The Twelve Zenati Pt. 25

"Shit am I wearing that red nose again?" Genesis joked rather than bristling like he usually would at Marcella's caustic remarks. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smirked, making her narrow her eyes at him before turning back to Olivia.

"Do you have like a suite or is it like a normal hotel room?" Olivia asked.

"I had a standard hotel room, but then this guy showed up, and you know he wasn't going to slum it with the plebs. Long story short we moved to a better suite because he nags worse than Mama used to and I couldn't listen to it anymore," Marcella explained dramatically finally being rewarded with a soft smile from Olivia.

"Must have been bad then," she gave a glance to Noah who seemed unconcerned about the accusation.

"Actually," Noah said casually. "The concierge gave us an upgrade when he found out we were newly engaged and Marcella might have insisted that we didn't have separate rooms after that."

"You got what?" Genesis immediately looked at Marcella's hand. "Congratulations man! I didn't see that coming, at all."

"She didn't want a black diamond so I will incorporate it into the wedding band somehow, that little shop up near Zio's Trattoria you know the one," he clicked his fingers trying to remember the name. "Boyce," he proclaimed suddenly. "they had some very nice black diamonds if you are planning on sealing the deal with the lovely Olivia before Halloween."

"We thought it would be better to wait until all of this crap with the Suebi and AFP is sorted out," Genesis said but took Olivia's hand in his. "I want to do it right and give her a story to tell our children about how romantic their Papa was when he proposed."

"Good for you, Olivia. Make him work for it, instead of just letting him command you to wear his ring like this one tried to do," Marcella rolled her eyes, indicating Noah.

"I don't think I want to go through that again. I'd be looking over my shoulder every step up the aisle," Olivia said. "I'm happy with things the way they are. We don't have to do that do we?" she asked Genesis unusually brave with her question in the moment.

"Not right away but eventually," Genesis said, gently squeezing her hand. "But we can do it our way, no aisles or churches or anything like that. Just you, me and the captain of a ship out on the sea somewhere if you want," he offered remembering their conversation earlier that morning.

"The wedding couldn't be further from my mind," Marcella added, seeing the look of fear in Olivia's eyes. "Engagement isn't like getting married. It's no big deal, and I get the feeling if you want to go to the Zenati family gathering with everyone else you might have to be wearing a ring," Marcella said. "If you change your mind, you just give the ring back, but the gathering will be the safest place for you when everyone goes out to their property," She explained pragmatically." Besides, we don't want another whiney Zenati man complaining that you stopped him from going and having fun playing with the other boys."

"How do you know that?" Olivia asked.

"Because I made a dumb deal with this one and going to the Halloween festival and gathering is my part of the deal after we find and destroy Hermione's. Speaking of which can you drive a bulldozer or should we get a crane with one of those swinging balls to demolish it?" Marcella enquired with a perfectly straight face.

"I could probably find someone who would blow it up for you," Noah offered.

"We need to keep it whole until the AFP go through it for all the proof they need, but after that, we could burn it down and roast marshmallows over the coals if you like," Genesis chuckled.

"Would it be hard to learn how to drive a bulldozer or the wrecking ball thing?" Olivia asked Marcella, shocking her with the question. No, it wasn't just the question Marcella acknowledged. There was something different about Olivia and the amount of attention she was giving her today.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Marcella asked quietly, then leaned forward and looked her sister in the eyes. "Something is wrong, tell me," she urged. "Has he done something?" she turned to face Genesis with a scowl. "What did you do to her this time?"

Olivia felt Genesis stiffen beside her and take a breath as if to calm himself. She had seen him do it many times when she frustrated him as he tried to get her to stop hiding from him and everyone else who loved her. Now it was her turn to help Marcella; she just had to be brave enough to take the first step.

"Marcie, do you think we could talk. Maybe if you showed me the suite, we could talk properly," Marcella's eyes widened as she turned from scowling at Genesis back to her sister.

"Okay," Marcella said, suddenly unsure of herself. "And them?" she tilted her head to the side to indicate Armando, Genesis and Noah.

"Do you think we've been seen enough?" she asked Genesis who was also staring at her as if shocked by her request.

"Probably but you haven't eaten anything yet," he said, looking at the food that remained on the table after the rest of them had taken most of it as they spoke.

"I'm not that hungry," she said quietly and lowered her eyes. "I just want to talk to Marcella, by ourselves if possible. I will eat lunch after. I can't eat right now."

"What about if we get some of this sent to the room, would that be okay?" Armando offered intervening in what could become a stand-off and just as curious as Marcella was about the changes he could see in Olivia.

"Sure, that works," Marcella said, getting to her feet before anyone else could voice an opinion. "Let's go, it's probably not as big or as posh as you think it's going to be," he gave a soft laugh and gathered Olivia to her by hooking their elbows leaving the men to trail behind them.

Marcella didn't try to make conversation on their walk, and Olivia seemed to be deep in her own thoughts following her sisters lead almost automatically. Once inside the room Marcella lead her to a small balcony where a table and two chairs sat.

"If we talk quietly no one should be able to hear us here including them," she indicated over her shoulder to where Noah and Genesis stood watching them. "Do you want a drink or anything before I shut the door on them?" It was a glass sliding door that they would be able to see the brothers and vice versa without being overheard. Olivia shook her head and took a seat. Marcella closed the door and pulled the other chair closer before taking her seat with her sister.

"I don't know where to start," Olivia said.

"At the beginning is always a good place," Marcella encouraged.

"Okay well, once upon a time, when I was a very little girl, I believed you were just like Ella, the pretend Princess, from the stories you used to tell us when we were hiding from Papa, and Mama was crying. You were brave and never cried like Jessa and me. Then you started getting hurt, and you left us alone, and Jessa got sent away that time, and it was just me, and I was quiet as a mouse and had to hide by myself," Olivia began.

"I'm so sorry," Marcella said quietly.

"Then Jessa came back, and she was different, she was still meek and mild, but it was if the light had gone out of her eyes and she flinched if you touched her and she wasn't expecting it. I couldn't just hug her when I was scared anymore, and I didn't understand. Then when you got sent away the first time, Jessa wouldn't let me hide. She said I needed to grow up and start learning how to be a good woman," Olivia sighed. "I hated you for leaving me alone with her and Mama, who couldn't or wouldn't hide me from Papa's temper."

"I didn't choose to go away. I wouldn't have left you if I could help it," Marcella whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Then you got sent back early, and Papa got in trouble, and he left us alone for a while, but he always watched you and Zio came all the time, and he watched you too. Jessa said it was because you were not a good woman and that you had to learn to be one, and that was why they were always hurting you. I didn't understand, and I tried to ask Mama, but she told me just to stay quiet, and out of the way, so I didn't make Papa mad at me," she continued seemingly unable to stop now that she had started. "He didn't get angry at me. He paid attention to me and took me sailing and treated me like a princess because I had been good and stayed quiet and out of the way. Just like Mama said. But you just wouldn't be quiet like the rest of us, and he got so angry at you all the time, and I let Jessa convince me that you deserved it even though she cringed at all your hurts and bruises and cried a lot when you got hurt real bad just before you got sent away again.

Then when you came back, you didn't come home to stay, and you said you would still look after me. I didn't need looking after then because Papa loved me and taught me to sail and did things with me. Papa got in a lot of trouble because of you, but he still bought me my boat because I was a good girl and didn't make a fuss or get in anyone's way. It didn't seem to matter what I did at school and with my friends as long as I came come before him and didn't disturb him in any way. I was super angry when we had to see the councillors because of you. I finally had more freedom to see my friends, and you took it away by forcing us to see doctors and getting Papa in trouble again.

Then you helped Jessa move away until and it was just me again, so you tried to get me to go away. You never told us anything about what had happened to you. I didn't understand, maybe things would have been different if I knew, but I didn't know. I told the councillor everything, how you were a bad woman and made Papa mad. How you left me all the time because you made Papa and Zio hurt you. I hated you then, and I took the money you gave me and took off with Kevin because Papa wouldn't let me date, or even go out with my friends anymore because of you which is why I had to sneak around. If you hadn't been so bad, he would have trusted me, or so I thought."

"I couldn't tell you. Apollo was the only one who knew and Jessa's husband, who was part of the investigating team. He's a lot older than her remember and did some sort of deal with Papa for her hand in marriage. It was all covered up in the end, and I knew I had to get you away before he did the same thing to you," Marcella said with a broken voice. She was barely holding back the tears that stung behind her eyes.

"I know that now. The truth always comes out, and I know exactly what Papa and Zio did to you and what you went through with the Battaglia who sent you back as soon as they realised you shouldn't have been there. I know you weren't sent home in disgrace like Papa said. But I am not sure you know the truth of it, and I wanted to give you the final piece of the puzzle if you don't already have it," Olivia said. "Did you know that you, me and Jessa had huge trust funds left to us by Nonna?"

"What?" Marcella frowned. "How do you know that? There was no inheritance when she died. Papa didn't get anything from her."

"It's true you can look it up, Izzy showed me the documents, her will and some other things," Olivia said.

"Who is Izzy?" Marcella rubbed her head, confused now.

"Isidore Gambaro came to see me. Oscar said he spoke to you on the phone, and they would return in a week or two to see you in person to apologise for the monumental fuck up that was our lives, yours in particular. They are his words, not mine," she clarified. "It was always about the money, Jessa was meant to stay at home and look after the house once Mama got too old, Papa made sure the Battaglia broke her in combination with his abuse once she got back and he sent you away. You though wouldn't be broken and when you came home the second time but lived with Zia and Jessa went to get married, he started sending me out on the boat alone, even though Kevin came with me most of the time. I was supposed to die at sea, and you would have been another sad case of teen suicide because no matter how hard he and Zio tried they couldn't break you," Olivia took a deep breath and sat back in her chair having let everything that was rolling around in her brain come together into a semi-coherent story.

"You got all of that from Isidore?" Marcella asked, not fighting her tears anymore, she let them fall freely down her cheeks. Having her life laid out like that was just too much to bear even for her toughened heart.

"No, just the last part about the money and a little of the information about Jessa marriage," Olivia said. "There rest has come in dribs and drabs. You know that Noah and his family only looked into our past because you ran away from the hospital. They didn't know how scared you would be of being hurt and weak, especially when the Battaglia came to collect Apollo."

"But you knew, and you tried to tell them?" Marcella asked.

"I knew they couldn't make you come back. I keep telling them that not even Noah can make you come back, but I was thinking maybe Vivienne and I can because we need you. The pretend Princess always helps everyone else instead of herself, but I think you can do both, want to hear about it?" Olivia asked, her tone lightening.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister who hasn't said boo to a goose for months now?" Marcella gave a choked laughed and ended up coughing, making Noah realise she was crying and head towards the door. She saw him coming and held up her hand in a stop motion pleased when he halted in his tracks. Then she gave him a thumbs-up sign to let him know everything was okay. He reluctantly went back to the couch where Genesis and Armando watched them as well. "Bloody men," she cursed.

"That's why I have my back to them. Genesis wouldn't have backed off, not because he doesn't respect me but because he loves me and wants to look after me and I need that in my life again. Nothing good happened when the Pretend Princess wasn't there to watch over me and keep me safe, which is why I hated her and you so much in the end. I can see how cruel that was to you, it wasn't your fault, but you didn't know that. I always felt guilty about how cruel I was, but now, well I feel so bad it's taken me three months even to try to talk to you about it, instead of hiding everything like we always have," Olivia admitted. "But you see, Genesis has shown me that the past is just that, there is nothing we can do about what has happened except clean up the mess as best we can and move on. I love him, Marcella. He has been working so hard to give me back me, but I don't like that spoilt girl who didn't know what was really going on around her so I have to decide who I want to be and well, I think I know, but I need your help."

"Seriously? You... want my help? Shit, what am I doing? Yes! What do you need help with?" Marcella asked wanting to make amends for abandoning her sister and almost getting her killed by sending her away. The fact that her father might have killed her if she had stayed was too much for her even to think about right now."

"I have something for you. I was going to make it a belated birthday present, but then you left again," Olivia sighed. "I'm not sure if you will come back given that none of us has given you any reason to trust us," Olivia said. "So, I wanted to give it to you today. It's not much but..." she fished her notebook of doodles from her bag and passed it to Marcella.

Marcella began to cry again as she thumbed through the book, slowly seeing pencil drawings of all the fairy tale characters she had created when they were kids. I had a proper sketchbook on my boat, and I drew every night instead of reading because you know, no TV or anything. It's obviously not there anymore if you and Remington didn't find it, so I started a new one. Even when I hated you, I loved the Pretend Princess and wished on so many stars that she would come and save me again. Now here you are doing just that. Vivienne thinks that if I wrote down your stories, I could make them into children's books and therapists and parents might be able to use them for other children, and I thought maybe if you helped me, I could try. I'm not a doctor or lawyer like either of you, but I would like to do something other than bartending or waitressing once all of this crap is over," Olivia sighed. "If its ever over."

"It will be over I am making sure of that. I somehow doubt Genesis would let you be a bartender or waitress," Marcella waved away her words.

"He said I could if that was what I wanted to do, but he also said he would help me run a bar or restaurant or combination of both if I wanted to do that instead," Olivia said. "He's not the overbearing, control freak you think he is, except maybe in the bedroom," she grinned. "I love him, Marcie. Please be happy for me. I don't need a ring or vows I just want him and a new life here with this family because ours sucked."

"Okay, I just need to know your happy," she said. "As for the books, we can do that online, so even if I don't come back, I can still help you make them great."

"I told them you wouldn't come back," Olivia sighed. "No one believes me, though, they all think Noah loves you enough to get you to stay."

"He doesn't love me," Marcella scoffed brushing fresh tears from her cheeks. "He's just..."

"Okay, I can't watch you cry anymore. I'm calling a time out!" Noah picked Marcella up and walked with her to the bathroom despite her protests. Closing the door and handing her tissues, he asked, "What the hell is she saying to make you cry so much. You don't cry. You are Marcella friggin' Gambaro, professional bitch and take no prisoners fighter," he pronounced. "Talk to me. I can't stand seeing you so upset."

"Noah," a small voice accompanied a tap on the door. "Armando thinks we should go so you can get organised for tonight, but I just need to say one more thing to Marcie, please?" Olivia asked.

Noah lifted Marcella's chin as if asking whether she wanted to hear anything Olivia had to say. She nodded silently and looked towards the door. Noah left her sitting on the bench and opened the door to let Olivia in before shutting it behind her and leaning against it, unwilling to leave the two women alone again.

"Marcie, don't leave again, stay and work on this with me," she pressed the book into Marcella's hands. "It won't work if we can only do it online. I need you to stay, and even though she would hate me saying it, Vivienne needs you to stay. She's like a fish out of water without you here and is talking about a trip home to see her brother already. Be Ella, be brave and stay to help the people who need to be saved." She squeezed Marcella's hand, making her final plea and left the bathroom.

Noah was stunned by what she said. She was pleading with her to stay, giving her a reason to stay. Did she think that Marcella would run despite everything he was doing to keep her here? Of course, she didn't know what he and Marcella had been doing this week together but to be so sure she would run without reason aside of him to stay here, and then giving her that reason. Hope warmed his chest. He wasn't fighting this battle on his own, and he felt lighter for that. Still stunned after Olivia had pushed her way past him to get to Genesis, he snapped out of it as Marcella pushed past him to follow her.

Rather than approach her sister, Marcella approached a wary looking Genesis who stood his ground as she stepped right up to him.

"Thank you, Gen. You gave her the truth I never could so, thank you," she said in a voice thick with emotion. Then she turned to Olivia. "I can't promise anything but thank you, for wanting to include me, but the stories are yours. I made them for you. Look after this for me, I'll pick it up when we hire that crane," she said with a sad smile and pressed the book back into Olivia's hands. "It's still my book, you're only looking after it for me, okay?"