he stepped into the cafe, Yeong shivered a bit as the air conditioner above the door blew cold air down onto him. The room was small, as might be expected, with a white tiled floor and a few sets of tables and chairs over to one side. Yeong glanced over to the display case, his mouth watering somewhat at the prospect of sweets. It hadn't even been a particularly long time since Yeong had last had something sweet. He normally kept some kind of candy in his pocket or snacked on cookies whenever he had the opportunity. Still, that didn't curb his enthusiasm in the slightest.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"He expects us to say that we've stayed put in the hotel room the whole time he was gone" Mila sneered quietly as they entered the cafe. "Not caring if we starved to death." She knew she was being a bit dramatic with this but she said it mostly for her own amusement even though it wasn't physically obvious that she found it somewhat humorous. "I get it though" Mila nodded slowly as she walked over to the display case where Yeong had been focused on. "Etienne just wants to make sure that we're okay." She always understood why things were done, but given her naturally rebellious character, she ended up acting out defiantly.


"You know," Mila started, pressing a hand gently against the glass case. "I'm just going to say that I really appreciate what you said earlier. About the whole sister thing" She looked down at all the appealing pastries that were neatly presented within the case, not able to look Yeong in the eye as she spoke. "I've never had siblings before so I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to act toward a sibling" she added honestly.


The line was short surprisingly and Mila and Yeong would only have to wait for a couple of people to order, so she took Yeong's arm and dragged him onto the line behind everyone else. "Do you think we should get our parents something also?" she asked curiously, breaking a silence that had lasted for a good minute or two. She also wanted to change the subject away from what she had said. She thought about her parents at the hospital, probably hungry too. If they weren't by now, they could be later on during the day when they get back to the hotel and everything has calmed down. "We can get them a huge cinnamon bun or something and if they don't want it, then we'll eat it" she shrugged simply. The line moved up as the guy in the front finally paid and received his own pastries, Mila shuffling forward as she looked at Yeong for his repsonse.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong smiled, shaking his head slightly at Mila's suggestion. It was a caring remark, betraying what was clearly a sweet disposition hidden beneath all of the sarcasm and prickly remarks. He didn't mention it though, knowing that Mila was trying to distract him from her display of sentimentality. Bringing up how it made her look sweet was not likely to please her, so instead he'd continue along with the topic change.


"That would be a good idea, except then Etienne will know that we left the hotel room," Yeong replied. He gave her an amused wink. "See, this is why you get caught more than I do. You've gotta make sure to hide all the evidence. We can always remind them to eat when we call, or when they get back to the hotel."


He glanced over to the counter, realizing that it would be their turn before too long. He could hardly decide between all of the tasty looking sweets, but he had been eyeing the cinnamon buns in particular. They were coated with icing and looked fresh out of the oven. Yeong was surprised that his stomach wasn't rumbling just from thinking about it. It had been awhile since he had last eaten, and even then he hadn't had all that much at breakfast.


"By the way," Yeong said, turning his attention back towards his sister. "You are going to buy me something right? After all, I am your adorable brother and you love me ever so much."


He batted his eyelashes for extra effect, but even he couldn't take his own words very seriously and the smirk that crept onto his face betrayed the fact that he was teasing her. Yeong wanted to ease the tension a bit, knowing how stressed out Mila was feeling. He didn't really expect her to treat him, and was already shoving his hand into his pocket to dig around in the mess of hardcandies and wrappers for some cash to pay with.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"Damn" Mila muttered under her breath then bit her lip, not even thinking of the possibility of getting caught. Now that she actually thought about it, that was how Mila usually got caught with her adoptive parents. She always ended up giving herself away with the evidence, rarely getting away with anything. "That's what I get for trying to be considerate towards others. If we get caught, I'll take all the blame. I'm used to getting in trouble anyway" she shrugged nonchalantly to the subject. Mila was so used to it by now, that she hardly even cared. "Maybe you could give me lessons someday on how to get away with everything." Yeong did seem like the better and more obedient teenager out of the two of them from Mila's eyes but that was only because he didn't get caught with their parents as much as she did.


Mila was eyeing the many Danish pastries in the display case, not sure which kind she was going to get. She couldn't help letting out a short laugh, glancing at Yeong. "Are you serious?" she snickered, trying to stifle her own laugh. She didn't like it anyway. "You think I'm paying for you?" She found it humorous that Yeong actually thought she would pay for the both of them, especially with the choice of words he used to try to persuade her. Mila saw his own smirk then shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.


"If I did pay for you," she thought out loud. "Then, you would have to pay for everything else from this point on." She was aware that this idea was a pretty far-fetched idea. Of course she wasn't honest with it though, only teasing him back. But unlike Yeong, Mila was able to hold in her smile and keep a straight face so that it seemed as if she was being sincere with the idea.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong pouted, something he was able to do much more convincingly, but even that gave way to a smile as he looked at his sister. It was nice, being able to banter with her. At least that much wouldn't change with the new addition to the family. Yeong allowed himself to feel somewhat comforted by that thought as he finally fished out some crumpled bills from his pocket. He straightened them out against his thigh as he replied to Mila.


"You're so mean," he huffed, still too amused to keep a straight face. "You know that I'm lazy and broke. Also I spend all my money on candy because I'm too weak willed not to. Sweets are my Achilles heel. Metaphorically speaking."


In truth, it was not entirely a metaphorical Achilles heel. Sweets might very well be the death of Yeong, seeing as how the teen would do almost anything for them. A cake could be used to bribe him into doing any number of things. He was somewhat gullible in that way, though he made up for it with his silver tongue.


Inevitably, Yeong's attention was drawn back to eyeing the display case. Now he was starting to crave the tasty looking tarts instead. In truth, given enough time Yeong would start to just want to eat the entire display case. It would be best to hurry and just pick something quickly. The tarts were fairly small, and so he had enough for two of them. That was what left Yeong certain with his choice, and he eagerly waited his turn to ask for them.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

"I'm not being mean" Mila retorted with a grin as she and Yeong moved up in the line. She pretended to look hurt, putting a hand against her chest. "I'm just being honest. I don't do a lot of favors for people and the only reason why I would be doing you a favor is because you're like...my brother or whatever." She still wasn't used to saying that and she wasn't sure if she could ever get used to calling Yeong her actual brother, or even Allyn her sister. At least she was familiar with them, opposite to her soon to be relationship with Daniel.


Mila continued looking forward at the display case of pastries, finally deciding on getting two Danish pastries with apple filling inside. "Maybe if you stopped buying sweets all the time you wouldn't end up broke. And possibly with cavities" she picked on him. Mila couldn't help laughing softly at that one as she walked up closer to the cash register. "Honestly, I'll just pay for them" she offered, taking out her wallet from her jean pocket.


"Get whatever you want, you can pay me back whenever. I'm not too picky about money." She told the barista behind the cash register what she wanted, along with a cappuccino. She quickly moved out of the way though so Yeong could order. She figured that they didn't have much time left until they had to call Etienne. "Come on hurry up you sweetaholic" she called Yeong with a smirk. She thought the name was pretty accurate for him for his huge liking of sweets. "We have to call Etienne soon."

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yeong hurried to order the two tarts that he had been planning to buy anyways, stuffing the cash back into his pocket with a grin. Mila was likely correct in her observation that sweets were what put a dent into Yeong's finances, though he hardly cared at this point. It would take a heck of a lot to get him to cut back on his sugar intake.


"Has anyone told you lately that you are an absolutely gorgeous person?" he asked, this time with no sarcasm lacing his tone. It was a rare display of earnestness that only sweets seemed to draw out of him.


Yeong didn't wait for a response, but instead began to hurry out of the cafe. Knowing Etienne, he would likely call himself if the two didn't call in time. So it would be best not to cut it too close. If he headed out now he could call for the elevator and get them back to the room a minute faster. They weren't particularly running late, but it was Yeong's tendency to cover all his bases that gave him an edge when misbehaving.


"I'm gonna call for the elevator!" he called back to Mila as he was beginning to head off. "Catch up with me!"


When he was out of the cafe he jogged over to the elevator, pressing the button to call the elevator down to the ground floor before turning to see whether or not his sister had managed to follow close behind.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

Mila gave Yeong a confused look, hearing him call her gorgeous. She wasn't sure if he was trying to be sarcastic or not so she shook her head and turned her attention back to the barista. She handed him the requested amount of money she needed to pay as Yeong left. She didn't even realize he left at the moment until he announced that he was calling the elevator. She had been waiting for the pastries and coffee at the counter. Mila's head whipped around in search for Yeong until she noticed him jogging toward the elevator. This caused her to laugh since he didn't even bother to wait for her. She didn't expect him to leave off in a rush like that. "Alright alright" she mumbled to herself after Yeong told her to catch up, rolling her eyes. She wasn't too worried about getting to the hotel room as early as Yeong wanted to.


After thanking the employee for the food and beverage, Mila took the bag that contained the Danish pastries and the tarts. She quickly spun around and swiftly walked across the lobby back to the elevators. "Hold up, wait for me!" she called out to him, holding onto the bag tightly with one hand and keeping the coffee a small distance away from her body in the other. Mila didn't want anything spilling on her in front of the whole lobby. A few people were already watching them anyway since Yeong was running towards the elevator. The doors opened and Mila went inside first. "Thanks for waiting for me at the cafe" she uttered with a sardonic tone towards Yeong as she pressed the button with the number of the floor level they're staying on.

 

[ApfelSeine]

"I am the epitome of gentlemanliness," Yeong replied with a smirk as he stepped into the elevator behind her. "I did wait for you by the elevator at least. Though that was mostly because you're the one with the key."


He grinned at her, looking fairly cheerful. It wasn't often that Yeong got semi-forced into spending time with Mila. It wasn't that he had to be forced into spending time with her, but generally the two didn't end up interacting with each other much. At least not without their parents around. Being alone with her felt a bit different. Perhaps it was simply being allowed to run his mouth and tease her without getting into trouble. Regardless, it was enjoyable, and hopefully not the high point before everything descended into chaos.


Yeong leaned back against the walls of the elevator, his hands once again curling around the metal bar as the doors slid shut and the elevator began to rise. He could feel the nagging thoughts at the back of his mind, worries about what might happen in the future still eating away at him. Glancing over at Mila, Yeong tore himself away from those thoughts, focusing instead on the promise of sweets. That was a much more pleasant train of thought than where his mind was wandering on to.

 

[The Awakened Moon]

Mila

Mila watched Yeong as he got in the elevator, noticing his animated expressions. "I don't understand why you're so happy" Mila muttered, leaning against the wall of the elevator. She looked down at the bag in her hand and her cappuccino and nodded. "Oh right...the sweets" she smirked. "I think you may slightly be addicted" she informed Yeong with a matter of fact tone. "I'm pretty sure you are."


The elevator came to a stop on their floor and the doors slowly opened. Mila waited until they were completely open before she was the first off like she was the first on. Their room wasn't too far down the hallway so the walk was short. Mila stopped in front of the door and thrusted the bag of pastries at Yeong for him to hold so she could get the key from her back pocket. She struggled for a minute to slide the key out of her pocket before she quickly opened the hotel room door.


She looked over the room as she walked inside, left the same way it was before they left. She put her coffee underneath a napkin on the wooden desk, glancing at the clock next to Yeong's bed. Mila cursed softly under her breath. They only had five minutes to call Etienne before he would call them. "We have to call now" she told Yeong then walked over to the hotel phone, picking up and dialing Etienne's number that she has memorized so well. She put the phone on speaker so Yeong could hear then she sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for her adoptive father to answer.

 

[Just A Potato]

Etienne had fallen silent. He’d been content to simply hold his son’s hand. His thumb moved absently in circles along the back of Danny’s hand. His mind was on a time so much happier than now. Danny had been only a few months old when he’d been placed with them. He’d been the happiest baby alive. So talkative, even at a young age. He’d cooed, and yelled, only for the sake of hearing himself do it.


It had always made Etienne laugh.


Always.


He thought about the first time he’d walked. At seven months. He’d been so proud. Such a young boy, he’d taken so many pictures. He’d recorded everything. They’d written it in his baby book. They’d bragged to friends about how smart, strong and perseverant their son was.


His mind wandered further, to his first birthday party. They’d gone all out, just as they did with all their young children. They’d bought an inflatable baby pool. They’d set up a slip and slide. They’d bought tons of toys, and set them all up. They’d thrown one hell of a party.


There was still a picture of Danny with chocolate all over his face in their bedroom. It was from his smash cake. The small cupcake version of the larger one that he got to destroy with his hands. He’d been into the frosting that Etienne had actually thought he might get sick from it.


But he never did.


He thought about how his first word was ‘mom’ and his second word was ‘mama’. It hadn’t been until he was almost a year old that he’d said ‘dada’. But when he did! Etienne had been so happy! He’d been so proud! He got that on camera as well.


As he grew older, Etienne only loved him more and more. He was his son, his prince, his little angel.


His mind had started creeping into darker areas, the first night he’d spent without being able to tuck his son into bed, when his phone rang. He jumped, and took it from his pocket. The number was a local one. It had to be the kids.


“It’s your brother and sister.” He said, looking over to Danny, wanting to make sure he was involved in all aspects of the day. Even if it was simply a phone call. “Hello?” Etienne answered. “How are things going there, guys? I’m going to be heading out here soon so your mom can see Danny for a bit. I was thinking of grabbing something for you guys to eat on my way home. What are you interested in? I passed a pizza place on my way here. They have lava cakes if Yeong is interested.” He coaxed.


He glanced down to Danny after a few moments. “Do you want pizza?” He mouthed.

 

[Protocol]

Jem gave a thumbs up. Pizza sounded great. He wasn't picky, at all.


Tell them 'hi' for me? He held the notepad up so that Etienne could see. And that I'm sorry for invading. He winked, with a small smile to show he was joking. Sort of. He really was sorry. His gut twisted. Their lives had been turned upside down all because of him. Just because he'd been dumb enough to run away from home and lucky enough that they found his real family.


I'm excited to meet them. If excitement and "dizzy with nerves and anxiety" were interchangeable. Would they be angry with him? He imagined he'd be getting some more attention than them, if only because he was so f'ing messed up. Not necessarily because his parents loved him more or anything. He hoped they'd understand. Would they feel like he was an invader? What if they all gained up against him?


He did file away the note that Yeong liked lava cakes. He didn't even do it consciously. It was just a habit of his. He liked knowing things like that about people. What they liked, what motivated them, who their role models were. He was horrible at remembering facts for history class, but he remembered all sorts of facts about people. What their pet's name was or who was their best friend. Unfortunately he also remembered things people said to him. Something horrible that someone said to him years ago, he could remember like it was yesterday.


Can I keep this so I can talk to mom? I'll give it to her afterwards if you want. He hated when he couldn't talk with people.


Usually it didn't matter because there wasn't anyone to talk to anyway. But he wanted to be able to speak with his mother. The situation was awkward and tense enough. If he couldn't even express himself Jem was pretty sure he'd break down.

 

[ApfelSeine]

"Mmm cake, I can feel my mouth watering already," Yeong said, once more sprawling out on the bed. He resisted the urge to lick his lips. "I'd work in a cake factory if I could, but I think I'd get fired within the first week."


Or, more accurately, within the first day. Also, fresh baked pastries were much better than anything mass produced, so he'd much rather work in a classic style bakery. Though he likely wouldn't last long there either. It was hard enough just eyeing a display stand full of sweets. Having access to them would result in complete chaos. Wonderful, delicious chaos, but chaos nonetheless.


Yeong snapped himself out of his sweets induced daydream to refocus on the conversation at hand. He wasn't particularly picky about pizza, as long as there weren't too many things heaped on top of it. Although Yeong didn't like pizza as much as he enjoyed sweets, he did enjoy it whenever he got to have it. Eating pizza reminded him of parties and casual hang outs with friends. He hadn't been to many, but the ones he had been to were fond memories.


"Pizza sounds really good right now," he added, one finger twirling a strand of hair as he glanced over at Mila. "Whatever kind Mila wants will be fine."