Well, I'm going on holiday for five days, and so I thought I'd update before I left. I get exam results the day after I get back, and I think they are going to be rubbish, so I may not update for a while.
After the court case, it's time for everyone to come home and reunite. What will Mercutio do after finding out what Simon tried to do Allegra? Will Tybalt listen to Rosaline? What will Hermia and Benvolio do, knowing their baby was there? And will Gabriel and Amparo reunite?
"Glabber-glabber!" babbled Eliseo.
"Glabber-glabber!" Rosaline cooed back, leaning over him. Eliseo giggled, clutching at strands of her blonde hair "You like the pretty blonde hair, don't you, you little angel?"
"Who are you, and what have you done to Rosaline?" asked Gabriel.
"Ssh! Eliseo wants to tell me something" Rosaline bent low over Eliseo.
"Ung-gaaaa!" shrieked Eliseo. He reached down, and grabbed a rattle. He shook it at Rosaline.
"Clever boy!" Rosaline cooed. Eliseo threw the rattle away, and started to crawl around the sofa. On her hands and knees, Rosaline followed after him. Eliseo laughed delightedly as she chased him, and then scooped him up and kissed his chubby cheek.
"Just look at you" Rosaline smiled, stroking his little curls "You're so sweet!" she turned to look at Gabriel, and her soft cooing voice for Eliseo faded back to her usual voice "How is she?"
"Asleep" replied Gabriel "She was upset, and just wanted to hold onto Mercutio's pillow. I hope they hurry up and come home soon. I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up. All I got was this really weird voicemail message, which was some demented version of Lady Gaga's 'Telephone'"
"Oh God, Mercutio's singing" Rosaline closed her eyes for a moment "I feel sympathy for you"
"You should, my eardrums are ringing" Gabriel fell down onto an armchair, stroking his cat, who leapt onto his lap affectionately. Rosaline returned to playing with Eliseo, who delighted in the attention from his new friend.
"Don't tell anyone about this" instructed Rosaline, tickling Eliseo.
"Of course not" smiled Gabriel. The keys twisted in the lock. Both Rosaline and Gabriel looked up.
"We're back!" laughed Hermia "Did you have fun with Eliseo, Rosaline?"
"Why the long faces? We won!" exclaimed Tybalt.
Rosaline and Gabriel both stood up.
"You know your friend, Simon?" said Rosaline.
"No. Who the hell is Simon? I've never heard of him" responded Tybalt sarcastically.
"An evil sicko who tried it on with Allegra, that's who he is!" yelled Rosaline.
"What? Oh, well, she probably asked for it, anyway. Why were you with Simon?"
Rosaline gnashed her teeth, suddenly fighting tears "No one ever asks for it, you ignorant prat. We went back to his house so I could pack all the crap and shit you hadn't bothered too. We took Eliseo as well, and then Simon came in the front room and started calling me 'used' and saying rude things to us both, so I got so angry I threw the laptop across the room and stormed out to pack your crap so I could leave. Then, whilst I was gone, he started hitting on Allegra, telling her he wanted to screw her, and I dread to think what would have happened if Gabriel hadn't climbed in through the bathroom window and shoved him against the living room mirror, fought him off, and alerted me to the fact that he was harassing her!" she shrieked, growing hysterical. Tybalt glanced at Gabriel, who smirked delightedly at him.
"What?" he seethed.
"And then," Rosaline went on angrily "He started saying crap about your mum-"
"What did he say about my mum?" snarled Tybalt.
"He called her crazy" Rosaline replied, with tears now streaking down her cheeks "And I recorded him on my mobile if you don't believe me"
"Forget that, is Allegra all right?" asked Hermia, shoving Tybalt aside "And what about my baby? Is he all right?"
"Maaa!" cooed Eliseo happily, reaching up his arms for her to pick him up.
"Eliseo here is fine. He's been a good boy. And Allegra's ok. She wasn't hurt, just shaken. She's in Mercutio's room. She's asleep, so I wouldn't wake her. She's been asking for him" replied Gabriel calmly.
Hermia barged past him, and swung open Mercutio's bedroom door. They heard her cry Allegra's name, and then Allegra cry Hermia's. The door swung shut, so Hermia could comfort her younger cousin in peace. Eliseo stuck out his bottom lip, disappointed that Hermia hadn't come to him.
"What went on? What's happened? He didn't touch her, did he? I didn't mean it like that!" Tybalt suddenly turned pale.
"I suggest you rethink the kind of friends you keep" Gabriel said darkly.
"I never thought he'd...I'll kill him!" yelled Tybalt, marching for the door.
"No, you fool! Do you want to get shot again?" Rosaline cried, grabbing hold of his shoulders and shaking him "If anything, it was my fault. We shouldn't have gone back there"
"You weren't to know, he had me fooled – who's knocking at the door now?"
Gabriel swung the door open.
"Amparo!"
"Gabriel!"
Amparo seized him in her arms "Where have you been? We have all been worried sick! I thought something had happened to you"
"No, I'm fine!" Gabriel exclaimed, through sobs of joy "You'll never guess what's happened to me. I've been all over Venice, I've been made homeless, and I've...oh, it's a long story"
He sank his head onto her shoulder, in bliss. He breathed in the scent of her, felt the smooth softness of her skin, and listened to the sigh of her breath. He raised his head up to meet hers. She cupped his face her hands.
"I'll get you out of here, Gabriel. I have booked a hotel room, where we planned to stay at Christmas time. You'll be all right now you're with me"
With a sigh, Gabriel leant his head on her shoulder. The door banged open again, this time with Benvolio entering. He headed straight for his room, ignored Eliseo who called out joyfully for him, and shut the door. Mercutio and Romeo followed him.
"It's Gabe's cougar!" giggled Mercutio to Romeo.
"But they're in love, it's so beautiful!"
"Shut up! Anyways, you need to go see Bennykins. I want to hug my Wally-wegra! Wally-wegra, where is you hiding?" sang Mercutio.
"Mercutio" said Rosaline, knowing he was about to kill her.
"What is it?" asked Mercutio.
"Something's happened" Rosaline replied.
"Some...what...happened?" asked Mercutio.
Hermia stuck her head out behind his bedroom door "Maybe you should let her talk to you first, before anyone else does"
Mercutio rushed into his room. Rosaline winced upon hearing his cry of anguish, and Allegra's sobs.
"It's not your fault" Tybalt reassured her, holding her close, and stroking through her hair "If anything, it's my fault. I made you stay there when you felt uncomfortable. I let him be rude to you. You brought all our stuff, right? We'll get a hotel room, and then tomorrow we'll drive home. You never have to see him again and I'll never let him speak to you like that again. It'll be ok"
"Simon Alaverti, you're dead!" roared Mercutio, storming out his room.
"Stop, stop, stop!" urged Hermia, grabbing hold of him "That won't solve anything. Allegra needs you at the moment. Do for her what I wouldn't let Benvolio. Go and comfort her"
Mercutio wandered back into his room.
"We should leave" said Amparo "Thank you, for taking care of Gabriel"
"I don't have all my clothes!" exclaimed Gabriel "Or my cat"
"Come on then, pack them quickly. We should leave them alone now"
Gabriel hastily packed his things and grabbed his cat, and then followed Amparo out the door. He turned back to group, wanting to say...something. A thank you, maybe, but they were all busy, and neither of them turned to say goodbye to him. Gabriel left without a backwards glance.
Meanwhile, Mercutio lay down at Allegra's side, and held her tightly, kissing her forehead and murmuring words of comfort. Hermia tried to open her bedroom door, only to find Benvolio had barricaded it. Romeo tried to push it open for her.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" screamed Benvolio.
