HARRY

"Someone should go check on her," I said, glancing over at the heavy wooden door leading to Marco's room.
"Someone who isn't you," Liam replied. I shot a glance and Liam who added in a hushed tone, "she doesn't need you to rescue her Harry."
"Did you hear the shouting last night?" I countered. The sudden recollection of shouts and bangs echoing around the villa last night as Marco and Thalia had battled out their feelings suddenly surfaced. It had been unbearable at times and more than once the guys had needed to stop me from storming over there in an attempt to break it up.
"Yeah, reminds me of the domestics you two used to get into," snorted Niall.
Liam broke into a smirk and his words while I glowered. On catching my eye, the smile slid slowly off Niall's face.
"But I agree someone should go check on her," He then coughed. Liam nodded, though avoided my eye as well.
"Fine. Who's it going to be?" I asked impatiently.
Liam and Niall exchanged awkward looks. Both were concerned, but neither wanted to be the one to intrude on anyone's business.
"Well, I mean we cou-"
"Ready lads?" Louis' cheerful voice cut through Liam's words. He had just entered the hallway, Tilly bouncing on her toes behind him.
"Just waiting on Thalia," Liam replied in answer to Louis' question. His tone had picked up as he looked at Louis pointedly.
"Oh." Louis frowned as he looked at us, his eyes bouncing back and fourth between the three of us. Finally, as if coming to some sort of conclusion, he turned to Tilly. "Tilly! Care to go wake up your sister?"
Tilly broke into a smile, but on seeing our faces beam and the idea, paused, "and why do you want me to do it?"
There was another moment's pause before Liam said nervously, "well we can't just go bursting in on a girl can we? She might be changing!"
Tilly raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "That's never stopped you before."
"She has a point," I chuckled, as the others broke into their own smiles.
"Look Tills," Louis said, turning serious as he crossed his arms nervously. "Truth of the matter is that we heard Thal and Marco getting into a domestic last night and we figure if anyone's gonna go in there it better be her lovable little sister."
Tilly's frown deepened momentarily in worry before she broke into a smile and rolled her eyes. "Alright, stand aside boys."
"Thank you Tills," I called quietly as she headed down the hall. As she waved a hand over her head it hit me just how like Thalia she really was. Tilly had been concerned on hearing that her sister and Marco had been fighting, but like Thalia, had quickly slipped on a mask to hide her emotions. And now, there she was walking right into the line of fire to make sure Thalia was okay.
She walked right up to the door, raised a hand and knocked gently three times. When there was no reply she tested out the knob and found it unlocked. After flashing a mischievous little smirk in our direction she pushed open the door, calling out quietly, "Thalia?"
I strained my ears to hear something, anything, that would give me a clue as to what was happening behind the door. Had Marco lost his temper? Did Thalia need help?
"Thalia?" Tilly asked again, her voice growing in urgency. "Thalia are you okay?"
I stepped forward as Tilly slipped through the opening, the door clicking shut behind her. Looking over at the others, I found worried expressions matching my own.
"Should we-"
"Pack the car?" Liam interjected.
"But-"
"They're fine Harry."
"But what if-"
"Thalia needs te do this fer herself." Niall cut in, giving a finality to the situation. "Liam's right, she don't need ya te rescue her. She needs te walk away on her own."
"Come on Haz. I know Marco's a prat but he won't try and pull anything with Tilly in there." Louis looked at me pleadingly as he spoke. "Let her do this for herself, and then you'll be there to pick up the pieces."
I looked back towards the door longingly. But the guys were right. With a heavy sigh I turned my back on the door and followed the others back to our room to grab the rest of our belongings.
We made short work of packing the car, having already packed most of it while waiting for Thalia earlier. Tilly would have to sit on the bench in the front seat with either Thal or one of the guys. Speaking of Tilly, she had yet to return with Thalia. I let out a sigh and impatiently checked my watch for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning before Niall's voice distracted me.
"Haz," he whispered, nudging my side. "Don't make a scene."
I snapped my head up and looked around frantically before finally spotting Thalia. She was hugging Señora Conti goodbye, a small smile on her face. Her brown hair was pulled back into two loose braids which looked like they had been done by Tilly. Thalia pulled the shawl she was wearing tighter around herself as she waved goodbye once more.
"Mission accomplished," Tilly said, walking over to Niall and I and shooting us a wink. "You two owe me though."
Niall let out a laugh. "What fer? We was jus' helpin ya strengthen the bond with yer older sister. You should be owin us!"
Tilly's eyes narrowed. "I don't know how listening to Marco and Thal bicker is helping to ah 'strengthen our bond'...but whatever Ni."
"They were arguing in front of you?" I frowned, Tilly's words distracting me from staring at Thalia.
Tilly snorted in response. "Oh yeah. As far as Marco was concerned I may as well have been on Mars."
I shot Niall a look in annoyance. He gave me a weak smile in response before tuning back to Tilly. "What were they fighting about?"
"Niall, I'm offended you would even ask!" Tilly cried out, her eyes widening in mock horror. "What a girl overhears her sister and her ex boyfriend arguing about is-"
"Ex-boyfriend?" I cut in, my attention now solely focused on Tilly.
"Hmm?" Tilly asked curiously.
"You said ex boyfriend."
"Did I?" She frowned. "Huh."
Tilly shot me another wink, this time accompanied with a small smile, before running off to Louis.
Ex-boyfriend? Does that mean Thalia has actually done it then? I chanced another glance in her direction and found she was standing a little way from the entrance, staring up at the large villa. She was pensive, and as always I found myself wondering what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. Her eyes seemed to be trained on one window in particular and as I looked up my stomach gave a painful lurch. Marco was standing at the window, staring back at her.
"Here Haz." Something nudged at my side and I looked down to see Louis handing me an orange. I frowned at him and he shrugged, "Signora Conti gave them to us for the road."
"Right, thanks." I took the orange and glanced back at Thalia who was now slowly making her way over to us. Her eyes were red and she looked as if she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Clearing my throat, I smiled, "Morning. How's your leg?"
"Twinning a bit," she replied with a small grimace. "Does that mean it's going to rain?"
"Probably, isn't that the most reliable way to tell the weather?" I asked, shooting her a small wink. Thalia broke into a light laugh before leaning against the car for support. I took the opportunity to exam her more closely. She had definitly been crying. She was also wearing the same clothes she had on last night, though now they were slightly more wrinkled.
"Shall we get going then?" Louis interjected, he looked nervous as he added, "Thalia looks like she's about to pass out."
“I’m alright.” Thalia gave a weak smile in response, no where near her usual cheerful demeanor. “Just tired, promise. I’ll be fine after a quick nap.”
“Better squeeze in there next to Niall then,” Liam smirked, making his way over and looking slightly concerned. “I’ve heard he makes an excellent pillow.”
Thalia rolled her eyes and hobbled closer to the door. I held out my arm for support and she carefully lowered herself into the vehicle and scooted into the middle seat. Liam shot me a meaningful look before clambering in the front seat and snapping the door shut. After one last wave to the Conti family I headed over towards the drivers side and climbed in my own seat.
“Everyone cozy?” I asked, craning my neck to see Niall, Thalia, and Liam crammed in the backseat. Tilly was precariously perched half with her bottom on the seat between Louis and I and her legs resting lazily on the Lu's lap.
“As cozy as we can be in this tiny ass car,” Niall mumbled, earning a smack on the leg from Louis. “What was tha’ for!”
“Watch your language!” Louis replied. “We have innocent ears here!”
Thalia, Tilly and Niall all rolled their eyes in response, earning chuckles from Liam and I. A sudden sense of euphoria washed over me as I looked at them all. We were finally leaving this God forsaken villa. No more stuck-up Nicola. No more cheating Marco. Just me, my best friends, and the girl I had fallen madly in love with.

"Right. Let's get out of this place," I chuckled.
"Do you know how to get out?" Tilly frowned, as I put the car in gear and headed for the road.
"Well that's what you're here for aren't you?" I replied. "You're my co-captain."
"Oi! I thought I was your co-captain?" Louis cried out.
Niall snorted from the backseat, "why would you be co-captain?"
"Because I'm in the front seat Niall," Louis hissed.
"Tha' don't mean yer a co-captain."
"Niall," Thalia pleaded. I glanced back in the mirror to see her rest her head on his shoulder in a silent plea to stop the coming argument. She wrapped the shawl closely around herself like a blanket and I felt myself smile.
Louis ignored Thalia and said, "Excuse you, I am the greatest captain."
"Yeah, alright!" Niall chuckled, rolling his eyes in sarcasm.
"Well at least I'm more useful than the luggage, Niall," Louis snapped back.
"Will someone please just tell me if I'm turning right or left?" I called above the banter.
"Right!"
"Thanks Liam!"
"Shh, why don't we all play a game?" Thalia said quietly. "Who can stay quiet the longest?"
"Nah, that's a boring game," waved Louis.
"Yeah besides Thal," Liam chuckled, "you don't really want to stay silent all the way back to Rome do you?"

***
THALIA

"Rome?" I frowned as Liam pulled me from my thoughts of Marco. "Liam, we agreed on the train station."
"Thal," he condescended. "We're not going to make you take the train back."
"We don't fit in this car!" I protested.
"Sure we do," shrugged Niall. "Tilly finally gets the front seat!"
"And I love it!" Cried Tilly.
"The front seat that she's sharing with Louis you mean?" I quickly contradicted. "Tell me boys, when did you add child endangerment to your ever growing list of brilliant ideas?"
"It's a short drive to da city," Niall shrugged. He had his knees propped up on the back of Harry's seat looking bored.
"It's dangerous!" My voice sounded loud in the crammed car and another stab of pain from the headache that had started this morning shot through my brain.
"So is the train," shot Louis. "Loads of creeps waiting to harass to innocent young women on their way into the big bad city."
"What are you a PSA poster?" I snapped back, growing annoyed at their lack of concern for Tilly's safety. "Riding in this car is ten times more dangerous then any Italian train. And for the record I happen to love train rides."
But the boys weren't listening to my rant anymore, instead they had their eyes trained upon my upper arm. In my anger, the shawl that had been concealing my now sore arm had slipped down exposing the minor injury. Louis's mouth hung open in horror, while Niall and Liam seemed unable to decide if they were sad or angry.
Harry, who has noticed the sudden silence, chanced a confused glance at Louis. "What's going on?"
"He hurt you?" Louis growled in response. The words had hardly left his mouth when the car slammed to a halt, skidding to the side of the road. The sudden speed change would have sent both Tilly and I flying straight through the windshield had it not been for the seatbelt around myself and the death grip Louis now had around Tilly.
"Harry what the fu-"
"HE WHAT?!" Harry roared. He had spun around in his seat and was now boring down upon me. His eyes darted across my body and zeroed in on the red mark now appearing on my arm from all the times Marco had grabbed me last night. Harry stared, his eyes darkening.
"Harry I'm fine," I said quietly, reaching out to him gently, pleading with him to drop it. "It's nothing I-"
"Did he do this?"
"I'm fine Harry can we please just-"
"He hurt you," Harry growled.
"No he didn't."
"Then how did you get that on your arm?"
Without missing a beat I replied, "I ran into the dresser when I was packing-"
Louis snorted. "Might as well just say you fell down the stairs or hit yourself on a door. Save us the lies Thalia."
I shot Louis the best glare I could muster and for a moment, he actually seemed taken aback.
"That's not funny Lu," I replied, my voice even. "Yes, Marco and I got into an row last night-"
"We know, the whole house heard," Harry replied thickly. "But that doesn't-"
"- And you lot should know better than anyone not to jump to conclusions when it comes to someone else's private life." I cut in, raising my tone and no longer able to hide the snip in my voice. Their eyes all widened in surprise at my words. "Just because you heard a fraction of our domestic doesn't mean that you know what happened. So get off your high horses and calm the fuck down."
"You should have come and gotten us," Harry hissed. He looked absolutely furious. "We heard you two going at it - don't deny it."
"I'm not denying it. Yes, Marco grew angry when I told him I was leaving the with my ex boyfriend and his band mates. Can you blame him? He pulled my bag out of my hand sending everything smashing to the floor and even knocked over a chair. Can you honestly say you wouldn't have done something similar?"
"But the bruise-"
"It's not even a bruise!" I cried out, gesturing the the red mark on my arm. "And I can handle my relationships just fine on my own thank you."
"We're not saying this because we don't think you can handle it," Liam replied gently, earning angry looks from the others. "We're more worried that he can't handle his own anger."
"Oh please, like Harry's never thrown a chair across the room or Niall's never punched a hole in the wall."
Harry only colored in guilt while Niall opened his mouth to defend himself against my attacks. "Oi! Yeah we get mad but our anger is never directed at our girlfriends, maybe just on account of them. We'd never actually lay a hand on-"
"He didn't hurt me." I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "You lot are just making inferences-"
"I can't believe you trying to defend him!" Cried Louis.
"I'm not defending his outburst. I'm just trying to stop you lot for judging-."
"Judging?" Niall yelled, his voice booming off the walls of the car. "Course we're gonna fuckin judge him! Under no circumstances should a man be treatin' girls da way Marco's been treatin' you. Loosin' yer temper is one thing but grabbin' ya about somthin' completely different Thal."
"I know that Niall why do you think I finally broke up with him?" The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. A ringing silence filled the car as everyone stared. I pulled the shawl tightly around myself as my cheeks flushed darker in both anger and embarrassment.
"You what?" Liam stuttered. He and Louis were staring at me opened mouthed, their shock evident. Niall's eyebrows had shot up in surprise while Harry's expression was, for the first time, unreadable.
"I broke up with him. He may have never physically abused me but he was possessive and controlling. And I realized that, when it came down to it, I didn't really love him...so I broke it off," I stated, this time more firmly.
Crickets followed.
"What, no applause?" I challenged, more than slightly annoyed that Harry had hardly moved a muscle. He was stirring there staring at me with that stupid expression that I couldn't figure out. Was he happy? Relieved? Hadn't this been what he wanted all along? Clearing my throat I added, "I thought you'd all be happy seeing as you wanted to beat him up only a minute ago."
Liam, Louis and Niall all opened their mouthed to react however Tilly beat them to it.
"Does this mean you're coming back to England?" Tilly asked eagerly. She was squeezing Louis's arm to tight his skin was turning white.
"England?" The question caught everyone off guard and after a moment's pause I answered in a gentler tone, "Well that all depends."
"On what?" Tilly, Niall, and Louis asked together.
For a fleeting instant my eyes locked with those bright green ones. Harry, who had turned back around at the mention of England, was now watching me with bated breath through the rear view mirror. I broke into the smallest smile before turning my attention back to the others.
"On if you lot can manage to pry me away from my precious Pantheon."
Tilly rolled her eyes while the boys broke into their own smiles.
"So you'll be coming back with me then?" Tilly pressed as Harry finally pulled back onto the road. One glance in his direction told me he was still upset. I felt like my head was going to explode.
"Not for good just yet," I replied with a sigh. "I have to wrap up a few paintings at work before I can leave...and of course there's all my things...I don't think Miss Lucy will let me hide you down here for another few weeks what with term starting."
"I don't mind hiding."
I raised my eyebrow at her remark. Tilly giggled before turning back around in her seat.
"Do one of you have service?" I asked the guys.
Niall held out his phone and chuckled, "here ya poor thing. Don't know how ya survive without service."
"It's nice being off the grid, you should try it sometime."
"Are you mad?" Laughed Louis. "That thing is practically glued to his fingertips! That'd be like asking him to cut off a hand."
"I think I'd rather just keep me phone," Niall agreed. It was scary how quickly the atmosphere had changed from hostile shouting to friendly banter. I rolled my eyes and began searching through his contacts until I found "Kenzie <3". Suppressing a giggle at Niall's adorableness, I began typing a new message.
"What do you need service for?" Tilly asked curiously.
"Well I was going to ask Kenz to start looking at ticket price-hey!" I cried as Niall suddenly yanked the phone back out of my hand.
"Don't bother with that," he said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Tilly can tag along with us."
"Oh Ni you don't have to-"
"I know I don’t, but I am," he replied a bit more firmly, tucking his phone back his his pocket and out of my reach. "Besides I was plannin' te stop by an see Kenz anyway. It's no trouble."
"Are you-"
"Yes we're sure Thal," Louis sighed, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Then he broke into a small smile. "I still can't believe you ditched Marco Polo."
Liam chuckled at the nickname as Louis continued, "I'd have given anything to see his face....oh well Thalia, looks like third time is definitely not the charm."
"First is worst, second is best," Tilly began singing lightly. "Third is the one with the hairy chest!"
"So I'm the best then?" Harry asked, shooting me a sly glance in the rearview mirror. After such a prolonged silence from him his words caught me off guard. But on catching Harry's eye I found there was suddenly nothing but playfulness. He was attempting to change the gloomy atmosphere which had followed us from the Conti Villa and wasn't afraid to put his own dignity on the line.
"And what if you're not second?" I asked, playing along.
"Ooh watch out Harry," chuckled Liam.
"But Calhan can't be best!" Louis cried out dramatically.
"And I don't have a hairy chest," added Harry. This caused everyone to laugh and me to bite my lip in attempt to stop. Harry shot me a wink through the mirror and I thought I felt my stomach leap - or was that just the rolling Tuscan hills?
"Alright then first is the worst, second is best," Tilly paused for effect before continuing with a smirk, "Third is the one she loves above the rest-"
-"Ooh's" and "aw's" followed this-
"and fourth...."
"Is the one we all detest," I finished dryly as the car burst into cries of excitement.
"Good to have ya back Thal," chuckled Louis.
“Yeah, just in time for you all to leave again," I signed. Was I allowed to sleep yet?
"How is it that that always happens?" Liam thought aloud, then with a sigh he added, "ah well, to Rome them?"

"To the train," I corrected.
"Alright Tootles you win," Harry sighed. "Besides, I haven't been on the train in ages."
"Oh good Lord." I fell against Liam in defeat as the car erupted in laughter once again.

Notes

Wow, hello everyone! How are you all? Hopefully you've all have been doing well despite the face that I've left you without any updates for far too long. I'm not quite sure where to begin my apologies for my sudden disappearance...but thank you all so, so much for your concern, it was so heartwarming to come back on here and see all your lovely messages & comments. I had been going through a lot of changes - a lot of emotions and really just needed to get away from it all for my own health and wellbeing. But now that I'm in a better place both mentally and physically I've been able to set aside time to continue Thalia & Harry's story. I hope you're all as excited as I am to continue this storyline. I'll be doing my best to be updating regularly for you all! Goodness knows you deserve it. :)

As always, I would love to hear your feedback on this chapter! I'm feeling a little rusty on the writing but it sets us up beautifully for all the exciting things to come. Let me know your thoughts!

Love you all,
M