The Southside of Chicago hadn’t changed much in the time Lucy had been gone.  She didn’t know why she had expected it would.  Giuseppe was back home, her cast off, and slowly things were settling into a rhythm. Drugs were moving, money was coming in, and she was nearly prepared to launch her next big thing… something she hoped would make her worthy of the title that Nikki had bestowed upon her. 

She needed that, she needed to know she wasn’t given anything.  As much as she complained about life being too hard on her, she never expected to get something for nothing and as much as it did protect her – Nikki had chosen to give her a title she felt she’d not yet put in the footwork for.  She would make that right just as soon as possible.  Starting today – starting here – in the Southside.

She stopped at a plain looking brick building and pushed through a glass door, shadowed by Giuseppe and Tony who immediately went to the wall to disappear.  She was here as a boss, but these guys went way back with her.  She didn’t want them to put on airs, she needed them to be real with her.  She needed to know who she could still trust for the time she finally made her move against Old Man Whitehill… and then, if God was good, Billy Durden.

“LUCKY!”  There was a roar of her name echoed around the gym.  In every corner men stopped boxing with each other, on the bags, or lifting weights. 

It’s good to be home. 

“Holy shit Lucky, look at ya!  Last time you were in here, you were snot nosed, all knees and elbows.”  One man laughed.

Another, “Yea, she wiped her nose!”

There was some chuckles, though less than expected.  They won’t forget I’m a boss, they can’t even laugh at a good joke at my expense.

“Yea, well,”  she said in a friendly tone, “I still got enough gumption to stand two to two with any of you knuckleheads.”

Cheers and jeers, a fair amount of ribbing, erupted through the room. 

“Lucy?”  A man’s voice caught her attention.  “LUCY IT’S YOU!”  The Italian ran to her at full speed – by the wall both of her men put their hands near their guns until Lucy squeal as he lifted her into the air and spun with her.

“TOMMY!”  They embraced as old friends and he put her down gently.

“Shit Lucy, you grew up and turned into a woman.” 

“I tried my best not to… but you know how it goes.  Can’t stop time.”

“No offense Luce, but,” He whistles.  “If I had known that you were gonna look like this when we were stealing papers together on the loop – you wouldn’t have left town.”

Lucy give her old friend a snarky look.  “I would have kissed you back then, but you were too scared the boys wouldn’t hang out with you if you did!”  She poked him in the chest playfully, “You missed out, Mister.”

Tommy laughed and put an arm around her.  People slowly went back to what they were doing as the two old friends talked ring side.  “Missed out?”  He looks pointedly at her hand. 

“Not married, but I think we’ve both moved on… I heard about Sarah.”

Tommy looked sad for a moment.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m sorry about Philly.” He was whispering now, who knew what boss would rat him out to Godfather Tobais’ men for not being 100% behind the culling of their enemies.  It was treason to even think it.  “When I found out you were there…”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “Don’t think about it.  I’m fine and I’m here now.  I’ve kissed Godfather Tobais’ ring, I pay my dues, Chicago is the city of my birth.  I don’t have any regrets.”  That, of course, wasn’t exactly true – she did have regrets; but unlike Tommy she didn’t have the ability to pass over her running at the mouth as a folly of youth.  She was a boss.  Expectations of her loyalty were quite a bit higher for her than some goomba like Tommy.

“Well, if there’s anything I can do for you…”

She cut him off, “I’m glad you say that – I need some information and maybe some muscle.”

“Any guy here would gladly swing a bat or his fists for you Lucy, you know that.”

“How’s Old Man Whitehill these days?”

“Wow, you haven’t gone to see him yet?  I figured that would have been your first stop.  Hell, I was shocked you took to Don Swango’s crew when the Imp went down.  Figured you’d be at Whitehill’s door.  He was like a father to you after … well, after your dad.”

Lucy restrained her urge to lose her cool and tell Tommy everything.  Tommy wasn’t Whitehill’s blood or in his crew, but the elderly boss had thrown them a bone or two back in the day and Tommy was loyal.  She had to be careful what she said.  “He still running dog fights?”

Tommy nodded.  “Yea, you into that scene now?”

Lucy shook her head.  “Nah.  Too much blood.  Hate seeing the innocent suffer.  I don’t have the stomach for it.  I try to rent that shit out.”

Tommy laughed.  “Must be nice to have the cash to do that.”

“I can dish it out if I have to.”

“Sure… sure you can Lucy.”  It pricked her pride hard to have little Tommy Malone laughing at her again, far more than she expected.  She flexed her left hand.  The doctor DID say to work it out.

“Let’s see what you got.”  She said nodding towards the ring.

“Now?” Tommy looked surprised.

“Yea.”

“Alright, um, – JOE!”  He called out to another guy.

Lucy put a hand on his shoulder.  He looked to her.  She took off her jacket.

“Lucy, I can’t put hands on you.  They’d put me in a grave for that.”

“We used to spar all the time.”

“As kids.”

“Miss Fazzone…”  Tony called out, standing, clearly not approving of her decision.

Lucy raised her voice, “You worry a 100lbs soaking wet girl is gonna knock you out Tommy Malone?  Alright, we’ll wear gloves.  Someone in this place got gloves for a lady to borrow?”

“Lady?”  Tommy scoffed.

Mel brought out some gloves for her as Tommy took up some of his own and began to put them on.  “Heads up everyone!” Lucy called out.  “Just to be clear, so there’s no mistake, I’m entering this ring of my own accord and I’m asking Tommy to help me practice my left hook.  Doc says this arm needs to get sme working out since the cast came off.  NO ONE should take this as a reason to go after him if I get hurt.  I know the risks.”

“Damn it Lucy.”  Tommy mutters.  “Why are you always trying to get me killed?”

“Can’t let you get slow.”  She said climbing into the ring.

Mel, the owner, climbed into the ring.  “You both know the rules.  This is a sparring match – nothing serious.  Let’s keep it clean, alright?”  Clearly Mel wasn’t happy with her choice either.

Beside the ring Tony looked fixed to chew through steel.  Frank was going to lose his shit over this most likely, she winked at her bodyguard and as Mel rang the bell, she began to dance around the ring.

“This brings back old memories.”  Tommy offered making a weak attempt at a jab, clearly holding back. 

Where was Giuseppe, Lucy wondered.  As she danced she examined the room.  She traded jabbing attempts with Tommy as went round.

“I remember the last time we did this, I nearly broke your nose.”

A few of the guys were coming to the ring and putting down cash.  She instantly regretted not getting in on the action.  THAT was when she saw what Giuseppe was doing.  He was watching someone that Tony wouldn’t have known to be an issue – not yet at least.

He was sitting there, watching from afar – how much he saw or heard she didn’t know.  He looked nothing like him, dark and handsome – more so than Alexander actually, and yet the way he looked at her in this moment…

*CRACK!*

Lucy felt the air knocked out of her chest as Tommy connected.  She hadn’t been watching him at all.  She lifted into the air and went down to the mat gasping like a fish thrown to the shore.

“LUCY!”  Tommy howled as he fell down to her side instantly.  She could see and hear guys climbing into the ring to help her.  Blinking back stars she could see Tommy in her line of sight, Mel wasn’t counting, but in her head she was.

Lucy threw a right hook – her good arm.  Tommy’s lip split wide with a spray of blood and men groaned in empathy for him.  Lucy could have stopped, but she didn’t.  She was humiliated that HuskyRadhe2 had seen her looking at him so long that she took a sucker punch.  A left, a right, she pummeled Tommy with a ferocity that her size didn’t seem to indicate she had in her. 

Tony slid under the ropes, “This is done!”  He called out, grappling Lucy, careful not to hurt her, pulling her up off Tommy.  “Miss Fazzone!”   

Tommy’s mouth was a bloody mess, “Fuck.”  He said, a gout of crimson flowed over his chin.  He was looking at her now in a different way.  A dark part of Lucy couldn’t help but smile.  Tommy Malone would never laugh at her again.

“Miss Fazzone!”  She realized she was still trying to get to him and giving Tony one hell of a roughing up as he tried to restrain her.

“I’m good!”  She finally managed to speak, stopping her flailing.  “I’m good.”  Tony put her down and let her go.

Mel had gotten a towel and ice for Tommy. 

“I’m sorry Lucy.”  Tommy managed to say.

Lucy wanted to tell her friend it was okay, that she was ashamed… but she’d done what she came to do.  There wasn’t a man in this place now who would think of trying what Billy Durden had.  Lucky Lucy wasn’t just lucky… she could hold her own when she had to.  She nodded, accepting his apology but not offering one of her own.

“I need some water.”  She said to Tony. 

He held open the ropes and let her get out to go get a drink.  All the while she was keenly aware of eyes on her, watching from across the room.

Husky sat in the corner aware of Guiseppe's cautious gaze on him. It had not taken him long to hear of her arrival in the city. He'd heard rumors of the Don instantly promoting a redheaded newcomer to Boss. He knew of just one woman Nikki_Swango trusted enough to do that. As he hoped it wouldn't be her, he knew he would be disappointed. 

So he'd kept his ears to the ground waiting for her to resurface. As she did, he knew their interaction would eventually be inevitable. There was no point in delaying it, the sooner he got it over with , the sooner the awkwardness would die down. 

As her eyes found his, lingering long enough to let her opponent slip a shot past her guard, he frowned. While it was odd that he was here, she had to have know he would come sooner or later. His presence had phased her more than it should have and he did not know why. 

While she stepped out of the ropes, he walked up towards her with his arms clasped behind his back. His stoic expression betrayed nothing as he stood infront of her while she iced her bruise. Her emerald gaze pierced into his soul and they said nothing. They hadn't seen each other since Philly and with the way they had parted he wondered if there was anything left to say. 

Ultimately, he broke first. With the hint of a smile reaching his face he said "Your dancing is better than your fighting Miss Fazzone, but then again distractions do lead to smaller consequences when it comes to that. If you plan on continuing this foolish endeavour like the stubborn individual you are, I'd suggest visiting my Brawling club out west. Let me make a pretty penny off it."

With an over the top bow he exclaimed with a grim expression "Let me humbly welcome you to Chicago's own Broadway mob. I hope you find the people here half as agreeable as those in...Sicily."

Lucy put ice carefully to her newly forming bruise.  As she did, she watched the man walking towards her, his face infuriatingly unreadable.  He really was a very good con man, she had to give him that.  She could almost believe it was Husky... almost.

Giuseppe was talking softly to Tony behind her, out of her ear shot.  It was just as well, she knew what was being said.  With any luck at all Tony would keep his wits about him and not place a call to Frank-Dicaprio.  If he did, Lucy's plans for this place were over.

And then after a flamboyant bow that surely got attention in a room full of mobsters, he said it... loud enough to be heard, she supposed.  Sicily. 

Lucy closed her eyes and exhaled.  When she opened them she noticed a few people looking with too much interest at the pair of them.  How long would she have before someone went back to Whitehill with news that she was in here, asking for muscle, asking about his businesses, and then the coupe de grace... that she'd been to Sicily since she left.  Whitehill hadn't gotten to such an advanced age by leaving anything to chance.  He'd put it together that she knew he'd betrayed her family and sided with Palmero.  Husky just put a mark of death on her.

Giuseppe came up beside her on one side, Tony on the other.  "The car, Tony, have Yamir pull it around."  Her tone made it clear that his unspoken objections to leaving her alone with her own bodyguard and Husky Radhe stayed unspoken.  Like a loyal soldier, he went for the car.

"Thank you so much for the warm welcome."  She said trying to hide her annoyance.  "You might not be aware, though as resourceful as you've been - you probably do; but, I was born in this city.  God willing... I may yet die here."  She said the last part darkly.  Lucy was fast realizing that her ability to hide her emotions in front of this man were little to none.  She was an open book before him. 

"I should have thought to look for you in a place like this... scouting talent for one of your fight clubs.  Well, I hope that works out for you.  Chicago is full of very talented heavy hitters.  I have no doubt that you've managed to get their attention today."  The sass in her tone couldn't be mistaken for anything but what she was indicating to him: you idiot, you've placed me, maybe both of us, in danger.

"I was just thinking of going to get something to eat.  Maybe you should too.  Best fighters come to this place after five anyway.  If I were you, I'd consider getting some air for a bit." She considered, briefly, not saying a word to him.  Maybe Whitehill or Durden would send in men to come find her and take him for questioning.  Of course, they couldn't afford Don Swango going to Godfather Tobias about one of her men getting roughed up, or there being questions about one of her Boss' dealings with the Sicilian families; so he'd end up at the bottom of Lake Michigan.  That would certainly make her life a whole lot less complicated, but she couldn't do it. 

Whitehill was a vile traitor to everything she held dear and Durden was a filthy swine; as detestable as she found this con man who pretended to be her dead paramour... she had no interest in helping them learn her plans until the moment she put bullets in them both.  She had to get Husky out of here.

"Can we drop you somewhere... or did you come in a car of your own?"  She wanted to ask if he had protection with him, but that would be even more thinly veiled than this whole conversation already was.

Her agitated expressions were evident. As he saw her anxious to leave he could feel he had put her in a spot of bother. Word of her escapades with Frank in Sicily had long since reached his years. With Old Man Whitehill's Sicilian roots and the paranoia that permeated these streets he knew it wouldn't take long for the Old bastard to find himself at odds with her actions. The details of her discoveries still eluded him, but the gist of it was enough for him to pop by and throw a wrench in her plans.

Ever since Philly fell, he was a different man. His argument with Seraph and his trip to Detroit were just the tip of his newfound carelessness. Nothing seemed to matter to him any longer. If fate had chosen to rob him of a purpose or any sense of direction he would embrace the chaos instead. Perhaps he was being a bit petty by ruining her plans, but he still felt mildly ticked off by her unwillingness to stop him after the heist. He knew this would just be a small hurdle for her, so he figured he may just get back at her for trying to frame him in the past. 

He wasn't too worried about his own skin, or the repercussions of his actions in case she found out. Precious little worried him anymore. So he maintained his smile and heard her subtle warnings before replying "Driving, disagrees with me Miss Fazzone . I enjoy taking a stroll along these beautiful streets. Though considering the cold wind, I wouldn't mind a lift today since you've been generous enough to offer one." 

Perhaps he could finally figure out what her intentions with this place were if they talked alone. One thing was for certain, his day had just perked up.

Lucy stood up, nodding at Husky's words.  "Well, then let's not delay.  I'm starving."  

Mel walked up to them.  Giuseppe loomed protectively, but she put a hand on the goon's arm to delay any action against this man she'd know since she was catching mice in alleyways to sell to pet shops.  

"I hope we'll see you again Lucky.  You know Tommy didn't mean no harm, right?"

She looked back to Tommy who was getting fussed over by a few of the guys in his crew.  "Yea."  She said wistfully.  "Neither did I.  Tell 'em that, would ya, Mel?"  She looked back to the gym owner and smiled.  "Also tell him that it's almost sundown.  He should be getting home.  Ma needs him."

Mel narrowed his eyes, confused as it was only lunch time.  "Yea... I'll tell him."  

Lucy patted his arm.  "See ya 'round Mel."  She glance at her sour companion.  "Come on, Chanticleer." 

She walked briskly out the door, her eyes watching all the roofs around the area and the openings to every alley.  Ducking quickly into the backseat of the Graham Blue Streak Coupe.  As soon as Husky's door was closed she called out loud enough for her guys alone to hear, "Berry's on 10th.  Don't spare the wheels, Yamir."  

It was a tight fit with Yamir and Tony in the front and Husky, Lucy and Giuseppe in the back; she found herself almost sitting in his lap which annoyed her to no end.  She rubbed her left arm, where she could swear she could still feel the bullet, mindlessly as she quietly - but agressively questioned Husky. 

"What in the name of six hells is wrong with you?!?"  She adjusted in the seat to be looking more directly at him.  "By what right do you have to air my personal affairs to a room full of mobsters who aren't even family?  If you weren't a made man... why... I'd throw you from this car and pay Yamir double to hit your twice."  She let out a frustrated gaffaw.  "So, now's your chance - why would you do that?!?"

Every guy in the car was trying his like hell to look as though they weren't there.  All eyes were staring out windows as if searching for invisible foes, not making contact with the two arguing in the backseat.

Husky shook his head and chuckled. He had not expected that, the nerve on this woman infuriated him no end. Unbuttoning his sleeves he began rolling them up as he looked out the window while speaking, "Forgive me for not helping out a woman who seems to relish threatening my life every time she sees me."

His heart ached with a desire to tell her he was mad at her for not stopping him, for letting him run away, for not fighting for them but how could he when he knew he had done his utmost to hurt her , to push her away. He truly believed that she was better off without him. Although it had broken his heart, he had done his best to make sure she stayed away . His own eyes had welled up but he had turned away to avoid the chance that she saw them and saw right through his words. He had hoped that would be the last time he saw her.

But here she was in Chicago, in his own crew. Her eyes full of questions looked into his and he returned a stoic gaze as he continued. "You double crossed a con man Miss Fazzone, tried to get him locked up for good. Did you think there would be no consequences?"

The lie left a bad taste in his mouth as he delivered it half-heatedly. He did not know if she believed it, he hoped she did because he wasn't yet ready to tell her the truth. Not here, not now.

Lucy sat there for a long while, silent, thinking.  She contemplated the fact that this was a made man, you didn't throw them out of cars no matter how much that kept being a reoccurring thought; and if they were your crew you didn't screw them over.  Husky - god she hated calling him that - wasn't her crew when she double crossed him and got him nicked by the FBN, but he was now.  The wrong response would make it impossible for them to work together or make Nikki (or God forbid Tobias) come down hard on her.  She was the Boss, he a Capo.  She needed to be gracious, if only so that when/if he did something foolish it was completely on him and not her.

"I'm sorry for that."  She said softly, genuinely.  Startled by her tone Giuseppe looked to her, happyily Tony knew enough to look forward and keep his eyes where they belonged, but Tony was a Made Man... Giuseppe wasn't.  He would know things that her personal bodyguard didn't.  Sometimes she liked that - but this was not one of those moments.  As her friend she felt like he was cautioning her, not to be attached or open herself up to this 'creep' (she could almost imagine him saying that word!)

"I owe you an explanation, though, I suppose you can guess."  She said, her voice much kinder now - a bit of shame sneaking in, just as it had when she spoke to Frank about the same thing.

"I grew up in Chicago,"  She wet her lips.  "... as I mentioned earlier.  Right here on this block I got in my first fight.  I went to that church two streets over.  We had a small home less than a mile from here.  It wasn't much, but for a while, my life was something out of a story.  The kind of life you hope to give to your kids.  Playing in hydrants, stick ball in the streets, and not coming home until the street lamps are lit.  I didn't have a want for anything, so far as I know."

She leaned up to the front, "Turn left here."  Yamir complied.  "Stop here."  The car pulled to the curb not on 10th street but on 8th.  "My mother was not much older than I am when she was walking to work one morning.  She, if you can believe it, worked for the Chicago Police Department."  She chortled.  "She was shot by a lowly goomba who - allegedly - was shooting at some other nobody.  She died in that gutter.  Afraid and very much alone."

Lucy stared at the cement.  She imagined she could still see the blood stains.  She patted the front seat.  "Just drive."  Yamir pulled the car away from the curb and kept on.

"So - my dad asked his Don for the right to take a shot at the kid who did it.  Or, that was the story I was told my whole life.  Truth, like so many things is never as simple as you need it to be.  His Don told him no.  Couldn't risk a war over an accident.  Said mom was a victim of a stray bullet, it wasn't personal, and that the guy's family would take care of my needs going forward so Dad had no worries.  As you might imagine, this didn't comfort a man for whom my Mother was the sun and stars."  

Lucy looked at Husky for a moment as he stared out the window.  She was glad he'd decided to be silent - she couldn't bare his horrible jabs during this story.  She'd not told anyone in this car the story of these things, save Tony and that had been a moment like no other.  Not even Giuseppe knew the story, he had joined her crew in Vegas, but here she was revealing it to Husky.  She hoped perhaps a moment of truth would soften his hard attitude towards her.  Maybe, she thought, he'd respect her a bit more for it - or at least understand her bitterness an forgive her a moment of pettiness. 

"He took to drink and by the time the food from the wake was eaten, he took to cleaning his gun over and over again.  We barely spoke."  She shrugs, "I wasn't a stranger to the truth about my father's life.  I played with the children of other family members, Tommy and I even ran a newspaper racket off the loop."  She smirks.  "My father was ... in a lot of ways he was buried with my Mom I think.  In truth, he was dead the moment he got the news."  Lucy said nothing about how it made her feel to have her father abandon her in this way, but a smart person might come to the conclusion that her father's inability to see her need for him was a formative thing for such a young child. 

"I was a practical kid and precocious, and a whole lot stupid.  So, when my dad fell asleep drinking in his car, with his gun... I knew what was gonna come next.  I grabbed my mother's piece and hid in the back seat.  I woke to my dad driving out of the drive way and heading down to the garage on Grand Street.  It was a front used by Junior Whitehill, Old Man Whitehill's only living son.  He stopped the car, got out... and started shooting."  Lucy's voice trembles slightly as she relives the moment.

"I got into the front, thought I could drive him to a hosptial, be his get away driver.  I could barely touch the peddles, but we'd stolen Tommy's father's car for a joyride once and I managed so... I figured what the hell.  My dad was full of holes when he opened the driver's door.  I don't know that he saw me.  His eyes are were glassy as they get before someone dies.  I don't ... think... he saw me."  She sighed.  This was proving harder to say than she thought.

"He fell atop me, and died.  I couldn't move him, I was pinned below him and he wheel and the seat.  Junior came to make sure Dad was dead, but I had already lifted mom's gun, assuming they were coming for me.  I pulled the trigger and became something of a local legend.  Lucky Lucy Fazzone.  Lucky to have survived the hail of bullets that came at the car next... Lucky to have killed a Made Man with a single shot before I'd even know the touch of a grown man - or that's how the story goes."

She shrugs.  "I buried my dad and Old Man Whitehill made sure I didn't die.  He'd lost a son, I lost my family - it seemed to make sense.  I didn't have anyone else and growing up on the streets was hard.  Having a Mafia Boss occasionally looking in on you, giving you odd jobs, it was a way to survive.  I was grateful, but ... I saw the cost of a legit life, dying stupidly without knowing why and I KNEW that I couldn't do that.  I saw the results of my father's blind rage... and that wasn't for me either.  But most importantly, I really knew pretty well what it meant to love someone in this hellhole we call a life and I figured I'd do a lot better if I could just avoid love all together.  So - if I liked a guy, I punched him.  Better he hated me than loved me.  Figured I was doing him a favor.  He'd end up like my dad if he loved me... or I would if I loved him."

"That philosophy went pretty well for me for a lot of years.  That's not to say I never had a guy in my life - I did, but it was always about ... fun."  She shrugged.  If he thought her a whorish dame, whatever, his opinion of her sex life had little bearing on what she needed him to understand in truth.  "Until this day I walked into contractor's office to hire him for some work on a business I own in Vegas.  There was this guy..."  He voice has an amused, dreamy tone as she speaks of Husky.  "Our eyes met and I felt like... like everything I knew was wrong.  He smiled this wicked grin.  I think he may have tipped this old dirty fedora he was wearing and the twinkle in his eyes was... it was a promise that if I saw him again, we'd have a lot of fun."

She smiles, ear to ear, with a warm laugh, "God he was a hoot.  As lippy as you - but nicer about it.  That's the part your con could use some work on.  He was happy.  He was... without worry.  He made me believe that you could live in this world and enjoy it and steal some of the happiness for your own.  You'd think we'd had a long romance or... that maybe he was my lover... but it was moments."  Tears well up in her eyes.  "Just stolen moments that we kept for our own."

She looks away out her window, not wanting him to ever see her cry again.  She wipes a stray tear.  "When I got the word his city was taken down, I felt like my world collapsed.  In an instant I was my father.  I drank, and I wasn't a drinker... I was a terrible novice at it until he was gone."  She wiped another tear away violently, angry at her weakness.

"And I knew I couldn't fall apart like that so, I told myself a lie."  She bit her lip.  "I thought if I could believe it well enough, then I could keep going forward and not be ruined like he was.  I couldn't ... make myself go find the person who killed him.  Something in me, it knew how that would go..."  Tony, for a moment, glances back at her.  His look is one of concern, but then he turns away once more.  

"In my lie, we didn't make plans for the future on that roof in Detroit.  I didn't let him have my heart or make myself his in all but word... instead he kissed me and we agreed that it was too dangerous for mobsters to ever love.  He said he'd go away and I'd never see him again - to spare us both the pain of loss.  That's how I wanted to remember it because then I never would have to remember..."  Her voice caught, she coughed and forced herself to continue, "...how he looked in that coffin."

"The lie was going well.  No one wants to mention a dead man to his former love - so, no one challenged my reality... until you walked into my life with your ... perfect con.  You - with his things and stories that no one should know.  Since you wouldn't drop the act, I had three choices the way I saw it.  The first was to shoot you in the teeth and leave you in the Potomac River.  I ruled that out because I need a good con man and you were obviously skilled as your portrayal of Husky was good enough to make me hurt so damn bad."  She slowly found herself calming down and the pain fading.

"The second was the idea I went with.  I had to make Husky a name that was too hot for you to keep using.  If the FBN thought they were looking for Husky Radhe, you'd find another name and move on.  I knew you'd get out of the hands of the FBN, why do you think I held back your cut of the money?"  She shakes her head.  "Even if you served time, it wouldn't be much and you'd drop the name first chance you got.  Then I could go back to my lies."

"The last was ... stupid.  The last was that I could ... lie to myself in another way.  Steal a little more happiness for myself.  If I could say Husky was alive even though he was dead, why not tell myself that somehow he'd managed to look like you.  I hadn't come up with how I'd tell myself that lie, it never got that far, but after the heist - when I drove out to meet you, I was thinking that if you were the one coming and not Frank I'd give you the chance to finish it one way or the other."  Giuseppe's face is an overly easy to read look of shock.  He had no idea what his boss was off doing after the Degas Heist!

"I'd let you have my guns and kill me so that the pain would end forever or I'd let you have me - completely, as I had given myself to Husky; but to my surprise, you didn't want that - you didn't want me.  I figured you must have held onto the con for so long because I was he target of it - that, for whatever deluded reasons - you wanted to be with me as he was.  And, as stupid and gullible as I can be, I actually wanted that too."  Anger and hurt were impossible to keep out of her tone, despite how much she tried.

"Imagine my surprise when you dropped the bomb of knowing his name ... that you'd gone to all THAT much trouble just to con me... and then, you didn't want to be with me.  You're damn lucky that I'm not the amazing shot everyone in Chicago thinks I am.  That I'm not truly Lucky Lucy... because I really did try to put a bullet in you as you drove off leaving me to feel an utter rube."

"But it turns out you did me a favor."  She cleared her throat and smoothed out her pants, trying to pull herself together.  "Turns out Husky Radhe was a great con man... maybe better than you."  She scrubbed her nose.  "Turns out while he was romancing me, he was sleeping with my best friend."  She chortles and looks to Husky.  "So now I've been conned by both men with the name Husky.  I guess you can say I'm a touch bitter, but at him... not you."

She turns her body to face Husky, "We are are in the same crew now.  We have to be able to be around each other.  Now, I get that you're mad about the FBN thing - it was shitty of me to do.  Honorless really, but now that you know why, I hope you can forgive a woman for having been mad with love and grief.  I tried to warn you how raw that name made me, but I failed at that.  I shouldn't have taken your actions personally, it was just business for you - taking Husky's name wasn't something you did on the request of my enemies... though, considering the fact I'd just survived the purge of my home city that was exactly what I thought you were there for."

"I need to set things right with you.  What's that going to take?"

"Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game."
- Rolling Stones, Sympathy For The Devil

Husky sat there quietly, listening to her elaborate on her past. How often had he wished to understand her yearning? How much had he desired to understand the reason behind her eyes full of melancholy? Fate had made yet another cruel joke, for only when he had given up on her and the life he had imagined with her was the truth revealed.

"Soot." he whispered with his eyes shut "It was never dirt, always soot." Her love for him and the betrayal she had felt had now broken him. There was no longer any point in holding onto the secret any longer. He had, quiet literally taken it to his grave. It was time, time to let that burden fall off. 

"The man you loved, the man you mourned, the man you hate, the man you met in Luca's construction office, the man who's identity I assumed wore a soot-stained fedora. It was never dirt. He'd worn it everyday for 2 years before he met you." For a moment he paused to consider the risks involved with telling the tale. He wondered if she would begin to question how he possessed this knowledge, but he no longer cared for the consequences. She deserved to know. 

"Alexander Ilyavoich Protsky was a child of war. His father was a Russian noble, who had fled during the Russian revolution with his family's fortune and assassin's on his tail. The only reason he survived was because of a kind-hearted daughter of a British Baron, Alexander's mother. A woman who never thought twice about the repercussions of harbouring a fugitive . Gregory Protsky renamed himself Gerald Knight and the son he had with the Baron's daughter was rechristened Alexander Knight. Gerald spent years bribing the Baron with diamonds from his fortune to continue his political asylum.  While he was wary for any Russian threats, he never saw the knife appear behind him. The Baron's son attempting to usurp his father's title slew Gerald and stole his fortune before murdering his wife and the Baron himself. Yet somehow a 12 year old Alexander somehow made it out alive, running off to the African colonies."

"The next 5 years of his life were spent on the streets of the African colonies. Conning the nobility, stealing from the locals, smuggling goods from settlement to settlement. Soon enough his infamous escapades caught the attention of the Governor's daughter, Gwendolin Paddington. A feisty young noblewoman bored of her mundane life, seeking the thrill of adventure and intrigue offering information and asylum in return was enough to interest him. The two partners in crime soon fell in love amidst their never ending adventures. Though the governor held some clout, it was insufficient to let her activities continue. So he sent her back to England on a ship in an effort to keep her away from Alexander and his dangerous influence. Young love is not easily broken though and she smuggled him along, even hiring him as a Butler's apprentice at her family estate in Greenwich. "

Husky's face showed a wistful smile as he sat reminiscing . As he wondered if she believed him so far he frowned and continued "His days in Greenwich, training to be a butler in the day and conning British nobles at balls with his lover during the night were some of the best in his life. It didn't take them long to hatch a plot to regain control of his family's inheritance. She was married to the Baron soon enough. The Baron fell for her charms and named her the heir to his land and the diamonds. Needless to say , it wasn't long before the Baron died under mysterious circumstances. They planned to rendezvous after the funeral in an abandoned factory in London. He sat patiently as the soot fell on his fedora, anxious to celebrate the death of his father's killer with his lover and soon to be wife. "

As he thought of what followed his eyes became lifeless. Turning to Lucy he continued, "She arrived soon dressed in black, still in mourning for her late husband yet wearing a diamond necklace from his inheritance. They embraced and he felt joy like he had never felt before. She had become such an integral part of his life that he had felt like he had lost a limb when they were separated during the con. As he held her he resolved to never part from her again for they were destined to be together. " 

Grabbing her hand he placed the palm on his shirt where the scar below his ribs had been. His dead eyes held her confused ones prisoner as he went on "That is where she stabbed him. His eyes had reflected the same confusion that yours do now, when she walked away. He walked onto the streets and collapsed . His fedora covered in soot, and snow dropped down besides him in his pool of blood. When he regained consciousness a few days later, he was aboard a ship bound for New York with his wound bandaged. The cop who found him, Constable Husky Radhe, had often profited from his schemes in the past and was loathe to see the golden egg laying goose perish. He had landed himself in the middle of a bad situation, so he dragged Alexander along with him to Detroit as a backup while he delivered some drugs to a local thug who'd never seen him before." 

"The cop never made it to Detroit, but Husky Radhe did. Alexander buried everything from his past along with the cop including his name, but he could not bear the fedora. The fedora stained with soot, not dirt , hiding the dried blood , the only thing that bore witness to the betrayal , was something he could not part with. " he said as her hand slipped away "He never talked to her again though I hear Baroness Cecile Padington, the woman famous for having an iron heart, wept profusely when she got word of his death. The rest of his life was spent in distrust as he moved from the chambers of one woman to another, resolving to never love again. His resolve never wavered till he met her, the woman kissed by fire. Till he met you and saw a melancholic yearning that matched his own. Husky Radhe lied to many people about many things Miss Fazzone, but he never lied about his love to you. Make of that what you will." 

Now comes the difficult part, the lie. "The reason I know so much is because I was among the first looters in Detroit after the genocide. I was the one who found his journal. I was the one who robbed his treasures and burnt what I couldn't sell . Including the journal after I'd read it. Soon after that I found myself in Philadelphia. When I heard you were hiring I could not resist meeting the woman he had spoken so much about. I admit now my approach may not have been the best but I must say getting to know you , the real you behind the mask of the composed mafia boss was worth it. His words did you justice. I admit the doublecross had ticked me off a bit so I may have reacted rather impulsively back there. For that you have my apologies. Ah..it appears my stop has arrived."

Signalling to Guiseppe to stop he thought of how to ask her. Stepping out of the car he shut the door behind him. As he began to walk away he hesitated and turned around. Bending to rest his elbows on the open window he said "Now that explanations have been made. I have no problems in working with you moving forward, though I do have a request. A dance Miss Fazzone. The way he described it in the journal , it was the magical experience possible. The skeptic in me is curious to see if it was an exaggeration. Think about it, Miss Fazzone. I look forward to your answer. Meanwhile if you need my assistance clearing up the blunder I just made, do let me know." With a final smile in her direction he was gone.

Lucy scrambled to the window, "HUSKY!"  She called out after him.  When he paused on the street and looked back to her.  "Thank you."  She said sadly.  "Truly."  She said with a sincerity that scared her.  "Thank you."

Lucy stepped carefully into the run down two story townhouse.  The floor boards were cracked, weak, and threatening to break with every step she took.  The graffiti inside told the story of many long years without any owners, or caretakers.  Homeless people had likely taken shelter here during the cold winter nights, and the corners held the evidence of their cheap home-brew hooch that they were likely drinking.  

"Seeing you here is like seeing a ghost."

Lucy spun a round and pointed her gun at Tommy, his black eye and split lip still looking as painful as they had earlier when she'd left the gym.  

He put his hands up in response and moved slowly towards her, "You said Ma wanted me to come home.  Well... home's still here, sadly Ma isn't - the question is, what gives Lucky?  Why are you showing up on the Southside, asking questions about Old Man Whitehill - but not going to see him yourself?"  He tilted his head to the side, the charm he had as a boy wasn't utterly taken by the long years of loss and pain

"You're asking for loyal guys to help you with something instead of going to your own crew leader or Whitehill and I know he'd do anything for you if you asked it.  And now, now I hear you've been to Sicily?"  His eyes narrowed.  He was confused, maybe even a touch hurt.  "Who the hell do you know there Lucky?"  She was silent as he reached out to her and brushed his fingers along her jawline.  "My god, but you are so beautiful..."  He whispered as the wind kicked up and whistled though the holes in the walls of his childhood home.

Lucy closed her eyes and swallowed.  "I'm with someone Tommy."  He took his hand back slowly.  "It's serious."

"The fight promoter."  He said with annoyance in his tone.  "I saw the way he looked at you..."

"No."  She cut him off.  "No.  Not the promoter.  Never him."  She swallowed back a litaney of things she wanted to say on the topic but none of that mattered now and she was on the clock.  Frank would be expecting her for dinner, soon.  Tony would be done running her errands shortly and be VERY annoyed if he got back to the hotel first to learn she'd left with Giuseppe and no one else.  God help Giuseppe if Tony found out that he let her meet alone with another gangster.

"Who?"  He asked.  "I'll put him in an early grave for my chance with you."

"You won't."

"Oh, really?  Why?"

"I love him."  She says with sincerity.  "And you die to protect anyone I loved, the same way I swore to protect Sarah."  She took her friend's hand and rolled it over, running a finger along a small scar he had on his palm.  "We're blood - remember?  I keep your secrets.  You keep mine.  In life and death, no matter whose ring we kiss... you swore just the same as me.  Question is, is it still true?"

Tommy sighed and nodded sadly.

"My package.  Did you do what I told you to do with it?"

"Yea.  Lucy if you ever wanna..."  

She reached out a hand and put her finger tips on his lips.  "Please.  You promised to never ask.  Don't start breaking your word now or I'll lose my nerve on the rest of it."

Tommy nodded.  

"If something happens to me, you're to seek out this man."  She pulls a photo of Frank out of her pocket.  "He'll be known by just about anyone with any real standing under Godfather Tobias.  Ask around, hell, look for him at my funeral - if I have one."

"This the guy?"

She nods.  

"Sicilian, eh?"

"Guess I never lost my taste for it."  She smiled at Tommy.

"Well, you always did have good taste Lucky."

"You'll tell him about my package.  You make sure you tell him that I want him to take it to Palermo.  He'll know what to do from there."

Tommy nodded again.  "Why are you going after Whitehill, Lucky?  That's what this is, isn't it?  Why would you go after the man who was a father to you?"

Lucy's green eyes flared with anger, "He *killed* my father... my mother too."  She spits upon the ground.

Tommy's eyes went wide, "No, that can't be true."

"It is."  She snarled.  "And then that bastard sold me to Billy Durden."  Tommy had surly known the running story about how Billy got the scar.  Everyone who was anyone had heard the story before she skipped town with Tammy Gato.  She'd done everything possible to make sure they'd heard her version of events and considering the amount of embarrassment it had caused him, no one wanted to ask Billy directly about that night.  Only she and Billy knew what happened - she would take it to her grave and he wasn't talking for fear it would make him look weak and stupid - both of which he was in Lucy's mind.

Tommy didn't say anything in reply to the idea that Whitehill let Durden have her.  They both knew that if Tyler Durden's snot nosed baby cousin had asked something, Whitehill would comply just to keep his Don happy.  She was a nothing and a nobody back then - it was a small thing to have asked, especially since the old man had never cared about her in the first place.  She'd been a loose end and he hoped that Billy would tie her up.  Whitehill should have finished the job that Billy wasn't man enough to do.  That mistake would cost him dearly and soon if Lucy had anything to say about it.

"You need to leave Chicago, Tommy, till things cool down."

"I can't leave Whitehill, are you stupid?"

"He won't even give you a button Tommy - why the hell would you be loyal to him?  You work your guts out for him shaking down folks who don't pay on time, and what do you have to show for it?  Nothing."  She squeezed his hand.  "Leave while you can."

"I'm more useful to you on the inside Lucky."

"Don't be an idiot."

"I'm not."  He insisted.  "You're going places in this world of ours and it's time I hitched my wagon to a winner.  Let me do this to prove myself to you and to your family.  Maybe Don Swango will see something in my willingness to be loyal to my roots that Old Man Whitehill has never cared to recognize."

Lucy thought about it for a moment.  It was a risk, but could she really reject Tommy?  This is exactly why she came to him, but now standing here in the shadows of their shared past, the gamble seemed so huge.

"Please Lucky - don't leave me behind.  I got nothin' now."  He knelt down and kissed her fingers hard, looking up at her with pleading eyes.  "My life for you Lucy.  Let me prove myself and I'm your man from now until the end, come what may."

Lucy leaned down and urged Tommy to his feet.  She kissed both of his cheeks.  "If you betray me Tommy... you will have a very long time to think about how you should have taken my offer to leave town.  Am I clear?  This is about settling scores, but it's more than that - I have a lot more on the line than I've ever had before and I can't afford a single misstep."

"Understood... Boss."  He said the last with love and a small amount of amusement.  The two friends hugged and under the cover of darkness made their way out of the old house and back to their cars.

Lucy prayed the whole way back home that she hadn't made a huge mistake sending someone, knowing what Tommy knew, back into Whitehill's crew.  Either Tommy would be the key to her winning this war - or he'd be her undoing.