Chapter 16 - The Road Less Traveled

"You owe me big time, bro. It's so damn early I can barely even function."

Max looked back at Leo, who was sitting in the passenger seat of his car. He was half asleep himself.

"Seriously, I can't believe you talked me into waking up at this ungodly hour. Are you listening to me?" he asked before slapping him over the head.

"Yes, I know...I'll make it up to you when I get back alright?" Leo mumbled.

"Yeah right. Estás de una mala hostia tío. You've been so fucking moody lately you're impossible to deal with. I swear you might as well be getting your damn period."

"Hey, watch your language in front of the twins," Leo said.

"Do you not see them? They're practically drooling back there," Max said.

He turned around and, effectively, they were both profoundly asleep.

"I don't know why they insisted in coming," Leo said, shaking his head.

"You really don't know? They've been sulking for the past three days that you'll be gone. I can't believe you don't notice these things."

Leo thought about that and frowned. He hadn't noticed. He had been a shitty brother to them lately, to all of them. He needed to fix that ASAP. It would be hard enough on them once he moved back to London.

"Can you just lay off for once?" Leo exclaimed.

"Have you been getting into fights again? Don't think I haven't seen your hand," Max pointed out.

Leo looked at his bruised hand and flexed it out. He grinned at the memory of punching Johan in the face again. Just remembering his dumbfounded look of complete shock almost had him laughing again. Almost. It was the one thing that had brought him any sort of satisfaction in months.

"You should see the other guy," he said proudly.

"Unbelievable. Is this about Mia again?" Max asked, bluntly.

"No, it's not. So drop it." It obviously was.

"So let me just get this straight. She never did anything to hurt you, she never cheated on you or anything like that. And she told you since the beginning she didn't want to be in a relationship. Why are you holding a grudge again?" Max asked mockingly.

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it. Why are you even defending her? I'm your brother, for crying out loud."

Max pulled over at Terminal 1 of Madrid Barajas Airport. "I'm just saying...she was honest with you and you just took it too far. You got carried away with all the lovey dovey bullshit. She needed time and you didn't give it to her. Instead you got all jealous. What did you expect?"

"You're unbelievable you know that? Thanks for the ride...and unsolicited advice," Leo added sarcastically.

"Anytime, bro," Max retorted.

Leo got out of the car and pulled out his suitcase from the trunk before slamming the door shut. As if on cue, the twins woke up full of energy and exited the car.

As he was preparing to say goodbye, Sofia asked, "Can we go inside with you, Leo?"

"I don't think that's a good idea..." he said, thinking of all the other students who would be at the counter checking in. At least, one in particular.

"C'mon, Leo. Please?" Nico added.

Leo sighed. It was really hard to say no to them. "It's really up to Max," he pointed out.

"Oh, for Christ's sake. He'll be back in a week guys, it's not the end of the world," Max blurted out from the passenger window.

"Please, Max? Can we go in? Just for a little bit?" Sofia insisted.

"Hey, there's Mia!" Nico shouted all of a sudden and took off in a sprint in her direction. She was getting out of a taxi behind them.

"Nicolas!" Leo yelled behind him, but it was too late.

Nico called out to Mia once he was closer, and then jumped into her, giving her a huge bear hug.

"Now, this just got interesting," Max said. "You know what, Sofia? I think it's a great idea. Let's all go in together. I'll go park the car," he said with a smirk on his face.

Leo shot him a murderous look, before grabbing Sofia's hand and heading in Mia's direction.

When he reached her, Nico had already somehow convinced Mia to pick him up and he was playing with the medallion she always wore around her neck.

"Hey," Leo said, somewhat embarrassed.

"I believe this belongs to you?" she said, motioning to Nico wrapped around her. "He's getting heavy," she added.

"No, I'm not!" Nico laughed, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Mia gasped at first, but then laughed.

Inexplicably, Leo became really irritated at watching Nico being so close and carefree with Mia.

"Okay, that's enough, Romeo," he said, pulling Nico from Mia's arms. He sat him down on top of his suitcase, and then picked up Sofia.

"Hola Mia!" she said cheerily, once she was at eye length with her.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you?" Mia responded, brushing back her hair which was all tangled up in an awful mess at the moment.

"How come you haven't..." she began.

"Well, ain't this just a beautiful scene?" Max said coming up behind them. "Hey, Mia. Long time," he added.

"Hey, Max," she said.

"Seriously, I need to take a picture of this," he said taking out his phone.

"Max," Leo said intently in warning.

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a party pooper," he said getting the camera on his phone ready.

Leo looked over at Mia and she shrugged back at him.

"Don't look so gloomy guys. You're both going to Shanghai for God's sake. Okay, smile people," he instructed.

Both Sofia and Nico yelled out at the top of their lungs, "Cheese!"

Mia laughed and Leo relaxed a little, looking over at her.

"Talk about capturing the moment! Damn, I'm good," Max said pleased with his picture.

"Well, I should probably head on in," Mia said.

"We're all going with you! Max said we could," Sofia said climbing eagerly from Leo's arms into Mia's. Surprisingly, he didn't stop her.

"Oh, I..." Mia began, then stopped, clearly not knowing what to say.

"Here, allow me," Max said, taking her suitcase. "Shall we?"

Mia looked momentarily at Leo, confused, but started walking towards the airport with Sofia in tow.

"Where's Shanghai?" Nico asked as they walked towards the airline counter.

"In China," Leo answered shortly.

"Wow, that's really, really far away right?" he asked.

"Somewhat. We arrive there tomorrow morning."

"That's so long! But you and Mia will be together?" he asked.

Leo stilled, then ran his hand across the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said quietly.

Nico is really on a roll today, he thought bitterly. He needed to stop asking so many bloody questions.

They got to the line, and Omar and Melissa from class were in front of them.

"Hey, guys," Mia greeted them.

They both turned around with shocked expressions on their faces.

"When did this happen?" Omar asked, signaling between Mia and Leo.

"Oh, no. We just bumped into each other outside," Mia responded.

"When did you have children?" Melissa asked confused, looking between Sofia and Nico.

"They're Leo's siblings," Mia answered laughing.

"You look so motherly right now," Melissa responded. "I swear she could be your daughter," she added.

Mia looked at Sofia settled comfortably in her arms and smiled.

Sofia giggled. "Mia is Leo's girlfriend!" she said laughing.

"Oh, is that right?" Omar asked with a grin on his face.

Everyone turned to look at Leo, who had been incredibly quiet the whole time.

"You guys are up," he said signaling to a check-in counter that had just opened.

"Smooth, Leo," Omar answered before heading out with Melissa.

Leo looked over at Mia, who had a scornful look on her face.

"Later," he said with a low voice and silently pleading with his eyes.

Mia sighed and shook her head. Another counter opened up, and she took off immediately with Sofia.

"Good one, bro," Max said laughing behind him and clapping his shoulder. He walked towards Mia with her suitcase, and Nico quickly followed suit.

Leo cursed and decided it was best to stay behind. How was he going to explain this one?

He closely watched Mia with his brothers from afar. She was engaged in an easy conversation with Max, smiling from time to time. While waiting for her ticket from the agent, she began braiding Sofia's tangled up hair and laughing at Nico's ramblings.

An array of emotions coursed through Leo. Melissa was right. Somehow, she did look motherly.

But it was so much more than that. She looked beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

She was a saint. Any other person wouldn't have put up being with his family, but there she was, surrounded by them in warmth and comfort. It was breathtaking.

"Yo! Are you deaf or something? You're next," someone behind him said.

Sighing, he went to check in by himself. He didn't hear one word the agent told him. He just went through the motions, thinking about Mia the entire time. As if he didn't think about her enough.

By the time he caught up with Mia and his family, he was a wreck. They walked towards the security gate, but no one seemed to even notice him. It was like he was suddenly invisible.

Mia started to say her goodbyes to Sofia and Nico. They hugged and kissed her as if they would never see her again. Maybe it was the case. Most likely, they would never see her again. Even Max was getting all sappy with her. It was gut wrenching.

Leo solemnly said goodbye to his brothers, as Mia stepped aside to give them space.

Max surprised him by giving him a firm hug and patting him on the shoulder. "Good luck winning her back," he said.

Leo gave him a pointed look and then swore under his breath as he crossed through the initial security check.

"Make the family proud!" Max yelled behind him.

Shaking his head, he eventually caught up with Mia in the security line.

"I'm sorry about all that, Mia," he said as he approached her.

"Save it, Leo," she said without turning around. Her tone was sad, rather than angry.

"I didn't know how to tell them. I figured it wouldn't matter. I didn't think..."

"You clearly didn't," Mia said interrupting him. "Don't you think this will affect them more now?" she said, still not looking at him.

She quickly placed her belongings on a tray and set it on the conveyor belt, before walking through the security check.

Leo struggled to keep up with her, and when he passed through security, she was already picking up her things. God, how could someone so little be so fast?

Not caring about his own belongings, he went straight up to her and spun her around.

"Mia..." he began, but his words got caught in his throat when he noticed her eyes were glistening.

Oh baby, I'm so sorry, he thought.

Feeling his own eyes begin to swell, he reached out to her and hugged her as tightly as he could. He wished it could have been months ago, back when their hugs were simple, comforting, and baggage-free. Now it was nothing like that.

She didn't hug him back. More and more it started feeling like he was saying goodbye to her too. As if he would never see her again. As if there was a certain finality to that embrace. Leo felt an unfamiliar pain build in his chest.

The thought was ridiculous though, he rationalized, as they would be seeing each other during the trip and even afterwards. Still, it didn't add up. What was it about airports that got people so emotional?

"What can I do, Mia?" he whispered in her ear.

Mia abruptly pulled back from him, tearing all contact between them.

"You've done enough, Leo. Just...please leave me alone, okay?" she whispered back.

She didn't even bother waiting for a response. She simply turned around and left, walking away, and out of his life.

*****

Mia boarded Finnair Flight 3184 to Helsinki. They would have a short layover there on the way to Shanghai. While Mia was incredibly excited about the upcoming trip, she also felt a bit anxious. Would she be able to handle herself properly in front of others? The trip required countless social interactions as their itinerary was packed with lectures, company visits, lunches and dinners. They would even spend an entire day at the Shanghai World Expo. She really hoped she would be able to become friends with people and hang out with them during the trip, something she had rarely done during the school year. Would they accept her or was it too little too late?

She found her seat towards the back of the plane. At least she had the aisle. She was relieved to find Melissa sitting across from her, and in the aisle seats in front of her were also two friendly girls from class, Natalie and Mariela. They were reading gossip magazines and as soon as Mia settled in her seat, Natalie turned around and handed her one of the magazines.

"You're going to need this. It's a long trip ahead."

"Thanks so much, this is exactly what I need. Nothing like celebrity gossip to keep you busy," Mia replied.

The plane took off and Mia began to read the magazine. It covered the usual topics: everything from Brangelina to The Bachelor. There was even something about Lindsay Lohan creating some scandal, as usual. Oh Lindsay, get it together girl.

Mia finished reading the magazine and noticed that most people on the plane had dozed off, except for the two girls in front of her. She also saw a stewardess coming down the aisle and serving drinks.

"The boys are going to be really disappointed," Mariela stated.

"Why is that?" Natalie asked.

"All they were talking about before we boarded was Finnish girls and how they all looked like super models. But judging from the stewardess that's not the case."

Mia took a closer look and saw that she was not your typical blond and skinny looking stewardess. Instead, she was much older in her 40's and was rather on the bigger side. She was coming down the aisle back first and her large derrière took up most of the space between the seats. Passengers were clearing out of her way as she came through. It was a pretty comical sight.

"Mia, you should order a coke. I got some rum from the duty free if you want," Mariela said.

"Really? I didn't even think of that."

"Well, duh. I actually stocked up for the week. Plus it's my birthday tomorrow so I might as well start celebrating."

The stewardess arrived and they all ordered cokes. Once she left, Mariela opened the bottle of rum and poured some discretely into their cups.

"Cheers. To my birthday and to a great trip," Mariela said.

"Salud," both Mia and Natalie responded in unison.

Mia settled in her seat and checked her watch. It wasn't even close to noon yet! Well, at least it was in some part of the world. She decided it was going to be one heck of a trip.

The layover in Helsinki was a bit hectic. The amount of foot traffic in the airport was incredible. It turned out the airport had been designed primarily with transfers in mind, with arrivals and departures located in the same building. Mia felt like she had been standing in line the entire time, first at customs, then at security, followed by the plane to Shanghai.

She was looking forward to relaxing again in her seat before the final haul to Shanghai. Mia looked down at her boarding pass. 24E. Great, she would be stuck in the middle of a four seat row of the Airbus. No access to the aisle. She arrived at her row and froze. Leo was sitting in the middle seat right next to her!

"You're kidding me right?" Mia sputtered out.

Leo looked up at her and had a look of shock on his face. "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with this."

Mia huffed and looked at the seats around her. There was no way she was sitting next to him. She had to find someone who would switch with her. She noticed Omar and Melissa sitting in a two seater next to the window of the plane. She walked down to them.

"Omar, help a sister out. Please switch seats with me."

Omar sighed. "Sorry, Mia. No can do."

"Please, I'm begging you," she pleaded.

"Mia, I love you, but no. I really need the leg room."

Defeated, she looked over at Melissa who was sitting next to the window. "Meli?"

"Perdón, chama. I get really freaked out on planes if I can't see out the window."

"Great. The last thing I want is to sit next to Leo for the next nine hours. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, you can always make out with him if you get bored. You know, join the mile high club or something," Omar grinned.

Mia huffed again and stomped back to her seat. She noticed Leo looked amused. Another man had taken the aisle seat next to hers and was already taking up part of her seat. He was huge! He had light blue eyes, blond shaved hair, and was wearing a black suit. He looked like a freaking CIA agent. Mia remembered someone had once told her there were many agents in Finland since Finnish was such a difficult language to understand and very few people spoke it considering the world population. She wouldn't put it past her if he was one of them.

She hastily sat down and reached for her buckle but noticed the strap was wedged between her seat and Leo's. She decided it wasn't worth going anywhere near his thigh, so dropped the buckle all together and sighed. Why did he have to be so damn hot?

Leo chuckled. He pulled out the strap and handed it over to her. "Looking for this?"

Mia snapped it from him in resignation. She quickly put on her z-buds and turned on her iPod. She reached for her passport case and found some sleeping pills her mom had given her a while back. She popped in a pill and was thankful she hadn't slept on the plane ride earlier. She closed her eyes and prayed it would take effect soon. Yup, it would be one heck of a trip.

She woke up to the sound of the captain's voice over the intercom, announcing they would soon be landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Wow, she hadn't even stirred the entire time. That never happened.

For some reason she felt too comfortable for being on an airplane and when she opened her eyes she noticed she was sleeping on Leo's shoulder. Oh no! She immediately lifted her head and straightened her position. Leo was awake and looked at her curiously.

"Sorry."

"Didn't know you drooled in your sleep," Leo teased.

"I do not!" Mia responded with indignation. Did she? She desperately reached for her bag and pulled out a black mirror from Sephora.

Nothing. All clear. He was messing with her. "Leave me alone alright?"

Leo chuckled. "From the way you were cuddling up to me, it doesn't seem like that's what you really want."

"It's not. So stay away from me. Déjame en paz!" she snapped back.

Leo didn't respond. Mia looked down and noticed she had a blanket spread across her lap. She didn't exactly remember placing it there but quickly dismissed the thought before looking the other way. CIA was eyeing her suspiciously. Was it because he thought she had been rude or did he agree with her? Either way it had worked and Leo had left her alone. But was it what she really wanted?