The lights went out, all of Detroit was plunged into a black abyss.  You couldn't see your hand in front of your face - the result of late summer storms on the lake.  It happened from time to time.  The lights would be back by morning though.  It did, sadly, ruin Isabella's final hours of the night time reading which she had planned.  It was how she meant to unwind after a LONG day of questioning little old ladies who had retired out of the FBN steno pool with Gavin and Will.  

The endless bickering those two managed to weave into everything they did were funny at times... but wearing on her good nature at others.  Thunder rolled and lightning cracked across the sky... the sound of waves on the Great Lake could be heard through her open windows which she finally resolved needed to be shut.  The wind was now blowing the rain sideways.

She didn't feel tired, but she needed to sleep.  Smirking, she stood up and went to her door where her guard was stationed.  "Jimmy... I need you to do something for me."  He picked up the candle beside him, his pen and his paper.

===  a short time later  ===

A knocking happened on Gavin's guest room quarter's door at quarter past 3am.  It was quiet, clearly meant to be discreet.  When the door opened Jimmy held up his paper which read:  "Boss told me to come to get you.  She can't sleep.  Wants company.  Follow me."  He nodded towards the stairwell leading up to her bedroom at the end of the hall. 

There was no light in the pitch black building save Jimmy's candle and the occasional flash of lightning through the windows.  Up the stairs Jimmy went, as quiet as one could move, stopping just outside a large wooden door to the Master Bedroom. 

On this, the top residential level of the Tower, there were three rooms.  One belonged to Isabella - the Master Bedroom - and the two others which were occupied by her bodyguards.  It was a fact that most anyone in the Tower could have spilled to Gavin during his time here so most likely he was keenly aware of where he'd come to at this late and impossibly dark hour - even if he hadn't yet been invited to this most private of locations.

Jimmy sat back down in his chair, putting his candle on the small table that illuminated the stairwell so he could see who might be climbing up.  The older gangster gave Gavin a look that was highly suggestive in nature, maybe wishing Gavin luck?  After that, the mute guard turned away - clearly giving Gavin his space to do as he needed.

===

Isabella lay beneath her covers, dressed in her silk nighty.  Her hair lay long across her pillow.  She smiled to herself, trying hard to pretend she was sleeping as her door came open.

Gavin fell asleep easy. The problem was that he kept waking up. Every time he started awake he reached for his gun, cursing to himself. He wasn't dreaming; instead, it was like he couldn't submerge. His thoughts kept him floating on the waves of sleep, rather than sinking down to true rest. He was consumed by an unsettled energy.

Half-asleep, Gavin almost put a bullet through the door when he heard a knock before his mind caught up with his body. Still, he took the paper with a grin and was halfway out the door before he realized he wasn't wearing any pants. With a sigh, Gavin stepped into his suit pants from earlier and tossed on a black t-shirt as he followed the seemingly ancient gangster.

Gavin glared at him suspiciously. What if he was a ghost that haunted the tower?

He poked the old man, who looked back at him in confusion. 

Gavin whispered, "Sorry. Just checking."

When he reached the large door, Gavin strongly suspected that he was about to either have sex or get wacked. Deciding to take his chances, he silently opened the door. Seeing the figure in the bed before him, he moved across the room like a cat. He'd learned silence at an early age. Children in abusive homes cherished silence; they learned every squeaky floorboard in an effort to keep the peace stretching just one more minute. As a hunter, he'd perfected his gift. Barefoot, he didn't make a single sound as he made his way to the bed and climbed in. 

Isabella felt the bed sink down and someone side in behind her.  She smiled in spite of herself. 

"I see you got my message."  She purred as she felt arms wrap around her and pull her tight to his body.  

"What do you think about riding out the storm with me.  Maybe I can cash in that rain check, right now?"  She exposed her bare neck to her lover and waited for him to respond.

William started from a restless sleep to the sound of a knock on his door at a quarter past 3 AM. It was a quiet, surreptitious knock obviously meant for only his ears. He grabbed his gun as he left the bed and carefully pushed the door open from one side. He hadn't expected a hand to come through with a note, but there it was. Putting his gun down, Will stepped out to the sight of Jimmy holding the note out to him: "Boss told me to come to get you.  She can't sleep.  Wants company.  Follow me."  He nodded towards the stairwell leading up to her bedroom at the end of the hall. William smiled and put down his gun on an end table. After throwing on pants and a shirt he followed eagerly.

There was no light in the pitch black building save Jimmy's candle and the occasional flash of lightning through the windows.  Up the stairs Jimmy went, as quiet as one could move, stopping just outside a large wooden door.

Jimmy sat back down in his chair, putting his candle on the small table that illuminated the stairwell so he could see who might be climbing up.  The older gangster gave Will a suggestive look and after that the mute guard turned away - clearly giving William his space to do as he needed.

William gently pushed the door open and crept inside. Once the door was shut he made his way to the bed and eased himself in without a word. He grinned as he heard Isabella's voice and he couldn't help but pull her in to himself. "I think we'll have a much more impressive show than the lightning."

Will kissed his way up Isabella's neck and took hold of her earlobe in his teeth as his hands wandered down her body, caressing her even as he pressed his body more tightly to hers. He wasn't about to waste a single moment now that he was whole enough to give back to his Angel as she had given him.

He released his grip on her earlobe long enough to whisper in a raspy tone, "Tonight nothing's going to get in the way." With that he turned Isabella to him and let his desire take control.

Neil had the worst fucking job in the world.

It was great, sometimes, but he did miss being able to talk.  Still, he knew he'd done wrong by Miss Isabella.  That woman had saved his Mama's home, saved them both from starving after he'd lost his good job stacking food at the grocery store when Mr. O'Sullivan couldn't pay him anymore. 

Miss Isabella had given them everything and he'd returned her kindness by being the one who told her father about her relationships.  It hadn't been right to do, he knew it when the other guys sent him to snitch... but he wanted them to like him and Salvatore was a Godfather, what else could he do? 

Neil didn't often get why the other guys were always laughing - they were a pretty happy bunch, but sometimes he wondered if they were laughing at him, rather than with him.  He knew he was a little slower than most, but his mama said what he lacked in brains he made up for in his heart so that was something.  Mama said he had his daddy's heart.  Neil wondered if she meant literally... he'd been really sick as a kid, a whole lot ... at least until after his pa was killed in a factory accident.  After his pa done got dead, he got better like magic... like maybe he'd made a deal with a wee folk in the stories.  Maybe that was how mama meant it?

Tonight he was sleeping in the best bed in the whole house, but it didn't make him happy.  Why?  He suspected it was to protect Miss Isabella, but he didn't get why she was doing all these tricks ... mixing up her schedule, having folks eat her meals, sleeping in other rooms but not telling anyone even on her detail save him and Jimmy.  Something had her real bad worried, and crying more than usual... if he knew who was hurting her, he'd bust the bastard's head open like a ripe melon.  If only she knew how much he cared and that he'd never let alone hurt her.

All of these things rattled around in Neil's head as he woke to someone climbing into the bed with him, along with the thought that he had the worst fucking job in the world... because he was pretty sure the person joining him wasn't here to kill Isabella, like she feared would happen, this person was hoping she was here.

The second he felt the body slide towards him, Neil sat up straight in the bed and roared out an animalistic noise... what he'd been trying to scream at his late-night visitor, if he'd had a tongue to speak with was, "DON'T!" 

It was said with a mix of discomfort, embarrassment and rage knowing that outside the door the guys were probably laughing... again not with him... but at him and whoever this was in the dark with him.  

That... sounded like a dying giraffe. And not at all like Bella. Gavin's eyes grew wide. The lightening flashed and Gavin recognized...

"Neil! Buddy! Why didn't you say something?"

Gavin paused.

"Right. Sorry again. So uh..."

Gavin narrowed his eyes. 

"... what are you doing in Bella's bed? Wait- are you sleeping with her? Neil! You sly dog..."

Neil pushed Gavin away hard and got out of the bed quickly.  Dressed in only shorts he searched out his pants which were on the floor.  Outside the door, a large group of men could be heard laughing.  CLEARLY, they'd heard Neil's noisy response to Gavin's presence.

===

Isabella stopped kissing, pulling on the spaghetti strap to her negligee.  "Do you hear that?"  She said, taking note of a large amount of laughter outside in the hallway.  Under these conditions and circumstances, at this hour, it made no sense.  

She pulled away from William.  "I need to see what's happening."

"Hey Neil! Are those guys fucking around with you?"

He paused.

"Want to go kick their asses? I'll, uh, tell Bella we heard a suspicious noise."

Neil paused, considered this for a moment.  The boss wouldn't like him roughing up the other guys... he was a whole lot bigger than all of them and he could do serious damage.  He had to be responsible with his strength.  Mama always told him that... but, they WERE fucking with him.  Gavin wasn't such a bad guy really... maybe he would tell the Boss that it was all a misunderstanding and then the guy wouldn't cross him again or his buddy Gavin would help him kick their asses.

Neil smiled and nodded to Gavin, waiting to follow his lead.

Gavin winked at Neil, then wrench open the doors and started throwing punches. Neil joined in as well. The candle didn't light too much... in the shadows, there was plausible deniability. 

Each of the laughing men in the hall had received a light beating when Gavin shouted.

"OH! Hey, you guys aren't intruders. False alarm, Neil. My bad. Sorry we couldn't see you guys."

Slapping one of the guys on the back extra hard and winking at Neil, Gavin returned back into the bedroom.

Inside Bella's room, Neil hugged Gavin tight... the sort of hug only children give, or simpletons.  A moment later he seemed to realize how odd it was and he smiled while violently shaking Gavin's hand - clearly thanking him.  Neil motioned to the bed, offering it to Gavin and he walked over to the chair - sat down to watch the storm outside Bella's window.

====

Bella opened the door violently, "What the hell is going on out here?!?"  She looked at her men picking themselves up off the floor and someone disappearing into her room, presumably Neil.

"Just a mistake, Ma'am... someone thought us to be intruders."  

"That's ..."  She was going to say stupid but stopped herself - realizing it probably was Neil, startled by the storm.  "You three, off to bed... you know what, fuck it... you too Jimmy."

Isabella turned and went back into the room.  "I can NOT believe those guys - first yucking it up over god knows what and then fighting like a bunch of teenage boys."  She said walking back to the bed.  Isabella pulled her sleepwear off in a single motion letting it pool to the floor at her feet. 

She sighed.  "Now... Mr. William Bowden... where exactly were we?"

She hopped into the bed with a giggle as the thunder rolled outside the Tower and the storm continued on.

Gavin had lay down to rest... but that lasted about thirty seconds before he realized Neil was still in the room.

"Neil. Buddy. Good times tonight, but there's no way I'm going to be able to sleep with you just sitting on that chair. Why don't you go sleep somewhere else? If someone comes in here looking to hurt Bella, I'll put them down and give you the credit. I'm a light sleeper. So really. You're a pal. We'll catch up tomorrow. But for now..."

He smiled as he stood and walked Neil to the door, ignoring and protests. Closing and locking the door, Gavin slid into the bed. Hopefully Bella would be back soon. Closing his eyes, Gavin hoped to finally drift off to sleep.

He'd been about to ask about the commotion in the hall, but the soft swish of silk made a strong counterpoint. Whatever it was suddenly wasn't so important.

William let his touch say everything that needed to be said once she had returned to the bed. He had craved the chance to have her wholly to himself in this way from the first day he'd known her and now that he had the chance he wasn't going to hesitate. Not again. He wasted no time shedding what little clothing remained between them to enjoy the feeling of their bodies pressed to one another, her softness resting against his calloused body etched by countless blows and beatings. Each writhing movement of their two forms together raised his ardor more but he resisted the urge to let his desire consume him for a bit longer. He had resolved to treat Isabella to every bit of pleasure she had shown him in Atlantic City and he was going to to follow through.

His kiss resumed at her earlobe, once more teasing the place he'd found outside their hotel room with tongue and teeth. A soft growl began to rise beneath his breath as he felt her squirm beneath him, her breathing growing heavier with each moment. Soon he let his lips begin to trace a slow and sensuous path down her neck and continue further down as his hands traced the soft curves of her body along the way. Looking up into Isabella's deep eyes from her waistline, William grinned a hungry smile, the look of a predator about to pounce and drew himself beneath the covers.

The rain tapped out a song on the window as Will disappeared under the covers.  Isabella grabbed the spindles on the headboard white-knuckle tight as she felt his lips touch her.  She felt as if she didn't, she might float away.  Her eyes rolled up into her head and her toes curled as she focused on the full sensory experience instead of the steady stream of worries and thoughts that endlessly paraded through her mind. 

She arched her back like a cat passing under an outstretched hand and whimpered as he moved from a place she very much appreciated him paying attention to - tearing her right hand from its perch she put her fingers into his hair, encouraging him to return.  When he did, a desperate feeling washed over her.  She clung to him and to the bed, but she was sure that she was helpless to fight where he was taking her.  In truth, she'd only ever felt this way once before and the feeling both terrified and excited her at the same time.

Lightning flashed outside and a boom seemed to shake the whole Tower as Isabella gasped loudly and squirmed in William's grip, the tips of his fingers pressing hard into her tighs.  Isabella moaned loudly her lover's name - much louder than she'd meant to... she bit her lip knowing on some level that Jimmy was still in the hallway.  The intensity, however, was becoming too much to bear and all sense was fast falling away in favor of something much more instinct based.

"Please," She panted through clenched teeth, her fingers gripping his hair much harder than she would have meant to.  "Will..."  She tried to urge him upwards, to stop what he was doing in favor of making love to her... but he was relentless, driving her onwards.  Her last clear thought for more than a minute of bright white ecstasy was a fear that lightning had actually HIT the copper rod atop the Tower as the whole room seemed to erupt into white light.

When she felt Will rise up and kiss her, she knew she'd been screaming out - likely loud enough everyone on this floor hard heard, but she no longer cared.  Isabella wrapped her legs around William's waist, pulling him into a full body embrace, coo'ing his name over and over again as she moved in time with him - trembling with pleasure and joy.  

Gavin had just started to drift off to sleep when he heard it. Her. Bella. No doubt about it. And she was either... nope. Really just one explanation there.

Gavin sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. He heard a loud, moan... "Will".

He paused, hoping for a "you please come in here, Gavin?" to follow up, but Bella seemed to be stuck on the first word. 

With a long exhalation, Gavin rolled out of bed. He obviously wasn't happy, especially after her offer by the river earlier to meet back there. But he wasn't angry. Mostly, he just felt tired. It was a rare feeling for him.

Gavin moved silently across the floor and opened the door to the hall. In bare feet, suit pants, and a t-shirt he didn't make a sound as he traveled down the thickly carpeted stairs. Neil was at the bottom of the stairs and turned with a start to see Gavin appear without making a sound. Gavin patted him on the back.

"I'd not go up there yet, buddy. Give them..."

Well, I'd usually go for an hour...

"... fifteen minutes or so."

Neil nodded and looked confused as Gavin headed outside, but Gavin simply flashed him a thumbs up and continued on his way. The rain was steady, but gentle. The thunder and lightning, while occasionally intense, seemed mostly to be drifting across the lake. Gavin stripped off his t-shirt, which was uncomfortably clinging to him, and tossed it aside. His chest, back, and upper arms were covered in scars, as always, and there seemed to be several more serious bruises irregularly spaced around his torso. 

He sat down on the wet grass near the riverbank, deeply inhaling the scent of the rain as the shadow of a smile flashed across his face. Life was simpler out here, and he hadn't spent so much time in concrete cages to forget what it was like to run wild. He leaned back to find the grass soft, wet, and not uncomfortable.

Soon, he was on his side and sleeping on his arm, gently snoring as the rain sent rivulets running over his body. A small box turtle slowly made its way over to Gavin, pausing as it bumped against his arm before settling down for the night as well. Gavin cracked an eye open and smirked.

As he finally closed his eyes for the final time that evening, the rain itself seemed to massage his body with a thousand tiny fingers, the river whispered a soft lullaby, and the distant thunder marked his slowing heartbeat as Gavin drifted off to sleep.

Isabella lay awake hearing the storm stop and noticing out the window as the city suddenly came back to life just before the dawn.  Lights popping on all along the streets like tiny fireflies distantly giving one last dance across the darkened earth.  She kissed William's chest and gave him a squeeze, whispering, "You awake?"

William shifted slightly in response to Isabella's movement and ran his hand along the side of her face, gently caressing her cheek. 

"Yeah, I'm up. What's on your mind, Angel?" 

The view through the window was one of a world reborn, it's lights rekindled after a long darkness. Hope springing up again from the night. It seemed apt for all that had happened since yesterday morning.

"Everything."  She said softly.  Normally she'd turned to Gavin for moments like this.  He had such a sound and simple logic that it sorted through all the chaos in her mind but she needed to know where Will fit on such things.  Was he Gavin's equal or better in this way?  Could he help her see through emotion and find stability in the madness that had been her life these six months?

"How good I feel right now, how much I'm dreading leaving you and this room... how much I'm dreading facing all that comes next... both Elias and Gavin facing my father in time."  She shakes her head.  "It's too early to have so much on my mind ... but last night I was thinking it was too late to have so much on my mind."

She kissed Will, "Thank you for coming to my rescue with that."

William positively glowed from her kiss. He squeezed her tightly to him nuzzled into her hair as he responded.

"I'll be glad to give a break from those thoughts any time you need it. You deserve to feel good and if I can help provide that for you then there's nothing I'd rather be doing. As for the rest, just remember that when you leave this room every step will bring you closer to the next time. Look forward to what's still to come instead of watching over your shoulder because the best is yet to come." Will punctuated the thought with a kiss.

"As far as the others, if they truly care about you they'll be alright and as much as I hate to admit it, they wouldn't be here now if they didn't. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but no matter what happens from here on out I face it by my own choice. Not anyone else's." 

Another quick kiss. 

"Not even yours. Neither you nor all of Detroit would make be stay if I didn't want to. But I do." 

This time his lips lingered a bit.

"I'm glad."  She said.  "I know you think I think too highly of you, Will, but it's more that... well, of the three men in my life right now - you're the one who seems to have it all together.  You have shoulders wide enough to bear the burdens this whole mess demands.  I mean, Gavin talks a good game, and has given me invaluable advice, but he's been through some real stuff.  I keep thinking to myself what a disaster him meeting my father will turn out to be if my father treats him as he's done to you and Elias.  My father won't care about Gavin's past, how mean something different to Gavin than it meant to you and Elias... how it will affect his view of my father forever.  How do I build trust and family from a beginning like that?  If he does this, and I choose Gavin, how the fuck does that even play?  That's assuming Gavin reacts as you and Elias did... but I can't see that either.  Gavin won't respect my father for asserting himself like that and I'm afraid of what he might do.  I just don't know how to stop it..."

She sighed knowing there was no good answer except to trust that Gavin wasn't suicidal and that if her father DID beat him senseless, that Gavin would take it and keep his secret hatred just that... a secret. 

"And while I know we can fix Elias in body, I'm not so sure about his heart and mind.  He's..."  she couldn't say the things she felt.  Not because she didn't trust William but because she wouldn't breathe the words even alone.  Elias had been through so much, how could she judge him?  And yet... he'd cut her deeply today.  So deep she didn't know that she'd forget the sting... not ever.

"... he's lashing out.  He needs someone to be angry with and at the moment, it's misdirected rage."  She swallowed.  "I know he loves me... no matter what he says or does... but I don't honestly think there's any getting back to where we were as lovers.  Hell, maybe not even as friends and that kills me to think about because - well, I think you understand where I am on that."

She looked up at his face, "But you... I don't have any fears about you other than you might eventually tire of all this nonsense, because you could be back in Philly... earning Jack's approval, preparing to lead a family of your own cause... we can all see it coming William."  She squeezes him, laying her head of his chest.  

"And when it happens, you will have earned it twenty times over... and I'll be so happy for you... and terribly jealous of every woman in Philidelphia who gets to be near you constantly."  She chuckled, but she meant it.  How long could she expect William, a rising star, to remain available living half-way across the country from her?