A/N before we start this chapter is very dialogue heavy but it's needed in order to set out some key plot pieces, Thank you all for reading :)

Chapter Two - The Truth

Elena rose with the birds on Sunday morning, despite the volume of alcohol she inhaled the evening before, She craved fresh air. The glasses of wine Elena absorbed the previous night now making her queasy. sinking onto the steps of her back stoop, Elena pulled her limbs up between her knees taking in deep and even breaths to withstand the waves of nausea.
"Feeling rough Mija?" Maria sat beside her daughter running a palm in gentle circles on Elena's back as she attempted to offer her a cup of water.
"Thanks, Mama." Lifting her head Elena brought the cup to her lips and drained the water from the glass.
"Better?" Maria continued with the soothing circles on Elena's back for another few before rising and shifting back inside.

After another ten minutes, Elena made her move back inside shivering slightly with the alteration in temperature.
"Mama, remind me never to never drink again," Elena whined as she stretched out her body.
"That's what you ever say Mija." Maria laughed as she made herself a mug of coffee.
"I don't see how you didn't kick me out." A weak laugh escaped Elena's lips as she perched at the kitchen island.
"Because we were all each other had," Maria spoke gently as she handed Elena a mug of coffee having earlier put in the sugar.
"Mama... Who is my father?" Elena had already posed this question on numerous opportunities and the reply was persistently the same.
"A dangerous man Mija he made a troublesome husband and would have made a worse father." Maria glanced at her daughter dead in the eyes as she spoke.
"Love you, Mama."
"Love you too Mija."

"I'm gonna go shower."
"Excellent idea mi Amor, you stink." Maria laughed as she flapped her daughter aside, standing up Elena wandered over to her bedroom and headed into the shower, twisting the taps on she settled on the coolest setting. Elena pushed off her clothes onto the floor, leaning to snatch up the discarded material and shoving it into the waiting hamper. She slipped into the waiting water, drawing in a quick gasp as the water pummelled her skin. She acclimatised quickly when the frigid water felt great on her skin. It elevated the hangover nagging on the margins of her body, leaning out the shower Elena grabbed the towel off the rack with one hand and shut off the shower with the other. wrapping a towel around her head as she stepped out, Elena took her robe of the bathroom door and drew it around herself.

Elena soon sat in front of her vanity opening the drawer closest to her she pulled out her battered old hairdryer, sectioning off her hair. She roughly blow-dried her hair before throwing it up into a high ponytail so it was off her face, there was nothing she hated more than cooking and her hair falling in her face. Picking up a tube of mascara off the top of the vanity, Elena carefully unscrewed the top before giving her eyelashes a thorough coating before setting it down wiping at a smudge. Before opening her favourite blood red lipstick and painting her lips gently blotting on a piece of tissue and reapplying. Winking at herself in the mirror Elena laughed before standing up and heading over to her closet, pulling back the door. She rifled through the clothes trying to pull out something to wear but nothing was jumping out at her; she needed a second opinion.

"Mama, I need your help." Calling out as she still pondered her choices.
"Mija?" Maria came into view holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a smoke in the other.
"I don't know what to wear" Again Elena ran her hand through her closet hoping something would jump out at her. pulling out potential outfits before placing them back into their colour coded place.
"That dress you picked up last time you came to Oakland, the one with the open back." Maria perched herself on her daughter's bed observing the scene before her. wondering why Elena was getting herself into such a state over what it was she would wear unless it somehow involved a boy.
"Got it." Pulling out a rust-coloured button through halter neck dress with a cut out back.
"Si, that's the one, you look so wonderful in it." Nodding in approval.
"Why all this fuss Mija you normally don't make such an effort," Maria spoke harshly.

"I like to look nice sometimes ya know plus I could never get away with wearing this at school." Wiggling her eyebrows Elena smiled at her mother who just shook her head as she disappeared out the room heading for the kitchen. Elena hooked the clothes hanger onto the back of the closet door as she unbuttoned the dress with speed. Pulling the dress off the hanger and around her now naked body effortlessly, Elena re-buttoned the dress before cinching in the belt around her waist giving the dress more shape. Standing before the floor-length mirror beside her closet spinning slowly trying to glimpse at the back of her outfit, Elena adjusted her dress before heading out to join her mother in the kitchen.

It was nearing eleven o'clock when the Flores women heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." Both women called, laughing at their synchronicity as a head peeked around the wall separating the kitchen and the dining room.
"oh hey Letty, come in do you want a drink?" The youngest Flores asked
"Beer please." A smirk creeping up onto Letty's face as she tried pushing her luck
"Nice try kid, I've got coke, sprite or orange juice." Being a teacher Elena was wise to teenagers devious ways.
"Can't blame me for trying." Shrugging Letty accepted the bottle of sprite offered to her.
"True, I did the same shit growing up," Elena smirked as Maria slapped her upside the head.
"I let you get away with way too much," Maria spoke truthfully as a smile grazed
"Letty this is my mom, Maria." Elena always felt weird about introductions
"Nice to meet you, Ms Flores." Letty polite as always
"Nice to meet you too Letty you can call me Maria."
"Okay, Maria." Letty relaxed.
"Where's that brother of yours?"
"He said he would be by later," Letty swore she wouldn't tell Elena what the Mayans did

"I'm gonna attempt to light the grill." Doubt laced Elena's face as she made her move outside
"Angel said he'd do it." Speaking up as Letty followed her teacher.
"Did he?" questioning the statement Elena looked towards Letty
"Yeah said you'd probably blow yourself up doing it."
"Well, I'm gonna have to prove him wrong now." Elena's face changed to one of determination. After several attempts the grill was finally lit, the girls hi-fived before heading inside to clean themselves up.
"Letty, your shorts." Elena giggled at the numerous black handprints covering the girl's shorts.
"Shit." Her face fell as she looked down at herself.
"Come on, you can borrow something of mine." Elena took Letty's hand and took her to look through her closet.

A knock on the door distracted the pair from their outfit discussion.
"Better get that." Closing the door to her bedroom Elena made the short walk to the front door pulling it open to see the Reyes men stood before her.
"Good afternoon gentleman, come in." Smiling brightly as she moved aside to let her guests in.
"Princesa." Carrying beer Angel wandered in before dumping the beer on the floor by the door.
"Thanks for having us, Elena." EZ polite as ever.
"It's good to see you again Elena."
"I'm glad you came." Happy to see the older Reyes who hugged the young woman.
"Thank you for having me." Felipe had always been a quiet man, but it was obvious to Elena that he cared for his sons deeply.
"Mama, we have guests." Calling in the kitchen's direction Elena saw her mother appear
"Guys this is my Mama, Maria, this is Ez and Felipe, Angel you met yesterday." Ez gave Angel a knowing look as Elena made her introductions.
Everyone moved outside into the backyard, Elena took pride in it she'd spent hours out there planting flowers and a cherry tree which was finally coming into season.
The afternoon passed easily as the group ate and drank to their heart's content, Elena and Letty stood in the middle of the garden dancing to a song on the radio. Elena suspected someone most likely Angel had slipped the teenager a beer, she normally would have been annoyed, but she considered Letty to be in a safe environment.

"How have you never made S'mores?" Elena questioned as Letty shrugged her shoulders.
"Right that's it time to make S'mores" Elena declares, herself a little tipsy.
Walking back inside towards the kitchen Elena climbed onto the counter to reach her S'mores supplies in the back of the cupboard. A hand reaching behind her and plucked the ingredients she was looking for.
"You shouldn't be doing that Princes it's dangerous," Angel notes at the young woman's precarious balancing a top of the counter.
"You are freakishly tall ya know." Whipping her head around meeting his gaze.
"Comes in handy sometimes." The eldest Reyes brother threw back in retort.
"Mhmm like when I wanna make S'mores and I insist on throwing the stuff in the back of the cupboard." Elena smiled taking the things Angel held out to her.
"Exactly that." Angel thought at that moment it would be the perfect time to kiss her, but his doubt got the better of him instead lifting Elena off the counter placing her gently on the floor.

"Thank you, Angel." He likes the way she said his name always with a kindness never with malice although he was sure that would change if Elena found out about the drugs being sold on her school's property. Feeling brazen Elena took to her leaning up and kissing Angel softly on the lips, without the liquid courage she had consumed earlier she was positive it wouldn't have happened. Deepening the kiss Angel pulled Elena closer, breaking their kiss only when someone coughed in behind them.

Maria stood behind the pair a coy smile grazed her face as Elena ducked her head turning a deep shade of red.
"Don't mind me kids just going to grab the bottle of wine." The pair parting as Maria reached for the bottle of Pinot noir behind them before disappearing back outside. Elena couldn't help but laugh, Angel, however, looked mortified.

Angel's cellphone ringing saved the moment, Elena pushes herself away taking her s'mores supplies with her. "Ez we've gotta head out." Angel reappeared outside moments later looking for his brother. Elena couldn't pretend it didn't confuse her about the whole Commitment to the Motorcycle club but who was she to judge?
"Thanks for the food, Elena." Ez bowed out followed by Angel.

It was around 9 pm when Felipe left, he and Maria seemed to get on well, which was nice she worried about her mother greatly since she left Oakland.
"Letty Have you heard from your brother?" Elena asked the teenager who shook her head in response.
"I'll give you a ride home, Mama I'm borrowing the car." taking the keys from the sideboard and her cell phone, Letty followed Elena out the door and out to the car, both climbing into the car Letty reached straight for the radio, she hesitated.
"Knock yourself out kid, I apologise in advance for whatever crackpot station Maria has on there." Smiling Letty pressed the power button as some old school Julio Iglesias. Elena asked Letty for directions at regular intervals, looking over she realised Letty had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. Killing the engine Elena placed a gentle hand on Letty's shoulder giving it a little shake.
"Hey Letty, you're home, you better wake up because I'm weak and I can't pick you up...I will drop you." A smirk appeared on Letty's face as she fluttered her eyes open.
"I don't think you're that weak." The teenager was far too wise for her own good.
"I'll bring your dress back tomorrow"
"It's okay, keep it, looks better on you anyway." Truthfully the dress looked better on Letty, waving her off Elena pulled away taking the short drive home.

Elena walked into her mother nursing a bottle of red wine.
"Mija come sit here with me." Maria was obviously more than a little tipsy.
"Hi, mama." Elena sank into the couch beside her mother.
"Elena those men they're in a motorcycle gang."
"Well, I don't think it's a gang." Trying to reason with her mother Elena placed a hand on her knee.
"You need to stay away from them." Maria took another sip of wine.
"You'll get into trouble Mija, you'll end up hurt or worse dead."
"Don't be dramatic mama." Elena looked at her mother confused where all this was coming from.
"Stay away from the Mayans Elena." Maria stood and walked off.
"This is about my father isn't it?" Having put two and two together Elena questioned her mother.
"Elena," Maria warned.
"No mama, I want answers," Elena spoke forcefully, she'd heard the same thing about her father for as long as she could remember.
"Yes, it's to do with your bastard father.""Who is he?" Pushing for further answers Elena sat on the edge of her seat.
"A bad..."
"A bad man I know but who is he Mama and what does he have to do with the Mayans?" Cutting her mother off.
"His name is Marcus Alvarez."

End of Chapter Two

Thank you all for reading, I would apologise for the cliffhanger but I, myself love a good Cliffhanger.