| "Secrets Revealed" Chapter 2 Written by: Erin Surprised and confused that Phoebus never returned to the dinner table, Esmeralda excused herself and went in search for him. The house wasn't all that big, so it didn't take long before the gypsy girl found her fiance sitting by himself in his old bedroom, apparently deep in thought. He looked so upset and disappointed at the same time that Esmeralda could only wonder what had happened between him and his mother moments ago. "What happeend?" she asked without knocking on the door, as it was wide open. Glad that he didn't appear shocked to see her and happy when he grinned slightly at her, Phoebus moved over on his bed to make room for her. As she sat down, Esmeralda looked deep into his face, questions in her beautiful green eyes. "I don't even know where to begin, Esme." He shook his head, gazing up at the ceiling. "Gosh, where do I start?" "Just tell me then," she answered simply with a shrug of her shoulders, winking at him. "It's not that easy, Esmeralda, although I wish it was." With a sigh, he turned her way, complete trust in his eyes towards her. "I'm about to tell you something, and it's going to come as a complete shock to you. I'm still trying to get over it myself; I just can't face my mother again until after I tell you and until I make sense of all this..." Noticing that her silence meant for him to continue, Phoebus drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. "First of all, my mother has nothing against gypsies, thank God. That wasn't why she left like she did. The reason was...she told me that she had a secret she had kept from me my entire life." "Phoebus, please, just get to the point," Esmeralda started to grow impatient, wanting just to know why her beloved was acting the way he was. "You know how Quasi found out just before Frollo's death that his mother died trying to save him?" Esmeralda nodded. "Um...my mother knew Quasi's mother." As his future wife raised an eyebrow, Phoebus concluded, "She was her sister." Slowly putting two and two together, Esmeralda raised a hand to her mouth and finally whispered, "Quasi's...Quasi's your COUSIN?" As Phoebus nodded her head, Esmeralda became utterly speachless, which was a new thing for her. Her best friend was her fiance's cousin? Maggie was Quasi's aunt, and she had never told him until now? "What are you thinking, Esme?" Phoebus' voice was suddenly filled with more emotion then he had ever thought possible. "I need to know what you're thinking." Blinking back tears from her eyes as this sunk into her head, the gypsy whispered shakily, "You have got to tell him, Phoebus. You have got to tell Quasi the truth, that's all I can say." His eyes widening in shock, Phoebus cried out, "But HOW? What am I supposed to say? 'Oh Quasi, I forgot to tell you. I'm your cousin, and my mother is your aunt.' What's he going to think when he finds out a member of his family is someone he sees every day?" "You can't keep it from him," Esmeralda firmly stated, a roughness appearing in her voice that he remembered back when they first met. "Either you tell him, or I will. Quasi has always been honest with us, and it's our turn to be honest with him. After all he's done for us, this is the least we can do to reunite him with a few members of his family..." "My mother doesn't want to see him, Esme!" Phoebus stated. "Did she tell you that in those exact words?" she shot back, her eyes narrowing. "Or are you just assuming?" "It's totally obvious after the way she talked about him back there," he replied, growing agitated. He knew his mother better then Sasha, and he could read her like a book. Sighing, Esmeralda shook her head and looked down at her hands. "Look, Phoebus. He doesn't have to meet her yet, but he already knows you. For God's sake, you're one of his closest friends! You know how much he has been longing for a family, and when he finds out that you're one of them..." Tears started to spring to her eyes just then. "That would just make his day, Phoebus, I just know it." Feeling uncomfortable with the silence that was coming from her fiance, she continued. "You know how much I love you, and how much I love Quasi like anyone would love their best friend. But if you don't tell him this, I can't marry you." Go to Chapter 3 Back to Fanfic Back to Index |