Isabella's feet thundered down the pavement.  Behind her she could hear Rand, Mat, & Perrin keeping pace.  Rounding the corner she threw herself hard against a brick wall and could feel the bullets whizzing by her.  Godfather Marie's bodyguards threw her to the ground as bullet's tore through Marie's coat and her hat came clean off Isabella's head.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING?"  she screamed out to the bodyguards over the din of Tommy Gun fire.  She pulled out her gun as they crawled behind a dumpster.  

"IT WAS A BRILLIANT PLAN!"  Rand said popping up from behind the dumpster to return fire as the gunner replaced the canister on his Chicago Typewriter.

"SURE YOU'D SAY THAT!"  She screamed back as she popped up and emptied her clip only to come back down and reload.

"You're protecting the Godmother."  Perrin said putting a hand on her shoulder.  "Whether she wants to accept it or not she can't be doing this while pregnant.  You 'being her' on the streets and drawing fire is a good plan."  Perrin went up and retired fire.  She looked at Mat.

"Why you looking at me?!?  I ain't no made man!  I just want to survive this and get back to the girls at the speak easy!"  Mat popped up and put a bullet right between the eyes of the gunman.  God, he's the luckiest fucker I know... that's two in the last hour!

She reached over and grabbed Marie's hat, adjusting the pillow tied down around her waist to make her look convincingly pregnant from a distance to fool shooters.  If she was going to be pro'ing for Marie, she had to look the part no matter how strange.  "I don't know how the hell she manages like this."

Perrin chuckles.  "She has us."

"I just mean this thing makes it hard to move or do anything really."

Mat dusted himself off.  "I'll grab us a car."  In truth Mat had the best eye for vehicles.  He'd grabbed the fastest, best cars possible in every city they'd gone to for the war.  It was best he went off to do it.

"I'll check the dead, see if we can figure out whether their Seattle men, Vegas, or locals."  Rand walked off towards the dead.  She looked around at LA, the city she'd been planning to visit with Elias.  THIS hadn't been the way she wanted to see it - by night and soaked in blood.

Perrin smiled at her and dusted off his Godmother's coat.  "You're made of tough stuff Isabella Luciano.  Only a crazy or truly devoted woman agrees to go into the streets dressed as and accompanied by the bodyguards of the Godmother who started a war."

"She's family."  Isabella said.  "But I'd be lying if I said I was enjoying this - when we get back to Chicago I owe you guys a beer."  She yawned.  "How long has this been going on?"

Perrin looked at his pocket watch, "We went into planning last night ... well shit, almost 18 hours now."

"I've never been in a war before - is that long?"

He shook his head.  "Last one took days.  We could be in for a long haul.  Seattle we figured we had dead to rights cause we hit first, Vegas we didn't see coming but shit happens in war so," He shrugged.  "... but LA, no one talked about LA with Marie before we were assigned to your detail.  These guys ... they're not going to roll over.  We're going to take losses for sure."

Isabella looked up to the moon which was slowly sinking in the night sky.  "I wish I knew where Elias was.  I wish I knew if he and my dad were safe."  She sighed.

Perrin smiled at her and began adjusting the pillow for her.  "Maybe we should get something to secure this a little better.  All this running has made the straps too loose.  You're gonna 'give birth' to that pillow right here on the side walk the next time we run."

Isabella laughed.  "Well, I hope this is as close as I ever come to the real deal.  Kids would kill my future in the family to be sure."

"I figured you for marrying that guy of yours before too long."  Perrin said starting to walk down the sidewalk to look in the direction of what sounded like a fast moving car approaching them.

"Marriage doesn't have to mean kids."  She said flatly.

"Whatever you say... but let's juts say I have yet to meet a nice Italian Catholic wife with no kids."

Isabella looked down at the pillow and played with it again, trying to make sure it would stay if the car coming at them was an enemy combatant.  

*CLICK*

She looked up and turned just in time for her to see the assassin pulling his trigger.  Pillow fluff and blood filled her field of vision, she turned and tried to run but slipped in her own blood falling hard to the cement sidewalk.  Marie's bodyguards returned fire and rushed towards her as she tried to see how bad the wound was.  Lifting her hands from her belly where they'd instinctively gone, she looked in horror at the gory mess they were covered in.

Isabella screamed in shock and pain.

"MAT!"  Rand screamed

"It's okay, you're okay!"  Perrin tried to reassure her.

She could see the man dead on the sidewalk just to the side of her, strangely she found herself wondering if he realized before his own death that he hadn't shot Marie at all, but her protection.

"Tell my father, I love him."  She said holding in her guts.

"The bullets went through her."  Perrin told Rand.  

"Mat's coming with the car, keep pressure on the holes."

Tears streamed out of her eyes as she felt the same feelings she felt the last time she was shot - a terrifying need to sleep.  She was sure if she let herself sleep she wouldn't wake up.

"FUCK!"  A familiar voice said.  Isabella looked up as @Jolibebe came running up.  "Isabella.  Oh God, No...  UNCLE JOE!!!! THEY GOT ISABELLA!"  She called out to @Joseph_Ligambi across the street

Isabella reached her hand out towards Joli who came down beside her and took her blood soaked hand and held it tight.  "I'm dying."  She told her friend.

"No... no we'll get you a doctor."  Joli promised, but Isabella was no fool.  If the wound didn't kill her the blood loss would.

Mat came racing up and slammed on the breaks beside the curb. 

"LET'S GO!"  Rand screamed.

"Call Marie if you can.  Get Don @Salvatore_Luciano ... so he can..."  Perrin's voice cracked.

"Elias."  Isabella said to Joli.  Joli looked to Isabella. 

Joli nodded with tears in her eyes as they lifted Isabella from the sidewalk.  "I'll find him.  He'll come."

"Tell Elias I ..."  Her voice drifted off to nothing and the deep sleep she feared so much took her.

===============  SOME TIME LATER ===================

Isabella's eyes fluttered open.  She was laying on a cot in a large room with high ceiling.  She could see Rand sitting beside her, a look of extreme guilt painted on his face as he quietly prayed over her.

"None of that matters now,"  @Marie_Lucania was talking to someone.  She looked towards her step-mother's voice and noticed that it was a man in a doctor's coat.  "Just save her damn life.  Do whatever it takes."  Marie said firmly.

"BOSS!"  Rand shouted.  Isabella looked to him.  "She's awake!"

Marie ran to her side and took her hand.

"How?"

"Mat's luck in finding me, or your guardian angel.  He's the best surgeon in LA and I just happen to know where to find him.  You're gonna pull through... but you'll need rest."

"Dad?"  She whispered.  "He knows.  He can't come right now.  He's in Vegas with some issues of his own, but he's safe.   He's unharmed."

"Elias?"  she whispered.

"He'll come as soon as he's able."  Marie said, but Isabella was too out of it to notice the look on her face that suggested Elias wasn't at all okay.  "Just rest now.  The doctor is going to put you to sleep so he can work.  I'm leaving Rand with you.  He'll make sure you pull through this and until you're well... we're just going to let everyone think you're not."

"What?"  She said hazily.

"They think you died on the street while they were loading you into the car.  There were a lot of witnesses.

"She did."  The doctor said.  "Technically speaking... but we're going to get you well.  Now, will you all step back so I can finish saving this young woman's life?"

"We'll see you soon."  Marie said kissing her forehead.  As she backed away the doctor put a mask over her nose and mouth.  

"Breath deeply Ms. Luciano... and count back from 20 to 1."

"20... 19..." 

Marie walked away talking to Mat & Perrin.  "Let's finish this."

"18..." 

Rand took her hand.  "I'm so so sorry."  He whispered.

She looked at him, he was crying.  

"17."

Everything went dark again.

The war had been going on for some time, Godfather Marie & Don Luciano had declared war, the streets were lit up at night by the bullets flying everywhere, there was pure terror on the faces of that who weren't involved..yet the mobsters that were..poured onto the streets to defend themselves, and their families honour.. Elias had been sent into Las Vegas by Don Salvatore himself...he was a trusted consigliere in the family, and Elias knew from instruction there was a big chance that he'd never return home to Detroit, nor would he ever see Isabella again. The thought of this had scared Elias before, due to the shooting at the Dons house a few weeks earlier, but just as Elias & Isabella began to grow together, they were thrusted opposite ends of the country, as the war was being fought on two fronts..

Elias took his most trusted bodyguards with him, he paid them well and never expected anything but blood loyalty, and they all duly delivered. Happy to take the trip to Las Vegas, knowing that if the war outcome was favourable to Godfather Marie & Don Luciano, that they would be handsomely rewarded for their troubles..

'If I can keep us all safe, fight off the threats from our enemies, maybe the Don will finally see I am ready, and can be trusted to take care of Isabella' he thought to himself. Elias was determined to protect the families honour, but had even more reason to keep himself alive, fighting on the frontline and taking the biggest risk of all...because after all...wouldn't that deserve the biggest reward in return?

Elias started his mission in Summerlin, he kept his whits about him, and ensured to take a local rat with him, Elias had promised him $10,000 for every enemy mobster he picked out hiding in the streets. Elias would duly execute them in the Luciano fashion, quick..and painless..but always knowing who'd done it, and why - no hard feelings..right? 

It had been a tiring trip on the LV streets, the police were obviously nowhere to be found, in mob wars they often hid themselves away, knowing the 'vermin' would only self extinct each other anyway. With enough bloodshed and deaths, the only true winners were the filth, and mobsters would often fight the FBN...just as much as each other.

Elias so far hadn't scouted any high value targets, he'd been disappointed thus far..maybe the action wasn't in Las Vegas after all? Elias had killed a few Made Men of the enemy family, but Don Salvatore sent him there to execute far more important ranks, fellow, enemy Consigliere's or even a Don himself...

As Elias lit up a cigar in the streets, he was alone, he'd sent his remaining bodyguards to scout a few blocks ahead, he needed just 10 minutes to compose himself. His heart was racing so fast..it almost felt as if he was short of breath. An adrenaline fuelled mobster is a dangerous thing, this is when mistakes happen...and it was when Elias made one of the most dangerous mistakes ever. As he was unaccompanied and felt rather safe due to the streets being empty, he lent himself against the wall, he'd almost finished smoking his Cuban cigar when he heard some familiar, and friendly heel footsteps walking behind him..just as he was about to turn around to greet the familiar face, he heard a loud BANG, followed by a bright, white light. He'd fallen to the floor and realised he'd taken a bullet in the liver, as Elias tried to get his bearings, all he could see was a large black, burgundy patch on the ground...and he knew this meant he'd been hit in the liver. One of the most fatal shots a man could ever take. A two second moment lapse had caused Elias to be shot by, what he thought was an ally, although he never saw the face, he recognised those heel sounds anywhere..his eyes began to shut when he saw his bodyguards back over him once again. They were certain the area was safe, and only did what Elias asked...for him to be left alone for ten minutes.

'We have to get him to safety, and to medical care immediately' they shouted..Elias was finding it harder and harder to focus his hearing, his ears were still ringing from the gunshot and his eyes were patching with white...all he thought about in possibly his final moments was Isabella. How much he loved her, and how close, yet far they ever were from true happiness together..

Isabella's head pounded like a drum.  She didn't open her eyes but she was keenly aware she was still alive - the dull ache in her stomach told her that - as well as the voices she could hear talking quietly in the room with her.  

"But he'll live?"  That was Marie.  Isabella relaxed knowing her Step-Mother was with her now.

"Yea." Was that Hank Moody?  Isabella didn't expect to hear the voice of her oft-times secret admirer.  "Don Salvatore wanted me to remind you that you should sleep sometime soon.  It's been a long two days.  With his daughter out of the woods and all active shooters down, we can handle the clean up and funeral preparations.  

"No.  Not yet.  She's not woke up and I don't want her to be alone when that happens."  Marie said. 

"I'll be here."  Rand.  Marie's bodyguard.  "I won't leave."

"You've been on duty long enough.  Go back to the hideout and get eight hours in a cot.  That's an order."  Marie again.

"How long until she wakes, does the doc got any idea?"  Hank asked.

"He said it could be any time.  She might sleep for days though.  Salvatore took three days on his worst one and God knows her is... bad."

There was silence.  Isabella imagined that Hank was hugging the Godfather.  She probably needed it by the sound of her voice.  "Take Ravel back to Chicago.  Ask Dub to see to his funeral arrangements for me.  I want him to have the very best of everything."

Isabella swallowed hard, audibly.  Ravel was dead.  How many others were dead?  Her father had lived... Hank and Dub were okay.  But what about Elias?  She pushed herself to open her eyes.  "Godmother?"  Her voice cracked and her dry lips split as she spoke.  It felt like she hadn't had a drop of water in days.

"Thank God... Isabella!" Marie rushed to her side, Hank walked behind her watching from a distance, a bouquet of flowers in his grip.

"Elias?"  She asked.  "Is he?"

"Alive.  Shot, but alive.  Your father is with him now though I know he'd much rather be here with you."

She sighed and her body relaxed.  Marie took her hand.  "You have a long recovery ahead of you.  The wounds you took were more vital than the one to your rib.  There won't be any antics like last time, but that can be discussed later."

"Water?"  

"Yes, Hank?"  

Hank nodded and poured her a glass of water and came to her other side.  He sat beside her and smiled down at her.  She felt guilty as he looked at her like that - like a lover relieved to see his beloved safe.  She knew she should tell him about Elias and her relationship now... send him away, but she didn't have the heart or strength at the moment.  Hank put his hand under the back of her head and lifted her to the glass gently and helped her to take a sip.  She smiled up at him.

"I brought these for your bedside.  They say you're not to be moved for a day or two so... figured this would brighten up the room a bit."

"Thank you."  She whispered to Hank.

"I'll get something to put them in." He said standing up and nodding to Marie.

"Our losses?"  She asked as Hank disappeared.  

"Spartacus & Kringle." 

Tears rose in Isabella's eyes.  

"A good deal of others... and many from Chicago."

Isabella took Marie's hand.  "I'm sorry.  This can't be easy for you..."

"I'll be okay."  Marie tried to look strong, but who could be strong after something like this?  Marie didn't hate most of the people she ordered dead... she hated few people so far as Isabella could tell.  However, after this, a fair number of people would hate her.  In this life it was live and die by the gun - people knew that, but it didn't stop the children of the fallen from holding grudges.  Nothing ever did. 

Isabella wondered, not for the first time ever, if she would ever want such a job.  It seemed to her that Godfather was a thankless lonely place to be.  At least a Don had their family to fall back on when the rest of the world turned their backs on you... but Godfather... not so much.  What was the reward in such a job?  To be Godfather you either had to be extremely selfless or selfish and no matter which you really were, because of what you needed to do to stay in power, everyone would assume the later.

"Can I call Elias?"  She wanted to hear his voice, to KNOW he was alive.

"I'll see if he's awake.  He had a surgery too.  He may still be out, but we'll reunite you both as soon as it's safe to do so.  Right now most of the world is going to both of your funerals.  Your father thought it best we didn't correct assumptions that you were dead, in case some rogue was coming to finish the job."

Isabella sighed.  

"I'll go call your father."  With that Marie walked away leaving Isabella to fall back to sleep.

Elias was still semi conscious, and still couldn't get over the thought that one of his distant allies had put a bullet in his liver. The pain was so unbearable he'd pass out for at least fifteen minutes in every hour... if only he had seen the eyes of the killer...rather than the click of shoes, it may of been easier for him to accept. Not that he needed any clarification, but to know, and ask why it was done..he thought to himself in his nightmare state 'it's impossible to have allies in this world, if they have different blood to yours.. Friend, or foe...they seem to be made of the same thing..

Elias' bodyguards had got him back to the family HQ in Detroit, where Don Salvatore was waiting with his personal physician, on hand and ready to patch him back to health, although...it obviously wasn't going to be easy. Elias was lifted onto the dining room table, the very same table that his love Isabella had laid all those weeks ago, it was a scary situation of Deja Vu for Elias. All he could think about was her, where was she? Who was she with? Was she dead..or alive? Elias had all these questions, but the adrenaline in his body, fighting the bullet wound, was preventing him from speaking. He just stayed relatively quiet, until the doctor had completed removing the split fragments..

He'd manage to remove all but one tiny fragment, one that was too far trapped in Elias' body, and the wound was already starting to heal, and no doctor in the world would be able to get it out, ever again..Elias heard the doctor explain to Don Salvatore the difficulties he would face in the years to come...'i've done all I could, but I can't get it all...over the years the lead is going to slowly poison him, it'll run in his blood, there isn't anything I can do. Eventually the pain in the years to come, will become too much for any man to take, and when that day comes..the best thing you could do is end his life, before the lead poisons his mind too. Who know what he could end up doing. He's going to need a slow recovery, but you can't tell him what i've told you, it's for his own good. The pain will come and go, and he will just assume he's lucky to of escaped with a war wound...

As the hours passed, Elias finally woke up to see Don Salvatore standing over his bed...he gripped the Dons hand tightly..'than you for being here Boss, I'm glad you're by my side in, my embarrassing ,moment of need. We've had a fruitful working relationship thus far - I know that you've not always liked me...but I've always loved you, and respected you.' Elias took a deep breath before attempting to raise himself up so he could look Don Salvatore in the eyes...'When I leave this HQ again, I want everyone to know I'm a Luciano, and damn well proud of it. Please let me be known from this day forth as Elias Luciano...'

Isabella slid carefully out of the bed with the help of Mat and Rand.  Hank had left the day before and now she and Marie were finally going home to see Salvatore.  The war was officially over, but Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't over.  As if a sniper had a bead on her heart and was tracking her every move.  Eventually he'd squeeze the trigger and the world would erupt into chaos again.  She was desperate to heal and prevent that from occurring if it was in her power to do so.

Marie had been quiet since they'd told her the extent of the damage the bullets had caused.  Perhaps it was out of grief, or guilt that she stood pregnant before a woman who would never be so because of the wounds she'd taken.  She tried to tell Marie that it was okay, that it was a small relief... but neither of them accepted that wholly.  It was hard to think about how her father might react.  He had another child coming to carry on the family name - maybe it wasn't really her duty anyway.  Hell, maybe he'd feel a sense of relief too because now she could exclusively focus on the family business and devote her life to it instead of a blood family.

And then... there was Elias.  She had no idea how he was going to feel.  A part of her thought he would not care.  That he was in love with her for who she was and not for what they'd have together in the future, and yet... what man did not dream of scores of sons to carry on his family name?  She had no idea whether or not the Landucci name meant something to him - but she supposed it probably did.  She could only hope that a lack of children wasn't a deal breaker.  If it was, well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.  For now, she just had to get home to see him.

Marie took her to the plane and they settled in for a very long flight home.  Isabella had yet to see how bad the scaring was going to be - but she was certain it wasn't something pretty to see.  She certainly wouldn't wear one of those new two piece swim suits ever.  She took two more pills for pain which the doctor gave her.  She knew it meant she'd sleep for the flight, the pills were very strong, but it was better than sitting here awake with her thoughts and Marie's dark trouble expressions of guilt - whether over her, the dead, or something else.  In this moment, hurting as much as she was, she couldn't bring herself to care.

Isabella closed her eyes and drifted back to dream.

Sal sat with Elias as the man slept. Things were going to be bad for him. The doctor had advised him not to say anything to Elias about what to expect but there was no he could do that to the man. 

Elias started to wake and Sal cleared the room this had to be discussed in private. 

"There is something you have to know my friend. It's about your wound. There is no easy way to say it..." he says to him. 

"So I will just come out with it. There is still a bullet fragment inside you. They can not remove it. One of two things will happen." he says

Lucky had called and talked to some specialists after his talk with his own doctor. There was a 50/50 chance that Elias's body will heal around the fragment in order to protect itself. But only time would tell if that happened. 

"Either it will poison you slowly or your body will heal around it. Either way, it will cause you pain for the rest of your life. Not all the time it will come and go." He says to him. 

Elias woke in shock about the new Don Salvatore had just delivered him..'thank you for telling me, I appreciate you being honest, and looking out for me. I need to certainly get patched up and quick, I know we have business to take care of. Isabella showed me the photograph that you gave her..and once I feel physically able to, I will track down the people responsible for attacking you and Isabella on home turf. I just need a few more days of rest because I take on the world again, especially after what you've just told me...but Don, it is what it is, if I die, if I survive..I've always been and will be proud to be a Luciano'

Elias was obviously troubled deep down by the news that Don Salvatore had just delivered him. He could manage to live with the pain for the rest of his life, but his life ending and not for-filled would be his worst nightmare. He felt that he still had so much to do, and so much to achieve for the Luciano family - and most importantly so much to achieve with his love, Isabella. He made himself a promise that when the pain came, he would brush it off, he wouldn't tell Isabella, and it would be the only secret he ever wanted to keep from her. He still wasn't sure where she'd been in the war, he hadn't seen her for what seemed days - was she even alive? Elias lent back down and drifted back off to sleep. It certainly was going to be a while before he'd be doing any walking again...