What is my sister to you?
Xavier was taken aback from the sudden question. "What..?" Alec had a serious look then. "What do you feel about my sister?"
"Why are you asking me?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable of the sudden question. Alec frowned then looked up at the sky where the stars were shining brightly. "I have a feeling.. You're going to be more involve in this than you should." Alec then turned back to Xavier with a serious expression. "And my intuition is never wrong. So tell me, what is she to you?"
"A... friend?" that sounded more like a question instead. Alec shook his head as he thought. So even he hadn't figure out his feelings huh. He knew his sister is close to figure it out, even if she herself didn't realize it. If not Xavier would be killed the moment he woke up that day they met.
"I'll tell you something big brother.. I trust you. Not just because you're Sheila's brother but you somehow brought my sister back from before that incident." Alec reached his hand up to the sky as Xavier looked at him weirdly. Is this suppose be a 9 year old?
"You know.. Lisa used to smile like Sheila did. Even when she's around the gang she smiled, though it took some time. But when she died, she stopped. Her heart turned cold. Now you came and somehow made her open up in just a week. But, I need you to confirm your feeling for her before coming closer. If not.." he trailed off as he turned again and walked back, stopping a few feet away from him.
"You will end up dead like she did. Promises are meant to be broken as they say, that why for your safety, think carefully before coming into our world." then he ran back to the mansion with a clouded expression. Leaving Xavier there standing again with a confused mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Annalissa was sitting at the patio of the back garden. She was far from their hearing range as she saw Alec came running back. Upon seeing her, he immediately jumped on her, much to her shock. He buried his face into her chest as he tried to suck up his tears. Annalissa held one arm against the armrest as the other smother his head, calming him down. "Lisa.. Will you sing for me?" she was shocked again to be asked that. His puppy eyes and pout was sad but she knew she was the cause so she slowly nodded.
She stood up with Alec walking behind her slightly, his head hanging low. As she passed the kitchen, Milliana informed them that Elise and Sheila went home after dinner and Xavier could stay the night. Other than that, they didn't bother her. Kevin was placed under supervision as they will continue the interrogation tomorrow. She went to the music room next to the kitchen where some of the members play their music. Annalissa sat on the seat in front of the grand piano as they she was accompanied by some guys who knew the song she would play.
nagarete yuku hitogomi no naka
ushiro sugata zutto mite ita
unmei no itazura de deaeta kiseki o dakishimete
kizutsuite mo ii setsunakute mo ii
ima dake shinjite
Through the flood of crowded people
I keep looking at his silhouette
It was possible to play around with fate, to embrace you closely would be a miracle
It may be painful, it might hurt
Now we can only believe
mogaite egaite yuku koi monogatari
mienai asu tsuzuri nagara
kodoku ni tatazumu toki soba ni itai no
mayowanai youni
Though struggles are depicted in this love story,
And tomorrow spells out invisibly
I won't hesitate to be with you,
I won't be lonely anymore
Xavier entered the room where he heard someone singing. He saw Annalissa singing at the centre of the room. MIlliana, Alejandro, Henry and Maria were at the side of the doorway as the guys in the room were humming with the song.
He leaned against the doorway as he looked at her singing. It was the first time he heard her sing. He felt himself relax slightly as he looked at her.
mimi ni nokoru anata no koe o
mabuta tojite omoidashiteru
modokashisa ni tsukarete dare ka o kizutsukeru no naraba
yasashii egao mo mune utsu kotoba mo
wasuretai keredo
Your voice remains in my ear
I remember your shape in my closed eyelids
I'm tired of feeling the pain you gave
Your smile and gentle words echo in my heart
I want to forget this
mogaite egaite yuku koi monogatari
hajimarazu ni owaru no nara
kokoro ni kagi o kakeru
kanawanu koi ga mezamenai youni
Through the flood of crowded people
I keep looking at his silhouette
It was possible to play around with fate, to embrace you closely would be a miracle
It may be painful, it might hurt
Now we can only believe
omoi o tsutaeraretara
hoka ni wa nani mo iranai
kodomo mitai ni sunao ni naku watashi o
anata no te de mezamesasete
Once you reveal your feelings
I won't need anything else
Honestly, I cried like a child
While wide awake in your hands
mogaite egaite yuku koi monogatari
mou ichido koe o kikitai
todokanu hodo ni tooku hanarete ite mo
mayowanai youni
Though struggles are depicted in this love story,
And tomorrow spells out invisibly
I won't hesitate to be with you,
I won't be lonely anymore
Was he in love with her? He thought as he stared at her soft expression as she sang. He felt his heart beating faster as he continued to listen.
mienai asu tsuzuri nagara
kodoku ni tatazumu toki soba ni itai no
futari itsuka sugao no mama deaeta nara
tsuyoku dakishimete
And tomorrow spells out invisibly
I won't hesitate to be with you,
If someday the two of us, could honestly be together happily
I'll hold onto you tightly.
(Italic Annalissa singing Bold Italic translation)
Xavier stood watching her sing. It was nice but for some reason he felt there was something deeper in her emotion when she sang. He shrugged them went back home, saying goodbye to the others first.
For now, he has some thinking to do..
~~~~~~~~~~~~
March
It's been two months since he spoke about that again. They had frequent encounter due to their siblings but he never took it further again, tension was always thick between them with Annalissa's breakdown and Alec's question keep popping into Xavier's mind when he sees her. Alec of course was aggrivated by his behavior. He knew that something was bothering his sister too, ever since they finished the interrogation with Kevin, she gone full on defense mode. She was planning something with Alejandro and Henry while Milliana and Maria decided to stay for the year.
Until one day she told him she had to leave on bisiness, asking if he want to come. That was shocking to say the least, but he solemnly agreed anyway. So they took a leave of absence for emergencies as they packed. Alec wondered if it has something to do with Zachary.
"Lisa?" He called out as they packed their belongings to the car. Logan, Mitchell, Jason, Jane, Henry and them were selected to go. Annalissa looked at him with her usual blank face. "Where are we going?"
She was silent. She knew he was curious and worried about this, and somehow she had a gut feeling he was worried about her friendship? with Xavier. But that didn't matter now, they had more pressing matters to do. Since Kevin's interrogation, they had been planning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kevin was cuffed to the chair of a new room somewhere in the mansion as Annalissa was face to face with him. The two was the only one in the room as Alejandro and Henry heard through the microchip they planted for insurance.
"Why are you here alone? Or is there a chip here?" Kevin asked, eying Annalissa suspiciously. Annalissa had her usual blank look. It was around evening the next day after school, Alec had luckily stayed with Sheila and Xavier for an overnight stay. Xavier that time seemed to avoid her eyes for some reason but she didn't care then so she let it off. She stood in front of Kevin as she spoke.
"I have some questions, and I'm sure someone would've planted a chip somewhere here with or without my knowledge anyway. Will you answer my questions?"
"How about a give and take? I ask and you answer. Then your turn. There's no harm right?" Kevin suggested, hoping for some information as well.
"...Very well. Then you first." Annalissa nodded.
"Were you really the one who killed my brother?" she frowned but nodded nonetheless.
"Where is the Cross Heart gang located." it was more of a statement than a question but Kevin answered.
"Why are you interested? They're located in the U.S. from what I last heard." Annalissa eyes flicked something but then it vanished before he could figure out what.
"I have to confirm something. Did they say what their leader look like?" she asked.
"No. I told you, they're as secretive as your gang. Though the only leak in that he's in his 20s. How are you the leader of this gang anyway? Aren't you suppose to be.. what? 17?" he frowned, looking at Annalissa pointedly.
"16, That's none of your business. Where's your previous employer? "
"What? That 'Zachary' guy right? No clue. But I think he's planning something big with that look in his eyes. Did you do something to piss him off?"
"....That's personal. You have any idea What's He's planning? "
"Stop dodging my questions woman! And no to your question. And will you let me go later or kill me?" he huff in annoyance.
"It's up to you. If you betray this information about me, we'll hunt you down. Did you know my parents personally? " Kevin's eyes snapped yo her mismatched ones as he narrowed his eyes. She still had a blank look on her face.
"..Marian and Jack right? Yeah, they killed our parents as a job. But I don't care about those suck up assholes. They could die for all I care. But Kennedy seemed to hold a grudge with the rivalry they had. I heard rumors about you too. Not as a boss but as their kid. Were they true?"
"depends. I've got numerous of them. Which?" Annalissa asked as she walked back and leaned against the wall beside him.
"That's your a genius as well as your brother? That you're hunted by the Cross Heart former lady boss? That you got a multiple personality? Tell me the last one is wrong. If it's true then kill me right here."
"Yes. My brother and I are a prodigy in academics and certain elements. For the second, I suppose so, I never met my mother's side anyway. And no, I don't need a personality to do that for me anyway. So you won't be killed for now." she said with a raised eyebrow at the last one. "that's all I need for now. If I let go of your cuff, will you run?"
He blinked at her question."No.. I'm sure you confiscated my guns and knife when you knocked me out yesterday. And I'd like to return to my family alive if I may choose."
"Very well. In exchange, will you be our informant for now?"
He paused for a moment before nodded. It wasn't a bad deal. "Then could you at least look after my wife and kid? They would be targeted soon if I keep being your informant. "
"instead of yourself, you choose your wife and child?" Annalissa asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. They're everything to me. Aren't your brother the same to you?" a small hum of agreement was heard. Then she uncuffed him and walked away. Kevin rubbed his now freed wrist as he called out Annalissa's name, making said girl turned towards him.
"A warning for that boy from yesterday. Tell him to be careful in his fights." his words made her turned to him with a frown.
"I heard that lately a gang is after some of the best fighters there. Never be too careful as they say." After getting an acknowledged nod, she left without looking back.
A moment of silence passed before Kevin shouted. "Hey! Can someone bring me some food? I haven't eat since this morning. "
Alejandro and Henry sweat dropped at this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
They took a plane to the U.S. as they seated on the plane. Logan and Mitchell was bickering over nothing as usual, the twins were watching the back seat TVs that was showing a cartoon of a cat chasing a mouse. Henry was sleeping with his head leaning back, Annalissa was reading 'Hunger Games ' as Alec used her arm as a pillow as he slept.
It took 20 hours to reached the States. Most of them slept through half the ride though. When they reached, they took their luggage and check into a hotel. Logan and Jason was sharing a room, Jane with Mitchell, Henry was alone while the two siblings were sharing one.
So two doubles, two singles were booked for almost 2 weeks. They decided to settle for the night since being in the plane took a toll on them, though they didn't do anything.
Not soon later, almost everyone was asleep except one. And that particular person was standing on the balcony of her room. In her hand was a picture frame of a woman in her 20s with two guys beside her, all smiling gleefully at the camera.
"I wonder what will he do when we meet?" she looked from the sky to the picture in her hand, using her fingers to trace the ones inside it, her finger stopped on the woman in the middle.
"Right, Mother, Father?"
——————————
Author Note:
I'm still on hiatus but I decided to at least complete this chapter first, so be thankful!
....
Nah. Don't! Anyway I wonder who's the leader of the Cross Heart gang?
Xavier: why the sudden interest now?
Says the guy who still couldn't figure out his feelings for two months.
Alec: She's right you know?
Sheila: Big brother.. when can we see Big sister?
Xavier: (sweating heavily at her eyes) Uhh..
While he's distracted, let's begin the credits! Again!
Sheila: Vote...
Alec: Comments, since no one did..
Xavier: huh?
Sheila & Alec: you idiot!
Sigh. Fan please!
Xavier: *I wonder where's Annalissa is? *
Meanwhile..
Annalissa: (achoo)
Henry: lil' boss?
Annalissa: it's nothing.. let's get back to planning.. *someone must be talking about me..
BYE BYE!!!