The Hunt for Sviederbach

Disclaimer: I do not own Shake it Up

A/N:

Chapter 23 (Meltdown)

"Aveline!" Aveline was practically tackled by Estelle upon return to the house. Her cousin's hug was overwhelming and powerful, crushing her. She made an effort to hug Estelle back and looked up at the other people in the house. Everyone was worried and upset. The kitchen wall had a hole in it, and Rocky's fist appeared to have pieces of that wall scattered about it. "Oh god, we were all so scared. I can't believe they'd do that to you."

"E-Everyone saw that?" She stiffened and staggered backwards, putting her hand to her forehead. She needed to not let this faze her. It was already known that the whole scene was on camera, Aveline just hadn't wanted to believe it. "Martin rescued me…" Estelle raised an eyebrow and looked down to her collar, the camera light was on once more. She could practically feel the nation's relief that she was safe. "He didn't plan his cousin's attacks, and he…those four…they won't be a problem again."

"That whole family is nuts!" Kashlack exclaimed. The others murmured their agreements. Madeline hurried over, hugging Aveline, Astor. She had a cold rag in her hand, which she used to clean the trickle of blood on Kashlack's forehead. He thanked her. "I'm not sure what Martin's planning, but he seemed pissed with his family as a whole." Aveline's eyes shot open and she slowly moved over to the couch, where everyone followed. She wasn't sure exactly what to do next, considering things just weren't black and white anymore. She was confused as well, wasn't Martin a bad guy or was he not? He wasn't as bad as his family was? Was it his father that orchestrated everything?

"I think it might have been Martin's family that jumpstarted this whole mess, not Martin himself. I don't know, I can't tell. I'm very confused right now. I think…I think I need some time alone." She heard Rocky say something about her needing to have gone with Aveline. She shook her head and moved up from the couch. "You couldn't have come along Rocky, still too risky. Just…let me have some time to myself…" The others nodded and let Aveline go to the guest room she'd been staying in. Granted, she was going to have to move out of this room eventually, the house was getting far too packed.

Aveline closed the door, locked it, and pressed her back firmly against it. Her palms hugged the wooden door and her chest expanded and fell with breathless pants. The memory of her struggle played through her mind, she could see Brad's face and practically taste that moldy breath of his. Her heart slammed her chest, her cheeks drained of color, and she slid down to the floor. Her arms pulled her knees to her chest and her face buried into them as she allowed her tears to slide along her cheeks.

"I don't want…" She breathed in sharply, her body trembling and anxiety rushing through her. "This is too much." She could hardly speak her mind. Her hand moved to her chest, where her lungs felt ready to explode. "T-They didn't get me, they didn't do anything…" The last time someone tried a stunt like that, she was able to talk to Ander about it. Aveline lifted her head and let out one sob, realizing she wouldn't be able to talk to him. "I want Ander…I want my mom…I want dad." She was happy to have her relatives back, but it wasn't complete until her mom and dad were there. "I don't need anyone to 'save' me, I'm strong. I'm a tough princess, I'm not a weak one." She whimpered and moved the back of her head against the door. Her body ached and the pain chilled her body.

The radio buzzed and her eyes shot open as Martin's voice entered her ears. "You should take a nap before getting started, Aveline." She wanted to curse him out. How had he been right there and she didn't take him out? Then again, it was too much to do at the time. "No one ever said you were weak." She heard him scoff and raised an eyebrow at his words. Was he fighting himself to say that? "I know I don't usually say nice things, I'm not a good person. I acknowledge that. I may not be as virulent as the rest of my family out there, but that doesn't say I haven't done things that are probably lacking in justification. Of all the things I've done, dishonesty is not one of them, and I don't mince words. Got that?"

"Yeah…" She wiped her eyes and hugged her knees once more, slowly rocking back and forth. "What do you want, Martin?"

"I want many things. Above all, I'd like to be free. We're cousins, whether or not either of us would like to admit it. We are family." A distant cousin, but family nonetheless, she understood. "Tenth cousin once removed. I'd say you also just got rescued by a 'prince' of sorts." She could feel a smirk in his tone and quickly scowled. She hated that cliché! He cleared his throat and relaxed a sigh. "You're not weak, for the record. You're strong, you held your ground a lot longer than half the damsel-type princesses out there. Hell, you could give Peach from the Mario Bros a run for her money."

She laughed and swept away the new tears in her eyes. It was hard to think that he could make her laugh, but it was something she needed. "Can I ask you something? Would you…let me talk to Ander? I won't try to find him or anything, I just…he's someone I need to talk to after this." Martin seemed to hesitate for a period, finally sighing and giving in.

"Sure…just don't give each other clues about his whereabouts, he's not the next person you need to find. I'll set his collar to turn on the radio." She almost wanted to thank him for the transfer, but her pride just wouldn't allow it. "So, no reward for the 'prince' that rescued you?" His tone was a teasing one, and one that she did not fully appreciate, no matter how much she wanted to laugh.

"Don't press your luck, Martin." Freedom came at a price, and everyone wanted to be free. The first words he said in this conversation, those very words replayed in her mind. He was family, but he was not free? She wasn't doing him any favors, because he was the one threatening her family, or so she would like to believe he was. "Martin, do you believe in God?" Martin choked and wavered in his speech. She started to lean forward, curious as to whether or not he believed.

"Yeah, I do. Why? Are you going to preach to me now or something?"

"No, I was just…wondering." She had her answer, but if he believed, then why was he doing something so vile? "Why would you do all this, then? I mean-"

"Because it's the 'Lamont way' or something, some shit my dad always shoved down my-" He stopped and Aveline sucked in her breath, holding it and waiting for him to continue. He seemed extremely agitated now, so it was likely best to not anger him any further. "Sometimes it feels like He's forgotten me, that God wouldn't want shit to do with me. Left me in this damn family. Is that what you want to hear, Ave? That's the way it is, like it or not."

"You don't have to do what your family tells you, Martin."

"The hell I don't. Anyway…talk to Ander a while." The radio buzzed over before she could continue, and Ander's frantic voice brought tears to her eyes.

"Aveline! You're safe!" She clenched her eyes shut and slowly nodded her head. "I'm here with your dad, we're forced to watch all of this on the screen." How great it was that Ander was with her dad, of all people. It was a hell of a time to be locked up and just realizing that the boy you're locked up with was dating your daughter. "We want to be there with you right now, we really do."

"I know. I'll find you though…count on it. Are you guys okay? I mean, seeing what happened…"

"We kept each other calm," Gunther said in the background. "But more importantly, are you all right?" She trembled once more and vigorously shook her head. She didn't want to admit to not being okay, but she also didn't want to lie and say she was.

"I'm fine, but I'm breaking down. I…I needed to hear you guys. Ander, Dad…I miss you. I love you…" She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. "Look at me, I'm a blubbering wreck! I feel so pathetic. I'm the strong one, I'm the tough one, I can't afford to cry! I can't afford to be hurt! I have to protect everyone, and I…I can't do it!"

"Aveline…" Her sobbing increased, but she still kept her attention to her father. "Listen, I know it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders right now, and I know you feel like you have to be strong, but it's okay to cry. That is not a sign of weakness, fear is not a sign of anything other than strength." She slowly lifted her head, yearning to feel her father's embrace, and longing to feel Ander beside her. Her father's words were a comfort to her, warming her as if he were there with her. "When I was younger, I didn't want all this. I didn't want to come be a king, I was too proud to even be bothered with Sviederbach at the time-"

"My dad got him over here," Ander pointed out with a chuckle. Aveline's lips turned up and her heart began to slow from its violent pounding.

"This is true. As I started realizing what was going on, and of course…Ander's father had this big suicide plan mapped out, he wanted me to kill him of course." A familiar scene to Aveline, it felt to her as though this was exactly where Martin was leading her. Into killing him, to set him 'free'. In the process, was he doing what Frankie had done? Ridding Sviederbach of the plague that threatened it? His own family? Which, if he was her cousin, which family did he care about more? Tinka was free and alive, so were all of her siblings, and Sviederbach's chief bodyguard. In other words, it was completely pointless to keep Gunther, Cece, Ander, and all the rest locked up. The Lamont family would never claim the throne with this, because Tinka was next in line! Or well, she and Astor were next in line should Tinka decide not to take over for her brother. "Aveline, are you there?"

"What?" She'd zoned out on her thoughts, and chuckled with embarrassment. "Sorry Dad…continue…"

"Up to that fight, I was scared. I was scared of losing your mom, of losing my family, and yes…scared that the country might not make it if I didn't do something. Did I cry? I'll admit it, I did. It all made me stronger, though, and more determined to take the responsibility placed on me. I know, though, how it can feel to have the weight of the world on you, and to be totally overwhelmed."

"It's hard, Daddy. I don't even know what to do now, Martin just told me he wants 'to be free', whatever that means. Up till now, I wanted to kill him as much as the rest of his family, but…he is family…"

"Nothing's ever black and white," Ander spoke confidently, "There is always going to be a gray area somewhere. You just have to recognize it and make the right decisions. The whole country has faith in you, they trust you. They're even reinstating my father's nobility status over here! Your dad told me that." Aveline blinked and moved her hand to her forehead, groaning slightly. She still couldn't get over the fact that her parents probably would have accepted their relationship in the long run.

Gunther laughed once, "He's a smart man, Aveline, and a great catch. I can't believe you two never told us you were dating! It would have saved your mother a lot of grief. We were hoping to get Frankie reinstated as a noble, so that maybe we could convince you and Ander to get together, but it looks like that's already the case."

"Yeah, well, I thought you and mom wouldn't be all that happy that I was dating the son of…" She paused and thought on all the visits they'd paid the Bransford family over the years. Her voice fell flat and her eyes narrowed, how stupid was she to not notice that that they were so close to each other? "You know what? Never mind. I'm going to find you guys. You're right, I'm strong. I'm not a weak princess that needs to rely on a savior. Just one time can't damage my confidence that much, even if it was Martin that saved me. I can't let that stop me! In fact, I refuse to let that stop me!"

"That's the spirit!" Ander cheered. "There's the Aveline I know and love." She still wanted to break down and cry, though. She didn't feel like going out there right now, she wasn't ready. "Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"What's that?"

"That you get some rest. Martin himself told you to take some rest, so do that…try to relax and let the stress go. I know you want to rush out there, save everybody, but you can't do that if you don't rest."

"Then…then what do I do about Martin? When I get to him…"

"I think you'll know what the right decision is." She could pray for him, she was a very religious person at heart, so it felt right to pray for that decision. "You know, when Dad was sitting there telling your dad to kill him, it would have happened if your mom hadn't found my mom. So that's good intuition. I know from our relationship, and your dad tells me, you have that same intuition about things."

"Yeah I just need to follow it more…both Astor and Martin wanted me to sit that last one out, and I didn't, but I felt like something bad was going to happen…and it did…"

"Just don't give up."

"I won't. I love you, Ander…I really do."

"I love you. Hey you know what?" She hummed as his tone grew chipper. "I'd hold you and kiss you right now if I could." Her heart slowly lifted and she moved over to her bed, falling back onto it as if she were falling into a field of soft, lush grass.

"I know you would, and I wish you could hold me. I need that so much right now. My entire body feels like it's on fire, and I feel like if anyone touches me right now, I may hit them."

"You'll be okay Aveline. We believe in you. Sviederbach believes in you…"

"Thank you."

What are your thoughts and observations?