~Videl~

As Kane's hand on her waist guided her down the hallway to the private quarters he'd grown up in, Videl wondered if he took his looks from his mother or his father. She wondered if his little sister would look like a younger, female version of him. She hoped that his family would like her. Kane had mentioned one day in the Cafeteria that he hadn't seen his sister since he moved to his own place, and she could imagine that his family would be overjoyed by his unexpected visit. She had asked him in the elevator if he wanted to call them to let them know that he was coming , and he had shifted slightly like he was uncomfortable.

"We don't really do calls," Kane had said, gruffly. "We'll just let it be a surprise."

From the way that his smile after he'd said it looked forced, it seemed like there was more to that statement than just a general lack of need for that type of communication. But she didn't question it, as the elevator doors opened on the Level, and Kane led her to his family's private quarters. Kane paused for a moment as he studied his wristband. Was he deciding if he should call rather than walk right in?

Then, he sighed and swiped it past the sensor. The indicator light flashed green and a beep sounded as the door slid open, but he only stepped onto the threshold to keep the door from closing, seemingly choosing not to barge all the way in. His hand caught hers and squeezed tightly, and she could have sworn his palm was sweaty, but then he let go, and she wasn't sure that she hadn't just imagined it.

"Mom? Kiana?" Kane called out, his voice sounding tight and strained with emotion.

There was the faint sound of something sizzling, and then the sound of footsteps running toward the door.

"Kane!?"

A beautiful teenage girl came bounding forward with a look of shock playing on her face. She had silver eyes like Kane's, but that was pretty much where the resemblance ended. While his hair was a dashing bronze, hers was an almost translucent platinum blond that hung in a trendy asymmetrical cut with one side reaching her chin, and the other side grazing her shoulder. She had white eyeliner around her eyes in an intricate pattern that gave her an almost alien-like appearance, and Videl was stunned by how pretty she was to be able to pull off such a unique style, and make it look so natural on her.

The girl's bare feet skidded to a halt in front of them, and she blinked rapidly, like she couldn't believe Kane was standing there. Videl felt Kane's body go rigid beside her. Then, his sister's eyes filled with big juicy tears as she threw herself at him, hugging his neck so tightly that Videl was surprised he could breathe enough to speak.

"I missed you, Kiki." Kane managed to squeeze out of his audibly constricted throat.

His little sister Kiana's sobs were muffled by his chest as she cried, "I missed you, too! So much!!"

When she dropped back down to her feet with a little thump, her eyes landed on Videl - who was smiling at the wholesome sight, imagining how nice it must have been to grow up with a sibling.

"I'm so sorry I was - " Kiana had been starting to say as she dropped down, but she cut herself off mid-sentence when she noticed Videl. "Who is this?"

Videl was relieved that her inquiry sounded genuinely curious, rather than annoyed or suspicious. Kane grinned as he ushered Videl forward a step so she was standing a little further forward, instead of beside and slightly behind him.

"This is V," Kane introduced her, sounding proud to present her as if she were a prize, making Videl blush. "She's my girlfriend."

Kiana appraised Videl with widened eyes, making her look even more like some beautiful alien from another planet. "Oh, thank the Stars!" Kiana gushed, as she wrapped her arms around Videl in a quick hug. "You've clearly had some sense knocked into you, and finally kicked that mongrel to the curb!"

Videl giggled nervously as Kiana released her, and she knew instantly that Kiana was referring to Darcy - who Kane had mentioned his little sister couldn't stand. Videl glanced up at Kane and he laughed at her expression.

"Good riddance,"  Videl muttered under her breath, and it was Kiana's turn to laugh, as she had obviously heard Videl's muttering.

"Oh, I like her," Kiana said emphatically, beaming at her big brother.

"Me, too," Kane smirked and Videl blushed again. If she wasn't wearing makeup, she would have buried her face in her hands.

"So," Kane's smirk disintegrated, and his body tensed again. "Where's Mom?"

Kiana seemed to be communicating something to Kane with her matching silver eyes that Videl couldn't read. "She's in the kitchen." Kiana pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. "Cooking."  There was a funny inflection she put on the word "cooking" and Kane's jaw dropped.

"Cooking?"  Kane mirrored the emphasis Kiana had used, repeating the word laced with his obvious shock. Has his mother never been someone who cooked? Was there something that Videl was missing? Kiana pursed her lips and nodded with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

"Things are different now." Kiana said, nodding toward the kitchen that was out of view, urging him to see for himself. "She met someone."

As they followed his little sister's lead, it dawned on Videl that Kane's parents must have been divorced, given that his mother had "met someone." Videl guessed that she should have realized that he hadn't mentioned anything about his parents, and she felt guilty for not asking him about them. She deduced that his father must not have died, if Kane hadn't mentioned it when she told him about her parents' deaths - as it would have been an opportune time to inform her that he understood her grief in some way. So that left divorce as the reasonable conclusion, but she didn't have a moment to wonder how old he was when they divorced, or how their separation had affected him. Because then they were already standing in the kitchen, unbeknownst to Kane's mother who was cooking something at the stove (that smelled amazing) with her back turned to them. She had platinum hair that was much like Kiana's, except that it was slightly less bright from age, and fashioned into a short ponytail. Her hair wasn't straightened like Kiana's either, and her curls bounced as she slightly danced in place, humming along to whatever song she was listening to in her earbuds while she cooked.

"What the fuck?"  Kane hissed under his breath, and Videl shot a look of confusion his way.

He paled like he was seeing a ghost rather than the mother who had raised him.

~Kane~

Kane had expected Kiana to look older, to be more mature, albeit he was  taken aback by her warm reception of him. But what he couldn't hope to fathom was seeing his sullen, chronically-depressed mother practically dancing  in the kitchen as she cooked a meal. The woman he knew had been a shell of a person, who could hardly find the will to get up out of bed most days. She hadn't cooked a single thing for them after her life fell apart when his father moved out. At least in the years before the divorce - even though she was angry and brokenhearted with his father's apathy and constant betrayals - she still had a fire inside to continue living, to continue doing her best to hold their family together, despite the growing fault lines. He still remembered the last dinner that she had made for him and Kiana, before that fire went out.

And considering the pity and sympathy he had always felt for his mother for the way she had been broken into pieces, seeing her like this should have made him feel happy for her. Instead, he felt a surge of anger at the sight. He knew that it was unreasonable but he felt slighted, betrayed in some way. Like she could have picked up the pieces at any time, but she'd chosen to let Kane handle taking care of the family, so she could wallow in her despair instead. He bit back the bitter taste that it left in his mouth, trying to brush off the frustration before he did or said something stupid. He told himself that it was good for Kiana to experience her this way, even if he resented that his mother had seemed to wait until he left  to reform a sense of self. Some fucking timing she had, waiting until he was so fed up with all of it that he ran out on them. She must have realized that Kiana  didn't deserve to do everything on her own, and finally stepped up to the damn plate.

Kane took a deep, steadying breath as Kiana moved to tap their mother on the shoulder. He could feel V's stare on the side of his face, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't want her to see his weakness, when he was supposed to be her rock.

"Mom!" Kiana chirped as she poked at their mother to get her attention.

Kane didn't look down at V, but he grasped for her hand again like he had on the threshold, needing a life line to tether himself to. Her hand squeezed his, and the feeling of it helped ground his tumultuous feelings. He held on tight and didn't let go as his mom turned to Kiana and pulled out an earbud so she could hear her.

"Yes, honey?" Even the cheery lilt in his mom's voice was unrecognizable. It had been so long since he had heard her sound anything but morose.

"Look who's here!" Kiana grinned as she pointed in their direction.

His mother's blue eyes followed Kiana's gesture and landed on him, and if he wasn't holding V's hand, he might have staggered back a step. She looked more youthful, more vibrant than how he remembered her, and her eyes were bright, rather than dulled from misery. And once more, he felt cheated.

"Son!" His mom gaped for a moment, much like Kiana had at the door, like she couldn't believe her eyes. Also like his little sister, her eyes welled up with tears and she rushed forward to embrace him, knocking his grip loose from V's hand by doing so. And without her hand to quell his inner turmoil, the wounded resentment flared with a vengeance, and it took everything he had not to extricate himself from his mother's arms. For years, he  had been the one to hug her while she numbly sat with her arms limp at her sides, making no move to hug him back. She didn't care to realize that maybe he  needed comfort, too. That he had needed the love that she had been too absorbed in her own pain to give. And now, she was hugging him like none of that happened, like none of it mattered. Kane's teeth clenched as he forced himself to hug her back anyway.

He loved her, regardless of how her weakness might have damaged their family just as much as his father's selfish philandering. She could have pulled herself up by her bootstraps after the divorce and done what was needed to shield her kids from the wake of her husband's mistakes, but she didn't. And because of that, he and Kiana had to suffer along with her. It's too little, too late for me, Mom. He thought, bitterly. But for Kiana's sake, I won't let it get to me. She still needs you, even if I don't. He pulled back enough to give her a smile that he didn't feel.

"You seem . . . happy," Kane said carefully, making sure not to let it sound like an accusation.

His mom's blue eyes seemed to flash with guilt anyway, as she let go of him, and it made Kane's heart twinge. At least in some way, she knew that him seeing her this way now, could be a slap in the face.

"I am," Kane's mother's lips curved upward, though her eyebrows were furrowed, belying her uneasiness. Her gaze trailed away from his and then her eyebrows shot up in a look of surprise. "You've brought someone!" V smiled nervously under his mom's gaze. You shouldn't be nervous, babe. It's her who should be nervous. You're a shining fucking diamond, and she should count herself lucky that she gets to meet you.

And his mother was  nervous - to the point of being absolutely frazzled. She clasped both of V's hands in hers and stammered like V was a celebrity.

"And you are just absolutely lovely!" His mom told V, and Kane felt a real smile tugging at his lips. "Is this your girlfriend?" She asked Kane hopefully.

Kane nodded at the same time as Kiana chimed with excitement, "Yes!"

"It's so nice to meet you," His mother said earnestly, shaking their clasped hands like an awkward double-handshake. "My name is Millie, but you can call me Mom if you like?"

Kane scoffed and rolled his eyes at her forwardness, but it was good-natured, rather than spiteful. Mom being happy is something I need to be okay with . . . He chastised himself silently, when he saw how V's eyes lit up from his mother's offer. She deserves to be happy. He must have been too distracted by his thoughts to hear V introduce herself, because then his mother was saying, "Well, V - please tell me you two will be joining us for lunch?"

V turned her gaze to Kane to confirm whether they would or not, but before he could respond, Kiana spoke up.

"Uh, Mom? Speaking of lunch - " His little sister pointed to the stove and his mother yelped and ran to stir the pan before the food burned.

. . .

Kane was sure that V wasn't ready to leave so soon, and he was hungry since they had slept in and then skipped a late breakfast to visit his family, so he agreed to have lunch with them. He didn't know what his mother was cooking, but as V and Kiana sat at the table with him, he recognized that the smell of the meal was vaguely familiar. The aroma made him feel like he was a kid again, like it was linked to a memory from before everything went to shit.

"What's she making?" Kane asked his little sister.

"You came at the right time," Kiana told him. "She's making her famous mish-mash."

Kiana said it like he should know whatever the hell that was.

"Her famous what?" Kane chuckled, baffled by the ridiculous name.

"You know!" Kiana laughed, and he shook his head. "You don't remember?"

"I don't," Kane admitted with a shrug.

"She said she used to make it for you when you were sick." Kiana told him, sounding a little more subdued than she had a moment before. "She called it mish-mash because she combined all your favorite foods and mashed it up."

Kane had absolutely no memory of ever being sick as a kid. It didn't happen much on Titan - it was pretty abnormal for people to catch colds with everything so sanitized. And he definitely didn't remember his mom making him some special meal, but the name mish-mash started to feel like it might have been familiar to him in some way, once Kiana explained it. He had often been envious of his little sister for being too young to remember what it had been like when things were good. But perhaps he had blocked out some of those good memories long enough to forget some of them entirely, to avoid the pain they caused from the knowledge that things would never be like that again. Realizing that made him feel a little guilty for being so immature - he should have cherished those good times for what they were, even if that made the bad times feel so much worse.