Through Time Again

Ch.1 Graziella

1925

Voices. Voices she recognized, but hadn't heard in a while.

"If she dies—,"

"She won't. How long have I been doing this for you? I haven't lost any of your boys yet, I certainly won't lose your daughter."

Her shoulder. The pain. It was fire and lightning. Sharper than knives. The instruments going into her only helped in accelerating the pain. She could feel it all. Her lungs unable to cry out. Her body still. She was under, but something had gone wrong. She was conscious. Aware of what was going on.

A gentle touch warms her cheek. Softly in Italian, "I'm sorry it had to happen this way, my baby. But Papa has you now. It'll all be okay."

Where's Vic? she wanted to cry. His was the voice she wanted to hear. Graziella suffered through the pain. Aching to hear Vic's voice. To feel her husband's touch. Did I make it in time? Is he hurt too? Is he... dead?

She had run to him, hoping to catch him before the shoot-out between the Maggio's and the Marchetti's —her family. Her Mother's family... The family she'd tried to leave behind. She'd ran in on the crossfire. Tried to stop her father—

A shock of intense pain. Tears began to stream from her closed eyes.

Get through this first. Then worry about Vic.

~•~

Graziella awoke to the sound of hurried footsteps. She found herself cleaned and in a fresh nightgown, lying in an unfamiliar bedroom.

The door flew open.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! My Baby!"

"Mama?!"

"Graziella! Oh! My darling, sweet angel! You're home!"

"Mama, let me go." she did. "Mama, why am I here?"

"Graziella, this is your home!"

"No. My home is with Vic and our boy." she pushed further away from her mother. "Where is he?"

"Honey. That boy shot you when he saw that you were a Marchetti."

"Nice try, Mama. Vic knows already. I don't keep secrets from my husband."

"Yes? Then how about his father? Does Danté Maggio know all your secrets too?"

Graziella held her tongue. Her mother was up to something.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

"Graziella. That husband of yours ran off after you were shot; he left you lying half-dead in the streets. Your father saved your life—,"

"Vic wouldn't just leave me behind. So skip it, there's nothing you can say to make me think the worst of him."

"Fine, Graziella," she resigned herself, "You know, I think I much preferred it when you were going with that young law officer, Burke was it?"

Graziella climbed off the bed opposite her mother. Opened the closet door, not surprised dresses her size filled the space.

"I'm going home."

"No, baby girl, you're not."

"You can't keep me here."

"Don't worry, I'm not. But I'm also not letting you walk out of here to go back to that boy."

"Vic is my husband."

"Yes. And as of right now, he is quite convinced that you are dead. We just permitted him attendance to your funeral."