It wasn't too hard to track Tony down. He was usually at his apartment with Anya, or visiting with Mama Rosita or one of his sisters, or at the Theater practicing or going over business. Today, however, he had set aside completely for his baby sister. She'd said there was something she needed to talk to him about, and though he wasn't sure what it was, he'd agreed to meet her for lunch at a local cafe that served the finest Italian cuisine in all of Rhy'Din that didn't come from his mother's kitchen, at least in his opinion. He'd arrived first and been escorted to a table for two, where he seated himself to look over the menu and people watch while he awaited his sister's arrival. He skipped the wine, in deference to his sister, and instead ordered a bottle of sparkling water for them to share, unless she preferred something else.

Late, as usual, Elena made quite the entrance when she arrived, somehow managing to walk straight into one of the waiters and send his tray plummeting, both of them rushing to try and catch everything before it hit the floor. Well, nothing smashed, but it was just as well he'd been taking the plates to the kitchen and not to a table. Blushing with embarrassment as she apologized, Elena scanned the cafe for her brother, spotting him with that kilowatt De Luca smile. Thankfully, her progress to join him was unimpeded, her bag dropping to the floor by the table as she hugged him. Their relationship had vastly improved since he'd come to Rhy'Din, and since she had proved she could be a responsible adult most of the time. "Hey, bro," she greeted Tony warmly. "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at the travel agent's, and then I had to go and sign something at the city hall, and ....oy. Busy day. How're you?"

Tony's head swung around as he heard the crash, chuckling a little to himself when he saw it was Elena. Nothing changed so much as it stayed the same. His sister still had that clumsy streak that could be as endearing as it was occasionally irritating, mostly to Mama. He moved to his feet as his sister found him and greeted her with a warm and brotherly hug. He kissed her cheek, as he was in the habit of doing, having been raised by a very Italian mother, arching a brow at the flurry of words from his sister that took a moment to sink in. "Travel agent?" he asked. "Are you going some..." A light-bulb went on over his head as soon as she mentioned city hall, and his mouth dropped open with a gasp. "Elena, you're not!"

His reaction to the intuitive guess got a very predictable response. "And why not?" she countered defiantly, dropping down into her seat. "Before you say it, I already talked to Mama and she's okay with it. Not exactly happy, but she gets why we want it this way. So what?s the objection?"

"No objection," he replied as he retook his seat and handed her a menu. "It's just kind of sudden. Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked in a nonjudgmental but over-protective brotherly sort of way.

Odd, how Mama Rosita hadn't even thought to ask her that, but almost the first thing Tony did was try to make absolutely certain that Elena wasn't making another mistake. She bit her lip, laying the menu down in front of her as she met her big brother's gaze. "I really am," she told him quietly, the defiance fled from her voice and expression, softening to his little sister once again. It had been years since she had been so much herself, and happy with who she was.

"I've been sober for a year, Tony, and in that time, I've made better decisions for myself and the people around me than I've ever made. I know it's not conventional, and I know it's really fast, but ....Michael makes me the person I want to be. I'm completely myself with him, and he doesn't blame me for the days when I act like a child, or when I'm bitchy for no reason, or when I do stupid things. I made a huge mistake when I just cast him off three years ago, and this second chance just proves that." She sighed softly, hoping she was making sense. "I really love him, Tony, and I don't want to be without him."

Tony knew better than anyone what it felt like to be cast off or let go, but he also knew that sometimes it was necessary to be without someone for a while so that you realized just what it was you were missing. He held her gaze, serious but supportive as she made her case. He really didn't need to hear all that from her. A simple yes would have sufficed, but hearing her lay it all out for him like that only served to convince him further that his little sister had finally grown up. "I just want you to be happy, that's all," he told her, taking both her hands in his own. It was then he noticed the ring on her finger. How could he not notice" The thing was as gaudy as it was expensive, and it fit Elena's personality perfectly. He smiled. "Did he give you that?" he asked, stating the obvious. "It must have cost a fortune!"

She beamed as her big brother gave his approval, the smile deepening as he noticed the ring sparkling on her finger. The old Elena would have flashed it in his face as soon as she walked in; the grown up Elena had actually waited until he noticed it of his own accord. "God, I don't know how much it cost, he won't tell me," she giggled, impishly delighted with her beautiful bit of bling. "He picked it out all on his own, too. Further proof that this man knows me, right?" Snickering, she wiggled her adorned finger under Tony's nose with a playful glint in her eyes. "I like pretty things, so sue me."

Tony laughed, amused at his sister's pride in her new bling, but more importantly, glad to see her so happy for a change. She had been through enough - the whole family had been through enough - and it was time to put the past behind them and start anew. "It's very..." Tony hesitated a moment to search for the right word. "...pink," he finally added. He would never have dared give a ring like that to Anya, but then Anya and Elena were two very different people. "Have you told 'Tay yet?" he asked, deliberately not mentioning Tess.

"It's a pink sapphire," she clarified for him, laughing at his complete inability to see beyond the "pink" part. "And it's gorgeous, and I think I might have stopped his heart for a second when I told him we had to elope right after he put it on my finger." She grinned, sweetly unrepentant of her impulsiveness. "No, I haven't told 'Taya yet," she confessed lightly. "She's next on the list, you know, after her pregnant mommy nap in the middle of the afternoon. And, uh ..." Elena hesitated, but she had to tell someone. Tony had once been her go-to confidante; there were still some things she would tell him that she would tell no one else. "I'm not gonna tell Tess. She crossed a line yesterday, and she's damn lucky I'm not going over there to shred her pretty face like lettuce."

She blinked, genuinely surprised by his comment. "You ....you wanna be there?" she asked, little girl lost showing on her face with a shy smile. "I mean, Mama said she'd come along if it was happening in the city, and I know 'Taya can't really travel through the portals right now, and ..." She forbore to mention Tess entirely, but they both knew why that sister wasn't going to be told in advance. "I, uh, I'd have to talk to Michael, but ....I-I'd really like you to be there. And Anya, of course. If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

A smile spread across his face, wishing he was able to talk another sister into seeing his way so easily. "Of course, it's not too much trouble. We're about to start rehearsing for Moulin Rouge, but I should be able to get away for a few days, and I'm sure Anya would be delighted." As far as Tony was concerned, it was all decided. He just needed to know where and when, and he and Anya would be there.

"Think you can manage that couple of days in, um, a couple of days?" Elena's smile was all kinds of innocent as she offered this up. "As in ....we're leaving the day after tomorrow, and it's a portal journey, so it's kind of all happening the day after tomorrow." She offered her brother as sweet a smile as she could manage, wondering quite how he was going to take that. "Also, tropical island. Do not pack for autumn weather."

He chuckled at her question. It was just like Elena to get married in a whirlwind. Everything surrounding Elena always seemed to be something of a whirlwind, but he wouldn't have her any other way. "I think the ballet will survive without me for a few days, Elena. Don't worry." And he was pretty sure Anya wouldn't mind either. "Tropical island, got it. No scarves or sweaters," he said with a grin as he plucked at the knitted piece of wool that was fashionably draped around his neck. "Should I bring a suit or are we wearing tropical prints?" he teased, circling his fingers around the stem of his glass.

She giggled, leaning back as their meal was delivered to give the waiter a warm smile and thank you. "Just be comfortable, smarty-pants," she told her brother, raising her fork to taste her penne briefly. "It looks like a beautiful place, like Tahiti or Malaysia back home. White sand, blue sea, the works. And, you know, Michael's trusting me to choose the right sort of place. I might even let him wear more than a sock."

Fortunately for them, it was the last ballet of the season, and neither he nor Anya were taking any principal dancing roles this time around, both of them busy making plans for their own wedding, which was scheduled to take place over the winter. The next ballet wasn't until March, which gave them plenty of time for a wedding and honeymoon without having to rush back to prepare for another show. Tony smiled at his sister's giggle. It was good to see her happy again. It had been a long time coming. "Sounds nice. I can't remember the last time I took a vacation. Maybe Anya and I will stay on a few days to relax." He wound some linguine around his fork, chuckling again as he tried not to imagine Michael without pants. "A sock might fall off. Do you want me to lend him a pair of hose?" he asked with a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes.

"You should stay on a while, take a vacation for once!" Elena approved instantly of his suggestion. She knew there wouldn't be any awkward moments with her brother around - he wouldn't drop in to say hello at random moments, unlike Mataya who, if given the opportunity, had been known to interrupt love-making to gossip on occasion. She grinned at his offer of hose. "Well, the idea came out of nude sunbathing," she mused. "Wouldn't he end up with a weird tan line if he wore hose?"

"Just get him a G-string, and he'll be fine," Tony teased. There wasn't a shy bone in Tony's body when it came to baring himself, but then, he was a dancer with a dancer's body and was used to flaunting around half-naked in front of a crowd of people. Michael, he thought, was another matter, and the man was so pale, he was likely to burn to a crisp his first day in the sun. "I do have a suggestion though." He smirked over at his sister, dark eyes dancing humorously. "Sunscreen and lots of it."

"Exactly!" His little sister was way ahead of him on that one, snickering in her own wicked little way as she took a sip of her water. "I don't think he'll complain too much about it. You know, once he realizes I'm not gonna let him put it on himself." One thing the De Lucas had never suffered from was any sense of embarrassment when they discussed their relationships with one another - it had been a source of deep embarrassment to more than a few boyfriends and girlfriends through the years, but eventually the right ones just put up with their intimacies becoming family business. The ones with the most practice, like Max and Anya, joined in.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to stay more than a few days. Rehearsals are due to start tomorrow, and it's the first ballet with the new company. There's bound to be some tension." There always was where egos were involved. He reminded himself that Elena wasn't Anya, and she wouldn't want to talk business, at least, not the ballet. "So, have you given any more thought to a career?" he asked, knowing she had been considering making a change, but unsure what that change might be. He knew she'd get bored before long if she didn't do more than sit around her luxury apartment waiting for her boyfriend - no, fiance - to finish typing.

"Please, ballerinas can be so needy," Elena snorted, before remembering who she was talking to. "Except Anya, because, you know, she's perfect." Her smile offered up the hopeful unspoken, "Nice save, huh?" before she went on, attempting to move away from her faux pas. "Actually, I kinda have been thinking about it," she nodded, pausing to finish her mouthful before she went on. "I was thinking about what Anya's been saying - you know, that I should open a restaurant' Well, I don't think I could do that, but ....I was kinda thinking maybe I could handle a lunchtime at a little cafe or something. You know, somewhere not big, where people don't mind waiting a little while for their meal" What do you think?"

He smiled at his sister's near slip. Tony wouldn't argue with her assessment. As far as he was concerned, Anya was perfect - at least, ever since they'd reunited after a long separation. He took up a mouthful of linguine, along with a skewered bit of shrimp while she continued. He nodded a bit at her question, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin, ever the gentleman. "I think it's a good start. Did you have some place in mind" Do you need financing?" Everyone in the family knew Elena was talented in the kitchen - something Michael directly benefited from. "Have you given up completely on acting then?" he queried further, taking a sip of his water to wash down the linguine.

"Yeah, right," she snorted, moving back to her seat with a fresh smile. "Like you're gonna be able to take your eyes off your lily-white ballerina when she steps out in a bikini. Maybe I should make you wear a nose-bag - you know, to catch the drool when your jaw drops."

He laughed at her threat. "You act as if I've never seen Anya without proper clothing before." He leaned close, lowering his voice sotto voce as if he was about to tell her a big secret, dark eyes sparkling with playfulness. "Don't tell Mama, but we've been living in sin." As if their mother was so slow that she didn't already know that by now. And by sin, he meant sleeping together, but not only sleeping.

Giggling, Elena leaned in with him, lowering her own voice to counter with, "Don't tell Mama, but I don't think Mataya's a virgin anymore." With a loud snicker, she leaned back, taking the last mouthful of her pasta before lifting her glass. "So you really think Anya will be up for a completely unexpected few days off?"

Tony laughed at Elena's joke. Seeing as Mataya was very pregnant, it was obvious their mother already knew. "I'm proud of her for not freaking out. I wonder how long before she starts pestering Max to make 'Tay an honest woman," Tony mused, as he finished up the last of his own pasta, dabbing his mouth with a napkin again. "Oh, I'm pretty sure Anya will be thrilled to take a few days off. We're doing Moulin Rouge next month, but neither of us have principal roles. I want to break the new dancers in and see how they mesh with the old," he explained, not wanting to bore her with work talk. "Oh!" he exclaimed, just remembering something.

"Well, technically they're still married as far as Mama's concerned," Elena shrugged. "Catholics don't believe in divorce and all." She grinned as Tony went on, amused by the way he didn't seem able to leave work at work. It was so much a passion with him, it just bubbled up at the slightest provocation. "Oh' What's oh?"

His sister knew him well and knew that the only thing as important to him as Anya and his family was the ballet. It was not just a career, but part of who he was. The ballet was as much a part of Tony as he was a part of it. It was a good thing he was engaged to someone who understood that passion as well as Anya did. His face brightened with the news he and Anya had yet to tell anyone. No, they weren't expecting a child yet, but he thought his news was almost as exciting. "Anya and I have decided to do the spring gala next year." He could only be referring to one thing and that was the spring gala at the New York City Ballet.

"Oh my God, really"" To say he had just made his little sister squeal was missing a perfect opportunity to accuse her of squeaking like an overexcited mouse. Elena actually bounced in her seat, knowing exactly what he was talking about, and intuitive enough to know exactly how important it was. "Dude, you have to get all of us tickets so we can see Mr and Mrs Anthony De Luca dancing! Seriously!"

He laughed, amused at her cheery enthusiastic excitement, waving her to silence with a quick glance around the cafe. "Shh, it's a secret. No one knows yet, but you. Well, and Anya," he added hastily, but that probably went without saying. "We've been talking about it for a while. We missed it last year when we came here. It's not til May, so we should be able to squeeze it in."

"Hell yes, you should squeeze it in! Oh ..." Her hand rose to cover her mouth as she belatedly realized that he'd told her to shush. "Oops. Sorry. But yes, you can squeeze it in. I'll bet 'Taya would shut down the Shanachie for a couple of nights just so you can do the gala if it's in the middle of a ballet run here."

"I have to talk to her about it, but with everything that's been going on lately, I haven't had a chance." Namely, Mataya's pregnancy, and now two weddings. Things seemed to be finally looking up for the De Luca family. "So, I am expecting you and your husband to take a little trip with us to New York come May," he teased, with an emphasis on the word husband. "I'll make sure you get front row seats." He raised a hand to summon the waiter. "I think this calls for a little celebration, don't you?" Not champagne, of course. Tony had something far better in mind.

"Oh, I think we can manage that in our busy schedule," Elena giggled softly, rolling her eyes at the teasing handed down to her by her brother. His mention of a celebration made her frown curiously, suspicion lighting up her eyes with sweet playfulness. "Are you going to get me a lemonade float?"

He chuckled again at her guess. "No, unless that's what you want." He waved the waiter over, gesturing for him to lean close so he could whisper what he wanted. The waiter ticked a glance to Elena, nodded his head, and hurried away to fulfill Tony's request. "What do you think of the food here" It's the closest I've found to Mama's cooking without it being Mama's cooking."

Flicking her suspicious gaze to the waiter as he glanced at her and walked away, Elena eyed her brother full on. "You're being very secretive," she accused him laughingly, turning her attention to his change of subject. "It's not bad," she agreed. "Nothing's gonna compare to Mama's cooking, though. She's the best." Chalk one up for the newly grown up Elena - despite knowing that she was a better cook than their mother, she didn't crow about it. Maybe one day she'd cook for the rest of the family and let them find it out for themselves, maybe not. Nothing would ever compare with Mama's cooking, though - Mama was Mama, after all.

Tony seemed to read her mind for a moment, blue eyes dancing with merriment. "Oh, I think there's someone who might be able to compete if she'd actually let other people taste her cooking now and then," he teased. Apparently, he'd heard the praises of Elena's cooking from someone somewhere along the way and was hoping to one day judge for himself, but he wasn't going to push the matter. "I don't have much time to cook, and don't tell Anya, but her Italian needs to taste less like borscht and more like minestrone."