[fanfic] WEMW - The Ballerina's Roses
Title: When East Meets West
Part: One Shot - "The Ballerina's Roses"
Characters: OCPhilippines & Everyone
Pairings: OCPhilippines x Ballet
Warnings: OLDER TEEN - Highly Alternate Universe, Non-Countries, OC Warning, Drama, Angst, Romance, Violence, Some Implied Adult Themes, Unbetated Mind Dribble...in fact, nothing about this is Hetalia except the characters, and even they're completely displaced. I'm sorry. EXTREMELY RUSHED.
Summary: Just when things start going right, something goes terribly wrong. Angered organization members murdered her mother, ruining a treaty between two powerful groups. A hit and run shatters her dreams of becoming a world-class ballerina. And her sister's engagement stops a romance before it even has a chance.
Preview:
"Andy, move!" He heard Maria's voice.
He felt a heavy shove and he was knocked away; his breath pushed out of his lungs by force. The screech of tires. The smell of rubber.
His eyes went wide as for a moment, the world had stopped.
The dark car was speeding away, ignorant of their cracked windshield as a body lay in the hard, dark asphalt, unmoving. His eyes watered, his heart stopped.
A pained scream echoed through the dark street. "SISTER!"
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When East Meets West
.The Ballerina's Roses.
By DamageCtrl
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own anything other than the plot. Even then, it's not that creative.
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Her obituary read in very simple words - Chinese-American model Isabel "Jin Qiu" Wang passed away on July 28th. Services at Forest Lawn Memorial Garden, Sunday at noon. Isabel leaves behind a husband and an infant daughter.
The details of her death, however, nearly filled up the entire front page of the city's newspaper. After all, it wasn't every day that a high profile woman died in a violent, organized crime-related incident. The main pieces were reported: caught in a cross-fire, shot multiple times, and so froth. However, some details, especially the most mind blowing, were left untold.
It was kept high secret that the 'incident' was between her brother, Yao Wang, and her husband Antonio Carriedo; leaders of two of the most powerful underground families in the region. They weren't so much fighting as they were trying to come to a peaceful agreement. The final amendments were being made to a contract that would link the two groups.
The violence erupted when those against Isabel's recent marriage to Antonio infiltrated the meeting, intent on assassinating the leader they were displeased with or the Spaniard who stole the clan's princess.
Isabel had been shot and killed trying to save her brother and her husband.
Maria could not remember the details of her mother's funeral. She was an infant, after all.
Uncle Yao told her that she had been abnormally quiet at the funeral. That she sat on his lap so silent that people began to worry. Concern over her welfare after her mother's death lead to her being taken away by her uncle's men to be raised by a family friend several cities away, in an unassuming suburb.
Her father had been opposed to it, insisting that he was her father and that he should've been the one to take care of her. Yao didn't think he was emotionally able to take care of Maria, a helpless infant whom he knew needed round the clock care. Against Antonio's demands, Maria was taken away.
This lead to higher tensions between the groups, until finally, an agreement was made.
Five years. Yao would have Maria would five years and then Antonio would take her back. Then in another five, when Maria was older, she would spend her summers with Yao's family. Still...five years passed far too quickly for a man still mourning the death of his beloved sister.
The black luxury car bounced along, but Maria didn't fidget at all in her car seat. She stared outside the dark tinted windows in silence. Yao glanced down at the child, dressed in a fluffy bright pink dress - the only burst of color in a dark leather interior.
"Jin Huan," he called to her, using the Chinese name he himself had bestowed upon her when she was born. "Are you alright, aru?"
She had been told for years that she would get to meet her father and under normal circumstances, she would've been excited. She had spoken to her 'Papa' on the phone numerous times since she could talk, but she had never actually met him after she had been taken away for 'safety measures'.
However, she also knew that it would be a long time until she saw her Uncle Yao and the family that lived with him again. There would be no Big Sister Anh Linh to play with or braid her hair at night. There would be no Yong Soo to watch cartoons with in the morning. There would be no Uncle Yao go crying to when Yong Soo ruined something.
"I will miss Ate Anh Linh and Yong," she said in a quiet voice with a slight lisp. "And Uncle Yao."
His dark eyes softened. He reached across the seat and stroked the top of her head, mindful of the two pigtails and their pink ribbons. "We will miss you, too."
"Why can I not visit?" she asked sadly. "What if Papa's family does not like me?"
She had heard that they were big and scary from the men at Uncle Yao's. He smiled weakly at her. "Jin Huan, they will like you, aru. You are family." Part of him didn't want to admit it. "You are...Antonio Carriedo's daughter."
She tried to smile, but it wouldn't reach her eyes. Instead, the five-year old folded her hands neatly on her lap and continued looking out the window, watching the city pass and the scenery change into the elaborate mansions of the wealthy on the outskirts of the city.
Their car and the cars that were escorting them were allowed into a large, gated estate and Maria felt dwarfed by the large, stone faced building coming up. Her stomach began to churn.
"This is where Jin Qiu lived, aru," Yao mumbled as he looked out his window. He looked over at her and smiled softly. "Where you and your Mama once lived."
"Mama...," Maria echoed. Her eyes crinkled up. Somewhere in her packed belongings, there was a picture of her mama. She was very pretty and Maria was very proud of her. She wondered how her father looked. She hoped he was handsome. Her mama must've married a very handsome man.
The car stopped in front of the house and Yao began to unbuckle her from her car seat. Her door opened and one of his trusted men, Uncle Lu, she called him, picked her up and carried her towards the house.
"Calm down, Jin Huan," he chuckled as they approached the front steps. "You are shaking."
"No, I'm not," she pouted, despite the fact that she was gripping on to his suit so tightly. Wide brown eyes looked around the elaborate vaulted ceiling of the foyer as strange men stood as guards around them.
Uncle Yao was speaking to someone, who glanced over at her and nodded. He turned around and before he could get to the hall, a tall, handsome man with brown hair and tan skin shot out.
"Maria!?" he called earnestly, as his eyes flickered around the foyer. Maria's eyes widened. "Has she arrived?"
She knew that voice. She shifted in her Uncle Lu's arms and tilted her head curiously. "Papa?" she asked curiously.
Deep green eyes seemed to lock on to her immediately. They went wide and then began to glisten as recognition reached his face. It was the first time he was seeing his daughter since she was an infant.
"Carriedo," her Uncle Yao began. "This is Jin Huan - Maria Isabella."
She was lifted from her Uncle Lu's arms by her Uncle Yao and brought closer to the brown-haired man who was looking at her with wondrous eyes. His hands rose, as if to touch her, but at the same time, held back, as if afraid to.
His green orbs darted around her face, taking in her features. Her mother's dark eyes, with the wide shape of his. Her mother's straight, black hair, and his robust natural tan. Her adorable little nose, her small ears....
"She's perfect," he whispered.
Yao chuckled. "That is what you said when she was born, aru."
"May I hold her?" the man asked, his voice shaking. Yao seemed to hesitate as Antonio reached forward.
Maria took the initiative and extended her arms towards him. Stiffly, Antonio gathered her in his arms, trembling slightly, as if afraid to break her. Maria put her small, chubby arms around his neck to steady herself. She then gave him a wide, bright smile.
"Hello, Papa. It is nice to meet you," she recited in her best Spanish.
The man's eyes teared up and suddenly, she was crushed against him, her small chubby face buried against a strong shoulder as a large hand stroked her back. She could hear his voice whispering against her 'hija' - daughter.
Big safe hands. Warm strong body. Comforting smell of his cologne. The gentle, familiar voice that spoke to her over the phone. "Papa," she smiled and hugged him back. Perhaps living with him would not be so bad.
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She had sisters. Older sisters. Not like Anh Linh, though she thought Anh Linh was very pretty herself. No, these were older than her sister several cities over. They were teenagers and very beautiful ones at that. They were tall with shapely bodies and voices that pierced the air whenever they argued.
She cringed from the play room where she was building blocks with a younger sister, a two year old named Ana.
"I told you not to touch my things!" Christina, the oldest screamed.
"I didn't touch it! Why do you always blame me for taking your stuff!?" Gabriela, the younger one screamed back.
It had been going on for an hour, but their father was still out. Already, her second eldest brother had walked in to tell them to stop, but they had screamed at him, too. Several of her older brothers had attempted, but none was willing to get into an argument with either sister.
"I hope you two don't fight like that," their middle sister sighed from where she was on the floor, a few feet away, doing homework for the Catholic school they went to. "I'm glad I don't have any sisters so close to my age.
"Valeria," Maria asked as she gathered up a blubbering Ana in her arms. "Isn't there someone who can get them to stop?" Her father's men were in the house and so were the various household help, but no one dared intervene in family-related arguments.
The brown-haired girl sighed. "Only Papa and Jandro."
Maria tilted her head to the side. She had been there for a month and had been told that she still hadn't met all her siblings yet. Papa sure had a lot of adopted kids. "Who is Jandro?"
"What did I tell you two about arguing in the house?" a loud, furious voice boomed down the hall. Valeria's eyes widened and Maria squeezed Ana in surprise. "What the hell is going on here!?"
Valeria's light brown eyes nearly sparkled with excitement. "That's Jandro! He's the oldest!" She scrambled to her feet. "Come on! I'll introduce you!" She ushered her two youngest sisters to follow her.
The trio peeked outside of the playroom door. Several brothers were gathered around the open door of Gabriela's bedroom. Jose Luis, the second oldest, was frowning with his arms over his chest. He was only a year older than Christina and hadn't been able to stop their shrieking.
"Jandro, Gabby took my clothes without asking!" Christina accused.
"Gabby, is this true?" an annoyed, masculine voice demanded.
"It was mixed with my laundry, so I thought it was mine!" Gabriela defended herself. "Then I realized it was one size too big, so it couldn't have been mine and I left it on her bed!"
"Are you calling me fat!?"
"Stop it!" the eldest ordered. "Or I will have Papa cut your allowances for the rest of the year!" A horrified gasp came from the room. "Tina, it was a misunderstanding, so let it go."
"She still wore it!"
"Then just wash the damn thing! If I hear about this once more...," he ended in a threatening voice. The crowd in front of the room seemed to part. "Jose Luis, find out who did the laundry and tell them that they will no longer be washing the girls' clothes. They'll be washing their own."
"What!?"
"That's not fair!" the sisters yelled from within the room. Maria saw a male figure stop at the doorway and turn back around.
"Then don't fight over such stupid things," he hissed. "All your brothers who can do it. You're old enough to do it yourselves. Understand?"
Grumbles were replied and the young man at the doorway emerged into the hall. "God, it's good to have you back," one of their brothers said, relieved.
Valeria choose that time to step out from the play room. "Jandro! Alejandro, come here! You haven't met our new sister!" she said as she waved her hands in the air.
Maria shrank back, still holding on to her toddler baby sister as a man in dark jeans and a worn, gray shirt reached them. He resembled their Papa with dark brown hair, slightly darker skin, and brown eyes. He was tall, broad shoulders, and he had managed to silence her sisters so quickly, it was almost intimidating.
"Hola, pequeñas," he greeted them. A bright, wide smile reached his lips as his eyes twinkled under the hall lamps. He ruffled Valeria's curly brown hair and then knelt down in front of Maria and Ana. "And you must be Maria," he smiled as he met her face. "I am Alejandro."
"He is my heir," a voice said behind him. Maria looked up and her eyes widened.
"Papa!" she beamed. She circled her brother, still carrying Ana, and wobbly made her way to her father.
"I see you are watching your sister again," Antonio chuckled as he gathered the two girls in his arms. He nuzzled their heads lovingly before kissing their foreheads. "Let us hope that you two do not end up arguing all the time like Tina and Gabby, si?"
"That's what I said, Papa," Valeria nodded knowing. Antonio chuckled.
"Well, I hope they don't partake in their brother's misadventures, either," he told her with a grin. "Don't think I don't know about what you did with the twins. They confessed."
Valeria's eyes widened. "Traitors...."
"Papa, I did not know you were home," Alejandro greeted respectfully.
"I've just arrived myself, hijo. Thank you for taking care of your sisters," Antonio sighed with relief. "It is a pleasant experience to return home without the two of them screaming."
His son chuckled. "Well, I thought I'd come visit...for a few days. My ex-girlfriend kicked me out," he smiled.
Antonio frowned. "I told you she was no good," he said. "You should've stayed here."
Alejandro shrugged. "The apartment was closer to the university. Anyway, I saw Braginski today."
The corner of Antonio's eye twitched. "Which one?" Silently, he prayed it was one of Ivan Braginski's sisters and not the other mob lord. They were on good terms, but he always thought the man was a bit off.
"Yekaterina," Alejandro smiled. "The ballerina. She heard about Maria and gave me some tickets to watch Swan Lake. Valeria, do you want to go?"
The middle daughter's eyes crinkled up. "No...," she spat out. "I...I have...futbol," she offered.
"I didn't tell you when," Alejandro sighed. He looked over at his sister. "Maria?"
"Can Ana come?" Maria asked. Alejandro's eyes softened.
"Not this time. When she is older."
"Oh...," Maria looked at Ana. She didn't like leaving the little girl alone and Ana had grown rather attached to her.
"I will watch her," Antonio assured her. "You go with Alejandro to the ballet."
"It's boring...," Valeria sang quietly.
Maria looked torn, but eventually nodded. "Okay, Papa. I will go with him."
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The cheers and the clapping resonated around the theater as she stood on stage, her heart pounding hard against her chest as sweat glistened on her forehead. Beside her, her fellow dancer, Mikhail, bowed with her as the audience applauded them.
A wide, brilliant smile was on her face as she rode the exhilarating rush that signaled the end of her performance. This was her dream and part of her could hardly believe it was coming true.
The moment she had seen Yekaterina, a talented young ballerina, leap across the stage when she was five, Maria had fallen in love with ballet. The music, the movement, the way the story was told through them.
She had begged her father for ballet lessons and her brother, who had been with her when she first became entranced, urged their father to allow her. After all, all the boys were into sports of some sort, Valeria was in soccer, and Gabriela and Christina were accomplished musicians. It would be good for her to have something, too.
Now, she stood upon the stage, feeling her blood pump through her body at the excitement she felt. Fifteen years of ballet had paid off.
Mikhail escorted her off stage and Yekaterina, her beloved dance instructor and one of the theater's choreographers, was there to greet her.
"Beautiful, Maria! Absolutely beautiful!" the lovely blonde woman gushed. She wrapped her arms around Maria and rubbed her shoulders.
"Were they here?" Maria panted, still somewhat out of breath. Her lungs burned, but it felt good.
"Yes," the woman smiled. "I saw your father out there."
The twenty year old was almost bursting with pride. It was her first time with the lead position in a performance and she had hoped he would come.
Maria was ushered into her changing room, where she immediately went for her water. "Whoa...," she gasped as she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. "This is more than usual!"
"From your father, your brother, your sisters, your uncle," Yekaterina smiled as she pointed out the dozens of bouquets that awaited her. "They are all very proud of you."
Maria nodded blindly as she searched for a familiar bouquet of white roses with red and blue ribbons. Ever since she started, she had been receiving a dozen white roses, even if her part was small. They never had a name attached to them, only well wishes and compliments and red and blue ribbons.
Brown orbs settled on a crystal vase with the familiar roses. "There they are!" she beamed. She put her bottle down on her make-up table and wove through the forest of flowers to her white ones.
She immediately cupped the blossoms and craned her neck to get a better smell. She kept one rose from each bouquet as a keepsake. She didn't know who they were from or even cared, really. As far as she was concerned, the flowers were something that made her believe that she could do whatever she wanted out on the stage because someone believed in her.
"Have you found out from who they are coming from?" her instructor giggled behind her.
Maria shook her head as she found the little note with the words 'You looked beautiful out there! Congratulations on your first lead!'
"Nope. I kind of like it like this, though," she admitted as her face heated up. "Besides, if there was a name and Papa found out-"
"Hija!" her door flew open and Yekaterina jumped. Maria turned around and smiled. Her tearful eyed father was there, his arms open wide as he rushed towards her. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Papa!" Maria beamed. She slipped the small card back into the roses.
Her first lead performance had gone flawlessly, she had received her favorite bouquet, and her family had been out there to watch her.
"How do you feel, mi preciosa?" Antonio asked lovingly as he embraced his daughter.
"Like this is all a dream, Papa," she said as she hugged him back. "I've never been happier in my life."
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"Really?" Maria asked. She sat around a large table with the family on her mother's side. While she only usually saw them during the summers when she was younger, as soon as she was able to leave the house on her own, they made it a weekly event on Thursday nights to eat out, with or without the family patriarch.
They had a small list of restaurants everyone had agreed to and rotated through them. This time, they were at her youngest brother's favorite Chinese restaurant - Flower Harbor.
"You should have seen them go," Anh Linh said as she poured herself and her Thai fiancé some tea. "Rowing like their arms would fall off."
"The point is that we won," the youngest with his thick black brows replied.
"I'm very proud of you, Andy," Maria beamed. He had a Chinese name, but preferred to go by his English one. "Did anyone get pictures?"
"Mei dropped the camera," a series of voices chorused.
Beside her, her youngest sister froze over her bowl, her face twisting into one that looked like she was going to cry. "I didn't drop it! The strap broke!" she pouted as her pale face reddened. She turned to her sister. "Don't listen to them, Jie-jie!"
"I told you to hold on to it with both hands," Kiku sighed. "Because the strap was worn."
"I was really excited!" Mei defended.
"Well, did you at least manage to save the memory card?" Maria asked.
Yong Soo snickered. "She dropped it in the water."
"Shut up!"
"Mei," Kiku scolded gently from beside Maria.
"I really liked that camera," Mei mumbled as she picked at her food. Maria reached over and comfortingly stroked Mei's back. She was still in middle school, a far cry from the rest of her siblings who had all graduated high school.
"We bought you a new one," Anh Linh sighed.
"Yes...but that almost got taken away, too. They wouldn't let me bring it to Jie-jie's ballet performance the other night." Maria nearly choked.
"Mei, you can't bring a DSLR in and take pictures in a dark theater," Maria sighed as she lowered her glass of water.
"I know that now," Mei rolled her eyes. "And after all that trouble to get good seats."
"What trouble?" Andy snorted. "You called Sister's other sister to get tickets."
"Ana said they were sold out and had to ask their father for them," Mei pouted.
"Why didn't you just ask me?" Maria sighed.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Mei insisted.
"Your surprises always blow up in your face," Andy mentioned coolly. Mei seethed.
"Alright, can we just eat in peace?" Kiku sighed. "The restaurant is going to close soon with us in it."
Maria grinned and continued eating her meal. Their dinners always did last quite some time. Once, they had been laughing at a karaoke place for so long, her father had sent men to search for her.
After they paid for their meal, the siblings gathered their things and headed out towards the front of the restaurant, still chatting. Anh Linh had just bid them goodnight, as she was going home with her fiancé, and Kiku had gone to get the car when it happened.
Being the niece Yao Wang and adopted members of his family made for some enemies. They all knew that much. Still, it had been an uneventful night. One that was almost over. They were caught by surprise, when a dark colored car drove on to the sidewalk where they were waiting, aiming straight for her youngest brother.
One arm pushed Mei into the bushes, trying to get her as far away from the car possible, as Maria whirled towards the stunned, black-haired young man. Yong Soo was racing from where he had been smoking a few feet away, screaming at him to get out of the way. Andy's dark eyes were focused on the on-coming headlights.
"Andy, move!" He heard Maria's voice.
He felt a heavy shove and he was knocked away; his breath pushed out of his lungs by force. The screech of tires. The smell of rubber.
His eyes went wide as for a moment, the world had stopped.
The dark car was speeding away, ignorant of their cracked windshield as a body lay in the hard, dark asphalt, unmoving. His eyes watered, his heart stopped.
A pained scream echoed through the dark street. "SISTER!"
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"Maria Carriedo," a handsome blond man said at the nurse's station. A large bouquet of white flowers and blue and red ribbons remained at his side. "She could also be under Jin Huan Wang." He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose hopefully.
"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse said as she looked through her files. "Miss Carriedo cannot see any visitors who are not family." She lifted her eyes and looked at the well-dressed man critically. "May I know your relationship to her?"
The blond man clutched the flowers tightly with one hand. "Fiancé."
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She had a lot of family and she liked to think that she was close to all of them. That was why it hurt to think that she wouldn't return to them.
As her world blacked out, all she could think of was 'I still need to return Ana's shoes'.
Yet, even after she awoke, part of her wished she never did.
It started off well. She was alive. She was surrounded by her loving family. White roses were resting by her bed, watching over her silently. Everyone had been excited for the first few days and then they started acting odd.
She should've noticed something was wrong, as whenever she mentioned getting back on to the stage, her siblings would grow silent and then change the topic. She was healing well the doctors said. Surely, it would be no time at all before she was back in her beloved ballet shoes.
Then the day before she was released, her father spoke to her.
"Maria," her father had said softly as he sat beside her and held her hand. "Mi hija preciosa...." She should've known something was wrong when she realized he was crying. "Mija..."
The broken bones would heal. Her bruised organs were at least still intact. It was miracle she survived at all, but it was not enough of one to assure her that she would be back to normal.
A ligament had been torn and damaged badly. It would not heal properly and as a result...
"You won't be able to do ballet anymore."
Her world ended. Everything she had been working towards for three-fourths of her life, everything she wanted, dreamed of, gone. Just like that.
It was no wonder she had slipped into a depression. Days had turned into weeks. Weeks had slowly progressed into months. She had rehabilitation sessions, strength sessions, but everyone, even her ballet instructor, told her no more ballet. No matter how much she pushed herself, it was too dangerous to continue.
She would miss the feel of her body moving and stretching across a stage. She would miss the eyes of the audience, their cheers, and their applause. She would miss...
"Maria," Anh Linh smiled softly as she peeked into his sister's room. "These came for you."
White roses with blue and red ribbons.
For a moment, all she could do was stare. How did they know she was at her Uncle's home? Was the sender really someone she knew? Despite the concerns it should've raised, she couldn't help but feel the odd comfort it was to see the white roses.
This time, there was a note attached and she opened it with shaking hands.
"The world isn't over. Come out soon. The world misses you."
Maria had started crying again and gathered the bouquet in her arms.
A few weeks later, she returned to the Carriedo Estate.
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Ana's sobbing echoed in her room as Maria sat on the bed, cradling her sister in her arms as the younger brunette wailed. At the doorway, their eldest brother sighed tiredly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Ana, he's a very nice young man," Alejandro offered. "And a good friend of mine. You will like him."
The brunette shook her head and buried it further against Maria's chest, refusing to listen. Maria shot her brother an uncertain look.
"Jandro, can we have a moment alone, please?" she asked softly. He nodded his head quietly and slipped out of the room. He closed it behind him. "Ana?"
"Why does it have to be me?" the brunette choked out.
"Why not Val or Gabby or Tina or even you!?" she cried. Maria sighed tiredly. She had wondered that herself.
Valeria had firmly integrated herself within the family's business and a few years earlier, married their bodyguard. That had been a huge issue with their father, who genuinely liked the man. It was just that it was his daughter he was marrying.
The two oldest weren't married. Rather, they had also integrated themselves well into their family business, becoming dominant forces along with their brothers in dealing with international organizations. Maria came to think of them the say way she thought of Anh Linh - as some sort of mafia princess turn femme fatale.
She, however, was barely getting her toes wet with the family business after her depression. Both her Uncle Yao and her father had expressed concern, but she wanted something to do. Something that made her feel useful since all she had ever known - ballet - was no longer hers to have.
Ana was still in college and had plans on becoming a marine biologist. A trip to the aquarium as a child did for her what Swan Lake did to for Maria. As a result, Maria thought she would've been the right candidate for being wed for political reasons, as she was next in line, so it had shocked them all when Ana was chosen to marry Arthur Kirkland's eldest son.
Perhaps that wasn't what hurt Ana the most. Unbeknownst to any of her siblings, she had long developed feelings for their eldest brother. She knew she could never have him; after all, they were siblings, even if in name only. However, it still broke her heart to find out that it was Alejandro who had recommended her to his friend's father for marriage.
Maria had tried to talk their father into asking if they would have her instead, citing that her sister was too young - just starting college. Antonio and Alejandro would hear nothing of it. She was not just theirs, her father had said. Any marriage arrangement needed to go through her Uncle, as well.
She knew the politics well enough not to question what that meant.
"I don't know, honey, I don't know," Maria cooed as she stroked the back of her sister's head. "It's alright. I'll go with you tomorrow, don't worry."
Ana nodded her head and held on to her sister tightly. "I don't want to get married, Ria...."
"I know," her sister replied softly as her embrace tightened. "I know."
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Ana refused to leave the house until she went to her 'death sentence' at the Kirkland manor across town. As a result, Maria had to take it upon herself go and buy her sister's dress for that evening. Her father's personal assistant had gone with her, but they had been separated somewhere in the women's department of the store.
She currently had a good dozen dresses in brown paper bags in her arms, all her sister's size and intent on simply bringing them to her to decide. She trudged through the mall, cutting through the massive area to get to the bookstore and pick up a book on wedding planning before Lovino caught up with her and dragged her back to the estate.
She was halfway to the bookstore when she passed by a small crystal display caught her eye. At once, her mind was elsewhere.
Maria's big brown eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks and slowly moved towards the window display. Various crystal figurines adorned the area along with jewelry. Necklaces with crystal pendants dangled from displaces along with earrings, bracelets, and small statuettes.
A ballerina was on Pointe with her arms stretched out in a classic pose.
The figurine glistened under the display light; her blank eyes lost in the moment. Her costume seemed fairly stereotypical to the naked eye, but with the details, Maria deduced it that the crystal ballerina was dancing to Swan Lake.
For a moment, Maria could almost hear the music in her head. She could see the stage, the dancers, and the background. She could see Odette, played by Yekaterina, in her memory. She had been in awe when she first met the busty ballerina and proudly proclaimed that she wanted to be just like her.
And she was...for a little bit.
She blinked and turned her head away. Saving her brother was worth it; she had no qualms about that now. She'd rather be crippled than have had Andy lost his life. She was fit and was able to avoid damage that would've killed him simply by the angle she had come in.
Still, Maria missed the stage. Her pink satin shoes. The music pumping through her veins as the lights shone down on her.
She took a deep breath to try to compose herself and looked back at the ballerina. Her eyes widened in surprise as they caught striking blue ones on the other side of the glass. A pair of blue orbs blinked and offered her a small smile as he lifted the ballerina from the display.
Still smiling he held his hand up, motioning for her to wait a moment as he wound the little metal key by the base. Maria craned her neck to see what he was doing. He then waved for her to come inside.
Curiously, Maria entered the small shop. She saw the blond man standing by the display, carefully putting the ballerina back on the shelf. He was wearing a long trench coat and a nice suit underneath. She wondered if he was simply doing some shopping on his lunch break.
She approached him warily and when he caught sight of her, he smiled.
"You can't hear it outside," he chuckled before she could get in a word. She tilted her head to the side and then he released the ballerina.
She began to turn on her little crystal pedestal as familiar music chimed out from the base. Maria's smile widened. She had been right. Swan Lake.
The two remained standing by the display, watching the crystal ballerina spin until the music died down and she came to a standstill.
"I sort of excepted something...softer," he admitted as he lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his head. "A happier melody for a ballerina."
"Oh no, this is the best part," Maria argued as she looked at him earnestly. "It is when Odette meets the Prince. You see, Siegfried comes running out of his ball and into the forest. He's about to shoot one of the swans when instead, he sees a beautiful woman amongst them and...." Her voice trailed off as she noticed his amused smile.
"I take it you know the ballet?" he asked as the corners of his eyes crinkled up with his smile.
"I...." When did her throat go dry? "I...I used to dance...a bit."
"Really?" he asked, smiling further. Her heart thumped against her chest as she felt her face heat up.
"Just...just a little."
"Mam, sir?" a somewhat exasperated voice asked behind them. Maria gasped in surprise and nearly dropped her bags.
The blond man darted down and snatched them up before they hit the ground. "Oh! I'm sorry!" Maria immediately apologized.
"It's fine. I got them," he said. He handed them back to Maria and looked at the sales clerk who had approached them. "Yes?"
"Did you need any assistance?" the woman asked. "Are you interested in that figurine? You were looking at it for quite some time." Maria's face heated up with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't-"
"Do you have a new one?" the man beside her asked curiously. Maria looked over at him.
"Yes, sir," the woman nodded. The man took a step to follow the sales clerk, but paused to look at her.
"Will you give me a moment?" he asked. Maria nodded automatically. She stood to the side, watching as he was given another ballerina to inspect and then paid for it as it was put into a small little box.
It was a three-hundred something dollar figurine and Maria let out a whistle. That was a bit much, but it was really pretty. She used to have many ballerina figurines before she was hurt. Then put them all in a box and shoved them behind her closet. No one seemed to ask any questions.
"My mother used to take my brother and me to the ballet," a voice said. She snapped out of her daze and looked up at the man in front of her. "Sleeping Beauty was the first one I can remember seeing."
"Oh...," Maria nodded. "Did you like it?"
"No, I was bored out of my mind, actually," he chuckled as they walked out of the store. Maria's amused laughter joined his. He held a small navy paper bag in his hand that held his item. "My brother, however, loved it. He's a ballet dancer."
For a moment, Maria wanted to ask what his name was because perhaps she knew him. Instead, she kept quiet. "That must be amazing." She paused and looked at him curiously. "Is that for him?"
"I make a point not to give ballerina figurines to other men," the blond laughed. "But it is for someone."
Maria opened her mouth to ask if they were interested in ballet, too, when a voice shouted behind her. Immediately, her interested expression faded into one of irritation.
"Maria! There you are!"
The blond man looked over the top of her head. "Maria?"
"My father's assistant," she sighed. "He was supposed to go shopping with me, but we got separated in the department store. I was hoping to go to the book store before he caught me."
The man chuckled. "Well, I should get going. It was nice talking to you, Maria," he said as he extended his hand.
"Maria! Who is that man!?" Lovino was shouting. She easily ignored him.
"Carriedo. Maria Carriedo," she smiled. "And you're?"
"Alfred F. Jo-"
"Maria!" His last name was cut off as Maria turned around to shoot a glare at the man who was supposed to help her.
"My God, Lovino, give me a second!" she hissed. "And where were you anyway!? It's been two hours!"
Alfred chuckled. He patted her on the shoulder. "See you, Maria."
"Oh, bye, Alfred!" She waved. She watched him walk away and disappear into the crowd. A small feeling of disappointment filled her as his blond head vanished amongst the sea of people. She let out a heavy sigh. He really was a cute one, too.
A hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her forward, immediately drawing her attention towards the disgruntled Italian man. "Does your father know you're out flirting-"
"Does my father know you're manhandling his daughter?" Maria hissed back. She shot him a dangerous glare and Lovino immediately released her. "I was having a conversation about ballet before you rudely interrupted!"
Lovino frowned. "You can't just go off with random men-"
"I'm not a child, Vargas," Maria snapped as she shoved past him. "Forget it. Let's just go home."
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"But this one looks beautiful on you!" Gabriela tried to sooth their youngest sister, only to be met with a cry about how it didn't matter anyway and that her fiancé was probably being forced into it, as well.
"You've had enough of her for now," Alejandro said as he put his hands on Maria's shoulder and dragged her out of Ana's bedroom. "You have bags under your eyes from crying all night with her. You need to get some rest."
"I can rest after tonight," Maria shrugged off his hands and attempted to go around him.
"Maria," the eldest frowned. "Go get some rest."
"No, I want to help Ana. She needs me-"
"Ria!" a voice called from the girl's bedroom. Maria shot a confident look at Alejandro.
"I told you," she stuck her tongue out.
"Is this yours?" Ana came out of her room, looking confused as she held a small box in her hand. Maria's eyes narrowed as she automatically recognized the dark navy box. "It was in the bag with all the dresses."
"I...," Maria felt her mouth go dry once more. "No...but...."
"It's not?" Ana furrowed her brows. "I opened it up and it had a ballerina. I thought it was yours."
"I mean," Maria shook her head and ran a hand down her face. "It's mine. I have to return it to someone," she said as her sister handed it back to her.
"Okay," Ana nodded. "Go get some rest, Ria."
"What?" Maria frowned. "I'm fine-! Hey! Victor!"
Her cigar smoking brother heaved her over his shoulder after receiving a nod from the eldest. "Ria, if you don't get some rest, Papa won't let you go with us tonight," he warned.
A low grumble escaped her as she was carried across the hall. Sometimes, her family seemed to treat her like a fragile piece of glass; afraid she would fall apart at the small provocation. Some times, she didn't care. Other times, it annoyed her to no extent.
"Fine! I'll go to my room!" she hissed defiantly. "But I won't sleep!"
She was tossed on to the bed gently and Victor walked out. Alejandro walked it and grabbed her left foot gently. He pulled off her shoe and they proceeded to grab the next. "Stop being stubborn."
"But I have to help!" Maria argued as she clutched the box against her. Alejandro merely continued to tug her blankets out from under her and wrap her in it. "Jandro!"
"You can either sleep voluntarily or I will stay here and make sure you do," he threatened.
"I'm not a child!"
"You're acting like one."
She growled. "Fine!" she hissed. "I'll take a nap."
"Good girl," he said as he swept down and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, we'll wake you in time to get ready."
Maria merely grumbled as she rolled over on to her side. Alejandro moved her shoes aside neatly and headed out the door. When she heard the door close, Maria shot up in bed. She glared at the door where her brother had left from and looked down at the box she was still clutching against her chest.
Curiously, she wondered how it had gotten into the bag with her sister's things. Perhaps it had slipped out of Alfred's bag and into hers when they were shaking hands? She carefully opened it saw the dancing ballerina awaiting her. She briefly hesitated and then took the crystal figure out from the box. She wound the base and then placed it on her night stand.
The music filed her small corner of the room and she smiled as she watched it spin. As she placed the open box beside it, she noticed a small white strip of paper that had been pinned beneath the base.
Her eyes narrowed and she pulled it out. Her face turned red.
A phone number. A name. A small note.
"I'd love to talk to you again."
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In a room filled with important men in dark suits and wearing stern expressions, a violet eyed-blond looked over at his blue-eyed older brother. A small smile reached his face. "You're excited."
"Of course," Alfred said as he adjusted his tie nervously for the tenth time since they came downstairs. "Do you know long I've waited for today?"
"Since you were in college and they showed you a picture of Carriedo's youngest," Matthew sighed. "I didn't think you'd go with the idea."
"Alejandro speaks very highly of Maria," Alfred said. "I trust his opinion."
"You think she's pretty."
"She's very pretty," Alfred smiled thoughtfully as he held a bouquet of white roses with red and blue ribbons in his free hand. With his other one he took out a worn picture he had given years earlier. "See?"
Matthew had seen the picture a dozen times himself. Alfred never hesitated showing it to him. It was a photograph of Antonio Carriedo's five daughters.
The two older ones were standing behind a chair where a youngest daughter sat. Her long black hair was braided neatly as she sat demurely in a dark red dress. It was a Christmas photo.
In front of them, their father was pacing nervously. Behind him, his 'business partner' and their 'significant other', Alfred and Matthew's mother, were seated calmly.
"Arthur," Jeanne assured him. "It'll be fine."
"We should've arranged a meeting first," Arthur blabbered stupidly. "One-on-one. Get them to know each other."
"You worry too much," Francis sighed. "Antonio's daughter is a lovely girl. They all are and any would make a fine match for Alfred....well, except the married one."
Before Arthur could call him an idiot, the arrival of the Carriedos was announced. Everyone rose from their seats and awaited their entrance. The double doors opened to the room and Antonio carried flanked by his son Alejandro on his right and his assistant Lovino to his left walked in.
Behind them, there were several young woman and men. Alfred held his breath. His father greeted Carriedo and his eyes flickered to the group of young women hidden behind the wall that was comprised of their male siblings.
"Alfred," Antonio greeted, snapping the blond out of his thoughts. "Good to see you again."
"Yes, sir," Alfred shook his hand firmly with his free one. "Good to see you, as well."
"Gringo," an amused voice said behind their father. Antonio took a deep breath and seemed to force himself to step away. The duty of presenting his daughter was given to his son, as it was decided he was too 'emotionally invested' to do so properly. Alfred turned to his friend, clutching the bouquet beside him. "This is my youngest sister," he said as he stepped aside. "Ana."
Blue eyes widened as they settled on a lovely young woman he didn't expected. His face visibly paled as a pair of tearful light brown eyes met his.
"A...na?" he choked out. That wasn't the name he was expecting.
"Honey, it's alright," a soft voice said behind the trembling teenager in front of him. His eyes darted to the figure he was expecting to see. Soft brown hands gently cupped her sister's crying face. "It's fine, okay? Don't cry...."
Maria's eyes widened as she turned to see the man standing in front of her. Her heart caught in her throat. Just that afternoon...the man from the crystal store. Her eyes flew down to a familiar bouquet in his hand. Impossible.
Dread filled her within the silent room.
"I can't do this!" Ana screamed suddenly.
"Ana!" Alejandro yelled as the girl whirled around, shoved past her siblings, and flew out of the room.
Immediately, the room was filled with voices, all trying to address the matter as Maria and Alfred stared at each other in complete disbelief.
"Youngest," he whispered. His hands trembled as his eyes crinkled up. "Aren't you...?"
Maria shook her head. The flowers. The figurine. Had Alfred known the entire time? "No...." Worse...had he made a mistake?
"Alejandro, do something!" she heard someone yell in the background. Maria snapped her head back and tore her eyes away from the blond.
"I'll get her!" she shouted as she frantically tried to get away. Ana came first. She needed to find Ana.
"Maria!" Alejandro shouted, reaching out for her as she swept past him.
"Jandro," a choked voice called behind him. The brunette turned around and met the blank eyes of his old friend. "You said it was her."
"What?" the brunette asked as he crinkled his eyes. He shook his head. "What are you talking about, Gringo? I never said it was Maria!" he shouted, almost insulted at the very idea.
"But...," Alfred's voice was strained. "You said she was the youngest."
"Ana is the youngest," Alejandro stressed. "She's three years younger than Maria! Maria is just shorter and has a younger looking face! It's always been Ana!"
"No," Alfred shook his head. He had gone to every performance. Sent her flowers at every one. Visited her in the hospital and looked forward to the day when he could finally introduce himself as her fiancé to her and suddenly.... "No...," he fell back against his brother.
Matthew cried out. "Alfred!"
The blond closed his eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
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A.N. - Super duper rushed one-shot! This clichéd romance story will never be completed. :evil laughter: I'm a horrible person. >3> :Goes off to write DE.:
For unofficial adopted sister, trishpawachunyu . X3 Because of you, this haunted me. I just wanted to get it out of my system.
Random notes:
Hong Kong's name - most people I end up meeting from Hong Kong or Taiwan have an English name aside from their Chinese name. I chose Andy because of a friend in college and my friend's fave old school HK singer is Andy Lau. She actually called me during the Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremonies to tell me that he was there, singing with Jackie Chan. -_-"
Maria's Chinese name - Most Chinese-Americans have their legal American name and then a Chinese name. Sometimes their families address them by their Chinese name or a variation/nickname. I believe it's an important part of their culture to do so and I think this goes beyond Chinese-Americans as Chinese-Canadians do it, too. Perhaps most Chinese diasporas? Their Chinese names are usually more formal rather than the horrible nicknames my family gave myself and my cousins that translate weird adjectives or odd mutations of our given names.
Maria was shopping at the department store with the 'brown bags' - Bloomingdale's and then the crystal store was Swarovski.
I was actually listening to another piece from Swan Lake during the crystal store scene. >3> It was from Part 2 rather than Part 1 of Act 2. I've actually never been to a live ballet performance, yet. Opera, yes. Symphony, yes. Ballet...one day. A ballet...and a MUSICAL. I never seem to catch one when I want to...stupid mislabeled London flier....
Why "Swan Lake"? Well, Odette and Siegfried die at the end...guess what was going to happen to Maria and Alfred....
Questions, comments, and concerns are welcomed! Thank you all very much for reading!
Part: One Shot - "The Ballerina's Roses"
Characters: OCPhilippines & Everyone
Pairings: OCPhilippines x Ballet
Warnings: OLDER TEEN - Highly Alternate Universe, Non-Countries, OC Warning, Drama, Angst, Romance, Violence, Some Implied Adult Themes, Unbetated Mind Dribble...in fact, nothing about this is Hetalia except the characters, and even they're completely displaced. I'm sorry. EXTREMELY RUSHED.
Summary: Just when things start going right, something goes terribly wrong. Angered organization members murdered her mother, ruining a treaty between two powerful groups. A hit and run shatters her dreams of becoming a world-class ballerina. And her sister's engagement stops a romance before it even has a chance.
Preview:
"Andy, move!" He heard Maria's voice.
He felt a heavy shove and he was knocked away; his breath pushed out of his lungs by force. The screech of tires. The smell of rubber.
His eyes went wide as for a moment, the world had stopped.
The dark car was speeding away, ignorant of their cracked windshield as a body lay in the hard, dark asphalt, unmoving. His eyes watered, his heart stopped.
A pained scream echoed through the dark street. "SISTER!"
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When East Meets West
.The Ballerina's Roses.
By DamageCtrl
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own anything other than the plot. Even then, it's not that creative.
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Her obituary read in very simple words - Chinese-American model Isabel "Jin Qiu" Wang passed away on July 28th. Services at Forest Lawn Memorial Garden, Sunday at noon. Isabel leaves behind a husband and an infant daughter.
The details of her death, however, nearly filled up the entire front page of the city's newspaper. After all, it wasn't every day that a high profile woman died in a violent, organized crime-related incident. The main pieces were reported: caught in a cross-fire, shot multiple times, and so froth. However, some details, especially the most mind blowing, were left untold.
It was kept high secret that the 'incident' was between her brother, Yao Wang, and her husband Antonio Carriedo; leaders of two of the most powerful underground families in the region. They weren't so much fighting as they were trying to come to a peaceful agreement. The final amendments were being made to a contract that would link the two groups.
The violence erupted when those against Isabel's recent marriage to Antonio infiltrated the meeting, intent on assassinating the leader they were displeased with or the Spaniard who stole the clan's princess.
Isabel had been shot and killed trying to save her brother and her husband.
Maria could not remember the details of her mother's funeral. She was an infant, after all.
Uncle Yao told her that she had been abnormally quiet at the funeral. That she sat on his lap so silent that people began to worry. Concern over her welfare after her mother's death lead to her being taken away by her uncle's men to be raised by a family friend several cities away, in an unassuming suburb.
Her father had been opposed to it, insisting that he was her father and that he should've been the one to take care of her. Yao didn't think he was emotionally able to take care of Maria, a helpless infant whom he knew needed round the clock care. Against Antonio's demands, Maria was taken away.
This lead to higher tensions between the groups, until finally, an agreement was made.
Five years. Yao would have Maria would five years and then Antonio would take her back. Then in another five, when Maria was older, she would spend her summers with Yao's family. Still...five years passed far too quickly for a man still mourning the death of his beloved sister.
The black luxury car bounced along, but Maria didn't fidget at all in her car seat. She stared outside the dark tinted windows in silence. Yao glanced down at the child, dressed in a fluffy bright pink dress - the only burst of color in a dark leather interior.
"Jin Huan," he called to her, using the Chinese name he himself had bestowed upon her when she was born. "Are you alright, aru?"
She had been told for years that she would get to meet her father and under normal circumstances, she would've been excited. She had spoken to her 'Papa' on the phone numerous times since she could talk, but she had never actually met him after she had been taken away for 'safety measures'.
However, she also knew that it would be a long time until she saw her Uncle Yao and the family that lived with him again. There would be no Big Sister Anh Linh to play with or braid her hair at night. There would be no Yong Soo to watch cartoons with in the morning. There would be no Uncle Yao go crying to when Yong Soo ruined something.
"I will miss Ate Anh Linh and Yong," she said in a quiet voice with a slight lisp. "And Uncle Yao."
His dark eyes softened. He reached across the seat and stroked the top of her head, mindful of the two pigtails and their pink ribbons. "We will miss you, too."
"Why can I not visit?" she asked sadly. "What if Papa's family does not like me?"
She had heard that they were big and scary from the men at Uncle Yao's. He smiled weakly at her. "Jin Huan, they will like you, aru. You are family." Part of him didn't want to admit it. "You are...Antonio Carriedo's daughter."
She tried to smile, but it wouldn't reach her eyes. Instead, the five-year old folded her hands neatly on her lap and continued looking out the window, watching the city pass and the scenery change into the elaborate mansions of the wealthy on the outskirts of the city.
Their car and the cars that were escorting them were allowed into a large, gated estate and Maria felt dwarfed by the large, stone faced building coming up. Her stomach began to churn.
"This is where Jin Qiu lived, aru," Yao mumbled as he looked out his window. He looked over at her and smiled softly. "Where you and your Mama once lived."
"Mama...," Maria echoed. Her eyes crinkled up. Somewhere in her packed belongings, there was a picture of her mama. She was very pretty and Maria was very proud of her. She wondered how her father looked. She hoped he was handsome. Her mama must've married a very handsome man.
The car stopped in front of the house and Yao began to unbuckle her from her car seat. Her door opened and one of his trusted men, Uncle Lu, she called him, picked her up and carried her towards the house.
"Calm down, Jin Huan," he chuckled as they approached the front steps. "You are shaking."
"No, I'm not," she pouted, despite the fact that she was gripping on to his suit so tightly. Wide brown eyes looked around the elaborate vaulted ceiling of the foyer as strange men stood as guards around them.
Uncle Yao was speaking to someone, who glanced over at her and nodded. He turned around and before he could get to the hall, a tall, handsome man with brown hair and tan skin shot out.
"Maria!?" he called earnestly, as his eyes flickered around the foyer. Maria's eyes widened. "Has she arrived?"
She knew that voice. She shifted in her Uncle Lu's arms and tilted her head curiously. "Papa?" she asked curiously.
Deep green eyes seemed to lock on to her immediately. They went wide and then began to glisten as recognition reached his face. It was the first time he was seeing his daughter since she was an infant.
"Carriedo," her Uncle Yao began. "This is Jin Huan - Maria Isabella."
She was lifted from her Uncle Lu's arms by her Uncle Yao and brought closer to the brown-haired man who was looking at her with wondrous eyes. His hands rose, as if to touch her, but at the same time, held back, as if afraid to.
His green orbs darted around her face, taking in her features. Her mother's dark eyes, with the wide shape of his. Her mother's straight, black hair, and his robust natural tan. Her adorable little nose, her small ears....
"She's perfect," he whispered.
Yao chuckled. "That is what you said when she was born, aru."
"May I hold her?" the man asked, his voice shaking. Yao seemed to hesitate as Antonio reached forward.
Maria took the initiative and extended her arms towards him. Stiffly, Antonio gathered her in his arms, trembling slightly, as if afraid to break her. Maria put her small, chubby arms around his neck to steady herself. She then gave him a wide, bright smile.
"Hello, Papa. It is nice to meet you," she recited in her best Spanish.
The man's eyes teared up and suddenly, she was crushed against him, her small chubby face buried against a strong shoulder as a large hand stroked her back. She could hear his voice whispering against her 'hija' - daughter.
Big safe hands. Warm strong body. Comforting smell of his cologne. The gentle, familiar voice that spoke to her over the phone. "Papa," she smiled and hugged him back. Perhaps living with him would not be so bad.
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She had sisters. Older sisters. Not like Anh Linh, though she thought Anh Linh was very pretty herself. No, these were older than her sister several cities over. They were teenagers and very beautiful ones at that. They were tall with shapely bodies and voices that pierced the air whenever they argued.
She cringed from the play room where she was building blocks with a younger sister, a two year old named Ana.
"I told you not to touch my things!" Christina, the oldest screamed.
"I didn't touch it! Why do you always blame me for taking your stuff!?" Gabriela, the younger one screamed back.
It had been going on for an hour, but their father was still out. Already, her second eldest brother had walked in to tell them to stop, but they had screamed at him, too. Several of her older brothers had attempted, but none was willing to get into an argument with either sister.
"I hope you two don't fight like that," their middle sister sighed from where she was on the floor, a few feet away, doing homework for the Catholic school they went to. "I'm glad I don't have any sisters so close to my age.
"Valeria," Maria asked as she gathered up a blubbering Ana in her arms. "Isn't there someone who can get them to stop?" Her father's men were in the house and so were the various household help, but no one dared intervene in family-related arguments.
The brown-haired girl sighed. "Only Papa and Jandro."
Maria tilted her head to the side. She had been there for a month and had been told that she still hadn't met all her siblings yet. Papa sure had a lot of adopted kids. "Who is Jandro?"
"What did I tell you two about arguing in the house?" a loud, furious voice boomed down the hall. Valeria's eyes widened and Maria squeezed Ana in surprise. "What the hell is going on here!?"
Valeria's light brown eyes nearly sparkled with excitement. "That's Jandro! He's the oldest!" She scrambled to her feet. "Come on! I'll introduce you!" She ushered her two youngest sisters to follow her.
The trio peeked outside of the playroom door. Several brothers were gathered around the open door of Gabriela's bedroom. Jose Luis, the second oldest, was frowning with his arms over his chest. He was only a year older than Christina and hadn't been able to stop their shrieking.
"Jandro, Gabby took my clothes without asking!" Christina accused.
"Gabby, is this true?" an annoyed, masculine voice demanded.
"It was mixed with my laundry, so I thought it was mine!" Gabriela defended herself. "Then I realized it was one size too big, so it couldn't have been mine and I left it on her bed!"
"Are you calling me fat!?"
"Stop it!" the eldest ordered. "Or I will have Papa cut your allowances for the rest of the year!" A horrified gasp came from the room. "Tina, it was a misunderstanding, so let it go."
"She still wore it!"
"Then just wash the damn thing! If I hear about this once more...," he ended in a threatening voice. The crowd in front of the room seemed to part. "Jose Luis, find out who did the laundry and tell them that they will no longer be washing the girls' clothes. They'll be washing their own."
"What!?"
"That's not fair!" the sisters yelled from within the room. Maria saw a male figure stop at the doorway and turn back around.
"Then don't fight over such stupid things," he hissed. "All your brothers who can do it. You're old enough to do it yourselves. Understand?"
Grumbles were replied and the young man at the doorway emerged into the hall. "God, it's good to have you back," one of their brothers said, relieved.
Valeria choose that time to step out from the play room. "Jandro! Alejandro, come here! You haven't met our new sister!" she said as she waved her hands in the air.
Maria shrank back, still holding on to her toddler baby sister as a man in dark jeans and a worn, gray shirt reached them. He resembled their Papa with dark brown hair, slightly darker skin, and brown eyes. He was tall, broad shoulders, and he had managed to silence her sisters so quickly, it was almost intimidating.
"Hola, pequeñas," he greeted them. A bright, wide smile reached his lips as his eyes twinkled under the hall lamps. He ruffled Valeria's curly brown hair and then knelt down in front of Maria and Ana. "And you must be Maria," he smiled as he met her face. "I am Alejandro."
"He is my heir," a voice said behind him. Maria looked up and her eyes widened.
"Papa!" she beamed. She circled her brother, still carrying Ana, and wobbly made her way to her father.
"I see you are watching your sister again," Antonio chuckled as he gathered the two girls in his arms. He nuzzled their heads lovingly before kissing their foreheads. "Let us hope that you two do not end up arguing all the time like Tina and Gabby, si?"
"That's what I said, Papa," Valeria nodded knowing. Antonio chuckled.
"Well, I hope they don't partake in their brother's misadventures, either," he told her with a grin. "Don't think I don't know about what you did with the twins. They confessed."
Valeria's eyes widened. "Traitors...."
"Papa, I did not know you were home," Alejandro greeted respectfully.
"I've just arrived myself, hijo. Thank you for taking care of your sisters," Antonio sighed with relief. "It is a pleasant experience to return home without the two of them screaming."
His son chuckled. "Well, I thought I'd come visit...for a few days. My ex-girlfriend kicked me out," he smiled.
Antonio frowned. "I told you she was no good," he said. "You should've stayed here."
Alejandro shrugged. "The apartment was closer to the university. Anyway, I saw Braginski today."
The corner of Antonio's eye twitched. "Which one?" Silently, he prayed it was one of Ivan Braginski's sisters and not the other mob lord. They were on good terms, but he always thought the man was a bit off.
"Yekaterina," Alejandro smiled. "The ballerina. She heard about Maria and gave me some tickets to watch Swan Lake. Valeria, do you want to go?"
The middle daughter's eyes crinkled up. "No...," she spat out. "I...I have...futbol," she offered.
"I didn't tell you when," Alejandro sighed. He looked over at his sister. "Maria?"
"Can Ana come?" Maria asked. Alejandro's eyes softened.
"Not this time. When she is older."
"Oh...," Maria looked at Ana. She didn't like leaving the little girl alone and Ana had grown rather attached to her.
"I will watch her," Antonio assured her. "You go with Alejandro to the ballet."
"It's boring...," Valeria sang quietly.
Maria looked torn, but eventually nodded. "Okay, Papa. I will go with him."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
The cheers and the clapping resonated around the theater as she stood on stage, her heart pounding hard against her chest as sweat glistened on her forehead. Beside her, her fellow dancer, Mikhail, bowed with her as the audience applauded them.
A wide, brilliant smile was on her face as she rode the exhilarating rush that signaled the end of her performance. This was her dream and part of her could hardly believe it was coming true.
The moment she had seen Yekaterina, a talented young ballerina, leap across the stage when she was five, Maria had fallen in love with ballet. The music, the movement, the way the story was told through them.
She had begged her father for ballet lessons and her brother, who had been with her when she first became entranced, urged their father to allow her. After all, all the boys were into sports of some sort, Valeria was in soccer, and Gabriela and Christina were accomplished musicians. It would be good for her to have something, too.
Now, she stood upon the stage, feeling her blood pump through her body at the excitement she felt. Fifteen years of ballet had paid off.
Mikhail escorted her off stage and Yekaterina, her beloved dance instructor and one of the theater's choreographers, was there to greet her.
"Beautiful, Maria! Absolutely beautiful!" the lovely blonde woman gushed. She wrapped her arms around Maria and rubbed her shoulders.
"Were they here?" Maria panted, still somewhat out of breath. Her lungs burned, but it felt good.
"Yes," the woman smiled. "I saw your father out there."
The twenty year old was almost bursting with pride. It was her first time with the lead position in a performance and she had hoped he would come.
Maria was ushered into her changing room, where she immediately went for her water. "Whoa...," she gasped as she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. "This is more than usual!"
"From your father, your brother, your sisters, your uncle," Yekaterina smiled as she pointed out the dozens of bouquets that awaited her. "They are all very proud of you."
Maria nodded blindly as she searched for a familiar bouquet of white roses with red and blue ribbons. Ever since she started, she had been receiving a dozen white roses, even if her part was small. They never had a name attached to them, only well wishes and compliments and red and blue ribbons.
Brown orbs settled on a crystal vase with the familiar roses. "There they are!" she beamed. She put her bottle down on her make-up table and wove through the forest of flowers to her white ones.
She immediately cupped the blossoms and craned her neck to get a better smell. She kept one rose from each bouquet as a keepsake. She didn't know who they were from or even cared, really. As far as she was concerned, the flowers were something that made her believe that she could do whatever she wanted out on the stage because someone believed in her.
"Have you found out from who they are coming from?" her instructor giggled behind her.
Maria shook her head as she found the little note with the words 'You looked beautiful out there! Congratulations on your first lead!'
"Nope. I kind of like it like this, though," she admitted as her face heated up. "Besides, if there was a name and Papa found out-"
"Hija!" her door flew open and Yekaterina jumped. Maria turned around and smiled. Her tearful eyed father was there, his arms open wide as he rushed towards her. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Papa!" Maria beamed. She slipped the small card back into the roses.
Her first lead performance had gone flawlessly, she had received her favorite bouquet, and her family had been out there to watch her.
"How do you feel, mi preciosa?" Antonio asked lovingly as he embraced his daughter.
"Like this is all a dream, Papa," she said as she hugged him back. "I've never been happier in my life."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
"Really?" Maria asked. She sat around a large table with the family on her mother's side. While she only usually saw them during the summers when she was younger, as soon as she was able to leave the house on her own, they made it a weekly event on Thursday nights to eat out, with or without the family patriarch.
They had a small list of restaurants everyone had agreed to and rotated through them. This time, they were at her youngest brother's favorite Chinese restaurant - Flower Harbor.
"You should have seen them go," Anh Linh said as she poured herself and her Thai fiancé some tea. "Rowing like their arms would fall off."
"The point is that we won," the youngest with his thick black brows replied.
"I'm very proud of you, Andy," Maria beamed. He had a Chinese name, but preferred to go by his English one. "Did anyone get pictures?"
"Mei dropped the camera," a series of voices chorused.
Beside her, her youngest sister froze over her bowl, her face twisting into one that looked like she was going to cry. "I didn't drop it! The strap broke!" she pouted as her pale face reddened. She turned to her sister. "Don't listen to them, Jie-jie!"
"I told you to hold on to it with both hands," Kiku sighed. "Because the strap was worn."
"I was really excited!" Mei defended.
"Well, did you at least manage to save the memory card?" Maria asked.
Yong Soo snickered. "She dropped it in the water."
"Shut up!"
"Mei," Kiku scolded gently from beside Maria.
"I really liked that camera," Mei mumbled as she picked at her food. Maria reached over and comfortingly stroked Mei's back. She was still in middle school, a far cry from the rest of her siblings who had all graduated high school.
"We bought you a new one," Anh Linh sighed.
"Yes...but that almost got taken away, too. They wouldn't let me bring it to Jie-jie's ballet performance the other night." Maria nearly choked.
"Mei, you can't bring a DSLR in and take pictures in a dark theater," Maria sighed as she lowered her glass of water.
"I know that now," Mei rolled her eyes. "And after all that trouble to get good seats."
"What trouble?" Andy snorted. "You called Sister's other sister to get tickets."
"Ana said they were sold out and had to ask their father for them," Mei pouted.
"Why didn't you just ask me?" Maria sighed.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Mei insisted.
"Your surprises always blow up in your face," Andy mentioned coolly. Mei seethed.
"Alright, can we just eat in peace?" Kiku sighed. "The restaurant is going to close soon with us in it."
Maria grinned and continued eating her meal. Their dinners always did last quite some time. Once, they had been laughing at a karaoke place for so long, her father had sent men to search for her.
After they paid for their meal, the siblings gathered their things and headed out towards the front of the restaurant, still chatting. Anh Linh had just bid them goodnight, as she was going home with her fiancé, and Kiku had gone to get the car when it happened.
Being the niece Yao Wang and adopted members of his family made for some enemies. They all knew that much. Still, it had been an uneventful night. One that was almost over. They were caught by surprise, when a dark colored car drove on to the sidewalk where they were waiting, aiming straight for her youngest brother.
One arm pushed Mei into the bushes, trying to get her as far away from the car possible, as Maria whirled towards the stunned, black-haired young man. Yong Soo was racing from where he had been smoking a few feet away, screaming at him to get out of the way. Andy's dark eyes were focused on the on-coming headlights.
"Andy, move!" He heard Maria's voice.
He felt a heavy shove and he was knocked away; his breath pushed out of his lungs by force. The screech of tires. The smell of rubber.
His eyes went wide as for a moment, the world had stopped.
The dark car was speeding away, ignorant of their cracked windshield as a body lay in the hard, dark asphalt, unmoving. His eyes watered, his heart stopped.
A pained scream echoed through the dark street. "SISTER!"
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
"Maria Carriedo," a handsome blond man said at the nurse's station. A large bouquet of white flowers and blue and red ribbons remained at his side. "She could also be under Jin Huan Wang." He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose hopefully.
"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse said as she looked through her files. "Miss Carriedo cannot see any visitors who are not family." She lifted her eyes and looked at the well-dressed man critically. "May I know your relationship to her?"
The blond man clutched the flowers tightly with one hand. "Fiancé."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
She had a lot of family and she liked to think that she was close to all of them. That was why it hurt to think that she wouldn't return to them.
As her world blacked out, all she could think of was 'I still need to return Ana's shoes'.
Yet, even after she awoke, part of her wished she never did.
It started off well. She was alive. She was surrounded by her loving family. White roses were resting by her bed, watching over her silently. Everyone had been excited for the first few days and then they started acting odd.
She should've noticed something was wrong, as whenever she mentioned getting back on to the stage, her siblings would grow silent and then change the topic. She was healing well the doctors said. Surely, it would be no time at all before she was back in her beloved ballet shoes.
Then the day before she was released, her father spoke to her.
"Maria," her father had said softly as he sat beside her and held her hand. "Mi hija preciosa...." She should've known something was wrong when she realized he was crying. "Mija..."
The broken bones would heal. Her bruised organs were at least still intact. It was miracle she survived at all, but it was not enough of one to assure her that she would be back to normal.
A ligament had been torn and damaged badly. It would not heal properly and as a result...
"You won't be able to do ballet anymore."
Her world ended. Everything she had been working towards for three-fourths of her life, everything she wanted, dreamed of, gone. Just like that.
It was no wonder she had slipped into a depression. Days had turned into weeks. Weeks had slowly progressed into months. She had rehabilitation sessions, strength sessions, but everyone, even her ballet instructor, told her no more ballet. No matter how much she pushed herself, it was too dangerous to continue.
She would miss the feel of her body moving and stretching across a stage. She would miss the eyes of the audience, their cheers, and their applause. She would miss...
"Maria," Anh Linh smiled softly as she peeked into his sister's room. "These came for you."
White roses with blue and red ribbons.
For a moment, all she could do was stare. How did they know she was at her Uncle's home? Was the sender really someone she knew? Despite the concerns it should've raised, she couldn't help but feel the odd comfort it was to see the white roses.
This time, there was a note attached and she opened it with shaking hands.
"The world isn't over. Come out soon. The world misses you."
Maria had started crying again and gathered the bouquet in her arms.
A few weeks later, she returned to the Carriedo Estate.
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
Ana's sobbing echoed in her room as Maria sat on the bed, cradling her sister in her arms as the younger brunette wailed. At the doorway, their eldest brother sighed tiredly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Ana, he's a very nice young man," Alejandro offered. "And a good friend of mine. You will like him."
The brunette shook her head and buried it further against Maria's chest, refusing to listen. Maria shot her brother an uncertain look.
"Jandro, can we have a moment alone, please?" she asked softly. He nodded his head quietly and slipped out of the room. He closed it behind him. "Ana?"
"Why does it have to be me?" the brunette choked out.
"Why not Val or Gabby or Tina or even you!?" she cried. Maria sighed tiredly. She had wondered that herself.
Valeria had firmly integrated herself within the family's business and a few years earlier, married their bodyguard. That had been a huge issue with their father, who genuinely liked the man. It was just that it was his daughter he was marrying.
The two oldest weren't married. Rather, they had also integrated themselves well into their family business, becoming dominant forces along with their brothers in dealing with international organizations. Maria came to think of them the say way she thought of Anh Linh - as some sort of mafia princess turn femme fatale.
She, however, was barely getting her toes wet with the family business after her depression. Both her Uncle Yao and her father had expressed concern, but she wanted something to do. Something that made her feel useful since all she had ever known - ballet - was no longer hers to have.
Ana was still in college and had plans on becoming a marine biologist. A trip to the aquarium as a child did for her what Swan Lake did to for Maria. As a result, Maria thought she would've been the right candidate for being wed for political reasons, as she was next in line, so it had shocked them all when Ana was chosen to marry Arthur Kirkland's eldest son.
Perhaps that wasn't what hurt Ana the most. Unbeknownst to any of her siblings, she had long developed feelings for their eldest brother. She knew she could never have him; after all, they were siblings, even if in name only. However, it still broke her heart to find out that it was Alejandro who had recommended her to his friend's father for marriage.
Maria had tried to talk their father into asking if they would have her instead, citing that her sister was too young - just starting college. Antonio and Alejandro would hear nothing of it. She was not just theirs, her father had said. Any marriage arrangement needed to go through her Uncle, as well.
She knew the politics well enough not to question what that meant.
"I don't know, honey, I don't know," Maria cooed as she stroked the back of her sister's head. "It's alright. I'll go with you tomorrow, don't worry."
Ana nodded her head and held on to her sister tightly. "I don't want to get married, Ria...."
"I know," her sister replied softly as her embrace tightened. "I know."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
Ana refused to leave the house until she went to her 'death sentence' at the Kirkland manor across town. As a result, Maria had to take it upon herself go and buy her sister's dress for that evening. Her father's personal assistant had gone with her, but they had been separated somewhere in the women's department of the store.
She currently had a good dozen dresses in brown paper bags in her arms, all her sister's size and intent on simply bringing them to her to decide. She trudged through the mall, cutting through the massive area to get to the bookstore and pick up a book on wedding planning before Lovino caught up with her and dragged her back to the estate.
She was halfway to the bookstore when she passed by a small crystal display caught her eye. At once, her mind was elsewhere.
Maria's big brown eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks and slowly moved towards the window display. Various crystal figurines adorned the area along with jewelry. Necklaces with crystal pendants dangled from displaces along with earrings, bracelets, and small statuettes.
A ballerina was on Pointe with her arms stretched out in a classic pose.
The figurine glistened under the display light; her blank eyes lost in the moment. Her costume seemed fairly stereotypical to the naked eye, but with the details, Maria deduced it that the crystal ballerina was dancing to Swan Lake.
For a moment, Maria could almost hear the music in her head. She could see the stage, the dancers, and the background. She could see Odette, played by Yekaterina, in her memory. She had been in awe when she first met the busty ballerina and proudly proclaimed that she wanted to be just like her.
And she was...for a little bit.
She blinked and turned her head away. Saving her brother was worth it; she had no qualms about that now. She'd rather be crippled than have had Andy lost his life. She was fit and was able to avoid damage that would've killed him simply by the angle she had come in.
Still, Maria missed the stage. Her pink satin shoes. The music pumping through her veins as the lights shone down on her.
She took a deep breath to try to compose herself and looked back at the ballerina. Her eyes widened in surprise as they caught striking blue ones on the other side of the glass. A pair of blue orbs blinked and offered her a small smile as he lifted the ballerina from the display.
Still smiling he held his hand up, motioning for her to wait a moment as he wound the little metal key by the base. Maria craned her neck to see what he was doing. He then waved for her to come inside.
Curiously, Maria entered the small shop. She saw the blond man standing by the display, carefully putting the ballerina back on the shelf. He was wearing a long trench coat and a nice suit underneath. She wondered if he was simply doing some shopping on his lunch break.
She approached him warily and when he caught sight of her, he smiled.
"You can't hear it outside," he chuckled before she could get in a word. She tilted her head to the side and then he released the ballerina.
She began to turn on her little crystal pedestal as familiar music chimed out from the base. Maria's smile widened. She had been right. Swan Lake.
The two remained standing by the display, watching the crystal ballerina spin until the music died down and she came to a standstill.
"I sort of excepted something...softer," he admitted as he lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his head. "A happier melody for a ballerina."
"Oh no, this is the best part," Maria argued as she looked at him earnestly. "It is when Odette meets the Prince. You see, Siegfried comes running out of his ball and into the forest. He's about to shoot one of the swans when instead, he sees a beautiful woman amongst them and...." Her voice trailed off as she noticed his amused smile.
"I take it you know the ballet?" he asked as the corners of his eyes crinkled up with his smile.
"I...." When did her throat go dry? "I...I used to dance...a bit."
"Really?" he asked, smiling further. Her heart thumped against her chest as she felt her face heat up.
"Just...just a little."
"Mam, sir?" a somewhat exasperated voice asked behind them. Maria gasped in surprise and nearly dropped her bags.
The blond man darted down and snatched them up before they hit the ground. "Oh! I'm sorry!" Maria immediately apologized.
"It's fine. I got them," he said. He handed them back to Maria and looked at the sales clerk who had approached them. "Yes?"
"Did you need any assistance?" the woman asked. "Are you interested in that figurine? You were looking at it for quite some time." Maria's face heated up with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't-"
"Do you have a new one?" the man beside her asked curiously. Maria looked over at him.
"Yes, sir," the woman nodded. The man took a step to follow the sales clerk, but paused to look at her.
"Will you give me a moment?" he asked. Maria nodded automatically. She stood to the side, watching as he was given another ballerina to inspect and then paid for it as it was put into a small little box.
It was a three-hundred something dollar figurine and Maria let out a whistle. That was a bit much, but it was really pretty. She used to have many ballerina figurines before she was hurt. Then put them all in a box and shoved them behind her closet. No one seemed to ask any questions.
"My mother used to take my brother and me to the ballet," a voice said. She snapped out of her daze and looked up at the man in front of her. "Sleeping Beauty was the first one I can remember seeing."
"Oh...," Maria nodded. "Did you like it?"
"No, I was bored out of my mind, actually," he chuckled as they walked out of the store. Maria's amused laughter joined his. He held a small navy paper bag in his hand that held his item. "My brother, however, loved it. He's a ballet dancer."
For a moment, Maria wanted to ask what his name was because perhaps she knew him. Instead, she kept quiet. "That must be amazing." She paused and looked at him curiously. "Is that for him?"
"I make a point not to give ballerina figurines to other men," the blond laughed. "But it is for someone."
Maria opened her mouth to ask if they were interested in ballet, too, when a voice shouted behind her. Immediately, her interested expression faded into one of irritation.
"Maria! There you are!"
The blond man looked over the top of her head. "Maria?"
"My father's assistant," she sighed. "He was supposed to go shopping with me, but we got separated in the department store. I was hoping to go to the book store before he caught me."
The man chuckled. "Well, I should get going. It was nice talking to you, Maria," he said as he extended his hand.
"Maria! Who is that man!?" Lovino was shouting. She easily ignored him.
"Carriedo. Maria Carriedo," she smiled. "And you're?"
"Alfred F. Jo-"
"Maria!" His last name was cut off as Maria turned around to shoot a glare at the man who was supposed to help her.
"My God, Lovino, give me a second!" she hissed. "And where were you anyway!? It's been two hours!"
Alfred chuckled. He patted her on the shoulder. "See you, Maria."
"Oh, bye, Alfred!" She waved. She watched him walk away and disappear into the crowd. A small feeling of disappointment filled her as his blond head vanished amongst the sea of people. She let out a heavy sigh. He really was a cute one, too.
A hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her forward, immediately drawing her attention towards the disgruntled Italian man. "Does your father know you're out flirting-"
"Does my father know you're manhandling his daughter?" Maria hissed back. She shot him a dangerous glare and Lovino immediately released her. "I was having a conversation about ballet before you rudely interrupted!"
Lovino frowned. "You can't just go off with random men-"
"I'm not a child, Vargas," Maria snapped as she shoved past him. "Forget it. Let's just go home."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
"But this one looks beautiful on you!" Gabriela tried to sooth their youngest sister, only to be met with a cry about how it didn't matter anyway and that her fiancé was probably being forced into it, as well.
"You've had enough of her for now," Alejandro said as he put his hands on Maria's shoulder and dragged her out of Ana's bedroom. "You have bags under your eyes from crying all night with her. You need to get some rest."
"I can rest after tonight," Maria shrugged off his hands and attempted to go around him.
"Maria," the eldest frowned. "Go get some rest."
"No, I want to help Ana. She needs me-"
"Ria!" a voice called from the girl's bedroom. Maria shot a confident look at Alejandro.
"I told you," she stuck her tongue out.
"Is this yours?" Ana came out of her room, looking confused as she held a small box in her hand. Maria's eyes narrowed as she automatically recognized the dark navy box. "It was in the bag with all the dresses."
"I...," Maria felt her mouth go dry once more. "No...but...."
"It's not?" Ana furrowed her brows. "I opened it up and it had a ballerina. I thought it was yours."
"I mean," Maria shook her head and ran a hand down her face. "It's mine. I have to return it to someone," she said as her sister handed it back to her.
"Okay," Ana nodded. "Go get some rest, Ria."
"What?" Maria frowned. "I'm fine-! Hey! Victor!"
Her cigar smoking brother heaved her over his shoulder after receiving a nod from the eldest. "Ria, if you don't get some rest, Papa won't let you go with us tonight," he warned.
A low grumble escaped her as she was carried across the hall. Sometimes, her family seemed to treat her like a fragile piece of glass; afraid she would fall apart at the small provocation. Some times, she didn't care. Other times, it annoyed her to no extent.
"Fine! I'll go to my room!" she hissed defiantly. "But I won't sleep!"
She was tossed on to the bed gently and Victor walked out. Alejandro walked it and grabbed her left foot gently. He pulled off her shoe and they proceeded to grab the next. "Stop being stubborn."
"But I have to help!" Maria argued as she clutched the box against her. Alejandro merely continued to tug her blankets out from under her and wrap her in it. "Jandro!"
"You can either sleep voluntarily or I will stay here and make sure you do," he threatened.
"I'm not a child!"
"You're acting like one."
She growled. "Fine!" she hissed. "I'll take a nap."
"Good girl," he said as he swept down and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, we'll wake you in time to get ready."
Maria merely grumbled as she rolled over on to her side. Alejandro moved her shoes aside neatly and headed out the door. When she heard the door close, Maria shot up in bed. She glared at the door where her brother had left from and looked down at the box she was still clutching against her chest.
Curiously, she wondered how it had gotten into the bag with her sister's things. Perhaps it had slipped out of Alfred's bag and into hers when they were shaking hands? She carefully opened it saw the dancing ballerina awaiting her. She briefly hesitated and then took the crystal figure out from the box. She wound the base and then placed it on her night stand.
The music filed her small corner of the room and she smiled as she watched it spin. As she placed the open box beside it, she noticed a small white strip of paper that had been pinned beneath the base.
Her eyes narrowed and she pulled it out. Her face turned red.
A phone number. A name. A small note.
"I'd love to talk to you again."
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
In a room filled with important men in dark suits and wearing stern expressions, a violet eyed-blond looked over at his blue-eyed older brother. A small smile reached his face. "You're excited."
"Of course," Alfred said as he adjusted his tie nervously for the tenth time since they came downstairs. "Do you know long I've waited for today?"
"Since you were in college and they showed you a picture of Carriedo's youngest," Matthew sighed. "I didn't think you'd go with the idea."
"Alejandro speaks very highly of Maria," Alfred said. "I trust his opinion."
"You think she's pretty."
"She's very pretty," Alfred smiled thoughtfully as he held a bouquet of white roses with red and blue ribbons in his free hand. With his other one he took out a worn picture he had given years earlier. "See?"
Matthew had seen the picture a dozen times himself. Alfred never hesitated showing it to him. It was a photograph of Antonio Carriedo's five daughters.
The two older ones were standing behind a chair where a youngest daughter sat. Her long black hair was braided neatly as she sat demurely in a dark red dress. It was a Christmas photo.
In front of them, their father was pacing nervously. Behind him, his 'business partner' and their 'significant other', Alfred and Matthew's mother, were seated calmly.
"Arthur," Jeanne assured him. "It'll be fine."
"We should've arranged a meeting first," Arthur blabbered stupidly. "One-on-one. Get them to know each other."
"You worry too much," Francis sighed. "Antonio's daughter is a lovely girl. They all are and any would make a fine match for Alfred....well, except the married one."
Before Arthur could call him an idiot, the arrival of the Carriedos was announced. Everyone rose from their seats and awaited their entrance. The double doors opened to the room and Antonio carried flanked by his son Alejandro on his right and his assistant Lovino to his left walked in.
Behind them, there were several young woman and men. Alfred held his breath. His father greeted Carriedo and his eyes flickered to the group of young women hidden behind the wall that was comprised of their male siblings.
"Alfred," Antonio greeted, snapping the blond out of his thoughts. "Good to see you again."
"Yes, sir," Alfred shook his hand firmly with his free one. "Good to see you, as well."
"Gringo," an amused voice said behind their father. Antonio took a deep breath and seemed to force himself to step away. The duty of presenting his daughter was given to his son, as it was decided he was too 'emotionally invested' to do so properly. Alfred turned to his friend, clutching the bouquet beside him. "This is my youngest sister," he said as he stepped aside. "Ana."
Blue eyes widened as they settled on a lovely young woman he didn't expected. His face visibly paled as a pair of tearful light brown eyes met his.
"A...na?" he choked out. That wasn't the name he was expecting.
"Honey, it's alright," a soft voice said behind the trembling teenager in front of him. His eyes darted to the figure he was expecting to see. Soft brown hands gently cupped her sister's crying face. "It's fine, okay? Don't cry...."
Maria's eyes widened as she turned to see the man standing in front of her. Her heart caught in her throat. Just that afternoon...the man from the crystal store. Her eyes flew down to a familiar bouquet in his hand. Impossible.
Dread filled her within the silent room.
"I can't do this!" Ana screamed suddenly.
"Ana!" Alejandro yelled as the girl whirled around, shoved past her siblings, and flew out of the room.
Immediately, the room was filled with voices, all trying to address the matter as Maria and Alfred stared at each other in complete disbelief.
"Youngest," he whispered. His hands trembled as his eyes crinkled up. "Aren't you...?"
Maria shook her head. The flowers. The figurine. Had Alfred known the entire time? "No...." Worse...had he made a mistake?
"Alejandro, do something!" she heard someone yell in the background. Maria snapped her head back and tore her eyes away from the blond.
"I'll get her!" she shouted as she frantically tried to get away. Ana came first. She needed to find Ana.
"Maria!" Alejandro shouted, reaching out for her as she swept past him.
"Jandro," a choked voice called behind him. The brunette turned around and met the blank eyes of his old friend. "You said it was her."
"What?" the brunette asked as he crinkled his eyes. He shook his head. "What are you talking about, Gringo? I never said it was Maria!" he shouted, almost insulted at the very idea.
"But...," Alfred's voice was strained. "You said she was the youngest."
"Ana is the youngest," Alejandro stressed. "She's three years younger than Maria! Maria is just shorter and has a younger looking face! It's always been Ana!"
"No," Alfred shook his head. He had gone to every performance. Sent her flowers at every one. Visited her in the hospital and looked forward to the day when he could finally introduce himself as her fiancé to her and suddenly.... "No...," he fell back against his brother.
Matthew cried out. "Alfred!"
The blond closed his eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
.oOo.____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo. ____.oOo.
A.N. - Super duper rushed one-shot! This clichéd romance story will never be completed. :evil laughter: I'm a horrible person. >3> :Goes off to write DE.:
For unofficial adopted sister, trishpawachunyu . X3 Because of you, this haunted me. I just wanted to get it out of my system.
Random notes:
Hong Kong's name - most people I end up meeting from Hong Kong or Taiwan have an English name aside from their Chinese name. I chose Andy because of a friend in college and my friend's fave old school HK singer is Andy Lau. She actually called me during the Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremonies to tell me that he was there, singing with Jackie Chan. -_-"
Maria's Chinese name - Most Chinese-Americans have their legal American name and then a Chinese name. Sometimes their families address them by their Chinese name or a variation/nickname. I believe it's an important part of their culture to do so and I think this goes beyond Chinese-Americans as Chinese-Canadians do it, too. Perhaps most Chinese diasporas? Their Chinese names are usually more formal rather than the horrible nicknames my family gave myself and my cousins that translate weird adjectives or odd mutations of our given names.
Maria was shopping at the department store with the 'brown bags' - Bloomingdale's and then the crystal store was Swarovski.
I was actually listening to another piece from Swan Lake during the crystal store scene. >3> It was from Part 2 rather than Part 1 of Act 2. I've actually never been to a live ballet performance, yet. Opera, yes. Symphony, yes. Ballet...one day. A ballet...and a MUSICAL. I never seem to catch one when I want to...stupid mislabeled London flier....
Why "Swan Lake"? Well, Odette and Siegfried die at the end...guess what was going to happen to Maria and Alfred....
Questions, comments, and concerns are welcomed! Thank you all very much for reading!