*Author's Note*

Thank you for the faves, follows, and reviews.

Winning Rocco's Respect & Approval

Geno POV:

The bell rang, signaling lunch, and I bolted from my seat, grabbed my things, and rushed out of my math class as fast as I could. Normally, I wouldn't be in such a rush, but today was different. It seems that after I nudged Gem into a locker in order to talk to her she went to the school nurse and claimed her shoulder was hurt; that she was slammed into a locker. Complete bullshit, but that got the school gossiping. So much that the halls were buzzing with all this crap about me laying hands on Gem, hurting her, flipping out cause I was dumped, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

It was all bullshit and I was sick of hearing it, so I decided to skip the rest of the day; go get a slice for lunch before showing up to the chop-shop for some extra work.

"You hear what he did to Gem?" I heard somebody whisper as I walked down the hall.

"Yea, he roughed her up cause she dumped him." I heard somebody else whisper a few feet away from the first gossiper.

As I continued on I heard another gossipy whisper of, "Mhm and she dumped him cause she found her soulmate so he was totally wrong for reacting like that."

"Heard he slammed her into a locker, dug her shoulder into too."

God, I had to endure will whispers and bullshit everywhere I went in this damn school. Everyone needed to mind their own. What goes on with me and Gem's between us, not the whole damn school. Shit.

Quickly, I made my way thru the halls, out of the school, and over to the lot across the street where my car was parked. Nobody noticed me when I jogged over to my car, unlocked it, and got inside. Seems like the neighborhood could care less if kids ditch school of not. Hell, I know that I don't even like school. In fact, I hate it. Shifting into gear and pulling out of the lot, I let of a snort at the idea that I was only still in high school cause of Gem. I saw her everyday at school, but know that she says we're over what use is school anymore. I got a job boosting cars for the local chop-shop, I might as well just drop out and do boosting full time.

Traffic was a bitch, as always, since it's New York City, but I was able to get to Lenny's for pizza without getting stuck behind too many taxis and jackass drivers. At Lenny's I ordered my usual, a large slice of extra cheese and a can of cold pop. After eating my lunch, I drove home, stewing over Gem dumping me for some old fuck soulmate that some 'Government worker in DC'. Bullshit, I bet he's some Government worker in DC. He's probably locked up or something; made up a story to get out of seeing her.

When I pulled up to my house, I discovered that my step-dad's car wasn't in the driveway, meaning that he was out working or out getting drunk. I hope it's work cause getting drunk at noon's pathetic. Eh, at least my mom's home. Unless she took the bus to go shopping or some shit, then I'd have the house all to myself. Not that I care either way.

After turning off car, I stepped out of it only to hear a nearby car door slam shut. I turned to check out the source of the noise only to see a large middle-aged guy near a car that was straddling the curb between my house and the neighbor's. I figured he was here to visit my neighbor, so I just turned around and started to walk towards my front porch steps. I was half-way to them whenever I felt a large hand grab my shoulder. Before I could react, I was spun around. The large guy was towering over me as he asked in a cold and dry tone, "Yo, you Geno who works for Salieri's chop-shop?"

"Yea, that's me. Why?" I snarled, knocking his hand off of my shoulder.

"A friend of mine's very pissed that you touched what was his. You laid hands on his soulmate, which was stupid of you." The burly man told me, grabbing my arm and wringing it behind my back in a very painful hold. "Brock's pissed that you jammed up his girl's shoulder, so yours has got to snap." He told me, very calmy, right before twisting my arm a certain way very quickly; making my shoulder pop out of its socket in a loud and sickening way.

"Look, man, I'm sorry. I didn't know Gem's Brock guy had connections." I told the guy, hoping that he'd buy my bullshit and leave instead of beating the shit out of me. I really didn't want to be a human punching bag for one of the Salieri family enforcers today.

"It's a little too late for sorry, Geno." The man coldly told me, shoving me to the ground. The guy pulled a tire iron out from inside of his jacket and hit me with it while explaining why with the loyalty favor logic of, "Brock and me go way back, so when he calls me up saying Lucca I need a favor I'm doing that favor the way he wants it and, kid, he wants you hurting cause you made his soulmate hurt."

"Holy shit! Stop, you're gonna break my arm!" I screamed at the guy as he hit my 'good' arm over and over again with the tire iron while kicking me in the guy with steel toed boots.

"That's the idea, kid." The man snickered, hitting my arm with the tire iron again. I heard a crack and felt the bones snap in my arm. Fuck…now I got too bum arms. Holding the tire iron in one hand and pulling me up by the hair with the other, he said, "You look like you need some work done to your face while we're at it." I braced myself for the in pact of a tire iron hitting me face, but what I thought it'd feel like and what it really felt like were too different things. When the tire iron connected with my jaw, I knew it was broken. I just knew.

I made painful squeaking and grunting sounds as the enforcer tossed me onto the ground like I was nothing. He didn't say a word to me, just pointed the tire iron at me, in warning, before walking over to his car and taking off down the road.

Shit. Now I really hope my mom's not home. She's going to freak when she sees me like this…

Gem POV:

My shoulder was stiff and bothered me all day. It had a burning ache to it, but I just pushed thru the day. Brock contacted me during lunch via our bond to check on me since his shoulder was experiencing the pain mine was due to our strong bond. We were bonded in every way a soulmate could be, not just one or two, so he felt everything I did and vice versa so he was concerned that I might need to go to the ER or free clinic to get checked out. I assured him that I was fine; that I could finish up my school day and just have my Nonna or Auntie take a look at it when I got home. Brock wasn't too happy about that, but he accepted it.

Anyways, my school day seemed to drag on. Between all the whispers behind my back, wild gossip, and stares paired with my throbbing shoulder, I was having a real shit show of a day. So, when the end of day bell rang, I couldn't have been happier.

After a ride on the bus (which included overhearing gossip about me and Geno from some other students) I walked home. Once I walked up the porch steps and into the house, I put down my things and made my way towards kitchen. To my surprise Uncle Rocco was sitting at the table while Nonna was doing some meal prep for one of her Italian style dinners.

"Okay, Tesoro, who hurt you?" My uncle asked as I walked by in on my way into the kitchen.

"How do you know I'm hurt?" I asked since I thought I was hiding it pretty well.

Cutting his eyes at me, my uncle said, "I've raised you for the last decade, Gem. I know when somebody hurts you."

Nonna looked at me as I leaned against a countertop and explained, "You've got a tell. See, when you're hurt you drop and drag your feet around."

"Oh…" I trailed off, nodding my head.

"Was it Geno? Hmm, did that no good son of a bitch hurt you?" Nonna asked, giving me a sympatric look.

"He shoved me into a locker cause he's mad that I broke up with him." I honestly answered my Nonna, causing my uncle to shake his head and let out a strangled scoff.

"He banged you up? Really? The nerve of that piece of shit, touching my niece. Who does he think he is?" Uncle Rocco muttered in disgust. "Connie, get a vallum and a pain pill for Gem from your stash! Geno shoved her!" My uncle loudly shouted at my aunt, who was most likely upstairs putting away laundry or something.

"I'll get her the pills as soon as I finish putting away your clothes!" Aunt Connie hollered back. The sound of her heels stomping around upstairs could be heard as she put her husband's laundry away. Yea, my auntie always wore Jimmy Choos, even in the house when most people just wore socks, house slippers, or went barefoot.

"I'm going to go pay Geno a visit." Uncle Rocco announced, standing up from the table. I didn't say a word and neither did Nonna. We just watched my uncle stalk out of the dining room/kitchen and towards the front door with an attitude that was usually reserved for when he had a 'job'. Poor Geno, his dumbass just became my Uncle's off the clock 'job'. I hope Uncle Rocco doesn't shoot him, since you know he's a mob 'mechanic' and all.

"Looks like Rocco's going to teach that awful ex of yours some manners. Hopefully he pistol whips the kid so hard that his brain'll start working."

"Nonna!" I exclaimed in a slightly scolding, slightly shocked way as she plopped some tomato paste into the large pot that had endless cans of Hunts crushed tomatoes and sauce in it.

"What? I'm just saying what we both feel." Nonna innocently smiled. Grabbing the wooden spoon from the rest near the stove, she spat, "Eugenio's a stupid little shit." Stirring the sauce pot, making sure everything was incorporated so it'd boil and melt together, Nonna scoffed, "Worse than some of the drunk servicemen that use to hang around dance halls back during World War II." Placing her wooden spoon back onto the spoon rest and going over to the fridge to grab some of the fresh herbs she had stored in the crisper drawer, she dramatically placed a hand over her heart and stated, "Thank god my Dominick wasn't a drunk when I met him, but the war had just ended so I guess he didn't have a reason to be drunk and rowdy." Closing the fridge and going over to where she had her cutting board set up, she winked mischievously, "Well, maybe just rowdy with me in the local dance hall."

"Nonna, you and Gramps are soulmates. He was supposed to get rowdy with you." I chuckled, shaking my head as my Nonna started to rough chop some herbs.

Uncle Rocco POV:

Neither my ma nor my niece said a goddamn thing when I announced I was paying Geno a visit and left. They knew better then to intervene; knew that I needed to beat that disrespectful cheap bastard's head in a bit for what he did. Laying hands of a female is unacceptable, especially when she's my niece. Geno needed to learn a lesson; I was going to teach it to him by giving him a good smack on the back of my head with my heater.

I drove my car over to Geno's in a hurry. Pulling up to the bastard's house, I saw that his car was in the driveway. Good, the lil shit's home. Quickly, I got out of my car and jogged up to the front porch. After running up the steps, I smacked the front door a bit forcefully. "Open up, Geno! I know you're in there, you cheap lil shit bastard!"

When the door opened, I was met with Geno's drunk; strung out mother instead of him. Leaning against the doorframe, bottle of half-empty limoncello dangling from her boney hand, she darky quipped, "If you're looking for my son, he ain't here. He's down at the hospital;

"What happened to him?" I asked, interested to learn who'd gotten to him before I did. I had an inkling (Arlo's ex-SEAL/GOV BLACK Ops son) on who did tho.

"Somebody jumped him in the driveway. That's all I know." She told me, bringing her bottle up to her lips. "He fucked up something, didn't he?"

"He laid hands on my niece; I'm pretty sure her soulmate sent somebody after him since he's out of town, but has connections here." I honestly told the woman who gave birth to the dumbest and cheapest motherfucker I've ever had the unfortunate chance to meet. Thank good Gem's soulmate was Arlo's boy. At least he's respectable, even tho he's got a dangerous government job.

"Of course, he fucked up in the worse way possible." Regina dryly scoffed. "Do I even want to know who her soulmate is?"

"No, you don't." I told her before turning around and walking off. I heard her slam the door shut as I walked down the porch stairs. I meant what I said, she didn't want to know who Gem's soulmate was. Arlo's son, Commander Brock Rumlow, wasn't somebody to be fucked with. Hell, he was a hood first and a military man second. Everyone knows that he enlisted in the Navy to get out of jail time up on Rikers (not that I blame him). He was a tough kid; I doubt he's changed his stripes either, despite his father thinking that the military made him a respectable and noble man.

Once a hood, always a hood.

Once my feet hit the pavement of the Bernardo driveway, I hurried down to my car. I didn't care that Geno was in the hospital, I was still going to pay the cheap fucking bastard a visit. Since guns weren't allowed in hospitals (metal detectors and all that jazz) I was going to have to improvise when it came to teaching Geno a lesson.

As I pulled out of the driveway and onto the road, a great idea popped into my head. An idea that was sure to work too.

A Few Minutes Later…

*New York Community Hospital*

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal the orthopedics floor. Bingo, just the floor I needed. I stepped off the elevator very calmly while holding a large glass vase with a Get Well Soon balloon on a stick and a bouquet of wild flowers in it. I got the flowers from the gift shop downstairs so that I could use the vase to cold cock Geno with. Glass vases were very useful; always got the job done. Just like a booze bottle to the head gets the job done too.

With my gift shop floral arrangement in hand, I strode up to the nurses' station looking like any other well-wisher looking for their sick friend or relative; not a mobster looking for the fucking cheap bastard that laid hands on his niece so he could bash his head in with a flower vase. Flashing the young nurse an easy-going smile (even tho I was anything, but an easy-going man), I asked, "Excuse me, I've got something for Geno Bernardo. What room is he in?"

Upon seeing the get well soon flowers and mini balloon, the young nurse brightly smiled, "Oh, somebody sent that handsome young man flowers." Pointing her pen down the hall, she informed me, "He's in room 710, Sir."

"Thank you, Ma'am." I politely told the nurse before departing from the station and walking down the hall.

When I reached room 710, I pushed the door opened and froze in the doorway when I saw how banged up Geno was. He was lying in bed with a cast on his arm and his mouth wired shut. He also plum and blue-black bruising along his jawline and cheekbones. The skin on his upper arms had ugly purple handprint sized bruises on them too. By the size of them, the man that put him here was large and an enforcer. I wouldn't be too surprised if it wasn't Lucca that 'taught' Geno a lesson.

I walked into the room, my shoes lightly echoing on the linoleum floor; causing Geno to turn his head. His bow eyes went big and he let out a garbled grunt that sounded like an attempt at 'leave me alone', but it was hard to tell with his mouth wired shut. "Well, I see you pissed off Brock my laying hands on Gem; he sent somebody to do one hell of a number on you." I observed, clicking me tongue, as I strode over to Geno's bedside. "Looks like Lucca's handywork. He send him?" I asked, gesturing to his injuries with a lazy wave of my hand. He let out a whinny grunt, which sound like an attempt at saying 'I dunno'. I let out a deep informative chuckle of, "Well, from the looks of it Lucca's the enforcer that Brock sent after you; him sending that man just means that he's got a dark and dangerous side. Perfect for my niece's soulmate, huh?"

Geno's eyes widened at my words as he flittered his gaze between me and the flowers I was holding. His brows furrowed, giving away that he was puzzled by me bringing him flowers from the gift shop downstairs. "Oh, this is just a little present from me to you." I chuckled, my expression a bit dark, as I held up the vase. Before he could register what was about to happen, I was swiftly cracking the glass flower vase over Geno's head. Shards of glass went everywhere, embedding deep into Geno's scalp and creating a bloody mess while water drenched him and flowers scatter around him like a sort of halo. He let out a high-pitched groan, one of shock and fear. As I balled my hand into a fist, grabbed the collar of his flimsy generic hospital gown, and punched him in to nose, I seriously told him, "Ever touch my niece again and you're dead."

Gem POV:

"Tesoro, your soulmate had an enforcer connection. Geno's laid up in the hospital; mouth wired shut and arm in a cast and sling." My uncle told me, popping his head into my room as I rested on my bed.

After giving me something for the paid, my Aunt Connie ordered me to go rest in my room til dinner was ready. Since my shoulder as sore and jammed up, she didn't want me helping in the kitchen. She told me that in a few days after my shoulder started to heal then I could resume my kitchen helper duties.

Tearing my eyes off of my tv screen and looking at my uncle, I replied, "Yea, Brock was really pissed about Geno shoving me."

"He's won my respect and approval doing that, Gem." Uncle Rocco revealed, causing my chocolate eyes to widen slightly. It was very hard to gain his respect, so him saying that Brock won it was a huge deal. "You make sure to tell him that I said that too." My uncle waggled his finger at me.

"Okay, I'll tell him." I nodded, causing my uncle to nod in return.

"Get some rest, somebody'll holler for ya when it's time to eat." Uncle Rocco half-smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly, before he closed my door and left me alone to rest.

Even tho my shoulder was sore, I felt excited. I couldn't wait to tell Brock that my uncle approved of him; respected him. While a commercial played on SoapNet, interrupting the dramatic episode of General Hospital, I reached out to Brock via the bond. "Hi, Brock. Can we talk?"

"Sure, baby. How're you feeling?" He replied both sincerely and warmly.

"Still sore, but better since my aunt gave me something to take the edge off and sent me to my room to rest." I honestly told my soulmate while snuggling against my bed pillows while watching tv.

"I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. I was a bit concerned about you today." The relief I felt thru our bond when he 'spoke' to me was so abundant.

Knowing that this was my chance to bring up what my uncle said, I bluntly told him, "Brock, my Uncle Rocco says you sent an enforcer to beat up Geno."

"Yea, I called in a favor with my old buddy, Lucca to make sure that Geno knew not to lay his hands on you again." Brock told me in a 'damn straight' type of attitude via our bond.

"My uncle says Lucca landed Geno in the hospital; that you won his respect and approval by sending your friend to do that." I revealed, over the moon that my uncle approved of my soulmate.

"Really? He's not upset that he couldn't break the dickweed's neck himself?"

"No, he's not upset, but knowing Uncle Rocco he probably smacked Geno around for a good measure warning."

A few silent moments ticked by before Brock asked, "Are you upset?"

"No. I'm not." I honestly told him. Propping myself up in bed with my pillows while watching soaps, I went on to admit, "I know why you did it and, in a way, I guess I'm flattered that you'd pull some strings to go after my ex that hurt me."

"Baby, I'd do anything for you. You're my soulmate, who I thought I'd never have, and you mean a lot to me."

"Yea, but we still can't meet even tho I mean a lot to you." I reminded him.

"Gem, baby, my life's too dangerous and complicated right now, but I promise that we'll meet as soon as things calm down." He told me in a tone that was meant to be soothing.

"Okay." I sighed into our bond. I didn't like that his life was too dangerous and complicated at the moment, but I'd accept it. I mean I didn't have a choice, huh?

"Get some rest, baby. We'll talk some more later." Brock told me before closing our bond, leaving me alone with my thoughts so that I could nap and heal.

AN:

I hope you guys liked this chapter. So, Geno got beat up twice and Gem now knows that Brock will 'protect' her. Next chapter will be a small time jump.