*Two and a half years earlier*

"Come on my guirriera, you can do it my love (warrior)." Franco encouraged his wife, Charlotte, as she let out another tired groan from all the pushing she had been doing for the past hour.

Charlotte's body held a thin layer of sweat whilst, her face was as red as a tomato. 'Never again' she thought to herself.

"Franco, I can't push anymore. I am too tired." She huffed in frustration as tears welled in her eyes. Charlotte believed that she was letting her husband and the Midwife, delivering her baby down, when in fact both individuals looked at Charlotte in awe and admiration.

Charlie had been in labour for seven days and active labour for eight hours. The Midwives looking after Charlie had recommended her to have a C-section after, what her petite body had been through in the past but, she insisted on having a very natural birth.

How she wished she could have had the C-section now.

"Yes you can tesoro, we are so close to meeting our piccolo (darling) (little one)." Franco kissed the top of his wife's head-he didn't mind the sweat that laced her body and her messy, blonde hair flying everywhere.

Franco still saw her to be the most beautiful girl he has ever laid his eyes on all those months ago.

"Charlotte, I have to ask you to give me one last push." The Midwife said gently. Charlotte nodded, gripping onto her husband's hand deathly tight and pushed with all her might as she felt another contraction.

Suddenly, Charlie felt an instant release of pressure. The pounding sensation within her stomach had magically disappeared, almost as if it were never there.

She were about to ask the Midwife what was going on until, soft cries filled the private hospital room.

"Congratulations on the birth of your healthy, little girl." The Midwife carefully handed the fragile thing over to Charlotte, she was wary of mishandling the child but as soon as she was placed within her arms, she engulfed the baby in a protective hold.

She didn't want to let her go, ever.

Tears that she didn't know were there, poured down her cheeks however, Franco wiped her tears clear and placed a light kiss on her head.

One look at their new princess and Franco was done for, he had never seen something so pure and beautiful in all his lifetime-other than his wife of course.

"Bellissima, I am so proud of you il mio amore! (Beautiful) (my love)" Franco leaned his head into his wife's neck and placed another feathery kiss. He didn't think his love for Charlotte could grow any stronger than it already was, he was proved very wrong.

Charlie only smiled at her husband's sweet nothings, she leaned into his side with the baby snuggled up in her arms; life couldn't get any better than this.

"Would you like to hold her?" Charlie spoke softly to Franco, noticing her husband's eyes widen like a deer in headlights, she offered nothing but reassurance.

"I might break her petalo (petal)." Franco spoke shakily, never in his life as he been more nervous than he was then. He was a Mafia leader, a relentless Mafia leader to be exact. 'What a pussy I am.' Franco thought to himself. 'I have killed more people than I can count and I am scared to hold a piccola, piccola mia (baby, my baby)."

"Fran, I can see the cogworks turning in your eyes. You won't break her, I promise you my love." Charlotte placed their precious, little girl in his arms and to say her husband was starstruck by their baby's beauty was a fact. He was rendered speechless.

From that precise moment, Franco promised himself that he wouldn't let any harm come in his princesse's way and that he would rather die than let anything bad to happen to his little girl and he was going to make sure that his girl was not going to be exposed to any Mafia business whatsoever. 'How am I going to keep boys away from you princessa, you're too perfect (princess).' He thought to himself.

"What should we name her, my love." Charlotte leaned her head on Franco's arm, he responded by leaning into her touch also.

"I am not sure, baby." He stared in awe at both this wife and little girl, he believed himself to be the luckiest man in the whole world and he didn't care if he was being biased.

"I want her name to hold a special meaning, she is a miracle baby after all." Charlie put her one of her fingers in the child's hand-the baby immediately squeezed the finger, recognising it to be her mother.

Charlie was shot in the very early stages of her pregnancy, she was put into a medically induced coma due to the damage she had received. Doctor's told Franco that Charlie would most likely miscarry due to the damage however, Charlie fought through and proved them all wrong.

"I agree, bambina (baby)." Franco smiled, he rocked the baby in his arms hoping a name would spring to mind.

"How about Rio?" Charlotte kissed her husband's lips to which, he deepened the kiss further. "Rio? Where did that come from?" He spoke against her soft, plump lips.

"It's the first vacation we had together, where this little one made her presence known." She kissed the baby's clenched fist.

Without them both realising-the little baby opened her eyes for the very first time, showcasing her deep silver eyes for her parents to see. "Oh my god, Franco look!" Charlie squealed as she saw her baby's eyes for the first time.

Franco was confused until he looked at his bambina's eyes and he was held captivated. His little girl's eyes stared into his soul but, instead of feeling uncomfortable like most people would be he leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on the baby's cheeks causing her to giggle.

"What a precious baby." Both Franco and Charlie said in synch. Franco stared at his beautiful wife.

"Rio, it is."

------

It had been a couple of hours since Rio made her arrival into the world and nothing could be more perfect.

Rio had been taken away from her parents so, her tests could be completed and she was in fact a very healthy baby. Many people had already held and met Rio but, all that was left was her brothers.

Rio shared the same father with her brothers, but she had a different mother due to the fact that, Franco's first wife had passed away after suffering from pre-eclampsia causing his first wife and baby to pass away.

Franco went into a deep state of mourning and grief, he loved his first wife with all his heart but, Charlotte entered his life and he knew that he was done for.

*

A loud, sudden knock at the door caused both Franco and Charlotte to jump out of their skins and Rio to stir in her sleep.

They were both too engrossed in their daughter, to realise that Franco's sons were also due to visit their new addition to the Esposito family.

Franco stood from his seat and stormed to the door, slightly angered by the sudden noise that startled himself, his wife and little girl. Opening the door, he was met by the presence of his older sons.

The look on their father's face must have made the boys realise that they knocked a tad too loud as they all offered a sheepish smile and their apologies.

"Can I see her now?" The youngest son, Marcello questioned eagerly. At a mere young age of sixteen, he had never shown any emotion to his family as he was trained from a very young age to never show emotion, especially to your enemy.

So, Marcello's reaction to wanting to meet his sister shocked not only his father and brothers but, himself.

"You're such a girl Marcello." The second oldest son, Luca joked as he whacked Marcello across the head. His brother winced at the action but, retaliated nonetheless. "Well, this girl isn't afraid to castrate you and shove your balls down your throat, Luca." Marcello taunted, Luca's eyes widened and he let out a loud gulp, causing Franco to chuckle.

The oldest son, Frankie stood quiet. He was the shy brother, who always had his guard up. He was extremely nervous to meet his little sister for the first time but, he hid his emotions well.

"Come on in boys." Franco patted each one of his son's shoulders as they entered the hospital room. Each of them were extremely nervous to meet their sister, what if she didn't like them and what if they couldn't protect her?

All their thoughts disappeared into ashes as soon as they laid their eyes on the most delicate, innocent thing they had ever come across. Rio was sprawled out against her mother's chest as Charlie winded her.

Rio has just been fed for the third time in two hours, proving to everyone that she is going to be one heavy eater. Milk leaked from Rio's mouth and her faint snores caused her mother and father to fall in love with her all the more.

Rio was in her first milk coma.

The boys cooed in awe at their little sister, their hearts felt as though they were going to burst. "Who would like to hold her first?" Charlotte spoke shyly to the boys.

Charlie and the boys never heard a strong relationship, she didn't want the boys to feel as though she was replacing their mother as that wasn't the case. Charlie just wanted to get on with them but, they had different plans.

However, today stood a turning point as the boys couldn't help but have an immense amount of respect for Charlie for delivering their little sister.

"I will." Marcello quickly spoke, he wanted to be the first brother to hold their sister. He had always wanted a younger sibling to protect.

Each son held Rio with such pride and they all felt as though their hearts were going to burst with such joy, they vowed to themselves that they will never let any harm come to their sister and that they would rather die than let someone get their filthy hands on her.

"What's her name?" Frankie spoke up, he looked at the child in adoration. Nothing could describe the amount of love he already held for his little sister; she was too perfect.

Franco and Charlotte looked at each other before they both spoke in unison.

"Rio Francie Esposito."