The door swung open and Tonio stared down at Allan from the entrance. He opened his mouth, shrieked, "Cousin?!" then proceeded to turn a queasy green color. He let him in without another word. Allan would have laughed- did what happened so long ago affect him THAT badly? - But he dared not. Submissive as he was, his cousin was still filthy rich, and could probably make his robot butlers shoot tranquilizer darts from their eyes.

Once the door was shut behind them and he'd waved his servants away, Tonio stood, shocked, in front of Allan. "What did I do this time?" he asked, fingers twitching in expectation. He trembled nervously, eyes wide as a deer in the headlights of a car.

"C'mon, kid, calm down!" Allan tried to jokingly smile at him. It must have come out as more of a grimace, given Allan's recent heartbreak and depressive mood. Then, giving a heavy sigh, he added, "I'm not here to beat you up."

Tonio immediately relaxed, sliding into his preferred seat on a leather couch and crossing his legs. He motioned for dear cousin Allan to do the same, and he awkwardly followed suit. Tonio's mood shifts were jarring…

With his lips curled up into a charming smile, Tonio called for a butler to bring some tea for them. Allan wrinkled his nose and shook his head. He was more of a smoothie kind of guy.

His cousin gracefully extended his pinkie once he'd taken his own cup. Tonio was such a faker! Despite his Italian upbringing, he'd much rather live the life of a British gentleman, while Allan embraced his Texan roots.

"How's the Opera?" Allan asked, with a playful lilt to his voice.

Tonio's smile softened. "Yes, Prima's fine, if that's what you were so smoothly asking about." After a pause, he asked, "So, why did you come see me? It isn't like you to just show up."

"You musta heard. It's on magazine covers and everything." Allan's throat felt arid. To have to confess to Tonio that his wife had left him was unbearable. But, if he wanted to go through with his plan, this must be done.

Allan braced himself, taking a deep breath and fixing his eyes rigidly on Tonio. He said, slowly, pained, "Annabel left me." And then, voice breaking, he added, "Ollie isn't even my kid."

Tonio silently placed his cup down on a table and glided over to him. With trembling hands, he cupped Allan's cheeks and forced his face upwards. "Look at me," he commanded, green eyes sincere. "We have never been the best of friends, but family trumps anything, I think! Annabel…" he squeezed Allan's face a little too hard, "She can't do this! No way!"

Once he'd let go, he cocked his hips to the side and smirked. "Want me to turn the media against her? Because I can do that." He suddenly looked pleased. "Money can do anything."

Allan shook his head somberly. "Tonio, stop. I-, I don't want to hurt her." No matter what, the woman she'd become didn't have a place in his memories of his wife. He couldn't bring himself to think of her as evil.

"You just wanted to bring by the news, then?" Tonio raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm one of the only people to see what you are capable of, and I can't accept this. Allan, you fought me and won. I was five years older than you, and twice as strong. Don't pretend that you're weak. I know firsthand the truth."

"You've got things all wrong!" exclaimed the Texan, frustrated. "I'm not secretly violent or anything. Just… I can defend myself when the time is right. And, seriously, Tonio, you were a real BULLY back then."

"I can bully her just as I did to you then, albeit in a less conspicuous manner." The dark-haired man grinned predatorily. He must have temporarily forgotten his fear of Allan, the one that kept him so compliant.

"No, Cuz. Look, what I want is to get away. There isn't a single day that I don't see her face. Annabel is everywhere. She gets more famous by the week, especially now that Hollywood has proclaimed her and that man "Cutest New Couple".

Allan's face contorted, visibly hurt, and he gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "So I need you to lend me a hand. Can you send me somewhere outside the U.S?"

"I take it she's not an international sensation yet, is she?" Tonio pursed his lips and sat down, taking a sip of his tea as he leaned against the couch. "Allan, I'm made of money, but I don't feel like spending it on you, honestly."

Allan furrowed his brown brows, and replied, "Don't make me beat you down again. 'Cuz I will." He was attempting a joke, but Tonio remembered broken ribs and endless days at the hospital…

Once fear had settled back into his eyes, his cousin seemed to change his mind. "Oh! Well, I bought Prima some tickets to Japan so she can perform… What's one more ticket! Ha-ha!"

Allan sheepishly gave his cousin a parting hug. He hadn't meant to terrorize him yet again, but it had worked out in his favor, this time. "Thanks, Antonio." Tonio chuckled and bade him farewell.


The airport was crowded, inevitably, because it was that time of the year. July 18th, when kids were out of school and families went on vacations. He'd felt depressed thinking about it. Annabel, Oliver, and Allan could all have gone on a vacation together.

Funny how he'd ended up on a vacation to run away from them. He waited around for Prima, his future cousin-in law, on one of the various seats. Everyone who saw him would have assumed that he was moping… and rightly so.

Or at least he was until Prima showed up. She was a woman of homely appearance, with poise and grace, but her vocal power was astounding. With a lopsided smile, she beckoned Allan forward and they boarded the airplane.

Allan had no idea how big of a mess he'd be getting into.


Next Chapter: There are handsome Butlers

+ Thank you for reading!

+ For more info on how their childhoods went down, check out "Little Allan's Big Polka" on Youtube.