"I do see you much more than I could think of". Isabelle notice Margaret or Maggie gaze on her breast and subconsciously glance at it. "Oh,it's big".Isabelle choke on nothing. "Sorry I meant.."
"Thank you,I like that you're our neighbor".Isabelle said the opposite of her thoughts." You're beautiful too".Margaret blush shyly.
"You should come by later or I'm gonna come crashing your house down". Margaret sang,Isabelle force a smile. "Consider that joke". Margaret burst into laughter and Isabelle was again forced to join,she exhale in super relief when the elevator opened releasing her from her elevator torture. "Hey,I'll be expecting".
"Yeah sure".Isabelle answer absentmindedly and walk away only to be dragged back by a muscular hand.
"You ran?". Isabelle chuckle,she couldn't help it first she got into an elevator with a crazy woman with a thing for white and bumped into her worst nightmare. MR MACK. "What's so funny?stop laughing".
"Well,the last time I checked we were in no position to talk to each other and I love it that way Mr Mack".Isabelle retort,anger engulfing her in a jiffy.
"Why can't you be a little more gentle with your words?."Xander snickered and open the car nudging her to go in, Isabelle step back in a quick step and fold her arms.
"I'm not going in with you."
"What vendetta do you've against my cars?."Xander queries.
"You want me to list?." Isabelle shot back a question.
Xander eyed her and grimaced. "You got into the elevator with a non-native but riding in the car with me is a huge problem."
"She's nice." Isabelle retorts sharply. "She's friendly and beautiful too."
"And miss all white with this weird look every morning, I don't scare people with my looks."
"Oh you do, Mr Mack." Isabelle sigh. "How do you know her?."
"Story time."Xander exclaim and groan. "Into the car."Isabelle roll her eyes.
"All for'I don't scare people with my look'."Isabelle mumble and scrutinize the car before going in. "I thought it's your BMW, I would've kindly refuse."Xander shake his head praying the world could just end and went into the car to drive. "Okay, so what's the plan?."Isabelle rub her palms together.
"We're gonna pose as a couple."
"We're are already a couple."Isabelle answer sarcastically. "I mean the real plan."
"Someone told Hans about the visit already and he fucking called me to threaten me or he's gonna have my balls cut out."Isabelle squint while buckling her seatbelt. "So we've to go in as someone else."
"Or we could challenge him, he won't do a thing."
"I don't have the dreams of having a child but I never had the dream of not having one so no."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."Isabelle clap and grin. "It's gonna be fun."
"Isabelle I can't risk both our lives."
"Or your balls."Isabelle snarl.
"No...well maybe that but I care about your well-being and mine."
"We're going in,if you wanna leave...I mean 'CHICKEN OUT'."Isabelle airquote her words. "It's okay by me."
"Yeah, I get the point."
"Then we're good to go."Xander stare at her and thought of the words Hans told him the night before,it'd taken him by surprise when the man called,and when he told him so confidently to go ahead and see what happens,it scares him not the threat but how he knew.
"Will you drive now?."Isabelle press the horn making him jump a little. "Spacing out?,You really do care about your balls."
"Enough about my balls."Xander pull the brakes and take a swerve out of the parking lot.
____________________
Xander sigh when Isabelle motion for the door,he stood rigid in front of the all glass made edifice,kilometers away he could see it standing proudly,beguiled with the fact that they would hide someone in a transparent building.
"Again with the spacing out." Isabelle shout which startled him.
"I'm not spacing out,hey."Xander protest as Isabelle push him out of the car ferociously pull her back and swallow his words when a laser reach Isabelle neck side. "So soon."Xander mutter in disbelief,Isabelle place her index finger on her lips,Xander nod a little pretending he didn't notice the laser.
"In three."Isabelle said and proceed to count the numbers when all of a sudden they heard a distant laughter.
"So soon,I heard that." Hans drop the rifle in his grasp and head for them. "What are you doing here?."
"To see my Aunt."Isabelle tilt her head and step away from the rifle. "And I'm gonna see her."
"You're kidding." Hans pull his pistol out. "She's my mother."
"Hans just stop it now,you guys are supposed to be..."Xander assert.
"Nothing,we're supposed to be nothing,now get the fuck out of here." Hans dangle the gun and in a flash it landed in Isabelle hand,Xander kick Hans in the groin and push him out of the way. "I'm serious." Hans yell struggling to get up.
"It'll only be for a minute cousin."Xander ran towards the building Isabelle on his trail,Hans trash and turn on the ground. "That wasn't a plan." Xander yell pushing the doors open and sight some of the guards planted on his floor. "How are we gonna..."
"Enough,we'll go in"
"Isabelle I'm not gonna die..."
"I'm going in,those are Hans men,even though we hate each other,it hasn't gotten to the point of killing."Isabelle went in while Xander stood by the door watching with interest as she talk to some of the men and strangely she went in without any problems,Xander sigh and went in after her.
The rooms are something Xander hasn't seen before in his life,all glasses with no protection whatsoever,though there were CCTV cameras but to him that's not enough protection to his aunt,the room are strangely spacious and filled to the brim with strange white cuttons like it was a factory a room too wide for three people rose in the depth of the house,it was simply beautiful with brown to hot pink,green,on the bed is a frail woman.
"She's thin." Isabelle mumble moving closer to the room,the woman with brown curly hair nearly made,her hands with red nail polish,her lips with maroon color lipstick,she looks alive be and still so dead. "I'll go take a look at the rooms,you stay here."
"You don't want to talk to her." Xander gather from the strange way she decided to leave,Isabelle bite her tongue and heave heavily.
"I've nothing to say to her." Isabelle glance at the body on the bed,thinking of her sins,the sins she committed,it reminded her of the only thing she didn't take pride in.
Xander went in and almost wept for her,so peacefully she was sleeping,so languishing he thought the machines stuck to her bodies were.
"Aunt,are you doing okay here?." He recalled he'd asked once,that question had took her smile away for a few seconds.
"You're seven,What do you know about being okay?"
"My mom ask me every day,she ask if I'm okay and I thought....why not ask you?Are you okay?".
He would never forget how she'd embraced him,taking him swiftly into her arms,kissing and kissing not minding the moist on his face,he wished everything that changed since then never did,oh ho2 Xander wish everything could all be different,he stayed with her,seconds passed,minutes passed and still he felt he's connected with her in one way or the other.
"Who's this?."Isabelle came in and point at a portrait of a baby boy and stare curiously at the iris. "The eyes are blue,it's not Hans."
"It's me." Xander rub dagmara cold hand and kiss it softly.
"It's grey...yours is grey,I'm not a fool,I've seen this...something like this before."
"He's my brother."Xander ruffle his hair and took a deep breath. "The stories were true."
"He died ,didn't he?." Isabelle stroll to the bed and stroke the pale skin of dagmara.
"It was stillborn strangely."
"His eyes are visible,it's clear ,the ocean blue eyes,the smile,the hair,it looks alive Xander,What is the truth?." Isabelle glance at the portrait again but this time took her gaze away to compare the looks with Xander. "I don't believe in the stories."
"He died,I've seen mom mourn over him,I've seen her call his name,broken and...have you found anything,anything at all?"
"Not one thing,the safe are clean and the rooms too." Isabelle fold her arms and sniff. "I'd so much hope that this would be fruitful but it's the same,thrown away,tossed away from my freedom."Xander held her hand.