Reunited Ch 02

Marco slept, dreaming of the life he will lead now that he had found his Ana. A home, his little girl, and his beloved Ana pregnant with their next child. Finally things were going to be right with them. Marco turned in bed, half-asleep, to hold her in his arms but he couldn't feel her. He opened his eyes to find that Ana was no longer there.

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Ana sat back on her chair and tried to calm her nerves. She was tired, no doubt to the fact that she woke in the middle of the night to the same nightmare she had a long time ago. Back that one night when she thought she could actually have it all, the night before she found out she was pregnant.

She knew she could not ignore it; while her sister's happened to be the ability to manipulate people's thoughts to do her bidding, she saw the future. Her mother and Nona had told her to embrace her gift and to hone in her skills, but since she foresaw and then actually saw the death of her beloved Grandmamma she could not bear to do so.

And so she did this morning what she had done once done before. Quietly she slipped out of Marco's embrace, packed her suitcase, and ran. Checked out of the hotel, grabbed a cab to the airport, and hitched on the first plane back to New York. By now he should be waking up; she wondered if he would be furious, sad, or disappointed. He so much wanted to take care of her, but he can't...

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"Where is the lady from bungalow 5? Where is Ana," he asked the clerk at the front desk.

"I'm sorry she checked out early this morning sir," the young lady responded.

"Where did she go? Can you get me her address," Marco continued on. He just had to follow her now that he might possibly have a lead on her.

"That information is confidential sir. I cannot give it to you," the clerk responded a bit irate. She was giving him the same information the other clerk just told him. What was he expecting? A different response?

Marco endured the last day of the seminar and took a plane back to Mississippi. That evening he went back to the smoky bar to find her. As Ana's twin sister Eva had some of the same beauty and mystery that surrounded Ana. But while Ana was conservative and logical, Eva was wild and unrestrained. She was leaning against the bar dressed in a short little top and low riding tight pants. She was making mean work of some poor schlub trying to buy her a drink and get his paws all over her. Then suddenly the man got a glazed look on his face and walked away. Seizing his opportunity Marco walked over and took the recently vacated seat.

"What did you say to that poor man that made him walk away that way," he asked her while signaling the barman for a beer.

Eva turned and regarded the Spanish man speaking to her.

Why did he keep coming back,

she wondered.

He must be a glutton for punishment.

"Hello Marco, care to buy a lady a drink?"

"You're no lady," he said taking a sip of his beer.

"No need to be rude! What do you want," she queried. She knew what he wanted, he kept asking the same damn thing every time. There was no way he was going to get her sister and nieces location. Promises were made to be kept in the family, specially between twin sisters.

"I saw Ana last week," Marco told her nonchalantly. He stared at Eva's reflection on the mirror behind the bar. There was a bit of surprise but overall looked calm. Damn that icy façade.

"Well I guess you found her," she replied downing the last of her scotch and looking around for her next fool, "why are you bothering me for?"

"I lost her and I need to get her back" Marco turned to her to plead for her help, "Eva please, you --" Suddenly Marco found himself outside of the bar ... it happened again. But how? There was only one other person he could ask; just the thought made his blood turn cold and his muscles shiver.

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A full moon lay overhead as Marco drove his Jeep through the swampy trail to Madam Mignon's. The old woman used to work for Ana's family before her mother got married, and then had stayed on as their nanny when Ana and Eva were born. Then something happened with their old man, and he kicked old Mignon out. Now she lived in a little house outside the city limits like a gypsy; reading palms and what not. She was Marco's last hope, surely she could know something . . . Anything.

Hesitantly he walked to the door and was about to knock, when slowly the door began to open on its own. "Marco Sanchez De La Rosa," a voice called from inside. He walked in and found the old woman setting down a tea tray on a small table. "I must be getting old," she said," I was expecting you weeks ago."

"If you were expecting me, then you know why I'm here." It was more of a statement than a question. But even still Marco was unsure if he could trust anything this old woman said.

Mignon took a look at Marco's strong arms and tall frame, Marco was very much the man she foresaw so many years ago. "You are here to ask me about Ana," she said sitting down in a chair next to the table. "If I am right I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't let the mosquitoes in, close the door and sit with me."

Could have been a lucky guess. The old woman knew he and Ana used to be together, or maybe even Eva had called her or something. Even still, he could not let this opportunity slip away. Marco closed the door, crossed the small room and sat in the chair across from her. He had to give her some credit, the tea was set for two; but then again that could be just another coincidence.

"Have some tea with me," she said offering Marco a cup. It smelled sweet, like a mix of the sweetest fruits and flowers. When he began to drink though, it tasted bitterly sour. He noticed the old lady hadn't drank from her cup yet, but instead turned and put something in an incense burner.

"Do you know where Ana is," he asked her while still continuing to drink his tea.

"I may have an idea," she answered, "but the question is why do you want to know?"

"I have my reasons," he answered putting down the empty tea cup.

"Do you love her," Madam Mignon asked refilling it.

"That is none of your business woman," he retorted. Suddenly he felt a little light headed. He drank more of the tea hoping to clear it, but instead his breath began to feel short, his thoughts were all muddled. Marco knew he was there for a reason, but what it was it suddenly escaped him. Then he heard it, "Marco" It was a soft whisper coming from the room behind a doorway. He felt himself be drawn to it and as he pulled back the curtains shielding it he saw her. Ana was laying on a bed covered completely in flower petals. She looked beautiful with her hair splayed across the pillow.

"Come to me," she whispered with her arms stretched out towards him. "I've waited for you for so long."

"Ana." Marco quickly crossed the room and knelt next to her. "I've looked for you everywhere. Why did you leave me?"

"That shouldn't matter," she said beginning to undress him. "The only thing that matters is that you are here now with me. I want you Marco." She kissed him with ready lips. Her hands on his chest felt like Heaven, and he never wanted her more than he did that moment. Quickly she undid his pants and was pushing him down. It all seemed so fast, something just seemed wrong. She went low and began to suck at his thickening length. Her tongue wrapping around him, her hot mouth taking him all in.

He tried to slow her down, "Ana please,

asi no

, not like this." Ana clearly wanted him as much as he wanted her, but if she was finally going to be with him he wanted to make sure she was doing it for the right reasons.

"Please Marco, I need you!" She pleaded, "I need to be filled the only way you can fill me."

This definitely wasn't right. "Ana what is wrong? This isn't like you. Tell me why did you leave me before."

She bowed her head to the floor not meeting his gaze. "I--," she began. Then the curtains were suddenly flew back and there he stood dark with fury. James Watson may be an old man, but when he glanced at anyone with his blue eyes dark with anger it was enough to send chills down the strongest man's back. He took his daughter's wrist and wrenched Ana away from Marco.

"No daughter of mine will play hussy to anyone but her husband," he said tersely walking away.

"No," Marco cried out jumping up and blocking the doorway. He didn't care if he was naked in front of Ana's father, he wasn't about to loose her again without a fight.

"Who are you to tell me what to do with my daughter," Mr. Watson said looking Marco up and down as if to measure him. "You have nothing to offer me nor my daughter."

"I have enough sir," he said standing up straighter and staring back at those cold blue eyes. "And above all I love her. I refuse walking away with her, you will not take her away from me." And with that he took James Watson by the collar and pants and tossed him out.

"Oh my!" Ana whispered collapsing back on the bed. The look of complete shock on her face mad all Marco's strength go away, replaced by worry and protectiveness.

He quickly crossed back and sat by her side. He wrapped his arms around Ana's shoulders and murmured soft comforting words in her ear. Marco lightly took her chin and turned her to face him and kissed her lovingly. But the lips that kissed him back were no longer the soft full lips, but thin and wrinkly.

The floor suddenly seemed to give in beneath him and Marco realized he no longer was sitting on a bed kissing Ana. Instead he was kneeling beside Madam Mignon and it was her lips on his.

"Ugh, what is the meaning of this," he asked with distaste. "Is this how you treat all people who come to you for help?"

"I'm sorry dear boy," she apologized getting up and putting away the tea tray. "Either I made this too strong, or I underestimated your love for Ana. You have very honorable reasons for looking for her. And I will help you only part of the way. But first I think there are a few things you should know."

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On Wednesday he returned back to the same bar, and there she was as usual fleecing another pair of male tourists. It's incredible how he never noticed it before how she just asked for things and people just seemed to give in to her. But knowing what he knew now it made perfect sense to Marco.

She tried to continue to work the guys before her, but Eva found it uncomfortable to have those eagle eyes watching her again. If she walked away from them now she would have to start all over again when she got back. Just as well anyways, they were a bit boring and light on the pocket. She got up and walked over to the bar where Marco was yet again staring at her. She casually leaned over the bartop, grabbed herself a beer, and looked him over with a saucy grin. "If you were staring at me any longer you would have bore a hole through my head! What do you want now?"

Marco took away her beer and replaced it with a glass of Tequila, "I thought we could share a drink."

She looked at the bottle momentarily with fear but then replaced it with false calm. "I try to stay away from that stuff"

"I thought you were always up for a free drink. I think you never had the good stuff," he exclaimed taking it away.

"I've had all the stuff, I just don't think one small drink will be right." She was hesitant, "Why would you want to buy me a drink? I asked you loads of times and you always insulted me."

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to make a peace offering." Marco was determined on coaxing Eva into the Tequila, but he couldn't afford to be too pushy lest she turn on him. "I hear you can drink anyone under the table, but I think you are too chicken to even try."

"I could drink more than you any day, but what do I get if I win."

"$100 bucks says you can't," he baited, "you are too small to beat me."

"Your loss, pour 'em" she exclaimed.

Mignon was right, Tequila was the only thing that affected Eva. After the third shot he could hear thoughts that he knew were not his own. At the sixth he could swear he told himself to have a fight with the bartender, and within a minute the guy behind him started to get into a fight with a bartender.

She really can control people, but her aim is off now!

Ten shots in and she just started talking and not keeping track of the fact he wasn't drinking anymore.

"So Eva, you are still close to your sister," he asked her.

"Ana, oh sure even if she did decide to go Yankee and move up North," she slurred.

"North? North to where?"

"New York, she works for a museum up there," she responded. "But you don't want to go over there, it's too cold. You can stay with me and keep me warm instead, handsome."

"That does seem tempting Eva, specially with the cold winter coming up. But where in New York" he continued.

"In New York silly," she squealed with laughter while taking another shot. "The Big Apple, you know . . . New York."

"Thanks Ev, you can keep the bottle and the hundred dollars," he said and walked out the door.

"Hey where are you going? Come back, you will not leave me here," she yelled after him. But he didn't come back, and somehow she thought she said something that she wasn't supposed to.