Ricardo grins as his princess claps her hands in excitement when she tears apart the gift wrapper as he has seen nothing as pretty as her squeals and smiles. He frowns as she pushes the box he got for the birthday boy before she slowly rises from her place and starts to walk away.

"Princess" he calls out as he tries to catch her, and she ignores him.

"Mama" she calls wanting to go to her mother.

"Hey Princess, look" he tries to get her attention, but she keeps ignoring him looking for her mother.

"Mama" Gabby keeps calling for her mother and when she does not see her mother, her lips starts to wobble.

"Don't cry" he orders her and that gets her attention.

"I want mama" she sniffs.

"You got me" he grins walking close to her as he holds her hand.

"Let's go have some ice-cream?"

"Cream?" her ears perk up.

"Yes, I know exactly where they keep it"

"How?" she asks pulling her hand away from him and he grins.

"It's in the freezer I bet" he grins as they start to walk out of the room.

*******

Gabby giggles as the coolness of the ice-cream touch her tongue. Ricardo proudly feeds her the spoonful of ice-cream as if he made it with his own hands. Gabby rubs her face with her hand as the stickiness of the cream starts to annoy her.

"You know, I love ice-cream and I never like sharing it with anyone. You are the first girl I am sharing just because you are a Princess" he states as he takes a spoonful himself.

"Hey" Damon shouts as he enters the kitchen to find both Ricardo and Gabby.

"Da-da" Gabby screams as she tries to wiggle between Ricardo's legs as he had her trapped.

"Who are you?" Damon asks as he picks up his cousin.

"I could ask the same" Ricardo frowns as Gabby is taken away from him.

"Is that my ice-cream?" Damon narrows his eyes staring at the nearly empty box and Ricardo slowly gets up knowing he was in trouble.

"I don't see your name on it" he replies, and Damon puts Gabby down as he steps towards Ricardo.

"And I can make you disappear if you did not stop getting smart. First you get in my house, have my ice-cream with my sister and now..."

"Damon" a small voice stops his next words and both the boys turn to see a girl standing on the doorway.

"What?" he snaps as he faces the girl and she jumps a bit.

"Throne asked to bring some cold drinks as well" she whispers softly and Damon sighs.

"I am not his slave" Damon snaps and the girl stares at her feet.

"That's not the way to treat her" Ricardo speaks up.

"Oh yeah and you are going to teach me how to treat her, you thief?" Damon asks the boy.

"I am no thief and anyway mommy says the man who treats his girl like shit is no man"

"She is not my girl" Damon grumbles.

"But she is a girl"

"You better shut up" Damon warns the boy.

"And you are better off without him" Ricardo shrugs his shoulder as he stares at the girl who blushes.

"I...umm"

"Go stay with Throne, Tutu" Damon asks as he makes his way towards the fridge.

"Tutu" Gabby calls next as she makes her way towards the girl who crouches a bit to pick up the girl.

"Hey Gabby"

"Mama" she sniffs hugging Tulip who smiles nodding her head.

"She is outside, come I will take you to her" she speaks as she turns to leave but not before she stares at Damon who was begrudgingly taking cold drinks out of the fridge.

"Oh, Throne says you are his bitch" Tulip adds, and Damon stays frozen while Ricardo laughs before running out of the room.

"Tulip get back here" Damon shouts at the girl but she just walks away pretending to not hear him at all.

*******

Nicholas knocks on the door twice before he opens and enters the room where Pop was, silently Richie follows him. They take their seats and waits on for Pop to say something who was busy as Nonna puts the glass of water on the tray and kisses on Pop's cheek before she leaves.

"Happy Birthday" Richie wishes the man who waves his hand in dismissal as he sighs.

"There is nothing happy about this day, I am getting weak and old" he states.

"Age does that" Richie replies as he stares at the old fragile man whose name yet enough shakes many of strong men like him.

"Age, hmm...I still remember those days I once had...I was ageless, fearless and now I have nothing but fear" he states as he turns around to stare directly at Richie who stiffens.

"You need to back away" Pop warns.

"Why?" Richie frowns.

"Don't act as if you do not know what or why I am saying this to you, it's for your own good my boy. Trust me when I say for you to back away, do it while you still have the chance"

"I did not get in to back away from it"

"And I did not let you in for you to fall down my boy. Woman, she is a mysterious creature created to torment us all through our lives...

Can't live with them or without them. Like a slow poison they start to creep in, burn and crumble all our strength...

You my boy, have been deeply involved with your wife, not that it's your fault. Alana is a beautiful woman and you falling for her is not a surprise...

Yet, I cannot let you play this game anymore"

"Why?" Richie questions as he was not ready for this.

"Only few knows how loyal a Russo can be, your family is the only remaining family that has a deep connection with mine...

Your ancestors have worked alongside mine for many of the decades and I have hoped it would do so in coming decades...

But, my boy every good thing has come to an end and it really were good times with you. I have always warned my sons and grandsons about one thing...

Play any games, bet on anything but except love. It's the most dangerous game, the most intense bet because no matter what the outcome is you will always be a looser...

The day your father brought you to meet me, I knew that you will always be an asset to my family but as I see you I do not see you as such...

You have now your own family to look after, your own to protect. How can I trust a man who I know will put his own family first than mine?" he questions and Richie stares at his joined hands.

"You were not to marry her, that was a direct order, but you did. You should not have touched her, yet you did...

And now you have three little ones to protect, while I have more than just three" the man sighs as he slowly gets up from his chair.

"I have not once betrayed you or brought harm to your family" Richie states as he too gets up from his chair.

"So, you mean if my grandson pulls the trigger and shot your son you will not shoot him back?" Pop question while Richie frowns at the question before he walks closer to where Pop was and looks out of the window before he dashed out of the room.

"What's going on?" Nicholas asks walking closer to Pop's side to find Damon standing with a gun in his hands while Ricardo stands with both his hands up in the air.

"What in the..." Nicholas mutters as he turns to walk out but Pop stops him.

"He does not even trust us anymore" Pop states while Nicholas slowly turns to stare at the man.

"What do you mean?"

"If he had any trust then he would not have run out of the room to his son, show Russo to the door, thank him for his services...

We no longer have anything to do with each other" he sighs as he turns away while Nicholas stares at the scene where Richie grabs his son and holds him tightly while Damon throws the water gun away.

"But he won't betray us" Nicholas speaks while Pop smile.

"It's not betrayal I am afraid of Nicholas, it's the outcome that will lead him to betray us. Trust me, I have been in this game for far too longer to know...

Salvatore is not a man to be trusted, Lucero is not the man to be involved with and Alana, you do not know the lengths she will go to protect the ones she loves...

You will not sit quiet if someone touched a hair on Cole's hair, now will you?" Pop asks, and Nicholas remains quiet.

"If you think Grace is your weakness my boy, you just wait when your son comes back home wearing bruises, hits you right in the heart...

A mother's love is the strongest one but what shall you name a father's love? We have no name, we have no words, but we are father, to the child of the woman we love" the man pats on Nicholas's shoulder as he walks out of the door.

*******

"Dad let go of me" Ricardo whines as he wiggles in his father's arms before getting down.

"I lost" he grumbles as he kicks his gun away.

"Where did you get this?" Richie asks as he picks up the gun.

"Damon got it for us to play" Ricardo answers as he wipes the water from his face while Richie stares at the plastic gun in his hands which looked like a real one.

"We are leaving" Richie states as realization dawns on him while his son whines.

"What, but we just..."

"Your mom and brothers must be waiting on for us" Richie smiles as he faces his son.

"Dad, can we take the princess with us?" Ricardo asks as he stares at the house.

"Princess?"

"Yeah, a beautiful one, mom would love her, and she is so small" he sighs as he holds his father's hand.

"We cannot take anything" Richie states as he picks up a towel and dries his son.

"Can we not sneak her out with us?" he whispers.

"Maybe one day, if she wants you can sneak her out" he ruffles his son's hair who sighs.

*******

"Mommy, when's daddy home?" Richard asks as he puts his toys away.

"Soon"

"It's no fun playing alone" he pouts before walking towards his mother.

"Whenever Ricardo is around all you two do is fight and now" she shakes her hand.

"It's part of growing up" he smiles as he sits beside her before touching her swollen belly.

"Can we have a girl next time?" he requests.

"A girl?"

"Yeah, you are the only girl in the house and maybe if we got a sister big brother will behave" he giggles making Alana laugh.

"Oh, you naughty boy" she pinches his cheeks.

"I am your angel" he smiles as he lies with his head on her belly and touches it.

"When will we be able to play with her?" he asks and Alana sighs.

"Soon"

*******

"Don't throw the veggies" Richard tells his brother and Ricardo groans.

"What's with him?" Alana asks pointing at her son.

"No idea"

"I want to see Princess" Ricardo groans as he lies on the table pushing his plate away.

"Are you dying?" Richard gasps.

"I feel like, why did you bring me back home so fast?" Ricardo asks his father who chuckles.

"He got a liking to Gabriel's daughter" Richie smiles and Alana does a 'oh'

"Do you want to have ice-cream and talk?" Alana offers.

"I don't think I like ice-cream" Ricardo sighs as he gets up and pulls the plate before chewing on his veggies.

Both Alana and Richie stares at each other in surprise hearing their son.

Finishing their dinner, the family sits in the living room and enjoy their peacefulness, Alana lays head on Richie's shoulder as she stares at her sons laying on the carpet drawing.

"How are you feeling?" Richie asks as he rubs her swollen belly.

"Richard wants a sister" she smiles

"May be next time" he kisses the back of her head.

"You came back home early, did something happen?" she asks as she hugs him.

"Nothing much, so how is my little fighter doing?" he asks as he rubs her belly and she smiles widely.

"He has been active whole day" she smiles.

"Do you want a massage?" he asks as he pushes few strands of her hair away and she sighs.

"No, I just want you by my side and my boys happy"

"They are and so am I" he replies as they watch the three of their sons happily drawing.

*******

"Will they ever sleep on their own bed and own room?" Richie groans as he moves Ryman to the side.

"One day perhaps" Alana laughs.

"They are big enough to stop sleeping with us"

"But I don't want them to leave my side" she pouts and Richie walks to her side as he sits on the carpet holding her hand.

"And I don't want to have to cover your mouth as you scream" he grins.

"Be grateful we have scored twice with them nagging us"

"I am grateful about it everyday" he confesses as he kisses the back of her hand.

"How was your visit?" she asks as Richie pulls out the bottle of oil to massage her foot.

"Fine"

"Will you ever tell me what's on going?" she asks as she runs her hand over his hair.

"I no longer am part of Price" Russo sighs and her hand pauses before she caresses his cheek.

"He does not trust you?" she asks and he shakes his head before kissing her palm.

"Some things have occurred in the family and few changes have been made"

"Everything alright?" she frowns.

"Pop has assigned Rolfe Storm and Arson the same mission as me"

"Excuse me?" she blinks her eyes.

"He thinks handling them on my own is not enough and he wants to distract the enemies, take the attention away from me"

"Arson as in Nicholas bodyguard"

"Brother-in-law"

"And Storm, wait as in Lia Storm, storm"

"He is her cousin" he smiles and she just stares at him in disbelief.

"Are you..." she opens and closes her mouth.

"I know what I am doing and with you by my side" he kisses her feet before slowly getting up.

"I..."

"Love you more, I know" he grins as he cannot help but find it amusing how she was gaping at him in shock.

"Richmond Russo, have you lost your freaking mind?" she shouts at him at once and he cannot help but laugh.

"Richmond, oh wow. How long has it been that I actually heard my full name" he thinks on about it before bending to kiss on her shocked lips.

"Someone once told, I may fall down but I shall put a dent as I do" he states and she rolls her eyes at him.

"Flora said that" she accuses shaking her head not knowing what she will do about it.

"Wise Lady, but My Lady, shall we go sleep on out sex bed please" he smiles as he picks her up and she laughs.

"Sex bed?"

"Of course, that's the only bed we are having sex these past few years" he sighs as he glances at his boys once before walking out of the room.

"You are unbelievable"