The Twins' Code

Part 4

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How'd he know those names?

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The quiet hum of machines and distant murmurs of voices filled the room. Gabriela's eyes fluttered open, the bright light near blinding. The pain immense from all over, the smell of antiseptic filling her nose.

"Ho-hos...pital?" she murmured. The realization hit like heavy blow. Panic arose as she sat up, her instincts going haywire.

"Gio?" she strained, her voice trembling.

Across from her, Giovanni stirred for but moment before his eyes snapped open. Confusion and panic mulled his brain as he looked around. "Gabby!" he choked out, his voice raspy and strained.

He yanked out his IV, quickly swung over to her bed. Alarms going off, still the two stayed together. His shaky hands checking for injuries, hers doing the same.

"Why'd you pull it out so roughly?!" her voice laced with worry as she tried to stop the bleeding, "Look at your arm—"

He pulled her in tightly for a hug, "I thought I lost you Gabriela...". His embrace tightening as he spoke. "...together forever fratello" she sighed while hugging back.

The hug, short live as they heard footsteps approaching. They looked at eachother and nodded, him hiding behind her while she prepared whatever was to come.

The door softly creaked open, three figures entered the room. The two scowled at them.

The smaller of the three, one on the left was first to speak. "Gabriela... Giovanni..." his voice cracked, a mix of relief and guilt twisting his features.

Gabriela's eyes glared, "How do you know those names." Her voice filled with venom.

The three glanced at eachother before the one in the center stepped forward, "You two don't remember us?" His voice low and comforting.

"It's been too long Leo, I don't expect much." the one to the left replied. A solemn expression engulfed their faces.

The two glared at the intruders, their bodies rigid even as their wounds ached—a cruel reminder of what had happened before. Gabriela tapped Giovanni's arm twice, a code. Their code to escape. 

"Non me ne vado senza di te, Gabriela..." he hissed, his voice low and sharp. She groaned mentally, as always he was hard headed. 

It was the tall and silent male to react first. His eyes narrowing as he caught the whisper, he rushed forward, his tone urgent. "Leaving?  Where? Why?"

The twins froze, a quick change from suprise to even more suspicion overtook them. For an instance, the air in the room seemed to freeze over. Gabriela's hand instinctively moved to shield Gio, but the sudden rush of words caught them both off guard.

"No one's going anywhere Elijah, calm down." the shorter male reassured, his voice softer but still tense, trying to ease the situation while his eyes remained on the twins.

Elijah's gaze softened, his posture a bit faltered while he stepped back. His eyes still glued to them he continued. "But they said..." He murmured while looking at the man who stood in the middle. 

"They won't go anywhere Elijah." the man opened, his voice stern yet soft. "We aren't losing them again."

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Gabriela pov.

What in God's name is this nonsense? Why do they remind me of them?

I tightened my grip on Giovanni. We needed to leave. Now.

But... leave to where? The company wouldn't welcome us back. No, they'd see us as liabilities, as failures. The same way they saw everyone who didn't toe the line. We were already dead in their eyes..

Damn it...

My mind drifted, sinking into darker thoughts, until a sharp voice snapped me back to reality.

"Gabriela!" The one they called Leo clapped his hands together.

I scowled. "What." My head pounded, the sterile, burning hospital smell only making it worse.

Of course, Gio tugged at me, a silent reminder of the rules drilled into us. Don't react when caught. Don't speak when they know your name.

Too late for that.

"Why are you both at the comp—" he paused, his words faltering as his gaze swept over us. A disgruntled expression twisted his features. "What... happened to you two?"

I almost scoffed at the question. What hadn't happened? The real question was why any of this was their business.

The silence between us grew heavier, the weight of unspoken words thick in the air. They were waiting for an answer, but I had nothing to give. No amount of pleading or sob story was going to change anything now.

"Leo, they won't talk. I wouldn't either, after what we did..." The shorter one's voice trailed off. His gaze lingering on us, laced with regret. "Non sono più i nostri piccoli Gabby e Gio," he murmured, sorrow dripping from his words.

Wait... 'Gabby e Gio.' Leo, Elijah, and him. That was too many coincidences. Too many familiarities.

Gio's sharp, almost inaudible gasp confirmed it. I wasn't the only one connecting the dots.

"How... do you know us?" I hesitated, the weight of their intense gazes making my skin crawl. "You... keep calling us, but how do you know us?"

Gio was silent, his grip tightening around my arm as he stood just slightly behind me, his eyes wide with confusion. I could feel the tremor in his stance, his body tense, just as unsure as I was.

They exchanged hesitant glances, their eyes betraying something I couldn't quite place, before they turned back to us.

"We would be fools not to recognize you, little ones," Elijah answered, a soft, regretful smile tugging at his lips, his voice a gentle, familiar whisper.

"Mhm, what kind of brothers would we be, huh?" the shorter one added with a lopsided grin. "Everyone missed you both. Andre and Eli especially," he chuckled, his voice carrying a bittersweet warmth.

These names... No, they couldn't be. They couldn't be them.

I could feel the shaky weight of uncertainty pressing against my chest, making it harder to breathe. My mind raced. We weren't ready for this. I wasn't ready for this. We had given up on them, convinced ourselves that we had moved on, only to have them return now.

Gio's breath caught in his throat, his hand gripping mine tighter, and I could feel the tremor in his body. He was shaking, but he didn't speak, only staring at them with wide eyes, the same disbelief that mirrored mine.

I shook my head, my own voice faltering as I turned to face them. "You're not them... you can't be," I whispered, my gaze unsteady as I looked from one face to the other, my heart pounding in my chest.

They exchanged weary glances before turning back to us.

"It's been too long, Gabriela, Giovanni," Leo said, his smile laced with a mixture of warmth and something darker, like the remnants of memories long buried. "The little treasures of the Bianchi family."

The words hit harder than I expected. Bianchi family. Hearing that name again felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, dredging up a flood of emotions I wasn't ready to confront. 

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