The Journey
Part 17's

"you.... How did it get here? Do you know how worried we were when you guys just left?!" said the guest with a familiar tone of worry

Alex and Irene looked at Marcus smiling at them and lowered themselves to as high as Alex and Irene

"hey baby listen uncle, they're worried about you. They're looking for you" Marcus said, trying to give understanding to alex and Irene

"ta-but" Alex's speech was cut off by Marcus who this time gave a stern look to Alex

" no but boy, they think you're their own son who disappeared. Uncle has been watching them for a long time and they have not given up on looking for you and if you go back to them it will not get you eliminated from here. You are free to come here whenever you want" Marcus said with a genuine smile

Alex and Irene turned her gaze back to her uncle's eyes. Benjamin or ben, Marcus's younger brother during college, is the guest Marcus invites to his penthouse to meet them.

ben slowly walks in front of Alex and Irene, lowering his position to level with Alex and Irene. Looking at Alex and Irene with intense gazes yet also a huge longing gaze towards them.

"you are growing fast" lirih ben said in a sad tone as she rubbed Alex's cheek with her left hand and irene's cheek with her right

For a moment both Alex and Irene feel guilty to ben and simon. ben and simon have been kind to them but they instead attack them and escape.

"....... I'm sorry" Irene said softly to ben with teary eyes

(sorry)

"me too, I'm sorry uncle" Alex said with his head lowered

(i'm sorry too)

ben who saw that shook his head violently. Rejecting Alex and irene's apologies because the guilty ones are her and simon who didn't tell Alex and irene about their new family life. He understood that the two of them must be in shock with the sudden reality.

"it's not your fault, we're wrong for not telling you. It's okay if you want to settle down with your real uncle, at least we're calm because knowing you're in good shape is fine" Ben said with a small smile. His eyes glazed over as he looked at Alex and Irene whom they had been looking for so long and now Alex and Irene stood in front of him in good condition without any injuries making the worry that had been in his heart disappear it is instantaneous and replaced by a feeling of happiness.

ben remembers the first time Alex and Irene had come with Simon to their Italian mansion. Those with a little mentally shaken and have trauma let alone irene who has trauma to the 'family' that was enough in making both himself and simon leave his job for a while to make sure if Irene felt safe with them. Their bodies were as young as children their age now Alex and Irene were even taller than children their age, if they have always never shown their emotions to anyone even their loved ones due to trauma now they always show their emotions to the people they care about. neither Ben nor Simon will force the two of them to return to the arms of the andreas family, they are quite calm after knowing that Alex and Irene are in good condition with needs that will always be met. That's more than enough for Ben and Simon.

Drrt... Drrt...

"i have to go, I have some business to take care of.  Alex, Irene take care of yourself okay don't get sick. Uncle is glad you're in good shape, Uncle will make sure to tell your condition to your daddy so he doesn't worry about you. All you have to do is live normally, play if you want, make friends so that you are not lonely, do whatever you want as long as you do not violate anything and endanger yourself. Be happy, uncle loves you.  Excuse me sir and thank you for bringing us together" Ben told Marcus sincerely after speaking to Alex and Irene, and then we went from Marcus' penthouse with Marcus driving him to his penthouse exit

Marcus turned his gaze to his two nephews who were still staring at the door that ben passed to leave, approached them and aligned his height with his nephew.

Marcus could see the tears welling up in Alex and Irene's eyes as if they were about to spill as they blinked.

"uncle.. ben" shimmered Yoona without turning his gaze at the door and Marcus who clearly heard the shrill voice of irene.

Hixes

The sound of sobbing shifted Marcus's gaze from Irene to Alex who was now crying silently while still looking towards the exit.

Marcus followed his two-pound gaze toward the still-closed exit, after a moment of silence. Marcus carries Irene in his cradle and holds Alex's small hand to sit them on the living room couch.

After making sure they were seated safely, Marcus immediately left the living room without caring for Alex and Irene's gaze, who felt they were being ignored. The tears of the two grew more and more as the thought entered their heads, leaving them unable to hold back their sobs.

Marcus returns with two small bags belonging to Alex and Irene, putting them on the sofa and opening the contents. The change of clothes, that's what Alex and Irene saw from inside the bag as supported by the uncle's actions their thinking became complicated. Their cries instead of dissecting were even more severe, Marcus did not care about their cries and focused on his activity of changing their clothes that Alex and Irene did not realize

"well, come!" marcus said after finishing his activities, still seeing Alex and Irene who were still crying was quite great.

Marcus, without much talking, put his nephew's bag on his own owner, put shoes on his nephew and on himself and carried his two nephews at once.

"hey, stop crying later you're dizzy and your throat hurts" Marcus said subtly trying to keep his nephew quiet, he certainly didn't want his nephew to get sick.

Stepping out of his penthouse Marcus immediately walked towards the elevator, still trying to calm his two nephews who were still crying did not pay attention to the gaze of people who saw them curious while in the lobby.His gaze was now fixated on one person who was about to enter the black car, but he was still looking at the other, Alex and Irene can also see the person who is about to enter the black car that is none other than ben. Suddenly their cries grew louder and Ben looked at them

"hiks..... UNCLE!.... hiks.." sobs irene with a hand trying to reach ben.

"no... No don't go!!... Hiks" sobs Alex is not as bad as Irene is really crying hard, Alex is still a little calm but still makes Marcus worried about both.