Two weeks earlier…

The small rocks hit her window and Noelle set her backpack aside and headed to it, seeing Vincent Mancini.

She opened the window and scaled down the ladder, running to him and the two teens embracing each other.

"I know your dad will kill me if he finds out but I was going crazy without seeing you today." Vincent said as he cradled Noelle's face in his hands before they kissed, her small hands resting on his shoulders.

"He's not the only one catching onto us… Mary's starting to ask why you're coming around here. She's not getting to grow up with you and it's not fair to her." Noelle responded as the two young lovers held each other, Vincent's right hand entwined with Noelle's right one.

"Family is a complicated thing… I wish I hadn't been taken away from mine." Vincent replied, briefly burying his face into Noelle's hair.

They let go, Noelle slipping back into her room and out of her school uniform into a sundress and ballet flats before she snuck back out, Aldo telling her to have fun at the festival but not be out too late.

The Feast of San Gennaro was busy as usual, Noelle's right arm linked with Vincent's left one as they walked down the sidewalk together and Frank Sinatra's version of As Time Goes By playing from a nearby radio.

But as they were kissing, a car belonging to the Rosato crime family screeched to a stop and Carmine opened fire on them, Vincent throwing himself and Noelle to the ground and protecting her from the bullets.

Carmine screamed as a bullet slammed into his shoulder from Vincent's Colt .45 Python, dropping his machine gun as Vincent stood up and pulled Noelle up to her feet.

"Of course… children born out of wedlock usually find solace in each other." Carmine said, Vincent whacking him across the face with the gun before handing the gun to Noelle and then picking up the machine gun himself, both aimed at Carmine.

A 1959 Buick screeched to a stop, Tom Hagen looking at both of them.

"Get in, now!" Tom said, the two getting into the car and Tom driving off. "I'm getting too old for all of this… you two alright?"

"Yeah… we're okay." Noelle managed to answer.

"Cover up the weapons." Tom said, the two doing so and Tom stopping once they reached the docks. He got out after grabbing the guns and tossed them into the river, getting back in and driving the two to the Corleone compound. "I don't want to know any more about the shooting, I doubt Carmine's gonna go to the cops. You two go upstairs, hide in a guest room." He said.

Noelle and Vincent obliged and headed into the house… they picked a room and Vincent locked a door as Noelle removed her bloodstained dress after closing the curtains.

Noelle wasn't shy about being in her underwear as she turned to Vincent… but he hesitated slightly as he walked over to her and they kissed. Vincent pulled his shirt off after Noelle unbuttoned it, her hands drifting down and unbuttoning his pants as he kissed her again.

They were a bit rushed from the adrenaline… but Vincent stopped once he and Noelle were completely naked and he grabbed a nearby condom, thinking ahead.

Once they were both on the bed after he had it on, Noelle bit down on her lower lip to prevent a scream… the Catholic school she went to didn't teach Sex Education so she had no idea that the first time could hurt.

"Shh… it's okay…" Vincent whispered as both took it slowly and gently, the pain fading away.

Time stood still until both crashed back down from the high they felt, Vincent pulling Noelle into his arms and her head resting over his heart before they kissed.

"I love you, Noelle." Vincent whispered, his brown eyes looking into her bluish grey ones as his fingers on his right hand trailed along her side.

"I love you too, Vincent." Noelle responded in the same quiet tone before they kissed again.

They weren't ready to tell the others just yet about them, having only been together for five months… but they had a feeling that Tom had figured out…

Present time…

Noelle once again woke up and looked around, Aldo seeing the slight smile on her face.

"Someone looks a bit better…" Aldo said as he helped Noelle sit up a bit. "You were dreaming… so who's the guy from it, the one you're not ready to bring home to meet the family yet?" He questioned.

Noelle's face went a light scarlet color and she buried it into the pillow, Aldo lightly brushing her hair back.

"I can't believe I still talk in my sleep!" Noelle responded, looking at Aldo.

"Well when you are ready to introduce him, I promise I'll be calm about it… doesn't mean it'll necessarily stay that way though." Aldo said, Noelle knowing what that meant.

"Dad, no shotguns! Or any kind of guns!" Noelle said, still embarrassed even as they hugged… but she coughed again, Aldo patting her on her back as they let go.

"Okay, I promise. And you rest, I'll be back up here to check on you in a bit." Aldo responded as he helped Noelle lie down, kissed her on her forehead and headed downstairs.

Noelle readjusted the covers over herself and reached over to her bedside table, picking up the photo of herself when she was two.

The woman in the photo holding her was her mother, Frances Malone. In the background was Noelle's uncle, Marty 'Monk' Malone.

"I didn't understand… and I still don't, it wasn't his fault. I had already lost my mom, Uncle Monk… why did you try to kill my dad too?" Noelle whispered as she set the photo down.

And then she heard it.

"The only pure thing to me in this world is you, my little niece… I wish I hadn't done what I did. But you're too young to understand."

"Don't tell me I don't understand murder… I've been surrounded by my whole life. I'm not as pure as you thought…" Noelle said quietly.

She sat up again and swung her legs to the side, standing up and walking to the window as the navy satin nightgown fell back to just above her knees.

Looking out at the cloudy midday sky, she knew she had to start finding out everything in its entirety… but she also knew that the truth about her and Vincent would be out sooner rather than later.