5. Disneyland

ALEXANDRA'S POV

It was seven in the morning and we had arrived at the airport since our flight was leaving in about an hour. Dad had insisted on leaving the house early to prevent the traffic jam and I don't know what other things, and now we were ahead of time. We wouldn't start getting on the plane for another half hour.

Right now, Megan and I were at the counter ant the cafeteria while Alison, Analissa and Francesco were at a table waiting for us.

"I hate getting up early, totally to be waiting to get on the plane in half an hour." Megan said half annoyed, and I couldn't stop a small smile from appearing on my face, because I knew this would happen, but when she got an idea in her head there was no one to get it out.

"You know how Dad is, and I'm sure he wants us out of here before it all starts. Besides, I warned you we were going to have to get up early" she left her head on the bar and I could hear her sigh. "I know, but I'm sure we were safer in bed than we are at the bloody airport."

I laughed because it was all I had left right now, but I was with her. I hated that Alison was exposed to danger more than necessary. "I hate being here too, so we have no choice but to put up with it."

She raised her head and I could see something was suddenly in her head. "Now that I think about it, you'll be coming home after all this time." I looked at her without showing a single emotion on my face, because I didn't want to go back there. Yes, at some point I would like to return to Los Angeles, but not for too long.

"I don't like coming home if that's what you think. For me, my home is here. Italy is my home and I'm Italian." I said, because it was as true as it could be. "Don't you want to see your aunt and cousin again?" When she said that, I looked away, because it was something I would have loved, but they were both dead and it wasn't worth going back to the United States for me.

"I would have loved it if those bastards hadn't murdered them for the simple fact, we left the club." Even though she didn't say she was sorry, I knew he was, I could see it in her gaze on me right now. "It's been a while, and I really don't remember much about them, so you don't have to apologize for what happened."

"But you wanted them to be alive." I nodded "Now I have you, Alison, Analissa and Francesco, I don't need anything else." The truest thing I could say in my life. "You will always have us." She said putting a hand on my shoulder.

At that moment someone bumps into Megan causing the coffee in the cup to fall on her and she gets in a worse mood for spilling her precious coffee and staining her clothes.

"Hey stupid, can't you be careful? You just spilled my coffee all over me." I had to stop a laugh, because Megan is quick to anger in normal circumstances, but whenever she got little sleep, it was quicker than lightning.

"Sorry, I'll buy you a new one." I heard a man say next to her, but that wasn't going to do anything to appease my sister's anger. "That's not going to imply I don't have to change, stupid." I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going after that guy, we didn't need to get into trouble right now, although it wouldn't be a problem for us.

"Wait... Megan?" As soon as we heard her name, we both turned to see who the hell it was, and as soon as I saw him, I knew he was the guy who always bumped into her, most of the time unintentionally since he had to put up with the bad temper my sister has.

"Yeah, what's with it being Megan?" She didn't seem to recognize him, and she was more alert than she had been before without trusting a single hair of the guy, I didn't either, but we also had weapons in our bags if we needed them and I wouldn't care if we were in an airport.

"It's me, Derek." He said, raising his hands slightly to show he wouldn't be a danger to us. "And how am I supposed to meet you?" Megan said crossing her arms and I kept alert in case he made a stupid move. "We went to high school together."

A few seconds later, recognition was visible in Megan's eyes, but her anger only increased. "The jerk who spilled juice on me?" The boy nodded and Megan stared at him for a few seconds before letting us hear a frustrated laugh. "Wow, I see you haven't changed a thing, you're still the same stupid guy you were years ago."

"Trust me, I changed." He said convinced, but I wasn't so clear he did it. There was something that didn't fit me with him and gave me a bad feeling. "You keep throwing things at me, it seems that hasn't changed." I nodded even though none of them were focused on me, which was great, I hated the attention on me. "It was an accident."

A defiant smile appeared on my sister's face, causing her to deny it, because what she seemed to want now was to humiliate the boy, which I really had no problem with it, it could help me figure out what the fuck was wrong with this guy." Like the one from years ago."

A small smile appeared on the boy's face, even though he didn't react to what Megan said, I still didn't like something about him, and the truth was I didn't want Megan to get angrier, so I put my hand on her shoulder to get her attention away from him and focus on me. "Megan, even Alison don't behave like this, and she is six years old." I said, giving her a little squeeze on the arm to get her to drop the subject.

"Don't you see how he left me?" she turned indignant that I didn't say anything, and I could, but we'd be getting on the plane soon and I'm pretty sure she didn't want anyone to see her as she was at this very moment.

"You change and that's it. Stop making a drama out of everything, now is not the moment." She frowned, but dropped the subject, went to get her suitcase to go to the bathroom and change while I sat there drinking my coffee.

"I'm sorry about Megan, she's impulsive." I said, even though I didn't give a shit what he thought, he probably had his idea of us like the rest of the world. "I remember her like this, so don't worry." He said with a smile, but it made me angry, because I really didn't care what they said about me, it was probably all true, but not about Megan and I wasn't going to let this jerk change that.

"Just because you always remember her that way doesn't mean she hasn't changed, stupid." I said approaching him threateningly, and he began to take a couple of steps back with fear present in his eyes. "And I'm not saying otherwise. I'm sure she changed, what's more, she's more beautiful now."

I closed my fist to avoid taking the gun and putting it to his temple, it would not cost me anything to pull the trigger. If I hated something more than anything in the world, it was everyone looked over my sister's body, it didn't make either of us feel comfortable. "Are you going to keep drooling over my sister like you've been doing for a long time?"

"I thought you didn't remember me." Surprise crossed his gaze, but fear was still present as well. "I don't know who you are, I just know I saw you drooling over my sister like most of the high school and you did stupid things like the one from a while ago. You're lucky she didn't hit you because of that, because I can assure you, she really wanted to, more than you think, and believe me, I would help her if necessary" I said separating from him.

"Well, considering all the trouble you guys were getting in high school, I'm surprised she didn't hit me. It was some boy touching you and either of you hit them." He said with a smug smile, but this guy didn't know anything about us or what we had to go through, it didn't give him the right to say what we did. "I think Megan is right. You are a stupid. If we did it, it's because we had our reasons, so don't think because of that face of a good boy you have, everyone will fall at your feet, you are very wrong, because it is not like that. And you're lucky my daughter is around, because I would break that smug smile off your face right now."

I couldn't go on there. That guy didn't know anything about what both Megan and I had been through, and even though we knew what was said about us in high school, we didn't care, but right now I was annoyed at being brought up, and I wasn't going to let no one screw up my day more than it would be the moment I set foot in stupid park.

I left the airport, because I needed to get some fresh air to relax and mentalize I was going to return home. After six years I was going back to United States, a place I hate since the Russians took me from my aunt and kept me and many other girls there who I hoped I could help in some way. I remember the place where they kept me and Megan, and according to my people, the place was still held by many girls that I hope, no, no hope, I was certain I would get them out of there no matter what it cost me.

At that moment, I feel a hand on my shoulder, which makes me jump away from her, because I hate people touching me. It took me years for someone to hug me, but especially Francesco, for the simple fact of being a guy.

"Hey, calm down, I'm not going to do anything to you." Said a voice I had never heard in my life, which made me quickly tense up and turn around in case I had to hit or shoot him. "What do you want?" I asked crossing my arms to intimidate more. "I just came to apologize for what my friend said, he shouldn't have said that." I shrugged and kept looking at him, because it wasn't necessary for him to come here to tell me that, we were used to it.

"It's not the same, it bothered you." Again, I shrugged my shoulders again "And what does that matter to you?" I said defensively. "Well, a lot, I don't like someone going around bothering people." He said, and even though he seemed sincere in what he thought, I didn't give a shit what he said, I still didn't trust him.

"Well, go save other people from being bothered, there's a lot of that around here." I said turning in the opposite direction, but without stopping paying even the slightest attention. "I know, but right now I'm with you, I just wanted to tell you that." He said, making my instincts rise.

"You can go now then." I said to see if he would just go away and leave me alone so I could calm down and go back to Alison and my parents. "As you wish, my name is Hugo, by the way." He said stretching out his hand in my direction, but I didn't care, because I wasn't going to take it.

"Did anyone ask your name?" I was sick of people showing up when no one asked them a question. Didn't they see that I didn't care? "No, but just so you know." He said lowering his arm. "Not that I would care." I said "Maybe, I hope to see you soon." I could hear some hope in his voice, but I know he wasn't going to "I hope not."

I said that last thing so low I could barely hear it myself. The guy left and I stayed a couple more minutes and then went to the cafeteria where everyone was, I sat in one of the empty chairs and it doesn't take long for Alison to come over to me so she sits on my lap, which I don't doubt for a single second.

"When are we going to go mommy?" she asked excitedly, quite the opposite of me, but I wasn't going to ruin her desire to go to that park. "Soon, but we'll have a long flight to the park."

"I want to be there, now." She said pouting "You'll have to wait longer, but before you know it we're there." After a few minutes we headed towards the gate for our plane and a couple of minutes later we were inside the plane. It didn't take long for Alison to fall asleep.

During the flight, both Megan and Analissa slept while I was getting more nervous by the minute. I hadn't set foot in this place for six years, and just thinking I would return made me sick, but luckily for us, dad had arranged for us to spend a couple of days at Disneyland and then we would go to New York, which is where he was supposed to meet us, but I would take advantage of that trip to get those girls out of that hell, this stupid trip would be of some use, after all.

"You look very thoughtful. Are you okay?" Analissa said sitting next to me "Yes, don't worry, mom." I said without turning to look at her, I didn't want her to see my anxiety increasing every second we were closer to the United States, or at least to the park.

"I'm going to worry. I know US doesn't bring back good memories for either of you, but your father took it upon himself to send us bodyguards so they would not leave us alone for a single minute of the day." She suspected Megan and I were in the same world as Dad, but she never once protested about it, and she knew we could hold our own without the help of the bodyguards our father had sent.

"I don't care about bodyguards, mom." I sighed and turned to face her, "I know, but I hope it helps keep you from focusing on six years ago." She said, taking my hand and giving it a little squeeze. "That's complicated because even at home I can't forget about it."

"I know, I just hope that one day both you and your sister can forget what they did to you." We would never forget everything we went through in there, that's more than clear to me, but at least I hoped I could sleep at least half night without having to wake up from the damn nightmares.

"I doubt it, but I'll learn to live with it, don't worry." I said "I know, you are fighters and you can against everything you two put in your mind." Analissa had a small smile on her face and you could see the pride in her eyes.

"We have learned from the best." I said giving her a kiss on the cheek and leaving my head on her shoulder, making her automatically begin to run her hand through my hair. "I'm proud of you." I could hear the tears in her voice, but I know she wasn't going to shed a single drop. "And I'm glad you found us six years ago on the street."

It was something I would cherish all my life. By the time Megan and I walked out of there, everyone on the street was giving us disgusted looks. To this day I don't understand how she could bring us to Italy without any problem "I would not hesitate to repeat it if I meet you again."

"And I thank you, and even though I don't tell you much, I love you." Tears returned to Analissa's eyes, but this time from happiness. It was rarely I said I love them out loud. I want to assume they knew, but sometimes it was hard for me to say what I felt, not to say that it was practically always.

"We love you too, little one." She said giving me a kiss on the temple. Since we had come home to Italy, they always treated us like little girls, and I am partly grateful they did with Megan. When we arrived at her house, she was only fourteen years old and she desperately wanted parents, which she found in Francesco and Analissa.

"I hope one day you stop treating us like little girls." I said with a smile "You will always be our little girls."

The rest of the flight was silent and I had to answer a few calls to arrange everything that would take place in four days and specify the meeting we would have before to make clear what the plan was.

As the plane was about to land, both Alison and Megan woke up and were excited like little girls to realize we were getting closer to Disneyland every second, the complete opposite of what I was. I would like to run a thousand times to New York and get those girls out of there and back to that park. They were both places I hated, and even though I hated that club more, I had a motivation that made me want to go there. If it hadn't been for the fact Alison wanted to be here, I would have changed my ticket a long time ago to go to the other side of the world so as not to step on it again.

At lunchtime we arrived at the hotel and went to eat, since the security our father had sent us would be in charge of taking the suitcases to the rooms and checking everything was fine.

When we finished eating we went to that damn park Alison was dying to go to, and I was trying with all my might to put on a good face, but it was proving a little impossible and by the time we got to the gates of the park I can't help but stop, which makes the other three stop and stare at me, but Megan tells them to come in, we'll catch up with them in a bit and they go inside, leaving me and Megan alone in the doorway.

"You don't have to do this Ale." She said trying to cover me from the curious looks of the rest of the visitors. "I have to…" I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds, but it didn't take me long to open them when I felt Megan's hands on my face. " No, you don't have... Better, why don't you go to the hotel and rest?"

I denied, because it's not I didn't trust them and the bodyguards. It just could make me hysterical without knowing where my daughter was at all times. When we were at home, I didn't care, because I know the house is the safest place where she could play and live, but once we walked through that door, it was impossible for me not to be aware of her at all times.

"Megan, I'm not leaving." I said, opening my eyes and looking at her, "I think it's the best, but I also know you're not going to do it. On the other hand, I think it's better you're with us and not panicking asking how Alison is doing all the time. Now I need you to relax, because neither of us wants Alison to see you like this."

I nodded and took a couple of deep breaths. "This is bullshit. Couldn't he think of another place to send us on vacation? I said, but I knew Alison wanted to come here more than anything in the world. "Dad doesn't know anything about what happened here, and we still have New York." She said and I knew that was what was bothering Megan the most. I didn't have that much problem with going back to New York, in the end I had a mission, and that was what mattered to me.

"Well, I tell you that I prefer to be a thousand times more in New York than here." I said "I can understand your point of view, but I'm sorry to disagree I would rather be here a thousand times than there." I shrugged because I understood her just like she was understanding me. "Do you need more time or can we come in?"

I could see how eager she was to get in, and I didn't want to be holding up my sister's fun for one more second. "You can come in, I see how much you want to be in there." A smile appeared on her face, but she denied, "I'm not going to deny it. Since I was little, I wanted to come here, but don't think I'm going to leave you like this for a simple park."

I smiled at her and took her hand to give it a squeeze. "I'm fine, really. Better go and enjoy the park like the little girl that you are." She stared at me for a couple of seconds trying to see if I was telling the truth and when she was sure I was, she gave me a kiss on the cheek "Okay, whatever you want. I love you." She said giving my hand a squeeze "I love you too"

With that, she entered the park in search of Analissa and Alison. I stayed for a couple of minutes at the entrance until I decided it was time to face one of my many nightmares… Disneyland.