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"But Mommy, we never go to the beach anymore!" Kiara whined as she curled up on her mother's lap, tugging at her shirt sleeve.

"Because it's so crowded in the weekends baby and I told you right, Grandma said no outings for a while." River tried to pacify her. Susan had taken up the case as a favor to the guy because he had helped her out when she was starting out in a world where women were looked down on. But she knew the consequences of helping him out, so she had to take her precautions.

Susan hadn't hidden her worries from her daughter. She knew that River could take it but she told her mother-in-law and everyone else that this was because of the media lurking around.

"At least to Uncle Sebby's house?" She asked, pouting.

River almost gave in when Lucas said. "Wow Ki, that's very disrespectful to Auntie Jackie. She's here and you are not even playing with her."

The doctor raised a brow as she watched Kiara jump off from her lap and charge at Jacqueline who gave her best friend an amused look before welcoming Kiara into her arms, Lucas joining them.

Lucas really was mature beyond his age. And he was also much of an indoor person. Even Kiara was trying to adjust to the new pattern but it was a Saturday and they had nothing to do so she had reached her limit.

"Let's play Zenga!" Lilith exclaimed out of nowhere, wheeling into the room with the Zenga set on her nap.

"YES!!!" The kids chorused excitedly.

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"All the major organs are functioning normally. He just has a bit of trouble breathing and digesting food so we are putting him on a nutrient drip and oxygen supply. He will be fine." The nurse assured Michelia before checking all her vitals and leaving them.

"I am so sorry Lia." Mateo said, squeezing her hand. "This was all my fault."

"Shut up, will you? We are all safe and that's all that matters!" Michelia replied, though he could see the pain of being separated from her son in her eyes.

Suddenly the door banged open and Mateo spun swiftly on his heels, taking his revolver out.

It was just Leonardo.

"Took you long enough." Michelia smiled.

"You okay?" He had tears in his eyes.

"Capo to the Italian Mafia and you are crying?" She chuckled.

The two Capos rolled their eyes before Mateo gave him a nod and side-hug before leaving the room, letting the couple have some privacy.

"Cugino?"

[Cugino - cousin]

Mateo turned around to look at his cousin, who had his arms around his wife.

"Don't beat yourself up for this. It wasn't your fault."

He nodded again and walked out.

'But it was my fault. If I had went to the conference in Italy instead of Leonardo, he and Michelia would have still been in Chicago, and safe.' Mateo thought to himself as he made his way to the cafeteria.

"Mr. Adesso?" He looked up to see a nurse grinning like a Cheshire cat at him. She looked familiar but he couldn't remember from where.

"Yes?"

"I am Bianca. I was assigned to you last year." She said hopefully.

He nodded. He remembered the other brunette due to whom he still remembered Bianca and wondered if he could see her again.

"What brings you here?"

"My cousin had a baby."

"Oh, convey my regards."

He nodded again. He was too tired to even be mad. He had stayed awake all day yesterday and today. And it was past six. The adrenaline rush had passed. And he was beyond exhausted. He needed sleep.

"Where's Dr. Johnson?"

The two turned to look at a disheveled man around Mateo's age, his face etched with worry and his eyes sagging with lack of sleep. Mateo guessed he probably looked the same.

"She won't be back until tomorrow afternoon." Bianca smiled warmly. Was she always this nice? "Unless there's an emergency."

"Can I have her number?" He asked.

"No we can't do that-"

"I can call her for you." Mateo butted in, regretting it instantly. The exhaustion was messing with his head. And the man looked desperate. And seeing her after a whole year, he was desperate to hear her voice too.

"You can?" Both of them looked at him, dumbfounded.

"If she still uses the same number." He pulled out the phone from his pant pocket and dialed the number.

It rung four times before someone answered.

"Hello?" Said a small sweet voice. Mateo's breath hitched in his throat. "Dr. Johnson's phone." She continued.

"Can I speak to her?" He asked slowly. This must be her daughter.

"Mommy, a mister wants to speak to you!" He heard her yell and the sound of her running. Her voice was so melodious that it rung in his head as his brain etched it in his memory.

"Hello, Mr. Adesso?" River spoke after a few mumbles.

"Hi, someone wants to speak to you."

"Willow Jensen's father." He said and Mateo conveyed it to her.

"Yeah, hand him the phone."

The man moved a bit away and spoke to her.

"I didn't know you and Dr. Johnson were close." Bianca spoke up and he could see the evil glint in her eyes. Oh great, drama!

"My sister saved her number, just in case." Mateo shrugged, though Alessia had never seen River in her life.

She just nodded and walked away.

"Thanks." The man returned, passing him his phone.

Mateo nodded and resumed his task of getting food.

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"So.. You and Mateo huh?" Jacqueline appeared out of nowhere, giving her best friend a teasing grin.

Now where the hell did she hear that from?

"Who?"

"You know, the hot Italian with the-"

"No, I mean who is gossiping?" River cut her off, ticking stuff off on her phone. A few more hours left and she could go home.

"Make a wild guess." She chuckled.

Oh she was enjoying this, wasn't she?

"Oh I don't know, someone that rhymes with wanka?" She rolled my eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!!" She laughed, playfully hitting her back.

River rolled my eyes again.

"Dr. Johnson!"

She turned around to see a very familiar face walking towards them.

Isn't that the expensive cigar guy?

'Yep.'

"Um.. I remember you, just not your name." River smiled, pushing her hand forward.

"Leonardo Adesso and thank you so much for saving my wife and son."

Oh.

"Just doing my job." She gave him a smile.

'Is that relief I feel?'

'But why?'

Oh I don't know, maybe because a certain someone could be available?

"Hey could you come meet my wife?" He asked. "It would mean a lot."

"Umm.. I will come by after my rounds. Which room?"

"VIP seven." He said.

Wow, coincidence.

Why did she even remember that?

She nodded and he said his goodbye, walking away.

"Hmmm... I guess Bianca can't score with the infidelity angle. But.. Affair with a patient is still against professional etiquette." Jacqueline said, watching the new parent walk away.

"I slept with him after he was discharged from the hospital." River shrugged, pocketing her phone.

"You what?" Her eyes widened. "So it is true?"

The doctor smirked at her and walked away.

She was moody for the day. Lucas was an indoor person. Kiara and River weren't. It really didn't help that she wanted so bad to take her mind off a certain Italian who had waltzed back into her life.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket just then.

Talk of the devils.

It was a message, a selfie of Lilith and the twins, holding rainbow donuts to their eyes.

River's stomach reacted with a grumble.

"Oh thank you so much for the gut stimulation." She chuckled, typing in just that and hitting send.

She pocketed her phone again and sighed aloud.

Where was she again?

Rounds. Right!

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"Well, you will have to keep the cast on for a month or two. And that's that." River told the twenty-year-old Deric Richards who had successfully snapped his femur into two in a motorbike accident.

Amateurs. Can't even handle some alcohol.

"Can I start riding after that?" He asked.

"Yeah sure." River said.

"As soon as you get a new ride that is. I heard yours died on site."

River cleared her throat and gave her chirpy overly-optimistic intern Valerie Pierce a side eye though internally, she really couldn't agree with her more.

"My condolences." Valerie finished while River rolled her eyes.

She checked his charts and talked with his guardian and was on her way out when the door opened from the other side, and she came face to face with him.

"River?"

River forced a smile on to her face, straining her facial muscles against the scowl they wanted to form and replied, "Long time no see, Eric."

"You are a doctor now?" He chuckled, as if it was the funniest joke of the century.

Adjusting his helmet under his arm, he invited her back but she declined. "Maybe another time. I have to do my rounds."

She quickly walked out followed by Valerie who quickly fell into pace with her.

"Who's Mr. Ink dermis?" She asked.

The doctor turned to her, a smirk on her face. "A douchebag I used to date." Not any douchebag; this douchebag was her first everything.

"Ahhh.." She said, dragging it. "I figured as much."

She pulled her strawberry blonde ponytail up and pointed at the back of her neck. "See that, that's my pipe."

River scrunched up her face.

"Valerie, I think you should go back to middle school if you don't know where your wind and food pipe is."

"No no Doc, pipe - P.I.P.E - It means Perv Induced Piloerection."

"Wow." River rolled her eyes. All her interns were idiots. Or weird. Or both.

'Am I the only one who thinks maturity is a sham? Everyone is immature once you get to know them. Or is it just me?'

"I know right." She said. "I am pretty proud of myself for that." She patted her own back causing River's brow to perk up yet again.

But then she was glad that she was here with her now. Unlike the usual set of idiotic interns, she was cursed with, Valerie wasn't particularly scared or nervous around River or the patients. It didn't hurt that she got everything right too. And she was very friendly and sweet. But, she was very talkative!

Rounds weren't boring anymore. Surgeries weren't tense anymore. Lunches weren't lonely anymore. She was a bit annoying at times but it was fine.

It was like River got her younger self back.

"You know him, don't you?" River asked her after a while.

"Which runaway in NYC doesn't?" She spat out and looked her senior in the eyes. "Did he ever hurt you?"

"He spent five years in jail for that. You?"

"He wasn't directly involved. Michael Jahn-"

"The Hammer." River chuckled. She was not going to forget that character in this lifetime.

"He is in jail now."

River smiled at her. "Good job."

And that's how the past is dealt with.

When Sebastian and she were caught up in their shit a decade ago, they never thought they could get out of their clutches. But now look at them, living their best lives.

River's watch beeped.

"Duty calls." She said and they hurried off but her 'PIPE' had picked up and she knew that some son of a bitch was watching her. And she really didn't want to know why.

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"She will be moved to the room by tomorrow morning and if everything turn out fine, can leave the hospital in a week." River told the parents and walked away.

She had missed rounds. And it was already six in the evening. So much for that.

She took off the surgical cap, mask and gloves and put on her coat over the scrubs and normal shoes.

Her phone had twelve missed calls and twice as many texts from her mom's number.

'My baby monkeys.'

She sighed, opting to video call them as she walked towards her cabin.

"Hey River?"

Yet again, PIPE-d.

'Great. Valerie is rubbing off on me.'

But wait, was this just a coincidence or did him turning up again had something to do with Susan's new case?

River cautiously turned around, aware of the eyes on her wondering how she knew a heavily tattooed shady hunk. As much as she hated the judging looks, she was glad that they were there because all of a sudden, she was less creeped out and more paranoid about Eric.

She didn't want any trouble. She wanted to stay low and invisible.

Because no matter what a brave front she put forward, the fact remained that she was still as scared of such a situation as she was back then.

In fact, now she was even more scared because she had two midgets to take care of and protect. She didn't want to make any mistake that would put their lives in danger and that was the only reason she had talked patiently with him earlier.

"Where are you off to?" He grinned, showing off his crooked teeth with that one gap that she had personally given him.

"Just going into my cabin to make a call and then grab my purse so that I can get some coffee before I resume my rounds."

"I will wait here. Let's go to the cafeteria together."

She nodded and walked in. What was the whacko plotting?

She quickly fished out her phone and video-called her monkeys.

"Hii Mommy!!" They sang in unison.

"Hey my sweethearts, what's up?" River asked, plastering a huge grin on her face.

"We are helping Grandma make Choco fudge cake!" Kiara squealed.

"Wow, Mommy will be back in like two hours and we can have that!" She said.

"Don't worry Mommy, we will keep some aside in case you got late and past our bedtime." Lucas said, whipping the cream.

River was lucky; her children were angels.

"Thanks honey. But Mommy will try to be there on time."

They said their good-byes and hung up, River completely forgetting to ask the children why they had called her in the first place.

She opened her drawer and pocketed her wallet and made her way out. To a catch-up she could not avoid.

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"And why would I believe you?" River laughed more, choking on her coffee.

"Because it's the truth. I swear on Lily and my son Luke." He pinched his throat like a child.

"Okay, I believe you. But why are you telling me all this?" She asked, tossing the last piece of her croissant into her mouth and patting the crumbs off.

"I feel that you will need my help soon, given whom your mother is messing with these days."

He had her full attention now and he knew it, but for once in my life, River did not see any sort of evil glint or threat in his eyes. He almost looked worried.

"I know what my child means to me, River, and I think that after all that you did, I am willing to help because one, you were the first to ever dare to oppose me and I respect that and second, five years in jail did more good than harm. Flushed out all the fakes from my life. And I am grateful." He said sincerely. "If it wasn't for you, I will still be a trafficker. But thanks to you, I am a tattoo artist."

She raised her eyebrows. Wow. Okay.

"Call me if you need me. Anytime. Any place. I still have my men, more loyal than ever." And with that, his chair scraped backward and he got up, placing his card on the table.

And I felt it again. The feeling of being watched. If it wasn't him, then who was it?

And now she knew also knew that the threat was real, and that her mother wasn't just being paranoid.

"Sit back down. I have one more question."

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