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"That was a toy Ki!" River said as she rocked her little girl in her arms. "Uncle Mateo was just playing around."

"Uncle?" Mateo was not at all pleased with the new label. Wasn't she supposed to introduce him as their Papa?

River narrowed her eyes at the dumbass in the rear-view mirror.

As if traumatizing her- their children for life wasn't enough, he wanted to drop the next bomb on them?

"Yeah Ki, Mr. Adesso is an actor, remember?" Lucas said from the car seat. He was seated on his car seat while River sat next to him with Kiara in her lap because she was so scared of Mateo now.

Lucas bought the toy gun- actor story fast, but Kiara was not okay with someone training a gun against her mother's head. River had expected for the twins to act differently though. It was like they had switched bodies. It was usually Lucas who was skeptical and doubtful and Kiara who was trusting. But Lucas liked 'Mr. Adesso' from the moment he met him at the dock and Kiara was over-protective of her mother for some reason and she did not trust anyone who behaved in any way that could potentially harm her Mommy. If it wasn't for that reason, River was sure Kiara would have been awed by the character named Mateo Adesso, just like her brother.

She thought it was safe to say that the kids were already – unknowingly – choosing their favorite parent.

River knew she shouldn't be thinking like that but the truth was the truth.

"Can you sit on your seat now?" She whispered into her baby's hair and she meekly nodded. River placed her on the seat and fastened the belt for her and sat properly on her own, fixing her seat-belt.

She narrowed her eyes at Mateo yet again on the rear-view mirror while he smirked.

Is she a bad person for wishing she could do yet another surgery without anesthetic on him?

"Hi doc, remember me?" Adam asked her from the back seat. She was travelling with him, Mateo and another man she didn't recognize. She didn't remember much of this guy but he was the one who Mateo had around most of the time when he was admitted in the hospital and she could say since then that they were pretty close.

River pursed her lips. "I am not really good at remembering names." She shrugged.

Adam chuckled. "I am Adam Smith. I am Mateo's best friend and first in command." He held his hand out and River had to twist in her seat to give him a very awkward hand-shake, her back killing her throughout the process.

"Hi I am Lucas Johnson." Lucas waved at the man. "I remember you and an auntie from when Mommy saved us." He looked really comfortable around these people.

"You don't remember me?" Ricardo asked.

"I remember seeing you somewhere between all the chaos." Lucas said, nodding to himself while River too nodded with him. He spoke so eloquently.

"Ricardo Regio, nice to meet ya!" He turned around and winked before going back to driving.

"Where are we going, Mommy?" Kiara asked.

"It's a surprise." Mateo said.

"Mom..." She whined.

"Trust me baby; you are going to love it!" River said though she too had no idea where they were off to. The only thing she could guarantee was that they were all going to be safe.

River looked over at her son. He seemed relaxed and unbothered as he watched the view out the window. This was so out of character for him but River was happy that her son felt safe. She had a feeling that it had something to do with Mateo Adesso's presence. The thought brought a smile to her face; the son had lowered his guards and relieved himself of the duties to protect his mother and sister now that his father was here.

It was crazy how life worked. He didn't even know that Mateo was his father yet but he still trusted him, and Lucas Johnson trusted no one.

River was just happy that at least one of her kids were so spooked out and was taking it well, and she couldn't wait for her little Kiara to warm up to her father as well.

"So, you really didn't know they were his?" Adam whispered into her ear.

River turned to him; her eyes narrowed. Why were they risking a conversation like this in front of the kids? Though the twins looked like they hadn't heard anything.

"Let's just say I am a forgetful drunk." She whispered back. "Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"It's a surprise." Adam said in a deep voice and then switched to an awful high-pitched tone. "But trust me baby; you are going to love it!"

River rolled her eyes. All of them are dumbasses, aren't they?

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They were at the tarmac of an airport, in front of their private jet. She was least surprised when she heard that Mateo owned seven of them.

Lucas was beaming with excitement; he loved flying and he was also psyched about the vacation after the dreadful week they spent and the house arrest they were under because of Susan Johnson's ongoing case. Kiara had fallen asleep and was now in her Mommy's arms, her head resting against the crook of River's neck. Her features soft like that of an angel. She really was an adorable child.

"Want me to hold her?" Ricardo asked. "You are still recovering right?" The man was actually looking forward to it; he considered it an honor to hold the daughter of his Capo whom he hoped would one day become the Boss. And he was also confident that the Capo wouldn't find a better woman than Dr. River Johnson, from the knowledge he had gained about her. She was honest, fierce and fearless. She would make a legendary Boss wife.

River shook her head, sighing. Her back was killing her but handing Kiara to someone else was one risk she never took, and it had nothing to do with the person or situation. "She will freak out if she accidentally wakes up."

Ricardo nodded.

"Did Capo even have a chance to properly look at his kids?" He asked. River watched the man instruct the men to get their stuff from the car and move it to the jet. There was hell a lot of men around and another two cars from which they were moving luggage.

"No, he hasn't." She sighed. "And after that little stunt he pulled, we have to wait until Ki is over it before we can tell them who he is."

She looked over at her little Lucas, who was perched on Adam's shoulders now. It was not like Lucas to become so friendly with someone so easily, but she guessed it was normal for a five-year-old to trust some cool people who saved his life. He must see them as some kind of superheroes or something.

"Man, that sucks." He said, tying up his blond waves into a messy bun. River had to admit – the man had amazing hair. She was going to ask him the secret to those flawless waves once they were more acquainted.

"Adam's coming with you guys by the way." He spoke. " I am staying here to get some work done. We will meet when you guys get back after the situation here is resolved."

River nodded, shifting her arm under Kiara.

"I hope you understand that Mateo is trying to put a lot of effort into the children." He said as they waited. "I am not asserting anything but for a Capo to be away takes a toll on the whole business."

River smiles and turned to the loyal soldier. "Don't worry. I understand."

"That I can see. You are a badass."

"And he's a dumbass."

Ricardo laughed out, which immediately had Mateo and Adam's attention.

"Are you trying to steal my new best friend?" Adam asked as he walked over, Lucas grinning from ear to ear on top of him.

"Hey big boy, having fun up there?" River asked. He nodded vigorously, laughing.

"I think we are already besties here, Adam boy." Ricardo put an arm around me. "You missed out! I think I will be winning more favors from the Capo now." He winked at River who chuckled.

"So that's what all of this was about!" She laughed.

Adam pouted with his sad puppy eyes.

Lucas patted his head. "It's okay Uncle Adam, I can be your best friend."

"Really?" Adam asked, lowering his nephew to his arms. Lucas nodded laughing.

"Awww!!!" He hugged him and turned to River, "Can I keep him?"

River narrowed her eyes at the man-child. You wish!

"You don't own me." Lucas scrunched up his face.

"Of course I don't, Boss!" Adam laughed.

"You are such a man-child." Ricardo rolled his eyes and gestured for River to follow him and they made their way to the jet, meeting Mateo on the way.

"I know you might be angry-" He started but she cut him off. "I am not angry, Mateo. I know you did that on impulse to get out of there as soon as possible."

"I understand that's how you function. You can't help it." She nodded to herself. "Try to change though. We don't want to scare our children like that ever again, right?"

He smiled at her, nodding as he caressed Kiara's hair.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

River sighed as they walked up the stairs.

"Making friends with the boys?" He asked.

River smirked because she could clearly hear the jealousy.

"Don't worry. I see them as my younger brothers." She couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips as she said it. She looked over her shoulder to see a childish scowl on the Capo's face. He really was a dumbass.

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It was some eleven in the night when they landed on their destination.

"Welcome to Wyoming!!" Adam sang. River narrowed her eyes at him. Her two babies were fast asleep in her arms and she did not want to deal with two tired cranky five-year-olds right now.

"Your parents have been informed that you have reached the safe house." Mateo said as he joined them as they walked towards the cars waiting for them.

River sighed.

"Want me to hold them for you?" He asked, as if granting her a favor when in truth, he just couldn't wait to hold them in his arms.

She raised a brow. "I think the words you really want to use are, 'Can I hold our kids now?'"

He rolled his eyes.

"Here." She turned towards him. He closed in, making sure their heads were comfortably rested on his chest before snaking his arms around them, taking them off her arms.

River stretched, feeling an electric shock kind of pain shoot up her back. She winced, slightly massaging her lower back.

"It hurts?" He asked, looking concerned.

"It's been only two days, right? That's why. P.S. My biking skill has gotten a bit rusty." She pouted. "Once I was known for perfect landings, no matter how rough the terrain."

He pursed his lips, nodding thoughtfully and then finally said, "I think we can keep the boasting for later."

She narrowed her eyes at him while he gave her a stupid grin. She would have punched him in the face if it wasn't for their children in his arms and his fine features that she didn't want to ruin.

"Are we going to live in a ranch?" She asked, the possibility popping up in her, exciting her.

"Yep."

"Do you have a shooting range?"

"Why?"

"Because my shooting skills are also rusty."

"Alright, I get it; you know a lot of stuff. Stop showing off."

River rolled her eyes and pulled the kids back to herself so that he could settle each one of them on to the car seat.

"Are you not going to say anything?" He asked after he settled both of the sleeping babies down.

"Translate bud." She rolled her eyes. She made a mental note to learn to slowly learn Italian, now that she had a lot of free time in her hands. It doesn't hurt to know an extra language anyway.

"Welcome to the club, sister-in-law. These Italians do this a lot." Adam said as he got on the seat between the kids.

"Sister-in-law?" She scrunched her face up. What the hell was he talking about? Maybe he shouldn't have drank all that scotch on the flight.

"Wait so you both aren't married yet?" He asked, acting all naïve and clueless. "Then when did these happen?" He pointed at the babies and gave her a creepy grin.

River rolled her eyes as she got into the passenger's seat while Mateo gave his best friend a death glare.

"Ricardo is right, you are a man-child." River said and then gave him a smug look. "And to answer your question, if you had paid attention in Biology class, you would know that marriage is not exactly a requirement."

"Jesus woman, how could you say something so scandalous?" He threw his hand over his mouth while Mateo and River rolled their eyes.

"Know where you are going?" Mateo asked as he buckled up his seat belt.

"Pretty sure it's same place your other cars are going." She gestured to the cars with his men.

Mateo smiled, nodding.

And he followed them through the otherwise deserted roads for some forty-five minutes until they entered the gates, to Lesio Ranch.

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The house - or should I say some Victorian era mansion - was made of rocks. And it was built around a huge tree, which had a platform built to it with rope ladders hanging down.

In short, add a dog and this was Kiara and Lucas' dream home.

It was midnight when they got there, but the whole place was well lit and there were the prettiest yellow fairy lights decorating the tree.

It was just gorgeous.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mateo asked. "You haven't eaten since lunch."

River shook her head. She was used to lack of food. "The kids are going to wake up some five in the morning today so I better get as much as sleep as I can." She said.

He nodded.

He carried the babies to the room which looked like it was hastily put together and cleaned. They tucked them in, taking off their foot-wears and jackets and covering them with the duvets.

"I will take you to your room." He said.

River nodded and kissed her babies on their foreheads and left the room.

Her room was just on the other side of the stairs and Mateo's was across from hers. "Get some rest. I need to check some things out." He said.

She nodded mumbling a "Good night Mateo."

River walked into her room and it had all of her and the kids' luggage in there.

Probably because the staff didn't know whose was which so they must have left it for her to handle.

River sighed as she pulled a duffel bag off the floor and kept it on the bed.

"It's okay River. It's completely okay to not have control over this situation." She said to herself, feeling the panic return. "It's dangerous but it's not something that will change because you wish it does."

She could feel the lump in her throat and a sickening weight on her chest.

"They are going to be fine. They are going to be just fine!!"

The wetness of her cheeks confirmed that she had resorted to full-blown crying but all of her senses were shutting down and all she could really feel was the increasing need for oxygen.

She clenched her teeth and tried to block out her thoughts.

River pushed the bag off the bed; she could live a day without changing into pajamas.

She quickly kicked off her shoes and got under the covers, trying to focus on the throbbing on her back and the tingling on the back of her head.

It was fine.

Everything was going to be just fine.

Nothing was going to happen to her little monkeys.

At least not as long as there was life left in her.

She just needed to figure all the shit out.

And she was positive that Mateo Adesso would do anything in his power to protect their kids too.

Mateo was a nice guy. He was just born into the Mafia. He was a compassionate dumbass. He will be able to protect their children even if she wasn't.

They were going to be fine.

And with all that security, no one was getting anywhere near their children, it was going to be absolutely alright!

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