A/N: ⬆️ The results of the votes for next story.

Like I said Marco and Elena won by A LOT. Because allowing people to only vote once is what made the difference.

Also I got a couple of messages asking me to post a sneak peek of Marco and Elena's story. If you want I can post ONLY the first chapter. But I won't be posting the second chapter until I'm done with MLMM. So let me know if you want their first chapter or if you want to wait.

¥¥¥¥

*** Victoria's POV ***

"You came?" I chuckled as Elena walked through the door with the biggest smile I've ever seen her with.

"Of course!" She beamed. "I wouldn't miss this dinner for the world. I had to be here, so dad dropped me off."

"He did?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I can't leave the house now without him questioning everything and when I do get out, he's the one who drops me off and picks me up."

"He's worried." I smiled closing the door. "And you can't blame him after everything."

"I'm not complaining." She smiled as she walked into the living-room. "Like I said, I had to be here."

Today was the day Jason was supposed to have dinner with my father. And of course, Elena didn't want to miss this chance. We haven't really seen each other since that day. Though we talk on the phone every day because her father still makes it harder for her to go anywhere without being followed.

Everything happened two weeks ago. It didn't take long for the police to get Cindy after they interrogated Dean and he gave up information about their family. He wasn't risking a lot since all he was hack into our system. It was still bad, but he wasn't going to take as long as his sister. She was the one who shot Jason.

Nobody ever mentioned Kevin after that day. All Elena and I know is that he's dead. But even I was more curious about what really happened with Kevin. Elena couldn't care less. But then again, she never really cared about all that. Her biggest problem was Cindy because of what she did.

"Where's your mom?" She asked and I pointed toward the kitchen.

"She's been in the kitchen all day and kicked me out."

"She's cooking for my brother's misery." She smiled going toward the kitchen.

I shook my head going toward my room. "You're so dramatic."

"Hi Rose." I heard Elena say in a way too happy tone.

It was pretty obvious how happy Elena was about this situation. And she's here just make it harder for Jason.

"Victoria." She called walking into my bedroom. "Where's your father? I need to ask him something."

"He's not here yet." I said before furrowing my eyebrows at her. "What do you want to ask him?"

She smirked dropping her purse on my bed before sitting down. "Some things."

I eyed her as she took off her heels with that smirk still present on her face. "Elena, please leave Jason alone."

"Why would I do that?" she asked rolling her eyes at me before taking her phone out of her purse.

"For my sake?"

She chuckled and looked up at me before waving me off. "He'll survive. This is my only chance. And you're not going to ruin it for me just because you love him."

I shook my head and opened grabbed my laptop to continue catching up with my work. I went back to work last week but I still had some things to catch up on.

While I did that, Elena closed her eyes and laid on her back with a long sigh.

The minutes and I could practically hear the wheels turn in her head. Her eyes were closed were her furrowed eyebrows told me that she wasn't relaxing at all. And she hasn't complained about my working too much or the company yet.

"I can't focus with you like this." I said looking at her as my fingers paused. "What are you thinking about?"

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me with a small frown. "Do you think Marco has a girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" I looked at her giving her a confused look. "Why?"

"He said he wants to take me to dinner." She said and a smile stretched on my lips.

"Elena, that's great!" I exclaimed placing my computer to the side. "Why are you asking me if he has a girlfriend then?"

"What if he wants wedding advices? Maybe he's proposing to someone."

I looked at her face dumbfounded. "I really don't get how you function sometimes. It has been a while since you guys really talked to each other, maybe he wants to catch up." I said and she frowned again. "What did you say?"

"What did I say? Nothing!" She groaned throwing her arms in the air before laying back on the bed. "You know how I get around him."

I chuckled shaking my head.

"Elena, what are you going to do if you can't even get a full sentence out around him?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "But for the past week, the only thing my mother had been talking about is opening another shop in Rome. She's trying to kill me. I don't know what she wants from me."

"She wants to help you."

She chuckled shaking her head. "She wants to help but she also enjoys torturing me."

"Someone has to do it." I smiled pushing her lightly. "You've known him your whole life and you're still terrified of him."

"I am NOT scared of him."

I snorted laying on my back too. "Whatever. Just go to Rome. You love Italy and you love Marco. It's a win-win situation."

"Unless my parents decide to tag along."

"I'm sure they wouldn't."

"My father would, but my mom will stop him just because she wants me to go alone." She chuckled. "But I really don't think I want to go."

"Why not?" I asked. "I don't understand you. You were just worried about him having a girlfriend. But don't you want to be with him?"

"I... I do. B-But- "

She let out a sigh not finishing her sentence.

"But what?" I asked waiting for her answer but she just kept quiet. "Elena?" I looked at her and almost laughed at the pout on her face.

"He always makes me feel like Jason's little sister." She pouted before letting out a long sigh.

I laughed loudly sitting back up and turned to face her. "I've never seen him talk to you like Jason's bratty little sister."

"I didn't say bratty." She frowned and I shrugged with a teasing smile. "And it's not him, it's just how he makes me feel." She laughed hiding her face in her hand. "I feel like a little girl, for God's sake." She sat up stretching her arms. "He'll never see me that way anyways."

I shook my head at her. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"You don't know what he thinks." I said and she scoffed sitting up.

"I always know when a man likes me. Always, Victoria. I'm not oblivious like you." She said and I narrowed my eyes at her. "And that is not his case."

"It's Marco." I stated. "Nobody ever knows what he is thinking. Even Jason told me that he has a hard time figuring him out sometimes, and that's his best friend. So, you can't just assume things."

"Jason can't figure him out sometimes because Marco is actually polite and considerate, unlike him."

I snorted at her words. "You could see Marco killing puppies and you would blame the puppies."

She laughed straitening up. "Victoria, just drop it!"

"I am not going to drop it because you never did for me." I laughed as she grabbed one of my pillows hitting me with it.

"You're annoying."

I sat up when I heard the doorbell.

"Must be your brother." I said and jumped up and quickly went toward my bedroom door.

"I'm sure you weren't that eager to open the door when it was me." I heard Elena behind.

I walked into the living room to find that my mom had already opened the door as they both made their way toward me.

"The demon will be here in a few minutes." My mother said before going back to the kitchen as I turned to smile at Jason.

He opened his arms for me and I quickly went into them.

I smiled leaning to place my lips on his. "Hi."

He breathed resting his forehead against mine. "Hi."

"Are you ready?" I asked and he looked at me before shrugging. "You're not?"

"Does it matter? It's going to happen either way." He sighed moving his hand down my back with a small smile.

"That's true."

He looked over my shoulder as I pulled away from him, and an unpleased look made its way to his face.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked as soon as he saw a grinning Elena approaching us.

"Hello dear brother." She grinned wrapping her arms around him to pull him into a tight hug.

"You shouldn't be this happy." He said hugging her back. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be happy. You're about to go through what you've been putting me through all these years." She said and pulled back to look up at him with her best smile. "I'm just going to put you through hell for an hour or two, but I want you to know that I love you no matter what."

"You're sick." He said pulling away a little.

"It runs in the family, right?"

This should be good.

****

"So, Jason, what do you do for a living?" Elena asked placing both her hands on the table.

Apparently, what she wanted was for my father to let her do the questioning. I don't know how she found the courage to ask him knowing how shy she gets around people she's not used to, but it looks the need to make Jason suffer was stronger.

So here she was, facing Jason at the dining table with a very serious face.

"You know what I do." Jason said not even sparing her a glance.

"Answer it, young man." She snapped.

He sighed looking at her with an icy stare, a stare that also held a warning. "I run a company."

And she decided to completely ignore the warning. "What kind of business?" She asked.

"Armaments."

She hummed. "And do you think it's good to make money by making killing machines?"

"Are those diamond earrings?" He asked pointing at her ears. "Must be expensive. Didn't dad buy them for you?"

She huffed glaring at him.

My parents just stayed quiet, watching the exchange silently just like I was. But unlike my father, my mom was also trying not to laugh every time Jason gritted his teeth or tightened his hold on his fork.

"I'm not the one trying to marry Victoria, and you're not helping your case." She snapped turning to Steve questioningly. "Right, Mr. Mendes?"

My dad nodded in agreement. "That's true."

Jason groaned lowly. "For God's sake."

"Are these the kind of values you're going to teach your children?" Elena pushed with a smile, clearly enjoying all of this.

"You were raised and fed thanks to those killing machines." Jason answered as his hold tightened on the knife slightly.

"You are not helping your case." She shook her head disapprovingly.

"I'll kill her." He mumbled and I coughed to keep myself from laughing.

"And why should I trust you with my precious friend?"

"You're going to cry when the time comes."

"That's in the future." She said giving him a mischievous grin. "I'm enjoying the moment right now."

As the dinner, it seemed like the only reason we were even here was to watch Elena get on Jason's last nerve. Steve hasn't said a word and just watched the two just like the rest of us.

If what he's testing is Jason's patience, then he's doing a great job, because I can practically see the vein bulging on Jason's forehead.

It was only after dinner that my father finally spoke up.

"Jason." He called causing us all to look up at him. "Let's go for a walk."

*** Third Person ***

Both men walked out of the building in silence. Neither of them had said a word since they left the apartment. They walked for a few minutes in silence before Steve spoke.

"You're Hunter's kid, so I know that threats don't work on you." Steve started glancing at him. "So, we'll just talk, okay?"

"Okay." He simply said.

"How old are you again?" Steve asked staring straight ahead.

Jason briefly glanced at him shoving his hands in his slacks' pockets. "Thirty."

Steve nodded before continuing. "Do you love my daughter?"

"I do."

"I haven't been around all these years." He said. "You have been there for the both of them those past few years. I know everything. You paid for my wife's treatment. You helped my daughter make a life for herself. The list is long, but I want to personally thank you for everything."

"I did it for myself too. I'm fine as long as Victoria is." He said briefly looking up at the dark sky. "I want to thank you too. You protected her and was there even when she didn't know it."

"She's my daughter, I don't need to be thanked for protecting her."

"She's the woman I love. I don't need to be thanked either." He smirked when a low laugh left Steve.

"Boy, you're something else." He muttered shaking his head slightly.

They kept walking in silence. Neither of them saying a word. There wasn't much that needed to be said. They both understood what was most important.

"I'll love her right." Jason finally said. "You have my word."

"Thank you."

¥¥¥¥

A/N: One more chapter and the two epilogues.