07: Mr. Snuffles

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Annaliese

The frigid air clawed at my throat. My small hands shook due to the abnormal temperatures. Painful breaths escaped me while I hobbled to the corner of the alley. The night sky was blocked by winter clouds, snow built up on the streets.

Everything hurt.

I collapse onto the stone, my 7 year old body forming a ball hidden by the shadows. Dots formed in my vision and no matter how much I willed my body to become warmer, the frost overcame it every time.

"Ahh, shit's cold," A masculine voice yells out, laughing shortly after. I didn't remove my head from my snow covered arms. "I need some fucking money."

"Where.. where the hell you gonna get it?" Another manly voice asks back. His voice sounded weird - it made me uneasy. "Your.. your assss?"

The two laughed as if they had just heard the funniest thing. I trembled and pulled closer to myself. The only thing I had were the clothes on my back. I sniffled quietly when my nose began to run.

"Why don't we go ask that cute little girl over there? I'm sure she'd lend us a few dollars.."

I don't have time to process their words before a shaky hand grabs the collar of my shirt and forces me up. I tense my shivering body as the old man in front of me feels down my sides. His friend is holding me up by the collar, the thin material choking me.

"She doesn't have shit!" The old man spits hatefully. Tears spring to my eyes and I try to cower away from his upcoming hand, but I was too weak. The force of the blow brought my face to the side. Warm liquid trickled from my nose and a bright red splotch appeared in the white snow below us. "What a fucking waste of time! What whore had this piece of shit?"

My lips trembled as the words I didn't know the meaning of were spat at me so hatefully. My body was thrown to the ground and I landed with a crackly grunt. The force brought along a coughing fit and more blood flew onto the pure snow. Sharp kicks were sent to my sides and I cried out in pain.

"Man, this is.. is a waste of-of time," His friend slurs, lightly gripping the maddened old man. His voice brought relief and I relaxed pitifully. A grunt of anger followed after and a stab of white pain erupted in my head.

My vision faded in and out as my eyelids were drooping closed. The old man with spiked boots stumbled away while his friend sent one last look at my crumpled body. The corner of my bloodied lips pull up.

At least I wouldn't be cold anymore.

My eyes snap open and I sit up quickly, sweat dripping down my forehead. I held a hand to my quickly beating heart and forced air into my lungs. It had been so long since I'd had nightmares of the bad times.

I dig my fingers into the silk sheets, glancing at the clock on my bedside. 4:23.
I fall back onto my pillow and spread my arms wide, staring at the ceiling blankly. The cold air from my fan felt sweet with the sweat drenching my body.

Pulling myself out of bed, I blink sleep out of my eyes and take a quick shower. I rushed through my skincare and brushed my teeth and hair. Slipping on some black shorts and an oversized t-shirt, I make the bed with Mr. Bunny under the covers. It was really cold in the mornings. I didn't want him to freeze.

Before leaving to go to the kitchen, I decide to put on some fluffy socks too. Even though their floors somehow never got cold, I didn't want to take the risk. Yawning, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen in a daze. The windows reflected pure black. I definitely wasn't going outside.

I was about to enter the kitchen when a cold, sharp object slid to the base of my throat. I suck in a breath. Strong hands grabbed my wrists forcefully, pulling me into a hard chest. The dream. The dream. The dream. It's them. It's them.

"Who are you? What's your business here?" A dark voice growls out. My legs tremble when the knife gets closer to my skin. I need to do something. My chest is frozen, no breaths coming in or out. I can't speak. I need to move. I need to do something.

A bloodcurdling scream echoes throughout the house and the knife makes contact with my neck. The familiar warm liquid drips down onto my shirt and guilt overwhelms me. I stained the shirt they got me. I just wasted it.

"Shut the hell up before you wake up the Don," The man hisses, dragging me back into the darkness. His body suddenly stiffens and the knife clatters on the warm wooden floors. I immediately force myself out of his hold and run forward into strong arms.

Looking up, I'm met with Val's worried gaze. His eyes lock on something a little below my face and pure rage contorts his face. I force a small smile, trying to reassure him that I'm okay, that I'm fine. My smile doesn't seem to reach him as I'm gently passed to Marcello, who wraps his arms around my back and forces me into his chest. 

"Pensavi davvero di poter fare del male alla mia sorellina a casa mia?" Val whispers lowly, pausing with each word. Goosebumps rose on my skin at his deadly tone. He's so mad. (Did you really think you could hurt my little sister in my own home?)

"I-I thought she was breaking in, I-"

"Che incredibilmente stupido," He laughs dryly. Marc lifts my head to inspect my neck. "Credi che una ragazza che dimostra appena dieci anni entrerebbe in casa nostra? Forse dovremmo tagliarti gli occhi come punizione." (How incredibly stupid. You believe a girl who barely looks ten would break into our house? Maybe we should cut out your eyes as punishment.)

Marc grabs my hand and gently pulls me out of the kitchen. I glance back at Val and the strange man. Would he be okay? What if he hurts Val? We pass a wall and they're out of my line of sight. I hold onto Marc's hand tightly as he leads me through the house and into a bright room.

Marc gently grabs ahold of my waist and lifts me onto a doctor's bed. I shift to get more comfortable when Luca rushes in the room, his eyes franticlly surveying my body for injuries. His clothes were rumpled and he looked like he just got out of bed. "Tesoro, are you feeling okay? Dad just told me what happened."

I swallow harshly, nodding my head. I didn't want any more excessive attention. The bed creaks next to me as Marc grabs my hand, interlocking our fingers with a gentle squeeze. Luca sits down on a rolly chair and comes towards me, dragging a rolling cart along with him. He tilts my head up and I'm forced to look into a bright light.

"Quel fottuto bastardo," Luca whispers, his grip on my jaw tightening. I don't feel any pain. "Mi divertirò a sentire le sue urla." (The fucking bastard. I'll enjoy hearing his screams.)

"Luca.." I murmur pathetically, gazing at him with concern. He drops his hands to the bed and I rub circles on the back of Marc's hand. "Will Val be okay? He's still with the bad man."

Luca cracks a grin, leaning forward to touch his forehead with mine. "Don't worry your pretty little head about him tesoro. Valentino's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Now, it's my turn to take care of you. Look up at the ceiling, this will probably sting a bit."

And sting it did. I suck in a sharp breath when the medicine made contact with my open cut. I grip Marcello's hand tighter in a vain attempt at relieving the tension. A few seconds later, Luca wrapped my neck and I looked like a Mummy. He gently inspected my wrists and his jaw clenches at the bruises already forming.

"I'm okay Luca, I've been through worse. This is nothing," I say to try to reassure him. I let out a small giggle when Marc's curly hair brushes against my cheek as he leans his head on my shoulder, caging me in his arms. If he hadn't have hugged me, I would've seen Luca's chilling glare and clenched fists that caused his veins to poke out.

"Just get better, okay tesoro? I have some business to take care of with Val," Luca grumbles, slamming the door behind him. The pictures on the wall shake and I flinch at the loud sound. Marc tightens his hold around me and I eventually relax into it.

"Are you okay?" I mumble to Marc. I hadn't gotten a proper look at his face since the whole thing happened. His full lips form into a smirk as he places a gentle kiss to my temple.

"Don't worry about me," He murmurs, his deep voice soothing my anxiety. I lean my head against his and let out a deep sigh. A part of me wanted to block out whatever just happened, but I had a feeling as soon as I saw my oldest brothers and father, it would be very difficult to evade. "How are you feeling? Do you want to go do something to distract yourself?"

"I'm okay Marc," I tell him, kissing his temple in return. Ever since I first met him Marc always had a comforting aura about him. It's like he understood me without having to hear it verbally. "I'm sorry about getting blood on my shirt. You guys gave it to me and I ruined it. I just.. I'm so sorry."

Marc knocked into me gently, lightly teasing me. "Anna do you really think we care about some shirt? All that matters to us is that you're okay silly," He sends me a small smile. My shoulders sag in relief but my mind is still running a million miles an hour. I rest my head on his chest and wrap my arms around him in a loose hug.

So many things happened in the span of a few minutes. I was forced to remember a bad time, I walk downstairs in my own house only to get attacked, and now Val and Luca are with the bad man. Being hurt didn't bother me but the possibility of them getting hurt scared me to bits.

A part of me had a feeling the bad man was involved in their illegal business. Did the Don not know I existed? Did I cause a problem by coming back? Based on Luca and Val's anger, it's possible that they knew and decided to come after me anyways.

I had grown accustomed to being hurt over the years. A new bruise or scar didn't phase me. However, when something or someone I cared about got hurt, I lost all control. It's like I get possessed by some super mean villain. The thought of that man hurting Val or Luca makes my blood boil.

"Hey little one, it's okay," Marc whispers to me, his voice taking me out of my thoughts. He pushes my head away from his chest and I look up at him in confusion. "Do you want to go watch a movie while we wait for them to come back? I'm sure we have something you'd like."

I nod. Anything to take me away from my thoughts would be appreciated. He jumps down from the table and I squeal as I'm pulled onto his back. I can't stop the giggles rushing past my lips as he runs through the house. Hanging onto his neck for dear life, I squeeze my legs around his waist and enjoy the piggy back ride.

Eventually he plops me down on a leather couch and grabs a blanket from the basket next to it, tossing it onto me. I immediately huddle into it. Marc pauses for a moment, watching me with slightly narrowed eyes, before sliding his hoodie off. I blink in surprise at the long sleeved black shirt underneath that clung to his torso.

"For your shirt," He mumbles, turning around so I could change. I grin appreciatively and quickly switch them. The hoodie is way oversized but so warm and cozy. I might accidentally forget to give it back to him.

"I'm good now," I announce, leaning deeper into the couch. Marc doesn't turn around but plops down beside me. He claps a few times and I gasp in awe as the lights turn off. The TV turns on after I'm assuming he presses a button, but who knows with this fancy house. Tangled comes onto the screen and I snuggle into his side to get comfortable.

Marc throws a muscled arm over my shoulder and together we dive deep into the world of a blonde princess and her snarky thief.

——

I. Loved. It.

"That was the best movie ever!" I exclaim, shaking the sleepy Marc next to me. He drowsily blinks at me as I spout word after word. "It was so adorable and cute! I loved Pascal and Max and Flynn and Rapunzel and The Ugly Duckling and especially the Unicorn! The songs were sooo good and Flynn is so charming! I hope I marry someone like him one day. Oh- and not to mention Max is so cutely protective over her. And Pascal. He's the glue that ties everything together. And can you believe-"

"The fuck? You watched this girly shit Marc?" Franny's voice interrupts me and I raise my head all the way back to see his upside down face behind the couch. He glances at me and his scarred hand pushes my head back towards the TV. I send him a snide glance from the corner of my eye but simply decide to cuddle closer to Marc.

A heavy force lands on me and I grunt loudly. Franny sits on my legs, laying his upperbody on mine and I groan in irritation. "Franny, you're squishing me," I whine. His deep laughter follows after and I groan loudly.

"Fransesco, stop."

I beam as Dad walks into the living room with Alley, Luca and Val behind him. He doesn't spare me a glance as he continues to walk past us and through the hall. I frown to myself, Franny's crushing weight being the least of my concerns. Is he upset with me? My eyes widen. He's mad. He's mad at me. I ruined the shirt and now he's mad and he's going to kick me out.

A painful pinch by my ribs reminds me to breathe and I grab the scarred hand that did it. I intertwined our fingers, much to Franny's dismay, and decided it was the best vengence I could take against him. I meet Alley's eyes as he bends down in front of me. "Are you okay bambina? Luca and Val told me about what happened."

The hand in mine twitched. I forced myself to keep my eyes on Alley. "I'm okay," I answer him, relaxing deeper into Marc's side. Marc brushes aside some of the stray hairs that fell in my face. "Is.. Is Dad mad at me? I swear, I didn't mean to get the shirt all messed up. Please don't kick me out. I'll make it up, I promise. I promise."

Alley shares a look with Franny and Marc. Letting out an obnoxious sigh, Franny takes himself off of me. Marc kisses my forehead and stands up after him. I watch them with confusion. Was that not enough? What else did I do? Are they really going to kick me out? Are they all mad?

Alley grabs my hands, his calculating gaze seeing through everything. "Annaliese, you are our little sister. We're not letting you go. I understand it'll take time for you to become comfortable living here. I'm willing to wait and do anything to help that process. Dad isn't mad at you, he's frustrated with himself. We all are. You were hurt in our home, the place where you should be protected at all times. It's not your fault for being hurt. Grown men should know better than to harm innocent children."

I squeeze his hands tighter, my head falling to my chest. "I'm sorry that I keep doubting you. I just still feel like any moment this could all be taken away. I don't mind being hurt, I can take it. I don't really want to talk about it right now, but I've been hurt before and survived, so you don't have to worry about me." I quickly search for Val to find him peering at me from behind Alley's shoulder. "Are you okay? Did the bad man hurt you?"

Val's happy-go-lucky grin appears and I instantly know everything will be okay. "I'm dandy principessa," He says, hopping onto the couch with me. Laying his head on my lap, he casually kicks Luca's back, who had been leaning against the couch armrest. "Your big brother is tough. I can handle anyone, anytime."

I poke his cheek where a small dimple popped out. His eyes twinkled with happiness. "That doesn't stop me from worrying," I say.

Luca scoffs, rolling his eyes at my words. "You didn't seem very worried when he kicked me just now," He points out, sitting on Valentino's legs with a small smirk on his lips. Valentino sends him a glare.

"You're a doctor so you can take care of yourself."

"Thanks tesoro, I feel very loved."

I grin sheepishly at him. As the boys began to become more comfortable again, light conversation was made. I absentmindedly played with Val's coarse curls as Marc put on Big Hero 6. Valentino sighs briefly, closing his eyes.

"You promise you're okay?" I whisper in his ear, leaning over his head slightly to reach it.

Valentino pops one eye open, his face softening. "I promise principessa."

I finally allow myself to relax and pull the blanket tighter around me. I bask in the warmth Val's giving off and focus all of my attention onto the screen.

It's nice to feel safe again.

——

"I can't believe you made me watch that," I blubber, sniffing harshly as tears blurred my eyes. I gently push Valentino away from me and get off the couch, grabbing a tissue from the coffee table and blowing my nose. "That was so sad."

"They saved the day, how is that sad?" Luca asks in amusement. I send him a pointed glare much to his shock. I walk over to the only brother not laughing at me, Allessandro, and attach my arms around his waist.

He chuckles as he pats my head. "They're mean, aren't they bambina?" I nod my head into his chest, provoking yells of protest from my other brothers. "They don't understand you at all." I nod again, walking with him as he goes into the kitchen. "Are you going to keep clinging to me?" I nod my head.

Grabbing my waist, he picks me up and puts me on a stool in front of the island. I watch as Allessandro walks around it and opens the fridge, shuffling through it. "What're you doing?" I ask quietly, my head becoming tense. A headache's coming on.

"You haven't eaten yet, right bambina?" He says, putting milk on the counter. He opens a cabinet and takes out a box of mac and cheese. "Padre informed me about your food plan. You like this right?"

My lips twitch into a contagious smile. "Thanks Alley, you're the best," I murmur, leaning my arms on the table and resting my chin on my hands. I watched as he prepared it for the next 10 minutes. A while later, he places a bowl of it in front of me with a bottle of water and some bacon sprinkled on top. "Are you gonna have some? You need to eat too."

Alley sends me a smirk and plops some in a bowl too. He slides into the stool next to me. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. When he eats a spoonful, I eat a spoonful. When he drinks a sip of water, I drink a sip of water. He would turn to look at me a few times and I would play dumb.

"I'm full," I mutter, staring sadly at the few noodles left in the bowl. Clenching my jaw, I pick up the bowl and scrape the remnants into my mouth. I swallow harshly and place it back on the counter, fighting the sickness I felt along with it.

"Bambina, no," Alley tells me, taking the bowl away and placing his hands on my shoulders. He slowly turns me to face him and I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block out the feeling in my stomach. "Forcing food isn't going to make you better. Don't do that again."

I don't answer him but try my best to nod my head. Sighing quietly, his strong hands pick me up by my waist and he carries me into the living room. Val and Luca are on one couch while Franny and Marc are on another. Alley sits

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