Love and Family

Plot Summary- Zane and Aster begin planning their wedding and new life. But planning a wedding is hard enough—and then Zane's parents come to make things all the more hectic. Can they get through it smoothly? Or will a family secret destroy everything?

Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-gi-oh GX or its characters.

Chapter 11: The Final Straw

Aster's POV

"Are you still mad about that whole having you ran over thing? Because you're making this adventure miserable." I turned to glare at Ollie. It had been a long ferry ride from England to France. Zane and Louisa had left to find a map while Mrs. Francis and I kept Ollie company. Just when I looked at him, he turned to Mrs. Francis. "And you, I didn't really do anything to you. I don't understand why you're so mad."

Mrs. Francis narrowed her eyes but as usual remained silent. I admired this woman's patience. I couldn't imagine how hard it was to look at Ollie (or even Louisa for that matter) and know he played a part in her son's demise. I hadn't actually thought about Ronny lately—but I did remember that if it hadn't been for him, I'd be dead. Ronny had been able to diagnose the drug the Duncan's had used on me when other doctors might have failed. And knowing that, I couldn't help but feel angry when Ollie dismissed his sacrifice.

He shrugged and stretched his legs out. He leaned his head back and stared at Mrs. Francis. Something odd happened. In a moment, something faded from Ollie and I saw a side of him I haven't seen since his pro-dueling days. For a moment; he was the quiet kid with a dark style once more.

"I would have died a long time ago if it wasn't for him." Ollie said softly. It was loud enough that Mrs. Francis's look relaxed a bit. She was still angry, but now her aura carried a hint of confusion too. "I don't know if that makes me grateful to him, or makes me hate him but…I know he would have been better off if he had never met me…"

She slowly nodded in agreement. "Yes he would have…" Her voice started to crack towards the end. She didn't cry, but that was only because she had focused all her will-power on not doing so. I wanted to comfort her but realized doing so would only push her over the edge. Instead, I let her and Ollie's words sink in. Was it possible just this once, Ollie had a conscience? That maybe he felt bad about what he had done to Ronny? I guess in a list of people he would feel bad about hurting—Ronny would have been one of my guesses.

Louisa gave Mrs. Francis a concerned look when she and Zane returned. Zane seemed oblivious to her. "I don't suppose you know any French, do you?"

I sighed; I guess we should have thought this part through before we came here. "Not a lot. I studied Spanish and Mandarin in college and obviously, I know Japanese… I thought your dad was a linguistics PH.D?"

"Yeah, but I'm not my dad…but If I had known we were going to end up in France, I might have had him come along…" Zane said with a frustrated tone.

Mrs. Francis broke out of her trance long enough to give each of us an unsure look. "So none of you speak fluent French? How are we supposed to find your mother?"

Ollie rolled his eyes and stood up. "What do we need to know?"

We were all unsure about this newest revelation. Did Ollie really know French? Or was he just going to obnoxious? Zane handed him the map, figuring we had nothing else to lose. "We need to find out where Sunshine creux is. That's the road my grandmother use to live on before…."

Ollie turned on his heels and walked away from Zane. Zane seemed more confused than angry about it as Ollie went up to the first man he ran into. "Hé, quoi de neuf? Avez-vous savoir comment aller à Sunshine creux?"

The man gave Ollie a curious look. "Excusez-moi. Pardon?

"UN no aurait été amende…" He responded in an annoyed tone, walking away from the man. He came across an older looking woman and smiled at her. I'm surprised she didn't quake in fear. "Bonjour jolie dame, être un agneau et me dire comment se rendre à Sunshine creux?"

The woman gave Ollie a facial response as the man. I had to wonder if it was for similar or different reasons. "Sunshine creux? Que abandonné lieu juste en dehors de la ville?" Ollie nodded. The woman tapped her chin and spoke slowly. "Vous devez suivre la route dans le pays et continuer jusqu'au vous commencer à voir maisons… Personne n'a disparu il y a dans les années cependant, je ne sais pas pourquoi vous voulez."

"Esprit votre propre affaires." Ollie said sternly. The woman backed her head back—looking a bit insulted. She turned to walk away with Ollie waving after her. "Merci!"

Ollie returned to the group; looking rather smug of himself. "She said we have to follow the road out of town until we see abandoned house. Apparently, Sunshine creux isn't a popular place to be anymore."

Be that as it may; it was where we had to be. "Alright then; I think Louisa and Mrs. Francis should stay here in case something bad happens. That way someone can report to the police if something goes wrong." I said.

Louisa didn't seem to like the idea of being left behind, but her need for adventure seemed to take backseat to making sure Mrs. Francis remained safe. "Okay, I don't know how much I'll be anyway."

It was a good idea up until I heard this. "Aster, I think you should stay behind to. Ollie and I can handle it." I froze when Zane whispered that into my ear. I turned to face him; giving him the glare of his life. "You shouldn't be in the middle of this! It's my mother…"

I crossed my arms. "Who's going to be my mom too, provided you don't get yourself killed…" I practically growled, aware that our conversation was no longer private—I had trouble finding the gall to care. "Seriously Zane, you can't expect me to leave you alone with him!"

"Oh no, I'm only right here…" Ollie said with a false sense of hurt. He turned between the two of us. "Look, I'd love to sit around and be the center of your little 'I-can't-let-you-risk-your-life lovey-dovey shit. But my mother doesn't like to stay in one place too long, so we have limited time."

For once, I found myself agreeing with Ollie. Zane shot daggers at him but gave in, knowing him to be right. "Alright, fine, let's just go…"

"Wait, hold on." Louisa said, looking to her older brother. "What if…you guys don't come back? What should we tell the police Ollie?"

He gave Louisa a long, thoughtful look before he answered. "If you have to call the police, say these phrases in the same order… Aidez-nous, c'est une urgence! Trois importants hommes étaient présents à Sunshine creux. Porter sacs mortuaires." Louisa nodded as she took in the phrases.

"What do they mean?" She asked. Ollie smiled that ever-so creepy smile of his.

"Help us, it's an emergency. Three important men were present at Sunshine creux…" His smile grew larger. Somehow making me nervous. "Bring body bags."

Zane POV

I could see why people were so baffled about us driving to Sunshine creux. We were ten miles outside of town when we finally hit the cluster of abandoned farm houses. Each one nearly a world apart from the other. It was hard to say which one my mother lived at as a toddler, but according to my father it was a yellow house with white shutters and a long road leading up to it.

"Ollie, where did you learn to speak French anyway?" Aster asked from the front seat. Ollie had his feet resting across the empty seat. Looking like an employee on the way to work as opposed to a mental patient looking for his abusive mother.

"My mother forced me to learn it." His dark voice ended the short conversation, but I could put the pieces together very well myself. It was a fairly safe bet that Jean Carter Jarvis, our relative of relation, was French, and Caroline had made Ollie learn it to honor him.

I couldn't help but notice how Ollie was slowly becoming more and more like he use to be. I had to wonder if that was because of his mother, us, or if Sirena's spell was wearing off completely. By all accounts, it never should have worn off in the first place, or at least not so soon—but somehow Ollie had managed to get out of it. Who's to say we soon wouldn't be facing my attempted-murderer?

My phone vibrated in the cup holder. It was a text message. I asked Aster to check for me in case it was my father or Louisa; it wasn't. "What is it?" Aster grimaced, trying to find a justifiable reason not to tell me. But with our latest argument still fresh in our heads, he decided it was better to tell me.

"Syrus said they're going to bury Bill tomorrow—they can't wait any longer." For a spilt instant, all the pain I had set aside to rescue my mother came back. My grandfather's death had left me breathless for just a moment before I regained it. I had to be strong—I could grieve later.

It didn't stop me from thinking about it. I still felt the pain inside my chest. I still felt like it was all a terrible nightmare. One that kept getting worse. As terrible as my grandfather's death was—the thought of losing my mother was like an infected burn. I accepted the fact that logically, I would have to lose her one day assuming she died before me. I'd have watch my dad die too. And though I selfishly hoped that I would die before him, I knew it was possible Aster would die first. It was hard to say—death wasn't completely law abiding, and it didn't give you warnings as to when it came.

But I didn't want it to claim her; not yet.

"I think this is it." Aster murmured. Sure enough, there was a long; stone drive leading up to an old decomposing house. The yellow paint was hardly so anymore—it looked more like a light brown but oddly enough—the white shutters were bleach pearl, as if dirt and time didn't affect them. This had to be the place.

I drove up the drive and tried to mentally prepare myself. This old house was where my connection with the Duncan's began—one that would follow me and taunt me up to this day. This was more than about rescuing my mother. I was getting ready to start a new life, and I was tired of Ollie hitting people with cars, or Caroline shooting people with guns, or Orville poisoning people with medication. It needed to end here and now.

I put the car in park and shut it off. The doors opened and we stepped out. I looked to Aster, who was wearing a brave face despite the fear I knew he felt in his heart, and then to Ollie. He wasn't afraid or angry like I thought he was—in fact, he seemed to be happy that we had finally reached the house. His eyes staring up at the old house like a piece of meat. I guess to him, this was about more than capturing his mother. I think he saw this as a chance to face his demons once and for all.

Demons I hope we wouldn't get caught in the middle of.

"God, it's good to be home." Ollie said at last, trekking up to the house. Aster and I gave each other a nervous look. He smiled reassuringly. If anyone could hand it, we can. I imagined him saying. I smiled back—hoping he was right.

We followed Ollie up to the door. He turned the knob and opened the door. I raised an eyebrow—an unlocked door? That wasn't a good sign.

The living room of the house was well—pink to say the least. It reminded me of a place an elderly woman might drink tea with her friends. But there was only one woman in this room—my mother.

"Mom!" I said nudging past Ollie to step forward. My mother was sitting on the couch—her hands folded in her lap and her legs pressed together like a cocooned butterfly. She looked up through messy, out of place locks. Her eyes prickling with tears when she saw me.

"Zane? What are you doing here?" She said in a hushed whisper, her body leaning forward but not moving from the couch. Her eyes went past me and set on Aster, and then more sternly on Ollie. "What are you all doing her? You have to leave before she sees your here!"

When I kneeled before her, I saw that my mother's hands had been handcuffed together and there was a chain wrapped around her ankles attached to the couch. Obviously, my mother wasn't in on the plan now if she was in the beginning. "We're not leaving without you. Where is she?"

"Zane it's a trick! And she has the key to the cuffs… Just leave me behind."

"Like hell!" Ollie roared suddenly. Aster tried to stop him from stomping over to the staircase, but it was no use. Ollie crossed the room and start yelling upstairs. "Oh moooom, you're son is home!" He took two steps back and glared around the room like a rabid dog. "Come out, you crazy bitch!"

I didn't know where she came from. But she must have been hiding close by. In no less than a minute, her hands were wrapped in his hair. Caroline, despite her small structure, held her own as Ollie tried to tug away. Aster and I both moved to help him at the same time. Caroline pulled out her gun with her free hand and aimed at us.

"I wouldn't test it." She growled. Aster stopped me from moving, his skin paling at the gun, a weapon I had seen Caroline effectively use. She released her grip on Ollie's hair, but jabbed the gun under his chin. His smile matched with her own. "And how is my baby boy doing? All better after the stint in the mad house?"

He seemed relatively unfazed by the gun. "I can't find myself to leave. It's just so nice there…I told them to hold a room for you."

"Always so thoughtful huh?" Something told me this wasn't an out of the ordinary exchange between mother and son. She lowered her and laughed like a mad man. Her arms wrapping around him. It confused me—one minute, she was ready to blow her own son's brains out, the next she was embracing him as warmly as my mother did to me. "Oh Ollie; I knew you'd accept my offer."

"Offer? Now wait just a damn minute!" Aster shouted. My blood went cold at the discovery. We were so blind—Ollie had led us here with a bread of crumbs and we ate them up like ignorant birds. We never once thought to ask what Caroline had said to Ollie before she had left. It was clear now.

This was all a plan was never for Ollie to catch Caroline. It was for them to work together. Caroline turned to us and grinned. Her gun aiming for Aster first, and then to me. "So darling, which one should I finish first? You really wanted that Zane fellow dead but it might be fun to watch his heart break by killing his boyfriend first."

"Let them go!" My mother screamed in a voice too horrified to be her own. "You promised me, Caroline!"

"And what binds me to that promise exactly?" Caroline asked in a cold voice. "The fact that you're my sister? That he's my nephew? You're son caused nothing but trouble for my family."

"You've caused your own trouble!" Aster said with a growl. With a brave feeling he stepped forward in front of me. Caroline turned the gun to him. "You've spent your entire life trying to control your children and everyone else! And when things don't go your way, you somehow think it's appropriate to use violence! But one day, you will get your just rewards…"

Caroline glared at Aster for a moment, and broke out into mad laughter. I looked to Ollie's face and found that he wasn't laughing or showing any visible emotion. Something about it didn't seem right. "And you seriously believe that?"

I felt Aster's shaking hand entwine with mine. He was scared; frightened as all hell. I squeezed his hand. So was I. I wasn't anywhere near ready to die, but I was far more afraid for his life. Every time Aster spoke, it was provoking Caroline and making him more of a target. I wanted him to let it go; to just stop talking. But Aster couldn't be silenced—especially in the face of death. It was one of the things I revered about him. The reason I had asked him to proclaim his love for me in marriage.

Because even with a gun pointed in his face; Aster didn't pretend to be someone he wasn't. "If my dad's murderer can be brought to justice eight years after his death—then you will get yours too."

Caroline looked past us to my mother. Tears were rolling down her eyes. "Speaking of Mr. Phoenix and justice—would you like to tell the boys the dark secret I used to enlist your help, Clarissa? Do you want to tell them why they're lovers instead of brothers?" She crackled at the sick phrase that no one else seemed amused by.

"Secret?" I said, facing my mother. Her face was free of any color and looked as white as death at the mention of this secret. So Caroline wasn't just messing with our heads—she really had something over my mother.

"No…please, anything but that…"

"I think I know." Aster said in a low whisper. He took the envelope out of his pocket and removed the letter from its encasing. When my mom's eyes widened, I realized the truth.

Aster's mother didn't write the letter—mine did.

"You…you pretended to be Aster's mom and broke her and dad up?" I asked. My mother released a heavy sob and lowered her face so that her hair covered her face. "But you didn't even know dad— "

"Yes I did…" She said through a broken sob. "I was taking a class with your father when I met him—I was enthralled by him, but—he didn't even notice me. He and Shiloh were too busy with each other and school work to notice anyone else…That was until my friend, Silas came and stole your mother's heart. They were in love, I knew it. But she didn't want to leave Sam, and Sam didn't want to leave her…Their bond wouldn't let them…So, when Shiloh and Silas went to see an author, I used it as a chance to break them a part….And for me to make my entrance into Sam's life."

She hid her face in her forearms, in an attempt to hide her shame. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Aster and I were a fluke—it should have been my father and Aster mother. Not Aster and I. We shouldn't even exist. My mother had toyed with fate and it was coming back to haunt each and every one of us.

"You were so angry when Sam talked about her…" Aster said quietly. "But…you were the reason they weren't together…"

"I know, and that's why I got so angry…" Her voice was barely coherent. "I had gotten everything I wanted—a loving husband, two amazing sons, and a beautiful life. I thought it made him happy too—but to hear to hear instead that he still wanted her, he still longed for her well…I had no one to blame but myself… He was in love with someone else from the very beginning."

"It's not true…" I said. She looked up at me in confusion. I elaborated. "Dad loves you more than anything in this world. He loves you more than he ever could Shiloh or any other woman… What you did was wrong—but no matter, what you'll do he'll still love you…"

"Touching, really it is…" Caroline said, dragging Ollie forward and handing him the gun. "But now that we've gotten all the misery and angst out of the way—Ollie darling why don't you pick which one dies first?"

Ollie took the gun into his hand and stared at it. After a moment or so, he looked up at Aster and I and smiled. "Well, it looks like they decided for me—I can just shoot them both at the same time…"

Ollie pointed his gun at us and cocked it. I closed my eyes—so this was how it was going to end, then. Aster and I being executed at once while our murderers got away. There was a chance they'd spare my mother but I doubted it—she'd probably be shot too. I felt like I had been thrusted in the middle of a Shakespeare tragedy—only this wouldn't end with us taking a bow as an audience clapped. We would be dead—no poetic justice, no symbolized meaning, just death in its most basic form.

I had to try and save him. I pulled my hand away from his and rested them on his shoulder. He seemed too caught up in his fear to notice. I had once chance to do this right. If I did, Aster would stand a chance of survival. If I didn't, than at least I tried. At least we'd die together; neither one having to know the pain of living without the other.

"NO!" My mother screamed. It was barely heard over the loud bang of the gunshot.

Only one chapter left! Thanks as always, very much to the supporters and reviewers of this story and for all the other ones. I know this one hasn't necessarily been my best work, but I hope if nothing else, it provides a good bridge into the final addition of the 'And' series as I like to call it. Thanks again!