Chapter 5

"Serena? Hey. Are you two up?" Dmitri knocked at Serena's door and made his way inside. His sister and Sara were still asleep. He sighed and shook his head. "I figured she would have set an alarm or something." He muttered as he walked over to Serena's bedside. "Hey. Wake up. It's time to start our day."

"Mmm.. what time is it..?" Serena reached for her cellphone and turned her backscreen on. "It's 8:00 AM. Not this early!"

"Yes, this early. We're going to Rome today."

"That's quite the trip." Serena sighed and sat up in bed. "Fine. I'm up."

"And I'm up, too. Since you both were talking so loud." Sara groaned as she sat up. "Sorry. I get very grumpy in the morning."

"It's alright. Your brother and Emil are already downstairs and making breakfast for us all."

"Aw, that's nice of them." Serena grinned and watched her brother walk towards the door.

"Don't take too long, okay? It's going to be a bit of a drive." Dmitri walked out and shut the door behind him. Serena stood up and walked over to her closet.

"I think I'm going to take a shower and freshen up. Let Mickey know that I want some tea with my breakfast." Sara rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out her clothes for the day.

"Will do." Serena grabbed a violet skirt and a lavender shaded sweater out of her closet. She grabbed her phone and began to play her favorite playlist as she began to dress herself. She reached into one of her dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of white stockings and grabbed her black pumps from the closet. "I feel like being as tall as Dmitri today." She grabbed a lavender neckerchief and tied it neatly around her neck. "Alright. That's perfect." She turned towards her door and grabbed her white jacket as she walked out of her room.

As she began to make her way down the hall, she could hear the boys talking rather loudly in the kitchen. She made her way down the steps and walked in when her brother started to speak. He was showing his phone to Emil and Mickey.

"I never thought it would happen! The KING JJ himself is retiring!"

"That's a relief. He was a great skater, but his ego was a little too much." Emil looked inside each cabinet until he found a stack of plates.

"It's true. I'm sure he doesn't even mean to do it. It's just his personality." Mickey placed two slices of toast on each plate and turned back towards the oven. "Breakfast is almost done. Where are those crazy girls?"

"One of them is right here, and the other is in the shower. By the way, your sister wants tea with her breakfast."

"Haha, I figured as much. It's either tea of juice. It's always a guess. I would have guessed juice, though." Mickey poured a mug of hot water and began to look through the cabinets. "Ah, Earl Grey and Breakfast tea.. which one do you think she would want?"

"I'd go with Breakfast." Serena sat down at the table and looked at her brother. "So, who quit skating?"

"Jean Jacques Leroy!"

"I thought that's what you said." Serena frowned and looked down at the table. "He was one of my favorites."

"Yeah, all the girls like him. He's a handsome devil, as some call him."

"No one calls him that." Emil began to laugh as he sat down next to Serena.

"Shut it." Dmitri poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. "I've heard people call him that, alright?"

"Okay, okay. We get it." Mickey slid two pieces of Italian sausage and a small pile of scrambled eggs onto each plate and tossed the pan into the sink. "It's not a traditional Italian breakfast, but it's quick and will keep us full until we get to Rome."

"Mmm, Mickey! It smells amazing!" Sara walked in with her hair tied up in her towel. "I figured I could dry my hair in a few moments. For now, I want to eat!"

"Well, sit down. It's ready." Mickey grinned and followed Sara to the table and placed a plate in front of Serena and then Sara. "Alright men, ladies always get served first in my eyes, so you all can come grab yours."

"Yeah, yeah." Dmitri grabbed his plate and sat down on Serena's left side. He wasted no time digging into his food, while everyone else took their time. Everyone was quiet for a few moments, before Sara decided to spark up a group conversation.

"So, do you both have your music chosen for your routines? We only have a couple of weeks left until we all compete."

"I have mine, but Serena is super indecisive. I'll probably end up picking something out for her." Dmitri shoved his plate aside and smiled over at Mickey and Emil. "Thanks for breakfast, you two. That was great."

"You inhaled it. Are you sure you were able to taste and enjoy your food?" Emil took a bite of toast and stared over at Dmitri.

"I'm just a fast eater, that's all. Plus, daylight is burning. We need to hurry if we're going to make it by lunch time."

"Well, I'm all done." Serena grabbed her and Dmitri's plates, and took them to the sink. "Thanks for breakfast."

"But you only ate half of it. Are you feeling okay?" Mickey took a bite and began to chew before talking again. "It's not good for you to cut your breakfast in half."

"It's not that I want to. I usually can't eat too much for breakfast. It makes me feel sick."

"Well, as long as you're eating something." Sara smiled and grabbed her empty plate. "Alright. I've decided that I'm going to let my hair air dry. I don't feel like messing with a hair dryer right at the moment."

"Your hair will be dry before we reach Rome. I'm going to go grab my purse."

"Ooh, I need to grab mine as well! I'm coming with you!" She walked over to Serena, and the two of them retreated upstairs. Dmitri took a drink of his juice and sat the empty cup back down onto the table.

"I swear, it's almost as if 5 years ago never happened, huh?"

"Yeah, I was going to say that as well. Serena seems much more mature. She seems like she's handling things a lot better now, too." Emil stood up and grabbed his empty plate. Mickey followed him and began to clean the kitchen up.

"I agree. She seems like she's somewhat back to normal."

"Well, she isn't completely back to normal, but she's working on it."

"What about you, Dmitri? You seem like you've changed the most." Emil began to put away the clean dishes as he kept up with the conversation.

"How so?" Dmitri curled his nose and scoffed. "If I HAVE changed, it's been for the better."

"Well, you seem a lot more.."

"….A lot more what, Emil?"

"You're a lot harder headed now than you were back then."

"How so?"

"You kept a lot to yourself, and it was like Serena was the one who was in control of both of you. She was fearless, and always wanted the chance to shine. Now, it's like you two have changed places. She seems to think more before she acts."

"Haha, yeah right! She agreed to taking over the restaurant without thinking things through first."

"So? Wouldn't you do the same if you were in her shoes?" Mickey dried his hands off and turned to face Dmitri. "I know I would for Sara."

"I mean, I would, yeah-"

"Then don't tease her about it. She's your sister. She's always going to be your first best friend and the one that needs your support the most. Don't make her feel bad about what she has chosen to do. She'd never do the same to you."

"I know she wouldn't. I'm worried about her." He crossed his arms and looked out the kitchen window. "I want her to be fearless again. I want her to be able to live life on her own, but at the same time, I don't want to let her go."

"You aren't letting her go. You will both just be living your own lives. One day, something will come along and make it happen. She won't ever forget about you. Just like Sara would never forget me."

"I know." Dmitri walked towards the front door. "Are we ready to go? We need to start now if we're going to spend any time in Rome."

"Ah, yeah. We're ready. Oh, and it sounds like the girls are coming downstairs." Mickey followed Emil towards the front door. Within moments, Sara and Serena were outside with the guys.

"Alright, everyone load up." Dmitri unlocked his car and climbed into the driver seat. Serenity sat up front with her brother and their friends piled in the back. Mickey sat in the middle with his arm around Sara's shoulders, but kept on texting Emil about what he had planned as far as showing him around. As they all made their way towards Rome, they talked about their themes for this year's competitions, their goals, and their dreams. About halfway there, they all became quiet and focused on the music playing on the radio. Serena was almost asleep when her phone vibrated. She picked it up and noticed that she had a text message from Sara. Without hesitation, she turned her screen on and opened her messages.

"So, I didn't say anything last night, but I heard sounds coming from the guest bedroom. Did you hear them?"

Serena thought back to the night before and looked down at her phone. She typed quickly and then sent the message.

"I thought I heard some squeaking."

Moments later, she had another text from Sara.

"Maybe I'm crazy but.. I think Mickey and Emil are dating now."

"What makes you think that?"

"I'll tell you when we get to Rome. We're going to go shopping and we can talk about it. ;) Don't say anything, alright?"

Serena looked up at her mirror in the sun visor and glanced back at her friend. Sara was looking at her with a wide smile on her face. Serena smiled and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a peaceful nap before they reached their destination. She drifted off to sleep in no time at all.

"Dmitri! Hey! Wake up! We need to get ready and go before we miss our flight!" Serena rushed into Dmitri's room and pulled the blinds up from his window. As the sun began to shine through, Dmitri groaned and rolled over on his stomach, placing his face into his pillow.

"5 more minutes."

"Nonsense! Come on! Dad made us a special breakfast to see us off. Oh, I'm so excited to finally travel on our own!"

"It's just a skating camp. We will only be gone for 2 weeks." Dmitri rolled over on his back and sat up.

"Yeah, but it's in Switzerland, which is not Italy!"

"You're correct. It isn't."

"Very funny, smart ass. I meant this is our first time traveling out of the country by ourselves!"

"Well, get used to it. Once we go big, we will be traveling all over the world. And sometimes, we will even be apart from each other."

"Ah, I don't want to think about it!" Serena sat down on Dmitri's bed and huffed a strand of hair away from her face. "Come on now. Have you packed already?"

"Yes. You pestered me all day yesterday. I stayed up last night and packed while you went to bed."

"Yeah, because I'm smart." Serena stuck her tongue out and stood up. "I'll meet you downstairs. Make sure you hurry up, okay?" She grinned and kissed her brother on the forehead.

"Will do. Don't eat all the biscotti with your espresso."

"No promises."

"Okay! It took us awhile but we're finally here." Dmitri parked his car on the side of the street and turned himself around to face the back seat. "Oh, and Emil.. be careful. Traffic is crazy around here and you don't want to get run over."

"I'm not dense, Dmitri. But thank you for being concerned." Emil smirked and stuck his tongue out. Dmitri laughed and faced forward again before turning off the car. Serena rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn before looking out the window.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Dmitri reached over and brushed a strand of hair away from Serena's face. "You slept for a good two hours."

"I did. Thank you." Serena got out of the car and reached her arms up towards the sky. Sara got out of the car and took Serena's hand.

"Come on! We can finally go shopping!" She tugged Serena towards the street shops as Dmitri began to follow them. He stopped and looked back at Michele and Emil.

"Hey, are you two coming or what?"

"Nah, I don't think Emil wants to spend his first trip to Rome inside shops. We'll meet back up here in a few hours, okay?"

"Alright. I have my cellphone, and I assume you have yours as well, so we'll just communicate that way." Dmitri turned back around and ran to catch up with his sister and Sara. Mickey turned to face Emil and grinned.

"It worked. Come on. What would you like to do first?"

"I'd love to sight see. Oh, and I want to ride a gondola with you!"

"Alright, we can do both of those things." Mickey took Emil's hand and lace his fingers with his. "Oh! But first.." He tugged Emil towards the street and looked both ways before crossing. "We're going to ride on that botticella."

"That what?"

"Botticella." Mickey walked up to a horse and carriage and began to speak to the man standing beside it. He reached into his wallet and pulled out payment before turning back to face Emil. "Come on. We're going to take a little tour around Rome to start." He took Emil's hand and helped him up into the carriage.

"Thank you. This is really awesome! I wish I could live here."

"No, you don't. Up north where Serena and Dmitri live is a little better. Not as many people. It's nice to come and visit, though."

"Well, I meant live in Italy all together."

"Oh?" Mickey draped his arm around Emil's back and pulled him closer. "Well, I'd like that a lot. But, we both need to focus on our skating."

"I know. After awhile, I want to skate with you. We can skate together and compete together."

"We could. Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?"

"Deal." Emil laid his head on Mickey's shoulder and looked around as the botticella pulled them around the streets of Rome. Mickey made sure to be a great tour guide and point out special places to Emil. After 30 minutes was up, they got off and began to walk up and down the streets. "So, do you know where we are and how to get back?"

"Mmmhmm. I've been to Rome a lot, so I know myself around. That's why I'm not worried about Sara and Serena shopping around."

"Well, Dmitri is with them, too."

"True." Mickey looked around and then stopped in front of a small pizza shop. "Are you hungry? We could grab some lunch!"

"I'd like that. Thank you, Mickey."

"No problem. I want you to have a good time."

"I always have a good time when I'm with you." Emil kissed Mickey and grinned as he pulled away. "You're so cute when you blush."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go eat, alright?"

Meanwhile…..

Sara and Serena walked up one of the busier streets in Rome to shop. They made sure to stop by each store that had something cute in the window. Dmitri decided that by the third shop, he wasn't fit to shop. He decided to hit up a small restaurant across the street for their booze menu while the two girls spent time together. They were 5 shops in when Serena thought it was appropriate to bring up the text message that she received in the car.

"So, about that text message." Serena looked through a rack of dresses and pulled out a lilac and sky blue laced cocktail dress.

"Ah! Yeah. So I think Mickey and Emil are finally dating. That, or they don't care that anyone can hear them having sex. Oh, by the way, that would look perfect on you."

"Wait, you think they're having sex?"

"There's no doubt I heard faint moans and squeaking. It was either them or Dmitri had someone sneak in through his bedroom window."

"Dmitri hasn't ever been into dating. He had that one girlfriend for 4 months and then she broke up with him. It broke his heart, so he doesn't want to deal with that again."

"Ah, wasn't that when he was 16?"

"Yeah. They didn't even spend that much time together. They saw each other at school." Serena threw the dress over her forearm and walked over to the shoes. She looked back and Sara was behind her.

"So, going on, we both know that Emil has always been attached to Mickey at the hip. Mickey says that they both consider each other rivals, but they're the best of friends. Don't you think that's odd?"

"I mean, not really. How do you feel about them dating?"

"It doesn't bother me. I want Mickey to be happy."

"That's really sweet." Serena smiled and looked back at the shoe rack. "Hm.. Oh! These should look good." She pulled down a pair of matching sky blue heels and looked at the size. "So, are you going to say something to him about it?" She walked over to a bench and slipped her shoes off. Sara sat next to her and looked up at the ceiling.

"Nope. He's a grown man, he can tell me when he wants to. If he wants to. But, if he can find someone to love, then so can I."

"You've always been able to." Serena slipped on the shoes and then slipped them back off. "Ah! A perfect fit."

"Yeah, I know. But Mickey would throw a temper tantrum. Now that he's seeing someone, then he can't play that card on me."

"He's still going to be protective. You know that."

"And that's okay. But he better not be too protective. I'll cut him out for a little bit."

"Ouch. Harsh."

"Hey, I can't live the way that I've been living for the rest of my life, Serena. And neither can you. I want you to find someone to love and take care of you for the rest of your life. As your best friend, that's my dream for you."

"I'll find someone. But as for now, I want to win. I have goals I want to accomplish before I get too deep." Serena stood up and walked to the register. "I'm all finished here. Did you see anything you like?"

"I do, but I want to save my money for a little bit. I already bought 3 pairs of shoes and 3 outfits."

"Yeah. This one's my first outfit. I was waiting until something caught my eye. We HAVE been shopping for a bit. Do you think we should take a break?"

"If you want to, we can. How about we go find Dmitri and grab something to eat? I'm starving!"

After a day in Rome, they all made it home safely, but were too tired to party or to even lounge around to talk. Dmitri told everyone goodnight, and hoarded himself in his room for the rest of the night. Serena and Sara were too busy watching videos of skaters, while Emil and Mickey were relaxing in the guest bedroom. They enjoyed each other's presence, and relaxed in each other's arms, until Mickey sat up and looked over at his lover.

"Hey. So, I think it's time that I tell Sara about us."

"Do you think she will be angry about it?" Emil frowned and hugged onto his pillow. "I want your family to accept us."

"They will. And even if they don't, it won't change the way I feel for you. Besides, I think Sara will understand more than my parents will. Something tells me that she already suspects something."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just feel like she does. She's my twin sister. We kind of share the same intuition."

"That's odd, but I understand. If you want to tell her, I support you doing so." Emil smiled brightly and hugged onto Mickey. "We only have one more day together."

"I know. We'll still see each other plenty. I promise. I'll come visit when competitions aren't happening, and you are more than welcome to come visit me any time you want."

"I plan on it."

"Good." Mickey planted a kiss onto Emil's soft lips and stood up from the bed. "Okay. I'm going to pull Sara aside and tell her."

"Don't you think it's a little late? They're probably asleep."

"I just heard them giggling about something. I promise, it won't take long. I feel like I need to do this. If I don't, it's going to bother me until I do tell her. It'll be okay." He grabbed Emil's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room and over to Serena's. He took a deep breath and tapped on the door. Moments later, Serena opened the door and looked back at Sara.

"Hey, let me guess.. we're being too loud?" Serena grinned and walked back over to her bed.

"No, you both are okay. Can I borrow Sara for a moment? There's something I need to talk to her about."

"Sure. She's all yours." Serena flopped back onto her bed and watched as Sara walked out of the room with Mickey. She followed closely behind him as he led her downstairs to the den.

"Mickey? Did I do something wrong? Why do you need to talk to me?"

"Nothing's wrong." He took her hand and sat down on the plush sofa. "I just feel like I need to tell you a couple of things."

"Okay…" Sara blinked and watched as her brother became to fidget in his seat.

"Sara, I really hope you don't judge me-"

"Why would I judge you? Did you murder someone?"

"Huh? No!"

"Then why would I judge you?"

"Because Sara…" He took a deep breath and exhaled roughly. "I'm gay."

"Okay? Is that it?"

"Is that it? Sara, I just came out to you, and that's what you have to say?" He was confused, but felt a little relief as she began to giggle.

"Yeah! There's nothing wrong with your sexuality, Mickey. It's natural, and if that's how you feel, then I support you 100%"

"Really? Sara, that means so much to me!" He embraced her tightly and began to tear up. "I was afraid that you would disown me."

"I couldn't disown you, even if I tried. You're my brother, and I love you."

"Thank you, Sara."

"So, is that what you wanted to say to me?"

"Yeah, that and, I'm dating someone."

"Well, of course you are! If you weren't, I don't think you would come out to me so easily!"

"It's Emil."

Sara grinned widely and nodded her head. "I knew it!"

"You did?"

"Yeah. You two have been spending more time with each other, and you two are sharing a bed together."

"What does us sharing a bed have to do with anything? You've shared a bed with Serena before."

"Yeah, but Serena is my friend, and not my lover." She winked playfully and stood up. "I'm happy for you both. Emil's a great guy, and I can tell how much he really cares for you."

"He is a great guy. Thanks for supporting us."

"Anytime. Now, we just have to tell Mom and Dad."

"Yeah, that's the part I'm afraid of."

"Don't be. They both love us very much. That, and we are adults now. They can't control our lives or who we love. No matter what, I want you to be happy with Emil and live your life."

"I will, trust me."

"And, since you're in a relationship, that means I can date, too!"

"I never said that!" Mickey stood up and followed her as she walked back towards the staircase.

"No, you didn't. But if you can be happy, can't I be happy?"

"Yeah. You can. But no one is to ever hurt my sister."

"And no one is to hurt my brother. And I know that won't happen, because Emil is head over heels for you. I promise, Mickey, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. But, that won't stop me from being a brother."

"And that's okay." She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Mickey. You're the best brother a girl could have."

"I love you too, Sara. You and Emil keep me stable."

"I know we do." She took his hand and led him back upstairs. "Come on. We should all get some sleep." She stopped in front of Serena's door and looked back at Mickey before walking in. "Goodnight. Sleep well, alright?"

"You too, sis. Goodnight." Mickey closed the bedroom door and made his way back to the guest bedroom. He walked in and shut the door behind him. Emil looked up from his cellphone.

"Hey! Did everything go okay?"

"Yeah. It did." Mickey sat next to Emil and laid his head on his shoulder. "I feel so much better now that I told her."

"Good. I'm glad. So, I take it she accepts us?"

"Of course she does. She says you're a good guy, and well, you really are. If you weren't, I don't think I would date you."

"Aww. That's sweet, Mickey."

"However, now Sara thinks she needs to date."

"Well, she IS an adult now, Mickey. She is able to see other people."

"I know she is." He sighed and flopped onto his back. "I just don't trust a lot of people. What happens if someone hurts her? Or takes advantage of her?"

"You can't worry about that, Mickey. I know for sure that Sara would never get with just anyone. She's a smart girl, and she has dreams of having her own family one day. Don't you?"

"Of course! I mean, I know it's too early to talk about it, but I do think about it."

"I do, too." Emil laid down next to Mickey and brushed his hand through his lover's chestnut hair. "But for now, I just want to enjoy the moments I have with you."

"Same here. We have our whole lives." He laced his fingers with Emil's and kissed the back of his hand. "But first, I want to see us win some gold."

"And we will. No matter who comes up on top, just know that I am proud of what you do. You motivate me to become better."

"Well, funny you should say that, because you motivate me as well. So does Sara, but your motivation means something different to me."

"Something different?"

"Yeah. I feel your encouragement each time I go onto the rink. Whether you are there or not, I can hear you cheering me on from the stands. It means a lot to me."

"I'm glad it does." He yawned and turned over on his side. "I'm getting sleepy. We had a pretty big day."

"We did. And it was absolutely perfect." Emil wrapped his arms around Mickey and pulled him close. "I never wanted this day to end."

"The day may end, but we will have other perfect days. I promise. Tomorrow, you and I can go drive around and I can show you the Italian country side."

"I'd love that. Goodnight, Mickey. And thank you so much for being good to me."

"Anytime. Thank you for not giving up on me."

"I could never do such a thing, Mickey."

Editor's notes: Thank you all so much for the support and kind words! Although this chapter came a little slow, I am in the process of chapter 6! With work and school, I am still finding time to write 3 Please enjoy!