Dexter hurried up his apartment steps two at a time, bowling bag slung over his shoulder. He could see that all of the lights inside his home were dark and the balcony light was off as well.

"Deb," he grumbled under his breath.

When he knew he'd be coming home late, he always left a light on. No need to fumble around in the dark. But of course Deb didn't leave one on, and she wasn't home. She was probably exercising late at the gym.

Thank God for the full moon. Wait, thank God?

Dexter fumbled inside his pocket for his keys. He was definitely off tonight. He felt the slide of blood in his pocket first, but his fingers drifted around it and clasped onto the Barbie doll head attached to his key ring.

"Hey Dex."

Dexter froze, hand still stuffed inside his pocket.

Out of the shadows, a woman stepped out and leaned against his door. It only took a second to recognize her, but the shock didn't wear off.

"Sarah?" Dexter tried to hide the surprise in his voice. "What are you doing—you're back in Miami?"

He stayed frozen exactly where he stopped in his tracks. Usually he could conjure up something to say in an awkward or surprising situation, but here he couldn't think of anything else to say other than something to just cover the silence for a moment.

"Heck yeah I'm back in Miami. You seriously couldn't have thought that I would not come back when I heard what happened with Deb and you…And a serial killer," she took a step closer to him and allowed the moonlight to illuminate her face.

She had her brown hair tossed over the front of one shoulder. It had always been a little longer than Deb had ever worn hers but it was about the same color. It was curled a little—not a lot but just in loose curls. That had been her signature since high school. She hadn't changed much. She was wearing a beige colored shirt with a tie in the lower front that kept the shirt from covering her stomach completely, while still appearing appropriate, and just a pair of blue skinny jeans with some sort of sandals.

He tried not to focus on her appearance for long.

Her words seemed caring, but she also seemed as if she was keeping her distance.

She's testing the waters.

Dexter eyed her suitcases that sat half hidden in the shadows before bringing his attention back to his sister. He didn't know she was coming for a visit.

Maybe she told Deb?

How long is she planning on staying?

He didn't step in to hug her because she didn't make the first move. He watched her carefully.

Dexter cleared his throat before answering her.

"They found his body, ya know….The Ice Truck Killer…Apparent suicide," He moved forward to unlock the door and let the both of them in.

No need to stand awkwardly in the moonlight.

"Good. I can't imagine what it felt like before they found his body," Sarah murmured. "So listen, I probably should've called before I just showed up with suitcases, but…what the hell is that?"

Dexter sensed her moving closer as she talked but it took him a moment to realize that she was pointing to the Barbie doll head on his key ring.

"A joke from the guys at work," he motioned at her with the severed Barbie head and smiled.

"Cute," Sarah murmured sarcastically and smiled. Her behavior was almost awkward…still off, and Dexter knew why.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he pushed the door open and slid his hand in to switch on the light.

He turned back to her.

Sarah had always fallen through the cracks even more than Deb. Unlike Deb who still tried to keep Harry's attention and gain his approval throughout the years, Sarah didn't. She stopped. She always did her own thing.

He remembered once walking in her room when they were teenagers. She was painting her walls with small scenes and words that looked like street art. She had sure gotten in trouble for that.

Sarah was independent more so than Deb. Sarah didn't ask for help unless she really needed it. Maybe that's another reason he was surprised to see her standing outside his apartment with her suitcases.

"Yeah, of course. I needed a change in scenery and I needed to come see ya'll. Sorry I didn't secure a room before-"

"Sarah, you know if you need anything, me and Deb are here for you. Don't worry about it. You don't have to get a room-"

She smiled at him and bent down to pick up her bags, but Dexter lunged forward and took them from her.

"Let me get those."

He motioned for her to go in a head of him.

As they entered, he watched her eyes linger on his living room furniture—the couch especially before looking toward the kitchen.

"Here, what do you want to drink?" He asked as he sat her bags down.

"Just water. So…bowling huh?" She responded as she stood somewhat awkwardly in the kitchen.

"Oh yeah," Dexter sat her glass down on the counter. "Me and the guys at work have a little bowling team going on."

"I never thought of you as a bowler."

Me neither.

Dexter faked his way through the general chit chat.

"So where'd you get a job?" He finally asked.

"Oh get this. You're looking at the new nanny of the Carroll household."

Dexter nearly choked on his water. He coughed into his fist.

"What? A nanny?" he sat his glass back down.

She hopped onto the counter behind her and tucked her hair behind her right ear. It was a quirk that she'd had since she was little. She was slowly returning back to the normal behavior he remembered.

She'sgetting comfortable again.

"Yeah. It's gonna be the easiest freakin job ever. Don't act so surprised. They want me to move in. They have a room for me. It was a garage, but it's been renovated to be a bedroom and bathroom type deal."

"How old are the kids?"

"Four, Eight, and Ten."

"During the school days, I'll just have the four year old to watch," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you think that's a good idea? I'm not saying-"

"It's fine. I swear I'm sober. I don't even drink casually anymore," she interrupted him.

Dexter had the sudden urge to hide the case of beer he knew Deb had left in the fridge. Sarah fell into a few bad drinking times in her life but never bad enough to have a record.

"I know it's not as great as what you and Deb do, but this would be something good for me," Sarah moistened her lips and looked down at her glass of water.

"Only thing is, for a while they wanna do a trial thing, ya know. They don't want me staying over yet. They said they have to finish up the room, but I get it. You don't want a stranger staying in your house. Hell I could be a serial killer for all they know ya know?"

Dexter laughed—maybe a little more than he should've.

Sarah the serial killer

"Crap. I'm glad Deb wasn't here when I let that spill out of my mouth," Sarah covered her mouth with her hand at her own mistake. "I would imagine that serial killers are a sore subject around here."

He couldn't see Sarah as a serial killer—absolutely not. She was built like Deb, but a little curvier- Probably just enough that it was noticeable when the two of them stood side by side. But it was her always soft expression and long brown waves that gave her more of a fresh out of college look.

Sarah was definitely more girly. She wore clothes that clung to her body more than Deb's usual baggy wardrobe.

"Where is Deb at anyway?" Sarah looked around again.

"Probably the gym. She's been working out so much that I'm pretty sure it's unhealthy," Dexter murmured.

"At least it's an outlet that probably won't destroy her life," Sarah took another sip of her water and avoided his eyes.

Dexter stayed silent. Obviously the people that she was going to babysit for did not know that alcohol had nearly destroyed her life quite a few times.

"I'm really glad that you've been here for her Dex. I should've come home sooner. I…"

"No, it's okay," Dexter interrupted her.

"No…it's…I'm her real sister, and I…. not saying that-"

"No, I understand," he reassured her.

He watched her get flustered at her own words.

"Shit, I'm an idiot."

Dexter smiled. Sarah rarely cussed so when she did it was almost comical.

Silence fell around them again.

"So how's Rita and the kids?" Sarah asked softly. She lowered her palms to wipe them on the front of her jeans nonchalantly.

Sweaty palms?

"Good."

"I'm surprised you haven't proposed yet."

"Do I look like the marrying kind?" Dexter laughed.

Sarah smiled but looked down again. "You'd be a family man and a husband right away."

Dexter studied her face. Her tone was suddenly different.

"But hey, I feel bad. I'm gonna go rent a room for tonight at least," Sarah slid off the counter and pulled her shirt down a little.

"You can stay here."

"Dex, you already have Deb crashing here, I couldn't."

"It's no big deal. I can take the couch. You and Deb can share the bed. Like old times," He added.

"Deb's not much of a sharer," Sarah murmured.

Dexter smiled.

Sarah awkwardly refolded the dish towel beside the sink.

"Still neater than Deb I see. I could use you around her," Dexter joked but then let his smile fade at his own words.

"Dex, I shouldn't have just shown up after what happened. I get it-" She paced as she talked.

Dexter shook his head.

He didn't wanna have this conversation with her. He'd rather ignore that it even happened, and luckily for him, Deb made her grand entrance, ending the conversation.

Thank you, Deb.

"Sarah?" Deb darted inside, leaving the door ajar. She ran over to hug her sister, sweat soaked clothes and all.

Ugh

Dexter grimaced to himself.

"So seriously you have some explaining to do bitch; where've you been for two years…hardly even giving us a damn phone call," Deb rested her chin on Sarah's shoulder and caught Dexter's eye contact for a moment. She was smiling so big.

Dexter passed by them to shut the door and step back into the kitchen. Deb didn't know what had happened, or why Sarah had left in the first place. He glanced back to Deb's wide smile.

"What'd ya do, follow a guy back here? I sure as hell know that you didn't come for me," Deb continued.

"No," Sarah answered her quickly.

"Aw that smile says different," Deb shoved her playfully.

Dexter studied her face at that question.

Dexter watched the two of them talk, quickly catching up for a few minutes before Deb finally changed the subject.

"I'm goin to take a shower."

"Yeah you stink," Sarah countered, but she smiled playfully.

As Deb left the room, Sarah slid into the bar stool beside him without pulling it back. She rested her elbows on the counter and clasped her hands together.

Dexter wished he would have made an excuse for some sort of escape as soon as their eyes met.

"I can tell that you're still…creeped out or something-" She whispered.

Dexter raised his eyes back to her.

"Nah, it's nothing. I'm just surprised to see you back here unannounced," he spoke lowly.

"And it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about then?" She questioned.

"Don't worry about it. The three of us have all been through it with each other. Embarrassing and awkward times happen with every family," he played it off casually.

Except fucking your non blood related sister is definitely not something that happens in every family.

He was still thinking about it—thinking about that night when he'd picked up Sarah because she was drunk and had had a fight with her boyfriend. Dexter had always been both of his sisters' shoulder to lean on. Only it was different with Sarah. Why were things always different with her?

"You are the best, Dex," she turned her body towards him as she spoke and she smiled.

Dexter was the first to break eye contact. "Better make sure Deb is gonna share the bed with ya."

"Shit, you're right," Sarah slid her thin frame back out of the bar stool without pushing it back and started towards the bedroom.

As she left, she tossed her hair back behind her shoulder, letting it cascade down her back.

Dexter watched her as she walked away, letting his eyes drop to her hips for a brief second before he forced them away.

Jesus, this was not what I needed to be distracted by right now. I still have the damn slide in my pocket.

Dexter waited until his sisters were closed in the bedroom for the night before he placed his newest slide in his collection. He did it quickly and then replaced the air conditioner.

As he rearranged the blankets on his couch, he heard the two of them laughing from the bedroom. They were like giggling school girls who hadn't seen each other over summer vacation.

He rolled over onto his side. Sarah had a way of showing up in his mind when he didn't expect it. Of course, she was his sister, like Deb was, so he did think of her often in passing- especially if Deb brought her up, but he couldn't ever seem to erase the memories of when she actually made him feel a lot more than he ever had before.