Forewarning: This story is full of the feels. It's pretty much an emotional roller coaster. It's solely based on the movie this time (even though I did take some creative liberties) and gets really mushy really fast since there's so much back story involved from Strike of the Viper. There's a lot of stuff in here taken straight from the film, but I also changed a lot so it would make more sense.

I highly recommend reading Strike of the Viper first if you haven't already, although I think this story is pretty easy to follow if you haven't read the first part. Thanks to everyone who wandered over after reading Strike of the Viper and thanks to everyone who just happened to end up here.

As always, I hope you enjoy, and if you do, feel free to let me know in the form of rave reviews!

It was the summer of 1958; the year the Dodger's left Brooklyn. The summer that Dion and the Belmonts were blasting out of every car radio.

It was the summer Marco Vendetti came home from prison.

For the residents of Sunset Park, the time passed quickly. The three years for Marco, however, were slow and torturous. The same few thoughts seemed to plague his time in incarceration. He was set to be released this week and he had to get his mind back on business.

His cousin, Philly, had strict instructions to rent a club beside Willy's Candy Shop. He visited Marco almost every week to keep him up to date on business and ask for his guidance. Today was no different.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Marco snapped as he sat in his chair, still bound in shackles.

"Deuces." Philly admitted. "Punks ambushed me when I was checking out the club. Looking over my shoulder everywhere I go now, paranoid as a fuck. I got a limp that's gonna be with me the rest of my life!"

"There goes your dancing career."

"Yeah, that's funny." Philly mocked.

"No, it's not!" Marco spat. "You're an embarrassment. If you weren't my cousin, I'd break your other arm."

"I'm sorry."

"Better get that club, Philly. I got big plans for that spot."

"It'll be ready, I promise."

"Alright, don't mess this up. Get me a sit in with Fritzy. Tell him Marco wants to see him."

"Why?"

"Just shut up and do what I say! Look at you. You're fucking pathetic." He sighed heavily, taking a deep breath before he continued. "Have you got any news on her?"

"She seems good, Marco. Real good. She's only got a semester or two left. She's been dancing in this play off Broadway. Heard it's good."

"Get her to come to my welcome home party, will you? Tell her I wont take no for an answer."

"Come on, Vendetti. Time's up." The security guard snapped.

"Tell the Vipers to crush them fucking Deuces, alright. We gotta answer for this."

"Yeah, nice to see you, too."

Vinnie ended up in front of the ANTA Theatre. How he ended up on West 52nd Street seeing some stupid play was beyond him. It was called Say, Darling and Miss Veronica Marietti was listed in the Playbill as chorus girl number 3.

Vinnie didn't get musicals, didn't enjoy them, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't anxious to see Veronica.

The play itself was insufferable, but Veronica was magnificent. He waited around afterwards, trying to get backstage to see her. He finally caught a glimpse of her, walking by the backside of the curtain and called out. "Ronnie!"

She recognized the word, the sound. Not many people called her that. She cocked her head, getting a good look at the face behind the voice. "Vinnie?" She walked towards the man, if only to get a better look.

"Damn, doll face, if you ain't a sight for sore eyes."

"What are you doing here?" She laughed.

"Came to see my good friend on Broadway, is all." He smirked. "Can I take you home? Maybe grab a bite to eat?"

"It'd save me cab fair." She laughed. "Sure. Come on, I've gotta grab some stuff." She led him to the back to grab her clothes and change, and then followed him to Jimmy's car.

"So, what did you really come here for?" She asked, sighing heavily.

"Marco gets home in a few days." Vinnie said, gripping hard on the steering wheel.

"Vinnie – "

He cut her off, "He wants you to come to his welcome home party. He'll probably kill me if you don't show."

"Vinnie, that's not fair."

"Ronnie, the man's been in prison. He just wants to see you. He's not asking you to move in. He's paid for you to go to school. It's the least you can do to come thank him in person."

She bit her lip, looking from him to the window. "You are a pretty good negotiator." She muttered. "I can't make any promises, Vinnie. I'll see what I can do."

Marco lay awake most nights, not being able to clear his mind.

His first few nights in jail, he was scene as the pretty boy. To save his own ass, he had to assert himself early on. That wasn't hard for Marco. The hardest part about being here was not being in control, having to do without so much, being confined to a small place, missing her.

He was ready to be out, that was for sure. He wanted things to go back to normal, pick up where he left off, as if the last three years never happened. He wanted to go back to being the leader of the pack.

He wanted Veronica back.

There was a short list of things Marco wanted when he got out of jail. They went in a pretty specific order, not out of necessity, but in order of convenience. He wanted an ice cold beer, a slice of Sicilian, a nice piece of ass, and revenge against Leon Anthony.

Leon Anthony was nothing but a rat mother fucker, as far as Marco was concerned. He got him locked in jail for the past three years, depriving him of everything he held dear. If it was up to Marco, and it was, that mother fucker was going to pay dearly for what he did.