The trip it New York went smoothly and Lucky was sure the eight-hour beating and torture session along with the corps being left publicly to be found would send the correct message. Lucky was proud of his daughter she stood tall and did not let anything she saw effect her. They stopped by her mothers grave so that Lucky could pay his last respects and put some more fresh flowers out. He had also made arrangements to have fresh flowers put out every couple of days on the grave. 

They stayed the night in New York before hopping a flight back to Chicago. They got into the car and headed to Lucky and Marie's new house. They sat and chit-chatted a bit in the car as they drove through the city. Lucky pointed out some of the different businesses that were owned by the family and other historic spots. 

The car made its way to a large iron gate with a couple of armed guards that opened the gate and waved them through. The car then drove around the beautiful lake along the long drive that led to the home Marie and Lucky had built for themselves. They had just finished it and moved in a few days earlier. 

The car pulled up out front and a few men came out and opened the doors for them. Lucky got out and walked around to stand next to Isabella. 

Isabella wasn't sure if she should be proud she'd stomached her father's blood thirsty message sending session - or bothered that it excited her a little.  She'd been considering these things in silence as they traveled to meet the woman who was both her boss and her soon to be step-mother.  

It was hard not to wonder if such a powerful woman would be akin to the step-mothers in all those fairy stories of her youth.  Hideous, mean spirited and cruel... but then in those stories the father was always kind and dead before his time.  Her dad was, for lack of a better word, evil by standard definitions and definitely a hard one to kill.

And yet... how could Marie be anything BUT a murderous monster in such work?

She tried to focus, to remain calm as she stood up to walk beside her father.  Softly she confessed, "I hope she likes me as much as you do."  Of course she didn't admit that she hoped she liked the Godmother too - if not, there was very little she could do to change things now.  THIS was a life she'd locked herself into with the blood of Mr. Riesi.  There was no denying the pride in Salvatore's eyes.  Again, another thing that should have bothered her... but didn't.

What sort of woman did her lack of feelings about such things make her?

"She will love you. Do not worry about that," he tells her before they head into the house. 

As they entered the house they were hit by the smell of food cooking. They were met by Rand at the door who informed them that Marie was in the Living room and that dinner would be ready shortly. 

Lucky had one of his men take their bags up to their rooms before they headed to meet Marie. 

They walked into the living room and Marie was standing there waiting for them. 

"Hello, sweetheart. This is Isabella," he says smiling to Marie. 

Marie had chosen to wear a simple navy blue dress for this very special occasion.  He also wore some ear rings that Lucky had given her and her engagement ring.  When Isabella and Lucky came into the Living Room she smiled brightly and approached them.  "I am so happy to finally meet you Isabella.  I am Marie."  She gave the young woman the customary kiss on each check and smiled as Isabella did likewise.  She could tell that she was nervous, but it was to be expected.  She would try hard to set the woman at easy.  "Dinner will be ready shortly.  Can I get you a drink?"

"You're as beautiful as my father said you'd be, Godmother."  She said as she stepped away from the woman who had greeted her as family.  "Dinner smells wonderful."  She says in a polite tone.  "And yes, I'd love something to drink, thank you for offering."

She gave a glance to Salvatore to try to gauge his reaction to their meeting.  She hoped she'd responded appropriately.  It was hard to know what might be seen as too familiar or too formal.  Finding the line was of the utmost importance if she was going to avoid looking like a fool tonight.

Marie began to move over to a cabinet that held some glass, varies bottles and crystal decanters, and a container of ice.  "Is Whiskey alright?" she asked as she looked at the woman.  She did not need to ask Lucky what he wanted.  She was so glad that she had apparently gotten over being sick every time she smelled whiskey.

Enthusiastically the young woman nodded yes before glancing at her father as if asking if it was alright.  Marie smiled and poured two glasses of whiskey and a glass of water for herself.  She handed Lucky his glass first and then handed Isabella her's before going back to retrieve her own drink.  "Did you have a good flight back?"

"Yes, the flight was good. The whole trip went smashingly" he said with a smirk. 

The group walked over to sit on the couches.

"Relax this is not a formal Godmother meeting but more my daughter meeting my fiance," he whispered to Isabella. 

He wanted this to go well and it was but he could tell that Isabella was a little nervous about meeting Marie. They walked over and sat down. 

"I am sorry we had to leave so quickly but I had to take care of it immediately," he told her. 

"The guy had taken over for Piza was attempting to make threats and well he won't do anything ever again," he said to Marie. 

She smiled at Salvatore.  "My father has a real way with communication - even with the most difficult of people, but I'm sure you know that already."

She accept the whiskey and took a sip to calm her nerves.  "I am going to miss New York.  I haven't traveled much let alone lived anywhere else... I'm sure I'll get use to things here soon enough though."  She took another sip before asking, "Were you born here in the United States, Marie?  Or the Old Country?"

"I was born in Italy and moved to America shortly after I turned 18.  I met my first husband, Luca, shortly afterwards and we lived in Miami for a time.  We had tired to stay out of this life, but it was just not meant to be.  When Luca's cousin -- a Don here in Chicago -- died, we were forced relocate out to LA and joined up with a a mob family out there.  My husband died in a fire fight in Detroit not long after, protecting our family." 

Marie smiled and reached out to lay her hand on top of Lucky's before continuing, "Lucky had been brought into my crew by Luca and when he died, Lucky was there for me to comfort and support me."  Marie's eyes began to glisten a bit as she looked at Lucky, but they were filled with love for him.  "Luca had been my everything... my life, and when he was gone I did not know how to go on.  Lucky showed me how to live again... one step at a time."

Isabella smiled but she didn't immediately say anything.  She kept thinking about her own mother and silently wondered how different her life might have been, had she ever reached out to her father.  If they had reunited, what sort of life might she have lived?  She wasn't angry or bitter about it, she didn't begrudge them their happiness, but it seemed impossible not to wonder about what might have been.

"It sounds like you two are very happy together."  She sipped her drink.  "It's a beautiful thing to find someone you can stand with in this wicked world."  She raised her glass, "May you both be very happy together for many years to come."

Marie sat back up and raised her glass for the toast and then sipped her water.   Rand came in to the living room and announced that dinner was being served.  They all moved into the dining room that held a very long wooden table.  Tonight, however, all three place sittings were located at the closest end to allow a more intimate atmosphere.  Lucky pulled out Marie's chair for her and then did the same for Isabella.  He left the end seat for himself, but instead of sitting down he went back into the kitchen to help leaving the two women only for a moment.

Marie unfolded her cloth napkin and laid it in her lap before looking to Isabella with soft caring eyes.  "How are you doing darling?  You have had such a hard go of things and I am sure meeting your father hasn't been the easiest thing for you either."

"I didn't know what to expect, or what he might think about me... I suppose that was the worst part.  The more time I spend with him though, the more I think we're alike."  She smirks, "Well, in some ways at least.  I have to admit that I've been walking on egg shells since we meet.  I really ... well, I don't want to mess this up.  I don't have a lot of options in this life right now and with my mother gone, Salvatore is the only family I have really."

Her voice trailed off, hinting at the pain that clearly left her with.  Her eyes drifted to the left, she seemed to be deep in thought over something.  "I always wanted to know him... ever since I was little I wondered what it might be like to have a father like some girls had in my neighborhood.  The sort of man who looked out for me and my mom, someone who thought of me as his little girl... you know... well ... I don't know."  She laughs, clearly embarrassed as she realizes how intimate she'd allowed herself to become with Marie.  For a moment she almost forgot that it was a Godmother she was talking to and not someone she'd known all her life - like the person she wished she could talk to about these things:  her mother.  THIS was not the sort of first impression a gangster hoped to leave her Godmother with.

"I'm sorry, this is... foolish-childish thoughts.  Forget I said anything about it at all - it must be the whiskey making my lips too loose."  she shook her head dismissing her thoughts.  "Really, I've been quite happy with how things are going between me and my father.  I hope to learn everything I can from him about this thing of ours."

Marie chided her softly, "It is not foolish nor is it childish."  Marie picked up her water to sip on and then continued, "Family is very important to Lucky.  I have no doubt that had he known about you he would have been there for you and your mother.  Now that he does know about you he will look after you and think of you as his little girl."  Marie smirked a bit, "Actually probably more than a young independent woman would want."  She grinned.  "You father can be an ass at times.  I am sure there will be times when you will not like him at all," she chuckled, "but through it all he will never stop love you."  She smiled warmly at Isabella.

Marie's words made her smile, this time easily and for real.  "I can't imagine a time where I'd ever dislike him.  I feel like he and I have so much in common it's sort of frightening at times."  In her mind she could still hear Mr. Riesi's screams, the begging for mercy and eventually even the release of death.

Isabella sipped her whiskey.

"He tells me you're pregnant." she says.  "And that you'll be married soon - you must be terribly excited about both."

Marie sighed and seemed very tired all of a sudden ,"To be honest all of that has had to go on the back burner so to speak while I worked on securing the city.  I never knew how demanding it was to run a city, especially as we work to re-build the country." 

The Godmother smiled genuinely, "I am hoping that things are to a point they will start to settle down.  While the timing of the pregnancy was not idea," she unconsciously laid her hand on her stomach as she talked, "the child is far from unwanted."  A thought seems to cloud Marie's face for a moment and she took another sip of water to try and cover it.

"I wonder what is taking so long in there."  Marie looked towards the kitchen.

Lucky was not helping in the kitchen he was actually listening to the conversation going back and forth. He wanted a glimpse into how they interacted together when he wasn't there. The staff were staring at him and impatiently waiting to take the food out as it was getting cold. 

Finally Lucky signaled them to go ahead and they all entered the dining room. Lucky took his seat and took a drink from his glass. 

"So what did I miss? Marie isn't telling you the crazy stories is she?" he said smirking

"Only that she's certain you're going to be a great father."  She smiles at Marie touching her stomach and looks back to Salvatore.  "I hope a lot of food was made, I feel like I could literally eat a whole horse!"  

Looking back to Marie, "My father was speaking with me about broadening my horizons as far as my..."  She considers how to phrase it without sounding crass.  "..business interests are concerned.  I have talents, but they really aren't where he thinks I should be focused by this point in my life.  I dare say he's hoping that I will be interested in following in his footsteps."

She looked back to Salvatore, "Which, of course, I am."  Her smile touched her eyes.  "So, I think tomorrow I'm going to start getting to know more about the city of Chicago.  Start considering where my interests might lay.  And, ideally with your help Father, maybe I'll break into the family business properly."

"It's like my old friend, JoliBebe, use to say;  'a girl's gotta know the lay of the land before she takes control of it.'"  She happily accepts her plate and hesitates to see if someone is going to say grace before they dig in. 

Marie blinked at the mention of her crew members name and then she looked at Lucky with wide eyes.  "Oh good Lord!  Is she friends with Jolie?"

"You know Joli?"  She says shocked.  "I mean... I haven't seen her in years.  Is she okay?  Is she here?  Does she work for our family?  God she got me into this stuff... taught me all I ..."  Her voice trails off as she wonders if knowing Joli might not be a good thing here.

Lucky cringed at the mention of Joli. Joli was a member of Maries family and Married to her LHM but Lucky believes she has made it her job to torment him in any way she can.

"We will find you a role model to teach you about the life. Somone from my family perhaps," he said trying to think of who he can put her with. 

"I am not sure you want to follow EXACTLY in my shoes. I have gotten into my fair share of trouble." he said