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rainbowfic2012-03-29 11:00 am
sarcasticsra) wrote in rainbowfic2012-03-29 11:00 am
Patriarch Purple Saturation + Grey, 3 + supplies and styles.
Author: Sara
Colors: Patriarch Purple + Grey, 3. shades of grey.
Supplies: Eraser (Prison AU), Charcoal (Brooke, Jimmy, Natasha, Helena, Enrico), Stain ("Fortune can, for her pleasure, fools advance/and toss them on the wheels of Chance."), Feathers (Your character can't handle the stress.), Glitter ("No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.")
Style: Saturation, Miniature Collection, Stained Glass
Word Count: 3,000
Rating: PG-13 (mentioned violence)
Story: Polyfaceted; title of this is What Will Come Of Us Today.
Summary: The Corlionis adjust to prison, and the world adjusts around them.
Notes: Spans an alternate January to December 2017. Title comes from the song "Tiny Light" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
6. the five families
It took a second for the breaking news report to sink in. “Fuck!” Vic swore loudly enough that Dante poked his head into the office.
“What’s wrong?”
“See for yourself!”
“I’m standing outside Corlioni Enterprises,” said the reporter. “Our sources have confirmed that a warrant was served just an hour ago, and all the major players of the business have been taken into custody.” She paused when a woman exited the building, then rushed toward her, waving for her camera man to follow. “This is the assistant district attorney spearheading this takedown, Brooke Bennett. Ms. Bennett, a word?”
“No comment.”
---
Sal reached for the phone before the reporter on the screen finished her first sentence. Augusto’s phone went straight to voicemail, and he cursed to himself for a solid minute before dialing Vic’s number.
“I take it you heard,” his brother answered without preamble.
“Obviously. And I can’t get ahold of Augusto.”
“He’s probably a little fucking busy with this mess, but keep trying. I’ll call the others.”
“Do that,” Sal agreed. “I’ll talk to you after I contact him.”
He hung up and tried Augusto’s number again. This time he left a message urging him to call back immediately.
---
“This had better be important, Vicente,” Emilia said as she answered her phone.
“Oh, it’s fucking important, sister mine,” he said through a snort. “Turn on the television, any news station.”
Her eyes narrowed but she did as he asked, eyes only narrowing further as she caught footage of police personnel carrying boxes out of a familiar-looking building. “Have you called the others?”
“Nico’s next. You can take telling Anna?”
“Of course.”
When she hung up, she stared at the phone for a moment before snapping out of it. Focus, Emilia, she told herself. There is work to be done.
---
“Hey, Vic,” he answered. “It’s Isaac.”
“Is Nico there?” Vic asked impatiently, and Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, out back.” He stood and headed for the sliding door. “Something wrong?”
“Oh, just half my oldest brother’s kids being arrested.”
“What?” Isaac demanded. He was close enough to Nico that he looked up in query.
“Now you know why I need to talk to Nico.”
“It’s Vic. Something’s going on with Augusto,” Isaac told Nico as he handed him the phone.
“What’s going on?” Nico asked. “Fuck,” he swore after a moment. “All right. Yeah. Let me know.”
He hung up.
8. underboss
The second they were deposited in their cell, a tall, built woman appeared in the doorway. Her expression was casual, friendly, but her body language said otherwise.
“I’m Hanna.”
Nicoletta and Isabella exchanged a look. “Yeah?” Nicoletta said.
“Heard about you two,” she said slowly. “Just wanted to give you a piece of friendly advice. Whatever you’re used to in the outside world? I run the show in here.”
Isabella arched an unimpressed eyebrow. “Huh. What do you think about that, Nic?”
Nicoletta’s grin was feral. “Sounds like a challenge.”
Hanna was dead a week later. They weren’t even suspects.
13. Chicago
“Finally,” Sal muttered when Augusto’s number appeared on his caller ID. “Augusto?” he answered.
There was a long silence. “My children, Sal,” he said in Sicilian, sounding beyond pained. “It is my fault.”
Sal didn’t say anything. What was there to say? He could try some bullshit about how they all knew the risks, but what good would that do? What good would saying anything like that do? “I know,” he said at last. “But they’ve got families, so focus on that. We’ll all help you make sure they’re taken care of.”
“Thank you,” he said after another long moment.
---
They were all gathered in New York. Sal’s business was in the capable hands of his eldest; Nico had underlings he trusted, as did Vic and Dante; and Anna had even found someone Emilia approved of.
They also brought plenty of lawyers.
He fully expected it to be a mess, finding out the status of all the legitimate businesses, privately owned business, investments, joint accounts, and other assets. He also fully expected not to leave until he was convinced his nephews’ and nieces’ families would be provided for.
A glance around the table told him his siblings felt the same.
9. soldier
Framing Leo worked about as well as David had expected when he suggested it, though it did effectively hand the bitch ADA a golden opportunity to invoke the crime-fraud exception for attorney-client privilege.
It didn’t make much difference to him. They’d found enough in his office, in all their offices, to get them for life, but it would sure as fuck make a difference to all those worthless fucking judges and cops under Leo’s thumb.
As far as David was concerned, the fuckers deserved to go down for not getting them the fuck out of this in the first place.
11. friend
Eileen, in the end, was the one to propose the meeting. That was how it ended up that she, Michael, Angela, Lea, Romeo, Jeremy, Gino, and Cristina were gathered at Dan’s.
“How is everyone?” she asked the table at large. There was a general murmur of displeasure. “Yeah, not surprised.”
“What’s the fucking point of this?” Angela asked.
“The point,” Eileen said crisply, “is that we’ve got to depend on each other. The lawyers are still figuring everything out, and we might need the support.”
Angela rolled her eyes but didn’t object again, so Eileen counted that as a victory.
---
“Romeo,” Jeremy said as the meeting broke up. “Wait a second. How are you doing?”
“Is the stress that obvious?”
“Just a little,” he said wryly. “I’d like to help. Eileen is right—we need to support one another. Already having two children and suddenly acquiring three more can’t be easy.”
“You have a kid too.”
“One daughter versus five children?”
“Point,” Romeo said. “Stacey’s been invaluable. I hope we can keep paying her.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Jeremy said. “I’d be happy to help.”
Romeo smiled. “Thank you. I’ll probably take you up on that offer.”
---
“You’ll let me help, of course,” Lea said as she walked up to Eileen and Michael.
Eileen smiled at her. “On top of watching your own children?”
“My job is at home,” Lea said. “You both have to be away.”
“I still have Alyce,” Eileen said. “And The Avenue is half mine. It’s not involved in the business. I should be fine.”
“Once everything is figured out,” Michael said. “Before that?”
“That’s why you’ll both let me help,” Lea repeated. “Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”
Michael smiled and impulsively gave her a hug, which she returned.
10. associate
The inmates who’d reported to Hanna fell in line surprisingly quickly. Then again, Isabella thought, they were probably pretty fucking intimidated. She’d been tough.
She smirked. Not quite tough enough.
She got an overview of the smuggling ring Hanna had put in place from her right hand, a mousy-looking girl named Missy who barely had a mark on her. Hanna must’ve protected her for a reason, and she didn’t get the impression that they were lovers.
“This needs serious improvement.”
Missy nodded, a flash of something in her eyes.
Isabella made a mental note to keep an eye on her.
14. the old country
Natasha smiled as her senior officer reported the news. “And so the Corlioni empire crumbles,” she said, mostly to herself, faint amusement in her voice. “At least in New York, I suppose. Well, isn’t this…interesting. Thank you for alerting me.”
She dismissed him.
Natasha spared a thought for her dear cousin Katya. As foolish as she had been to take the Corlionis on directly, she would have liked to see this. It was a marvelous opportunity to expand the overseas business.
She would have to be careful, of course, but she excelled at being careful.
It was a good day.
---
“The Miskins will be all over this,” said Helena. “We will have to act decisively to ensure we secure what is rightfully ours.”
“We will,” Boris agreed. “But we must be careful.”
“Do we foresee any retribution from the other Corlionis?” asked Sergey. “The ones in the other cities?”
“Doubtful,” said Helena. “They have their own businesses to run. They cannot rebuild this one from a smoldering crater. At least not in time.”
“But it still could be dangerous,” Boris said. “A vacuum of power this large…there may be a war.”
Helena smiled darkly. “Then let there be a war.”
---
Enrico Moretti gathered his sons. “There is an opportunity before us.”
Dante smirked. “It’s about time they got what was coming to them, the smug bastards.”
“Fucking seriously.” Vince grinned. “How much do you think they liked being knocked down a couple pegs?
Enrico shot his youngest boys a sharp look, which quieted them instantly. “Now is not the time for gloating. Now is the time for planning. If we play our cards right, we will be moving up in the world.”
“There will be fierce competition,” said Raul.
“Of course,” Enrico agreed. “We will simply have to be fiercer.”
7. capo
“How’d it go with the Lucchese fucker?” Johnny asked him as soon as he returned to their cell.
Torey smirked as he sat down on his bunk. “How do you think it went? He’s pissed because he went from being the most powerful Italian in the place to middle fucking management. But he’s not stupid enough to try anything.”
Johnny snorted. “Yeah, he better fuckin’ not be.”
“I assured him we’d value his contributions,” Torey said dryly. “As long as he thinks he’s important, he’ll be happy.”
“Good,” Johnny said. “Be a pain in the ass ta deal with otherwise.”
12. New York
Brooke Bennett let out a deep breath.
It felt like the first chance she’d had since this all began.
She stood on the roof of her apartment building, looking out at the buildings around her, the tiny people and cars below, and when she felt dizzy, she knew it wasn’t from the height.
She’d expected it to blow up in her face every moment along the way, that some new fact would come to light, and the Corlionis would wriggle from her grasp like they’d done to so many others before—but the other shoe never dropped.
She’d done it.
---
Jimmy held up his beer—his fifth, but he was about to stop counting, because fuck it, he deserved to get as drunk as he wanted—and clinked mugs with his partner, Wendy, for probably the tenth time that night. There was wild applause all around.
“Drink up, you two,” said Steve, the bartender, and he had one of the servers bring them another round. “You deserve it.”
“Can you believe we helped put them away?” Wendy said, flush from the alcohol. “One of the biggest crime families in New York.”
“Right?” Jimmy said, grinning. He took a long drink.
15. black hand
As it turned out, the guards were fairly easy to manipulate. It was hilarious to Nicoletta how many of them were intimidated by her, and she wasn’t at all surprised by the ones eyeing her when they thought she wasn’t looking.
For the guards none of that worked on, blackmail went a long way. With the smuggling ring she and her sister had improved a hundredfold, it wasn’t hard to get her hands on a camera. It also wasn’t hard to engineer situations that made them look less than sparkling.
It was almost disappointing how it was barely a challenge.
2. godfather
With his siblings’ help, Augusto had made sure all his in-laws and grandchildren were taken care of. The dust was settling, the lawyers withdrawing, and control of property and assets deemed uninvolved in any sort of illegal activity had finally been returned to their proper owners.
He had to keep busy, so he visited them when he could, making sure their lives ran smoothly. It was the least he owed them.
His loves were furious. Martina, Gabriella, Arianna, Flavia, Violetta and Elisa—they had all lost someone. He couldn’t blame them, not even the tiniest bit.
He accepted their anger.
---
Augusto started when the kitchen light flickered on. Martina stood before him, clad in her robe, and she eyed him critically.
“This is your solution?” she asked. “Refusing sleep, sitting in the dark?”
He shook his head, not saying a word.
“Augusto,” she said, voice more gentle. It cut him deeper than a sharp tone ever could have. He did not deserve gentle.
“It’s my fault,” he said then, quietly, shaking his head. “It’s all my fault. I have failed them, Martina. I have failed them and their mothers. How do I live with myself knowing that?”
She didn’t answer.
3. structure
Liam idly considered the terrified-looking man in front of him.
“I would like to know why,” he said, “you felt as though you could rip us off?”
The man said nothing. He did manage to look more terrified, which Liam found vaguely impressive. He’d assumed there had to be a limit to such a thing.
His eyes also darted to the side, where normally a guard would be posted.
Liam smiled. It was not a comforting smile. “I wouldn’t depend on that guard if I were you,” he said. “He’s taking a very convenient smoke break.”
This would be fun.
4. family
“We’re leaving to see Dad soon, right?” Alexa asked hopefully.
Eileen tried to keep the sadness out of her smile. “Yes, sweetheart, that’s today. Go tell your brothers to get ready.”
“Okay!” She was up like a shot, darting up the stairs and calling her brothers’ names. Eileen gave Alyce a tired smile.
“I’ll check on them in a moment,” Alyce said quietly, and Eileen nodded.
“Thank you,” she said, feeling a fresh wave of fondness for Alyce wash over her. “I have to go get ready myself.”
“I know,” she replied. “Tell Mr. Corlioni hello from me?”
“I will.”
---
“Thanks for watching them, Lea,” Michael said when he got home.
“It wasn’t a problem. Annabella can handle my younger ones for a day.” She called out to the living room, “Your daddy is home, girls.”
Emily ran to greet him. “Daddy!” she said. “Can we go see Papa?”
Lena followed at a more sedate pace. She looked hopeful at the mention of Johnny.
“As soon as I change,” he promised. Kneeling down in front of Lena, he said. “Are you excited to see Papa, Lena?”
She nodded. “I miss him.”
“I know,” Michael said softly. “I miss him too.”
---
“All right. All of you. We’re going to see your father today,” Angela said.
“Daddy?” Lucille asked brightly.
“That’s right, baby. Daddy,” Angela said. She fixed her oldest three with a stern look. “What are the rules?”
“Mom,” Joseph groaned.
“Joseph,” she said in a warning tone.
“We have to be on our best behavior,” he dutifully retorted.
“Exactly. No running around, no screaming, no roughhousing. Got it?” They nodded. “Good. Now go get ready.”
They stomped upstairs like a herd of elephants.
“I can’t wait to see Daddy,” Lucille said.
“Me too,” said Daniel.
“I know,” she said tiredly.
---
“Thank you again,” Romeo told Jeremy. “Stacey’s got the flu, and Penny had to go into work.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Jeremy said. “After I got Diana and Anna dressed, they seemed content to simply keep each other company. Matteo wasn’t much trouble either.”
“Talia and Amanda are almost ready. Izzie kept insisting she had to wear her brown skirt.”
Jeremy smiled and picked up his daughter. “Are you ready to see Mama?”
“Mama!” Anna said brightly. “Want Mama.”
“Soon, Anna,” Jeremy promised.
“Want Mama now.”
“Mama!” Diana yelled.
Romeo sighed. “This sucks,” he said quietly.
Jeremy only nodded.
---
“I miss Vito,” Gino said.
Ma pulled him close, hugging him to her. “I know you do, sweetheart. We’re seeing him today.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s not the same. How come he couldn’t get a deal like me?”
Ma paused. “I’m not sure,” she said after a moment. “But he will be out in a few years.”
“I know, but that feels like forever.”
“It does,” Ma agreed. “To all of us.”
“I hate this.”
She stroked his hair. “Do you still want to go today?”
“Of course, Ma! I have to at least see him.”
“Then we’ll see him.”
1. icepick
A shiv might not be a real knife, but it sure as fuck cut like one. Nicoletta knew what she was doing.
Missy did too—a surprise, even with Isabella’s warning. She trusted her sister’s gut, but it was fucking easy to underestimate someone who looked like fucking cartoon birds sung her to sleep at night.
Still, she doubted this little bitch regularly sparred with someone as mammoth as David, and a calculated spin-kick to her shoulder sent her shiv flying out of her hand. Probably dislocated her shoulder, too.
“You’re dead, bitch,” she snarled, going in for the kill.
5. omertà
Martina sat in the quiet of her living room, working diligently on her latest knitting project.
It was too quiet, she eventually decided. Teresa was up in her studio, working furiously on a painting, and Augusto was in his study, drawn in on himself.
It was Sunday. David would be over with Teresa for dinner, possibly also Torey or Johnny. There would be bickering, laughter, lively discussion, and she would sit here knitting, smiling, enjoying it all.
She sighed. Perhaps she’d call Angela and Eileen and ask that they bring her grandbabies over.
That would fill the house with noise.
---
Arianna and Flavia quietly sipped their tea.
“This is excellent,” Arianna said, after a long moment of silence stretched between them. “What’s it called?”
Flavia smiled faintly. “Silver Needle,” she said. “A white tea. I wanted to try something new.”
“You’ll have to tell me where you got it.”
“Of course.”
They lapsed into silence once more.
“How have you been?” Flavia asked eventually.
“Keeping busy.” She tried to seem bright. “Doing this and that. You know.”
“Yes.”
Their eyes met. They shared a ragged sigh.
“I hate this,” Arianna said.
Flavia only nodded.
There was nothing else to say.
Colors: Patriarch Purple + Grey, 3. shades of grey.
Supplies: Eraser (Prison AU), Charcoal (Brooke, Jimmy, Natasha, Helena, Enrico), Stain ("Fortune can, for her pleasure, fools advance/and toss them on the wheels of Chance."), Feathers (Your character can't handle the stress.), Glitter ("No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.")
Style: Saturation, Miniature Collection, Stained Glass
Word Count: 3,000
Rating: PG-13 (mentioned violence)
Story: Polyfaceted; title of this is What Will Come Of Us Today.
Summary: The Corlionis adjust to prison, and the world adjusts around them.
Notes: Spans an alternate January to December 2017. Title comes from the song "Tiny Light" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
6. the five families
It took a second for the breaking news report to sink in. “Fuck!” Vic swore loudly enough that Dante poked his head into the office.
“What’s wrong?”
“See for yourself!”
“I’m standing outside Corlioni Enterprises,” said the reporter. “Our sources have confirmed that a warrant was served just an hour ago, and all the major players of the business have been taken into custody.” She paused when a woman exited the building, then rushed toward her, waving for her camera man to follow. “This is the assistant district attorney spearheading this takedown, Brooke Bennett. Ms. Bennett, a word?”
“No comment.”
---
Sal reached for the phone before the reporter on the screen finished her first sentence. Augusto’s phone went straight to voicemail, and he cursed to himself for a solid minute before dialing Vic’s number.
“I take it you heard,” his brother answered without preamble.
“Obviously. And I can’t get ahold of Augusto.”
“He’s probably a little fucking busy with this mess, but keep trying. I’ll call the others.”
“Do that,” Sal agreed. “I’ll talk to you after I contact him.”
He hung up and tried Augusto’s number again. This time he left a message urging him to call back immediately.
---
“This had better be important, Vicente,” Emilia said as she answered her phone.
“Oh, it’s fucking important, sister mine,” he said through a snort. “Turn on the television, any news station.”
Her eyes narrowed but she did as he asked, eyes only narrowing further as she caught footage of police personnel carrying boxes out of a familiar-looking building. “Have you called the others?”
“Nico’s next. You can take telling Anna?”
“Of course.”
When she hung up, she stared at the phone for a moment before snapping out of it. Focus, Emilia, she told herself. There is work to be done.
---
“Hey, Vic,” he answered. “It’s Isaac.”
“Is Nico there?” Vic asked impatiently, and Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, out back.” He stood and headed for the sliding door. “Something wrong?”
“Oh, just half my oldest brother’s kids being arrested.”
“What?” Isaac demanded. He was close enough to Nico that he looked up in query.
“Now you know why I need to talk to Nico.”
“It’s Vic. Something’s going on with Augusto,” Isaac told Nico as he handed him the phone.
“What’s going on?” Nico asked. “Fuck,” he swore after a moment. “All right. Yeah. Let me know.”
He hung up.
8. underboss
The second they were deposited in their cell, a tall, built woman appeared in the doorway. Her expression was casual, friendly, but her body language said otherwise.
“I’m Hanna.”
Nicoletta and Isabella exchanged a look. “Yeah?” Nicoletta said.
“Heard about you two,” she said slowly. “Just wanted to give you a piece of friendly advice. Whatever you’re used to in the outside world? I run the show in here.”
Isabella arched an unimpressed eyebrow. “Huh. What do you think about that, Nic?”
Nicoletta’s grin was feral. “Sounds like a challenge.”
Hanna was dead a week later. They weren’t even suspects.
13. Chicago
“Finally,” Sal muttered when Augusto’s number appeared on his caller ID. “Augusto?” he answered.
There was a long silence. “My children, Sal,” he said in Sicilian, sounding beyond pained. “It is my fault.”
Sal didn’t say anything. What was there to say? He could try some bullshit about how they all knew the risks, but what good would that do? What good would saying anything like that do? “I know,” he said at last. “But they’ve got families, so focus on that. We’ll all help you make sure they’re taken care of.”
“Thank you,” he said after another long moment.
---
They were all gathered in New York. Sal’s business was in the capable hands of his eldest; Nico had underlings he trusted, as did Vic and Dante; and Anna had even found someone Emilia approved of.
They also brought plenty of lawyers.
He fully expected it to be a mess, finding out the status of all the legitimate businesses, privately owned business, investments, joint accounts, and other assets. He also fully expected not to leave until he was convinced his nephews’ and nieces’ families would be provided for.
A glance around the table told him his siblings felt the same.
9. soldier
Framing Leo worked about as well as David had expected when he suggested it, though it did effectively hand the bitch ADA a golden opportunity to invoke the crime-fraud exception for attorney-client privilege.
It didn’t make much difference to him. They’d found enough in his office, in all their offices, to get them for life, but it would sure as fuck make a difference to all those worthless fucking judges and cops under Leo’s thumb.
As far as David was concerned, the fuckers deserved to go down for not getting them the fuck out of this in the first place.
11. friend
Eileen, in the end, was the one to propose the meeting. That was how it ended up that she, Michael, Angela, Lea, Romeo, Jeremy, Gino, and Cristina were gathered at Dan’s.
“How is everyone?” she asked the table at large. There was a general murmur of displeasure. “Yeah, not surprised.”
“What’s the fucking point of this?” Angela asked.
“The point,” Eileen said crisply, “is that we’ve got to depend on each other. The lawyers are still figuring everything out, and we might need the support.”
Angela rolled her eyes but didn’t object again, so Eileen counted that as a victory.
---
“Romeo,” Jeremy said as the meeting broke up. “Wait a second. How are you doing?”
“Is the stress that obvious?”
“Just a little,” he said wryly. “I’d like to help. Eileen is right—we need to support one another. Already having two children and suddenly acquiring three more can’t be easy.”
“You have a kid too.”
“One daughter versus five children?”
“Point,” Romeo said. “Stacey’s been invaluable. I hope we can keep paying her.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Jeremy said. “I’d be happy to help.”
Romeo smiled. “Thank you. I’ll probably take you up on that offer.”
---
“You’ll let me help, of course,” Lea said as she walked up to Eileen and Michael.
Eileen smiled at her. “On top of watching your own children?”
“My job is at home,” Lea said. “You both have to be away.”
“I still have Alyce,” Eileen said. “And The Avenue is half mine. It’s not involved in the business. I should be fine.”
“Once everything is figured out,” Michael said. “Before that?”
“That’s why you’ll both let me help,” Lea repeated. “Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”
Michael smiled and impulsively gave her a hug, which she returned.
10. associate
The inmates who’d reported to Hanna fell in line surprisingly quickly. Then again, Isabella thought, they were probably pretty fucking intimidated. She’d been tough.
She smirked. Not quite tough enough.
She got an overview of the smuggling ring Hanna had put in place from her right hand, a mousy-looking girl named Missy who barely had a mark on her. Hanna must’ve protected her for a reason, and she didn’t get the impression that they were lovers.
“This needs serious improvement.”
Missy nodded, a flash of something in her eyes.
Isabella made a mental note to keep an eye on her.
14. the old country
Natasha smiled as her senior officer reported the news. “And so the Corlioni empire crumbles,” she said, mostly to herself, faint amusement in her voice. “At least in New York, I suppose. Well, isn’t this…interesting. Thank you for alerting me.”
She dismissed him.
Natasha spared a thought for her dear cousin Katya. As foolish as she had been to take the Corlionis on directly, she would have liked to see this. It was a marvelous opportunity to expand the overseas business.
She would have to be careful, of course, but she excelled at being careful.
It was a good day.
---
“The Miskins will be all over this,” said Helena. “We will have to act decisively to ensure we secure what is rightfully ours.”
“We will,” Boris agreed. “But we must be careful.”
“Do we foresee any retribution from the other Corlionis?” asked Sergey. “The ones in the other cities?”
“Doubtful,” said Helena. “They have their own businesses to run. They cannot rebuild this one from a smoldering crater. At least not in time.”
“But it still could be dangerous,” Boris said. “A vacuum of power this large…there may be a war.”
Helena smiled darkly. “Then let there be a war.”
---
Enrico Moretti gathered his sons. “There is an opportunity before us.”
Dante smirked. “It’s about time they got what was coming to them, the smug bastards.”
“Fucking seriously.” Vince grinned. “How much do you think they liked being knocked down a couple pegs?
Enrico shot his youngest boys a sharp look, which quieted them instantly. “Now is not the time for gloating. Now is the time for planning. If we play our cards right, we will be moving up in the world.”
“There will be fierce competition,” said Raul.
“Of course,” Enrico agreed. “We will simply have to be fiercer.”
7. capo
“How’d it go with the Lucchese fucker?” Johnny asked him as soon as he returned to their cell.
Torey smirked as he sat down on his bunk. “How do you think it went? He’s pissed because he went from being the most powerful Italian in the place to middle fucking management. But he’s not stupid enough to try anything.”
Johnny snorted. “Yeah, he better fuckin’ not be.”
“I assured him we’d value his contributions,” Torey said dryly. “As long as he thinks he’s important, he’ll be happy.”
“Good,” Johnny said. “Be a pain in the ass ta deal with otherwise.”
12. New York
Brooke Bennett let out a deep breath.
It felt like the first chance she’d had since this all began.
She stood on the roof of her apartment building, looking out at the buildings around her, the tiny people and cars below, and when she felt dizzy, she knew it wasn’t from the height.
She’d expected it to blow up in her face every moment along the way, that some new fact would come to light, and the Corlionis would wriggle from her grasp like they’d done to so many others before—but the other shoe never dropped.
She’d done it.
---
Jimmy held up his beer—his fifth, but he was about to stop counting, because fuck it, he deserved to get as drunk as he wanted—and clinked mugs with his partner, Wendy, for probably the tenth time that night. There was wild applause all around.
“Drink up, you two,” said Steve, the bartender, and he had one of the servers bring them another round. “You deserve it.”
“Can you believe we helped put them away?” Wendy said, flush from the alcohol. “One of the biggest crime families in New York.”
“Right?” Jimmy said, grinning. He took a long drink.
15. black hand
As it turned out, the guards were fairly easy to manipulate. It was hilarious to Nicoletta how many of them were intimidated by her, and she wasn’t at all surprised by the ones eyeing her when they thought she wasn’t looking.
For the guards none of that worked on, blackmail went a long way. With the smuggling ring she and her sister had improved a hundredfold, it wasn’t hard to get her hands on a camera. It also wasn’t hard to engineer situations that made them look less than sparkling.
It was almost disappointing how it was barely a challenge.
2. godfather
With his siblings’ help, Augusto had made sure all his in-laws and grandchildren were taken care of. The dust was settling, the lawyers withdrawing, and control of property and assets deemed uninvolved in any sort of illegal activity had finally been returned to their proper owners.
He had to keep busy, so he visited them when he could, making sure their lives ran smoothly. It was the least he owed them.
His loves were furious. Martina, Gabriella, Arianna, Flavia, Violetta and Elisa—they had all lost someone. He couldn’t blame them, not even the tiniest bit.
He accepted their anger.
---
Augusto started when the kitchen light flickered on. Martina stood before him, clad in her robe, and she eyed him critically.
“This is your solution?” she asked. “Refusing sleep, sitting in the dark?”
He shook his head, not saying a word.
“Augusto,” she said, voice more gentle. It cut him deeper than a sharp tone ever could have. He did not deserve gentle.
“It’s my fault,” he said then, quietly, shaking his head. “It’s all my fault. I have failed them, Martina. I have failed them and their mothers. How do I live with myself knowing that?”
She didn’t answer.
3. structure
Liam idly considered the terrified-looking man in front of him.
“I would like to know why,” he said, “you felt as though you could rip us off?”
The man said nothing. He did manage to look more terrified, which Liam found vaguely impressive. He’d assumed there had to be a limit to such a thing.
His eyes also darted to the side, where normally a guard would be posted.
Liam smiled. It was not a comforting smile. “I wouldn’t depend on that guard if I were you,” he said. “He’s taking a very convenient smoke break.”
This would be fun.
4. family
“We’re leaving to see Dad soon, right?” Alexa asked hopefully.
Eileen tried to keep the sadness out of her smile. “Yes, sweetheart, that’s today. Go tell your brothers to get ready.”
“Okay!” She was up like a shot, darting up the stairs and calling her brothers’ names. Eileen gave Alyce a tired smile.
“I’ll check on them in a moment,” Alyce said quietly, and Eileen nodded.
“Thank you,” she said, feeling a fresh wave of fondness for Alyce wash over her. “I have to go get ready myself.”
“I know,” she replied. “Tell Mr. Corlioni hello from me?”
“I will.”
---
“Thanks for watching them, Lea,” Michael said when he got home.
“It wasn’t a problem. Annabella can handle my younger ones for a day.” She called out to the living room, “Your daddy is home, girls.”
Emily ran to greet him. “Daddy!” she said. “Can we go see Papa?”
Lena followed at a more sedate pace. She looked hopeful at the mention of Johnny.
“As soon as I change,” he promised. Kneeling down in front of Lena, he said. “Are you excited to see Papa, Lena?”
She nodded. “I miss him.”
“I know,” Michael said softly. “I miss him too.”
---
“All right. All of you. We’re going to see your father today,” Angela said.
“Daddy?” Lucille asked brightly.
“That’s right, baby. Daddy,” Angela said. She fixed her oldest three with a stern look. “What are the rules?”
“Mom,” Joseph groaned.
“Joseph,” she said in a warning tone.
“We have to be on our best behavior,” he dutifully retorted.
“Exactly. No running around, no screaming, no roughhousing. Got it?” They nodded. “Good. Now go get ready.”
They stomped upstairs like a herd of elephants.
“I can’t wait to see Daddy,” Lucille said.
“Me too,” said Daniel.
“I know,” she said tiredly.
---
“Thank you again,” Romeo told Jeremy. “Stacey’s got the flu, and Penny had to go into work.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Jeremy said. “After I got Diana and Anna dressed, they seemed content to simply keep each other company. Matteo wasn’t much trouble either.”
“Talia and Amanda are almost ready. Izzie kept insisting she had to wear her brown skirt.”
Jeremy smiled and picked up his daughter. “Are you ready to see Mama?”
“Mama!” Anna said brightly. “Want Mama.”
“Soon, Anna,” Jeremy promised.
“Want Mama now.”
“Mama!” Diana yelled.
Romeo sighed. “This sucks,” he said quietly.
Jeremy only nodded.
---
“I miss Vito,” Gino said.
Ma pulled him close, hugging him to her. “I know you do, sweetheart. We’re seeing him today.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s not the same. How come he couldn’t get a deal like me?”
Ma paused. “I’m not sure,” she said after a moment. “But he will be out in a few years.”
“I know, but that feels like forever.”
“It does,” Ma agreed. “To all of us.”
“I hate this.”
She stroked his hair. “Do you still want to go today?”
“Of course, Ma! I have to at least see him.”
“Then we’ll see him.”
1. icepick
A shiv might not be a real knife, but it sure as fuck cut like one. Nicoletta knew what she was doing.
Missy did too—a surprise, even with Isabella’s warning. She trusted her sister’s gut, but it was fucking easy to underestimate someone who looked like fucking cartoon birds sung her to sleep at night.
Still, she doubted this little bitch regularly sparred with someone as mammoth as David, and a calculated spin-kick to her shoulder sent her shiv flying out of her hand. Probably dislocated her shoulder, too.
“You’re dead, bitch,” she snarled, going in for the kill.
5. omertà
Martina sat in the quiet of her living room, working diligently on her latest knitting project.
It was too quiet, she eventually decided. Teresa was up in her studio, working furiously on a painting, and Augusto was in his study, drawn in on himself.
It was Sunday. David would be over with Teresa for dinner, possibly also Torey or Johnny. There would be bickering, laughter, lively discussion, and she would sit here knitting, smiling, enjoying it all.
She sighed. Perhaps she’d call Angela and Eileen and ask that they bring her grandbabies over.
That would fill the house with noise.
---
Arianna and Flavia quietly sipped their tea.
“This is excellent,” Arianna said, after a long moment of silence stretched between them. “What’s it called?”
Flavia smiled faintly. “Silver Needle,” she said. “A white tea. I wanted to try something new.”
“You’ll have to tell me where you got it.”
“Of course.”
They lapsed into silence once more.
“How have you been?” Flavia asked eventually.
“Keeping busy.” She tried to seem bright. “Doing this and that. You know.”
“Yes.”
Their eyes met. They shared a ragged sigh.
“I hate this,” Arianna said.
Flavia only nodded.
There was nothing else to say.
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Oh, Hanna, thou shalt not challenge either sister separately, much less together. Bad, bad idea.
I also love 13, the whole family coming together.
I hiiiighly approve of 9. Fuck those dirty cops and judges and everyone for not stepping in, man.
Aww, all the in-laws coming together--even Angela.
HMMM SARA. THE MORETTIS AGAINST HELENA. WHERE DO WE SEE THAT GOING?
Brooke, you know what, I am proud of you. You did good, lady. Our MCs had the short end, but you? Good for you.
Gah, poor Augusto. I really do feel bad for him in this whole thing. (CONFLICT WITH BROOKE.) His kids.
Thou shalt not rip off Corlionis, dude. Thou shalt especially not rip off Corlionis + Liam.
Awww, visitation. I feel so bad for them, seriously. Poor people left behind, especially the kids.
She trusted her sister’s gut, but it was fucking easy to underestimate someone who looked like fucking cartoon birds sung her to sleep at night.
WILL NEVER NOT BE FUNNY. (Another commandment: Thou shalt not get in a knife fight with Nic or Johnny.)
Hai Adagio mention, I c u thar.
Seriously great job, dude.
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Right? Hanna, what did you think was going to happen there, srsly.
HAD to have the in-laws coming together. They've got to lean on someone, might as well be each other.
HELENA IS GOING TO EAT HER SOME MORETTIS FOR BREAKFAST. It'll be a bit sad, how thoroughly they'll be pulverized.
I'm proud of her too. She pulled off a huge fucking coup. But yes, poor Augusto. Such conflicting feelings.
Indeed. Another instance of "what did you think was going to happen there, srsly."
God, all those kids, Kelly. Hurt my heart.
I am glad that line amuses you as much as it does me.
I KNOW NOT OF THIS ADAGIO THAT YOU SPEAK.
I really like how this one turned out. Thank you!
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Thank you very much!
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This is amazing, a wonderful exploration and everything. It says a lot about the way this family works and functions, really.
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Thank you!
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Thank you!
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Except here. Because you actually talked about what the people inside were doing and thinking with love instead of info dumping. I owe you a canoli.
Hanna was dead a week later. They weren’t even suspects.
Pwned.
Augusto family! AWWWNESS. *rubs*
Would have preferred under better circumstances, but still.
David? ALL OF MY KUDOS.
The spouse bonding! And not in the poly AU. It's... adorable.
Isabella and Nic almost sound like they're having fun.
...you mean the enemies didn't throw a party?
OMG BROOKE! I REMEMBER HER~. So, she gets lunch now, right?
I KNEW NIC WAS HAVING FUN.
Augusto. Your tears are delicious. Sorry. *lick*
Vito and Gino apart is like the saddest thing evers.
"She trusted her sister’s gut, but it was fucking easy to underestimate someone who looked like fucking cartoon birds sung her to sleep at night."
Is that sentence marriageable?
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Hanna made a very grave miscalculation, lol.
They definitely wish it were better circumstances.
The spouse bonding is kind of fun! Some of them are decent friends, I think. It's interesting to show.
They are, sorta. Making the most of it, lol.
The party is for AFTER they take over all the Corlioni territory!
Brooke is awesome. And she totally gets lunch now.
AUGUSTO'S TEARS WERE SO PAINFUL. But I liked getting into them. Oh, Augusto.
Vito and Gino apart IS terribly sad. It's just wrong, man.
That sentence is totally marriageable if you wish. I hope you are very happy together. XD
Thank you so mcuh for this awesome comment!