Once Upon a Time in Veronaville

yay, an update
this story just keeps getting better & better

 

"You OK, Nora?" Tybalt asked over dinner that night. "You seem preoccupied."

"I'm sorry," she said, sighing. "It's just ... stuff."

"Such as?"

She looked at him. "I don't want to bore you."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll take my chances."

"I'm worried about my sister, for starters," she said. "She lives all by herself, and she's not the most responsible person. I wonder if I did the right thing, coming to college and all."

"I see."

"And then there's Juliet," she said, then put her hand over her mouth.

"What about Juliet?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell."

"Nora."

"She'll kill me."

"I'll protect you," he said, dryly. "Out with it."

"She broke up with Romeo."

Tybalt looked pleased. "Finally." He looked at her closely. "I suspect there's more."

"Uh huh."

"Yes?"

"Mercutio is interested in her."

He put his face in his hands. "The only person I hate more than Romeo. It figures." He looked up. "What did she say?"

"She hasn't decided yet. And you can't say anything," she said. "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

He sighed. "Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be for me to stay out of this?"

"I can make it worth your while," she said, running her fingers up his arm.

He smiled.

 

Later that night, as he kissed her goodnight outside her dorm room, she said, "You could stay. If you wanted to."

"Are you sure? I'm willing to wait."

She bit her lip. "I miss you at night."

"Well, we can't have that."

They went inside and closed the door.

 

They're cute, those two. I hope they don't get into trouble.

 

"Mercutio, I just don't know about this," Juliet said. "I don't want to cause problems between you and Romeo."

"I've loved you for a long time, but I never said anything," Mercutio said, "because you were his. And now you're not."

"It's so soon," she said.

"Not for me. Juliet, he never treated you the way I thought you should be treated. I will."

"I just don't know," she said again.

"Then, I'll wait," he said.

"Thank you," she said, and kissed him. It was meant to be a friendly kiss, but it quickly turned into something else.

"Wow," Mercutio said, finally.

"Yeah," Juliet said, dazed. "Wow."

"That didn't take long," Romeo said, angrily.

 

"My own brother," Romeo said, furious.

"What did you expect?" Juliet said, angrily. "That I'd just sit on a shelf because you didn't want me?"

"I never said I didn't want you."

"Oh, you just want me and every other girl you meet?" Juliet said. "Sorry, I don't play that way."

"And how are you any different?" he said, hotly.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," she said.

"How could you do this to me?" Romeo asked Mercutio.

Mercutio shrugged. "You blew it. I won't."

"You and I are no longer friends," Romeo said, poking him in the chest.

"Stop it!" Juliet said. "Hasn't there been enough fighting?"

"I'm not speaking to you," Romeo said, poking Mercutio again.

Nora and Tybalt walked in at that moment. Nora put her hand on Tybalt's arm. He rolled his eyes.

"Normally, I'd really be enjoying this," he said, "But I'm going to have to ask you to break it up."

"Who died and made you king?" Romeo asked.

"Break it up, or I'll break it up for you," Tybalt said.

"Come on, Mercutio, let's go," Juliet said.

Romeo glared at them all and stormed out of the building.

"Well," said Nora. "That went well."

 

Pictures ... Falling in and out of love, and back again.

 

YAY! Another update! I was afraid we'd have to wait until after your Camping Trip!

 

so way cool way to go witches!

 

Is Romeo ever going to get himself straightened out, I wonder?

 

"So," Tybalt said, "I've been thinking about Liza lately."

"You have?"

"Yes. You said you were worried about her. I think I can help."

"How?"

"She could go live with my family."

"I don't know, Tybalt," Nora said, slowly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why not? You wouldn't have to worry about her being on her own anymore."

"But I would have to worry about her living with your family."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Nora sighed. "Tybalt, you know I don't approve of your family's feud with the Montys. I don't want Liza exposed to that. What if she got hurt in the crossfire? I think she's safer at home."

"You really don't approve of my family, do you."

"I don't approve of the way they do business," she said, carefully. "I don't know them, and I don't pass judgment on people I don't know. I know this all seems normal to you, the hatred and vengeance, but trust me, it isn't."

"So you keep telling me."

"Tybalt, I love you. I love being with you. But you knew from the beginning that I don't like this ... atmosphere ... that you were brought up in. I don't want our children brought up that way. I don't want Liza exposed to it. And if you can't respect that I think we're going to have a problem."

"And I told you that's one of the things I love about you," he said, taking her hands. "All I'm asking is, you keep an open mind about my relatives, at least until you meet them."

"I'm trying to," she said. "I'm just very protective where Liza is concerned. For all practical purposes, I am her mother, and she's very dear to me. I don't want her hurt."

"And we'll do our best to make sure that doesn't happen," he said. "Are you sure she's OK, living alone?"

"The Summerdreams are across the street," Nora said, "But I'm not sure Puck is such a good influence. Maybe if she went to live with them, his parents could keep an eye on her? But it seems a lot to ask of someone I barely know. I think the best I can do is ask Titania to check in on her once in a while."

"If that's what you think is best," he said.

"I think for now that it is," she said. "She'll be off to college once we graduate."

"And there's no way she could get in trouble here," he said, rolling his eyes.

Nora gave him a halfhearted smile.

 

"We've been talking a lot about the future," Tybalt said, "as if it's a done deal. But there's one thing I've neglected to ask you."

"What's that?" Nora asked, her heart thumping hard in her chest. She knew what he was going to ask. The only trouble was, she didn't know what she was going to say.

He took a small box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "Nora, will you marry me?"

She opened the box. The diamond was beautiful, but it could have been a crackerjack prize for all she cared. She felt happier than she ever had before despite all her misgivings. She truly loved him, she knew. She thought about what her life would be like without him, and even with his crazy family and all the baggage that came with it she knew what she wanted.

"Yes," she said. "I'll marry you."

 

"My grandfather's going to want us to live with him," Tybalt said.

"Do we have to?" she asked, quietly. She'd never met the old man, and she wanted to keep an open mind about him, but all the stories she'd heard led her to believe he was a monster.

"It would mean a lot to him," Tybalt said. "I'd like to give it a try, all right?"

"Tybalt, do you want children?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. Don't you?"

"With all my heart. But ..."

"We will work together to make sure they have a 'normal' childhood, whatever that means," Tybalt said. "I promise. I won't let my grandfather's old grievances color their world if I can help it."

"I'm not sure you can help it," she said. "I'm not sure it's so very different from any other family. I just need to know that my children can be friends with whomever they like, can marry whomever they like, without starting a bloody feud. I need to know that you will help me to raise them to see the world in a positive light."

"I'll do my best," he said. "I'm not saying it will be easy. And no matter what I promise, my relatives may not follow suit."

"But you're going to be their leader, aren't you?"

"I guess."

"You can lead by example," she said. "We can do it together. And we can live in your grandfather's house when we graduate, as long as I know we can leave if we need to."

"That's all I can ask."

 

Hmmm. I think a teenager living along is a 'risky business.' But moving in with feuding families might be just as bad. Oi...Nora's so young for all the responsibility she's got. I hope she gets to have some fun soon.

ps: Glad your home safe from the wild woods, SBW.

 

Mercutio and Juliet were spending all of their time together. He had all but moved into her dorm room, and Juliet seemed to be walking on a cloud.

"I thought I was in love with Romeo," she told Nora, "but it was nothing like this. Mercutio doesn't care about being cool. He doesn't sulk when he doesn't get his way. He just cares about making me happy."

"And does he?" Nora asked.

"Oh, yes," Juliet said. "He makes me feel like a queen."

"Then I'm happy for you," Nora said, giving her friend a squeeze.

 

Hooray for another update! I'm glad Mercutio and Juliet are doing so well. And I can't really do anything but smile at pretty much all of Nora and Tybalt's conversations for some reason ... Well, keep updating! Or, something bad might happen somewhere! ...Just make this a really long story... Please... I get really sad when my favorite stories only go for little while... Man, I need to find a hobby or something...

 

Just before they all graduated, Mercutio asked Juliet to marry him, and she said yes. Romeo went into a sulk, and Patrizio Monty, Mercutio and Romeo's grandfather, promptly disinherited Mercutio.

Consort Capp, Tybalt and Juliet's grandfather, wasn't too happy about it either. "Don't expect any handouts from me," were his exact words. "You want to go and marry a slacker like that, there's nothing I can do to stop you, but you can forget about your inheritance, Missy."

"What are you going to do?" Nora asked Juliet.

"I don't know," Juliet said, setting her jaw, "but we'll figure something out."

"I may be able to help," Nora said. "Eliza's going to college soon, and I'll be moving into your old home, with Tybalt and your grandfather, which means my house will be standing empty. You're welcome to it."

"Really?" Juliet's eyes lit up. "Oh, Nora, that would be perfect. We've been looking, and well, I had no idea houses were so expensive! But, what will Eliza do?"

"That's four years from now," Nora said. "A lot can happen in four years. We'll figure it out then."

Juliet gave Nora a hug. "You're the best friend I could ever hope for," she said. "Thank you, Nora."

 

At Nora's insistence, she and Tybalt attended Juliet's wedding. Tybalt wasn't happy about his cousin's choice of husbands, but he was on his best manners throughout.

Tybalt's sister Hermia and Isabella Monty, Mercutio's grandmother, attended as well. "That old fool may think he runs the family, but I can go to my own grandson's wedding," she said, giving the bride and groom a hug. "You two need anything, you just give me a call."

Nora liked her instantly.

The ceremony was short and sweet. Nora held Tybalt's hand when they said I do, and he squeezed her fingers and smiled at her.

"Thank you for coming," Juliet said, hugging Tybalt. "It really means a lot to me."

He hugged her back, awkwardly. "Of course. You're my cousin."

"And you are both invited to our wedding next week," Nora said.

Tybalt gave her a look. She gave him one of her own, and he said, "Oh, yes, of course."

Juliet smiled knowingly at Nora. "I think I'm gonna like having you in the family," she whispered in her ear.

 

The Capp house was a monstrosity with its own cemetery. It took Nora a couple of days to figure out the house plan, as it made no sense. The house was drafy and cold, which suited the personality of its owner perfectly.

"Understand you gave my granddaughter and that no-goodnik she married a house," was almost the first thing Consort Capp said to her.

"Yes," she said.

"Well, you can just kick them out again. You're going to be a Capp, you'll act like one."

"Grandfather," Tybalt said quickly, seeing the murderous look in Nora's eyes, "I'll thank you not to order my fiancee around."

"Women in this family do as they're told," Consort snapped. "The sooner she learns that the better."

"I can't protect you if you insist on talking like an idiot," Tybalt said. "You don't want to cross her."

"Never thought I'd see the day my own grandson was whipped by a woman," Consort said.

"Not whipped, Grandfather. Respecting a person is not the same as letting them order you around. It's time you learned that."

"This is still my house!"

"If you'd like us to leave ... "

"Bah! Do as you like. No respect for the aged. I'm going to take a nap." The old man shuffled off to his rooms.

Tybalt turned to Nora, who was breathing hard through her nose, trying to control her temper.

"What do you say I take you out for lunch?" he asked.

"There had better be alcohol involved," she said.

He smiled. "I know just the place."

 

At night the Capp family ghosts roamed the property. Nora could hear them moaning. Normally she wouldn't have minded but these ghosts seemed especially restless, even angry. She wondered if it was time to send them to the Veronaville Cemetery, where her own Mama was now interred. Restless ghosts and her future children did not sound like a good combination to her.

The old man was in a sulk since his confrontation with Tybalt, and the silent treatment he'd been giving them suited her just fine. With Hermia off at college it was just the three of them, and Nora found herself thinking very uncharitable thoughts about just how long the old geezer had left in him.

"How long is he going to keep this up?" she asked one night.

"The silent treatment, you mean? He didn't talk to his daughter Cordelia for ten years," Tybalt said, with a sigh.

"What happened after ten years?"

"She died."

Nora stared at him. "Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face."

"I know. He's a stubborn old fool, but he is my grandfather. I know he's hard to live with." He kissed her forehead. "Thank you for trying."

She sighed. "I'm not trying very hard."

"Trust me, you're doing better than most."