"Philly IS involved.  He did this here.  With our cops.  He had my father and nephew shot at.  You can't say we're not involved and we don't KNOW that its Tyler.  Just cause this fuck wit did shit for Tyler before means nothing."

She looked at Joey and then back to Sal, "And are you REALLY going to leave a chance to mend fences on the table?  I know you're right ... the kid gets shot and you're on the hook for it.  How's him hating you for Marie different than him hating you over Joey getting himself killed?  He wants you dead either way.  If you fix this with Joey at your side though... maybe you can end this blood vendetta.  Or at least get him to call off actively wanting to put a bullet into you."

She shook her head.

"Please don't pass on this, there are things involved here you don't know about ... work with Joey, Dad.  Please listen to reason on this one."

“We went over this old man, you’re not leaving me out on this you can either work with me on this or stay out of my way while I drop every mother fucker who’s ever worked with Tyler till I have that piece of shit in front of me groveling for his life.”

Giovanni stood up and walked over to Sal and Bella.

”I am done sitting on sidelines I have to do that enough back home cause of who’s kid I am but I’ll be dead before I’m the type to have others handle MY business. You don’t wanna work with me cause you’re scared of my old man? Fine whatever maybe I was wrong and there’s nothing I could learn from a washed up coward like you.” Giovanni’s tone changed calling Sal a coward was a ploy and an obvious one, for a man like Sal that was a title he would never be okay with even his worst enemies calling him.

Bella's bodyguards looked in a panic the moment Joey called Sal a coward. 

They knew what they'd normally do in times Joey picked a fight with someone... they'd have Joey's back and stand with Bella.  They also knew what they'd do if Sal was called a coward by someone... have Sal's back and stand with Bella.  But WHAT THE FUCK would they do when Joey was picking a fight with Salvatore?!?  This was a steaming pile of horse shit right in the middle of their Boss' living room!!!

Bella stepped between them, choosing to put her back to her father and looking at Joey. 

"You don't mean that."  She said flatly, the tone a mother gently scolding a beloved son.

"Your father made you his Right-Hand.  Speaking as a daughter whose father authorized her while also keeping me close under his protective hands, your father doesn't think you're made of breakable shit, Joey!  If he did you wouldn't be here handling your own business.  You'd be home under a mountain of fucking gambling slips doing meaningless paperwork.  Instead, you've spent every day for the last two weeks here with me, drinking, fighting, and flirting with every pretty girl you meet."

She put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.  "Your old man and your mother BOTH know you have the chops for this life and you need to stop doubting that... it's why you're one of the youngest hands in this thing.  I can't stand by and let you disrespect them by accusing them of not treating you fairly when I know damn well that I will be far worse with my kids."

She turned to Salvatore, her back now to Joey.

"I'll handle Ligambi.  He wants something from me that I've been denying him for years... I'll use it as leverage to make sure he doesn't gun you down if things go south.  Take the kid.  I'm not asking you as a daughter, I'm telling you as a Don of Philly.  You want to hunt down our cops, you respect my fucking standing in this thing.  That's how this plays out."

She crosses her arms and arches an eyebrow, never having pulled rank on her father in all her life, she's not entirely sure how the old man will take it.  "We good?"

Sal pulls his gun and points it at Giovanni with no emotion on his face and not paying any attention to the bodyguards in the room, only staring the young man in the eyes coldly. 

"You dare to fucking call me a coward after everything I have done in my life. I should kill you where you stand," he says unflinchingly. 

"You understand nothing of this life or what it takes to survive in it. RESPECT is first and primary to survival. Your father ordered every member of his city into a war with a city damn near three times its size and that had allies that would do nothing but make sure none of them survived it. And he did it because he felt betrayed by someone he respected." 

Sal walks closer to Giovanni still paying no one else any attention. He stops with his gun pointed inches away from the young man's head. 

"I don't fear your Father I respect him and what he can and will do if he is given the reason. And me leading you to your death... He may even blame me for it, thinking I did it to get him back in some way. So why don't I save everyone the trouble and end you here? Save the lives of the people, your ideas of killing everyone and rushing into things stupidly and half-assed will get killed." 

"Piece of advice, don't mistake respect for cowardice again cause next time you call me that I will drop you where you stand no matter who your father is," he says before putting his gun away and turning to his daughter. 

"Philly is involved and I am glad for their help in the matter. But you have been pulling out of this side of things and you have others to think of now," he says walking over to Bella

"Get this kid inline or I will deal with it and you know what that would bring. He is alive now because you are here but that will only last so long. You may be the dragon but I am the devil, best he learn that." he whispers into her ear. 

Giovanni stood unflinchingly as Sal pointed his gun at him and threatened his life unblinkingly and coldly right back at him. 

“You and my father might have that mutual respect you spoke about but we don’t I don’t give a damn what you’ve accomplished in your life or what you haven’t, I don’t respect you yet and I damn sure don’t fear you. I know I was shot at I didn’t come here thinking you would be here and I don’t need your help if you don’t want to give it to me just stay out of my way. And here’s one more piece of advice if you ever stick that gun in my face again you better fucking pull the trigger because you’ve pointed it at me twice now if there’s a third I will point and I will shoot I don’t give a damn who you are or what you’ve done. You’re aunt Bella’s father and by some weird way that makes you pseudo family that’s the only reason I haven’t pointed and shot back.”

A fed up Giovanni turned his back towards the group and was heading out to get his people together to handle business the way he knew how.

Bella looked towards the door her children and husband left through as soon as Sal_Luciano 's gun came free of its holster.  After her father finished his aggressive whisper, she quickly darted over and pulled the door shut and locked it to ensure no child wandered up into a dangerous situation.

Listening to the bravado between the two men with disgust and annoyance, but she knew one more hothead in this mess wouldn't stop the bloodshed, it would most likely only assure it!  Somehow, the Dragon of South Philly had to perform in the role as 'the calm one.'

"Jesus H. Christ... would you look at yourselves!" 

She tried to reign in her annoyance. 

"This is quite possibly Durden's best plan ever, because you're BOTH playing right into it!  Our enemy is out there NOT in here.  If you can't respect each other than do it out of respect for me - this is my house.  My children are a floor below us playing, and accidents happen.  Shit, I know the both of you would eat your guns rather than let something happen t my kids so knock the shit off - PLEASE."

Bella waited for Sal to put his gun away then spoke to him tenderly,  "Dad, not everyone talks like we do.  You can't go around waving your gun in the middle of arguments with people who aren't me.  You're not a Godfather anymore and people take that shit personally.  They don't know that's just how we are in this fucked up family."

Bella looked to Joey.

"I know you feel slighted Joey, but he would never hurt you, certainly not in my home if only for fear your dad would come back here to shoot up my home and at his Grandkids.  Understand he's not scared of what your dad might do to him..."  She glanced at Sal.  "He's afraid what Sal might do to me and the kids."

She looked back to Joey, "And that not a thing to mock a man over... in fact, I think the mark of a good man is one who puts the safety of his children above himself, as I know you will one day when you're blessed with children of your own."

She exhaled, feeling the tension as if it were a physical object in the room.

"Can we please forget that he called you a coward and that he put a gun in your face, and agree that we want to take down these crooked cops more than we want to rip each other apart?  Is that something you both can agree to... for me, if not for yourselves?"

Sal pulled out a cigarette and lit it taking a deep long drag letting it out slowly. 

"I am not a godfather anymore but I won't be talked to like that by anyone. I have earned that much." takes a deep drag and looks at Giovanni. 

Sal turns towards the young man. 

"You want to learn to live in this life. Getting yourself shot for your mouth isn't one of them. Understand the next time you see the barrel of my gun it will be the last thing you see." Sal turns back to Bella. 

"What's next then."

Now it was Giovanni's turn to be pull out his gun and clicked off the safety pointing it at Sal, "I don't give a fuck if it's just your compulsive need to have the last word old man or you think I won't shoot you but I told you I was done being threatened by you, maybe I should just finish what my dad started right here right now. You speak about getting shot for my mouth, whereas the only reason I don't drop you right here and now is so MY cousin aurora, you know the one I didn't spend 7 years hiding from doesn't find her old man a corpse on the floor."

Giovanni started backing up towards the door his gun never faltering from pointing at Sal, "I love you Aunt Bella but this ain't gonna work I have people I can trust I don't need to work with some has been who's gonna threaten me more than Tyler himself."  He rummaged with the door with the back of his hand and opened and slipped out.

A few moments passed and there all that was heard outside was gunfire and the screech of tires, as a letter was thrown next to the unconscious body of Giovanni_Ferarri.

To the fucking Ligambi and Luciano Crime families

We're back and none of you or your members of your families are safe.

Tyler D.

A beautiful day.  It was supposed to be a freaking beautiful day!  The sun was shining, the birds were singing!  Life was moving at it's normal swift pace here in Philadelphia and a certain tiny ferret had decided that it was time again to pay some of her favorite people in all this world a visit.  She had decided to extend her stay here in Philly and visit her beautiful Bella and family once more before she left.  Now Ellie had another thing coming if she thought this would be a simple hello and hang out session with Bella and the kids!  Another thing indeed!  But the little fuzzball didn't know that...  Not in the least.  Making her way toward the drive up to Bella's beautiful home, she became fairly lost in birdsong.  She became distracted with the searching for such a creature that made such a gay little tune!  Oh how she loved it!  Sweet and lilting and BANG!  

Wait...  Birds didn't go bang...  They didn't make repeated bangs!  Oh goodness!  Gunfire!  Terror shot through the tiny ferret as she had to fight her initial instinct to run and hide.  It was an instinct so strong, that for a moment, the acting Godmother of Chicago stood frozen in place right there in the middle of the drive.  But something drove her to move as a car came tearing toward her, barreling along like the very hounds of Hades were on it's tail.  Then again if she could see the form inside, she'd likely believe that narrative!  The tiny ferret shook her head and ran to dive under a bush not far from where she stood, quaking slightly as the car peeled out of there.  No...  No no no...  She didn't know what had went down up at that house, but she knew how this thing of theirs went.  Shaking her head as she tried to clear it of the normal panic fuzz that she felt when she got that scared, she pulled herself together. Her Bella needed her!  Peeling out just as fast as those tiny ferret legs could take her, she ran for the front of the house.  She had to save her BELLA!

The sight that greeted her was not her Bella... Not by a long shot.  But the form that lay crumpled, hit by gunfire, was none other than another high ranking young man that hailed from Detroit.  Now Detroit...  She had flashes of Detroit...  At one point the place belonged to a man so sure, so sophisticated, so strong, so tall...  Her father.  Wait.  What?  In Ellie's mind's eye, the former Godfather of Detroit filled it.  But she quickly shook her head again confused by the thoughts, the images, the...  Dreams?  Surely they were dreams, because that was the closest thing she had to knowledge on something like this.  Surely her father had been a ferret like her.  But why the heck did she feel such strong warm feelings toward this man she didn't even know?  Bella...  She had to talk to Bella...  She felt so close to her and she wasn't even of her city.  She shook her head a little and chittered softly to herself before bringing her mind back to what was important here.  The young man from Detroit who lay upon the ground.  No...  No no!  It was her Joey!  Her beloved Joey!  A man that showed her nothing but love and adoration in every moment that they spent together.  A man who first disbelieved the idea of writing to a ferret.  But soon found her to be much more than one might first think.  But beyond that, Joey was her friend.  Her little head swiveled around to glare at the retreating tail of the car, memorizing every detail she could manage hissing as if her fury could send it rattling along faster.  

Only a second spared for this act, she then ran to Joey, leaping nimbly and carefully upon his fallen form, nosing him carefully as she sought the foreign object that may well be lodged into his form.  She squeaked and chittered at him, complete concern in every act.  Why?  Who?  How could someone do this to her beloved Joey? Why shoot at him?  She continued to nose him before lifting her muzzle and letting out the most shrill and piteous cries to try and draw someone's attention...  As if gunfire hadn't already done that.  She shot her gaze around the area for any other clues.  It was then that she saw the paper.  She hissed as if it too offended her before leaping from her friend's fallen form to grab it up.  Once this was snagged, she moved carefully again to curl herself up protectively upon Joey's fallen form.  There were lucky stars to thank that the ferret didn't weigh hardly anything at all as this was likely not the best triage attempts to sit on one's fallen friend in attempts to protect them.  But so it was that anyone who deigned to exit that house would find a very pissed off ferret crouched protectively over her fallen dear heart whilst gripping a paper in her teeth with a fire of fury in her eyes.  Oh yea.  The little Windy City ferret was pissed.

Bella watched Joey leave in a huff before turning towards Salvatore with eyes as sharp as any dagger.  She glared hard at the old man, but slowly her brow furrowed and the look became disappointment.  She sighed.

"I'm the fool you know."  she admitted.  "Only a fool does the same things over and over and expect a different result."

She marched towards her mini-bar and picks up a bottle of alcohol to pour herself some.  The golden color liquor splashed around the glass and Bella watched intently as it moved and came to rest.  She sighed, still looking into her cup.

"This rage of ours..."  She spoke softly.  "It's not a good thing, Dad.  It's not a thing to be proud or admired, it puts walls between us and good people... between YOU and good people.  You know how alone you've been since you..." 

She stopped short of saying 'killed Marie.' 

"Well, this is why.  You'll never be close to anyone again if you can't find someplace to put that anger when your friends and family need you most.  I know it's not easy - God do I - but Dad you'll drive everyone away if you don't."

She glanced towards her father.

"Maybe even me & the Kids."

She turned back to her drink and downed it hard and fast not wanting to think of a life that didn't have her father in it, but knowing she had to protect the kids.

"I can't let people just come in here waving guns in other people's faces.  The kids love you and Joey if anything had happened to that kid... damn Salvatore... THINK!"

She put her glass down aggressively.

"I was trying to save you from yourself and you belew me off to get one more hit in on a stupid fucking kid!  He's a teenager, YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO PROVE TO HIM!"  she shook her head.  "Only idiots and men who think they've lost all relevancy in their old age stand around screaming at teenagers and putting guns in their faces!  Is that really what's become of the GREAT LUCKY LUCIANO?!?  Reduced to ... to a man who needs to win a fight against a dumb kid just beginning to learn about the real world?!?"

She shook her head, her arms flying about animatedly as she spoke, desperate to make her father understand how his actions didn't just indanger himself and the Ligambi boy, but that he was endangering his own happiness going forward.

"He needs a friend.  He needs a fucking mentor to teach him respect through example!  What he doesn't need is another hot-headed asshole showing him that respect is only won through violence and being the final snarky remark in the damn room!  That's always been your problem you know it?!?  You're a damn find teacher and mentor - a caring father when you want to be but it's always WHEN YOU want to be.  Not when your kids or your young gangsters need you most."

She shook her head.

"You owe Draven more than you'll ever know for what she did for Detroit and for your own fucking daughter."  She glared at him.  "More than maybe you care and more's the pity!"

The hurt could be heard in her voice.

"That woman WAS Detroit.  You?  You COULD have been loved, but you were always more concerned with being feared and respected.  Well... Marie was loved.  Marie was respected, so much so that when her own husband and his goons turned on her cities of men threw themselves into a war they couldn't win because of that love.  THAT, dad, is true loyalty and respect.  Marie won it by having the good sense to fucking LISTEN more than she talked and screamed!!!"

Tears were welling up in her doe-like eyes that, after all these years, were beginning to get lines at their corners.  She stared at him staring at her and her shoulders fell.

"I'm wasting my breath."  She admitted to herself.  "You don't want love, do you?  Only fear."

She sighed.

"You know what... just... just go.  You're too old to lecture at like a child and I'm too old to be wasting my breath on people who don't fucking care.  I'll call Mezzo about the cops.  Handle your business however you like since you don't want me along."  She threw up her arms dismissively.

Bella's bodyguards came bursting into the room, followed closely by Sal's, just as gunfire could be heard.  Bella was put to the floor hard, three men covering her.

"WHAT THE HELL!?!"  Bella screamed, she could hear her father screaming at his men as they got him down to the floor and the men pulled their guns ready to return fire on an enemy that was likely on the street beyond the tree line and thus unlikely to hit the house or them - or vice versa.

The bodyguards were all talking at once, Linval who was closest to her ears was the only one she could make out.  One word was all he needed, "DURDEN!"

Bella had images in her mind of the children, downstairs and safe, but what if they had been playing in the yard?  A stray bullet could have... could have...!!!!

Her blood burned as she pushed her bodyguards off her and got up to crouch beside her father listening to the last of her security returning fire on Durden.  "There's a large distance between the house and the road - he'd never hit anyone in the house with certainty - too many damn trees!  Who the FUCK is he shooting at?!?"

Then silence.

"BELLA!"  Gavin's voice from the bottom of the stairs.  She expected to hear the kids crying, but instead heard only silence.

"WE'RE SAFE... STAY DOWN THERE!"  Bella yelled running out of the house hot on he heels of her father who was already out the door.

The sight of Joey on the ground stopped her heart.  Bella stood stairing at the ferret on him, sure her nephew was dead.  How would she tell Rebecca?  How would she tell Ligambi?  

"No! No!  No!"  Bella cried out.