The house was silent, but there was light flooding on the lawn from the kitchen window.

Kyle frowned, glancing from the window to the oak tree that shaded their backyard. So far, it had all gone according to plan. They'd reached Chicago and made their way to their supposed home without detection. Under the cover of darkness, they snuck into the backyard.

"Are you sure you don't want to just knock on the front door?" Angie whispered.

"I'm pretty sure," Kyle answered, then glanced over his shoulder at Jimmy and Tom. "As far as I'm concerned, there's no need to see our parents. Unless you want to."

"I think we want to see Jerry and Sam first, too," Tom said. He sounded nervous, a lot less lively than usual and it made Kyle resent their parents more. Was there even an explanation for this? And even if there was, could it be considered good enough?

"Let's just get this over with," Jimmy mumbled. "We're still out in the open."

"The backyard is safe enough," Jessie said, her voice soothing.

"I don't feel like getting assaulted by potential paparazzies though." Because it was fact that those assholes knew where he lived. Since he and Jessie had basically disappeared, it was one of the first places they would come snooping around for news.

"It's going to be fine," Kay said. "After all, there's nothing in the news yet about you guys disappearing."

She had a point and the sound of her voice managed to ease some of his tension. To be fair, he'd felt so much lighter after they got back together. She'd been right. They were much stronger together so what he'd done had been remarkably dumb, even if his reasons had been noble. He felt so much more motivated to live with her by his side.

"So, how do we get the two of them out here?" Tom asked.

As if to answer his question, the light came on in the room next to the kitchen. Kyle grinned at their luck.

"Watch this." He walked over to the window and looked in.

Sam had come into his room, looking upset for some reason, and started stuffing books into his backpack. Kyle fought the impulse to check out who was in the kitchen and maybe figure out if it was Jerry who had upset his baby brother or their dumb parents. Instead, he knocked on the window.

Sam jumped so high, it was comical. For a second, he just stared, then he hurried over and opened the window.

"Kyle! What are you doing it? Weren't you supposed to be on tour?" He faltered for a moment as if realizing something else was wrong. "Why didn't you come in through the door?"

"Hey, kid. I missed you, too." Funny how he never had the impulse to call Tom kid. For a moment, he just took him in, a bit shocked of how much he looked like Tom. Or the other way around. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Sam's mouth twisted into a light snarl and Kyle had his answer about who'd pissed him off. "I think they went upstairs."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Dad and his dumb agency again. Mom never saying anything about it. Them having no idea where you are or what you're doing. The whole idea of the arranged marriage."

Yeah, there was a lot wrong. "Found out about that, huh?"

"They didn't outright say it, but I know you. You didn't just randomly get engaged and left on tour with a stranger."

And that was why Kyle loved Sam so much. The kid was by no means an idiot. "Can you get Jerry out here? I need to talk to you two about something."

"Um..." Sam bit his lower lip. "You want me to get Jerry?"

Understandable confusion. "Yes."

"Why don't you come inside?"

"Because I'll need to show you both something and it's out here."

Sam looked past his shoulder, but Kyle sidestepped to block his view. "No peeking."

"Please tell me it's a good thing, at least."

"Depends on how you see it. But it's by no means something bad. It's something awesome, actually, once you get used to the idea."

Sam blinked. "Just what have you got out there?"

"Come out and see."

He heaved a sigh, but he seemed a lot livelier. Kyle stepped away from the window and headed for the others who were waiting by the oak tree. They were all silent, and he realized they might have caught a glimpse of Sam.

"They do look alike, don't they?"

"Look alike? Kyle, they're..." Kay looked away from the window to him and then back to Tom and Jimmy.

They'd tensed considerably and Kyle hated it, but it wasn't like he had any way to cushion the blow more. They knew Sam and Jerry existed. The other way around... Not so much. Which was why Kyle had to do some serious damage control.

"I think you guys should stay back here. If we spring it all on them at once... It might break their brains. Let me handle if."

Jimmy and Tom just nodded. As an answer, Angie and Jessie pulled back to the shade of the oak tree, disappearing under the cover of darkness. Kay squeezed his hand and raised on the tips of her toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

"You've got this," she whispered.

He appreciated that, even if it wasn't the issue. Whatever happened next wouldn't shock or hurt him.

The backdoor opened and Jerry and Sam stepped out, both of them huddled up in their winter jackets. Kyle stepped away from the others and back into view, trying not think about what happened next.

Jerry flinched the moment he saw him, and Kyle wondered if he'd just bolt.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked instead.

"No." After all, he was wearing a hoodie under his leather jacket, so it was enough layering. What was shocking was the ease with which stiff Jerry had asked that question. "What's going on?"

"You called us out here," Sam pointed out. "We should be asking you that."

"I'll get to it in a second," Kyle said, his eyes fixed on Jerry. "What happened?"

Jerry shifted his feet, hands deep in his pockets. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the attitude. Don't tell me you missed me."

By the way his brother lowered his gaze, it was fairly obvious that was not the issue. However, the old animosity that lay just beyond Jerry's usual civil attitude was definitely gone.

"It's just..." He took in a deep breath. "I think that Mom and Dad were unfair to you."

This was news. "Unfair to me how?"

He glanced around as if to make sure they were alone. "Forcing you into a marriage without even allowing you to meet the girl first, see if you like her."

Oh, right. Jerry had been there for the conversation in which his mother had revealed the real reason he'd be shipped home. Kyle had totally forgotten about that and he hadn't considered that Jerry might have an opinion on it.

"Not to mention keeping us away all through it," Sam mumbled. Then he straightened up as if only then remembering something. "Isn't Jessica with you?"

This had taken a weird turn, but Jessie seemed to take it as her cue to step out into the open.

"Yeah, I'm here." She stopped next to Kyle, her arms wrapped around herself.

"Oh, wow," Sam said, obviously not expecting her to pop out.

Jessie herself faltered, watching both Sam and Jerry with narrowed eyes, as if trying to catch any potential differences between them and the twins she already knew.

"Hello," Jerry said, even if he sounded hesitant. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's so strange that we didn't so far." She raised her eyes to look at Kyle. "They really are identical, aren't they?"

Kyle just nodded, unsure if now was the best time to simply spring this on them or point out the fact that, had Jessie actually met Jerry first, all the Jimmy stuff would've been much different. Would they have even hooked up in the first place?

"Um, no, we're not," Sam said, sounding wary now.

"Why are you two back?" Jerry asked instead.

"Yeah, what happened to touring?"

Kyle heaved a sigh and massaged his forehead. "Touring got a whole lot more complicated."

Sam glanced from him to Jessie, taking in the exaggerated size of the hoodie she was wearing and basically freezing in. "Did it... Um, become real?"

Jessie frowned, but Kyle almost laughed out loud. "Are you asking if we actually fell in love while touring?"

"No," Jessie said before Sam could either confirm or deny the question. "It got complicated in other ways. Kyle, I think you should just tell them."

This was new and confusing seeing as he wasn't sure exactly which part she meant. "Tell them what?"

"Who you're really in love with."

Oh, that. Well, sure, why not? The shocked look on Jerry and Sam's faces were priceless anyway. Why not add to that a bit? And Kay of course heard Jessie and decided to step out. He reached his hand back and took hers as soon she was near enough, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her.

"Sam, Jerry, this is Kay. We went to high school together, fell in love, and were separated when Mom and Dad brought me home for this clusterfuck."

"Hi," Kay said, though she sounded distracted enough.

"Oh, hello," Jerry said, his eyes wide and curious, taking her in as if he'd never seen a gorgeous girl before. Which was strange seeing as there were two standing right in front of them.

"Well, this explains a lot," Sam mumbled.

"This is so creepy," Kay whispered back to him, then looked to Jessie. "I can't even imagine how you're feeling."

Kyle wondered that too, though, for him, it was so easy to tell the difference between Jerry and Jimmy. Jessie seemed to be feeling the same way seeing as there was a mild frown on her face as she took in Jerry. When she turned to Sam, her frown only deepened.

"This is so weird. I mean..." She looked to Kyle and he understood.

It was very hard to mix up Jerry and Jimmy because even if they were identical, there was an obvious difference in demeanor and, Kyle suspected, in built given that Jimmy was a lot more muscular than Jerry, even if much thinner.

Sam and Tom didn't have that giant gap between them, though it appeared that their eye color differed slightly. While Sam's eyes were emerald green, Tom's had a slight blue tinge to them, making them more teal.

"Why do all of you keep staring at us?" Sam asked.

"We're sorry," Kay said. "It's really nice to finally meet you. I actually saw a picture of you guys at Kyle's place."

"You did?" Sam asked, sounding pleasantly surprised.

"Yes. You were much younger, which is why I didn't figure it out right away, but now..."

"Look, please, will someone make sense?" Jerry asked.

"Okay, you're totally right," Jessie said. "Some context is in order. Kyle and I left on tour, and then we found Kay."

"Are you... Are you okay with that?" Sam asked, obviously aware of all the potential drama this could have caused.

"I'm perfectly okay with that because I knew about Kay and wanted to help him find her. What I wasn't expecting was to fall in love myself, which would have made it maybe impossible if I'd seen you first." She nodded towards Jerry. "How did I not see you first?"

"What do you mean?" Jerry asked, his tone wary. "What difference would I have made?"

"Jessie, maybe this is not the best way--" Kay started.

Jessie didn't care. In a split second she seemed to have decided that it was time to go big or go home. "Because I fell in love with your twin brother."

There was a moment of total silence. The wind rustled through the bare branches of the oak tree. Kyle half expected Tom to burst in dramatically and announce his own existence.

"Excuse me, my what?" Jerry asked, his tone polite and smooth, as if he were afraid Jessie had gone completely mad.

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy," Kyle said, "but she's right. You have a twin brother." He looked to Sam. "You both do, actually."

"Um, Kyle?" Sam said, also probably thinking he was insane. "We don't have twin brothers."

"Yes, you do."

Tom had finally remembered his dramatic chops and chose that moment to come out from the darkness. Jimmy and Angie followed, and the three of them stepped in line with Kyle, Kay and Jessie, leaving Sam and Jerry to face the madness.

"Ta da?"

🌓🌓🌓

Poor Sam and Jerry. I think they're brains might have broken at this. But they had to know, and now they do. I had to cut it off here or else the chapter would've gotten huge. As it is, you get another one of fun interaction! Yay, right?

Stick around and let's get this thing over, shall we?