"Piccola" Luka called out when he entered his room that evening, discarding his case and suit jacket on the couch, he folded at his shirt sleeves and Bella walked put from the bathroom, hands behind her back.
"I don't think that pet name is appropriate for me anymore" she started as she neared where he stood. Hands on his waist, he gave her a questioning look as to what it was she was on about. After all, she had never seemed to mind it, therefore, what could have possibly changed her mind?
"And why is that?" Luka voiced out his question and watched as Bella bit her lip and she pulled out a white piece of cotton that seemed to be a baby one piece with 'Piccolo' written in black on it. It took him a few seconds to register what Bella was implying, and revaluation struck when she said
"Because, you'll be having someone else to call that endearment" Luka seemed stunned, absolutely stupefied for but a minute before he said in absolute disbelief
"You mean...?" He trailed off and she nodded in confirmation and Luka stalked towards her and his hands landed on her bulging stomach she had made seem as if she was simply gaining weight when he had pointed it out in the days before. He simply couldn't believe it as his hands splayed on her bump as if the bundle that was growing within her would pop out and say 'I'm real'.
"Dios Mio" he muttered underneath his breath. His clouded eyes lifted up to Bella's own as she was about to burst. Luka pulled her into a bone crushing embrace
"I love you. I love you so much" he sniffed out
"I love you too, Andreas" both had weepy smiles at each other, both disbelieving that they stood where they did and yet grateful for it all.
Bella had tried her best in her attempt to live a normal life, for years she had ignored the life she was meant to live until it proved itself to be destined. And although she had been against it, in that moment she embraced it for all it had given her, all it was giving her and all it was yet to give her.
She was in the underworld to stay, and now with one more treasure to protect.
"You finally told him I see" Lorenzo senior said when the couple walked into the dining room of the Camorra residence and made to take their seats on the rectangular table that had a feast fit for royalty on it. Luka shot Bella a look then and she sheepishly said
"To be fair, he's my grandpa, and I told just him, before I told you" she defended
"Okay, what are we talking about?" Questioned Angelo as he eyed the couple questioningly, while dishing up a pile full on his plate.
"Well, I, We have an announcement" Bella started motioning to Luka next to her.
"You must be the one that knocked up my granddaughter" Luka shot the new company a questioning look as everyone's eyes shot to the woman that had just arrived. And the little ones squealed in excitement at finally seeing her. It was when they had settled down that she eyed Luka again as if to answer an earlier question
"And I know that cause you're the only one I don't know on this table. Stand up boy and come here so I can get a good look at you" instructed the stern old woman. Luka knowing who she was, simply from the pictures on Bella's phone, stood up. Feeling nervous for some reason, he ignored the shocked reactions of the Camorra men that hadn't been privy to the information.
"Very handsome. You did well neonata." She complimented before looking back at Luka with a serious expression,
" Ora, se le spezzi il cuore, ti taglio le palle."(Now, you break her heart, I cut off your balls) threatened the woman as if she was simply naming recipe ingredients. And Luka choked on his one spit only to shoot Bella a terrified look, to which the young woman gave him an amused shrug and a look that said 'she's serious'.
"You mean to say she's pregnant?" Questioned Enrique who was more angry than overjoyed as he looked from his mother to Luka
"And you're okay with this Pa?" Came his incredulous question. Bella nervously looked her her folded hands on her lap as her uncle threw a fit and she knew why.
The two of them were yet to be married, and the fact that Luka was yet to even ask for either for their blessings, and already she was with child quite frankly had the Camorra man enraged.
"Calmati, figliolo"(Calm down, son). They already have a date set, and don't worry, he did actually ask for her hand And my blessing. And I gave it" although the man didn't calm down immediately, he said
"He should have at least approached me too" only for Angelo to add
"Me as well"
"Pish posh. What's the big deal, my neonata is not only getting married, but I'll be having my first great grandchild. So turn those frowns upside down as the English say. Congratulazioni, mio prezioso"(Congratulations, my precious) Said the old woman as she patted Luka and went to kiss Bella's forehead before greeting her husband and joined the table for dinner.
Luka found himself oddly comfortable with the Camorra family and happy to have his own family expanded, after all, it had only been just him and his younger brother, and now it seemed he had gained more from being with his Piccola, a blessing he would always cherish.
Laughter soon filled the room as chatter went on around the table and the old woman regaled them with tales of Bella's father in his younger years before he had left home, and Bella realised just how similar she had actually turned out to be compared to the man, although she was a spitting image of her mother, as her grandfather had said.
She found peace in being around her family and the love of her life. And should trouble come, she felt assured that she would always have them around to back her up. Certain that the Spanish, though they had come to a truce that didn't involve her having to marry off her children, would at some point cause trouble, although she hoped not.
She knew everyone else would bid their time and wait for an opportunity to present itself, and she vowed to herself that should such time come she would be ready, pregnant belly or not, no one messed with what was hers and lived to tell the tale about it. She was Killer Sunshine after all, she may have traded her guns for guitar strings and piano keys before, but her fingers would always know how to play a trigger like a protégé and become a man's worst nightmare, as she had proved with time.