Stay. *Geemo*

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jeny had been bad today. Technically, she should be saving money for a place of her own. And, technically, the money she did have was suppose to be for classes. But all technicalities aside, these boots were freaking magical. And she had to get a few tops to go with such a magical pair of boots. Annnnd then she saw this skirt that matched on of the tops PERFECTLY. ANd a pair of jeans that made her butt look AMAZING-er. At any rate, it was a $450 bill that she was certain her brother was going to tear her a new one for.

Bracing herself as she walked through the door, Jeny prepared a very eloquent speech as to why she absolutely HAD to have the things she purchased. But... it seemed no one was home. No lights were on, and it was so very still. She knew Seth was off at his parents, helping his Father with his troubled Mother. But where had Guillermo gone?

Instantly, Rose Mercer's face came to Jeny's mind.

Oddly, it did not fill her with solid, puke inducing, red hot, searing rage. More a mild annoyance.

Interesting.

"Anyone home?" She yelled out, gaining no response in return. Hrm, it would seem she was really alone. Taking her bags to the back bedroom, she figured if she disposed of the evidence and claimed the purchased cloths were hers all along, then she'd be good. What she was not expecting was to find Guillermo on the bed, a tragic but peculiar look on his face. He was not crying, at the moment, but had obviously been. "Geemo?" She asked, round doe eyes filled with concern. Had Rose broken up with him again? Dropping the bags, she rushed over to him, staring as if he'd have the problem written on his forehead. "What is it? What's wrong?"

ooc: BAM! DONE ON PHONE!

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Tear tracks lined his tired face. This was not how he'd wanted to spend his evening.
Holy Hell. She hated him.
The only woman he'd ever truly loved was gone. Because he was forced to push her away.
He broke her heart. And he had shattered his in the process.
God, he was never going to keep up if he couldn't just adapt and deal. Guillermo used to be the Bounce-back King.
Now all he cared about was her. What she was doing, thinking, seeing, feeling. Her eyes, her hair, skin, lips, ears, nose, eyelashes, knees, hands.. everything.
Guillermo rubbed his face with his hands.
She made him crazy.
He loved her more than anything he'd ever loved.
And now she was gone. He wanted nothing more to do with the life he now lived.
He had considered it long ago. Which was why he had the right tools, hidden in this room. Guillermo sat on his bed, staring at the floor in the corner. He hid his secrets there. Guillermo was a man of few secrets. But there were some thoughts he just kept to himself. If he didn't, it would hurt not only himself, but others.
Perhaps that would be the answer tonight. He ought to write Rose a note, saying that he had been lying. That he loved her and had only been forced to say those things, because of the dream he had. He was about to get up and move to the corner to lift up the loose carpet and the old floorboard and retrieve it's contents.
Suddenly, the apartment door slammed.
"Anyone home?"
Jenyfer was back. He could never do this with her here. Not only would she have the horrible luck of coming in at just the right second, he also couldn't let her be the one to find him. He had hurt his little sister enough.
"Geemo?"
Her voice was small and worried, her eyes large. His mind flew back to when they were young children and really got along.
Jeny dropped whatever she was carrying and rushed to his side.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
He reached over and took her hand, pulling her down to hug her. Guillermo's comfort was not going to be a bottle of tequila this time. He had no one to go to, no one to lean back on. Jeny was his family. She was all he had.
"I ended it with Rose."
"Ended" sounded so much more final than "Broke up."

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Now, once upon a time, the Salas-Ortiz children had gotten on fairly well. There were the usual spats, but nothing to dire. But Guillermo was definitely not a hugger. He was more a awkwardly-pat-your-back-until-you-released-him sort. After her Mother and their Father's divorce, it only grew worse. He became a let-the-arms-hang-dead-on-the-side-until-you-released-him sort. The said, she couldn't help the shocked little gasped that escaped her when she was pulled down for a hug. "I ended it with Rose." The final tone that he was seeking reached Jeny's ears, and she considered his words very carefully for a moment.

They were done?

Expecting joy out of her Brother's sudden new bolt of wisdom, she instead felt confused, and her heart hurt for Guillermo. She wrapped her arms around her brother tightly. "Oh." What else could she say? She supposed she could inquire as to what brought this on... but her mind was already blown by this new surge of affection. Gently, she pulled his head to rest on her shoulder, almost cradling him.

It was an unfamiliar role, to Jeny, to be the nurturer instead of the nurtured, but one would not know it. "I'm sorry Geemo." The damndest part of that was she was not lying. She knew she disliked Rose, as did anyone within a ten feet radius of the girls when they were together. But this... this hadn't been what she wanted. She could feel the pain radiate off from her Brother, like heat, but with no comfort.

Resting her cheek on top of his head, she gently stroke his hair, trying to channel her inner Papa for this. He had always been so good at handling this sort of thing. Jeny cooed him gently, her bubblegum voice adapting to a gentle maturity instantly."D-do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently. "Usted sabe que puede hablar conmigo sobre cualquier cosa, Guillermo? ¿No?" WWPD? What would Papa do? Hrm, he'd probably snuggle until the saddened no longer wished too, and then make them churros with a honey dipping sauce.

Damn. Jeny didn't know the recipe for Papa's churros. She had it written down somewhere, but where? Well, if they got to that point, maybe Guillermo would know.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jeny let out a surprised gasp at his embrace. Guillermo couldn't blame her. He had never really been a cuddly sibling to her.
Apparently overcoming her shock, she snuggled up to him, hugging him right back.
"Oh."
Somehow, Jeny maneuvered to where he now had his head resting on his shoulder. Wasn't this supposed to be the other way around?
"I'm sorry Geemo."
This was actually surprising to hear. He had known that Jeny disliked Rose. The reasons were still kind of fuzzy to him, but the two had had some hostile behavior when they'd first met.
He felt the slight weight of Jeny's head lay on his and if felt somewhat comforting, rather than uncomfortable.
"D-doyou want to talk about it? Usted sabe que puede hablar conmigo sobre cualquier cosa, Guillermo? ¿No?"
There were things that he could definitely not talk to her about. Guillermo sighed, "No, pero gracias, Jenyfer."
How was he supposed to tell her that Rose's dream had somehow melded into his and that there was a fictional creature putting up shop in Rose's head, threatening to hurt it's own host and made him promise to hurt her? Oh, yeah. THAT would go over well....
He looked up at Jeny's identical brown eyes sadly.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

To be honest, she was expecting his answer completely. "No, pero gracias, Jenyfer." Well, at least she had her foot in the door. There was that, she supposed. Nodding, she closed her eyes, trying to think of some way to be to be helpful on the information she had been given. There was this small part of Jeny who wanted to know if it was because of her. It almost felt like going through Mama and Papa's divorce all over again, with this creeping feeling that you had messed up the one thing that made this person care about happy. True... it had been sort of her prerogative at the moment, but now it felt petty and selfish.

"I just want you to be happy, Geemo." Jeny whispered, as if tossing up a white flag. He pulled from her slightly, looking up with his sad brown eyes, and Jeny could see it. Of course she could see it. Those weren't Guillermo's eyes anymore, those were her Father's.

Brokenhearted.

Defeated.

Disenchanted.

Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Jeny frowned a little. "You still love her." It was not a question. Questions left room for him to deny. And Jeny really didn't want him to lie to her. She could see it in his face, right in those sad brown eyes. But this begged the question, why? Why had he decided to give up now? Why, after all that before, did he decide to cut off ties. "¿Es esto realmente lo que quieres? O ... ¿Crees que esto es lo que es mejor? Yo sólo quiero entender." Yes, he didn't have to tell her WHY it happened. Wiping his face gently with her sleeve, she laid her head on his chest, almost as though to pin him. Though, honestly, if Guillermo wanted to get away, he could.

But dammit.

She wanted him to feel the love.

Feel loved.

Be loved.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I just want you to be happy, Geemo."
Jeny whispered and he took a deep breath. He wanted to be happy too.
But Rose was the only way to make him happy.
His younger sister brushed his hair from his eyes, staring into them sadly, concentrating as if trying to understand.
"You still love her."
It was not a question and Guillermo knew she did not intend it to be one.
There was a time when he would scoff, shake his head and roll his eyes. But his time for lying was over.
"¿Es esto realmente lo que quieres? O ... ¿Crees que esto es lo que es mejor? Yo sólo quiero entender."
He sat in slight surprise as she wiped his face and snuggled into his chest.
She wasn't asking why?
That was entirely out of character for Jeny.
She was his little sister. He could tell her the truth. She was all he had.
"I don't want it. At all. I love her, Jeny. But.. I have to let her go. I can't tell you why. I...I'm protecting her. Let's just leave it at that."
How Jeny was gonna take that, he didn't know. But something about his sister's presence was comforting and he held her in his arms, stroking her back gently.
He would make things right with Jenyfer. He would make things right with Seth and Mallory. And all the other people he knew.
Then he could disappear.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jeny listened intently as Guillermo gave... his explanation she supposed. "I don't want it. At all. I love her, Jeny. But.. I have to let her go. I can't tell you why. I...I'm protecting her. Let's just leave it at that." One would not have to wonder at why she was only partially calling this an explanation. On one hand, it made Jeny happy that he could be honest enough not to deny the fact that he loved Rose. After all, that's honestly what she was expecting. And she would have taken it in stride, and she would have known that he was lying. But he didn't lie, and that pleased Jeny. He knew he could trust her.

But on the other hand...

What the hell had Rose gotten herself into that was so bad it had Guillermo afraid to continue his pursuing. Guillermo was a fucking hurricane, a basic unstoppable force of nature, a beast that would not hear no. But here he was... giving up.

Jeny's first instinct was to call Seth. Seth would know what's happening in Rose's life, after all. And if he didn't know, than he could help fix it. But if it was as simple as the duct tape esque method that Seth had when he handled fixing situations, Guillermo would have done it, wouldn't he? Except he wouldn't. That much was obvious by there last break up, when he became a three day shut in instead of going and demanding an explanation. But this had to be worse.

They hadn't just broken up.

They had ended it.

"Geemo..." Jeny said, after her long moments of pondering. What could she say though? It wasn't like she could demand him to go and fight for Rose, especially as Jen didn't know the situation. And she was trying to watch putting her foot in her mouth. "I don't know the situation. And if you ever want to divulge, than I'm here for you. But until then... I have to trust your judgment." She looked up at him with earnest. "Geemo, when you get hurt, sometimes you do really stupid stuff." Stupid stuff, to Jeny, entailed him going to the Fight Club and coming home with a broken nose, or needing to be picked up from a bar because he was too faced to walk. But Jeny was completely unaware of the gun resting beneath his floorboards. "Just.. just promise you won't do anything dumb. I love you Geemo, I don't want anything to happen to you. I know you think I still got my Mom, but really... you're all I got left."

Holding up her pinky, she waited with a stern but loving face, waiting for him to promise.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

The finality of it all just killed him.His entire body ached.He deserved the pain, though. He had hurt her. Even after his promises.
He swore he would love her forever.
Guillermo felt a wave of understanding for the heartbreak his father went through.
It didn't matter that she hated him, that he would be lucky to see her ever again.
He loved her.
Nothing would ever change that.
"Geemo...I don't know the situation. And if you ever want to divulge, than I'm here for you. But until then... I have to trust your judgment. Geemo, when you get hurt, sometimes you do really stupid stuff."
He looked away from Jeny's serious brown eyes. So he was impulsive when he was sad and angry. Who cared?
But..
He glanced to the corner of the room, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Jenyfer couldn't know about it, could she?
Suddenly, his black, .45ACP caliber, Smith & Wesson M&P45 pistol didn't sound like such a good thing to have.
Unless it got rid of Bruja. Then it would be the best damn thing in the world.
"Just.. just promise you won't do anything dumb. I love you Geemo, I don't want anything to happen to you. I know you think I still got my Mom, but really... you're all I got left."
He sighed, nodding.
His sister held her pinky out, all traces of innocence gone from her face, replaced with a mature, stern look.
Guillermo linked his pinky with hers.
"I promise, Jen."
Kind of.
He hugged her tightly.
"Te quiero, Jenyfer."

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Despite his nodding, Jeny kept her pinky out, watching him intently. "I promise, Jen." The moment she felt his pinky wrap around hers, she sank into his chest, relieved. "Te quiero, Jenyfer."

"I know." She replied, as if to say duh to her big brother, a gentle grin on her face. It was far too soon to look to happy in front of him, and Jeny was already planning on going to talk to Rose when she next got the chance. But right now, Guillermo needed her. Her voice softened, more loving, less flittery, and she put her serious face on. "Te quiero, Guillermo." Snuggling into his chest, Jeny tried to think of something she could do.

Anything she could do!

Something that would make this right.

At the moment, there was nothing. She'd talk to Rose later, and too Seth. Seth would have some sort of Dude-Wizard-Input to throw in this. Right now Guillermo needed to know his little sister was here for him. Lifting from the bed, she smiled at him, pushing the bags into the closet. "C'mon. We're, you and me, we're going to go into the kitchen, and do exactly three shots of tequila each. No more than three." No, drinking was not going to solve his problems, but it might take the edge off. But she DID NOT want him to get smashed, oh no. "And then-" She grinned, kneeling on the bed, looking quite young once more. "We're, you and me, we're going to make Papa's churros. And we're going to make such an awful mess, that Seth will have a huge conniption the moment he walks through the front door."

Holding her hand out to her brother, she looked at him earnestly, wanting to share this with them. They didn't talk about their Father often, because it was still painful. Maybe doing this, something simple and small to remember him by, would bring the siblings closer together.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I know."
Jeny smiled at him, looking like she wanted to lighten the mood, but was hesitant.
"Te quiero, Guillermo."
She snuggled into him and he sighed.
Then his little sister surprised him.
"C'mon. We're, you and me, we're going to go into the kitchen, and do exactly three shots of tequila each. No more than three. And then we're, you and me, we're going to make Papa's churros. And we're going to make such an awful mess, that Seth will have a huge conniption the moment he walks through the front door."
Guillermo cracked a smile. Jenyfer was looking quite young and excited by this idea. And he had a feeling that she had purposefully designed each activity specifically to fit his likes.
She held her hand out to him and he threw another guilty look into the corner of the room.
No.
He was going to make it up to her. All those years of being a shitty brother were going to be paid off. He was going to be the most loving caring brother anyone had ever seen.
Then maybe..
"Maybe we'll give him a hernia, rather than a conniption.."
Then he took her hand.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jeny held her breath, waiting for him to take her hand. She half expected him to swat her hand away and tell her that they were really siblings again. His eyes darted to the corner of the room, thinking it over Jeny supposed. Patiently she kept her hand out, not wanting him to think she was taking back the offer. Finally, and to her utter shock, a small smile crept on to Guillermo's face. "Maybe we'll give him a hernia, rather than a conniption.." Clasping his hand around her, Jeny helped him up, unable to help the little grin appearing on her face.

With her usual flit like stroll, Jeny headed to the kitchen, digging out the stash of tequila. The siblings had never actually drank together, before. It would be an interesting experience. Though, honestly, Jeny doubted three shots of tequila would even touch Guillermo. Jeny's tolerance was far less developed, so she already decided that she would take it slow. "Okay, Geemo." Jeny spoke, with her feathery light bubblegum voice. "You get the flour and the mixing bowl, and I'll pour us both a shot, and go and find where I put that recipe card..." She looked around, before climbing up on the counter, to reach the top of the fridge. There a box sat, small and black. Jeny grabbed it, and set it down next to her, sitting gracefully. Thank goodness for her dancing, or else she'd seriously just be a useless thing. Shifting to grab the shot classes, she set them next to the counter, then slipped off.

As she poured the tequila carefully, Jeny hummed that old song her Father loved so much. Quedate aqui... She remembered being little, and begging her Father to sing that song. He wasn't an amazingly fantastic singer, her Father, but he did have a gentle voice that carried a lot of weight. He had been careful to instill a love for music in his children. The liquid poured, Jeny looked at Guillermo, daring a little. "¿Te acuerdas de esa canción?" She asked, her voice cautious. Taking a deep breath, she sang softly to her brother, wondering how far she was pushing it.

"Quedate aqui
en mis brazos
quedate aqui
para mi..."

Jeny's voice trailed off, a soft smile touching her face. Gentle, careful. "Yo no canto que es tan bueno como él lo hizo, lo sé." They had never really talked about Enrique Salas-Ortiz, except that day that Jeny had caught Guillermo crying. She hoped that it was okay that she brought him up again, and that her speaking Spanish soothed Guillermo. "Pero es muy bonito. Yo se lo pierda audiencia." Jeny admitted, grabbing the oil from the pantry. Looking back at her big brother, Jeny's voice timidly made an offer. "Puedo seguir cantando, si usted quiere."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Okay, Geemo. You get the flour and the mixing bowl, and I'll pour us both a shot, and go and find where I put that recipe card..." Guillermo opened a cupboard, taking out the bag of flour, as Jeny flitted around, getting the tequila and shot glasses.
He picked up a large bowl from under the counter and he paused as he listened to Jeny's gentle humming.
"¿Te acuerdas de esa canción?" She asked, and she started to sing quietly.
"Quedate aqui
en mis brazos
quedate aqui
para mi..."
Jeny paused.
"Yo no canto que es tan bueno como él lo hizo, lo sé. Pero es muy bonito. Yo se lo pierda audiencia."
Jeny was avoiding his eyes a bit, fetching the rest of the things they needed.
Guillermo's chest actually ached, thinking of his father. Enrique used to sing that song all the time. When Guillermo was small, he would join in. As he grew older, it annoyed him.
He wished he could turn back the clock and sing with Enrique again.
He felt Jeny's eyes on him and he turned away, attempting to hide the tears in his eyes. Her voice was small, as if afraid to suggest.
"Puedo seguir cantando, si usted quiere."
Guillermo's jaw set, to stop from quivering and he took a deep breath, measuring out the flour they needed.
Still, he couldn't do much to distract himself now.
Sighing, Guillermo opened his mouth and sang softly in his deep voice.
"Y no me digas que me amas
No me digas que me adoras
Dime solo que te quedas
Una vida junto a mi
Llevame por alli
Llevame en tus anzias a un lugar
Donde ya no tenga que jurar
Donde ya no tenga que mentir
Donde solo exista para ti.."

A few stray tears fell down his cheeks, and he wiped at them quickly.
Guillermo threw Jeny a sad smile.
"I can't sing anymore..."
It hurt too much.