Chapter 2

"Sorella," Gio said louder "Please tell me about mum and dad".

Alita sat up, although she had expected him to ask a long time ago but still yet, she doesn't have the right answer to tell him.

Not that she doesn't have the right answer, but that, she doesn't have the right one to tell him.

She glance at his innocent face that was changing due to maturity and nature, the cold weather also added, making his face darker pink.

She caresses his forehead "promise you will be strong" She blinked vigorously "Is that a deal?".

"Pinky promise" Gio chuckled.

Alita allow silence took over for a while, mentally preparing the way she would tell the little boy that won't hurt him or traumatize him.

"It was Christmas eve" she started "Twelve years ago".

She allow Gio to rest on her as he got up to listen to the story, the eagerness in his eyes was urging her to tell him the whole story but her caution never allows

" I was fixing the Christmas tree when mum and dad came back home, with you as a day old baby" the image began to form in her eyes and she began to shed tears "I was about putting the last object, of stuffed animals, two doves".

The dove tattoo at the back of the killer's hands flashed as she explained more about the dove, buying time to think about all possible means of communication to make Gio less hurt.

" It was like a dream" she looked up as if the story was been displayed "Dad said she need to check up on a strange noise coming from the backyard, it took him about 30 minutes but we still never heard anything from him".

Alita glimpsed as his expression changed, the boy look so scared. She began to wonder if she had told him what actually happened, or explain that they were shot in the head and the only thing she could remember is the cute blue eyes of the young killer.

"Mom went out to check and still didn't return" she paused for a few winks, thinking of other possible lies to merge.

"Please don't tell me they froze to death!" Gio sniffed and hugged her.

"No".

"What do you mean by 'no'?". The lad asked quite confused.

"A running car had hit Dad, I thought as much because they were no holes in his body. He just lay still, almost frozen in his own pool of blood" She choked and began to cry.

Her heartaches, it hurts more to lie to the little boy but she felt it would be better until he comes of age. She hugged him tightly, not willing to let go any moment near.

"Mum died of a heart attack that killed her within seconds. As they had no families, we were dead poor, no one came for us until Mama Samantha found us".

Gio cried, he cried as he had never cried in his life, he didn't even cry like that when he wore ripped pants to school and his crush call him a mongrel. Nor when Alita didn't come back from work and he thought she was dead or she had decided to leave him too. It was till the next morning that he found her beaten and robbed.

Gio felt like everything was linked to him or he seems to be a psychic.

"Is it my fault?" He sobbed.

Alita flinched, he pulled away to look at his swollen red face, his hazel eyes appear thin, his nose running and his cheeks heated. He looked like a child abandoned by his foster parents.

"You promised you would be strong, brother" she kissed his forehead "Remember you made a pinky promise".

Gio forced himself to smile, he sniffed "I haven't broken it yet" he sound defensive.

Alita smiled, even when her heartfelt like she had committed the worst crime, she would not break the poor boy's heart, but she could make him smile immediately.

"You failed" She stood up "So you will have to do whatever I ask".

" Not fair!" He yelled.

"That's the game, and mind you, I didn't invent the rules, you did it yourself".

She stood up, pulled the sad boy, and took the remaining cake that was still wrapped. Gio carried their skating shoes and the basket they brought.

"Who will have this year's cake?"

"How about father Lorenzo?" Alita suggested, she took his free hand as they walk out of the snow to the street.

"But he has been the only one having the cake" Gio seems confused "I thought you said we rotate it".

" Yeah, I said that" Alita smiled "That's the fun"

What's the fun of saying something and doing the opposite?

When Alita would feel like she feel bored, she would suggest something and break the promise. But she never does pinky promise, unless she needs it badly and would not break it.

They spoke heartedly, talking about so many things they would have done if their parents were alive. Gio even said he would ask his father what it feels like to have a rich crush that doesn't notice you.

He started having a huge crush on her since he was 9 years old, it happened like regular Korean movies. It was raining and Babra was stranded at the corner, waiting for her parents to come to pick her since she never use the school bus.

'The bus is meant for poor people ' they would always say 'Except you are poor, you are not free to use it, Bab!'.

Poor kid, she was left alone until her Knight in shining amour came to her rescue, he gave her his small umbrella and walked her home. He felt angry at first only for him to find out he was in the household of a very rich family that kicked him out of the house

In return for his kindness, Bab kissed him.

A small kiss on the lips but he never forgets it. And till now, he would wait for the right time to as her out, to be his girlfriend.

"You are joking" Alita giggled "You want to ask Bab to be your girlfriend?".

"Yes! Sorella" Gio answer matter-of-factly "I like her a lot and I want to make her my wife if possible".

The beam in Gio's eyes seems promising, for only his creator knows how much he likes this girl.

" That's not how it works, Fratellino" Alita decided to be a spoiler for once tonight "Bab's family would never accept you until you are rich"

She decided to tell her little brother how it's like to have dreams. They even added been rich in their 'bucket list'.

But for Alita, her bucket list contains different things, it was different from what Gio was saying and what she suggested.

BUCKET LIST -ALITA

> Take care of Gio

> Make sure they feed

> Pay bills

> Greet mama Samantha every day

> Look for the with the baby blue eyes and dove tattoo

> Kill the kid and his father

> Take Gio away from Italy

> Be a fashion designer

Even when every part of her steel heart tells her that she is supposed to think about something fun, the cell of revenge wants to get its way.

The walk to the church was a long one, they were chatting that lively when they arrived. Gio was already feeling sleepy and Alita was thinking of what she would get for Gio in celebration of Christmas.

Who cares about her birthday when everyone else seems to want Christmas.

Lighting the candles and saying prayers seem to be the most important thing for the day. Alita spent an hour, just staring at the dancing fire and trying to remember the face of the kid with the blue eyes and the dove tattoo.

So better still, she felt it's better to forget about the killer and focus on the future. She should be worried about what her bosses would say to her tomorrow because she skipped work.

Naturally, she long to have such rest, where she would eat, play and sleep. Not where she was likely to attend to 105 customers a day in the local restaurant, and dance for almost three hours none stop at the club.

Alita never for one day loved the nature of her jobs, she long to be a fashion designer where she would make all sorts of 'crazy ' looking clothes as Gio would call it.

Since Gio was 7, he never likes the clothes Alita wears to the club, She first started as a bar girl before a dancer. He would beg her to wear a coat to cover her body and would complain about how she shows too much skin at work and would tell at anyone staring at her.

"I am the man here" he would always say "I am born to protect you".

Gio was almost dead asleep when they arrived at the house, Alita even had to drag him at some point.

" Good night, Sorella" he whispered as his sister put of the side lamp "Thank you so much for today, but if I may ask, how did you get all the money".

Alita chuckled, she knew Gio would ask because she had never done so many things like that in her life, for the first today, she long to tell Gio the truth so she could at least get a kiss on her cheek.

" I have been saving for so long" she walked back to kiss his forehead "I really want you to be happy".

Just as she had hoped, Gio kissed her cheeks before finally calling it a day.

" I promise, I will take good care of you".