Broken Pieces-Chp136

[the couple made the rest of the trek on foot until threy see houses up ahead]

Sylvia: Right there, my house is with the red roof

Awesome: (sees it) Kinda looks cozy.

Sylvia: [shrugged] Its got its perks [peeks in] Looks like no one's inside. We can sneak in n look ard for a bit

Awesome: We gotta be quick, then.

Sylvia: [nodded n came in thru the bk door, testing it] Heh, figures. Still the same habit of not locking the bk door [enters quietly n looked ard] Coast's clear

Awesome: (looks around) ...Nice little place.

Sylvia: Not much changes, I see. Well at least they threw out the grand piano. Ugh, piano lessons were my nightmare

Awesome: ^^; Tell me about it.

Sylvia: U were forced to play piano too?

Awesome: That and my music teacher was no fun at all. >>

Sylvia: [chuckled] I feel ya [looked ard again n saw a familiar room] Ah the photo room. Wonder if there's any updates in there [enters]

Awesome: (follows her inside)

[the couple entered the room, where the walls are covered with photo frames, n there were shelves upon shelves dedicated to photo albums]

Awesome: (looks around, then pauses) Uh, Syl?

Sylvia: Huh? Wat is it, Fish Face?

Awesome: (sees a photo of an older male zbornak carrying a small child) That...your dad?

Sylvia: [looked at the picture] Yeah, n tht's me he's carrying. See the tiny tuft of pink hair? [pointed at it]

Awesome: :) Yeah... but I thought you were no longer part of the family since going with Ryder? Why would they keep you in that picture?

??: That's bcoz she's just disowned, not forgotten

Sylvia: [spun round to see a familiar face] Phil! Wat r u...?

Phil: I should ask u the same thing. But don't worry. It's just me here. Everyone has gone to Planet Rubia to attend Uncle Willy's wedding

Sylvia: That ol' bachelor finally getting married, huh?

Awesome: Oh hey. You must be one of her brothers?

Phil: [raised a brow] N u are...?

Sylvia: My husband, Emperor Awesome

Phil: Huh, a marina. Whatever happened to ur precious Ryder?

Awesome: He's dead, but it's kind of a long story.

Phil: U didn't kill him, did u?

Sylvia: Technically no, but I got a hand in it. Like he said, long story

Phil: Wat r u doing bk? U made it pretty clear u don't want anything to do with us anymore

Awesome: Well... she just wanted to check how you guys were doing and all that.

Sylvia: Just a peek, is all. Didn't expect u to be home. I didn't plan to run into u

Phil: Wat? U admit u made a mistake n wanna come bk hoping we'd take u bk into open arms n let us tell u "I told u so?"

Sylvia: Gee, rub it in, why don't u? I knew it was a mistake coming here... [prepared to leave]

Awesome: :( Bumblebee...

Sylvia: I hope ur happy now, Fish Face. I'm out [left thru the front door, slamming it shut loudly]

Phil: Same ol' stubborn head as usual. Definitely didn't get it frm our side of the family... [mumbled]

Awesome: Hey, you're the ones who put her through stuff just because she was a girl! She had the right to make her own choices but you wouldn't let her, you made her feel like a prisoner! She's a tough girl who knows how to fight back and all your family seemed to care about was raising her to be weak and helpless!

Phil: Don't u go lecturing me like ur ACTUALLY part of the family! At least us three bros made an effort to teach her self-defense n fighting skills wen our mom insist on her going to boring tea parties n socialize! That has to count for something!

Sylvia: [hears them arguing bt listened outside secretly]

Awesome: Even if so, you should've at least done something to prevent Sylvia from being disowened and all that. And hey, it's YOUR mom's fault she's never gonna see her grandkids from Sylvia.

Phil: Grandkids...? U mean u guys hv kids already? [raised a brow in surprise] Wow, has it been tht long since she left?

Awesome: ^^; Well, funny story how that happened, but yes, we've two boys and two girls. Two sets of twins. (nod)

Phil: Still, u can't exactly blame us for not trying. Our dad is a military man, n my mom is stubborn as a mule. U'd move mountains for them n they still wouldnt budge frm their decision. N its part of zbornak family culture. Wen ur out, ur out. There's no taking bk a word once its said. If u take it bk, u will be banished frm the planet by the community. Its the law here

Sylvia: [rolled her eyes, no stranger to tht law]

Awesome: ...Nothing has changed about since, huh?

Phil: Nope. So evn if I want to, which I dont, I can't take Sylvia bk. N evn if we can take her bk, I dont hv authority to do so, coz its my parents who gave the word. And... well... they're dead

Sylvia: [gasped quietly at the news]

Awesome: ...So sorry, bro...

Phil: Yeah well, it's been a while. Dad died frm a stray bullet at the military training grounds 3 yrs after Sylvia left. Mom got depressed after that n became bedridden, n then died 2 yrs after that. Doc said its heart failure, but I think she died of a broken heart coz of Dad's death. They were high school sweethearts, u can say. They've never been apart

Awesome: ...Hate to see how Sylvia would react to this...

Sylvia: [enters bk in] I heard everything. So... Is it my fault then, that they're dead...?

Phil: Unless u can cause a random bullet to fly out of a rookie's gun to kill poor ol Dad, no one's blaming u

Awesome: :( ...(goes over to hug his wife hoping to comfort her)

Sylvia: I'm sorry... I'm sorry I left... U were right, Mom n Dad were right... Ryder was bad news... I just... I just wanted someone to treat me like I wanted to be treated, to see me for who I am... I didn't mean to... ;(

Phil: There now, sweet pea. It's not entirely ur fault. I blame myself too for not trying hard enough. Like ur husband said, I should've done something more to convince Mom n Dad...

Awesome: (rubs her back) It's not your fault... it's not your fault...

Phil: [rubbed the bk of his neck awkwardly] Look, sweet pea, I may not be able to take u bk into the family, bt Mom n Dad nvr said u can't come bk, so technically, u can still come ovr to visit, as a family friend frm time to time, so there's tht loophole there

Sylvia: Wat abt Bill and Gill? Wouldn't they...?

Phil: U let me worry abt them, n I'll handle the rest. Just bring urself here frm time to time. Not too often to arouse the community's suspicion bt yeah, maybe once or twice a yr? During special occasions?

Awesome: What do you think, Bumblebee?

Sylvia: I guess I could live with that [frowned at Phil] N don't call me sweet pea. U knw I hate that

Phil: Tough luck. U'll always be our little sweet pea. Deal with it

Sylvia: [groaned] |-(

Awesome: Hehe, ^^ (gets elbowed) ><

Phil: U good to stay for lunch at least. We can catch up on old times n update on each other

Sylvia: I'm good if Fish Face is good

Awesome: Yeah, I can go for a little something. (nod)

[they were soon at the dining table, eating the family's famous snozcumber stew while updating each other]

Phil: Wow, so u guys did a shotgun wedding while drunk, huh? Didn't think u had that in u

Awesome: Well, we did run into an old Ex of mine and Sylvia wanted to help take that off the mind...and one thing led to another... ^^;;

Sylvia: In other words, we were stupid drunk

Phil: Bt at least it turned out for the best, right? U did say Awesome always had a crush on u

Sylvia: Yeah, I did say tht

Awesome: (blushes a little) Yeah, true that... :)

Sylvia: Wat abt u guys? We've been updating u abt us, wat abt u?

Phil: Oh, nothing too drastic. Bill decided to follow Dad's footsteps n become a soldier. Gill decided to make fighting as a career n pursue MMA sports. I, on the other hand, decided to stay here n continue Mom's side of the family business n run this ranch

Sylvia: Oh, u mean the slug-snail farming for delicacy eating, huh?

Phil: Yup, tht's the one. Its pretty lucrative business, n I plan to make some renovations to this house with the saved money, maybe add a third storey to this house

Awesome: Well, me and Sylvia share the same job together. Not to mention did some rescue missions.

Phil: Nice, sounds like ur doing well aftr the whole Ryder fiasco

Sylvia: Yeah, n made some real friends along the way. Anyone of u married?

Phil: Bill n Gill's jobs dont exactly allow them to settle dwn, bt I am seeing someone

Awesome: Who? Maybe we've seen her before or something.

Phil: Oh, I doubt tht. He's frm our community

Sylvia: He? Wow, bro, I didnt knw u rooted for the other team?

Phil: Neither does Mom and Dad, so this is one thing I'm grateful they're not ard to find out. U knw how it is with them. They want us to hv a proper spouse to hv heirs with [rolled eyes]

Awesome: They're not fans of people swinging...THAT way, huh?

Phil: I wouldnt say not a fan, bt they prefer if we were straight so tht we can hv children with our spouse. They dont believe tht there r species who can procreate evn if they're male

Sylvia: Typical Mom n Dad

Awesome: Then they must not know about the intersex species. We know some friends of ours who are.

Phil: Neways, he's a zbornak like us. Remember Dango?

Sylvia: Dango? Ooh, u mean the one who lives at the nxt county ovr the hill? Ur seeing him?

Phil: Yeah, him. He works as a slug-snail broker, n he buys frm my ranch, among others, so yeah, we kinda hit it off [blushed a little]

Awesome: Just don't get unsober or anything, otherwise you'll be going the backwards way we've had going on. (blushes also)

Phil: [chuckles] I'll keep tht in mind, bt we're going slow, no rush

Sylvia: So who's the pants in the relationship, eh? Eh? [nudged him]

Phil: [blushed] We haven't gotten tht far yet...

Awesome: Well, just take your time. (glances at clock) The others might be waiting for us.

Sylvia: [sees it too] Wow, hv we been here tht long? We gotta go now

Phil: Right. I'll let Bill n Gill knw abt u wen they get bk. U dont be a stranger now. Bring the kids along as well nxt time ur here

Awesome: And maybe we'll bring our friends along too. :)

Phil: Maybe start slow with closer family first. Dont wanna overwhelm evryone

Sylvia: Fair enough. Shall we, Fish Face?

Awesome: (nod) Yup.

Phil: [hesitated for a bit then reached over to hug Sylvia]

Sylvia: [blinked in surprise, then hugged him bk]

Awesome: (smiles for the two)

Sylvia: [slowly lets go] Gtg now

Phil: Yeah, cya. Gimme a call wen u guys plan to come. Its still the same number n frequency. U remember,right?

Sylvia: Yeah, I remember

Awesome: Cya bro. (leaves with Sylvia)

[the couple hailed a cab n left the area]

Sylvia: [sighed as she looked out the window as they got further n further away frm her home]

Awesome: (holds her hand) You okay, Bumblebee?

Sylvia: Yeah... Was expecting something uneventful, didnt expect to end this way

Awesome: :( ... (hugs her in comfort)

Sylvia: [smiled at him] I didnt mean it in a bad way, silly ol' codfish. I'm just glad it sorta worked out

Awesome: :) That's good, then.

Sylvia: U knw, aftr seeing tht photo room, I feel we should hv our own photo room, keep all our own photo memories n vids n stuff

Awesome: Including the videos of when we were stupid drunk? ^^;;

Sylvia: Especially tht. I mean, its only thing tht has a record of our wedding, stupid as it may be. U reli wanna throw tht away?

Awesome: I guess not. And I dunno if Hatey's picked a place yet, but... I do know a sweet little spot where we can do our R&R.

Sylvia: Reli now? How'd u knw tht? U've been here before?

Awesome: I do remember this place where my family went a few times, our traditional little vacay place. They got a nice beach there and stuff.

Sylvia: Is this also where u met ur ex?

Awesome: (looks away) Well...

Sylvia: I take tht as a yes then

Awesome: She was different back then... :(

Sylvia: [hugged him in return] Hey now, don't think abt her anymore, OK? Ur with me now, that's all tht matters

Awesome: (leans into her) I know...