Chapter Thirteen: WEAKNESS

The wind gave a pleasant cold air that was soothing Stefan and making the older boy relax as he felt a sudden weakness surge through him. He rubbed his palms together to keep them from shaking anymore than they already were. Stefan was happy going back home, but something feels out of place. Stefan was going to meet a certain someone, someone he hadn't seen in six years. Well, he did see him online once, but that isn't as much as seeing him again in person. "Six years! God, has it really been that long?" Stefan wondered out loud unbeknownst to him.

"That long?" Emily asked. Her slender hand coming to rest on Stefan's who jolted away from her touch like it was hot iron. "What's wrong?" Emily's worried voice filled Stefan's head and it aches badly.

"I'm so sorry, Em." Stefan apologizes even though he had no idea what he was apologizing for, his mind was completely filled with the thoughts of only one person.

"Are you OK?" Emily asked again, this time placing the back of her palm over his forehead to feel his temperature. "Oh my God, you're burning up!" She gasped, pulling her handbag on her laps and searching through it for the bottle of aspirin.

"I'm fine, Em--" Stefan tried but lost the fight when two tablets were shoved in his face along with a bottle of water.

"Take it," Emily ordered and watched as Stefan drank from the bottle. "You seem fine this morning and even during our flight, if you don't want to be back here, we could go back this instant." Emily reasoned, feeling somewhat guilty for how her husband to be felt.

"It's not your fault Emily, and we have to do this so we could plan for our wedding." Stefan faced the woman beside him, mustering the best smile he could ever try. Emily smiled back and rest her head on his shoulder.

"I love you." She whispered. Stefan knew she meant every word of it, but he couldn't get himself to respond. His heart constricting. He was going to see the only one that until this day, no matter how hard he tried. Stefan had never stopped loving the younger boy.

Maybe it best he came home.

*********

"They are here!" Sammy rushed into his brother's room to find him at the mirror front once again. Sky had made sure he looked his best for Fanny. Stefan was home finally and this might just be the moment he has been waiting for.

"They?" The word broke into Sky's line of thoughts knocking the smirk off his beautiful face. "What do you mean, they?" Sky asked, facing the younger boy. Sammy's brow furrowed, his eyes searching. "Sammy!" Sky was getting upset and fast.

"Yes, Sky, Stefan, and his family. Is something wrong?" Sammy's voice broke, his eyes cast downward. Sky breathes in relief. For a moment there he thought Stefan had come home with yet another woman, like when they were still in school. Sky especially hated it when Stefan played with their hair, the more reason he had grown his longer over the years. Even if Stefan did come home with another woman, Sky wasn't going to let them have their way with Stefan this time. Sky was ready to ruin whatever the hell they had going on.

Fanny was his and his alone.

"I'm so sorry I yelled at you, Sammy," Sky begged the younger boy and going down on both knees to emit a smile from Sammy that soon turned into laughter.

"OK, get up! I get it.." Sammy pulled Sky back on his feet. "I'll be downstairs if you need me. It's going to be a big family dinner, good thing we have a big house right?" Sammy smiled, stopping at the door, he turned around in time to see Sky wink at him. Sky saw pink tinting his boyish cheek. Sammy ran out of the room to go caught up with his favorite cousins.

***********

"Stefan!!!" Almost everyone in the huge sitting room yelled as he walked into the house, Emily right behind him. He smiled and hugged his mother who had happy tears on her face.

"Hola mama." Stefan kissed her cheeks and she smiled.

"You look sick," Vivian observed, checking him over.

"I'm fine ma," Stefan assured and kissed her forehead, she seems smaller than he had remembered, her beautiful brown curls on a ponytail.

Stefan walked Emily into the house to greet the rest of his family. Emily was thrilled at how large and happy Stefan's family was if only hers were anything like this. Stefan introduced her to everyone. "This is my father and mother, you've seen them in the pictures and of course the famous Bella my sister." Emily laughed as she went to hug the smiling blonde. "And here is my uncle Jared and his wife Mary, over there is their second son Sammy." The boy waved at Emily and went back to conversing with his cousins. "My Aunt Gina and her husband Patricio, sitting over there with Sammy are their beautiful daughters Lola, Vicky, and Mira." Emily couldn't contain her joy at finally seeing everyone. Back home Stefan had their pictures on the wall but they all seem very young on the pictures. Stefan had told her he had them from when he left home for college. Emily has always wanted to meet all of them someday. "Finally, meet my wonderful grandparents, Papa Jo and mama P. That's how we call them, they're John and Patricia if you want--"

"No, it's fine. I love Papa Jo and Mama P better." Emily ran into the embrace of the white head folk's, they feel like home.

"Maya my best friend, you've met her once and her husband Mateo."

Maya dragged Stefan away from the happy crowd, they were about leaving the house before Emily's question stilled Stefan's footsteps and heartbeats.

"Where is the blue-eyed angle? What's his name again?"

"SKY!"