Disclaimer: I don't own The Thief Lord.

Chapter One: Maybe It's For The Best

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Hornet groaned a bit before pulling the bedcovers over her head. How was it morning already? It felt like she'd barely climbed into bed. She knew it was her own fault for staying up so late, but the book Ida had recommended to her had been so fascinating she could hardly put it down. The next thing she knew it was two in the morning and she was still reading about magicians and fairies.

She groaned again and buried her head in her pillow when she remembered she had to go to work today. Normally she loved going to work, after all not many people could say they had once lived in their place of employment.

Dottore Massimo had surprised everyone when he had let Scipio and Victor buy the Stella from him instead of just giving the construction workers the go ahead to tear it down. It took almost a whole year of repairs but the Stella was now a fully functioning theater once again and among its first hires were Prosper and Hornet. They loved working there, serving popcorn and drinks to people who had no idea they were watching films in what used to be their old home. Once in a while they would sneak in at night and go sit on the stage and hide behind the new star speckled curtains and just talk. Behind that curtain it was as if nothing had changed, as if the years hadn't passed. Behind that curtain they weren't siblings, they were just friends.

It certainly hadn't been her idea to start thinking of Prosper Maier as her brother. How could it have been? She'd had a crush in him since the moment she had seen him and Bo that cold night. Ida had been the one who had first started calling them that the day she had registered them for school. Hornet could understand why she had done it, she had only been trying to avoid unnecessary questions. She had tried to legally adopt them but it was impossible since although Esther and Max Hartlieb had supposedly left their nephews in an orphanage they refused to give them up completely and once a year without fail they sent a letter asking how they were. Ida didn't have much luck adopting Hornet either, mostly since she wasn't an actual orphan, she still had parents out there somewhere. Saying that Hornet was Prosper and Bo's step-sister and that she was their guardian while their aunt and uncle continued living in Germany just seemed like the easiest answer at the time.

But now four years had passed and they were still acting like brother and sister.

"Maybe it's for the best," mused Hornet. After all, if they had started dating there would've been countless scandalous rumors milling about. It's not as if anyone thought they were actually blood related, (they stressed the step part of their relationship enough times throughout the years for anyone to think that) but there was still something taboo about two teenagers living under the same roof and dating.

Still, just because the entire world thought of them as siblings did that mean that was all they ever could be?

Hornet curled up and hugged her pillow tight. It was only eight in the morning and she could already feel a headache creeping in from all the thinking she was doing.

"Please, Prop? Please, please, please?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, Bo. I don't get out of work until late tonight."

Ida shook her head and chuckled at the two boys sitting at her kitchen table. "Oh, go on, Prosper. He's been dying to watch that movie, and he was sick during the premiere! I won't mind if you're home late just this once."

"Who's going to be late?" said Hornet as she walked into the sunny kitchen, her hair still damp from her morning shower. She seated herself next to the boys and grabbed one of the many breakfast rolls Lucia had baked for them.

"Bo wants Prosper to take him to watch that movie about the owls," explained Ida.

"Oh, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole! I loved those books when I was younger."

"Me, too!" cried Bo. "Thanks for lending them to me Hornet!"

"Anytime, Bo. I hope you like the movie just as much. Oh, Prosper, can you hand me the Nutella?"

"Whoa, wait," interrupted Prosper while handing over the hazelnut spread she loved so much. "Bo, I don't want you to get your hopes up. I'm not even sure if there's going be a showing that late. We might just have to wait until next week."

"But Prosper! You promised!"

"Oh, come on, Prop, just trade with me, I get out at six."

"I don't know…" said Prosper, "You worked late yesterday didn't you?"

Hornet rolled her eyes at him, "It's okay, Prop, I can handle staying up late two nights in a row. I'm a big girl now."

Prosper smirked but didn't respond. She was practically setting herself up for a short joke. Hornet had barely grown over the past four years, she was still only five feet tall. All the boys except Riccio and Bo had already been taller than her, but after four years they positively dwarfed her. Even Riccio was taller than her, and before long Bo would be catching up to her as well. It was something they constantly teased her about, but she didn't mind. In fact, it almost seemed like she enjoyed the short jokes.

"Alright, well, as long as you go straight to bed when you get home. You'll never get to sleep if you start reading."

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, "Fine, I promise."

"Yes!" yelled out Bo. He was beaming as he rushed over and gave Hornet a big hug, "Thanks, Hornet!"

"You're welcome," she ruffled his light blonde hair. "Vero angelo, how is it you've stayed so adorable all these years?"

"Stop it," said Prosper with a smile. "He's ten years old already, you're going spoil him if you keep treating him as if he's still six and a quarter."

"Oh, but he's such a little angel!" joined in Ida as she too ruffled Bo's hair. Bo himself looked quite pleased with all the attention.

Prosper just chuckled and shook his head as he kept drinking his coffee. After all these years all the girls still fell for Bo.

Victor looked from the blue to the red.

Then from the red to the blue.

Then from the blue to the red again.

"This is impossible!" he cried out.

How could this happen? He had planned every moment so carefully but now the day was finally here and he couldn't even decide whether he should wear a red tie or a blue one?

It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Paula and her husband were of no help either. He'd already tried holding up the ties to their cage but the tortoises just stared at him blankly and continued munching away at their lettuce. The detective couldn't really understand how they could be so calm when he felt like a bundle of nerves. He was so jittery that he must've jumped at least a foot when his assistant came walking in the door.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Scipio.

"Scipio, please," he ran over to the younger man, both ties still in his hands. "Which one should I wear tonight?"

Scipio's eyes examined the ties.

They went from the red to the blue.

Then from the blue to the red.

Then from the red to the blue again.

"Neither. Wear the grey one," he said at last.

"The grey one?" Victor asked. "Why?"

"Didn't she give you that one for your birthday last year?"

Victor's eyes grew large in realization. "Of course! You're right! You're so right!"

"Aren't I always?" responded Scipio cheekily as he settled himself into one of the squashy chairs that were usually reserved for clients.

"Hey, don't get cocky," warned Victor. "Lord knows your ego doesn't need to get any bigger."

Scipio just laughed as his boss started rummaging around looking for the tie his girlfriend had given him the past year.

"I see someone's nervous today," he remarked.

"Of course I am. You would be too if you were in my shoes."

"Well, then I hope I never am."

"Oh, really now?" asked the detective.

"Really," said Scipio. He put his feet up on the desk and leaned back, closing his eyes in the process. He had barely slept a wink the night before, he'd been too busy trying to track down a client's maltese poodle. It had taken him all night but he had finally found the fluffy white thing sniffing around near the Rialto market. Honestly, he was extremely tired and just wanted to sleep, not talk about his non-existent love life.

"I just don't understand you, Scipio," said his boss as he fixed his grey tie. "Not even a bit."

"Mm, how so, Signor Getz?" he murmured somewhat absently. The chair was really quite comfy, if only his boss would stop talking... then he could sneak a quick nap in before his next appointment came in.

"Well, why haven't you ever dated? I've seen plenty of pretty young ladies flirt with you. I mean, I could understand it before, you were still just a kid in a grown up body, but now... You're twenty years old and you don't look any older than twenty-five. There really isn't any reason not to date."

"I suppose I've just never met anyone who really caught my eye."

"What about the girl whose dog you just returned?"

"Vittoria Viti?"

"She was rather pretty, wasn't she?"

Scipio yawned loudly befor replying, "I suppose so."

"Well, why don't you call her up and ask her out?"

"Because in addition to being 'rather pretty' she was also remarkably annoying."

"She couldn't have been that bad, may-"

"She was."

There was silence for a few minutes as Victor combed his hair and straightened out his suit. Today was an important day, he'd been planning it for almost four years, he couldn't afford to screw it up.

"Um, Scipio?" He almost felt bad for continuing to pester his assistant while he tried to sleep, but there was something he'd been meaning to ask for a while...

"Mm?"

"Erm, well, what about Hornet?"

Scipio opened one eye warily. "What about her?"

Victor cleared his throat noisily, this was even mroe awkward to ask than he had thought it would be. "I'm just saying, she's grown up quite a bit these past few years, no one would be too surprised if you two were to-"

"I'm not interested in Hornet, Victor."

"Oh. Really?"

"Really. She's like a sister, nothing more."

"Alright, alright. I believe you," Victor said as he checked the time. "I have to leave now, don't get in too much trouble."

"Do I ever?" murmured Scipio as Victor rushed out the door.

Finally.

It's not that he didn't enjoy Victor's company, he really did, but he absolutely hated these occassionally talks about girls. The question "Why aren't you dating?" was annoying no matter who it came from. Although he usually wasn't asked about Hornet...

It wasn't the first time someone had asked him if he and Hornet were a couple, but it was the first time Victor had ever mentioned it. Although, it did explain the looks he and Ida had been exchanging around them lately. He liked Hornet, he always had, but never in a romantic way. It was true that one of the reasons he had become the Thief Lord was for her, but he had done it for Riccio and Mosca as well. (And if he was really truthful he had done it a bit for himself, too.) Did he really have to have a crush on her in order to take pity on her and want to help her? Couldn't he have just helped her because it was the right thing to do?

He was close to Hornet and she had grown to be a very pretty young woman, but he saw her as a friend, a confidante, and, although he didn't live with her in Ida's home, a sister. He admitted that perhaps she had some qualities he would appreciate in a girlfriend. She was kind, compassionate, intelligent, responsible, adventurous... but even thinking of dating her left an awkward feeling in his stomach and he was pretty sure they weren't butterflies.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And to those who faved as well! You guys motivated me to keep going ;)

This chapter came out shorter than I wanted it to... I kinda feel like it was just filler stuff, but I wanted to show a little background info on the other characters before just launching into the main plotline, so I hope you'll bear with me.

Review, please!