CHAPTER VI

Marco was properly and thoroughly devastated. He had managed to completely alienate a good portion of the den, all because he couldn't trust himself. He was seated alone, by the pool side, the light breeze fanning his hair, his jaw resting on one knee, the other foot dangling in the water. The crystal-clear water, although extremely relaxing in its own way, did nothing to lighten his mood.

The last day had been a perfect example of living in hell. He had hoped- hoped to chance- to catch her at a meal time the next day. She hadn't shown up for dinner the night they got back so he had thought she would be extremely hungry. But when snacks came and went by noon it became clear to him, she wasn't coming out of her room at all. It was just sad that he knew, she was probably avoiding him. Why won't she? Come to think of it, he had only seen Bella three or four times, same as Carl. He could only imagine they were with her, where ever they were.

As if to speak of the devil.

"Hey, man. You look like a duck lost in a rainstorm", Carl decided

Marco turned only slightly it was Carl alright, staring down at him with his hands in his pockets.

To the cold-blooded son of the mafia king, Carl was something like a best friend to him. They had both joined the mafia under conditions completely inhumane, they needed each other. And they both knew it. Even if they both didn't like it at times, they also recognized their needs- for each other. And respected it.

Marco turned away, hiding his face as his eyes stung, "I feel like that. Gawd, I messed up Carl", he groaned into his knee/

He nodded apologetically, "Yea, you really did mess up, that's in the past though." Then he paused, as if thinking of what to say next, "how's the rib?"

Marco glanced down at the part of his body throbbing consistently but only slightly, "Better than it should be", he muttered, absentmindedly rubbing his hand over it.

"oh, right. Poppy was looking all over for you"

"Oh yea? Wants to let me know about something else I can mess up?", he snarled thoughtlessly. Of course, he felt horrible after, Carl kindly ignored the statement.

"Actually, she finished decrypting the rest of the papers. There's another picture, or was it two? And a whole bunch of documents", Carl said cheerfully, with a lazy grin at the end as if determined to ignore his friend's foul mood.

"Jeez, just great. Where the hell is everyone for that matter?"

"Waiting for you to stop walking around with a storm cloud over your head"

"Meaning?"

"Your scaring the bird's man, not a single one has landed here today"

The two men stared at each other. Marco's gaze annoyed and guarded. Carl's gaze amused and cherry.

"Anything else?", Marco snarled. He seemed eager to get rid of Carl and continue his personal pity party. Carl had a lot more to say before he left. He laughed to himself, this ought to be good.

"Ah yea. Of course, there is"

"What? What is it?"

"I think you know"

"No, I don't"

"I think you do"

"No, I don't!"

"Just say you do"

"Fine! I do"

"Great, then no need to tell you"

"Carl!"

"Marco?"

They both stared at each other again. Marco felt increasingly pissed, Carl wanted to roll around laughing.

"Just spit it out"

"You sure you want to hear it?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You really want to know?"

"Look, Carl. Just spit it out already!"

"It's about Lou"

Carl carefully watched as his friend's expression changed to quickly to be normal, but he managed to pin down each emotion that flickered across his face. Going from shock to worry in a heartbeat. Then from worry to guilt before he looked away. Ah, yes. He really does have a thing for her! The boy was good and properly hooked. How splendid.

"Oh yea? What about her?"

"Oh, Bella was the one who wanted me to let you know. She, that is Louella not Bella, suddenly got seriously sick, the guys in IC called it, emotional distress? I don't know what that's about. Oh, yes. And also, a sever fever"

Marco knew. You get harassed and find out your father is a world-renowned killer all on a date with some guy who asked you out, then you meet his father. Like as if that isn't enough to get anyone hospitalized. He groaned out loud in frustration. He wanted to roll his eyes, so why was his heart throbbing so unpleasantly? He placed his hand to it shakily. Jeez, stupid heart! Your job is to pump blood and that's it, why must you get involved in so many other matters?

"It has something to do with me and yesterday, doesn't it?", he asked sullenly

"Well I wouldn't know. Like, she hadn't exactly said that. Then again, she hasn't really spoken except to ask for water and other little stuff every once in a while. I would imagine she is thinking", Carl said, purposely sounding thought less so as to annoy the other man.

"Of course, she's thinking!", Marco snapped and flopped backwards on his back, silently adding what both of them knew but won't say, about me. Ahhhh, how on point was his reaction.

Carl bent over him, "One thing she really made clear was she didn't want to see you. Yup, she definitely didn't want to see you"

That did it. Just as Carl had hoped. If he said she didn't want to see him, his friend was definitely going to get up to see her. And that exactly what he did. Carl smiled to himself. Victory.

"Scratch that. I'm going to see her"

"Of course, you are"

"I don't care if she doesn't want to see me"

"Why would you?"

"She's a member of my team"

"You keep telling yourself that"

"I need to know if she is alright"

"Of course,"

"I need to see her with my own eyes"

"Be my guest"

Marco spun around to look at Carl, a type of fury in his eyes that burned but didn't hurt or consume. It just burned.

"I'm going to see her, and I don't care what anyone else says. Not even her"

Carl nodded, "You do that"

Marco shoved his friend aside, just for the sheer joy of it and marched up towards the house, muttering darkly all the way. Carl only chuckled, in victory of course, and followed behind him.

Her whole body ached. What a time to fall sick. Ugh. After she had locked herself up, Bella had somehow managed to get her to let her in, and had given her a hug and declared that her body was 'burning up'. In all honesty, she really had felt sick. But it was that peculiar kind of sickness that one knew was partly, no, mostly a thing of the mind and less of the body. She knew she probably wasn't terribly sick. She didn't say a word as Carl and Bella had rushed around her, or when the doctor had declared her emotionally distressed. She hadn't felt like saying anything anyway. Not a word, she kept silent and gazed with unseeing eyes at everything around her. Most people only speak when they are sure all the thoughts in their head are organized. And she had a lot on her mind.

First, he- whose- name- shall- not- be- spoken, bombardes her with questions. Then she finds out from he- whose- name- shall- not- be- spoken father that her own father is the moonlight murderer- how many times had he had to kill by moonlight to earn that title? – then she returns home to find that the people she called friends, where ready to kill her as soon as the order came through.

Jeez. Talk about traumatizing.

But it had happened, and what was it they said? Don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future? Yea, he future at the moment was looking annoyingly dark and blurry. She decided to just focus on the now and then. By elimination, the present seemed to be her happiest time.

But then, when she heard Marco's unmistakable voice outside her room door she panicked. Gathering the little energy, she had, she turned into her covers and tried her best to pretend to be asleep. Seems like privacy wasn't a problem for Marco, he barged right in without knocking.

He strode to her bed, and could feel him looking down at her. She kept her eyes shut which wasn't much of a problem as she barely had any energy, trying to breath as evenly as she possibly could.

"I know your awake, princess. You can't fool me", he said. His voice was rough. With anger? She didn't know.

"Are you sure she isn't asleep?", Carl's voice said from the door way.

"Positive", she heard him say before his long cool fingers touched her cheek, "Her body is so hot. Jeezuz, is the doctor sure she would be alright?"

"He is positive. Oh, here comes Bella", Carl's voice had a cheerful ring to it. Almost laughter.

"Hello Marco, come to see Lou?", her voice was so icy it made Louella want to giggle.

"Hey Bella. Yea, I came to see Lou"

"Well good. Was wondering which year you'd learn to get off your high horse without falling flat on your face"

"If you want me to go, I'll go"

"It's what Lou wants, Marco, not me"

"Lou?", she called out softly.

She opened her eyes slightly and saw Bella leaning over the bed. They hugged briefly before Lou fell back to the bed, powerless.

"The doc wants you to get a bath Lou", she whispered.

"O…k", she stammered and began to try to swing her legs off the bed.

"Nuh- uh. You're not going anywhere, Marco will carry you", Bella declared. Louella watched numbly as she rounded on her brother with deadly eyes. "Go on. Pick her up"

"I- I can't do that", he said backing up a step.

Bella narrowed her eyes, "And why not?"

They all watched his gaze slide to look at Lou. Who promptly turned away, "She doesn't want me too"

"She doesn't have the energy to argue. Look at her! She's losing weight! And she needs a shower, get her into that shower if you know what's good for you", Bella snarled.

"Lou?", he asked hesitantly, his arms out stretched. He looked pitiable, she nodded once slowly. And he smiled, a slow but dazzling smile. Slowly and carefully he picked her up, being careful not to cause her anymore pain than was necessary. Unwillingly she turned into his arms and closed her eyes. He tucked her head gently in the crock of his neck, resting his cheek against her hair. Neither of them noticed the two behind them exchange a silent power bump.

"Lou?"

No answer

"Please Lou, I want to talk to you"

No answer

"I'll walk around the house with you in my arms if you don't answer"

She lifted her head to glare at him

He grinned, "Will you please listen to me?"

She looked away, resting her head back on his shoulder. It was then she noticed they were outside her room. She pinched his arm in question.

"I'm taking you to my room. The bath room is much bigger", he explained

She sighed, content. What an odd time to feel content with the world. Before she knew it, she was sniffing, sniffing turned to sobs and sobs turned to full on tears. In a moment, she was positively howling. He held her tighter across his chest.

"Please don't cry, I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I should have trusted you. Trusted my feelings. I don't know why I was thinking the way I was. Please say you'll forgive me", he begged as they got into his bathroom. He didn't even check to see what clothes she was wearing, before placing her gently in the bath tub. He began to fill it slowly with warm water. She laid her head back and looked at him full in the face. And smiled.

"I… forgive you… Marco… just never… do it… again… okay?", she mumbled slowly

He smiled. A relived sort of smile and leaned in close to her ear, "I owe you, Princess. I really truly owe you", he said the words softly and she was sure most of it was a whisper of breeze, but again, she knew it wasn't. what she wasn't ready for however was when he used his thumb to wipe away the reminder of her tears and planted a soft kiss on her check.

"Please get better", he whispered. And then he got to his knees and backed out of the bathroom, a smile on his face and a bewildered gaze on hers.

It was a quiet healing moment. For the both of them.

Now where was Poppy with those documents?

"…from these transactions and bills of minor every day purchases, I have every reason to believe the moonlight murderer has an associate. Someone clever working with him. One right here inside our own group", she concluded pushing the files and two pictures towards Marco.

He nodded and glanced at the two pictures; one was a blurred picture of a man tagged 'the associate'. The second was a picture of Lou. This was more recent. He recognized the outfit as the one he had first seen her in when he ascertained she had a relationship with the murderer. The first time he had ever seen her and he had been planning her murder at the time, the thought made him sick. But he pocketed it. No one said a word.

He picked up the documents and read them twice over. Nothing new, a bunch of recites with the same name over and over- David Rossi. The murderer was slippery alright. But not slippery enough because they had found out what grease he used.

He had a spy. Not just any spy, but one with information from directly inside their forces.

A traitor.

Damn it.

He flipped out his phone and dialed the boss's number, "We have a traitor. An extremely clever one. I don't know how much they know or how they are getting their information. But I intend to find them and kill them before they kill us"

"Didn't you kill James for being a traitor?", it was more a statement than a question

"Yes. Looks like either he wasn't the master mind behind the operation, or there was more than one of him, I'm more likely to believe the first"

"Do what you must" and the line went dead.

He looked around at Poppy and Rita who were sitting with him.

He knew they were listening to his phone call, but he still felt he had to tell them straight out.

"Looks like we have another traitor."

They both looked surprised, "What? Who is it this time?", Rita asked

"We don't know yet"

Poppy let out a huge breath, "Jeez. Anyone would have thought James would be the last for a while. What a plot twist"

Marco agreed with her wholehearted.

They needed to form a plan. And fast. They weren't sure who the traitor was but they were all sure of one thing- to get to the traitor they would have to kill the Moonlight Murderer himself. What they were absolutely clueless about, was whether the murderer was the mega mastermind behind the whole operation, or did he also answer to someone? If so, who?

He wasn't much concerned about that. He only saw it as a minor obstacle, one he could overcome when the time came. What was really bordering him was the subject of Louella. Louella, he corrected himself silently, she wasn't a subject to be studied and learned.

This was her father they were planning to kill. Would Lou follow through with the plan, or pull out?