Family Comes Last.

Chapter 40: The regret.

Regret is a strong emotion, the strongest of emotions there is.

It can make you want to die, to change, to become a better version of yourself. It's something that can change for the good usually or in some cases the worse.

The family stood in front of the graves of two of their family. It was clear Vittorio had already been here.

"Hey, Aunt Fina" Aria put her hand on the grave, tilting her head, her cheek resting against Leo's head, her arm around his shoulder as he finally put the flowers down.

Serafina hated freshly plucked flowers, plucked ones at all, she thought that they should...they should be allowed to grow and bloom, of course, no one knew that...no one but two people on this whole earth.

"Why do you call him' aun'" A voice asked, a small voice belonging to a little girl with wavy brown hair, light coffee kissed skin, freckles and Heterochromic electric blue and chocolate brown eyes looked up curiously.

"Because Luca" Leo bent down picking the young girl up "That's who she was to us"

"Luca Derose" A voice carried away, and Luca hid her face in her eldest cousin's shoulder. "How many times do we have to tell you not to run"

"Hey Alessandro" Arie chuckled, her hand ruffling the dark hair on his head, he clicked his tongue in irritation, eyes on Luca.

"Come here" He pulled her to him "How many times?"

"Come on Sandro, loosen up, she's alright"

"But Rie, she busted her head open just a few months back because someone just can't stop her little feet" He placed a light smack, which the kid could barely even feel on her legs before putting her down. "I got so scared"

"M'sorry"

"It's okay, kid" Alessandro sighed, patting her head before kissing Arie's cheek, allowing both her and Leo to place a kiss on his forehead.

"Where's Aunt Kath?" Leo asked looking back, not able to see his aunt or uncle. Alessandro pressed his fingers on his lip, and then on top of Serafina's gravestone as he answered.

"She said she'd wait for Aunt Ves, Aunt Bella and Lila"

"Ah, how was this term looser?"

"I shagged some pretty hot blondes"

"No love? Awwie"

Alessandro scoffed at the mocking tone, swatting away the set of hands coming at his face probably to pull at his cheeks, when he finally saw his parents walk up with Vesper, Bella and Lila.

"Lee!" Lila immediately hugged the second oldest Spalitte...in this generation.

The teen chuckled hugging her back.

"Hey, Li!"

She looked up to him, always had, and to be fair they did meet quite rarely.

"Papa!" Luca ran towards Damian who chuckled at the glare his wife gave their kid.

"You don't need to run, Luca!" Katherine shook her head slightly as she scolded her daughter "Walking is just fine, especially around here"

"But it's fun" Luca pouted, and soft laughter erupted when Katherine rolled her eyes when a voice interrupted.

"Sup Bitches" Phoenix waved and Raven shook her head, smacking the back of her head with her left hand, the other carrying a baby.

"Don't swear around him! I don't want his first word to be bitch"

"What about sweet fuck?"

"Phoenix!"

"Jesus! Sorry!"

Logan looked around the people surrounding Serafina's grave. Katherine, Damian, Alessandro, Luca. Vesper, Bella, Lila. Raven, William and their son. Phoenix and her...tequila.

"She would've liked this" Logan whispered to Eve who nodded looking around just as Andrea became visible with her kids.

"Loved"

And she would've.

~o~O~o~

"Another round please" Cole threw a few notes on the counter just as Aria entered and let out a sigh taking the money from the counter before the bar-attender could.

"He's fine. Thanks"

"I'm an adu"-

"Cole, you just got rid of cancer"

"I know...it's just this day, and her and that fucking father of hers"

"I know," Aria said rubbing his back as she sat down next to him "I know"

"I mean..you kill on a daily basis, and torture yet you send your own daughter rapist to jail" He shook his head "To fucking jail, and it's not even forever. He'll be out"

"Calm down. Not here, okay?"

Cole just shook his head.

"And her words...god, she writes...so beautifully" Cole's pained eyes met Aria's as he recited one of the numerous things scribbled into that leather-bound notebook. "Just like the sun and moon. I will shine your light back to you. I don't know who you are and I have no idea where you stay but I will still love you all the same"

((A/N:) PS: I just wrote that in a minute, who's proud?... Nvm, it's me re-reading this during the day and just...I'm not, please brain..wtf)

" 'You exist. That's it. That's the reason I write.' " He pulled at his hair, elbows resting on the table, eyes angry, filled with tears. Pained. Filled with tears. "She had so much love to give and yet...she chose to hate the one person she'd known longest and best, she hated herself...so much and I can't...' I wish I could live, actually live and not just try to survive and go to bed praying that I make it out alive until I can finally be in your arms.' Which 13 year old writes that? And 'You know someone is having a rough day when their favourite songs plays on and they don't hum or sing along, they say, but I haven't sung mine in forever, I don't think I even have one anymore. What do you call that?' I don't..." He sniffled "Which 13 year old writes...this, huh?"

(A/N: I do, Cole, I do)

Aria shook her head.

"She'd want for you to be happy"

"She's gone!" He almost yelled "SHE'S FUCKING GONE"

No one heard him over the music, and at last his tears flew freely as he cried silently, quietly, grabbing at his stomach and holding his breath. He cried.

A few tears slipped down Aria's face too, she quickly wiped them.

And so they sat, two of them mourning, in a club, where everyone was partying, drunk, dazed, happy. They sat in the corner, silent and still.

God knows how many Serafina's were out there, trying to forget their lives too.

He thought looking at the dance floor through his messy dark hair as his mind shot back in a rather bitter way.

Not your Serafina though, she'll never be here, dancing ever again.

Very bitter way.

But he couldn't...he couldn't argue with that voice either because it ultimately was the truth, She was dead. She left him here alone.

They would never dance again, never look into each other's eyes, or giggle with each other, they wouldn't talk about deep stuff or crack dirty jokes.

Because at the end of the day, she was gone. Just like Aria had said that day, Serafina never stayed, by choice or by force.

In the end, Serafina was gone.