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"I am the worst mother in the whole wide world." River whispered, staring at her two little ones playing with Victor.

"No, you are not." Jacqueline said.

"You were shot River. You were too busy trying to keep yourself alive that you forgot about them for a moment." Alessia said. "It happens. Don't beat yourself up for it."

River covered her face with her hands and groaned. That was no excuse. She was out of operation and conscious for two days and she still didn't remember.

"How are they holding up?" She asked, turning to her brother and best friend.

"All three of them are potty trained. That helps." He shrugged.

Skye, Rubble and Chase were with Sebastian after the accident. Someone had to take care of the three darling golden retriever pups and Sebastian had volunteered. The man was one masochistic bitch - he could not look after Mia properly and then he added more work to his plate.

It was so much like him though. Even when the twins were born, he would jump up to do the diaper changing, staying up at night, shopping and babysitting and what not though he would hate it halfway through it. But did that stop him from jumping at the next chance? That would be a big fat no.

"I feel horrible." River pouted. "I didn't even think of them once."

"In all fairness, so did none of us." Alessia said and then shrugged. "I mean, I haven't met them yet but..."

"Not helping." River narrowed her eyes at her who just chuckled.

The door opened and a nurse came in, pausing at the sight of all the people in the room. "I know there is special permission, Dr. Johnson, but you know these many people are not good for you, right?"

River rubbed the back of her neck. "I know Delilah, they are just leaving."

She nodded.

"I am just here to administer another dose of morphine for you." She smiled and approached her.

About time, bitch.

And the inner voice was back.

River had been feeling the pain coming back to her, and she knew that it was time for her next dose of painkillers. But she thought that it took too freaking long. Maybe her metabolism was a bit faster than the others because it should not have started to ache so soon.

"Thanks Delilah." She hummed and the nurse quickly noted down her vitals before leaving the room.

"So they do come by." Alessia rolled her eyes. "I thought the nurses were boycotting you or something."

"Why? I am not Mark Sloan." River said and she and Jacqueline chuckled.

"Who?" Sebastian and Alessia asked in unison, looking dumbfounded.

"Nobody." River rolled her eyes.

"You guys should get going." She said and then perked up her lips. "But where the hell did Adam and Mateo run off to?"

"Mommy, can we go get ice cream with Vicky?" Lucas turned around and asked.

"Nope." She popped the P.

"Why not?" Alessia asked. "Let them."

Before River could say anything, Alessia cut her off. "Mateo is a paranoid dumbass. Don't listen to him. The hospital and surrounding areas are swarmed with security. Nothing will happen to them."

"You sure?" River bit her lips.

Alessia rolled her eyes. "River, do you think I will let my nephew and niece go if I wasn't sure?"

River took a moment to think and then nodded. It made sense. River was growing paranoid by the day like Mateo. It was not good.

How the hell were they supposed to breathe if they were afraid of the smallest things that happened?

Getting shot and almost dying and making your children grow up motherless is not the smallest thing that could happen.

Well, it did not help that her bitchy inner voice came back as paranoid inner voice.

"I will go with them too." Jacqueline said.

River raised a brow.

"Why?" Victor spoke up. "Because you think I can't take care of the kids?"

"Yes." She shrugged. "Exactly."

River smiled and shook her head. When was this ship going to sail?

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Jacqueline gave Victor an eye as she seated Kiara onto the chair before sitting down next to her, Victor helping Lucas to his seat.

"I can do it on my own, Vicky." Lucas said like the big boy that he was, pushing Victor away.

Victor smiled at him. "I know, big man, but what can I say? I need to do the job that I am getting paid for."

"Like you've been doing that..." Jacqueline coughed into her fisted hand, making the kids and Victor look over at her. Victor's hands balled up against his sides.

This woman was forever questioning his credibility as a bodyguard.

Yes, he lost River once, and she got kidnapped. He got enough heat from Mateo at all times after that without this woman opening her mouth to bark snide remarks at him.

He wanted to say something to her, but he could not risk his job. But that did not change the fact that he thought that she was a total bitch.

The sudden sound of explosions shook everyone.

"Victor!" Robin, one of the newer bodyguards for the children, who was outside rushed in, pointing at something outside.

George and Davis looked over from where they were buying the ice creams.

Victor looked out to see that the two SUVs containing the extra securities for the children had blown up.

"Shit!" He cursed as he jumped to his feet and pulled his gun out.

Robin, George and Davis joined him and surrounded Jacqueline and the kids.

"Aunt Jackie, I am scared." Kiara was in Jacqueline's arms. Lucas gulped though the little boy tried to stay as calm as he could in a scary situation as this. But he was only five - it was only normal that he was shaking like a leaf.

"Everyone on the floor!" Davis yelled. He didn't know who the enemy was so his only choice was to treat every single one of them as the enemy.

A black SUV skidded to a halt in front of the ice cream place. Steve, the other new bodyguard of the children, jumped out of it and rushed in. "Let's go!" He said.

Robin turned and picked up Lucas, Kiara was in Jacqueline's arms and Victor guided them out of the building while Steve, George and Davis watched the other scared civilians, scanning for any suspicious faces.

Victor got into the driver's seat while Jacqueline and Kiara was helped into the back. Robin helped Lucas in and closed the door. Victor hit the gas and rushed out of the site before anything else could happen.

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"Are you mad at us?" River asked as Mateo babied her, spoon-feeding her the oatmeal he had prepared.

"No, I guess Sia is right. How long are we going to hide like this?" Mateo sighed, keeping the bowl and spoon on the tray.

It was the truth. Mateo had decided that they needed to stop running. When two months ago, he got to know that he was a father, something in him changed. He was paranoid and frantic and doubtful of his abilities to protect his children.

It was something that all parents went through, no matter where they were from.

"I..." River started but then stopped, clearing her throat.

"What's wrong?" Mateo asked, climbing onto the bed with her.

"Well, I felt like everything was going to be okay now." She shrugged. "That's why I didn't think much into letting the kids go. But now I am worried." She let out a tired breath.

"That comes with being a mother." He smiled, brushing back a loose strand of her wild curls, the same curls that his two beautiful children had inherited. He wondered if their third child would inherit these same springs.

"What are you thinking?" River giggled, watching her boyfriend get lost in his thoughts as he stared lovingly at her hair.

"I wonder who our next kid is going to look like." He smiled cheekily at her.

Well, River was sure that Mateo expected her to blush at that, but she was not going to give her poor boyfriend that satisfaction.

She smiled sweetly at him and asked, "I see that someone is in a hurry for another baby?"

Mateo chuckled. Of course she was going to play. Sometimes, he wished that her aromantic girlfriend would at least pretend to be shy or flustered for his sake, but would he have this relationship any other way? Those rare moments when River got tongue-tied or stared at him blinking like an idiot, he lived for those moments.

And the fact remained that this woman was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. Apart from the kids of course.

"Maybe." He dropped his voice as he leaned in for a kiss.

River smiled into the kiss, Mateo grabbing the back of her head as he deepened the kiss.

River pecked his lips one last time before pulling back, taking deep breaths. She looked over at the screen. Her heart beat was pretty high.

"You are very bad for me." She said, laughing.

"Too bad I am the only one for you!" Mateo winked.

"I know right. Too bad." River scrunched up her face and then chuckled.

The two looked over at the door as Adam and Alessia walked in, looking worried.

"The kids are safe?" Mateo and River asked in unison, understanding exactly what was wrong from the expressions on their faces.

Alessia nodded. "They will be here any minute, with Victor and Jacqueline."

"What happened?" Now that they knew that their kids were safe, River wanted to know what exactly had gone wrong.

"The security vans were blown up." Adam breathed out. "They missed the van that Steve was in, so he rode it over and picked the kids and Jacqueline up. Victor is driving it. George and Davis are staying back to deal with whatever new trouble we will be getting from the cops. Robin and Steve are also on their way."

"Jacqueline left her phone in the ice cream place and Victor's is switched off." Alessia tossed her phone on the bed, in between River's legs.

River took deep breaths to calm herself down.

It was fine.

Nothing happened to the kids.

They were on their way here.

What's taking them so long? The ice cream place is just five minutes from the hospital.

"I don't feel so good about this." She spat out and looked up at Mateo. "What's taking them so long?"

"They will be here." Mateo stepped forward and cupped her face with his hands. "Don't worry about it. They escaped the worst that could happen."

River nodded.

That's right.

They will be here.

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They did not come back.

Steve and Robin reached the hospital and the kids, Victor and Jacqueline were still missing.

Davis tracked Victor's last location and found the SUV and Victor's dead phone. And there was blood on the driver's door.

Someone had gotten to them.

And they could not even guess if all of them were safe.

"This is all my fault." River covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.

Mateo let out a deep breath and was by her side within minutes.

"Hey, you know it isn't. Stop blaming yourself." He said, brushing her hair. "We will get them back. Don't stress yourself."

River looked up and sniffed, staring at the man she loved and hugged him. "I love you and our kids so much." She sobbed. "I won't be able to live if something happened to any of you."

This moment was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of Mateo's life. The moment where River, for the first time in their relationship, told him and acknowledged that she loved him. But alas, the sweetness of the moment could not even be cherished because of the circumstances they were in.

"I know." Mateo hummed as he hugged her back, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I won't let anything happen to them as well. So stay calm and stay put, I will bring our babies back, alright?"

River nodded.

It was not like River to fall weak. No, Dr. River Johnson never fell weak.

But it was exhausting actually.

Living in the constant fear of something happen to her children really had taken in its toll on her.

River was a brave woman. But she was not that brave enough to keep it all together when she was stuck in bed, hooked to a few machines and unable to do anything to contribute to finding her missing children.

And her friend. She had nothing to do with this. She was innocently taking her niece and nephew out for ice cream. She did not sign up for this. She was not born into the Mafia or bound to the Mafia in any way. Why did she have to suffer?

"And Jackie..." River breathed out, pulling away from the hug and taking his hand as she looked up at him. "I want her back safe, Mateo. She has nothing to do with this."

Mateo nodded. "She will be fine too. They have no enmity with her. She is not their target. She just got stuck in between."

River sighed. How the hell was she ever going to apologize to her friend for this?

Alessia watched the exchange between the couple intently.

One, she was glad that River had changed Mateo for the better. The old Mateo would have blamed it all on Alessia and River for the kids being kidnapped.

Alessia blamed herself. River was not very okay with the idea of the kids going out. It was Alessia who pushed for it. She felt guilty. And if her brother blamed her, then she would take it.

But he didn't. He didn't blame anyone but the kidnapper. And that was a way of thinking that would make him a great Boss.

Alessia didn't know if her brother still ran from his problems or not. But this was a development that she was glad to see in him.

Two, she had picked up River telling Mateo that she loved him even though the couple themselves could not enjoy the moment. Alessia didn't know if it was the first time she said or if River had confessed her love while she was away but she was so glad to see the mutual love.

Three, as much as she hated to, she needed to cut this tender moment short.

"Come on Mateo, we need to find my niece and nephew." Alessia stood up from her seat, and pointed at River. "Stay put doc, your mom and Nanna are on their way here. We will be back with the kids."

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