It had been a long two weeks…  But finally Hope was just starting to feel like she could breathe again.  Things were going so well lately.  Her family seemed happy, they were working, earning, even enjoying the bar that their dear Dominic had erected for them.  They were thriving…  The terror of war was slowly seeping out of the hearts of LA.  The streets were once again beginning to bustle.  The business district was beginning to boom again.  Everything was new, everything was fresh…  And yet still she felt something unsettling on the horizon.  Then again…  Anymore, Hope always felt like there was something unsettling on the horizon.  It was something she was quickly becoming accustomed to.  She figured it would be a constant companion from here on out.  And that was fine.  She could shoulder that burden, she would be ever watchful for her beloved family and city and beyond.  So far their city was just budding, just growing, but it was doing so steadily. 

Hope was beginning to feel a little stress in that department in particular.  Her family was full and bustling, Criseria’s was getting there…  And their lovely friend Don, who had so kindly offered to house as many people as he could for a temporary time, well even they were at halfway.  She needed to open another family, needed to get someone else in position and fast…  She knew this very well.  It really was no longer an option or a manner of maybe in the future.  It needed to happen.  Fast.  And she was at a loss on just who to send.  So many plans were seeming to fall through at every turn.  But just as she was thinking about the next possible plan, a furred being, a bit bigger than her little black kitten, Demon, leapt up into her lap with a playful Mrow.  Looking down, she grinned just a bit as she saw the young tiger cub now making itself comfortable in her lap.  “Mmm well hello there…  Do you have an idea to bring to the table?”  She murmured lightly to the tiger cub, rubbing its head gently as it purred.  She chuckled softly as she leaned back in her chair. 

But she really needed to focus.  She had a meeting with the Godfather of LA himself later today and if she was being honest with herself, she was fairly terrified.  Sure she had spoken to him over the phone, but not really met with him face to face.  He had told her that he had a couple matters he would like to discuss with her…  In person.  She still had about an hour before the meeting so she was trying to relax, pouring herself into her work to distract her mind.  But it wasn’t working too well.  Just then her phone rang and she answered it cautiously, finding herself highly relieved to hear a friendly voice on the other end.  Criseria wanted to schedule a meeting in three hours time.  She mused to herself for a moment before agreeing whole heartedly.  She had time, for sure.  Surely her meeting with the Godfather wouldn’t last for more than an hour!  She could make it back in time, and then she could relax with Criseria over drinks or something.

Well, this was the light part of her day.  The time for the meeting came more rapidly than she wanted to admit and she was off to meet with the Godfather.  He sat her down and began talking on about his points, only to come around to wanting to raise the taxes on her people again.  It had been but a handful of weeks since the rebuilding phase started and this man…  This lead of LA…  He wanted to tax them out the ears.  She had fought hard to keep them above water, her people performing admirably in their earnings and donations.  It had been amazing, but if he raised the taxes again, she knew they’d be hard pressed to keep up with it.  Up to this point, Hope had been fairly amiable and fairly easy to get along with, but now she stood, both physically and figuratively.  “I’m sorry sir.  With all due respect, the taxes being raised again at such a time as this would be detrimental to Los Angeles.” 

It was clear from his rather surprised look, the Godfather wasn’t used to people disagreeing with him.  And this little upstart had the nerve to tell him he couldn’t do what he pleased with his own city?  Oh yes…  He’d show her.  He honestly didn’t need her.  She was a pretty little plaything, but he didn’t need her for his city to run smoothly.  He was certain he could find another to fill her shoes before the week’s end.  And so it was that a soft, dangerous gruff laugh was uttered.  “Well…  I’m sorry to hear you say that Miss Hope…  I certainly had HOPED we could work together better than this…”  He chuckled in a  dark manner and Hope’s senses lit up as the man shifted.  A signal…  It had to be.  And the next seconds were a blur.  One of the bodyguards pulled a gun, but it was too late.  Hope had gotten the fairly large pistol that she had been gifted with upon her rise to Crew Leader in her hand and aimed right at the Godfather.  She wasn’t sure where this instinct came from, but it seemed like it was right on the money.  Not even missing a beat, Hope’s gun went off and she shot the man that she had come to dislike in an intense vehement fashion.  But she wasn’t the only one to shoot in that second.  The bodyguard also shot and the movement didn’t stop there.  Hope gasped as an incredibly sharp pain lanced through her leg and she fought to remain standing.  Her bullet also flew true and struck the man square in the chest, but he was still moving.  He shifted from his chair and behind his Bodyguards who advanced on the young Don.  She fired off another shot and another, but her shots were slightly wild in her rising panic and pain.  She moved quickly behind her chair, putting it between her and the flying bullets before leaning around and firing off another couple shots.  One hit true and dropped one of the bodyguards and clipped the second. 

She panted heavily feeling her own strength wane just a tad.  She growled and leaned around the chair again only to help as the bodyguard that she had clipped suddenly lunged at her, knocking her over.  In the movement, the gun was thrust from her hand, but as luck would have it, her finger hit that trigger just as it was hit and the bullet’s flight was true, killing the man that just sought to immobilize the small woman.  Just one problem…  He was now dead weight and her gun was well out of reach.

Laughter rang out again as the man, also bleeding heavily advanced upon her.  “Tsk tsk tsk little Hope…  I expected better of you…  To try and kill your Godfather…  Did you honestly think that would work?  That you’d get out alive?  Well…  I hate to disappoint little Hope…  But –“ And she would never hear what came next because the man fell, crumpled, a bullet lodged firmly in his skull and Hope’s trusty tiny pistol clutched firmly in her shaking hand.  She had been encouraged to carry the bigger gun, but she always kept her favorite little sidearm hidden somewhere on her person.  This time as the overconfident Godfather, figuring he’d take the time to toy with his prey for a little bit, went on and on, she managed to wiggle her hand just far enough to where she could get hold of it.  And once she had the weapon she was most comfortable in her hand, it was all over as lightning fast reflexes from many months of training took over and the shot to put him down was fired.

Once the last gunfire was heard, her own Bodyguards, who had been forced to wait outside the locked door, managed to plow their way in.  The whole interaction probably took only a matter of minutes, but in Hope’s mind, it had been an eternity.  She fought to push the large recently deceased bodyguard off her petite frame, but found herself wanting.  Thankfully as her own people rushed in, they took care of that for her.  “Don Hope!  Don Hope!  Are you-“ But the bodyguard froze as his gaze fell upon the Godfather as the woman pulled herself painfully to her feet.  “Is he…”

”Dead.”  Hope stated, her voice void of any emotion.  All this over taxes…  Or was it something more?  Either way…  The Godfather lay dead before her and she wounded.  As her bodyguard gave her an inquiring look, she straightened herself to her full five feet and two inches of height.  “Tonight I take on a new title.  I will now be Godmother of this city.”  And no one in the room was about to argue with her.  And yet even as she said the words, the implications of the step she had just taken began to cascade on her harder than a rockfall.  She would have to alter her HQ, drop the size of her beloved crew…  Where would her members go?  Suddenly the haste to find someone ready to begin their own family became just that much more urgent.

Her most trusted Bodyguard moved to her side, supporting her as her leg shook.  He nodded in his own agreement.  “I think the Alliance will find that quite satisfactory…  Godmother Hope.”  The man gave her a small smile.  The former Godfather of Los Angeles had been a tyrant.  Sure he had been in power only weeks after the death of her beloved friend, but already he had darkened and changed things for the worst.  “He would be so proud.”  Garth's voice lowered, just for Hopes ears.

This statement brought a small twitch of a smile from the young woman as she nodded in silence, fighting back the tears that threatened her every time his name was mentioned.  “I just hope I don’t disappoint him Garth…”

“Impossible.”  Came the soft, but automatic response.  “Let’s get you home…  Don’t forget, you still have another meeting to attend today and I hate to break it to you, but this one took longer than it should have.”  But as he was talking, they were ushering the small woman to the car parked in wait to get her back to her HQ, leaving the three dead bodies to be found by someone else.