"Hi Will!"  A gaggle of girls waved.

Will nodded and gave a seemingly careless and casual greeting of, "Ladies."  

A jersey-clad young man, Frank Blanci, patted him on the shoulder as they passed one another, "You coming to the game tomorrow?" 

Normally most kids would have feared Frank knocking the pile of books from under their arm, but not Will.  Frank knew who buttered his bread in this school and if he wanted hooch at his after game party (which he always did) then he knew to show the proper respect to both he and this week's dame, Emma Fitzpatrick, at least in front of him.  

"Hey, Frank."  Emma said from her place beside Will, holding his hand a little tighter as the other guy passed.

"Swell sweater, Emma."  Frank said, walking backward down the hall still waiting for Will to respond.

Will didn't say a word or look back, instead, he just raised up his hand and gave a thumbs up.  He heard Frank clap his hands once and give a little cheer.  "YOU'RE THE BEST BYRNE - THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC!"

They stopped at Emma's homeroom.  She kissed Will passionately as he handed over her books.  Normally this behavior in the halls would have gotten a student detention, but the hall monitors were all well-paid to look elsewhere for infractions so Will didn't bat an eyelash and instead just enjoyed the kiss.

"Well..."  Will gave a wolfish smirk.  "A jaunty good morning to you too, lass." 

Emma rolled her eyes at Will's cheesy Irish accent and walked into her class.

"Save me a seat at lunch."  Will called out to her.  She gave him a little wave and then the youngest Byrne was on his way towards his homeroom.  

"Timothy."  He waved the adult shadowing him forward.  "Make a note.  We need a keg for Friday's game.  Have Paulie drop a note to Aurelio and see if he can't get us the hookup.  Our standard arrangement.  He gets paid and has my word I'm not drinking at the party.  In exchange he keeps mom from finding out.  If he gets sketchy about doing it again, have Paulie tell him that he thinks that I'm confident that Fitzpatrick will let me get to third base and that I could give two shits about the beer."

Timothy chuckled.

"One of these days your mom will learn about this shit, you do know that, right?  She might be okay with you making her hooch shipments a little lighter, but I doubt she's going to be okay with all the talk of third base."

"Your job is to protect me Tim.  I'm sure you'll find a way to make sure the Dragon doesn't bite my damn head off.  That's what we pay you for, so... protect me."

Tim nodded.  "Yes, Sir."

"Also, send flowers to Sara Alfonsi.  She likes carnations.  White ones."

"I thought you and Sara weren't a thing anymore?"

Will shrugged.  "Second time this week Frank and Emma were trying to play it cool in front of me, but couldn't keep their eyes off each other.  Want to keep my options open, besides Tina Russo told Tara Winters that Sara wishes she hadn't turned me down for the Fall Formal.  Maybe she's having second thoughts."

He paused at his homeroom.

"And we always had a lot of fun her and me."

Tim nodded and Will went into the classroom.  As he sat down he noticed that in the hall the Headmaster was walking up to Tim and chatting with him quietly.  Will narrowed his eyes.  The old bastard knew better than to bother his protection detail so, that meant something was up.  Will tensed, waiting.  Was something wrong at home?  Had something happened to his parents or Aurora?  He sat on the edge of his seat waiting until Tim waved him out of the classroom.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Devlin."  He gave his teacher a slightly flirty smile.  The middle-aged woman smiled warmly at him and nodded as he left the room without so much as a 'by your leave.'

"What's up?"  Will asked the second he was in the hall, not to the Headmaster, but to his bodyguard.

"You got an Uncle Billy?"  Tim asked.

Will hesitated only a second before throwing on a look of concern, "Is everything okay with Uncle Billy?"

Tim shook his head, dismissing his concerns as if realizing that Will's reaction of worry was perfectly natural considering past events.  "Um, yeah he's here."

"In my office."  the Headmaster said.  "He'd like a word in private with you.  If you're okay with that?"

The corner of Will's mouth twitched.  "Of course I am, Headmaster Richards."

The headmaster and Tim walked him down the hall towards the office.  When the headmaster paused to speak with his secretary, Tim stopped Will just outside to say, "I'm just outside the door.  If you need me, just make a racket and I'm in there."

"Trust me, this guy is the last of my family you got to worry about today.  I think I know what this is about and I've got it under control.  Just keep Headmaster Dick away from the door.  He doesn't need to hear what's said, it's private shit... about my sister and ain't none of his concern."

Tim nodded.  "You got it, Boss."

Will opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.  

"Hey, Uncle Billy, what's up?"  The wiry young teen gave Billy a wink and sunk both his hands deep into his pockets, wearing a smirk that was the mirror image of Gavin Byrne's.

Billy had been waiting, quite literally for hours. The staff had started to arrive at about five o clock in the morning, and Billy paid them will to open up the office for him. He was waiting when the principal arrived. He had offered the man a cigar and a decent amount of money to bring Will in the first chance he got. And now, here they were.

"Morning Will. I have a favor to ask of you. Oh, and I've already taken the liberty of doing a little something for you in exchange."

He slid an set of three absentee slips across the desk to Will. All were signed by the headmaster, none of them dated.

"So, got a minute to talk?"

"For you, Uncle Billy," He chuckled, clearly overly amused by the ruse and the level of desperate he must be to make things right with Rora if he was coming here and giving him gifts.  "I got all the time in the world."

Will walked over and sat on the edge of the desk, picking up the slips and pocketing them.  THESE would come in handy in days to come.  He already knew how to make use of one. 

"What can I do to help you?"

"You have something I want. And I'm not going to beat around the bush because you're probably smarter than me already. So here's what I propose. We skip the bullshit, I tell you what I want, you tell me what it will cost, I give it to you, and you don't mention to anyone that I was here. I'll even give you some cash to grease the palms of your guys out there."

Billy leaned forward in the chair and sighed. He knew he was making the right terms, Will would want to play games, but Billy had no time for that. If Will didn't give him what he wanted, he would figure something else out.

"I want your list Will. I've been on the road for three days and nobody knows where I am or what I'm up to except for you. And all I want is the list."

Will narrowed his eyes as he thought what list Billy could be talking about and then, he realized.  He must have took note that Mancini wasn't a lone man but one of several guys who deserved his foot up their asses.  

Will drew a breath, "I appreciate you not treating me like a kid here, so out of respect I'll do as you ask.  Truth is I'm happy to give you the list cause I don't care who gets the message across to these guys - I just want them to understand that making my sister cry is a shit thing to do and I don't forget about people who hurt her, no matter the reason."

He crossed his arms, wondering if Billy was aware of how much Aurora had been crying the last few days that he was apparently driving here.  Or if he realized why she was crying at all.  He supposed not, but maybe Mom was right, sometimes the journey was more important than the destination.  At least someone knew where the Don was now, even if it was him - the last person anyone would ever ask.

"My asking price is this, I come along so I know it's done.  She's my sister and this list is about me having had to watch her - in some cases comfort her, while she cried over these assholes.  I mean to make sure they know what they did to her.  However, I won't give you all the names at once.  You get one and then when you're done dealing with that one, you get the next.  This will allow me to decide the order in which they get the message based on whatever criteria I decide."

He paused.

"Also I want a grand.  I have a science test today I'm going to bomb and a few hundred will get me off the hook and I'll have some extra to take my new girl out on one hell of a date after I get dumped by my current girl post-party on Friday."

He offered his hand.

"We got a deal?"

Billy nodded.

"Done. You're gonna have to use one of those slips probably though. Oh, and uh, we're gonna have to get around your guys." I'm too big for the window, so I gotta trust you with that shit."

Billy shrugged.

"I figure I can trust a Byrne to get some shit done once in a while though."

He reached into his pocket and peeled off ten bills. That would put him down to thirty eight nine eighty six. Long as he wasn't stupid, this would be fine.

"I just hope we can get this shit done before your parents think you got kidnapped. You might want to think about sending word home or something if it gets to be too late in the day. Just something to think about."

He stood from the desk and made his way to the door.

"Hey Will. You're not like your sister with all the fancy food and shit are you? Cause we're having deli sandwiches today for lunch, so if you want something fancy it'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"First off, lunch is on me."  He said flatly. 

"There's not a diner in South Philly where I don't eat whatever I want, when I want, no questions asked and I'm not just talking about the high dollar places.  We could even just grab some fruit out at the market if you want.  All the guys on the list are locals."  He picked up the headmaster's phone and started to dial.

"Secondly you're absolutely right about my mom.  So hold on a sec."  He paused. 

"Doug, I need to talk to Dad, I'm in the Headmaster's office at school and ...  thanks Doug."  Will smirked.  

"Hey Dad.  No, no.  Listen, um... play it straight so if mom is in the room, okay?  Billy's here in Philly, at my school.  He's asking for me to ditch and help him with ..."

"Yeah." another pause.

"No."  another pause.

"I will.  And if it's gonna run late, I'll call Aurelio and he'll call you.  I'm pretty sure I can get a girl to cover for me, but it's probably gonna cost us."  He pauses.

"$500."

"$250?"

"Okay $100 is fine.  Thanks Dad.  I will.  I'll tell him."  Will hangs the phone and looks to Billy.

"Mom won't know a thing.  Dad says to remember your oath.  Whatever that means.  I'm to give my guys the word for today which dismisses them.  I'm all yours." 

Billy stood very confused about everything that he just watched.

"Hey Will?"

He put his hand on Will's back and nudged him toward the door.

"Thanks."

Once they were safely outside and in the car that Billy had slept in previously Billy looked to Will again.

"So, first location, where are we headed. Also, I want to make something very clear. I mean to keep the pact your father and I made, but I don't appreciate it being brought up or used against me. So do me a solid, and don't mention it again."

It was much less of a request than it was an order. Or at least, that's how Billy would have put it if he were talking to one of his own men. Will didn't have to listen, but Billy certainly made it clear that he did not want it brought up again.

"You hungry by the way? I'm hungry. I'm always hungry."

He reached into the back seat and produced two apples tossing one to Will.

Will had told Timothy that his father had said to grab a cup of joe.  Cup of joe was, as his father had informed him, the words needed to be said to verify that his detail was dismissed for the day and to report back to Hollowood.  This was to prevent a repeat incident of the time Aurora had convinced her detail that her father had relieved them of duty, probably landing all of them in a shallow grave.

The 'request' to not speak of an oath he knew nothing about was pretty easy to agree to and so Will let the topic drop.  People had lines, or so he found, whatever line his father and Billy had created with this unspoken oath - Will wasn't going to cross it.  He accepted the apple with a smile.

"Thanks, but I had a big breakfast."  He put the apple back in the backseat and noticed that it was probably likely the man had been sleeping in the car.  Will knew things were rough, but had no idea that a powerful Don was forced to live like some sort of homeless man.  Clearly he was planning on being gone a while if he was worried thirty-large might not carry him when he was living out of his damn car.  Man, this situation was far from ideal and Will knew he, again, would be forced to make things right.  

"9th and Cherry in South Philly.  There's an old lot where a building burnt to the ground years ago.  A bunch of the dealers hang out down there now and junkies know they can score easily there.  It's a good bet Chip is there.  Christopher Lombardi.  I don't know how they met up, probably one of her attempts at going to parties in High School."

"All I know is that Aurora overhead him talking to some guys and he admitted that he was only using my sister so he could steal drugs from Mitch Altera, some gangster Aurora knew that peddled Barbs for Don Mezzo.  So, she confronted him.  Called Chip out on his bullshit and tried to get Don Mezzo's goods back."

"Chip hit my sister for 'giving him lip', his buddies ran off like a bunch of cowards leaving my sister to all on her own.  Dumb ass had no idea what he'd gotten himself into.  She sliced up his face real good.  Needed stitches all over.  Aurora told him never to come around again or she'd tell Don Mezzo who took the Barbs.  She hasn't heard from him since and having seen this guy's ugly mug, I get why.  He's probably wisely aware she'd finish the job and cut him someplace vital next time and not just mark him up."

"So, when she snuck back in the window that night and told me about the whole damn thing, he made the list.  Not just for hitting Aurora, but for making her cry.  See that's the thing with this list.  Every name on it has made her cry.  That's the thing they have in common.  No matter how petty the situation has been - or serious, I've put each guy who's made her cry on here and I'd told myself one day I'd have the ability to revisit her pain on them.  Now, with your help, I can do that."

He smiled at Billy.

"Anything else I can tell you about good ol' Chip?"

Billy's hands gripped the wheel tighter by instinct when Will mentioned that the guy had hit Aurora.

Nobody who ever laid hands on Aurora would ever be allowed another footstep on this earth. Period.

He listened, and loosened his grip long enough to take a bite of the apple he grabbed for himself. He was done with the thing in another four or five bites and tossed the core out the window. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, never once taking his eyes off the road.

"Why'd she cry? What's the real reason? You're sister. She's stronger than that. She wouldn't have cried because some punk dealer or junkie hit her. Don't feed me the gravy Will, I need the meat of it if I'm gonna know what we are doing to these guys."

He glanced in Will's direction then.

"Oh, and when you're done, tell me what you think we should do. Cause I have a feeling I'm gonna want to do much worse, so we can meet somewhere in the middle."

"You're smarter than they say."  Will said nodding.  "No, she didn't much care about the hit and it didn't even leave a mark.  Christ, I leave marks when I hit people and I know I ain't got shit in my arm.  Which means he's got nothin.'  Aurora was crying because she was sure that Mezzo was going to find out.  She was sure mom and dad would know.  She trusted this shit-stain.  She opened up to him about some personal crap and tried to let him see a bit of the world as she knew it.  Took him to a few sensitive places she shouldn't have and this was how he lifted the Barbs."

Will shook his head.

"Aurora, in her younger days, was sometimes a little nieve.  I mean, she's real honest and loyal and I guess maybe she thought that most people who were nice to her were that way too.  Way I understand it from listening to her and reading her journal, well, she got burnt by a lot of people.  Conned into think folks were her friends when really they were just using her.  And once they were done with her... that was it, they dropped her and it crushed her.  Now she swings wildly the other way.  She's always looking for the other shoe to fall, as they say.  You know, she expects folks are going to let her down.  She questions if maybe she's chasing people off from her life but she doesn't know really how to fix it and the stupid part is... well, she just needs to accept some people, not all people, are assholes.  And, she needs to talk to people.  Learn about them and let them learn about her."

Will shrugged.

"Aurora's always had a thing for stories about good guys, and heroes... she's had some pretty lofty ideas of people and the world, a true romantic.  You know the sort of girl who likes big grand gestures and the white knight riding in on horse to slay evil wizards for her and save the kingdom."  

He rolled his eyes.

"It's corny but it says a lot about who she is, what she thinks the world should be, and why when assholes burn her... or things fall apart under her touch... it bothers her.  And when she thinks she's failed... like when she took Chip into that place where he took the Barbs, she beats herself up so bad.  Christ Billy, if you could see the crap my sister wrote about in her journal after that one."

He sighed.

"She felt like she was the stupidest person in the whole world and her biggest fear was that someone was eventually going to find out she was duped by that son of a bitch.  When, you and I know, that the only person who did wrong there was Chip.  He misused Aurora's trust and decision to share our life with him - and because of him, she has a harder time believing there are white knights anymore.  She's just more likely to see betrayals waiting to happen and he's one of the big reasons why.  As for what I want to do with him... I don't know.  What the hell is a fitting punishment for a guy who helps trash a good girl's ability to trust the good in people?  Someone who made the girl who wished for white knights on horses instead see conmen all around her?"

He shrugged.

"I just don't know.  If we kill him he certainly won't suffer as long as she has... but he did hit her.  If we up the ante on the hitting part quite a bit I might be okay with that?  Ten times the hurt he gave her seems about fair."

Billy nodded.

"You ever seen someone use barbs Will?"

He did not wait for an answer, instead he plowed on.

"You know what they do right? They are a sedative. They make sure you're not feeling pain, you get real sleepy, that sort of thing. Wonder how this guy will feel if a guy shows up to buy his shit, all of it mind you. And then makes him use it. I mean, I paid for it right? Someone ought to enjoy it."

Billy thought for a few moments.

"You know, I wonder if the guy has any Bella Donna. That would be a fitting end don't you think? Just goes out on an OD of Bella."

He shook his head.

"Course, if you don't want him dead, I can understand, so like I said, meet you half way. Make him take the drugs that I buy, so many that he is right on that verge of an overdose, break his goddamned kneecaps so he can't get help all that easy. Oh, and any time he tries to give me lip about it, how about I hit him and tell him not to give me no lip?"

He looked to Will as they started to slow through the less than well kept part of town.

Will smirked.  "I think that sounds pretty good."

He reached into the backseat and pulled out the apple.

"Changed my mind... maybe I am a little peckish."  He took a bite out of the apple, chewed it up and swallowed before telling Billy, "If I hadn't said it yet, thanks.  Thank you for letting me come along and for stepping up to help me with this."

He pointed out Cherry street.  "Turn just up there and head up towards 9th."

Billy nodded and maneuvered the car as he was told. The place really was a shelled out wreck, and there were only a few folks standing around. Many of them were small and weak things, nobody even close to his size. He looked around and then spotted the man who Will had described. He was unmistakable.

His hair was a little long for a well kept man, falling to his shoulders, and his long coat which may have once been a mossy green color was more dirt brown than anything at this point. He wore a snarl on his face, and yet Billy wasn't sure if that was on purpose or if what had been done to him simply removed the ability for his muscles to return his face to a normal rest.

Billy looked down at Will and nodded and then made his way to the man whose face he would never forget.

"Jesus Christ man, I was told to look for Chip and that he would be the guy with the face, but goddamned if I had any idea I would have picked someone else to deal with. You look like a nightmare, I'm never gonna be able to sleep right again. What the hell happened to you huh?"

The man Billy was talking to pulled a knife then and spit at Billy's feet. Billy put his hands up and slowly reached for his pocket.

"Alright, sensitive subject, I gotcha. Listen man, I hear you've got some barbs, I'm interested, let's talk."

He pulled out a small bit of cash from his pocket and flashed it.

Instantly the knife was gone again, and the man snorted a breath. A condition of the way his nose was now haphazardly on his face Billy figured.

"Fuck you. Mention my face and the cunt who did it again and I'll gut you like the cow of a man you are. That little wad will get you enough to have a good weekend if you want it. Take it of ducking leave it."

He picked up a cardboard box and opened it in front of Billy. Billy in response nodded.

"Seems fair."

He put the money down on the crate between him and the disfigured man and then turned to look around. Only two of the guys that were here were doing any sort of job keeping an eye on him. They weren't within reach though, so it was going to be hard to do much about them. he looked to Will.

"Alright Teddy, grab the box of goodies and we can go."

He watched to make sure that Will had the box in hand, and a few steps toward the car before Billy turned and charged one of the two men at the side of the small overhang that was most of what was left of the building. He crumpled into the man before he knew what was happening and a portion of the wall caved as billy and this stranger went through it. Billy did't need to make a second swing at this guy as he went out like a light. Instead, Billy turned and drew his own knife on the other guy who was charging at him.

A flash of a moment later, and one swift kick and the guy was on the ground, his knife next to him under Billy's boot. Billy leaned down and cut slowly across the man's throat and then wiped the blade on his dirty clothes. By the time Billy looked up Chip had gone white as a ghost, but he had at least pulled his knife to defend himself.

"Put that away or I'll fuck the rest of you up to match your face."

The man did not do as he was told and lunged for Billy instead. Billy sidestepped him and punched down hitting the man right in between the shoulder blades. This knocked loose the knife, and Billy kicked it away.

"Come on back Teddy."

He gestured as he turned Chip over on the ground. The nightmare made flesh smelled like one too. A mixture of alcohol and bad breath and maybe horse shit too. Billy could barely stomach it long enough to punch the man square in the chin.

"So, here's the deal. You give me any lip, or disobey orders at all, and I'm gonna just keep on doing that. Capiche?"

Chip nodded slowly. He knew he was royally screwed at this point. He knew that his only hope was to listen. Billy leaned over and flipped open the box in Will's hands.

"This one, and this one, and this one. Take them. All of them. Right now."

He put three pills in the man's hand. He watched as Chip's eyes bulged out of his misshapen sockets.

"You're gonna k..."

He was cut off by a blow to the head from Billy's backhand.

"The fuck did I tell you about lip shitstain?"

Chip glared at Billy defiant in that moment, and then Billy reached out and twisted the man's arm so hard that he yelped in pain. With his free hand he grabbed a handful of pills from the box and shoved them into the open maw of the creature he was manhandling. Chip, for all of his fight could not help but swallow as Billy held his mouth shut and tiled his head back. Billy let the man go then, still standing over him to make sure he couldn't go anywhere he pulled out his guns, leveling them at the man's legs.

He took two shots at either leg and then walked toward the car. He stopped abruptly and turned.

"Oh, by the way Chip. If you're fucking smart, you won't survive this. Just let it happen, or you're going to find out who exactly I am. The next time I come for you, you won't see me."

Will sat facing forward in the front seat beside Billy.  He didn't speak for a long moment.  Then he looked to Billy, his gaze holding him for longer than was polite before he finally spoke up.

"She's worried about you."  He said.  "She's been sitting by the phone.  She thinks she fucked everything up and if we keep going through this list any further you're going to understand how bad deep that wound goes.  You should just go talk to her.  She's been sitting there talking to my mom for days now.  Mom hasn't even gone into the Bank, not once.  She has Aurelio taking care of everything cause she's so worried about Rora."

He shakes his head.

"When Mom sleeps, Dad's up ... watching her.  He's worried too.  They've never seen her like this before... but I have.  Once.  If that guy had a gun or something Billy... if something happens to you, she'll never get over it.  Never."

Billy nodded.

"That guy didn't have a gun. If he did I would have gone in differently. A man carries himself a different way when he has a gun. Especially when he is cornered by a bigger guy like me. Did you see how he pulled the knife and crouched a little behind it? That's a good way to fight with a knife, low and quick. It's also the way you fight with a knife if you know it's the only option you have. Survive. He didn't have a gun."

Billy got quiet for a few minutes while he drove. He didn't know exactly where he was going next, but he found himself heading toward Hollowood. He turned down a random street toward the heart of the city then.

"I'll make you a deal Will. I'll go back to your sister right now. Under one condition."

He pulled the car over and turned to face him then.

"You give me the name and story of the worst man on that list. I mean it, the worst one and every single detail of why he's on that list. not just your sister's story about it. Yours, and anyone else's who you've gathered up so far. I want everything on one guy, the worst guy. We go and take care of that, and you and I can make a thing of this. Once a year, one more off the list."

He held his hand out toward Will.

Will hesitated.  

"I'm not trying to jerk you around here, not all men on my list are created equal.  Mancini was the worst.  Chip was bad, but he wasn't Mancini.  That leaves two other names.  I'll tell you both of the stories if you want, but the last guy on my list is the one who made her cry the hardest.  And... well, you can't touch him.  There's nothing you can do to him, any more than I can."

He drew a breath.

"So, if you want both stories... I'll give them to you, if you promise we go to see my sister right after you get done doing whatever you think you need to do.  I'd just hate to give you the name and story of the one who made her cry the worst only for you to learn you can't hurt him like the others.  I just... don't want you to be pissed off at me when you realize I've got a vendetta there's jack and shit I'll ever be able to do anything about."

Billy nodded.

"I get it, some folks are untouchable. It's the way the world works, and not always for the same reasons. Some for good ones even. But I need to know Will. I need to. And I give you my word as a Sicilian, as a Don, and as a man that as soon as I do what I know to be possible about what you tell me, we will go see your sister."

He turned the car off and tossed Will the keys.

"You can even make sure I don't get away this way. We can switch seats too if you want, you can drive for the rest of our trip."

Billy almost smiled then. For the first time in four days, Billy almost smiled.

Will took the keys and smiled at them.  He got out of the car and switched spots with Billy and after settling into the seat he began the story.  "I'm sure you've heard of him.  You can't talk about Aurora's past without hearing his name."

Will watched Billy's reaction.  

"Russo was the first.  Anthony 'Tony' Russo.  Aurora loved him.  But, if you read her journal... she also hated that she knew that he only ever saw her as a way out.  In the end, things were changing, but I can't tell if it was that Tony changed or that Aurora was starting to believe her own lies about him."

Will furrowed his brow.

"He didn't want to die poor, back broken from work on the docks, drowning in the bottom of a bottle like his old man.  He saw the mob as his only real shot and Aurora was the doorway.  When he met Aurora their ages were so different they had nothing in common.  She was still playing with toys and he was starting to think about girls.  It was painfully obvious that he wasn't her real friend... they had nothing in common, but my parents knew she needed someone after her best friend moved away and she was getting into so much trouble at school after Grandpa Jack and Uncle Will died in the pier fire.  For a while, Aurora went through a real rough patch..."

He sighed.

"I was too young.  I wasn't there for her like I am now.  Anthony was though.  And when she was old enough, they started seeing each other.  Mom and Dad knew.  Most of the wise guys in town did, hell even I knew mom was eyeing him for Made probably based solely on the fact that he was so close with us.  He came over for dinners a few times, he worked directly for mom more than once."

Will looked down, "Long story short is that this guy was using her, Aurora couldn't bear to fail and so she either eventually won him over - molding him into the man she wanted and needed... or she lied to herself so well she couldn't see the truth about him anymore.  And, someone got jealous of how fast he was moving up in the family when his own rise had stalled.  So he ordered some guys to shoot Tony while he was out on a run for some hooch."

Will shook his head.  

"Aurora had gone with him that day.  She was supposed to be protecting him but they ... well, according to her journal, on the way back they pulled over into this park where kids from school sometimes go to make out.  I won't get into the details.  But, they shot him while he was in her arms.  It wasn't so much that he died or even that he died in front of her that makes her cry.  It's that she was supposed to keep him safe.  She failed.  He died, in arms, because she didn't do her job.  That's how she sees it.  Even now she doesn't really think a lot about the manipulation and betrayal, or who Anthony really was and why she might be better off that it all played out this way, it's her failure.  It's always about being better than she was yesterday.  Stronger, faster, smarter... my sister... she's always waiting for that other shoe to drop.  She just... expects it."

He looks down, "I don't know how to make anyone understand how she thinks about life and death and I'm not sure I understand it completely.  And maybe I'm the person who she's talked to the most about it.  The best I can say is, she's no more surprised by death than births - but if she fails someone, if God forbid they die because of her mistakes..."

He looked up to meet Billy's eyes, "She doesn't do well with failing.  You need to remember that."

He slapped the steering wheel as if trying to dismiss the heavy feeling that lingered in the air between them.  

"Shit.  Makes John Novak seem like he hardly has a place on the list.  A would be rapist, someone who hit her, someone who's death still makes her feel like a failure - they all seem much worse than a jerk who ONLY cheated on her with another girl."

He scoffed.

"Question is... after hearing all that shit, do you even care to hear the story... or do you just want to head back to Hollowood?"

Billy shook his head.

"We made a deal. You told me your story."

He sighed into his hands and leaned back into the back seat again producing a small box of pretzels.

"You are wrong about one thing though." He offered Will a couple of small pretzel rods as if he were offering a cigar. 

"I can do something about it. If I take a page out of your book. I can learn how she feels about it and why. I can try to understand so we don't wind up in the muck again. So, let's go back to Hollowood."

Billy sat back in the seat and opened the window.

"Oh, and Will. Drive it like you stole it huh?"