I was very impressed with myself for such a long chapter before, but I forgot the word limit and there's more coming so obviously I needed to cut it in half.


The morning came, and she felt the sun on her face. But it was shining on her in a different place than it does in her room. It was creep from her right eye along the length of her face. But here it started from her chin up. Her hair was splayed out, and she turned to see a sleeping man beside her that wasn't her fiance. A hand over her head, and an arm draped over her naked torso.

Nicklaus. His face half-buried in the pillow, hair even more messy than when she met him...just yesterday. His head twitched.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Nick asked groggily.

"What?!" Caroline grabbed the blankets around her and covered herself as best she could.

"Take it easy."

"I thought if I stayed away from the City Hall corner I wouldn't have the bad luck I had again."

"Don't just get excited." He replied, turning out of bed and she saw a huge feather tattoo on the back of his shoulder. She picked up the clothes that had been thrown over the side of the bed and stormed into a closet there.

"You're making me feel guilty." He accused.

"I'm marrying your brother!" She exclaimed.

"Alright, I'm guilty, I confess!" Nick said snidely.

"The wedding is in a couple of weeks! How come you weren't like your brother and go see your mother in Palermo?"

"She doesn't like me."

"You don't get along with anyone, do you?"

The door opened and she saw with relief, he was wearing a robe.

"What did you do?" Nick asked with a sleepy smile, like he was about to pull her out of the closet and start tickling her.

"What did I do?!" Caroline accused, shutting the door again. It opened.

"You ruined my life!" He laughed.

"That's impossible!" She replied before shutting it again and quickly getting dressed. "It was ruined when I got here. You, ruined my life."

She heard Nick's weight sink into the bed.

"No, I didn't." He said almost carefree. She burst out of the door.

"Oh yes you did, oh yes you did!" She fumbled with her boots, having gotten most of her clothes back on. "You have bad eyes, like a gypsy. And I don't know what I didn't see it last time. Bad luck, that's it. Is that all I'm ever gonna have?!"

She sat down on the bed beside him to get her shoes on.

"I'm gonna marry him, do you hear me?" Nick stood from the bed and leaned against the door frame to his bedroom. "I'm gonna marry him, and you and I are gonna take this to our graves."

"I can't do that." Nick said.

"Why not?" She asked hurriedly, retrieving what clothes she didn't already get before.

"I'm in love with you." Nick replied in annoyance at himself, as well as her. Without hesitation, Caroline slapped him. His head turned slowly back to hers. She slapped him again, harder.

"Get over it!" She ordered.

"I can't!" The inflection of his voice made it sound like she was the crazy one.

"Well I guess we'll never see each other again, and the bad blood will have to stay between you and your brother forever." She walked as quick as she could to the kitchen. "And you can't come to the wedding."

"I'll come to the wedding." He challenged.

"I'm telling you you can't come!" Caroline snapped back at him. She pinned her hair back and grabbed her purse.

"He wants me to come."

"That's because he doesn't know." She stormed down the hallway to his front door.

"Wait, sweetheart, listen." Nick protested. Caroline yanked her cardigan on over her shirt as she kept walking. But she had to stop to get her coat off the rack anyway. "I won't come to the wedding, provided one thing."

"What."

"Will you...come with me tonight to the opera?"

"Seriously?" Caroline demanded, tucking her clothes in carefully and hoping no one from his bakery would see her this early in the morning, though she doubted it. She dreaded the look on Cami's face.

"I love two things. I love you, and...and I love the opera. If I could have the two things I love together for one night that I'd be prepared to give up...hell. To give up, the rest of my life."

"Alright." Caroline relented. If this was his only condition, so be it.

"Alright?" His hands were folded together as if a prayer below his chin and she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Alright!"

"Meet me at the Met."


She knew where the Met was, from asking Damian once. All she had to do was prepare herself for the night. Her family was off working, Stephan was in Italy, and she had no appointments with other people go to. She was free for the night. It was like God was giving her this night off to hold onto for the lifetime of a loveless marriage.

Then, she was actually at the Met. But she was going with someone else she...cared about. Caroline tried to push the butterflies away at the prospect of seeing Nick again and couldn't. Instead she just walked down the huge front of the opera house, waiting to see Nick somewhere.

She kept telling herself she didn't know why she'd gotten so prettied up. Got her hair done, bought a new dress and shoes, tried out a tube of red lipstick she'd never gotten out for anybody, not even Tyler. But she was as pretty now as she felt she would ever be. Probably wouldn't even look this good on her wedding day. Nicklaus would get that honor, the bastard.

Caroline neared a lit up fountain, with the water being shot tens of feet into the air in beautiful cascades. Why had she never come before this?

Then she saw him. Holy God Almighty he looked handsome. Probably had rented a tux, she hadn't seen one in his closet. The vest, bowtie and shirt underneath were all new-white as if made for this night. His hair actually combed and slicked back. Black gloves to hide his hand and a long coat. Looked like a proper gentleman that still needed a haircut.

And when his eyes met hers, she could barely contain a grin at his reaction. His eyes looked so sad, but his mouth hung open in shock and awe. He clearly couldn't believe a woman as stunning as her was with him.

When he walked to meet her, his eyes never left hers.

"Hi." His dumbfounded greeting.

"Hi." She awkwardly replied. She could contain her grin anymore, and didn't try to. Nick's mouth still hung open but he tried to right himself.

"You look beautiful!" Nick nearly shouted. She nodded awkwardly. "Your hair."

"Yeah, I had it done." She replied. "You look, uh, beautiful too."

"Thank you." He nodded politely. He took a step in and tried to kiss her. She smiled with a new group of butterflies exploded in her chest.

"No." She stepped back and he blinked rapidly, like she'd punched him in the gut with brass knuckles. "I said I'd go to the opera with you but, that's all." She looked at him, half hoping he'd call this off so she wouldn't have to live with this guilt and she could just go in by herself. Maybe not even go in at all.

But Nicklaus smiled at her and nodded, then cautiously went to take her arm. She watched him and he held her eyes.

"Let's go in."

They went into the building, Caroline staring in wonder at the beauty of the place. She couldn't help pointing things out and voicing how impressed she was. Chandeliers, huge paintings and the architecture of the place were all stunning. And Nick loved how impressed she was, grinning from ear to ear with every step.

Then when they were about to go into the main room, so Nick took her coat.

An ethereal blue gown she'd picked for the opera, not him, was behind her silver scarf and usual black coat. Nicklaus's eyes widened at the sight and he grinned.

"Wow." He folded her coat over his arm and thanked her.

"For what?" She asked in confusion.

"I don't know. Your hair, your beautiful dress. It's been...a long time, since I've been to the opera." He continued to smile wistfully at her with love in his eyes before she nodded, trying to change the subject before she jumped him right there. She knew now that he wasn't just going off of some morning afterglow. He really had fallen in love with her.

"Where are we sitting?" She asked

"Come on," Nick gestured excitedly, nearly carrying her coat in with them. The usher took the coat and thanked them, taking their ticket stubs and leading them to a huge valley of seats nearly as beautiful as the stage set out before them. She and Nick awkwardly ended up sitting in-between a few other older couples that seemed to know their story from their appearance, judging them and whispering to themselves.

As the small chandeliers, copies of the one she'd seen at the entrance, were taken up from lighting the seats to begin the show, the audience applauded.

"It's starting." Nick told her as she clapped along complacently.

The singer cut right to her very core with her beautiful voice, and before she knew it she was crying. Caroline felt a hand take hers and she let it without hesitation. Was it Nick's? Who knows. She was too involved in this opera to care about anything else.

He raised her perfect hand up to his lips, and he gave it the kiss he'd wanted to put on her cheek.

Feeling the sensation of lips on her skin, she turned to see who was kissing her. Of course it was Nick, who else? Oh God, the look in his eyes as he watched the opera. Such torture and rage. Then he felt eyes on his face, and slowly he turned to see Caroline's wide eyes on his, tears falling from her own eyes. He didn't want to look away, he swallowed, and tried to say something but she turned her head back to the opera before them.

Every minute of the opera tore her apart in the best way. She'd have to come back here somehow. And now it was over. She had to talk about it, and yet there was no one she knew that she tell about this without them learning she'd cheated on her one-day fiance.

So as they left the theater, she walked out with Nick.

"That was so...aweful." She said. She had her arm around his for balance, and felt his sharp intake of breath.

"Awful?" He asked in hurt.

"Beautiful, sad! She died!" Caroline explained, her emotions boiling at the surface. Nick grinned.

"Yes." He breathed in relief.

"I couldn't believe it, you know I didn't think she was going to die?!" She wowed, waving her hand out. "I knew she was sick..."

"She had tuberculosis, sweetheart." Nick reasoned.

"I know!" She took his arm with her free hand, her emotions now boiling over. "I mean she was coughing her brains out, and still she had to keep singing!" Nick listened to her excitement, and held onto it. The woman he loved, also was in love with the one other thing he worshiped. He didn't hear her bubbling over anymore, and saw she was staring wide-eyed at something. Or someone.

"Dad?" Caroline called. A stout man in a long expensive jacket was helping a younger man into his own expensive jacket. Both of the men froze. The stout man stared at her. "Dad, what are you doing here?" She asked, going over to him.

The short man sent the younger away.

"Wait for me by the doors, Peter." He said. The younger man scurried off. Caroline watched him go off.

"Peter?" She demanded of her father. He looked at her, then at Nick. He pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"Excuse me." He said. Caroline looked over at him as well, and the way he looked back at her...it felt like she was with him more than just for tonight. William pulled Caroline gently over to the wall of paintings.

"What did you do to your hair?!" William demanded. Caroline subconsciously reached for it, touching the newly curled blonde hair.

"I...had it done." She snapped back. William gasped and clasped his hands to his mouth.

"What are you doing here?" He asked desperately. She had a fiance!

"What are you doing here?" She asked in return, cocking her head.

"Who's that guy? You're engaged!" He accused, pointing a finger out at Nick.

"And you're in a long-term relationship with Damian!" Caroline hissed back at him. William thrust a finger at her now.

"You're my daughter. I won't have you act like a puttana!"

"And you're my father-"

"Alright!" He cut her off. "I didn't see you here." He decided.

"I don't know if I saw you here or not!" Caroline replied. William nervously tipped his hat to her, then slowly walked off, trying not to run into the wall or the other patrons. She watched her father with tears in her eyes, wondering what to think.

Nick walked to her side, and bumped her shoulder gently.

"Let's get out of here. I'll buy you a drink." He offered.

"That man was not supposed to be with my father, okay?" Caroline stated. His heart broke at the sound of her breaking voice. He put an arm around her, grinding his jaw in anger at her father.

How could he do this to his daughter?


Despite the night having been over for hours now, she was still with Nick. She was staring into space in a bar, and she hadn't left yet because she didn't want to go home...but she did. She missed her family, but she didn't want to look at her mother and hope maybe she'd be able to talk to her grandfather. She didn't want to run into Damian or her father. So she was sitting in a bar with a man she swore she'd never see again, drinking whiskey.

"Alright, last call folks." The bartender called from the corner. Caroline closed her eyes. Nick pushed a crumpled hundred dollar bill across the bar, gulping and hoping she wouldn't notice.

"What do you want to do now?" Nick asked slowly, leaning towards her.

"I wanna go home." She stated, sliding off her bar stool. They were still dressed for the opera, and she felt incredibly overdressed now, even if her coat was covering her dress.

She heard Nick saying his goodbyes to the bartender and patrons before following her out. She'd hoped he'd just leave her to fend for herself, god knows she knew how to get home from there. But he wouldn't let go of her as easily and he had promised earlier. so they walked down the street past apartments together, almost like a couple.

"It's so cold out." She said regretfully, shivering.

"Smells like snow." He agreed. He looked over at her, and seeing that she hadn't stopped shivering, he took off his coat and put it on her.

"My father's boyfriend Damian. He had a feeling he was seeing somebody else. That Peter, she's some piece of cheap goods. But...who am I to talk..." Caroline bowed her head.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked

"How can you ask me that?!" Caroline demanded, stopping.

"You're making me feel guilty again."

"You are guilty! I'm guilty." She replied. Nick smiled at her.

"About what? Only God can point the finger, Caroline."

"Yeah well, I know what I know."

"And what do you know?" Nick threw the words at her, and Caroline stared at him incredulously as he started walking again. "Okay you tell me my life? I'll tell you yours. I'm a wolf? You run to the wolf, but that doesn't make you a lamb." He stopped and looked back at Caroline who still stared at him. She'd given up the pretense that she was only there to seal a deal a while ago.

"You're gonna marry my brother." He scoffed and his breath puffed in the cold air, he looked off trying to find the words. "Why do you wanna sell your life short?" He looked her up and down, like he was undressing her in his mind. "Playing it safe's about the most dangerous thing a woman like you could do." Nick took a step towards her, then started to storm off. Caroline didn't follow him this time.

"I mean you waited for the right man the first time. Why didn't you wait for the right man again?"

"Because he didn't come."

"I'm here!"

"You're late!" Caroline snapped. The shock and hurt on his face was too much for her to stare at, so she surveyed her surroundings. Nick bowed his head, trying to compose himself. "This is your place." She accused.

"That's right."

"So this is where we were going."

"Yeah."

Nick began to smile again.

"You know, we had a deal. You said that if I went with you to the opera that you'd leave me alone forever, and I came with you! Now that I have, you're gonna leave me alone forever. Right?" Nick dropped his eyes.

"A person could see where they've messed up in their life. And they can change the way they do things, even their luck. So many my nature does draw me to you, that doesn't mean I have to go with it. I can say yes to some things and no to other things that are going to ruin everything, I can do that." Nick's sad eyes looked away in annoyance. He started to hear the loud obnoxious horn of a bus. "Otherwise, what good is this stupid life that God gave us anyway, I mean for what?" Nick would meet her eyes. "Are you listening to me?!"

"Yeah."

Caroline huffed and crossed her arms tighter, drawing the coat he gave her closer. He wondered if she was gonna give it back to him.

"Everything seems, like nothing to me now." He plainly stated to her. "I just want you in my bed. I don't care if I burn in hell." His mouth hung open as he began to pant from the thought. Caroline gave him a look. "The past and the future are just bad jokes, I see that the only things that are here, are you and me."

"I wanna go home." Caroline protested, turning away from him.

"No."

"I'm gonna go home!" She yelled at him.

"No!" He shouted back.

"I'm freezing, Nick!"

"Then come upstairs!" She didn't charge off right then. She couldn't.

"Caroline, I love you. Not like you know love to be. I didn't know either, but...love isn't supposed to make things nice. It ruins everything, and breaks your heart. But we aren't here to make things perfect. Everything around us already is. We're here to live." He held a hand out to her. His fake one. The one the wolf chewed off.

"Now come upstairs with me and get in my bed." He said. Caroline stared at him for a long time. This. This would definitely seal her fate. She would never forget this night, and she would never stop loving him if she took his hand. Stephano would maybe know eventually someday, that her heart belonged to someone else. Someone he would never be able to compete with. And someone who would be able to take her from him. But did he already do that?

"Come on." He pressed.

She just stared at him, wondering if it would be worth it to be with him for the rest of her life. Fighting every day, making love every night, going to the opera every week until she was sick of music itself and feeling the most alive and safe with the only man she'd ever felt that way with. He could tell she was beginning to consider it.

"Come on." He insisted, raising his hand more to her.

Caroline let out a slow breath and slowly, took his hand. Nick smiled, looking proud of her, and then stepped onto his doorway, opening the door. He looked back almost to make sure she was still there. Then when he'd gotten her inside, he shut the door.


She'd left before he woke up the next day. Maybe she was running back to what seemed safe, maybe not. But he hated that she wasn't in his bed like the morning before. She'd woken him up with shouting and insults, and now he'd wanted to see the imprint of her body left on the sheets next to him. But she'd made the bed as if she'd never gotten into it last night and made love to him. She was trying to erase her existence from his life. But he still remembered her dress, their night at the opera, and she'd left her scarf accidentally. That beautiful silver piece of shit would haunt him for the rest of his natural-born life if he didn't go after her right then and there.

But now he wanted to make her happy more than he wanted to sleep with her again, and again, and again. Was this what she would want?

He sat down in his little parlor room, and turned up the record player to the opera they'd attended, and let the music notes waft over him. That woman in the opera was dying, and she deemed it safe enough to shake hands with the man she loved. Caroline had admitted to him their first time that she too, was dead on the inside for so long. And then he remembered the bus.

That dead boyfriend of hers shouldn't be the last chance of happiness she could experience.

He slowly got up from the chair, taking her scarf with him, and turned off the opera.

Caroline was walking on air, even if she wouldn't admit to her last few days as soon as anybody asked. When she crossed the street in her heels she'd bought for him to see, she came across a soda can and kicked it. The opera they'd listened to before going to bed still sounded in her ears. The story she'd watched with him last night playing over and over in her mind. She could enjoy this feeling up until the very end. And so she kicked the soda can again.

Right now, she could pretend that she was this happy because she was getting married, except in front of her mother. When she saw Stephan again, she could pretend she was still riding the Nicklaus high because she was married and in love. Except in front of her mother. She and Stephano would move out when they got married anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem. She could ride that high for as long as she wanted, and she'd never see Nick again. But she didn't have to think about that.

Some people only get one minute, one hour, one day with their soulmates before going back to their real lives. She had two nights and a day. That would be able to keep her going until she died.

So she danced along slowly to the opera music still blaring, and twirled into her kitchen.

"What the hell happened to you?" Her mother demanded.

"I don't really know where to start." Caroline replied, taking a seat at the table for breakfast she could already smell sizzling on the stove.

"Your hair's different."

"Mom, everything's different."

"Are you drunk?"

"No, are you drunk?" Caroline sniped at her.

"No."

Her mother went back to the stove to get breakfast ready. She handed Caroline a cup of black coffee.

"Where's Dad?"

"Upstairs. And Stephano Miksoroni showed up last night."

That broke her buzz. She stood up.

"He's in Sicily. With his dying mother."

"Not anymore. She recovered."

"She was dying!"

"It was a miracle."

"A miracle?! This is modern times, there aren't supposed to be anymore miracles!"

"Sicily must not be in modern times yet. He came straight from the airport, he wanted to talk to you."

Caroline drew her hair up and went into overdrive. She had to change, she had to look normal, like she had when Stephan saw her last. He'd know something was up otherwise. But how to undo her done-up hair...

"You've got a love bite on your neck. He's coming back this morning, what have you done? Your life's going down the toilet! Cover up that damn thing, put some makeup on!"

"Okay fine! But you gotta help me stall him!"

"Hurry up, what-"

The front door buzzed, and they froze. Caroline clutched a sweater in her hands, and then looked back to her mother.

"You get it." She tunneled into the coat cabinet, then opened it again as the door buzzed again. "Answer the door!"

Her mother was sitting at the table, shaking her head. But she stood up and went to the door. A young man stood there, staring back at her expectantly. She opened the door to him.

"Hi, is Caroline home?" He asked.

"Come on in."

She heard the door close behind her and went to the coat cabinet.

"It's not Stephan!" She called. Caroline burst out of the piece of furniture, now dressed.

"Nick!" She greeted.

"Is Stephan here?" Nick asked. Caroline mother shook her head at the drama unfolding before her. Didn't he hear what was just said?!

"No, but he's coming."

"Good, we can get this all out in the open." He turned to Caroline's mom and put out a hand. "Hi. I'm Nicklaus, Stephano's brother."

"Elizabeth Casterini."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." She flicked at his jacket collar, making him flinch in surprise. "You got a love bite on your neck." He glanced at Caroline for how to react, and she shrugged at him.

Her mother came through the hallway as Nick took in her home.

"Your mother's recovered from death." Elizabeth called over her shoulder.

"Oh good! I mean, we're not close so I'm not really moved, but" Nicklaus followed her down the hallway. Her mother pinched her shoulder hard.

"You need to get out of here." Caroline stated, rubbing her shoulder as Nick practically towered over her in his boots.

"I'm here to meet the family," was all he said, lifting his arms emphatically.

"No really, you gotta get out of here." She insisted.

"Anyone want oatmeal?" Elizabeth called as she stirred it furiously on the stove.

"No, Mom."

"Yes Mrs. Castorini, I would love some oatmeal." Nick replied, brushing past Caroline.

"No we don't want oatmeal." Caroline said incredulously, following close behind him, hoping to stop him before he took a seat.

"Here's a plate, sit." Elizabeth told Nick, putting a bowl down on the table by Caroline's usual spot. Nick took his jacket off, biting it off his fake hand and draping it over his chair. Her scarf was askew on his shoulders as her father walked in.

"Hi." Caroline and Nick's eyes locked with William's.

"Hi." Caroline replied. Nick took her scarf off and put it on his jacket as well.

William took his seat.

"Bill, this is Nick, Stephan's brother." Elizabeth called over her shoulder to him.

"It's very good to meet you, Mr. Castorini." Nick greeted stiffly, his arm outstretched across the table and over Caroline's food. She tried to hide in it to keep from meeting anyone's eyes. She huffed in annoyance and just reached for the milk.

"When's Damian's coming?" Caroline taunted. Her father glared at her and she glared back.

"What's going on with him and Damian?" Elizabeth asked, uncaring. When no one replied, she didn't press. She came over to give William a bowl of oatmeal.

"I have a feeling, this is going to be just delicious." Nick announced, everyone freezing in place and staring at him. Caroline's face got red and she went back to trying to hide in her oatmeal.

William got a look at Nick, who had had a spoonful of his oatmeal. He was sitting next to his daughter.

"You're Stephan's brother?" William stated. Nick nodded. Then Caroline caught her father's eye. The look saying, 'well Stephan's definitely going to find out about this.'

"Don't look at me like that, okay?" Caroline demanded.

Nick evened his breathing smoothly to keep from snapping at her father in anger.

"Hi, pop." Elizabeth greeted.

Everyone's eyes turned to the withered old man at the door frame of the kitchen.

"Buongiorno." He replied. He trudged into the room.

"What's the matter, pop?" William asked. The man stopped before his son and stood over him.

"I am old, the old are not wanted. But my son, I must speak. You must pay for the wedding of your only daughter." Caroline's face lit up, and William's head hung low. "You break your house, through pride! Okay. I've said it." The man lowered himself into his chair.

"Okay, pop. If Caroline gets married, I'll pay for the whole thing." William replied. Caroline smiled, and gave her grandfather an impressed look, ignoring what Nick would have to think about this. Then she glanced at her mother and rolled her eyes.

"Bravo, my son. Bravo. Bravo." The old man praised him, patting him on the shoulder and lightly bumping a fist onto it. William nearly beamed with the words.

"Let's eat!" He said. Then they began to dig into their breakfast.

Damian came down the stairs, and no one acknowledged his presence, until he stood between William and his father. Caroline felt bad for him. The only transgression he committed was falling in love with her father, another man, and no one could forgive him for being a homosexual, even if a priest told them it was all God's will. She kicked herself for not telling him what she saw last night.

"Have I been a good man to you?" He asked. William nodded.

"Yeah."

"I want you to stop seeing him."

Caroline buried her face in her hand. Oh God, how'd he find out? She felt as ashamed of what happened as her father probably did. but Nick sat there, enjoying the show.

William then stood, and threw a fist onto the table, scaring his father. He slowly got back into his chair.

"Okay." He relented easily.

"And go to confession." Damian challenged. It felt like her grandfather and mother gasped in surprise. What did they expect from Damian, asking for a threesome?

William breathed a laugh and shook his head at himself.

"When a man understands one day that his life is built on nothing...that is one crazy day." William mused aloud to himself. Elizabeth's chin quivered, and she and Damian shared a look.

"Your life, is not built on nothing." She told him.

"Yeah." William replied sarcastically. Damian put a hand on his shoulder.

"Te amo." He said. William looked up at him and smiled. He took Damian's hand and kissed it.

"Te amo."

Damian sat down beside William's father and Elizabeth got him a bowl of oatmeal. Caroline shook off the awkward silence and looked at Nick. He smiled at her. She rolled her eyes with a smile back and turned back to her food.

The door buzzed again. This was going to be Stephan, for sure.

"I'll get it." Caroline said, standing.

"I'll get it." Nick protested. "I think I should tell him."

"I'll tell him." Caroline replied. She looked down at her father. "What am I gonna tell him?"

"Tell him the truth, Care. They find out anyway." Damian and Caroline both chuckled at that. "No matter what, you're still my daughter." William added. Caroline kissed his head.

"Hi, Caroline."

"Hi!" She saw her father's sister Juliet in the doorway with her husband Ramon. They stood very solemn, with grave faces. "What's wrong?"

"Is there something you want to tell us, honey?" Juliet asked.

"No?"

"We've just come from the bank." Ramon replied.

"Yeah?" Realization dawned on her and she gasped. "Oh my God, the bank! I forgot to make the deposit!"

So there was in fact an errand she'd needed to run the night before last, getting the money from her aunt and uncle's deli to the bank. She was entrusted to do it every week, taking hundreds of dollars in her purse, to the bank. It was really the safest thing, especially since they'd been robbed when Ramon still took the money.

The commotion died down after a minute, Caroline promised to tell her father what'd happened later, and kept ignoring Nicky. She could tell it was making him annoyed, but what did he expect when he came here all romantic-gesture and uninvited when nobody wanted him?

Ramon sat next to Damian, nursing a cup of coffee. Julieta sat by Nick, looking around to everyone else with the obvious question in her eyes.

Who in the world is this?

"So what're we doing?" She asked out loud.

"Waiting. For Stephano Miksoroni." Elizabeth answered

Nick piped up. "I'm Nicky."

"Stephan's brother?" Elizabeth added.

After another uncomfortable silence. Then Nicky raised his wooden hand nonchalantly, eyeing them with curiosity. Julieta and Ramon stared at him and the gloved hand with both sympathy and suspicion. Julieta turned her gaze to William, who nodded at them both, answering their question. Yes, he had no hand. It wasn't a big deal. He turned to Caroline who replied silently with wide eyes, rolling them and turning back down to her breakfast.

"Someone, tell a joke!" Her grandfather blurted anxiously. Nick breathed a laugh and all eyes turned to him.

The door buzzed again. Who else in this family could show up before Stephano finally did?

"I'll get it." Julieta announced, setting down her coffee and getting up from her seat. She glanced back several times, confused why everyone was so solemn. But she was sure she'd find out soon enough, as she hurried down the hallway to get this show on the road.

Caroline let her head fall into her hand. Ramon looked to everyone else.

"I thought Stephan was in Palermo." He asked, gesturing with his hands. Nicky laughed with derision and no one eyed him this time.

Stephan seemed to be psyching himself up right until the moment all Castorini eyes were on him. He chuckled awkwardly and smiled.

"Caroline." He greeted her. She nodded a greeting, self-conscious about her done-up hair and drawing her normal clothing farther over her skin to cover it in shame. Then he saw a body move by her. His brother.

"Nicky!" Stephan greeted him happily. "Let's not let five years go by without seeing each other, yeah?" He added. Nicky laughed in agreement, the motion not going to his eyes.

Everyone knew something and wasn't telling him.

"Have you come to make peace with me?" Stephan asked excitedly. Nicky breathed hard.

"Yes." He lied. "But..." He stood up to meet his brother's gaze, "you may not want to."

"Oh Nicky, of course I want to!"

"Stephan, your mother was dying, I mean how did she recover?" Caroline blurted. Her fiance smiled at her with his eyes.

"I told my mother we were to be married. And she got well, right away."

"I'm sure she did." Nicky replied

"It was a miracle." Stephan agreed. The others chimed in with congratulations as Caroline stood.

"Stephan, I-I have something that I have to tell you."

"And I have something to tell you! But I must speak to you alone." Stephan replied, pointing down the hallway as he turned.

"No, I need my family around me right now." Caroline protested. His smiled faded but he nodded.

"Caroline," He began, to which she nodded, "I can't marry you."

Caroline's eyes grew wide. "What?!" She protested, ignoring Nicky's hidden grin.

"If I marry you, my mother will die!" Stephan protested back.

"What the hell are you talking about, we're engaged!" Caroline protested

"Caroline, what are you talking about?" Nicky demanded, deep hurt in his voice.

"I'm talking about a promise okay," she snapped, waving her hands in Stephan's direction "he proposed!"

"Well my mother was dying and now she's not!" Stephan shot back at her.

"Oh Stephano, you're 42 years old and your mother is still running your life," Nick groaned.

"And you're a son that doesn't love his mother!" Stephan threw back at him.

"You're a liar okay, because I have a ring right here." Caroline yelled, coming around the table and waving her hand with his ring on it in his face. Everyone else at the table saw the fear and sadness on Nicky's face.

"Oh, I must ask for that back." Stephan replied calmly.

"The wedding is off, then." Caroline hissed at him, throwing the ring at his stomach, he grimaced. Nicky raised his one hand to his hip, ready for something.

"In time you'll see this is the best thing!" Stephan protested, getting down on his knees to retrieve his ring.

"In time you'll drop dead and I'll come to your funeral in a red dress!" Caroline snapped, standing over him. She went back to her seat.

"Caroline?" Nick asked.

"What!" She snapped, keeping her eyes off of him. She hadn't meant to sound so angry right then, it was just still bubbling over, and now she felt bad.

What big thing was going to happen now?

"Will you marry me?" Nicky asked.

"What?!" Stephan yelled in surprise, barely having gotten the ring. William and his father both had stooped to help him, and all eyes turned to the new scene unfolding.

"Where's the ring?" Caroline asked in annoyance. Nick looked to his brother.

"Steph, can I borrow that ring?" Nick asked, reveling in Caroline's surprised face staring at him. Stephan looked wistfully at his favorite pinkie ring, then begrudgingly handed it over.

Nick held the ring between two fingers in front of his own face. Then he chuckled, and turned to everyone else, before facing Caroline.

"Caroline Castorini," She nodded. "Will you marry me?" He asked again.

"Yes Nicky, in front of all these people I'll marry you." Caroline replied with a smile.

"You love him, Care?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mom, I love him so much." She replied as Nicky took her hand and put the ring right back where it had been.

"I'm sorry honey, that's too bad."

"She loves me." Nicklaus said aloud to everyone. Caroline smiled at him and kissed him, before hugging him. Safe upon loved upon safe. She didn't even care that he still needed a freaking haircut.

Then she saw her grandfather crying in his chair.

"What's the matter, pop?" Her father asked.

"I'm confused." The old man sobbed. He nodded in agreement.

With their hands together, it was now time for celebration. Everyone actually liked Nick, and the fact that Caroline was still marrying a man born in Italy was no small feat in their book. The wine glasses came out, and every glass was filled two or three times a person. Everyone in the room kept cheering, and Stephan was slumped on top of the radiator, completely stunned by today's events. Caroline couldn't care less. The idiot probably was just counting down the days until he got his damn ring back. But honestly, what kind of ring could be bought on a baker's salary, even if he owned his own store?

'Caroline and Nicklaus!'

'To Caroline and Nick!'

Then, everyone came to the table and raised their glasses.

"A la familia, eh?" Ramon quipped.

"To family!" Stephan suddenly added. Nick's hand was free, and he used it to raise his glass. Caroline looked at him and wrapped her arm around his with a grin. He threw his head back with laughter at a joke someone just made that he didn't hear. She was going to marry him. Caroline loved him, and she agreed to marry him. Agreed in front of people. This was both of their second chance of happiness, and they were taking it.

And a month into their engagement, they were celebrating again with more wine, and he took Caroline by the waist outside of everyone's sight.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah?"

"You were right from the beginning."

"Of course I was, but what about?" She asked, nearly not hearing what he was saying as his breath came in whispers against her ear.

"I'm a wolf."