CHAPTER 3

"You are an angel in disguise." Alasdair wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The man you brought in was bleeding internally. We stopped it, but had you found him one hour later…" He shook his head again. "The patient is heavily sedated, but conscious. You may go see him."

"I don't know about the angel part, Doc." Brian let out a long sigh. "I'm just glad I got there in time." He headed in the direction the doctor indicated and, a couple of minutes later, stepped into the room. "Hi there." He waved to the man on the bed.

"Hey, sis, always to the rescue." Bailey looked at the librarian, his vision clouded because of the black, swollen eyes. "I promise not to drink and drive."

"That's a wise decision." Brian nodded in approval, then flashed a grin in the other man's direction. "I'm going to assume that's a joke between you and Stephanie."

"Wh-who are you? Where's my sister?" Bailey's breath started to hitch as he convulsively clenched the blanket. "What happened to her?"

"Hey, it's okay." Brian spoke softly, raising his hand in surrender. "I'm a librarian, friends with your sister. I called her and she's on her way here. She's doing just fine, nothing has happened to her."

"Please, leave her out of this." Bailey brought his hands together, his voice desperate. "Please, please, don't hurt her!" he exclaimed, starting to hyperventilate.

"I wouldn't hurt either of you." Brian's gentle voice was tinged with pain. "Bailey, I need you to focus. I know that's hard to do right now." He added a little firmness to his tone. "What's your favorite color?"

But Bailey didn't answer; he continued to shake his head and cry, pleading in a broken voice. "Don't hurt Stephanie, please! I'll be good this time, I promise. I won't take your shine away anymore." Loud sobs tore through his chest, turning to heartbreaking wails.

Doctor Alasdair and a nurse rushed into the room. "I'm going to ask you to leave, I'm sorry." He spoke sternly, glaring in the librarian's direction. "And call his sister. Just tell her he is at the clinic. I don't want you to give her a panic attack or PTSD episode. Can you do that?"

"She's on her way already. I didn't tell her anything other than he was here." Brian swallowed hard a few times before continuing. "I'll leave now."

"Mister Cavallieri, wait." The voice of the nurse who accompanied Alasdair made the librarian turn around. "Doctor Stark apologizes for being so harsh on you earlier, but the patient's state…" She gestured with her hand to Bailey's room.

"I understand, I really do." Brian nodded, then sighed heavily. "I can't figure out what triggered that reaction, I just…" He waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, now that he's in good hands, I'll go home, my job here is done."

"About that, Mister Cavallieri…" The nurse cleared her throat. "Doctor Stark would appreciate it if you would stay a bit more, at least until your sister arrives. You know, just in case…"

"My sister?" Brian cut the woman short, eyes wide in surprise. "I have no sister. Stephanie is…" Then, the realization hit him in full force. "How… When did you find out?"

"You being a universal blood donor, Doctor Stark thought to make your DNA profile, see how much you and the patient are compatible. According to the results, you, him, and his twin sister are paternal siblings."

"Thank you for letting me know." Brian offered the nurse a smile. "Now, things are a little more simple." The man murmured as he headed to the reception area. There, he started to pace up and down, hands behind his back.

"Librarian, stop," Luca said in a whispered, somewhat pained voice. "My heart hurts for the guy, but this won't help him." He gestured around.

"I can't help it. He's my brother." Brian stopped pacing and ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't get to talk to you about this, but my father confessed to me a couple of months ago about him having a child from an extramarital affair. I've been looking for my sibling ever since; I didn't know it would be two."

The librarian plopped down on a chair and started to tell the other man, who moved closer to him, about the conversation he and his father, Anthony, had that afternoon while they were fishing in their favorite spot. Although the details his father gave him were scarce, the man asked Elyan to start searching for his sibling, but as expected, the blond forensic expert couldn't find anything.

A pale smile graced Brian's face, reaching his tired eyes, when he remembered the very first time Stephanie showed up at the library. He felt connected with the young woman in a way he couldn't explain, like the two of them have known each other since forever. The man only experienced that feeling a couple of times in his life, one being when he met Bart.

Brian stopped a bit, inhaling sharply, then ran a hand over his face, sighing tiredly. Now that he was sure about the identity of his siblings, the librarian was at loss. On one hand, he wanted to tell them the news and welcome them into the family, but on the other hand, he was afraid of how their mother and his own would react.

Last time Brian checked, his father hadn't told his mother about the relationship he'd had twenty-six years earlier. And anyway, knowing about the affair was one thing, while seeing Stephanie and Bailey, the products of that liaison, would serve as a constant reminder of her husband's unfaithfulness, even for a loving and forgiving woman like Marisa Cavallieri.

And there was also the other woman, Brian continued, who was very determined not to let her children's father be a part of their life ever since they were just two tiny balls of cells in her womb. The librarian doubted she changed her mind over the years, because if she had, he and his siblings would have already met.

Luca listened to Brian's monologue in silence, without interrupting him. He wasn't the greatest source of advice on family relationships, he finally talked when the librarian finished his story; the relationship he had with his own siblings was oscillating from complicated, in case of Graziela, to almost nonexistent, in Raven's and Manfred's case.

Stephanie walked into the lobby, then headed straight to the reception desk without looking around. Brian made eye contact with Luca and, putting a finger to his own lips, gestured to the hospital's exit. Later, the taxi took them to where they left the car, he let out another breath he hadn't known he was holding, grateful to whatever was governing the universe that everything ended well.

***********

"Thank you for what you did for Bailey. The Doctor said he would have died if it wasn't for you." Stephanie offered the librarian an affectionate, grateful smile as she leaned over the counter. "He also mentioned my brother having what he described as a very intense PTSD episode. Can you please tell me what happened?

"I mentioned you were coming, and he thought I'd hurt you." The answer came in a somewhat pained voice; a day and a half later, Brian was still affected by Bailey's reaction. "I think he thought I was you until I spoke, and then…" The man sighed. "Is he doing any better today?"

"That's what he claims, but I know he isn't telling the truth." Stephanie inhaled sharply as she ran her fingers through her long chestnut hair. "Bailey wants to go home, but if he does, next time…there will be no next time. I can't tell him, though. I tried once, and he didn't talk to me for a month. That was the longest month of my life."

"I know what he's going through." Brian stared blankly ahead, making colossal efforts to keep bad memories at bay. "Abuse victims are blinded in a way."

"The bastard who did that to my brother uses me to control him." Stephanie balled her little hands into fists until the knuckles turned white. "Every time Bailey tries to break free of his clutch, it's the same sick scenario, and he always gives up."

"My abusive boyfriend instilled in my head the idea that I was useless and incompetent, and I would be nothing if it wasn't for him." Brian ran a hand over his face to chase away the images of Cole yelling and crushing him with his hatred. "Even after I moved out from his apartment, he continued to make my life a living hell in more than one way."

"The doctor spoke of you like he's known you for quite a long time." Stephanie's heart hurt when she heard the librarian's broken voice, so she made an attempt to change the subject. "Will you please ask him to keep Bailey in the hospital for a while?"

"Doc Alasdair and I have been friends for over twelve years. He has known me since I was twenty-six." A smile chased the sadness away from Brian's face and reached his eyes. "I'll talk to doc, but I'm betting he already told your brother he's staying three weeks."

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Stephanie didn't make efforts to hide her curiosity.

"Thirty-eight." Brian flashed a grin, showing all his teeth. "However, sometimes I feel much older."

"I think you look younger." The friendly smile Stephanie offered the librarian vanished, replaced by concern. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but please stay away from Bailey. If Grant, his husband, ever sees you, my brother is as good as dead. The bastard won't listen to him, won't believe he doesn't have eyes for another man. Bailey was beaten to a pulp for less."

"I understand." Brian nodded, his voice tinged with sadness. "I doubt your brother would want me near him, anyway. I scare him for some reason. And no need to worry about me flirting with your brother. I'm a happily married man." Plus, it would be weird to charm my brother, he said to himself.

"I know." Stephanie pressed her lips together, a frown creasing her forehead. "I'm not worrying you will hit on Bailey, I'm worrying about what Grant would think." She shook her head. "The man is unhinged."

"I understand," Brian answered laconically but continued the idea in his head. If this Grant fucker makes one wrong move, it will be the last thing he'll do.

"Look, I have an idea," Stephanie started in a livelier voice. "You seem worried about Bailey. What about you accompanying me to the clinic? My brother will know you mean no harm."

"I would like it very much." Brian's voice reflected the enthusiasm and happiness he was experiencing at that moment. "Anyway, if my being there upsets him, I will leave right away." The light in his eyes dimmed a little when he said the last part.

"It won't." Stephanie took another deep breath before continuing. "Last night was…it's difficult to explain. Grant took all the love Bailey gave him, twisted it and made it into a rope, which he used to tie my brother up. I don't recognize my twin anymore." She buried her face in both hands and started to cry.

"I'm so sorry." Brian went to the other side of the counter and wrapped the young woman in his arms. "I'll help in any way I can."

"You can't help in any way." Stephanie took another deep breath before continuing. "Mr. Roberts, Grant's father, adores Bailey, the marriage was his idea. He only has a few months, a year at most, to live, and my brother doesn't want to ruin the time he has left by telling him what an abusive bastard Grant is. Mr. Roberts thinks his son changed for the better since he married Bailey." She shook her head in defeat. "If Bailey left Grant now, he would break his father-in-law's heart."

"Life is never simple, is it?" Brian whispered into the young woman's hair.

He wanted to tell her why he cared so much, why he was so worried, not only about Bailey, but also about her, but was afraid that she would reject him and the help they both needed so much. Instead, Brian held his newfound sister close to his heart, promising to protect her and their brother from anything and anyone who would want to harm them. The way it should have been from the start, he thought.