[attr="class","stone"]

[attr="class","stone b"]

[attr="class","stone i"]little one?

the voice fills him with a great sense of unease, like his worries are being clawed out from the depths of his existence, because no matter how unfamiliar it is, he recognizes the voice for the threat it bears. illeana's reaction only confirms it.

alexander moves, taking a step towards the man with a polite enough expression to mask his actual ones. for this, he has no qualms slipping on the mask he's so used to wearing. however, he does not extend a hand out. he refuses to shake the hand of someone so vile.

like a pyroar protecting its mate, alexander stands between them.

"mister reyes."

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]"it's good to see you." if she could freeze any further, she would. instead, she can't. she's already a marble statue, cracks riddling her body. which one will cause her to crumble first?

alex steps between them and the protectiveness of it is not lost on her. eyes dart to his back and then beyond to see the man in front of them. no mother this time, it would seem. she can't be far away. no, he doesn't go anywhere without his partner in crime.

her father puts on a good face, even she has to admit that. she can see past it now, can see the gruesome man beneath layers of porcelain. it haunts her even now. "what are you doing here?" she forces out, tone now clipped and just barely touching on polite. there's no reunion, no hugging. only tension and the sensation of dread pooling in her stomach.

she doesn't bother to move out from behind alex. not yet.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

[attr="class","stone b"]

[attr="class","stone i"]the tension in the air is palpable. her father hasn't changed much. though their interactions in the past have been brief and mostly in passing, alexander still recognizes the familiar features of the man. it's only then that he realizes that he's missing a key feature to him.

"i wasn't aware you and your wife took some time off."

alexander's words are subtle and are meant to pry without compromising the integrity of his mask. but he can see the similarities in how her father presents himself. it becomes more than apparent that the both of them are familiar with the game, and they both play it so elegantly.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]her father is every inch that she remembers. alex might not see it but she can pick apart what's real and what's not. the mask he wears, the laugh he lets out. it sends her skin crawling with the acute awareness that he's only pleasant because he has to be. she can taste the words he wants to say, the things he wants to do. and maybe that's why she steps a little closer to alex, hands shifting to knot the fabric at the back of his shirt.

"what, your old man can't come home for a visit?" nausea creeps up the longer she hears that laugh of his, the longer he's even in her presence. and old scars come back to haunt her with the phantom sensation of festering wounds. god, this fucking sucks.

the man will turn to regard alex next, that mask never slipping. in fact, if she had to guess, he applied a little more adhesive around the edges. "my apologies, mister stone," she bristles at this information but doesn't offer a word. "our paperwork must have not graced your desk."

and finally, after settling into an awkward silence, illeana is breaking it to address her father. and maybe it's a mistake because she can only tiptoe around shattered glass for so long before she gets cut but it has to be said. "you never come back here," her tone is colder, inching closer to sharpened steel. "so i'll ask again. what are you doing here?"

she knows as well as her father does that he doesn't care about trivial things like hometowns or even daughters.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

[attr="class","stone b"]

[attr="class","stone i"]the knot in the back of his shirt is all the indication he needs to know that they need to get out of this situation. if it feels uncomfortable for him, it must be suffocating for her. he subconsciously shifts closer to her.

"i suppose not. the timing does seem a bit coincidental, however, wouldn't you agree?"

alexander smiles, if only for the sake of upholding pleasantries, not that there's much to begin with. illeana asks her question and the lull in the conversation allows him to glance around in search for someone in particular.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]she doesn't need to peer past alex to know that her father is about to avoid the question. and perhaps he would have simply shifted into a different topic, into her presence in their hometown even, but he doesn't get the chance. instead, someone else will speak for him and that's when she really begins to gag on the dread lodged in her throat.

"i wouldn't," the voice is distinct, feminine, and cold. it matches the snow around them, the freezing temperature, and has illeana shivering slightly. while her father has always been the more cruel of the two, there's always been something about her mother that never fails to instill terror into her. maybe it's that blank look in her eyes or the way she simply smiles in the face of her daughter's pain. both, if she had to really decide.

her mother joins her father's side and the united front is nauseating. and yet, she feels that fight or flight instinct kick into full throttle. only... the option that her body opts for is nowhere close to what it should be.

"i would," she snaps, finally stepping out from behind alex to fully face them head on. she doesn't miss the narrowing of eyes or the glint of danger in eyes too similar to hers. she swallows and tries to steel herself for the eventual slaughter. "what do you want?"

somehow, she has come to expect the answer by now but it still catches her off guard. it's all malicious intentions dressed up with pleasant tones and smiles for their company.

"time with our daughter." no, never.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

[attr="class","stone b"]

[attr="class","stone i"]and there she is: her voice reeks of coldness that even manages to creep chills into alexander. she has never sat well with him; her demeanor and personality have their place in business but that is where they should end.

"i'm afraid that won't be possible."

as brave of a face illeana may be holding, alexander takes a step forward again, protective as he stares down the two doctors. he allows his expression to change ever so slightly, approaching the line of hostility, as if dangling bait for them to bite.

"we have dinner reservations, unfortunately. we're actually running a bit late."

alexander doesn't even make the effort to peer at the time because they both know he's lying for the sake of formalities. he reaches out for illeana then, but never allows his eyes to drift away from them.

illeana reyes

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]she's grateful for the step alex takes, for the protective nature of it. her hand wastes no time in reaching for his, in slipping her fingers between his and holding on for dear life. if the grip is bruising, she doesn't notice. no, she's too caught by the way her parents smiles tighten. she doesn't need to look much farther to know they're toeing that thin line between passive and aggressive.

the push comes in the form of alex's response. he's not exactly hostile but it's enough for them to cross the line. her father is the first to step closer and her body tenses as a result. "why is that?" his tone borders on irritated but it's thinly veiled by the smile he struggles to keep on. nausea creeps up on illeana the longer they stand there and she can't help the way her body presses closer to alex's side.

"right, we're already late," she mumbles, although it does little to deter them. in fact, she can see the gears churning in their heads. figuring out a way to keep them there, to keep their daughter from running away again. she hates it but there's no stopping the inevitable.

"oh, dinner reservations? we could join you. catch up, properly meet your friend here." oh god, she's definitely going to be sick. she can't offer anything on the matter. no, she'll leave that to alex. there's purpose when she shifts, as if shielding herself from the next try with alex's arm. they'll get desperate, that much she knows. and when they're desperate, it always seems to end in pain.

her father's fingers twitch at his side, as if he wants to grab her. he doesn't. not yet, anyway.

ALEXANDER STONE

[attr="class","stone"]

[attr="class","stone b"]

[attr="class","stone i"]the first falter in their facade comes and alexander is quick to notice it. her father's tone dips ever so slightly, not enough to expose himself, but enough to sound his irritation. illeana moves to keep herself shielded. alexander stands strong for both of them.

"perhaps another time would be more convenient."

alexander lies straight through his teeth. he has no intentions of ever allowing them near her ever again. but curiosity gets the better of him. he wants them to make a move. he wants to provoke them. the decision comes easy when he sees how her father's fingers twitch at his side.

"we should really get going now. have a good evening."

illeana reyes