Disclaimer: same as always!
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, did I mention that I love you all?
Well, we´re slowly reaching the end of the story I think! Just two more chapters and I´m done…
**
Just as everybody was about to enter the dining room and take their seats, Felice slipped in and sat down between Two and Mr Barney. Trinity sat opposite to her.
"There you are, my dear. My, what a lovely dress!" he said, voice full of appreciation.
He gave Two "The look".
"Yes, yes absolutely wonderful!" Two hastily said.
Felice wore now a black and shoulder free, plain silken dress that barely reached to her knees. It seemed to be composed of several layers of transparent material.
Morpheus smiled at her approvingly, still holding two lobster claws in his hands and imitating Charly Chaplins famous ´Potato Dance´ with them.
Niobe looked deadly bored.
"I don't know this one, where did you get it?" Trinity asked innocently and looked at the dress. It reminded her of a kind of indian sari.
Felice smiled irritated.
"It's a hand tailored dress!" she said, trying to drop the subject.
"Nice, really, you have to give me that tailor's address!" Trinity beamed.
"Sure, sure! That's a pretty necklace, Mama! Is it new?"
Then Mr Barney rose for a little speech.
"Psst, Feli!!"
"What is it?" hissed Felice.
"Where did you get it?"
"Get what?"
"The dress!"
"Oh shut up!"
"Not until you've told me!!" hissed Trinity and leaned herself over the table.
Two looked slightly annoyed but listened nonetheless.
"Damn it Trin! I'm…wearing..a…bloody…curtain!!" Felice murmured across the table.
"What??"
Two furrowed his brow and leant forward.
"While I showered the chambermaids took all the clothes for cleaning. I'm wearing a curtain!"
"What curtain?" Two asked unbelievingly.
"That out of your bedroom. One was so nice to wrap me in!"
"But Feli…"
"What other choice did I have? Wearing a towel?? And I´m telling you, if someone dares to spill wine on this one I´m going to castrate him!" she glared at Neo, who possessed the decency to blush deep red, even if he wasn´t included into the conversation.
"But won't it slip down if you move?" Trinity asked concerned.
Two licked his lips in anticipation.
"We fixed it with toothpicks!"
"Well, I know what I'm going to have for dessert tonight!" Two snickered.
"And that brooch?"
"That's a fondue skewer we snatched out of the kitchenette upstairs!" Felice murmured embarrassed.
Two took her hand and placed a kiss on it.
"My darling, there's no one in this world who can wear a curtain like you do!"
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Felice smiled.
"What's all that talking about curtains, dear?" her mother suddenly asked.
Felice blushed furiously.
"I just mentioned what a great interior designer our host has. Such wonderful tapestries, furniture….curtains.." Trinity said.
Mrs Guildenstern smiled knowingly.
"Yes my dear, I agree. Having a talented designer is worth a lot!"
**
At the same time, outside
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you in. This is private ground and-
The security man never came to finish his sentence.
Kim shot him straight into the chest while Yun got out of the car and opened the small gate of one of the residence's side entrance.
Then he hid the dead body.
The dark blue limousine entered the residence and parked between the bushes, where no light came in.
Kim pulled out his mobile phone.
"We're in!"
"Then hurry and bring them to me. I'm tired of waiting!" the Merovingian's voice could be heard.
**
One rummaged through the cupboards of the small kitchenette.
Today of all days he had to run out of Cognac.
And he was hungry.
And bored.
Terribly bored.
An awful combination.
Roaming the first floor was as boring as sitting on the bed and watching TV.
He corrected himself.
Sitting with Felice on the bed and watching TV always provided some sort of entertainment!
But alone…
In the last cupboard he finally found a bottle and grasped for it. Strawberry-banana liqueur, Brrrrr!!
He snorted lightly and leaned against the wall.
Nothing decent to drink and no food.
And downstairs they had lobster and champagne!
If anyone would notice if he scuttled there and grabbed a bottle and something to eat?
Surely not, master of stalking as he was!
And they wouldn't miss one little bottle of Cognac, would they?
**
Things developed better than she had expected, mused Felice.
They had avoided all risky matters successfully during dinner and now she watched somewhat relaxed how Two tried to fill her Mum up with champagne.
And the man was good at it!
She rested her hand lightly on Two's forearm. The large diamond of her wedding ring glittered in the candle light.
The sheer size of it had added not less to her mother's goodwill.
But she was not through with him yet…or with her.
With the sweetest of smiles she turned towards her daughter.
"Do you remember John, my dear?"
"You know the one with whom you almost engaged two years ago! I met him at the Kronenberg´s garden party and he asked for you!"
"Mama please, do you have to come now with that old tales?" Felice rolled her eyes.
"Engaged?" Two asked.
"Yes, what a good catch that boy would have been. Had his own villa, ranch, yacht…"
"Mama!"
"And my silly daughter let him slip through her fingers!"
"Excuse me, but he was twenty years older than me, fat, bald headed, dumb, ignorant and importunate!"
"And I just dated him because you forced me to!"
"We just wanted the best for you, Schatz! That's what every parent wants for their children!"
At this point Two silently thanked whatever god might exist that he was a program out of the machine world and therefore had no real parents. At least none who desperately tried to match make him.
"Or that nice young man we introduced you to last summer, Marius! Now, that was a fine one!"
He felt Felices body getting tense. Her fingernails clawed almost painful into his forearm.
What said a lot if you keep in mind that he was not supposed to feel any pain at all.
"Mama!!"
A few seats next to them her father pestered Neo with questions about his alibi insurance brokerage.
His polka dotted tie hung loose and powerless on his white chemise.
Trinity had a forced smile plastered all over her face and nodded every there and then, pretending to follow the conversation.
"I was not in love with him!!"
"Thh, don't try to tell me that. I'm your mother! You were madly in love with him. Every time he visited us, you were so shy and tried to hide behind us.."
"I tried to hide because I feared that I would throw up if he got near me, that's why! That man was an asshole!"
"Language, my dear! What shall your husband think of us?"
Felices father got off his chair.
"Excuse me for a while, I fear I need to visit the bathroom!" he said and left the dining hall.
As Felice gulped another glass of champagne she noticed out of the corner of the eye that Trinity tried to gain her attention. She leaned over the table.
"What is it?"
"I just saw a white shadow!"
"Huh?"
"One is downstairs, he went in the parlour!!"
"Oh"
"And your father just went to the bathroom!"
"Oh!!!"
Felice got up and smoothened her dress, better said her curtain.
Those toothpicks really stabbed inside her sides!
In the meantime, One had stocked up on cognac and other alcoholic beverages.
He left the bottles at the landing and decided to pay the nearest bathroom a short visit. As he opened the door and stepped in, an elderly man in a dark pinstripes suit stood at the sink and cleaned his hands. Well, that had to be Felices father then.
The old man looked up and grinned at him.
One nodded.
"If that isn't my new son-in-law! I hope you're treating my daughter well!"
"Of course!" One decided to play along.
With exception of Persephone, Felice was the only one who was able to tell them apart. He buried his right hand in his coat pocket.
There was one difference, he remembered.
He wore no wedding ring.
A fact that he would try to change.
And soon.
As he wanted to walk into one of the cabins, his ´father-in-law´ stopped him.
"Just one thing, my son."
"Yes?"
Mr Guildenstern carefully dried his hands. Suddenly One was reminded of the Merovingian when he was up to something real bad. He straightened up.
"Felice is my only daughter, the joy and sunshine of my life…" he said slowly.
One tilted his head.
"And I do accept her choice if she wants you to be her husband…"
Then he looked One straight in the eye and cold shivers run over the Twin's spine.
"But there's one thing I want you to know! I don't buy that security inspector thing, I recognize a killer when I'm looking in one's face! Hurt my baby and I'll have you executed and make it look like an accident!"
Now the old man smiled. And it wasn't laughable in the least.
"I understand!" One managed to say.
Felices father nodded at him and made his way to the door.
"Now there's one thing I want to know…" One said.
Mr Guildenstern stopped at the door.
"Don't you have any problems to accept a killer as your son-in-law?" One asked curiously.
Her father smiled.
"I take it then that my daughter hasn't told you yet how exactly our family earns its money? Well my son, you'll find out soon enough! Let's just say that thing with killers…well, you could call it family tradition!" laughed Mr Guildenstern and left the men's room.
One's lips curled into a small smile.
He decided he would have a nice chat with Felice later the evening!
**
Felice practically stumbled into her father as she searched for One.
"Carefully Schatz, don't break your legs!" he laughed and helped her to her feet again.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Papa?" Felice asked.
"I do, don't worry. I just had a few words with your husband."
"And?"
"And I decided that he is not as dumb as I first thought."
"Papa!!"
"I'm just joking! Don't listen to me old man!"
"Do you do me a favour?" Felice asked with her favourite ´bambi eyes´.
"What could that be?"
"Make Mama stop talking about my ex boyfriends, will you?"
"If it makes you happy!"
**
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought about a nice stroll, and here I am!" One smirked as Felice had cornered him successfully in the bathroom.
"You´re supposed to be upstairs! What did my father ask you?"
"It was just a nice short man-to-man talk, nothing more!"
Felice started getting irritated. One was far too smug at the moment.
"By the way, you never told us what business your family pursues…"
"That's unimportant now, I can tell you later! Now would you please return to your room?"
Felice looked into the mirror and fixed the curtain she was still wearing.
"As you wish, milady!"
**
Later in the evening
"I hate dancing!" Felice groaned, whose ´dress´ threatened to slip down with every move she made.
Toothpicks weren't anymore what they used to be, too.
She had danced with Two, her father, Neo and Morpheus so far. That left a final dance with bumble bee Barney and then it would be over, hopefully!
But she had to admit that it was fun watching Two dancing with her mother..
Or watching Neo stumble over Trinity's dress and rip another seam of it. She decided to do something drastically to cheer her best friend up.
Tomorrow.
Now she was way too tired and worn out!
"Why is your father smiling at me?" Two interrupted her thoughts.
Felice sighed.
"He met One in the bathroom, but he refused to tell me about what they talked…"
"I don't want to insult you but your family is…creepy." Two smirked.
"What do you mean with that?" Felice smiled amused.
"Well, as if they aren't really what they pretend to be…I can't describe it properly."
Felice watched as one of the security men approached Mr Barney and whispered something in his ear. Barney's face got from cheerful to serious immediately.
Next to her, Two's body tensed.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked alarmed.
"One's in trouble! He needs my help!"
**
Upstairs, in the Twin's room
One bent down to put the bottles in their mini bar.
He eyed his prey satisfied.
Cognac, gin, white rum and grappa.
Just as he put the last bottle away, he noticed something.
Just a hint of a shadow and the feeling of another presence in the room made him wary and ready to fight.
Someone was stalking him.
Pretending to be unaware of it, he held the bottle towards the light, as if regarding the label on it. The reflection on the white glass revealed the distorted image of a person he knew all to well.
It was Kim.
And he was aiming at him.
Then he heard the light ´Phhumm´ of his gun and phased.
The anaesthetic dart flew through his ghost body and drilled itself into the wooden door of the mini bar.
And then the fight began.
**
Downstairs, Two got up in a hurry and left the dining hall with billowing coat.
More security men had gathered around Barney and discussed something. Finally Morpheus had enough.
"Barney, what is it? Is there a problem?"
Felices parents looked at him questioningly.
Barney wiped the sweat from the forehead.
"Well, there's no reason to be frightened, my friends. But I fear we have some…invaders in here."
"Excuse me?" Felices mother said.
Morpheus discreetly gave Neo and the others a wink.
Suddenly, loud crashing noises and shouts could be heard from the first floor.
"Two!" Felice suddenly screamed.
She got up and teared away from her mother who held her hand in a surprisingly strong grip.
"Felice, nein!! Stay here, that's too dangerous!!" Mrs Guildenstern cried.
Trinity grabbed her arm and forced her down onto her seat again.
"Stay!"
"I can't!! They're in trouble!! I can feel it!"
"They?" asked her father puzzled.
Morpheus cursed under his breath.
"Shit. We left our weapons upstairs!"
"Neo, please! Do something!!" Trinity screamed who desperately tried to hold onto Felice who was still fighting against being held captive.
"Damn it, Feli! It's me! Don't fight against it, there's nothing you can do for them! Neo will help them, Morpheus and Niobe too! Now hold still!"
Neo, Morpheus and Niobe armed themselves with whatever was available, namely the weapons of the present security men, and went upstairs.
Felices father lightened another cigar.
Her mother was calm but her gaze got cold as ice.
The noise from upstairs increased.
Suddenly Felice twitched in Trinity's embrace.
"What is it, Feli?" Trinity asked alarmed.
"They hit him!!"
She started squirming again.
"No, don't! Stay!!" Trinity and her mother screamed, trying to hold her down.
Felice looked her best friend in the eye.
"I'm sorry!" she whispered.
And phased.
**
"Didn't Barney talk about only two pursuers?" Niobe asked as she fought another gangster off.
"Well, those are more then two, that's for sure! Seven or eight at least!" Morpheus agreed and fired.
"I've found them, over here!" they heard Neo shout out of a nearby room.
As they entered it they saw Two huddled in a corner, barely conscious, a dart sticking out of his upper arm.
One stood protectively in front of him, teeth bared and fought for both of their lives.
Morpheus, Niobe and Neo started fighting.
It was a mess.
Suddenly Trinity raged into the room, shooting down two enemies at once, gasping for air and looking completely dishevelled.
"Where's Felice? Shouldn't you stay at her side?" Morpheus asked worried.
"She escaped me by phasing. Isn't she here already?" she huffed.
Like on cue, Felice phased through the floor and knelt down beside Two on the floor. With a disgusted look on her face she removed the dart out of his arm.
Two smiled weakly at her.
"I'm sorry!" he whispered, voice shaking violently.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine!" Felice assured him with tears in her eyes. She could feel Two's body getting numb under her hands.
"Felice…"
"Don't you dare to die on me, do you hear me?" Felice started shaking his shoulders lightly.
She could feel already how the mysterious numbness spread from his body and mind onto hers and Ones. One already started to slow down while fighting.
"We just want you to know… how we feel for you… that strange feeling in our chests..attached to you…don't want you to get hurt…how do humans call it again?" Two smiled.
"Love?" Felice whispered.
"Yes…that's it..we think…we're in love with you.." Two breathed and then closed his eyes.
Felice felt how the mental link slipped out of her mind.
One´s razor blade fell to the floor and in a whirl of silver white he broke down.
A strangled sob escaped Felices throat.
Someone applauded.
"How…emotional! Who would have thought that they're capable of that?"
"Well, you must be the young lady then who stole me two of my most precious henchmen and caused amounts of trouble! I'm delighted to finally meet you!" a voice with thick French accent suddenly said.
The battle turmoil slowed down and finally died completely.
The Merovingian entered the room and surveyed the scenario. Then he shamelessly eyed Felice.
He seemed very pleased with what he saw.
"Maybe I should keep you.."
**
Oh oh, cliffhanger….
Will our beloved Twins survive?
And will Felice be saved from the lecherous Merovingan and where did he come from this suddenly?
What business pursues Felice´s family?
And what other embarrassing details from Felice´s youth and love life will her mother reveal?
What will Mr Barney do to Morpheus who disobeyed his order not to play with the lobster?
And last but not least:
Did any one notice that Felice was wearing a curtain at all?
Could that become a new fashion trend?
Hmm, if you´re nice and review I might tell you in the next chapter ;-)