Juliana's POV



When I woke up, it wasn't pleasant. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. I was aware that I'd had an unpleasant dream, but I wasn't sure when, or of what. Not just that, but I felt groggy, and foggy, and just bad in general. And even worse, my freaking thumb was in my mouth.

What am I? Three? Absolutely not. I'm fifteen, not five. I don't know why I've been acting so weird lately, but it needs to stop. Especially since I'm leaving soon. I'll get my ass kicked if I act like this at home.

I went outside to get some fresh air, and because it seemed like the easiest escape. Once out there, I see Justin and Hunter sitting on the ground underneath the swings of the playground. Hunter notices me first, sending a smile in my direction. I try to return one, but I'm sure it comes out as more of a grimace.

Justin notices after he looks up, presumably to say something to Hunter, and finds him still looking at me.

I notice Justin look, and send a more genuine smile his way, but my smile drops when he just narrows his eyes on me, and turns back to the grapes, apples, cheese and crackers on his paper plate.

I'm not sure why that had such an effect on me, but it completely ruined my mood more than it already had been. In retrospect, what if it wasn't even about me? Maybe he's just having a moment. What if he's just mad? I mean, I took Hunter's attention. Maybe they were having an important conversation, and he didn't like that I interrupted it.

But what if he's mad at me? Maybe I did something to upset him. He doesn't like me anymore, does he? I did something to upset him. But what? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I'm so fucking stupid. I can't even remember what I did to make my cousin mad at me. Maybe it was something I did yesterday.

Yeah, maybe. I'll talk to him. I'll apologize. Yes, that's what I'll do. Apologising makes everything better. You can never go wrong with a good old fashioned 'I'm sorry.'

But what do I apologize for? You can't have a good apology if you don't even know what to apologize for. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid girl.

These are the thoughts that continued to spiral through my mind as I walked through the wooded path away from the house. I ended up walking all the way back to the stream I had found this morning.

Sitting down, I kneel by the water, watching little tadpoles and little pools of fish swim around, avoiding one another. It was weird. Even though they were in the same vicinity, the two completely avoided the other. Like neither one wanted to get close to the other.

I'm not sure how long I sat there before I heard it. I don't think it was more than a few minutes, really. It was mainly that long because at first I thought I was hearing something. Like when you hear a high pitched buzzing and you're unsure if it's just in your head, or if everyone else heard it also.

It was like that, except it was more of a whine. And it was so faint I barely heard it, even when concentrating.

When I finally admitted to myself that I was in fact, not hearing things, I did the only thing an idiot can do in this situation, and I followed it.

I spent a few minutes walking around aimlessly in small circles, observing my surroundings a little closer to see if I could pinpoint where the whine was coming from. I was almost at the point of giving up when across the stream, I spotted a small, light brown patch that did not go with the scenery.

I looked around, trying to see if there was a way to cross the stream without getting my socks yet.

Cause wet socks = eww.

Unfortunately, there wasn't. Cause you know, just my luck. In all honesty, this should have been my first warning to turn the fuck around and forget about it, but nope. I took my socks and shoes off and crossed the darn thing barefoot.

I ended up stepping on what I assume to be a very sharp rock, and split my heel open, but that'll teach me to walk across something I can't see. The closer I got, the easier it was to make out the little black spots on the brown lump. A little closer, and I could make out a nose, eyes, and two ears that pointed straight up the closer I got.

Not once did it look at me, but I knew it was aware of my presence. I attempted to take a few steps closer, but the baby suddenly stood on all fours, and darted to the left. It didn't go far, not even out of sight. Curious, I took two steps in that direction, and the same thing happened.

The baby stood up suddenly, and darted a little deeper off the trail and into the wooded area. It didn't take me long to realize that it was leading me somewhere. And we continued this little game for maybe another eight to ten minutes before cries could be heard.

Not human, of course. They were obviously animal. And it sounded painful.

I freeze as my foot crunches down on a branch, breaking it in half with a snap that reverberates throughout the otherwise quiet area.

The whining stops, and while the little cub keeps inching forward, I start to hear growls.

This is the point that any smart, self-preserving person would be turning right the fuck back around and going back the way they came.

While I still hesitate slightly, I creep forward one more tiny step, and that's when I see it.

It's a freaking wolf.

At least, I think it's a wolf. It looks like a dog, but bigger, with sharper teeth and slightly less domesticated.

And it's caught in something.

It sees me and immediately starts growling louder, baring its teeth at me. The pup, which I'm starting to think might be my only saving grace from getting eaten, whimpers before leaping back over to me, licking my calf.

The wolf, who I'm assuming might be the mother of this little thing, stops her growling and just cocks her head slightly, observing. The pup jumps on my leg, whining at me. I bend down to pick it up, and it shies away. The mother lets out a warning growl, and I let out a shiver.

Have I mentioned that I've never really liked big animals? I just couldn't find it in my heart to leave this little thing all alone, though.

'Well, fuck it.' I think, getting down on one knee while pulling the other close to my chest. I wrap one arm around my leg, and hold out my hand to the puppy. If it bites my fingers off, it bites my fingers off. What can you do?

The puppy leans forward, tentatively sniffing my palm, then the underside of my hand, then up my wrist and arm, before giving my hand a lick. The puppy starts jumping all over me, sniffing my clothes, my face, even trying to sniff my hair, but I stop it with a laugh.

"You're energetic, you know that?" I laugh again, holding the pup away from me. It was still panting happily, and its little tail was doing overtime.

I sigh, glancing back to the mother, who is still looking at me apprehensively, but less like she would like to eat me for lunch.

Oh shit, lunch.

I think I know how to get this thing to like me.

I set the puppy down and looked at the mama, while telling her I would be right back. Like she could actually understand me.

Then I take off like a track star, sprinting through the woods. I cross the stream, not caring that I've lost my socks and so now my feet are wet. It's not until I'm a good three or four minutes into my haste back to the house that I realize just how far I must have gone.

By the time I get through the back door, I'm heaving like I've just ran a marathon, and I'm pretty sure I almost cracked the glass door from slamming it so hard.

I waste no time sliding into the fridge, looking for lunch meat. It was on a sandwich that I'd had a few days ago, and I'd barely eaten any of it.

"Damn, I'm out of shape." I mumble to myself as I rest my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

I reach into the fridge, shuffle a few things around and find that the bowl is in fact still there, along with many others that I probably need to throw out due to them turning. I snatch the bowl and almost start running back to the woods when I start wondering if there is anything else I can feed them.

What do wolves even eat? Meat, that's for sure. Anything else? Fruit? Berries, maybe? I scan the fridge once more and see a tub of strawberries with no labels on them, meaning they're up for grabs.

I snatch that as well, slam the fridge door shut, and dash back outside. Running out of the kitchen I almost smack straight into Aunt Teresa, narrowly avoiding her by spinning out of the way real quick. I just barely shoulder checked her instead.

This still threw her off balance, making her drop her phone that she was so engrossed in moments before.

"You insolent little brat! What the hell do you think you're-"

"Sorry! Gotta go!" I yelled over my shoulder as I raced out the back door. I didn't hear what all she said afterwards, but I did catch a few words. Very unladylike of her.

"Where are you going?!" I hear someone yell, presumably Hunter, but I just keep running. I do catch the two of them looking at me like I'm insane out of the corner of my eye as I race past them.

I make my way through the woods, a bit slower this time, but still quickly. I start to notice the ache in my bare feet. Especially in my heel; probably from when I landed on that rock earlier. The dirt of the wooded path has made its way between my toes, but thanks to the water from the stream it's now turned to mud. Not a particularly pleasant feeling, if you ask me.

By the time I get back to where the cub and its mama are, I feel like I'm dying.

"It's just- me." I heave out when grumpy pants starts to growl again. The cub see's me and starts jumping all over me again, trying to get to what I've got in my hands.

I wince as hiss nails dig into my bare skin. That's probably going to leave a mark.

"Calm down." I scold, dropping down to my knees and setting the food on the ground. The cub tries to attack it immediately, and I try to push it away. Key word being try. The cub ignores me, instead trying to paw and bite through the plastic of the bowls.

He huffs, flopping dramatically down to his belly when he accepts defeat. I smirk, looking over to Mama wolf who is giving the cub a similar expression.

I opened the sandwich container first, again having to fight off the eager pup while I took out half of the sandwich. I set it on the ground to occupy the little bugger, before turning to the Mama.

"Look, I'm just trying to help you." I reason as I inch forward, doing an awkward, and albeit painful, knee walk. She lets out the tiniest of growls and I stop instantly.

"I just want to give you this." By this point the puppy is done, and back for more. Frustrated, I pick it up and hold it to my chest while I hold out the container with the sandwich to the Mama. She's still incredibly apprehensive, but in the end leans forward to try and sniff out the sandwich.

I inch closer, and this time she doesn't complain. I reach forward enough that when I set down the bowl she's about to eat out of it. While she's doing that, I go back for the berries. I settle back down, closer this time. I know she notices, but she again doesn't complain, seeing the berries in my hands.

I study the trap that she is stuck in while she finishes up the sandwich. It's literally just a bunch of ropes. There's one around her neck, which seems to be the main on keeping her in place. She's sort of just stuck between two trees.

I follow the rope to the tree near me. I reach over, realizing that it's actually a very simple knot. I just have to pull one end of it and it comes undone.

The mama notices the slack and jerks her head up, confused. She looks at me, then the rope on the ground. She backs up, letting out a whine at the rope on the other tree causing the noose around her neck to tighten.

I see the visible struggle to breathe, and the panic in her eyes. She looks at me pleafully, as pitiful whines leave her chest.

I jump up, letting the puppy down and allowing him to stumble over to his mother.

"It's alright Mama, you're okay." I soothe as I try to figure out the knot on the other tree. For some reason it's different from the other one, this one involved me untying certain parts of it first before I could yank it free.

By the time she was free, the Mama was lying on the ground. Her eyes were glassy, and her pup kept nudging her, but she didn't respond.

"Oh no, oh nononono please be okay." I whispered to myself as I rushed over and dropped down next to her.

I yanked at the noose, ignoring the blood that rubbed off on my hand as I focused on getting the stupid thing off her.

Once it's off I gag slightly, the smell of blood protruding my nose. I toss the stupid thing away, hovering my hands uselessly over her body.

Tears prick my eyes as I let out a sharp exhale. I lower my hand to her belly, wrapping my arm around the cub and pulling him back from her body.

"I'm sorry girl." I whisper to the pup, who is yelping in my arms, fighting to get back to her mama.

"Now what do I do with you?" I whisper to the poor little thing who had stopped fighting and now allowed me to hold it without complaint.

That's when the words of my uncle flooded my brain.

"How about this, Julianna. If you can catch it, you can keep it."





(Earlier Today)



Julianna's POV



I can admit when I've fucked up, alright? I am a 15 year old girl, I think I know how to-

"But it wasn't my fault!" I whine, stomping my feet as Angelo drags me towards Uncle Stefano's office.

"It wasn't your fault you almost got bit?" He looks back at me incredulously. I can practically hear him thinking 'how stupid is this girl?'

"It wanted to be pet! You're just being discrinimoring." I huff, as he barges straight into the office, interrupting what looks to be some kind of super-secret mafia meeting.

"You mean discriminatory? And I'm the dumbass?" He snarks, looking at me like he wanted to start digging my grave.

"Besides," he continues before I can say anything. "how can you be discriminatory towards an animal?" I can feel the eyes on us, but it's Angelo's fault for being a dumbass.

"You jus-"

"Will the two of you stop?" Aunt Teresa, Uncle Lorenzo's wife, barks at us.

"Sorry mom." Angelo apologizes but I just cross my arms and glare at him.

"What is the issue that you two thought it was acceptable to just barge into the middle of a meeting?" She gripes. You know, I see where Angelo gets his grumpiness from.

"Juliana is trying to kill herself." Angelo butts in before I can say anything

"OH MY GOD," I yell when suddenly everybody's attention is whipped to me. "You are such a dramatic dumbass."

"Would you stop calling me a dumbass?" He spits, and by this point we're both turned back towards each other.

"How about you stop being a dumbass?" I suggest and I swear, the only thing stopping his face from being confused with a cartoon character's, is the fact that smoke isn't coming out of his ears.

He opens his mouth again, but this time Zeke cuts him off.

"Okay, before this gets any more volatile, Jules, how about you come sit with me." I roll my eyes, a habit I'm starting to pick up from Justin, before walking over to Zeke.

"He's being stupid." I whine, crossing my arm. The fact that I haven't stomped my foot, is the only thing keeping this from being a tantrum on my end.

"I agree with you," He says, letting me sit down in his lap since there was no other available seating. "He is stupid."

I sit on Zeke's lap, or should I say pout, while literally every freaking adult in the house is either annoyed or confused.

"So what exactly did she do this time?" Elliot asked, and I gave him an offended glare.

"Nothing much. Just tried to pet a rattlesnake." Once again, all eyes snapped to me and I let out an undignified huff, sitting up from my slouched position on Zeke's lap.

"Liar! It wasn't a rattlesnake. It wasn't even velocimous." I explain, giving Angelo a dirty look. He's just trying to get me in trouble.

"You mean, venomous?" Zeke asks.

"Same difference." I huff. What is it with everyone correcting my words? Can't they just let me think I'm right?

"It's really not." Elijah disagreed, and I pretended not to hear him.

"Julia, why were you even near that snake?" Massimo asked, looking at me like I was stupid.

"Because it was cute." I heard a groan from behind me.

"Do not tell me you actually like those vile creatures." Zeke complains, twisting me so I was half laying down. He was cradling the top half of my body, while my legs still hung over the edge of the couch.

"They're not vile-" I try to defend, but he only responds by covering my mouth with his hand.

"Hush, child. Don't you know you aren't supposed to argue with your elders?" I try telling him exactly how 'elder' I thought he was, but with his hand still on my mouth, you couldn't hear anything but mumbles.

"Alright Juliana, how about this. If you can catch it, and it's not poisonous, then you can keep it. How's that sound?" Uncle Stefano suggested, and I nod happily in agreement.

At least there is one sane person in this family.

Angelo rolls his eyes and starts to leave, but his mother follows him out. I hope he's getting his ass chewed out. I try to roll off of Zeke, but he won't let me.

"Nope, you're staying here." He says, still not uncovering my mouth. I whine, then kick my feet, making Massimo groan.

"What did I do?" He accuses, slapping my shin. I kick him again in retaliation, and move my leg away before he can hit me back.

"She can stay here, right. We're almost done anyway." Zeke assures, tickling my ribs with his free hand to make me squirm uncomfortably. Massimo smacks Zeke's arm, shaking his head at him. Zeke looks confused, but he stops.

I hear Uncle Stefano give some sort of reply, but I'm more focused on how Zeke's nasty hand is still on my freaking mouth. Like dude, I don't know where that thing has been. Also, just eww.

I get focused on trying to dislodge his hand, prying at his fingers, pulling his wrist. When I tell you this guy specializes in hand calisthenics...

Out of anger, I wiggle my lips open enough that I can snag some of his skin in between my teeth before chomping down.

"Motherfucker!" Zeke curses, yanking his hand away from me, which actually causes me to bite deeper for a second, before being dislodged.

Zeke squeezed his hand into a tight fist, cursing me out in Italian. I heard laughing from some of Zeke's brothers, and Uncle Stefano scolded me, but you could hear the amusement in his tone.

"È pazzesco che tu non possa colpirla come hai colpito noi, fratello?" Micelio teased in Italian. He was sitting on the other side of Massimo with a shit eating, lopsided grin on his face. Zeke wasted no time reaching around Massimo and smacking the shit out of the poor dude's head. (T- Mad you can't hit her like you do us, brother?)

Micelio whined, rubbing his head tenderly. Can't say I'm not glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that one.

I tried again to wiggle off his lap but he held me down. I kept fighting him, and somehow ended with my feet against his chest as I tried to push away from him. The only thing stopping me from falling was his grip on my wrists.

When he suddenly decided it was a great idea to let go of them.

I let out a shrill scream as I began to fall towards the floor, my eyes closed in preparation for the impact.

Then there were feet under my shoulders, stopping my descent. I felt the hands holding onto my legs for an extra measure of safety as Zeke let me dangle there for half a second.

I blink as I tried to comprehend what had happened. Then Zeke kicked his feet out, tossing my torso up in the air before catching my shoulders before my right before my head could hit the floor.

He did it again and it took me a minute to comprehend that the giggles I was hearing were coming from my mouth.

I was laughing in a borderline inhumane way. I was barely getting in a wheeze-like breath before he would do it again, and the giggles would start again.

I don't know why I found it so funny, but everytime he did it it was like I just couldn't control myself.

He kept bouncing me, and eventually the blood started to rush to my head and I stopped giggling. I don't like that feeling.

I think Ze is good at reading people cause when I stopped giggling he pulled me back up.

I was sitting with one leg on either side of him, and my head was now resting on his shoulder.

I like people's shoulders. They're so comfy. Perfect place to take a nap. Naps are the best.

The room was quiet. After a minute voices picked back up; but they were always soft. Background noise, if you will.

I caught the odd Italian word. Things like camera's, torture, rape, bastard, hurt, beat, mission. None of them made sense out of context, but it was enough to let me know it wasn't a conversation I needed to be paying attention to.

Plus, I've earned a nap. It's been a long morning.





Zeke's POV.

"7 minutes." I announce proudly, holding my hand out towards Massimo. He reluctantly digs into his suit pocket to pull out the $100 he bet me. That sucker really didn't think I could get Juliana asleep in under 15 minutes. I was her person as a kid. She loved me. He really thinks I would forget the trick to putting her to sleep?

The little girl in question was currently snug as a bug in a rug, wrapped up in my arms as she snoozed peacefully. This girl was something else.

And I mean that literally, I genuinely have no idea what to expect with her.

The night we got here, the first thing she does is have an antibiotic triggered seizure. Which I didn't even know could happen. Then apparently she was in some sort of head trauma caused regressed state. Then she comes out of it and she's your typical moody teenager, and wants nothing to do with anybody. And now she's snuggling me in her sleep. And have I mentioned we've only been back one bloody day?

"Okay, let's wrap this up, shall we? It's snack time and I'm ready for some food."дядя Стефано commented while rubbing his hands together childishly. (T- Uncle Stefano)

"So he's in the basement, and we're for sure we'd rather torture it out of him than just ask Julianna what he did to her, correct?" My father asked, and everyone agreed.

"She admitted who did it. That's all we need. She shouldn't have to tell us anything more unless she wishes to." Nonna spoke, and no one argued.

Devon Oshawa. The sick bastard who thought he could mess with one of our printsessa's and get away with it. We're not sure the full extent to which he hurt her. At least not yet. But if he's willing to fuck up her ribs that badly, I'd bet he's willing to do more.

Julianna tenses in her sleep, jerking her head slightly and starts to hold her breath.

I rub her back soothingly, but she's drawn the attention back to her. She has no idea the way these people watch her. The way I watch her. We notice everything. Whether she knows it or not.

At least, I've noticed.

She avoids eye contact, sits quietly, speaks when spoken to, physical touch startles her unless she's the one to initiate it. She's tense all the time. Except when she sleeps. I'm not sure if she even realizes it but she's on guard 24/7. Like she expects the worst to happen.

Jules settles back down into a comfortable snooze. Her second one of the afternoon, mind you.

"She sleeps much more and I don't see how she'll sleep tonight." Elijah comments and I glare at him for insinuating I should rouse her.

"It's only been 10 minutes, asshole. That's not going to disrupt her entire sleep pattern." I scowl, holding her a little closer to me. Fuck him for trying to ruin my cuddle time.

"No, you're right. But the nap she took on Massimo after lunch, will. Added to the two small power naps she took near the pool, and now..." Damn Elijah for thinking logistically.

Begrudgingly I begin the process of waking her up while everyone else prepares to head downstairs.

I sit up a little more, then start swaying side to side, patting her back with a little force. Through trial and error from when she was younger, I'd learnt that this was the best way to wake her up. She'd be cranky and just try to go back to sleep if you woke her up suddenly. You had to let her think it was her decision to wake up.

Let me tell you, this child used to put the fear in all the capo's and donna's when woken up any other way.

Kinda funny if you asked me.

Juliana yawns, bringing her hand to rub her face. Just when I think she's about to open her eyes, she instead slips her thumb into her mouth and falls right back onto my chest for some more sleep.

"That is actually disgusting." Milo said, attempting to pull her hand from her mouth. I say attempt, because she didn't let him. He was strong enough to pull out her thumb, but the second he let it go, right back in her mouth it went.

This caused a few chuckles and Milo glared. "You realize how many germs are probably on that? She was literally just outside..."

"I think she'll live. I guarantee she's put worse in her mouth." Uncle Stefano chuckled, herding everyone out the door. That man is extremely food motivated, let me tell you.

We all end up in the kitchen, where we see Justin and Hunter. I guess Justin still has that 'no cooking' rule, because Hunter seems to be making the both of them a snack as well.

Aunt Stephanie goes and hugs Justin, which he returns happily with a smile. I see the moment he notices me, and I can tell the exact moment he notices who I have in my arms. I watch as an odd expression crosses his face. His smile sort of freezes, and morphs into something else. It's an expression I've not seen on his face, especially not one directed at Juliana.

He doesn't dwell long, burying his face in his moms neck, he squeezes her just a bit tighter than before. He whispers something to her, before leaving out the back door. Hunter looks towards his mother confused, and she just gives him a tight smile.

"Make sure he eats." She says softly, and Hunter nods, packing up the snack he had into bowls and taking it outside with him.

Juliana doesn't wake up again for another good twenty minutes. When she does, she's confused. She pulls her thumb out of her mouth, making an odd sound in the back of her throat. She sits up and just stares at her hand for a moment before looking around.

She notices her surroundings, glances down at her hand, and then to me. I send her a soft smile, one that she doesn't return. I try to hide my frown as she silently gets up and heads outside. She didn't say one word after waking up. If anything, she looked slightly upset.

Teenagers.



(Present Time)



Julianna's POV

And that's how I find myself here. Being pulled to Uncle Stefano's office for the second time today.

This time it was by a pissed off looking Massimo and an amused looking Uncle Lorenzo.

"He literally said it was fine." I reasoned for like, the fourth time. But Massimo really didn't care.

"I don't think it's about him caring." Uncle Lorenzo spoke from behind us on the stairs. "I think it's more about seeing his father's face when he realizes the extent you took his words to." He chuckled to himself, and I pressed Coco tighter to my body.

I'm not sure about the name Coco. I've been playing around with names in my head for this little pup ever since I decided to keep it. Nothing just felt right.

Also, it was confirmed that the puppy was a boy. I was hoping he would be a girl, but it's a boy.

We arrived at Uncle Stefano's office, and Massimo didn't bother knocking, just went right on in. Uncle Lorenzo leaned in the doorway, instructing me to stay off to the side where they couldn't see me.

"Massimo, what have I told you about knocking?" Uncle Stefano's exasperated voice carried through the hallway.

"Yeah yeah, just thought you might want to see this. Julianna, get your ass in here." Massimo called when he noticed I wasn't behind him.

I hid Billy behind my back as I slinked into the office, trying to put on my most cutest, innocent look I could muster.

Yeah no, he's definitely not a Billy. Or a Bob, for that matter.

I saw Uncle Stefano with a weary look on his face. Obviously he wasn't going to be falling for my trick.

I pouted slightly without realizing it. They were gonna make me get rid of my puppy, I just knew it.

"Well, we haven't got all day." Aunt Teresa snapped. She didn't look too happy right now, but that could still be about me knocking into her earlier.

"Just remember, you can't be mad, because you said I could have it. Everybody in here heard you say it. So technically, I have..." I paused to think over how many people had been in the room when he'd said the words.

"Eleven." Massimo answers for me.

"Yeah right, thanks." I say before turning back to Uncle S "I have eleven people who can- Damn that's a lot of people. Anyways, eleven people who can contest that you did in fact tell me I could last have it." I declared, getting distracted halfway through, but finding my point in the end.

Uncle Stefano cracks a slight smile while he corrects me. "I think the word you're looking for is corroborate. But go ahead, show me what you've got hidden there." He motions to the hand that's behind my back.

I walk over to him, and I hear a few chuckles and a gasp as people are finally starting to see what I've hidden behind my back.

When I get to his desk I take Jack-Jack out from behind my back and present him to Uncle Stefano in a way that makes him look as cute as possible.

Uncle Stefano sucks in a breath, pressing his lips together in a hidden smile. He looks away from me, glancing over to his wife who isn't even trying to hide her smirk.

He rubs his hand over his chin a few times before he finally looks back at me. Or should I say, the thing in my arms.

He reaches over, without a word, and tries to pick up my puppy. Try is definitely the right word to use, because not only did I move back, on instinct, so he couldn't take him, Kyle also started his cute version of a growl.

Uncle Stefano furrows his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes on the bundle of cuteness in my arms. He tries again, and while I don't retreat this time, Juniper growls again, this time louder.

Seriously, I need to find a suitable name for this thing.

"Don't worry brother," Uncle Lorenzo spoke from his position in the doorway. "Maybe the next one will like you better." He teased.

"Hold on, next one?" Elliot asked, and Massimo nodded.

"Oh yeah, there's another one." Just as he said this, all eyes move towards the door as we watch her prowl through the entryway.





______________________

Wow, I feel accomplished. I actually ended up updating on time this week!

Let me know if ya'll have any preferences on what the puppy's name should be, or if you liked any of the ones I threw out earlier.

Also I'm freaking sick, which sucks because we just got out for Thanksgiving break. And it also sucked because I still went to school on Friday, then proceeded to have a seizure at school, so EMS got called. That was so much fun, let me tell you.

Hope you all have a great weekend! (And Thanksgiving, if it's time for that.)