She was so beautiful.  Salvatore looked at the photo of Marie and him at the Colosseum.  So far this trip had been a dream come true for couple thanks to Joseph Ligambi.  He had made sure that they flew first class on the long flight over the Atlantic, and had the best room at St. Regis Grand Hotel in Rome.  Salvatore smiled as he remembered those first few days.  They had hardly left the room.  They had even ordered room service instead of going out to eat their meals.

After those first few days, they did venture out to see the sights and sounds that Rome had to offer.  They took in the Trevi Fountain, Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum – where they had paid someone to take their photograph – and many of the other sites around the city. 

For them, it was nice to get away and just be tourists. They had left their families in the capable hands of their right hands and of course, they knew Joseph_Ligambi would be looking in and making sure things ran smoothly.  They knew all this and yet they still called daily to check in and make sure everything was going well. 

Next, they planned to take a boat to Sicily for the second half of the trip.  There they would spend a relaxing time visiting some of the histories of their ancestors.  Neither had been to the old country before so this was a first they could share.  While they were there, Salvatore would make arrangements to go to Casstellammare del Golfo, the ancestry of the Chicago Joseph Ligambi family. They would, of course, stop and pay their respects to Don Inzerillo, but there was another reason for the meeting as well.  A reason that Marie did not know about yet.  The reason Don Joseph Ligambi had given them this trip of a lifetime. Salvatore wondered how angry his wife would become when she found out that he had to work on their honeymoon.

Marie came out of the clothing shop and looked around for Luca.  She spotted him sitting at a small table having a coffee and looking at something that he held in his hands.  She smiled.  She never got tired of looking at him.  She could never remember a time when she had been this happy.  All was well with the world. 

Walking to him, she carried several bags of items she had just purchased.  When she drew close to him and saw what it was that had his attention she quietly spoke next to his ear, "Ricordi cosa abbiamo fatto nella stanza immediatamente dopo che è stata scattata?"  She loved to tease him and get him going just to see his reaction to her.

Luca listened as she spoke and immediately got a big smile on his face. 

"Si. " he says smiling

Luca looked loving at her, but he had a look that told her there was something they needed to discuss. Something she didnt know.

"Per favore, siediti, dobbiamo parlare di alcune cose." he says to her. 

Marie smiled at his reaction, but when he asked her to sit she to discuss something she grew concerned.  "What is it darling?"

She sat her bags on the ground at her feet and sat down.  When the waiter came by she ordered a coffee before giving him her full attention.  

There was a couple things that Marie did not know yet and Luca did not know how she would react to some of the news, hell he did not know how to process everything. The one thing he did know was that it was time for her to be brought into the loop of what was going on. 

"My love there is a few things you have not been told yet. Joe didn't tell me till right before we left and he told me not to say anything till we where in Italy." he told her. 

"I wanted us to have some fun and enjoy this trip before I brought work up and since none of this was relivant at the time I decided to wait till now to tell you." he took a drink from his coffee before continueing. 

"First thing is that Joe did not just send us here. He had a reason. There is a man Giovanni Inzerillos the dons son. He and Joe where childhood friends and did a heroin deal together. Giovanni was seen talking with the cops and needs to go away." he told her. 

Marie's concerned faced became cold and stone.  She leaned in closer to him and quietly she asked, "Which Don?"  Instinctively she looked around and scanned her environment for possible ease-droppers and potential threats.    

Luca had been watching around as well and had not noticed anyone looking at them. 

"Don Inzerillo's son." he said to her in almost a whisper. 

"After we get back there is another piece of information you need to know. I am moving my family to the Southside." he tells her. 

The news, the way he just sort of casually threw it in there, was jaw dropping and jarring.  Her eyes immediately snapped back to look him.  "Why?"  Even though she asked the question she knew the answer.  Joe had ordered it.  For whatever reason, Joe wanted him in Southside.  It didn't matter what the reason was.

Luca realized with a shock how that must of came across and her reaction was proof that he did not put that across the way he wanted. 

"I am sorry for the way that came across. Joe wants me in the southside, I am sure you figured that out. He wants me to run the SouthSide." he tells her. 

"He has made me acting Godfather of the SouthSide," he says as he looks at her to gauge her reaction. 

Luca loved her and she loved him but now business was crossing dangerously close to their personal life. This was something they would have to figure out and do it quickly. 

Marie looked at him for a long minute in silence and then looked away.  Quietly she asked, "So what is the plan for Inzerillo?"

Luca looked at her questioningly. It surprised him that she wanted to change the subject so quickly. He could tell she wanted to leave this subject for now and wanted time to digest this new information. The problem was with this job they did not have time to wait to talk about it. They needed to discuss it now. 

"Sweetheart I know this is a lot to handle. Joe told me he needed to bring Sal back to Loop to help him there, And that he wants me to go and pick running things in the SouthSide," he tells her as he gently holds her hand. 

"I know this is going to make things hard for us. The one thing we always had was being in separate areas so our business was always separate from each other. Now that all changes. I need to know how you feel about it." he tells her. 

She looked down at their hands.  "He chose you."  She let the words hang between them to give them weight.  Then she looked up into his eyes and tilted her head a bit.  "I don't know if you realize just how very competitive and driven I am as a person.  This is especially true when it comes to my competitiveness with you.  One of the things I loved about our relationship was that we were equal in so many ways.  It allowed me to push myself against someone that was of equal yoke with me... or at least near equal enough to not make a difference.  It is what helps me to grow.  I am losing that now and frankly I don't know how that will affect me."

"Sweetheart we both drove each other. You pushed me as well. Why Joe chose me I do not know. All I know is he did. I know you will continue to push me." he says sincerely. 

"I look at it this way. We will run the SouthSide together. While yes I am appointed the leader of the SouthSide I am not going to be micromanaging you or your family. You have proven you can lead and run your family. And I know we will continue to push each other every day to make sure that the Southside is the strongest it can ever be." he says to her. 

Luca spoke honestly to her but he was unsure whether or not it made a difference. This was new territory for them and a new challenge that he knew they could find a way to meet it. 

The truth was they worked well together always had. But never before was one of them ahead of the other except in times of fighting. He spoke the truth about not wanting to change the way she ran her family. He looked at his appointment more to help secure their hold on the SouthSide and to help keep them safe not to micromanage, that was just not his style. 

Marie smiled.  "I am not concerned about you micro-managing and yes I will continue to push you..."  She tailed off a moment and took a deep breath, to give her a moment to gauge her wording.  "but I am not sure you will be able to push me.  At least not in the same way.  I can no longer use you as a standard of measurement."  She chuckled, "I could never measure up to you.  How can someone be motivated to try and reach a goal that they can never meet?" 

She gently rubbed her thumb against his hand as they held hands and talked. 

Luca held her hand finally fully understanding her concern. With him, as a GF it was a goal neither of them thought possible and now he was in that position how could she push to reach a goal that was not available. 

"There is nothing that says you won't get the chance to become a godmother at some point. And I know you. You won't let yourself fall behind me. You will push to be as close to my level as you possibly can simply out of pride." he tells her. 

"For now we have the job to think about." he brings the conversation back. 

Luca went over the plan. He told her about how the Don was setting up the meeting and would plant the gun and the two guards he would have to deal with. 

"I am set to go to this meeting alone." He tells her knowing she won't like that part of the plan. 

"Like hell you will.  I am going with you."  She reached and picked up her bags before standing.  "Are you coming?  We have a boat that we need to catch.

Rick on a business trip to Italy, notices the two love birds out the corner of his eye sitting at a quiet coffee shop, not one to be shy he takes it upon himself to come over an say hello

"Salvo my man! what brings you and may I say you beautiful wife to Italy?"

Rick winks at Marie.