"Rio! Come here bambina! (baby)" Franco called out into the air, he knew that she would be scurrying around somewhere. After all she is his ladybug.

The pitter patter of little footsteps could be heard, meaning their princess was on route. Both Franco and Charlie went all out for Rio's birthday-as they did every year but, this year was special.

The famous grandparents were coming.

Rio hadn't seen her Nona and Popo for a good year, she loved them dearly and always enjoyed being in their company.

Her Nona and Popo were Franco's parents, he always had a good relationship with them. Even Charlotte had a good relationship with them, that said something as Charlie was a very private person.

Franco was distracted from his thoughts when, a small body knocked into his legs. He looked down to see his princess, laying flat on the floor.

His baby had always been very clumsy.

"Happy Birthday my ladybug." He reached down and picked her up, placing her on his hip and smothered her face in light kisses.

"Thank you, daddy." Riri snuggled into her father's side. He put his face in her hair, inhaling her scent-he couldn't help but relax.

She was like a drug, he made her relax. As long as his baby girl was safe-he was happy. He decided to postpone all operations and meetings on the location of the Stidda Mafia.

He wanted to focus on his family.

"Darling, have you called Ri-" Charlotte was mid-way in her sentence until, she saw her little flower. "My baby, you're three years old!"

Charlotte was probably more excited than Rio but, Charlie had always been a child at heart.

Rio wriggled in her daddy's hold, wanting to be put down. She wanted to see her mummy. Carefully, Franco placed his ladybug on the floor and she ran into her mother's arms.

"Happy Birthday, my sweet flower." Charlotte cuddles her daughter, smushing her daughter's face in the process.

Franco couldn't help but chuckle at his wife.

"Charlotte, my love you are squishing her like a crab stick."

"What's a crab stick?" Rio muffled out, even though it sounded like gibberish-Franco could understand her clearly.

"It's a stick made out of crabs, baby." Franco sighed, what had his life come to; he thought to himself. "They killed Sebastian." Rio whimpered.

Oh no.

"Who is Sebastian, my love?" Franco rushed over to his crying princess, he hated seeing her in tears. "Sebastian, the crab. He is dead." Riri howled, Charlotte and Franco wondered how things went from zero to one hundred in not even a minute.

"Oh you mean from Little Mermaid?" Marcello cut in. He was eating a crab stick, looking very content with himself.

Rio nodded, looking hopeful at Marcello's question.

"Then yes he is, ladybug." He took another bite out of his crab stick. Hearing this from a reliable source, Rio sobbed her little heart out-her hopes were crushed.

"Marcello!" Luca smacked him across the back of his head. "You stupida puttana! (stupid bitch)."

"Why'd you hit me so hard?" Marcello whined, his crab stick was now on the floor because of, the blunt impact against his head.

"You told Riri her favourite character was dead, for fuck sake." Both Franco and Luca sighed. However, Charlotte giggled at their antics.

"It's not like he's real."

Gasps could be heard throughout the room, mainly from Rio and Luca.

They are die hard Disney fans.

"How dare you!" Luca gasped, he instantly stormed over to his baby sister and picked her up-cradling her. "Don't listen to him, baby."

Luca began walking Rio to the presents, that laid on her favourite spot on the couch. The wrapping paper was purple, the three year old's favourite colour.

"Oo." Rio sat on her knees and stared at the glistening wrapping paper, in awe.

Everyone in the room chuckled.

"Can I open them please, mummy?" Rio asked politely. Charlotte stared at her princess in adoration; how she raised something so pure and perfect. She would never know.

"Go wild, sweetheart." Charlie ushered her to open them. It took Rio a good ten minutes to open the first present-her nimble fingers not being strong enough to undo the tape.

Rio knew what a workout was and that was opening presents.

As soon as she unwrapped the paper, she squealed in happiness. She grabbed her present and held it up for everyone to see.

A ladybug suit.

"Oh my gosh! I love it!" She screamed, the little girl proceeded to pick up the suit and run around hectic. She had never been so excited in the three years of her existence.

After a good few minutes of running around, Rio placed her superhero suit on the floor and tackled her daddy to the floor. Luckily, Franco had been knelt down so it wasn't a big fall but, it startled him.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" His ladybug kissed his cheeks repeatedly. He sat them both up, Rio jumped out of his arms.

She wanted to open more presents.

---

It was a couple of hours later-Riri had managed to open all her presents and she was the happiest girl alive.

She loved everything she received. However, the best presents was obviously the ladybug suit; which she was currently dressed in.

The little girl was currently sat on Luca's lap, nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie. But, an elevator ding interrupted her eating.

"Where is my birthday girl?" An elderly man's voice shouted aloud. "Quit shouting Andrew, I have my hearing aid in you stork." A woman's voice muttered grumpily.

Her Nona and Popo had arrived.

As quick as ever, she leaped of Luca's lap earning a scold from her older brother. She knew she needed to be more careful but, she is the birthday girl after all.

"NOONAA, POPOO." The three year old yelled, dragging out her words. Rio ran around like a lunatic, she was in desperate need of cuddles from her favourite and only grandparents.

"There's the little sport!" Andrew hollered. He knelt down as much as he could seen as though, he had recently just recovered from a knee replacement.

"POPOO!" She collided into his big belly and cuddled his big frame.

It had been a while.

"Look at my girl, all grown up!" He stroked her blonde curls as Andrew held her protectively in his arms.

"I'm a big girl now." Riri mumbled, causing Andrew to chuckle. "Not quite ladybug, not quite."

"Quit hogging my granddaughter Andrew or, I won't hesitate to butter-sock you." Nona Margarita scolded her husband. She had missed Rio just as much and she wanted some time with the little girl for herself.

"I married a psycho." Andrew muttered into the child's hair. He was reluctant to let the little girl go.

"Popo, what's a psycho?" His granddaughter questioned innocently.

"What the fuck Andrew!"

---

Everyone had arrived at the Esposito household and Franco, Charlotte and the son's couldn't be more anxious.

They all couldn't help but overthink the rat were among them, Franco had an inkling something bad was going to happen but, he didn't know what.

He had ordered guards to be stationed around every opening within the penthouse, they were highly trained. They were the best of the best.

He still felt anxious. And he was a Mafia leader, they aren't supposed to become anxious.

Before he could overthink any further, his father beckoned him to Franco's meeting room. Andrew knew of the situation surrounding Rio and the threat on her life-he wanted to help the best he could. Even in his current health situation.

"Franco, what's wrong son? You seem on edge." Andrew patted his son's back in reassurance. With all the years of knowing his son, his biggest giveaway was how he always had a solemn look on his face; when he was nervous.

"Sta per succedere qualcosa, padre, lo sento. (Something is going to happen, father, I can feel it.)"Franco frantically spoke, he ran his hand through his hair multiples of times. It was no surprise his hair looked disheveled.

"Come lo sai? Sembra che tutto stia andando alla grande. (How do you know? Everything seems to be going swell.)"

"I just-" Before Franco could say anything else, loud screams filled the penthouse.

A/N:

Hello guys,

Thank you for reading this chapter, it means a lot. If you have any plot ideas please tell me them! I want to make you happy!!

Lots of love,

Mia. X