Fitting Back Together

Some Things Can't Be Fixed

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone!

. . .

"Sibling relationships outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust."

― Erica E. Goode

...

"I made a deal with Hornsby."

"What?" Magna didn't turn around, gaze wholly focused on the pan, lest she risk sending another omelette to its grave.

Yumiko drew a breath. Repeated the words. "I made a deal."

"A deal?"

"With Lance Hornsby."

Unaware at the time that Eugene had made his own deal. Though, that still would have solved only one of her problems.

Slowly, Magna set down her spatula, switching the heat off and turning to face her. She didn't say anything, only waited - but Yumiko could see the apprehension mixed with confusion in her eyes.

"Tomi got into trouble shortly after we arrived here. Eugene, Ezekiel, and Princess as well. I made a deal with Lance to get them out of it."

Or, rather, she'd agreed to the unspoken rule that if her brother was returned to her promptly and her friends were let off, she'd owe him a favor.

As it turned out, that favor was never-ending.

Apprehension gave way to comprehension. "And that deal includes getting people to sign NDAs?"

Yumiko nodded.

A chaos of emotions fought their way across Magna's face, none rising to the surface for more than a moment - until finally she seemed to settle on disbelief. "Jesus, Miko. Does he know?"

She shook her head. "It was my fault he got into trouble in the first place. During interrogation, I used Tomi to help fast-track us through the process. I mentioned that I had a brother who used to be a thoracic surgeon and that I suspected that he was now a member of the Commonwealth - granting us expedited citizenship . . . They must have put two and two together, realized he'd been lying to them all this time."

Or at least, Lance had.

Magna shook her head, pushing off the counter and walking towards her. She reached out for Yumiko's hand the second she was close enough, wrapping it tightly in her hold. A part of Yumiko thought she didn't deserve the comfort but that didn't stop her from accepting it. Accepting it greedily, without hesitation. "That wasn't your fault. Not like you knew he'd spent the last ten years living it up as a baker."

"I'm not sure he sees it that way." Knew he didn't, in fact. Especially since it had resulted in him returning to work as a doctor. The one thing she now knew that he'd never wanted to do. And which had no doubt been the catalyst for his possible drinking problem. A problem she had no bloody clue how to fix. "Things were good for him before I got here."

Magna gripped her hand. "You're his sister, Miko. The sister he never thought he'd see again. That's worth more than some job."

It wasn't just a job. It was an entire life.

It was the peace and contentment he'd found after so long of living without either - and which she'd thoughtlessly wrenched away.

Her brother had been happy. She'd seen it in his eyes. His smile. The lightness with which he carried himself. He'd been happy and now he wasn't.