Traveling back to Philadelphia from Catania was an ordeal. The travel was not easy; having to go by boat and airplane, but it wasn't a question in Stella's mind. Until now, she'd been hesitant to make the trip; but there were too many of her friends being put in the ground, and there was no way she wouldn't be there to say her own goodbyes.

Immediately upon arriving in Philadelphia, Stella began the pilgrimage to various churches and cemeteries.  It was a long day that left Stella Viacelli with a heavy heart, and questions as to whether she could have helped had she been there. In her heart, though, she knew that she couldn't have done any more than they all had- and that she likely would have ended up in a plot very near them. 

At the end of the day, a black car appeared at the curb just outside of the Lady of the Sacred Heart cemetery. Leaning a bit more than usual on the rosewood handled cane, Stella got into the back seat and shed the black gloves from her hands.

"You look so tired, Stella."

Elise's lilting voice pulled the corners of Stella's lips into a grin. Stuffing the gloves into the pocket of her black coat, she looked up into the crystal green eyes of her companion.

"Perhaps, but there is one more stop we need to make."

Elise smirked, knowingly.

"You just can't wait to see them, can you? You'd feel so much more rested in the morning-"

Stella lifted a finger and placed it on the blonde woman's soft lips.

"I'm fine. I want you to meet my friends. I need something to lift my spirits, and introducing you to Gavin and Tara would be just the thing."

She looked up to the front and nodded at the driver. The car pulled away from the sidewalk and headed toward the Race Street Pier. 

----------

Tara's office had been relocated to a much larger venue, and for good reason. Not wanting to show up unannounced to the HQ of the newly minted Philadelphia leader, Stella had asked the driver to call ahead and let them know she'd be stopping by.  As the driver pulled up to the HQ, Stella saw the door immediately swing open. Grinning, she waited as the driver came around and opened the door for her. She didn't know who was coming to the door first- Gavin or Tara- but she was thrilled to see both, and her heart raced with excitement.

Tara looked around her new office in South Philly. It still felt strange, starting over after the Pier had burned down. Almost everything was gone from the old days. She'd been thinking so much about the past on her way out of the office that it took her three separate looks to convince herself who she was looking at. Tara stopped short and her mouth dropped open slightly.

"Stella? Stella DiVasio?"

A secretary, looking flustered, hustled down the steps after Tara, calling as she went.

"Miss Byrne you're going to have a visitor na-"

The secretary stopped short as she saw Stella. Tara glanced back over her shoulder toward her secretary.

"Mary, pack your things. This isn't working out."

Smirking, she turned back to Stella. 

"It is you, isn't it?"

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Stella opened one arm grandly, then gave a little bow.

"If it isn't the undeniable Tara Byrne. Ah, scuzzi, Donna Tara Byrne."

Seeing Tara and that cheeky smile of hers had already lifted Stella away from the somber activities of the morning. 

"My goodness, you look stunning. I'm so very happy to see you."

In her mind, Stella added the word "alive" to the end of her statement. She nearly reached for a hug, but quickly remembered that Tara had not usually been one for such. Instead, she took Tara's hand and gave it a squeeze, greatly relieved that this was not a gravestone she'd had to lay roses on today.

Tara flashed a genuine smile despite her recent grief. She squeezed Stella's hand back as her brain tried to catch up with reality. Her eyes took in Stella's face before traveling down to a cane.

"Stella.. I'm sorry, this is just so surprising."

She glared back in the direction of her former secretary.

"You look stunning as well... and you're walking. We need to talk; I'd like to hear all about what you've been up to and what brings you here. Dinner? A glass or three of wine?"

"Of course, if you've got time, that is. I imagine life has gotten a lot busier for you lately."

Before she could continue, Elise appeared beside her, slipping her hand into Stella's. 

"Ah, there you are, beautiful. Elise, this is my dearest friend Tara Byrne; extraordinary businesswoman and saintly patient sister to Gavin Byrne. Tara, this is my girlfriend, Elise DiBiase."

Elise gave a sweet smile and put out her hand to shake Tara's. 

"It's an honor, Donna Byrne. Stella speaks so highly of you. I'm very happy to meet you."

Tara was surprised, and her eyes lit up as she imagined Gavin's surprise as well, looking at the beautiful woman who emerged form the car.

"I can make time for an old friend, of course. And a new friend; it's excellent to meet you, Elise."

Tara tilted her head.

"There's a hole-in-the-wall Italian place just around the corner. We could walk over there and do some catching up?"

Glancing at Stella briefly, Elise shook her head. 

"You go ahead. I'm still fighting jetlag."

Stella nodded and pushed a lock of the woman's golden hair behind her ear. 

"Alright. I won't be late."

Stella stepped away from the curb as the car pulled away, then turned to Tara with a sly grin. 

"Now then, down to business, yes?"

Good wine and good friends was Stella's favorite sort of business. 

Tara did her best to fight off exhaustion as she smiled authentically at Elise. As the blonde woman departed, Tara spoke sotto voce to Stella.

"I hope she knows that she was very welcome to join us, yes? I hope I didn't imply anything otherwise?"

As they walked around the corner, Tara glanced up at Luigi's. It was a small place with only a handful of tables- one of which was always reserved for Tara. She'd never been much of a cook to begin with, and her recent promotion hadn't exactly left her with much time to learn. She usually snuck in here for lunch and dinner every day due to the proximity to her office.

It was an old, homey place run by Luigi and his sons. A few tables, simple curtains, and a wooden floor gave it a welcoming air. Tara smiled as she slid into her booth.

"Taking a Sicilian to an Italian-American restaurant. My worst business decision of the day. But I do love it here. So tell me... what brings you back?"

"Oh, no, she's fine. Surprisingly, she's never traveled outside of Europe before, so she truly is battling the time difference. She'll perk up in a day or two. She's actually quite the social butterfly."

The walk to the restaurant was indeed brief, but enjoyable. Frankly, Stella enjoyed any chance to walk these days. Losing something so valuable changed one's appreciation for the simple things. 

Once the two women were settled into the booth, Stella chuckled at Tara's comment. 

"But remember, I'm only an adopted Sicilian. You get a pass. Besides, I've missed the Italian-American flair for food."

A young waitress, surely no more than fifteen or sixteen, brought a bottle of wine to the table and greeted Tara by name. Smiling, Stella watched the short exchange with a genuine sense of pride and happiness for her friend's new station in life. When the girl went away, Stella gave a soft sigh. 

"I couldn't stay away. I got the news about the attack far too late and couldn't make it in time for funerals. I came to pay my respects to friends. It's still so hard to believe." 

Tara smiled as she sat across from Stella and they were greeted by a young waitress. The juxtaposition between her youth and the topic of death was a striking one, and Tara found herself sighing simultaneously with her old friend.

"It is hard to believe. I wake up most mornings and expect to head over for my normal morning meeting with Jack. Or to check in with Will. Or Arturo. Or Charlie."

She shook her head.

"It's just not the same without them. Still, it doesn't mean we can't build something worthwhile- but it will take time and effort. I'm sorry, by the way... I don't think either Gavin or I wrote to you in the aftermath of the attacks to let you know we were okay. Things were so chaotic."

As Tara spoke, Stella reached out and began pouring what could be the first of many glasses for the evening. 

"Oh, god, Tara, don't give that a second thought  How could you have had time? I can't begin to imagine the chaos. Not only losing people but having to defend the city at the same time."

Stella pushed a glass of wine across the table.

"You two did the hardest thing, but the most miraculous; and you survived."

Picking up her own glass, Stella lifted it slightly. 

"To our fallen. May they watch over us now and keep us."

After the solemn toast, Stella cleared her throat and brightened her voice a bit.

"And how is Gavin, anyway? Married life suiting him alright?" 

Tara reached for the wine and clinked her glass against Stella's. 

"I'll drink to that."

Her mood was somber for a moment, but the shift of topic forced Tara to crack a smile.

"You know, if you'd asked me about married life suiting Gavin ten, fifteen years ago I would have said you were out of your mind... but yea, he's good. A true family man. He and Isabella adopted a daughter about five years ago; she's six now. Although they don't share blood, it's scary how alike they are. Picture a mini-Gavin, but with the flair and enthusiasm of her adopted mother."

Tara quickly changed the subject; Stella was a mature, focused woman and she knew that she'd obviously moved on from Gavin, but that didn't mean that Tara needed to wax poetic discussing Bella or Gavin's new life.

"Please, tell me all about your business in Sicily; you've obviously come a long way from your initial businesses in Vegas and Philly."

A glint sparkled in Stella's eye as Tara asked about the winery. Sure, she'd enjoyed the massage parlor and escort services; but it was among the grapes and the presses that she found her true calling.

"Ah, Tara, I wish I could paint such a picture for you with my words. In the six years I've been away, I've learned every detail of the wine making process. I know the best time of the season to plant which grape variety, exactly what the grapes should look and feel like before they are harvested, and I could hand press or machine press them with my eyes closed. I've never been more passionate about anything in my life."

Pausing for a sip, she thought briefly to the days after the attack.

"Wine saved my life. When I was told I'd never walk again...Tara, I almost let it do me in. But then, Papa Marco began to take me for walks around the presses and barrel storage. Later, he had a saddle made for me so I could ride my horse again. Every day I'd ride through the vineyards, and the beauty of it all struck me. Not just the land, but the creation. The act of taking a humble grape and taking it from the vine to a complex, sophisticated sip- it's just- fantastico!"

The waitress reappeared, and Stella just nodded to Tara.

"I'm going to let Tara order for me. She's the regular, from what I understand."

Stella waited, glass in hand, as Tara ordered. It felt so good to be back.  More so than she thought it would. Even with the somber activity of the morning, Stella felt excited. Race Street and Philly may have suffered a blow, but it still had the same exhilarating feeling in the air; the feeling that big things were happening.

When the waitress left again, Stella put down her empty glass and picked up the bottle again.

"Since I purchased a controlling interest in the Winery and Vineyards, I've mainly focused on increasing the brand in the Eastern European countries, as well as the Western US. Those Californians are pretty adamant about their wines, but I'm hoping to gain a decent foothold eventually."

In truth, Stella could go on for days about the business, but that wasn't necessary. She was far more curious about Tara.

"That's quite enough about me.  Now I know you're a fairly private woman, and I wouldn't press if you weren't my friend- but tell me how you really are. Behind all the business dealings. How are you holding up?"

Tara listened, enraptured, as Stella described the winery. She could never leave her own work, but she still felt a pull- envy at Stella's life. It almost certainly was more complicated than just waking up and spending time in a vineyard all day... but there was still a longing there. They were interrupted by the waitress; Tara hadn't even noticed her approach.

"Veal Raffealo. Two."

Tara didn't usually have veal, but she did save it for special occasions. This particular dish had sauteed veal in a Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms, egglant, and melted provolone cheese. 

The conversation turned to "how you really are, behind all the business dealings."

"I'm holding up as well as can be expected, I suppose. Largely because there's nothing behind the business dealings anymore. I'm just focusing on work right now. Losing Jack was hard, but expected. He was 80, and he'd been talking about retirement for years. The others?"

Will.

"Harder to deal with. But here I am."

Gavin had, without being blatant, had hinted that Tara and Will had been growing closer. Stella could see in her eyes the name she didn't say. Her heart sank for Tara, but she didn't let her smile waver- Tara needed a smile more than a sympathetic frown.

"Yes you are- but you aren't alone. And I'm never more than a phone call or a letter away, Tara. Please don't ever hesitate to call me, I mean it."

Stay, Stella.

The voice in the back of her mind had been nagging her since her first visit to Uncle Joe off the plane. She sat quietly for a moment, staring into her wine glass as she tipped it up. How? The winery and vineyards, they ran themselves- but the marketing and all that? How would that work? Could she split operations like that without putting the company in danger?

Realizing she was starting to let her mind wander too much, she blinked back to reality.

"Veal? Now that sounds wonderful. I haven't had that in a shamefully long time. But, like you, I loathe cooking. If it weren't for Julia, I don't think I'd eat a home-made meal more than once a week. Of course, in the middle of nowhere Catania, there aren't many other options."

"Maybe someday, when I retire-"

She laughed at her dark joke.

"-I'll learn to cook. But for now, I'd rather leave it to the experts. And even that name 'Catania' sounds enchanting. I'd love to visit- but I just can't be away that long. I know that Isabella had planned a cruise for Sicily to her and Gavin, though, so you may have some visitors in the near future."

The veal came out quickly as they made small talk about cruises and traveling overseas; as they began to eat, they both savored the meal. 

"So tell me, have you totally gone straight over there as a businesswoman? Or are there still..."

She waved a hand, trusting Stella to interpret any implication to illegal activities.

Giving Tara a knowing nod, Stella cut a piece of the tender veal as she spoke.

"There are some, though mostly in the realm of political favors and bribes. Financially, the brand brings in enough that there's not much need for any, shall we say, extracurricular activity. But the power of influence is strong, and I like to use that to as much advantage as possible."

Chewing her bite of the lusciously prepared veal, another thought popped into her mind.

"So Mr. and Mrs. Byrne are heading to the Old Country? That might just be perfect for something I've been thinking about.  As I said before, I've been spending some time looking at how Napa Valley does their business, and I think I'd like to take a page from their book. I've been thinking about adding a sort of resort destination to the winery and vineyards.  There are acres between the coast and the Viacelli property that almost never see any action. My thought has been to turn that area into a resort with wine tastings, tours, and beach access; maybe more.  Perhaps Gavin and Isabella would like to be my test subjects for such an idea."

Tara raised her eyebrow at the idea of the resort destination.

"Well.. that's certainly interesting. 'Catania' and vineyards sounds like just the sort of place wealthy people would want to drop some serious money. Build some villas, organize some regular buses into Palermo... that'd be real interesting."

She smiled.

"I'm sure Gavin and Isabella would love that. Speaking of romance, tell me about you and Elise? How did meet? How long have you been together?"

A wicked look came into Tara's eye as she chuckled.

"How do you expect Gavin to react?"

But she paused and sighed.

"I was hoping to actually see him surprised, for once, but knowing him he'll have some clever comment ready."

"You know, I thought about that on the trip over. Got a pretty good laugh for myself at the thought of Gavin Byrne speechless for once. Anything is possible, right?"

Stella shrugged and took another drink of her wine, emptying the glass.

"Elise and I met in Palermo. I was there for a small gathering of local business people. Papa Marco usually goes to those things, but he wasn't feeling well and insisted that I go. I thought she was a server at the dinner that night, as she kept bringing me drinks I didn't order. She would say they were compliments of the bartender. Naturally, I would try to catch a glance at the bartender, but every time I looked, no one was there. Turns out, Elise was the bartender."

With a chuckle, Stella put her empty glass on the table.

"I don't know if her intent was to get me drunk to make it easy to flirt, but she wouldn't have had to. She's beautiful; a real sweet girl. She's got good ambition- wants to go to college and become a newspaper reporter."

Stella let out a sigh.

"I enjoy her company.  She's a good time, but I don't know if she's a 'long time.'"

Tara grinned at the story of Stella's meeting with Elise.

"Well, I'm happy for you. And of course I'll like someone who wants to be a journalist. Did she want to study in the states? Or 'back home?'"

Tara glanced down at her meal, deciding to stop; while she probably could have forced herself to eat the remainder, she had a long day ahead of her and didn't want to feel lethargic.

"And have fun, see what happens, right? And hey, sometimes people surprise you."