The Twelve Zenati Pt. 15

Authors note: Hello everyone. I am grateful to David who is back onboard proofreading for me again, thank you my friend. I hope you continue to enjoy this series. ~ellie.

*****

Noah walked into the neurology department and took yet another deep calming breath. Marcella was going to be okay, Helena was with her, and Vivienne and Gideon were making her see sense. He didn't need to be worried about her now. Pulling himself up straighter, he moved confidently toward where he could see Xavier and Emma at the end of the department, near the Critical Care ward. He just had to deal with one thing at a time, and right now he had to make sure that Dominic was going to recover quickly, and that Emma and Xavier were coping with the very real possibility that he may not recover fully from his illness. Only time would tell but, as Imelda reminded him, he knew in his heart that Dominic would bounce back to his old self eventually.

"Ambrose said everything went well, but he'll be in recovery for a while yet," Xavier said quietly, as Emma went with a nurse to change into sterile scrubs so she could enter the recovery room. "She trained as a nurse before coming here," he nodded toward where Emma had disappeared with the nurse. "It wasn't hard to convince her that she should be in there so we could talk freely. Tell me, what's going on with you today?" His tone held the thinly veiled threat that he wouldn't take any more half-truths today.

"Imelda came this morning while we were here. I was in the waiting room alone. Her visit unsettled me, and, as the day progressed and her truths became more apparent, I haven't been able to find my own path through it. I'm questioning every thought I have now. Can you understand that?" Noah asked, as if needing someone to understand his inner turmoil.

"Dominic says the woman speaks in his head," Xavier frowned. "She must, because I have rarely heard a sound pass her lips. "Dominic trusts her implicitly, however, and that is good enough for me, because I trust him without question. What did she tell you that has you questioning everything, today of all days?"

"She ridiculed me that I didn't know for certain that Dominic would make a full recovery and take his rightful place at your side, and she told me that I had other important matters to deal with today. She told me that, like Dominic, I am not made the same as the other men of our family, which is why I can hear her speak," he pointed to his head and grimaced. "It's also why I may not feel the presence of my curse breaker in the same way my brothers felt theirs."

"I remember when Dom realised being around Emma and seeing her with me made him nauseous. Not just nauseous but physically sick and weak, like he was allergic to her or something," he chuckled, then frowned and turned to look more carefully at Noah. "You've been unwell today, that much is apparent, but you were also sick the day that Marcella went missing and found that boat graveyard too," he accused, as he realised what Noah was saying and putting the pieces together quickly.

"Dom told me my curse breaker was close after Gen found Olivia, and Gideon started finding reasons to see Vivienne. Close but not here yet, or so I thought. I ended the attraction Marcella and I felt before it began, reasoning that it was a complication that I didn't need if my curse breaker was going to appear at any moment, at least according to Dom. I rejected her advances, and we have had a tacit friendship since then. One of convenience, not actual affection any more. She has done her best to piss me off, and I have done my best to ruin her reckless plans. We're antagonists, not soul mates," he groaned and leaned back in the solid plastic chair, tilting his head back against the wall until he looked at the ceiling.

"And this Apollo Martino who came to see her?" Xavier asked curiously. "He says he is here to propose to Marcella and then he pushes her in front of a moving car? That's some proposal," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"I don't have the full story. I don't think I can get the full story from any one person. They have known each other for a long time, and Olivia swears he would never hurt Marcella, that Val and Fab must be wrong. From the other things Olivia said, I think she might be right, but I want to talk to him myself," Noah admitted. "It's not that I doubt what Val and Fab said they saw but there must be more to it, there has to be."

"Tell me the story you have so far, even if it doesn't make sense yet," Xavier frowned. He was good at conundrums and sorting the fact from the fiction. It was as if the truth glowed through the drama surrounding it in his mind and he could see to the heart of emotionally-charged situations. He knew he was no oracle, but he had his own gifts. Noah relayed the conversations that he had had with Olivia, both in the car and at the hospital. Then he sat back and sighed, realising how ridiculous it all sounded, with the fairy tale references.

"Alright," Xavier said, his eyes holding a thoughtful look while his brain kept turning over what he had heard. b"We can't stay here. Emma is with Dom and Papa will be here any moment now that Dom is in recovery. Taino," he called to his warrior who had given them space to talk as freely as possible in the ward. "Come with us. Leave all of the watchmen here. We won't be going far." Pulling out his tablet, he sent off several messages at lightning speed, his fingers flying over the screen as they walked toward the elevators, then he veered to the right, after leaving the ward. A large office, with floor-to-ceiling windows, greeted them as they stepped through a door marked "staff only". It was obvious that the resident medical staff took their breaks, and spoke with families who required privacy to grieve for their loved ones, in this room.

"Taino, let Giuliano know where we are and that we are contacting Marcus," he ordered, as Orlando come through the door looking rushed and confused. Xavier looked up with a questioning eyebrow raised. "Is Helena with you?"

"She's on her way. Hector is still with Ambrose but should be free soon," Orlando reported.

Noah watched it all go on around him, neither commenting nor questioning his cousin, as Xavier took command of the situation. He was grateful to finally be doing something, even if he didn't know what that was, rather than sitting around feeling like he was wasting time waiting. Waiting for Dom's surgery, waiting to find out about Marcella, about Apollo, about why Olivia found what happened so hard to believe, and waiting to find out what exactly had gone on in their family, as the girls grew into young women, to make them all so neurotic when it came to discussing their family.

Xavier was in his element. Much as Noah had expressed, sitting idle all day had chafed at him. Now he was going to take his power back. Something wasn't right about this whole situation, and he was determined to find out what it was, and help Noah with his problem regarding Marcella at the same time. He began issuing orders, confident of his gut feelings when it came to the two Gambaro sisters and, once he had everyone doing what needed to be done, he would make a call and get some answers where that was concerned. Nathanael was out of the hospital now, and he knew that, even if everyone else in Perth covered up a family scandal, Nathanael would give him straight answers and sort out any issues in his extended family, if need be. He could call Oscar as one future chair to another, but he had known Nathanael for half of his lifetime. They were close friends, and they had a bond that held them tighter than most, especially since their trip overseas to be with Mattias.

"First we get the link up and running, and then we call everyone involved. These men, from the other Tables, are friends I trust, and they will hear us out and give us honesty, if nothing else," Xavier murmured to Noah. "See if you can get that old machine up and running. Zanto should be here soon."

"Sure, it doesn't look so old," Noah shrugged and went over to the large desk. The computer was state of the art, like most things in this hospital. He was able to get it up and sync up the computer to the family network, via a hotspot to his phone. It was slower than he would like but, just as he was about to tell Xavier that he was ready, Zanto and Quinto nudged him out of the way. Then they took out a host of equipment from large bags they carried and began to set up the computer for the conference call, with extra speed and better security than the hotspot on his phone could offer.

"Theo Martino, Nathanael Gambaro and Marcus Battaglia have all confirmed and are waiting for the secure link," Xavier informed them as they worked, and he placed his tablet down, giving them access codes to their secure lines, where they waited for the invitation to the web conference room.

Noah should have been used to it. He had been working at both Xavier and Dom's side for a while now, but he was in awe of the very real power Xavier exuded and wielded when he took charge of situations like this. Their brothers and cousins did what he asked without question, their trust in him and his leadership absolute. As it should be. Noah smiled and watched Xavier issue commands, he knew he felt the same way. Gideon could and would step up on days like today, but he didn't hold the same tight grip on the power and loyalty of their table. He led by his using his easy, non-threatening relationships with them all, the expectation that they would respect the chain of command, rather than the power that Xavier naturally wielded. If he were honest with himself, he and both of his brothers were ruled too easily by their emotions to ever aspire to the chair that Xavier held so expertly.

"Before you all ask, Dom is well and it is believed he will make a full recovery in time," Xavier said ten minutes later when he sat in front of the monitor, a webcam pointed at him to show his calm unlined features to his friends in the webconference.

"That's good news," Nathanael breathed. "I had thought with this conference call..." his voice trailed off.

"I believe this matter pertains to what happened earlier today between the Gambaro girl and Apollo Martino," Marcus said, making Theo emit a startled sound.

"It does. Can I ask how you found out about the incident so quickly?" Xavier asked, carefully.

"Apollo called as soon as he was accused of attempted murder, pleading his innocence and asking for our assistance in negotiating his release," Marcus explained. "My brother Francesco is on his way to you as we speak. I trust the girl suffered no lasting injury."

"She will recover. She is still undergoing the doctor's full assessment at the moment. Francesco is on his way here?" Xavier questioned, believing that was an odd choice of advocate.

"He was Apollo's mentor during his training with us. He trained as a warrior, and chose to stay and train as a Master under Francesco following his graduation into the warrior caste. I believe he felt more at home with his father's extended family than with his mother's, which is why he was not exiled with her," Marcus explained further.

"Is that how he met Marcella Gambaro?" Noah asked from his place beside Xavier. "Was she sent to the Battaglia by her father?"

"Francesco will be the best to answer those questions about the details of the relationship between Apollo and Marcella, but I am aware that they were here at the same time," Marcus confirmed.

"When will Francesco arrive?" Noah asked, grinding his teeth against more waiting for answers.

"We don't send the women of our family to the Battaglia," Nathanael said quietly, confusion lacing his voice. "Our facilities here are more than equipped for the trials expected of our sisters and cousins."

"It was a special request by her father through one of our senior members. Her older sister was also sent to us a few years before. We were told that both girls were rebellious and had been involved in the underground club culture." He tried to put the idea of drugs in the best light. "We found no evidence of addictions when they arrived here however, and assumed that the father had caught the indiscretion early. They underwent a full trial, and all that entails, at the request of their father. The oldest girl broke quickly and easily, and her trial was short. She married shortly after returning home, to a Farnese man, I believe."

"And Marcella Gambaro?" Xavier prompted, before Noah could open his mouth to demand the information. He placed a supportive but restraining hand on his forearm as they waited for the reply.

"She was highly intelligent." Marcus looked down as if rechecking a file before continuing. "She had a good grasp of the laws and traditions before she arrived. She was resistant to much of the... physical training and, despite her trial being cut short, she was sent home with honour."

"Why was her trial cut short?" Xavier frowned, knowing that this was a rare occurrence, even for the best and the brightest of the women who trained with the Battaglia.

"She was sent to our facility twice. The first time, her father sent her before she came of age and when that became apparent, she was returned to her home and her father was admonished. Nathanael may or may not know details of that occurrence. At the time, Apollo was completing his warrior training. I believe they met at the ball which she was allowed to attend as an escort before the error in her birthdate was discovered. The second time occurred after she was twenty-one. She was sent involuntarily for retraining under an alias. She was at the facility at the same time as Veronica Donati, and they were housed and kept as a group for much of their time with us because of the accusations pressed against her by her father. She was released after the incident between Veronica and Peri Donati," Marcus admitted. "Apollo was being mentored by Francesco at the time."

"I'll look into it," Nathanael said, doubt creeping into his voice. "I don't believe anyone on the Tables would have sanctioned a girl being taken involuntarily without charges being laid against her, and there were none that I heard of when this apparently took place, and I was in a position to hear of such things at the time."

"Why am I here for this conversation? What exactly is Apollo being accused of?" Theo asked in a tired voice. He had been dealing with enough illegal dealings and criminal acts perpetrated by members of his family since the shootings occurred.

"Four witnesses swear to the fact that Apollo Martino pushed Marcella Gambaro into oncoming traffic earlier this afternoon. Marcella does not remember the incident; her sister swears that Apollo would not have done it. Apollo pleads his innocence, yet we have four witnesses that tell another story. I believe there is something deeper going on between the father of these three women, not two but three sisters, and the Battaglia that allows Apollo's involvement in their lives, and I am trying to find the truth of it," Xavier contemplated what he now knew in addition to what Olivia had told Noah.

"In the last decade, since he chose to train as a warrior like his father, Apollo has spent more time with the Battaglia family than that of the name he bears. There has been great upheaval and unrest here over the last decade or longer, and we cannot blame him for his choices," Theo said, with understanding. "I am happy, given the present climate, for the Battaglia to investigate his part in the incident. Should it become necessary, or should he request it, we will send a representative to meet with him and you."

"We will send someone as well, to talk with Marcella and Olivia," Nathanael nodded, disturbed by what he was finding out. How had his mother not known that these girls were being sent to the Battaglia against their will? The question bothered him immensely, and he determined to find out what was going on. "Marcus, can you send me details of who requested and approved the trials of these women?"

"I can," Marcus nodded, and glanced away from the camera distractedly, as he sent modified files to Nathanael and Xavier. "Francesco will be landing soon, I will have him report to you when he lands," he said. "I am glad that your brother's surgery was successful. I am sorry that I must go now. Another urgent matter needs my attention."

"I will leave you now too. Please give Dom my best wishes for a speedy recovery," Theo said. He too did not look happy with the information he had been given, but little of it related to him and his family, compared to the other two Tables represented in this conversation. He realised that Xavier had invited him as more of a courtesy and was grateful for that. "I'll be in touch, should I find anything relevant for you but you should know he was cleared by the Tatar and AFP investigations, which were more than thorough. It is hard to believe he did it purposefully." Theo sighed, not wanting any more bad publicity levelled at his table after the Mother's Day attacks.

"Nathanael, can you hang around a few more minutes," Xavier asked, as first Marcus, and then Theo, disappeared from the screen in front of him.

"I have to tell you, X-man, I'm more than a little shocked by the whole idea of these girls being sent without our knowledge and against their will." Nathaniel ran his hand through his hair to the back of his neck.

"Olivia has told us that her father hurt Marcella often. That Marcella protected her mother and sisters. How is it that no one stepped in and stopped the abuse, if that was indeed what was happening?" Xavier asked mildly, trying to keep the accusation of the question from his voice.

"I can't give you any answers. I wish I could, but I'll investigate the family. I'm sure Oscar looked into it when Olivia showed up. back from the dead. I've been out of the loop for a while," he grimaced. "But now I'll look into myself, and get back to you."

"The girls haven't done anything wrong," Noah hastened to assure him. "It's just the situation doesn't seem to make sense. Not for Olivia or for Marcella. Probably not for the older sister either, though she hasn't contacted us or Olivia since she was found."

"I think Marcus and Francesco are going to be the best sources of information, but I will send you anything I dig up," Nathanael assured them. Inwardly, he was cringing that any of what he had just heard could be true. The Gambaro's weren't stuck in the past. They were progressive to a point. The women of the family were encouraged to have careers and lives outside the home and their children, unlike the very people who were questioning him about it. The Zenati, along with the Donati table, were known for holding tightly to tradition and Table law.

"We'll keep you updated too. Assuming that you want to know how Marcella is after being pushed in front of a car," Xavier needled his friend.

"I wasn't uncaring. You had said that she was being assessed and I am sure your doctors would have called if anything was life-threatening. Keep me informed though. What you have said is more than a little unsettling on several levels," he frowned. "I'll get on it and get back to you." he said, and ended the call before his friend could hit him with any other revelations.

"We'll have all the answers you need about her past soon enough," Xavier said to Noah. "The question is, will it make you feel better or worse, knowing it all?"

"I'm already in the friend zone with her, just barely. How much worse can it get?" Noah gave a half-hearted chuckle. "I'd like to know all of it. It can't hurt, and it might just help bridge that gap a little."

*****

The elevator rose up, rather than back down to the emergency department, and Marcella knew she was being taken to a ward where she would be imprisoned so she would stay overnight, just as the doctor had ordered. No matter where she went the bloody Tables continually interfered in her life. She had practically broken free of her father's stranglehold on her life back in Perth, but she had taken back the power of her last name when she had heard that Olivia was alive, and decided to come and trade on the family connections between the Gambaros and the Zenatis. She felt her anger rise, as yet again she felt forced to endure yet another situation against her will,because of the family she had the misfortune to be born into.