The departure

The Date is August 10, 1929 and Frank was the happiest man on earth.  He was getting ready to take the woman of his dreams to his home in Sicily.  It didn't bother him that Nikki was packing everything but the kitchen sink.  The only thing that mattered was that she was going to Marry him.  He looked at his watch and he was still two hours early before the boarding on the Steam Ship Regina.  His pride was riding high and nothing could bring him down.

Frank was taking two of his childhood friends with him leaving Joey in charge while he is away.  Frankie and Little Augie will be accompanying him and his bride.  Frank knows that his grandmother Rita is the Key if she accepts her the whole family will embrace her with open arms.   Rita was a tough old bird who spoke very softly but to the point.  She was what keep his Grandfather in power and his father in power.  His grandmothers Father was a Don in the old country and if she was a male she would have ran that family with a soft voice and a iron fist.

Nikki was quite a woman she can drink with the best of them she can shoot and he ability to spot a lucrative deal is unmatched his father would have smiled at his son's selection.  Frank thinks back on his Father a man of honor; four generations to be exact.  When his father was killed in his uncle Vitullo stepped up becoming a man of honor and a capo in one of the largest families in Sicily.  His uncle never had sons so he took a great interest in Frank and his cousin Giuseppe. 

Nikki finally had everything packed and the Taxi-cab arrived seconds after she was done.  Their bags were loaded and Frank walking to the taxi holding Nikki's hand with a big smile on his face.  Vitullo loved beautiful women but a beautiful strong woman was every Sicilians dream and Nikki was Franks.  Franks mother will love her they both are short, slim fearless yet caring.    

Frank wanted Nikki to see the country side and the places he played as a kid.  He wanted her to try some of the family foods and wine that they produce.  He wanted Nikki to enjoy her time and relax from the day to day business of the syndicate.  Frank checked his pockets for the tickets and became worried but his soon to be wife pulled them out of her purse smiling at him.

This is why it takes me so long to pack honey. 

Shaking his head he leans over towards her and plants a big kiss on her lips. 

Always looking over the details to save my butt.  Another reason why I love you.

They arrive and the luggage handlers unload the taxi and haul everything to their cabin as they all board.  Frank looks at his body guards an gives them the nod to scram and he picks up his bride and carries her to the room.  Once inside he slowly lowers her onto the bed and then grabs the bottle of champagne and two glasses and handing the glasses as he pops the cork.  The cork pops with a loud popping sound and the juice over flows as he quickly pours.  He was glad that the champagne was chilled and that tonight they would be dinning with the captain.  this would be a six day cruise to get to his home, six days of just him and Nikki. 

 The Arrival

The ship has docked and Frank and Nikki were off boarding and to his surprise his uncle Vitullo was there with his mother.   She walked up to him and hugged him and then stepped back and hugged Nikki smiling and speaking in English to Nikki looking her eye to eye.

Are you sure you want to marry my boy?

Nikki shrugs her shoulders and smiles nodding yes. Franks mother hugs her again and said

Frank I like her already.  She knows what she wants and isn't ashamed to say so.

Vitullo being the man of honor and power waits for Frank to greet him and Frank showing respect to his uncle smiles and walks over and hugs him.  Vitullo kisses his nephew and tells him that he has missed him greatly and Frank tells him that he himself missed him and all the family members.  Frank introduces Nikki to his Uncle and his uncle looks Nikki directly in the eyes.

Franks father was my best friend, he married my sister.  He said she was the most beautiful woman on earth but she was my sister and I thought she was ugly.  Now seeing you I think Franks father was blind and wrong because you are the most beautiful woman on earth.  Frank has never been one to let me down.  You young lady are indeed his greatest accomplishment.  You sit with me and Frank can ride with his mother on the ride to the Family's villa. 

The ride back was a hour and a half long but Vitullo wanted Nikki to see everything he owned and controlled.  He love showing off and impressing others.  He told her many stories of Franks childhood.  Once they arrive Nikki was introduced to all of Franks cousins and uncles and aunts.  Then finally to Rita the matriarch of the family.  Rita smiled at Nikki and asked her

Do you drink

Nikki smiled and Rita kissed her and said

Good an Sicilian woman that doesn't drink doesn't belong in this family.  Welcome to your new family my dear.  I know if Frank brought you hear then you are some one special.

Before the Wedding Day

Not only did she drink, but Nikki managed to win more than her fair share of drinking contests in the days to come. Those days bled into weeks; neither her nor Frank were in any hurry to leave the country. Early mornings were spent dining family-style around a large table packed with family and fine, home-cooked Italian food. Afternoons spent touring the countryside, exploring the shops in the surrounding towns. Long evenings involving many shots of whisky, storytelling, and fine cigars. Business was discussed, but only lightly, as Nikki had made it clear that she was only here to relax. And relax she did, forcing Frank to do the same. Oddly enough, the lines blurred and dissolved for Nikki and she wasn't treated like a woman by the men in Frank's family. She was often the only female present during those rare business discussions and 'man talk', which she could only account for by assuming that Frank had told his family about her previous rank and title in New York. As much as she loved being included, though, the constant presence of a large group of people began to take a slight toll.

One evening, as yet another drinking contest was under way, Nikki left the patio and wandered toward one of the outbuildings. After a few moments, she spotted Frank's silhouette, standing alone and smoking quietly as he looked out over the darkened vineyards towards the sea beyond. Stepping up behind him, she rested her cheek against his back.

"I don't want to go home. I love it here, even though I can't get two minutes alone with you. Can we get married here? I want to have your children here too, but-"

"NIKKI! YOU DON'T DRINK THIS ROUND, YOU LOSE!" Yells Vitullo from the patio. With a sigh, Nikki's hands slide down Frank's backside.

"I swear he's doing that on purpose."

Standing there on the edge of the vineyard over looking the sea Frank thinks about his soon to be wife and his businesses.  Willing to give it all up to just be with Nikki every minute of his life.  He smiles at the thought of her and him together every second of everyday.  Feeling her leaning on him from behind.  He continues to smile and then he hears Nikki voice and then his uncles voice he turns towards her.

Babe we don't have to go home at all, if you really want to get married here that would make my grandmother very happy.  She and my mother have been putting pressure on me to marry you here.  They have a dress and the food planned out.  Me I just want you in my life.  To be honest I haven't had you to myself since we left the steamer.  Come with me please.

Frank takes her hand and leads her away to the parked cars and he takes one and they drive off to a little house still on the family property.  He lights a few candles the place is small two room shack with a bed in one room and stored food in the main room.  He looks at Nikki and opens a window in main room and the light of the moon came in providing a beautiful romantic setting. 

Nikki my grandfather built this small house for my grandmother and told her one day he would buy the big house at the bottom of the hill.  He did.  Now I'm telling you that I want nothing but your happiness.  I will build you a big house here on this hill overlooking the sea and the village.

But tonight I just want it to be me and you.  Tomorrow no more meeting I want to show you my village the way I seen it as a kid.  I want you to laugh with me and it be just you and me.  Tomorrow is our time and everyone else will have to understand.

He wraps his arms around her standing behind her looking at the moonlight as it shimmers over the sea.  Recalling Nikki tell him she wanted her children born here a smile come across his face.

You said you want our children born here, are you expecting already or are you wanting to make one or two tonight?

 Smiling but deep down he knows that at some point he has to make one last connection with the Local Don in order to secure the deal shipping heroin and liquor into the US from Sicily.  However he doesn't want his children mixed up in the business and he refuses to do anything that would jeopardize his relationship with his soon to be wife. 

I thought I had everything until I met you.  Now I want to give away everything I have just to have and keep you safe.

The Day Of

Beautiful.

There was no other word for it. Any bride would be thrilled with the prospect of getting married under the clear, blue skies of Italy. Frank's uncle, Vitullo, had generously offered the use of his vineyard as the place for their outdoor wedding. His estate was modest in size, but decorated under the keen and discerning eye of his wife, Marcella. 

On the left, a linen-clad table held a five-tiered wedding cake of tiramisu and decorated with a frosting of tiny Japanese roses. Bone china and sparkling silver sat neatly near starched white linen napkins, fanned out stylishly. Three waiters stood at attention, silver trays laden with full champagne flutes resting on their shoulders.

To the right, a huge gift table, overflowing with everything from envelopes of cash to antique weapons to hand-knitted baby booties (Mother DiCaprio was quite the optimist). Three men stood here as well, crisp suits hiding their weapons as their eyes roamed the crowd.

Front and center, at the forefront of a sea of folding chairs full of expectant and well-dressed extended family and friends, stood an ornate trellis, twined with more of those Japanese roses, with Nikki and Frank beneath it, hands clasped, in front of the priest.

~SOMETHING OLD~

It happened quickly, or in slow-motion, depending on who you asked that day. Four men tasked with 'sending a message' barged through the surrounding staff of the wedding party and opened fire. Mid-vows, Frank didn't miss a beat. He pulled Nikki's gift from under his jacket, the Colt allegedly used by Jesse James himself, and fired. As lovingly and carefully as the old piece has been cared for, it still hesitated before firing, and his sister Maria was shot in the arm before the first gunman was removed from the equation by Frank's bullet, delivered dead center in the chest.

~SOMETHING NEW~

One of Frank's uncles, a fisherman by trade, sat shocked at the sudden eruption of noise and confusion. He was the oldest, and by far the saltiest, but he'd been enjoying the day's events. In his modest opinion, any woman that could drink him under the table as Nikki had done was a gem that needed cherishing, and he was overjoyed to see Frank up to the task. After his initial shock, he stood abruptly and grabbed the nearest wrapped present from the gift table and clocked gunman number two over the head with it. 

Clocked, indeed. Inside, was a lead crystal desk timepiece weighing in excess of ten pounds. He wasn't dead, but the concussion delivered would keep him unconscious for almost an hour.

~SOMETHING BORROWED~

It took her longer than it should have, but really, who expects a retaliation assault on their wedding day? Nikki stood stunned for a moment, watching as the chaos ensued. She moved forward a bit to block Frank's view of his bleeding sister, her maid of honor, because she needed him clear-headed. It was a flesh wound, but a bloody one he didn't need to be worrying about just now. Looking for something, anything, she turned to Frank's number one, Frankie, and held out her hand for the stiletto she knew he carried. She wasn't about to ask him to part with his handgun, but she'd not exactly armed herself with an ankle clutch piece.

It would have ruined the garter photographs.

Understanding what she was silently asking for, he withdrew the blade from his vest pocket and handed it over before taking a half-step in front of his boss and aiming at whatever looked threatening. Nikki flipped the blade open and tracked the scene with her eyes, finally finding gunman number three. With a half-step in front of Frank herself, she slows her breathing, blocks the screams and shouts out of her head, and takes aim before throwing.

It was a trick shot, no way it should have landed, but it did. Gunman three went down like a ton of bricks, stiletto blade protruding from his temple. Nikki actually laughed, looking around to see if anyone had seen that Hail Mary throw. She'd be reliving that one in her dreams for years to come.

~SOMETHING BLUE~

Gunman four was now at a disadvantage. His cohorts were dead or disabled, and he was just one gun compared to a crowd of angry Italian folk. Mother DiCaprio had been waiting for this moment for years, and was extremely pissed off to see it degraded in such a fashion. No one ruins her Frank's wedding day!

She stood, a bit unsteady at sixty, on high heels, and on the grassy outskirts of the vineyard, but she was determined.

And angry as hell.

She marched to the wedding cake as the crowd continued to scatter, holler, and dash around in confusion and dug her bejeweled right hand deep into the blue rose wedding cake. Blue roses. Why her Frank and Nikki loved the Japanese blue rose, she didn't know. They weren't Italian! She did have a moment to appreciate their intrinsic, hybrid beauty, though, as the large handful of cake smashed into the face of gunman number four while he was taking aim at her brother Vitullo. Frank's number two in command tackled him to the ground seconds later as she licked the frosting from her fingers.

Nikki looked at her....wait. Turning to the priest, who was frozen in terror with his bible clutched in front of his face, she grinned.

"Hey, are we married yet?" 

"Si, si, yes, married. May I go?"

"Yeah," she said, draping her arms around the shoulders of her husband. For her, it was still a win. She loved this man, and he was hers, now. All hers.  

"Goddamn, Frank, you sure know how to show a girl a good time!"

Husky still had several active contacts in Europe. As such, it did not take long for news to travel to him. And this was a juicy piece of gossip indeed. Someone had tried to gun down people at Frank and Nikki's wedding day. They had never told him they were getting married in Sicily, he would have liked to attend. Perhaps they just wanted a small ceremony. So the assassination attempted at the wedding came as a surprise to him.

"Foolish! Did they expect a family full of mobsters to sit there and be shot. The gunmen got what they deserved." he thought to himself as he pondered the actions of the gunmen.

Sighing to himself he looked at the box in front of him. The box contained fourteen hundred and eight dollars in a cash envelope. A box of some fine Stilton cigars. And a bottle of an expensive  home brewn Canadian whiskey called Alexander's Disapproval. Sealing it up he attached a note.

"Frank and Nikki,

May your marriage be long, prosperous and free off any other hazardous encounters. 
I wish I had been there, but nevertheless please except this gift as a sign of my happiness at this union. 
If ever two people were meant for each other , it is the two of you.

Husky"

He beckoned for one of the lads and asked him to get it shipped as soon as possible. Having already sent another message to Sicily, a telegram, last week the lad knew exactly what to do.

Lucy examined the postcard with a wide smile.  Nikki had sent it to her as a means to let her know all about the trip.  She was so happy for the woman... afraid for her, but happy.  "Giuseppe, get my accountant on the phone.  We need to send Nikki a nest egg for her and Frank's future family."  She immediately tried to imagine how pretty Nikki would look pregnant... when that failed she moved on to imagining the world's most dangerous parents at a preschool performance.  When that failed she let out a chuckle.  The future was full of possibilities, with any luck at all, they would live to be the sorts of people that Lucy couldn't yet bring herself to think of.  Silently she said a prayer for their joy and their safety.

Someone was Knocking her door, There is a Lady brings her a happy news.

What ?? Nikki was getting Married? With who ? Blaah is getting suprised by happy news 

The lady explains How wonderfull and happy Nikki on wedding day. She also tells how was wedding day going. 

“ Haha yeah She is silly lovely girl. Frank’s must be a luckiest man On Earth. But Im sure Nikki is the lucky girl too. She Might be so happy marry Frank, I could see it from the way she stared at him when they were together in every business district I went...  I’m So happy that She has someone who can protect her all the time now”  She can’t hide her happiness Because her best friend was getting married. Which is mean from now on Nikki  will never be alone, She will always have someone by her side, and She will always be loved no matter what,

" Can you wait for a while please , I want give a little gift for them " She asked the lady. 

She packages a Gold Necklace For Nikki  and Gold Wristwatch for Frank, She wraps it with lovely paper and beautifull ribbons on the package, She also Slips the letter. 

Dear A Couple of lovely BIRDS 

How does it feel to be married? Oh, I’m sure it’s great. I believe that world exists only due to love and loving people.

And you’re the most beautiful example of it. Take care of each other, because since now you’re the closest people on the planet.

The time will fly and things will change, but I wish that your love for each other would stay unchangeable.

 

What a beautiful day! What a wonderful couple! What a happy occasion! I believe it’s a good sign.

Happy werdCongratulations!

 

Best regards

Blaah

" Im sorry to make you waited, Please give this a little gift for the lovely couple.. Thank you " She asks her help

                                                                          The Dark Side of Frank

Looking at the mess from the failed hit on his wedding day Frank wanted to remain calm and find out who ordered the hit.  Was it on his uncle, him or Nikki no matter who gave the go ahead he had to contend with them and ensure that they never get a second chance.  His wife, mother and grandmother are his life and no one gets to harm them while he has a breath to draw upon.  Looking at his wife starts to calm him and causes Frank to smile as he knows that she is now Mrs. Dicaprio.   Then the thought that she could have been hurt here in his home town, here in Sicily where everyone knew him and his family.  Frank smiles fade into a grin as vengeance rages up within him.  

Franks Uncle waves to him and Nikki to follow him into the stable where they have the lone survivor tied up by his thumbs standing on his tip toes.  Frank smile turns into a grin that Nikki has never seen before.  His face has so much anger that Nikki wasn't sure she could reach him with her words. Frank removes his tux jacket and picks up the branding iron that was sitting in the coal pit turning bright red.

So you came after here to my family's home, you struck on my wedding day, endangering my wife, my mother and grandmother and the rest of my relatives where my friends sat to partake on what should have been a day of celebration and peace?  The day that my bride should remember for the rest of her days as the most happiest day of her life.  But no you disrupted her day, and that I can't forgive.  So make it easy on yourself.  Tell me who sent you?  Tell me and I will give you your life for a life.

The hitter didn't answer and Frank never repeats himself.   Frank held the took the branding iron up and then burned the man right thigh the scream from the pain was loud filling the stable causing the horses to startled then Frank handed the iron to his cousin Gino and took the knife that Gino held and cut the man's nose off.  Frank engrossed in the carnage then cuts the nose into very small pieces and stuffed some of the pieces into the hitter mouth holding his jaw closed forcing his to swallow part of his own nose. 

See you made me cut off your nose despite your face.  I wanted you show a little remorse but your a true man's man.  That I can respect I wish you had worked for my Uncle or father we could use men like you.    

His men trying to stop the bleeding to prevent him from going to into shock.  Frank looks at them and takes a branding iron again after it was reheated an raises it up to the young mans face. Frank then cauterized the wound where his nose once sat causing the man to pass out.  Frank wakes him again by branding the mans lift thigh.  Hearing the screams again causing the horses to whinny in fear Franks uncles let the horses out to run in the pastures The smell from the burning flesh escapes the stable.  Frank grin never changed as Frank stood in front of the man looking deep into the eyes of the hitter only to watch the hit man pass out into unconsciousness.  Frank turns an spots Nikki face, he closes his eyes and hands the branding iron to his body guard to reheat it. 

Honey I'm so sorry you witnessed that but no one gets to shoot at you, and at my family's home where my mother and grandmother sleep. I must find out who gave the orders.  You don't have to watch this.   

Frank looks at Tony one of his men and knows he has something on his mind that puzzled look was a dead give away.

What is it Tony?

Tony replied that Nikki had a few telegrams, congratulating her and you on your wedding.  Frank walks over to Nikki an holds her close.

Mrs. Dicaprio I promise you wont ever have to duck and shoot again, but I can't promise that will you never see this side of me again.  I wont let anyone harm you, ever!  You can stay or if you want once I'm finished here we or you can reply to all the lovey telegrams. 

Frank still holding Nikki looks at his Uncle.  It was a family stare they only occurred amongst them letting each other know that the deeds must be answered with actions.  A loud and clear statement must be sent. Frank looks into his wife's eyes and his angelic smile returns as a single touch of her causes him to relax and regain his composure. 

Steals nikki_swango away and takes her to Maldives on a honeymoon. Nikki forgets totally about frank after this night. 

Bows