The Twelve Tables Ch. 25

"Dante?" Peri asked her eyes widening.

"Yeah, it was like he had a sixth sense or something. Stood up in the middle of the sermon and bolted out of the room to crash tackle the gunman. If he hadn't we would have lost someone for sure tonight," Ben scratched at his stubble. "We could have lost him," Ben admitted the evening's events still sinking in.

"He has a blunt way of making sense out of everyone else's shit," Romey nodded. "He hasn't been a gloomy sack of misery for a while, though," Romey corrected Ben and smiled slightly at Peri in acknowledgement.

"Peri, I'm sorry," Ben said after a moment. "I was there when they brought you into that hospital room in Canberra. You were comatose and close to death. What had happened to you was so horrific, I couldn't bear to think about it when I came home. The vision of you barely recognisable with all the swelling and bruises, it haunts me even now."

"I'm sorry you had to see that Ben, really I am," Peri apologised.

"Why are you apologising for something completely out of your control?" Romey asked with a confused frown. "I never went down to Canberra, and when you came up here, you refused to see any of us. I saw the photo, though, and that was enough. I can only imagine how Ben felt, and I can't begin to fathom what went through his mind," Romey nodded toward Josh. He scrolled through his phone as he spoke and finding the picture he had been sent and saved, he passed it to the two women who still sat side by side. Fresh tears flowed as Emily glanced it, but Carmen gasped and physically recoiled looking at Peri in wonder.

"I can't describe it," Josh said quietly closing his eyes as if in pain.

"When I went to the airport, to identify Nik to authorities," Romey continued quietly. "She was insane, by every definition. She wasn't the woman we knew, not even at her worst. What I remember most, is that she honestly believed she hadn't done anything wrong. That she believed she had done Josh a favour in killing Peri, she'd even changed the message recording on Peri's phone, to that effect which sealed her fate at trial. She had no idea that Peri had been found clinging to life."

"Josh is right. We should have told you what happened. The full story, there's more but not tonight," Ben said in a tired voice. "What the two of you should know is that this family has caused Peri a great deal of pain and anguish in the short time she has known us. More than you could know and still she has opened her heart to all of us, when other people would have walked away loathing every single one of us, for allowing so much pain and heartache to occur again and again."

"You give me too much credit," Peri said overwhelmed by Ben's words. "I am loved so completely by the most amazing of men, how could I not embrace the whole family." She looked at her phone again and wished she could be at the hospital when he woke up. "Emily and Carmen need some time to talk with their husbands, and I need to be there when he wakes up Josh. Please let me go," she pleaded.

"Go," Ben said. "I'll take care of things with CJ. If it was her or you, you know where he would be," Ben said softly. "We'll keep you fully updated, take your charger and an energy bank with you. I've spent a good deal of time on Vinnie's boat this week. I know exactly what we need to do to get these bastards. Starting with a call to Vinnie."

Peri looked at Josh hopefully, and he nodded slowly, "Yeah alright. Make yourselves at home. I expect Bridgette has already organised rooms for you. She'll get you whatever you need. I'm just going to change. Do you want to grab some clothes for D.? He'll probably be in there a day or two."

"Gosh, yes!" Peri stood with him, and they walked to their room hand in hand.

*****

"Hey there sleepy head," Peri smiled as Dante blinked at her.

"Hey," he said in a dry croaky voice. "This is the best dream," he reached out and stroked her face. "Wait, you're really here. What are you doing here?" He said touching her face more firmly.

"Where else would I be?" she smiled.

"At home safely tucked up in bed," he grumbled despite being more than pleased to see her there as he woke from the anaesthetic. "I told you not to come. There is a severe spanking in your near future."

"Promise?" She giggled. "You realise this heroic stuff puts a large dent in that dark foreboding demeanour you try to carry off."

"I'm no hero," he grumped sounding tired.

"Ben says you are, and he is pretty pissed at you about it. He needs you, so you better get some sleep and heal fast," she said softly and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," she smiled as he gripped her hand. "Sleep now."

Josh watched the interaction from the doorway to the post-op room where Dante lay with mixed feelings. He'd managed to bury his jealousy and convince himself that Peri accepted Dante as a lover because of the expectation of being who they were. He had convinced himself that the depth of feeling she had for him could never be like their own love affair. He and Peri had been through so much together, evolved and become stronger in their love and commitment to each other. He knew that the new relationship she had with his brother couldn't compare, but watching them together like this made him jealous despite his efforts not to be.

He could see the intimacy between them, as Dante gripped her hand and she soothed him. 'What did you expect?' Josh asked himself. 'You knew she would never give herself completely to someone she didn't love. Had she given herself to him completely?' he wondered, and the thought gnawed at him. For him, there was the boundary of brotherhood. He tried to rationalise his feelings as he watched them. He felt the control he had been trying to maintain over their relationship begin to slip away from him. He turned away from the image before him and saw his father watching him with a knowing expression.

"Looks like you just swallowed a hard pill," Joseph commented.

"I don't know what I was thinking would happen but," he looked back at the woman he adored with the brother he loved and tried not to be bitter. "Now he's a goddamn hero."

"Ah my boy, you do not even realise that their devotion to you is what brings them together," he smiled softly. "Should you ask it of them they would distance themselves. The question is would you want to do that when there are so many rewards to encouraging that devotion?"

Josh cocked his head to one side as he considered his father's words. Drawing his eyes away from Peri he turned to his father and indicated the small plastic chairs behind them. "Tell me about these rewards, I think I need to hear it right now." They talked quietly for a time and were interrupted when Peri walked out of the room with a doctor.

"Mr. Donati?" The Doctor inquired as both men looked up at him.

"Yes," they answered in unison before Josh signalled his father as the senior.

"He's lucky, we assume the bullet has missed its original target and ricocheted back to hit him, the internal damage was minimal. We cleaned out the wound to ensure no infection, and he should heal relatively quickly," the doctor informed them. "We'll be moving him back to his room in a few minutes."

"Excellent news thank you," Joseph said, the relief evident on his face. "How long will he need to be here?"

"I have spoken with your family doctor, Peter Donati. I have explained the procedure in detail and the necessary treatments and aftercare. I would be happy to hand over to his care later today if all goes well. With the assurance from the patient that he will follow doctor's orders that is," he nodded.

"I am sure his lovely nurse here will ensure he follows doctor's orders," Joseph chuckled indicating Peri who smiled widely.

"I am sure he will be well looked after," the doctor nodded and left the small waiting room near the post-op recovery.

"I'm surprised Pete isn't here already," Peri said with a frown.

"He's dealing with another situation first, he'll be here soon," Joseph said easily. The truth was that Dante had inflicted quite a bit of damage on the gunman who remained unconscious for a time. There were also some minor injuries from the crash that had finally ended the car chase for Larry and Dino.

"Time to regroup, the penthouse will be the most secure, we'll get it swept and set up there. Call your mother and let her know what's happening here and where to meet," Joseph became commanding. "Peri go look after our hero, we have work to do, we'll stay and follow him down to the room then we'll leave you with some security and Pete will be here when he can."

"Wait," Josh came to his feet and wrapped her in his arms. "Forever and always, he murmured before kissing her. "Stay safe, call for anything even if you just have a feeling something isn't right."

"Forever and always," she repeated and kissed him tenderly before going back into the room to be with Dante.

*****

Peri lay on the bed with Dante looking at the widescreen television that showed the replay of a European football match. His hand absently rubbed her leg as he watched engrossed. She smiled at him and let her thoughts roll back over the last week.

Most of the extended family had finally returned to their homes after a week of being forced into close proximity within the Penthouse. Peri had been surprised by the extra wings at the rear of the penthouse that she hadn't even realised were there. Admittedly she hadn't explored the penthouse house much even though much of her pregnancy was spent here. To her, she had been a guest in Dante's home at the time. She had only felt like this was becoming her home in the week following the holidays at the farm.

The space was huge, and even though eighteen Donati men and their families came to stay they managed to give each other some personal space from time to time. The children too didn't seem to mind having their cousins constantly with them, and an extraordinary amount of technology and play equipment was brought in to keep them more than happy under the close supervision of the nannies.

Between the connections, the family had within the justice system, and local law enforcement and their own superior investigative skills, the people who were targeting the family had either been arrested or had gone underground to lick their wounds. Peri had worried as Josh barely seemed to sleep, and even Dante remained with his brothers either on a couch or in a wheelchair, long into the night. They seemed constantly angry and out of sorts, even now as things were calming down, they appeared to be always on alert for the next attack.

Carmen, it seemed, had learned that she couldn't fix everyone's problems and that no one wanted or expected that from her. Joseph and Romey had made sure she understood that it was the tables job to protect and ensure the families prosperity. Her greatest sin had been not going to them as soon as she found out. Joseph saw it as a gross sign of disrespect, not for him or Romey personally but for the laws and traditions the family adhered to. It was decided that she would spend two weeks with the Battaglia to relearn her place within their society and family.

It hadn't surprised Peri to find out that Emily was submissive to Ben in a similar way that she was to Josh and Dante. Her disobedience, if you could call it that, had sprung from wanting to do the best for Ben and then when she realised her mistake, not wanting to disappoint him the way she had. She hadn't been frightened of his wrath when she came to Peri with her story, she had been terrified of seeing the disappointment in his eyes when he looked at her. Once she realised what could have happened because of her emails, she lost her mind with the guilt and believed everyone looked at her with pity and disappointment. She simply could not cope with the shame and had a complete breakdown, where she ran out onto the balcony intending to leap off. Josh, who seemed to have heightened reflexes, despite his lack of sleep, caught her before she could scale the small wall.

Emily had endured a complete emotional breakdown and became barely coherent, as she stared off into space crying hysterically. The idea that the three men who had attacked the House of Lorraine had planned to plant a bomb, thinking the official induction ceremony would be held the next day and that she could have been responsible for wiping out the entire Donati table had broken her. When under the tender care of Pete, she hadn't regained her equilibrium after several days, Ben reluctantly agreed to have her hospitalised and treated by a trusted associate of the family.

Peri took on the responsibility of making sure Ben's children had everything they needed as their parents, became absent from their lives and she had offered to do the same for Carmen when she left for the Battaglia. Her babies were well looked after by their nannies, and she spent as much time as she could with them. She wasn't sure whether it was the stress or just the overwhelming drain on her time, but her milk supply had waned to the point that even Dante complained, and she gave up attempting to be superwoman, as Josh called it and ceased breastfeeding her triplets.

A light knock on the door disturbed her reverie, and she climbed over Dante kissing him lightly as she got up to see who it was. Carmen stood there looking nervous and shyly asked, "Peri could we talk privately please?"

"Carmen what's wrong?" Peri was immediately concerned. The woman looked at her helplessly. "Come in we can go out onto the balcony," she said quietly opening the door wider.

"How are you feeling D.?" Carmen asked as she saw him lying on the bed.

"I'll feel better if Milan picks up their game," he grouched and nodded at the television. "Don't mind me just pretend I'm not here," he added.

Peri guided her to the sliding glass door. "It looks a bit windy out there do you want to stay in here?" she indicated the small couch and comfortable chairs, before looking back at Dante who was once again wrapped in the football on the screen. "He won't hear anything but the game," she rolled her eyes at him.

"Romey and I would appreciate you looking out for the children while I am gone," she began tentatively. "Bianca and Jules are leaving on Sunday and with Emily gone too," she shrugged.

"I'm more than happy for them to stay, it will be a good chance for me to get to know them all better," Peri smiled. "It might be nice if your housekeeper comes too so the children can have familiar meals. I'm afraid that has been the biggest sticking point for Emily's children. They love their mother's cooking."

"You wouldn't mind?" Carmen asked in surprise.

"Of course not, many hands make light work. Ben is sending over the woman that helped Emily prepare meals, but I am sure no one will mind if there is another cook in the kitchen. Especially with so many little mouths to feed." Peri said genuinely. "Bridgette is wonderful with managing opposing personalities if any problems arise, which I am sure they won't."

"I don't understand you, Peri," Carmen admitted. "I never have if I am honest." She paused and looked up at her. "You could push your own agenda now. Emily is in no state to oppose you, I am being sent away as punishment, and yet you have been nothing but supportive of what we need. I heard Ben ask if you would step into Emily's place at the board meeting of Fairholme."

"We are family Carmen. It's not about the individual. It's about what's good for the family. Josh doesn't lead alone. Every single member of that table is just as important as he is, he is only the spokesman, the public face. We are the same. I'm no more important than you or any of the wives. Margarite can have as strong of a voice as me." She tried to explain. "What I have learned in becoming part of this great family is that nothing and no one can overcome the love and sense of belonging we share."

"Perhaps that why the Donati's are respected above the other tables," Carmen mused.

"They are?" Peri asked, a little surprised by the statement.

"You didn't know?" Carmen tilted her head. "I guess you didn't grow up in one of the other families so how could you know."

"Can you tell me about your family? I'd be very interested. It's one thing working on the histories, it's another to talk to members of that family and how they view their table. I'd like to travel and get to know them all if I could." Peri was enthusiastic finding that for the first time Carmen was not antagonistic toward her in some way.

"I was born into the Martino family," Carmen began.

"The table of royalty!" Peri exclaimed.

"Yes," Carmen smiled appreciating that Peri knew her family had descended from Italian royalty. "I was brought up to believe we were born to rule. I was a true Italian princess during my childhood and I was groomed to marry a man of great importance, a prince." She smiled a shy smile. "The problem was that I was never tall and beautiful like the other girls who could have been supermodels. Bianca is all of that and more, but I was a princess, and I was brought up to know my worth."

"Can you explain, about how you were brought up? I sometimes feel like I brought up myself and my mother as well," Peri confided. "Andie was not always the woman you see now with Charles."

"Let's see. Like all good would be rulers, I know three foreign languages and used to be able to speak them fluently, but now I could at least understand them if not speak them," Carmen began.

"Which ones," Peri asked truly amazed.

"English, you might have noticed that. French, Italian and Japanese."

"Holy moly, that's amazing!" Peri said wide eyed. "Sorry keep going."

"I did a political science major with economics," she said twisting her mouth to one side. "It was an important element of being a Princess, to take on some International Relations study."

"Carmen you're incredible. I had no idea!" Peri was shocked to find this wealth of intelligence in the frumpy maternal woman sitting opposite her. Then she suddenly remembered the day over a year ago, when she had sat in Emily's kitchen asking about the family history and Carmen had been the only one with any real answers for her.

"I was sent to spas to manage my weight and deportment. I was given elocution lessons. The list goes on and on." She stopped talking, hating the memory of never being beautiful enough for her family. "Oh, and I play the piano, and I am a black belt in Judo." She took a deep breath. "I wasn't raised, I was groomed."

"Wow," Peri let out a deep breath. "Can I ask you a very personal question?" She asked her mind ticking over with all the new knowledge.

"I guess," Carmen said guardedly.

"Okay, just don't judge me," Peri said carefully but in the spirit of Carmen finally opening up to her she felt the need. "Here at home, more so in this room and those attached to it, I am theirs. Totally and with all my heart and soul because I love them that much, I am submissive. Is that how it is with you and Romey?"

"He loves me," she said quietly. "He makes me feel beautiful and worthy, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him, but I don't submit in the way you mean," she admitted quietly. "I'm scared Peri. My parents never made me do the trial. What if I can't do it? You have been there. You know what it's like. What if I can't face it? I couldn't bear it if I let Romey down."

"Okay, I'm going to ask you one more question, and I need a truly honest answer," Peri said sternly "You have been groomed to be so much more than a homemaker and mother. Are you happy? I mean truly at peace with your soul, not resentful of anything or anyone, happy being a homemaker and mother?"

"I love my husband and children," Carmen said quickly. Too quickly for Peri's liking.