"Episode 14 - Oh Brother my."    

Gabe quickly showered, changed into fresh clothes. The men put our clothes together into one black carry on bag. I waited outside, laid down on the bed for 5 minutes. My arm was throbbing and I took out a pain killer from the little bag Xavier got from the pharmacy. Taking one, I shoved the rest in the black bag. My arms were aching, I was only in my sports, the gashes bleeding.

I waited for the medicine to kick in, waited for the pain to subside. It was similar size to the one we had at the lodge but this was much brighter and homier. The walls were light beige with greyish brown contours. The bed sheets were made of silk. The white colour matched well with the sandy brown theme. Instead of turning of the over head light, I turned the lamps on the walls, shielded by a stained glass. I really like that decoration. It diverted away the harsh up against the wall and reflect the residual light into the room.

It gave the atmosphere a gloomier effect. I felt a headache coming on, the Adrenalin had left my body, finally and I was left with all the physical and emotional burdens. I wanted to sleep the past 24 hours away. I was exhausted and for a second there, I thought I was falling asleep when I heard a knock at the door. When I didn't answer, someone opened it and freaked.

"WOAH! I didn't mean to barge in." Xavier was about to leave when I told him to stop.

"Can you change the bandages?" I waved him in, finally getting up and opening my eyes.

"I will after you put some clothes on." He kept his eyes outside of the room.

"I am." I was wearing a full length pants sports bra. Suddenly, the door to he bathroom opened, Gabe semi revealed himself with a white towel around his waist. His 8 packs glistened making my mouth water. He definitely bulked up during the months we were at the Lodge.

"No." Xavier turned completely now. "I've seen you in dippers and let me tell you -"

"OKAY OKAY!" Embarrassed, I gave in. Putting on a tank top, I waved Xavier in again. He went straight to the little bag filled with objects from the pharmacy and took out the bandage, alcohol and ointment.

"I'm missing something aren't I?" Gabe kept looking at us with a completely amused smile on his face.

"He took me to Disney land." I shrugged, the medicine kicked in, making me light headed and happy.

"While I was kidnapped?" He was holding on to his towel. I wanted it to drop but Xavier sat next to me, taking me arm before he started unwrapping my bandages. He was clearly a buzz kill. I pouted, snootily.

"We went when she was 6. Our moms took us. You cried when we departed because you wouldn't go without Santiago. Your mum had to literally carry you away to the plane while you cried, trying to reach for him. Then I bribed you with chocolate. You were fine after that." He gave a nostalgic laugh. Dropping the tainted bandages, he used the cotton to absorb some antiseptic alcohol. "This will hurt."

He gently dabbed the cotton on my stitches, trying to remove the dried blood.

"Are you okay? Do you not feel that?" Xavier frowned.

"She's high as a kite." Gabe shook his, turned to shut the door.

"He has ass." I smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"No. NO. NOO!" Xavier acted like he was scarred for life. "Come on." I felt like I was flying, my head lolled to the side. The bag was on the bed. Xavier spotted the open pocket. "She only had ONE." Xavier held up the full bottle.

"She doesn't drink or smoke or anything. She has a low tolerance for anything that that affects the mind. Also she probably hasn't eat much." Gabe chuckled and finally closed the door.

Shaking his head, Xavier carried on tending to my wounds. "Tell me more about me." I was in a happy place and i doubted I'd even remember anything but I wanted to know more for sure.

"The tiny you?" Every time he spoke about the younger version of me, there was always nostalgic smile on his face.

"Yes." I nodded, moving back and forth slow but excessively that I nearly toppled over. Xavier had to hold me upright.

"You kind of like this. All cute and loveable and not dead in the eyes who threatens to sell kids." He sounded serious by the end.

"You'd want me in your corner if something happens to your family. I'll get them back, one way or another."It felt like I was singing along.

"That's true." He sighed and wrapped the wounds with bandages after applying the ointment. "You were always polite no matter how much your dad and your brother spoiled you."

"Santiago?" I asked, eyes closed.

"Yes. He was your cousin. Your dad's older brother's son but he was more like your brother than cousin. He was a lot older than you. Older than us.-"

"You're old." I feigned offend. He was talking smack about my brother. I wanted to fight him. Then a goofy feeling hit me in the head. More like a gentle chastising tap. Maybe it was Xavier. I tried to open my eyes but they were glued shut.

"What I meant was that when you were born, he was quite older so he looked at you more like a daughter than a little sister to annoy. If something were to ever happen to your father, he was to take care of you."

"He sounds lovely." He swayed.

"He was." Xavier switched sides, repeated his actions of taking off the bandage and cleaning up the blood. "You were too. You weren't annoying. Like you didn't cry very. Just stayed happy in your own little world. You were kind to people. Always had a smile on your face. Unlike the grumpy cat you are now."

I hugged.

"So, how come we were close?" I wondered out loud.

"When my family would visit yours, I ended up babysitting you when Santiago wasn't there. Even if Santiago was there, you'd be attached to his leg." The image of me holding onto Santiago leg flashed before my eyes. It was the day of my birthday. "So, I guess you like a cousin who I had to see and baby sit for like 6 or 7 times a year." He chucked.

"Thank you." I don't know what I was thanking him for. For the past or the present.

"It's okay. It's what families are supposed to do. I didn't have cousins so it was nice to have all of you." He finally finished as Gabe waltzed out of the bathroom, fully clothes, combed and shaven. My eyes widened, he looked delicious.

"Don't embarrass me." I frowned at Xavier.

"Oh please! I'll buy you cotton candy." He waved it off, standing up.

"I'm not a baby any more." I grumbled pulling on a fresh full sleeved t-shirt.

"She still likes cotton candy." Gabe, the traitor. I pouted, keeping the frown on my face.

Both of them chuckled as I fell backwards on the bed.

"We should get going. We'll get something to eat on the way." Xavier told Gabe. The conversation sounded as if they were far away, which I knew they were not.

"I heard everything you told Ele- I mean Lucia. Thank you again for saving her. I know it must not have been easy considering you have a family." Gabe sounded slightly weak.

"She's also my family. Her whole family I mean. It was devastating to lose them. I know it must be hard for you to believe that I won't betray you guys since what Nathan Ross did to you but you need to understand that I held her as a baby. Her parents were my uncle and aunty and her cousin Luca was my best friend. So, I could never hurt her. She's family. I just regret not killing the Capone brothers sooner."

A heavy silence settled into the room. It felt like I was dreaming.

"I used to think you and Luca were a bit snobby. I lifted up my arm towards the ceiling, brought my thumb and first finger really close to each other. "Only a little bit." Something else come to my mind. "Actually it was Diago who taught me that word. Then Santiago told him off when I called you that." I thought I heard myself giggle but I never giggled. Whatever shit I was on, I liked.

"Yeah, he was a butt head." Xavier grumbled. I heard Gabe chuckle above me, his arms slid behind my neck and knees. Suddenly, I was floating. My head lolled against his shoulder, loving the feel of him. My arms went around his neck.

"Yes, he broke my princess house once." I blurted out, unconsciously.

"Then Luca his monster truck." He picked up the black back and we started to move out of the room and into the low lit corridor.

"Yes, I remember. We were in Mexico, at my Tio's house. You picked me up trying me make me stop crying while Luca broke his truck by the pool." I didn't know why I was suddenly remembering so much. It felt like a door had opened and all these memories just kept pouring out.

"You're remembering." Gabe whispered, proudly.

"Yes, then your Tia came, I thought she was going to kill Diago." We were walking down the stairs all of a sudden, nonsense chatter quietened as we walked through the house and into a car. Again. One of them helped me put on a coat and within seconds, I was leaning against the car door, using it as a pillow.

"I wish I could remember them all." Sadness and cold surrounded me when I finally fell asleep.

The smell of food woke me from my deep slumber. The bed I was on was moving. No, I was sitting down, with my head on something soft. All I could hear was the multiple people chew non stop. Hungry, I extended one arm out towards the person sitting next to me, trying to find food. Gabe gave a throaty snort when I finally found the an open paper bag. Dunking my hand into it, I picked out some fries and put them in my mouth.

"She sleep eats?" Xavier gave a mumble laugh, causing Gabe and Leo to join in.

"That's a talent." Gabe mumbled with a mouth full. Reaching out, I smacked him in the chest. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly opened them. "I told you I won't need to wake her up. The food will." I grumbled. Gabe reached out, setting a closed paper bag on my lap with a burger logo on it.

I found my head on a on a folded scarf. Mumbling a quick thank you for the scarf, I attacked my fries and burger. The sky was still dark outside when I opened my eyes.

"Did you get a drink for me?"

"Here." Leo passed a bottle of coca cola and I guzzled it down it was water before tackling the burger and fries.

"How did I get in the car?" I wondered. The headlights from the car revealed that we were travelling through a forest.

"I carried you." The men were laughing under their breaths.

"You are funny when you're high. All giggly and cute." Gabe carried on.

"I don't giggle. I'm dead inside." I bit into the big juicy burger.

"You definitely giggled." Xavier back Gabe up without blinking an eye.

"What are you two best friends now?" I grumbled.

"You're right. This Lucia is not fun." Xavier chimed in, pulling out spicy chicken wings from a bag.

"Nobody asked you Xavier." I eyes his food. "Wait, how come I don't have that. Give me that." I reached out, trying to get one from his bag.

The whole car erupted into laughter. Xavier shared his bag of chicken wings with me and I suddenly remembered what I did when I was high. I couldn't believe I lost it with just one pill. Rolling my eyes, I had to swallow the fact that I had giggled like a school girl.

Groaning, I carried on eating as I watched the roads pass by. The car smelled of food and it took me a while to realise that it was the first proper meal I had after being tied down to the chair. A small part of me was going to miss that lodge. Gabe and I built some good memories there and I hated the fact that the pictures we took, were going to be left behind.

I started to hate leaving things behind. The pictures we took when we went out to china town back in New York, the intimate pictures we took of each other and the sweet memories we made in Mountisle. Deflating, I leaned my head again Gabe. After we all finished eating, we ended up washing our hands on the side of the road. That's when I noticed the cars behind and in front of us.

"Where are we now?" I asked after a minutes of hours of driving.

"We are going to Idaho. We'll stay at a hotel or something there. We can't stay in this state any longer knowing Jude is on his way. Also, being in a plane would be too easy to target. Being on the road is the safest." Leo explained from the front seat.

Accepting his answer, I curled up against Gabe. He was wiped out after he got some food in his stomach.

When I was stroking his hair away from his hair, Xavier turned his phone on, started texted his wife. She must have been scared out of her mind. The little light caught my eyes. There was a picture of his wife and his child on his screen that looked like Anna had just sent him. Gabe was fast asleep, Leo's head was cocked too.

"Thank you." I whispered to Xavier.

"You're welcome." He smiled at me before typing something on his phone. My eyes became heavy once again but I wanted to sleep. Properly, on a bed, with Gabe lying next to me. My head had already blocked most of it out already. It was great at doing that. Snuggling closer to him, I bent my knees, put my feet up on the seat to get comfortable.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, Xavier held up his phone in front of my face. It was an image of a younger version of him with a kid on his arms. She was wearing a mousy ears with mickey and minnie on either side of them. It was me.

My heart sank. It was a picture of me and him.

My eyes met Xaviers'. His eyes were smiling. "Told you." I couldn't stop looking at the picture. I looked happy. Arms thrown around his neck, both so happy, young and carefree. I had long thick black hair, a frilly white dress with red flowers on it. I didn't exactly remember taking that picture but I remembered seeing the two characters.

"There are more. Anna will get them. Don't worry okay. Just relax Get some sleep." He put the phone away and the light was gone.

"They are in Chicago already?" I wondered.

"The minute we found you, I made some calls and got them the hell out of here with Dylan. You remember, the guy who was with me? I sent him and a couple of others with them. I used the private Jet. So they are gone and safe." He sounded pleased.

"That's good. I'm glad that they are safe." I honestly was. Her life was turned upside down because of and I knew, that she wasn't complaining. That was just her character. She was kind and I just had to accept that. "Please apologise to her from me. I didn't mean to disrupt her life like this."

"Trust me, she's worried about you. She gets it." His voice was getting lower, heavier.

"She's a kind person. She doesn't belong in this world." He knew I meant Mafia world. Not the literal.

"Hmm. That's why I left." He sighed.

"I'm sorry I'm forcing you to go back." My eyes closed, voice lowered.

"No, I needed to come back. It's time."

The hotel was nice enough. I couldn't help but laugh when Xavier made Vincent find a hotel when he drove into a motel's drive way. I wouldn't say that the first was rat infested but it wasn't the best either. It was a motel for all it's intents and purposes. I made a comment about being a snob, making him laugh too.

Gabe was feeling better. But we weren't to move anywhere until nightfall so we all could rest and reboot. Then, we'd drive all way until the next night no matter where we'd end up. Gabe and I were in our own room. When Gabe pulled out the bag of money we stashed under the floor boards from the back of the SUV, I was shocked to say the least.

"How?" I had asked.

"We got it when we were leaving. You were fast asleep." He shook his head. Xavier quickly sent one of Nahele's team member to get food. I was sure he was going to bring a truck load and I couldn't wait. I wanted to get something on my belly and have a sound mind and speak to Gabe without being surrounded by everyone. Finally.