Bucciarati expected the day to end without any incidents. He completed the daily tasks of his squad while they were completing a mission, and he chatted with the locals to gain their trust. No one in the team was frantically calling him, nothing implied that the mission had gone awry, so he had no reason to worry.
Alessia suddenly phoned Libecco's, distraughtly requesting Bucciarati. Apparently, Abbacchio had returned home early without warning, not even regarding her as he tearily held Liliana with desperation.
He assured her that he would check on Abbacchio soon before hanging up the phone.
Bucciarati didn't have much time to ponder the whereabouts of his team, as Fugo and Narancia frantically approached him at Libecco's at the end of the day. Before Bucciarati could ask Fugo what happened, Narancia spoke very distraughtly.
"The guy, Corvo, we got him good and got information out of him. But for some reason he just mentioned smelling baby shampoo on Abbacchio's hands, and Abbacchio just snapped! I've never seen him so scared before! I don't know much about him, but if he has a kid, I don't want her to get hurt. So I used Aerosmith to shoot Corvo! I don't know if it was the right decision, but I've never seen a dad actually care about his child before. I didn't expect Abbacchio to be like that, but he was so upset… he looked genuinely worried for her and even though I didn't know about her until now… I couldn't stand by… I couldn't…"
As Narancia lost his words and began to tear up, Bucciarati knelt down and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You did good, Narancia. I'm sure that Abbacchio agrees with me. He's just feeling a lot of emotions right now. Where is he?"
"I told him to go home," Fugo said. "Just to make sure that she was unharmed. Don't worry about the body by the way, we took care of it."
Bucciarati thanked Narancia and Fugo for their excellent work and commanded them to return to their homes, promising that he would confirm Abbacchio's well-being.
He wondered how fast he was walking to the apartment. Bucciarati was never one to run to his destinations, but threatening a baby for having a mafioso for a father when it wasn't her choice? It made his body panic.
He had never expected one of his targets to be so heartless in front of his team. The safety of Abbacchio and Liliana had to be verified as soon as possible.
The apartment was eerily quiet when he entered. Liliana's toys were scattered across the living area, papers and books laid on Abbacchio's desk. The door to the bedroom was ajar.
Opening the door as softly as possible, Bucciarati leaned forward and turned his head to find the little family.
Abbacchio sat on the rocking chair, his relaxed expression a stark contrast to his tear-stained cheeks. Liliana laid tightly in his arms, her face so deeply nuzzled into her father's neck that it was difficult to see her small face. Both were peacefully asleep.
They were safe.
Bucciarati leaned against the doorframe as he sighed in relief. He couldn't have imagined how scared Abbacchio felt in the moment, Although Liliana was not harmed, Bucciarati knew that Abbacchio probably kicked himself for letting that be a possibility.
Realistically, it was incredibly unlikely for Corvo to hurt Liliana. He only realized Abbacchio had a child because of his enhanced sense of smell. There were no allies for him to call that could finish the threat for him.
He truly was an idiot. His intimidation tactics extended his life for a few minutes and made his death very brutal.
But he scared Abbacchio. His threats mentioned the one person Abbacchio and Bucciarati worked so hard to hide from the eyes of Passione.
A light whine interrupted his thoughts. Though he couldn't see her face, Bucciarati knew Liliana was upset by the flailing of her arms and legs.
Abbacchio released a small groan, nuzzling his chin deeper into his daughter's hair.
After the fight with Corvo, Bucciarati wanted Abbacchio to rest. Without thought, Bucciarati lifted Liliana into his hold, doing so subtly as to not wake Abbacchio. He rubbed her back and shushed her as he walked out of the room, taking one last look at Abbacchio to reassure that he was still asleep. Sticky Fingers was summoned to write a small note that Liliana was in another room in Bucciarati's care; Abbacchio would surely awake and immediately have a panic attack if unaware of the whereabouts of his daughter.
"What's the matter, angioletta?" whispered Bucciarati as he quietly shut the door.
Liliana whined louder, batting her fists against his chest. Her tiny face was scrunched in frustration with lips in an adorable pout that reminded him so much of Abbacchio.
"Shhhhhhh. Your papa has had a rough day, so let's not wake him up. It's alright, Liliana."
The girl was a loud crier, always demanding her needs be met within seconds. If Bucciarati could not determine the source of her growing irritation soon, then her screams would wake Abbacchio.
She opened her eyes and squinted at Bucciarati before softly wailing. It wouldn't be long until her cries increased dramatically in volume.
"It's okay, you're okay. You're hungry, right? I've got you. You'll be alright, Liliana."
Bucciarati rarely stumbled over his words, but the pressure of calming a baby and letting Abbacchio sleep made him ramble. He was unfamiliar with Abbacchio's methods of soothing her, so he could only hope his comforting words were similar.
Despite his lack of confidence, Liliana was relaxing in his hold and quieted her displeasure to small whimpers. She glanced upward at Bucciarati, fussing as she nudged her head against his neck, releasing an adorable sigh once she settled.
Oh.
While Bucciarati was glad that he managed to calm the baby, he didn't expect her to cuddle against him. He saw her about once a month, practically a stranger in her eyes. How did he quell her tears so quickly?
He readjusted his hold of her as he gave Liliana her bottle. She made no complaints as she drank, leaning her head heavily against his chest and playing with his fingers that held the bottle.
Bucciarati should have felt proud that he successfully soothed a baby as fussy as Liliana, but there were strange feelings arising. There was a fuzzy warmth in his chest, like all of his worries had gone away. It felt wonderful to be so wanted and welcomed, but he didn't deserve it.
When Liliana was born, Bucciarati assigned him as a guardian of the Abbacchio family. He would shield the girl from the eyes of Passione and assist Abbacchio in whatever he could to protect them. There was nothing more to his role.
He couldn't avoid interacting with Liliana forever. Going to Abbacchio's small apartment, it was difficult not to notice her presence, even if she was sleeping in the other room.
Abbacchio once confided in him about the shakiness in his hands when he held Liliana on her first night at their home. There was no blood on his hands, but he could not stop seeing splotches of red as he cradled her. He said it was wrong for her to be solely in his care after all the deaths he caused.
Bucciarati's words of advice were simple: as long as Abbacchio did what he considered fair and just to support himself and Liliana, then he was a suitable, devoted father.
If only Bucciarati could follow his own guidance.
He wanted to consider himself a good person; the people of Naples practically adored him and he helped his team recover from their lowest points.
But he was unable to forget the trail of bodies he left behind, his years-long ignorance of the Passione drug trade, and the failure to protect his father.
Happiness did not belong to Bucciarati. Relationships with family and close friends ended with severe injuries or death.
Liliana finished her meal, pushing away the bottle and resting her head against his neck with a sigh and smile. Sensing her soft breaths, Bucciarati attempted to bury his protective feelings for her.
Holding her felt peaceful and he wanted these warm and fuzzy emotions to continue, but she couldn't get hurt because of him. Abbacchio would kill him if Liliana was harmed.
Patting Liliana's tiny back, Bucciarati raised his eyebrow when he heard shuffling noises in another room. Panicked footsteps followed, and then the door to the bedroom opened to reveal its occupant.
Abbacchio's face was red from previous crying, his expression distressed. Looking down at Liliana, his face softened and he teared up in relief.
Liliana did not notice his anxious expression due to her excitement at seeing her father. She pulled away from Bucciarati and held out her hands. Abbacchio was quick to pick her up and hold her tightly.
"Liliana," he whispered to her, stroking her hair in comfort and smiling at her babbles. "I'm so sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?" Bucciarati questioned as he stood up.
"I… I'm ruining her life," softly answered Abbacchio, rocking the baby to calm both of them. "She was born with a connection to Passione because of me. She'll never be safe. No one close to me is ever safe. They all end up dead! That can't happen to her. She's so innocent. I don't want to let her go. I've never felt so happy, and it's all because of her. I can't lose that."
"Leone, you won't. You're an amazing father to Liliana, and we are making sure that nothing bad happens to her."
Bucciarati guided Abbacchio to the couch. Liliana patted her father's cheek, wiping away his tears. Abbacchio responded with a brief smile and kiss to her tiny forehead.
"But nothing good ever happens to people important to me. I thought that Liliana would be the exception. She's so goddamn happy all the time, which isn't like me, but I think it was rubbing off on me. But that stupid Corvo. He threatened her…"
"And that's all it was: a threat. I understand how scary it must have felt, but like you said, Corvo was stupid. Besides, no one else knows about her. She's perfectly safe."
"But how long is that gonna last for? Everyone in my life ends up dead. Always. My police partner wasn't the first one. My parents, my sister…"
Huh? Sister?
According to Abbacchio himself, he was an only child. Bucciarati didn't remember any mentions of a sibling in his arrest records. When regarding his family, Abbacchio only spoke about his parents. Abbacchio having a sister had no logic.
Bucciarati put his confusion aside as he watched Abbacchio cry harder, making Liliana fuss.
"Hey, hey," he comforted, rubbing Abbacchio's back as he picked up a small stuffed elephant from the floor and gave it to Liliana. "This isn't temporary. You are Liliana's father, now and forever. You'll make sure she has a happy life because she has you wrapped around her finger. I know that moving on from the past is a difficult journey, but I am confident that you are capable of doing so. You are Leone Abbacchio: a wonderful father and hardworking mafioso. Don't forget that."
Abbacchio took deep breaths, his tears disappearing as he bounced Liliana on his knee.
"I want to get better, I really do. Not really for myself, but for her. I still think she deserves a better father than me, but maybe if I can improve myself, then I can become better. I don't know if that made sense. It's just… I need to find some way to manage my feelings without exposing Passione."
"If it makes you feel better, I think that I need an outlet myself to vent. Assembling this team, I knew it would be tough, but it's making me reflect so much on my past. I have tried to bury it and focus on Passione, but I don't think it's working.
"You can refuse the offer if you want, but maybe we can meet up and just talk. We can figure out boundaries later. Right now, I simply wanted to make that suggestion. Since we're both the only adults in a criminal team of kids, it might help to talk stuff out."
"I think… that's probably what I need. I try to hide myself in my work and taking care of Lili, but if a moment like this happens again, I don't know what I'll do. I can't do that to her. It's not the best possible solution, but given our situations, it is probably the most ideal. So yeah, I think it could wor- Oof!"
Abbacchio was interrupted by a stuffed elephant hitting his face. The impact was extremely soft and was followed by a loud, demanding babble.
"Maybe we can continue this conversation at a later time," said Bucciarati, chuckling at Liliana's stubbornness. "I just wanted to make the offer for now. We can discuss specifics on Friday."
"That sounds good. God, I gotta explain this to Narancia. I didn't want him to know about Liliana, but his pea-sized brain caught on quickly. I really don't wanna deal with that so soon."
"That's why I said we could discuss everything on Friday."
"Huh? What's happening tomorrow that we can't talk about it then?"
"Nothing, that's what. You two deserve a nice, relaxing father-daughter day. Today was stressful for you, so you deserve some time with your family. I can handle Fugo and Narancia by myself for one day. I'm giving you the day off from work, that's an order."
Abbacchio didn't answer, staring at Bucciarati, seemingly thinking that his superior would change his orders if he gave thanks.
"A-ga," Liliana babbled, once again smacking her father's face with a plushie. "Ba ba ba."
"Alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have the day to ourselves," Abbacchio said with a sigh. "I'm sure she will be really happy about that."
Bucciarati gave a gentle nod toward the family before standing up.
"It seems that she wants your attention, so I'll leave the two of you be."
Liliana's smile somehow grew wider once Abbacchio grabbed the toy and shook it in front of her face, delighted that her papa was finally playing with her.
The sight warmed Bucciarati's heart as he exited the apartment. The very heart he worked so hard to keep locked up. He couldn't let anyone else close to him get hurt. All relationships he maintained were professional, nothing more, nothing less.
"Okay Liliana, we can play. After all, you have a thousand toys. I need to stop spoiling you."
Bucciarati wanted so badly to look behind him and join them. To actually listen to his own advice, to follow his heart.
But he couldn't.
This wasn't his family.
Abbacchio should have felt more refreshed walking to Libecco's after his day off. Liliana slept better than usual and was incredibly cheery at the amount of attention bestowed to her.
If only she didn't start crying her eyes out upon realizing that he was leaving for work.
Despite Alessia reassuring them that she could manage the extremely distressed girl – she claimed that Liliana would get distracted by one of her many toys or tire herself out – Abbacchio felt guilty. His daughter's cries still rang through his ears; even his music could not cancel out the noise.
He didn't have time to calm himself before entering the restaurant. At the entrance sat Narancia, looking around aimlessly until he noticed Abbacchio. The boy's face lit up, jumping from his spot and running toward the older man.
"Abbacchio!" He shouted. "There you are! You've been hiding from me!"
The goth sighed as he slid his headphones off his head.
"I haven't been hiding from you," he answered with a grumble. "I had an ordered day off. You want me to disobey my orders and risk betraying Passione?"
"Not that you dumbass! You ran off so quickly the other day. I just wanted to make sure you and your daughter were okay. It is a daughter, right? You mentioned something about having a girl. I think you called her Lili or something? I tried asking Bucciarati but he said that it was best for you to answer."
Abbacchio shook his head and scowled. Narancia had only known him for a month and had a strictly professional relationship. The only person he had a friendship with was Bucciarati; everyone else was either a comrade or related to work.
This kid didn't deserve to know about his personal life. Surely he would tell other Passione members about little Liliana and she would no longer have any safety, making Abbacchio spiral again.
Then again, he killed Corvo immediately upon seeing Abbacchio's panic and seemingly wished for no harm to happen to Liliana, whom he had never met. He cared for her simply because she was the daughter of one of his teammates.
Maybe he could be trusted to know about her.
Albeit not everything. Just the small details. Once again, they had only been working together for a single month.
If Narancia could manage to survive in Passione and prove his worth, then perhaps he could learn more.
"Yes, I have a daughter," Abbacchio finally answered. " Her name is Liliana. She turned five months old recently, and I'm not exactly fond of talking about her given the type of business we're in."
"You really are a dad!" said a giddy Narancia. "You're so cold and grumpy all the time so it was hard to imagine you being a parent. You even frown when you look at kids! But then that whole thing with Corvo happened and I saw how scared you were. I mean, you are old, so I guess you have some dad material."
"Old?" Abbacchio questioned. "Why are you calling me old? I'm nineteen, fuckface."
"Nineteen? But you glare like an old man! And your grey hair! Damn, sorry that you didn't beat teen pregnancy."
"Didn't beat- What? What the fuck are you talking about? Don't talk about my daughter like that, idiota!"
"Geez, sorry for being surprised that you're a teen dad and all. Wait, that means you have a girlfriend! Wow, there's so much about you that I never thought was possible! So, what's she like?"
"I don't… I don't have a girlfriend. Never have. Liliana's mother… she's not in the picture. Might be hard to believe, but I'm a single dad. Been raising her alone since she was born."
Shit. He didn't mean to reveal all that information. Damn Narancia and his ability to never stop talking.
Surprisingly, Narancia had no response to that confession. He cast his gaze to the ground, mouth agape and eyes teary.
"You're taking care of her alone?" he said quietly. "I didn't… I didn't know that could happen. My dad… If you can be a dad to your daughter without any help, then why did my old man not care. Why couldn't he be more like you? Why…"
Narancia suddenly grabbed Abbacchio's shoulders. His face was now angry, determined.
"Don't you leave her!" he shouted, staring the older teen. "Don't you dare change your mind and decide that you don't wanna be a dad anymore! Don't you fucking leave her behind!"
"I won't!" Abbacchio said in defense as his shoulders were shaken. "I won't! I promise, I won't do what your dad did to you. I won't do that to her. I told myself that the moment she was born. I love her too much to leave her behind, even though she likes to scream like a banshee."
Abbacchio lifted Narancia's arms despite their force. Well, Abbacchio was a rather tall man that exercised regularly and Narancia's limbs were twigs, so it was not very difficult.
The small teen's mood, once again, changed instantly. The smile returned and was as bright and dopey as ever. He put his hands on his hips, satisfied with Abbacchio's answer.
"Alright, I believe you," said Narancia. "So, when do I get to meet Lili?"
"First of all, you don't get to call her that," answered Abbacchio with an accusatory point of his finger. "Her name is Liliana. Only I can call her Lili. Secondly, you don't get to meet her, not yet at least."
"What! Why?"
"Narancia, we've only been working together for a month. You're quite the talkative and immature kid, so I don't know if you will randomly start talking about her to some random mafioso. Call me overprotective, but I just do not trust you with her yet. Understand?"
Narancia looked disappointed, but he nodded to Abbacchio with a childish pout.
"Listen kid, you've managed to exceed my expectations with work. You really have a good understanding of how to use your Stand. Plus you have good instincts and follow orders well. It's just that with Lili, things are different with her."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Narancia said. "You're a very protective papa. Don't sweat it, I'll get you to trust me to meet her sooner than you'll think."
"We'll see about that."
Abbacchio walked past Narancia to enter Libecco's. He waved to the staff as Narancia followed behind me.
"By the way, now that I finally know why you're tired all the time, I thought I would give you something to pick you up."
Before Abbacchio could ask what Narancia was referring to, he saw a hot cup of coffee at the side of the table he usually sat at.
He looked back at Narancia, a smug smile on his face.