The clouds overhead were dark and low, the pressure in the sky almost tangible on an October afternoon as Lily and Telkin were getting together for lunch at a local cafe in downtown Detroit. Locals all over the place were scurrying on home, umbrellas stowed under their arms in preparation for the inevitable rain. Lily got to cafe first, and since it wasn't raining yet decided to take a seat at the available tables located on the patio outside. Looking down at her watch, she sighed and decided to wait a few more minutes. She was slightly early after all, and Telkin did have a tendency to be late.

A few moments later, Telkin rushed up to the patio with a face flushed red as if he had just ran from where ever he was to the cafe. Smiling brightly he took a deep breath and apologized quickly,

"I am terribly sorry Lily, I realize I'm slightly late. There was a slight mishap with a business associate of mine, and I could not deal with leaving it unsolved." 

Looking up to the sky, he raised an eyebrow and chuckled,

"My my you certainly have a way of picking the most beautiful of days to sit outside don't you?"

Taking a seat across from Lily, Telkin nodded to the waitress and requested a pitcher of water. Telkin wasn't the type to be seen drinking alcohol in public, or anything other than water for that matter. His suit was well pressed, and his hair perfectly styled to highlight his features perfectly. His dark eyes seemed to shine out against his pale face like a full moon on a cloudless night. Taking off his jacket and hanging it from the chair, he smiled once more and asked,

"How long have you been waiting for me? I couldn't have been more than five minutes late?"

At the comment about the weather, Lily pointed to the folded umbrella standing in the center of the table.

"We'll just put that up when it starts raining. Can't have my hair getting curly, after all."

She pulled a face and patted her hair down with an almost imperceptible amount of force. Indeed, her usual long, sweeping sheet of auburn hair was visibly wavy and a bit frizzy. As he sat down, Lily smiled to Angel and waved her hand.

"No, no, not long at all. Just been enjoying people-watching for the most part. Did you know that that woman--"Lily pointed to a middle-aged woman standing in front of a shop window"--snuck that hat out of a shop down the street? I saw her pull it right out from down her shirt. Rather ingenious thief if you ask me."

Telkin laughed openly and took a sip of water, the tips of his ears turning a ruby red. The wind picked up slightly, and Lily's hair waved about freely. Telkin looked around at the people remaining on the streets and sidewalks, mainly hobos.

There was some higher class citizens about still, despite the weather though. A man with a dark blue suit walked casually down the sidewalk, and Telkin chose that moment to steer his gaze away from the sidewalk. He knew the man naturally, it was the same man whom he's just conducted business with.

The man wasn't the smartest person alive, he'd practically just called the mobs drug cartel a joke, and it was up to Telkin to keep the peace between them. Telkin didn't like gunfire, and resented the fact that he felt morally obligated to ensure that neither of the parties got killed. A drug runner himself, it made sense business wise to try and keep the peace, the more drugs floating around the streets, the more money he could make. 

"So, have you decided what you'd like to eat yet? I hear this place has some superb smoked salmon, and an unbeatable pan seared bed of vegetables."

Lily followed Telkin's gaze, continuing her people-watching for a moment longer. Her eyes rested on the nicely-dressed man on the sidewalk for a moment, thinking that he looked vaguely familiar. He seemed rather nervous and fidgety today. Lily simply shrugged and glanced at the menu.

"I don't know. I'm not all that hungry. Maybe just something sweet. With hot chocolate...or coffee."

Lily looked up and winked at her companion with a playful smile.

"Have you been doing anything of interest besides meeting up with associates and being late for lunches?"

"Not really, no. I've just been... wait a minute! I wasn't that late!" Telkin exclaimed, pouting slightly. "That's all I do these days really though, meet up with people and think of ways to woo you." Telkin smirked for a moment before sipping his water. "You'd best order your hot chocolate before the rain comes!"

Sighing deeply Telkin turned his head slightly towards the man on the sidewalk, who had started to pace back and forth as if he was waiting for somebody. Curiosity almost overcame Telkin as he started to think of something to say to the man, but realized quickly that it was not wise to even acknowledge that they knew each other.

Lily laughed, her hair tossing back over her shoulder.

"I know, hon. And both of those are very worthy occupations. Especially the second."

She winked to Telkin, laying her hand intimately over his and smiling before turning to summon the waiter. She would always remember what happened next as though it had all happened almost casually slow. A car drove up the otherwise deserted street, and the man pacing on the sidewalk stopped. As he raised a hand, the window rolled down. Then the explosive popping of gunfire echoed through the street, scrambling her brain with confusion. A sudden, searing pain tunneled through her shoulder, spreading quickly through her body. Once the shooting stopped, the man on the sidewalk crumpled to the cement with a thunk. Lily, too, collapsed onto the table with a short scream, clutching her shoulder as tears streamed down her face.

"Well of course dear, the second one involves more effort, naturally you would like it more."

Telkin smiled foolishly, staring into Lily's eyes. He would never forget the next few seconds that seemed to take an eternity. Telkin heard a car screeching around the corner, but thought nothing of it.

Kids were known to drive recklessly, but that wasn't the case this time. Turning his head slightly, he saw that it was the car of the man on the opposing end of the agreement he'd just made with the man on the sidewalk.

This was the type of man who spoke with bullets, and didn't like to come to an agreement. He would rather settle things his way, and to hell with the consequences. Telkin quickly put two and two together as he began to warn Lily, but it was too late. Shots were fired, and instantaneously the man on the sidewalk fell to the cement, a blank expression in his eyes.

Most of the hit-mans bullet's were on target, riddling the unsuspecting victim, but a few strays made their way to the patio where Telkin and Lily were dining. One moment there was confusion as the gun was shot and the man sped off, the next second, everyone was crowding around their table, the location of the stray bullets. Telkin jumped across the table quickly and knelt down to Lily, looking wild with anger.

Rage in his voice, Telkin looked up to the people watching, and screamed, "Don't just stand there you morons! Call an ambulance!!"

For many moments, all Lily was conscious of was that she was in a lot of pain. The world around her was blurred by tears and confusion. Then she felt a pair of solid arms wrap around her as Telkin's panicked voice rang through the gathering crowd and her own head. She buried her face instinctively into the warmth of her lover's shoulder, letting sobs of pain wrack through her body. As the buzzing crowd began to disperse into a sort of strange, frenzied party around the café patio, she felt Telkin wrapping her shoulder with some improvised bandage. Once he was done, he clutched her tightly to him, whispering softly in her ear. She couldn't understand it much through her pain, but it sounded soothing and she felt herself relaxing slowly in his arms.

Soon, she could hear the vaguely welcome sound of sirens in the distance, upon which she felt herself lifted gently and brought to the approaching ambulance. As the ambulance attendants rushed out of the vehicle with a stretcher, Telkin carefully laid her down on the taut fabric and let them carry her into the back of the car. Lily closed her eyes and stayed stock still on the stretcher. If she didn't move, it didn't hurt as much, and she wouldn't feel another gush of blood seeping through her impromptu bandage. The nurse inside worked quickly to begin re-dressing her wound with more appropriate bandaging, asking her questions all the while in an attempt to keep her awake. She answered them as best she could in her distracted state of mind.

"What's your name?"

"Mitzi Pir...no, I mean...Lily..."

"Wait, is your name Mitzi or Lily?"

"Lily."

"Oh...who's Mitzi?"

Lily let her head roll to the side, studying the side of the ambulance drowsily as she answered the nurse.

"I'm Mitzi."

"I thought you were Lily."

"I am...Mitzi Lilith Pirazzi. I named myself Lily, though, Lily Evans. I thought it made me sound more like the other girls at school."

She smiled at the nurse before blinking slowly and letting her head loll over once more.

Glaring threateningly at the people assisting Lily, Telkin was allowed to ride in the back of the ambulance with her. Running his hand through her hair, all he could think of was how lucky it was that she wasn't fatally wounded.

He would be getting his revenge, of course, but it didn't change the fact that the love of his life was sitting in an ambulance, tears rolling down her face, because of a disagreement he couldn't fully settle. 

"It'll be okay honey, I promise. I'll get that bastard back, by the time I'm done he'll wish he was the one getting shot."

Telkins face was nothing more than a grimace as they pulled up to the hospital, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to be in the room with Lily as she got the bullets removed and tended to.

Lily bit her lip hard, trying to ignore how each bump in the road bathed her shoulder in pain. As Telkin spoke to her, she shook her head and tried to manage a weak smile.

"They didn't mean to shoot me, hon. You should feel bad for the guy they were after."

The ambulance doors opened and the attendants had soon whisked her stretcher out of the vehicle and into the emergency room. Lily reached her unwounded arm out weakly to Telkin, managing to grab hold of his jacket cuff briefly before being carried further into the maze of sterile rooms with restricted entrance.

After a couple of inching hours, a nurse steps out of the surgery and makes her way to Telkin. He was leaning his forehead against the window in a desperate sort of way, his fingers fidgeting absently with a rolled-up magazine in his hands. The nurse cleared her throat and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He jumped up and, recognizing her, silently implored the nurse for good news. She gave him a bright smile.

"Sir, Mitzi is doing just fine. She's recovered quite well from the surgery--although she'll have to stay with us for a couple of weeks, and it will be a while until she can perform much physical activity after that. She's really a lucky girl, though."

"Mitzi? Who the hell is Mitzi?" Telkin said in a raised voice.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," the nurse replied in a pleasant voice, "Mitzi, the lady who you rode over with in the ambulance? The one that we just spent hours removing bullets from?"

Telkin nodded slowly and remembered hearing Lily say something to the EMT about a different name, maybe it was Mitzi. Forcing a smile across his face, Telkin thanked the lady and headed off to find Lily.... Mitzi... He wasn't quite sure at this point.

As he was walking down the hallway, peeking into each room, he finally came across the one where the love of his life was being cared for. Stepping in, he spoke slowly,

"Lily? Erm... Mitzi? I'm not really sure...."

Lily was groggy. She felt much better than before she had fallen asleep, but she was slow to realize where she was or why. When she did, she opened her eyes wide and looked at her shoulder. It was wrapped up well, her arm bound tightly against her body. She gave a short sigh. Now was not a good time to be incapacitated.

"Lily? Or Mitzi? I'm not really sure."

She looked up to see Telkin standing in the doorway with a questioning look on his face. She smiled uneasily, beckoning him inside.

"It's Lily, of course. Please shut the door, hon."

Telkin shut the door and turned to face Lily. Somehow, in a way that only she could do, she pulled off the typical hospital outfit of a flimsy robe. Her hair was shining brightly against the plain whites of the bedspread, and her smile, despite not being her usual, made his heart skip a beat.

"Are you sure it's Lily? Unless you've got some sort of split personality going on, you have some explaining to do baby. The nurses here seem to think your real name is Mitzi. And I did overhear you saying something to the EMT's while they were strapping you in to the stretcher."

Telkin sighed and knelt beside the bed, looking into her eyes, and decided that it didn't matter.

"I still love you either way, I just need to know what's going on dear."

Lilly took a deep breath and looked down to her lap, watching her pale fingers tap against her thigh beneath the blankets. What to tell him? She looked back to him as he knelt beside the bed, his eyes catching hers and holding them. The truth would be best. She released her breath and reached out to stroke his face gently.

"My mother named me Mitzi. And my real last name is Pirazzi. But I started calling myself Lily Evans when I was fourteen."

She broke eye contact for a moment, looking around the room as her lips pursed themselves. How could she explain it so it wasn't a big deal? Then again, how could it not be a big deal? No, it's just what she's been calling herself for almost a decade. It hasn't exactly been a lie. No more than a nickname is a lie. She looked back at Telkin and laughed softly.

"Elite boarding schools can be rough on a girl whose ancestors didn't come over from England with the first load of bricks, if you get my drift."

Biting his lower lip listening to her story, Telkin nods with sympathy and leans in to kiss Lily's head softly. There was no point in getting her worked up, the nurses wouldn't approve, and have him thrown out. Taking a seat in the vacant chair next to her, Telkin hummed softly and played with her hair absentmindedly.

"Have they given you a time frame for how long you'll be here?"

Lily gave a long, soft sigh of relief. He'd taken it rather well. She gave him a quick smile and leaned her head back against the pillows.

"I don't know...I really just woke up."

She looked down at her arm, frowning.

"I'd imagine it'd be a good while, though."

She instinctively attempted to shrug, but stopped suddenly and bit her lip, her eyes watering slightly from trying to move her wounded shoulder.

"And even longer to get used to."

Telkin sighs and continues to play with Lily's hair, settling comfortably into the chair. At least he could take time off from work to be with her in the hospital. The only thing he couldn't cancel on were his... other types clients. The one's at his office would understand why he had to take some time off, the other variety wouldn't be quite as merciful. 

"Don't worry darling, they told me you'd make a full recovery in time. They just forgot to mention how long. It won't be all that bad staying here, will it? Nothing to do but sleep and read, and catch up with old friends? Doesn't seem too bad to me. Besides, I'll be here quite often too."

"I suppose it's not too bad...especially if you'll be here."

Lily smiled warmly to Telkin, then looked downward once more, frowning slightly. She had never liked idleness. Indeed, her hands were even now scratching in silent nervousness at the sheets. She looked back up and smiled to him, a sparkle of playful pleading in her eyes.

"But when you're not here, I'd rather like to be doing something...you know, productive."

Telkin got up and walked to the door, peeking his head out of it, looking around to see if anyone was around. Satisfied with what he saw, he shut the door and closed the blinds on the window, walking back to Lily and talking low,

"Well... There is something you can help me do. I fully intend to bring an... end, to this business. You were caught in crossfire today, and the man firing the gun is one I do not care for. I will be taking care of him, permanently."

Telkin smiled weakly and sank back into the chair, holding Lily's wandering hand. Rubbing the back of it with his thumb, he closed his eyes and remembered back to this afternoon, before the shooting. Carl Do-Maeno  was the gunner, he was sure of it. Telkin, Carl, and the man who had gotten killed(Fred,) had all gotten together to discuss some business.

There was a large shipment of cocaine coming through the ports in a few days, and these men all had stakes in it. Naturally they had wanted to join up to ensure that they, and only they got a piece of the so called "pie." Telkin was the calmest of the men, preferring to deal with things verbally, not physically. Fred liked to run away from his problems and do whatever he felt, without double checking with whoever he was working with. Carlos was by far the most violent of the three, sticking to murder as his main way of handling business.

Telkin felt his lip start to twitch thinking of Carlos, and Lily looked down from her bed with a quizzical look upon her face.

"Everything okay?" She asked timidly.

"Yes dear... just... thinking."

Lily didn't like the sound of this. The word "permanently" rang through her head in a dreaded sort of way. While she knew that Telkin was involved in a number of shady dealings, she wasn't sure how deep in he was. And she'd never let on to him that she worked as anything more than a secretary in the corporate branch of Rossi and Co. Clothing Distributors. All finery she chalked up to inheriting from her mother's business...which was in itself something of a lie to cover up illegal activities.

How often did she lie to the man she loved? Lily studied Telkin's face for a moment. Then again, how often did he lie to her? Lily was almost certain there was something more to her shooter than what he was letting on. And she wasn't going to help him kill a man for shooting her by accident. She gave her lover's hand a gentle squeeze before speaking with a faint note of icy steel under her voice.

"Well, what is it you want me to do?"