Billy wasn't home when Integra helped Eva into the apartment late in the evening after arriving back from London.  The temporary stitches in Eva's side had held up well enough for the flight home, but she was going to have to let someone professional redo the work. That was for later, though. All she wanted now was sleep, and though Integra was going immediately to stay with Alucard, Eva didn't even bother making it to the bed and eased herself onto the couch.

"Really, I'm fine. I'm going to lay here and sleep until Billy gets back, then I'll fill him in on everything."

Integra gave Eva a skeptical glance, but finally relented with a soft smile and a nod. When she was gone, Eva laid back against the arm of the couch, one hand pressing gently over the gunshot wound as she eased herself to relax. Relaxing was much easier now that she and Integra had buried the proverbial hatchet. The trip had done far more good than just saving her parents. Perhaps it was the bonding over their similarities, or maybe it was Eva jumping in front of a shotgun blast to save Integra; but whatever it was, Eva was glad for it.

The apartment was quiet, and dim enough that it didn't take long for her to doze off.

Billy made his way to the living room once he had gotten home for the evening. He opened the liquor cabinet and took out a glass and a bottle of whiskey. Then he almost dropped it when he saw a small blonde creature laying on his couch.

"Jesus fucking christ doc. Are you trying to kill me?"

He nudged Eva on the shoulder, not hard enough to hurt her but certainly enough to wake her up.

"You mind me askin what you're doing in my apartment? Better yet, want to tell me when you and Tegs got back from overseas? Where is she?"

Eva jumped slightly with the nudge and opened her eyes. There was a fairly heavy haze in her mind, but she shook her head a bit and blinked a few times to clear it.

"Sorry- I thought maybe the guard would have told you I was here."

She swung her bare feet down and off the couch to sit up, but recoiled at the jolting pain from her wound.

"Integra went to be with Alucard. We just got back...well, I'm not sure how long ago."

There hadn't really been any discussion as to where Eva would go when they returned, but both she and Integra had assumed that she should report back to Billy as soon as possible.

"My apartment across town, I believe you told me I shouldn't go back there. I didn't really know where else to go."

This time, she sat up quite a bit more slowly, then rubbed her eyes.

Billy nodded.

"Yeah, that would be a bad idea. You want to stay here? Not on the couch by the way. If Tegs isn't here you can stay in her bed. If she's here, you can have my bed and I'll sleep here. No way I'm gonna let you wince in pain like that all night on the couch."

He stood back up then and poured a couple of glasses of bourbon for them.

"How's about a nightcap? You look like you took a couple hits, this tends to help a bit. Might not be doctor's orders, but I promise it'll help."

He slid one of the glasses over to her across the coffee table.

This time, she didn't bother with a second thought. Taking the glass, she took a hearty swallow.

"Thank you. Please, I don't want to be any trouble to you or Integra. I understand that you'd rather have me close to watch; but I really don't want to put anyone out of a bed. This- it'll be fine in a few days."

Not exactly sure what to say next, she took another drink. She'd been too tired upon arriving back to think about how nervous she was about seeing Billy Mastrosimone face-to-face again. Now, with whiskey warming her throat and waking her up a bit, she quickly remembered just how far from "out of the woods" she was.

She cleared her throat very softly after taking the second sip.

"We handled everything in London with ease. Far more than I expected, really. The men Alex had sent after my parents weren't really the brightest; at least not according to Integra. We were able to get my parents to Norfolk before the men arrived. They tried to ambush the house thinking they were just going to walk in and take out two old folks. I wish I could say I was more help than I was. Integra and Jason were masterful, really."

Looking down at her glass in her hands, she took a deep breath.

"I really can't thank you enough."

Billy drank his own bourbon. It was not his drink of choice, but it was smooth.

"Nothing to thank me for, you should be thanking my sister. I know you two don't always get along but I also know that she wouldn't have let you come back alive if she didn't see something in you. She's not one to take that sort of risk."

He finished his drink and then reached out his hand to help Eva off the couch.

"Cmon doc, let's get you to bed. If Integra shows up in the middle of the night she can either bunk with me, or she can go sleep at her boyfriend's place. You get the guest bed, at least for tonight."

Glancing at his outstretched hand, Eva felt a twinge of nerves. Still, she took his hand and pulled herself up.

"Thank you. Integra and I...well, I think we found a common ground. She is quite a woman. You two are very lucky to have each other."

Between the plane and the couch, she was admittedly stiff and looked forward to a chance to stretch out; carefully anyway. But something didn't feel right. Not yet. 

As they made their way toward the guest room, Eva sighed a little. 

​​​​​​"Billy, I don't know what to do, or say. So much has happened, but I... I just wish I had a chance to start over. Without so many mistakes."

Billy waved his hand toward Eva.

"Doc, you got nothin to be starting over. Your whole life just started over. I don't see a reason for you to start over with me. I like you just the way you are."

He started her down the hall toward the guest room.

"I mean, you are gonna need another job soon. You quit the hospital and everything, so maybe you want to come work for me. For real now, no more just being a doctor. You know the kind of work I'm in, and it pays real good."

He smiled at her and then showed her the bedroom.

"It's all yours for the night. Oh, and I got breakfast in the morning, I'm thinking pancakes. Just think about what I said huh? If you really want a fresh start, all you gotta do is say it."

He smiled and stood in the doorway then just in case she had any worries before bed. He had a sens that she might need to be talked to until she fell asleep tonight.

A few steps inside the room, Eva felt just a little more of the tension in her soul melt away. Billy was right. In a way, her life really was beginning again; this time from a much stronger point than before. Being from a wealthy, high-profile family had always made blackmail or kidnapping a greater risk- just not one she'd taken very seriously until it was too late. Now, she had an opportunity to be a part of another sort of family; one with influence that could offer security for not only herself, but her parents as well. After the events in London, Eva never wanted to think of them in danger again. 

"Pancakes sound wonderful."

For the first time since he woke her up, Eva brought herself to look him in the eyes and smiled softly.

"I'm just going to step into the bathroom for a moment. Don't let me keep you from anything, please."

She took a step toward the bathroom door, then stopped and looked back to him.

"Maybe, though...if you're not busy...we could talk a bit more? I don't know that I'm really ready to be along in a strange place."

Idiot, Eva scolded herself. She quickly added.

"Not that your apartment is strange- that's not what I meant. It's really a lovely place; just, unfamiliar...I meant. I'm...just going to go in here now."

She went into the bathroom and shut the door, shaking her head at her own ridiculousness.

Billy padded his way into the kitchen. He pulled out two bowls and a box of cereal. He then made his way back to the guest room and knocked on the door frame as the door was still open.

"Hey, when you're done meet me in the kitchen, we can have a bowl of Corn Flakes and talk some more. You can talk till you fall asleep in the bowl if you want."

He smiled toward the bathroom door and then went to go sit in the kitchen and wait for her to join him. He poured a couple of glasses of water while he waited, just in case she wasn't hungry.

"Alright- I won't be long."

Eva hadn't packed much in her bag as she and Integra had been in quite a rush to make the first flight to England. She had, however, managed to bring a few things back with her.  From her duffel bag, she took her favorite cotton nightgown with delicate yellow ribbon woven into the smocked, sweetheart neckline, along with a soft gray cardigan. Gingerly, she changed out of her travel clothes and checked the dressings over her stitches. The bleeding had subsided quite a bit, so she changed the bandages and then got into her gown. Finally, she pulled the soft wool cardigan over her shoulders and quietly started back toward the front of the apartment.

Billy was seated at his kitchen table with a box of cereal and a couple of bowls. His navy blue suit jacket was hung on the back of his chair, and gleaming white tie loosened a bit. Eva took the seat across from him and sat down slowly.

"That's a nice suit. I'm rather under-dressed I'm afraid."

She gave him an easy smile and pulled the cardigan a little more over her, modestly.

Billy smiled, then he took off his shirt entirely leaving him in an undershirt sitting at the table.

"Better?"

He nodded and poured a bowl of cereal.

"You hungry? I'd make you something but it's kinda late and you'd fall asleep before it was finished. What did you want to talk about by the way?"

Eva gave a lilting laugh as Billy shrugged out of his dress shirt.

"Alright then, I don't feel so bad now."

She took a slow sip of water and eyed the cereal box.

"I probably should eat something. I haven't really had anything since lunch time yesterday. Haven't been very hungry to tell the truth, but I do try to follow my best advice, and something on my stomach would probably help me sleep."

A thought hit her suddenly.

"Goodness, I nearly forgot- did you find Alex? Was there any trouble?"

Billy nodded.

"I found him, and there will be soon enough. He's not the easiest to take down, so we're moving when I get a little bit more info."

He poured Eva a bowl of cereal and then slid her the milk.

"Though he and his men are sort of pinned down for the time being so we don't have to worry about anything going wrong if that's your concern."

Amid pouring cereal into the bowl, Eva cast a slightly befuddled glance to Billy.

"Pinned down? What exactly does that mean?"

Despite her family being safe, the thought of Alex still being on the loose made her shudder. Still, Billy seemed quite confident in his assertion that nothing would go wrong. If Eva had learned anything in her time this far with Billy Mastrosimone, it was that he was a man of considerable power, with a clever mind to boot. 

Billy smiled at the woman across from him.

"I had him arrested. Paid off a few buddies of mine and they pulled him in. Nothing says 'locked up without bail' like an immigrant who seems to have been involved in the cold blooded murder of a man in a cafe in broad daylight hm?"

He dug into his bowl of cereal then and glanced at Eva's attire.

"Say, why the sweater anyway? Are you cold? You want me to turn up the heat? You need extra blankets or anything for the night?"

"Ilya...my god, you framed him for Ilya's murder. Absolutely brilliant!" 

A little surprised at her own delight in his plan, Eva blushed a bit and poured a little milk over her cereal as he asked about the sweater. Her smile grew a bit. 

​​​​​​"Oh, this is just a ratty old sweater I tend to use as a house coat. Well, perhaps more of a security blanket if I'm honest. It belonged to my father at one time; but, when I was seven, I contracted Spanish influenza and was sick for weeks. Daddy had to be at work most of the time, so Mama gave me this sweater of his to sleep with. I just never gave it back."

A sweet smile remained on her face as she took a spoonful of cereal and pushed an errant lock of her dark hair behind her ear. 

"I suppose I'm a bit of A Daddy's girl."

Billy laughed.

"I was never a momma's boy myself. My mother was not the nicest woman. I ran away from home more often than not as I got older. Eventually, after she passed, I just never went back. It's good to see that you still have a good relationship with your family."

He put down the spoon and raised the bowl to his lips draining it of the remaining milk.

"So what's the plan now doc? Parent's are safe, big bad guy is on lockdown. What are you gonna do next? The world is open to you again."

"And I have you to thank for that."

She put down her spoon and sat back in the chair, a thoughtful look on her face.

"The last time you and I sat together over a breakfast table, we had been discussing a particular arrangement. The medical supply store fronting as a crash clinic. I realize that the conversation took place before all of this mess came to light, but if you're still willing to help me start up, I would really like to do this. Under your employ, if you'll still have me."

The look on her face was sincere, and quite hopeful.

Billy shook his head.

"I don't think so. You were just an acquaintance back then. An associate really. Now? Now you've bled for the family, and the family has bled for you. I don't know we can get into that kind of arrangement any more. I have a feeling that you and I need to have a longer conversation if you're going to stick around."

He took a drink of water.

"You know a whole hell of a lot about me now Eva. Too much probably. So here's what it really comes down to. You're either in, or your out. I'll call Integra up right now and get her to stop whatever she's doing, but if she brought you here and didn't leave you in a ditch somewhere, you've already got her nod."

He put down his glass and took both of her hands in his.

"So, now or never, you decide. You want in on this for the rest of your life, or are you leaving to never look back?"