The week Salvatore had given him off seemed to be exactly what Marco needed: managing to catch up on some much-needed sleep, and teaching Sofia how to make dinner, clean, do the laundry, and even play chess.

Overall, he managed to get back on his feet as well as help Sofia become a more independent person than when she had arrived.

He had nothing planned for today, which is why the heir decided to sleep in past his usual wake up time but was woken regardless by the ringing of his phone.

"Hmm?"

"Hey, Marco," His sister-in-law, Angelica, spoke on the other line. "Listen, I was wondering if you could look after the girls? I just got a last-minute project and Arsenio is on duty today, and everyone else is busy. So could you, please?

"Yeah, sure," Marco rolled onto his back, blinking at the watch on his side table that displayed the time to be 6:20. "Yeah, I can look after them,"

"Great, I'm outside your apartment,"

Marco listened to the silence that fell after hanging up, the words swimming in his mind until he sat up in bed.

Stumbling to the apartment door, he pulled it open to find Angelica standing before him with her two daughters swaying with half-shut eyes and jackets over their pajamas.

"Hey,"

"Thank you so much for looking after them," Angelica ushered the five and seven-year-olds to him as the girls dragged their feet behind them. "I think they'd sleep a little more, so you can put them into bed,"

"Okay," He huffed and picked up Irene, hoisting their bag onto his shoulder before pulling Aurora to his side.

"I'll pick them on my way back home,"

"Alright," Marco waved after her before looking at his nieces. "Come on, let's go back to bed," He yawned and led them to his room.

Taking off their jackets and shoes, he situated a girl on either side of him, covering them with the duvet before promptly falling asleep.

They managed to sleep for two more hours before Aurora woke up and blearily blinked at the new surroundings. Glancing at the sleeping figure of her uncle and little sister before making her way to the washroom to freshen up. Getting dressed for the day and pulling on her shoes, she walked over to Irene.

"Irene," Aurora shook her awake. "Irene,"

"What are you doing?" Marco asked with his eyes closed.

"I'm hungry,"

"And Irene is the one who would make breakfast?"

"No, I wake her, and then she wakes you,"

"You could have simply woken me?"

"That is such a little brother thing to say," Aurora shook her head in exasperation, Marco looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Every elder sibling knows that you don't have to do something if your little sibling can do it for you,"

"Wow," Marco chuckled at the words and went to freshen up, leaving Aurora to try and wake up her sister.

Once they were all awake, all three of them head to the kitchen. The girls sitting on the barstool and chatting with their uncle as he cooked. Giggling and laughing.

Sofia awoke to the sound of muffled chatter, groaning into her pillow and knew that Marco was watching those strange cartoons at this ungodly hour again. Throwing the duvet off her legs, she marched towards her bedroom door, tearing it open to scream at him but her words froze at the sight of the vacant couch. Looking up, she was taken aback to find the back of two little girls on the barstools

Staring at them in silence, she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing right and blinked when the hallucinations didn't go away.

The trio had been so busy talking they never noticed her come up behind them, Sofia staring at them as she took a black strand between her fingers and tugged.

"Ow!" Aurora cried out and whirled at her sister before catching sight of a tall woman beside her, her pumpkin hair ruffled and her eyes wide. "Who are you?" She eyed her ratty old t-shirt and shorts in disgust.

"What happened?" Marco turned to the three girls with furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh, my God," Sofia muttered, taking a step back. "They're real,"

"Of course they're real," Marco shook his head. "They're my nieces," A wide smile made its way on his lips.

"Aurora, Irene, this is Sofia," He introduced. "My-"

"-Girlfriend!" Both the little girls spoke in sync.

"No!" Marco laughed at their words, Sofia flushing a deep red. "My roommate," He corrected and put two plated of pancaked before them.

"For now," Irene shrugged.

"You're so adorable," He punched her cheek.

Irene swatted his hand away and continued to eat. Marco chuckling at the two, always loving the opportunity to babysit them and couldn't wait for Salvatore to have kids as well so he could look after them too. His eyes drifting to the woman on the other end of the counter, staring at them with narrowed eyes.

"Breakfast?"

His voice had Sofia jump before nodding. Making her way around the counter, she joined him in making coffee after grabbing two cream stuffed Cannoncini for them.

"You should have told me we would have guests," She murmured quietly as their shoulders touched while they made coffee.

"They're not guests, they are my family,"

"They're strangers to me,"

"They're kids, Sofia, what can they do to you?"

"They're Regnante's, what can't they do?"

"They're the daughters of a pilot-"

"-The granddaughters of one of the most respected Mafia Bosses in history-"

"-They're five and seven-"

"-And the nieces of the world's most ruthless Mafia Boss-"

"-They don't have any formal training-"

"-You don't need training to stab someone with a knife-"

"-Sofia!"

"What?" She demanded. "I'm just saying,"

"You're mean," Irene spoke up, both of them turning around to find the two girls standing directly behind them, eavesdropping on their conversation. "I'll tell Uncle Salvi I don't like you,"

"Irene! Baby!" Marco laughed humorlessly, picking her off the ground and hoisting her on his hips. "That's not nice, you didn't give her a chance,"

"She didn't give us a chance, why should we?" Aurora crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Sofia as the older woman recognized why this family was so feared. Their ice blue eyes feeling like they could drag every dark secret out of its crevices with one look. "She's calling us murderers, Uncle Marco, I think we should tell Uncle Salvi to take care of things,"

"Now, Aurora-"

"-I did not!" Sofia retaliated.

"You did too!" Aurora exclaimed as Sofia stumbled into the counter. "You don't need training to stab someone is what you said! You're calling us murderers! Well, guess what? My uncle is a Mafia Boss-"

"-Aurora!" Marco called over their screaming. "How many times have we told you not to publicize that fact? Do you want me to call Salvatore?"

"You do it! Why can't I?" Aurora flushed a deep red, stomping her foot on the ground.

"I only use Salvatore's name to threaten enemies. Never friends. And you know that little missy, what has gotten into you, huh?"

"She's not good for you, Uncle Marco," Aurora said instead. "Papa will tell you,"

"I'm sorry, but Uncle Salvi told me to look after her, so papa can't do anything against him." Marco winked, kissing the top of her head and hoisted her up into his arms. "Now all three of you make up,"

"No!" All three of them exclaimed.

"I wasn't asking!"

They all fell silent, petulantly staring one way or another as Marco sighed.

"Giordano," He turned to her first, his eyebrows raising as she spluttered incoherently. "Sofia," He warned as she deflated.

"Fine," She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm for calling you two murderers,"

"Thank you," Aurora nodded at the words before turning to look at her younger sister for confirmation. "We accept,"

"Aurora, now you,"

"I'm sorry for saying I'll tell Uncle Salvi about you,"

"Thank you,"

"Good, now Irene."

"I'm sorry for..." She looked up at her uncle, asking him what she was apologizing for.

"For calling her mean?"

"Oh! Then I'm sorry for calling you mean,"

"It's okay," Sofia murmured to the both of them, scratching at the back of her head and watched Marco put down the two girls, holding their shoulders to keep them from running away.

"Now what do we do to make up?" He asked as the two whined in indignation. "Do you want me to call grandma?" He held up his phone for both of them to see as they paled.

Groaning, Aurora walked forward with Irene in tow as Sofia stood watching them in silence. Holding her breath when the older one hugged her side and the younger hugged her leg. Running away after a second of the reconciliatory gesture.

"Sorry about that," Marco sighed and turned back to his coffee once the door closed shut. "They're not very fond of strangers,"

"No person with Mafia affiliations is fond of strangers," Sofia muttered and picked up her mug, surprised to hear Marco chuckling. "What?"

"Nothing other than the fact that moments ago you were calling them murderers and now you're defending them. It's just very fast development,"

"I still don't like them,"

"Oh, the feeling is mutual," Marco scoffed. "To the extent where they wanted to call Salvatore on you,"

"That girl threatened me!" Sofia gasped in realization at the insinuation, Marco throwing back his head with a laugh. "She wants me dead!"

Her words only had Marco laugh harder, clutching at his stomach as he slapped the marble counter, Sofia staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, not understanding what he found so hilarious in a death threat. Crossing her arms with a huff and turning back to her coffee and pastry.

"You're just as bad as them," Marco settled down as the girl beside him scoffed at the words. "You three need to give each other a chance,"

"Oh no," Sofia got up from her place with her breakfast. "Every person with Mafia affiliations is wary of strangers, and those two are the epitome of stranger danger," She stated and walked into her room, closing the door shut behind her as Marco shook his head at the girls.

Getting the time to enjoy his breakfast in silence.

The redhead had initially planned to wait out the girls, only stepping out once the two gremlins had left, but the sound of their giggles and Marco's chuckles tugged at her curiosity, slowly dragging her out of her room. She found the three Regnantes' sitting in the middle of the wooden flooring, folding pieces of papers. Her curiosity piqued as she shuffled closer, standing above Marco's seated figure and watched them fold stripes of papers into strange shapes before drawing faces on the sheet.

"A cat!" Irene held up her finished work.

"A dog!" Aurora echoed.

"A panda!" Marco laughed, the three of them giggling at each other. "What do you want to make next?"

"Hmm..." The two girls placed a finger against their chins in thought, aimlessly looking around as Marco copied them with a smile, Sofia unable to keep from admiring this side of him.

"How about finger owls?" Marco suggested with an excited gasp, the two girls gasping and nodding. "Alright, I'll show you how it's done," He began by taking out five different colors, and cut them into three stripes, handing one of each to the two girls.

He showed them how to fold the paper before taking the pen and drawing a simple owl face on it. Putting it on the tip of his finger, he wiggled the finger owl.

"Hello," He spoke in an animated voice, waving around the owl as the two girls giggled, Sofia chuckling behind them. "I'm the Owl from Winnie-the-Pooh," Marco bopped the owl against Irene's nose and then Aurora's before turning around and bopping it against Sofia's nose. The girl behind them giving a jump of surprise and stared back at his laughing expression, the two younger girls giggling.

"Do you want to join us?" Aurora looked up from below her lashes at the elder girl who was watching them in silence fascination. Sofia sitting straight as Marco leaned back to that his back touched her side and turned to look over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I...I don't know what to do,"

"Uncle Marco can teach you!" Irene exclaimed and shuffled to the side to give her space. "He's a good teacher,"

"I have no doubt about that," Sofia muttered and moved to be in the space between Marco and the younger of the two sisters.

Marco chuckled as he handed a piece of paper to Sofia and showed her how it was done by demonstrating it on his own paper. His arms brushing against hers as they folded the papers, all four of them chuckling and giggling as Aurora and Irene told funny stories of what does on at their house and all the silly stuff their dad does. Sofia laughing as she leaned against Marco's arm, marveling at how different the eldest of the four Regnante siblings was in comparisons to his two younger brothers.

They made flowers and hearts, and animals, even boxes until it was lunchtime. Marco and Sofia preparing food for them with music playing on the speakers as all four of them held a mini-concert in their kitchen. The two girls have warmed up to Sofia, the heir unable to keep the smile off his face to see them getting along so well.

After lunch they watched a movie before playing a game of hide and seek, inviting their across-the-hall-neighbor to join them. The boy bringing board games that the girls could play and started a feud between them until Marco had the game of monopoly ended and taken away.

Cristian left after dinner, thanking them for the fun day while the others settled on the couch and watched an animated movie to past the time.

Halfway through the movie, Marco dozed off and was startled away by the vibration of his phone. Blinking at the screen before looking around him, he found the movie still playing with Irene's head on his lap and Sofia's head on his shoulder, Aurora in the middle and cuddled into her side.

Looking down at the message from Angelica, who was telling him that she would be home late and pick up the girls in the morning.

Typing back a response, Marco put away the device and turned off the T.V before moving Sofia's head off his shoulder and onto the sofa. Picking up Irene, he tucked her under the covers, before retrieving Aurora from the couch and settling her under the duvet as well.

Scratching at the back of his head, he stood before Sofia's sleeping figure and sighed before hoisting her into his arms, staggering at the drastic weight change before fixing his hold.

Making his way into her bedroom, he settled her on the bed and tucked he duvet around her before sitting at the edge of the bed. Smiling to see her sleeping contently and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before leaning down to kiss her cheek.

Stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, never noticing the flush that brightened her face as she pulled the duvet all the way over her head.