A/N: HEY! I finally got to the point in the story I wanted to. Only took 8 chapters. Oh well.

The great confrontation! Usually I don't leave a reminder of what the ending to the last chapter was, but I decided to switch it up. I honestly wasn't sure how I would set this all up. The first time I attempted writing this story, I scrapped it because I didn't like where this went. Well… I'm currently writing chapter 22, so obviously I like where this story is going.

There are several different stories with Giovanni. Some of them have him as some meanacing antagonist, others as a sympathetic character. I tried to switch it up. That's why he's not quite as bad of a guy as I could have wrote him. And his persian? From the anime, some people say his persian is a female, some say male, but the fanfics I've read, most make his persian a female. So I decided to make her female. And I was thinking about making her a shiny or not… but right now I don't think it matters. Some sources say that, in the earlier seasons, the persian may have been shiny. Before shiny 'mons in Johto were implemented. Well, I think it was just the colors and lighting used in the anime, but shiny or not, a persian shiny is hard to notice. I don't even know if the anime has shown us an actual shiny persian. But, hey. I haven't even stated if it is a discolored persian. So if you guys would like me to interpret the persian as shiny, leave a COMMENT! And if no one does, I may just make it a normal coated persian. I don't think it matters too much for the plot of the story.

But yeah! Initially I was going to post this chapter much later, compared to chapter 7. I wasn't going to post it till the next day… but I'd rather post this chapter now, before my life gets busy again. Oh well!

Anyways, I hope you guys are ENJOYING yourselves! I'll leave the a/n here and let you guys get to the story. ENJOY!

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

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"Ah… h-hey dad," you responded, hesitantly, as you carefully began to shift yourself to your feet, letting out a slight hiss over the strain in your muscles, but you finally managed to push yourself up onto your feet as you patted the top of your father's persian's head, scratching her behind the ears in the same way you had been doing with Meowth. "Long time no see?"

! #$%^&*()

But as you saw the stern, rather emotionless look on his face, obvious anger stewing on his face, you quickly put out your hands in a defensive stance. "H-hey. I get it. You're mad, but I can explain myself. I-I just couldn't think about apologizing over the phone a-and –" but your voice left your breath as you let a surprised squeak leave your breath. You felt the air in your lungs leave you just slightly, but as your father wordlessly pulled you into his chest, his head leaning down onto your shoulder as he brought your head against his shoulder, you hesitantly put your arms around him… only to feel a wave of emotions slamming into you all at once as you gripped him into a tight hug, slumping your head into your father's comforting shoulder as you began to let out soft, held back, whimpering cries.

"I'm sorry," you heard your father whisper so quietly, so softly you barely heard his words, but his gentler tone of voice caused more tears to appear as you began to outright sob. The world around you stood still. The eyes, the stares, faded away as you held onto your father for dear life.

And he hugged you, just as tightly. Holding back tears you know he wanted to shed, but didn't dare to. Especially in public, but that was okay. That didn't matter… because he's here, now. "I-I'm… I'm sorry babbo," you spoke in a mumble, and all you could hear in a deep breath leaving his lips, and his grip on your head tightening, just slightly. As if he was cradling you close to him. Refusing to let you go, ever again.

"Sei al sicuro con me. That's all that matters," he told you, before he slowly lifted his head, letting you go, as he placed his arms on your shoulders so he could have a better look at you. "My… you're looking more like your mother," he smiled fondly, causing you to pout in response.

"N-not really –"

"Sbrigati. We should have a private chat," he told you, calmly standing up straight while you let out a shaky sigh. Unable to stop yourself as you smiled a bit more brighter then usual.

But you reached for your face, rubbing at the tears that you had shed in slight irritation, and while you heard your father saying something to Archer, and probably to the Rockets around you, you knelt down in front of the persian and gave her a smile, before scratching her behind her ears and around her neck. "Sono felice di rivederti," you told her, patting the top of her head before you fully recovered onto your feet, glancing at the Rockets you had been talking to, and noticing their shock, hurt, and even irritated looks on their faces. Even Meowth was surprised, causing you to look away with a pained expression on your face, but you closed your eyes and breathed.

Breathe… it's okay… No, it's not really okay. Everyone is going to look at you differently from now on, but… s-so be it? You suppose –

"Bambina," you heard your father call out to you, to snap you out of your thoughts, and with a confirmed nudge from his persian you started walking, but you didn't look to happy about the situation.

It was a mixture of pain, nervousness, and uncertainty.

Everything has changed now… there's no going back, now…

Crap.

Crap, just crap.

Your usual smile or even irritated look was somber. Dulled. Your eyes stared blankly, your ears barely listening to anything around you, while you sighed to yourself. The only thing that kept you from jolting away was the persian beside your leg, walking alongside you, even before she cast the talking meowth a devious smirk, causing the feline to hiss in response, but you didn't care.

You just… feel so dead… right now.

You thought maybe you could blame all of this on the boss of Team Rocket. The whole reason why your father is the way he is. Why he's not there. Uncaring, at times. You lied, a bit. There have been times he missed important parts in your life, trying to apologize with a day out of fun or maybe something expensive. Or pretty. Still… he's missed birthdays… and important parent days that you cannot get back. Days that you wished he was there, with you, but he never was. Always had an excuse not to be with you, for one reason or another.

Always because of his important work, and now…

Just… why? Why?

Is your family just a really bad family? Is that it?

Your steps were a blur. You just followed, obeyed, without questioning anything. You stayed silent, barely giving a 'yes' or 'no' to any question thrown your way.

But eventually you found yourself stopping, almost running into a chair in your daze, and you noticed your father was giving you an unsure, but then worried look, before he sighed and slowly sat down into a large black leather chair, behind a large rustic mahogany desk. You realized that it was just the two of you in this large, red, gray, and black office room. Roberta found a pokemat in the corner, slumping down, but she kept her head up as she waited for the two of you to do something.

Except all you could do is stare back at him.

Did your father always look this old? His lightly tanned olive skin, crinkled and starting to get wrinkled. His dark brown locks of hair slightly turning… grayer. His dark brown eyes looked tired. Duller…

Yeah. Alex was right. What if he dies one day? Out of the blue? You'll regret not speaking with him before that happens… or at the very least finding closure.

You closed your eyes, letting out a shaky breath, before your eyelids snapped open and you let your eyes narrow. Determination written all over your face as you took a fairly dramatic step forward, moving past a single chair that had been placed in the center of the room to get closer to the desk your father sat casually behind. "I, I know I need to explain myself. I've done some very reckless and stupid things, but… I know I'll regret not talking with you. One on one. To at least explain myself.

"Dad… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running away from the boarding school. For collaborating with your enemies. For yelling at you a-and accusing you of being a stupid, stuffy old man. I'm sorry for my behavior, a-and coming here unannounced, like this," you spoke, but by the end of your little speech you felt your voice catching in your throat, your lips unable to utter another word.

Not like you had much to say. It's just…

"I should have listened to you. You were right about Team Galactic. Cyrus. All of it. Y-you were right about everything a-and I'm –"

"Sylvia," he spoke, cutting you off, and he watched you as you let out a shaky breath, a similar fear he's seen on the face of many others before you, standing in the very same spot you are. Except this time… he didn't find any pleasure in your fear. In your shame.

He gave you a hurt look just seeing you this way. His daughter, cowering like some coward. Her confidence, shattered. "… I'm the one who needs to apologize."

"N-no, I –"

"I've been pushing you away. Making promises I never kept. I did everything for your safety, but… in the end that was the worst choice I could have made," he stated, slowly rising to his feet, again, and calmly walking from behind his desk, his hand running against the end of the polished wood as he sighed deeply, and finally let his true emotions through as he looked at you with a tired, exhausted look on his face, with a hint of relief in his eyes. No, maybe not relief… perhaps satisfaction? Approval? "My first mistake was never, ever telling you what I… your late grandmother and I have done, for years. The second, was letting you run away and not bothering to chase after you.

"I didn't want you to go on a journey because the world is not kind to people like us. Anyone and everyone, if they figured out who you are, could kill you without a second thought. Hurt you. Do something… that I wouldn't be able to stop, but I should have supported you. You had been dreaming to go on an adventure like your mother and I did. I shouldn't have kept you from your dreams."

"B-babbo," you couldn't help but say, with a sad look on your face, looking up at him as he drew closer, but he stood a couple of feet away. "B-but my dreams –"

"Could be farfetch'd, but they are still dreams I shouldn't have tried to squash," he stated, pausing for a moment, before he reached for the back of his head and scratched his head, his properly combed and gelled hair loosening slightly to reveal how naturally wavy his hair actually is. "I was always afraid."

"Afraid?" you couldn't help but cut into the conversation, only to put your hands impulsively to your lips to stop yourself from speaking, but he chuckled dryly at your outburst.

"Yes, child. Even I can be afraid.

"Afraid that I would lose you, like I lost your mother. I know you didn't know the woman very well. Barely recall her face," he stated, his eyes glancing to the side as he stared at a far off bookshelf, before his eyes turned back to you and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Sadly. "But you look so much like her, and you act like her, as well."

"I doubt it," you scoffed, reaching into your pocket and pulling out a folded up photo, and you unfolded it, glancing at the picture with a fond look on your face, before handing it over to your father and letting him see it. You could see the wave of sadness that fell over his strained features, as you smile lightly at the picture of your happy, young, perfect parents, and the little baby in your mother's arms as they excitedly took a photo with you. "She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. And a much paler complexion then me. If anything, I look more like you," you stated matter-of-factly, only to glance at your father as he chuckled bitterly at your words, handing the photo back to you as you stared down at the image, smiling happily at the scene.

"I remember that day," he couldn't help but say, causing you to look up at him with wide eyes as he smiled fondly at you. A sparkle in his eyes that you never truly get to see, anymore. Considering that the years leading up to your running off was full of shouting and anger. You barely remember a time when you… could enjoy him, like this. "It was your first birthday and your mother wanted to have a picnic in the park. She dragged me away from the gym to do it. That's why I'm wearing the causal suit," he explained, your eyes noticing that, yes, he was wearing a casual suit, without his usual tie.

"What I should mean," he decided to say, closing his eyes for a moment and sighing deeply to himself, all the while you began to look up at him as he opened his eyes and looked down at your own, "is that… I'm ecstatic that you act more like your mother then myself."

"In what way? –"

"You're a very determined child. Who won't take no for an answer. Her blunt, but kind nature is why I was attracted to your mother in the first place," he told you with a smile, before his smile faded, slightly, as his gaze became saddened. "I… was selfish, Sylvia. I shouldn't have… I'm sorry that I didn't try to be there for you, when you needed me the most –"

"Dad," you spoke, getting his attention as you walked over to him, shortening the distance between the two of you, and calmly you wrapped your arms around his body, only to feel his arms reaching around to hug you back. You both stayed that way, not saying a word, your eyelids closing as you enjoyed his familiar musky and cologne scent. His familiar broad shoulders… but you pushed back the tears you wanted to shed. You already cried. You needed to talk, now. "I… I understand your fears," you stated, and slowly he pried you away, looking down at you as you stared sadly up at him. Enough to bring a stray tear to your eyes, and you moved away to wipe away the tears before you continued with a shaky breath. "But… you can't let fear stop you from living your life.

"You told me that, once. W-when I was scared at the all girls' school. That I can't let fear dictate my life. So… if I had stopped when things got hard, I never would have reached my goals. And I'm not even talking about being a champion. I'm talking about just finish the pokemon league challenge. Or catching 'mons that were a bit harder then most to catch. Sleeping in tents and journeying with people I didn't particularly care for, at first.

"I lost a lot, dad. Pokemon, partners… friends. Human friends, too. It… it hurts," you continued, and you could feel your tears clouding your vision, making him blurry, but you kept going with a shaky breath, "but… I won't let fear stop me.

"R-right?" you asked, with an unsure tone in your voice, only to flinch as you felt his finger flick your tear away before his palm rubbed against your cheek.

You looked at him with wide eyes, before you began to sniffle and close them, letting a few stray tears slip from your eyes while he sighed to himself. "I'm a terrible father," he spoke, but he let out a surprised 'oof' as you suddenly jumped forward, grabbing him in another hug, which he happily accepted.

"You're the best father, daddy. I love you," you mumbled, sniffling as you felt his hand rubbing your back, as he held you close and sighed deeply in response.

"Ti amo di più. Non ti lascerò di nuovo."

"I-il babbo," you couldn't help but respond, letting your father hug you tightly as the two of you fell silent, again.

But… you felt like things will be okay again. Life is messy, but… it's always been messy.

And you have your father back.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

"I will admit. This is a lot to take in," you chuckled nervously while your father smirked back at you. His devious grin causing you to smirk in response while he calmly poured himself a shot of whisky, and you eyed him curiously before letting out a sigh. "You do know alcohol isn't good for you."

"Are you lecturing me child?" your father responded and while his voice sounded rough you could tell he was playing with you, but he put the shot glass back on the small table, though his eyes were still scanning his liquor cabinet. "… You didn't take one, did you?"

"Why would I?" you scoffed with a shrug. "I'm old enough to legally drink. But, once you're allowed the thrill of getting drunk as a minor kind of goes away."

"True," he smirked at your reasoning, but he took the bottle of half full whisky and his full shot glass, and he downed the shot in a quick motion before he sat down in a plush chair, setting the two items on the coffee table as he looked at you from across the table.

After the mess that happened after the two of you reunited and accepted each other's apologizes, the rest of the day was, well… exhausting. You were a bit confused that your father let you stay in his office as he finished his business, talking with various people, making phone calls, and loads of paperwork to sign, before you both finally had some dinner.

Now, this is after dinner. After he let you have a glass of red wine, which rarely happens, but you accepted the alcohol without question. After he had lit a cigar and caused the apartment to smell like cigar smoke, even though he opened a tiny window that would be too small for anyone to squeeze through, even a 'mon, unless they were a very small one, and a fan in the kitchen was blowing some of the clean air in, and smoky air out, while he continued to drink.

You know your dad likes his whisky and wine, and even cigars on occasion. He likes to smoke when he succeeds and is celebrating a swift victory, which is what you assumed happened in Sinnoh. You're still not fully clear on what happened, but as long as Team Galactic disappeared for good… you'll call that a victory in your book.

But, even this is a bit excessive. Perhaps your father didn't start to drink this much until recently?... Was it because you left him?

"So, where shall I start?" he sighed to himself, his words causing you to look over at him, a confused look on your face, while he sat back in the couch with his shoeless feet on the edge of the coffee table. His eyes stared at the brown liquid back in his shot glass, and he stirred the liquid, staring at it with a tired look on his face, before he sipped half of the glass before his gaze fell upon you. "To be honest, kid, I would have told you this… mess that we call our family eventually, but I wanted to wait till you were older."

"I'm almost seventeen. So isn't that old enough?" you stated, hoping that was enough to convince the man that he could talk about… a family you never knew. A life you never did understand.

All you know is that there are secrets. Mountains of secrets… that no one should know about. Ever. If you don't know then you shouldn't know, and knowing could lead to more problems. If you're told something, then you keep it to yourself.

"Your name isn't really Sylvia Sakaki," your father began, his eyes gazing over at his persian, who had curled up on another pokemat located in the living room, close to the hallway and up against the wall, before he continued. "In the Viridian records, you wouldn't be able to find your name. At least not the Sakaki. I've gone by many aliases over the years, but your mother suggested Sakaki, so I've told you that your name is Sylvia Sakaki, and I am Giovanni Sakaki," he told you, his voice pausing as he stared at you, waiting for a reaction.

"Mother knew?" you couldn't help but ask in a hesitant tone, and his eyes watched as you began to toy with the necklace around your neck. At the arrowhead against your chest, and he smiled lightly before giving you a slight nod.

"Your mother used to be a Team Rocket grunt," he began, pausing for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I should say, she worked for a company. She was a telemarketer, but she became tired of the job and left that company. Ended up in one of the corporations that I happened to own, and that's how we met. She wasn't a criminal by any means. I liked it, that way, but she wanted you to have a good and happy life… then live like a criminal. Like I did, and considering I could provide that sort of life, the plan was that you two move out of Kanto," he told you, and your eyes stared at him sadly as you leaned into the armrest of the couch you were sitting on.

"But that didn't happen," you stated, as he nodded solemnly at your words, and you closed your eyes, tightly, sighing deeply as you looked up at him with a tired look on your face. "What's my name, then? Who even are you? Us?"

"You are Sylvia Mariam Rosso. My daughter," he told you, pausing for a moment before he reached for his bottle, pouring another shot before corking the top of the bottle and placing it off to the side as he stared at the liquid. "Your mother named you Sylvia because she liked the name. Also, because of your eyes. Maria is my mother's name, and your mother liked the idea of using Mariam instead of Maria.

"Rosso is our real surname. We don't talk about it with anyone. Not even Archer or Ariana knows my last name. Only those who worked in Team Rocket when my mother was in charge, but by the time she changed her name, as far as everyone else is concerned, to Rocket, I wasn't even born yet. Not that many people would even know the Rosso-Rocket connection," he tried to explain, gulping down his shot, and aggressively placing it down on a stand beside him, before he returned his attention back to you. "Rosso is from the old country. Where our… your great grandparents come from. My mother is half Italian, half Kantonese. I don't know why your great grandparents left, but they needed to leave and started a live here, in Kanto. Viridian, to be exact. On the Kantonese side, according to my mother, there was a tradition about having children, at least the first born, in the Viridian Forest.

"Locals always said that children born in the Viridian Forest could gain secret powers, and strangely enough there are many local tales across the globe about the idea of having a child in the forest, and they will be able to communicate with pokemon in a way others cannot… How true that is," he continued, his gaze looking over at you before he smirked to himself, "well… regardless if it's true or not, your grandmother was born in the forest, and so was I. As were you.

"Your grandmother, Maria Rosso, or Madame Boss as far as the Rockets are concerned, founded Team Rocket. I took over when she passed away by…" he paused, but you decided to say for him.

"She was killed," you responded, causing him to nod to himself.

"Murdered by her enemies, but I dealt with them," he told you, bluntly, before sighing and leaning back into the couch, closing his eyes and letting out an exhausted sigh. "At the time, I was just about your age. But unlike you, I didn't even know about my mother's affiliation with the team. She was… we had a terrible relationship, which is why I tried so hard with you. I didn't want you thinking I ever abandoned you," he told you, his eyes opening as he gave you a crude smirk, "but it didn't matter, did it? I did abandon you, didn't I?"

"No," you scoffed, but before he could retort your response, you quickly continued, "you didn't abandon me, dad. I left… I've talked to people whose parents absolutely hated them. Beat them up. Did other sorts of… crap. You aren't like that," you stated, and while he didn't seem too convinced by your words, you know that your words held true.

Even if he drinks, he never hit you. Beat you purple and black. Burn your skin with a cigarette. Hurt you emotionally.

If anything, he's tried his best to raise you, the best he could. As a single father. You rarely saw any 'lovers' you're sure he's had over the years. But he never forced you to see the ugly truth, which you were blinded by… for the longest time. His own pain, for losing his wife. The hate for his job. The fact that he cannot enjoy himself in his own home, for very long. He'll be gone from the estate in a span of a week. Two, at the most, and gone for long lengths of time. But, you weren't entirely abandoned. There were trusted servants, which you're sure were actually Rocket agents… probably. Considering the circumstances.

You know about kids who were left home alone as their parents went to work. Or parent. Or guardian. Kids in the 'system' as orphans were worse off, though.

That's why… you don't hate criminals and gang members as much as you used to. Don't exactly hate Team Rocket grunts, especially. It's a way to earn easy money. You get that.

But those that try to destroy the world… and upset the natural balance of the world by bringing about war… Yeah. No. You won't let that happen. No matter what.

"Whatever," he finally stated with an irritable sigh, too tired to argue while you gave him a meek smile in return. "Either way, as far as the records are concerned, you are Sylvia Mariam Rosso. But, around here your last name is Rocket, actually… You can keep the surname Sakaki if you wish," he decided to say, as if he realized that, maybe, you didn't want to accept everything he was telling you.

Which is a good enough conclusion.

You are this year's Kalos champion. Under the name of Sylvia 'Silver' Sakaki. As far as the public is concerned, that's your name. That's who you are. You've kept the truth that your father is the Viridian gym leader… for the most part, but that's one piece of information that would slip, from time to time. That he's a gym leader. That's why he's never around. Why you don't have time to talk with him. It's not the entire truth, and…

You doubt the police are that naïve. Either they've been bribed by the team, members of Team Rocket are part of the system, which you could believe, or perhaps it's everything. Interpol is a reason why you began to suspect that these agencies know more about you then you thought.

Which was true. Looker must have known that you can become a valuable asset, as the Team Rocket Boss' child. A potential heir. A valuable source of information.

But… too bad for him, you didn't have a clue about any of that.

And any true merit you earned with that agency, with Looker, was by your own worth. Your conviction. Your determination. The fact that you fought tooth and nail against Team Galactic, and then Team Flare. That… you're a good trainer… and almost died, trying to do the right thing. It was the 'doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do' that Looker looked at you, differently, after that moment. That he stopped seeing you with a judgmental gaze, but instead relied on you as a valuable ally.

Not that he's the only one you can rely on, but… he did make it easier. And you figured out just how… aloof you've been about your family's background. After your father. The shadiness that you refused to look at, even if it was right in your face, at times.

You just didn't want to stay naïve anymore. That's all.

"… If I were to change my name to Rocket," you began, watching as the haze that seemed to be glossed in his eyes turned sharp at your words, but you continued seriously, "what would that mean? And even if I don't, and publicly I keep Sakaki and never use the surname Rocket, even here, would that change anything?"

"I would advise," he began, pausing before he sighed to himself, "is that, as far as the public is concerned, you're still Sylvia Sakaki. After all, I'm still Giovanni Sakaki, Viridian City gym leader. Within the team… you can just walk away, bambina. After today, after you decide that you're tired of this place, you don't ever have to return here. I won't even hand over the team to you, unlike my mother forcing her messes upon me… What do you want?" he finally asked, and you gave him a slight chuckle, causing him to raise a curious eyebrow. "What?"

"Ironically… the thought recently crossed my mind about joining Team Rocket," you began, noticing his eyes staring at you with a look you haven't seen from him in a long while. Maybe it's… shock? Or fear? "That's why I helped with the whole hacking thing, after all. Not just because I want to see Team Galactic burn to the ground, but it's like… a trial run. Cause… being a trainer doesn't make money, in the end. I enjoy going on journeys, but that doesn't mean I can keep doing this sort of thing, forever," you told him, noticing his eyes softening as you sighed and scratched at your head in frustration. "Sure, I could try the whole celebrity thing, but after a while people won't care about me as a champion. Becoming a reigning champion, sure, but then I'm working for the pokemon league, and you've told me just how shady they are… and they are. I've seen it first hand.

"A gym leader? Maybe even reaching the status of elite four? Maybe, but I still have to abide by their rules, and my income is determined by the league. So, I've narrowed it down," you continued, your eyes gazing away from his own as you continued to think out loud. "I was thinking, considering I have a GED, a proper diploma from my work as Professor Oak's assistant, maybe I could go to university and aim for a master's degree? In the sciences. Maybe become a scientist or something like that. A researcher.

"Or, programming. Start a programming business… a security business, perhaps? Hacking. I've always been good at that. Porgyons just make the process easier, but coding just looks so… simple to me," you decided to tell him, before flashing him a slight grin. "Thing is… i-it's a tough decision. Deciding upon what you want to do with the rest of your life.

"You gave me so many opportunities so I cannot thank you enough, but… no matter what I decided to do, I knew that… I could not go on with my life without see you. My only relative. You always told me family is everything. Your friends may change, but your family doesn't… I wouldn't be able to live another twenty years without making sure we were, ah… alright," you finished, giving him a meek, nervous smile while he sighed and nodded his head, returning your own smile with one of his own.

"You have a lot of choices to make, Sylvia, and I'm proud to have such a smart girl for a daughter… Don't think that you need to stay here because of what I've told you. Your life is your own, and I want you to think that way. You don't need to be some heir to Team Rocket or follow in my footsteps. I want you to live a happy life, and that's what your mother would have wanted, too.

"Though, if you make the decision of continuing on the path of a typical trainer, I will happily hand over the gym to you," he smirked, causing you to roll your eyes and sigh to yourself, "and~ I could pull some strings to make sure you get into the best university –"

"While that's very thoughtful of you, dad," you began, pausing before shaking your head and chuckling dryly to yourself, "I want to reach my goals on my own merit," you told him, and he snickered to himself.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he responded, causing you to nod your head, before you shook your head and glanced away, causing him to look at you with a curious gaze. "… What's wrong?"

"… Will you really not prevent me to stay?" you had to ask, watching as his eyes widened, before narrowing in suspicion.

"Why would you want to? We're a criminal gang and –"

"I-I just… I don't know what I want to do, really. To just… go back to living on my own all the time? I'm not sure if I…" you frowned to yourself, only for your head to snap up as you heard your father standing up, suddenly slumping down into the seat next to you, and slumping an arm over your shoulder, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the back of the couch.

"Is that what you want, though? To be labeled a criminal?... You're a smart child, Sylvia. I've watched you, from afar. Governments and agencies will do anything to eliminate someone they see as a threat. The moment you display any influence over this team, the threats on your life will increase. I'm sure. Not to scare you, but…" you watched as he sighed, obviously thinking about something… personal.

Mum. Maybe his own mother. Who knows?

You could feel him flinch as you leaned into him, enjoying the fact that, well… your father is here. And you're not spending the night up, awake, wondering if you're ever going to talk to him ever again. "Will you honor my choice? No matter how stupid it could be?" you decided to ask, waiting for a response, and you heard him deeply scoff at your question.

"Sì," he responded in a soft, though hesitant tone of voice, only to flinch as you sat up, kissed him on the cheek, and then slipped off of the couch.

"I'm going to head to bed. Are you going to be okay?" you had to ask, earning you a content smile in response.

"Of course –"

"Rob. Please keep an eye on this one, could you?" you told the persian, patting the top of her head as you walked out of the living room, even though the, now awake, persian began to follow you into the guest room, before standing by the door, eying you while you turned on the light and looked around.

Your eyes fell upon your bag, sitting on top of the bed. You eyed it… before calmly making your way to the bag, and sighing deeply to yourself. "Sorry dad," you couldn't help but say as you began to take out a few of your belongings, placing them around the room in particular locations.

You don't want to leave, yet. It's just…

Maybe you really are an evil person, in your gut.

Maybe Cyrus is right about you…

But, you won't let him get the better of you. No matter what that idiot says. And…

You have a feeling… if you leave now, without feeling… alright about any of this, then you won't be able to stare your dad in the eyes, again, without seeing a criminal. A murderer…

That's the thing, though. You're exactly like your father, aren't you? A criminal. Murderer… everything your mother didn't want you to be…

Why does life have to be so hard?

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

sei al sicuro con me [Italian] – you're safe with me

sbrigati [Italian] – hurry up

Sono felice di rivederti [Italian] – I'm happy to see you again

non ti lascerò di nuovo [Italian] – I will not leave you again

[Italian] – yes