The Twelve Zenati Pt. 04

Today she would get that choice. It would be her choice if, in the end, her sister tried to force the issue and make her leave and return to her family in Perth. If she chose to stay, he would get his father and uncles involved in negotiating with the family for her care. If she chose to leave. he wasn't sure what he would do, but he would give her the power to choose if she wanted it. He knew that the choice was an important part of her healing process. He also knew that there were some things he wouldn't compromise on, but he wasn't Remington Royce and he would not abuse the power and control she had given him already.

Noah returned with a light breakfast of croissants, fresh fruit salad tubs, and small cups of yoghurt, with granola sprinkled on top. Genesis placed a cup of yoghurt and granola in front of Serena with a spoon, and watched her intently until she picked up the spoon and began to eat. He then turned his attention back to his brother and the bag that he had brought with him, absently picking up a ham and cheese croissant and biting into it.

Noah rifled through the bag and came up with an iPod and some headphones and passed them to Genesis. He had downloaded a few different playlists that Serena could choose from. It was a good idea, and would allow them greater freedom to speak about Genesis' plans for her without worrying her, particularly since Genesis stubbornly refused to leave her bedside until he was sure of her bond to him. The fact that she hadn't eaten and had fought the hospital staff every time they tried to treat her injuries before he had taken control of the situation was concerning, but so was Genesis's obsession with her.

Noah talked to his father about it and discovered there was more to this curse than he had thought. Not that he believed it per se, but he couldn't refute the evidence of it in front of him either. His father had reassured him that, once the bond between them became solid and unshakable, Genesis would revert back to his normal persona, although he would always remain overly protective of her. Noah couldn't imagine a woman ever affecting him like that. He'd been in love, or at least thought he had, but it was never obsessive like Genesis' feelings for this girl obviously were. He turned to look at Serena properly as Gideon explained to her about the headphones and how to use them.

Dressed in satin, with her hair brushed and styled, Noah could see the attraction she held for his brother. She was pretty, if not beautiful. She was petite with fine features. Her pale skin and golden hair gave her an ethereal beauty that almost made her look like the pixie Gideon called her. If he was honest, he and Genesis had always been interested in the same type of women, but he could also appreciate why his brother would go to such great lengths to be the hero and save this girl, even without a curse pushing him. It was who Genesis was, a champion for the weak and helpless. He pulled his gaze away and took a folder from his bag.

"Okay I've looked into it, but it won't stack up in court with her mental health being what it is. A child could argue it and win if you tried to get her to sign a power of attorney to you, so that you could make the decision for her. You need the sister on board. If she isn't, the only other way is to get Xavier, Dominic and Zio to go to her family and push your agenda," Noah said seriously. He took on the serious lawyer persona that he used with his clients, being careful not to use the Gambaro name, not knowing how Serena reacted to it, despite her listening to the music through the headphones now.

"Hell, most of the contracts that we use with the people who work for us wouldn't hold up in a court of law," Genesis huffed. "Thanks for looking into it for me. I guess we wait and see what the sister is like. I doubt there would be any issue talking to the leaders. She's a second or third cousin, not someone positioned close to them."

"What time's the sister due in? Do you still want me to pick her up and give her a brief rundown of Serena's condition?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, take her to brunch, or lunch if the plane is late, if she will let you," Genesis nodded. "She's on a Jetstar flight that left Perth around six, so she should be here around eleven. If she wants to come straight to the hospital, fill her in as much as you can before she gets here. Otherwise, it might become more of a scene than anyone wants."

"Okay, so everything going according to your plan. What's the next move?" Noah asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I'd like to take her home as soon as possible, but the wound is large and needs time. I think that I can make a case for moving her to the clinic at Fannie Bay, though," he said as he scratched his cheek. "It's a small facility but well equipped, and Naomi has said that she will come with us to care for Serena's injuries."

"Sounds reasonable," Noah shrugged in agreement. They continued to talk about Genesis' plans to eventually take Serena out to the station where they wouldn't be disturbed by anything except the wildlife. While they spoke, Genesis absently pulled small bits from his croissant and fed them to Serena, who surprisingly didn't resist the food, given her reaction to the last time he tried to feed her any kind of bread. Her eyes remained on him at all times, despite the music she listened to and eating her breakfast. Noah could see the bond between them strengthening, even in just twelve hours, and he smiled. He hoped that this was Genesis's curse breaker and that his brother could finally settle down and be happy rather than traipsing all over the world reporting dangerous stories, not just because the Table asked it of him now, but because he found his One.

"Good morning," Gideon boomed cheerfully, walking into the room and holding Vivienne Papillo's hand, which she seemed to be trying, and failing, to extricate from his grip. "How is our little Pixie this morning?"

"Seems you woke up on the right side of the bed," Genesis chuckled. "Hello, Vivienne, did you sleep well before this moron woke you up at some ungodly hour?"

"I did, thank you, but I was already awake when he arrived with coffee," she laughed lightly, moving toward Serena with a smile.

"Hi, Vivienne. I'm Noah, the often-ignored middle brother," he stood and held out his hand to her, allowing her to finally take her hand from Gideon's.

"Middle-child syndrome," she nodded seriously. "I feel your pain." She took his hand as he grinned at her.

"Can Serena take the headphones off so I can talk to her, please?" she asked Genesis.

"Sure, in a minute. I'm glad you're here. I wanted to run some ideas past you and get your opinion later, if that's okay?" Genesis asked in return.

"Of course, I'm here to help," she kept the smile plastered on her face as she thought about her plans to go home as well as her conversations with Gideon this morning. She hoped she could convince Genesis to let her be involved in the treatment because, without that, she had nothing to stay here for except a man she couldn't quite take seriously when he flattered her and kissed her the way he did. She wasn't one of those girls that men chased. She was a highly-respected doctor in her field of expertise amongst her own people. Here, with these people, in this family, she was nothing, and no amount of grandstanding would change that. She realised that she would have to earn their respect, not just demand it, and she hoped that a different approach might just do that-if she could stop herself from lashing out when she felt like she was being dismissed too easily.

"I take it Dom was right?" Genesis turned his question to Gideon.

"Yeah thanks for the warning on that," Gideon scowled and rubbed at his chest, remembering the pain from earlier that morning. "Once I saw the bird's broken wing for what it was, well, you know how it feels when you just want to fix it."

"You found a bird with a broken wing this morning?" Vivienne asked.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I intend to look after it and make sure that it heals perfectly," Gideon said, his eyes softening with his voice as he looked at her.

"Shit! Seriously?" Noah exploded, having finally understood what his brothers were saying. At a look from them both, he shut up and shook his head before taking a closer look at Vivienne. The two women destined to be his sisters-in-law couldn't have been more different, but the way his brothers hovered over them couldn't be more similar. "Genesis was always the one bringing home injured animals and birds when we were little. Even a few stray kids followed him home from time to time," he chuckled. "I'm just surprised that Gideon took the time to stop and help one who needed him," Noah said thoughtfully, trying to express how he felt and explain his outburst sufficiently to get past Vivienne's scrutiny of him.

"Happens to us all, I guess. Gen may be the youngest, but he's rubbed off on us since he's been back this time, being the Clark Kent-superhero reporter, out to save the world a few people at a time," Gideon chuckled. "It will be you next, off trying to save some poor bird with a broken wing."

"Not likely. I'm more inclined to call wildlife rescue," Noah chuckled, waving away their prediction. "I mean, the wildlife is fun to play with, but if I'd wanted to be a vet, I wouldn't have become a lawyer."

*****

Noah Zenati stood at the airport waiting with a small piece of cardboard displaying the name of Marcella Gambaro. He felt like a chauffeur as he stood looking awkward in his tailored grey suit amongst the dark-suited drivers who also held cards displaying names. He had a vague idea of what the woman would look like but didn't want to chance missing her in the crowd. When he saw her walk through the gates, he smiled. He needn't have worried. There was a strong family resemblance between the sisters, and she hadn't changed much from the photo he had found of her online, but he continued to hold the sign so that she would know who he was.

"Hi, I'm..." Noah started to say when she cut him off.

"Thank God they sent me a driver," she said and handed him her carry-on luggage. "I just know I would get lost or ripped off by a taxi. Lead the way and I'll follow. I don't have any other luggage to pick up," she spoke rapidly and began to walk as she indicated that he should lead on. Noah chuckled but decided not to say anything here in front of everyone and led the way out to the kerb.

"Would you like to wait here or walk with me to the car park?" he asked looking down at her high heels, sceptical that she could walk very far in those.

"Car park? Isn't there an area where drivers are able to park while they pick up their passengers?" she asked irritably, eager to get to the hospital and see the woman claiming to be her sister.

"Probably, but as I tried to say when you arrived, I'm Noah Zenati. My brother found your sister and is making sure that she has the best of everything she needs," he explained.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." Marcella placed a hand to her cheek then quickly gathered herself, thrusting the same hand out toward him. "Marcella Gambaro. I'm terribly sorry but with the name sign and the suit and..." she floundered uncharacteristically.

"What's wrong with my suit?" he asked with a chuckle and saw her blush. "Look, you wait here, and I'll go get the car. Then we can talk about what's happening with Serena."

"Serena? My sister's name is Olivia," she frowned. "I came all this way to see someone claiming to be Olivia Gambaro."

"I'll explain in the car. Wait here, I won't be long," he said reassuringly, kicking himself for mentioning her new name before he'd had a chance to explain all that had happened to her.

"Wait, I'll come with you. I'm sorry, I've given you the wrong impression. I'm not a princess, not really." She hurried after him as he slowed his stride.

"It's a fair walk." He looked meaningfully at her shoes.

"Don't worry about me, I'm so short that I have had heels permanently attached to my feet since I was a teenager," she laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Okay, if you insist," he nodded and began walking again. "How was your flight?"

"Long," she sighed. "I know the reality is only three and a half hours, but I felt every one of the five hours that the time zone difference told me it was."

"You don't enjoy flying?" Noah asked.

"Not unless I am going far, far away on vacation," she grinned.

"Have you travelled much?" he asked, finding that he wanted to know more about this woman.

"Only in my dreams but I will, one day," she said with determination.

"Have you been to Darwin before? There's a lot to see or do in the Northern Territory. Are you staying long?" he asked, continuing to make small talk as they made their way to his car.

"I haven't made any definite plans. It depends on Olivia's condition, I suppose. They didn't give much detail when I called to say I was coming," she said thoughtfully. "I haven't packed for a long stay though. I thought a few days would be enough."

"Here we are," Noah indicated the car and pressed the fob to unlock it for her as he took her case to store it in the boot.

"That wasn't far," she chided him.

"Far enough on those heels, I think," he chuckled and slid into the car beside her. "Look, there's no easy way to say this, but what happened to your sister was quite horrific by any one's standards. We think it's best you know what happened before you go to the hospital to see her," Noah said carefully as he manoeuvred out of the tight car park and onto the road back into town.

"If it is her." Marcella voiced her doubts.

"Why don't we get an early lunch, and we can talk about Olivia and what happened to her when she disappeared so completely that you believed she had died?" he suggested.

"I'd rather just go straight to the hospital," Marcella said frostily. She'd buried the little sister she had loved once. She didn't want to get her hopes up only to have to bury Olivia again, metaphorically or otherwise.

"You will want to hear what I have to say, trust me," Noah said gently, noticing how rigid her posture had become.

"Well, you have me prisoner here, so I don't see that I have much choice," she sighed.

"You aren't a prisoner. I'm just asking for a few more minutes of your time and offering to feed you. You could be at the hospital for a while, and let's face it, hospital food leaves more than a little to be desired, even if you could find something you liked." He tried to make light of the situation. He didn't like that he would have to be the one to tell her that her sister had been to hell and was trying to find her way back, with Gideon's help. "We could pick up something and take it back to the apartment that Genesis has arranged for you to use," he suggested as an alternative to a restaurant where they might be overheard if she reacted badly to the story.

"Fine, whatever gets me to the hospital quicker to see this woman," she snapped, her anxiousness coming out in bad manners for the second time since meeting this man.

Noah made a call ordering lunch to be delivered and drove in silence directly to the apartment at Nightcliff, sensing that Marcella didn't want to talk, as she stared out of her window watching the scenery. Taking her bag from the boot, he led her up two flights and into a cosy apartment with a view of the bay.

"It's beautiful," Marcella said, stepping out onto the small balcony and looking out at the sparkling water with so many small sailing boats bobbing on its surface.

"We could eat on the balcony if you like," Noah suggested, grateful that she hadn't snapped at him again when they entered the apartment.

"No, it's fine at the table. I imagine it will get quite hot out there, sitting in the direct sunlight," Marcella said and came back inside, shutting the door and turning on the air conditioning. "Do you mind if I have a quick look around while we wait for the food?"

"There's not much to see, I'm afraid. It's small but it's cosy, and as you said, you have a great view," he agreed.

"That's great, I like cosy. I'll just hang up a few of my dresses so the wrinkles drop out a bit overnight." Marcella headed into the bedroom.

With almost perfect timing, the food arrived and Noah began setting out their lunch on the table, searching the kitchen for cutlery and glasses for their drinks.

"Why don't you tell me what you know of your sister's movements and why your family thought she was dead, and I'll take over from there?" Noah encouraged as she came to join him, looking at the beautiful seafood salad he had ordered for them.

"Well, Olivia ran out of money fairly early on in her travels, and when she didn't come home we assumed they were doing some cash-in-hand work during the summer, wherever they stopped, and we lost track of her as she went further north into Papillo territory. The man who convinced her to leave with him filed a missing person report in Broome about a year or so ago, saying that she had sailed off after they argued and neither she nor the boat had been seen since. There was a cyclone close to the coast at the time, and several boats were destroyed. None of the debris that washed up could be identified distinctly as one boat or another, and Olivia was declared lost at sea," she said simply and succinctly, holding all her emotions at bay as she tried to hide the devastation that she had felt at the time.

"Except that she wasn't lost at sea, and from what little information we could gather about the man who filed the report, he left her for another woman. When that woman realised what a waste of space he was, he tried to go back to Olivia, but she was gone," Noah continued her story. "The people who knew Olivia and this man in Broome said that he drank too much, gambled and beat his girlfriend before he moved out of the boat with another woman, and Olivia left the marina."

"Oh God, it must have been a terrible situation to make her leave alone," Marcella gasped. "She left us for him. She was so in love, and I encouraged her to find her own path in the world and be happy."

"She made it as far as Darwin before the boat became too damaged to go any further, and she needed to work to get the money for repairs. She worked in a dive down on the docks, where she got a cheap berth on an old unused dock. Now the story gets a little sketchy here, and we aren't one hundred per cent sure how much is what your sister was told and how much was the truth, but she says that she witnessed the murder of a Suebi leader and was saved from being murdered herself by another Suebi leader named Remington Royce." He paused and let that information sink in while he took a bite of his salad.

"She was with the Suebi this whole time?" Marcella asked, horrified at the idea of her sister dealing with the underground criminal network that the Suebi ran.

"Now, there are several versions of events here, but I am going with the information that we got from the priest who alerted my brother, Genesis, to the fact that the young woman about to marry Remington Royce was, in fact, your sister. Olivia had apparently come under the eye of Remington some weeks before, and he had been stalking her when they both witnessed the murder of his brother. Convinced that her life was in danger because the shooters had seen her, she went willingly with Remington to his home." Noah paused to take a deep breath and have a sip of his drink.

"You look nervous. It can't get much worse, can it?" Marcella asked, her anxiety obvious in her question.

"Remington used the situation to systematically destroy every trace of her old life and give her a new one. He brainwashed her through the use of drugs, physical and mental torture and deprivation to believe she was Serena Seabrook, his perfect woman. When they became engaged, he pierced the diamond solitaire ring through her nipple," he said, not wanting to go into the rest of the damage found on Olivia's body that told of the long-term torture. "When asked about Olivia Gambaro, she claims that she died, was murdered by bad men on the docks. She talks about Olivia disparagingly and always in the past tense. She will only answer to the name Serena Seabrook at the moment."