THE GIANETTI HOME
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"Clay before we go in, what are you going to tell them you do for a living?" Anna asked.
"I work for the State Department, plain and simple." Clay said.
"Ok, just so we are on the same page, and remember I run a catering facility." Anna said with a wink. "I haven't told them yet."
"Hello" Anna called out as they walked in.
"ZiZi." Antonio yelled and came running.
"Hi baby." Anna said kneeling down and hugging the 4 year old. "How's my little man?"
"Good, I am watching Bob the Builder." Antonio said.
"ZiZi?" Clay asked.
"Zia means aunt in Italian. He calls me ZiZi." Anna shrugged. "Tony I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Clayton Webb."
"Hi Tony, you can call me Clay." Clay said.
"Noooo, he can call you Mr. Webb." Teresa said walking into the entryway. "It's not proper for a child to call a grown man by his first name. Welcome to our home." Teresa smiled. "Where have you been Pico? You haven't been here in weeks."
"Clay this is my sister Teresa and this is Giovanni." Anna said taking the 2 year old from her sister.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, will you call me Clay?" Clay said.
"Of course, I just want to make sure the boys always have proper respect for their elders." Teresa said. "Pico since you took Gio you can change him."
"Clay may I bring you something?" Teresa asked.
"No thank you." Clay said. Just then Angelo walked in.
"Hey Pico," Angelo said kissing Anna. "So is this the guy that spent the night?"
"Angelo!" Teresa and Anna both yelled.
"Sorry." Angelo laughed. "Hi, I'm Angelo nice to meet you."
"Pleasures mine. Call me Clay." Clay said.
"Pico you plan on changing Gio or just holding him like a trophy?" Teresa asked.
"I'm goin'. Clay, come with me." Anna said and they went to the small bedroom off the kitchen.
"Ok, I have to ask Pico?" Clay asked.
"Piccolo means small in Italian. Pico is a nickname. If you noticed my sister is 5'9. Somehow everyone got height except me." Anna laughed as she changed Gio.
"What I noticed is that you and your sister as so similar, even your personalities." Clay said.
"Yeah and we look alike, but I think I am cuter." Anna joked.
"So do I, but I could be biased." Clay laughed.
"Pico Clay come on lunch is ready." Teresa called out. They returned with a freshly changed Giovanni and went to the table. After Antonio said grace, the conversations and questions started to fly.
"So Clay, what's your last name?" Angelo asked.
"Webb." Clay replied.
"What do you do?" Angelo inquired.
"I work for the State Department." Clay answered. "What about you?"
"Gianetti and I am the Chief of Emergency Room Services at Mary Washington Hospital." Angelo replied.
"Mary Washington, that's right near here isn't it." Clay asked.
"Yep. That was a factor when we bought this place." Angelo said. The two men continued their conversation while the sisters chatted.
"Pico he's adorable." Teresa said. "What's the deal with him?"
"He works for the State Department. I met him when he came out to Frederick with a friend who is getting married. Ay marron, you should have seen his friend a Naval Officer in uniform." Anna said fanning her face with her hand. "Anyhow, the next day he came back."
"He's seems nice, not Italian but nice. You plan on introducing him to Ma and the rest?" Teresa asked.
"Yep he's coming home with me at Christmas." Anna said.
"Does Ma know? I talked to her this morning and she didn't say a word." Teresa said.
"That's because she doesn't know yet. You know how she gets. Not a word." Anna warned.
"ZiZi are you staying here tonight?" Tony asked.
"Not this time." Anna said.
"Ok, can Mr. Webb stay?" Tony asked.
"Thanks Tony." Clay said smiling.
"You're both welcome to stay." Angelo said.
"Thanks Angelo, another time." Anna said.
They continued eating and talking about an hour later the front door opened and a couple walked in.
"Did we miss them?" A female voice called out.
"Teresa what did you do?" Anna asked turning pale.
"Hey what can I say, I happened to mention that you were coming over today and bringing a guy. Really now how often does that happen?" Teresa smiled.
Anna looked at Clay and mouthed I'm sorry. "What are you guys doing in Virginia?"
"Vinny had a meeting so I decided to come along. We were going to go back this morning but Teresa said you were coming by today." Frankie replied. "And who is this?"
"Frankie and Vinny D'Alessio, this is Clay Webb." Anna said. Clay stood up; they exchanged greetings and took their places at the table.
"Pico he's a cutie, nice rear too." Frankie said.
"Never you mind his rear." Anna said.
"So how did you meet?" Frankie asked.
"He was with a friend who was booking at the Landon House." Anna replied.
"How long has it been?" Teresa asked.
"About three months." Anna said. "I think he is going to hang around for a bit."
"Sure until he finds out about everything." Frankie said. "He'll freak like the others."
"He knows he's known for a while." Anna said. "
"Anna does he know everything?" Teresa asked.
"Just about," Anna replied.
Teresa glanced across the table at Angelo and then looked back at Frankie and motioned her head towards the back door.
"Clay have you been outside yet? The backyard is beautiful." Frankie said getting up from the table. "Come on kids. Let's show Mr. Webb your swing set."
"Oh ok." Clay said looking at Anna who just nodded. He got up and went outside with Frankie and the boys.
"What's going on?" Vinny asked.
"Ask Anna." Teresa said.
"What?" Anna snapped. "His name is Clayton Webb, he's a blue blood, he works for the State Department and I like him a lot."
"What does he know?" Angelo asked.
"I told him about Grandpa and your grandfathers too." Anna said. "He's fine with it. He actually said we should be proud of how we have turned out."
"Does he know everything?" Vinny asked.
"Well he has seen me naked." Anna said being smart-alecky. "Wadda ya think he didn't notice the scar? Then again maybe he didn't, his head was elsewhere."
"Your mother would slap you for talking like that." Vinny said.
"Vinny don't go there." Anna snapped flicking her hand at him.
"What does he know Anna?" Angelo asked trying to calm the situation.
"He knows I was shot." Anna replied.
"Anything else," Teresa said shaking her head.
"What? He knows what he has to." Anna said glaring at them.
"Anna look it's not fair to him. He should know everything." Angelo said.
"What if you end up getting serious before he finds out?" Vinny added. "He might leave."
"What if you all mind your own business?" Anna snapped.
"It is our business." Angelo stated. "You have to tell him."
"Angelo, nothing has happened in 5 years. What is the big deal?" Anna asked.
"Tell me something, does he know you were a lawyer?" Teresa asked.
"Yes and I am a lawyer." Anna said.
"He didn't wonder why you aren't practicing." Vinny asked.
"I said I like hospitality better. Besides I've have been practicing." Anna said.
"Anna that's not wise." Teresa said. "What type of law?"
"Criminal and it's fine." Anna said.
"We will discuss that later but Anna right now you have to tell him, everything." Angelo advised.
"We are not discussing anything." Anna snapped. "This is my life. And since when are any of you the boss? I am the one who's handled everything since Dad died."
Just then the door opened and Frankie, Clay and the boys came back in.
"It started raining." Frankie said.
"It's fine." Angelo said leaning back in his chair. Clay walked over to Anna and protectively put his hand on her shoulder.
"Tony, take Gio and go watch Bob in the family room." Teresa said.
"Ok mommy, come on Gio we are gonna watch Bob." Tony said and the boys toddled out of the room.
"Is everything ok?" Clay asked sitting down next to Anna.
"It's fine." Anna said looking at Clay.
"Clay, Anna said she told you about our family history." Angelo stated.
"Yes she did. And from what she has said I am guessing that you are the grandson of Massimo Gianetti and you Vinny are the grandson of Alberto D'Alessio. Frankie I am not sure who your grandfather is." Clay replied.
"My grandfather was Salvatore." Frankie said. "Anna is my first cousin."
"Oh so basically everyone stayed within the group?" Clay said quietly. "And I'm not part of the group."
"Clay it's not that at all." Anna assured him.
"Clay, you seem like a nice guy and Anna likes you. That's all we need to know. But there are some things you should know." Teresa said.
"I'm listening." Clay replied.
"Anna told you about the incident in 1992?" Angelo said.
"Yes she did." Clay nodded.
"Angelo I will." Anna interrupted. "Clay, I didn't tell you everything."
"Anna I told you, you only have to tell me what you are comfortable with." Clay said.
"I know, but they fell you should know everything up front before we get serious. This way you can leave before either of us gets hurt. They are sure you will leave once you hear everything." Anna said. "When I got shot it wasn't exactly because they were sending a message to my father." Anna took a deep breath and tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about the past.
"Anna let me." Teresa said and Anna nodded. "Clay, before Anna started working at the Landon House, she worked as an investigator for the Federal Prosecutor's Task Force on Organized Crime. They are a team of lawyers that were and still are assembled to bring an end to it."
"Go on." Clay said.
"Anna has my father's zeal for bringing these men to justice. I on the other hand, prefer corporate law. Anyway, in order to gather evidence Anna went inside from 1990-1992, it was the evidence she collected that was a major factor in the convictions."
"Ok." Clay said looking at all of them.
"The shooting was an attempted hit, and not the only one." Angelo said. "Someone close to Anna's was killed as a result in 1997."
"We just feel that you should know everything. You should know the whole truth." Teresa said.
"Is that it?" Clay asked dryly. He then sat back in his chair and looked at them. "I know. I know she was on the inside, I know that from 1992-1997 there were 8 attempts on her life. I know that she single-handedly gathered more evidence against Organized Crime than any one had at the time and it was that information that sent Corelli among others to jail. I know that the Corelli Family killed her fiancé in 1997, which is why Anna left the Task Force. I also know that since she left the Task Force, there have been no attempts on her life. I also think they were trying to scare her and that her fiancé's death was a tragic accident. If they really wanted her dead, they would not have missed the first time. Was there anything else?"
"You knew?" Angelo asked in shock. "You seem to handle it all rather well."
"We all have our secrets and I told Anna to tell me whatever she was comfortable with. She would have eventually told me if and when I needed to know." Clay said.
"Well wadda ya know." Teresa said.
"How long have you known?" Anna asked.
"Since about a week after we met." Clay said looking at Anna. "I did use a contact, sorry for not telling you."
"You aren't scared?" Frankie asked.
"The only thing I am scared of is Anna's temper." Clay smiled. Which, got laughs from her family.
"You have to understand, she's the baby. The last grandchild born and we are very protective of her." Vinny said.
"I do," Clay replied.
"Clay I didn't know how to tell you." Anna said finally breaking her silence.
"Let's just put this behind us." Clay offered. "I'm not going anywhere, unless we decide to end this." Whoa Webb you're becoming a soft, he thought.
They all sat in silence. Anna's family was impressed with Clay; they liked him. He wasn't Italian, but nobody's perfect.
"Hey we've been sitting here for 2 hours. How about I make us a nice dinner, and you all spend the night?" Teresa said.
"Sounds good; but Teresa you have never made a nice dinner in your life. I'll cook." Anna teased.
"Pico you're a brat." Teresa said. "Why don't you men go away? We'll call you when dinner is ready." The three men left the table. Anna got up and attacked the kitchen.
After an hour, Anna announced that dinner was ready. Teresa had set the dining room table; it was more comfortable than the kitchen. They group sat for dinner and once again conversations flew. There was laughing and joking.
Clayton Webb sat and watched them all. The way they teased each other and even the bickering that was nothing more than an expression of the love among them. He watched as they debated any topic; hands waving and even utensils were waved; used to emphasize a point. They stayed the night in Fredericksburg, in the morning after a family breakfast they left, but not before Clay was hugged by all. It was a family setting like he had never seen before. Suddenly Clayton Webb realized it was a family setting that he wanted. The question was could he let down his guard to have all this and still be effective at his job.