Somebody Waits- Somebody, Know Me; Almost In Sight... Crossing a Bridge
The Cullen family lived *OUTSIDE OF town*, almost on the outskirts a la Belle and Maurice in the Disney '91 animated adaptation of 'Beauty and the Beast' but not quite. Their house?? On the outside- probably a hundred years old. Timeless, graceful, painted a soft faded shade of white, three stories tall, rectangular, and well-proportioned upon either a small meadow or a lawn. Six cedar trees surrounded the house, and you could hear the river rushing close by.
%"-*Wow*..."% was all 'Nocchi's family old and new had to say with charmed admiring smiles and wide sparkling eyes once they came upon it in Charlie's other car.
"You like it?" 'Nocchi smiled, humming to herself at the familiar quiet rushing sound and slightly damp scent of the trees.
"-It's kinda like a blend between Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and the Addams Family's *actually PINK* house- fitting, given a supernatural family also lives here," Bruno chuckled.
"*It's BEAUTIFUL*," Mirabel breathed. "Like Castita but more white..."
"It's 'muy' pretty," said little Antonio happily, holding Paddington up a bit so he could have a good look around the house and 'grounds' too. "I like being able to hear the river, too!"
"Hmm- 'si'. Soothing, isn't it?" hummed Dolores as they walked up the graveled path to the porch after Charlie had locked his car.
"I've always found it so, both ways," Pinocchio agreed, nervously rubbing her bottom lip between her teeth and swallowing a little hard while hesitantly knocking on the door. What if after *her family* just left Forks for who knew how long, Alice DIDN'T want any visitors today?? Or Cleo just yet either...?
Silly her- *of COURSE* Alice's silvery voice as sweet and clear as crystal more chimed than called out eagerly and happily in response, "*Hi, 'Nocchi and family- come right on in*!"
...Oh. Right. Like Mr. Bruno, she Saw the future- *big flipping DUH* she'd KNOWN they were coming, either just recently or last night!
"En-Enthusiastic, isn't she?" Bruno laughed nervously, knocking on the *door-FRAME*, one of the porch posts, and the railing.
"That's- Th-That's Alice for ya!" Pinocchio shrugged with a not-so-slight sparkle of fondness in her big baby-blues that corresponded with the *COY smile* shyly dancing over her sweet-lipped expressive mouth. (Dolores, Mirabel, and the Cricket Triplets noticed ...but didn't say anything [yet].) Then she added with a small cough and pinkened-further cheeks as she courteously gestured forward, "Um... sh-shall we?"
"Lead the way, 'Nocchi honey," Charlie grinned in anticipation. *FINALLY* he would be meeting *THE Alice* whom his baby girl was so very fond of, even if not the rest of her now-ex's family/clan (yet)...!
"*Ladies first*, though!" Bruno interjected.
He was right, of course, so in went first Mirabel, then Dolores, then 'Nocchi- then Charlie, Bruno, and Antonio, Bruno knocking on the doorframe again before holding his breath and crossing his fingers as he walked over the threshold. (He was very superstitious on par with Ichabod Crane from 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', though *NIXED* the whole 'black cats being bad luck' thing because he had a [heh] soft spot for *ALL animals*, not just rats and mice. Besides, black cats were considered GOOD luck in Scotland, England, France, northern Europe, parts of Asia including Japan, and Italy; *so there*!)
Inside... No coffins, no piles of skulls, no cobwebs, no dust, and no dark dreary colors or heavy curtains blocking out the sunlight. Instead, it was very bright- very open. The back south-facing wall was made entirely of glass, the floodboards were a soft honey color, and the high-beamed ceiling, walls, and thick carpets were all varying shades of white. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room, and a spectacular grand piano stood just to the left of the door.
A bit *TOO white* for Mirabel's own personal taste, Pinocchio could tell, but the bespectacled Colombian teenage girl was consoled to see splashes of bright warm vivid color on the walls AKA artwork and non-monochrome furniture- and at least the shades of white were VARIED, and not just one plain boring unsettlling shade befitting a doctor's office or hospital room.
"Hmm. -Not too shabby," was Jiminy's contribution. (But he said it with a small more-than-approving smile from all his pragmatic statement.)
"'S kinda like a more modernized White Queen's castle," Gemini chirruped in agreement. "Real pretty- real clean ...but it doesn't feel, y' know- cold or impersonal. Fancy, but homey."
"You should've seen the inside 'n outside a couple 'f nights ago," Pinocchio murmured, smiling and flinching at the same time as she remembered 'Bella's' birthday party cut short thanks to an unthinking clumsy gesture that pulled the trigger on *a VAMPIRE'S* literal bloodlust. Maybe Japanese lanterns, pink roses, pink candles, and a pink-frosted birthday cake weren't really her thing, either, -but since 'Bella' had never told anyone what sorts of decorations she'd like, then how else to go on other than speculation??
Besides, it was the thought that counted, after all- and it HAD all looked awful pretty, even if a bit too pink for *her own* personal taste. And speaking of 'taste'... she also wondered what kind of cake had been under the roseate frosting. Vanilla?? Chocolate? Strawberry? Lemon? *Pink velvet*, just to match and one of them had found it too funny to resist??
"A mix of strawberry and lemon *AND pink velvet*, so 'Donna' Alice tells me. Homemade for all its fanciness, too; it wasn't store-bought. They didn't just want to go with plain old vanilla, for all Donna Rosalie's snarking that it would be *PERFECT* for you as 'Bella', yet didn't want to be 'typical' either, so they went with *PINK velvet* and 'strawberry lemonade' to funnily match and round out all the rest of the pink."
Pinocchio jumped and squeaked at the sound of a soft near-whispery Italian-accented lovely female voice that *DIDN'T belong to* Alice Cullen, Mirabel, or Dolores, much less Zia Chiara AKA the Blue Faerie that suddenly caressed her ears and tapped her out of her thoughts. Her heart thundered against her breastbone and ribcage as she blinked and slowly turned to face-
Now her heart *fluttered* yet ached and a soft sharp gasp burst from her lips as she came eye-to-eye with a tall willow-slim slightly curved *BEAUTIFUL* girl about four years Pinocchio's senior with long silken feathery shining reddish-gold hair, large chocolate-brown eyes tinged with amber framed by thin gently arched light auburn brows and long dark tassels of lashes, a sweetly-rounded heart-shaped face with delicate features, a dewy complexion that was pale as fresh-fallen snow with a prominent tinge of peaches-and-cream, full lips that were naturally red as damask rose petals, and a light dusting of freckles not just over the bridge of her small tip-tilted nose and on her lovely cheeks...
Before, she had 'merely' been a very pretty goldfish with long swishing fins. Now she was a *GORGEOUS* YOUNG WOMAN dressed modernly in a pair of slacks, a blouse, flats, and stockings that all matched/corresponded with the light colors of the Cullen house, with her long pretty hair half-bound back by a matching ribbon. -And those beautiful eyes were glistening from tears yet warm with *loveloveLOVE* as she smiled sweetly and invitingly held out her slender delicate arms...
Pinocchio's own eyes blurred and stung again as she choked out a sob within which was garbled *her sister's* name and ran full-throttle at- "*Cleo*!!!"
Cleo of course instantly caught her in a sweet *WONDERFUL* embrace as cool as marble on the out yet warm as sunshine from within, hugging her beloved long-lost 'sorellina' as tight as she could yet careful as careful not to even vaguely hurt her while tearfully whispering Pinocchio's name over and over inbetween loving heart-names if not 'little woodenhead'. Soft tender kisses were pressed all over the younger girl's satiny dark head and whatever part of her face that the elder could reach, the both of them breathing in deep one another's scent in the process- Cleo burying her nose into Pinocchio's hair and 'Little Woodenhead' burrowing her face into Cleo's neck. A startled sniff and sneeze later, Figaro too was beelining for his fellow pet-turned-new ownee, purring up a storm and stropping her ankles.
(Mirabel not-so-sneakily snapped a picture or two of the sweet moment alongside Charlie while Bruno and Dolores wiped away happy tears, Jiminy doing the same as the latter two while blowing his nose with a sound like a tiny toy horn. Antonio just smiled joyfully, happy to see sweet-as-Papa-Mira-and-'Lores yet sad-eyed 'Nocchi happy, because *NOTHING* was more important than FAMILY ...and 'Nocchi *needed* a *GOOD family*, since her parents were just plain flat-out JERKS.)
"*Cleo- oh, Cleo*! *YOU'RE here*, too!" Pinocchio sniffled, rubbing her cheek against cool silken skin and downy-soft hair while taking in her other pet-turned-older sister's natural perfume of coastal flowers and strawberries with a tang of sea-salt and whiff of damp green woodiness.
"'Si', yes- I am, 'mia dolce sorellina'!" Cleo burbled in return, inhaling the much-missed yet brand-new scent of white pine, pear blossoms, pomegranate apples, and lavender sweetly wafting from Pinocchio's hair and skin. "Oh, Pinocchio, I'm *so happy* to finally see you again! 'Madre Maria', but I missed you SO MUCH, 'tesoro mia' little woodenhead!"
"M-Missed you too, 'grande sorella' Cleo- d-deep in my heart 'n s-soul, ev-even 'f I didn't know it 'r remember you much less-," Pinocchio cut herself off from there, swallowed hard, whimpered and shook, and then burrowed deeper and clinched tighter, if either was possible.
Cleo sensed -and now *smelled*- her still living doll of a sister's sudden FEAR and *HURT*, and fought down a furious grisly snarl rumbling in her chest as she comfortingly rubbed Pinocchio's small thin shoulders and stroked her long thick black hair (careful not to dislodge or disturb Gemini on his usual perch, much less Jiminy and Sebastian on theirs', of course). "Shhhh- shhh.... It's alright- it's okay, 'tesorina'," she murmured soothingly into the younger girl's small white shell of an ear. "*He's GONE*, 'neonata'- *dead and gone*. We both saw it, same with Figgy, your 'grillo amicoe', and Zia Chiara. 'Twas something I would *NEVER* EVER wish upon you, watching that happen ...but at least he will *not ever* bother either one of us again, 'bambolotta'. Especially you...
"Shhh- hush... It's alright, Pinocchio sweetheart- one way or another, everything's going to be alright. I'm here now, same as Signors Jiminy, Sebastian, Gemini, Charlie, and Bruno, Signorino Antonio, Donna Alice, Signorinas Dolores and Mirabel, Signor Bruno's rat 'amicoe' (and *awwww*!! How cute and sweet they are- just as much as our frisky little 'gattino'!), and Figaro- *right where we should be*. Big sister Cleo's here, where I SHOULD HAVE BEEN *from the start*, thankyoueversomuchforthat, Madre dearest... and someone else whom you've missed and who's missed you very much is now here also."
"W-Who??" Pinocchio quavered, unsure of whom Cleo could mean. She had a *very faint* vague idea... But wasn't she still sadly Cursed herself in a *DEEP* sleep like Jiminy, Sebastian, Gemini, and Figaro had been until very recently???
A soft shaky breathing in and out not coming from *CLEO'S mouth* coming from behind Pinocchio's back, slightly wet from barely held-back tears...
"Me, sweetheart. I'm- I'M finally awake, s-same as Sir Jiminy, h-his brothers, and- and 'piccolo' Figaro. H-Have been since- since That Night. I just- I just didn't a-awaken in the s-same place. H-*HER doing*, I'm more than sure, so- so w-we'd have a hard time finding each other again..."
The warm low pitched voice as sweet as honey and soft as doves' feathers was the same, 'si' -*WONDERFULLY* the same- ...but *the Blue Faerie* never ever STUTTERED. Then again, right now, why wouldn't she??? She was scared, nervous, and unsure, trying not to further spook or upset her long-lost niece who had so *SUFFERED* under her sister Ilaria's cruel wand magically and not...
Softly, gently, a familiar-yet-not hand placed itself on Pinocchio's shoulder, smooth as silk yet slightly callused from being a bakers' daughter before she had been accepted as a Wishing Faerie at the age of eighteen-to-nineteen. She almost instinctively jerked and trembled, but then stopped short and more-or-less relaxed when that strange touch remained gentle, patient, and kind. Her stomach didn't sickeningly twist or flip when her shoulder was gently rubbed and caressed- the hand's owner's eyes didn't *BURN* into her back anymore than greedily lustfully gleam in tandem with a cruelly pleasured smile...
*THIS one* would *NEVER EVER* hurt a child for all Collodi fans QUESTIONED the Blue(Haired) Fairy's methods- much less *like that*!! She had truly loved Pinocchio from the get-go, whether they were related or not; had advised her to be good, but NOT ONCE expected her to be somebody she was not... Yes, she had called her a 'boy', but that was mostly alright- maybe she just hadn't known yet that Pinocchio was *a GIRL* instead and always had been. She hadn't said it to be cruel...!
Once, book!Pinocchio had called her 'sister'- later, 'mamma'. By blood and magic in (heh) real life, she was *her AUNT*. *Cleo* was her actual sister, and so now too were Dolores and Mirabel Madrigal... yet she had been more of a 'madre' than SHE had ever been- the only mother figure she'd ever really known before Renee Dwyer-formerly-Swan. Therefore, what haltingly came out from her mouth was a disbelieving happy, "Z-Z-*Zia Mama Chiara*???!"
Nervously, she lifted her head and carefully twisted around in Cleo's hold with her sister's help. And when she locked matching blue eyes with those of she sometimes called 'the Fairy with Turquoise Hair' (yet with eyes of liquid velvety BLACK and often dressed in white rather than other shades of blue), gazed up into that kind beautiful face framed by softly-curling shoulder-length locks of light blonde hair that brought to mind ingenues of the silent movie era as much as those of Esme Cullen... she smiled bright and wide through her sudden spate of *UN-happy* tears. Chiara Evelina Belmagio tearfully smiled back, silver trails of damp salt trickling down her cheeks as soft and pinkish-red as a rose petal.
She too was now clad in more modern clothes- still in shades of blue (likely her favorite color, hence her nickname amongst the Fae), but in form of slightly faded flower-embroidered denim jeans, a hooded sweatshirt with Cinderella in her servant clothes, her mouse friends, and her bluebird friends sweetly smiling on the front over a plain white t-shirt, powder-blue socks, and navy-and-white sneakers. She also still wore a blue silk ribbon in her hair in form of a headband, though now a small shimmering glowing golden star hanging just above her head and her Trademark star-tipped wand of gold and crystal were currently nowhere to be seen even if her iridescent vaguely butterfly-shaped wings were. (Something told Pinocchio that her wings would disappear whenever she was in public, as would her magic wand currently sheathed in her royal blue belt akin to a dagger or knife.)
*BEAUTIFUL* as always, yet not the least bit cold or sharp. It didn't HURT to look at her, as was often said of the Fae...
She started a bit alongside the others at the unexpected title she'd just been given- then laughed soft and kind as she tenderly brushed Pinocchio's Trademark flop of jet-black bangs out of her round bright blue eyes. "'Si'- yes. Z-Zia Mama," she agreed with a more gentle smile. "-Hello, my bright shining little star Pinocchio."
"H-H-Hello, Zia Mamma. Wh-When-?? Wh-When did y-YOU get here??? T-To Forks 'n America, I mean?" Pinocchio queried as she wiped her eyes.
"Just last night, 'carisimma'," was Chiara's reply, her warm gentle touch not falling away from Pinocchio's face but now landing on her cheek akin to a sunbeam. "I- ...I woke up on- the beach, in- in a cave; just- just outside where- it all happened seven years ago. After- After taking stock of what happened, I washed up best as I could for the moment in the sea, scrounged up some fruit and nuts for a makeshift breakfast, changed my clothes just in case, and set out to find you, Sir Jiminy, Sir Sebastian, Sir Gemini, and Figaro ...but couldn't find any of you in Pariva. G-Geppetto was- was long found and buried in- in the village graveyard by- by his former customers. My- My brother Niccolo was gone, too; and- and none of the other Wishing Faeries starbeamed in to find me alive and well. They must- They must think I'm- well, that I Left; was- was KILLED by- *THEM* or I-Ily...
"When- When I couldn't find you in Italy, that's when I used magic and scryed in a nearby well, and- and found out what- what *SHE* had DONE TO you, and where she'd sent you. I- I heard you talking to Sir Jiminy and his brothers about what you'd been through as this 'Bella Swan'- s-saw you *being HURT* after an accidental paper-cut to the point of needing STITCHES...! I couldn't sleep, could barely eat, I was that horrified and worried about my 'dolce burattinaia'- So after last- last afternoon, I starbeamed/flew over to- to the Cullens' house- you can IMAGINE my shock and surprise when I found that *CLEO* was there, and a *'vampiri'* now herself! 'Povere ragazza'... *BOTH OF you*! Not just STALKED, but *HUNTED*- almost BITTEN YOURSELF if not f-fe- *fed upon and killed*...!!"
It was *SURREAL*, seeing a generally calm cool patient steadfast faerie shed tears *of FRIGHT* and shake with emotion. Her beautiful sky-colored eyes were WINDOWS, not mirrors- *enchanted* jewels, but not malevolently so; same as those of the Cullens including Rosalie. Pinocchio wasn't just another charge, toy, or chess piece to her- she was *her niece*. *Her DAUGHTER* as much as once (to a point) Geppetto's and now Charlie Swan's- one day Bruno Madrigal's as well...
"I-It's okay, Zietta Mamma," Pinocchio sweetly if shakily assured her. "I'm- I'm alright now. Ph-*Physically*, at least..."
Chiara sobbed and pulled both her ex-friend's former little puppet made of pine and pet goldfish into her arms, pressing sweet tender desperate kisses into Pinocchio's hair and on her cheek while being eagerly lovingly embraced back. She bitterly mourned the cold cruel hard solid fact that Pinocchio was absolutely *NOT alright* psychologically and emotionally, and wouldn't be for a good long while. She would have TLC from her friends and family, especially now that Chiara, Figaro, Cleo, and the Cricket Triplets were back and awake- but she sorely needed *HELP*, professional help that SHE would not allow!!
Even *in secret* under an alias, it would be too dangerous, because SHE would be watching, and interfere- that- *cold cruel bloody HEARTLESS BITCH* she'd once called her sister...! *The CLOSEST* Pinocchio would be able to have in regard to therapy would be therapy videos and listening to or singing certain songs... Chiara had *NEVER*, not since The Caravan and Cage, longed to slap or punch a person so much- or just plain pull the Big Sister card by way of *turning Ilaria over onto her knee and spanking her until her bottom was red, raw, and sore and she was bawling with tears and mucus dribbling down her face* for all she'd done to an innocent-twice-over child. *HER OWN child*, at that...!
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Alice got along like a house on fire (no offense, Casita) with the rest of 'Nocchi's other new family, and they her, the rest of that day's visit consisting of stress/for fun baking for dessert after lunch and British teatime and playing board games, music from the 30's, 40's, and 50's playing all the while, being *JUST* what everyone needed after a surprise reunion and not like that. And it was decided that under an alias and possible hair-dye job, Chiara would act as Alice's and 'Erica's' guardian while the other Cullens were away, though NOBODY would have to hide in Casita or the cousin to the White Queen's castle (White House 2.0 was just a solid 'no' for a nickname- even Bruno agreed, not wanting to disrespect the U.S.A. president's main residence or seem like he was making fun of it) once *HER eyes* were off and 'Cut' was called, so to speak...
"It'll be strange to be the dark-haired one for a change," Chiara mused as she alternately kneaded and rolled out the dough for cinnamon cookies. "Even if I'm often depicted as such if not blonde or with some shade of blue..."
Mirabel of course, couturiere that she was, inquired while mixing a bowlful of orange/chocolate-chip scones (and letting Antonio have a taste of the batter), "Are you gonna add some blue in your hair, anyway, Tzia Chiara?? Y' know, since it's your favorite color and all?"
"*Yeah*!" grinned Fashionista Number Two Alice while kneading a loaf of bread alongside Charlie. "Why don't you, Lady Chiara? You'd look *BEAUTIFUL* with it, for all you appear prim and proper."
"Hmm..." the Blue Faerie hummed thoughtfully. "-You know what, 'giovane' Mirabel and Alice? I just might, for 'kicks'. It IS the twenty-first century, after all; I might get a few looks and snickers from some people, but I won't be BERATED or *yelled at* for wearing short skirts and/or trousers, lowering my neckline, wearing 'ladies of the night' makeup, glitter on my cheeks, funny sayings on my shirts, or dye my hair in 'outrageous' colors!" 'If it weren't for *the NEEDLES*, I'd even get a TATTOO or a couple... Maybe I could use my magic to make it painless, even if I was sore during healing later on??'
"...'Si'. Since 'tis *a DISGUISE*, irony Signor Collodi would have been proud of, and the twenty-first century, *I WILL* also color my hair something else besides dark reddish-brown in addition. Sky-blue and turquiose... I'll Glamour most of my locks to be dark auburn when I'm in public, but the *COLORED-colored* streaks will stay as they are..."
"*Hm*! Bet your fellow Fae would FAINT if they saw you," Dolores squeaked with a chortle and twinkling eyes from where she was checking on the oven. "They sound a bit- old-fashioned."
"You could say that," said Chiara with a small sad smile. "-But they're good people, I promise. They don't have a- ah, Dumbledore or Alma complex, for all their high position. Not to say that they're *PERFECT*, but it's *the HEARTLESS* who're the problem, when it comes to faeries..."
She shook off *THAT dark thought* given who unfortunately *Pinocchio's mother* was, and beamed down at her younger niece and pseudo nephew little Antonio. "You know- round is nice, but *so BORING* all the time. How about we cut out different shapes this time, hmm? Not just stars, hearts, flowers, and the like, either- why, I do believe I see a cookie-cutter shaped like a *butterfly*! And there- not a rat, but a rather cute little mouse all the same, don't you think? We'll ice them afterwards with pretty white and colored frosting- why not?? They may be *CINNAMON-sugar* as opposed to 'regular' sugar cookies or gingerbread, but we can still certainly decorate them, I say!"
Pinocchio was *VERY glad* she'd changed the subject. She didn't have the energy or desire to think about HER AND HIM, much less *THEM*- not right now. She'd much rather cut out, bake, and decorate cinnamon-sugar stars, hearts, all kinds of flowers (not just roses and daisies), cats, dogs, foxes, birds, butterflies, crickets (no, none of the Triplets minded), fireflies, music notes, rainbows, and mice with her long-lost 'zia mama', pet-turned-sister, adoptive father, new family, and a still-very-good-friend to whom her *AFFECTIONS* had been switched from Edward Cullen AKA Cedric Diggory. *True sold real* ones, that is- not ones brought about by a tugging of her strings connected to her heart, soul, brain, and- *ahem*! 'Endorphins', let's say...
(Still, itHURTit*HURT**itHURT* that she'd never once gotten to do this with HIM, and never would, because of what he'd done and how he'd *pushed her away*. Would never get to do this with *her birth mother* because she had *NEVER EVER* wanted a child of her own, boy or girl... She couldn't help dwelling on that, just a little- just for a moment.)