Chapter Two

13 years ago

   "Daddy, why is mommy packing up all her stuff?" Duke asked as he and his father watched as Melanie Royal stuffed the last of her belongings into her old backpack. "Is she goin' to go visit Aunt May again?" He got bored watching his mom, so he leaned down and got his toy truck.
   Smiling at his son's innocence, and hoping that he always has that, Cooper leaned down and pulled Duke onto his lap. "Well buddy, your mom and I aren't getting along very well, so mom is going to go live with Aunt May until she can find a house to live in." He realized Duke wasn't understanding what he was saying, so he looked over at Melanie. "Um, Mel? Can you come help me explain this to Duke?"
   "Of course." Melanie said as she sat down on the couch beside Coop, and pulled Duke into her lap. "Sweetheart, you daddy and I can't live together anymore...so Mommy is going to go live with Auntie May. You remember how Auntie May and Uncle Joe got unmarried? That's what me and daddy are doing."
   Tears instantly filled Duke's silver eyes, as he looked between his parents. "But mommy, Uncle Joe used to hit Auntie May and Robby...that's why the gotted unmarried. Daddy doesn't hit you and me." He looked at his father, "You don't hit mommy do you?" Duke screamed almost hystrically.
   "No buddy, I don't hit your mommy. We just aren't getting along very well anymore."
   Well that's one way to say it, Duke heard his mother say...but he had been looking at her and he knew that her lips didn't move. "Mommy...what did you say?"
   Melanie smiled and kissed Duke's forehead, "I didn't say anything sweetie. Now come on, wanna help me put my stuff in the car?"
   Duke jumped off his mom's lap and tried to grab her backpack. "Mommy, I can't help...it's to heavy." Melanie saw that he wanted to be helpful, so she pulled out a sweater and handed it to him.
   "Can you carry that for me? It's to heavy for me." She laughed silently when she saw Duke's tiny face light up.
   "Okay mommy...I can carry this for you. I have big muscles."

Four Months Later

   "Who are you?" Duke said to the strange girl playing with his favorite toy.
   "I'm Brooke Trinity Warren, but most peoples call me Charm. You can if you want. What's your name?" Brooke said as she tried to listen to her mommy talk to the strange man.
   "Hi Charm. My name is Duke Ethan Royal...but some people call me Noble. Do you know why that lady is talking to my daddy?" Duke said and sat down next to Brooke, trying to take back his fire truck.
   "Hi Noble. That's your daddy? That's my mommy. And I don't know why she's talking to him. She kept saying how she was going to talk to him today...even if he tried to bar the door. Whatever that means." She shrugged when Duke got his toy, and grabbed the police car. Boys are weird. Thought Brooke.
   "Hey! Boys are not weird! Girls are the one's with cooties!" Duke squeeled.
   "I didn't say boys were weird! And girls don't have cooties!"
   "Do too!"
   "Do not!"
   At all the yelling, their parents came in only to see Brooke glaring at Duke and Duke in the corner sticking his tounge  out a Brooke. Looking at each other, Cooper nodded at the woman as a signal to go ahead an tell the two kids.
   "Brooke, come here for a second Sweetie. You too Duke. Come sit with us on the bed." Sitting down on Duke's Barney the Dinosour bed, Sasha took a deep breath. "Well, you two are brother and sister."
   Duke started laughing, "Not uh...you're Charm's mommy. My mommy isn't." Brooke nodded her agreement.
   Coop sighed and both parents pulled their respective kids into their laps. "Buddy, remember when your mommy went to go live with Auntie May? It was because she found out your daddy had done something very naughty, and had another baby. But not with your mommy. Brooke is your half sister. Meaning you only have one parent the same."
   Brooke and Duke both took this in, and looked at each other. Then for some reason no one could tell you, they started attacking each other.