The Dancer and the Don | ✔️

Chapter 11

"I didn't intend to, Fran, that's just how it worked out. I never wanted to cause you any sort of pain, and the regret it making my head feel ten pounds heavier. I'm so, so sorry you had to go through this." He wasn't good with words, never had been, but felt that answer would suffice. He truly didn't think things through when getting involved with who would become the love of his life, and it would be something he would forever regret.

"Why did you do it?" It was a question that both parties were surprised that hadn't been asked yet.

"I've dated women before," he gulped, watching more fire gather in her eyes, "and when I got too close I left. I didn't want to put myself through something that would only cause me pain in the end." Tony ignored Fran's humorless chuckle. "When I met you, I tried to leave. You remember my trip to the Dominican Republic?"

It was a random question, but Fran found herself nodding. She had invited him to one of her performances that week. They'd been dating for about six months, and it was the first tine she'd ever asked anyone to watch her perform. He said he would be there, and flew to the Dominican Republic the next day.

"I wasn't going to come to your show," he admitted as his heart broke slowly, "but you called me two nights before and you wouldn't shut up about how excited you were about me coming. You told me it was the first time you'd ever invited anyone."

Fran's tears were overflowing, and at this point she didn't even try to stop them. He'd lied so much during their relationship that she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"I couldn't do it," Tony began to sob, covering his face with his hands. It wasn't the first time he cried in front of her, but that didn't make it any easier. Fran fought the extremely strong urge to wrap him up in her arms and take all his pain away.

His sobbing still hadn't gone away after a few minutes, and Fran's hands were twitching. She couldn't do this to him. Even after everything he'd done to her, she didn't want him to go through what she was going through. God, she thought, am I insane?

"Tony, please," she said, trying to avoid helping him physically. She had a feeling if she pulled him into a hug or crawled onto his lap she wouldn't leave. Fran needed to think with a clear mind right now.

"It's alright, just give me a second. I'll finish." She gave him a few moments to wipe his face with his hands and take a few deep breaths.

"I'd fallen in love with you without even realizing it, so I stopped fighting it. I got on a plane immediately and sat around waiting for your show to start. You were incredible," he remembered in awe. Watching her on that stage was something he would never get tired of, but he grew sick to his stomach when he realized it was his fault she wouldn't be able to dance the same way ever again.

"I realized that I deserved happiness, but I didn't realize I was taking away yours in the process. If—" he gulped, looking down, "if you still want to leave, I won't stop you. I've ripped your life out of your own hands, and that's something I'll never forgive myself for. I just ask you allow me to show you everything before you go." He began to sob again, causing Fran to stand up and turn around.

She couldn't look at him anymore.

"You're not going to fight for me? For us? For this marriage?" Tony had been hurt many times before, but nothing matched up to this.

"I don't deserve to fight for you," he said. He was wallowing in his own pity party, dazed in the pain of hurting the person he loved most for years.

"Well I deserve to be fought for, damn it!" Fran shouted, whirling around to face him again. His face shot up and they made eye contact, both sets of eyes red and watery. "I deserve the world, Tony, and you gave me that. Then it was ripped away because of gunshots and screams and—" she gasped for breath, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."

Now it was Fran's turn to sob. She ran her hands through her hair roughly, ripping through the tangles and knots caused by this argument. Tony stood and walked towards her with tears still leaking out of his own eyes. He grabbed her wrists, stopping her from ripping her hair out, and pulled her into a hug. She fought it at first, but ended up melting into his grip.

"I don't know what to do," she cried out into his chest. His grip only tightened and he began to rub her back...this was one of the most painful things he'd ever been through. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling.

"Well figure it out, Fran. Together if you'll let me," Tony murmured into her hair. It was silent, but after a few moments he felt a small nod against his chest and his heart clenched painfully. "Do you want to get some rest?" He knew her like the back of his hand, and she was always completely exhausted if she shed even one tear.

"Only if you're with me," she commented. "You said you'd be honest with me. I'd like to make a rule that if you do anything involving your "family" then I want to be with you. Understood?"

"I won't disappoint you, Fran. Not anymore." Another small nod against his chest, then Fran pulled away. She turned to walk towards their bedroom, listening carefully for his footsteps behind her. They were following, soft and unsure, and another tear leaked out of her eye. Their relationship had changed so much in just a few days that she was worried she had whiplash.

Fran climbed into bed without changing, then watched as Tony did the same. They lied facing each other, tracing the lines of each other's faces.

"What are you going to do about Sangue Verde?" Tony willed himself to calm down, but at the sound of Italian rolling of her tongue he unconsciously grew hard. Tony gulped.

"I don't know, Fran. Whatever is, we'll figure it out together, but we need to figure it out fast. Some of my men are already upset that the deaths haven't been avenged, and others are questioning why I'm waiting."

"A decision like this requires more than a quick solve! You have to think about consequences here, Tony," she murmured. Her brain was being overloaded today.

"I don't have that kind of time, baby," Fran thought she'd flinch at the pet name, but instead found herself relaxing. "The fact that some of them are questioning me right now is bad, but losing you is worse. They can wait for now, but we shouldn't do this in the future."

God, he had a way with words. Why did he always know the right thing to say? The voice in her head was telling her to run away screaming and never look back, but her heart was telling her that this was the man she vowed to stay with through the good and the bad.

"Sleep, Fran. We'll worry about this later," Tony murmured. He fought the urge to pull her into his arms, knowing that right now was too soon. As Fran's mind relaxed, Tony's only grew more anxious.

Questioning authority would spread until everyone beneath him wanted him out of his position. He knew the only way out and he would never let it happen, but this still worried him. Tony wanted to get out of bed and go speak to his family, but his wife deserved more and was more important than his family. Hell, without her, there was no family.

When he fell in love with her his world and his view of the world changed. His family existed before her, but they wouldn't exist after her. She was his family, and if she was gone it would no longer be the family he had seen before.

It would be a Don and the men and women who worked underneath him. Not the caring and kind family he knew today.

He had to protect what was more important to him, but this time he'd be doing it in a different way. Instead of hiding everything from her, he'd show her everything. 

He would be completely honest with her.

Then she would have to make a decision.

****

What do you guys think?

Should Fran forgive Tony?

What should Tony retaliate with? Should he retaliate at all?

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