Skye Keaton's Story

Maria Occheto

Her long strides made the heels less painful. She attempted to mitigate her preoccuring malaise as she soaked up what sunlight was peaking its way through the upper atmosphere. Wild and long, her dark tresses fell in voluminous waves around her face to compliment the inviting, dark painted hue of her fleshy lips. Still, clouds stood in the way and threatened rain for the third time in a week. The rays from the indestructible spheroid in the sky bounced off of her sable mane. "Come on out," she called up to the sun, "Just a little more?" Her tone was pleading and kittenish.

She had to wonder then, what Cole was up to in the midst of all this distress. And if that girl from the bar had caught up with him. Was it a mistake, not giving his number to her? What else had she done wrong? Plenty of things. One of them being letting Skye fall right into the snake pit. It was her mission to make sure Daniel didn't fall much further into that excavation himself. If Maria allowed it, she wouldn't forgive herself. With the amount she had weighing on her soul already, his downward spiral into the evil and corruption under her father's hand would make the load insufferable, as if it weren't already. She huffed and then let a protracted exhale travel from her pneumatic lips.

Would Daniel even consider her proposition? Was her allure fading to the point that she couldn't even make him entertain the offer? She couldn't imagine herself being remotely charming or charismatic anymore; if he declined she wouldn't find herself shocked by it.

Continuing down the sidewalk, she neared the entrance of the hotel. She stopped short as her phone vibrated, tickling her skin and casting odd sensations about her body. Speak of the devil. In one hand she held her pocketbook while small, unoccupied fingers fetched the device to read the message aloud. "Oh. sh-!" She exclaimed as she trotted to get closer to the doors, knocking right into someone else. Don't text and drive.

Stumbling backwards, she wobbled and waved her arms a little so that she wouldn't fall. It was Daniel she had walked right into. "Whoa --- ooh, hey!" A bright grin spread across her face as she seesawed at the sight of him. His charcoal eyes were fathomless, a beautiful distinction of his face that she personally took a fair liking to. Her thoughts ran away to the girlish, swooning sector of her mind. "You made it!"

Maria Occheto

To say she was pleased would be a vast understatement. Daniel was quite the sight for sore, tired, and sad eyes. As she glanced up at him, her body threatening to topple to the ground, she still grinned with her mouth ajar and her dark, red lips curving heavenward as a greeting. And she had to admit she really half expected him not to show up, to send her a text saying 'sorry, I'm too swamped' or 'You're kind of invading my personal space soooo…'

His hands braced her, rocking her heels back to meet with the pavement and set her back to be balanced. In the sun, she squinted and continued to grin at him like a child who had been given ample amounts of candy while being entertained with jokes at the same time. It felt so unbelievably alleviating to be able to smile in that way, to have a reason to. She was even more thrilled to see him slightly simpering back. With a brave hand, she nipped at his shirt with her thumb and index finger, "There it is."

"Umm - yeah - o - of course. I said I would be here, didn't I?"

He bent down to grab his phone. Furrowing her brow, she responded, "Yeah I mean I kind of almost figured you were going to bail on me or something." She kicked at the air, "Like maybe I was bothering you so." Her green gaze followed his quick inspection of his phone.

"Oh, Daniel - shit. Did I make you drop your phone?" She extended her palm, expecting him to show it to her. Leaning her head to the side, she continued to smile at him and take him all in. "Did you think about what I said last night?" As much as she hadn't wanted to bring it up, she kept it at the tippy top of her priorities. She wasn't willing to let him suffer a harrowing and tragic fate like the rest. There was still time, still mechanisms and approaches she could use.

Why was she, otherwise macabre and cold to these things, crumbling before Daniel's situation? Why did she care? Did she --- care for him in a different way? It began to make her brain hazy. She didn't truly want to know.

Not being graced with the phone in her palm, she retracted her fingers for a moment then reached for Daniel's own. Loosely she wrapped her hand around three of his fingers, "Forget it. Are you hungry? I mean," she started away from the hotel then stopped, "We can go somewhere or we can get room service."

Daniel was a quandary to be reckoned with. He was tricky, easily discomforted and anxious. All of this was hidden - well, not quite, beneath his elegantly handsome and slightly foreign facade. Why was she so drawn? She couldn't put her finger on it. She knew it was completely out of character for her no matter how often she leaned towards people of differential origins. Typically she couldn't be bothered with someone fidgety and self conscious.

Daniel just kept her interested and obligated to… save him?

A good man? Martin was a lot of things, but a good man no longer qualified, or, if it did, the standards were depressingly low. Oh, it wasn't like he ran around shooting people and assaulting women, but the moment he'd picked up a gun, in his mind at least, the status no longer applied. Then again, the Occheto family and friends had a very different definition of good, so, yes, maybe he was a good man.

Musings about his own morality cut short, Martin listened to the impromptu briefing with an air of patience and an attentive expression. It perfectly masked the turmoil his mind had been flung into. Individually, he probably wouldn't have been all that surprised about some of the events. The Russian thing? He understood, having been present for all such dealings. The Big Daddy having another child thing(although, admittedly, that she'd turned out to be the new waitress was bizarre)? Not all that shocking. You can only see a man get a lap dance so many times before figuring out 'Oh, hey, he's quite loose, isn't he?' But when you flung it all together with a side of Maria pulling a gun on her father and the Occheto's being related to a police officer whose girlfriend Martin had found on the side of the road, you get the surprise.

He didn't intend to argue to keep the Russian connections, at least not too much. They were too cocky(then again, so were almost everyone he saw these days), walking around Chicago like they owned the place, handling everyone and everything as if they were meant to serve them. He'd seen if when the Russian pigs had tried to grab Maria and left still jeering. He'd seen if when Vlad had decided he could barge into Buca and threaten whoever his little, shriveled black heart desired. Hell, he'd seen it in the countless documents he'd been made in charge of. But this could and most assuredly would get ugly. Well, uglier than normal.

"I'll make sure Jude is there. I'll see you then," He replied instead of demanding more information, vaguely wondering when he'd been made Jude's keeper(It made sense, but, hey, he didn't need the extra responsibility. He was patient, he'd find out in a few hours.

He watched Cole leave before standing up, dumping his trash in the trash can, and starting to leave until he remembered he didn't have his wallet and, by extension, his jacket. It was still innocuously set in Rosa's hospital room. He silently cursed, berating himself for forgetting it. It wasn't as if he could waltz right on in and out again, especially if Cole's cousin had shown up. It didn't take a genius to realize that that little encounter could only end badly for Martin. Somehow he knew that Julian wouldn't be all thanks for Martin helping Rosa out.

But he couldn't leave his jacket or wallet in there, so, instead, he recruited the help of a nurse who'd just shown up for her shift and probably wouldn't know what had happened to get it for him, inventing a false sob story about not being able to look at his sister in that state. He felt bad afterwards, just a little bit, as he drove away from the hospital, for taking advantage of her sympathy. Which, in turn, cheered him up a little bit. 'Still a little human there, Marty' his conscience seemed to say, 'Good show.' He did make one stop now. It seemed ridiculous after all that, but he had stepped out of the house for a reason besides finding a sexually assaulted acquaintance on the side of the road.

When he finally parked his car, he stopped to check his cellphone. Two texts waited, the little mail icon flashing slightly. One was from Daniel, polite to a fault and kind as always, and the other from... Sage. He groaned, letting his forehead hit the top of his steering wheel. They'd been playing phone tag for a day or two now and, really, she seemed very sweet and he'd love to call her back, but the time. When didn't he have work? The thought hit him like a ton of bricks, although it had been rolling around in his mind for a while now, just never seen the light of day until now. When didn't he have work? Well, shit. He was always working. That was all he did. Ever. When was the last time he'd gone to see a movie? When was the last time he went shopping? The last time he'd gone to a museum? Went on a walk? There was no dating, no hanging out with friends because, hello, he only had his coworkers. Oh, God, how was this his life? Work. Work was his life, his whole life, and that was more than mildly distressing.

He pushed down the rising panic and/or super early midlife crisis as he sent a reply text off to Sage and got out of the car in a daze, locking it behind him.

Sorry, I'll call you soon. I've been very busy.

He had things to do, people to see, and stuff to deal with. He didn't have time for a panic attack right now, thanks.

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He was, admittedly, surprised to find Jude in his apartment when he opened the door. After how abrupt he'd been with him on the phone at the hospital and given the fact that Jude could be upset with you on a whim, he'd expected the Irishman to be long gone with only some used teabags and some property damage in his wake. But there he was, dressed to the nines(apparently he had left for a bit, but only to pick up a dashing black suit with matching vest, and tie with a small diamond pin attached to the knot, for tonight) and sulking on Martin couch like a miffed cat.

"I brought the eggs," Martin announced in lieu of an apology, holding up the plastic bag with the carton inside(and some ice-cream because why the Hell not?). Jude barely looked at him which was an excellent sign- it was when he was looking at you that you had to watch out. He puttered around a little bit putting the groceries away and making himself a cup of tea before settling on a chair next to the couch.

"I spoke with Cole about tonight..." With that, he gave an explanation between sips of tea. Jude slowly turned to look at him, interest clear on his features as Martin summarized not only what had happened but the brief explanation Cole had given him. It seemed like a mixture between Martin's undivided attention and the promise of bloodshed had tempted him out of his mood, for which Martin was incredibly relieved.

"Well, Marty, it looks like things are finally getting interesting," Jude purred, eyes flashing dangerously. Martin sighed. If things were only just now getting interesting, he didn't know how much more interesting he could take. "Go get dressed, pet. Wear the gray one with a red tie. I quite like that one. Easier to get blood out of."

With that pleasant thought, Martin set down his tea and went to get ready. Which, he'd often thought, was ridiculous. Why would you dress up to go to a strip club? Seemed to defeat the purpose. He let out an almost-giggle at the thought(probably just panic setting in again) and picked up his suit.

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The club was already in full swing when they arrived, passing by the front door without incident. Neither really liked to frequent Windy City for almost completely different reasons, but Martin was there often enough on business, and, while it was rare he came in with someone, it wasn't unheard of. The odd pair passed through the crowds of bodies, Martin attempting to ignore his surroundings and Jude looking very amused. That and he was taking a once-over of the place.

Customers, strippers, they all seemed to blend together except for one of two people who stood out. One was a woman dressed entirely too conservatively to be here for pleasure or just because. He might keep an eye on her. Some of the staff seemed strange, even familiar, but he shrugged it off and, after grabbing some whisky to tide him over, followed Martin up the stairs to the more private room that the Occheto's favored for doing business.

There was Cole already, and Suri looking as gorgeous and deadly, and Romeo, the business partner. Jude hadn't seen any of them in quite some time simply because he had other aspects of his job to attend to.

"Looks like everyone's already begun to show up. Hope we're not too late," He said, his voice ringing out clear as a bell, as they entered. Not that he actually gave two shits if they were late or early or even right on time. Martin didn't bother with a big greeting, just a quick hello and a small smile.

The streets of Chicago were never kind, Julian had witnessed the horrors it had to offer. Crack heads that were so high they put their baby in the oven thinking they were starting dinner, young girls so strung out they couldn't even realized they'd just been raped. He listened to the cacophony of the black city, hoping just maybe he could hear the cry of help and once again be a hero.

The rush of being the one to save the day was better than anything he had ever experienced. It would make up for every single failure up till then. But those days where the bad guys got away, that was when Julian felt the darkness within claw to surface.

His mind flashed to his sweet Rosalinda, the most exquisite and beautiful rose he had ever encountered. She was so perfect, yet he continued to fuck up again and again. He couldn't comprehend how a girl who had been through so much could still be so sweet and caring to all. She had such warmth that made him feel alive within. He knew it was all his fault, his damn temper.

Cole was right, he wasn't a man. What kind of man continued to hurt the woman he would soon swear to protect? Disgusted with himself, Julian buried his face into his hands, leaning across his desk. It was late, but Julian stopped counting the minutes about two cups of coffee ago.

His womanhunt last night had resulted in a pile up of paperwork, resulting in tedious and dull labor that left Julian with too much thinking time and not enough distractions. Calling Rosa's hospital, he was pleased to hear she was moved to a room and although they protested, Julian managed to convince them to transfer the call to her room. Her soft voice sounded like an angel whispering in his ear.

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

Just hearing her voice made him feel better, a smile tugging at his lips. Relaxing into his seat, Julian glanced around to make sure none of his buddies were around before continuing with a cheesy smile on his face. "Weirdo, how'd you know it was me?"

She laughed, well tried to. It came out more like a chortle, pain evident in the subtle noises she made. His fingers flexed, gripping the wooden arm of his chair. It killed him to know that he couldn't find the motherfucker who had left his fiancé in such a dismal state. However a quiet but present voice in the back of his mind reminded him that his constant excuse to himself for leaving marks was that she bruised easily...

"You're the only person I know who could smooth talk the poor Lady at front desk into calling my room at this time of night."

Her voice brought him back down, causing him to shake his head and wipe away the voice in the corner of his mind. Using his thumb and forefinger to rub his temples, Julian propped his elbow onto his desk and bowed his head in deep thought. "That's because I love you Rosalinda, more than I've ever loved anything before in my life..." She had heard it all before, but it didn't make it any less true, "I love you more than all the stars and all the beautiful sunsets and sunrises...I love you-" the sound of footsteps made him stop his speech and straighten himself, rotating his chair to face the hall as Randall rounded the corner.

As if sensing what had happened, Rosa sighed. "I love you too Julian, but I can't keep acting like nothing's wrong with us." Damn her! She knew he wouldn't want to talk about this with someone around, leaving him defenseless to whatever she said on the other side of the line. What was even worse was the exasperation in her voice.

Weakly waving to Cooper, Julian scratched the back of his neck while deep in thought. What could he say? She was right, there was a problem and it would only get worse if he didn't start trying to fix it now. Clearing his throat, Julian stood from his seat as Cooper beckoned him over. "I know...look I got to go, get some sleep little bear."

He knew she would want to talk more about this, hell he did to. However there was a time for that and it was not now, which she understood. "Yea I'm sleepy anyways." God he loved her so much, any other female he had been with would always throw a complete fit when he would dismiss a pressing topic. Only Rosa understood him how she did. "Good night."

"Good night, little bear."

As he hung up his phone, he could hear Cooper chuckle at the term of endearment. "You've gone soft, Ortíz." Cooper had been Julian's partner for years, one of his closest confidants. Lightly punching the man in the arm, Julian laughed.

"The only thing I've gotten soft about is how hard I hit your 'bruise like a peach' skin." Julian said, mimicking Cooper's mothers phrasing. He had met her at a cook out Cooper had at his house, most of the police force got along well enough and would see each other socially. Everyone had met Rosa, and of course everyone loved her. Of course initially they teased her age, but it was easy to see past that and into her ageless soul.

"What happened to the Julian who would hit the strip joint with me?"

Julian dismissed that statement, "The best strip joint in the city is Windy City and you know damn well why I don't go there." Cooper was the type of cop that didn't mind turning a blind eye time to time where as Julian felt as if he were being eaten alive when he did so. Still he wished he had told Maxxie and Makenzie from the FBI all the details from the pier, but they were after Maria and although the young lady was surely involved, Julian knew it wasn't who she was. Maria had been sucked into the life, by the disgusting parasite that is Antonio Ochetto.

Cole had made his bed, and Julian knew the boy had made the choice to join his father all on his own. Maria never had a chance. What else was she supposed to do? Let Cole abandon her? Nah, that wasn't the way Maria worked. When all that stood between Big Daddy and his precious Maria was Arabella, there wasnt much of an option for Antonio. With her mother gone, who else could the broken hearted girl turn to? It wasn't right, Maria didn't choose this life however much she may think she did.

Bringing him back down to earth, Cooper shoved a file into Julian's hand. "Whatever, I don't want to hear about it Poppa Bear. You're going to shit your pants when you hear about this." Julian opened the file, leaning against Coopers desk as the man continued. "So you know how Frank got suspended for running over a pimp and getting into fights? Well turns out he was doing some things on his own and having Jerry look into it. Helping some kid find her dad. Turns out, the dad is, get this, Antonio Ochetto." Cooper knew of Julian's hatred for the man, and his family ties to his children. Curiosity burning through his mind, Julian took a seat and began to flip through the bank statements and phone records with intrigue. "You think that's crazy, Jerry says Frank went to go tell the kid, and no one has seen or heard from him since. The kid he was with - turns up in the fucking hospital supposedly a hit and run. Coincidence?"

Frank Russo and Julian were never close, but they had drinks a few times, got along well enough when they worked together. Sure the man had been going through some dark times after his partner, Sam died, but he was a good guy under it all. Now he too was possibly a victim of Antonio Ochetto.

Shaking his head, Julian looked up at Cooper "What are we doing? Is anyone working on this?"

Laughing, Cooper snatched back the file. "Well no one is...yet." the expression Cooper took was all the motivation Julian needed. Smiling like a kid in the candy shop, Julian took the file back and opened it back up to read the girls name out loud who had been in touch with Frank. "Skye Keaton, she's at the same hospital as Rosa - lets go."