What!?

15

The scene continues, Iliana wonders if she will have to relieve the entire birthday week. She hopes not. She really hopes not.

"Good morning, Ili, did you sleep well?" Blake greets her as she shuffles tiredly into the kitchen for food.

"Right. Yeah, I did for the three hours I had after packing and calming down. You have my passport right? I couldn't find it."

"Yes, I have it with me along with all the information on where we'll be going. I'll let you look over the possibilities after we get on the plane." Thank goodness they have a private jet, the idea of having to fly commercial this early in the morning just doesn't sound at all good.

"Okay," Ili settles down with her light breakfast. She will need to eat something or the medicine she took will make her even more ill.

"Is it a long flight?" Ili asks, she is more than a little aware that all ten of the brothers are in the kitchen and other than Blake none of them have spoken to her.

"Less than eight hours. Have you already taken your medicine?" They found out long ago that Iliana gets flight sick and nothing has changed over the years. She's never had a problem other wise with traveling, just flying.

"Yeah, I'll likely sleep most of the way." Iliana hides her disappointment as the brothers one by one leave the room without speaking to her. She looks at Blake meaningfully.

"I'm sure that they are just half asleep right now."

"Sure, if you say so. I'm ready to go whenever you all are. My bags have already been taken out to the car." Transport van actually, since all ten brothers and Iliana are going, it's like a mini bus with extra space.

The two leave, it was a long drive to the airport and Ili drowsed off and on.

Blake was in the front next to the driver and the words were spoken soft enough that she doubts he would hear his brothers words. "I can't believe he's doing this for Iliana but didn't do it for us."

Piedro's words hurt, but she didn't show that she heard them as she continued to pretend to be asleep.

"He was dealing with the company and getting it stable after we lost our parents. He couldn't take the time off to do this for us. Besides he sent us on a vacation of our choice once he could and allowed us to take friends and didn't make us take any one we didn't want." Meaning her. They didn't ask her to go with them and that had hurt. That was when they stopped spending so much time with her. Their friends in high school really changed them. Or maybe, it was their true colors that came out? 

"I can't believe that because of her our friends can't come over any more." The bitterness in Gregor's words stung.

"Knock it off, your friends threatened Ili in her own home, that's not her fault that was theirs. And for your information, Ili has more right to be in that house than we do or didn't you pay any attention to your copy of our parents will that was given to you?" It was Flynn's defense that shocked her the most.

"What do you mean?" Dimitri demands softly, none of them want to bring Blake's wrath down on them now.

"Mom and dad left the house and all it contains other than personal items to Ili and Blake evenly. If she demanded it she could have us all thrown out of our home."

Flynn's words shocked the others into silence. They were true, but if they thought Ili would ever do that they really didn't know her all that well.

After the way they've been treating her, she doesn't think that they know her all that well.

"Do you think that she knows this?"

This time it's Isaac that responds, he's more than a little pissed, but she was never sure if it was at her receiving the house from his parents, her being there or the triplets being douches. "Of course she knows. Blake went over the entire will with her and made sure that she understood it all. Just like he offered to do with each of you, but you all turned it down.

"Ili was just as shocked at our parents doing that as you three are now. She told Blake that it was wrong and that the house should be his or at least her part should go to the rest of us."

There was silence as the others digest his words. "What did Blake say?"

"That the will is ironclad and there is no changing it. Our parents wrote it that way for a reason and the only way it would change is if she bought out his half or he bought out her half at fair market value or better. She can't do anything about it until she turns eighteen so there's no reason to worry about it right now." Isaac tells them and they shut up. The rest of the trip was done in silence.

Once they reach the island they all head into their new rooms for the week. The boys don't do more than drop their luggage off before going to the deck. Blake doesn't even get that far before he sees a text on his phone and he starts swearing. 

"I'm sorry, Ili I have to make a call. I promise I'll make it up to you." Ili smiles bitterly. Once Blake heads back into his room to make his call the others all talk to each other about what they want to do before they each take off doing whatever with their twin or triplet. Just like Ili had predicted.

Ili takes the time to put away her clothes before heading out to the deck. Alone, just like she thought she'd be. What's the use of going on vacation if she's still treated the same way?

Ili soon loses all track of time but notices the change in the sun when she realizes that Blake has called her. 

"Where is everyone?" Blake asks confused as to why she is here by herself.

Ili shrugs, "Don't know. They all made plans with out talking to me and then as soon as you got on your phone they took off. There is no reason for me to ruin their vacation. Just send me home tomorrow and you and the others can take your well deserved break."

"Ili this is your birthday vacation. If you don't wish to remain here with the others than we can return home, but not tomorrow. The reason I was on the phone wasn't with work, I had planned a surprise for you. But the company that I was going through had a problem and had to cancel. I was trying to find a replacement for them. I'm sorry it took so long, but this company is even better than the original so hopefully it will work out."

Ili isn't convinced and asks more than a little suspiciously, "What is your surprise?" Blake knows that she's never been big on surprises, most of the ones she's had in her life haven't been good ones. 

Blake smiles brilliantly, this is something he knows she's wanted to do for some time, "I arranged to go diving with the sharks and after a meal provided by the company, if you wish we can go diving. There is a world war two wreck not to far from here that is a medium dive or we can go to the coral reef." Blake doesn't even have time to brace himself as Ili launches herself at him. She hugs him as tight as she can.

"I forgive you, but I still win the bet. Not one of the others even said hi or goodbye to me, forget about happy birthday." Ili pauses for a moment before she asks curious, "Why did the first company have to bail on you?"

Blake shakes his head before answering, "Their boat had mechanical problems and isn't usable at this time." He gives a small laugh, "At least that's what they told me, but I heard in the back ground some one say, "if you call a fire on the boat a mechanical problem. At least every one was safe and okay, so no problems that way." He sighs, "I'm sorry about my brothers leaving you."

Ili shrugs, "I figured."

"And I was on the phone leaving you by yourself. I'll have the money transferred to your bank account shortly. But first, what would you like to do now? There's still a few hours until sunset, we could go all touristy and walk about the place, go swim in the ocean what ever you want."

"How about, we get something to eat? My stomach has settled down now and I'm starving." Iliana had lost what little breakfast she had eaten after her medicine had worn off.

"Sounds good, I'm up for that. Plane food, not even the quality we have is all that great. Just let me change and we'll go. Any where you prefer?"

"I was thinking someplace on the beach so we could watch the sun go down?"

Blake nods and changes. 

The day was looking up for Iliana and she was smiling. At least as long as she didn't think about the others. But if Blake comes back with her the others will have their vacation not be ruined by her. She can't wait for the next few days. Just thinking about diving with the sharks makes her want to jump up and down and squeal in excitement.