Chibiyu: Ash…you gave me a fun-structive idea. And dear, Nick is NOT your baby. He is mine!
Nick: And of course I have no say in it…but out of fear for my life…I pick Chibi.
Chibiyu: Ha! :~) And I am so lucky and blessed to have amazing readers and reviewers. Even if you don't review, I am still eternally grateful for reading. Love you all, and yes Nick, even you.
Nick: It doesn't seem like it…
DON'T OWN JONAS!
()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
MACY'S POV
It came to me that the Lucas boys may still have a shred of hope left. Hope that everything will be ok and hope that this was all a dream. I really didn't want to be the one to tear that hope down and burn it into oblivion, but they needed to see the world they now lived in. I stood from the cold and newly laid grass from where I was kneeling and rested my hand on top on a simple headstone.
"I'm sorry it came to this." I told the inhabitant who lay peaceful in death, right under my feet. "I never meant for you or your family to get dragged into this Nick." I felt a hand on my shoulder, the person behind me telling me it was time to go. After all, a meeting with Stella, though I despise the idea, will show the Lucas boys what chaos they have fallen into.
()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
FRANKIE'S POV
I knew Joe was hurting, I could see it in his eyes. But he was hiding it. I knew he wanted to be the strong support Kevin and I needed, but he had lost a brother too. He shouldn't be strong about that. Now that I think about it, him and Nick were always the closest out of all of us. He needed to know it was ok to break down and cry. We all knew the pain from it. We all felt the price of his deed. But I was standing here today because of it.
But was he really dead? They took him away before we saw a thing and we only had the word of the lying, conceited Head, who had tortured us for years. How did we know that she wasn't lying and that Nick was locked away in the rooms with the windows overlooking the hallway of cages? How did we know if he was really dead? I knew the chance of him being alive was slim, but there was still a chance and I wasn't ready to give up on my brother. But I don't think I should tell Kevin or Joe my theory either. I don't want to give them false hope.
After the rule briefing, basically a curfew and no going outside without a high up worker person, Joe led us inside. The building itself, despite having a rather medieval style rock wall surrounding it, was only a few stories tall and it looked like it was made entirely for glass. The inside was very modern and stylish, which told me the décor was changed often to fit the current trend. Typical Stella. As soon as we were alone and walking up a flight of stairs, Joe grabbed my hand and put his arm around Kevin's shoulder. I could feel he was shaking, but not with nerves.
"Here we are." He whispered, opening the door to the third floor and leading us done a carpeted hallway. It reminded me of a hotel, but more cooler. Joe stopped at a door that had a silver plaque with our last name on it and opened the door, using what looked like a finger print scanner. "You guys are rooming with me. I had to beg Stella for this." He looked at us, like he was expecting us to complain, but no. This was perfect. I didn't want to be alone after what I've been through and I knew Kevin was the same.
We walked in and it looked like an apartment, three bedrooms, one currently messed up by Joe, one small kitchen, a bathroom in every room, and right as we walked in, was a couch and a TV. By some unspoken consent, we all walked over and sat on the couch, and I let Joe pull me over and hold me in his lap. He needed the comfort more than I did.
"It feels so…empty…" Joe whispered after a moment of silence, nothing but the hum of the air conditioner in our ears. "I can't believe our brother is gone…" He whispered starring blankly at the wall ahead, though his grip on me became tighter, like he was afraid I too would just vanish. "Three of us is just…wrong."
Kevin shifted and hugged Joe tightly, Joe resting his head on our oldest brother's shoulder. But he was right. Three of us…doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel whole. We need Nick. But something told me, we were never going to get him back. After all…there is no coming back from the dead. I buried myself in Joe's embrace, trying to believe that Nick was alive, that my theory was correct, but I had no evidence. I saw the knife in Nick's stomach. I saw his blood. I saw him convulse and I heard him hiss and choke. And I saw him being taken away before we could say goodbye.
"I miss him." I whispered, but those words had no comparison to the ache that was deeply embedded in my heart. "He didn't deserve to die."
"No Tank, he didn't." Kevin whispered, one of his hands resting on my arm. "None of them did."
"If only we had been just hours sooner…" Joe whispered and Kevin pursed his lips, smacking Joe lightly on the head.
"It wasn't your fault." We both told him and he nodded, but he didn't show us his face.
"Joey?" I called and he nodded, showing me he was listening. "He was our brother…its ok to cry…no one should have to be strong at a time like this." Joe looked down at me, tears swimming in his eyes and one finally fell.
"I'm sorry…" He whispered, breaking down, head going back onto Kevin's shoulder. He was sorry…but not about being too late for Nick. But about losing Nick and what we've been through. And it wasn't his place to be sorry. But for now, it was best to let him be. "H-he just c-can't be gone!" Joe yelled and I felt a drop of wetness on my arm. Kevin must be crying too. "H-he had s-so m-much to live for…h-he was t-too young!" Joe cried and Kevin didn't respond and neither did I. We were both thinking the same thing and we both felt the heart shattering loneliness and guilt. We could have stopped this somehow. We should have done more to save him. "He was our brother…and we failed him."
()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
STELLA'S POV
Joe, Kevin and Frankie must be mourning over their brother. What a waste of time. From what I gathered, Nick willingly gave himself up to save Frankie, so he must have known what Macy would do. He must have known he would have bee killed. So move on already. It's really pathetic. I fixed my hair, wanting to look my best to outshine my ex-best friend as my secretary told me she was outside.
"Stella." She stiffly greeted, walking al over my carpet in her hideous combat boots.
"Macy." I returned, just as cold. "What do you want?"
"Joe and Kevin. I want to show them something and them you can have them right back, not a hair harmed on their head." She told me, smirking as she saw my pants. "Frankie doesn't need to see this. Only Joe and Kevin."
I eyed her up and down, not finding a lie in her too large eyes. "What must they see?"
She sighed and looked to her feet. "For closure reasons…I want to show them Nick's grave. He always hated the idea of cremation so I made an exception for him and buried him. I think Joe and Kevin will appreciate that. He is buried next to his parents." I slowly nodded and gave her my permission.
"But if I find so much as a scratch on my perfect boys, you will pay Misa." I glared and she smirked again as I stood.
"Fine by me." She turned to walk out the door but she stopped by the door frame. "Those pants went out of style weeks ago. I should know, I have a pair." Even though my doors closed, I knew she was laughing at my scream.
()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
MACY'S POV
My secretary set a time for me to take the brothers with Stella's secretary and I had one day and five hours to kill. So right now I was currently locked in a game of chess with my advisor. I was desperately trying to beat him, but I really had no hope. Which is why he was my advisor.
"Checkmate." He laughed and I stood up, throwing my hands in the air. I walked to the window that led to the hall that used to be lined with cages and I smiled at all the family members finally reuniting. Well, the ones we kept in high security lock down, I mean. '"It was a good thing you changed. If not, they would be on her side in an instant." He told me and I nodded, glancing at his reflection in my window. I didn't need to worry about the people below seeing us; that was the beauty of a two way mirror.
"Do you think I am doing the right thing? Do you think I can really stop her?" I wondered, needing the answer no one could answer with accuracy. But he sighed behind me, still sitting in front of the finished chess game.
"It will be a rough road Ms. Misa. But I don't have a doubt in my mind that you will finish this race in first." I smiled at him and I saw him smile back in the reflection. But I still felt so bad about everything I had to put these people through. They understood and they hated me for it, as they should, but it still wasn't right. "Feeling this guilt is proof you are still human. Stella only feels greed."
()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()
Chibiyu: Another short chapter because I am going to London for a week (on Monday) and I didn't want to leave you all without updates! Until Next Update!
