Last chapter: Michael, Lulu, Dante

Story continued in "Dante's Opera"

Dante was still asleep when Michael entered his room. He closed the door quietly behind him and stood at the foot of the bed, watching Dante sleep. Michael didn't know what to do or say to him. The man he so hated and wanted out of Sonny's organization was not only a cop but was his brother. How was he supposed to feel now? Relief? Anger? Love? In front of me is the man that I almost had killed, he said aloud in a barely conscious whisper, my brother. He whispered again, but louder, "My brother."

Dante didn't stir. He was in a deep sleep and Michael's presence wasn't enough to interrupt his slumber. Michael leaned forward to the edge of the bed and hung his head as his hands rested near Dante's feet. He was still standing. He just didn't know how to feel or what was right or wrong anymore. Then he looked at Dante again and realized that just a few months ago, he had been in the same position – in a hospital bed fighting for his life because of his father's business. The similarity of Dante's situation hit him hard and his eyes started to water. I know where he is, Michael thought to himself; I know what it feels like. Somehow though he knew it was also very different. His shooting was and accident; Dante's was intentional and set in motion by Michael. This is my fault, he realized. It is my fault. As was Michael's new tendency, he began to blame himself for everything that had happened to Dante, and to his father.

Dad, he thought, oh, Dad what did I do? He remembered Sonny's grief when he walked off the elevator in the hospital and Sonny immediately hugged him so tightly saying with shaky words, "My sons." Again, Michael's actions had caused his father sorrow and grief. If I'd only told Dad about Claudia," he said aloud in his normal voice, tears now streaming down his face while back looking at the ground.

He hadn't noticed Dante awakening. Michael was full on crying now.

"It wasn't your fault," Dante said weakly. "It wasn't your fault, Michael."

Michael looked up then at his new brother. Michaels eyes were red; his cheeks hot. Dante's eyes were still opening but he knew the voice. Michael stayed silent. He still didn't know what to say or feel, except for guilt.

Dante was awake now and said then, "Come closer, Michael."

"I don't want to. I'm not sure," Michael said, truly confused.

"It's okay," Dante reassured, "I don't bite." He tried to get Michael to laugh.

"I just don't know yet, Dom…Dante," Michael responded. "I don't know how to feel yet. I don't know why I'm even here."

Dante let Michael process for a few seconds, then said, "I don't either. I don't understand any of this. The only thing I know right now is that you and Morgan and Kristina are my family now. That's all that I can process. And you don't have to make any decisions or have any feelings one way or the other yet."

"I hated you, Dante. I hated you and maybe still do. Dad was so impressed and came to respect you in the organization over me. I hated you for that. I wanted you gone and I knew that meant that you'd probably be killed. I was okay with that. Now, you're my brother. We have the same dad. How am I supposed to feel? What am I supposed to do with that?"

"I don't know, Michael," Dante said, "as much as I'd like to tell you how you should feel, I can't." Dante paused then added, "I can only tell you how I feel, and it's that though you love Sonny I don't know how I can yet. All I see is him pulling the trigger, Michael."

Michael was listening intently to Dante's every word for the first time. He didn't fly off the handle as he was accustomed to mainly because he really had no idea how to react to anything.

Dante continued, "Sonny is our father but it doesn't change the fact that he stood there and was willing to kill me for betraying him, regardless of if I'd saved him or Morgan or Lulu or had shown that I could be trusted. He didn't hesitate, Michael."

Michael spoke up then and began to argue, "If dad knew who you really were, he wouldn't have shot you or even pulled a gun on you."

"You don't know that," Dante answered.

"Yes, I do. He wouldn't hurt any of us," Michael said.

"His organization has already hurt you, Michael. And Kristina and Morgan. Now, me, at point blank range," Dante had put his fist softly on his chest, drawing Michael's eyes to Dante's wound.

"It wasn't intentional," Michael argued.

"It was intentional for me," Dante's voice had not raised at any point when talking to Michael, and it didn't now. "In a way, it will always be intentional because it's the nature of Sonny's business to be dangerous. You have to start seeing that, Michael. You have to start taking the blinders off. Nothing that has happened is not because of Sonny. He chose this life Michael, so he chose to let these things happen."

The love Michael had for Sonny and the business was very strong, and it was beginning to surface now. He couldn't see Sonny's guilt or choices as the reasons for all the bad things happening. The only thing that Michael could see is that he hadn't told his dad about Claudia soon enough. All of these things that were set in motion were his own fault, including Dante getting shot.

"It's not Dad's fault," Michael insisted. "Whether you're his son or not, you still don't deserve to take over the business or dad's respect. You don't respect him and I can see that now. You don't deserve to be his son." With that, Michael left Dante's room almost running into Lulu in the hallway.

Lulu walked briskly to Dante's bedside and asked, "Are you okay? What happened with Michael?"

"Nothing. It's fine. He's just really confused right now," Dante said.

"What did he say?" Lulu asked.

"I think he's blaming himself for everything. E's so messed up and so angry that I don't think he knows really what to do," Dante said. "I just don't know what to do for him."

Lulu was sitting in the chair at Dante's bedside now. She grabbed his hand with hers and said, "You will. You just have to let Michael figure a few things out. As angry as I still am at him and his attitude, I realize that I have no idea how'd I react in his situation." She paused for a few moments, looking down at Dante's hand in hers, then back up to him, and said, "I was the first one to see him wake up, too. The confusion that was there then I still see in his eyes now. So as much as I want to slap him again for even worrying you, I know that I can't do that. I know that he's still messed up and needs more time to heal."

"When did you get so smart?" Dante smiled. "Maybe you should be a psychologist and give us all therapy."

Lulu laughed then and said, "Hmmm, if I think about it, I'd be rich with all the sessions you'd have to take alone."

"Alone?" Dante's smile widened, his eyebrows raised. "Well, what kind of therapy would that entail?"

"Well, a little of this," Lulu leaned in to Dante and gave him two slow kisses, "and a little of this," she said again before she kissed him again. This time, Dante reached his hand behind her head and kept her lips there. He pulled her deeper into the kiss as his tongue parted their lips. As was their experience, no sooner had they started to get more passionate with their kiss than his door opened again and his mom came in.

Lulu whispered into Dante's mouth, "We have got to start locking doors and turning off cell phones."

Dante laughed, as Olivia offered her apology.

"No, Ma," he said, "Come in. We have a lot to talk about."