— ᴀ.s.

"Matteo? Angelo?" "..Matteo? Angelo? What are you speaking sweetheart this is my son Dante and Moreno's brother Marino."

I jolted up from the nightmare feeling a world spin around me. Slowly I blinked my eyes open trying to focus my eyes back to normal from the blur in which I am now.

My head was spinning making a feeling of nausea hit me like a truck, and my muscles along with my bones felt like they were made out of jelly. Placing a shaky hand over my head I could feel my head pulsing caused by a painful headache.

'Dante. Marino. Dante. Marino. Dante. Marino.' The names rang in my head making tears burn my eyes.

That must be a nightmare. It can't be true. They wouldn't lie to me. They are like my older brother, just like Daniel. They wouldn't do something like that to me. It was a nightmare, just a simple bad dream, that couldn't be a memory.

A lot happened today and that's why I'm having bad dreams. But however much I told myself that that's not true and that it's just in my head, I couldn't shake an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Slowly I pulled my legs over the edge of the bed and let them touch the floor carefully trying not to make any quick and sharp moves that would cause pain in my head to grow.

Starting up I blinked my tears a couple of times and swiped my eyes over the room in search of Xavier remembering that he told me that he will be here when I woke up. But instead of him, I was met with an empty room. There was no one.

Over the ringing, in my ears, I could hear shuffling and mumbling in front of the bedroom door. Easing myself from the safety of the bed I made wobbling steps towards the doors only to hear Xavier's and Matteo's voices.

Their voices sounded concerned yet angry. They seemed to talk about me, about my memory. I battled with myself about listening to their conversation or just opening the door and beg Matteo to tell me that I was right. That it was all just a nightmare.

Sniffling a couple of times I grabbed a hold of a door handle still listening to their conversation. "Remembered? Remembered what? Everything? Her memories came back?" "No, she only remembered about the mafia. About the first time, I told her of it."

Not wanting to listen to their conversation any longer because of pain that started to worsen. I put a hand on my head turned the doorknob at the same time Matteo mumbled "So she doesn't remember my nam-".

I opened the door wider fixing my barely opened eyes on Matteo's figure. 'He didn't mean to say what I think he did right? He wouldn't.'

I didn't even realize Xavier came to my side until he didn't wrap his arm around my body keeping me stabilized.

"Why?" I croaked feeling myself on the verge of collapsing. My legs felt week like they were boneless. I could hear Xavier say something but I couldn't recognize the words he used.

"Please te-tell me.. tell me that tha.. that was just a dream.." I sobbed letting myself lean into Xavier's hold not having enough straight to hold my weight by myself anymore.

"Tesoro, what happened? Tell you what." Matteo mumbled as he took a step towards me but I lifted my hand to stop him while taking a small step back. I could see through blurry eyes hurt flash across Matteo's face as he stopped his step midway.

"Tell me that yo-your name is-isn't Dan.. Dante." I let out a sob causing Xavier's hold on me to tightened and Matteo to take a step back.

"Let me explain." That was all it took for my world to shatter into pieces. The constant pulsing in my head made matters worse, I couldn't see him properly as everything around me started to spin.

I tried to say something, anything but succeeded only to crack weak "Wh-why?" Before the world went black and I lose the last bit of strength in my body.

. . .

"Tesoro, I can explain." "Please, tesoro, talk to me." "Fiorellino, let Us explain." "Antea, please let me explain." "I'm sorry, but please talk to me or listen to me at least." "I bought you your favorite chocolate will you talk to me now?" "Don't make me beg." "Yeah, I think we should talk about it. All of it." "Not all is a lie." "We lied about our names and profession, but that is it." "The rest you know is all truth." "We didn't want to lie, but it just happened and later we couldn't get out from our lie without hurting you guys." "..with that said I'm Dante Del Re." "I'm Marino Rocca."

Pictures, just like some kind of short video of my life flashed in front of my eyes bringing me back to reality.

Dante and Marino are their real names. Matteo and Angelo were names they only use once and the same time they met Daniel.

I could still feel a headache but it wasn't that intense as before. Still keeping my eyes closed I tried to hear something or feel something, but I was welcomed with a feeling like that my head is underwater. I couldn't really hear much in the room except constant, irritant ringing in my ears.

I could feel the texture of a silky sheet under my fingertips and a comfortable bed underneath me. Trying not to move my body in fear of worsening my headache I slowly yet barely opened my eyes, just enough to visualize the room I was in.

The room smelled reminded a lot like the ones in the hospital although the bed and bedding alone was rare for such a place. It was comfortable and pleasant.

My hand felt warm and weird causing me to try to move it, however, it didn't budge one bit. Turning my head to the side I was met with a figure leaning on the bed, a dark hair was spiled on the white bedsheet and a strong muscular hand was wrapped around mine.

Blinking a couple of times to get used to the brightness in the room I looked better at the person next to me. It was Xavier, his eyes were closed while his lips drow small puffs.

My hearing started to stabilize itself and my eyes started to focus more and more by passing second. My eyes scanned Xavier's figure, this close I could see his hair being messy like he ran his hand through it way too many times, his forehead had small worry-wrinkles and his face showed the look of discomfort. However, even in a state like this, he looked peaceful.

Gently and slowly I tried to pull my hand from his grasp but that only made him shift a little and blink his eyes open. Our eyes connected and he abruptly stood up from his seat.

"How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" He asked softly with concern in his eyes.

I smiled a little while looking at him "I'm fine."

"Bene, that's good." He sighed in relief leaning his forehead on mine while closing his eyes.

His move took me by surprise, but I didn't pull away. Even if I'm not remember everything I could feel the pull and strange attachment towards him.

"You got me so worried." He whispered under his breath making me feel bad to cause him to worry.

"I'm sor-" I tried to apologize but he put a finger on my lips silencing me.

"No, no, don't apologize for anything amore. You are not at the fault here. You didn't feel good and..." sighing he pulled away from me a little while gazing into my eyes "..I just got so scared for both of you. I don't know what would I do if something was to happen to you or our baby."

Instinctively my other hand went on my stomach 'did something happened to our baby?' I thought to myself. Probably seeing my hand Xavier was quick to shake his head.

"No, no nothing happened to our baby you don't need to worry." He exclaimed with a big grin.

'Why is he smiling? How did he- Did.. did I say it out loud?' I thought to myself yet again feeling my cheeks burn.

"Yes, yes you did." He said teasingly making my eyes widen "Oh, you didn't think to say that out loud." I gave my head a little shake on which he chuckled "well, I'm glad you did. I think that this is the first time that you actually said and referred this baby as ours." He added and I couldn't miss the happiness in his voice.

"Well, it is ours. Isn't it?" I tried to tease him back but he only smiled at my try. "Si. It truly is."

We fell into silence while staring at each other, which I decided to break, wanting to know what happened and where we were.

"Where are we?" "Remember when I told you that we have another house nearby?" "Yeah."

"Well, we are there. This is a private medical room here. It's usually used by our men when they are hurt, but I was scared and this was the best and closest doctor that I could find the moment you passed out. I didn't want to risk your or our baby's life and take you further into the city so I brought you here."

On the mention of the baby, my worry rose "Is-is baby okay?" "Yeah. You both are fine. Doctor check both of you." "What did he say?"

"Umm, well.. he said that because of your memories that are coming back to you, you will and were feeling pain. It has something to do with how your brain works, to be honest after the doctor said that you both are fine I didn't listen to him. I was so worried when you collapsed into my arms."

"I'm sorry for worrying you." "It's okay, amore." He said lowering his head and leaving a lingering kiss on my forehead.

"So the baby is all good?" "Si, the baby's okay. The doctor said that we should do a sonogram soon, but because he doesn't have one here, he let's say booked us one in the hospital in little over two weeks."

"Oh, okay." "Yeah, he also said that we will probably learn the gender of the baby then."

"Mhmm, I'm gonna be 24-25 weeks then." I mumbled on which he hummed while grabbing a hold of my hand from my stomach and gently rubbing his thumb over it.

"Are you okay now? Do you want to talk about anything? I'm open book to you if you have any questions, any at all. I will tell you about anything you want to know."

"Umm, where is Emiliano?" I whispered which caused a light laugh from him.

"I didn't mean that kind of question, but to answer it. He is at home with Bellissa and Dan- with Matteo." He said with a small smile but I could see right through him. It's weird, I don't know him that long yet I could detect uneasiness in his eyes.

"With.. with Dante you mean." I said with a sad smile as I remembered a previous dream or should I say memories.

He lowered his eyes looking at the blanket that was over me. "Yeah, I mean Dante. Look, I don't know how to.. or how to, umm.. I'm sorry for what they did, but they didn't know that you guys gonna became such close friends-"

I cut him off not wanting for him to worry about things I already knew. "Hey," I whispered while putting my hand on his cheek making him lean in my touch while locking our glaze "it's not your fault. I remember. Dante told me.. explained to me the reason. Both him and Marino. You don't need to worry. I was upset because I remembered only a part of it. But now I remember that whole event. And it's okay, I know the reason they did that was to protect and keep both me and Daniel from your world. But, well.." I chuckled while putting a hand on my bulging stomach causing Xavier's face to lit up a bit. "..it kinda didn't work, did it?"

"It surely didn't." He whispered planting a loving kiss on my head. "It didn't keep you away from me and I'm more than glad that it didn't."