A/N: Oh boy, is this chapter a doozy. It felt like it was taking forever to write, but was surprisingly lacking in rewrites, which is promising I think?

It's just under 3000 words of juicy buildup. Spent my Thanksgiving break on it.

Thank you again to Kitkatkatester for the review last chapter, and how dare you read my mind on my plan for this chapter(im joking of course :))

Also, this fic finally hit over 10000 views, so thanks a ton for reading this far! Means a lot. :)

Enjoy!

The sun rose over the town the next morning with the promise of a new day for all. Perhaps this day would be something special.

For Zoey, it started with an earlier than normal rising because of a small headache that pierced through her dreams and caused her to wake up. Not wanting to fall asleep again now, she started her day as normal, if a bit quieter so as not to wake her husband or their current houseguest.

Not that their guest really ever slept.

Duncan woke up an hour after she did, at his normal time. He had the day off work, but planned to still go into town for some things. She had breakfast just about made, and smiled at him as he entered the kitchen. "Sleep okay?" she asked.

"Just fine," Duncan murmured in reply with a small yawn. "You were up early, huh?"

"Headache," Zoey waved it off. "I'm feeling better now."

"That's good…"

Zoey handed him a plate of food.

Just as Duncan was starting to eat at the table, the couple heard footsteps. "Good morning," Zoey greeted their guest with a half smile.

The guest nodded at her and looked at Duncan with a bit too much intensity. "No, you can't come with me...it's too risky," Duncan said as if he knew what he was going to say.

"Oh please, Duncan, I went out alone yesterday and it went very smoothly. As much as I'd love to bash them over the head until they're unrecognizable for what they've done I'm not so volatile as to do so in public."

"It's you saying things like that that worries me most."

Alejandro was cursing in Spanish again.

Having spent all night in his office, he found himself reading the same documents over and over, not getting further than a few lines before his eyes blurred and shifted back up to where they started. He finally slammed the papers down and curled his fingers around his hair in frustration. "Dios mío, my head hurts…" he muttered to himself. "When this is all over I'm moving back to Spain. People are far less intense there." And easier to scam out of their money for just a little extra security.

The sun beams seeping through the cracks in the curtains made his eyes hurt, and he shut them even further. "He's coming back again today, the bastardo. I have other clients too, you know." Sometimes Alejandro talked to himself when he was especially irritated or tired, or in this case both.

He stood out of his chair, feeling some parts crack as he did so. He walked across his office and pulled open a drawer, taking a law book out. He practically had it memorized by now, as he'd been in the profession for quite some time, but it relaxed him to read the familiar words that he often twisted for his own gain or that of whoever was paying him, or still not paying him...

Some rest would do him some good, especially today.

DJ poked his head outside the door. Another nice morning. Smiling, he shut himself back inside and went to help his momma make breakfast.

Ella was awake in the guest room, having had a hard time sleeping out of anticipation for the day ahead. She'd managed a few hours here and there but was still on the fatigued side. She realized that she didn't have the usual lady-in-waiting to help her get dressed, and would have to do so herself. The task felt daunting, and she wasn't sure how to approach it.

She spent longer than she would care to admit putting on the few layers of the dress she would be wearing that day. It couldn't be anything too flashy, as that would defeat the purpose of the low profile she was keeping while in this town. Afterwards she stumbled out of the room and found her way to the kitchen, where wonderful smells were wafting from. "Good morning, Your Highness," DJ said with a slight bow. "Breakfast will be ready soon. I'll be going to talk to Brick after this; Momma'll look after you until I get back."

"Good morning, DJ," Ella returned the greeting and nodded in understanding. "It smells lovely in here." Her stomach growled and she blushed in embarrassment.

"It's ready!" Momma declared with a triumphant smile. "Eat up now!"

DJ vacated the premises after an excellent breakfast. Ella offered to help clean up, but Momma put her hand up. "You don't have to worry 'bout dishes, 'kay? Go on wait for my son to come back."

"Oh, okay…" Ella replied with a small nod, leaving the kitchen and going to explore the house a bit.

"She'll be back in a week. Can't wait to see what she brings home," Brick remarked.

"Good for her. Sounds like she'll have fun," Duncan said with a nod.

Brick and Duncan were standing in town, having run into each other. Brick was on his way to work, and Duncan was there for his earlier discussed errand.

DJ arrived in the area and spotted the two. With a small smile, he waved to get Brick's attention. Brick took notice and saluted towards him. Duncan looked in his direction. "DJ! Didn't expect to see you out so early," Brick commented.

DJ returned the salute. "I was hoping I'd run into you." He glanced at Duncan.

"Right, you two haven't met yet!" Introductions were done swiftly.

"So what's going on with you today DJ? You said you'd been looking for me?" Brick asked.

"Yeah, but um, I'd kinda hoped to talk one on one about it…" DJ explained.

"Oh, okay."

"Don't mind me," Duncan insisted. "I just wanted to catch up a little."

"No, Duncan, it'll only be a minute, right?"

DJ nodded. He and Brick moved a ways away from Duncan and spoke quietly. The wind carried some of the sound, so Duncan did hear fragments.

"Why'd you like to know?"

"Can't tell…"

"...Duncan lives that way…could show…"

"Thanks man. I'll explain everything when it's over."

The two walked back over and Brick looked at Duncan. "DJ here is interested in your side of town. Looking for someone. I told him you live that way."

"If I knew who he was looking for then it'd be easier for me to help."

Brick took a breath in and out. "...he's looking for Mike."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. Why would DJ be seeking out Mike?

"I can't tell you exactly why," DJ admitted. "I know that kinda sounds suspicious, but I don't mean any harm. I actually met him a few days ago, we're not total strangers. But I need to know where he is."

"I can vouch for DJ, in all the time I've known him he's never steered me wrong," Brick added.

"Uh huh. Okay, I trust your judgement, Brick," Duncan conceded. "I need to pick up some things here in town, then I can show you on my way home, DJ."

DJ smiled. "Thanks, man, I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

"Vito! I gotta talk to you! Get down here!" Scott called upstairs.

Mike was in the living room sweeping. He flinched a little at the sudden yelling, then sighed as he continued what he was doing. For once it wasn't directed towards him, there was no need to get worked up over it.

Vito walked to the top of the stairs and looked down, narrowing his eyes slightly at his brother. "Ey, so now you talking to me again?" he asked, placing a hand on his hip.

"Duh, yes, I just did," Scott pointed out.

"You plannin' on apologizin'?"

"Why would I do that? I didn't do anything wrong. I was trying to help you, Vito. I couldn't let ya get soft, now could I?" Scott crossed his arms. "I thought you needed time to realize your mistakes, and it's been a few days, so we should be good now, right?" He sounded hopeful, unaware of how wrong he was about how Vito was feeling and thinking.

"I don't think different from before now...I been thinking a lot, though," Vito admitted.

"You, thinking? Ha! That's hilarious," Scott said with a laugh.

"It ain't nothing to joke 'bout," Vito said, uncharacteristically serious.

Scott stopped laughing, now confused. "Whatya mean by that?"

Mike moved on to the kitchen, no longer willing to eavesdrop on the conversation. He put the broom away and started work on tossing out some stuff that had gone bad, still hearing bits and pieces of the other two.

Eventually things got quiet. But not for long.

Scott burst into the kitchen and glared at Mike. He seemed worked up, ready to hurt something. "This is all your fault," he seethed, clenching his fists.

"What?" Mike asked, confused as he turned to look at Scott.

Scott grabbed him by the shirt. "You turned him on me, I know ya did! There's no other way to explain it. Everything was going great and now he won't see reason anymore!"

Mike's oh so not wonderful anxiety that arose whenever Scott was hostile towards him got his heart pounding within moments. "I-I didn't tell him to think o-or say anything…" he said honestly and nervously. "I don't even know w-what happened with you two. Please l-let me go…"

Scott actually obliged for once, but did so with a fair amount of force. "If I find out you did something to mess with his head, you'll wish you'd stayed kidnapped," he warned angrily before turning and leaving.

"Y-yes sir…" Mike replied with a stutter.

He really couldn't catch a break, could he?

"Congrats, man! That's wonderful," DJ said as he and Duncan talked on their way towards Duncan's house and by extension Mike's.

"Thanks," Duncan replied with a small smile. "We have our first anniversary soon. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm married to someone like her, y'know? Feel really lucky." They'd been talking about little things like family and whatnot.

DJ nodded in understanding.

They turned onto the long road that their destinations were on.

"So his house comes before mine. I can point it out to you, but I gotta head home after I do," Duncan reminded DJ.

"Alright. I know my way back, it's cool," DJ assured him.

Duncan nodded, leading the way.

Vito exited the house through the front door and felt about ready to punch a wall. He had never been this angry in his life, and he didn't know what to do about it. He and Scott had never fought like this. It just didn't happen. No one ever taught him how to deal with situations such as this one; at least the silence had left space between them for them both to calm down.

That wall really was looking mighty punchable…

"Hey! We're not done yet!" Scott yelled out to him from the doorway.

"Whattaya gonna do about it, then, ey?" Vito challenged. "You ain't gone listen to what I haveta say, why should I bother?"

"You're my brother, Vito, I don't like fightin' with you!" Scott argued. "I don't understand why you're like this all of a sudden."

"Maybe ya shoulda paid more 'tention then, yo."

"There it is," Duncan said, pointing to Mike's house. He could see two people from afar near the front door, clearing having an argument. One was definitely Scott, whom he recognized and did not like.

"Great, thanks a bunch for showing me, Duncan," DJ said gratefully. This would make his job that much easier.

"No problem," Duncan replied. "Good luck with...whatever it is."

The two split directions, with Duncan going onward home and DJ staying to observe the place briefly.

"I'm going out," Scott decided loudly, glaring at Vito. "Don't think about coming with me." He went back inside to get ready.

"Wouldn't think to, yo," Vito replied with a frown. He stayed out and watched Scott shut the door forcefully behind him.

Observing from afar, DJ hummed. This'll be more difficult than I thought…

Scott took to leaving the house quickly, apparently ignorant of DJ's existence near to him as he headed in the direction of town. That left Vito to notice him and appear confused. "What you lookin' at?" he asked defensively.

Not expecting to be noticed, DJ quickly replied, "Just admiring your yard, it's very nice." Real smooth.

"...right," Vito said, narrowing his eyes.

DJ quickly moved away from the house, not wanting to be seen as suspicious.

Alejandro had fallen asleep at his desk, the law book still open and his head resting on a page detailing the laws regarding a person's legal standing as living. It had been a few hours and he was yet to be disturbed. Only an assistant had left some papers on the edge of the counter and quickly left to start her own work.

Finally, there was a knocking on the door, and Al's eyes creaked open. "¿Quién es?" he asked in tired Spanish.

"...it's almost noon, sir. You have an appointment that starts then. I thought it was a good time to wake you."

"...gracias, Courtney. Tell him I'll be with him shortly." He yawned and stretched, something else in his back cracking. He really needed to stop sleeping in his office.

"Of course, sir," Courtney said before closing the door.

Alejandro rubbed his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "Time to change into something cleaner for my meeting with señor Noah…"

"Gonna bounce for a few, yo," Vito told Mike. They were the only two in the house at the time. Noah had gone to 'a very important meeting' like that wasn't what he always said, and Scott was still out in town doing who knows what.

"Okay," Mike replied. "I'll be here…"

Vito nodded and headed off to wander, leaving Mike alone in the house.

DJ had remained in the area and saw Vito leave, heading in the same direction Duncan had gone. He kept out of sight until Vito had vanished on the horizon, then made the decision to approach the house.

Mike had stepped into the side yard to start some of the gardening chores he had, but heard footsteps that weren't all too familiar. He peeked around the corner and was surprised to see DJ walking towards the front door. "DJ?" He then proceeded to realize he was dressed in his usual cleaning rags. Oh no.

DJ stopped, not expecting to hear his voice coming from over there, and looked in Mike's direction. "There you are! I was wondering if you were even here," he said with a relieved tone to his voice.

"Well, I do live here…" and can't leave, Mike added only in thought. "And my, uh...my stepbrother just left, so it's just me." For the time being.

"That's perfect then! If you come back to town with me, Her Majesty is waiting-"

"I can't do that," Mike insisted quickly, his hand that he'd placed on the wall tightening its grip on the bricks.

"Why not? Is something wrong?" DJ asked, concerned as he stepped towards him.

"Don't come any closer," Mike said nervously.

Confused, DJ obliged.

"...I can't leave the house right now, and I...I can't tell you why." His fear for his own safety and physical well being was stronger than his desire to see the princess again.

"Okay, okay...what if I bring her here? Is that alright? Now seems like the best time possible if you can't leave…"

"...maybe. It would have to be a very short meeting, probably…"

"Trust me, any time will be worth it to Her Majesty."

Mike nodded slowly. It would hopefully be worth it for him too. "I'll get myself ready," he told him. "You'll have to be quick." And so would he.

DJ nodded. "I'll see you very soon then, Mike."

Mike moved back through the side into the house, his nerves about being seen replaced with nerves about...being seen by her.

He tossed off his gardening gloves and hat and climbed up to the attic quickly. He started pulling drawers open, for anything that wasn't worn out or stained or both. It was difficult; he hadn't had the chance to get himself new clothes in a long time.

After he found something that was probably acceptable, maybe, he stood in front of one of the house's mirrors. He ran his fingers through his tangled hair, now wishing he'd taken that braiding lesson from Dakota.

It couldn't be that hard, right?

Sadly, that wasn't the case, and he hurriedly resorted to a slightly more put together than usual low ponytail, at the very least tying it back with the nice blue ribbon Dakota had bought him, so if he ever told her about today she wouldn't be too disappointed in him.

He made an effort to get his hair off his face, but he didn't have any clips and he really didn't want to go back up to the attic to get the ones he did have. He'd have to deal with it.

Very soon after that, he heard a knock on the door. He looked out the window and felt his heart jump into his throat.

Hand suddenly shaking, he turned the knob.

I can promise that this cliffhanger is leading to what you think it is. I just wanted to save the meeting for its own chapter since this one got so long.

Please leave a review with thoughts on literally anything in this chapter. Go nuts.I'm back in school this week but I will try to work on the next chapter when I can.

Til next time, stay safe out there y'all. :)