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Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 22:14:54 GMT -5
Miguel listened as Annie told Bela all about Germany, whether she wanted to hear it or not, smiling contentedly. He was quite used to his wife's antics by now, and he absolutely loved her for and despite of them.
When they got to Mercedes' apartment, he went over to his oldest daughter and immediately enfolded her into a hug. "How have you been, querida?" he asked, holding her at arms length. "Despite what your mother says, you look good. Thin, but good," he told her, grinning. Of course, Mercedes needed to work on her fashion sense a little bit, but she was right about her job.
"Oh, you needed worry about that, Annie, love," he told her, taking the box from her hands. "We'll pick them up in another vehicle." Of course, he really just wanted to get her alone so that he could show her their house.
"Yeah, I'll stay here and help Mercedes," Bela said, joining her sister. Of course, Bela had nothing against Mercedes; she had just been doing her job, after all.
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 29, 2008 22:29:09 GMT -5
"Hola, Papa," Mercedes said, returning her fathers hug. It was good to know at least one person didn't care that she was under dressed. "Are you and madre going to stay?"
"No, dear, but we'll be back in a bit," her mother chimed in. Mercedes looked to her father for conformation and nodded.
"Then I'll help Bela pack up the rest. See you later," she said, realizing her parents were anxious to be alone. They kept looking at each other in that really annoying way.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 29, 2008 23:44:36 GMT -5
"Adios, chicas," Miguel said, smiling at his daughters before slipping an arm around his wife's waist. "I want to give you your presents, mi amor," he whispered in her ear, moving his hand in a slightly suggestive manner. Bela and Mercedes were probably used to it by now and at the moment, he didn't really care.
As soon as their parents were out of the room, Bela breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought they would never leave; it was SO OBVIOUS what they're going off to do." Bela shuddered slightly; they were married, of course they were going to, but she did not want to think about her parents in that way. And she was going to be forced to, living with them. "So, what did madre tell you?" she asked her sister, heading up the stairs to the apartment that they ahd, until now, shared.
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 29, 2008 23:51:42 GMT -5
"You're moving in with them and I'm to get your things ready to go," Mercedes repeated her mother's orders. She grinned, looking sideways at her sister as they climbed the stairs.
"Can't say you didn't have it coming," she said in an almost sing-song voice. Mercedes was feeling very smug over Bela's 'punishment'. Not to mention she'd get the apartment to herself. Bela was fun to hang out with, but sometime Mercedes really just wanted space.
"I'm surprised you submitted quietly," she observed.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 30, 2008 0:39:31 GMT -5
Bela sighed and rolled her eyes at her older sister. Kind of a futile gesture when no one can see your eyes, but oh well. "I'm sure you're excited about getting the apartment to yourself," Bela muttered. She was Not Happy with this arrangement; she really liked living with her sister! "I didn't exactly submit quietly; it's only for a month," she said, sulking only slightly.
She really wanted to tell her sister WHY she was being so ... complacent, but instead she just fidgeted uncomfortably. Hopefully Mercedes would realize something was up; they die know each other really well, after all.
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 30, 2008 0:43:37 GMT -5
"Stop fidgeting," Mercedes instructed, opening the door to her, formerly their, little apartment. Most of Bela's things were already in boxes.
"So spill. What's the real reason you're so antsy about living with mom and dad?" Mercedes prodded.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 30, 2008 1:11:40 GMT -5
Bela sighed, sitting down on the part of the couch that wasn't covered in boxes. "Well," she began, "It's kind of a long story." And she proceeded to tell that story. It was hard to say some things; she felt like she was probably being watched, even now, but she needed to get it out. And who better to tell than her sister?
"So, yeah. I'm worried," she admitted. "I may be a rebel and pretend that I don't care, but I love you and madre and padre. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you and if something did, as a result of something I did or didn't do, I wouldn't know how to handle it."
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 30, 2008 1:29:50 GMT -5
Mercedes stopped packing things and turned to her sister, deadly serious.
"What things, Arabela? What have you gotten in to now? Are madre and Papa in danger?" Mercedes asked, coming to sit next to her sister. "I need you to tell me," she said. She wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt her family.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 30, 2008 1:33:49 GMT -5
Fidgeting again, Bela nodded. She told Bela what she knew about the D.E.N., including her meeting with Diaspro and all that had gone on. "I did everything I could, but I'm being blackmailed, basically," she admitted. "It's not fun and I worry about you," she said, meaning their family. "I don't know what to do, Mercedes," she said, throwing herself into her older sister's lap. It was rare that Bela didn't have SOME solution, no matter how absurd to her problem.
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 30, 2008 23:30:22 GMT -5
Mercedes sat in silence for some time, considering what her sister had told her. Finally, she stood up from her seat, took two steps over, and placed both hands on Bela's shoulders, drawing the girl's focus.
"Everything is going to be all right, Bela. I'm going to take care of this." Mercedes thought of all those times, rescuing Bela from bullies, pulling her out of predicaments involving drug lords, and many other memorable occasions. She was going to protect her baby sister, her family, in any way she could.
"Bela, can you describe these Dreams? What did they look like? Where do they hang out? I need you to be as accurate as possible." Mercedes fully intended to bring Great Hell down upon anyone who would threaten her family.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 31, 2008 1:17:15 GMT -5
As Bela talked and listened, she kept her eyes on the floor, unwilling, really, to look at her sister. She knew she should have come to Mercedes as soon as anything had happened, but Bela liked to be self-sufficient. Even though Mercedes had been there for her her entire life, there were times that Bela had needed to do things herself.
"I'm sorry, hermana" she said softly, hanging her head again. "I just," she sighed, playing with a strand of her hair, "I just wanted, for once, to be able to take care of the family myself, instead of having to rely on you. I've always given you my problems, and that's not fair," she trailed off. My goodness, having her family threatened has certainly made Bela more honest with people.
Thinking for a moment, she nodded. "Si, I can describe them," she started. Taking a deep breath, Bela descried Diaspro, James, and Jasper in great detail. Mercedes was asking, so she was willing to give information.
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 31, 2008 1:25:51 GMT -5
Mercedes listened intently, committing their descriptions to memory. She'd do whatever she could to protect her sister. She'd hunt these Dreams down and see them writhing on the dirt beneath her before she'd let them lay a finger on her family. At the end of Bela's description Mercedes scowled in thought. How was she going to take on three aggressive Dreams by herself? She might need backup...
"It's okay, Bela. I don't mind at all. I want to take care of you. I love you so much," Mercedes said, keeping her eyes level with Bela's downturned ones.
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Post by Maestro on Aug 31, 2008 1:50:52 GMT -5
"I love you, too. And, I know you don't mind, Mercedes," Bela said, sighing. "I'm the one that minds. I want to be able to help, too, but you're just ... so much more capable at everything than I am." Looking back up at her sister, she smiled slightly. "You're the favorite, you know? I may be into the whole 'music thing,' but in the end, you turned out much better than I ever could have."
She sighed again, thinking about things. "If you're going to go after them, don't do it yourself," she said quietly. "Even though you're going to take care of the family, keep yourself safe. Let me come with you," she suggested, hoping Mercedes would listen to her for a change. "Don't do everything yourself."
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Post by redtopaz on Aug 31, 2008 1:57:39 GMT -5
Mercedes blinked in surprise.
"Me? You're the favorite. I've always known madre wanted me to be more like you. She doesn't really see 'LOS officer' as a really glamorous career, Bela. You don't know what you're talking about," Mercedes claimed. How could Bela be so grossly mistaken?
"And I can't put you at risk. You're very capable. I've seen it, but I really don't want you in any danger. You know why, right?" Mercedes said. She felt like she was going to cry. Why hadn't Bela told her sooner?
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Post by Maestro on Aug 31, 2008 15:43:48 GMT -5
"Papa does, though; I'm a disappointment to him." And then she shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?" Maybe their parents didn't really have favorites, but who could tell? "Either way, I'm always in trouble and nothing good comes of it." Why so gloomy, Bela? This isn't like you.
And then her stubborn streak came into play. Fiery resolve in her shrouded eyes, Bela shook her head. "Mercedes, you can't be thinking of doing everything yourself; they'll hurt you! I'm sorry, hermana, but I'm afraid you're going to have to either take me with you or deal with me following you, because that's what's going to happen anyway."
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