"Francesco, she is going to be okay, just talk to us." Ricci said while driving. Francesco could only breath and look at his hands. He was just having flashbacks in his head of how she looked at him while sitting in that chair. She faced death but only focused on him calling him love and telling him thank you. How she looked at him felt like she was caressing his face with her eyes trying to calm him. She was really about to sacrifice her self just to save the family she gained.
She looked at him to calm him.
She looked at him to remember every detail of him.
She looked at him to say goodbye.
"I don't deserve her..." Francesco said. The truck went silent and Ricci's looked back in the review mirror then back to the road.
"Fran, listen to me. I don't know what's going through your brain but you need to remember the fact that she is going to be alright." Ricci told him. Francesco looked out the window and noticed the weather. Thunder, lighting, and rain...she came to him despite her fears.
"Ricci, tell me she didn't come to me in this weather," Francesco said with his voice stuck in his throat.
"Yes, she did Francesco."
"Serenity, no." Francesco ran his fingers through his hair.
"She is already in a bed recovering Francesco," Ricci told him. "She would be upset right now to find you like this. Letting Guilt eat you alive, she did this for you and all of us. She showed you, true love, today, and I expect to see the same from you. So, calm down."
"Do you have my top caretakers with her?"
"Of course."
Ricci didn't tell him that Serenity had been revived twice. Now she was just in a coma at least that was what Lester had told him. More damage had been done to here than they thought.
How much time exactly went by? Francesco didn't know he had blacked out multiple times escaping into his head.
Lester nearly threw up seeing the damage done to her body. The man had basically carved in her, he even had time to carve the word beautiful in her stomach. And carved his name 'Ryo' on her right thigh. Ryo had slapped her a couple of times to keep her awake but she was bleeding too much to realize it.
He didn't tell him that she was asking about him after they got her out. Making sure he was okay, He didn't need that right now. Ryo didn't do as much to Francesco as he did to Serenity. If anything they were just minor scratches and a couple of bruises.
When they got there to his private medical facility they led Francesco down the hallway, trying to avoid Serenity's room but they accidentally walked past it. If Ricci would have known which room she was in he would have gone down a different hall.
"We're losing her again!" The doctor screamed out and a swarm of nurses and fellow doctors came into the room. Pushing Francesco out the way.
"Again!? AGAIN!? What do you mean?" Francesco became upset and tried to go into the room.
"Block the door right now!" Lester caught up with Ricci and the rest of the men. Ricci and Lester and a few other men held Francesco while others blocked the door.
"You have to stop! We have to get you well! Come on Francesco!"
"No, Serenity! Please!" Francesco cried out. He punched he kicked and he screamed but soon Ricci and Lester were able to drag him to another room.
"Francesco! Listen to me! I will go check on her and give you updates. You are not mentally stable right now. Now let Jus sew you up." Ricci said and tired to Lester and nodded. Ricci held his breath as he walked. Once he made it to her room he saw that her heartbeat was present once again. He let out a breath of relief. He sat by her bed and looked at the line of doctors that stood by.
"Can you tell me what's going on?" He asked.
"It's like her brain was overwhelmed she was talking so much when she came in asking about Francesco. She stressed out her heart but we know how to keep under control now but she is unconscious for the time being we don't know when she'll be back up."
"Thank you," Ricci said and held her hand. "Stop giving us a scare and pull through. How are you going to come in our lives and lighten it up and think that you are going to leave us here? I need a Godmother for my unborn child and I can't think of anyone better so please Serenity. Come back to us."
"She's been scaring me ever since we've gotten here," Lester said walking in the room. "You might need to check on his mental state. I tried to talk to him but he has blanked out."
Ricci nodded and got up and walked to Francesco's room. Lester sat by her bedside and held her hand. He had never really had a family until he met Francesco and Ricci when he was little. Lost both of his parents and was just roaming the streets. He was just like Serenity but he found a family early on she was just now gaining hers.
"You know, I had a crush on you when I first met you. Then Francesco said his peace proclaiming you to be his lady. I backed off but that never stopped me from looking at you. Then we spend time together and it was almost like we had the same background. It was all too real for me and you grew on me like a sister. A sister I never had but always wanted. Even though Francesco is my boss he is my best friend and brother. If he wronged you I will kick his ass because it's a brothers job to do that right? To be his sister's protector? You have become one of us Serenity and we need you so you pull through for us! I know you can." Lester said and kiss the back of her hand.
"Tell me, Francesco, do you think you are mentally stable to go in there and sit with her calmly?"
"She is my wife, don't I have to be?" Francesco said while stretching after the final stitch. "I can do this."
"Are you sure?" Ricci asked him. Francesco nodded. They had made Francesco take a shower and wash all the blood off of him. Then he put on some jogging pants and some socks but no shirt. Francesco took a breath before he walked into the room.
She looked so peaceful even though she had almost died on them three times. He sat down hesitantly at her bedside and held her hand. It was so warm to him and he rubbed his cheek against it. Ricci came and put his hand on his shoulder and Lester did the same.
"Are you going to be okay?" Lester said. "We will stay if you don't want to be alone."
"I would like to be alone with her please." Francesco requested. They nodded their head and walked out of the room. Standing by the door just in case he needed them and they closed the door so he could have privacy.
"Ren," Francesco started. "I love you, more than life... I just can't live without you. God, please don't take her away. I'm pleading with you, I know that you probably don't want to fulfill this request but she is the only thing keeping me sane." Francesco got on his knees still holding her hand as he went to the floor. He never got on his knees and prayed before but for her, he would do anything.
"Baby, please don't leave me on earth, I know I'm destined for hell but I'm not ready yet," Francesco told her. "I planned my whole life around you, you married me. We might not have the paperwork to prove it but we already said it ourselves right? Why? Why? Why did you save me? I should be laying in this bed not you! Look what he did to your beautiful body and your beautiful face. I'm glad I decapitated him, I should go stab his eyes out for the hell of it." Francesco paused. He remembers the promised he made her.
"I didn't kill him for your sake," Francesco said. "I killed him for mine, because if he would have finished you. I would raise hell on earth and you know that. I can't continue without you Ren, I just can't." Francesco got off his knees and caressed her face. "I don't know what you are doing inside that head of yours but please come back to me. Don't give up, please baby don't let go. You haven't truly lived yet. I wanted to take you all over the world, your soul deserves to see the world. Don't let go, this would be the worst break up. I love you and I need you, I didn't fight so hard to get to your heart and make you mine for you to die on me. You are my angle, my phone line to God. God, please."
After that, he let go of her hand and rest his head on her bed. He would sit there all night if he had to, days, probably months.
For months Francesco was praying every day, on his knees asking God to bring her back to him. Asking her to let her truly live as she should. He had hope that she would just open her eyes while he held her hand. He missed her insulting him, running her fingers through his hair, and the conversations they would have. Ricci told him that Jocelyn was pregnant and that he was going to be a Godfather along with Lester. How could he be a Godfather without a Godmother?
Some days he didn't eat he would just sit in the room all day. Talking to her like she was awake to hear him. Sometimes he would lay in bed with her simply because he couldn't sleep in the bed at home without her. He would lay on the side and wrap his arms around her and listen to her breathe. Sometimes he would just lay in the bed with her and watch TV. Just to have another voice in the room and he wouldn't be left alone with his thoughts.
Ricci and Lester would visit some days and Jocelyn came most days even though she was pregnant and should be resting. She would wash her hair and cut her nails and she talked to her like she wasn't sleeping either. She would just say:
'It's Okay Bestie, you are just taking a long break at life. You'll be back soon hopefully in time for this baby Ricci done knocked me up with.'
Months had past when she finally woke up, no one was in the room. Yet, she heard footsteps down the hall. All that time she was knocked out her nails had grown, her scars had healed but still showed and her hair had just been recently washed she felt the dampness.
She looked at her hand once again and then wiggled her toes and she shifted feeling the pop of her bones. Got up but she fell on the floor she was trying to go look out the window.
"Ouuuchh." She groaned.
Francesco walked down the hallway, it was another day she probably wouldn't wake up. It didn't stop him from sitting by her bedside and taking care of her. He was planning to get her some laser surgery done to remove those scars. So, she wouldn't have them when she woke up. Her face still looked angelic even when she slept and it looked like she had a glow to her. He just wanted to be there when she woke up and kiss her. God, he missed her.
He walked in the room and frowned when he didn't see his wife in the bed but on the floor.
"Serenity?!" He ran to her side.
"Can I get some help here Francesco?" Serenity said face down on the floor. He gathered her up in his arms and looked down at her and saw her eyes. He cried so hard in front of her. "You goin' just cry or are you going to help me off the floor?"
"You pulled through Serenity! You pulled through!" Francesco picked her up and swung her around and then kissed her. She caressed his face feeling the warmth of it and the smoothness of it. Just how he remembered, so soft, so smooth, and so in sync with his.
"How long have I been out?"
"Four months, Four terrible long months without talking to you, kissing you, hearing that beautiful voice." Francesco sat her on the couch and put her legs in his lap. "I've missed you, Ren."
"How are you? Francesco, I've been worried about you ever since I came here."
"I'm okay..." Francesco said and just stared at her. "I prayed every day for you to come back. How dare you make me love you and then you try and leave me here? Ren," Francesco put two hands on the side of her face. "Why did you come after me? Why did you save my life?"
"Isn't that what people who are in love do?" Serenity retorted. Francesco froze. "I love all of you, you and everyone one else don't deserve to deal with my problems."
"Husband and Wife!" Francesco argued back. Then he pressed a button his watch and then doctors came in the room. They all stared in awe when they saw Serenity up and talking and looking like nothing ever happened. They gave her a medical exam and asked her questions to make sure she didn't lose any memory.
Serenity had looked at the rest of her body as they examined her. She saw her scars and how visible they were. She rubbed her right thigh as she saw Ryo's name on her and she saw the word 'Beautiful' across her stomach. She saw how he marked up her body with deep cuts and she started to have flashbacks.
She remembers how Francesco looked at her with Pleading eyes. She remembers how she saw him look at her asking questions in his head. She was prepared to die that day for the people she loved and now when Francesco spoke to her it was like he was fussing at her for doing the thing she did.
"I'm getting you some laser surgery done to get those scars removed," Francesco said. Serenity took the time to really look at Francesco he had a short beard now, and his hair was wild. He was wearing things out of his normal suits. He was wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve shirt. He had been working out more. "You left me...and you think..." He just laughed a little and looked back at her.
"You've gotten taller...and why does it seem you are more muscular? Or does it seem that way because I haven't gained my strength back."
"I've been getting stronger for the both of us," Francesco said and he looked back at her. "Obviously, you don't know how to keep yourself in a safe place."
"What the hell does that supposed to mean?" Serenity squinted her eyes.
"It means what it exactly means," Francesco said. "I told you to stay at the house and to stay put. You came to save me,"
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, IDIOT." Serenity yelled.
"I LOST YOU AND SUFFERED!" Francesco yelled back, running his fingers through his hair.
"So, you are fussing at me because I... the woman you call your wife...save your life?" Serenity asked slowly and looked away from him and looked down at her hands.
"I don't need you dying on my conscience," Francesco looked at her. "I don't like the idea of losing you, dead or alive. If I tell you to stay somewhere safe, stay there! Don't ever come to a dangerous situation to save my life."
"Hpmh," Serenity said and she fumbled with her fingers. "I wasted my time...trying to save you." Her fingers started to twirl faster like she was trying to make a decision. Fight. Flight. Fight. Flight. Fight. Flight.
"Serenity, that's not wha-"Francesco started but got discarded when she got out the bed and started to make a way to the door. He stopped her before she could reach the door handle and picked her up and put her back in bed. "Where the fuck do you think you are going?"
"I'm not about to sit here and listen to you fuss at me for believing that your life is valuable and should be saved."
"Your life is more valuable than mine and I won't let you waste it on me," Francesco said and pushed her back in the bed again. Then he held her wrist down and got in her face so he could look in her eyes. She looked back in his and saw how his face the only thing she could see. "You aren't going anywhere..." His grip got tighter on her wrist, she looked down at her wrist and looked back at him. She winced as his grip got tighter and his other hand went on the side of her head, making her lean back a little. This wasn't the Francesco she remembered, the Francesco she remember would have just held her and cuddled her when she was mad.
"Francesco," Serenity started. "You are hurting me."
"You aren't going to walk away from me again, you are going to lay in this bed and recover as a good little wife would. Do you hear me?" Francesco's eyes were dark and cold. Calculated. Serenity couldn't run from them if she tried a tear and rolled down her cheek. He got frustrated. "Do you HEAR me Serenity?!" And he tightens his grip.
"YES," Serenity snatched her hands away. Then she heard more people come into the room and heard happy voices and whipped her tears.
"Besite!" Jocelyn pushed Francesco out the way and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Serenity hugged her back tightly. "You finally woke up! I'm glad you are back, now feel my tummy!"
Serenity looked in shock as she saw how big Jocelyn's stomach had gotten.
"You are pregnant?! I'm going to be an Auntie?!" Serenity felt her stomach and started to cry. "Hey, I'm your Aunt Ren, and I'm going to spoil you to death." Ricci helped her sit down in a chair next to the bed. Then he kissed Serenity on top of the forehead.
"I'm glad you are back Serenity," Ricci said and held Jocelyn's hand again. "Our child deserves the best Godmother. I'm glad you lo-" He got interrupted when Lester pulled him back and told him quietly.
"You need to take him out in the hall," Lester gestured to Francesco. "Look at his eyes." Lester and Ricci switched places and Lester went to Serenity side. Ricci walked slowly to Francesco and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Lester hugged Serenity and kissed her on her forehead as well.
"Finally, you woke up! Jocelyn is a handful to handle by myself. I'm to have my sisters back once again together. Now, I need both of you to help me." Lester looked back at Ricci and nodded. He was going to distract both of them while Ricci talked to Francesco.
Ricci pushed Francesco out the room and shut the door. Serenity watched and looked back at Jocelyn and Lester and started to listen to other voices that weren't in her head. She was happy she finally woke up but she didn't like the Francesco she saw.