It has been just one day since Zephaniah Łabanowski was discharged from the hospital, yet it comes as no surprise that he is already in the mood for causing trouble.

He was told several times by his doctors to take a day off work and rest, but rest is not a word Zephaniah or his family seem to be familiar with.

He immediately settled into his usual routine: waking promptly at four am before heading to Xavi's gym. Today he stuck to lifting weights and managed to fit in twenty minutes of cardio at the end of his session, successfully getting his blood pumping, filling him with enough adrenaline to get through the day.

He then immediately drove to the headquarters of Yakov's former gang , for once not bothering to go home and swap his sweats and training top for a suit, his post-workout high seeming to take control. Working out is one of few things which allows him to have a clear mind.

"Carlos, Carlos, Carlos..." he begins. "How nice to see you, mio amico, how have you been?"

His associate simply shrugs his shoulders, causing Zephaniah's lips to curl into one of his infamous smirks.

"Relax, Bud," he says, in a seemingly friendly tone. "You always seem like you're about to piss your pants when i do so much as look at you," he mocks. "Anyway, just thought i'd pop in and ask you a few questions myself. See if we can get to the bottom of this. Sound good?" he finishes, without missing a beat.

"Yes, Sir," the man meekly responds.

"So, you and my Uncle? What is your relationship?"

"I— none, Sir."

"Well that's evidently a lie. He didn't just approach you on the street and ask you to drug me, did he?"

"No, Sir, he...he...i didn't have a choice."

"There is always a choice in every situation, Carlos, and i only care for the fact that you are involved with my Uncle. Not that you were supposedly forced into anything. Are we clear?" Zephaniah seethes, looking him up and down with disdain.

"Yes, Sir," Carlos murmurs, struggling to maintain eye contact with him.

"Molto bene," he says, with a sly grin. "And i suppose you can tell me why on earth my little sister was dragged into this mess?"

"N—no, Sir," Carlos timidly answers. "Henryk never once mentioned your sister."

Zephaniah's patience is withering as each second goes by. He wants nothing more than to kill Henryk with his own bare hands. Hell, he would bury the man alive if he could.

And now, as Carlos sits before him, it takes all of his will power to not simply shoot a bullet between the man's eyes.

"That's ridiculous. Of course he mentioned her. Do you have any idea how much that brat is worth to him?"

Zephaniah knows exactly why Rori is involved. She is an easy target. Any one of her brother's enemies should be so lucky to get their hands on her, for although Zephaniah would deny it, the brat is worth a whole lot to him too.

And although Rori is not the most self-aware, everyone around her knows just how much she cares for her eldest brother, including Zephaniah himself.

As a toddler, she would become protective over him and evidently this trait has stuck with her throughout the rest of her life.

It annoys Zephaniah, extremely. Even more so when he was still a teen.

No one can blame him though, as he is incapable of understanding his own feelings, let alone anyone else's, and he has always struggled to show affection.

In his mind, he does not need anyone to care for him. Nor does he deserve for anyone to care for him. And perhaps if he wasn't plagued by the words of his father, he would think differently.

But as Zephaniah had admitted to his sister, one thing for sure is that he does not hate his siblings like they seem to think he does.

Sure, he has come very close to killing some of them in the past but who cares about that minor detail...

He just has a rather...interesting personality.

"I'm telling the truth, Sir. He didn't mention her, not to me at least."

"Fascinating," Zephaniah murmurs, though he is far from relieved.

God knows that Henryk Łabanowski will pay for everything he has put the ten siblings through. And even more so now that he has indirectly brought harm to his niece.

Zephaniah cannot wait for the day he will finally be able to inflict such suffering upon his Uncle. He has been fantasising about his death for some time now, and boy will it be worth the wait.

To be the last person his Uncle will see. The last person his Uncle will hear.

Victory will finally be Zephaniah's.

And he'd be dammed if he let that Russian wretch out-live himself.

If only he could locate the man, it may make things a whole lot easier...

Zephaniah glances down at the young man with an innocent yet taunting smile on his face.

"Well that's just no good, is it?" Zephaniah tuts. "Listen, i'd love to stay and chat with you but unfortunately i have to be somewhere in ten minutes," he says, sarcastically. "However, i can assure you i will be back, Santino."

As he speaks in his ominous tone, said man feels a cold shiver travel down the back of his spine. It's safe to say he is deathly afraid of the possible consequences which will ensue after having gone behind his boss's back.

"And when i return, whether or not i have all the answers i need, you best believe i'm going to end your life," he continues. "It's a shame, really...you had potential to be something great. But i have to do what i have to do in order to protect myself and my family. Betrayal is the most unforgivable crime. Only fools think they will get away with it so easily."

— RORI —

Wyatt arrived home some point after Zephaniah and Yakov left on Wednesday, which resulted in he and Xavi almost getting into a physical fight with one another.

It is safe to say our third eldest brother was less than impressed by his late arrival, and so on Thursday the rest of us were woken by a whole lot of shouting.

It is currently Saturday evening, and Annalise and Mikey will be coming over for the first time.

Wyatt has been put on 'babysitting duty', as my guardian so kindly labelled it, which the latter forced upon him because he and the two eldest wanted to go out for drinks after work.

Vinnie tagged along with them also, which i find funny for some reason.

It's just that although he is twenty one, his elder brothers still group him with us kids. And us younger ones view him as so much older in comparison to Uvaldo, despite the fact there is only a two year age gap between them.

It must be a middle child thing (and in that case i cannot relate) because all of my older brothers still view me as a child. Even Seamus is mockingly condescending towards Quentin and i, thinking he holds some almighty power over us when he is only a few minutes older.

Uvaldo also went out tonight and Xavi forced him to take Teddy with him so he was not left alone (he has continued to be extremely overbearing ever since the incident with Zephaniah) but i have no doubt that my two brothers will have gone their separate ways as soon as they set foot out the door.

"Ria, door!"

That there is the lovely Seamus, who is hollering at me from upstairs. His plans were to go out with Christian tonight, however he and Alfonso are back in Canada for the weekend, where their father lives, attending a wedding or something like that.

Of course, because of his ruined plans, Seamus has been in a very grumpy mood...well, more so than he usually is. He's been very snappy too, though luckily the majority of his snappiness is not aimed at me tonight, considering he didn't fail to remember our little 'let's be best-friends again' pact.

"Got it!" i obediently shout back to him, only by the time i reach the front entrance, Annalise has somehow opened the door.

"Honey, i'm home!" her high pitched singing fills my ears, and i flinch at the volume.

Mikey, who is also cringing, stands behind our friend with two full bags and three pizza boxes in his hand.

I know i'm Italian, but it feels like pizza is all people feed me at this point!

"I brought the goodies," he says, giving the bags a little shake, as i politely welcome him into our home.

Annalise air kisses me a few times on the cheeks, like they do in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and then, after eyeing the foyer of my house, begins to excitedly jump up and down on the spot.

"Oh. My. Goodness. Rori!" she cries out. "Your house is simply stunning, and i cannot believe this is my first time being here after our many years of friendship," she says, with a pout.

"Yeah, well, here you are," i offer, not knowing what else to say in response.

"Ugh, the lighting is amazing in here," she continues. "And the stone pillars on the stairway...Ri," she pauses to glance at me with awe, "this is like my dream home. This is so not Santa Monica!"

We have lived here for several years now but i have truly never gotten used to staying in such a large home. After all, as a toddler i was cooped up in a pokey four bedroom apartment in the suburbs of my hometown in Russia, alongside my ten siblings and parents. There was damp everywhere and it was way too overcrowded; a complete contrast compared to our current place of residence, which is right by the bay.

My school is a private school, the best one in the area, and the majority of students there live in an affluent neighbourhood like ours. Lindsay's house, for example, is massive. And the same goes for Annalise.

However, these people were born living a wealthy lifestyle, while me and my brothers were not. The fact we could simply go from rags to riches in a matter of years does not make sense to me, however i don't dare ask my older brothers why this is.

Because if i do ask such questions, it would lead to other questions.

Like, for example, what happened to my mother and father?

But believe me when i say i am fine with not knowing such things. It was a mutual agreement, and i am fine with it.

All i know is that they were barely around when i was younger, hence why i was raised by Zephaniah, and that one day when they left for a two week trip, they never bothered to come back...

After begrudgingly showing my friends my bedroom, we set up camp in the living room. Annalise creates a fort, making a generous use of any and all blankets, pillows, and fairy lights she could get her hands on. It seriously looks like something from architectural digest.

While she is setting everything up, she ever so kindly banishes Mikey and i to the kitchen so we can prepare the snacks.

Once we have all comfortably settled in our fort, Annalise insists that we watch Gilmore Girls. Truth be told, it has been saved on my list for some time now but i have never gotten round to watching it.

Most of my family aren't very big on television or cinema, which is why we never make use of our cinema room downstairs. That, and because we never spend time together.

Whenever i watch something, it is usually on my television in my bedroom and it is usually always the same shows and movies i watch over and over again.

I like what i know, and what brings me comfort, whereas i am usually disinterested in trying a new series or film.

However, we are a few episodes into Gilmore Girls at this point, and i am already loving it.

"I've never heard of another girl with the name Rori before," i say, with a small smile. "Makes me feel cool."

Of course, Rory's name is spelt differently to mine, and it isn't her actual name, but that is besides the point.

Both she and her mum Lorelai are very pretty and i adore the relationship they share. Lorelai had given birth to Rory as a teenager, being just sixteen years old at the time, and so they almost behave like sisters rather than mother and daughter.

"It is such a cool name, isn't it?" Annalise muses. "You suit it."

"Thank you," i say, with a smile.

When i was younger, my brothers would often tease me for my name and tell me i was called Rori because our parents were expecting another boy.

That's one reason why i started to get called different nicknames, like 'Ria'. Because i liked that it sounds girly in comparison.

I still think Rori is a much better choice than some of their names, though. And i like it. It's not boring, and it does suit me.

"So, where is Rory's father?" i wonder.

"Oh, Christopher, he lives elsewhere but he'll appear later on in the series."

"Oh, okay." i nod.

Just like Annalise, Rory is an only child.

I've only ever heard bad things about only children, if i am completely honest. Not that i believe everything i hear, however.

And in Rory's case, she doesn't have any cousins either. Only her grandparents, who adore her to pieces.

It is such a strange concept to myself, being that it is something i shall never experience.

It is clear that Annalise is spoiled by her parents, seeing as she always has a fresh set of nails, the latest pair of shoes, a new phone. Whatever it is she wants, she gets.

And i'm not saying it's a bad thing. I just can't imagine being treated in such way.

If i was to ask Xavi for some concert tickets, a new laptop, or anything of the sort, it wouldn't be that he just went out of his way to get me them.

No matter if he had the money to, which he obviously does, we must earn out keep.

"She seems so easy-going," i blurt out, my eyes filled with awe as i observe the screen. "Lorelai, i mean."

"Yeah, i wish my Mom had me young," Annalise muses. "Then maybe she wouldn't be so...well...Mom like."

I release a quiet laugh, though envy bubbles inside me for the first time in ages.

I have never pitied myself for not having a so-called mother figure, so why am i suddenly feeling left out?

I mean, i have everything one could possibly need or want: a good home, a good education, a good, privileged life overall.

I just don't have a mother.

"Your mom seems lovely, though."

Annalise's mother, Susanne, has always treated me like a close family friend.

She converses with me in Italian, since she had learnt the language during high-school, and constantly praises me for my heritage.

She is originally from rural England and insists that we should all aim to learn at least one foreign language.

Her and Annalise look almost identical, with their silky blonde hair and tall, slender build. There is no denying their relation. And they each have a similar scent...something like a mixture of roses and honey.

Susanne works as a casting agent in Hollywood, while her husband, Terrance, is the CEO of some electrical company.

Their whole entire family screams wealth.

But at the end of the day, who am i to assume they live the perfect life? What you see isn't always what you get.

I know that from my own experience.

"It depends, really," she says, with a shrug. "But there's lots of pressure to make her proud and keep the family name in-tact, yada, yada." she lazily rolls her eyes. "And my Mom is always running around like a headless chicken..." she forces a laugh. "I just wish she would take some time off every once in a while, you know?"

"I'm sure she loves you very much," i reassure her. "Xavi can be a bit like that, i suppose. He definitely works the hardest out of everyone in my family and i don't think he ever has a spare moment to himself..." i frown, suddenly feeling sorry for my brother.

"Are the two of you close?" Mikey asks.

"No," i deadpan. "Not at all. We never were, though. When i was younger, Xavi didn't like me very much."

And it is the truth.

Like most of my older brothers, Xavi saw me as an easy target and would regularly pull mean tricks on me, often encouraging my twin brothers (who he favoured) to join in.

It was only on a necessary occasion did his protective, brotherly side show. Like the time when he found out i was being bullied in kindergarten and had more than just a few words to say to the child's parent.

In the end, he turned out to be a great brother and guardian and i appreciate him. I really do...

Things are always quite up and down between the two of us but i know that he will always have my back, and vice versa.

"Oh..." Mikey says, taken by surprise. "Why's that?"

"I annoyed him, i guess," i admit, with a laugh. "But he was like how Seamus is now...I mean, can you imagine Seamus trying to get along with a five year old?" i meet his eyes with a pointed look.

"God, no." he laughs, shaking his head.

"I dunno, i think Seamus would be kinda cute with a kid," Annalise muses, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. "I mean, they'd both be of the same maturity level," she adds, and we all laugh.

"The last thing that boy needs is a younger sibling to mentor, let alone a younger brother." i cringe at the mere thought of it. "I mean, he's already tried to influence Quentin on many occasions. A child would be no match for his manipulative ways," i say, with a grimace.

"I suppose you're right," Annalise agrees. "What about you, do you ever wish you weren't the youngest?"

"All the time," i answer her.

"Would you want a little brother or sister?" Mikey queries.

"Hmm..." i think to myself. "Probably a little sister. I've always dreamt of having at least one sister but obviously that isn't a possibility."

"You never know, maybe you'll be an Auntie one day."

I snort a laugh, choosing to ignore Annalise's comment.

"Seamus, do you want children?" she pipes up once more.

Only now do i acknowledge my twin, who has failed to sneak past us on his way into the kitchen.

Releasing a loud, exaggerated groan, he backtracks a few steps until he is within earshot.

"Do i want a what?"

"Do you want children one day?" she questions him, nonchalantly. "Rori finds the idea of you having a child to be completely absurd."

"I did not say that!" i glare at her. "I said that if he had a younger sibling it would be bad news, stop twisting my words!"

"Talking crap about me, are we?" he pops his head into our fort, in order to glare at me. "You are my younger sibling, Smart-ass."

"If i'm your younger sibling then you may as well be an old man," i retort, smugly, and he raises his eyebrows, unimpressed with my comeback.

"And who the hell thinks about that shit?" he turns to face Annalise with a judgemental glare. "Having children? I'm just tryna get through my sophomore year..."

"I know i want children," Annalise beams at him. "One boy and one girl."

"How quaint." Seamus scrunches up his face in a mocking way. "My parents probably said the exact same thing."

"What if you have two boys, or two girls? Or what if you end up having octuplets? You know, you can't necessarily plan these things...unless of course you aren't going to have a child naturally," Mikey asks her, with a raised eyebrow.

"Again, why are we talking about making babies?" Seamus asks. "And she's dumb, Mikey, of course she hasn't considered these obvious facts."

"But what about you, Rori, what do you want?" she asks, ignoring my brother, suddenly turning the attention back to myself.

"I—" i gape at her. "I don't know what i want."

Seamus shifts his gaze back to Annalise, giving her a look as if to say 'See?'.

"You're overwhelming her," Seamus seethes. "See that face?" he gestures to me. "The one that looks like a bewildered puppy? That's her overwhelmed face...She makes it a lot, incase you hadn't noticed. And most of the