Chicago, IL

Suri grabbed Martins keys as she went by him to grab another body "Marty-boy come on, I can't do this by myself" she said as she looked over her shoulder then went back to work. As she brought one of the last bodies she tried to think of what they were going to do with the bodies. "Change of plans Sugar, we are going to drop the bodies down in the basement. Its late, and I don't think we could find a place to burn the bodies without anyone getting suspicious."

Daniel then came out of hiding, asking where Maria was. Of course he want to know, she just looked at him with no expression shown on her face "she got kidnapped" the heartless part of Suri was coming out. She loved Maria like a sister but when shit hit the fan she couldn't let her emotions get in the way or she wouldn't be her best. "The boys are taking care of that so lets not worry about thatx we have enough to worry about here in this moment. Gotta take care or the trash" she motioned to the bodies. She knew Daniel was a bit more sensitive but Suri wasn't one to comfort someone when she was in this type of mood, right now she was in business mode, coming down from the killings.

Her phone buzzed letting her know she had a message, taking her phone out she read the message from Cole then quickly replied back. Getting the trash taken care of. Ill make sure everything is taken care of here then head over. Be there in 20~S. After sending the text Suri looked over to Martin and Daniel "that was Colex he wants us to finish taking care of things here then meet at the Pier, Martin help me throw the bodies down in the basement, Daniel go around and make sure there are no stragglers wandering around."

Once she was done giving out instructions Suri went over to where Jarvis, Teslax and the other girl was "Jarvis get the girls ready and meet me outside, we are meeting the others at the Pier" she then looked over at Tesla "glad you weren't hurt Sugar". She then walked off to where the Russians were tied, a small smirk on her face as she approached them. "Luck you two, you have another night to live. I hope you two are close with each other because you'll be spending sometime together in a very small space" her voice slightly change, she was having fun toying with them. "He didn't say I could have a little fun though" she said as she grabbed a knife from her boot, grabbing one of the russians roughly by the arm. "Lets go buddy" she then pushed the point of the knife in the mans back and slowly pushed it upwards as they walked towards the back. The guy was screaming and cursing in russian, it was music to Suri's ears.

As they reached the small closet the mans screams got louder, Suri was getting annoyed. Turning him around she looked the man in the eyes "now Im going to give you two choices and you better choose wisely. One, you can fuckin shut your trap and just do as your told or two you can keep screaming until I cut your toungue out" her voice was quiet and stern, she was dead serious and the guy could tell in her eyes thst this was no joking matter. With no answer from the russian shebguessed he made his choice "good boy" she said as she opened the closet, taking everything out before shoving the guy inside. She did the same thing with the second russian, having less trouble with him then she did the first. After they were locked inside the closet she put a chair in front of the door just in case.

She took a walk around then went and found Martin and Daniel "Okay boys lets get going" she handed Martin back his keys "we will take my carx neither of you are capable of driving right now" she said in a directive tone as she walked out of the club, locking the doors behind her. She saw Jarvis outside waiting with the two girls "you can follor behind us in your car".

She walked to her car, aware of her wound on her side of her stomach she opened the trunk of her car, grabbed an old tshirt from the back. She ripped it in half then tied it around her stomafh then preceeded to get in the car. Once the boys followed suit she drove to the pier. Seeing the familiar vehicles she pulled up beside Coles and stepped out of her car heading towards Cole "so I see the rescure went as well as it could" her eyes darting to the others but then went back to meet Coles.

Hayden sat down in front of Rob with a soft smile. She couldn't help but feel herself blush at his comments. He wanted to look at her all day? Well, wasn't that different from her usual "Who is that girl" comment. The young woman looked up at the waitress and answered with a small coffee, with whipped cream. As the waitress left, her eyes settled back on Rob's. Her lips curved into a larger smile and she placed her hands on the table lightly, her fingers brushing against the table cloth.

"I'm allergic to rabbits, can't eat nuts." She answered. "My typical day is go home, draw, eat dinner, sleep, go to work... this is the first time I've had fun in months. I feel like I'm floating on air whenever I'm around you, the way you're looking at me now... it's hard not to kiss you." She blushed, her head bowed and she hid her gaze.

"I'm rambling again.. Sorry."

---

That was...was that Romeo? Of all the people she could have ran into, it had to be Romeo. Oh, she could almost feel the anger boiling up underneath her skin. She clenched her hands into fists and sighed heavily but then, the anger was gone. The environment had struck her hard. She wasn't even sure what was going on.

...First she had the barrel of a gun pointed at her face. She was rescued by a man and then pulled away by Romeo on the arm. How dare him touch her! Oh, he made her skin crawl. Their past history had flooded into her mind the instant she saw his face. He was the reason why she left. He was the reason why she really didn't plan on returning. She wanted to scream at him, thrash and yet... she felt mature about the situation. In response to his question, she replied with a "was just in the neighborhood." She muttered.

She wasn't sure where she was, in fact, her stomach felt like she was going to be sick. It had just hit her. Her eyes widened and she realized the incident she had just experienced. Blood... there was so much blood. She hunched over, held her stomach and collapsed onto her knees.

"Oh God..."

[[It may have tagged everyone. e.e I read but I wasn't sure where Nevaeh was. Sooo.. she's there, just somewhere. :/ I had a lot of issues lately.]]

"What a retard," Jackson mused after Bliss's pathetic attempt at insults left him nothing close to marred, "'I saved your sister! Oh my God, I'm so fucking pompous, please, dote on me like I'm an A-list celebrity! She would have been fucked without me! He hurt me more than her anyhow! Oh God, why can't anyone see what a victim I am?! Why isn't anyone licking the dog shit off of my heel and powdering my face?! Where were you! God help me! Oh my God!' Jesus Christ, what a headache."

Cole's eyes slowly trailed up to meet Jackson's whom, was quivering with delight at the girl's chagrin. No guilt freckled his conscience, only triumph. He had gotten to her and made her crack. Cole sighed heavily at his friend, "It's really hard to commemorate her for tolerating all this shit when she acts like that. Maria probably would have been better off alone," he chuckled softly and lowered himself onto the planks of the pier to sit. Jackson tittered in agreement, the nipping chill that coiled off of the water pricking his skin. Grazing the side of his face, fingers against stubble, he muttered, "Maria's taken a beating consistently for the past few days. Some people don't know the half I guess. Sorry about what I said about her, anyway. She - she is really good at what she does. She's a vital part of what we do."

"Sometimes I wish she wasn't, so maybe what you said was…" Cole jerked a little.
"What?"
"Appropriate? Maybe I need a reality check. Fuck. I don't know."
"Just forget I ever said it, man." Jackson popped a few buttons on his shirt.
"Cover up your tits, will you?"
"Come on, take a look, you know you like it," Jackson joked, flexing.
"But for real, what do you bench now, like four hundred?"
"Shit man, not even. Dead lifting two hundred kills me. Just don't tell anyone."

They laughed, and Cole at long last grumbled as he fumbled for his last cigarette, "I definitely won't tell dear Bliss over there. She doesn't fuck around with the 'help' as it is." Hanging his head back, Jackson sent forth a guttural exhale and sat beside Cole. They paid no mind to the dramatic thespian that was Bliss, figuring she'd pass out and eventually shut up. Staggering away into darkness, burly smog swallowing her diminutive body, Bliss disappeared. Jackson called out briskly, "Romeo! Your little sister is throwing a tantrum and I'm not chasing her." It was their deemed duty to watch her but, they knew she wouldn't get far and didn't care to pursue her.

A quiet sports car mysteriously trundled into the parking lot, its high beams stabbing through the murkiness to faintly dance over Jackson and Cole. "Suri's here," Jackson smiled vaguely, familiarized by the hushed whispering of her engine. He always had a thing for cars.

"So I see the rescue went as well as it could."

Cole turned to look over his shoulder at the mess of a woman. Bay water lazily splashed at the soles of his shoes. Suri was something bewitching - whether she was dressed up or dressed down in some of her slackish clothing and her hair an undulated forest. Cocking a grin at her, he motioned for her to sit beside him and withdrew his cigarette from his lips, "That's one way to put it. I can only imagine what the fuck happened at the club. And… Speaking of which, what the shit is that?" Cole framed her wound with his hands softly, his mouth pressing his cigarette in place as he examined the injury, "What happened?"

"Hopeless? Miserable?" He scoffed lightly, lips quirking into an even larger smile, his own Cheshire grin clear on his face. Their banter was casual but intelligent, one of the things he loved about talking with Maria. With most of the people in the Occheto family, it could feel like arguing with a brick wall, the other always trying to come out on top whatever the situation may be. But Maria knew her situation, knew her own mind and understood her conversation partners enough to give an actually intelligent conversation, complete with snarky comebacks and witty attacks. It was bizarre how well they got along, the ex-terrorist who'd grown up with only a few Euros to his name and the pretty Italian femme fatale with almost the entirety of the Occheto mob at her beck and call. However, it was not a companionship to be questioned. It just was.

"You, m'dear, are far from it, which is the only reason my door's always open for you," He said, blatantly refusing to flatter her unnecessarily by insisting she wasn't a bitch. He wasn't a liar after all and it was almost insulting for anyone to assume he would cajole those he actually liked. Oh, he wasn't shy with compliments(as Martin would be quick to grumble about), but he'd only flatter and simper with those he didn't care about. The old saying was true, after all: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It was even better when his enemies didn't know that they were just that; his enemies.

There was background noise in the otherwise still night that Jude could make out. Cole and Jackson laughing at the bitch named Bliss before Jackson gave her a verbal tongue lashing, scathing and true to the ears of the Irishman. If the brunette didn't want to act the part of the victim, there was no reason for her to be treated as such, especially with the class(or lack thereof) she was showing right now. Just another pampered princess with an ego blown up by years of private schools and fawning admirers. It was lucky for all of them that she'd yet to interact with the Irishman. His patience wasn't nearly as formidable as the Occheto men, so captivated by beauty and sass. He was actually quite unbiased in that way; he'd kill a woman just as soon as a man, none of those gentlemanly ideals restraining him. Which was, probably, why he often got stuck with the dirty jobs for the Occheto family, the ones no one liked to acknowledge.

Then there was Bliss ranting again, the victim card finally coming into play as she sang her own praises, acting like she was the Virgin Mary herself. He sighed, smile shrinking by a few teeth. It had been such a wonderful night; why did she have to ruin it by running her big mouth? He barely blinked as she took off into the night. It wasn't like she'd get far, anyways, given the condition she'd apparently forgotten. Drama Queens, the lot of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martin expertly hid a sigh of relief at Suri's change of plans. It was bad enough that he'd had to kill two people tonight and watch countless others be slaughtered brutally(yes, slaughtered. Give the carnage even his poor eyesight could take in, murder was not doing tonight justice), he didn't want to add putting dead bodies in his car and smelling burning flesh to the list. He'd smelled it before, dead bodies burning, a month or two after he'd started with the Occheto family. He'd refused to eat for three days, the noxious fumes haunting him so that even the thought of food made him want to empty his stomach's contents.

It was on his third or fourth trip with the bodies of their hapless attackers(attackers, attackers, they had been attackers, his mind repeated like a mantra as he tried to not trip going up or down the stairs) that he saw Suri herding one of the Russians away, presumably to be locked up until Cole returned for his due revenge. His stomach twisted at the screams and his mouth thinned in displeasure as he thought he caught the glare of Suri's knife digging into his back. Torture was... It wasn't worse than murder, he supposed, but it wasn't something he could deal with. It was too much- even Jude just got it over with on most nights, but the Occheto family was nothing if not vindictive.

The busy work managed to take his mind off of his aching head, but as he sat in the front seat of Suri's car, blurred gaze held straight ahead, there was little else to distract him. He closed his eyes, taking deep, slow breaths as if he were falling asleep. However, that illusion was soon dismissed for, as soon as they drove up to the pier, his eyes snapped open and he unsteadily climbed out of the car. Given that Cole was even here, he had to assume everything had gone well enough. He didn't try to look for the others, only noticing Cole checking over Suri(she'd been injured? Well, she was quite good at hiding it). God, he missed his glasses.

Navaeh was of no help to Tesla. Jarvis gave the blonde a knowing glance, to which she huffed with annoyance and slumped into her seat. Bodies littered the floor and blood painted the walls. It should have been unsettling, but Tesla couldn't bring herself to care. She saw past the dead bodies and was too distracted by the glamour.

Yes she knew that perhaps her lack of remorse for these people who had been slaughtered mercilessly could raise a red flag of some deeper issue. However Tesla had grown numb to her surroundings years ago. Her father was a serial offender of white collar crimes, and Tesla never had a problem feigning ignorance then, this wasn't much different. Rounding so that she was behind the bar, Tesla served herself a vodka and cranberry.

"Isn't it a little late to be drinking for you, young lady?" although Jarvis must have meant it as a joke, Tesla glared at him as she continued to pour the vodka wordlessly. Adding only a splash of cranberry, Tesla stuck a straw and umbrella in her glass, bringing it to her lips and rapidly consuming her concoction. Making an expression of exasperation, Jarvis righted himself to face the floor of the club. Once his back was turned, Tesla was unable to resist sticking out her tongue at the lunk of a man.

Topping off her drink once it was half gone with a little more cranberry juice, Tesla could feel her stomach turn due to the strong beverage. As if Navaeh could feel the lurching in Tesla's stomach, the girl buckled over and began mumbling something. Panicked, Jarvis swept down to her level, asking if she was alright.

Using this as a moment of opportunity, Tesla sneaked away, carefully stepping over shattered glass and dead bodies to make her way to the back room. She moved quickly, hoping she would make it back before Jarvis noticed she was gone, although surely he would notice her change in clothes. Luckily Tesla had avoided being stained by the blood of those murdered tonight, except for what had gotten onto the outfit. It was too late now to salvage the piece, so instead Tesla tossed it into the trash and changed into a loose fitting white dress, throwing on a leather bomber over it.

Distracted by her reflection, Tesla began primping herself in the mirror, forgetting of the brute that had been in charge of watching her back at the bar. She didn't even see him sneak up behind her as she fastened the strappy heels onto her still bandaged feet. Although the cuts from the other night of the bistro of being dragged along to walk across broken glass hadn't healed yet, the pain went away with the pills and liquor. Even the foot that had stitches felt light as air. However as Jarvis yanked her out of the chair, forcing Tesla to stumble and land the wrong way on her foot.

Wincing, Tesla tried to fight her way out of his strong hold as he scolded her. "Damnit you can't listen can you? Just like Navaeh at your age, think your fucking invincible. Well you know what? A girl who had never even set foot in this city was just kidnapped for no goddamn reason." she became limp, picking up the shoe that had fallen off and her bag as he dragged her out like a badly behaved child. He shoved her onto the bench nearby the front door, "Stay here." he said in a low growl, and by the look in his eyes, Tesla figured she should listen.

He returned with Navaeh, and Tesla fastened the shoe back onto her foot, checking the stitches and relieved they were still intact. Crossing her legs, Tesla looked to Navaeh and laughed as if the girl had just told a joke. "I just can't catch a break." She said, mostly to herself.

Jarvis' attention snapped to Suri as she approached the three, telling him to take the girls with to the pier. Tesla had a feeling she wasn't referring to Navy Pier to ride the Ferris wheel and admire the stained glass collection. When Suri spoke to Tesla, the blonde took a look of surprise. She hadn't expected for Suri to even remember her name, let alone be grateful that Tesla had lived to witness yet another massacre. But she just smiled back and mumbled, "Yea, me too."

As Jarvis led her and Navaeh out onto the street, Tesla held her Hermes tote close, pursing her lips in discontent. It was late, she was tired. What the hell did she need to go to the pier for? Was she to be forced to dirty her hands all over again? Was once not enough? Before Tesla could open her mouth to begin her tirade, out came Suri once again with two men behind her. Jarvis nodded at her in compliance, then ushering the girls into his car. When Navaeh went for passenger seat, Tesla gracefully cut to it first, smiling over her shoulder. "Sorry, I get car sick." It was a lie, but Tesla never played nice.

Within no time Jarvis put his car into park behind Suri, turning off the car and pocketing the keys before looking to the girls. "Stay in the car until I figure out what to do with you." he said gruffly, slamming the door behind him and leaving the girls on their own. Once Jarvis was out of view, Tesla looked back to the woman who seemed to be more affected by tonight's antics than herself. "I'm sure everything will work out fine." It was the best she could do, Tesla wasn't very good at comforting others.

From where she sat, she could see Suri talking to Cole, and a bloodied version of the girl Bliss from earlier. The vodka in her stomach made Tesla's stomach churn. It could have easily have been herself instead of the unfortunate Bliss who had been taken, except Tesla hadn't been stupid enough to flaunt herself around like a rare gem and not expect to be taken.

Without so much as a word to the girl behind her, Tesla left the car, clutching her tote like a safety net. She got about ten feet before turning back, nerves making her hands begin to shake. It was confusing, she felt brave one minute and as if she were having a panic attack the next. Her breathing became labored, and her eyes moist.

Tears, damnit tears!

The last time Tesla had cried was when Micah died, but here she was. Maybe the adrenaline had finally stopped rushing to her head, allowing her to feel the weight of the situation. It was overwhelming, the past few days had completely flipped her whole life upside down. Wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, Tesla leaned against the hood of Jarvis' car, breathing in the cool lake air and attempting to compose herself.

Damn she made him happy. "Ill make sure your daily routine changes whenever I'm around." He gave her an inviting smile. "Rambling? Gods no the sound of your voice is extremely relaxing." He looked to his sides and leaned forward a bit, slowely he placed his hands behind hayden's back and pulled her a little closer so their lips would touch. Luckily for him it wasn't too hard because the table was fairly small. He jumped back into his seat "How was that?" He laughed slightly. The waitress came back around and handed them their coffee. She pulled out a small notebook, "What would you like?" she asked smiling at the two. "Ill just have the turkey sandwich please." she nodded and looked towards Hayden.

Daniel Takahashi

The second the words were out of his mouth he regretted his haste. What had he been thinking? Here he stood with practically his only friend dripping blood down the side of his face before him, with blood beneath the soles of his fine, designer shoes, and the body of a grotesquely fat Japanese gangster mere inches from him and all he could think about was Maria. What was wrong with him? Daniel slowly placed the palm of his hand against the side of his face, only to pause with it mid-air. Grey eyes gazed in wide-eyed shock at how badly he was shaking. "Ah, shock," he thought to himself silently as his surprisingly lucid brain caught up with the rest of him. A sardonic half-grin quirked up half his lips as his inner dialogue continued, "You'd think after everything...." With a sudden vehemence his hand curled into a fist, hiding the quivering digits as his gaze whipped quickly up to assess Martin and then Suri as the two seemed to ponder his question. In a snap decision he chose to ride the shock as long as it lasted- maybe he'd be able to get something done for once- and to keep the inevitable break back as long as he could.

Words were on his lips to tell them to forget it and that he'd find her when they were finished here when the other translator spoke up, immediately followed by Suri.
"I don't know, but Cole, Jackson, Romeo, and Jude went to get her. She'll be fine."
"She got kidnapped. The boys are taking care of that so let's not worry about that, we have enough to worry about here in this moment. Gotta take care of the trash."
Daniel blinked. In his oddly calm, lucid state of mind the information didn't shock him as it would have otherwise. Maria was gone. Kidnapped. The only feelings he could find within him were mild shock and indignation. Part of him wanted to rush out to his car and phone Cole to go to her immediately, but the more rational part that was currently in control was instructing him to stay put and wait for the other more capable men to take care of the problem. He'd be no help to her now. Sure he could handle a gun- he'd just proved to himself that he hadn't totally forgotten- but even this lucid, unusual Daniel couldn't bring himself to use one on a man. So he chose to stand his ground, feet firmly planted to the blood-soaked rug.

His fisted hand slowly returned to his side as he stared at Suri's back as she disappeared to "take care of the trash" as she'd put it, calling orders to the pair of men she'd left behind as she did so. Daniel shook his head slowly as his eyes coasted back to Martin who stood before him. "Well," he started before the quaver in his voice forced him to clear his throat and start again, "Let's... get started?" Slowly he peeled off the expensive jacket Maria had bought for him hours before and laid it gently across the only clean space- the couch he'd previously been sitting on. Then- stealing himself and taking comfort in the racing of his heart- he followed Martin to begin the... disposal. While they worked his mind went somewhere else and he began mentally listing vocabulary from all the languages he spoke.

Daniel was on a list of different Korean words for emotions when Suri appeared again to instruct them to follow her. Blinking rapidly he forced himself back into the present and followed her and his friend out to the car- his bloodied hands shaking like leaves. As he clambered quietly into the back seat he felt himself slowly breaking down, the wall inside him crumbling. The car roared into life and he felt his entire body start to quiver. Unconsciously he brought a stained palm up to cover his mouth and shut his eyes, leaning back into the comfortable backseat as he forced himself to be calm. All he could see in the darkness behind his eyelids was the faces of the men he and Martin had dragged to hidden spots within the club. His eyes flashed open again and he took a deep, quivering breath. "Just don't think about it," he told himself as they pulled into a spot on the peer.

Slowly he peeled himself out of the back of the car and stood trembling on the peer, his grey eyes peering through the dim light at the group of people standing before him. As much as he wanted to rush into their midst and locate Maria, he wasn't sure he could face her at the moment- not with blood on his hands and who knows what had happened to her. Daniel rubbed his bloodied hands together and turned to help Martin from the vehicle as best he could with hands that weren't entirely under his control.

As Cole motioned her to sit down Suri slowly made her way over, sitting down more slowly because of her side. She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket "you have a light" she asked either of the guys as she put the cancer stick in her mouth. Once she was given a lighter she lit the cigarette and took a long hit before she turned her face to Cole.

"Mmm yes its pretty bloody back at the club, if it was put in a picture id frame it and put it in my bedroom above my bed" she laughed, her eyes held a slight edge to them. "All the bodies were thrown into the basement with the help of Daniel and Martin, I have to give them credit. Didn't really think those boys had it in them" she said in a soft whisper so only Cole and maybe Jackson could hear.

Cole then saw her wound, she slight grimaced "mm its nothing...just don't touch it...just need it stitched and patched up is all" she gritted her teeth as she looked down to her side. She hoped Demi would be able to fix her up but she wasn't sure ir she should allow a druggy to stich up her wound. "Some asshole with a knife caught me off guard is all, not at my best with having got my arm hurt the other night also. But i'll be fine, you know me Cole" she gave him a tired look, she was tired and just wanted to go home, get naked and curl up in bed with Demi. "Im just pissed he ruined one of my best jackets, that fucker".

"Hows Maria?" she asked with a seriois deadtoned voice "how bad?" She then looked back over to Martin and Daniel then looked to Jackson before looking back to Cole "Jarvis brought Tesla and that other girl by the way. Martin and Daniel rode with me, not sure how well they are going to deal with what went down tonight. They aren't like us Cole, I could kill people like its nothing and not feel anything but for them, its different" her tone was softened, her small caring side came out and only a few has seen this side of her.

"Whats going to happen now Cole? This may have just been their first attack, so much shit has gone down the last few days I am suprised we are all still alive" she said as she took another drag off the cigarette. Looking up at the night sky she closed her eyes as she listed to what Cole had to say.

Respecting the femme fatale's wishes, Cole leaned towards the battered beauty beside him to light her cigarette. Briefly, the flame burst into existence, a welcome sight in the sable twilight of Chicago. But just like that, it vanished and was gone again. Tucking the lighter back into his pocket, Cole nodded at everything Suri had to say. He was relieved to know everything, for the most part, had been cleaned up and taken care of. If it weren't for Suri, he was sure that the predominance of all his mishaps would have forced him to meet his end. So rarely were his father's employees granted recognition that Cole thought there was no better time than the present.

Her pale blond hair hopped and swayed in the gale that strayed off the water as she chatted nonchalantly and explained how she came by her injury. Cole plucked his cigarette from his lips and tossed it into the bay, "Suri, thank you. I'd be fucked without you, girl."

"How's Maria?"

Jackson stiffened a little, looking down at Suri then back to his truck. Cole's shoulders temporarily tensed, then relaxed as he tilted his head to the side, "She shoulda' been here by now… Speaking of which…" Cole snapped his fingers at Jackson who irritably waved a hand and marched back towards the truck. His slate eyes only caught vague silhouettes in the back seat of his truck, so only when he was inches from the door he loudly announced, "Princess Maria, your presence is requested." He was about to turn and stomp back to the terminus of the pier when he heard a painful expiration behind him. It wasn't until he pivoted to see what made the noise that he saw the blond from earlier in the night. Her artistic eyes were now red-rimmed and puffy, her nose to match. She seemed to be steadying herself on the hood of the car perhaps for fear of propelling herself into another terrifying reality. Unfortunately for her, Jackson wasn't willing to play superhero despite what her crying did to him internally.

The hushed noises of the night were soothing considering all the inhabitants of the levee had witnessed. Swaddling at the slowly decomposing planks, the bay little by little swelled. Salty murk ascended into the atmosphere yet by no means went away, its existence thick enough to cut with a knife. Mantles above dangled lower by the minute, threatening to burst with deluge and veil the metropolis in even more darkness.

"Are you alright?" Jackson raised a hand, careful not to startle the girl from Windy City.

Stirring slightly, her eyes struggling to stay open, Maria simpered at Jude's bittersweet words. Deplorably, she'd have to be getting to her feet and making an appearance despite her own desires for the evening. Somehow she managed to repress her odium for what Bliss was rambling on about, but her thoughts on the matter weren't so much as forgotten. Crawling from the truck, she grabbed at the door handle to brace her feet on the ground that she couldn't see entirely. The swelling had worsened tenfold, making the world around her a blurred arena. Before Jude could play his part as the knight in shining armor, Maria held out a hand and cooed, "Need you not guide me, fair prince."

She was hellbent on getting to the edge of the pier where she could faintly make out her brother's voice, on her own. Unsteadily, she ushered herself in her blood-stained lace toward the familiar sounds of her friends and family. She occasionally hissed as her ribs popped in reluctance until she nearly fell over Suri.

Cole turned just in time for his sister to come toppling into he and Suri's lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he somehow got to his feet and stood her up as well. Propping his sister up against a picket, he lifted her chin to descry her facial bruises that were significantly less formidable looking in the eventide. Thank God for that. Cole pressed his cool lips to her forehead, tasting the salty condensation on Mae's skin. She slackened, depleted of words and effort. Just walking to the docks left her enervated.

Cole turned to face Daniel and Martin, approaching quietly. Then he glanced back at Suri, remembering what he had to say before Jackson pranced off to retrieve Mae.

"I know you guys do more than your fair share. You see a lot of shit that can't be unseen. And none of you have to stay with us or… or… Really have to dirty your hands. You could have turned us in. There's plenty of other paths you could have taken but you guys didn't… Now, I don't know why you chose us - this family, this life… But I'm grateful and forever indebted. Daniel you, you really went above and beyond tonight. Martin…"

Cole looked over Martin, something directly from a horror film. Crimson smeared his attire and dried on the face of the gaping wound in his head. His glasses were missing along with his generally tranquility.

"Your glasses, man. Ah, shit," Cole retrieved his wallet.

"Thanks," Martin said, a tight smile pulling at his lips as Daniel helped him out of the car, keeping him from toppling over onto the damp pier. It was a nice gesture, at least, given Daniel's frantically trembling hands and the way the night had gone. Once he was sure he could stand on his own two legs, he gave the younger translator's shoulder a tight squeeze. It was a woefully inadequate attempt at comfort, but it was the only thing he could really offer him. Anything else would just feel disingenuous.

It wasn't a nice night, Martin mentally noted as they stood on the pier, listening to quiet chatter among Cole and Suri. Then again, nice nights weren't exactly Chicago's forte lately- always battered by wind or with clouds swollen with rain. He took a deep breath, almost immediately regretting it as his head spun once more. All he wanted, all he really wanted was to go home and collapse on his bed, but even that seemed out of his reach. What was he supposed to do now? Hope that his head felt better in the morning? He couldn't exactly just waltz into the hospital, one more con of his occupation. He was losing his cool now, something that didn't happen often if ever at all. There was none of his customary tranquility or easy, soothing mannerisms. Martin was frayed, coming apart at the seams almost. And yet he stayed where he was, bleeding and beaten on a pier in Chicago because Cole has told him to. His eyes fluttered for a moment. When they opened again, there was Maria, sprawled across Suri and Cole's laps like a house cat. He could see how- how beaten she was, much worse off than himself he assumed and suddenly Suri's question about her health seemed irrelevant. She was alive, at least. That would have to be enough.

Cole's gentle affection for his sister was a little hard to watch. It should have been endearing or sweet, but it pulled on his heart in an entirely different way. Family was so important in this line of work, especially with siblings- surprisingly so. It was just another way he differed from them, Martin supposed.

Oh, Cole was talking again. He turned his attention from his thoughts and to the Occheto boy, listening to him apologize and cajole. The idea that Martin would even have thought to turn them in was almost laughable. Daniel had a chance still, to get out of this line of business if he played his cards right. As for Martin, well... He'd left that decision behind on his first day on the job the moment he'd picked up that gun with shaking hands, inexpertly pulling the trigger. It wasn't like those girls at Buca the other night- he hadn't been ordered to do anything. He'd just done it. He was in far too deep now to just stop. One did not simply leave the Occheto family once your hands were stained a brilliant red, once you'd taken a life. Oh, he'd imagined coping a plea deal in the early years, but he couldn't survive outside of the family anymore. He was tied to them now and the more he seemed to struggle, the tighter the web became.

"Your glasses, man. Ah, shit." As Cole fished for his wallet, Martin finally spoke up.

"Why's everyone so concerned about my glasses?" His attempt at humor fell flat due to the pure exhaustion in his voice, a slur in his words. Admittedly, he had been slightly upset with his broken glasses- after a childhood of dorky glasses that made him look like a less cool Harry Potter, that particular pair of glasses had been the first things that he'd bought once he'd moved out on his own. They lasted quite some time, with only his spares ever breaking, but now...

"Put your wallet away, Cole. I don't need your money. It's- I'm fine. They can be replaced."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It seems that you've been summoned," Jude smirked, Jackson's voice practically echoing over the otherwise quiet pier. Well, it wasn't that quiet between small conversations and the background noise all around them- the lapping of waves, the traffic on Chicago's streets, all mixed together into the city's soundtrack. Still, throughout his years living and working in the city, it had faded from the horrible racket it had been when he'd first arrived to practical silence. He watched as Maria struggled out of the truck, using pure determination to walk away from the vehicle. Her wounds were obviously troubling her, but any temptation to help was halted by her words.

"Need you not guide me, fair prince."

"As my lady wills it," He replied, sliding out the other door and watching dispassionately as the Italian femme tottered over to the assembling group and collapsed on top of her brother and Suri. As he followed behind, he finally took in the shape of those that had stayed behind at The Windy City and had finally come to join them. Suri was looking a little worse for wear- still beautiful in a deadly sort of way, but the wound near her stomach telling a different story entirely. Then there was the newer translator, Daniel, still trembling- probably in shock then. And finally...

Jude's fists clenched and a frown founds its way on his face, sharp eyes trained on Martin. He looked, to put it quite bluntly, like shit, blood painting his face, an open wound upsettingly clear in contrast to his now messy brown hair, and swaying on his feet like a strong breeze could knock him over and into the water. Whoever had done this to him- Well, whoever had done this to him was likely already dead, which was lucky for them and disappointing for him. Jude wouldn't have the pleasure of beating the man to death like Romeo had had the pleasure of doing only a few moments earlier with Maria and the girl's captor.

The Irishman settled for joining the group, resisting any urge to simply grab Martin and begin looking over his wounds for himself. There would be time to fuss over him later, preferably in private without well-meaning but excessively nosy and increasingly irritating coworkers and assorted company. For now, business had to be finished. Cole had called this meeting for a reason and the sooner they got that problem sorted, the sooner everyone could go and try to sleep off tonight or retreat to tend to their own wounds.

The cushy room they put her in was private, with a remote and cable. For a while Rosalinda occupied her time watching Animal Planet, unable to fall asleep. As soon as Julian had left they ran a few tests, got some results on others. "Tell me it all at once, I don't have much fight left in me." She'd admitted to Brenda.

Sweet Brenda, a saint of a woman. She worked a double shift just so that she could see Rosa to a comfortable location. That and Rosa had grown an attachment to her much like an infant to their own mother. Brenda assured her she didn't mind, but Rosa understood that she was getting special treatment. In way she resented it, because it meant that Brenda pitied her, and if she pitied her than Brenda had a reason to do so.

Even when she eventually had to go home, Brenda stopped in and made sure to leave her number. "I look forward to hearing from you." She said.

When the phone rang, Rosa almost thought it was Brenda checking in on her. But she knew Brenda wouldn't risk waking Rosa on the slim chance she might be asleep. Only one person was selfish enough to call her at this time and not care if she were sleeping or not. The only reason she considered Brenda was because she would have expected Julian to call sooner.

"How'd I know you end up calling me?"

She could hear his smile in his voice, and Rosa imagined his adorable dimples that he always scorned but she found absolutely endearing. Even though he called her a weirdo she had to laugh, his juvenile jest stirring the joker in her. However her soreness caused her to wince, her laugh coming out as a weak chortle. She closed her eyes, tipping her head back to look up to the ceiling, resting her head onto the pillow. Rosa had always thought of herself as invincible to a perverted man, yet here she was in the most pathetic state she had ever been in her life with the man who beats her on the other line of the phone.

When he began to confess his love she sighed, honestly she was done with the vicious cycle they called love. She felt like a fool for falling for it every time and nothing ever changing. Sensing him stiffen, Rosa pieced that someone had caught him getting gushy with her on the phone. Using this as a moment of opportunity, Rosa played with the phone cord as she spoke. "I love you too Julian, but I can't keep acting like nothing is wrong with us."

His silence was an indication that he was swearing her up and down in his mind, and when he agreed, Rosa felt herself buckle under his spell. How could she love someone so much when they didn't deserve her? She felt like an abused dog who just was so desperate for their a users love. It was sickening.

So when Julian suggested sleep, Rosa obliged, unable to expose herself to another minute of his bullshit. Julian would never change, and if Rosa wanted to leave she would have done it already. She was a grown adult who made the decisions that would make up the mold for her life.

If loving Julian meant bruises and broken bones were a side affect, well the euphoria was damn worth the lows.



She was thankful for the bomber she had remembered to shrug into on her way out. It wasn't even hers, but backstage was like a big closet to her, especially under the circumstances. Goosebumps rose along the back of her thighs, a shiver running down her spine. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Tesla was too uncomfortable around the girl in the car to allow to show her vulnerability and on the other hand fear of what was going on just out of sight made her feet glued to where she stood.

This job was definitely not paying her enough, but she was not only charged with fear that if she seemed like a liability she would be eliminated - but also with a overwhelming urge to prove to herself that her family had been wrong about the sharks on the street eating her alive. Tesla was strong in some ways, when it came to her heart no one could phase her. However when it came to seeing people killed as if it were all just a part of business, Tesla had a hard time keeping her cool.

As she wiped her now dry eyes, movement in her peripheral vision made her sharply turn to face a non-threatening Jackson. Relief flooded her expression, paranoia causing her to prepare for the worst. Her eyes ran from his hand that was raised as he approached her, then to his chiseled features, darting away when they locked eyes momentarily.

God, I look like a wreck she thought.

"Are you alright?"

Instinctually, she looked back to him, slightly amused by the vague question. "I mean...I'm alive aren't I? ...That's more than I can say for most of the people who walked through the doors of Windy City last night." It was late, Tesla could feel her mouth begin to run - perhaps a combination of shock and lack of sleep. She sat on the hood of the car, staring ahead. "I just...I don't know - I'm fine...just....I don't know." Unable to articulate herself, Tesla buried her face into her hands, rubbing her temples.

Tesla was not fine or alright. She was not bred for this, Tesla had been destined to be a model or a trophy wife. Perhaps have steamy affairs with the gardener or her dance instructor. She wasn't meant for this life, and she felt like she had dived head first into it. But Tesla never could ask for help until normally it was too late.

A million things were on her mind at once, reflectively Tesla paused, fingers brushing across her lips. "It just sucks that my dad is always right," she chuckled, "He said - Tesla, I could give you five thousand dollars and one month later you'd end up in some shit hole too damn deep to dig yourself out." In exasperation, Tesla threw up her arms, letting them fall back to her side. A grim smile sparked her features, taking a bittersweet expression. "I didn't get quite 5 grand, but I did take the stack in the Bear's mouth over the fireplace when I left...guess he wasn't too far off."

She was a stripper, using her body much like a common whore. Her brother would yell at her for letting herself go so low. Not only that, but now she was a murderer. If mommy and daddy had thought she was out of control then, what if they knew the truth about now? Knowing Ana and Alexander their first priority would be how to not trace it back to them. Once Micah and Tesla had joked how if they were to commit murder, their parents would do everything in their power to cover it up - for their own selfish reasons of course.

Shaking her head, Tesla looked back to the handsome man towering over her. "Sorry, you don't want to hear this. Some brat throwing a tantrum because she can't make daddy happy." She almost laughed at herself when she spoke. Yes, Tesla knew she was over zealous for her fathers attention, but it was only because he had made his approval into a golden ribbon of honor of sorts. Micah and Tesla pined for his compliments, perhaps the children's indifference to their mothers appraisal had been what had triggered the root of their problems. But Tesla always just blamed it that her mom was a first class bitch.

She bit the inside of her lip tentatively, as if she was holding back more words. Sighing, her fingers traced patterns on the fawn skin that stretched across her toned thighs. "It's just a lot, I was raised as an elitist, not a criminal...ya know?" It wasn't too far off base, and although Jackson might not have really cared, Tesla felt better getting it all off of her shapely chest.

The cushy room they put her in was private, with a remote and cable. For a while Rosalinda occupied her time watching Animal Planet, unable to fall asleep. As soon as Julian had left they ran a few tests, got some results on others. "Tell me it all at once, I don't have much fight left in me." She'd admitted to Brenda.

Sweet Brenda, a saint of a woman. She worked a double shift just so that she could see Rosa to a comfortable location. That and Rosa had grown an attachment to her much like an infant to their own mother. Brenda assured her she didn't mind, but Rosa understood that she was getting special treatment. In way she resented it, because it meant that Brenda pitied her, and if she pitied her than Brenda had a reason to do so.

Even when she eventually had to go home, Brenda stopped in and made sure to leave her number. "I look forward to hearing from you." She said.

When the phone rang, Rosa almost thought it was Brenda checking in on her. But she knew Brenda wouldn't risk waking Rosa on the slim chance she might be asleep. Only one person was selfish enough to call her at this time and not care if she were sleeping or not. The only reason she considered Brenda was because she would have expected Julian to call sooner.

"How'd I know you end up calling me?"

She could hear his smile in his voice, and Rosa imagined his adorable dimples that he always scorned but she found absolutely endearing. Even though he called her a weirdo she had to laugh, his juvenile jest stirring the joker in her. However her soreness caused her to wince, her laugh coming out as a weak chortle. She closed her eyes, tipping her head back to look up to the ceiling, resting her head onto the pillow. Rosa had always thought of herself as invincible to a perverted man, yet here she was in the most pathetic state she had ever been in her life with the man who beats her on the other line of the phone.

When he began to confess his love she sighed, honestly she was done with the vicious cycle they called love. She felt like a fool for falling for it every time and nothing ever changing. Sensing him stiffen, Rosa pieced that someone had caught him getting gushy with her on the phone. Using this as a moment of opportunity, Rosa played with the phone cord as she spoke. "I love you too Julian, but I can't keep acting like nothing is wrong with us."

His silence was an indication that he was swearing her up and down in his mind, and when he agreed, Rosa felt herself buckle under his spell. How could she love someone so much when they didn't deserve her? She felt like an abused dog who just was so desperate for their a users love. It was sickening.

So when Julian suggested sleep, Rosa obliged, unable to expose herself to another minute of his bullshit. Julian would never change, and if Rosa wanted to leave she would have done it already. She was a grown adult who made the decisions that would make up the mold for her life.

If loving Julian meant bruises and broken bones were a side affect, well the euphoria was damn worth the lows.



She was thankful for the bomber she had remembered to shrug into on her way out. It wasn't even hers, but backstage was like a big closet to her, especially under the circumstances. Goosebumps rose along the back of her thighs, a shiver running down her spine. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Tesla was too uncomfortable around the girl in the car to allow to show her vulnerability and on the other hand fear of what was going on just out of sight made her feet glued to where she stood.

This job was definitely not paying her enough, but she was not only charged with fear that if she seemed like a liability she would be eliminated - but also with a overwhelming urge to prove to herself that her family had been wrong about the sharks on the street eating her alive. Tesla was strong in some ways, when it came to her heart no one could phase her. However when it came to seeing people killed as if it were all just a part of business, Tesla had a hard time keeping her cool.

As she wiped her now dry eyes, movement in her peripheral vision made her sharply turn to face a non-threatening Jackson. Relief flooded her expression, paranoia causing her to prepare for the worst. Her eyes ran from his hand that was raised as he approached her, then to his chiseled features, darting away when they locked eyes momentarily.

God, I look like a wreck she thought.

"Are you alright?"

Instinctually, she looked back to him, slightly amused by the vague question. "I mean...I'm alive aren't I? ...That's more than I can say for most of the people who walked through the doors of Windy City last night." It was late, Tesla could feel her mouth begin to run - perhaps a combination of shock and lack of sleep. She sat on the hood of the car, staring ahead. "I just...I don't know - I'm fine...just....I don't know." Unable to articulate herself, Tesla buried her face into her hands, rubbing her temples.

Tesla was not fine or alright. She was not bred for this, Tesla had been destined to be a model or a trophy wife. Perhaps have steamy affairs with the gardener or her dance instructor. She wasn't meant for this life, and she felt like she had dived head first into it. But Tesla never could ask for help until normally it was too late.

A million things were on her mind at once, reflectively Tesla paused, fingers brushing across her lips. "It just sucks that my dad is always right," she chuckled, "He said - Tesla, I could give you five thousand dollars and one month later you'd end up in some shit hole too damn deep to dig yourself out." In exasperation, Tesla threw up her arms, letting them fall back to her side. A grim smile sparked her features, taking a bittersweet expression. "I didn't get quite 5 grand, but I did take the stack in the Bear's mouth over the fireplace when I left...guess he wasn't too far off."

She was a stripper, using her body much like a common whore. Her brother would yell at her for letting herself go so low. Not only that, but now she was a murderer. If mommy and daddy had thought she was out of control then, what if they knew the truth about now? Knowing Ana and Alexander their first priority would be how to not trace it back to them. Once Micah and Tesla had joked how if they were to commit murder, their parents would do everything in their power to cover it up - for their own selfish reasons of course.

Shaking her head, Tesla looked back to the handsome man towering over her. "Sorry, you don't want to hear this. Some brat throwing a tantrum because she can't make daddy happy." She almost laughed at herself when she spoke. Yes, Tesla knew she was over zealous for her fathers attention, but it was only because he had made his approval into a golden ribbon of honor of sorts. Micah and Tesla pined for his compliments, perhaps the children's indifference to their mothers appraisal had been what had triggered the root of their problems. But Tesla always just blamed it that her mom was a first class bitch.

She bit the inside of her lip tentatively, as if she was holding back more words. Sighing, her fingers traced patterns on the fawn skin that stretched across her toned thighs. "It's just a lot, I was raised as an elitist, not a criminal...ya know?" It wasn't too far off base, and although Jackson might not have really cared, Tesla felt better getting it all off of her shapely chest.

Suri just shook her head, taking a drag from the cigarette as Cole thanked her "no need to thank me Cole, your family to me. We have known each other for years, ill always be there if ya need me". Cole then told Jackson to go fetch Maria, it was only a few minutes later that the black haired women was stumbling towards Cole and her. Mae collapsed and Suri tried to keep a straight face as she looked down at the girl that was sprawled in her lap, she gently pushed a few strands of hair out of Maria's face before Cole helped her up.

"You know Mae you could have just asked to be in my lap, you know I would have said yes" she said jokingly, in amiss of everything Suri would still be herself. Flicking the cigarette out into the waters Suri stood up as Cole began to talk. When he finished his small speech Suri just looked at Cole.

"I know I don't have to stay in the business Cole but its who I was brought up to be and where I want to be. I can't help it, I love getting hands bloodied and dirty" her voice deepened a little as she spoke. "As I said before y'all are my family, Id do anything for you. Even if its putting my life on the line and having to kill jackasses, its just what we have to do".

She looked at the others, running a hand through her hair "tonights been a long night, I say we all head to our homes and rest. There is not much else we can do. Lets just meet up tomorrow somewhere". Suri then looked over to Maria, taking a few steps toward the women "Maria, is there anything that you need looked at, such as your wounds or any broken bones?" Her voice was gentle and motherly as she spoke, a slight worriness in her voice.

Suri knew that tonight probably started a whole new mess of things, she wondered who was going to stay and who was going to leave. There was a lot to be done still but she wasn't up for it tonight, she just really wanted to head home and pass out.

---

Shannon Keaton was exhausted but she did not want to sleep in case her daughter woke up. Looking at her daughter now she felt so helpless, Skye's skin was so pale and the many machines and tubes hooked up to her didn't help the situatione one bit. Shannon took a hold of Skye's hand, rubbing it gently as she hummed the lullaby she used to sing to her daughter when she was just a child. Closing her eyes, Shannon leaned back in the chair and tried to rest, her hand still holding her daughters hand.

Pain...that was the first thing Skye felt when she blinked her eyes open. She could hardly see, the room was dark but she felt someone holding her hand. She tried to speak but there was something in her mouth, it was then that she felt like she was being gagged. Skye started to squirm in the bed, she was scared and afraid. She didn't know where she was at.

Someone was talking to her but she could not understand what they were saying. She needed to get out, to get away.Many different hands were then pushing on her lightly, holding her down as she felt a prick of a needle in her arm. Darkness then consumed her once again as she fell back to sleep, letting her body rest once more.