AN: This story takes place in season 1, noncanon with later seasons. :) Enjoy!

Part 1

The carpeted stair treads creaked on my way down, and I froze in the pre-dawn light, hoping no one had heard.

No such luck. "Is that you, Catriona?" Mom called sleepily from her bedroom.

"Yeah, Mom," I said, breathing softly, hoping the little ones wouldn't wake. "I'm off to Fox River, yeah? Like I said yesterday."

"Mmm," she mumbled. "Drive safe."

"Will do," I said, continuing to the kitchen where I grabbed the breakfast I packed last night: yogurt and granola. I shouldered my purse and, keys to the Camaro in hand, left the house.

The sun rose as I got on the interstate. Fox River State Penitentiary was a few hours outside Chicago, and I wanted to be there right when visiting hours started. I had thought about bringing one of the guys and getting him to drive while I slept, but considering how slick and controlling Philly's been lately, I decided against it.

And it's not like I was planning to get into trouble. If trouble happened to come along, I'd deal with it —I was Catriona, John Abruzzi's daughter. I could handle myself.

After an hour of munching on granola and singing loudly along to the radio, I pulled off to get gas. I pulled up to the pump and emerged into the sticky heat of the morning. A few paces later, and I had to grit my teeth against the air conditioning. My shiver didn't go unnoticed by the clerk.

"Just about everybody does that," he said, smiling apologetically.

My heart tripped. He was tall and had a nice smile. "Who decided that it should be arctic temperatures in here?" I asked as I dug around in my purse for some cash.

"My manager," he replied, resigned.

I eyed him and noted the jacket he had zipped up nearly to his neck. "Trust me," he said, rubbing his short, dark hair. "I'd turn it down in a hot minute."

I smiled. "If you ever get a hot minute before you die in this refrigerator. Can I have twenty on pump three, please?" I handed him the bills. "And M&M's." I placed the packet on the counter.

"Sure thing," he said, moving to enter it into his register. "Where are you headed?"

"Fox River," I said, looking at the clock as I tucked my brown hair behind my ears. I still had plenty of time.

"The Penn?" he said, startled.

"Is there another Fox River?" I said with a smile.

"Uh, no… I just —I'm going to stop talking now," he said, handing me my receipt. His nametag said, Ethan.

I knew what he thought —you, a nice girl with big brown eyes, who looks like she could be my school's valedictorian, going to a prison? I was used to it. It's what everybody thought.

"It's okay," I said. "See you later, Ethan."

"Oh! Yeah… uh, sure," he said before the door shut behind me.

I didn't mind the questions. You either had to hide from all the speculation, like Mom, or not give a damn, like me. I didn't care if people knew my father was a felon. I loved him regardless. I had passed that test a long time ago.

"Morning," I said to the guard on duty.

He didn't look at me. "Sign in, please."

I did, dutifully putting my name, the time, and whom I had come to see.

"I need your ID," he said automatically, taking the sign-in sheet back.

I rummaged through my wallet for my driver's license, jumping when he exclaimed, "You're John Abruzzi's daughter?"

I raised an irritated eyebrow. "Congratulations, you can read."

He glared at me and took my license. "Definitely John Abruzzi's daughter," he muttered. "Have a seat. We'll call you." He pushed the card back at me, and I sat down in a hard plastic chair with other families here to see a loved one.

I opened the M&M's and slipped them in my pocket, crunching on a few while I waited. I sat there for almost ten minutes before some guard called, "Abruzzi, Cat…Catri…."

"Catriona," I said, pronouncing it like Cah-TREE-na. "The 'o' is silent." I stood and followed him to the visitor's room. Taking a seat at the empty table, I waited, slipping my hand in my pocket and getting a few ready. A glance around the room revealed only mothers and girlfriends visiting their unlucky boys in prison.

The buzzer at the far end of the room sounded, and the gate swung open, admitting a tall man with a stubbly beard and hair that I kept secretly wishing he'd cut. "Catriona," he said.

I stood up quick and hugged him. "Hi, Dad."

"What brings you here?" he said, once we were seated again.

"I wanted to see you," I said, laughing.

He gave me a fond look that said, that's a nice sentiment, but I know there's more to it than that. "Where's the boys?" he said innocently.

"I wanted to drive by myself," I said. "I don't need bodyguards for that."

His look said, Aha, I knew it.

"I wanted to talk to you," I said. "About Ph —Uncle Philly."

"What about Philly?"

"He's being really controlling, and uptight, and acts like he's in charge," I said. "And he took the two big checkbooks from me. I always balance the checkbooks." I reached across the table, and when he took my hand, I passed the M&M's.

His face was a great mix of seriousness and humor. "You're getting good at this," he said with a smile, slipping the candy in his pocket.

"Thanks." I let myself smile a little back. "But seriously, Daddy."

"Philly's uptight because there's a guy in here who knows where Fibonacci is," he said. "If he testifies, the whole family could go down. But don't worry. I'll get it out of him."

I bit my tongue and thought carefully about what I'd say next. The one thing you didn't do in a Mob family was openly criticizing your patriarch. Fibonacci was the man who got my father sent to prison; so no, I didn't like the man. But he had a family, and I knew that if Philly got his location, he'd be dead within the day. I also didn't like how my father usually got his information. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, you know."

He reached out and took my hand again, and I palmed him more M&M's. The spark of pride in his eyes made me unexpectedly tear up. "I'll keep it in mind, okay? I'll handle it. I promise, Oh." Oh was his nickname for me. He squeezed my hand. "But keep an eye on Philly for me. I'll call you." I nodded, squeezing back. "And I'll talk to him about the checkbooks; he shoulda known that was your territory."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Don't worry," he said. "Tell your mother hello and the kids, too."

"I will."

"And don't worry her," he added.

"I won't," I said, "I haven't talked to her about any of it."

"Good," he said. "It's business, and she hates business."

I laughed a little. My mother, firmly sandwiched between two Mob families, preferred to bury her head in the sand and pretend we were normal. As much as she could, anyway.

"So what have you all been up to?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Same old, same old, I guess. School, church. We're just about done, and the kids are real excited about summer. Their report cards should be in any day, too."

"Well, you tell 'em I said 'good job'." He swallowed.

"I can bring them next week; we haven't got anything going on."

"Don't waste all your Saturdays on your old man; you outta be doing something fun," he said.

"I don't do much; you know me," I said. "All numbers up here." I tapped my temple.

"But you're a smart girl, Catriona," he said. "Clever. I knew it the minute I saw you. You're meant for something, Oh."

I squeezed his hand and dropped more M&M's into it. "I know, Dad."

"Abruzzi," a guard called. "Time's up."

"I love you, Daddy," I said, giving him another quick hug.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said. "You keep your nose clean."

"I will," I promised.

I stopped at the same gas station on the way home for another fill up and a Slurpee. Ethan was still working, and his eyes brightened when he saw me. "Hey," he said. "Did you have a —uh, good visit?"

"Yeah, it was good," I said with a smile. "Busy day?"

"No," he said. He smirked as he rang me up. "Just truckers, unfortunately."

I took a sip of my blue-raspberry Slurpee. "You have this shift a lot?"

"Every weekend," Ethan said, nodding.

"Well, I guess I'll see you next Saturday." I suspected my lips might be a bluish purple, but smiled anyway.

"What's your name?" he said quickly, as I turned to go.

"Catriona," I said, as a mischievous glint leaked into my eyes. "Catriona Abruzzi."

I grinned as he stared at me in shock. I winked, and then let the door jingle shut behind me.