William smiled.  "That's the smartest thing you've said all day."  

He put the keys in the ignition and turned the engine over.  Hitting the accelerator, before putting the car into drive, the wheels spun then the car launched into motion, fishtailing out onto the road again and down the street.

Douglas was at the front gate and upon seeing Will in the front seat driving he frowned.  "Mr. Byrne."  He looked in and saw Billy.  "Don Mastrosimone.  Good to see you safe and sound.  The family is expecting you both."

"Thanks Doug."  

The gate opened and Will drove up the path and as they reached the house Aurora was already emerging from the front looking like she hadn't slept in well in days. 

Will put the car in park and Aurora was fast approaching, almost at a run.  The second Billy emerged from the car she was leaping into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs about his waist.  "Luce dei miei occhi!"

Billy fell backwards into the car as the surprise of another human's body hit him.

"Hey Roar."

He said simply. And held her there for a good while. He couldn't be sure how long, but it was long enough for the moment, so that when they peeled away he nodded toward the house.

"Can I borrow your phone for a second? I just want to call Integra and then I will be out of your hair."

"No."  Aurora said firmly.  "Not until you hear me out."

She looked to Will.  

"Scram."

Will nodded and headed inside calling out, "Later, Billy."

She looked at Billy and took a step back, trying not to be hurt by his cold reaction to her and dismissal of her.

"If you've chosen to not be with me that's your call.  I'll respect that, but I wasn't 100% honest with you that day at the park and I need to make that right before you go."

"I want us to be together so you need to know that I believe you.  I believe that you didn't think you were on a date and you didn't mean to hurt me.  I was wrong to not take you at your word.  You have every right to take that hard and be angry that I didn't just take you at your word.  The truth is that I was scared of losing you... not to another woman really, but to a fantasy that I don't share with you."

She sighed.

"When I saw you there with her and those kids, it was in my face and undeniable that maybe I'm not what you want in life and it crushed me.  I thought, if I really am a good person and if I love you, the right thing to do was to step aside and let you have your dream: a wife and dozens of bambinos.  I hated her for possibly being that person, but mostly I hated myself for not."

She looked down at the ground and is silent a moment before adding, "Mom says I should tell you dinner is on the table.  She'd like you to join us.  She says everything will look better after a good meal and a talk - but, Billy, if you already know... then, I'll show you to the phone.  I just... I need you to know that I do love you and I'm sorry for how I treated you.  And I hope that maybe we can work things out."

Billy furrowed his brow and shook his head and scratched his head then, all at once.

"Roar, Integra doesn't know where I am. I just need to call her and tell her I'll be home soon. Of course I want to be with you, that's why I went to find Will. That's why I got so sad that I got drunk and rented a motel room in the middle of Ohio somewhere. That's why I disappeared with some stupid notion that I could do something crazy to make you fall back in love with me. I thought you wanted it to be over so I left to try and win you back. I... I didn't want to lose you, but you had seemed like you already made up your mind at the park."

He leaned back against the car.

"Do I want kids? Yeah sure. Do I want a wife? Yeah. Do I want both of those things with you? Goddamned right I do. So if you don't want to be my wife one day, and you don't want kids. I get it. But I think that you and I can really work on talking about that stuff and not just getting mad at each other instead. I don't want you to be hurt by it. It's just what I want. I want a big house. I want some kiddo's running around. I want to come home from a job with you, and take the kids from the nanny and play with them cause we both love them."

He took her hands then.

"Profondità della mia anima, I want you. Nobody else. Just you. I'm sorry I'm so dumb, like a box of rocks sometimes. I really didn't know until you pointed shit out to me. I'm sorry I made you feel bad. Is there any way we can just both say sorry, and kiss, and go inside and eat and then I'll go home?"

"Roar, Integra doesn't know where I am. I just need to call her and tell her I'll be home soon. Of course I want to be with you, that's why I went to find Will. That's why I got so sad that I got drunk and rented a motel room in the middle of Ohio somewhere."

Aurora arched an eyebrow.

"That's why I disappeared with some stupid notion that I could do something crazy to make you fall back in love with me. I thought you wanted it to be over so I left to try and win you back. I... I didn't want to lose you..."

Aurora softened, smiling.

"...but you had seemed like you already made up your mind at the park."

Her shoulders sagged a touch and her smile faltered.

"Do I want kids? Yeah sure. Do I want a wife? Yeah. Do I want both of those things with you? Goddamned right I do. So if you don't want to be my wife one day, and you don't want kids. I get it. But I think that you and I can really work on talking about that stuff and not just getting mad at each other instead..."

Aurora nodded in agreement.

"I don't want you to be hurt by it. It's just what I want. I want a big house. I want some kiddo's running around. I want to come home from a job with you..."

A small light behind her eyes seemed to spark anew.  The corner of her lip twitched.

"...and take the kids from the nanny and play with them cause we both love them."

She averted her eyes.

"Profondità della mia anima,"

She looked up and met his eyes.

"I want you. Nobody else. Just you. I'm sorry I'm so dumb, like a box of rocks sometimes. I really didn't know until you pointed shit out to me. I'm sorry I made you feel bad. Is there any way we can just both say sorry, and kiss, and go inside and eat and then I'll go home?"

"Integra called earlier today hoping I'd heard from you.  She's beside herself.  You really should call her."  Aurora stepped closer and kissed him again.  "And of course I accept your apology.  We'll have dinner and then, I'll drive you to the airport myself.  My plane will take you home."

She put her hand just above his heart on his chest.

"I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you."  She stepped nearer to him and put her arms around him, resting her cheek on his chest.  "... you know what, I really want to do?  If I didn't know you had a thousand things to do back home, I'd join you on that flight just so I could wake up in your arms again.  I've only just gotten you back and I don't want to let you go so soon." 

She sighed.

"But I need to get back to campus too."  She looked up at his face, "Promise me the next free day you get, you'll fly out to see me?  After you patch everything up with your crew and get all the fire you left behind put out?"