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A little boy walked up the stairs.

In his left hand, he carried a beaten teddy bear that he had ever since birth while his right clutched onto the banister. His little slippers squeaked with every step that he took up the chairs. With his eyes downcast, watching his feet to avoid any more accidents.

The yellings got louder. Every step that he took amplified what had been going on in the house for the past five hours. They didn't seem to be going away any time soon if anything, it kept getting worse and worse.

The boy stopped and closed his eyes. He dropped the bear and it tumbled down the stairs. He covered both of his ears with his hands and sat down on the steps. He shook his head, tears dripping down his face with every sound.

"Momma." He whimpered. He hugged his knees to his chest and began to rock his body back and forth. His body yearned for someone to wrap their arms around him and tell him everything will be okay. But there is no one.

A door slammed open and then everything became silent, a sound that became louder than that of the two yelling voices. Everything became calm again but he knew. There is always a calm before the storm.

The little boy uncovered his ears. He stood up and stared up into the third floor.

A woman came out of the door, looking down at the ground. Fear crept into his body seeing red blotches on the white silk dress of the woman. Her hair seemed as though it hadn't been washed or brushed in three days and her eyes had big bags lining up.

She looked down at him.

"Momma?" he whispered.

She smiled at him but there had been nothing warm about that smile. She looked like a snake, ready to jump at an unsuspecting mouse. Her tongue swiped across her lips and she sat down at the top of the stairs. "Come here baby. Momma needs to talk to you."

The boy shook his head and took a step backwards. His hands gripped the banister turning his knuckles white. "Where's papa?"

The woman laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh baby. You don't need to worry about papa anymore," she looked deep into his eyes, her lips curling up into a evil smile, "he's gone."

Tears dripped down the boy's face and fear crept into his body. He had never seen her this way before and it scared him. "Momma you're scaring me."

The woman took one step down. And then another. And then another. "You have nothing to be scared of sweetheart. Momma is here. Momma will protect you."

He shook his head again. "Where's papa? I want papa."

Her smile disappeared and in its place, laid an icy glare. "You do not need your papa." she smiled again. "All you need is me." she walked faster down the step.

He cried. "I want papa." he turned around and ran down the stairs, his heart beating in his chest. Halfway down, he lost his balance and banged his head on the edge.

"No." he heard a voice shout followed by a sound of a crying baby. "Sophia," he whispered before his eyes closed.

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Alessio snapped himself out of the daydream as someone placed their hand on his shoulder. He turned around. His heart instantly pounded in his chest but he made sure to keep his face blank, clear of any emotions. "Ashley." he said, nodding.

Ashley smiled at him. The same beautiful smile that seems to always make his day better, even just by a little bit. She placed her hand back down at her side and studied him. Worry crossed over her face. "Dr. Morcelli—"

"Alessio." He cut in. He cleared his throat. "Alessio is fine."

She smiled again. "Well then Alessio."

He froze. There had been something about her saying his name that made him want to push her against the wall and have his wicked way with her. But he held himself back. Clenching his fist, he closed his eyes. He can't do anything with her. She already seemed like she is going through enough. He didn't need to add his problems onto her plate also.

His hand tingled. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hand, seeing hers holding onto it. He wanted to curl his fingers around but he didn't. He didn't do anything at all. He didn't even more her hand or pull his away. He looked back up at her face.

"Are you okay? You seem out of it." she asked him.

He nodded at her. It took everything in him to pull away. And with that action, he felt empty again. He cleared his throat. "Are you leaving?"

She nodded her head but then glared at him. "Don't change the subject mister. I know there is something wrong."

Alessio couldn't help but let a chuckle pass through his lips. Ashley looked like a fierce little cat, standing up to its owner but couldn't get her anger across due to how cute she was. He stopped himself. Did he just call her cute?

"There is nothing you need to worry about, belle." he said huskily. He saw lust passing through her eyes for a quick second before she masked it up. He smirked for a second before he too covered it up.

It keeps getting harder and harder to contain himself around her. She made him want to be better than the man who he became, better than the man who he only knows. She made him want to be better, just for her.

The thought of that scared him. He knew he couldn't change. Not even for her no matter how much he wanted to. The person he had become is too deep in the abyss to come out. He couldn't no matter how hard he tried.

He has to keep telling himself to stay away from her. To preserve everything good about her, he must stay away. He can't hurt her like he had hurt her.

Sophia.

His heart clenched in his chest just thinking about her. How all the light seemed to disappear from her eyes the last time he saw her. How the once bright girl that he knew had turned dark and hollow.

"Alessio, you're doing it again."

He looked back at Ashley, his eyebrows rising. "Doing what?

She frowned at him. "You keep going in this trance. It worries me. Are you sure everything is okay?"

He didn't know what he was doing when he reached a hand out and held her shoulder. He felt her muscles tensing under his touch but he ignored them. "Don't worry about me," he whispered, "I'm fine."

He pulled away from her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his scrubs. "I have to go now. I will see you in five days."

Ashley nodded her head and smiled at him again. "Will you be here or will Dr. Carson be here?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll be seeing you either way." He replied. He sent her his rare smiles and turned around.

Every step that he took away from her made him want to run back and pull her into his arms. But he held himself back.

This is what is best for her.

She doesn't need him in her life.

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"There is something about you." Frankie commented as he walked towards her door. He leaned up against the frame and stared at her up and down. "Something seems really different."

Ashley raised her eyebrows up at him and continued to make her bed. "What do you mean? Nothing is different."

Frank shook his head and put his fingers to his chin, thinking. "No, you see your vibe has changed completely."

Ashley stopped what she was doing and sat down on her bed. She placed her hand on her stomach and rubbed it. "My vibe?" she questioned.

He nodded his head and then grinned. He walked into the room and leaned in front of her. "You met someone, didn't you?"

Ashley instantly blushed and shook her head. "A man? Me? Pregnant? A pregnant me meeting a man? You're kidding."

"Oh god you really did meet a man." Frankie exclaimed excitedly, sitting down on her bed next to her. He turned her towards him with a huge grin on his face. "Tell me, how hot was he? Chris Pratt hot or Colton Haynes hot?"

Ashley blushed even harder and slapped the backside of his head. "I didn't meet anyone. All I had at the hospital were doctors and nurses."

A light flashed through Frankie's face. "Oh? A hot doctor then?"

Ashley gasped and faced away from him. "Be quiet will you. You're disrupting my little one's sleep." she said, feeling a small kick towards her lower belly. One that hasn't seemed to happen until now.

"So it is a hot doctor!"

"You're annoying." Ashley muttered, standing up from her bed. "Why are you even in my room?" She turned to face him.

Frankie's face became serious and Ashley knew whatever he had to say, it wasn't good. "We have a dinner with the shareholders tonight."

Ashley raised her eyebrows up. She picked up a vase and started to rearrange the flowers in it. "Well what about it? Papi have the shareholders here for dinner often. What makes it so different this time?"

"Your father signed a contract earlier this week." Frankie started to explain.

Ashley then realized what was coming. She gripped onto the vase. "I think I know where you're going from there." She looked blankly into Frankie's eyes. "Dante is going to be there, isn't he?" she asked calmly though she felt none of that.

Frankie nodded his head. He walked over to her and pulled her into his chest. "Samuel, your father, and I tried to persuade the shareholders that it should just be us, but they want to meet the new lawyer."

Ashley leaned her head against his chest and shook her head. She pulled away from him. "Don't worry. I can deal with him."

Frankie looked at her with worry. "Are you sure you can? You don't have to go if you don't want to."

She shook her head and smiled weakly at him. Her hands pressed itself harder against her stomach. "No. It would make Papi look bad if I don't. I'll go. I will be handle him." she sighed. "Just promise me one thing."

Frankie gave her a questioning look. "What is it?"

Ashley grinned. "Don't try to hold Mayla back when she tries to attack him."

Frankie chuckled and pulled his arm over her shoulder. "I'm not going to even think about it. I think Samuel might even get a thrill or two out of it."

"There's something going on between them, isn't there?" she asked with a smile on her face. "There is no one other than me that can calm her down but clearly, she found someone else to do the job."

Frankie laughed and started to lead her down the stairs. "Mayla is a violent one still. Samuel has to put up with a lot if he goes for her."

"I'd appreciate it if you don't talk about my personal life behind my back, Valldarri."

Ashley and Frankie turned around. Frankie grinned at Samuel. "Oh come on. It's nothing you have to hide from famiglia."

Samuel rolled his eyes and walked down to where they stood. He looked at Ashley with worry in his eyes. "Listen it's your first day back at the hospital. You don't have to do this dinner. I don't want you to get stressed out and have harm come to the baby."

Ashley smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'll be fine. Believe me." She then faced the bottom of the stairs. "Trust me when I say, I'm over him now." she muttered, walking down the stairs.

"Of course you are because you found yourself a hot doctor." Frankie shouted, catching up to her even though it didn't take him too long.

Being pregnant made her slow and she had only taken six steps down before Frankie caught up with her in three seconds.

Ashley stood at the bottom and glared at him. She smacked his chest, blushing profusely. "Shut up about that."

"A hot doctor?" Mayla came out of nowhere, a smirk on her lips. "Does his name happen to be Ales—"

Ashley clamped her hand over Mayla's mouth. She glared at her family. "Leave me alone." she shouted, tears coming down her face.

A string of curses left Samuel's mouth. "Oh look at what you did, Frankie. You made a pregnant woman cry. Good job." Samuel pushed Frankie out of the way and pulled Ashley into his arms. "Come on, baby sis. Let it all out."

"You're a shame." Mayla muttered to Frankie.

"I didn't think she was going to cry." Frankie defended himself.

"She's pregnant and is highly emotional you idiot." Mayla shouted back, punching him acorss the chest.

"Well, you joined—ow!"

"I did nothing." Mayla stated before turning back to Ashley. "Ice-cream?" she asked with an innocent smile.

"I want a tub." Ashley hiccuped.

"Must be some hot doctor for her to not be a depressing little bitch anymore." Frankie muttered under his breath.

"Frankie, I will stab you in three seconds if you don't start being silent" Mayla warned.

"This is a violent family."

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