The fifty-something waitress left a plate with a thickly-stacked Reuben sandwich and side of fries in front of Garrett with an unusually friendly smile. Garrett acknowledged her, returning with a wink, and rubbed his hands together as he looked over his meal.

"Professional opinion? Pfft, I have no idea, I'm a criminologist, not a relationship expert. Now, if you want my purely obnoxious, none-of-my-business opinion, there's going to have to be some kind of balance of power- of sorts."

Garrett took a fry and used it to swipe some of the sauce dripping off the side of the sandwich, and popped it into his mouth.

"Spence has zero issues being employed by a high-profile woman. He's not the type to need to prove his manhood by towering over a woman in every way possible. But- if those two are going to make a serious go of things, at some point Spencer is going to start feeling like he needs to be pulling more weight."

He swallowed the fry and went for the sandwich, then paused and cracked a grin again.

"Did you hear him say he smoked joint? That was something I never thought I'd hear soldier boy say. Perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks after all. Might be good for him, anyway."

The two dug into their food, and Viridia redirected the question about change to Garret; whether he thought he would want to change what he was doing. That gave him pause, and he thoughtfully chewed his sandwich as he considered.

"You know, at this particular junction, no. And that answer surprises me more than it might you. When I took this job, I was just looking for something interesting to do, and this job paid the right number. I didn't particularly care what I was going to be doing. Hell, I didn't even realize I was going to be working for...such an organization...until I had practically signed the dotted line. I was terrified for the first few weeks. But then I became fascinated."

Finishing one half of the sandwich, Garrett used the napkin and wiped his hands and settled back in his seat.

"Working for the Firm- specifically on Amira's detail- has matured me quite a bit, if I'm honest. I came into this job figuring my parents money could get me out of anything I managed to get myself into. But, in the time I've been here, I've seen more than a few things that made me realize...well, that's not the case at all. Not the least of them being how quickly Amira can take someone from breathing to not breathing."

He half chuckled.

"My parents would lay a golden egg and it's goose if they knew what I was actually doing."

He saw Viridia's eyebrows raise with interest. Laughing, Garrett rolled his eyes..

"No, obviously I didn't tell my Mother and Father who I'm working for. I told them I'm doing specialty consulting work for the LA County prosecutor. It is fool-proof, really. My parents are hardline conservatives in New Hampshire that want to have nothing to do with anything in California. They wouldn't come visit me if I were on my deathbed. Here, anyway. Plus, they are M.D.s and think my PsyD is a joke. Professional rivalry, of course. They're wonderful people. But I've lived my own life since I was 18. I see them on holidays and at funerals. It's how the Doctors Mitchell work."

The waitress came by and refreshed coffees, then disappeared. Garrett looked at the cup, then to Viridia.

"Mind spicing up my cup a bit?"

"Finally, that's everything finished for the day."

He leaned back in his leather office chair, stretching as he looked up to the clock and realised that he had been at this stuff for hours now. Most of the Manor had gone to sleep and seemingly uninterested in doing the same, it felt like a good time to venture out and see if there were any places nearby he could grab a quick bite to it since the work had also consumed the slot for his evening meal.

Remembering back, he recalled Amira mentioning a cute little diner nearby which she had stumbled across and recommended to him, yet he never had an opportunity to visit yet. Grabbing his coat and hat from the wooden rack behind his door, flicking up his collar and then securing his two trusty pistols into the waist line of his trousers, he made his way out of the Manor, keen to grab a quick late night meal.

The wind was cold, doing its best to attack his pale skin with its constant flow but he brushed it off and lowered his head a little to allow the front of his hat to partially deflect some of the breeze. Soon after, he found what he was looking for, the lights of the diner still glowing like a beacon and not a moment too soon as the growls of his hunger were seeming to become more apparent. As he stepped inside, he couldn't help but smile as much to his surprise, there was Amira, Garrett and Viridia. They had yet to notice him and he didnt wish to startle them too much, Amira might think his arrival was a sign of some kind of emergency, rather than him just sneaking out in an attempt to binge on something more... greasy.

"Well well, what do we have here! It would seem that when you mentioned this place, you really do have a soft spot for it huh, Amira. Got space for one more to join you?"

"Great minds do think alike." Amira thought, as she stepped out of the driver's seat of her car. She could see Viridia and Garrett at a table inside the diner, chatting over coffee and food. She pulled her hood up and decided to see how far she could get in before they noticed her. She was exhausted, starving, and needed something to distract her from worrying about Spencer; who was now sleeping soundly for a while. They didn't see her come in, and as she began to slip off her coat, another familiar face made an entrance that surprised her. 

Amira and Tyki exchanged grins as he and his detail walked through the door. She fell into step beside him as they approached Garrett and Viridia's table. This was going to be good. Neither of the two had met the Godfather Chairman yet, despite the fact that they were both employed by him in one way or another. 

It was Garrett that noticed the pair first, and he nearly leapt to sit up straight in his seat. 

"Most certainly, sir. More than welcomed."

He slid from his seat and stood, reaching up to straighten a tie that he quickly realized had been removed several hours ago. Instead, he cleared his throat quietly and squared his shoulders and offered a hand toward the most powerful man in Los Angeles.

"Dr. Garrett Mitchell, sir. It is an honor to finally meet your acquaintance."

Amira had a half grin on her face. Garrett was amazing at what he did, but she knew he was one 'boo' away from shitting himself.

Viridia recognized the hat before anything else- the hat that made her cover her shoulder, sit up straight, and try to will her body into a state of perfect sobriety. Dr. Mitchell stood, and she felt rude not to as well. She stood next to the table and bowed her head respectfully.

Even though the night was in full swing, the diner still felt lively. The smell of food being prepared to accommodate the orders from the various people who were in attendance, most likely some being those who had worked a late evening shift, or perhaps on the graveyard shift having a quick evening dinner break. Either way, it was good to see business thriving still at this god awful hour.

Dr. Mitchell, he was fully aware of, as this man had been mentioned to him before in conversations with Spencer regarding Amiras treatment.

"Dr. Mitchell, Tyki Mikk, it's good to finally meet you. I have heard about all you did to help my sweet Amira, so you have my gratitude."

Looking past the gentleman, he then laid eyes on Viridia. Whilst she had been in his family for a short while now, she had been focused on training with Amira and the pair had grown quite the bond. Removing his hat, he then smiled and offered a small bow of his head too.

"And you my dear, must be Viridia. Amira has sung your praises to me, told me you are quite the fast learner, quite the competitor too. How have you settled in with things so far? Amira has kept you out of trouble I would hope?"

Turning for a moment, he raised his hand to signal over to the waitress that her attendance was required at their table, before placing his coat over the rear of the cushioned booth and taking his seat.

Viridia locked eyes with Amira, fully intending to have a conversation later about all the many steps that had resulted in her meeting the godfather while wearing one of Spencer's old safety-pinned t-shirts. 

"It's an honor to meet you, Godfather Tyki Mikk. Amira has been a most exellent teacher, and she's told me quite a lot about you."

As the godfather took his seat, the other three followed; Amira sat next to Tyki Mikk, while Viridia swung in with the speechless Dr. Mitchell.

"You have a wonderful city here, Godfather. Amira has mentioned how much work you do to sustain it. You've built a great enterprise here... thank you for allowing me to be a part of it."

Coffee arrived, and Amira gratefully took the cup and immediately went into it, catching the look from Viridia. This was not the way the meeting had been imagined, she was sure, but perhaps this was a much better way. Tyki had a reputation for being someone dark and mysterious; even frightening. That was good for outsiders- but Viridia wasn't an outsider, and soon she would be much more of an insider than she realized. It was good for Viridia to know the side of Tyki that the rest of the organization knew- that the family knew. 

"Viridia was a natural. The Firm was lucky that she had the idea to seek me out."

Amira grinned into her cup.

"Whether she realized what she was getting into at the time or not."

She winked up at Viridia and then put her cup down, holding the warm ceramic mug between her hands and bending her head to her shoulder to hide a yawn.

"Viridia, Dr. Jones has gone, he's recommended Spencer not move to his apartment till tomorrow afternoon. He left a few prescriptions- I think something for the infection and a painkiller. I'm going to stay with him tonight at your clinic, and we'll get him to his place tomorrow."

She looked to Garrett.

"You'll be here to help, yes?"

Garrett nodded.

"Of course, Amira. I had already planned to stay at Spencer's anyway to stay close."

Amira gave him a grateful smile, then looked at Tyki to catch him up.

"Remember when I told you Spencer was in Detroit? I thought he was there to go shooting with a friend. Turns out he was helping that friend with a prison raid job. He took a bullet to the shoulder, and didn't have time to have it seen to before he got out of town. So, the bullet remained in the wound on a six hour bus ride and a five hour plane trip. If not for Viridia, I would have-- we would have lost him to an infection."

She looked again to Viridia and gave her a smile, reaching over and squeezing the woman's hand.

"Thank you, by the way. I was a bit preoccupied back there; but thank you."

Viridia sipped her own coffee, willing it to counteract the dirty coffee she'd been drinking before. Still, she felt comfortable as she matched Amira's grin.

"I had no idea what I was getting into. If I had... well, I would have called you sooner. And I assumed Spencer was doing marvelously if you were here. I've got a small bedroom in the back you can use- nothing fancy."

Viridia looked after at Garrett.

"Maybe I'll swing by Spencer's if you're staying there- see that cat that liked me so much."

Even as Viridia chatted with the others, she kept an eye on Tyki Mikk, studying him. He was a legend in the city, and she was struck by how informal and casual she'd become with Amira; she thought of Amira as her closest friend, but meeting her boss was like meeting a whole new side of her.

"You don't have to thank me, Amira. Though I wouldn't say no to a wardrobe donation."

She grinned and sipped her coffee.

Lifting the hot cup of freshly made coffee to his lips, he simply listened. Having a moment like this, relaxing in a public place and just embracing the more..natural aspects of life, he took it all in. Amira had began to explain the situation in Detroit, Spencer being involved in the raid and finding himself in a bit of a tough spot, he gave no reaction.

"I do hope that Spencer has learnt from this though. We have people, scattered all over, ready to help with situations like this. Those people include a number of medical professionals who we can rely on to perform treatments which never appear on any official records. He should have come to you at least."

Whilst coffee was coffee, having a taste of a cup which was just a slightly different blend to the usual flavor held at the Manor, he found himself quickly appreciating it once more as he continued to savor it.

"Amira, first thing tomorrow, I would like you to come to my office to discuss some business in Downtown. Nothing to worry about, just something I wish to show you on the books, then maybe a visit or two I wish for you to make on my behalf."

Viridia had seemed to relax a little more now. He could feel that everything she had learnt so far, had been done at quite an exceptional rate and yet still, she had more room to grow. With Amira as her guide, the sky was the limit for this one.

"Viridia" he stated, still looking into his cup as his mind had seemingly reached some kind of decision.

"Tomorrow, I would like you to also come with Amira to see me. Whilst you have done many things together, you have yet to attend to specific business on my behalf. I feel like now would be a good time for that."

Tyki Mikk saying her name drew Viridia's green eyes to him immediately. She was surprised by the sudden resolve that it wouldn't be the last name her name was on his lips. If she wanted to continue to grow- to rise in the world- this was the relationship that could define her as much as Amira's.

"Godfather, I am exceedingly eager to serve. Give me a mission, and it will be done."

A little brighter smile spread over Amira's face. She'd had a feeling this was coming, and to see it coming together tonight lent a lightness to what might have otherwise been a heavy evening. But, for Amira, she felt a strange sense of calm, where important people in her life were making new alliances. As she sat with her coffee, she took a moment to savor that rare sense of peace. 

After Tyki made his wishes known, Amira nodded as a waitress appeared. 

"We'll be there by breakfast. Garrett, you can take morning watch with Spence. Now, if you haven't been here, Tyki, this place has the best pot roast sandwiches in the city, hands down."