Chapter Six

Notte de Morte

Gia's heart was racing. She was expecting to wake up from a nightmare, and she'd go downstairs from her room and Lucia would be there waiting for her. What was happening? She looked over to see who grabbed her away, it was Graverobber. He had a sorrowful look on his face.

"Just like a curse, kid. It wiped out her entire family…" he muttered, looking off toward the alley.

"Who was that? Why would he hurt Lucy?" Gia cried.

"He's the Repo Man. When people can't pay for their organs that they've bought, he comes and takes the organs back. Your debt is paid with your life."

"Isn't there something we could do? Can't we save her? She can't be dead. She can't leave me." Gia sobbed. Graverobber looked sympathetically at her.

"It's too late, Gia. She's gone. She's been my friend for a real long time, if I could help her, I would."

"But… I don't know what to do," she said. She was never left alone and she didn't know how to handle it, especially in this sort of a situation. "I need to go find my mom. I need to tell her what happened. She'll know what to do."

"Be careful, kid..." He warned as her turned away.

"Wait, Graverobber?"

"Yeah, Kid?"

"Can you make sure Lucia is taken care of? Not just thrown away like trash? She deserves better than that," Gia asked, her heart heavy knowing she'd never see or talk to Lucia again. She'd never hear her jokes or have pillow fights with her, or have her do her hair. She was just gone.

"Yeah, I will. I'll make sure she's treated right," he promised. He wouldn't let her be thrown into a truck and dumped into a Repo Warehouse, and he wouldn't use her for zydrate. His old friend would be treated better than that.

Gia watched Graverobber walk off towards the alley where Lucia's corpse was. She wiped the tears off of her face and calmed herself down as much as she could and she and Duke entered the house. She walked up the stairs and stared at the door into Lucia's room. Slowly, she crept towards the room and opened the door. It had only been hours since Lucia had been in here, yet the room seems haunted and eerie. The bed was unmade, Lucia's dresser was open and the pajamas were thrown on the floor. She went over to the armoire and looked at the things on the surface of it. Makeup was scattered about, her jewelry, but Gia found what she was looking for. It was Lucia's necklace, her special necklace that she cherished. Gia felt the need to have this, something to keep to remind her of Lucia. Lucia said "It lets me know my family is close to my heart." Gia just wanted to feel Lucia close to her heart. She put the little golden oval necklace on and continued on.

Gia went downstairs and pulled out a coat of the dark closet, she put on the long black coat with a hood, she would hopefully go unnoticed.

"Duke, stay, boy," she commanded. She needed to be quick and stealthy. Duke went back in the house as he was told and Gia shut the door. She took a deep breath as she walked down the stairs of the front porch. She knew how to get to GeneCo tower, Lucia and she had walked to see her mother rehearse before, but Gia was hesitant. She'd never been alone before. If Lucia wasn't with her, Mag was.

Gia began to run as fast as she could. She ran through the alleys and roads, avoiding every enhanced person she saw. Her feet couldn't take her to the opera fast enough. When she got to the building, it was packed with Opera goers. She shoved her way through and made it into the building, seemingly unnoticed. She shuffled through the dark hallways of the building. She'd never liked the GeneCo building much, it made her feel uncomfortable, and she'd always notice her mother and her tenseness in the building.

"Mom?" Gia called into her mother's dressing room, looking around. Nothing.

It was empty. She'd have to wait until after the show to tell her mother that Lucia was dead. She was in a panic once more. Her heart was racing, her eyes swollen from her crying and her mind racing. She peeked out of the room to see Amber Sweet running away into her own dressing room. Something wasn't right with her. Gia saw flesh, not Amber's flawless skin, but tissue, red and gleaming. Gia shuddered, Surgery gone wrong… she thought to herself. She however took this time as an opportunity to go backstage, and wait for her mother there. She'd be able to get to her mother right after she was done, and Gia could have the comfort she desperately needed.

Pulling her hood over her head, she made her way backstage. She hid herself behind props and curtains, and watch as her mother, in a leotard traced with black feathers, sang, being lowered down on to the snowy floor. Her wonderful voice was captivating, she belted out the Italian lyrics with beauty and grace, earning everyone's undivided attention.

"Tirando la freccia, Altri son ferriti per mia colpa, mia colpa!" Pausing, Mag looked around the room with an expression Gia couldn't read. She then snapped out of it and returned to her harness, and continued her song. "Giú! Verso la bocca del diavolo!" being lifted off the floor, Mag had gained her confidence back and floated elegantly into the air.

"La sua freccia, I miei occhi. Chromaggia, come take these eyes!" Mag sang, looking off to the right side of the stage. Gia didn't remember this part on her mother's lyric sheet. "I would rather be blind!" Mag finished, raising her hands to her face, talon like rings on her fingers, she stabbed them into her eyes.

Is this part of the show? Gia wondered. She saw blood dripping down her mother's face as she pulled her eyes out of their sockets. Gia stared at her mother, her own eyes bulging. Her mother smiled and held her detached eyes. The crowd still gasping and whispering at what they'd seen. In an instant, Mag dropped, falling onto the fence was singing above, impaling her. This wasn't a part of the show. Her mother was dead, she realized, horror striking her heart. She looked across the stage through tear filled eyes, to the Largos looking satisfied, Rotti Largo telling everyone to stay, that there'd be even more 'excitement'. Pavi turned and saw her, and when they made eye contact, Gia ran straight out the door. She ran even faster than she had before, tears stinging her eyes, her stomach churning and her lungs fighting to breathe. It was all a blur, running through the streets, she didn't notice people staring at her, though she wouldn't have cared if she did. She ran into the home, greeted by Duke. She leaned down to his level and hugged his neck.

"You're all I have left Duke…" Gia sobbed into the dog's neck. He seemed to understand that something dreadful happened. Gia picked herself up and wobbled up the stairs into her room, her head spinning. On her pillow she saw a letter, her name written in her mother's handwriting. Sitting down, she shakily opened it up,

Dear Gianna,

I will be dead by the time you read this… Words cannot express how much it pains me to leave you. I love you with all my heart and you mustn't ever forget. I hope you will never experience the kind of helplessness I have endured for seventeen years at the hands of GeneCo. I was a slave Gia, and that's no way to live. I cannot justify in any words leaving you, but I can feel confident that leaving you in the care of Lucia, my trusted friend, whom you love dearly, will be the best thing I can do for you in these circumstances. I had to do what I did. I pray you won't see the performance, and that you'll still remember me as your mother, and not in the way that I died. Gianna, I know you can't understand why I did what I did, but I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me. Think of me in the position of Anne Boleyn, she became a martyr in a different way than I, but a martyr nonetheless. I hope you can forgive me, for this it is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I know I've never given you much freedom or explained things as I should've but Lucia will explain to you anything you need to know about. I'm so sorry Gia. I love you with all my heart and I'll always be with you. "Together forever, never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart." I'm always with you Gianna. Never give up on your dreams and don't let anyone change who you are.

Your Loving Mother

-Mag.

Her mother knew she'd be dead. She didn't know Lucia would be dead. Mag wanted Lucia to take care of Gia. Gia sat on her bed in complete silence. This morning she was looking at lyrics with her mother and being silly with Lucia. Now they were both dead… Gia started to breathe heavily, her vision began to blur and she fell into unconsciousness, hearing her mother's haunting voice…

She only came out of her sleep when Duke began growing. Footsteps… Gia's heart stopped. What was going to happen to her? Gia had no one; she only had Duke to protect her now. She shut her eyes and held to Duke, who was still curled up next to her, his head was perked and his teeth were bared. She heard the footsteps get closer and closer and someone was in the room. She was still terrified to open her eyes.

"It is-a alright. I'm- not going to-a hurt you," a familiar voice calmed. Gia opened her eyes hesitantly to see Pavi Largo. She was still nervous, she didn't trust the Largos. Look at what his father had let happen to her mother, even so she felt her had a hand in it, he did instruct people to stay and watch, that it was all part of the show.

"I'm-a sorry about your-a mother," he said. Gia looked away and pet Duke, trying to get him to stop growling. Pavi didn't seem to even really notice the defensive dog. Pavi shocked himself by even coming here, but he saw Lucia's repossession file, and knew that she'd be dead by this time and that Mag was of course dead. Something inside of him told him to come. She was only a child and now she was completely alone in the world. She wasn't much older than him when he lost his own mother.

"Stasera è stata una notte di morte," she lamented. He was surprised with her perfect pronunciation and understanding of Italian, even his own siblings knew little.

"I-a see that. Do you-a know that-a…' he trailed off, this was an awkward conversation, and he didn't know how to approach it. Gia looked up with her swollen eyes. She seemed to know where he was going with this.

"Yes, I know. Amber told me."

"When?"

"I saw her in an alley when I ran off the other day. I only just found out. I think it was yesterday. Momma never talked about it…" she stuttered, her voice beginning to crack.

"Well-a, you shall come with-a me then. You can't-a be left to fend-a for yourself. Come." He instructed.

"What about my things?"

"I'll-a have your things-a brought over, or you can-a come and collect-a them," he explained. Gia was still hesitant, but what other choice did she have? She had no one left.

"Duke has to come with me." She said an adamant tone in her voice. He hesitated,

"Uh, I-a don't know about-a that,"

"Please. He's my only friend," she pleaded. He looked her right in her eyes, which were swollen and red, distressed with grief, and gave in.

"Alright-a. Let's-a go."

Gia nodded, and unsteadily got up from the bed, taking the letter and a small stuffed bear her mother gave her when she was five, she exited her empty home with Duke and Pavi. They got into the car and drove off, Gia twiddling with Lucia's necklace and staring when they passed the alleyway where Lucia was killed. She lowered her head in grief. In one night her entire world had been rearranged. All she could hear was her mother's voice, it rang within her mind.

Ten silent minutes later, they were at GeneCo tower. Getting out of the car, Gia froze, starring at the building, her legs wobbling, she forced herself to follow Pavi. They entered in, where he was greeted by genterns, who all starred at Gia.

"Who is this little beauty?" one blonde gentern asked, smiling at Gia.

"This-a is Gia. This-a shall be explained later,"

With that he smirked at the genterns, making them all giggle in a rather obnoxious manner.

Continuing on, they entered into an elevator, which led them up to the apartments where the Largos stayed. He led brought her to an empty one. It was big and elegant with a marble fireplace, a large comfortable looking black couch and then in another room was a large, luxurious black silk bed, and had a large bathroom, made of white marble. The bed was calling Gia's name. She was exhausted and her body ached as well as her heart.

"We'll get-a your things tomorrow. I suspect-a you're-a tired, so I'll- let you go to-a bed," he explained.

Gia nodded, "All I want to do is sleep," she mumbled.

Pavi began to leave and Gia turned around and said "Thank you," her voice small and innocent, he turned around and gave her a nod and a small smile. This was going to take some getting used to.

Gia ran to the bed, letting the soft sheets engulf her, she put the letter down on the cherry mahogany nightstand and got Duke settled next to her. She observed the room, the grey walls and dark wood floors. Everything was distracting her. She shook it out of her mind and tried to relax. She was still of course overcome with sadness about her mother and Lucia, but she wasn't alone anymore, someone was looking out for her. Gia just didn't know how she felt about getting to know the father who only showed up out of guilt.

Author's Note

Well, there ya go. It had to happen even though I hate it. Mag She was such a badass character, I really love her. Anyways, Poor Gia! This kid is gonna need therapy! Well, could be worse right? Glad I was able to finally find time to finish this chapter, I've been working on it for days. Tuesday I go back to school, so when will I ever have time to write?! I'll make it :D Anyways, thanks for reading! I love reviews, they keep reassurance that some people are interested in this!

Stasera è stata una notte di morte- Tonight was a night of death

Notte di Morte- Night of Death