Shara coulnd't blame her foster-brother Carl for having had nothing to do with her for years; his parents, after all, had virtually rejected him for her. But now he had come back into her life, prepared to be friends. Friends? It had never been as a friend that Shara had thought of Carl; she had never even thought of him as a brother... Carl turned slowly, his face grave and also troubled. "You wanted me - really wanted a brother?" She lowered her lashes, speaking in the same whisper tones. "Yes, Carl. At that time I did want to be close - just as a brother and sister should. Later - and I wasn't really very old before I did begin to notice - I tried to let you see how much I was hurt by it all-" "Hurt?" with a sudden sharp edge to his voice. "You felt pity for me?" Why hadn't she been a little more guarded? "Carl...don't misunderstand me. When I say I needed you I mean it."