Jacquelyn slowly slipped from the dark of her dreamless slumber. She became aware of her surroundings and knew she was in her bed however she refused to open her eyes. The soft snoring of the man next to her only helped her remember the night before and a smile crept on her face. She listened silently, refusing to move a single muscle until the anticipation became too much for her. She peeked through an eyelid and was greeted with the view a well toned torso. Her eyes traveled up the contours of his skin, mentally imprinting the sight into her memory. She followed the veins on his arms with her eyes, the scars on his chest, the fading bruises from his carelessness. She smiled to herself for having witnessed one such bruise where he had missed the door and walked into the frame of the door instead. She rolled her eyes then, and she rolled her eyes now as her grin grew wider.

Finally, she landed on his sleeping face and she felt her heart flutter. He slept peacefully, his breathing was strong and steady and if she held her own, she could hear the strong pounding of his heartbeat. She watched his pulse throb in his neck for a while, among many things, simply taking in the scenery. Sometime during the night he must have left her, his jeans being proof and for the fact he was laying on top the comforter instead of under it was another supporter to her hypothesis. His arms were crossed over his chest, most likely in an attempt to stay warm.

You could have just got back under here, she thought with a sigh.

She pulled a hand out from under the blanket and touched the air outside, shivering at the cold it held. She frowned and gently touched his shoulder that nearly matched the temperature of the room. Her frown deepened, finally deciding to take matters into her own hands. She pulled the blankets off of her, fighting the cold that whipped against her naked skin, and crawled over his chest after having surgically moving his arms so he wouldn't wake.

She bit her lip and forced her body not to shiver as she warmed him. She crossed her arms over his chest and rested her chin so she could stare at him. She reached out and pushed his bangs out of his eyes, completely content. She was beginning to doze off again when his hands found the small of her back and held her to him.

She looked up to see him smiling at her, his eyes still closed.

She felt herself smiling with him when she pushed herself forward and kissed him. He breathed in deeply and returned her kiss almost greedily. When she went to pull away he grasped the back of her head and held her, creating muffled laughter to come from her until he finally let her go.

She was still laughing when she said, "good morning."

"Good morning," he replied. When he spoke his voice was soft, the tenderness that shown itself last night forever on his face.

"Where did you go?" She asked while making a gesture to his jeans.

"I had to land the ship. We arrived quicker than I expected." He reached over to the port side window and moved the curtain, revealing cement walls instead of the pitch black of space.

"Why didn't you wake me?!" She exclaimed, suddenly rushing to her feet and grabbing a fresh pair of clothes.

She heard him laugh behind her and the bed squeaked. "You looked so happy, I didn't have the heart to," was his reply.

She turned, holding a top in her hands while she faced him. She saw him watching her, his smile soft and kind. It was something she wouldn't have expected him to be able to do, to hold such tenderness. It still amazed her and she wondered to herself if it would ever stop.

"You were sleeping so soundly, of course you were also exhausted." She saw a twinkle in his eye and she scoffed. Sweet and emotional he may be, he was still Neo. At least that would never change.

"Hm. I don't know why I was..." She let her words hang in the air. She smirked to herself when she heard his loud gasp of feigned insult.

"You wound me woman!" He cried, clutching at his chest with his hand.

She laughed, her head tossed back in amusement. She turned and ran to him, jumping into his lap, her only clothing being her shirt. She grinned at him, which he couldn't help but return, and kissed him. He held her hips, his thumbs gently massaging her hips, rolling them over the bone while he bit at her lower lip which made her moan softly.

She leaned back, her eyes clouded over while she whispered, "don't start something you can't finish."

It was his turn to smile and to initiate the kiss, he pulled away only to speak the words that left her toes tingling. "I always finish what I start."

*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*

"So this is where you lived," Jacquelyn said more for herself if anything while she stared at the large mansion that could have competed with a castle.

"It didn't always used to look like this. They've added another wing it seems," Neo said almost as absentmindedly. He had been quiet once they left the loading dock within the city that now seemed nothing more than a spec of glowing lights far off in the distance. As they came closer to the house however he had grown close to silent, mumbling few things here and there.

Jacquelyn waited for him to walk up to her, herself having been further past the gates than he had, and grasped his hand. She entwined their fingers together and gave his palm a thoughtful squeeze. He looked down at her, his distress clear as day to her. She offered him a soft smile and without words, told him that everything would be okay.

They walked together, hand in hand along the white pebbled path towards the door of the house. Beside them were gardens that mimicked that of a traditional Japanese garden with a mixture of what could only could have been ancient Greek or perhaps roman. There were fountains that spewed water from the palm of an angel, a child's vase, even the tears of a woman who held her child in her arms. Spots of moss and green patches of age colored the statues giving a tranquil feeling within Jacquelyn. As if the cherry blossoms weren't enough, creating a spring snowfall to flutter around them, the red Haori gates were enough to help spread the warmth within her chest to the rest of her body. She would have to come here sometime to explore. She made sure to make a mental note of it.

They hadn't even reached the last stone step that led to the wide porch and to the giant mahogany stained door, when they swung open slowly, enough for a person to slip through. From behind it appeared a man dressed within a suit.

They seriously have a butler?

Jacquelyn fought the snide laughter that desperately yearned to slip out. Instead she sent a sideways glance to Neo hoping he could give an explanation. His eyes twinkled with her shared mischief, he leaned over and quickly whispered her much desired answer.

"After The Great War, Valaria fell in love with the traditions of Earth. You'll find a lot of similarities here."

She only had time to nod, a giant all-knowing grin spreading on her face when a girl dressed in a pink dress and silvery hair came rushing out from behind the butler, a large smile on her face.

The girl wasted no time in giving a heart filled squeal, running towards Neo and jumping up into his arms.

"Big Brother!" She cried.

"Hello Sis." Neo said awkwardly holding the girl up so she wouldn't fall over. He sent Jacquelyn a look of apology to which her only reply was a soft chuckle.

"I'm so happy you're finally here! Even the other sissies are here! We can all be together again!" She cheered, dragging Neo by the hand into the house. Jacquelyn could only smile warmly at the two and followed behind them.

Upon entering the house Jacquelyn was greeted by a large room that served only to display the giant elegant staircase that split off into two different directions. A large portrait of a Vaulkarian man stood at the top, within the middle with red curtains bordering the sides along the wall. Jacquelyn stared long and hard, suddenly a soft gasp left her lips.

It looked like Neo...

Before she could ask him about it, two new voices made themselves known.

Two older women walked into the room from a corridor that was tucked away to the right of the stairs. They wore elegant attire that sparkled and screamed their wealth.

One wore her hair up and over her shoulder, light brown silky curls bounced around, the yellow ribbon in her hair an easy contrast. Her dress was of Chinese fashion, the elegant pattern of flowers and yellow silk popping out against her milk chocolate skin. Her shoes clacked against the marbled floor, black heels that showed her obviously manicured feet.

The other dressed with a simple dark purple gown, her coat a dark fur that hid her small frame. Her boots were a deep velvet, with shiny buckles along the ankles. Her hair was a darker brown, with blonde highlights. Unlike the woman beside her, her hair was long and straight, like a felines mane.

Both of them were the very nature of Vaulkarian, their eyes a deep golden brown, with supple lips and petite noses. They wore many bracelets that clinked and jingled, one even wore earrings that shined a string of diamonds, dangling just above her shoulder.

They came to a stop in front of her and Neo, bowing slightly and speaking together. "Welcome home Brother."

Neo returned the bow with a slight incline to his head, while he held his ground against the girl in pink who currently clung to his arm.

"Sisters," Neo started. "I'd like you to meet my other." He pulled away from the girl on his arm, who seemed to have froze upon hearing his words, and returned to Jacquelyn's side.

She fought to keep her emotions under control while she paid more than needed attention to the fact he had not hesitated to refer to her as his. The smile on her lips grew slightly brighter while she held his hand as he continued his introduction.

"Jacquelyn, these are my sisters." He gestured to the one in pink first, "Anise."

The one in yellow, "Leondra."

The one in purple, "Melissa."

Jacquelyn glanced over at Neo when he said Melissa's name. Something about the way he said it had seemed forced, however small, she couldn't help but wonder why it had been there to begin with.

"Sisters, this is Jacquelyn," he finished, turning to face his other upon saying her name, and giving the hand he held a quick kiss. A blush spread across her cheeks which only made Neo's smile grow.

"A pleasure to meet you Jacquelyn," Leondra said with a warm smile. Her bracelets jingled as she put her hands together.

"This is the first woman you have ever brought home to us Brother," Melissa said teasingly, giving a quick wink to Jacquelyn. "I'm happy that you've decided to settle down."

"I am too, Sister," Neo said. Despite what his current thoughts were of his sister, nothing could stop the love for Jacquelyn to appear in his voice.

Jacquelyn stole a quick glance to Anise who had remained silent the entire time, she gave her a warm smile but the girl remained silent. Instead the girl simply stared at her, a slight pout on her lips as if she was unsure how to handle the situation. Jacquelyn saw something flicker within the girl's eyes, but before she could read it, it had replaced itself with a soft gleam and finally a kind smile spread on her face.

Jacquelyn remained unsure how to respond, she forced the smile to stay on her lips and hoped it seemed genuine. Something about the girl's eyes however had seemed insulting, almost speaking for everyone to hear and saying "when did she get here?" The girl's quick recovery made her feel uneasy, she turned her attention to the other sisters instead who had been making small conversation with their brother.

"I can only imagine how exhausted you two must be. It is a dreadful distance to travel, here from the city," said Melissa. She turned to the butler who had remained faithfully silent throughout the whole ordeal. "Charles, please show them to their room." When the butler named Charles responded with a deep bow and a 'yes mistress,' she turned back to Neo, but her eyes locked onto Jacqueln's as she spoke. "I would so love if you could join us for tea later. I have many things I wish to learn about you, as I am sure Sister here does as well." Melissa gestured to Leondra who replied instantly as if all of this had been some sort of play, and they were acting their parts respectfully.

They won't always be like this right? Jacquelyn hoped.

"Of course sister. It's not every day you meet a true other of our Brother. I wish to see for myself who has captured our dear Brother's heart." Leondra's smile grew even wider as if this was the only way she could show her excitement.

"I'm sure we can make some time for that later," Neo said, his voice was curt and could have been easily described as cold. His gaze was hardened and fixed on Melissa. Jacquelyn watched something flicker across her face, perhaps pain? Confusion? It had left too fast for her to see and before she knew it that disturbingly quick change of emotions was displayed as if nothing had happened and a smile replaced whatever had once been there.

"Of course Brother. We understand." Melissa's smile was bright, but her eyes hadn't met it with the same cheerfulness.

"Please get some rest," Leondra said with another bow.

And just like that the two older sisters took their leave, their walk synchronized with their heads held high as they disappeared into the hallway towards the left.

"Charles, if it's okay I'd like to take Big Brother to his room instead!" Anise suddenly cheered. "I want to catch up on the way!"

"If that is your wish young Mistress," He said and bowed just as deeply as he had before, but then returned silent and stiff against the wall by the door.

He didn't just stand there all day did he? Jacquelyn wondered. How awful...

"I hope you like you room! Your old one was torn down during the renovations last month, but don't worry! I made sure they didn't hurt your things. You'll hardly notice the difference!" Anise cheered as she marched in front of them. Neo chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"You didn't have to do that, when I left I took anything of value with me. I had nothing here left."

"Well if that's what you think," Anise said, something about her tone appearing slightly lonely.

Jacquelyn instantly caught on and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow!" He hissed quietly, sending his infamous 'what-the-fuck?' glare at her.

Jacquelyn gestured to his sister who had fallen quiet and instantly his eyes widened and he stuttered as he tried to speak again.

"That didn't include you sister. You were too young to space travel at the time. I would have taken you if I could have."

"I know, it's okay!" She looked back at him, her cheerfulness restored and a happy smile spread across her cheeks.

"Here we are!" She announced dramatically, waving her arms towards the large black door. "Next stop: The Guest Room! See you in a bit Brother!"

Anise turned and grabbed Jacquelyn by the wrist and began dragging her along.

"Um..." Jacquelyn turned to look at Neo who was only laughing quietly, a slight shake to his head.

"And why would she be going to the guest room?" Neo asked, suddenly appearing beside them and pulling Anise's hand off of Jacquelyn's wrist.

"Why... wouldn't she be going to guest room?" Anise asked, that same look from before once on her face. Jacquelyn awkwardly rubbed her wrist and tried not to let it bother her. Anise stared blankly at her, all the while waiting for her brother to respond to her.

"Anise," Neo knelt down to his sister's height and held her hand in his. Jacquelyn smiled at his actions and watched in silence. Her earlier unease erased momentarily. "Jacquelyn is my other. She is with me and will be for a long time. It's only natural that she would stay with me don't you think?"

"No," was her quick reply, her blank stare still locked onto Jacquelyn.

Neo chuckled at what appeared to be his younger sister's jealousy. "Anise," he waited for her to look at him before continuing. "I love her. She makes me happy."

She didn't respond.

"Don't you want to see your brother happy?"

"Of course I do!" She exclaimed.

"If you put Jacquelyn in the guest room, don't you think I would be sad?"

"... Maybe." The pout to her lips made Jacquelyn wonder if she had wanted to say no again.

"The answer is yes, love." Neo placed his large hand on the girl's cheek and rubbed it slightly. "She's staying with me."

"But-!"

"No buts. Now go see what the sister's are doing. I'd like to clean up before going to mother." Neo stood up from his crouch and shooed her off.

"Okay..." Anise looked at the floor sadly and took two steps backwards before turning around and running down the hall.

"I hate it when she does that," Neo sighed.

"Does what?" Jacquelyn asked, forcing her earlier thoughts from her mind.

"She does this guilt trip thing. She pouts and runs off making me feel like an ass and she knows it," he grumbled.

Jacquelyn laughed, "and what do you normally do afterwords?"

"I would go after her and play dress up," he admitted a but sheepishly.

"Dress up?" Jacquelyn teased.

"Oh shut up, like you never did it."

"I mean sure..." Jacquelyn's smirk grew into a mischievous one. "When I was a little girl."

Neo glared at her playfully and pushed her towards the door. Before she could do anything he pressed his lips against hers, stealing her breath away before whispering, "I assure you I am no little girl."

Jacquelyn snorted and rolled her eyes, there was a short silence before she peeked up at him from under her lashes, "did you wear a pink feather boa too?"

"Why you-"

She laughed and squealed as he flung her over his shoulder and hauled her into his bedroom.