***Content Warning! Mild Swearing***

Aurora was never so glad to see a weekend arrive. This week, especially at school, had been a nightmare. Her father hadn’t been especially thrilled over her detention, but he didn’t lecture her either. It was rare for Aurora to get into trouble so Tyrone let her off with a mild verbal warning.

After a quick cup of coffee, Aurora hugged her father, kissed his cheek, and got onto her bike to ride to her aunt and uncle’s house. She needed to return a book to her Uncle Cian, who’d graciously allowed her to borrow a basic anatomy book. She figured that part of using her powers wisely meant that she should learn more about how the body functioned. How could she heal something if she didn’t have the knowledge about where things were located and how to put them back together?

After an affectionate hug, Aurora handed the book to her uncle. “Thanks for letting me borrow this, Uncle.”

“No problem, darling. I’m just surprised you wanted to. You’re more of the artsy type, after all.” Cian grinned and gently tapped the end of her nose, making her giggle.

“I know, but…well…”

Cian’s gaze sharpened at seeing the strange expression on her face. “Is everything okay, Aurora? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine, Uncle Cian. It’s just…well, I suppose I should tell you. Word travels fast in this family, you know.”

Without another word, Cian slipped an arm around his niece’s waist, guided her to a chair, and sat her down after pulling it out for her. “I sense a story coming on. It’s just you and me for a while. How about a cup of coffee and some quiche? Then, you can tell your old Uncle Cian all about it.”

Aurora couldn’t hold back the little giggle that surfaced. “If only coffee and food could heal everything, right?”

“It would make my job a hell of a lot easier,” Cian said, putting a huge mug of coffee before her.

Aurora took a sip and sighed in contentment. Then, she moaned in pleasure as the quiche caused a five-alarm explosion in her taste buds. “Compliments to the chef.”

Cian grinned and tipped an imaginary hat to her, then turned serious. “Now then, out with it.”

Aurora knew she had his undivided attention the instant her uncle donned his doctor face. “Well, Uncle, it’s like this.” She took a deep breath and plunged in, telling him what she’d told Tyrone. She talked until her throat was dry, pausing only a few times and continuing on when her Uncle Cian nodded encouragingly. Not once did he interrupt her or dispute anything she said.

After the verbal eruption settled, Cian handed her a glass of ice water, sat down, and studied her intently. Then, he reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Thank you for telling me this, sweetheart. I can understand why this freaks you out. You have a rare and very powerful gift, Aurora.”

“Have you heard of such a thing, Uncle? I mean, surely you’ve heard and seen so much because of your mother being Goddess Ariadne. I wish I could ask her what all this means,” Aurora said after a long pull from her glass of water.

Cian shrugged and shook his head slightly. “My mother isn’t always forthcoming about things like masterplans or cosmic events but will sometimes give me what she feels I need to know at whatever time she thinks I should know it. She always warns me that the universe is delicately balanced and anything out of sequence can cause a cataclysmic event. Do you remember the earthquake after your mother appeared to have died?”

“Oh, yes! How could I ever forget that?” Aurora replied, a shiver racking her slender frame.

Cian squeezed her hand again, the warm pressure of his capable fingers comforting her. “The natural order of things was interrupted. That event…this situation was not supposed to have happened. Lenora wasn’t meant to be put in such danger.”

“I know,” Aurora said softly. “She’ll be back though. I saw it and I know it to be true.” She paused, waiting for her uncle to respond. When he gave only a silent nod, a small smile rose to her lips. It was such a relief that he believed her.

“I think when she returns, the universe…the space and time continuum…can be repaired with minimal fallout,” Cian said.

“I always knew Ma was very special and that the universe somehow needed her.”

“As it does you, sweetheart,” Cian said, his thumb making a gentle sweep over the back of Aurora’s hand.

“I was told once that the fairy kingdom would need me someday, but the whole universe? Oh, Uncle Cian, that’s heavy. What if I bork it up? I don’t want to be the cause of Ma’s mission failing.” Aurora’s eyes widened as the enormity of his statement began to hit her.

Cian stood up, came to Aurora’s side, and wrapped her in a strong, loving embrace. “Your mother’s mission will continue as it should with all of you, but Aurora honey, that’s not what I was referring to. You have your own destiny, a destiny that is more vital to the universe than you can possibly know.” As a shudder passed through Aurora, Cian’s arms tightened around her. He kissed the top of her head and began whispering softly. “All will be well, sweetheart. Do not fret. All any of us can do is take it one day at a time. It will all come to pass as it should.”

Aurora couldn’t speak for a moment, and all she could do was hold onto her uncle while her mind reeled.  As intimidating as her uncle could be at times, he had always been a great source of knowledge and comfort to her. “Your patients have no idea how lucky they are to have you,” Aurora said, the power of speech returning at last.

With a final squeeze, Cian chuckled. “Go on, now. You’ll give me Big Head Syndrome.”

Aurora laughed outright. “I think you contracted that long before I was even thought about,” she teased him.

Cian’s eyes danced, his laughter mingling with hers. “Little brat,” he said, pretending to swat at Aurora, which made her laugh all the harder.

“Ah, but you love me anyway,” she shot back, giving him an impish grin.

Cian smiled and kissed her cheek. “That I do, sweet Aurora. That I do, indeed.”

“I love you too, Uncle Cian.”

“Better now?” he asked softly, both of them sitting down again after the much needed moment of affection.

“Yeah.”

A time of companionable silence ensued, then Cian spoke again. “Lauren and your auntie went to the airport to pick up a very special guest we’re having. They should be back in just a little while.”

“Oh, Uncle Cian, you should’ve told me you were having company. I’m sorry I took up so much of your time,” Aurora replied.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m the one who initiated the talk, remember? Besides, it’s mainly your auntie’s company. They’re collaborating on a movie score, and we thought they’d be more productive if we put him up in one of the guest rooms,” Cian explained. “Lauren would love to see you as would your auntie before she and her partner start their work.”

Aurora hesitated a few seconds. “Are you sure, Uncle? I don’t want to be a bother.”

“A little brat you may be but you’re never a bother, sweetheart.” This got a giggle from Aurora, which made Cian grin. “Why don’t you go to the music room and sing something for your old uncle? I always love to hear you play and sing.”

Aurora grinned, unable to resist the invitation. Cian motioned her to go ahead and indicated he’d follow soon. When Cian heard what was the unmistakable sound of his niece shuffling pieces of sheet music, he sighed and cast a magic circle around himself, leaving enough room for another person to stand inside it with him. “Mother, a word, please. We need to talk.”

Aurora was lost in a world of emotion and music the instant she seated herself at the grand piano and eyed the pages of musical score before her. Romeo & Juliet: A Modern Musical, she read, running an index finger over the lettering. She grinned, thinking about when her English class had read the play. Most of the students, especially the boys, constantly made snide remarks or derisive, disgusted noises while she and Grace had swooned in all the romantic places and cried when Romeo and Juliet met their untimely end. Andrea and Avery had snickered and teased them good-naturedly, causing a lot of back-and-forth banter to ensue. When she’d heard that her Aunt Theresa would be composing the musical score for a musical movie version, Aurora’s heart had skipped a beat. Upon release to theaters, Aurora knew she’d be there the first day in the front row to see it.

Her aunt had been rather closed-mouthed about the project so Aurora didn’t know that the project was actually a collaborative effort. I wonder who this mystery partner is? Maybe Auntie is helping someone get their start, Aurora thought to herself as she scanned the neatly written musical notation.

A soppy, dreamy smile on her face, Aurora gently placed her fingers on the ivory keys and started to play. Her beautiful, magically enhanced voice filled the room. Now in full character mode, Aurora was Juliet, who now grieved the devastating loss of her true love upon awakening and realizing that the plans Friar Lawrence put in place had been thwarted by cruel fate. Juliet’s anguish ripped through the air in a series of crescendos and mournful phrasing. Aurora masterfully captured the grief and sorrow as her mind pictured how the scene was to play out. When it seemed like it would go on forever, Aurora turned the page and realized there were no more notes or lyrics written. Dazedly, she stopped playing, flipped the page to the one she’d just completed, turned it forward again, and frowned. Not wanting to let go of the mood and atmosphere she’d created, Aurora grabbed a pen and a blank sheet of music paper and started writing. Every once in a while, she played and sang what she’d written, made adjustments, and continued on until she was satisfied. Then, she played and sang from the beginning of the piece, adding her own completion to the mix. Her creation needed tweaking, but Aurora was quite certain that her Aunt Theresa and the mystery partner had something else entirely in mind. Still, she couldn’t stand an incomplete piece and it was rather fun to write out something of her own making.

The front door opened and in strode Theresa, Lauren, and a man. “Well, here we are, Leo. Home, sweet home. I’ll show you where–” Theresa broke off in mid sentence as the sounds of piano chords and exquisite singing reached her ears.

“Whoa! Who on Earth is that?” the man asked.

“That’s Aurora, my cousin and her niece,” Lauren said, nodding in her mother’s direction.

All three simply stood and listened until the music ebbed away. Then, the man called Leo spoke. “You must’ve tinkered with that piece after we spoke last night, Theresa.”

“Actually, no. What we just heard is completely new to me. It sounds like Aurora’s been doing some fiddling with it. I just left the pages out on the piano like I always do so as to continue right where we left off. Well, looks like the cat’s partially out of the bag.”

“That’s not such a bad thing though. It sounds beautiful. But then, it’s Aurora we’re talking about, and she always sounds beautiful,” said Lauren, pride evident in her voice. “If I didn’t know any better, I could swear that music was made exclusively for her.”

“She certainly has the perfect voice to carry it off,” said Leo. His brow momentarily creased in thought before he spoke again. “That new bit needs some work and polishing, but I like the direction it’s going. Maybe that’s the push we need to get over the hump we hit.”

“Yes, perhaps,” Theresa said, considering. “We’ve had trouble with the second verse on for a long time. Whatever we tried just didn’t fit. I think Aurora’s stumbled onto something we can work with.”

“Better get the smelling salts,” Lauren snickered. “She’ll faint at hearing that. And if that doesn’t do the job, getting a load of you will.” She grinned and winked at Leo.

Theresa laughed. “Oh, yes! Leonardo Capra, the Great. She has all your albums and says she can die a happy woman if she ever gets to meet you in person.”

“Awww shucks,” Leo said humbly, ducking his head and blushing.

Lauren smiled at Leo, but the smile was a bittersweet one. Despite all his fame and recognition, Leo seemed like such a sweetheart and a humble one at that – qualities Dane never had. Lauren learned that lesson the hard way. Although recovering, her heart was still greatly wounded by Dane’s callous actions, actions that drove Lauren to give in to the wanderlust that led her to the longer-than-planned trip to Asia.

Lauren jumped at her mother’s tap on her arm, the filaments of her reverie breaking up and letting reality seep back into her awareness. “Where were you just now?” Theresa asked.

Lauren shook her head and shrugged. “Oh, nowhere in particular, just woolgathering.”

“Well, c’mon, dreamer. Let’s say hi to Aurora before Leo and I get to work.” Theresa led the way to the music room, all of them walking softly so as not to interrupt the mood or the piece. As they all stood there watching, it was abundantly clear that Aurora was completely oblivious to everything around her other than the world created by the enchanting music.

The piece climaxed then wound down, ending at the point where Juliet was to take Romeo’s dagger and stab herself, thus ending her own life. When Aurora was done, she wiped the backs of her hands over her cheeks, produced a wobbly, sheepish grin, blinked, and shook her head as if to clear it. She blinked again, realizing she had an audience, and blushed slightly. “Uh, hey, Auntie. Hi, Lauren. I–er–should apologize. I saw the sheets just sitting there on the piano and couldn’t resist.”

Theresa laughed. “When can you ever?”

“You got me there.” Beaming, she gave both her aunt and cousin quick hugs. “That score is gonna be epic! Who’s the mystery partner? Uncle Cian said this was a collab or something.”

Lauren’s eyes danced, and she bounced on the balls of her feet. “You’ll never believe it.”

“What?” Aurora asked, feeling a rush of excitement. Something big was going on here; Aurora was certain of it.

Rubbing her hands together, Lauren said in a booming voice. “Ladies and gentlemen! The one…the only…the legend himself! Heeeeeeere’s Leo!”

When Lauren spread her arms and stepped aside to reveal a smiling man Aurora had never expected to see, the only words she could get her lips to form were “What the…?”

“You must be Aurora,” Leo said, extending his hand to the bewildered and dazed young woman. “I’m Leo Capra.”

Aurora blinked a few times, rubbed her eyes vigorously, and pounded her chest several times in an attempt to steady her accelerating heart. Gulping, she croaked. “I know.” Blinking again at the outstretched hand, she raised her own to grasp his fingers. “I’m Aurora…Aurora Landgraab. Theresa’s my auntie.”

“So I gathered.” He flashed her an easy smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Aurora. Your name is beautiful and so is your playing and singing. Your voice is absolutely lovely.”

All Aurora could do was gawp, her jaw going utterly slack.

Theresa cleared her throat, avoided looking at her silently laughing daughter and dumbstruck niece, and offered an apologetic smile to Leo. “I must apologize for my niece. She’s normally not that rude. I’m afraid she’s having a major fangirl moment.” Finally turning to Aurora, Theresa snapped her fingers in front of her niece’s face. “Snap out of it and say thank you, Aurora. Mr. Capra just payed you a high compliment.”

Aurora blinked again and blushed to the roots of her hair when Lauren’s forefinger reached out to pick up her jaw. “Th-thank you, Aurora. Uh, I mean…well, shit! I mean…”

Lauren burst out laughing. Although Theresa tried to keep her composure, she lost the battle, her laughter joining with Lauren’s.

Aurora slapped her flaming cheeks a few times, took several steadying breaths, and offered Leo a lopsided but still slightly dazed grin. “I’m sorry, Mr. Capra. I’m normally not this ditzy. I just–well, I’m just a huge super fan and never expected I’d get to actually meet you. I thank you kindly for your gracious compliments.” She curtsied before Leo and gave him a shy little smile.

“It’s Leo, and no apologies are necessary.”

Leo’s friendly smile and easy-going nature dispelled any remaining rare shyness or embarrassment. Yes, she was a big fan, an understatement if ever there was one, but Leo was a real person with genuine feelings, likes, and dislikes. Being a part of a very famous family gave Aurora much insight and experience with the public’s general attitudes and treatment of someone famous and untouchable. Like, people were so busy worshipping Granther Deus that not many knew he still loved dancing under the stars with Grams. Oh sure, folks likely knew things from magazine articles and such what Leo’s favorite color was or places he liked to dine, but she was quite certain that not many knew who the real Leo was. Aurora’s first impression of him as a person was that she liked him…a lot. He didn’t talk down to her, and he truly meant the compliment he’d given her.

Very carefully, Aurora reached out with her empathic senses and felt Leo’s soft heart, his immense generosity, and love for his family and others that meant a great deal to him. In there also was an underlying sadness, a sadness she suspected he’d carried with him for many years. She knew he’d been through a trauma in his teens, which had resulted in the scar on Leo’s cheek.

Without a second’s hesitation, Aurora stepped closer to Leo and hugged him. Taken aback for a few second, Leo returned the hug, seeming to sense something genuine in the gesture. “My goodness! What was that all about?” he asked softly.

Aurora released the hug and gave Leo a gentle smile. “I just…I wanted to thank you for being so nice to me.”

Leo just shrugged and returned the smile, then spoke. “Aurora, we could use your help with something.”

“Oh?” Aurora asked. Now, it was her turn to be taken aback. What in the world could Leo possibly need her help with?

“Yes. See, Theresa and I have been a bit stuck on a portion of the score, mainly the piece Juliet sings when she discovers Romeo dead from drinking poison. When we got here, we heard you writing something out and liked the direction you were taking. Now, it needs reworking, mind you, but we would like it very much if you have time to help us finish it up,” Leo explained.

Of all the things Aurora thought he’d ask, this request never even entered her mind. “C-could you please repeat that?”

“We want you to help us finish up the score, sweetie,” Theresa said.

“We’d appreciate it very much, Aurora. Please consider it,” Leo added.

Aurora looked from her aunt to Leo, then back at her aunt. Aunt Theresa had never asked for her input. Sure, there were times once Aurora became a teen that Theresa asked her to sing through a piece she’d written but had never asked Aurora to help in the area of composition. “Are…are you sure? I was just messing around. I never expected…I mean, are you sure?”

“C’mon, girl! Show ’em what you’re made of,” Lauren encouraged.

“I–I don’t know what to say,” Aurora stammered.

“Yes would do nicely,” Theresa grinned.

“Uh…yes…but I think someone may have to revive me first. I think I may faint,” Aurora said, swaying on the spot.

Lauren snickered. “I told ya so,” then grunted a surprised,” Erp!” when Theresa unceremoniously elbowed her in the ribs.

Looking a little alarmed, Leo put his arms around Aurora to steady her. “I’ve got you, Aurora. Just relax and breathe through it, okay? I’m going to sit you down.” Leo led her to the sofa and eased her into a sitting position.

At first, Leo’s voice sounded far away in her ears. She’d never taken a dive before and never saw herself as a fainter. Is this what it feels like to pass out? Geez, it seems like a–

“Here. Put your head between your knees, honey. That sometimes helps.” Leo’s strong but gentle voice poured over Aurora like melted butter. If only he would just talk to her forever, she could happily float away on a cloud and dream…just…dream.

Aurora closed her eyes for a moment, breathed deeply, and counted to ten. When she felt steadier and her awareness came back into sharper relief, she grinned sheepishly at Leo. “My Uncle Cian’s a doctor so I know about the head between the knees thing. It doesn’t always work, but–”  She snorted, realizing what a fool she’d have made of herself if she’d actually gone down. Once again, however, Leo was just so nice and sweet to her. She stifled a giddy little giggle while wondering just how many girls had actually fainted at Leo’s feet.  Aurora shook her head and grinned a little crookedly. “I bet you’ve had to do that a fair few times before a performance. I’m okay now, and yes, I would be honored to help. Thank you, Leo.”

“Hydration time,” Lauren said, handing out glasses of water to everyone, her lips twitching as she tried not to laugh.

Leo chuckled, thanked Lauren, took a long pull from his glass, and grinned at Aurora. “Nope, it doesn’t always work but at least you’re in a good position to just quietly slump to the floor without drawing too much attention if you do go out.”

Aurora completely cracked up, doubled over, and howled until her sides ached and tears of hilarity dotted her cheeks. “Sounds like you know from experience,” she teased when the ability of speech returned.

Leo laughed with her and produced a very un-Leo-like smirk. “I’ll never tell,” he teased back, eyes twinkling.

Aurora chortled some more, then wiped more tears of mirth from her cheeks. Then, she turned serious and looked toward the piano. “When do you want me?”

“Right now, for starters,” Theresa said. “Leo and I thought we could get a bit done this afternoon. We also want to put in a hard day tomorrow.”

“I’m in,” Aurora said. “I’d better call Da first and let him know I won’t be home until later.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Lauren offered, then headed to the door. “I’ll take it as my signal to get out of your hair. Knock ’em dead.”

“Thanks, darling,” Theresa said. “Let your father know Aurora’s staying for dinner.”

Lauren nodded before closing the door behind her.

Author’s Notes: A huge thank you goes out to Kymber of Story Spinner for allowing me to borrow her much-loved character, Leo Capra so he can make appearances in my story from time to time. She has been a true friend and is such a generous person. I promise to the best of my ability to keep him in character and give him all the love and respect I can. Leo was the Generation 2 heir in Kymber’s story Noble Doubt. As that story has been completed a while back ago and Leo has been long dead there, I figured enough time and space was achieved so things wouldn’t be all muddled up in any way. In my story’s timeframe, the current events are taking place during the time that Leo is enjoying family life and his career as a movie composer. I loved Leo’s gen, which you can find here. I remember it so well, but you can be sure I’ll be revisiting it to keep things as accurate as I can. Thank you again, Kymber, so much. Words can’t express how appreciative and excited I am to see Leo live again, even if for just a little while. I really hope you like his appearances. 🙂

Yes, I know, I know. There’ve been oodles of Romeo & Juliet remakes, even musical ones, but each one is different. There is a method to my madness – you’ll just have to keep reading to find out – and I figure a movie composer has to be multi-faceted and capable of writing musical scores in a number of genres. Call me a total nerd, but I’ve always enjoyed Shakespeare. Romeo & Juliet – well, need I say more? 😀