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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
And while fear still lingered somewhere deep inside the walls after the previous night, Francesco held Leah closer beneath the blanket and listened to Cheddar breathing against his legs while winter rain tapped softly against the repaired glass.
The next morning felt quieter on the surface.
But not calmer.
There was a difference.
The mansion still carried that strange emotional tension left behind after something violent interrupted a place that was supposed to feel safe. Even with temporary repairs covering the broken rear window and security personnel rotating shifts outside the property now, the atmosphere inside never fully relaxed.
Not yet.
Francesco noticed it immediately when he woke.
Leah too.
Neither of them said it out loud at first, but both reacted instinctively to every unfamiliar sound again.
A car door outside.
Footsteps near the gate.
The distant buzz of voices beyond the walls.
Everything pulled attention immediately now.
Morning light filtered softly through the bedroom curtains while cold December rain drifted across Richmond again outside. Cheddar still slept beside the bed instead of downstairs. The dog had apparently decided permanent bodyguard duty was now part of his professional responsibilities.
Francesco stared up at the ceiling for a while after waking.
No football thoughts today.
No tactical preparation.
No training focus.
Just exhaustion.
Beside him Leah shifted slightly beneath the blankets before opening her eyes slowly.
"You sleep at all?" she asked quietly.
"A little."
"That means no."
"Correct."
She sighed softly before sitting up enough to lean back against the headboard beside him.
Outside, faintly through the windows, came the distant sound of camera shutters.
Still there.
Reporters again.
Leah heard it too.
Her shoulders tightened slightly automatically.
Francesco noticed immediately.
Without saying anything he reached over and took her hand gently.
"It's okay."
She nodded once.
"I know."
But fear didn't disappear because someone logically understood they were safe now.
That wasn't how fear worked.
Especially after hearing strangers inside your home at midnight.
Especially after seeing a knife.
Especially after adrenaline wore off and reality settled properly afterward.
Cheddar lifted his head a moment later before climbing halfway onto the bed despite definitely not fitting comfortably anymore.
Leah scratched behind his ears slowly.
"He really thinks he's security now."
"He emotionally earned promotion."
She gave him an exhausted look immediately.
"No."
"It's irreversible."
"You need rehabilitation."
"Walker destroyed my vocabulary."
Reasonable conclusion honestly.
Eventually they made their way downstairs slowly.
The mansion looked cleaner now after repair teams and forensic crews finished most of their work, but traces still remained everywhere if you looked long enough.
A faint crack near the replaced window frame.
Scuff marks against the floor near the television cabinet.
A dining chair still sitting slightly crooked after being knocked over during the struggle.
Tiny reminders.
Tiny ghosts.
Francesco noticed Leah glancing toward the repaired window instinctively the second they entered the kitchen.
Again, he noticed immediately.
Again, he moved closer without making it obvious.
Small things mattered after fear.
Coffee helped too.
At least slightly.
Francesco stood near the kitchen counter making breakfast while Leah sat wrapped in one of his oversized hoodies scrolling silently through her phone.
Cheddar positioned himself directly between them like a furry emotional checkpoint.
Outside the front gate, media presence had somehow grown even larger overnight.
More vans.
More cameras.
More reporters hoping for another statement or exclusive reaction.
The story had become massive now.
Not just football news anymore.
National news.
One channel even ran a headline calling Francesco "The Premier League Captain Who Fought Back."
He hated that headline immediately.
Another station replayed footage of his statement outside the gates from yesterday while analysts discussed athlete security in modern football.
Some coverage felt respectful.
Some felt uncomfortably sensational.
That part frustrated him more than he admitted aloud.
Because the reality of what happened still felt raw inside the house while outside it had already become content.
Leah looked up from her phone eventually.
"There are helicopters now."
Francesco blinked.
"…what?"
She turned the screen toward him.
Sure enough, social media clips already showed aerial footage of the Richmond property from news helicopters earlier that morning.
Jorge Mendes was probably having an aneurysm somewhere.
Francesco rubbed both hands slowly across his face.
"I miss when football was just football."
Leah smiled faintly.
"You were never going to get that life."
Probably true.
Still unfortunate.
He placed breakfast in front of her before sitting beside her at the kitchen island.
"You okay today?"
She thought about the answer properly first.
That honesty made him love her even more honestly.
"Better," she admitted quietly. "Still… weird."
"Weird how?"
Leah looked toward the living room briefly.
"Like I keep expecting another noise."
That one hit hard because he understood it completely.
Even he kept listening subconsciously for movement now.
Every creak.
Every unexpected sound.
The brain stayed alert long after danger passed.
Francesco reached over brushing his thumb softly across the back of her hand.
"We'll get through it."
She nodded slowly.
Then after a second:
"Thanks for staying home today."
"There's nowhere else I'd be."
And he meant that completely.
Wenger had already insisted he take another day away from training after hearing Leah was still badly shaken. The manager's exact words during their earlier morning call had been:
"Football can survive forty-eight hours without you. Your family comes first."
Very Wenger answer.
The club had also increased security around the mansion temporarily which meant large men wearing dark coats occasionally appeared outside windows like emotionally intimidating garden decorations.
Cheddar deeply distrusted all of them.
By late morning the media situation outside somehow became even more ridiculous.
At one point three separate television crews stood outside the gate doing live reports simultaneously while photographers waited beside parked cars hoping for another glimpse through the property entrance.
Leah peeked carefully through part of the curtain once before immediately stepping back.
"There's more today."
"Yeah."
"One guy literally has binoculars."
Francesco stared blankly.
"That feels illegal."
"Probably emotionally illegal at least."
He laughed softly despite himself.
That helped.
Tiny moments helped.
Around noon Jorge called again sounding approximately one argument away from personally throwing journalists into the Thames.
"Do not go outside today," he informed Francesco immediately.
"That wasn't the plan."
"Good. Because apparently now European outlets arrived too."
"…why?"
"Because you are globally famous and fought armed intruders with a baseball bat."
When phrased like that it sounded genuinely insane honestly.
Jorge continued.
"We're arranging stronger long-term security tonight. Cameras everywhere. Motion systems. Additional patrols."
"Alright."
"How's Leah?"
"Better."
"And you?"
Francesco looked toward the kitchen window quietly.
"I'm fine."
Jorge made the exact same disbelieving noise as yesterday.
"You're terrible at lying to me."
Fair.
The call ended after another few minutes of logistics and security updates.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly.
Quietly.
Francesco intentionally stayed close to Leah the entire day even when doing completely normal things.
Watching television.
Making tea.
Walking into the garden briefly with Cheddar while security watched the perimeter nearby.
Small ordinary moments suddenly mattered more after something threatened them.
At one point they sat together on the sofa beneath a blanket while muted football coverage played across the television.
Sky Sports replayed Arsenal's win over City again.
Then immediately transitioned into discussion about the break-in afterward.
The emotional whiplash still felt surreal.
Leah leaned lightly against Francesco's shoulder while staring at the screen.
"You know what's weird?"
"What?"
"Two days ago everyone was talking about your goal."
"And now?"
"Now they're talking about whether you should've been arrested for assaulting burglars."
Francesco blinked.
"…what?"
She pointed toward the television where one pundit actually debated "appropriate use of force."
Francesco stared for three full seconds.
"They had a knife."
"I know."
"Inside my house."
"I know."
"And people are debating this?"
"Welcome to television."
Fair enough honestly.
Cheddar barked suddenly near the front hallway.
Not aggressive this time.
Alert.
Different.
Then came the sound of vehicles outside the property gates followed by security speaking through intercom systems.
Francesco immediately sat up straighter instinctively before realizing something important.
No anxiety from Cheddar.
Tail wagging.
Recognition.
A few moments later the doorbell rang.
Leah looked toward him.
"You expecting someone?"
Then another familiar voice carried faintly from outside the entrance hallway.
"Francesco?"
Mum.
He stood immediately.
Relief hit almost instantly.
When Francesco opened the front door moments later, Sarah stepped inside the mansion already looking emotional before she'd even fully crossed the entrance.
Mike followed behind carrying bags and wearing the expression of a man who still wanted to personally fight the burglars himself despite arriving two days late.
The second Sarah saw both Francesco and Leah standing there unharmed in person, her eyes visibly watered again.
"Oh thank God."
She moved instantly.
First hugging Francesco hard enough to nearly crush his ribs.
Then immediately pulling Leah into the same emotional attack approximately half a second later.
"I needed to see you both myself," she admitted shakily.
Leah hugged her tightly back.
"We're okay."
"I know but I still needed to see you."
Very mother logic.
Completely understandable.
Mike closed the door behind them before looking around the mansion slowly.
The repaired window.
The subtle damage still visible near the living room.
The extra security outside.
His jaw tightened visibly.
"Jesus."
Francesco exhaled quietly.
"Yeah."
Mike stepped forward next pulling his son into a strong hug before holding him at arm's length afterward.
"You alright?"
"Yes."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Then Mike glanced toward Leah too.
"And you?"
"A little better today."
Sarah still looked emotionally unconvinced by everyone's claims of being fine.
She touched Francesco's face briefly like she was reassuring herself he was actually standing there unharmed.
"When you said there was a knife…" she whispered.
Francesco looked down quietly.
"I know."
"You could've died."
Direct words.
Honest words.
The room fell silent for a second afterward.
Because nobody could really argue against it.
Mike eventually cleared his throat lightly trying to shift the atmosphere before it became too heavy again.
Then Cheddar arrived.
And immediately destroyed emotional tension by sprinting toward the guests like a furry missile.
Sarah laughed through lingering tears the second the dog launched himself against her legs.
"There's my brave boy."
Cheddar accepted this praise heroically.
Mike pointed toward the dog.
"He's the real security around here apparently."
"That's what he believes too," Leah admitted.
Cheddar barked proudly as confirmation.
The afternoon softened gradually after that.
Not completely normal.
But warmer.
Family helped.
Sarah immediately slipped into full mother mode the second coats came off.
Checking whether they'd eaten enough.
Asking if they slept.
Complaining about reporters outside.
Touching shoulders reassuringly every ten minutes like she still needed physical confirmation everyone remained safe.
At one point she wandered into the living room and stopped near the repaired window quietly.
Her expression changed instantly seeing the remaining damage properly up close.
"This is where they came in?"
Francesco nodded once beside her.
Sarah wrapped both arms around herself instinctively.
"That's terrifying."
"It was."
She looked toward him immediately hearing how calmly he said it.
Too calmly maybe.
Mothers noticed those things.
"You're still running on adrenaline," she observed softly.
Francesco didn't answer immediately.
Because honestly?
She was right.
Mike meanwhile stood near the kitchen island speaking quietly with Leah.
"You know," he admitted, "your mum nearly booked flights at four in the morning because she thought you both needed emergency evacuation."
Leah laughed softly.
"That sounds about right."
"She also spent twenty minutes explaining to me how she would personally fight burglars with gardening equipment."
From the living room Sarah shouted immediately:
"I heard that!"
Mike looked delighted.
"Good."
The atmosphere gradually became lighter after that.
Small conversations.
Tea.
Food Sarah absolutely insisted on helping prepare despite technically being a guest.
Normal family rhythms returning slowly inside a house that badly needed them.
Outside, reporters still waited near the gates beneath the fading winter afternoon.
But inside the mansion now, warmth finally pushed back properly against the lingering fear for the first time since the break-in.
At one point Sarah sat beside Francesco quietly while the others spoke near the kitchen.
"You scared me," she admitted softly.
He looked down at his hands.
"Sorry."
"No." She touched his arm gently immediately. "Don't apologize. I'm proud of you."
That surprised him slightly.
Sarah smiled sadly.
"You protected people you love. That instinct comes from your father."
From the kitchen Mike shouted:
"And emotional greatness!"
Francesco stared blankly toward the ceiling.
"No. Absolutely not."
Leah nearly choked laughing.
Sarah looked horrified.
"Oh no. It spread here too?"
"Walker infected the population," Francesco muttered.
Mike looked deeply proud of himself anyway.
The warmth inside the mansion had finally started feeling real again by late afternoon.
Not complete safety.
Not complete peace.
But something closer to stability.
The kind that only returned when familiar voices filled empty rooms again.
Rain still drifted softly outside across Richmond while security personnel rotated quietly near the gates beyond the front drive. Reporters remained there too of course, their vans and camera equipment still clustered outside the property like stubborn shadows refusing to leave.
But inside?
Inside finally felt human again.
The kitchen smelled like tea and fresh food now instead of cold air and police equipment. Mike had somehow taken control of making coffee despite not actually living there, while Sarah continued emotionally supervising everyone's wellbeing with the intensity of a woman who still hadn't recovered from hearing the words knife and intruders in the same sentence involving her son.
Leah sat curled beside Francesco on the sofa while Cheddar stretched across both their legs like a heavily breathing carpet.
For the first time in nearly forty-eight hours, the silence inside the mansion no longer felt threatening.
Then the intercom buzzed again.
Everyone looked up instinctively.
That automatic tension still hadn't disappeared.
Mike frowned slightly toward the hallway.
"Expecting someone else?"
Leah glanced toward her phone before blinking once.
"Oh."
"What?"
"My parents."
Francesco immediately sat straighter.
"They're here?"
Leah nodded slowly.
"They said they were thinking about coming earlier but I thought they meant tomorrow."
Another buzz sounded from the security gate outside followed by muffled voices through the intercom system.
Then Leah's phone lit up.
Mum Calling.
Sarah immediately stood up.
"Well don't leave them outside!"
Very mother energy.
Leah laughed softly before answering quickly while heading toward the entrance hallway.
"Hi... yeah, come through. Security will open the gate."
Francesco exchanged a small glance with Mike.
"Busy house."
Mike shrugged.
"Trauma creates family gatherings."
Reasonable observation honestly.
A few moments later headlights swept briefly across the front windows as another vehicle rolled carefully up the driveway outside.
Cheddar lifted his head immediately.
Tail wagging already.
Friendly arrival.
The front door opened moments later and cold evening air rushed into the hallway alongside three familiar figures stepping inside.
David first.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Still wearing a dark winter coat damp from the rain outside.
Behind him came Amanda, whose expression instantly carried the same emotional panic Sarah had worn earlier the second she saw Leah standing there safely in person.
And trailing slightly behind them was Jacob.
Leah's younger brother.
Who looked approximately two seconds away from personally declaring war on all burglars in England.
The second Amanda saw Leah properly, she moved immediately.
"Oh sweetheart."
She wrapped Leah into a tight hug instantly while visibly emotional already.
Leah hugged her back just as tightly.
"I'm okay."
"I know but let me panic anyway."
Very parent answer.
David stepped forward next, placing both hands briefly against Leah's shoulders while looking her over carefully.
"You alright?"
"Better."
He nodded once slowly but his jaw still looked tight with lingering anger underneath.
Then his attention shifted toward Francesco.
And for a second neither of them spoke.
Not awkward.
Just heavy.
Because both men understood exactly how close things could've gone differently.
David eventually stepped forward and pulled Francesco into a strong hug too.
"You protected her," he said quietly.
Francesco looked uncomfortable immediately.
"I just reacted."
"Still."
That one word carried weight.
Real weight.
Jacob meanwhile finally entered fully into the living room before immediately looking around at the repaired window and remaining subtle damage still visible nearby.
"…bloody hell."
Accurate reaction honestly.
Cheddar chose that exact moment to sprint toward the newcomers with maximum emotional enthusiasm.
Jacob barely had time to react before the dog launched himself against his legs.
"Well at least someone's happy," Jacob laughed while crouching down immediately.
Cheddar accepted attention heroically.
Amanda still looked shaken even while removing her coat.
"When Leah called us yesterday…" She exhaled hard. "I genuinely thought I was going to faint."
Sarah moved beside her immediately in full shared-parent-trauma solidarity.
"I cried for approximately six straight hours."
"Same."
Mike raised one finger calmly from the kitchen.
"To be fair, both of you also threatened to personally fight criminals."
"We still might," Amanda replied instantly.
Leah burst out laughing softly.
"That's terrifying actually."
The atmosphere shifted gradually after that the same way it had earlier with Francesco's parents.
Not magically healed.
But warmer.
Safer.
The mansion that had felt violated and hollow after the break-in slowly filled with overlapping conversations, movement, and familiar family energy again.
David spoke quietly with Mike near the kitchen island about security systems and police reports while Sarah and Amanda naturally migrated toward emotionally checking whether Leah and Francesco had eaten properly in the last twenty-four hours.
Jacob meanwhile sat cross-legged on the living room carpet playing tug-of-war with Cheddar using the dog's tennis ball.
"Honestly mate," Jacob informed the dog seriously, "you're basically Batman now."
Cheddar barked proudly.
Francesco sat back against the sofa cushions quietly watching everything for a moment.
And only then did he fully realize how tense he'd stayed since the break-in happened.
Because this?
This felt grounding.
Family arguing softly over tea.
Parents overreacting together.
Jacob making dramatic speeches to the dog.
Normal human noise.
Leah eventually sat beside him again, leaning lightly into his side while watching their parents slowly take over the kitchen together like emotionally supportive invaders.
"My mum's already reorganizing your fridge," she whispered.
Francesco looked genuinely alarmed.
"That feels permanent."
"She copes through food."
"Your entire family copes through emotional intensity."
"So does yours."
Fair point honestly.
At one stage Sarah wandered back toward the repaired rear window again alongside Amanda.
Both women stood there quietly for a moment looking at the damage properly.
The faint marks still visible along the frame.
The subtle scratches against the floor.
The space where broken glass had scattered only two nights earlier.
Amanda folded her arms tightly.
"I hate imagining you here during it."
Leah moved beside her mother quietly.
"It was terrifying."
Amanda immediately pulled her daughter into another hug.
Francesco looked away respectfully for a second.
Because hearing fear spoken out loud somehow made everything feel more real again.
David noticed too.
He moved beside Francesco near the sofa while the others spoke quietly nearby.
"How're you actually holding up?" he asked carefully.
Not football interview careful.
Real careful.
Francesco thought about lying automatically.
Then decided against it.
"I don't really know yet."
David nodded slowly like he respected the honesty.
"That's probably the correct answer."
For a moment both men watched rain slide slowly down the windows.
Then David spoke again quieter this time.
"When Leah told us one of them had a knife…" He exhaled hard. "I've never felt fear like that."
Francesco swallowed slightly.
The image replayed instantly again.
The flash of the blade.
Cheddar barking.
Adrenaline.
"I didn't really think," he admitted.
"Probably good."
"Maybe."
David looked toward Leah briefly before returning his eyes toward Francesco.
"But thank you."
Simple words.
Heavy words.
Francesco shifted uncomfortably again hearing gratitude for something that still felt messy and frightening inside his own head.
"You don't need to thank me."
"I do."
Dinner eventually became inevitable once two sets of parents occupied the same house.
Especially with Sarah and Amanda now emotionally united through maternal panic and therefore apparently determined to feed everyone until psychological recovery occurred.
The kitchen transformed into organized chaos surprisingly quickly.
Mike somehow handled chopping vegetables despite repeatedly stealing pieces before they reached the pan.
Jacob continued distracting Cheddar by throwing tennis balls down the hallway while David opened wine bottles nobody really planned on drinking much of.
And through all of it, little fragments of normality slowly returned.
Not permanently.
Not fully.
But enough to breathe again.
Francesco found himself standing near the stove at one point helping Sarah with sauce while Amanda prepared plates nearby.
"You know," Sarah muttered quietly without looking at him, "I still can't believe you fought burglars with a baseball bat."
Francesco sighed tiredly.
"Can everyone stop saying it like I joined the Avengers?"
Amanda laughed softly despite herself.
"You have to admit it sounds dramatic."
"It felt dramatic."
"That's because it was dramatic," Leah called immediately from the dining area.
Jacob pointed toward Francesco proudly.
"Honestly? That's proper action movie behavior."
"No," Francesco replied immediately. "Absolutely not."
Mike looked delighted again.
"Emotionally heroic though."
Francesco physically lowered his head into his hands.
"It's spreading through generations now."
Leah nearly fell sideways laughing.
Even David smiled for the first time properly all evening hearing that.
Eventually dinner settled around the large dining table beneath warm lights while rain continued softly outside the mansion windows.
The house still carried scars from the break-in.
But now it also carried laughter again.
Conversation again.
Life again.
Plates filled gradually while glasses clinked softly and overlapping discussions moved between football, family stories, security systems, and repeated parental insistence that everyone should maybe move into one heavily fortified bunker together forever.
Cheddar positioned himself strategically beside the table hoping emotional bravery translated into extra food privileges.
He was partially correct.
At first the conversation avoided the actual incident directly.
Not intentionally exactly.
More carefully.
Like everyone understood the subject still sat heavily beneath the surface.
But eventually, after enough warmth returned to the room, Jacob finally looked toward Francesco curiously.
"So… what actually happened?"
The table quieted slightly.
Not uncomfortable.
Just attentive.
Leah instinctively looked toward Francesco immediately.
Checking.
Making sure he wanted to answer.
Francesco noticed and squeezed her hand gently beneath the table once before nodding slightly.
"It's alright."
Then he leaned back slowly in his chair exhaling quietly.
"We were asleep when we heard the window break."
The room listened closely.
Outside the rain continued softly against the glass.
Francesco spoke calmly.
Not dramatically.
Just honestly.
"Cheddar started barking immediately. Different barking than usual." He glanced down toward the dog beside the table. "Aggressive."
Cheddar wagged proudly hearing his name.
Leah smiled faintly.
"I knew something was wrong immediately," Francesco continued. "I told Leah to call the police while I went downstairs."
Amanda visibly looked stressed already hearing this.
Sarah too.
"You went down alone?" David asked quietly.
Francesco nodded once.
"I grabbed the baseball bat from upstairs first."
Jacob looked deeply impressed immediately.
Leah pointed toward him.
"No encouraging this."
"Sorry," Jacob muttered while absolutely not looking sorry.
Francesco continued anyway.
"I heard two voices downstairs. One near the television. The other searching through drawers."
The room stayed silent now.
Even Mike leaned forward slightly listening.
"One of them tried kicking Cheddar away."
Instant outrage erupted around the table.
"What?!" Sarah snapped immediately.
Mike looked personally offended.
David shook his head sharply.
"Cowards."
Cheddar looked pleased by the support.
Francesco scratched behind the dog's ears absentmindedly before continuing quieter now.
"I hit the first guy before he saw me."
Jacob blinked once.
"…bloody hell."
"Jacob," Amanda warned automatically.
"What? He did!"
Leah rubbed one hand lightly against Francesco's arm beneath the table while he kept speaking.
"The second guy pulled a knife after that."
The atmosphere shifted instantly heavier again.
Everyone listening now pictured it properly.
Not headlines.
Not television.
Real fear.
Real danger.
Amanda covered her mouth slightly.
Sarah looked down at the table for a second.
David's jaw tightened again immediately.
Francesco noticed all of it.
And suddenly realized this was the first time he'd actually described the moment fully out loud to people he loved.
Weirdly emotional.
"I reacted before he could reach me properly," Francesco admitted quietly. "I hit his arm first. The knife dropped."
Leah looked down slightly hearing it again.
Even now the memory still visibly shook her.
"He kept trying to get back up," Francesco continued. "Then police arrived."
Silence followed briefly afterward.
Not empty silence.
Processing silence.
Mike eventually exhaled slowly.
"Jesus Christ."
"No kidding," Jacob muttered quietly.
Amanda looked toward Leah immediately.
"You heard all this upstairs?"
Leah nodded once.
"I heard shouting. Cheddar barking. Things breaking." She swallowed slightly. "Then police."
Sarah reached across the table squeezing Leah's hand gently.
"You poor thing."
Leah smiled weakly.
"I think the adrenaline helped at first."
"Then it crashes later," David said softly.
Francesco glanced toward him.
"Yeah."
That simple word carried exhaustion underneath it now.
The emotional kind.
The room stayed quieter for a few moments afterward.
Not because anyone regretted asking.
Because now everyone understood the reality underneath the headlines properly.
Not football drama.
Not media spectacle.
Just two frightened people trapped in a terrifying situation.
Eventually Mike deliberately shifted the mood slightly.
"Well." He pointed toward Cheddar. "At least security services performed heroically."
Cheddar immediately barked once like confirmation.
That broke tension enough for laughter to return around the table again.
Even Leah laughed properly this time.
Small but genuine.
Jacob raised his glass dramatically toward the dog.
"To Sir Cheddar. Defender of Richmond."
Cheddar wagged violently.
Francesco shook his head tiredly.
"He's never recovering from this ego boost."
"Nor should he," Sarah replied instantly.
The evening softened gradually afterward.
Dinner plates emptied slowly while conversations drifted back toward safer territory.
Football again.
Childhood stories.
Mike embarrassingly retelling old Francesco academy moments.
Jacob asking tactical questions about Arsenal's win against City.
David discussing security upgrades with alarming seriousness.
And through all of it, the mansion kept feeling more alive.
More protected somehow.
Not because of alarms or guards outside.
Because of people.
Hours later, long after dinner ended and empty glasses sat scattered across the table while rain continued against the windows, as Francesco stood quietly near the living room watching everyone together.
Sarah and Amanda discussing recipes, while Mike pretending Cheddar understood football tactics.
Jacob laughing with Leah near the sofa, with David speaking calmly with one of the security staff near the entrance hallway.
Normal life.
Messy life.
Beautiful ordinary life.
Leah eventually moved beside him slipping one arm around his waist gently.
"You okay?"
Francesco looked around the warm room quietly before answering.
"Yeah."
And this time?
For the first time since the break-in happened, he actually meant it as he feel peace and safe.
______________________________________________
Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 18 (2016)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : 2014/2015 Premier League, 2014/2015 FA Cup, 2015/2016 Community Shield, 2016/2017 Premier League, 2015/2016 Champions League, Euro 2016, Premier League Champion 2016/2017, and 2016/2017 Champions League.
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 20
Goal: 25
Assist: 1
MOTM:3
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 2
Goal: 2
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 16/17 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 55
Goal: 87
Assist: 5
MOTM: 14
POTM: 1
England:
Match: 1
Goal: 1
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 15/16 stats:
Arsenal:
Match Played: 60
Goal: 82
Assist: 10
MOTM: 9
POTM: 1
England:
Match Played: 2
Goal: 4
Assist: 0
Euro 2016
Match Played: 6
Goal: 13
Assist: 4
MOTM: 6
Season 14/15 stats:
Match Played: 35
Goal: 45
Assist: 12
MOTM: 9