Love, lust, Revenge

On a cold Christmas Eve, Alita's mother returned from the hospital with her father and a baby. If there was anything more precious to celebrate on Christmas Eve, it is the birth of a baby boy.

"Honey, we are home" Alita's father declared openly.

Alita was about to put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree when the door swing open, she dropped the last object, which was two doves, glued together.

She ran into her father's open arms before she went to her mother, hugging her gently so she won't suffocate the baby she was carrying. She kissed the baby's face and then smiled up at her mother.

"Oh, my God mum" Alita squeaked "I am the happiest person on earth".

Her father chuckled and then carried the bags inside, he refused to allow Alita to help with anything as she had been working since they were at the hospital.

Her cheeks dropped as she turned back to see the empty table, the dining table that seems to be constantly empty.

"Dad?" Her voice became hoarse "Dad, i-".

"It's okay Ali" Her father smiled as he brought out a rubber bag from the bags he was holding "Go set the table".

Alita's mother was also surprised, she looked at her husband and then her daughter who had the same expression on her face.

"How come?" She stuttered "How did you-".

She felt breathless as her husband began to fill the bowls and plates on the table with food. The sweet aroma of fresh food filled her nose, she quickly draw out a chair, with her baby firmly held in her delicate hands.

"I have failed to make the family happy," Alita's father said "At least, let me get my family a decent meal on Christmas eve". He dragged his chair out.

Before he could seat, Alita jumped on him, she threw her hands over his neck and buried her face in his neck. She just held him still, not saying anything, just sniffing, trying to hold herself not to cry further.

At least, she could have a day like a normal family. Where they won't have to eat dry bread and leftover pizzas from people she works for. She and her mother help people clean their house and get tips for them so they could be able to eat for the day.

She was also extremely happy that it was no longer Springtime, if not, the whole room would be leaking and buckets around. The annoying sound of the dropping rain would obstruct her sleep till the next day. She would wet her already were pillow with her tears, praying to God, hopefully, a new page would be open.

"Alright," Her father tapped her back "My baby doesn't have to cry".

"I'm no longer a baby, Dad" She giggles.

"Yes, you are" Her father began to tickle her "You are my big baby".

"I am twelve daddy" Alita cracks up "My birthday is even tomorrow".

Alita's parents exchange looks, her mother stood up slowly and went to drop the child on the only couch in the room. She stared at the baby for a while with pure love in her eyes before she walked back to Alita.

"Alita Darling" She touches her soft black hair "We know about your birthday baby".

Alita smiled sadly, she places her small palms on her mother's cheeks and smiled again, her smile was happy this time.

"All I ask for is that you and dad, and my baby stay with me forever" Her mother smiled "you don't know how happy I am to be born on Christmas and my cute little baby on Christmas eve" She touch her chest "Is it a boy or girl?".

Her mother chuckled and went back to her chair " It's a cute baby boy".

Alita pretend to frown "Not fair daddy" She laughed "You now have a partner".

"But you have mummy" Her father put a meatball in his mouth.

"Yeah" Alita looked a little defeated "You know mummy is busy" she forced two meatballs in her mouth.

"Be careful" her mother warned.

"You still have your mother" her father mumbled with his mouth full.

"I thought you said you love girls," Alita said with her mouth full, particles of food, flying out her small mouth.

"Do not talk with your mouth full!" Her parents said in unison.

Alita looked at their amused face and began to laugh, she laughed so much that the meal moved to the wrong side.

Her mother quickly gave her a cup of water and she drank.

"You know your mouth was full too. You need to see your expression, Daddy." She giggled "Your face was like hell".

"Language!" Her mother warned.

Alita covered her mouth, she acted like she sealed her lips with her fingers and threw the key away.

"These are my girls" Her father burst into laughter.

Alita just sat, eating slowly, weeks ago she was crying, she even begged Santa to give her family joy and that was what happen. Everyone appears so joyous, she could vouch the baby was happy too as he lay peacefully.

"What are we going to name him, daddy" She clapped happily.

"I will call him whatever Mummy calls him" He answered, staring at his wife with passion. He snatched the last meatball from Alita's plate "Meatballs!".

Alita screamed, she tried to collect it but he ate it, with a pleased expression.

"Gio" Her mother smiled looking at Alita "His name is Gio Roberto".

The little girl stood up and began to clear the table, she was dancing all around, this fateful Christmas Eve is the happiest day of her existence.

She was so happy that she forgot how cold she was, almost an hour ago, she was shivering, but now here she is, dancing.

"Shhhh!" Her father suddenly ordered, "There is someone around".

Her parents exchange suspicious glances, They quickly gave the baby to Alita and pushed her to the room. Her father made sure she was wearing the only worn-out shoe she own.

Her Dad opened a small box near the window and put her and her brother in. The box had never been used except that day.

"No matter what happens Alita" Her father sniffed "Make sure you do not cry or scream. Runaway. Your mother and I will come to find you guys".

Before he could finish talking, her mother walked in with the remaining food in a plastic bag. She placed her index finger in between her lips, removed her necklace then gave it to Alita.

"I will come back for this" She held Alita's hair as she wore the cheap-looking necklace "There is a way back of here, just do not turn back".

"What's going on mummy" Alita whimpered "Please tell me everything is alright".

Her parents exchanged looks before her father walked out after getting a satisfying look from his wife. She kissed her children's faces before slowly closing the door of the box.

" I won't lie to you, Alita" her mother's voice became faint "But I will try to keep you safe".

Immediately her parents walked out, she stepped out of the box, tied the baby firmly to her body, and walked to the door. The door was ajar, she could notice seven strange faces all in a black expensive-looking suit except for a younger person who looks gentle in his blue sweat pants and white shirt.

The person seemed to be the youngest, his jet black hair neatly gel into a nice style, his eyes were baby blue and sweet looking.

The lad with the blue eyes looked like a man, who appears to be the tallest in the room. His hair was styled backward and his blue eyes looked a little bit darker, his neck had the ink that Alita assume would be all about his body as she could see traces of the ink on the back of his palm.

The tattoo was something she had seen that day but she couldn't just get to remember where she had seen it from. The image of two doves glued to themselves flashed again as she remembered where she saw it, it was the last object she was about to put on the tree before her father arrived.

She saw her parents on their knees with the tallest man seating on their couch. The man looked like the leader and the younger one was his apprentice or son.

"One simple task, Jay" the man called her family by his first name "Just give me back my money, you refused".

Her father didn't say anything, he just looked at the man and removed his gaze slowly.

The man became angry, he pulled Alita's mother by the hair and brought her close to his face. He stared deeply into her moist green eyes then smiled.

"Casey Roberto" He intoned, he jerked at the woman's face and smirked at Alita's father who tried to get up but got hit on the head by the younger-looking man "That's my son" he smiled proudly.

From where Alita hide, raw hate and pain were all she could feel. She wanted to go there and hit the boy back, she wanted to go to the landline and call the police but remember it hasn't been recharged in the last few months.

She notices her father bleeding from his nose, mouth, and the back of his head. Her mother was just held tight, her face a few inches away from the boss's face.

"Please leave her alone" Her father begged.

"You know how much I hate to waste time, Jay," the man said as he pulled her mother's hair harder.

Alita's mother cried as she tried to free herself. The boss brought her close to his face again and kissed her roughly, to Alita's surprise, her mother spat on his face.

The man looked slowly at his son who hit her mother's head with the under of the gun.

"I owe you nothing, Mr. Alonso" her father yelled "Hit me, beat me up, kill me if you want please let my wife go".

Alita could see her father shaking, he was crying. Her mother moves slowly to the floor, she was so surprised and happy that she wanted to squeak, at least her mum is still alive.

"I told you Jay" The man stood up "I either have the money or give me your daughter but unfortunately, you sent her to foster care".

"Please Alonso" Alita's mother begged, "Do not do this to us, you know we can not steal from you". She tried to seat up "The government took her away because we can't keep her healthy. My husband is saying the truth, how can we steal twenty billion dollars from you? we do not ha-".

It sounded all of a sudden!

Alita stared at Mr. Alonso in shock as he kissed his gun. Her mother lay lifeless on the cold floor and all the man could do was kiss the gun!

Alita's mother's eyes were open, still looking at her husband who was yelling and struggling to touch her. Her green eyes were still, watching as her husband cried and shout, begging her to blink.

The bullet hole in her forehead seemed like the third eye.

"Fuck!" Her father yelled, "What did you do Alonso? I fucking do not have your money, I will never steal from you, you son of a bitch".

Alita was shaking, she noticed Mr. Alonso giving his son a strange look. The lad began to lift his gun gently with his shaking hands.

"You fucking want your son to kill me too?" Her father yelled, "Fucking do it, you bastard!".

"Do it son" The man said gently "Do it!".

It felt like hell, Alita couldn't even look as she closed her eyes, hoping a miracle would happen. Then the sound came again, that loud gunshot, twice.

She looked down to see her father lying in his pool of blood. His hands are tied behind him, his eyes also open as his wife.

She began to move back slowly, slowly that she hit something. All eyes snapped in her direction as the man's son rushed in her direction.

Alita stared into the lad's blue eyes for what seemed like forever. She held the baby firmly, waiting for her last breath.

Maybe her parents might be waiting for her on the other side.

On the other hand, The boy held the gun with his shaking hands, trembling like a wet leaf. His bright eyes seems blank, not even a sign of emotion.

All that Alita could see is his blue eyes.

"Anything, Luciano" The man yelled.

"All clear Father" the boy replied looking straight into her green eyes.

Before the rest could reach, she had jumped out through the window and hide inside the trash can, Waiting patiently and terrified.

Even after she was sure they had all gone, she stayed still, breathing heavily as the blue eyes of the young boy haunted her.

The blue eyes she would never forget, the blue eyes that made her an orphan. The blue eyes that lead her into the unseen evil world!

Little Alita runs with baby Gio, strongly tied to her small waist. She would not forget those blue eyes, the same innocent-looking eyes she now sees each time she closes her eyes.

Her little strives couldn't get her too far from From the men as she began to hear voices. She crave to scream for help and cry but her parent's warning came back, sounding like the priest preaching about sin every Sunday.

Luckily, the baby seems to be sleeping peacefully. Since calling for help apparently seems not to be a wise choice, she decided to hide in between three snowmen.

It felt like forever that little Alita forgot to move out of her hiding spot. It took only the courage of a new orphan, the courage of a twelve years old girl who had to take care of her one-day-old brother not to scream on top of her weak lungs.

"You must be cold out here" A strange old woman smiled at her from where she stood, at the entrance of a tent "Come over here".

With hurting feet, Alita staggered toward the old woman. Although the woman was a stranger she felt safe, so safe that all she need was to jump on the woman's body.

Unfortunately, on reaching the entrance of the tent, she fell! Her lungs seized and she struggled for breath, she felt like she was dying.

She was drowning! Drowning in ice?

She heard the woman exclaim roughly with familiar bad words in the Italian language.

"Wake up Alita" The woman shook her "It's already twelve years, you have to let go of it".

Alita jumped out of her bed, falling to the hard floor, wet. Water dripping from her face, her dirty pillow look damped and her crack-back bed wasn't helping the matter. Her teeth-gnashing as she tried to use the loose hem of her worn-out duvet to cover herself.

She looked up to see Gio staring at her with an iron bucket that still contains water and a sheepish grin on his face.

"Good morning, Sorella" He dropped the bucket, exposing his outfit.

His shorts had a cross belt that held the waist of the shorts from the front to back. His faded white tee shirt looked rough, his socks weren't looking the best and his shoes seem a little bigger than his feet.

He looked like a lost child from 1786!

"Sleepy testa" He bent a little so she could see his face well. He frowned as she ignored him and rolled, stretching like a mother cat.

Gio pulled her leg, screaming as he dragged her out of the room, ignoring her giggles and exclamations of protest.

"Fanculo, Gio" She kicked him off "You know I came back late last night".

Gio seems to understand her and smiled sadly, he put his left hand in his pocket and the other behind him. His Hazel puppy eyes, silently begging his sister to see through his worn-out clothes to his expecting heart.

"It's my birthday, Sorella" He whispered.

Alita's sleepy eyes went open, and she froze, staring at him like he was a piece of fragile substance.

She stood up, ignoring the chill that went through her body as the cold winter morning breeze kissed her wet clothes. She scratches his head and walked to the bathroom.

"Alita? Is everything alright?".

Alita tied her Black messy morning hair into a rough ponytail, she looked at her eyes in the mirror. She wasn't really expecting herself to look pretty when she worked sixteen hours yesterday.

She was so busy that she forgot the 24th of December, the day she lost every hope of being a princess as she thought. She should have remembered when she woke up, having the dream she kept having every 24th of December.

The dream that kept on haunting her with those familiar blue eyes and the still open eyes of her parents, in the pool of their own blood. She sprinkled water on her face, hoping the thought would wash off as the water go down the drain.

She kissed her index and middle finger and then placed them in the mirror.

"Good morning, Mama Samantha".

It's been four years since the woman that saved her and her Gio from dying in the cold died. She didn't have any surviving family members and she took it as her responsibility and took care of Alita and Gio for eight years, until she died of heart disease, willing her only property to them.

The house really went a long way, if not, Alita could not imagine how she would cope. At least now, she does two jobs, one as chief in a local Italian restaurant and the other as a stripper in a club.

The habit of greeting Mama Samantha every morning kept her going, it makes her feel like she is not alone even when she sees clearly that she is alone.

She opened the bathroom door to see Gio staring at her, his countenance sad.

"Happy Birthday, Gio Roberto" She faked a smile "I have a surprise for you today".

The sad face went into a happy one, like a child telling Santa Claus he wished.

"You got me a new shoe?".

"No. Not yet" Alita giggled as she pinch his nose "I'm taking my day off".

Gio blinked, his brows crooked as he folded his hands behind him. He was expecting Alita to say her one and only excuse each time he begs to spend time with her.

"I will skip work today, I will call in sick" She whispered.

Gio blinked, he looked at her suspiciously then walked away with a sad face, all excitement gone! He just remembered the last time Alita promised to stay with him, she ended up jumping through the window.

"I won't jump through the window," she said, walking after him with a proud smile on her face like she just read his mind "Pinky promise" she brought out the smallest finger of her right hand and locked it with Gio's smallest finger.

"You never do pinky, sorella" He still seemed unconvinced "Where will you jump from?".

Alita giggled, she broke the pinky and walked to the kitchen, and began to bring out utensils "I will be jumping off the cliff" She broke some eggs and mixed them in a bowl "We are going to skate".

If not for the oversize shoes and tight shorts, Gio would have been jumping and squeaking like a girl at Christmas.

Of course, it's Christmas! They have to live it to the fullest.

"And I am making your favorite" Elite adds to the enthusiasm "Chocolate cake!" She screams.

At times, Alita would think she acts childish, but deep down inside she missed childhood. She missed rolling on the ground, burying herself in the snow, and pretending to catch a cold.

Which she would definitely catch.

The cake-making went the opposite way! Flours everywhere, lots of empty coke can and new pair of shoes for Gio.

Alita couldn't hide the joy each time Gio squeaks and hugged her, she would hold him tight and never forget to sniff. Ever since their parents died, Gio seems not to ask much since he thought she was his mother and Mama Samantha his grandmother.

It was until he was nine that and got bullied for asking who a father really is, not only that, he said fathers 'Are not so needed'.

Poor Gio had known Alita and Mama Samantha all through his life so....what next?

Ever since then, Alita had always promised to tell him about his parents in due time. But this very day would be for celebrating and mourning.

They would celebrate in the morning and afternoon and then mourn at night. Where they would go to the church with the rest of the cake and lit the candles in honor of their parent.

Just like Alita had never thought about, the day went too well to be true. They skate, dance, fought with the pillow, play money heist, and one last thing.

They never forget to play dead', where they would lay still for minutes like they were dead. It started when Gio was three and would refuse to take his nap, Alita would suggest they play dead so she could get him to sleep.

Even as they were growing, play dead still seem to be their best game, the only difference is that they no longer fall asleep.

As they lay exhausted in the tent in the back yard of the house, waiting for the hour to go to the church, Gio asked a question Alita had been running away from.

It seem like she was caught up in a little trance as they play dead, or she imagine what the day would feel like and fell asleep! It seems so real, the adrenaline, the hazel puppy eyes, and the blue haunting ones.

"Sorella," Gio said louder "Please tell me about mum and dad".

"Sorella," Gio said louder "Please tell me about mum and dad".

Alita sat up, although she had expected him to ask a long time ago but still yet, she doesn't have the right answer to tell him.

Not that she doesn't have the right answer, but that, she doesn't have the right one to tell him.

She glance at his innocent face that was changing due to maturity and nature, the cold weather also added, making his face darker pink.

She caresses his forehead "promise you will be strong" She blinked vigorously "Is that a deal?".

"Pinky promise" Gio chuckled.

Alita allow silence took over for a while, mentally preparing the way she would tell the little boy that won't hurt him or traumatize him.

"It was Christmas eve" she started "Twelve years ago".

She allow Gio to rest on her as he got up to listen to the story, the eagerness in his eyes was urging her to tell him the whole story but her caution never allows

" I was fixing the Christmas tree when mum and dad came back home, with you as a day-old baby" the image began to form in her eyes and she began to shed tears "I was about putting the last object, of stuffed animals, two doves".

The dove tattoo at the back of the killer's hands flashed as she explained more about the dove, buying time to think about all possible means of communication to make Gio less hurt.

" It was like a dream" she looked up as if the story was been displayed "Dad said she need to check up on a strange noise coming from the backyard, it took him about 30 minutes but we still never heard anything from him".

Alita glimpsed as his expression changed, the boy look so scared. She began to wonder if she had told him what actually happened, or explained that they were shot in the head and the only thing she could remember is the cute blue eyes of the young killer.

"Mom went out to check and still didn't return" she paused for a few winks, thinking of other possible lies to merge.

"Please don't tell me they froze to death!" Gio sniffed and hugged her.

"No".

"What do you mean by 'no'?". The lad asked quite confused.

"A running car had hit Dad, I thought as much because they were no holes in his body. He just lay still, almost frozen in his own pool of blood" She choked and began to cry.

Her heartaches, it hurts more to lie to the little boy but she felt it would be better until he comes of age. She hugged him tightly, not willing to let go any moment near.

"Mum died of a heart attack that killed her within seconds. As they had no families, we were dead poor, no one came for us until Mama Samantha found us".

Gio cried, he cried as he had never cried in his life, he didn't even cry like that when he wore ripped pants to school and his crush call him a mongrel. Nor when Alita didn't come back from work and he thought she was dead or she had decided to leave him too. It was till the next morning that he found her beaten and robbed.

Gio felt like everything was linked to him or he seems to be a psychic.

"Is it my fault?" He sobbed.

Alita flinched, he pulled away to look at his swollen red face, his hazel eyes appear thin, his nose running and his cheeks heated. He looked like a child abandoned by his foster parents.

"You promised you would be strong, brother" she kissed his forehead "Remember you made a pinky promise".

Gio forced himself to smile, he sniffed "I haven't broken it yet" he sound defensive.

Alita smiled, even when she heartfelt like she had committed the worst crime, she would not break the poor boy's heart, but she could make him smile immediately.

"You failed" She stood up "So you will have to do whatever I ask".

" Not fair!" He yelled.

"That's the game, and mind you, I didn't invent the rules, you did it yourself".

She stood up, pulled the sad boy, and took the remaining cake that was still wrapped. Gio carried their skating shoes and the basket they brought.

"Who will have this year's cake?"

"How about father Lorenzo?" Alita suggested, she took his free hand as they walk out of the snow to the street.

"But he has been the only one having the cake" Gio seems confused "I thought you said we rotate it".

" Yeah, I said that" Alita smiled "That's the fun"

What's the fun of saying something and doing the opposite?

When Alita would feel like she feel bored, she would suggest something and break the promise. But she never does pinky promise, unless she needs it badly and would not break it.

They spoke heartedly, talking about so many things they would have done if their parents were alive. Gio even said he would ask his father what it feels like to have a rich crush that doesn't notice you.

He started having a huge crush on her when he was 9 years old, it happened like in regular Korean movies. It was raining and Babra was stranded at the corner, waiting for her parents to come to pick her up since she had never used the school bus.

'The bus is meant for poor people ' they would always say 'Except you are poor, you are not free to use it, Bab!'.

Poor kid, she was left alone until her Knight in shining amour came to her rescue, he gave her his small umbrella and walked her home. He felt angry at first only for him to find out he was in the household of a very rich family that kicked him out of the house

In return for his kindness, Bab kissed him.

A small kiss on the lips but he never forgets it. And till now, he would wait for the right time to as her out, to be his girlfriend.

"You are joking" Alita giggled "You want to ask Bab to be your girlfriend?".

"Yes! Sorella" Gio answers matter-of-factly "I like her a lot and I want to make her my wife if possible".

The beam in Gio's eyes seems promising, for only his creator knows how much he likes this girl.

"That's not how it works, Fratellino" Alita decided to be a spoiler for once tonight "Bab's family would never accept you until you are rich"

She decided to tell her little brother what it's like to have dreams. They even added being rich to their 'bucket list'.

But for Alita, her bucket list contains different things, it was different from what Gio was saying and what she suggested.

BUCKET LIST -ALITA

> Take care of Gio

> Make sure they feed

> Pay bills

> Greet mama Samantha every day

> Look for the lad baby blue eyes

> Take Gio away from Italy

> Be a fashion designer

Even when every part of her steel heart tells her that she is supposed to think about something fun, the cell of revenge wants to get its way.

The walk to the church was a long one, they were chatting that lively when they arrived. Gio was already feeling sleepy and Alita was thinking of what she would get for Gio in celebration of Christmas.

Who cares about her birthday when everyone else seems to want Christmas.

Lighting the candles and saying prayers seem to be the most important thing for the day. Alita spent an hour, just staring at the dancing fire and trying to remember the face of the kid with the blue eyes and the dove tattoo.

So better still, she felt it's better to forget about the killer and focus on the future. She should be worried about what her bosses would say to her tomorrow because she skipped work.

Naturally, she longed to have such rest, where she would eat, play and sleep. Not where she was likely to attend to 105 customers a day in the local restaurant, and dance for almost three hours none stop at the club.

Alita never for one day loved the nature of her jobs, she longed to be a fashion designer where she would make all sorts of 'crazy ' looking clothes as Gio would call it.

Since Gio was 7, he never likes the clothes Alita wears to the club, She first started as a bar girl before a dancer. He would beg her to wear a coat to cover her body and would complain about how she shows too much skin at work and would tell at anyone staring at her.

"I am the man here" he would always say "I am born to protect you".

Gio was almost dead asleep when they arrived at the house, Alita even had to drag him at some point.

"Good night, Sorella" he whispered as his sister put off the side lamp "Thank you so much for today, but if I may ask, how did you get all the money".

Alita chuckled, she knew Gio would ask because she had never done so many things like that in her life, for the first today, she longed to tell Gio the truth so she could at least get a kiss on her cheek.

"I have been saving for so long" she walked back to kiss his forehead "I really want you to be happy".

Just as she had hoped, Gio kissed her cheeks before finally calling it a day.

"I promise, I will take good care of you".