Following his glance toward the water, Eva grinned and took his hand, pushing herself off the ground and stepping out of her shoes. She had hoped that the picnic would be a chance for him to really relax for a little while, and it looked like the plan was working. The whiskey had settled in and given her a little bit of a buzz; and as they headed down the gentle slope toward the bank, Eva couldn't help but laugh.

A few of the kids looked up at them, seemingly bemused at the sight of two well-dressed adults wading into the water, and a couple of adults smiled knowingly. 

The water was perfect- warm enough not to be chilly, but cool enough to feel refreshing. Gathering the hem of her dress up a bit, she went in ankle-deep and sighed with a happy smile.

"I could just sink into it and float. I love the water."

Billy let go of Eva's hand as he waded further into the water than she did.

"I haven't been swimming in years. Ever since I left New York. I fell right into the east river one time. I was making my way home, and decided to stop in Bay Ridge. There's a few parks right on the edge of the river where it meets the ocean."

As Billy was telling his story some of the children were making their way closer, listening to the big man. A couple of them began to splash at him, he gave them a glance and the smirked toward Eva and continued.

"So I'm watching the sunset right, and it's the middle of the summer, and I'm just standing there arms out like this..."

He put his arms straight out to his sides so he looked like a giant letter 'T' standing in the water.

"...until lo and behold this giant of a wave comes in..."

He turned then and threw all of the water he could with all of his might down on the nearby children.

"...and knocks me right into the river!"

He started to laugh then as he picked up the children one by one and started to toss them into the slightly deeper parts where they could land without hitting the bottom and make big waves. Billy loved playing with kids. He loved laughing. He loved smiling. Today was a really good day.

With a light, lilting laugh, Eva stood ankle deep in the water, watching the Don of Corktown splash and play with the neighborhood kids. It couldn't have been more perfect if she'd planned that herself. For the first time since meeting him, Eva saw a carefree man; one not weighed down by the responsibility of so many lives, or the pricking pain of lives lost. It filled her heart to almost bursting.

​​​​​​

Aurora had flown into Detroit unannounced because her mother had insisted she go immediately to Billy and only Billy with the letter she had tucked away inside her jacket pocket.  She was wearing slacks and her guns and making Marcus and Phill incredibly nervous with her lack of chatter.  Aurora had a job.  She strongly suspected that her mother wouldn't send her like this unless there was a certain amount of danger involved.  Otherwise why not call?  Why only Billy?  This was as serious a thing and she knew it, so there was zero time for fucking around.  If Billy or his operation were in danger, she would move heaven and hell itself to prevent either from coming to harm.

When she arrived at his HQ she found Rachel not her immediate helpful self.  She had Aurora waiting for twenty minutes before the Lioness got tired of waiting on Rachel calling around, clearly trying to pinpoint her Don's location.  With Billy in the wind, her levels of anxiety increased exponentially.  It was at this point she turned to Phil and said, "How do I find him?"

"Well..."  

Instantly she knew Phil was the wrong one to have asked.  He was too smart.  He was contemplating if it was right or wrong to find his boss, right now she had no time for that.  She needed to protect Billy from whatever threat her mother feared.  So, she looked to Marcus, the meathead of the pair.

"Marcus?"

"Frankie."  Marcus said flatly.

Phil sighed.

Aurora knew Marcus was onto something.  "Take me to him."

Marcus walked out to the garage where a couple of grease monkeys were working on cars.  

"Frankie!"  Marcus called out.  A small Italian fellow came out from under a car wearing a smile - until he looked at Aurora.  Something in him changed instantly.  Aurora wondered if this man was part of the problem her mother had learned about!  Why else would he be looking at her like death himself walked into the room.

"Um... look the Boss' girl here, she's needing to find him.  Seeing as you send out all the cars and shit I figured Charlie probably told you where they were headed today.  Do us a solid, eh, where's he at?"

"Well, gee Marcus... I don't know..."

"You remember that night with Gracie?"  Marcus asked.

Frankie groaned.

Marcus smirked.  "I do.  And I'm betting that Sue don't know nothing about it still... am I right?"

"Fine.  Fine.  But it wasn't me who told you, you get me?!?"

Aurora narrowed her eyes.  Why didn't he want anyone to know he shared that told where the Don was?  Aurora listened closely as Marcus was filled in on where to find Billy and two minutes later, they were in the car and driving off again - Rachel still on the phone trying to find Billy.

Riverwalk Park was lovely this time of year, but Aurora wasn't here for the scenery.  She was here for one reason alone and upon seeing Oscar looking relaxed, drinking from a cup, and leaning against Billy's car.  This put her at some ease.  The car wasn't fully stopped when her door popped open and she was climbing out.  

Oscar began sputtering and choking on what appeared to be coffee the moment he saw Aurora,  "CHARLIE!"

"Oscar, where is he?"  Aurora said with great urgency in her tone.  "I've got word from my mom, something's up."

"Shit."  Oscar said trying to clean up the coffee he spit all over himself.

"He's... um... well, talking with his left-hand man."

"Good!  I'm sure he'll want to be filled in too!"  Spotting Charlie, Aurora began cutting across the grass with purpose.  Behind her, Marcus, Phil and Oscar were talking so quiet she could not hear them - not that she was trying.  Her mind was focused on one thing, the job at hand.  Charlie, on the other hand, seemed quite torn.  He kept looking in what was probably Billy's direction but kept looking back to her too.  It was as if the man were staring down a freight train barreling towards him and he couldn't move from the track.

Aurora figured he must realize how urgent her appearance must be to come unannounced.  She'd never, not since the first visit, come without any warning.  It only made sense that he was worried.  As Aurora came to the top of the hill, she could hear the laughter of ... children?  The splashing sounds of water.  A family at play.

Charlie very quietly greeted her respectfully - resigned to the fact that she was going to see the situation and draw her own conclusions.  There was nothing to be done for it, "Miss Byrne."

Oscar came running up behind her, Marcus and Phil just behind him.

Aurora was standing there, just staring at the scene laid out before her.  The man of her dreams, in the water tossing children about and a beautiful woman watching him with absolute adoration.  Her breath held, Aurora stood absolutely still.  Processing.  Trying to understand. 

"She's his left-hand-man."  Phil said in a rush.  "I'm sure ... " 

Whatever Phil was sure of, fell from his lips unsaid as tears welled in Aurora's eyes.  The guys had not seen her so much as shed a single tear for her dead bodyguards who they had later learned stood cradle side by her as a baby.  Those were men who had known her as well as anyone could and she didn't even cry for them... and here she was, the lioness, tears in her eyes and fists clenched at her side, trembling.

Aurora imagined the scene as if it were something that it was not.  Billy and this woman, husband and wife, and the children his little bambinos - the ones he talked about with such passion the day of the Roma Cafe visit.  Bambinos she did not know if she ever wanted to have.  Bambinos he very much wanted... the central point around which the picture of his future moved.  A family she did not know she wanted or if she could give him.  And here this unknown woman was ... maybe she was his future.  Maybe this was his dream made flesh and she was just as she was now... distant and watching from afar, not a part of it at all.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and scrubbed her eyes with no small amount of anger.

"Miss Byrne..."  Marcus was the one who dared to speak.  Perhaps because he was stupid.  Perhaps because he was the one who could best take a punch, or maybe because he understood.  Aurora didn't know why for sure, but she was glad for what he said next.  "You got a job to do.  Let's get it done and get out of here.  Dona Byrne is waiting."

Aurora nodded.  Focus on the job.  Just do your damn job and get out.  That's all she had to do.  Aurora marched past the picnic blanket covered with finger foods and Billy's favorite whiskey.  She scowled only briefly at it and then put on her best emotionless face.  Her amber eyes as hard as her fathers ever were.  She just had to pretend to be Gavin for a moment.  Just a few moments and it would be over and she'd leave this place and Billy to his happy little family.  He deserved to be happy... the woman, however, could burn in hell.

The splash noises made it next to impossible for her to be heard without raising her voice.  So... she spoke up, protecting as she did over the din of children and happiness which filled the air.  Her voice was a gunshot ripping through the peace of the moment.

"DON MASTROSIMONE!"  She called in her most formal tone, gone the love and affection of their last meeting.  The Dragon's goomba stood on the shore waiting for the Don's pleasure.

Billy nearly dropped the kid he was holding. She was a cute, curly-haired blonde who belongs to a tall, well tall for a woman he supposed, lady who was smiling on the shoreline. Billy put the girl down and patted on her head.

"Bambini! Billy has to go now eh? I'll be back one day to play when the weather is warm again."

He looked up to the garnets on the shore and waved his goodbye. Some of their faces had dropped when they heard his title, others nodded their respect as he left.

"ROAR!"

He yelled then, beaming smiled and charging through the water toward the beach.

"I don't have a towel! I can't hug you cause you'll get all wet with me!"

He made his way up onto the shoreline.

"I haven't been surprised by you showing up for a while. Are you in town long? We can get dinner or something maybe. I can see if Integra is free, and we can bring Eva here along too."

He turned then.

"Doctor Hadley, my Left Hand, meet Aurora Byrne my girlfriend."

Billy beamed as he soaked the grass he stood on with whatever water decided to escape his body and his clothes without the assistance of the aforementioned towel.

The voice that rang out their the air was a sobering juxtaposition to the laughing and giggling from the children. Eva herself turned with a start toward the shore line. There, a dark haired woman in a suit stood with piercing eyes. 

Billy made his way quickly to the bank, greeting her happily, so Eva carefully followed, hoping not to lose balance. The hem of her dress was a bit wet, but not too much. 

She made her way back to the blanket, ready to introduce herself and already smiling warmly. 

​​​​​​"...meet Aurora Byrne, my girlfriend."

Eva's stomach seemed to turn a complete flip-flop inside her. Billy had a girlfriend? This was news to her, and how this must look. Trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights, Eva nodded her head respectfully and offered her hand to shake Aurora's. 

"It's...a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm Eva."

With absolutely no idea what else to say, she stood there for what seemed like an eternity with a smile that she hoped wasn't as awkward as she felt.

Aurora's stare was like drills boring holes into Billy as he came towards her.  The AUDACITY of that man to pretend like this was NOTHING!  To introduce his lover to his girlfriend!  Did he NOT think she'd notice the other woman's shock?  The awkwardness of it!  Did he think she was stupid!?!  She wasn't sure which hurt more, that he'd lie to her or that he acted as she'd actually fall for his line and come simpering along to dinner with him after this act of betrayal.

The other woman offered her hand.  She wanted to punch the woman but, no, if she was what Billy wanted... Aurora would accept that.  She offered her hand to the woman in return and gave it a shake but said nothing to her.  She didn't think she could make herself be cordial to her and so, chose to say nothing at all.

Instead, she turned her attention back to her cheating boyfriend.  She wanted to tell him he was snake and she couldn't believe she'd fallen for him as she did.  Once again, the men in her life were all proving to be sons of bitches.  She just hadn't realized the kind Billy was yet.  Well, she couldn't be blamed for that, all men seemed to be dogs at their heart.  Maybe that was the great truth, maybe it was time to swear off men entirely and just focus on herself a while.  

Aurora reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope.  "Dona Byrne says this is urgent.  It's about your crew.  You have a problem.  I don't know what the nature of it is, but it can't wait.  I was to put this into your hands only.  So, watch who you trust with the information.  I'm needed back in Philly.  I have to go.  Enjoy your date."

With that Aurora turned and stalked off, hoping he'd just let her go.

Date? Billy looked at the envelope in his hand. He looked to Eva. He dropped the envelope and ran after Aurora.

"Roar. This isn't a date! I was at the office, Eva came in and told me she had a surprise planned."

He had caught up to her by then and was walking along side her. 

"When we got here everything seemed real nice. She got the whiskey I like, and a whole bunch of snacks. And the weather was good, and then those families came up and we were all playing in the water. It wasn't a date. I really don't know what gave you that idea."

He moved in front of her. His voice lowered a bit as he was trying to make her understand.  He didn't know why, or how she had come to this conclusion, but he sure as hell wasn't letting her leave here without knowing why that wasn't even possible.

"Roar please, listen to me. Eva is my left hand. You are my love. Why would I throw either of those things away? Why would I even take the chance and losing you? I would be stupid to do that. We dance together, and I take bullets for you. We fight your parents until they both come around to our side of things. We barge into bathrooms together. We talk, and tease, and flirt together. We sit on my couch and eat Ice cream together. I don't even eat ice cream with my sister on my couch!"

He stopped then just enough to the side that she could walk past him if she wanted to, but enough in her path that she would have to make the conscious decision to do so.

"Roar. This isn't a date! I was at the office, Eva came in and told me she had a surprise planned."

Aurora scoffed as her feet stamped the ground hard.  

Marcus shrugged at Phil and began following.  Phil followed Marcus and as Billy followed Aurora, Oscar and Charlie followed too.  This created a parade of killers, a mobster-follow-the-leader headed back towards the parking lot.

"When we got here everything seemed real nice."  

She was shaking her head, wishing he'd just shut up and stop.

"She got the whiskey I like, and a whole bunch of snacks."

"Please..."  She said through grit teeth trying to walk faster but Billy was keeping pace.

"And the weather was good, and then those families came up and we were all playing in the water."

The thought of the two of them playing with the children hurt the worst.  A tear rolled down her cheek despite the scowl pasted onto her lips and all her best efforts to not let him or anyone else see her cry.  This, inevitable failure to keep her composure only pissed her off more.

"It wasn't a date. I really don't know what gave you that idea."

"No... no..."  She muttered.

Suddenly he was there, in front of her.  She stopped.  The whole line of men behind them did so as well.  All but Charlie were trying to look anywhere but at the couple who they were sworn to protect, trying to give them the illusion of privacy when this was clearly anything but private.  Her amber eyes burned like fire, wet with tears, the sunlight glittering off them.

"Roar please, listen to me. Eva is my left hand. You are my love. Why would I throw either of those things away? Why would I even take the chance and losing you? I would be stupid to do that. We dance together, and I take bullets for you. We fight your parents until they both come around to our side of things. We barge into bathrooms together. We talk, and tease, and flirt together. We sit on my couch and eat Ice cream together. I don't even eat ice cream with my sister on my couch!"

She stood there, fists clenched, trembling again.  Part of her wanted to listen to his words, they made sense, yet she saw what she saw and she knew what this was.  This was a date and he was lying!  She wanted to scream, to punch him, to make him hurt as he'd hurt her - though she supposed she knew how that would end. 

She could not bear the humiliation of him grabbing her up by the scruff like a pissed off kitten sinking in her claws.  He'd already shown that when she was angry he had no good sense for how to physically deal with her and if he picked her up off the ground right now she might well shoot his knee caps off just to put an end to it once and for all.

So, she forced her voice to be quiet, trying not to let her rage control her as she knew it had a tendency to do once she let it out of it's carefully built cage - an alleged weakness of the Luciano bloodline that had earned her mother the name Dragon and Salvatore the moniker of Devil.

"You don't know what gives me the idea?!?"  She narrowed her eyes at him.  "You're here alone with a ... with a beautiful woman, Billy and don't you tell me that this is public as if that matters.  We did a shit ton in public and you know it!  But a picnic... a picnic Billy!?!"  She shook her head.  "Are you so sexist that you don't think that it's possible a woman set up a romantic interlude for you?  Are you so damn blind that you can't even recognize a fucking seduction in progress?  The perfect setting, a ton of food, your favorite alcohol and then icing on the damn cake this... this..."

She let out a noise of pure exasperation.

"Think about it Billy, how do you suppose you'd feel coming to New York to find me in Central Park?  Just near the pond, on a blanket with a handsome fellow?  My favorite alcohol there and open as if we'd been drinking - instead of talking business?  How do you suppose you'd feel to see the look of shock on that man's face when he saw you as if he didn't even KNOW I had a boyfriend at all?!?"

She snarled, "And how do you suppose you'd feel finding me out swimming with him?  My body soaking wet, clothes clinging to my curves?  Playing with..."  Her voice trembled as the sound of a sob entered her voice, "... with children!"

She shook her head 'no.'

"I'm a lot of things Billy, but I ain't no simpering, stupid moll and you CAN'T be this slow!  If you're not lying... well, I almost feel bad for that poor girl, putting this kind of effort into showing you that she wants to be with you and you don't even realize it!" 

She shook her head,  "But you know what, I get it... I get it.  I told you I ain't no broodmare to be broken and reigned in by you or any other man.  If that's what you want, it's much better I found that out now before ... before I ... GAH!"

She couldn't make herself say it, it hurt too much to admit that she'd been thinking about it - not just a little, but a lot.  That she'd been actually trying to imagine a life like the one he described with children and a home of their own.  Thinking about that now, about how near she'd been to ignoring her own dreams and vision of the future in lew of being with him, well, it hurt bad, so bad.

"Do yourself a favor, if you ain't lying to me... go back.  Figure out what the hell you want.  Cause... if all you're looking for is a pretty wife to give you -"  She motioned back towards the picnic, "THAT then maybe I ain't the one for you, Billy.  There's more to me than aprons and bambinos and I want a man who gets that.  I ain't the dame from your story, and I can't promise I ever will be."

Aurora pointed at Eva, "But maybe she is.  And you owe it to her and yourself to figure out what it is you really want."

She tried to step around him.

"Don't call me until you're sure, you've given it some real thought.  I mean it."

Eva's smile quickly faded to a nervous grimace at the cold reception of her greeting. Something was terribly off about the way she was looking at Billy with such anger in her eyes. 

"Enjoy your date." 

The emphasis on the last word was as hard as a boot to the ass. As Aurora stormed off, Billy raced after her  leaving Eva standing beside a stone-faced bodyguard. 

"That was Aurora Byrne...as in, daughter of the Don Gavin and Dona Bella Byrne. That's Billy's girlfriend?" 

Without moving a muscle, the guard replied. 

"Yes ma'am."

Eva dropped her head and briefly covered her face with her hands.

​​​​​​"Oh my God."

​​​​​​

Billy stood. Barely.

It was as if he was home again for a minute. Mom yelling at him and telling him she made a huge mistake. Telling him he wasn't any damned good, and he was just eating her out of house and home. Telling him he would never be nothin' but a free-loader. This time though, there was no wooden spoon to follow up the words. Just a broken heart.

Billy had no choice. Aurora had made up her mind, and if there's one thing he knew it was that when a Byrne made up their mind, truly made up their mind, there was no turning back. She was done with him.

He turned slowly.

"Oscar, you go with her, Marcus and Phil. If anything happens to her, don't fucking come back. Charlie, with me."

He made his way back to the envelope, and to Eva. He leaned down and picked up both the envelope and his jacket. Handing the former over to his bodyguard.

"You two take this to Integra and figure out what it's all about and get it handled. I don't want to hear a word about me sending my protection away Charlie, not a single fucking word. You open your mouth and I'll shut it for you."

He looked at Eva.

"Doc. I'm sorry. If this is what Aurora said it was, I'm real sorry. I had no idea, but I'm not your guy. Go with Charlie and get this to Integra and then you can do whatever you want, I won't stop you. I'm sorry."

With that, he picked up his jacket, and the remains of the whiskey before reaching out and squeezed Charlie's shoulder.

"Thanks for everything. Tell Oscar and Rebecca thanks for me too."

Billy made his way out of the park then, alone, drinking.

Aurora looked fit to reject Billy's extra help, but then Billy had threatened Phil and Marcus and she found herself sympathetic to the poor bastards.  Billy was clearly hurting.  She didn't know if it was because she didn't believe him or because he'd been caught and he felt horrible that now he had to make some hard choices.  Men didn't like being told they couldn't have their cake and eat it as well - or so she was lead to believe.

Getting into the car she was silent.  The car pulled out from its parking spot and she simply stared at her own reflection on the glass.  It was at least five minutes before, next to her in the back seat, Oscar finally spoke.

"For what it's worth Miss?"  He paused waiting to see if Aurora was going to react violently to his attempting to butt in on her thoughts.  When she said nothing, simply glanced at him, he continued.  "I don't think he was lying."

Aurora drew a breath and exhaled slowly.

"He does love you."  Oscar pushed a bit further.

"That may be."  Aurora croaked, her voice still harsh from emotion held inside like an infected wound unbled.

"We could go back... the two of you could talk?  Sort things out."

She shook her head. 

"When he knows what he wants, he'll come talk.  If it's me, at least.  If not..."  She didn't finish her thought.  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the seat instructing them, "Wake me up when we get to the airport."

Eva held the envelope in her hands, barefooted and now alone aside from Connor, Hank, and Charlie. She felt like she wanted to throw up. Aurora Byrne hadn't been entirely wrong; she had hoped to set a bit of a mood - but she wouldn't have done so if she'd known that he was seeing anyone. 

"Everything I touch... turns to ash."

She muttered, loud enough that the bodyguards could hear. She handed the letter to Charlie. 

"Take this to Integra. Connor, would you guys pick this up? I... I'm going to wait in the car."

Connor nodded and he and Hank turned to begin picking up. Eva walked back up the walk to her car, fighting back tears, but didn't get into the back. Instead, she shoved her key into the ignition and turned it over. Before the guards had a chance to see what was going on, the car was gone.