Billy had all but charged his way off the plane and into the waiting car before the damned thing had even shut the engines off. He was in a race now. It was not so much a matter of life and death, those die had already been cast, the lots were dealt and he was truly only figuring out what the outcome was.

No, this was a race against his own sanity. Finding Hollowood in the state that it was. Knowing that there were people there just the other day. There was no way he left a single stone unturned. That did not mean that he would be reckless though and reveal a Byrne family secret, not even to his own family. Hence why he was alone, with nothing but the feel of cold steel under his jacket to help protect him. No matter what he found at the house, he hoped to god he would not have to use the pearl handled beauty that was a sister to his own. No, this was Aurora's to use, and nobody else would be allowed.

His mind had wandered, as it had the tendency to do more frequently as of late, and he did not realize he was daydreaming until he pulled up to the house. No guards posted outside. That alone was a bad sign, Aurora wouldn't be without some kind of protection. His heart sank a little realizing it was not going to be this easy, he was not going to find her today. Hopefully though, he would find something to point him in the right direction.

He took a breath. Looked himself in the mirror and, for the first time in a long while, did not will himself to make the next move, but instead had to calm himself. With that, he got out of the car and made his way up the front stairs.

Gavin had been drinking when he heard the car pull up, and he quickly put down his glass and glanced through a slit in the curtain before picking his gun up off the table. When the man stepped forward to knock, he found the door swung open and a strong grip grab his arm, using the forward momentum to send him forward into the wall. Billy felt cold steel against the back of his head and heard a cold, snarling voice.

"... who the fuck are you? What is this? Talk!'

He breathed heavily, not from the exertion of the throw, but from anger. Gavin wasn't sure who'd send someone who looked like Billy to his door to taunt him- but he didn't have that many enemies who'd do such a thing. Not living, at least.

"Shit Gavin? It's me, It's Billy. Are you... are you gonna shoot me?"

He pressed his head back against the gun ever so slightly. He slowly raised his hands away from his own body so they were pressed against the wall.

"Guy who taught me to use mine always told me to never pull it unless you mean to use it. I made an oath to you once, and I don't think I broke it, not yet, but I know I got close. I get it. I've only got one in my shoulder holster, and a knife in each shoe. If you take em though, I really would like em back cause I gotta give em to Roar when I find her."

He smiled as he waited.

"You uh, wouldn't happen to know where she is by the way, would you?"

Gavin's eyes narrowed, poker face settled in to cover his surprise.

"Shit Gavin? It's me, It's Billy. Are you... are you gonna shoot me?"

"Thinking about it. And I'm mostly meaning to use it, because I think the odds that you're Billy are right around 1% right now. Aurora buried you, and she's no fool. So... no I won't shoot you. I'm thinking I'll make you scream a little first, and then you can explain to me why Durden keeps sending dead people after my family..."

He reached down quickly and pulled out the gun from the man's shoulder holster, tossing it away without looking at it to avoid getting surprised.

"Move either of your feet too quickly and you're going to have another two holes in your head."

Gavin took a deep breath. It sounded enough like Billy.

"Turn around. Slowly."

Gavin stepped back a step- maintaining enough distance where he could shoot the man if he made a move- but Gavin needed to see his eyes.

"Don't think. Just answer. What gift did I give you the night you asked for my blessing?"

Billy did as he was told, he kept his hands up and turned slowly.

"Gold pocket watch. The one thing my own dad never gave me."

He looked down at Gavin, then shifted his eyes toward the gun he had tossed away before returning to look back at Gavin.

"You also took ten million from me that night. And I was happy to let every penny go. It was the only way I could think to forgive the loan Mom took out without making her mad."

He waggled his fingers very slowly.

"Alright, if I put these down yet? And if you won't tell me about Aurora, then at least tell me how's Will?"

The kid would have come running by now if he had heard what was going on. Will couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business if his life depended on it. That much Billy knew for sure. So clearly, he wasn't here. Billy said a silent prayer. Maybe it was just Gavin left.

"You're too old to be up here on your own, you at least got in touch with Tara or something?"

Billy always did ramble when he was nervous.... and who knew what he knew and what he didn't.

"... that was one of the stupidest things I've ever heard in my entire life. And I've heard a lot of stupid shit."

Maybe it was Billy. Correct about the parking lot. Bella. If this is a trap, no way I'm sharing that Will's long gone with Tara. And too old to...

"I'm fifty two, asshole. I'm not dead yet- like you're supposed to fucking be."

Gavin stared at the man a long time. He still kept the gun on him, but he lowered it slightly.

"Sit in that chair. Tell me why you love my daughter."

Billy furrowed his brow.

"Is this a real question?"

He watched as the gun lowered, but certainly did not stray far enough to be comfortable.

"Fine. But I really only have three reasons. Everything else is why I LIKE Aurora. Cute, smart, funny, great dancer, blah blah blah. Anyone can do any of those things with enough training."

He inhaled a deep breath, and nodded.

"Because of her foot. Every time we sit down together, across from one another, next to each other, wherever, she slides her foot next to mine. We don't hold hands. We don't kiss. It's just her foot, but that's what it means. It means we are together, and we know it, and the rest of the world can remain clueless if they want to, but we ARE together."

He held out one finger then.

"Because she gave me a journal. She knew how much my dad's meant to me, and so she gave me one to start. I never really did get around to it. I think that's in part because I don't intend to leave nothing but a journal for my own kids one day. I'm gonna be a better dad than that, you fucking watch."

He didn't mean to let himself get heated then, but he had. And so, as he put up a second finger, he took another calming breath.

"And last, because of nothing. We made a list once, your daughter and I. Toward the beginning of our relationship, we sat down for an entire day and night to try and figure out what to put on a list. This list was supposed to be all of the things that we think we should avoid because they come between us. By the time the list was finished there was only one thing on the list. Nothing."

He held up his third finger and nodded.

Gavin stared for a moment as he heard about the foot thing. There it was, his most recent scar right across his heart, and it was ripped open again, just it was several times a day. He took a deep breath and pointed the gun towards the wall, not even bothering to really listen to the other two. He took a deep breath, pulling back from Bella and focusing on the living. He blinked, then rubbed his face with his hand as he tried to process Billy being alive.

"Oh... shit. Well okay then. I'm... surprised, but... I'm really happy to see you, Billy."

He leaned forward and patted Billy once on the shoulder, nodding at him. Billy was always patting him on the shoulder. And it gave him a little more friendly space to celebrate the return of the man who was supposed to be his son in law before he had to acknowledge the fact that he was getting angry. He put the gun down on the table next to him and laced his hands.

"... now what the fuck happened, and why has Aurora spent months thinking you were dead? How are you alive? And if it is you, why didn't you fucking call her? Or anyone?"

Billy sighed heavily.

"I knew as soon as I woke up that Detroit had been hit, wiped out. I was very kindly reminded that if I made any attempt to reach out that it would only put her in danger."

He looked up at Gavin then. Looked him directly in the eyes to make sure his words came out clear.

"I also knew it was Philadelphia that pulled the trigger."

He let the words hang there. Gavin knew, of course he knew. Bella had been a Don in the city when it was done. If Bella knew, Gavin knew. If Gavin knew Philadelphia was behind it, he would accept the next part.

"I was going to ask her to marry me Gavin, and I wasn't being quiet about that. How do I reach out to her, or you, or Bella then? How do I call and say 'Oh by the way, you missed one.'? I was a Don Gavin. You don't Miss Dons. You don't protect them or hide them. You get killed for that shit."

He pushed himself up off the chair.

"I made an oath to protect your family, and to never do anything to hurt them. I made a calculation. I thought that by reaching out I would run the risk of doing more damage than I would if I just stayed dead."

He sighed again, looking to Gavin.

"I thought wrong. I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

Billy waved a dismissive hand as he continued.

"I'm not going to ask you to forgive me, not until I make it right, and then, maybe then, I will. But right now, I just need to make it right. So tell me Gavin, please, tell me the truth even though you don't owe me anything. Is she alive? Is there even a chance I can make things right? Or did I abandon the only woman that I've ever loved to die?"

Gavin listened steadily, unblinking.

"You don't have to worry about my forgiveness. She's alive. She's been mourning you for two months. She's been carrying your-"

Shit. Does he know? Gavin didn't hesitate or miss a beat.

"- candle for that whole time, and grieving you has fucked her up. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty- that's just a fact. Right after you died, Bella got killed. Rora's in a rough place right now."

He looked at Billy, studying his face.

"You're going to have a hard time convincing her you couldn't get her some sort of sign or hint or word you were alive; Philly taking down Detroit was about... four or five wars ago. It's been chaos, and you could have got her a message.  You don't need to worry about me. Win her over, and you have my support. But you're going to have a rough time of it. She'll be ecstatic to see you, of course. You're going to... when you lose someone you love- someone you build your life around... you feel empty. Getting you back- it's going to make her feel whole again."

Gavin sighed and rested a hand on Billy's shoulder.

"And then, once she processes her joy, she's going to fucking kill you. Not literally. Probably."

He shook his head, rubbing his face again thoughtfully.

"She's in Vegas. We'll go out there together. Let me break the news to her quietly first. We don't want to surprise a pr-oficient killer like that. Once I tell her, calmly, you can make you grand re-entrance however you want. Agreed?"

Billy nodded and shook Gavin's hand.

"Sounds like a plan, but I have to go to Detroit first and pick up my cousin and Integra. She's looking for Aurora too because last we heard, she knows where Alucard is. I'm not the only one looking to get whole again Gavin. I can't be selfish here. Besides, Integra is pregnant, Alucard deserves to know he's a dad as soon as possible. If I know anything at all about him, he would move heaven and earth to find Integra, even if just to protect that baby."

He gestured toward the pearl handled M1911 that was quietly waiting down the hall.

"Do you mind if I go pick that up now? I planned on giving it back to Roar, and, well, the knives too. Those are hers."

He looked out the window into the fresh air.

"If you've got a go-bag, we can head out now, but if you need some time..."

He knew very little of what was going on, but five wars? That meant only one thing. Gavin was hiding Will somewhere just in case, which meant he would need to get in touch with people so Will didn't come home to an empty place.

"Alucard deserves to know he's a dad as soon as possible."

Sometimes playing poker multiple times a week for thirty years straight can come in handy.

"Yea, I'd guess you'd better get that gun. Don't like them myself, but I do understand how important they are. I mean, I have my same model. Just don't like those particular guns."

He went to his room and tossed a few final things in his bag before slinging it over his shoulder.

"Do you want me to come with you to Detroit? My instinct here is to go right to Rora and tell her. I don't want her getting surprised by the news from someone else, and you're a fairly recognizable guy on the streets. I think she needs to know as soon as possible, and I don't think it should be you just popping up and saying hello. I head to Las Vegas to tell her- agreed?"

Gavin's eyes were friendly, but focused. He had no intention of delaying sharing this news with his daughter, but he was obviously willing to listen to his future son in law if the larger man had any plans in mind.

Billy shook his head as he made sure the gun fit snugly back into the holster.

"No, you go ahead. Just send me word where I can meet you when the plane lands. I'll have to stop in Detroit and then make my way to Vegas, Integra will probably be soon to follow because she has sworn off flying now."

He chuckled a bit.

"We will see how long that lasts."

He made his way to the front door and then stopped dead in his tracks. He spun on his heel and looked back to Gavin again.

"Wait, there's one more thing. Did you ever get those watches to the jeweler like I asked?"

Gavin halted- the rings. It was strange, thinking about them; his first thought was about Billy dying, but here was the man standing right before him.

"Yea. Everything's ready for you. Tara has them, but I'll have her get them to you ASAP. They'll be waiting for you in Vegas. Just... hurry."

Gavin took a deep breath, then smiled at Billy with warring emotions- mostly happiness. With that, he was out the door and on the road again.