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"Oh my god, you have gotten so good at acting that I almost believed you when you said we were not going to worry about it." Adam said as he placed his legs on top of the desk, going through some of the CCTV footages of a street in Milan where a source had apparently sighted Alessia.

"I don't want River to worry." Mateo spoke, staring out at his girlfriend and children on the lawn, playing with the three puppies. "Thankfully, Sergey didn't scare her. Otherwise, I don't know what I would have done to him. But no matter how harmless this kidnapping was, the fact remains that Sergey is out for blood and he had River in his custody for three whole days. Anything could have happened to her."

The more he thought about it, the more scared and frustrated he became.

"We can't keep running." Adam said. "We have moved them four times since the day you found out they were your kids. What's the point of running? They always catch up to us, and it's not like we don't have what it takes to fight them."

Mateo sighed, letting those words sink into his head. His stupid best friend was right, and he knew that it was exactly what his River was also thinking. She let him move the kids the last on the condition that he wouldn't keep this up. There was no use in doing it. There were going to be attacked if they hid and waited to be attacked. "I feel like I lost all my courage." He admitted. "I feel like a scaredy cat."

Adam rolled his eyes. He got up from his seat and walked over to his brother, turning him to face him. "You are not a scaredy cat. You are a new father. Leo had nine months to prepare, and he was preparing for it way before that. You had no plans nor preparation when you suddenly found out you had kids. And they were in the hands of the enemies. And then the accident happened. And now, River was kidnapped. It is completely okay to be scared, Mateo. In fact, I would think there was something wrong with you if you weren't scared."

Mateo smiled at his friend. This brat could be annoying but he was also very understanding at times like these.

"I feel like I am interrupting something special." The duo looked over at the surgeon, who was leaning against the door with her arms crossed.

Mateo looked out the window to see that the kids were now with their bodyguards – George, Davis, Steve and Robin. And then he looked back at his girlfriend. "How the hell did you get here so fast?"

"Hm... You guys are keeping something from me." She perked her lips, narrowing her eyes at the two men.

"Have fun." Adam patted Mateo on his back and walked around the desk, throwing his hands up in surrender as he walked past River, leaving the room only after placing a kiss on her temple and chuckling at the immediate change of expression on Mateo's face.

River rolled her eyes at the childishness of the thirty-something man child and walked over to Mateo.

"You have changed." She said, adding a bit of the irresistible pout of the twins and hers to her expression. "For the worse."

"What do you mean?" Mateo was panicking at once. He was panicking a lot lately and that was just not like him. Or maybe it was because people evolved with time. But going from fearless to scared was a bit of a retrogressive evolution.

River stood in front of him, cupping his face and then flicked his forehead.

"Ow.."

"It means.." She dropped her act. "You are hiding things from me. In the beginning, you were always like "River can take it all. Imma tell her everything." And now you try to act alright in front of me when you clearly aren't."

Mateo stood there, knowing he was guilty of what she was accusing him of. And feeling even dumber that he had thought for even a moment that the surgeon wouldn't catch up with him.

"It's not like that." He said nevertheless, sighing. "I just don't want you to worry. You are still that strong amazing woman to me that you were to me when I fell for you an year ago."

River felt her heart skip a beat. She had not confessed her feelings for him yet – her being the skeptic she was. And Mateo did not say the three words all the time either. But when he did hint at it, that made her feel things that she had never felt before.

"Same thing." She rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I am going to stop worrying just because you hide stuff from me? The lesser information I have, the more worried I get because I have no idea what is going on and I can't help myself but to make up the worst case scenarios in my head."

Mateo sighed again. "I know."

River mirrored him and sighed and hugged him, resting her head against his broad chest, listening to his heart beating erratically. "We can't change what is happening Mateo. But I expect you to tell me what's going on because I personally believe that the only people from whom all the problems should be hidden from should be the kids."

"I know."

"Leo is always keeping Lia in the dark." River added. "Don't think she and I don't do that."

Mateo let out a chuckle. The cousins found themselves two extremely intelligent and sharp women.

River pulled away with a smile on her face.

"Mommy, Aunt Jackie is here!" Kiara's voice reached them before she knocked on the door.

"Oh... Victor not throwing a fit about it." Mateo rolled his eyes.

"Cut the boy some slack." River narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. "I should have called him before going for my shift. I am as much to blame."

"He knew when your shift was-"

"We are not going to start an argument..." River sang as she opened the door and dipped down to pick up a squealing Kiara and keep her on the hip, not surprised to see that Rubble and Skye had followed her.

"Where's Chase?" River placed a kiss on the side of Kiara's head.

"Playing chase. With Lukey." She giggled.

"Why you little smarty pants!" Mateo laughed as he took his baby from River's arms, feeling a pang on his chest when he saw the hearing aid that was lodged into her tiny ear. He felt it was a constant reminder of his failure as a father, and River knew this, though she never brought it up because she knew that his feelings would remain the same until a year later when her ear would be healed and they can conduct the surgery to completely fix it.

"Come on, Papa and bambino, I am making dinner tonight."

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"I can't believe Mateo actually let you visit me." Sebastian said as he fixed Mia's hair.

"Why?" River laughed as she ate her yoghurt. "Did you do something bad? That I am not aware of?"

"No, I didn't." He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you so adorable?" He pulled Lorenzo's cheek from where he sat on the cushioned baby chair.

"Daddy nooooo!!!" Mia squealed in protest immediately, the three year old wasn't happy that her father was giving any kind of attention to some other child.

"Yeah daddy, what do you think you are doing?" River laughed as a grumpy Mia crawled onto her lap.

"Don't call me that near Mateo." He winked. "You will end up sibling-less."

River rolled her eyes. She did not doubt that one bit – Mateo was one possessive boyfriend. But he was also adorable at the same time, just like Lucas. Their possessiveness was so endearing.

"What do we order for lunch?" Sebastian asked, clapping like a little child. He was genuinely happy that his sister slash best friend was visiting him, though he did miss his niece and nephew a lot.

"Oh, we are having lunch at home. Mom said she will come back from work and Nanna and Mrs. Marley are cooking." River said, realizing that he had forgotten to inform him.

"Mrs. Marley's working at your mom's now?" Sebastian asked, picking Mia up to go to their rooms and get ready.

"Uh huh." River hummed, turning to little Lorenzo.

"Why are you so cute, Enzo?" She cooed at the baby who just gurgled.

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"Whoa, get a room!" Adam turned around as soon as he entered the room.

Michelia and Leonardo scooted up from the couch while Mateo raised a brow at them, and Adam turned back on his heels.

"You do know there is a kid in the house, right? Though the other two are at school?" He asked, hands on hips like the granny he is.

"Enzo is out with River." Michelia glared at Adam, her face red with embarrassment.

"Only the two of them?" Mateo's protective mode was back on.

"And Victor." Leonardo said. "And two SUVs of security River isn't aware of. Mateo, do you really think we would let the two of them roam around the city without protection?"

"He really does think that, you know." Adam snickered. "He thinks that no one cares for any of our safety except him. It's funny to watch when River gives him a piece of her mind for it."

"Shut up." Mateo growled at him.

"So what's the news?" Leonardo asked. "I am sure you guys wouldn't have come here if it wasn't for that."

"We have a lead on Alessia. Someone saw her in Chicago."

"Chicago?" Michelia pushed her hand out and Mateo was quick to give her the flash drive. Michelia had tightened the cyber security and no one was allowed to share information while connected to the internet so they were using the old school methods to pass information.

She quickly took the spare laptop lying around and rechecked that it was not connected to anything before checking the contents.

"Yep, that's her." She said, zooming in on the hand of the girl in all black. It was the bird that Alessia had tattooed over a burn mark that Antonio had given her. "But what is she doing there?"

"I am sure it is whatever she disappeared a month ago for." Adam said.

Michelia rolled her eyes. She was also an Adam-Alessia shipper like River and she had also been noting Adam's behaviour in the month that Alessia had been gone. He tried to look not affected at all but his true feelings always got through and anyone with common sense could say that he was worried about her and missing her – and of course, by people with common sense, she meant anyone except the elder brothers of the girl. The day Mateo and Leonardo get to know of the sparks between the two, there was going to be an explosion.

Leonardo was in denial. And from what Michelia had heard from River, Mateo was in too.

"Alright, Adam and I will fly down to Chicago and try to find her." Leonardo said.

"I am not going anywhere." Adam said stubbornly. "I am going to stay here and protect my niece and nephews. You two brothers go find your sister."

Michelia rolled her eyes again. She was not even going to make a comment on this. She was just pissed that she would have to wait for River to come back home for her to rant about how dumb the men in the lives were.

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"I miss the twins." Lilith Johnson pouted as she shoveled some mashed potatoes into her plate.

"Oh thank you so much Nanna." Sebastian rolled his eyes. "And we thought you would be happy to see your grandchildren." He gestured to himself and River.

"You talk as if you don't drop by every other day." She rolled her eyes, and took a scoop of her salad, turning to River. "I had a dream you would have another child. When are you going to give me another great grandchild?"

River choked on her salad.

"Not any time soon." Susan Johnson spoke up. "Mom, she already has a lot on her plate."

"Here, I will help you out." Sebastian chuckled, taking a nugget from her plate.

River swatted his hand away but couldn't save her nugget. She turned to her grandmother. "Exactly Nanna, I don't think I am ready for another child right now."

"Oh I don't know." Lilith had a smile on her face. "I just told you about the dream I had."

River narrowed her eyes at her grandmother, knowing very well that the old woman had succeeded in what she was trying to do - put the idea of another kid in her head. And the orthopedic surgeon was infinitesimally grateful that her boyfriend was not with her because it was obvious that the man would have a panic attack if he was here to hear what the older Johnson had to say.

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"I can't believe you, Adam Smith!!" River bellowed. Mateo and Leonardo had left for Chicago immediately though Mateo wanted to stay till River got back.

"I am sorry I made Mateo go. I know-" Before Adam could continue, River flicked him on the forehead which made Michelia burst out laughing. She was so glad that her friend slash future sister in law existed.

"Thank you, my friend." Michelia side hugged River and the duo gave him identical narrowed-eyed looks.

"You two are starting to act like clones." Adam pointed at them, trying to change the topic.

"Adam..." River started.

"We love you..." Michelia continued.

"But that won't stop us from kicking your ass..." River huffed.

"If you don't stop being one."

Adam rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what they were talking about but he was just not ready to accept it, especially not to the two women who were breathing fire at the moment.

"Oh come on, why is it so bad that I made Mateo go?" Adam asked. "They are her brothers. I am nothing to her. No no, infact she HATES me."

"Oh yeah, and she said that?" Michelia asked.

"Yes." Adam said flatly.

Michelia and River looked at each other. They couldn't deny it - Alessia did scream "I HATE YOU!" at Adam at least three times a day.

"Now, if you will excuse me." Adam rolled his eyes and walked away, picking up Lorenzo's carrier as he did.

Michelia turned to River. "The men in our lives are idiots."

"And we are a bit difficult." She added.

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