Family First | *Rewrites in Progress*

The Duet

Anastasia's POV

So far, the carols had been amazing, and every person in my family had their phones out as Astrid sung around the stage with her classmates, even throwing us a wink during Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, which made the people around us laugh.

Quinn and I were finally called backstage during the small interval, and Aurora hugged me tightly, her curly hair looking like a lion's mane. "Good luck Ana," she said quietly, and I hugged her back, the red material of her dress smooth under my bare arms.

Quinn laced his fingers with mine and we worked our way through the crowd to the small area away from the audience, where Riccardo, Astrid and Astrid's friends were waiting. Riccardo had two costume bags hanging on the rack beside him, and he handed them to us, before kissing my cheek.

"I can't wait to see you perform Ana!" he cheered, pushing me to the direction of the change rooms. I shook my head and dragged Quinn with me, pulling him close to my body as an army of angels ran past us, half of their halos dangling down their backs.

"You saved me, love," he whispered huskily into my ear, nipping at it gently, and I instantly blushed, hitting him lightly on the arm.

"Quinn Walker! No sexy time at a CHILDREN'S concert," I scolded quietly, and he backed away with his arms up in surrender, ducking into a dressing room. I went into the room next to him, carefully hanging the dress up on the provided rack. Carlotta had designed it for me, as she was training to become a fashion designer under Quinn's mother's company, which she had set up only a few years before she had died.

The company had gone through quite a low after her death, but now with the help of Carlotta and Evelyn, who was also training to become a designer, it was rebuilding itself, under the name 'Rosa', as homage to the help my father's mafia gave the both of them.

The dress was white with red accents, a lace design across the top and sleeves just hiding the v shaped cut of the dress. It was light and airy, flowing just above my knees almost as if it were living. Evelyn had helped to embroider my initials into the back, wanting to feel useful after months of rehab.

I wore simple red heels and tied a red bow to my low ponytail, it's tail just reaching the nape of my neck. I knew Quinn was wearing a similar red shirt with black shorts, as the temperature tonight was set to stay at 35 degrees until late. 

With one last smooth down of my dress and the sound of 'Silent Night' coming from the stage, I stepped out just to be face to face with the love of my life. His jaw was open and I giggled, closing it with the tip of my finger. "Darling you'll catch flies," I said in a British accent, causing him to chuckle.

"Do that tonight baby," he said and I nodded as he pulled me to his side with my waist. Kids around us squealed as he leaned in to kiss my lips, and I covered our lips with my hand just to make them even more excited.

"EW! THAT'S DISGUSTING ANA!" Astrid yelled out from where she was standing, and I flipped her the finger, making sure it was out of sight of the other students. She ran up to Quinn and I and hugged us both, as I smoothed down the flyaway hairs from her buns.

"You've been amazing so far kiddo," said Quinn, as he kissed her head. She grinned at him and they did their handshake. The two had become quite close when Astrid spent nights at our place, and he picked her up sometimes from school to take her to their weekly surf lessons.

"We all get to sit with our families for your performance, so I'll be right next to mamma and papà, okay?" the girl asked, and we both nodded, hugging her one last time before she ran off for her final carol.

Quinn and I had both decided to do 'Underneath the Tree', by Kelly Clarkson, and we had spent many nights with the doors wide open practicing, much to the delight of our neighbours, who had started playing their own tunes when the sun set.

What felt like hours was really only a few minutes as I waited nervously next to Quinn, the time on my phone seeming to take forever to change. My knees bounced nervously and Quinn kept his hand in mine, rubbing his thumb over it to try and calm my nerves. 

"You'll be amazing love. You always are," he reassured me, and I smiled graciously at him, leaning my head on his shoulder. He leant his head on mine and we stayed like that until finally, Riccardo came up to us, smiling at the sight of us.

"You're up next lovebirds," he said, his clipboard full of notes in his favourite red pen. I nodded and Quinn helped me to my feet, leading me to the stage, where e quietly waited in the wings for the kids on the stage to remove their props.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too, darling," he whispered back.

The last child left the stage and Riccardo entered, his bedazzled microphone glistening in the lights. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, two alumni of our school, although one of them really turned up for one day." The crowd laughed at this in unison and Quinn's face flushed.

"Anastasia and Quinn have spent weeks preparing this song, according to multiple students who live near them. Please help me welcome Anastasia Heart and Quinn Walker as they present 'Underneath the Tree'!"

The crowd cheered as we walked on, and tears sprung to my eyes as I saw Florent and his family, and Vladimir with his family. I shyly waved to them and both the men and their wives blew kisses.

Quinn took a seat by the piano, and I sat on the edge, nodding at him. The crowd quietened and he begun to play the first few notes, as I raised the microphone to my mouth. 

"You're here where you should be.
Snow is falling as the carolers sing.
It just wasn't the same.
Alone on Christmas day.
Presents, what a beautiful sight.
Don't mean a thing if you ain't holding me tight.
You're all that I need.
Underneath the tree."

I continued to sing as the crowd stood up and danced, as we continued the song. Natasha and Alexei were swinging to the music as Vladimir held Sergei in his arms, similar to Florent who held hands with Colette as Lunette giggled in his arms.

I finished the last note and the crowd broke into a thunderous applause as I jumped off of the piano to take a bow. I had just stepped back to let Quinn take a bow when the crowd went silent and Quinn was in front of me, down on one knee.

In his hand, lay a box with a gorgeous diamond ring inside, the smile on his face causing me to put my hands over my mouth. I looked into his eyes for confirmation that this was real and he nodded.

"Anastasia Rose Heart, when we first met, I had no dreams for the future, no reason to live. But when you looked at me, and offered to help me up, I instantly fell for those big blue eyes, and how even when everyone shunned me, you looked at me like I was normal."

"Over the past year, you have taught me how to smile again, how to be happy again, and most of all, how to love again. You brought my sister back to me, and helped my family become whole again. The love I feel for you in my heart is so intense that not even the biggest diamond in the world could show you just how much I love you. So, Anastasia Rosa Cuore, will you marry me?"

I could see Astrid from the front nodding quickly, and the rest of my family looking at me lovingly, before I turned my head back to Quinn.

"Yes, you crumpet. Of course I'll marry you," I answered, the the crowd cheered as Quinn gently put the ring on my finger, bringing me into an intense and passionate kiss and swinging me around in his arms.

"I love you so much fiancée," Quinn whispered, as our family took pictures of him and I still standing on the stage. He leaned in to kiss me, and this time it was slower, gentler, and more loving, if it could ever be more loving than any of our other kisses.

"I love you too fiancé," I whispered back between a kiss, just as the Christmas fireworks were set off.

It truly was a magical Christmas Eve.