Well it seemed that one thing was for sure. Besides the similarities physical appearance, it seemed that the two blondes weren't that fond of needles, though it seemed that Sam was having a tougher time dealing with it. Even though he tried his best not to show it, Dominic could still tell and he let out a light chuckle...until Ghost came over to swab him. Oh and the fear started to well up. Had he actually had a tail, it would have been curled between his legs like a frightened dog since Dominic secretly cowered when Doc Prof followed behind Ghost with the needle.

The needle broke into his skin, though he only felt a small pinch, Dominic still let out a whimper, similar to the kind a dog would let out as it had been hurt. Only a few seconds passed until the Doc had collected the crimson liquid. He smiled as Ghost mentioned to him again that even if the test was negative, he was still welcomed to stay. Truth was, if the test was wrong about Sam being his older sibling, the embarrassment would probably be too much to bare. After being given the 10 minute waiting time, the room had pretty much fell silent, which was expected for such the awkward situation they were all in.

"I appreciate the offer, Ms. Ghost...." Dominic broke the silence after a few minutes, feeling that it wasn't making the situation any more comforting. "I haven't had a steady home for years. My parents passed away about 2 years ago, and I was put in foster care. I had a foster family for awhile, until they found out I wasn't human. My powers...I absorb abilities from animals. And apparently not only do I get their abilities, but I get their behavior too. So, when I started acting all weird, like randomly bursting from the dining room table to go outside and chase a squirrel about half a block, they took me to a doctor and ran tests....blood tests and such, which I couldn't stand cause I hate needles if you couldn't tell," he sighed. "When they did my blood work, they found the x-gene, as well as animal DNA, specifically a dogs, and my foster family had a dog I played with all the time. So, yeah after they discovered what I was, I was pretty much condemned and taken back to the foster home since my foster parents weren't that fond of mutants. And that's sugar coating it. I didn't mention how they called me a freak and that they said I'll burn in eternal hell fire because mutants were demon spawns of the devils sent to wreak havoc on the world. Kinda stung, but I bore with it. Went back to the foster home and adjusted to not having anyone around, and since my file had the info about me being a mutant, no one wanted me, so...yeah...." the teen lowered his head, after finishing his story, trying his best to hide his watered eyes. "How much longer Doc?" Dominic asked.

"Ah well, the time is up now." Doc Prof spoke looking down at his watch and started to look over the results and looked back at the two boys and Ghost with a smile. Then particularly at Sam. "Congratulations, my boy. "

"What?" Dominic raised his head again and walked over to the table to see the results for himself. His eyes widened as he saw the that the blue lines on his DNA marker and then looked at Sam's to see that they were nearly identical and the former white spot that was now orange sealed the deal.

"I...I can't believe this..." the teen muttered. "All these years....and I've finally found him..." he closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again to look back over at Sam. "Heh..." he chuckled nervously and brought a hand to his eye, playing off the tear that was escaping it like he was rubbing a bit of eye crust out. "13 years....long time no see, bro." he spoke, feeling the awkwardness if it, but on the other hand it felt good to say it. To have someone to call brother. Sure enough, Dominic wanted to go over to Sam and hug his big brother, since he had missed out on 13 years of doing so. Still, he didn't know how Sam would react to all of it. Especially after being slugged in the face, Dominic didn't want to take anymore chances of being hurt.

"Can I just be corny and say that I missed you?" he said.

Ghost listened to Dominic's rant with wide eyes and an open heart. What a tragic life! He needed so much love! She pat his forearm in commiseration. He was here now at the Mansion. And at the Mansion there was plenty of love and protection to go around. It was a safe haven for a boy to find his way into man-hood.

Inevitably the air became thick with tension the nearer to the 10th minute everything got. And of course the good doctor decided to reveal the news as good news. Because why wouldn't it be good news? Long lost brothers! This could have been a Hallmark movie!

And then Dominic had to go and say something corny. Ghost really was unsure of how Sam was taking this all in. She'd heard about his family once and then it was like a past experience. She'd almost thought them dead at the time because of how he spoke of them. And maybe they were dead to him... rather like her family was dead to her. If her sister mysteriously showed up one day, Ghost would be more than wigged out. She wouldn't punch the girl, but... well, she wouldn't readily accept it either.

And so she waited with Dominic, each with baited breath and Ghost on high alert for another swing from CS. She wouldn't let him punch him again. Her power flexed inside of her coiled like a spring ready to strike. If CS tried... she would be ready to send him flying backward with a blunt, yet forceful wind.

DocProf, sensing a potentially tense moment waddled off toward his office as usual for the ever mountainous pile of paperwork.

The world Sam thought he knew came crashing down on him as he listened to the words coming from DocProf. All he knew his family his history all of it. All intricate and impractical fantasies Sam had about his mother father and brother came crashing own around him, here he was his flesh and blood right in front of him. Looking at him talking about his life and the struggles he had to endure. Sam’s eyes first narrowed on the kid then the orange liquid in the test tube. ‘My….Brother….’ thought Sam as his breathing started to get heavy.

This was too much to process all at once; small doses could have and would have been better. Five years old was when his childhood ended and that's the day the family he would never know died with his childhood. Lone survivors, a pair two of a kind, they may be in the same boat now but there was no way Sam and Dominic could ever compare childhoods. Sam’s ended when he was five years old while Dominic’s still seemed to be going through his, the kid seemed to be either two open or to much of a sissy hiding behind Ghost.

Even if Dom was Sam’s brother he would always hold some sort of grudge towards him, the kid was still a kid able to hide and cower, and Sam was the one taken. Regardless if it wasn’t Dom’s fault Sam needed to hate someone right now and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be TAT seeing as they weren’t around and Ghost had nothing to do with this. Dom however he was blood he was the first person to come to mind when he thought about blaming someone. ‘Why was it me and not him?’ wondered Sam, as he looked him up and down.

Sam hated it when he felt like this he hated feeling these emotions times like this he wanted to be alone, he wanted to say what he always said to himself, ‘Quit crying, it’s time to grow up, no one is here to help you.’ But for some reason with the kid and Ghost here the words weren’t coming out, Sam wasn’t alone so all he could do was say the mantra in his head. It didn’t have the same effect but it did help Sam realize one thing.

He had a brother, Sam had a brother and his name was Dominic and he was a mutant an animal DNA sponge and he was alone like Sam. Regardless of their childhoods they were blood brothers a fact Sam was scared of, scared of because the older brother is supposed to take care of the younger brother when things happen. Like your parents dying for example, that meant Sam was now responsible for Dom.

‘Parents dead’ thought Sam as he came to the sad conclusion and looked out the window as if to say goodbye to the people he would never come to know the people that he could call mom and dad. The dead don’t talk so Sam could never tell them he was still alive, that he was a fighter now that he was strong and that he would, feeling obligated to take care of their son and his brother.

Sam watched as Doc left the room and as Ghost looked ready for an oncoming attack if Sam decided to through it, but he was trying hard not to. Every fiber in his body screamed out to hit him, hit Dom for his sad story, his rotten childhood and the tear coming down his face. He could tell the kid wanted to get a hug but Sam wasn’t the hugging type not in his current mood at least.

Raising his hand as he hopped down from the seat he was in Sam calmly said, “Stop…” he looked away from Ghost knowing that she would glare daggers at him for saying this but he had to speak his mind, “Not ready for you to call me that yet…” his voice was detached with all emotions as he tucked them away and hid them under the lump in his throat. “You can call me Sam…” he paused and continued, “and I’m not really one for this corny crap…but ummm…” he scratched his arm where the needle was, “Must have been tough coming all the way here….good job…” he looked over to Ghost letting her know he wasn’t going to hit the kid unless he said something that would justify it.

"Oh...I see..." Dominic said in a lower tone as Sam told him not to call him brother. I mean, he could have called Sam Onii-chan, but they were far from being japanese and it just would have been awkward. Still not being able to call Sam brother even if he was his brother, that kind of stung considering he had waited so many years for this moment. He guessed that Sam really wasn't that emotional of a person. He knew that this was all a lot to swallow, even then Dominic was still glad to find Sam, but he guessed that from his reaction, Sam wasn't as thrilled.

“Must have been tough coming all the way here….good job…”

"Thanks?" Dominic replied shooting a look back at Sam as he moved from behind Ghost and over towards the window to look out of it. "Sad...to say. I always used to ask mom and dad where you were after your disappearance, and they would just ignore the question despite how much I demanded to know. They would never tell me and I always hoped that where ever you were that you were alright and that the day would come for us to meet again. Here it is..." the teen let out a sigh. "And yeah, it was a bit tough...but so is life I guess. At least, that's what I've been learning." he turned back and looked to Sam with a small smile. "Even if you're not ready to accept me yet, I understand since it's a lot to take in. Me just walking in and turning your life upside down in under 20 minutes, but I'm just glad I..." he bit his tongue as he felt the corniness about to roll off of it again.

"I'll just...leave if you want. I don't want to be here if you don't want me to be. I can just find someway to survive out there."

Ghost was getting whiplash from looking between the brothers. They were brothers for goodness sakes. Sam sounded like he was kind of starting to come around. At least he hadn't decked Dominic this time. Although, she really couldn't decide who needed a hug more. Dominic who was getting the cold shoulder or Sam who was having trouble processing so much all at once.

Ghost sighed and the sound slithered across the air in the room. This wasn't her business. "Congratulations, Dominic, Sam. Give it time... Just... don't give up on each other okay? She looked one more time between the two before shaking her head and rubbing the base of her neck.

"If you'd like a room, Dominic, I'll be out in the hall..." Ghost gave Sam a hopeful look and bit her lower lip. He could do it. She wasn't expecting him to hug him or anything... just get the boy to stay. Give him a chance. Help him as a brother should.

Ghost walked between the two boys and slowly and stepped out of the infirmary. She stepped off to the side and leaned against the wall in the hallway. She would wait for a while... if they needed her, she'd be there for a while. If they started having a heart to heart or something miraculous she'd probably just leave to let them bond.

Staring at his feet as they shifted uncomfortably when Dominic talked about leaving, he didn’t want the kid to go after all he was his brother but Sam never had a brother so how would he treat him like a friend, a student, or something completely else not knowing what it was he looked to Ghost for the answer hoping she would be able to shed some light on the situation. But when Sam looked to Ghost she started to walk out of the room in attempts for Sam and Dom to have a talk. He caught the look Ghost gave him and nodded slightly and sighed.

Waiting till Ghost left the room Sam approached Dominic his eyes gazing upon the younger image of himself. Sam didn’t speak until he was upon the young boy and said, “You’re not going anywhere,” Sam said as he lifted his hand slightly for a shake, “If you are my brother and… and our parents are dead the least I could do is give you a home…” pulling his hand away before Dom could respond Sam clapped Dom on the shoulder and said, “I’ll ask show you around and get you a room…” he paused for a second and sighed, “ I have a lot to think about, and if I find out you break the rules of the mansion or leave with out me knowing…” Sam threw a punch into his fist resulting in a loud crack, “I’ll beat you up the way only a brother could.”

He did it Sam had called Dom his brother, baby steps were as much as he could do for now. It was a lot to process and despite the way Sam was acting everyone was being as understanding as possible, Sam almost expected Ghost to throw a punch when Sam hit Dom.

On his way to the door Sam waved his hand motioning for Dom to follow him out so they could meet Ghost. Sam had tons of questions but for now he would prefer to wait, seeing as he was overwhelmed with all the information he had to process already. Taking a small glance back at the kid Sam could easily point out the difference between them, not just physical but the emotional aspects as well.

As he walked out into the hall Sam looked to Ghost and asked, “Would you mind showing Dom… I mean my broth….Dom around?” the words didn’t come out easy for him and it made a challenge for him to say even if he didn’t verbalize the entire word. He hoped Ghost was willing to take care of it seeing as how much baggage was just loaded on Sam.

Dominic looked back at Sam as the older sibling told him that we wasn't going anywhere and that the mansion would be his new home. The 16 year old nodded and felt a bit a relief knowing that he would have a place to sleep now. He understood that Sam's head was a bit crowded with thoughts, but Dominic couldn't help but smile when he finally called him brother...even if it was a threat. "I don't want to cause you any trouble." Dominic replied nervously, though being the younger sibling he knew there would be times when he'd be obligated to work Sam's nerves. That would have to wait until after everything sailed over. Following Sam's signal, Dominic followed the ice elemental and halted next to Ghost as Sam told the white haired woman to find Dominic a room. He didn't say anything about Sam's choke up when he attempted to say brother. Obviously it would take Sam longer to get used to saying it while Dominic had no problem addressing Sam as his big brother. He'd just wait until Sam was comfortable enough to be called that.

"Thanks Sam. I really appreciate it..." Dominic said to Sam and scratched the back of his head nervously trying his best not to poor his emotions out like a cheesy hallmark card. "I guess I'll see you around..." he added and turned to Ghost as she took him off on a tour of the mansion.

((End))