Victor sat stunned in his stool. He gaped at Emily. "What do you mean?"

"I did this, dad." Emily told him. Her voice was meek.

"How? Why?!" Victor went to Emily and lifted her arm to take a better look.

"I just grabbed it. See?" Emily poked at her forearm and held it. She pulled her finger back and another bruise was left.

Victor pulled her arm up again. He frowned. He couldn't think of what could be causing that. He looked at Emily with fear in his eyes.

Catherine let Emily go and took Victor to the counter. "Come and sit." She said.

Victor had a hard time walking away from Emily.

Emily started to feel shy. She rubbed her arm. She looked around the room. "Who are you?" She asked Adam.

Adam smiled meekly. "Adam."

Emily frowned.

Catherine looked at Emily, then at Adam. She looked back at Emily and sighed. There's a lot going on.

Darcy walked into the house. She stumbled when she seen the amount of people in her kitchen. She walked carefully through to the kitchen. "What's going on?" She asked.

Nobody answered.

"Somebody better speak to me. What's going on?" Darcy looked at Emily. "Are you ok?"

Emily nodded.

"So what's going on?"

"I made Sísele and Catherine tea." Nolan said, just to break the silence.

Darcy nodded.

"Mr. Conners came home with a stranger and he just found out about Emily's bruising." Nolan said.

Darcy looked at Victor.

"Uh." Victor didn't know what to say. "I was supposed to call you. I guess I forgot."

Darcy looked at Adam expectantly.

"I'm Adam Pope." Adam said.

Darcy looked at Victor and Catherine.

"I didn't know he was coming." Catherine confessed.

"Yeah that was all on me. I didn't let anyone know." Victor admitted.

Darcy looked at Emily.

"I just woke up and found these people here." Emily said.

Darcy looked at Nolan.

"I let Catherine in and made tea. Would you like some?" Nolan said.

Darcy nodded.

Nolan turned and started to reheat the water.

Darcy looked at Sísele.

Sísele stuck her hands in the air. "For oncsh I didn't do anything. Thish all your hushband." Sísele pointed at Victor.

Darcy slipped out of her coat as she stared at Victor.

"I'm sorry. I can come back another time when everyone is better prepared." Adam offered

Darcy forced a smile. "No, Adam. You are most welcome here." Darcy gestured for him to come to the counter. "I'm sorry all this is happening. Had my husband told me he was bringing company, we would have been better prepared. This is not your fault. Come and sit."

Adam smiled and nodded. "Thank you. You must be Darcy." Adam extended his hand to shake.

Darcy accepted and nodded. "I haven't heard a thing about you Adam, but I look forward to hearing your stories. But for right now, how about we all just get used to each other's air?"

"Shoundsh good." Sísele agreed.

Catherine smiled nervously while Victor stiffened.

"Finally!" Emily muttered. She walked to the counter. "We need the table tonight, mom."

"Good idea, Em. Nolan, are you staying for dinner?" Darcy asked.

"If it's alright with you. I know my mom won't mind. She'd be thankful." Nolan answered.

Darcy nodded. "Well alright then. How about you and Emily start getting the table ready for dinner. Mom? How is dinner?"

Sísele nodded. "I will finish now." Sísele stood up and went to the stove. She still had to prep the vegetables, boil the potatoes, cook the rice and mix the gravy.

"Now, you three." Darcy started.

Victor, Catherine and Adam shifted uneasily.

"How about you move into the livingroom? I will be helping my mother finish dinner and I will be entertaining you as well. So you'll have to expect me to run in and out." Darcy gestured to the livingroom.

Victor, Catherine and Adam nodded and went to the livingroom. Victor sat in the armchair while Catherine and Adam sat on the sofa.

Darcy sighed. "What just happened mom?"

Sísele didn't respond. She was minding her own as she chopped up some carrots.

Darcy turned the pot of potatoes on. She hadn't realized they were already done and ready. She looked at her mom with amazement. Darcy took some onions and started chopping them.

"Where do we start?" Catherine asked. She didn't ask anyone in particular. She was thinking out loud while hoping someone may have an answer.

Victor got up and walked out of the livingroom. He went to the kitchen to Darcy.

Catherine and Adam didn't let his abrupt movement interrupt them.

"Did you call the doctor?" Victor asked Darcy.

"Yes. Emily has an appointment the day after tomorrow." Darcy answered. She looked at Emily.

Emily and Nolan had cleared the tabke, pulled it from the wall, set the chairs and we're currently wiping them down.

"That's too long!"

"I know. But there's nothing I could do. This is what he have. They did put her on the cancellation list. She's first."

Victor nodded. "Anything can happen in two days, Darc."

"I know!" Darcy growled. "It's out of my hands! I did what I could."

Victor sighed. He turned and looked at Emily. Her and Nolan were talking and giggling as they worked.

The doorbell rang.

Darcy allowed her body to flop in the air. She rolled her eyes. "What now??" She started to feel the weight of things.

Emily's sick, Victor learned of a brother, went to see the brother, brought brother home, Catherine's here, first meet for three, Sísele's memories, etc.

Victor reached across the counter and grabbed Darcy's arm. Darcy nodded and sighed.

Emily went to answer the door.

"I don't think I can handle much more, Victor!" Darcy muttered under her breath.

"Hey, Em. Brought your homework."

Darcy stopped chopping and sighed again.

Sísele rubbed Darcy's arm. She smiled at her when she looked.

"Hi. Thanks Piper. Come on in." Emily said.

Darcy sighed, again.

Victor looked down. He leaned on the counter and looked over his shoulder at Emily.

Piper bounced in with Rachel following.

"Just you two?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. Joel would've come but he said he had to do chores. Didn't want to get in trouble again." Rachel answered.

"Oh, ok." Emily said. She closed the door behind them. "Did I miss a lot?"

"No. Not really." Piper answered.

"I think you saved us all." Rachel added. Her cool attitude allowed her to stare at her fingernails as she spoke. "All the teachers were buzzin' about you."

Emily looked at Rachel, unsure if she should believe her.

"Yeah, they were. They were all like, 'did you hear about Emily?' and 'yeah, what happened?' and 'Mrs. Brundle....blah blah blah.' it was nuts." Piper added.

"What? Mrs. Brundle didn't do anything." Emily defended.

"Well a lot of the teachers are wondering why she still had her job at the end of today." Rachel said.

Piper frowned at Rachel. "They were not." She looked at Emily. "Don't worry about it, Em. They know she didn't do it. What's going on with you anyway?"

"Why do you have to ask? Can't you tell?" Rachel asked Piper. "Look at her. She's all bruised up. What more do you need to know?"

Piper ignored Rachel. "I, kind of, promised Me. Euthers I'd tell him if I learned anything."

"Such a rat." Rachel commented.

"I'm fine, right now." Emily said. "I just don't know why I'm bruising so easily." She looked at her arm.

"You're going to have to live in one of those bubble things." Rachel teased.

"Who's here?" Piper asked.

"I don't know. Some 'Adam' guy. Just showed up here all weird." Emily said.

"He's Mr. Conners' half brother." Nolan said.

Darcy and Victor stopped what they were doing and looked at Nolan.

"What?" Piper gaped at Nolan and Emily.

Emily was shocked. "What'r you talking about?"

Rachel started laughing. "This is great. Miss Perfect-Family is all fu....." She trailed off and looked at Victor and Darcy. ".....messed up." Her laugh became a weak giggle.

"Shut up Rachel!" Piper frowned. "Emily, you didn't know?"

"She wasn't listening." Nolan defended.

"You were eavesdropping?" Rachel chuckled. "Takes you."

Nolan shrugged. "If you can keep quiet long enough, you can hear things. Doesn't mean I was eavesdropping."

Darcy and Victor looked at each other.

"Have to watch what we say now. Nolan giving away valuable advice for free." Victor commented quietly.

Darcy nodded.

"So you don't know what's going on? I didn't know your dad had a brother." Piper asked.

Emily shook her head.

"You seeing a doctor?" Piper asked.

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't ask mom yet."

"Ya, she's got an appointment in two days." Nolan answered.

The three girls nodded.

Victor and Darcy looked at Nolan again.

"REALLY have to stop talking." Victor said.

"Especially around Nolan." Darcy added.

"Ok. Well we're going to go, then" Piper said. "Mrs. Brundle asked me to bring this to you. It's just a bunch of reading. No questions."

"They're too concerned about you. You're famous now. Gonna be popular when you come back." Rachel said coolly. "Got everyone out of doing homework. Thanks, Emily. Good job!" Rachel patted Emily's shoulder.

"Whatever." Emily said.

Hey, Mr. Conners?" Rachel started. She stepped toward him.

Victor turned and looked at Rachel.

"Weird about your weird brother thing. Hope everything works out for you."

Victor chuckled. "Thank you Rachel. I'm always proud when I have your support in something."

Rachel smiled. She spun on her toes and strutted out the door.

Piper watched her strangely. "Sorry, Emily. I'm glad you're ok now." She smiled and ran out the door after Rachel.

Emily slowly walked to her parents and sat down on a stool. " I don't feel good." She said in a low voice.

Darcy put her knife down. She looked at Emily. "What do you mean? How do you not feel well?"

"I just don't feel well. I dropped two pounds since Thursday."

Victor nodded slowly. "Well maybe that's why you don't feel well?" He suggested.

"Maybe. Can I be served a little bit? I'm not really hungry."

Darcy nodded. "Ya. But you have to promise me you're going to eat it all. Even if you don't want to, you have to."

Emily nodded. "Yeah that's what I was thinking."

"Anything else we should know about?" Victor asked.

"I think there's something more than a flu wrong with me." Emily spit out. "A flu sounds so little compared to what I'm feeling."

Victor and Darcy shot a looked at each other.

"Yeah. We kinda felt the same way." Victor reassured. "But your mom made an appointment for the day after tomorrow. Hopefully your doctor can think of something other than a flu."

Emily nodded.

"See, Em? That wasn't hard was it?" Nolan asked.

Emily gave him a tired look. "Maybe if I force myself to eat I'll start feeling better."

"Let's go for that, then." Darcy said.

"Is he your brother, dad?" Emily asked.

"Apparently." Victor answered. "Long story not for kids. But I can tell you, I just found out on Saturday."

"How are you ok?" Emily asked frowning. "I wouldn't be ok if I found out I had a sibling. Do I have a sibling I don't know about? Shouldn't you prepare me for that? What if there's one running around somewhere?"

"You don't have another sibling." Victor reassured. "I am certain I don't have another child and your mother worked too hard to have you." Victor ruffled Emily's hair.

"So what's gonna happen with the elephant?" Nolan asked.

Darcy, Victor and Emily looked at him.

Nolan looked at all three of them. "Um...your brother." He said nervously. "I don't know about any of you, but I'm pretty excited. Having a sibling is nice but it can be a drag. You missed all of that." Nolan rambled. "What are you going to do to catch up? That's, like, fifty years you lost out on."

Victor shook his head. "I guess it will have to start with me being in the same room." Victor turned and walked into the livingroom.

"I'll be right in there with tea." Darcy said.

Sísele grabbed all the vegetables and threw them into a pan. She had already pulled the roast out and started the gravy with the juices. She shut the potatoes off and strained them. Now she was going to sautee the vegetables.

Darcy turned around to help her mom. Her mouth dropped when she realized that her mom was puttering around her. She felt useless. "Sorry mom." She said as she pulled out the kettle from a lower cupboard.

"That'sh ok, Darshy. You have a lot going on. I got it. Go. Sit with your hushband. He needsh your comfort." Sísele started to gently pushed Darcy out of the kitchen.