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Abrianna wasted no second in stepping forward and slapping River hard. The impact had her stumbling back, but Mateo was there to keep her on her feet.

"You manipulative bitch!" She spat.

"Mama, enough!" Alessio stepped in but she pushed him back by his chest and turned to River. "Wait and see you vermin, I will take away your family like you did mine!"

Mateo was red with anger. He was about to give her a piece of his mind but was cut off.

"Huh?" Alessia voiced out, gaining all of their attention.

River's cheek burned and she could taste the metal inside but she wasn't going to rub it and give her the satisfaction of having hurt her.

"Nonna, you fucking invited that bastard back into my house!" Alessia screamed. "You fucking tried to tear me apart once again!"

"Alessia, how dare-"

"NO!" She screamed again making Katrina and River flinch. She looked so much in pain and this time, she was not going to keep it all in, and for that both of the women were proud of her.

Mateo's arms tightened around River and she looked up at him. His eyes were on her cheek which was most probably red and swollen by then. River's eyes were teary from the impact and she was sure that her dumb-ass must have mistaken it for emotional tears.

"I didn't keep mum because I was going to comply with whatever decision you were making today! I kept mum because I wanted to see what my brother and Papa would do about this whole situation! I wanted to see if they will choose me or the fucking mafia!" She yelled.

"Honey, it's not like that!" Katrina grabbed her daughter's arm.

"IT IS LIKE THAT!" She screamed. "You all weren't there for me when I was weak. Now you are taking my side when I am more than capable of standing up for myself!"

She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "The world could be ending but I won't go back to that guy. Deal with it Nonna." And she turned to River. "Come on River. We are flying back to New York tomorrow. We need to do the packing."

"See, it's she who has manipulated my grandchildren."

"Ugh, give it a rest woman!" River finally said and looked up at her. "I have nothing to do with this family. I am your grandson's baby mama and granddaughter's good friend. That's all I am. Don't blame this decade old feud on me!" River then turned to Alessio and Katrina. "I am sorry both of you. It was really nice meeting you." The two just smiled back sadly and she walked away from the tense room with Alessia by her side, linking her arm with hers.

As soon as the two women reached Alessia's room, River closed the door behind her after peeking at the corridors. "I was actually expecting her to come at me with an elephant gun or something!" River said finally to which Alessia laughed out loud.

"Oh trust me River, if it wasn't for Mateo, she actually would have." She chuckled as she quickly grabbed her weapon bag, the only luggage she carried around.

"Well, technically I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Mateo so..."

"Which reminds me, you will have to deal with his pettiness and anger and childishness now."

"Why?" River asked, confused. What did she do now?

"You will see." Alessia shook her head, feeling sorry for the clueless doctor but also very excited for the drama that were to unravel between the two.

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"Mateo, I am asking you something!" River screeched at the stupid dumb-ass who was giving her the silent treatment for the last half an hour.

"MATEO!"

"PAPA!"

The both of them turned around to see Kiara standing there, her hands in fist on both her sides. River looked down at her posture to realize that her little girl was imitating her.

"Well, if it isn't Dr. River Johnson Lite." River rolled her eyes before walking towards her little princess. "Where's your brother?"

"With Nonno and Nonna." She shrugged. "You were missing for soooo long that I came looking for you."

River smiled. "You missed me?"

She nodded her head seriously. "I always miss you." She wrapped her arms around her neck and River picked her up.

"Only her?" Finally, the stone had decided to speak.

"I missed you too Papa." Kiara said matter-of-factly while River smiled and pressed a kiss to her soft soft cheek.

'My little baby!'

"Doesn't look like it." He muttered.

'Oh my god, what the hell was he being so petty for?'

"Mommy, what did you do now?" Kiara asked her mother. River turned to her and gave her a confused and annoyed mixed into one look.

"Why do you think I did something?" She asked her.

"Because Papa acts like that when you do something he doesn't like." Kiara said, facing her mother while pointing at her Papa.

"Act like what?" He asked, hands on hips.

Jeez these drama queens.

"Pity!" She exclaimed.

Mateo gave her a confused look.

"Petty." River corrected, because she was wondering why he was behaving that way and knew just the right word to fit the description.

"Yeah!" She nodded.

"I am not being petty."

"Yes you are!" Both of the girls retorted in unison and gave him identical pointed looks.

"That's it. I am going to find my son." He growled and walked out on them while they watched him, confused.

"What did you do now Mommy?" Kiara asked with a pout, still looking at the door her Papa had walked out of.

'What exactly did I do now?'

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"What the hell did I do?" River wondered out loud.

"You are so thick." Alessia snickered. "And not where you need to be."

River turned to look at her, narrowing her eyes at the Italian Goddess as she passed the dried plates to the help.

"You can never sit still somewhere, now can you?" Katrina walked in. "You need to keep doing something, don't you?"

River shrugged, "I am used to working all the time."

Abrianna was throwing a tantrum, not talking to anyone and locking herself inside her room, the maids bringing her food and other necessities.

She was being unreasonable and horrendous with the whole Antonio thing but she was a very elderly woman, the eldest of this family and it was kind of saddening to watch her be like that though she meant nothing to River. And according to Katrina, she hadn't even properly met the twins which the surgeon doubted she will do anytime soon after the little stunt Mateo and she had pulled last day.

Mateo had been missing from the moment River woke up. He wasn't present for breakfast. Alessio said that he had send him on some important work but the cryptic eye-roll on Alessia's part told her that it was something else.

River still hadn't figured out what she had done to piss him off nor had he talked to her all night last day but honestly, she was sort of getting used to his mood swings so she was just focusing on her family and spending as much time as she could with them before they were separated again.

Sebastian, Alison, Jacqueline and Mia had actually decided to stay in Italy some more and have a road trip of some sort, of which she was extremely jealous because she hadn't gotten a chance to properly tour even Amalfi. The only part of it she had seen was the private part of the beach attached to the mansion. And they were going back that evening. Life really wasn't fair to her.

A pang of guilt hit River as soon as she remembered the reason why they were going back so early in the first place.

A person was dead.

Yes, she was the same one who kidnapped her children and tried to get her killed and she had wished that she could be the one to kill her but she was dead now. And brutally murdered at that. And all of a sudden, there was no reason or target for all of River's anger or hatred. What is the use of hating a dead woman? Someone who was becoming dirt.

UGH!

"Mommy!!" Lucas crashed into the kitchen door before launching himself at his mother.

"Whoa, slow down young man!" Alessia laughed as he knocked the air out of River with the impact.

"What's up baby?" She asked him deliberately, knowing very well how much he hated that. She couldn't help it. The angry irritated pout that formed right after was the cutest expression on earth! And he had gotten it from his father. Sigh.

"Mommy, I am not a baby!" He whined, shaking his head, his long curls jumping around as he did. His hair needed a bit of trimming, so did Mateo's. But it looked like he was planning on growing them; he was starting to tie a bit of it at the back of his head.

River nodded with a serious understanding expression on her face. "I know I know. It's just that now that you are not a baby anymore and all grown up, Mommy has grown old and she doesn't remember things anymore."

Confusion followed by concern quickly flashed through his face. "You will become old if I am not a baby anymore?" He asked, his voice dripping with worry.

River nodded while Alessia pouted behind him at how adorable he is, clutching her chest.

"Then I am still a baby!" He decided, fist up and all.

"Really?" His mother asked, laughing. He nodded, his eyes closed and his resolve clear.

The two had the most adorable babies in the whole wide world.

"Okay, so tell me why you were looking for Mommy in the first place and where's your sister?" River asked, poking at his already pink nose.

"Oh..." Lucas suddenly looked alarmed. "Ki fell down. Nonno's calling for you!"

"What?" River quickly turned around to look out the window to see that Kiara and Alessio were missing from where he and the kids were playing.

"Where are they?" River asked as he took long strides onto the patio and scanned the lawn.

"Papa came running and took her away there!" He pointed in the direction of another sliding door and she quickly walked towards it, him in her hip and Alessia quickly following her with a first aid kit in hand.

"WHAT DO WE PAY YOU FOR?" River stopped in her tracks as both Lucas and she flinched at Mateo's angry roar. She quickly turned to Alessia and handed her her son before taking the first aid kit from her and making her way to what looked like a small parlor slash reading room.

Mateo was barking Italian at two maids who looked petrified and rooted to their spot. Alessio was standing back and watching the drama with a frown on his face but no resolve to intervene while Kiara looked between her Papa and the maids with tear-filled with eyes and A BLOODY KNEE???

"MATEO, WHAT THE F-FUDGECAKE ARE YOU DOING?" River growled as she rushed to their kid.

"Mommy!!!" Kiara started to full-on wail when she saw her mother.

"I am so sorry baby!" River kissed the tip of her nose before examining her wound. She turned to Mateo and said, "I need water to clean the wound."

She quickly pulled out some gauze and held it in place to stop the bleeding.

He quickly nodded and turned to the maids and said some more Italian. And then Alessio said something to Mateo before turning to the maids and telling them something, which they seemed to understand and they left the room.

River had actually expected Alessio to be the all-fearsome Mafia boss, especially from what Mateo had made it out to be but she really couldn't see any difference between him and his dad.

River turned to their baby girl and patted her arms comforting her. The bleeding had stopped so she could take her time cleaning the wound and dressing it. What was important was for her little girl to stop crying!

Mateo too joined River as he crouched down in front of their princess. "I am so sorry Papa left you with Nonno, love." He said with a small sad pout on his face.

Alessio was clearly offended and did not try to hide it. Kiara looked between them and at River and the mother and daughter giggled.

"And I am sorry both our boys are idiots!" River exclaimed before turning around to take the bowl of water and towel from the maid saying a quick 'Thank you' before quickly drenching the towel tip and cleaning the blood stains, blowing into the wound as her brave girl whimpered.

She pressed a kiss to her dressed knee before looking up. "You are so brave, baby!" Kiara gave her a small smile in the midst of rubbing her tears away.

River turned to Mateo. "Papa, take Princess Kiara to her room."

Mateo nodded, playing along. "Of course, this Capo is at your service." He bowed down to her while she giggled and picked her up, making sure he was not touching anywhere near her wounded knee.

River packed up the kit and cleared the coffee table and stood up, handing the things to the one maid who had come back.

"Where's Luke?" Alessio asked as he approached the doctor. "I passed him to Alessia when I heard Mateo in hulk mode." River rolled her eyes while he laughed.

"River, I wish to speak with you." Alessio said and the maid took it as his cue to leave.

"Can I go check on the kids before that?" She asked him and he nodded.

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."I am sorry Ki, Mommy called me a baby and I forgot you were hurt." Lucas pouted as River placed the bowl of berries in between them.

"It's okay darling." She pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "You did better than your big man-child of a Papa." She rolled her eyes when Mateo narrowed his eyes at her as she said it.

"Are you two going to fight again?" Kiara crossed her arms and gave an angry pout.

"Your Mommy started it!" Mateo pointed at River while she just gave him a 'Are you serious?' look.

"What did she do now?" Lilith asked as she wheeled in, followed by Susan and Alessia.

"It's very bad this time." Alessia said, nodding to herself.

River gave her a look. "It would really help if one of you said what I did wrong."

"Yeah Zia, why don't any of you say what Mommy did wrong?" Lucas asked.

(Zia – Aunt)

"You know what? You come with me!" River took hold of Mateo's hand and walked out, dragging him out with her.

Mateo walked behind her until they reached the walk to the beach and he stopped when they did, forcing her to stop too as well.

River turned to him. "What now, Mateo?" She asked, super pissed at his immaturity.

"What?" He asked stubbornly.

"What's going on? And whatever it is, why are you making such a deal about it?" She asked. "The kids are under the impression that all we ever do is fight and that's not good for them."

"Then why do you create such circumstances where we have to constantly fight?"

"When did I create such circumstances? You are so full of bull crap!"

"You girl, how dare you talk to my grandson like that!"

Both of them looked at each other dumbfounded and then at the woman who was coming back from a walk or something.

'Okay, maybe we should have argued in the bedroom.'

You think?

"It's nothing Nonna, you don't have to worry." Mateo said, his voice clipped.

"Worry? No no no my child, I am not worried. I am disappointed that a Capo like yourself is letting some puny American talk to you like this! Your grandfather would have put a bullet through her head if he had seen this."

River rolled her eyes. What made this woman think that she was going to wait around and let some 'puny Italian' put a bullet through her head?

"I don't think he or anyone will be able to do that without getting hurt, Nonna." Mateo said in a dangerously low voice, looking her in the eyes.

"Are you saying that you would have stopped him if he was here?" She looked genuinely surprised. What? Never saw anyone stand up for themselves or someone else before?

"Of course I would have. She is infuriating and pig-headed-" He looked down at River and said pointedly. "But she is the mother of my children AND the love of my life."

Then it clicked. Oh, so this is what it was about.

A small smile formed on River's face, one which reduced the frown on his face by a quarter.

He looked back up at his grandmother. "Not that she would need my help. She is fully capable of defending herself."

"PAPA!! MOMMY!!!" River turned around to see the twins run towards them.

She sighed and narrowed her eyes at Kiara who just flashed her mother a grin saying, "I am fine Mommy!!"

Mateo bent down and picked both of the pickles up and turned to Abrianna.

"You haven't really met your great grandchildren yet." He walked towards the silent woman. "This is Lucas and this Kiara. Lucas is four minutes older."

"Hello!" Lucas waved with both hands while Kiara grinned.

"And babies, this is Abrianna Costello, your GN." He said.

River looked at him weirdly.

"GN?" Abrianna and she asked him in unison.

"Great Nonna."

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