He's pacing, grunting and groaning about today. Nothing has gone right whatsoever, not even for a moment since he woke up. I hug him like a good sibling would, trying to make him feel better. I've held onto this since I bought my cell phone about seven months ago. I've told Oshai that I like Nick and would date him when I would be ready which had made him uneasy. He hit his head on the corner of the night table, the hot water wasn't working (cold showers for everyone), his lucky shirt was gone, Busta wrecked his shoes (good thing he had just bought a pair when we went to the mall yesterday), flight mix ups and all of this had to happen on his birthday.

He sighs, irritated and lets go of me. "I'm sorry about getting mad about you wanting time with Nick, but this has been a day from hell."

I reach into my back pocket and feel the engraved lion head on the small pendant. "It's bound to happen sometimes." I've been writing in my diary and calling him 'Oshai' for a few weeks now, but haven't called him it yet.

He heaves a appreciative release of breath. "Thanks."

"We all have our days."

I know that he's a Leo, a lion, astrologically and this could make his day even tolerable. I walk off to find James, shaking my head once I spot him with his nose in a book. He can be a major stick in the mud sometimes. I nudge his sneakered foot with my own, his eyes being the only part of him that moves (other than his breathing). He mumbles, patting the seat beside him. "What now, Jazz?"

James hasn't had the best day, either. I show him the necklace and his eyes study it. "I know that he's a Leo," I begin, nodding toward the only member of the group who had been born in the summer, "and we know he's had one of the absolute worst birthdays in his life. I got this for his birthday, but he's been having a horrible day and I don't want him getting mad cuz he insisted on not celebrating his brithday this year."

I look at my childhood friend's face, seeing his expression soften and a smile appear. "Pull him aside once we get to the airport in Valencia and give it to him."

I ended up pulling him aside ten minutes later. I sit him on the steps, a hip height (his hip height) wall blocking us from the rest of the people we're traveling with. "What's up, Jazzy?"

"I know your birthday hasn't been the best. Happy birthday."

He huffs in response to the reminder. "Don't remind me." His head drops and I feel even worse than I already did.

I reach for the pendant and press it between my palms, nervously jittering around. "But I got something back in January and I thought I'd give it to you on a better day, but you seem to need the reminder today." I drop the pendant into his hand, my much smaller hand forming a cross with his as I hold it between our palms. "I love you and I hope today gets much better for you."

He looks down, watching my hand slowly move off his and he smiles. "You, but I, when, how?" He's shocked, happily shocked.

"The day I got my cell phone, I came across this and knew it was meant for you," I explain, flipping over the pendant.

"It says something in Irish. Where did you find it?"

I point to the word, pronouncing it properly in Irish first. "This means 'brother'."

"I'm your brother?"

"To me, you're my biggest brother. I love you, big brother. I hope your birthday gets better."

He quickly flings his arms out, wrapping me in his warm and thankful embrace. "Thank you."

z88;

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's now his birthday ten years later and we're here at my place in LA. He was visiting me two weeks ago and lost that pendant. I had it morphed into a medallion holding the original in its eye. I can't begin to thank Mitchy enough for doing it in such secrecy.

We sit on the steps leading to the basement studio, a box in my hand that has an orange ribbon on it. "Happy birthday, Oshai," I simply tell him, handing him the box.

He quickly slips the ribbon off the box and opens it, inspecting the item, his eyes shiny with tears. "Thanks, Oshannie." He embraces me like he'd done a decade earlier, even more appreciative of this gift. "Where was it?"

"Between the shower curtains iu the guest bathroom. Mitchy worked his magic on it to make it something new."

He softly chuckles. "This is why you're the baby, my baby sister."

"That pendant shows that you're my big brother."

That pendant's backside has never once been seen in any picture or video because of the word on the back, "brother". He explained that it coming from me meant so much more than if it had been from Heather; we chose to accept each other as brother and sister long before we had to or had a judge tell us so. We've been brother and sister since the day we met, instantly bonding as family. "I've been by you every step of the way."

That spoke to me since the day you wrote it. Thanks for sneaking in the advice."

Laughter draws mom and dad to us. "Are you two alright?" mom asks us.

"Yes, mom, we're okay," he confirms, slowly letting me go. He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Thank you, baby Chasez. This is priceless and has quite a huge value to me."

It's been on his neck everywhere except where the media can see it. If it isn't on his neck; it's in his pocket, wallet or in his bag. He's even had it on his keychain. It's our symbol of being family, but only when it comes down to him being my brother.