One Way Home

Puzzle

Giovanni was crying. I don't think I had seen him cry like this since Vincent got shot and was in a coma. He held onto Lucca and just sobbed into his shoulder while the other Catalino boys watched in awe.

After Gio got off of the phone, Pat stayed locked in our room and I had taken Lucca for a shower. He wouldn't look at me but I still helped him. I sat him in the tub and washed away the blood before washing his hair. He sat still the whole time, watching me but never meeting my eyes. I wrapped his wounds, braided his hair back, and then put him in my room. I hadn't slept since.

Georgie walked over to me and threw his arm around my shoulder while Jay, his boyfriend, sat in the kitchen with Rocco. It had been a little less than a year since they got together and they were thinking about adopting soon if they couldn't find a surrogate. Jay was always complaining about he he isn't getting any younger so Georgie was finally giving in. Even though he was pissed they were engaged yet.

"You finally did it," G said with a smile. "You brought him home."

I tried to smile but couldn't as Lucca was wrapped in the arms of his cousins. Frankie, Gio, Angel, and Cris all stayed wrapped around their cousin like he was going to disappear Again. He had thought I left Pat. He thought I would just knock her up and leave. He wanted me to be waiting for him.

"So we need to talk about what happened, Lucca," Gio finally said as Vin passed him Domineco. Lucca stared at the growing baby and then at Gio. "I guess we can catch you up first..."

"You have a baby?"Lucca said in what sounded like disgust.

Gio laughed and looked back at Vin who held his daughter. "Two actually. Isabella and Domineco. They are gonna be one next month. Cris and Ralph are married and have two daughters, Lakota and Catalina. Angel and Sammy are married and god knows they don't need any kids."

"Fuck you," Sammy growled but Angel nodded frantically.

"Frankie is with Amelia Liberty and she has her son Armani. They are pretty much married at this point," Gio said as Frankie blushed and looked at his hands. Lucca looked at Georgie but G just shook his head.

"We are past it. He's an asshole. I'm a catch. I have a hot ass librarian to fuck and he's HOPEFULLY MAKING HIS WAY INTO AN ENGAGEMENT!" G yelled so Jay could hear him in the kitchen. Jay popped his head out of the kitchen and glared at G.

"You know you could ask me too. It's not like you're the only one who gets fucked in this relationship," Jay sassed before waving at Lucca who looked confused. "Hi, I'm Jayson Smith. I fuck the brat over there."

"Nonnino," G said in a hiss.

"Rugrat."

"This is really kinky," Angel said gaining a slap from Sammy. "You should call me daddy."

"Angelo I'm going to punch you in the face," Sammy hissed before Lucca threw his hands up.

"I'm gone for five years and you are all fucking married off or close enough," he snapped and finally looked over at me. I froze as his eyes locked with mine. "The people I hoped to find single even married off."

"Lucca-" I tried but he looked away. Pat came out of the kitchen holding Rocco and both Lucca and I looked over.

"Daddy who is this?" Rocco asked as he slid out of his mom's arms and made his way over to Lucca. Lucca took a step back but couldn't get far from Rocco when he grabbed his hand and stared up at him with big green eyes. "My name is Rocco. Who are you?"

Everyone watched Lucca squirm before I finally took a step towards them. Pat scoffed but I ignored her and grabbed Rocco up in my arms. "Lucca," he finally said causing Rocco to light up. "I'm Lucca."

"Daddy's Lucca?" Rocco said and Lucca looked shocked. Our eyes met as I held my son up. "Pops tells me all about you. How brave and mean you were. How you saved him from the evil man."

My father.

Lucca's scarred lips twitched but he chose not to smile. Instead he looked at me again and reached out. His hand touched my cheek and I smiled softly only for the moment to be lost when Pat stepped forward and pulled me back.

"Keep your hands off!" She snapped and then grabbed Rocco from me. "You should have just stayed gone." She walked away with our son and I went to follow only for Gio to step in front of me.

"We need to find out what happened to Lucca. She can wait," he said and then pushed me over to Lucca again. He caught me but quickly let go. I tried not to show how much it upset me but anyone with eyes could. I was torn apart. I loved Pat but Lucca... I should have never left him in his house all alone. None of this would have happened.

Jay came out of the kitchen and I watched as he kissed Georgino's head and then lead him to my couch. We all sat down and I chose the farthest seat from Lucca. He seemed to notice because he glared at me and then sank between Georgie and Cris.

"So start from the beginning," Gio said from where he sat next to his husband.

Lucca rubbed his bandages hands together and then sighed. "The night Pat and I argued I went home and drank. Leo came to apologize and we fought so he left," he said not looking at me. He left out the part where we kissed but okay. "I went to sleep and when I woke up, I was locked in a cage."

I gripped my pants leg at the thought of him locked in a cage. "They didn't show themselves at first. It was just a meal slid into the room I was in every day until a couple months passed and they started to ask about my parents. I wouldn't speak up and they tortured me. They tortured me for years and years until I finally snapped. They came in to feed me and I broke the lock open and killed the man. I ran to the only place I could remember and found Leo. Now here I am."

Vague.

It was too vague.

"Do you know who they were? What they wanted?" Vin asked.

Lucca shook his head and then looked up at me. I saw the fear in his eyes and everyone else just watched him. They wanted to know more just like me but none of us could just ask. He needed time to heal. He needs protection too.

"What if they come after you, Lucca?" I said cutting through the silence. "They will come after you."

"I can take care of myself," he snapped before standing up. I looked over his body and hated to see all the weight loss. He was still muscular but he was less defined. They had only fed him once a day. "I don't need a babysitter. You have a family. You all have families. I will take care of myself like always."

He went to walk out but I stood in front of him so he couldn't leave. "You haven't always been alone. I was there for you," I snapped grabbing his hand. "You wanted my help before you found out about Patrizia why does that change it?"

He pushed me back and I slammed against the wall making everyone stand up. "You chose her then and you'll choose her now! I don't need your kind of help. You were there and then you left because of a Bitch. You got scared of what we could have and got her fucking pregnant!"

I stayed against the wall with my eyes open in shock. He just... he just said that in front of everyone. Lucca glared at me and then down the hall at where my wife and son were sleeping.  "I'll never get you now and it's all because you were scared. So fucking scared of the freak that killed his family right!? I loved you! I love you now and it's for nothing."

I tried to grab him to make him look at me but he pushed me away. "You're being unfair!" I yelled grabbing his arm this time. "You never said anything until it was too late!"

He glared at me and then grabbed the back of my head so I was nose to nose with him. "Lucca stop!" Gio yelled and the babies started to scream. I looked up at him with anger in my eyes a rush of adrenaline soaring through me. He was so close.

"You want me too?" He asked into my ear so only I could hear. I tried to back away but he held tight. "Do you want me too?"

I should have said no. I should have pushed him away and went back to my family. I should have just said fucking no but instead I looked into his eyes and nodded.

I set a fire.

"Then I guess I have my babysitter."