***

When Tara awoke in the morning, Oriana was gone. Sitting up quickly, Tara located the other woman in the large, marble bathtub, where she seemed to be reclining with her eyes closed. 

“For a moment,”  Tara said climbing out of the bed.  “I thought maybe you’d run off again and left me with nothing but a note.  I don’t think you know the chaos you left that morning. If you hadn’t told my father’s men to stop me, I would have been right behind you.  Luckily for you, or maybe not, those bastards fight hard. I didn’t make it out the front door before my parents and everyone else in the house was up.”  She chuckled dipping her toes in the water.

Oriana cracked an eye open, watching Tara walk in. “How long did you want to stay here, by the way?”

“My mother went into labor early.”  Tara finally told Oriana slipping down below the water.  “Had a baby girl as my dad predicted. They named her Victoria.  Dad says she has red hair and is no bigger than his palm all curled up like she does.  Apparently some doctor has a heated bed for babies, says it’s going to help her make it.  Mom… well, she’s recovering. Apparently they had to cut the baby out. She’s tough though, but I can tell Dad is still a bit worried about both of them.  I suspect this will slow mom down a bit. I think her days of running off on missions are about over for the family. I’m glad she was able to settle up with Mattaranzi before it happened and that … things are done with Will’s killers.  I won’t dilly dally here too long. A few days. No more, but this isn’t the end. I think when we get home, I’m gonna leave Vassar. Startup a place like this of my own.”

Tara smiled at Oriana.  “Maybe I’m a romantic at heart, or maybe I just want my own little kingdom where I don’t have to be afraid to be myself.  Maybe both, but I’d love it if you had a hand in it too. Even if just consulting and coming by for morale support from time to time… I know you’ll be busy with Catalina but there’ll be slow days and nights when you have some time to yourself.”

Ori processed all the information and nodded. “Sure. That sounds good. You’ll need to talk to Renato and Josephine, of course. Settle things with all them before you go.” She cracked an eye open again. “Any idea what Bacchus might cash in his big favor for?”

“No.  Wish I knew.  Started to think I knew during his little chat but then it took a whole other direction.”

“He’s not that kind of guy. Surprisingly.”

Tara nodded.  “Well, can you blame me for the assumption?  I mean, the conversation felt pretty pointed in that direction.  And, well, men bringing up sex with and around me usually only goes one way.”

“I’ve been thinking about that conversation. I think he wanted to try to set you up for the future. Raise potential issues to see if he could get them out in the open here.” Oriana rubbed her eyes. “He was talking to me with that second to last question, I think. Wondering if I’m going to go looking for dick.”

Tara paused.  “It’s not like I don’t know that you’ve been with men, Oriana.  I mean, if you enjoy that, I couldn’t blame you for wanting that in your life..”

“I don’t know if he knew that you knew. I think he was trying to protect you. And he’d rather make you feel awkward while guaranteeing that this conversation happens between us.”

“He knows there are some things that aren’t easy for you to talk about and things that I’ve never talked about so he was trying to take the hard part on himself?”

“Maybe. Possibly. He’s a simple guy, but he’s hard to get a read on sometimes. And for the record, I’m very content right now. Don’t need anything else. Bad associations. If anything changes, I’ll tell you.”

“I appreciate that.”  Tara said quietly. “That’s all I really want, a heads up.  I won’t promise not to cry if you run off to marry some guy or something - but I would get it.  And I want you happy. And, if it were about scratching an itch… well, I will own a brothel. I don’t think it would be too far fetched to order in.”  She gave Ori a wink.  

“I’m not- yea, that’s good.” She nodded, readjusting her position slightly in the water. “Jo and Renato had almost as much fun as us last night. We should be able to catch them during a late breakfast.”

“I’m glad they finally just did it.  It took them long enough.” she laughed.  “Of course, sometimes it takes a while to figure shit out.  Not everything is always so simple as boy meets girl… or girl nearly stabs girl.”

Tara laid back in the tub and relaxed for a while before finally climbing up and out to dry off and then… she realized she had no dress to put back on.  “Um… Ori?”    

“Robes. Back of the door.”

Tara sighed.  “Thank goodness.”  Choosing a robe she put it on and tied it tightly.

“You’ll have to buy that dress again,” said Oriana.

“That dress cost my father nearly a quarter of a million dollars, it was designed by some big-time Italian designer my sister likes… worships really.”

“... why didn’t you stop me when I started slicing it up? Nevermind. I know the answer.”

Tara smirked.  “Well, you’re quick on the uptake at least and besides, do you KNOW how rarely I ever burn my father’s money like Brigitte?  I’ll tell him it was spent on expense of some kind or another. He’ll never miss it. If you knew how rich he really is…” She rolled her eyes.  “He’ll be fine.”

“I hope to find out soon. Technically, I never got paid for that Venice thing.” Oriana smiled, not wanting to get out of the bath.

“Well, I have no doubt that once my parents hear the story… the very edited story… of what happened here that you’ll receive a very sizeable reward for both things.  Now shall we go breakfast and see if we can’t get Bacchus to tell me what I owe him? I’m starving.”

With a sigh, Oriana dragged herself out of the water. “What is up with your family and breakfast…”

Epilogue: Victory

The plane broke through the clouds, and both Tara and Oriana had the feeling that they’d entered- or perhaps returned- to a different world. As the New York City skyline came into view, it felt like the last month or so had been a dream.

Ori looked out the window and forced a small smile. Things were good. But they were different. She had shunted off processing Francesco’s death, and she’d have to figure out how to live in a world without him- either as a mentor, lover, or enemy. What the hell was she supposed to do now? What was her purpose? What was her mission? She’d have to talk to Cat, of course. But she’d return with Tara first, check in with Aurora and Billy. Before closing her eyes, Ori glanced over at Tara, wondering what the girl was thinking. Whatever Tara was or would be, she’d spent a month of her life and raised hell to find Oriana. Sister Cristiana might be gone, along with Lucia. But Tara was here. Cat was here. She’d just have to figure things out as she went. 

As Oriana seemed to go back to sleep, Tara glanced at her with a mixture of aesthetic appreciation and envy. Aurora had told Tara that things would be different.  It was an understatement. A horrible, terrible, understatement. She’d seen men die, killed people, given her body and taken Oriana and a lover. None of these things were in line with the girl who lived her in New York, the one who had traveled from Canada not months ago.  And now somehow these two women had to reconcile and be who she was. The question was, how?  

Should she leave the other life behind the way a little girl eventually outgrows her dolls?  Was it a part of who she had been and was no longer or was there a middle ground between the scholar and the gangster?  She had so many questions and she wasn’t sure who the hell she would talk to about them. Oriana and she had gotten quieter as they got closer to New York.  She’d been holding the other woman’s hand as if not wanting to allow her to pull away and disappear back into the ephemera from which she’d emerged from. Maybe she’d talk to her mom.  Maybe to Oriana herself, if she could think of a way to say what needed saying out fucking it up? It was going to be okay. She kept telling herself that. It had to be. They’d won. So… why was she so uptight?  Why was coming home so damn terrifying?

***

Aurora Byrne Mastrosimone had only been released from the hospital a short while ago.  Her stitches were still raw and angry. She was sore and the process of doing the simplest things was a huge pain in the ass, but her daughters were returning home.  Coming home was never a small deal in the Byrne household. Her father had only ever been gone a handful of very long trips. And despite putting her head to thinking about it for the last twenty-four hours she wasn’t sure he’d ever been gone quite as long as Tara and Brigitte had been to Italy.  Her mother would have been beside herself with worry if Gavin had been gone this long. She dared not think about how she might have acted if she herself had gone off on a trip this long. Most likely Bella and Gavin would have packed up and come after her. It was something she and Billy lamented several times they could not do.  

Well, she sure as hell wasn’t going to miss the homecoming.  She’d do that much right. Homecomings were important. Nothing felt right for a long while after a mission.  Getting back into life, leaving behind the things you did and the things done to you. Aurora knew her daughters would be struggling.  She would be there for them even if they didn’t want it. Billy was home and caring for Victoria in her incubator bed - the strange thing was a godsend.  The other children were safe. Aurora was free to mentor and care for the two oldest and even Oriana if the girl allowed it. Aurora supposed she knew how that would go though… and well, she would try not to take that personally.  It was the girl’s past. One day she’d find her feet and if the Lord willed it so, she’d be a part of the Mastrosimone family. She’d come to lean on the family as all the people who came under her roof did. THAT was their true strength.  Not guns. Not money. The people.

Family.

Aurora’s car parked near the hanger and she sat waiting inside the car where it was warm and she could be comfortable, as much as possible, until the plane had finally stopped and the girls were disembarking.

As Oriana followed at her heels, she wondered if Tara realized how differently she was moving. Some things stayed the same, of course: the grace and ease of movement of a huntress. Previously, Tara had always looked like she was struggling to find the best way to express that. Now, Oriana noted how comfortable Tara seemed with it. Confidence was a big part of it, surely, but there was something more- something that lurked in the edges of perception. Tara, simply, walked like someone who could shoot an enemy nonchalantly, then go home a fuck a beautiful woman until passing out. Whereas Ori had previously laughed at the idea of “Tara the Tiger”, well… now she wondered.

Tara was sure that Oriana had to be looking at her that way because she could tell how absolutely odd she felt today.  She nearly asked her what she was staring at, but didn’t want to fight with her which, in and of itself was an oddity for the last few days.  In Italy she’d come to see every chance to bicker with Oriana as a fun prelude to making love and now, now she wasn’t sure that it was going to be quite that way at all.  Maybe it wouldn’t be ever again. Brigitte came up along side Tara with her bag in hand and gave her sister a smile. “You look good.” Brigitte said giving Tara a once over.  “You ready to finally go back to the real world?”

Tara could hear it in her sister’s voice.  She was feeling it too. Something on the trip had changed in her too.  She had become softer. She was still bold and golden and fierce but she’d learned something about herself and it had made her slightly less… flighty.  Solid. Dependable. Tara trusted this Brigitte utterly. She wasn’t the same sister who had teased her and tricked her so many times - or maybe she was but it didn’t feel cruel at all.  There was no malice between them, no jealousy anymore. Somehow they’d each found themselves in Italy and each other. Tara leaned over and kissed her sister’s cheek. Maybe it would be Brigitte to whom she spoke later?  “You look… okay.” Tara teased. “I appreciate you trying to let me shine a little in front of my girl.”  

That came out too easy.  Unexpected. Ori. Her girl.  Shit. Was that a thing she should say?  Ever? In what company? That would take thought.  How would Ori feel about being claimed? The girl didn’t like the idea of tethers … collars she corrected herself mentally thinking of her Nona Bella’s journal.  Grandpa Gavin had once likened a wedding band to a dog collar. For not the first time she reached with her thumb to play with the ring that wasn’t there anymore and sighed.  Grabbing her own bolt bag she gave a quick smile to Oriana and began walking down the aisle.

My girl.  I have a girl. 

Tara smiled.  Slowly the confidence she felt in Italy raised its sleepy head and for a moment all the other questions were gone.  She’d won and now, she was home.

Aurora close the car door behind her as the golden curls mane of her oldest lioness descended the stairs.  She smiled warmly and began walking slowly forward. Brigitte was hale and whole, as brilliant as the sun itself.  A touch reserved, but it had been a long trip. Perhaps Aurora was just imagining that?  

She was almost to the bottom of the stairs when Tara appeared.  The sight nearly knocked her over. She’d expected to spot things, her mood, maybe even her language - it was easier to swear after a month with mercenaries and men who killed things for a living that had always been true for Aurora.  She cussed a fair amount but any time she’d gone off to deal with a problem and had lived with a team… the results were certainly audible. THIS however, was nothing of that and everything about how she moved. She wore the gun, it didn’t wear her anymore.  If she had her father’s knife under her pant leg she didn’t immediately see it in how she walked. Tara had killed people. Aurora knew it in her bones and not just because of the nature of the trip or the reports, but she could see it in her little girl’s eyes and how she moved.  Ready. Ready to do it again. Her heart skipped a beat. Proud? Sad? Conflicting emotions for the first time in a while about something she always felt so damn clear about. In the end Aurora chose to accept she was both things. Proud her daughter could kill and protect her family - sad it had to happen.

Aurora opened her arms to Brigitte and kissed her daughter.  The feel of her father’s leather jacket in her arms was right.  She’d made the very best decision ever in giving it to Brigitte.  The girl wore it the way it was meant to be wore. Brigitte carried a bit of Gavin in her, a piece Aurora struggled to have, that witty happy carefree spirit.  Aurora, she knew now after all these years, had Isabella at her core. Worries and all. Always thinking. Always preparing. And that was okay. She was both her parents daughter and it made her strong.  As strong as they’d been together in life and as strong as the love they shared. The true product of their union, even if she wasn’t their blood.

Glancing up over Brigitte’s shoulder she spotted Oriana coming out of the plane and beginning down the stairs behind Tara.  The woman was every bit the predator she’d been when she left and yet, how she looked at her daughter now? Oh! It was so good to see.  There was a bond between the three girls. Oriana was regarding both the girls with those thoughtful gray eyes. It was reassuring. Aurora couldn’t be positive but she strongly suspected that Oriana would not be disappearing into the night again.  She was finally here in New York for good. A weight that had been on her, a weight she didn’t know she’d been holding onto, eased up.

Brigitte left her mother’s arms giving Tara the chance to come into her embrace.  Aurora hadn’t looked back up to see if anyone else was coming out of the plane and so it startled her to hear more voices - young female voices.

Blinking she looked past the raven hair of her middle child and put eyes upon one, two, three… they kept coming.  Children. Girls. “You really are the daughter of Billy Mastrosimone, there can be no doubt of it now if there ever was.”  She said to Tara.

Tara gave her mother a tired smile. “I promise I will explain, long story short though they had nowhere else to go.  No one else but Oriana. She’s like their older sister. I couldn’t leave them.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” Aurora said with a small hint of a smile in both her tone and on her lips.  “We’ll make it work. We always do. Love multiples. I’ll just need a larger dining room table for Sundays.  And your father always wanted an impossibly large family so… wish granted.”

Tara smirked and looked at the ground.  

Aurora reached out and touched her daughter’s chin, “There you are?”

Tara arched eyebrow and looked at her mother through her lashes.

“My sweet girl is still inside the Wolf who comes before me now.”  Aurora caressed her cheek with her thumb. “I thought maybe you lost her in Italy, but I see you held onto her…”

Aurora looked then to Oriana who was reaching the ground and kept speaking, “Perhaps you had some help in that?”  She let her hand fall away from Tara and came towards Oriana, no less motherly than she’d been for her girls.

“You gave us one hell of a scare, Kid, welcome home.  Word to the wise though, in the future, the pack is stronger together.  Next time you gotta kill a man, take some family along for the ride?” It wasn’t a dressing down, but a loving reminder.  Aurora tried to gauge whether or not the woman would accept a hug or if it was just going to make things odd. Even after all these years and with a pup as young as Oriana, Aurora still found she could be as awkward as Tara ever was.  Deciding to go the route of her husband she charged in at least emotionally and gave Oriana a quick embrace, not lingering as she had with the other girls.

Oriana just nodded at Aurora for now. They’d take later; this was too public.

“I need to sit down before my stomach rips open and you all see what I had for lunch.  Let’s get back to the car. Effie! We’ll need another car for the extra girls I wasn’t expecting.  Let’s get one called over.”

“Yes ma’am.”  Effie went into the hanger to find the phone.

Aurora looked to Oriana, “We wait for the other car, make sure all the girls get in nice and safe, travel back to see Billy together.  We’ll figure things out from there.”

Aurora looked to Tara, “Where’s the rest of your team?”

Tara smiled, “I let them have the last of Dad’s briefcase.  Jo and Renato deserved it. She’s spending a little more time in Italy with him.  I’ve told them both if they want they have a place with us in New York. I don’t know if they’ll be back but they know the door is open.”

Aurora nodded not asking about the fate of the rest of the team.  That would come in time. The details. The tears. No point in dragging any of that out now.

Effie reappeared, “ETA two minutes Mrs. Mastrosimone.”

Aurora nodded and settled ever so carefully down into the backseat.  Tara watched her mother moving with concern. In all her life she’d never seen Aurora slowed by anything.  Not really even just a little. The woman would power through a flu like it was no one’s business. This, this was a whole different woman.  Older, she realized. It was the first time she’d ever thought of her mom as being anything related to her age. Tara’s brow furrowed.

“How’s the baby?”  Brigitte asked brightly as if thinking the same thing Tara had been and wanting to focus on the good of a situation, as she always did.

“Good, thanks to your father.  Though he should be leaving her in that expensive bed of hers more often than he does.  The chill in the air isn’t good for her. She’s got another week in that thing and your father - god love him - won’t stop picking her up and putting her on his chest under his shirt.  He wears her. I swear he does. And she’d prefer to be fed by him, I’m confident of it.  Thankfully her little wails aren’t more than little squeaks at this point. Unfortunately, that tiny thing has broken Billy.  She owns his soul. God help us all.”

Brigitte smirked and shook her head, “Was there ever any doubt that would happen?”

Aurora sighed.  “I guess not. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a baby and he was this way with all of you for a time.  Still, I think because of how much she needs us, it might be a little different with Victoria.” Aurora paused before adding, “And the red hair doesn’t help a bit.”

“Red?!?”  Brigitte sat forward.  Tara’s eyes went wide.

“Your father is hopeless when it comes to redheads.  I suppose I should resign myself to having lost him forever to one at long last.  At least this one is a daughter and not a mistress though.”

Brigitte laughed musically realizing how silly that statement was.  Tara looked at Aurora though and wasn’t so sure it was completely a joke.  Had something happened between her parents while she was away?

The second car pulled up then and Tara turned to Oriana, “They’re in a strange place.  Maybe one of us should ride with them? I can if you want. It’s not far to my parent’s house after all.”

Sage, the youngest girl, smiled and waved repeatedly at Oriana, who was doing her best to ignore them. Aurora smiled warmly at the enthusiasm of the youngest girl and really the demeanor of all the girls who had come along.  Clearly they had not been in that terrible program nearly as long as Oriana had been and so, there was hope for them. Maybe life would not prove so difficult to adjust to. Aurora silently promised herself she’d recover from this damn surgery and help Oriana with them.  The girl couldn’t be expected to mother children while still finding herself after all she’d been through. And what did Tara know of such things? No. She’d step in and help. That was that.

“They’re fine. Still need to figure out what to do for them. Probably best to split them up. Get them in normal homes. No offense.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  Aurora said flatly. “We’re not casting them to the winds of chance.  You brought them home, we’ll see to them.”  

“You don’t need to kick them out on the streets. I’m just saying- give them a choice.”

Tara smiled at Oriana.  Aurora watched Tara and then looked back to Oriana and nodded.  “Fair enough. We’ll talk about that after they’ve eaten something properly and have had a chance to find their footing here.  Maybe have someone take them out to see the city, relax a bit. You’ve all been through a lot.”

“Don’t leave them unattended. They almost killed two people on the plane. I’m… 75% sure they were joking.”

“They were, mom.”  Tara inserted. “I’m sure they’re fine to bring home.”

Aurora arched an eyebrow, “Do I look worried?”  She shook her head. “I have a herd of children, what’s a few more to manage?  It’s what I do. Kill people and think faster than the children who don’t realize that I very much saw you lift that knife off the other girl put it back…”  She said to the tallest girl. Cerise pouted but gave the knife back to Azure.

Aurora smiled at Tara, “See.  I’m way ahead of them. I taught Brigitte that same trick when she was five.”  she looked then to Oriana, “A normal mother wouldn’t have been ready for that … nor the ‘kill the stewardess’ game.  Me…” She shrugs. “Let’s just say I’m a good woman, who raises good women, to kill bad people - when THEY want to.”

Aurora clapped her hands, “Alright everyone into the car, last one in is washing dishes tonight.”  She knew instantly making everything a contest was going to make her world all the easier. Her father used to do it when she and William were very young.  She’d take notes from Gavin on this one.

“That’s fine. You’ll have your hands full, but if it’s what you want…” Oriana sighed.

“I will need a list of names though.  Dossiers help. If you don’t have them we’ll go the old fashioned route… I’ll talk to each of them and have them rat each other out.”  She said with a smirk at Brigitte. The blonde smiled at first then her smile faded.

“Hey…”  Brigitte moaned.

“You’re always dependable to let me know what I need to be worried about.  I’m sure a few of the girls over there are the same. And Tara here isn’t quite as sneaky as she likes to think… I’m sure a few of the others have her traits.  I doubt many of them are like Gavin… though maybe that temper of his. Luciano that one. Biggest heart, kindest spirit, but boy he’s a bear when he’s pissed. Oh, don’t say anything about the bruises on his neck.  He’s taken a bit to his pride after your father choked him out at the hospital.”

“What?!?”  Tara said arching an eyebrow high.

“Papa hurt Gavin?  Why!?!”

Aurora waved a hand dismissively, “They wouldn’t let your father into the operating room when they took Victoria.  He put up a fuss and your brother dragged him out of the room. It was bound to happen eventually that a father and son would have that moment.  I just didn’t see it coming, unlike the day my brother hit my dad. God… let’s not even talk about that day. Suffice to say like Uncle William, your brother learned why his father is still the man of the house.”

“The two who killed him are dead, by the way.” Oriana climbed into the car, giving Aurora a chance to process.

Aurora froze.  She had wanted to ask.  She’d been thinking about it every minute since she’d sent that bitch to Tara.  She’d heard that one had been killed but the other, she didn’t know the fate of her, but she wondered.  Brigitte put a hand on her mother’s leg. Tara looked out the window and said nothing.

“Well, then that’s over I suppose.”  Aurora said more warmly than she expected her tone to be.  “Thank you for telling me.” She wanted to know if the women suffered.  She hoped they had, but it wasn’t a thing you asked in front of your daughters.  Or maybe at all if you were a good person. Aurora had very little in her that was kind or merciful for the people who had taken her brothers from her.  They weren’t the last of her family and yet, in some ways, they felt like it. The last people who had known Aurora Byrne outside of Billy himself.

“Viola got shot in the head, I guess. Serena got a knife in the brain. I’d want to know.” She shrugged.

Tara looked back at Oriana.  Brigitte shifted uncomfortably.  Aurora nodded solemnly deciding to confess before Tara said something that caused some issue, “I did want to know.  I … just didn’t know how to ask. Thank you. I can’t deny that I feel some sense of relief. I regret I couldn’t be there with you girls, but you’ve handled everything as well as we could hope for.  Your objectives were achieved, and you’re back in one piece. That’s a great reason to celebrate.”

Brigitte sighed.  “Oh, we’ve been celebrating already.  In fact, I’m pretty sure Tara’s probably had her fill of it by now.”