Stella poured what she imagined would be her last glass for the evening.

"I'm pretty sure she'd like to stay in Sicily, or perhaps go to Venice or Florence.  As I mentioned before, she's quite the socialite- lots of friends and connections. Well- normal connections."

With a little chuckle, Stella took one more bite of the meal and savored it.

"Tara, I can't tell you how good it is to see you.  I have missed you and Gavin's friendship. I'm really happy that you were able to squeeze in some time for me this evening."

Tara beamed a smile.

"I totally agree; we'll need to do this again soon.  Unfortunately, I need to return to my business... things have been unsettled recently, and while this break was wonderful, it can't last as long as I'd otherwise wish it. You have a car of your own, yes? I'll write down Gavin's address for you- and his number as well."

She scribbled onto a napkin before handing it to Stella.

"It's up to you, of course, how you'd like to reconnect with him. A phone call, a visit, with or without Elise..."

She smirked.

"... but please do check in with me and tell me how it goes, yes? And whatever happens, let's do this again two or three times before you have to go."

As if the weight of all she had to do had descended again on her shoulders and pushed her out the door, Tara kissed each of Stella's cheeks with a chuckle and vanished out the door.

The Next Morning

It had taken little more than a phone call to find out where Gavin Byrne would be on a Tuesday morning. Apparently, he was fairly regular in this particular habit. A coffee, maybe a blueberry muffin, and a park bench where he'd watch some of the old men play chess from a distance. Surely enough, that is where Stella spotted him- alone on a park bench with a cup of coffee in hand. A smile crept across her face. Even from this distance, she knew it was Gavin. Nodding toward him, she glanced at Elise.

"It's strange to see him like that...you know, not in a fight."

Elise gave Stella a curious smirk, then squeezed her hand. Hand-in-hand, the two strolled slowly down the sidewalk as the chilly morning breeze whistled around them. Stella pulled her scarf a bit more tightly around her neck and took a deep breath. When they came to the bench, she stopped and stood, clearing her throat softly. 

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Before Gavin could look up, she poked out the end of her cane and gave him a gentle smack on the back of his calf.

Gavin had one of the more confusing twenty second intervals of his life.

One moment, he had a mouthful of muffin. A normal morning.

The next moment, he was looking up at two beautiful women holding hands asking about a seat and he was struggling to swallow so he could find something to say.

The next moment, he realized it was Stella.

The next moment... well, Gavin had survived more hits, wars, and shitshows than he could count, but he was nearly offed by a blueberry muffin in the park.

Standing with his hands on his knees, it took him a solid thirty seconds of coughing before he could breath, waving off the two concerned looking women and a few passerby. As soon as he could get oxygen to his lungs, he started laughing.

"Fuck! Stella! How the hell are you? I didn't expect to see you here..."

He coughed again.

"...obviously."

A few more coughs returned him to normal. Still laughing, he had a gleam in his blue eyes.

"Shit. Okay. Hi. Shit, it's good to see you."

He grabbed Stella in a bear hug; too many of his friends had died recently, and getting this one back, even for a short time, was a cause for celebration.

Somewhere between laughing hysterically and sobbing with happiness, Stella squeezed Gavin back as tightly as she could- her eyes closed and a heavy sigh of relief off into the breeze.

"Jesus, Gavin..."

She was surprised at how hard she found it to form the words. After a few lingering moments in the embrace, Stella released her grip on him and stepped back just a bit, looking over him.  The years hadn't seemed to age him, but in his eyes she could see that time hadn't been easy on him. Reaching up, she brushed a few errant crumbs from the collar of his coat and laughed.

"Well I didn't quite mean to make that much of an entrance. I'm so glad to see you."

Reaching back, she took Elise's hand and had her step forward.

"Elise, this is that Gavin Byrne. Gavin, this is my girlfriend, Elise."

The stunning blonde took Gavin's hand and nodded politely, with a smile that belonged on the cover of a magazine.

"It is nice to meet you, Signore Byrne.  Stella has told me so much about you."

With a cheeky smile, Stella broke in.

"But don't worry, I haven't compromised your reputation. Let's sit- and try to finish your breakfast without dying, hm?"

Stepping toward the bench, Stella took a load off and sat beside Gavin as Elise settled on the end beside Stella.

Gavin had never forgotten Stella and they had exchanged a few letters, but it was hard to keep in touch with someone on the other side of the world when you were as busy as both Gavin and Stella had been. Still, as she hugged him he felt years of memories surging back. They had been close- more than close. Gavin had very few regrets in his life, but what happened to Stella in Sicily was one of them; to see her standing in front of him was a wonderful mix of unexpected joy and absolution, even if Stella herself had never blamed him.

"Well I didn't quite mean to make that much of an entrance. I'm so glad to see you."

Gavin flashed the same smirk that Stella had known years ago.

"Well, I'm even more glad to see you. Especially up and walking around like this."

He was about to say more when Stella took the hand of the woman behind her and introduced her as her girlfriend. For the second time in a minute, Gavin found himself shocked enough to crack his poker face as his mouth opened slightly. Still, he recovered quickly with a smile as he shook Elise's hand, resting his other hand on top of hers with a grin as he glanced at Stella.

"Well, I suppose I could take this two ways. I was either such a horrible ex that I ruined an idea gender for Stella, or I was so amazing that she had to switch to a superior gender just to replace me."

He laughed.

"Being myself, I choose to believe the latter. But it's excellent to meet you, Elise, and you're very welcome here in Philadelphia."

Dropping the hands of the woman and returning to the bench, Gavin noticed the rest of his breakfast on the sidewalk.

"It's for the birds, I'm afraid, but I'm happy to make that trade for the pleasure of your company. Are you in town long?"

His icy blue eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"I don't suppose you've decided to make a permanent return?"

"We're only here for a week. It's nearly planting season in the vineyards, so we'll be hiring a lot of temporary workers and trying to get a few new presses up and running."

Stella paused thoughtfully before she continued her thought. It had been a month at least since the war that took so many good people, but bringing it up still felt like throwing salt on fresh wounds.

"I just had to come to pay my respects. Too many good people gone, and I was so sad that I couldn't be here for the services, and for you and Tara. It's a lot of sad business, but getting to see you and Tara has been such a joy... and a relief.  So, that's enough of the sadness for now. I want to know everything. Tell me about your family! I'd just love to meet Isabella and Aurora, if it can be worked out."

Stella spoke of the present, but memories of the past were clear in her mind. She couldn't help it. To her mind, they had far more happy and at least amusing memories than sad ones, and those were the ones she kept close to her mind.  He always made her feel a rush of excitement, and even that feeling didn't seem to fade through the years. 

Not wanting Elise to feel like a third wheel, Stella kept her hand in hers as they talked. 

Gavin nodded solemnly as Stella talked about the fallen, but brightened up considerably as the topic changed to his family.

"Well, as you know very well... it's not exactly what I'd planned. If you told me all this a decade ago, I'd have laughed in your face. But yea... Bella is working with Tara as her right hand- and I'm working for both of them. Honestly, I work less than either of them; they tend to only call on me for special jobs now, compared to previously."

He flashed a friendly smile at Elise, not wanting to leave her out and not knowing exactly what Stella would have mentioned.

"I'm in the... conflict resolution business."

"And Aurora is... well, it's hard to explain how important she is to me. She's six now, getting into all sorts of things, going to school."

Seeing Elise glance through the crowd, he addressed her.

"Tell me a bit about yourself, Elise. Do you work at the vineyard as well? What do you think of the States, if it's your first time?"

Seeming a bit surprised to be addressed, Elise turned her attention to Gavin. Her accent was heavy, and she made an effort to speak a bit more slowly than she normally would so that she might be understood more easily by Americans.

"Oh, no, I am not working at the present. I hope to go to University soon, perhaps Venice, to study journalism. I want to be a reporter in my country."

The woman flashed Gavin a smile before she continued.

"America is more than I could have imagined. Stella told me many things, but you really must see it to truly understand!  Now, if I can only get her to take me to one of the dancing clubs I hear about."

Stella chuckled.

"Elise is the daughter of one of Sicily's government ministers, so making her rounds in the social scene is her forte."

The mention of Sicily brought her conversation with Tara to mind.

"By the way, I had dinner with Tara last night. She told me that you and Isabella were planning a trip to Sicily in the future?"

Gavin grinned.

"Well, my sister is a journalist, if you'd like to speak with her. She runs an underground publication. And a dancing club sounds wonderful; if she won't take you to one, say the word and I will."

He winked at Stella.

"Perhaps we could make it a double date, if you wanted to meet Bella. And yes, we were thinking about a cruise to Sicily, take a break from things. We'd stop by to visit, of course."

"A double date- that sounds perfect. We're here for three more days, so you tell us when is convenient for you and your wife. Now that I've seen you and Tara and Uncle Joe, we're basically tourists for the rest of the trip.  However, there is something I want to run by you regarding your trip to Sicily. I think you might like it. We'll discuss it at the club; I don't want to keep you from your work."

Stella reached a hand over and squeezed Gavin's, smiling again.

"Thank god you're alright. It's an awful thing that happened, but I think you and Tara have come into your own with this new thing. And I want you to know you've always got a friend in me for whatever you need. Business is good for me. Very good."

With that, Stella took her cane and pushed up to stand. Elise stood as well and looked at Stella with raised eyebrows.  Chuckling, Stella nodded to her.

"I know, I know.  I promised."

Glancing back at Gavin, Stella shrugged. 

"Nurse Ninny over here thinks I'm pushing myself too hard.  So I promised an easy afternoon."

She lowered her voice to a not-so-subtle whisper.

"Frankly, I think she just wants to take the car shopping.  Anyway. I'm just so happy to see you, Gavin. We're at the Lexington Regency Hotel. Give us a call if you and Isabella want to take that double date."

Elise shook Gavin's hand and said good bye, and Stella pulled him in for one more hug and whispered.

"I don't know what I would have done if..."

Her voice trailed off, no reason to finish that thought. 

Gavin shrugged and flashed a wry smile.

"You would have been fine. You're strong enough to take any hit. But I'm glad I'm here too. I'll call you about the date thing."

***

A few hours later, Gavin swung by Bella's office. She finishing some paperwork, and Gavin leaned on the corner of her desk until she was finished. He grinned at his wife when she finally glanced up.

"Plans tonight?"

Bella drew a breath and leaned back in her chair trying hard not to focus on the pile of paperwork in front of her and welcoming a chance to stare into Gavin's blue eyes instead.  She didn't answer for a long while, letting her eyes and smirk do the talking for a moment.  Once the silence came to a point she was nearly ready to laugh she struggled to keep a straight face saying, "Kiddo has dance tonight.  Need to do some laundry.  Tara needs me to go over these tax papers one more time before we send them on to the accountant by 3pm tomorrow, soooooo.... I figured I'd bring them home to read while doing all of that.  Then, at some point late in the night, I figure I'll let you throw them aside carelessly and ravish me until I fall into blissful unconsciousness wherein I'll spend twenty minutes of my morning cussing and trying to figure out the order they go in again while you saunter off to beat down whatever low-life forgot to pay the operation their protection money this week."

Her serious face was cracking under the pressure of watching Gavin's eyes as he hung up on the promise of bedroom antics later, "You know... the usual."

She lost it.  Bella laughed and stood up to kiss Gavin. 

"Seriously though... whatcha got planned?  Does Tara need someone dealt with in some exotic location?  Cause I wasn't kidding about these tax forms... I swear this shit will be the death of me and I need a BREAK!"  

She grabbed his collar and playfully pleaded, "Save me, Gavin... give me any reason to walk out of here right now and I'll do it.  No matter how lame.  Anything will do.  Just.  Get.  Me.  Out.  Of.  Here."

Gavin smirked.

"Want to go out dancing with one of my ex-girlfriends? You remember me telling you about Stella DiVasio, yes?"

Bella dropped her hands from his collar and was about to respond when Gavin continued speaking. He knew his wife remembered Stella; she'd once been a very close friend of Gavin's who'd run an escort service in Vegas and a massage parlor on the Pier. Gavin didn't talk about her often, but Bella knew they'd exchanged letters- and that Gavin had always carried a sort of guilt for failing to protect her. That guilt seemed to have slid off his shoulders and he seemed giddy. Or perhaps it was just that he had a friend he was close to outside his family who hadn't died.

"I know I've mentioned her before to you, but she's back in town. And before you go all Dragon-ish... which, fine, I know you wouldn't... you should know that she's back in town with a girlfriend."

He grinned.

"So... double date? Dinner and dancing?"

She was about to ask him if he was joking, letting her hands fall away from him in annoyance when it hit her who he was talking about. 

Once, years ago, Bella had wanted to kill a woman for still holding a candle for Gavin.  Gavin hadn't even loved that woman. 

Once, years ago, she'd avoided a whole city on the principle that someone in that city - a woman she'd never even met, loved her husband and he, perhaps, still loved her too.  

The Bella of those days had been through a lot since then.  She'd helped Gavin track down a serial killer who had brutally murdered the first woman who she'd actively visualized killing.  She'd seen two people who loved each other through impossible odds that matched her own, kill one another leaving their only infant daughter an orphan with no good explanation for it.  She and Gavin had nearly lost each other numerous times and somehow despite everything they were the strongest couple she knew in the whole of the damn Cosa Nostra.  

The return of Stella Viacelli was nothing compared to the truths she'd come to accept abou-

"What?"  She blinked.  "I'm sorry... did you say girlfriend?"

The corner of her mouth quirked.  She had gone to an all girl's boarding school from the age of eight to adulthood.  And while the fear of God was being put into all the girls regarding boys all day, every day, by someone or another ... lonely, homesick young girls in the midst of growing up had their secrets.  BUT - those dalliances hadn't been serious.  Oh, she cared about some of the young women she'd found comfort in the arms of behind closed doors, but she'd never had a serious relationship with them.  What would people think of such a scandalous thing?!?

Well, what would they think of a woman mobster or any million other taboos I break on a daily basis?

Bella paused a moment, considering her own hypocrisy and then smiled.

"No dragons tonight."  She said with a nod.  "Only celebrating a happy reunion with a beloved friend.  I can't wait to meet her.  Should we bring a gift?"

The rest of the day had gone quite nicely. Stella enjoyed a hot bath and a nap while Elise went shopping downtown. Just a bit after lunch, Gavin called to confirm the plans for tonight and gave Stella the name of the club. 

Elise returned to the hotel around 2 p.m.  One of the guards followed her through the door to their suite, both hands and an arm loaded down with bags. Glancing up from her paper with a cocked eyebrow, Stella looked from the guard over to Elise.

"Did you use my credit card or yours?"

There was a funny little smirk on Stella's face, which Elise matched with a giggle and a kiss on Stella's cheek. 

"Does it matter?  No. What matters is if you've been resting."

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Yes, I've been lazy as a knot on a log all day, I promise.  I had to. How else would I have the energy to take you out dancing tonight?"

Elise's eyes brightened.

"We're going?!"

Stella grinned at the woman's reaction and ran a finger through a bit of her blonde hair.

"Yes. Seven o'clock we will meet Gavin and Isabella at a place called The Treble Club. I hear it's a pretty swinging jazz place."

Eyeing the stack of bags on the couch, Stella chuckled.

"I don't imagine you've got anything to wear in any of those bags, do you?"

Later That Evening

The Cadilac Sixty Special pulled up to the door of the Treble Club, and a valet hurried to the rear passenger door. Elise slid out first, an elegant black sequined gown just barely sweeping the top of her peep-toe kitten heels as she stepped onto the pavement. The gown had a daring below-the-shoulder neckline that dipped just to the middle of her back. A glittering, diamond and silver lavaliere necklace looked much like a choker in the front, and hung down in a single strand of diamonds where the dress was bare in the back. Her hair was curled and immaculate, truly looking like a Hollywood starlet. 

Stella was not far behind. It had been only recently that she had bothered getting "dolled up" for any occasion. She was much more comfortable these days in what Elise called "stable clothes." Tonight, however, Stella had given it a better effort. The gown was a deep red color, with a modest v-neck in the front as well as in the back. The same color fabric was sheer and met over the shoulders in the way one might imagine a Grecian goddess's gown. More sheer fabric dropped dramatically from her shoulders and down her back, sweeping ground with the slight train in the back. A deep red beaded bodice lined her figure perfectly, and she held a silver evening bag in her free hand.

Elise looped her arm into Stella's; neither woman paying a bit of attention to the bewildered looks they were getting as they strolled into the club.

Gavin and Bella had, on several occasions gotten out to the Treble Club and each one had proven to be an evening full of excitement.  She suspected this one would be no different. 

As red dresses remained her husband's favorite that was what she'd put on while Gavin made arrangements for Aurora for the evening.  This one, as with many she liked to wear on nights she wanted to ensure her husband's eyes stayed on her, was nearly backless showing off the wolf tattoo she'd gotten to honor her husband's nickname.

Since becoming the brother to a Godfather, Gavin had gotten much better about wearing suits and so for this special evening, she had little trouble convincing him to do so. 

With Bella on one arm and a large slender gift box under the other, the two of them made their way into the club, greeting a few individuals of importance to Tara and Race Street Properties to ensure no one felt slighted or snubbed before making their way towards Stella and her date.  Bella looked the woman over slowly and found herself wondering how the hell she'd managed to catch her husband's eye at all.  Blondes were now two for two with him... one more and she'd have to wonder if he had a type and how the hell she'd gotten around that preference.  

The woman Stella was with however, even Bella couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of her!  A smile spread across her face, the corners of her lips nearly touched her doe-like eyes as they reached the pair.  

Bella disengaged from her husband's arm.  She greeted both women with a light kiss on their cheeks and in flawless Italian said hello and introduced herself before switching over to English, "I can't tell you how nice it is to finally get the opportunity to meet you, Stella.  Gavin's incredibly fond of you - it's far past time we got to know one another."

She then stepped back so that Gavin could greet each of them and give his gift.

Gavin was wearing a black suit and white dress shirt open at the neck; he stepped out of the car and helped his wife exit behind him, leading her to the entrance with a long, slender box under his arm. After making their way to Stella and Elise, Gavin greeted each of them warmly. It was impossible not to notice the beauty of each of these women, and the Gavin of half a decade ago would have felt like the wolf who'd gotten into the henhouse... but this edition of Gavin simply kept his arm on his wife's back and seemed pleased to see an old friend.

Once they were seated at a round table, Gavin handed Stella the slender box. As Stella deftly opened it, Gavin spoke.

"I know you're probably not going to go looking for too much trouble, but if you're up and about again a little extra safety can't hurt. Especially if they can't see you coming. I had run into this particular piece a few months ago and never forgot it; when I saw you today I figured you had to have it. 

With a grin, he watched as Stella removed the cane from its box; it was beautifully made, black metal with silver etchings. Holding out a hand, Gavin had it handed to him as he dropped his voice, glancing around to make sure the waiter wasn't approaching.

"If you twist the shaft like this..."

A straight, spring-loaded four inch blade sprung out from the bottom of the cane; Gavin quickly retracted it before anyone who wasn't at the table could see. 

"And then, if you're holding down the grip tightly and you press this button on the side here..."

Gavin pointed at, but made very sure not to press, a button on the side of the cane away from the hands but near the top, unlike to get bumped unless it was intentional. 

"... and you've got two pistol rounds that fire through the long barrel. Smaller caliber and wouldn't do too much damage, but enough to put someone down at close range- especially if you're taking them by surprise."

He grinned at Stella and looked reassuringly at Elise.

"I'm not expecting it to get a lot of use... but you never know when you need to surprise someone."

There had been a quiet nervous feeling in the pit of Stella's stomach upon arriving at the club. She knew that Isabella must know about their...past. Hopefully, though, Isabella wouldn't be the jealous type. Of course, Stella still cared for both Gavin and Tara very much, but both she and Gavin had gone their separate ways romantically what seemed a lifetime ago. 

That nervous feeling melted almost instantly as Isabella Byrne greeted her and Elise so warmly. Stella found her both charming and disarming, not to mention quite beautiful. It wasn't hard to see what made Gavin give up his free-wheeling bachelor life. 

"Isabella, I am honored to meet you, finally. Gavin told me you were beautiful, but he chose his words poorly.  You're just stunning!"

After introductions had been made, they were all seated at a round table with white linen tablecloths and crystal drink ware. Champagne was immediately poured. While Stella was taking a sip, Gavin produced a gift box and handed it to Stella. With a curious grin, she began loosening the ribbon around it. From the box, she pulled out an intricately etched black and silver cane. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen. After explaining its "special features," Stella gushed with excitement.

"You two are so thoughtful! This is just...it's fantastic.  Thank you both so much."

Elise took Stella's old can and slipped it into the box and tucked it behind her feet under the table. Stella, after hanging the handle of the new one on the table beside her, cleared her throat and looked at Gavin and Isabella with a grin.

"Now, I have a gift for you two, as well. I am beginning the process of building a resort destination into the winery and vineyards at the Viacelli Estate. There will be private villas on the grounds, wine tours, horseback riding, and beach access on the coast. Since you two are coming to Sicily for vacation, I would be most honored if you would be our first guests. We'll give you the full, royal treatment, and you can relax and enjoy all the amenities.  What do you think?"

Bella's face lit up.  She smiled at Gavin, waiting to see his reaction but by her own expression, it was clear that Bella loved the idea completely!