Hey, everyone! It's me again!

So, this story's kinda unique compared to my others, because you can just read what chapters you want (in order, of course) without actually reading all the way through, and there's no real cliffhanger.

I'll do another A/N when the pairings start to show themselves.

== Be Davey

You are Davey Strider. You are five years old and you're super cool. You're the coolest kid in your class, including the teacher-even though she's totally awesome and nice. You were one of the first kids to learn to read in your class and since then you haven't stopped.

You especially love it when your teacher lets you take home books to read to Bro.

"Bro?"

"Hm? What's up, lil' man?"

Your big brother is the coolest guy in the whole universe. He is an unstoppable force of pure awesome and you look up to him for everything.

"Um… I… teacher let me take home a book…"

Bro smiles, lifting you onto his lap, "Sweet, lil' bro, read it to me. What's it called?"

You smile, "Ca… camping… day!" You look up at him, "Camping day!"

"Dude, that sounds awesome. Let's hear it."

You can't help but rest against your bro's shoulder as you read, holding it out so he can see, too. You read out what happens to the small family of crocodiles as they go on a camping trip. Bro has to help you with a few words, but not many. What he does most often is add in his own opinion, making you giggle.

"'Tie where' said Sam. 'Peg there?' said Pam. 'Can't see!' said Will. 'Help me!' said Jill." You smile and look at the next page, "'Finally!' said Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill."

"That is one messed up looking tent." Bro smirks, "I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like that. Davey, if you ever go camping and your tent looks like that, try again. It'll start raining and then you're screwed because that thing's coming down!"

You can't help but erupt in a fit of giggles at what Bro says. He's always so funny and cool.

You gasp.

"What?" Bro asks, probably worried you'd hurt yourself somehow.

"You should be my Show-and-Tell!"

He pauses, "What?"

You turn around, grinning, "If I bring you to Show-and-Tell, I'd be the coolest kid in the everness of always!"

"That's a long time, lil' man." Bro chuckled.

"Please me my Show-and-Tell, Bro! Please, please, please!"

Bro sighs, "On one condition."

"Anything!"

He smiles, "Finish the book. I can't wait to see the ending."

You grin and immediately consent to his request.

== Be the coolest big brother in the world

You are Dirk Strider. About four years ago you found this kid, your brother, in a hole in the ground. That in itself is too awesome for words, so you kept him, naming him David and raising him yourself. There have been rough patches, but Davey has always been sensible and understanding.

And, no matter what anyone ever says or has said, you love him. You love him with all your heart and would give your own life for him.

"Davey!"

The boy gasps in shock and runs over to you, pushing you towards the car, "No, Bro! Go back in! You'll ruin my Show-and-Tell!"

"Calm down, kid, I need to talk to your teacher."

"Then wait in the car until everyone's gone!" Davey tells you and pulls open the car door, "In!"

You stand there.

"Please?"

"That's better." You smile and slide into the car. You might as well give the kid his fun. He's smiling as he runs back over to his friends, gesticulating like crazy, obviously talking about you since he keeps pretending like he has a hat.

You chuckle to yourself, closing your eyes behind your shades.

You remember teaching Davey what all the buttons and knobs on a turntable does and how it works. You remember trying to teach him flashstepping (it turned out horrible. Every time Davey would try, he'd trip and get hurt, but he'd get up and try again. You finally forced him to stop when his knees were a bloody mess, his elbows starched and dirtied, and his shades breaking.) and when the kid had woken you up in the middle of the night with a flashlight and his first book.

He'd been so proud of himself, having taught himself to read. He'd snuck into your room and quietly asked if you were awake. Of course you had been, you'd always had trouble going to sleep. You'd never been able to stop the nightmares. So you turned on the light and let Davey crawl up into your bed and read to you.

You almost jump when you hear the door open. Almost. You open your eyes and look at Davey.

"Is everyone gone?"

"Yup!" he smiles.

"So I can come out?"

He nods.

"Are you sure? There's no one hiding in the bushes or anything?"

Davey giggles, "No one here is that cool, Bro."

You smile at him and exit the vehicle. He takes your hand, leading you to the classroom.

"Miss Moore?"

The teacher turns from where she stood at the blackboard. She was pretty, brown hair and eyes and always smiley. She welcomed you in and turned to finish writing down things for the next day in class.

"Davey, how about you go play on the playground while I talk to your brother?" She smiles.

"Okay." He leaves quickly.

"Don't worry." She tells you before you can even open your mouth, "There's two teachers out there right now to watch him." She puts down her chalk and looks at you, "Mister Strider, I'm worried about Davey."

"Is something wrong?" You ask.

She sighs, "He's the only student in my class who can't read and it's-"

"Hold up, Davey was reading to me just yesterday when he came home. A book you let him borrow. Camping Day or something."

She paused, "I did lend that to him, yes… but whenever I ask him if he can read for me, he shakes his head and won't speak."

You can't help but pause.

Davey's always been so excited about reading to you.

"Maybe reading in front of everyone's got him nervous." You try.

She shakes her head, "I can't even get him to read alone to me."

"That can't be right. Little dude woke me up at two in the morning about three months ago to read to me."

She crosses her arms, "Perhaps he's misinterpreted something you've said to him?"

"No way. The only thing I ever say when it comes to his reading is that he's doing awesome and even ask him to read things for me every once in a while."

It was true. Last week, at the store, you'd actually written down a list just so Davey could read it for you.

She holds up her hands in surrender, "I didn't mean to offend you, Mister Strider. I'm just trying to figure this out."

"Why not just ask the kid?" You ask, "I'll go get him."

And you do just that. You leave the room and make your way to the playground, where Davey is sitting on the ground, drawing circles on the ground in red clack.

"What're you doin', little bro?"

He smiles, "It's a clock! See? There's the clock, and here's the stick thingies!"

"That's sweet, lil' man. Mind coming inside for a bit? Teach has a question for you."

Davey smiles and stands up, "Okay."

He takes your hand, guiding you back to the room once again. You open the door for him and watch him run over to his desk.

"Davey…"

He looks up at the teacher, "Yes, Ma'am?"

Damn. Kid's got manners. What a boss.

"Can you read?"

He smiles, "Yep! I can read a lot! I love reading to Bro!"

"Then why don't you read in class?"

His smile dies away and he looks down, "Because…"

"Hey, what's wrong, lil' man?" You ask, walking over and kneeling beside him.

You can only see him glance at you because of the slight amount of his eyes you can see, being beside him. He bites his lip for a second.

"I don't wanna lose it."

"Lose what?"

His hands are now clutched in tony fists, gripping his shorts for dear life, "One of the boys from Mizz Murray's class said you can only read so much before you lose it… and he said his big brother read so much that he suddenly couldn't anymore and I don't want to not be able to read to Bro…"

"Dude, you're not going to forget how to read." You smile at him, "You're going to get better. People are going to beg to listen to you read. You'll be surrounded by a whole bunch of kids, just begging for you to read for them and you'll be the king of reading."

He turns to you now, "Really?"

"Would I lie to you about something this awesome? I mean, jeez, kid, I wish I could read like you." You mess up his hair, making him giggle, "Why don't you show Miss Moore just how amazing your reading skills are?"

He smiles and runs off to find a book.

"Quick question." You look at her, "You're cool with the kid bringing me in for his Show-and-Tell, right?"

She smiles, "Of course."

"Awesome."

Davey comes back with another book in his hands and sits down, "Bro likes this one, don't you, Bro?"

"I don't know, Davey, what's the name? Can't have a book without a name. That's just uncool."

"Goodnight iPad."

You smile, "This book is awesome."

Miss Moore sits in the desk next to Davey while you sit on the other one. Davey opens the book and smiles.

"In the bright and buzzing room, there was an iPad, and a kid playing Doom, and a…" Davey pauses "A scr…screens…saver… of…" he turns the page, "a bird launching over the moon!"

== Be the kid

== Wake up Bro

"Bro!" You jump onto his bed, "Wake up! You have to get ready for Show-and-Tell!"

"Uhhh… Davey, Show-and-Tell isn't until after lunch. Let me sleep."

"You still have to take me to school!" You grin, "I made Pop Tarts!"

"I hate Pop Tarts."

"But, Bro, they're ironic! They're called tart, but instead, they're sweet!"

You smile when bro sits up, "I love Pop Tarts!"

You are Davey Strider and you haven't been able to sit still at all. Friday is Show-and-Tell and you're having bro come in… but it's almost time and Bro hasn't showed up yet.

"Davey?"

You look to one of your friends, Amanda, who is smiling at you.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your bro will bring your Show-and-Tell, don't worry."

Miss Moore stands up, "Alright, everyone, you know what time it is!"

Your heart sinks to your toes. And it stays there. Now you have heart in your toes. Yuck.

Ding!

You pause. Your heart has gone back up to your ankles now… hoping…

"Miss Moore?"

"Yes?" Your teacher answers to the lady in the front office, Miss Pam.

"Can you send up Davey Strider to get his Show-and-Tell?"

Your heart is now back where it belongs, pumping and filling you with wonderful blood from your chest. Not toe blood. Toe blood is gross.

"Of course." Miss Moore answers and takes a hallway pass from her desk, handing it to you, "You can show yours as soon as you get back, Davey."

You take the pass and almost run out the door and to the front office, giddy to no end. You pull open the door and walk up to the front office.

"Davey!"

You grin and run over to Bro, "You made it!"

"Of course I did, little dude, I wouldn't let you down like that. Did I miss anything?"

"No, teacher just started!" You grin and drag your brother outside, guiding him to the room. He would probably lose his way if it wasn't for you. Bro always needs to hold your hand so that he doesn't forget where he is. Yep.

You leave him outside the door, telling him to stay where he is and open the door.

"Davey, are you ready?" Miss Moore asks.

You grin and nod, telling Bro to come in.

"This is my Show-and-Tell!" You announce, "My totally awesome big brother!"

You look up at Bro and guide him over to the run, letting him sit down. After all, he was really tall compared to your classmates.

"He's really smart and he's super-fast and really really good with swords!"

Amanda giggled and put her hand up, "Bro, can you really move so fast you can't be seen?"

"Well, it's not really that you can't see me, it's more of a blur, I guess…"

Oh, no…

You clench your fists in determination. Bro was uncomfortable and you had to make it better for him.

"Bro?" You turn to him, "Did you bring him?"

And the Strider stoicism slips when Bro smirks slightly, "Of course I did. I never go anywhere without him."

You grin, "Prepare to be amazified at the pure coolness of the coolest thing Bro's made ever!"

== Be Dirk

Your heart seems to jump when Davey announces Cal like that. Davey's obviously scared of Lil' Cal. He almost stabbed the puppet once. But, here he was, sacrificing himself to take the attention off of you.

You are Dirk Strider, and you have to pretend like you're cleaning your shades to hide the fact that you want to cry.

Because you now know that Davey loves you as much as you love him.

~~…~~