Antonio scrambled closer to Allegra and nestled her to his chest.

His eyes clashed with the rest of his brothers, who nodded.

"Alle, listen to me. Look up." Antonio propelled Allegra to look at him with his fingers on her face. "The bullet skimmed your backbone. And the doctors said that- that maybe it is a momentary injury and you might walk again but for that, we have to do surgery."

Allegra wiped her tears and said nothing. Her stillness frightened the boys. Their panicked gazes landed on Leonardo, whom himself looked powerless. "Alle-"

"I'm fine!" Having stated that, she closed her eyes and shut off the real world.

"This is messed up." Matteo swiped his hair off his face and sighed. Marco and Rocco left the room to smoke while Alexander and Alessandro sank onto the couch.

Matteo sat down on the bottom with his back on the bed. Antonio sat nearer to Allegra with his fingers stroking her hand. Leonardo stood by the window, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm.

You only care for the blessings when they are snatched!

Half an hour later, Allegra woke up. Her eyes roamed around the room at the exhausted faces of her brothers, who were snoozing off in their spots.

Allegra knew that losing her legs was karma. Calling a crippled kid lego was not the best thing. But in her defense, that kid called her an orphan so it was reasonable.

Tirelessly, she smiled. That kid perhaps cursed me after that. She thought.

Antonio cracks open his eyes to see Allegra smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." She smiles at him. Antonio was stunned. "You look happy, Alle." He stated. Kissing her forehead, he caressed her hands.

"I'm happy, yes. I just remember calling a crippled kid leggo." Allegra chortles. Antonio smiled, noticing her laugh after a long time. "Alle!" He warned like the older brother.

"He called me an orphan so I called him a leggo." She explains with a grin.

Leonardo, who was listening to the entire chat, shook his head smilingly.

"Who knocked them out?" Allegra pointed at the two pairs of twins. "How long are they asleep?"

"For half an hour only." Antonio responded.

"Wake them up." Allegra grinned evilly.

"No," Antonio responded nonchalantly. Allegra murmured party pooper under her breath before lying down. Her gaze went down to her blanket-covered legs, "I'm so fucking useless, now."

Leonardo's gaze cuts down to her legs and then her face. "You are not, okay?"

She didn't reply but closed her eyes as tears dribbled down her cheeks. Antonio shared a vulnerable glance with Leonardo who rests his eyes with a sigh.

Matteo, the only person who was not present in the room, entered with the doctor hot on his heels. Allegra's eyes snapped open. "Doctor is here. And he'll make sure you're okay." Matteo indirectly threatened the doctor.

Several minutes later, the doctor left the room with Matteo. While Marco, Rocco, Alexander, and Alessandro woke up. "What did the doctor say?"

"Nothing," Antonio replied.

A nurse entered the room and scanned the IV drip. "The doctor asked to do some tests. And then she is free to go."

"What about her injury?"

Matteo joined. "The doctor said that the x-ray reports will be sent to one of the seniors in America. Then we'll do as he proposes."

Leonardo and Antonio left the room with Matteo. It was just the pairs of twins in the room.

The nurse helps Allegra in the wheelchair and takes her for the tests with Alessandro hot on his heels.

Allegra returns to her room an hour later, Alessandro sitting on the stool beside her. "Alle, look at me."

Allegra's chin quivered vigorously. She swept her gaze towards Alessandro. "I love you, okay?"

Allegra stared at him, bewildered. "Stop crying." He wipes her tears that exited their cage. "Do you regret saving Antonio? Ever?"

Allegra zigzagged her head. "No." She replied without any delay. "Then don't call yourself worthless. You sacrificed your life for him, Allegra. You are the hero. Not useless. Never will be. We were terrified when we saw you lying in puddle of blood. But couldn't help feeling proud." Alessandro kissed her knuckles. "But I request you, don't ever do something like this ever again. Never."

"I will do it again and again. I think that's what a family is for." Allegra stated with a smile. Alessandro stared at her, in her eyes that were shining with fresh tears. He kissed her forehead and hugged her close to his heart.

Allegra's wails wrecked through her body. Her tears left wet patches on Alessandro's shirt. "Shh, it's okay. You will be fine."

______________

After clearance of Allegra from the hospital, Antonio was driving the car when Allegra's words made him hit the brakes. "I feel like opening the car's door and jumping out."

The boys stared at her. "What? I said I feel like not want to."

"But..." She paused. "We should always follow our instincts."

"Shut up, Allegra." Leonardo speaks from his place and motions for Antonio to drive.

After reaching their home, they helped Allegra to her room, and she instantly slept as soon as her body touched the mattress.

The return of the rest of the family forced Allegra to paint her face red like a clown. Her mind refuses to accept that she may feel even more debilitated than she already does

Five hours later, she wheeled her wheelchair to the lounge where her brothers gathered around, watching eleven adults play tic-tac-toe. Matteo shot deadly glares at Rocco, who taunted him every time Matteo's predictions about the next move were proved wrong.

Sometimes life gives you shit, and you have to eat that up. Make sure it's yours.

"Guys I think we need to buy a new house." Allegra announced while plucking her pimple off. Brutally.

"Why?" Mutters Antonio, whose eyes never left the show. "What why? This house for some reason is under Aunt Kathy even though it isn't." Allegra assisted herself onto the couch without anyone's aid.

The boys communicated a glance of proudness. "Well, what do you want then?" Leonardo questioned as he put down his study glasses.

"How about we kick them out?" Her eyes and grin brightened even more as she snapped her middle and thumb fingers together.

The disapproving glances got Allegra rolling her eyes. "Fine." She huffed. "Why is the house under her even?" She drawled the last word.

"Because Aunt Kathy was with Aurora's best friend." Antonio answered.

"How come she is bitch to her and to us then?" Alessandro passed her a grin at that. "Because, like every women in this world, she fell for Sergio."

Allegra threw up. Vomited. Vomitata. Vyrvalo. Vomie. Zvracel. And every other language which summarizes her reaction.

The sticky purple liquid that flowed from her mouth was all over the couch and wheelchair. "What the fuck was wrong with women in the 90's."

"Okay so changing the topic, I would like to ask that, whose side are grandparents from?"

Curiousness glows in her eyes. "They are Aurora's uncle and aunt. When Sergio murdered Aurora's parents, they took in Aurora."

After a heavy silence, Allegra nodded. "Now what?"

"Now, we will leave for the states for your surgery." Antonio answered.

"What if the surgery failed?" Allegra voiced her concerns.

"Then we will except the reality and try to live it." Leonardo answered.

Ëxepting the truth and reality makes your life so much easy and beautiful, Il mio cuore." Antonio stated while pecking her palms lightly.

"We are and will always will be by your side at every step of your life." Matteo puts his hand on her shoulder and smiles at her.

Marco, Rocco, Alessandro, and Alexander sequentially

kissed her cheek and forehead and murmured a small always.

___________________

Happy Reading!

That's it for this chapter. The next chapter will be the last one.

<3, thank you so much for keeping up with my late updates <3