A/N: Strange chapter I gotta say, hopefully good and ready to spice up the story a bit. ;D
I also wanted to thank you once again for your lovely favorites, followers and reviews. You guys are the true gems of the story!
Aunt Ottavia was, in other words, the best thing that has ever happened to Lambo. She took him everywhere. To the mall, to the garden, to the park, just everywhere. It was amazing. Compared to his own aunt back when he was Oliver, Ottavia truly took the icing on the cake due to the degree she cared.
"Look, look, Lambo!" Ottavia beamed, raising him towards the pandas in the distance. "Aren't they cute!"
Lambo could only gurgle happily at the animals that day, but in truth, he couldn't help but drift his eyes back towards Ottavia. A growing warmth in his chest at this woman that had suddenly barged into his life and made it better. Affection, he declared this feeling on that day as he watched the twinkle in her eyes.
She was kind and so very warm. Telling him about her stories traveling the world and sharing her thoughts with him whenever he sits attentively in front of her. It was something Lambo needed in this slow, churning of time to a story that still hasn't rolled. Distracting him from all his conflicted thoughts, his father, the mafia and so much more. His anxieties lain forgotten in favour of listening to Ottavia.
"You're the cutest thing I've ever seen." Ottavia gushed with a blush on her face, squishing his cheeks together.
"Muh," Lambo had muffled out as he stared bedazzled at the woman.
Her squishing intensified at the sound.
Lambo ignored the teasing comment made by one of his nursemaids that he was manipulating Aunt Ottavia with his cuteness just to bask in her glow. He wasn't. Absolutely not.
Yet, there are times Ottavia also makes him…nervous. A darkness in her eyes as she pinches his cheeks, seeming to consider something before biting the inside of her cheeks in frustration. A sadness that appears that seems out of place in her face.
It was an afternoon. Lambo was enjoying the stories Ottavia was telling him from where he was perched on her lap. The pleasant timbre in her voice trailing off into an awkward silence that surprises Lambo. He tipped his head up, and found himself transfixed by the heavy look in her gaze as she stared at him.
Ah, Lambo uttered that time, that look again.
"I hope…" She started quietly from beneath a curtain of curly black hair. "I hope you know that you aren't obliged to do anything your father says one day."
Lambo stills, a chill going through his heart at the distant look in her eyes. Full of conviction, yet guilt and concern for him whilst brushing his cheeks.
"That whatever he says will not define you in the end. That the things he'll do won't break you." Ottavia says while furrowing her brows as if recalling something painful.
He remembered the fear that crossed him at her foreboding words. A contempt in her eyes that makes him believe that the man that had brought him to this world was more than what Lambo had expected. That he was someone more inhumane and dangerous than he already seemed to be.
As if sensing the infants distress, Ottavia swiftly smiled to wave the uneasiness away, only huffing to say dramatically, "But that's only because I hate him though!"
It wasn't quite as reassuring Lambo had wanted it to be. On the other hand, it cemented that Ottavia was someone that could be trusted in the end. In some semblance of his mind, Lambo had started to warm up to the fact that Ottavia was practically his mother by now after seven months in her care. Despite this, Lambo still refers her as 'Aunt Ottavia' because it sounded right to do so. He ignored the part where he remembered his real mother, calm and kind, but strict only because she loved him. Different from Maria. No one could replace the woman who had raised him for so long. Lambo's heart (—Oliver's—) clenched in grief the more he thought about it. Though looking at Ottavia, perhaps something new is happening here.
So when he turned one years-old, Lambo had given her the honours of speaking his first words to her and her only.
"Aunh Ohavia." It was a butchered version, but it worked as Ottavia had dropped her cup of coffee and stared at him with wide, brown eyes.
She then proceeded to squeal along with the nursemaids. Squeals turning into screams when Ottavia slipped on the very liquid she dropped, sending her careening to the floor besides his toys with a harsh thump. Lambo yelped, stumbling towards her prone form with wobbly steps and tapped her head, babbling 'aunh Ohavia' over and over again. Which promptly rejuvenated the woman, and before he knew it, Lambo had been sent airborne like a scene straight out of the Lion King.
Distantly, Lambo swore he heard the beginnings of the words 'It's a circle of life' being sung in the background.
"I'm so happy!" Ottavia had cried out, Nina trying and failing to keep calm at how 'Miss Ottavia your head is bruised!' and the remaining maids cleaning the floor less another accident happened.
It warmed his heart, to see the genuine love in her eyes, and it was because of this that he started to trust her. Lambo had started small, allowing her to get used to the fact he had another Italian book in his laps, and if not, an interesting book about animal biology or chemical reactions. At first, he had been cautious, noting down how Ottavia had hesitated the first time she saw the books scattered around him, tightening his grip on the pages at her reaction.
The tension melted when Ottavia had smiled instead after a brief moment, promising to bring him something of more interest later, not bothered by the fact that a one-and-a-half-year-old child was even reading something as intricate as the Weaknesses of the Human Anatomy.
His heart soared when Ottavia brought the entire edition of The Lord of the Rings for him, something even he hadn't had time for when he was still alive as Oliver, and rejoiced happily at the sight. Even the intellectual part of his brain needed a little magic once in a while to spice his interests. Ottavia had only smiled widely at the look, cooing at his excitement with a fond, "My little genius."
On the other hand, Lambo couldn't help but feel odd whenever she gives him that look. Conflicted eyes that followed his excitement, the worry brewing in them as she chewed her lips. It wasn't a malicious look, hardly, but more along the lines of not knowing what to do or that something wasn't going to end well. And it was always more prominent whenever they went out, sitting together in the white gazebo located in the Bovino gardens. Ottavia always looked over her shoulders like someone was following them, to a degree that was starting to concern Lambo. It was at this point that Lambo questioned if bringing his books along was a good idea, disking the fact that it was because of this that warranted the paranoid expression to manifest on his aunt's face.
However, it was probably too late as his aunt had frozen up one day, knuckles turning white with how tightly she clenched her teacup. Threatening to shatter it with the strength of her grip. Ottavia's face had paled, lips pursed with an expression akin to horror and fear. Lambo startled at this, snapping his head to find the source that caused this terrifying reaction, abandoning the book about mathematics in search of the danger. It was brief, but Lambo swore he saw a glimpse of short curly hair and cold brown eyes disappearing around the corner. It was almost as if he saw…his father.
"Lambo." Ottavia said suddenly, turning towards him fiercely. There was something in her eyes that made Lambo blink, something desperate and urgent, a sight that looked horrible on her face. She reached out, grabbing his arms and hands, and Lambo tried to hide his wince at how painful her grip was and refrained from crying out loud.
She turned him towards her roughly, breathing quickly.
"Lambo. Lambo, Whatever—you need to be careful, you need to keep that intellect hidden. Please. I can't protect you, and, and I—I can't save you from this. If he finds out about this, he…he'll be thrilled." Lambo was silent when Ottavia hugged him close, raven hair falling over them both. As if hiding them both from the world.
There's a watery sheen in Ottavia's eyes, "Please be discreet. You can't let him know. You can't let him find out. That brother of mine…I can't fathom what he'll do."
And then she cried a little, whispering into his tuff of similar black hair starting to curl around the edges, quivering. As Lambo, he had been clueless on how to deal with the situation, confusion and fear paralysing him. It was as Oliver that he mustered the courage to loop his small arms around her, too tiny to go all the way around, but the gesture reciprocated anyways as Ottavia buried her head closer. Whispering prayers and apologies to him and Lambo wonders if he should cry too.
It was an evening night when Lambo finally understood his aunt's warning about keeping his intelligence discreet. Something he knew already as Oliver, but hadn't thought it to be that much of an importance.
Until now.
He had woken up one night, tired and sluggish as he gazed at the blue lit room around him. Shuffling around uneasily at waking up to the sound of the door closing with an ominous click. At first, Lambo had chalked it up as one of the maids checking up on him, but realizing that it's the middle of the night and that he lived in a world of the mafia, he'd rather be safe than sorry.
Squinting an eye open, Lambo hitched his breath when he saw a man standing by the doorway, motionless while moving their head to survey the nursery room. It was as if he was calculating, taking every little detail in the room and noting down his observations, looking for something. And when the man's gaze rested on Lambo, the infant had almost reacted in shock when he realised he was looking at his father.
It's been a year, almost two, without a visit from either of his parents, and now seeing him in his room? Lambo had felt suspicious, angry, and terrified when he remembered Aunt Ottavia's words echoing in his head. A foreboding feeling welled in his belly.
The man tilted his head, looking away in favour of casting another look around the room, face blank as a statue. He paused abruptly, as if he found what he was looking for as his mouth parted slightly, and kneeled down to pick it up. Lambo followed the motion, only to pale horrified when he saw it was one of his books he was reading, one with the title of Theory of Knowledge. Lambo had cursed himself, cursed himself because there were still more scattered out there, hidden underneath the couches and he forgot to hide one of them.
His fear escalated when Lambo watched his father catch the edge of another book hidden underneath where Lambo hid it, latching onto it and dragging it out. The man had stared at it before pulling more out in his search, fingers tracing the titles of each book found in a slow, careful manner. He then lifted his head up. Lambo snapped his eyes shut tightly, pretending to sleep and hoping that his father would dismiss it as one of the maids having forgotten to put it back after reading them.
Lambo could hear his father stand up, the sound of fabric brushing against each other from the action. Silence drifted again, only to stop with the soft clacks of shoes meeting the wooden floor, coming closer and closer till it stopped just before his crib. Lambo's heart quickened, feeling and hearing the way his heart went thump, thump, thump, and tried to quell the cosmic urge to open his eyes when the sound of hands clamping on either side of his crib sounded out. Creaking creepily the more weight being applied to it.
Sad to say, Lambo had succumbed to his urges anyways.
Opening his eyes, Lambo's heart nearly stopped when his father's face appeared right before him. Leaning over the crib, just above the fences as his cold eyes dissected him. Lambo could only stare back, too terrified to look away as he held his breath when the man blinked slowly, pulling back as if confounded by the eyes staring back at him. Lambo had almost been relieved at the act, about to breath when the quirk of the man's lips made him freeze again. His father smiled, menacing and gleeful in equal parts and wide brown eyes brightening, the corners curving in hair-raising pleasure.
It chilled Lambo to the bones.
"My child," His father had spoken, and Lambo had jumped at that. "My son."
A wild glint shone through those cold eyes, "My little genius."
Lambo had never felt so ill at hearing those words. Something that had usually sounded fond and endearing from his aunt, now twisted to sound like an abominable curse. Lambo wanted to puke.
With a last look at his father's delighted expression, the man pulled back suddenly, stepping away. Clacks of his shoes receding, growing fainter before the sound of the door opened once more, and Lambo followed the leaving back of his father. The man stopped for a minute, looking back with scheming eyes before leaving with a final, parting smile.
The door closed with an echoing click.
Instead of relief, Lambo couldn't help but feel like he sealed his fate to a terrible future.
"I think," Lambo whispered to his aunt the next morning. "That I've made a terrible mistake."
Ottavia had paused, brows furrowed in confusion before realisation took a hold of her, and an expression of pure despair crossed her beautiful face. That expression alone made the dread in Lambo's heart to feel heavier (—and the sound of Oliver screaming in his head to resound—).
It was a couple of months later when everything changed. His father reappearing with men at his heels, ordering them to take his stuff and move them to somewhere else. Lambo had trembled when those dark brown eyes landed on him again, a smile appearing on those lips as he made a move to grab him when his aunt stepped between them, face thundering with anger.
"Don't you dare!" She yelled.
"Ottavia. Move." The Bovino Boss demanded with frigid eyes, poorly concealed distaste for his sister.
"You can't do this!" Ottavia glared, daring him to try while standing firm and tall before the mafia boss.
"I'm his father, of course I can." He replied in turn, jerking his head to his men to take his aunt away.
Lambo stood with weak legs, moving to hide behind his crib less a fight broke out. Ignoring Oliver's insistence to run and run now, tensing when one of the men grabbed Ottavia by the arm and pulled her along, causing a growl to resound from her lips.
"Let go!" She screamed, swearing when the subordinate pulled especially hard.
When she saw her brother move for her nephew again, Ottavia grinded her teeth, "Claudio!"
Everyone in the room stopped at the furious roar, even his father who twisted his face, annoyance painting his usually blank face.
"He's not one of your damned experiments! You can't treat him that way!" His father, Claudio, rounded on her.
"And you promised to report to me when you saw potential!" Claudio hissed coldly. "We made a deal, Ottavia."
Lambo widened his eyes at those words, turning to stare at his aunt who only narrowed her eyes at her brother in reply.
"So? Just because he has potential now, you've started to care? It's been two years, Claudio. More than that! And now you've decided to show up. If you wanted someone to report to you about your son's fucking potential, then you should have done it yourself!" Ottavia screamed. "But no, I've been taking care of him and I won't let you hurt him!"
If Lambo had thought Claudio's face had usually been cold, then his face turned absolute glacial at her words. A sneer broke out; disdain clear to see as he turned around to glare over his shoulders.
"Subdue her." Claudio ordered.
Without another a word, his men pinned Ottavia to the floor, making her cry out in pain.
"Aunt Ottavia!" Lambo garbled out in worry, moving to help her only to stop dead in his tracks when his father stepped towards him, grabbing him viciously from the floor.
Lambo cried out, feeling the world twist around him before he was shoved into one of the guards, pressed painfully to their chest. He trashed in panic, babbling a bunch of no's, every rational thought flying right over his head to cry out to his aunt that cried with him, arms flailing to reach her. His emotions were controlling him, and Lambo didn't know how to stop, to remain calm. That he shouldn't be as hysteric as he is at the moment.
"Pick one." Claudio demanded, eyeing the few maids trembling by the side-lines, eager to help their lady. "Pick one you won't regret."
Lambo had only sobbed.
"I said," Claudio snarled as he closed in on Lambo. "Pick one."
At the irate order, Lambo weepingly stuttered out a heart wrenching, "Nina."
As if a summon, Nina all but rushed for him, snatching him from the brutal hold the subordinate had over him with a ferocious look. In his relief to at least have someone trusting to hold, Lambo buried into her shoulder and sobbed.
"I hope you picked well." Claudio had said with a cold smile. "I wouldn't want you to regret this later after all."
And with that, they had been forced out of the room, away from his haven, away from his warm memories and away from his aunt that screamed down the hallway for him.
Lambo could only watch the dark look in his father's eyes, and fear for his life.
A/N: Welp. *Sweats* I hope Lambo's OK the next chapter...HAHA!
I hope you guys enjoyed it!
See yah next time ;D