10 Circumstances

The night was indeed long. As the morning sun rose, Sunny and Moe were sitting on the couch in her apartment. They had skipped the drinks when they got back, and had opted for coffee instead. After hours of work, they had almost eighty names. Those were people who actually had connection to her, not just occasional associates. They started going through the list again to try and start crossing off as many names as they could. They started from the top.

Richard had said something about it probably being someone in her crew, but who exactly did her crew entail? There was obviously no way that it would be Vicky or Luke. Luke had a problem, but it couldn't have developed into anything like this so quickly. Fran was so busy dealing with royalty and her own business that she wouldn't do well as an informant. Jen would cut out her own tongue before she would ever even consider talking to anyone inside the Royal Guard, let alone ESIU, and the same could be said for Moe and most of the people that both of them worked with. Well, she couldn't speak for all of them, but she'd make sure Moe and Jen did their own house cleaning. She knew they'd be thorough.

Then there was Lisa. She was desperate and in a bad state after what happened to her husband. She was young, impressionable and really didn't have anything to lose. On the other hand, she had killed for the cause, and that was something she'd always known to be a big no-no with CIs. They were allowed to participate, but never actually go further than minor crimes. Also, she seemed like the loyal type. She always had a fire in her eyes and an eagerness to do whatever needed to be done. Sunny admired that quality in her.

She actually had felt bad about the business with her husband. If she knew that Lisa was in the dark about the whole loan business, she would have just come to her and got her to talk sense into him before things got so far. Albert was a stubborn fool who played a dangerous game. He should have known what he was getting himself into. Lisa was a good kid who could go far if she stuck with it. Maybe taking her husband out of the equation was better for everyone.

It probably wasn't her, but she had to turn every stone.

"What do you think of the new girl?"

Moe thought it over for a few seconds. "Well," he started, pausing to yawn, "I think she would be the obvious answer, if it was someone that was actually directly involved with you, but I don't think it's her. She seems really determined to make things work with us, and she needs the money. Also, I can't recall the last time I saw a rat put two slugs in anyone's skull before. You never know though, there's no harm in keeping an eye on her for now, at least until we can find out for sure."

Sunny nodded and let out a deep yawn as well. "Then that's what we're going to do. I'm going to let Jen know later so she can start working through her people. I want you to stick with the new girl for a little bit, once she's cleared, you can get to work with your own people. Outside of you, me and Jen, no one needs to know about this."

"Not even the kids?"

Sunny shook her head. "No. They've got enough to worry about right now. I'd rather keep them in the dark until they absolutely have to know. Just focus on the new girl, call it on-the-job training if anyone asks."

Moe stood up to grab the coffee pot. He filled up both of their cups and sat back down slowly.

"I'm sure we'll nip it in the bud soon, Sunny. These things never work out for ESIU."

Sunny looked like she was miles away, and was quite for a minute as she sipped her coffee. "If things do go south, then there's something that I need to do, and I've got to do it soon."

She looked up at Moe. "If it comes to it, then I'm going to need someone to take over for me. I'm not going to prison, Moe. I'll either lam it or die if it comes down to it, but I won't end up like my father."

Moe shook his head. "Relax, Sunny. It's not going to come to that."

She put her hand over his and looked him in the eyes. "Neither of us know that Moe. I need to know though, if it does, do you want the job? You know I trust you more than anyone else in the world, right?"

He stared in silence. He never thought he would ever be put in this position. "I don't think it's for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm good at what I do, taking care of problems, keeping the books, that's one thing, but I don't think I'm cut out for leadership. And, if I'm being completely honest, I wouldn't want it even if I was cut out for it. It's a dangerous job with a lot of exposure. I'd rather just do my own thing in the background and take care of business. Besides, what about the whole deal with the Empress thing? I thought they couldn't touch you."

"It's not like that. We have protection, but it only goes so far. She gave it to all of us centuries ago, but it only goes so far. If they can actually get something on us, something real, she won't stop it. She can't afford to seem like she's supporting crime in the city."

Moe laughed. "What does she have to worry about? I would think an immortal could afford anything they like."

"She's immune to aging, sure, but that doesn't mean she's immortal. Even if she were, I doubt she'd want to risk this city tearing itself apart after all she's done to build it. I can't blame her."

Moe nodded slowly. "Have you ever met her?"

"I saw her in person once, when I was a kid. My dad took us to this big high society event and she was there. She's just as radiant in person as she is on TV. She walked through the crowd like a specter, everyone parted as she passed. I wanted to go up and talk to her, but my dad held me back. For as much as everyone loves her, I think the ones who've actually seen her up close are terrified of her. Maybe they should be."

Moe laughed. "Sounds like you admire that."

Sunny smiled. "Why wouldn't I? I've spent most of my adult life trying to be the same. Anyways, thank you for your honesty. If you don't want the job, I need you to do me a favor. I think Vicky has what it takes, but she needs a little guidance. I'm going to give her a button, and when I'm gone, it's going to be passed on to her. I need her to be ready for anything when that happens, and she couldn't have a better advisor than you."

Moe smiled at her. "That sounds like something I can do, boss. She's a god kid, and if she can get her act together, I think she could make great boss. We just need to point her in the right direction."

Sunny stood up, stretching her arms with a big yawn. "Then it's settled. We need to get some rest. Feel free to take the spare bedroom. This afternoon I'm going to start the process of opening up the books. I'll invite Vicky and Luke to dinner tonight and tell them then. When you get up, I want you to give me a call and we'll find out where Lisa is. Swing by and pick her up and take her on your rounds today. Try and get in a little closer to her and see if you can feel out the situation."

"Sounds like a plan," he replied with a yawn of his own. They stood up and left the papers on the table, heading for the bedrooms in the back. Despite all of the coffee he had been drinking, he fell asleep almost as soon as his face hit the pillow. Sometimes he would have nightmares about the things he had done or seen. He was thankful for times like these when it was nothing but darkness. There was nothing quite as great as a nice, dark, dreamless sleep.

Across town an hour later, when the sun was now bright in the cold morning sky, Vicky was sitting with Rose at a small diner. Drinking coffee of their own and eating pancakes by the stack. It was her second day completely sober, and she was actually feeling pretty good.

"Ya know," she said to Rose while still chewing on a pancake. Syrup was hanging out of the side of her mouth like drool. "I don't think I've ever actually been awake this early in the morning without staying up the whole night before. It's kind of like I'm seeing the morning through a new set of eyes."

Rose smiled to her, slicing a piece off her pancake and putting it in her mouth. "I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself. You might just find that the lives normal people have aren't too bad after all."

Vicky chuckled and stuffed her face again. "I'm not sure I would go that far, but I am definitely starting to see the advantages of it."

Rose smile started to falter a bit. "Look, sweetie. There's something I need to ask you about."

Vicky stopped eating, putting on her best serious face. "What's up? Is everything okay?"

Rose paused, putting her fork down. "I've been thinking a lot about the things that you do for your Aunt, and I need to know something. What is the extent of your business? I mean, I know about the drugs, and obviously I don't care about that. I just need to know about the other side. I heard about how you reacted when those people came in and shot up the club. They said you jumped right into the action, like a natural. I know what Sunny does, or at least I've heard rumors, but I need to hear it from you. Have you ever done anything like that before?"

Vicky didn't know what to say. She should have known this would happen eventually, and probably should have thought about what she was going to do when it did. She'd spent almost her whole life around people who knew what the deal was. She never stopped to think about just how insane the whole thing must seem to someone on the outside.

This was a delicate situation. She loved Rose, and she didn't want to say the wrong thing. In the stories that she read as a kid, love was always honest, but this wasn't a story. Sometimes, the truth was a messy thing, and a lie was the better option. The idea of lying to her actually made her feel a little sick, which was a first. What other choice did she have?

Rose would run if she knew the truth. Vicky was a killer, there were no two ways about it. It wasn't out of necessity or anything like that, not really, mostly it was just because she like it. She was a monster masquerading as a human, and worst of all, she liked it that way. Being able to do what she wanted, when she wanted and to whom she wanted, with almost no consequences, was how she had always lived her life, and she had more than grown accustomed to it. She would never change, she couldn't change. Rose was worth at least pretending that all of that wasn't true though.

She put her hand over Rose's. "Never. I swear it. Well not never, I guess, but only in self-defense. I know there are a lot of rumors about what Sunny's involved in, but that's not my life. I just run the club for her, that's it."

Rose nodded slowly and her smile returned. "I knew it. I just…had to be sure is all. I'm sorry I doubted you, sweetie. I love you."

She finished with a kiss and they went back to eating. Vicky felt bad, but Rose believed her, and that was all that mattered. She leaned in for another kiss and left some syrup on Rose's lips. She was happier than she had been since her parents were still alive, and she honestly still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that it was real. She was going to hold onto it for as long as she could, and nothing would take it away from her.

After they left, Rose went to the club to check up on some things. Vicky had asked her to look over some of the books after finding out all that Rose did when she owned her own shop. Over the last few weeks they'd been trying to come up with a way to help them hide their excess money any way they could. There were little ways everywhere, and she had been doing pretty well so far. She had been looking over inventory behind the bar when she saw Max and Vanessa talking on the other side of the room. She didn't want to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help but overhear them.

"It's time, Max," Vanessa started. "We can't keep doing this anymore. We've got the future to think about now. It's not just us we've got to worry about."

"Relax, honey. I know that. If anything, this is an opportunity for us to make money for when the baby comes."

She scowled. "What are you talking about exactly? Because if it's what I think it is, then you'd better not even suggest it."

He sighed. "Sweet Empress, V. Can we not even talk about this? There's a chance to make a good life for us here. It would only be for a couple of years at most, and we could have enough money to provide our little one with the best life."

She dropped the washcloth on the table. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Look, I love your sister, don't get me wrong. She's been a great friend to me, and really helped us out here. But you and I both know that she's a psychopath, and I'm sure Luke is too. Did you not see them when the shit went down in here? Your sister looked like a light switch turned on as soon as the shooting started. The look in her eyes scared me more than anything else that was happening around us. That's who your sister is, and that's not who you're going to be."

Max looked stunned. "How could you say something like that? You have no idea what she's been through."

She stopped him right there. "What's she been through that you haven't?"

He shook his head. "It's not the same, Vanessa. She can't cope with things like normal people do. There's a rage that's been building inside her for years, and I know she's getting better at controlling it. Rose has certainly seen to that."

When she heard her name, Rose turned around and started looking under the shelves, but kept listening.

"Maybe you're right," Vanessa started again, "but that doesn't change the fact that at any time another group of armed idiots could come busting in this place, looking to take on your sister or your aunt for who knows what, and we might not get lucky like we did last time. Haven't you even thought about that?"

"It's not that serious anymore, Vanessa. It was a one-time thing. Of course, there will always be danger in this business, but that's why it pays so well."

She was fuming, but didn't want Rose to hear them. "What good will money be if our baby ends up an orphan like his father?" She whispered with venom in her voice.

Before Max could even begin to say anything, she walked away. He looked over to see Rose purposefully trying to ignore the situation that was unfolding before her.

"Sorry about that."

Rose just blushed and nodded before turning away from him.

Vanessa didn't know what she was talking about, Rose thought to herself. Sure, maybe Vicky had some anger issues, but she knew the real Vicky. The real Vicky was sweet, caring and compassionate. The real Vicky was scared and lonely and angry deep down inside, but all she needed was a little love, and she could be wonderful.

Rose was starting to realize just how much she cared for Vicky. Not the Vicky that she had met that first day at the club, or the cocky persona that she carried around with her to hide how sad she was deep down inside. She fell in love with the Vicky who she woke up next to every morning. The one who she had just finished breakfast with. The one who she knew, at the end of the day, would be there for her.

With this realization, another dawned on her. She was almost forty, and it was beyond time that she settled down. Maybe she could start a family of her own if she was lucky. She loved Vicky, and she knew that she'd be safe with her, and well taken care of. Maybe it was time to take things to the next level. Sure, they'd only been together for a couple of months, but she was sure that it was the right time, she just hoped Vicky felt the same.

As the day went on, Luke was sitting at their apartment and counting up some of the money that the club had taken in the last week. He was splitting up the chips and notes into different piles. One was his, one would be going to Vicky and the other to Sunny. There was another pile for business assets and a final, smaller one was going to be put away for the rainy-day fund. He had just about finished when the phone started ringing.

He lit a cigarette as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" He answered in a brighter than usual voice. It turns out that money could do wonders in improving one's mood, or at least make things seem a little a less annoying than they usually did.

The voice on the other end was familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Sorry for the random call Luke, but I've got some news for you. There has been word that those people I tipped you off about selling on Sunny's turf. It's come to my attention that they didn't get the message, and are back at it again. I just thought that I would pass on the information to you."

"Thanks, I'll handle it." was all that he said before hanging up.

He put his head in his hands. That was all it took to ruin the mood. Normally, he wouldn't care. The dealers had no money or supplies. They shouldn't have been an issue, but when he sent a message, especially for Sunny, he had to make sure that message was fully received.

He picked up the phone and called Moe.

"Those guys you put out of business last night decided to come back. Can you take care of it?"

"I'd be happy to, but I've got a question for you. You cleared all of this with Sunny, right?"

Luke frowned.

"I didn't think I needed to. She'll get her cut when I unload some of these pills. I'm doing my job aren't I?"

"Relax kid, I just wanted to make sure. I want to take the new girl along though, that cool?"

"That's fine, as long as you think she can handle it"

"I'll head to her place now. What's the plan exactly?"

"Scope it out. If it's true, you know what to do."

"You know I do. We'll call you when it's done."

With that they said their goodbyes and Luke let Lisa know Moe was on the way. After he was finally finished with the calls and was getting ready to go back to counting credits, the phone rang again.

After she was finally finished, she set back out to finish counting the bits when she got another call.

"What could it possibly be this time," he wondered aloud as he picked up the phone.

"What?" He said as he picked up, annoyed.

"Well that's not much of a greeting." Sunny's chipper voice said from the other line.

Realizing who it was, Luke tried to brighten up. "Sorry, Sunny. It's been a long day. What's up?"

Sunny didn't waste any time. "I've got something important I want to tell you and Vicky. I tried to call her first, but she can be difficult to track down. I want you to find her and meet me at Jenny's place at around 7:30 tonight. Dress nice. It's a special occasion."

A smile came on his face. "And what might that be?" He asked, trying to sound chipper.

He heard Sunny chuckle. "That's the big surprise. Just be there."

He agreed and they said their goodbyes. Luke set out to find Vicky. As it turned out, she was napping in her bedroom. Luke didn't know exactly how or when she came in. He never heard the door open. He woke her up and told her the news. They set out trying to find something suitable for Vicky to wear.

As the evening cam, and the sun was starting to set, Moe pulled up outside of the bakery. Lisa came out to meet him and hopped in the car.

"What's the word, Moe?" She asked.

"Didn't you get the memo?" He answered with a smirk. "Apparently those idiots from last night didn't take our advice. It's time to teach them a lesson they won't forget. You up for it?"

She just nodded. "I'm up for anything. I'm surprised they didn't just fuck off after the first time."

He chuckled. "Don't be, kid. Most people are a lot more stupid than you could possibly imagine. You'll see in time, I'm sure. It's something you've gotta learn how to deal with if you're going to make it this business."

She nodded. "Sounds like you've got a lot to teach me."

As they made their way across town, Vicky and Luke had shown up at Jenny's restaurant. Sunny and Jenny were already waiting for them at the table. Sunny was dressed up in a tight-fitting red dress and Jenny was wearing an equally tight-fitting blue one. Luke was in his best suit, and Vicky had managed to actually put on a dress herself for the first time in years. They really weren't her style, but a meeting with Sunny at a nice place certainly seemed like a good enough occasion to break one out.

"Aren't you two looking beautiful this evening." Luke said as he sat down.

Jenny smiled. "You two are looking pretty nice yourselves. Even you managed to dress up a bit, Vicky. I never thought I would see the day."

Vicky laughed. "Go fuck yourself, Jen."

Jenny laughed. "That's more what I was expecting." She motioned for the waiter. "Have whatever you want. It's all on the house tonight. Let's start with some drinks."

She turned to the well-dressed waiter.

"Let's start with a bottle of red wine. The 57 Whinnying Wind, if I'm not mistaken it's the best we have here."

He gave a well-rehearsed smile. "It is indeed Ma'am. I'll have that right up for you"

"Wow," Vicky started, "I don't know what that is, but based on the name I can only assume it's expensive. What's the occasion?"

Sunny smiled. "We'll get to that, Vicky. Let's just order first."

Across town, Lisa and Moe were just about reaching the neighborhood where they were headed for.

"So," Lisa started, "do you ever wonder what things would be like if your life had turned out different? I mean if you had never left the so-called 'straight and narrow'?"

Moe chuckled, "There were times I thought about it, but there wasn't really much of a straight and narrow version of my life. I had pretty much nothing when I started doing this. I was still a kid. When we first went to war, after Tanterella died, there were times when I thought about having a simple life. I knew that I could die at any moment, and I was afraid every minute of every day. I was still young then. After a while, you get used to it, the fear, the uncertainty. You just learn how to live with it."

"I had this cousin," he started as he took a drag from his cigarette. "We were always on different paths. My parents were worthless junkies but his were actually fairly normal. They didn't have much, but they weren't dead broke. He pulled himself up the legit way. Started working as a mechanic and made his way up to the boss. He's a hard worker, just like I am. Now he owns one of the largest garages in the 18th district, and he did it all without going outside of the system. He's got a wife and two daughters. They all seem to have happy lives, or at least that's the impression I get on the rare chances I have to see him."

The pulled up to a stoplight and Moe threw his cigarette out of the window. "The point I'm making kid, is that I may have done things differently, but I can't now. The one thing that I can be proud of is that I know who I am, and I know who I'm not. If there's anything that you could actually learn from me it's this: know who you are and be true to it. Your life will be better for it, trust me."

The light turned green, but before they could go, the car that was behind them suddenly pulled up along the driver's side. Lisa looked through the window and spotted a familiar face. It was the goon she hit with her pistol the night before. He had a black eye and a taped nose.

Moe quickly turned his head to her.

"Get down!"

She had barely enough time to react as a hail of bullets pierced the car. She quickly opened the passenger door and slid out onto the ground as the shots kept coming. Her back and shoulder were grazed, and felt like they were on fire, and glass from the breaking windows was raining down on her and cutting her skin. She tried her best to shield her eyes.

It was over in seconds, but it felt like forever. She could still hear the shells clinking off of the ground through the ringing in her ears as the shooters sped away. She managed to pull herself up and looked into the car. Moe was slumped over the wheel with his eyes still open and his head facing her. He had been shot dozens of times, and his blood covered the entire inside of the car. At least a few of the shots had hit him in the head. He was probably dead before he even hit the steering wheel.

She was in shock, but finally snapped out of it as she heard the sounds of police sirens in the distance. She popped open the glove box and grabbed the small pistol from inside, stuffing it in her coat pocket. She tried to run into the alley as quickly as she could, but she almost collapsed from the searing pain in her back. She needed to find a payphone as quickly as she could.

Back at the restaurant, the crew were enjoying their expensive meals and even more expensive wine. Sunny finished her glass and looked at Vicky.

"How's the food?"

Vicky was stuffing the last of her steak in her mouth. "It's fuckin' great."

"That's wonderful, dear. Now ,it's time to tell you why I brought you two out here, it's a very special occasion."

They all stopped eating to look at her and she started again.

"I know things have been a little crazy over the last couple of months, and I want you to know just how well I think both of you have handled things. You took a horrible situation and managed to come out on top, and I truly respect that."

She took a breath. "I was thinking about all of that this morning, especially the shooting, and I decided that if you are going to be taking more responsibility and risks for the family, then I need to make sure you're safe. So, I've decided to give you your button."

Vicky gasped. "Are you serious, Auntie?"

"As a heart attack, kid." Jenny chimed in. "You've more than earned it too, it's not just to keep you safe."

Vicky didn't know what to say. She knew it would happen someday, but she figured it would be years from now. This was the dream. No one could touch her now. Hell, it was the only reason that rat fuck Neon was still breathing. She would be unstoppable, and any life that she had hoped to make with Rose would be hers for the taking.

"I don't know what to say."

Luke put a hand around her shoulder. "Just say thank you, and maybe give Auntie a hug. You deserve this."

Vicky reached across the table and wrapped Sunny in a hug as the other two looked on with smiles on their faces. It was truly a happy night. With Vicky getting on the inside, Luke was as close to invincible as an outsider in the business would ever get. He would be protected from anyone who would want to get to them. Although he figured Skag probably felt the same way right up until he got his brains blown out. Maybe, this would actually put more of a target on his back now. He'd have to worry about that later. It was time to celebrate.

They all had happy words and had another drink before parting ways. Vicky was bordering on tipsy at that point and was having trouble walking straight to the car. Around twenty minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building. They got on the elevator all the way up to the 16th floor and were met by Rose sitting at the end of the hallway outside of their door.

"Rosie?" Vicky asked as she sloshed her way out of the elevator. "What are you doing here, baby?"

Rose smiled and rushed up to her, wrapping her in a huge hug and kissing her on the forehead. "Sorry for the abruptness. I couldn't get a hold of you, and I really needed to talk to you. I didn't realize until I got here that I forgot the key that you gave me. I figured I would just wait for you."

Vicky cocked her head. "How long have you been here for? Is everything okay?"

Rose just smiled at her as Luke unlocked the door and walked inside with the two following behind him.

"I haven't been here long and everything is okay. More than okay, in fact. Things are great. Or at least I hope they will be."

Vicky put an arm around her. "What's going on, beautiful?"

Rose took a deep breath and started to speak quickly. "I realized today just how much I love you. I really, really love you and I want to be with you forever. I'm not getting any younger, and I know now for sure that you're the one for me. I know it seems so soon, but life is short, and anything can happen when you least expect it. What I'm trying to ask you is, will you marry me?"

Vicky and Luke's jaws both dropped.

"Um…" Vicky stammered.

Marry Rose? It was an interesting idea. She had always figured that someday she would get married, but never this soon. She did love her though, and she was probably the only person who loved Vicky for who she was, or at least who she thought she was. There wasn't going to be another coming around any time soon, so maybe she should just do her usual thing and go with the flow.

"Yes."

Rose screamed and wrapped herself around Vicky and started covering her in kisses. Something cracked inside Luke. His plan was collapsing in front of his eyes. She was supposed to be a flash in the pan, not a fucking wife. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. He was getting wrapped up in his rage when he heard the phone in the kitchen ringing. Luke walked across the hallway into the to grab it while Vicky and Rose were still wrapped up in each other.

"Hello," he said flatly, trying to control his anger.

"Luke? Where have you been. I've been trying to get a hold of you for almost an hour." He heard the voice say. It was Lisa and she sounded frantic.

"Lisa? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Lisa's voice was shaking and she was speaking quickly. "I need you and Vicky to come out to the corner of…" she paused, "Firestone and 87th, and I need you to come now. Bring guns and please, hurry."

Luke never had a chance to ask any more questions before Lisa hung up. Luke didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't going to waste any time. He reached into the counter drawer and pulled out a pistol, putting it in his suit pocket and running into the living room, where Rose and Vicky were sitting on the couch, snuggling up.

Vicky looked over and saw the blank look on Luke's face. "What happened?"

"We need to go, and we need to go now. There's some problem with Lisa and we need to help. Rose, you can stay here until we get back. Lock the door behind us." Luke said with a serious face and stern tone.

Vicky sprang into action. She turned to Rose, planting one more kiss on her lips.

"I'll be back soon, baby. I love you."

Rose didn't get a chance to say anything before they rushed out of the door and slammed it behind them. She was bewildered. Her emotions were mixed. She was immeasurably happy that Vicky said yes, but now she was concerned about whatever it was that she may have just gotten herself into. It was a strange world to live in, but one that she had to get used to.