It's late at night and Blondie is wide awake in her bed, traffic still bustling outside and headlights reflecting into her bedroom. She never had an issue sleeping in these conditions before, and it isn't the cause tonight. The actions of the day have gotten her thinking hard about her life. Every time she comes close to drifting into the land of make believe, haunting images of her now-deceased father pop into her mind and shocks her back awake. The blood puddling on the ground around him, the brain matter accompanying it, his lifeless body twisted and mangled from the hard fall. It was horrendous.

She knew her father was in a nasty business, but she never thought she would see the day this happened. All of the destruction and chaos that even the local police couldn't contain. Bodies dropping left and right, gunshots around every corner. She begged and pleaded for her dad to stay home when that all began, but he refused. He felt like he had to go out and help his family. He promised her that he would be back soon. He promised. You don't break promises. He did.

Blondie must have fallen asleep, as it felt like a few seconds have passed but it's been hours. She stretches and rubs her eyes, still groggy from her slumber. She looks over at the clock on her end table and rushes out of bed. She's late. She throws on some clothes while she runs to the door and runs out of her apartment, heading down the street to a local diner. She's bumping into almost every pedestrian as she runs past them. She would normally be more controlled, but she was panicking. She wasn't sure how the Don would act about her tardiness and lack of cleanliness.

As Blondie is approaching the diner, she notices three cars parked out front with a matching amount of well-dressed men standing near them. Bodyguards, she assumes. It must be the right place. She heads inside and looks around. This was a typical diner with a friendly atmosphere. Booths along the walls, stools up at the bar, even a waitress carrying a pot of coffee. There are more well-dressed men standing in the far right corner, near the big corner booth. She stares at them for a few seconds before one of them motions her to head over to them. With a slight hesitation, she walks over to them and tries to keep her cool.

"Ah, you must be Ashley," says the Don. Blondie is still approaching and hasn't yet seen the Don, but his voice alone is a threatening, deep and raspy tone. All of the men in clean, black suits surrounding him doesn't help her nerves, either.

"Yes, sir, I am," Blondie replies shakily. She can now see the Don, who appears to be sprouting a smile. He motions one of his bodyguards to stand up.

"Well, don't just stand there. You're welcome to have a seat." He motions Blondie to the spot on the booth opposite him. She wastes little time and sits right down. Her nerves have calmed down slightly after seeing the Don's face and witnessing his hospitality, but there is still a tingle in her stomach. She can hardly believe she's actually here. She's actually doing it.

"First off, Ashley," says the Don, "I would like to apologize for your loss. Your father was a good man and friend of mine and he will be sorely missed. There weren't many better than him."

"Thank you, sir," says Blondie, "but I'm trying not to think about that right now. I am only here for one reason and you know what that is, sir." Blondie tries to hold back her tears. The Don's words reminded her of the previous day. She was picturing her father's final moments all over again in vivid detail. It was haunting her.

"Alright, Ashley," says the Don, "I understand. I'll cut to the chase here. You have seen what happened last night. As much as I would like to honor your father and carry on his legacy in you, I can't risk the added heat right now. I'm too busy worrying about the guys I already have. A newcomer is just not a good idea for us right now. If you'd like, I can put you in touch with some other influential people who might be able to help you out. Of course, I'll put in a good word for you."

"Of course, sir, I would appreciate that. I wouldn't want to be a burden on you or your family," says Ashley. She desperately wants to start doing work for this Don and perhaps be brought into his family some day, but she can't see arguing about it going too well. He has been respectful to her and she would be respectful back to him, as it should be.

The Don slides a piece of paper across the table. It lists a few different names and locations. "Here, you can find them at these locations. Give it a day so I can be in contact with them and let them know you might be stopping by. Wouldn't need any accidents, now would we?" The Don chuckles. "Please do keep in touch, Ashley. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Blondie nods. "Yes, sir. Thank you again."

She got up from the booth and started walking back towards the entrance. She peeked out the windows as she was walking by and noticed one of the three men, who were originally by the cars, was staring in. Keeping an eye on her, perhaps? These guys take their jobs very seriously - especially after the events of the previous day. She walks out the front door and begins the walk back to her apartment, about a mile down the road.

She arrives at her apartment complex, a nice brick building in a poor part of town, and walks up to her apartment. Her apartment is located on the third floor, above everyone else, just the way she likes it. She walks up to her door and enters her apartment. She falls back into her bed and passes out.

Until tomorrow...