Hey!

Quick note. The last chapter was short. It was only about 1800 words or something like that. I had intended it to be short because I want to gradually show how they work on their relationship. One talk isn't going to make everything alright.

Also, I made this chapter longer so I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for all your comments. They really motivate me to keep writing!

Bye and enjoy this chapter <3

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Omniscient teller:

Hector was exhausted when he came home late that night. After he dropped Elena off at the airport, he went back to the warehouse to work until late. He needed to busy himself to forget. Guilt was eating at him. He ruined everything.

Ezra was already asleep when his father checked up on him in his room. His son was cheeky and joyful. Despite everything that had happened today, Hector felt warm inside when he gazed at his child.

He was sleeping on his stomach with his butt up. His tiny hands were snuggling with the toy bunny his parents got him. Hector leaned down over his crib and stroked his dark hair. Ezra's cheeks were red just like his mother's.

"I love you, caro." Hector whispered to him.

Ezra stirred slightly but continued to sleep. Hector sighed and walked back to his own room. He'd expected Dahlia to be asleep but she wasn't. She sat on the edge of their bed with an angry scowl on her beautiful face.

"What are you doing up?" He asked while pulling off his jacket.

"Waiting for your ass to come home so that I can beat it." She snapped harshly.

He threw his jacket over a chair and turned to her with a tired expression. If Dahlia was angry with him, she'd give him hell on earth. Right now, he would not be able to deal with her. Mostly because he knows that he deserves it.

"You told me to check on those cameras because Elena might be in danger! You lied to me!" She hissed.

Hector sighed deeply and held up his hands in defence but she slapped him against his chest.

"We made a vow to always tell each other the truth, to always talk to each other about anything. You're going on this dumb rampage and hurting the people you love the most. Elena looks absolutely miserable and it's your fault!"

There was nothing that he could bring up against that. He vowed to her to always tell her the truth. She was the only one who he had fully opened up to, ever. But he wasn't acting rationally lately. He felt so angry that he lost control.

"I'm sorry." She was one of the few who he could apologise too.

But sorry wasn't enough for Dahlia.

"You're just like my father. Controlling and destructive." She spat out.

His heart dropped. Hector knew what kind of man Dahlia's father was and it made him sick to his stomach that she would even compare him to that bastard.

"Alexander's not good enough for Elena." He protested still too stunned to say something else.

He truly believed that. Alexander was known for sleeping around. He even enjoyed it. How could Hector trust such a man with his little sister? What about her reputation? He didn't want people to think that she was easy. That would attract so much dirty bastards.

"That's not for you to decide. Elena wouldn't have fought so hard for him if he wasn't worth it." She shook her head firmly.

Hector sat down on the bed and buried his head in his hands. He wanted to close his eyes and go back to when things were not this fucked up. A few weeks ago when Elena was playing with his son and grinning cutely. When she would look at him with love and not hatred.

"You're too overbearing, Hector. You demand too much of her. You have been ever since she came back into your life. Give her a break." Dahlia breathed out.

She didn't understand why he was so upset about this. Elena was his favourite sibling and it might be confronting to see her grow up. But he was reacting way out of the ordinary.

"I can't loose her again!"

His eyes stood desperate and she's never seen him like this. It was almost a slap in the face. Clearly, they haven't talked enough because she has no idea what he was feeling. It frustrated her because she always thought that she knew him perfectly.

She could read him like an open book. But not entirely.

"Hector..." she whispered.

She tried to approach him but he jumped up. His hands were clenched into fists and he walked around for a while. It was as if he was trying to calm himself down.

"I buried her once before, Dahlia. I'm never doing that again. I can't bury her again. I can't-"

Her hands went up to his cheeks as she cupped his face. She searched his face. He was always composed. You had to break down an entire fortress to get to know him, his true self. She thought she had already done that, but now the final wall broke down. The strongest wall that he's been keeping up since he was merely a child.

"I protect my siblings. I have to make sure nothing ever happens to them. I didn't protect Elena. I let someone take her away from us-" she cut him off.

"You were only ten, Hector. You were a child. You can blame yourself for what those assholes did. You, Elena, your family... you were victims to the cruelty of those bastards."

It didn't get through to him. He's spent years convincing himself that this was his fault. He made a promise to protect and love his baby sister. That promise only lasted three hours before the doctor announced her death.

He should've done something. He has to look after all his siblings. He had to look after Elena too.

"I'll tell you every day that it wasn't your fault, until it gets through that thick head of yours." Dahlia cried.

Hector pulled her close to him and buried his head against her neck. Today was rough but she always made him feel better. Even if she was scolding him or teasing him. Dahlia was the love of his life. Only a smile or a look could instantly put him in a better mood.

Right now he needed to hold her. He still has her. He still has Ezra.

But it wasn't enough.

////////////////////

Two weeks passed painfully slowly. Hector had never intended on letting Elena stay in Las Vegas for so long, but Alexander was causing trouble. He'd been approaching Theo and Silas to convince them that he loves Elena.

Hector had thought that he'd stop eventually but he didn't. Having Elena so far away made him feel uneasy so he finally decided to bring her back. Alexander knew what would happen if he tried to get with her again.

Break the promise and Hector would kill him.

At least that's what he's been wanting to do until he had that conversation with his papa.

His father showed up the day before Elena landed. Hector hadn't expected him and was shocked when he arrived at their home. His parents didn't show up randomly. They always told him beforehand.

"Nico called me. We need to have a talk, Topolino."

So now they were seated in Hector's office on the third floor. His father was watching him in a way that frustrated Hector. He fully respected his old man but he didn't like how he knew him so well. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"Are you surprised that I'm here?" Luca Cassano asked.

Hector shook his head and poured his father a glass of whiskey.

"Not after you mentioned Nico."

Nicolas had been calling Hector daily to try to convince him to let Elena be with Alexander. Hector didn't think that he'd even like Elena dating but apparently Nicolas wanted to see her happy. That's what he kept repeating.

Hector wanted to see her happy too but not with Alexander Ferrari.

"Then you must know why I'm here."

"No, I don't." Hector admitted.

His father has never really been a big fan of his little girls dating but he did accept Henry. He was the one who pushed Hector to allow Henry to propose to Amelia. But he'd been against Elena dating Daniel a few years ago.

"I gave you a very difficult task at a young age, Topolino. You raised the younger ones like they were your own. You love your siblings a lot and I'm thankful that they have a big brother like you. They appreciate and love you, as well."

Hector tightened his grip on his glass. This conversation was not going the way he wanted it to go.

"My babies rely more on you than me. I don't think that was fair on you. I burdened you."

"You had to take care of mama. I didn't mind looking after the younger ones." Hector waved it off.

His father sighed and gave him a look.

"That's because I kept telling you to look after your younger siblings since you were little. I didn't let you be a child."

Hector knew what he was referring too. He was always the big brother who had to prioritise his little siblings. Ever since he was little. It got hard when his parents moved away for his mother's mental health. He had to go to parent teachers meetings. He had to discipline his siblings. But he never cracked under the pressure.

"I love taking care of them." He admitted.

"I know that. But you shouldn't have done that. You act so much older than you are when you were little. I always forgot that you were little."

Hector shook his head. He didn't need his father's apologies. It made him feel uncomfortable and weird. He enjoyed looking after his siblings even when they act like little monsters.

"I don't need an apology. Stop it."

Luca nodded and placed his glass down on the coffee table.

"You like it when people cut to the case. So let me do that. Nicolas called me because he's concerned for Elena. She's not doing well and he asked me to interfere."

Hector tightened his grip on the couch.

"Interfere. What will you do?" He demanded.

"She's my daughter. I have the final word in these matters." His father shrugged.

"I raised her! You didn't do shit!"

The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Hector's eyes widened in shock while his father chuckled.

"You needed that apology, Topolino." He told him softly.

Hector paled and tried to uttered out an apology but he couldn't find his voice. He was frozen in his seat while his father eyed him with sympathy.

"You're right, of course. You were the one that found Elena. You scolded her when she misbehaved, you held her when she was scared, you bought everything that she desired, you made sure that she was safe. You've been there for here since day one. I can tell how much you love her."

His father got up from his seat and went to sit down next to Hector. He patted his shoulder before looking deep into his eyes.

"When you're hurt, you hurt the person who hurt you. Elena is the same. There's a reason why you're Topolino and she's topolina. You know how much you two are alike. You know what's going to happen next if you don't step down."

A tight feeling filled Hector's chest. Maybe it was panic or realisation, perhaps both. But he understood what his father was hinting at.

"She'll push me aside forever." He whispered.

"Elena's been through a lot. She's found someone that makes her happy. We can't and won't interfere. I'm telling you this as your father: step back and let it go."

Hector leaned forward and his father embraced him tightly. He softly patted his broad shoulders. Even his thirty-one year old son still needs hugs and that was alright.

"You won't loose her again, Topolino. She's not a defenceless newborn anymore. Elena is strong, intelligent, and resilient. She won't let anyone take or hurt her. And if anyone tries, she'll call you first. That's when you step in, when she asks for you."

That made Hector irk. He knew that he'd lost her trust. She was not going to call him again when she's in danger. She wasn't his go to person anymore. He had ruined their relationship.

"You're always going to be her big brother, Hector, she'll come to you. Give her time and space to heal."

How can he do that? How can he learn to do that?

//////////////////

"Fabio's been asking for you." Hector told Elena.

They were in the elevator up to Alexander's apartment. Hector had insisted on walking her to the door for safety measurements. Elena had rolled her eyes at that but allowed him to come along. If he acted out of line, she'd kicked his butt.

"I'll visit home in a few days." She promised.

She had missed Fabio and most of of her family. She would not go easy on most of her brothers. It'll take some time to heal the wounds and they'll have to respect that.

The elevator stopped and they waited for Alexander to open the door. Once he did, a whole bunch of pets jumped on Elena. She squealed out loud and bowed to kiss all of them, even a little grey kitten.

While Elena was busy greeting the pets, Hector looked at Alexander. He didn't necessarily hate Alexander. He was one of the best Capos that he had and Hector knew how fucked up his past was. But it was still hard for him to entrust his sister with him.

"I will never hurt her." Alexander told him firmly.

Hector waved it off. He wasn't blind. Those two were happy together and love each other. It would take him a while to accept that.

Elena wasn't his little one anymore.

"Come home when you're ready." Hector told her.

She got out of the elevator and nodded. She didn't pay him much attention because she had wrapped her arms around Alexander's torso. They were smiling at each other.

Elena's happy. That was all he should care about but it was still hard for him when the doors closed and the elevator took him down.

///////////////////

"If you'd like, I can go talk to them personally. To get the message across." Hector told Nicolas.

They were sitting in his office. All the brothers had assembled there to discuss Nicolas' relationship. They've welcomed Nestor and were excited to learn that their brother found love. But they had to discuss the inevitable. The deep rooted homophobia in their circles that Nicolas would become victim off.

"I'm well aware of the fact that everybody is terrified of you, but I'd like to deal with this myself. I won't gain their respect by making my older brother scare the shit out of them."

Hector clenched his jaw. It was hard for him to let his siblings fight their own battles. He was used to fighting for them or cleaning up after them.

"So you'll keep all the fun stuff for yourself, huh?" Silas grinned.

He wanted to go beat up some homophobes.

"I'll leave them no other option than to accept my relationship." Nicolas insisted.

He was a strong Capo and Hector knew that he didn't have to worry but he still did. This was still his little brother. He'd changed a lot and matured quickly but Hector still saw him as that little foodie. He couldn't even remember the amount of times where he had to stop him from choking.

"He'll do great. You know that." Theo squeezed Hector's shoulder.

He will.

"I'm planning on bringing down Lau. I've located him and I'm close to bringing him in." Nicolas explained.

Lau. He was the one that sponsored Amelia's crazy biological father. It's been almost impossible to track him down but Nicolas now knew his location.

"I'll do an public torture in front of all my men." He added.

That could strengthen his position as Capo. If he caught the enemy himself and shared the torture with his men. They'd think of him as a strong and powerful Capo.

"You have it already figured out." Hector commented proudly.

"I intend to do it as soon as possible."

Nicolas wanted to go public with his relationship. He wanted to take Nestor out on dates freely and without worry.

Even if his men would hate him for it, he wouldn't care. All he needed was Nestor in his life.

//////////////////

Ezra was big on blabbering. Hector sat him down on in his high chair as Dahlia placed a few solid foods on his tiny plate. They have slowly been trying to introduce him to solid foods, especially food that didn't require a lot of chewing. It was still a choking hazard and they were careful.

"Why does he keep doing that? He's talking to himself." Silas commented while drowning down a glass of coffee.

He was always in a terrible mood when Belle wasn't around. She was now on a world tour and wouldn't come back for a few months. Besides, it's been three weeks since Elena got back together with Alexander. She hasn't even reached out yet. It bothered him a lot.

"Let me translate it for you then. Ezra said: ' uncle silly is such an idiot and my mommy is prettier than him.'" Dahlia grinned.

Silas glared at her while Hector was busy stopping Ezra from throwing his yogurt around. Ezra didn't like to be fed. He was a strong willed baby who was already ahead of his peers.

"Uncle silly is grumpy because he misses auntie Belle!" Fabio chimed in.

He was almost four and could eat by himself. Ariana still sat beside him to make sure he ate his plate.

Silas just grunted but it was the truth.

"I also miss auntie Ellie!" Fabio brought up to make Silas feel better.

Ariana caressed his blond hair and kissed his forehead. Fabio asked for Elena every day and he misses her a lot. But the family would give her time and space. She'll come when she's ready.

"Never thought that I'd admit this but I miss that little shit as well." Silas muttered.

No one reacted to his swearing because they all felt the same. They missed Elena a lot. She was a prominent figure in this household.

Hector wanted her to come back home but he wasn't sure. He ruined everything.