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Spring storms and a city wide scandal involving the mayor's office and the city council meant more of her high profile clientele stayed out of the public eye and out of her private hideaway. The nights were slow and the polished wood floor saw fewer and fewer dancers each night. Weekend nights seemed more like Wednesdays, and the weekdays were dismal. Her other side endeavors kept the business in the black, but as she reviewed the ledgers in her office with the orange light of sunset filtering in from the large open windows, she rubbed her temples to quell the ache that built there. 

Walking down the street at a clipped pace her boots  made the usual clickety clack clickety clack with each strike against the ground, and the faint smell of jasmine was always in the air around her. Her  ankle length burgundy felt skirt swishing between her legs with each step. It had been months since they separated but the child  was always in her thoughts. She had not seen Brian since she left him at the farmhouse, it was better than the life she could have given the kid. She  could have taught him hustling and bootlegging,both lucrative skills. That was her high in life  to hustle the weak minded and drive fast cars full of illegal liquor. She recently added a new repertoire to her skills, persuasion of the torturous kind. Sometimes people would not talk and that's where she was called in , they always talked when her artful  hands were done with them. After the adventure of love and loss torturing people gave her a pleasurable rush.

She had been walking in the rain lost in empty thoughts of days long gone and of the one who managed to touch her heart with his emerald like eyes, and musical voice. Her pale blue eyes  stared vacantly in memory at the ground as she strolled down the street in Black Bottom.The trio had gone through so much, explosions of houses,gunfights,survival of the fittest. Deaths by their hands,she smiled to herself the corners of her mouth turning up slightly at the memory of the day they were in that cafe.By some chance of fate, they were both there to fulfill a contract, one of them was cheated from hers, and other went against orders.

Her knee length black wool outer coat was getting wet from the rain,her black boots had droplets sliding down the toe. A can rattling and the sound of ye-owing cat brought her mind back to the present.She found herself standing front of a remarkably plain looking building her eyes transfixed on the Rose on the door. She had this uncanny familiar  feeling rush through in her body. She closed her eyes for a moment savoring the lost memories,then shoved her way through the heavy door.

She stood there a moment letting her pale eyes adjust to the light , sudden light changes always threw off her vision. As her eyes adjusted she did not see many in this place a few here and there. Then she saw the back of his head, he was sitting at the bar drinking a Guinness no less. Her heart sank and fluttered , she as hot and cold all at the same time. "Connor," Her voice barely audible to herself. "Connor MacManus? Could that be you?". Hope and fear that it would be him  thick in her voice as she approached him.

He stopped midsip, the air seemingly pulled from his lungs. He closed his eyes, the rush of returning memories making his head spin. As the steps grew closer he could smell the whiff of jasmine in the air, a sad smile curling into the corner of his mouth for a brief moment before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

He placed his half full glass down softly, hoping it wasn't just his mind toying with him like it had for the past few months since they went their seperate ways. 

He spoke quietly, almost to himself, "Brigid?"

She lost all poise when she  heard her name spoken with that most familiar accent, she had to catch herself tripping on her feet. In that moment she did not want it to be him, it was her decision that had separated them all. It was her words that hurt them both so badly, but with that was  choice of survival. She took the stool next to him feeling a gazelle under the watchful eyes of a lioness hunting pack.

She sat there a moment taking in the site of him, she wondered if he ever forgave her. " Yes... How ...er... where." "She tried to cover the old desire she felt for him but all the old rushes of energy flooded her senses. How er where." She stumbled over her words as they came from her mouth." Did you ever manage to take care of our old friends?" Them and the street rat child she had taken in, were the reasons she was forced to make her choice so many months ago.

He tried to push her out of his mind. He tried to erase every memory of their time together. He wouldn't last long in this world of his focus faltered. And that is exactly what she did, weather she meant to or not, she threw him off his game. Made him make choices he never would have otherwise. He felt his face grow flush, anger mixed with disappointment mixed with desire. He let her stumble over her words for a moment, more so because he couldn't figure his next move than enjoying watching her squirm. 

He took another long pull off his drink, not ready yet to face her. He spoke solemnly, "No. Not yet."

He debated with himself weather or not continue. She had crushed them, but it was what needed to be done. It was the only way her and the kid could have walked away. And she had to be the one, he simply wasn't strong enough to cut the cord like she did.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, "How is the kid doing?"

She was at a loss for words as nervous as a fish on a hook waiting for release or death.she ordered a shot of whisky and told barkeep to leave the bottle. She sat there for several moments swallowing her liquid courage.It wasn't their mutual friends that had her legs wobbly like a new born colt, it was  the fact that had they gave it another couple weeks of traveling they would have been free of the child and to what they wanted, damn her sense of duty always got in the way of her life.

She poured a fourth and swallowed in one gulp. Her voice was full of sadness as she related the story of how her and Brain had come upon a farmhouse with a family. She left the child with them stealing away in the night. She was angry with herself for separating them over such a small issue.

He kept his eyes from looking in to hers as he tried to focus on anything else. He listened intently, wanting to know everything but not wanting her to know that. He let her words wrap around in his mind, a fog settling over his thoughts. He paused for a long moment, only seeming to be paying attention to his drink that he had finished with one large gulp.

His words came out much harsher than he had intended them too, "Have you been safe?"

She grew frustrated with him this game of cat and mouse they were playing was not a game she preferred in life. Maybe he would never forgive her for her  hardhearted survivalist ways.  His tone cut her deeply, she deserved anything he would dish out at her, but that did not mean she was going to accept it.This was why she did not let herself get close to anyone, she promised herself she would not let it happen again.She lifted her chin,fighting back the swirling conflicting feelings that swam through her.

Her voice was distant and hollow, her pale blue eyes seemed to lighten to an almost white ." Relatively, yes." Her illusion of either of them forgiving her was shattered.She knew she would never forgive herself, why should she expect him to forgive her.

He used his glass away, motioning to the bartender with two fingers for another. He let out a low sigh, his muscles seemingly tightening as he did. His mind was wandering and his head was spinning. "What now?", he thought to himself. There was still work to be done, still a debt to be paid.

He placed his hand on hers gently squeezing. Turning just enough to make eye contact, "It's good to see you Milady."

 His hand on hers caused her heart to hit her chest like a locomotive ,  and her flesh tingled with flashes of heat. As their eyes made contact she hoped he did not see her pain or desire for him. "It is good to see you to. " She knew if they were going to get past her choice from the past they would need a common link, the only one they had left the very thing that originally pushed towards each other.

"Do you know where any of them are? I was more than willing to take care of them before." She skirted past her last comment uncomfortably."They owe me, they owe both of us."

He tried to sound distant as he spoke, like it wasn't wrapped around him tightly, "A couple of the younger more brazen ones. Anyone else was smart enough to go underground after they found Dennis in the woods."

The bartender placed his drink with a practiced smile as Connor fished a couple of bills out of his pocket. He thanked the man as he handed them to him along with a folded envelope. He took a small sip before turning back to her. "There's ways of getting to them. Once I do, they'll talk..." He spoke confidently if not with a hint of sadness. "They always do."

His words had made it clear what he wanted. She grabbed her woolen coat from the stool next to her.Fished in her pocket and tossed two crumpled dollars next to the bottle she had been drinking, mumbling to herself  about not even knowing why she came into Rose Tattoo. She slid off the bar stool and threw on her coat in one motion, the faint smell of jasmine floated on the air as she moved.

"Well I am happy to see you are in better shape than  the last time we saw each other." Her voice quivered a bit as she forced herself herself to continue. She knew they were avoiding the real issue,maybe they always would." It seems you have it control. Hope we run into each other again." With her last words she looked away to hide the tears that threatened to wash free. With a hasty  clickety clack across the floor she was quickly pushing  her way through doors. The weather matching her mood.

He stared straight ahead as the sound of her boots on the floor echoed throughout him. He let out a long sigh, the weight of it all pushing down on him. He finished his drink in one long gulp, placing it back down rather roughly. He waited for a long moment, his heart pounding in his chest. Grabbing his cap from the bar he stood up, straightening his shirt as he quickly paced after her. As he reached the door he called to her, "Hold on Brigid, let me walk with you."

He stood outside shaking the rain from his coat.  His eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, he continued shaking when the door pushed open quickly.   Startled, he quickly assessed and reached for his gun.  Then he saw Brigid rush by and turned.  He removed his hand from his gun, and called after her...

"Brigid, where..."

But she was moving too quickly so he gave up.  He turned back toward the door just in time to see Connor standing at the door calling after her.  

"Hey Connor, I don't think she can hear you.  She's moving prety fast."

Will knew better than to ask what he'd missed.  Instead, he shook the rest of the rain from his coat, and snuck by Connor and inside.  

He turned back to Connor.

"So, you going after her or are you staying?"

Will took off his coat, hung it up and looked around.  He didn't see her but he knew she'd be around tonight.

Raised voices lifted from the floor below and became muffled and unclear as they rose to the rafters. Slow days meant conversations above a whisper were heard by all in her normally bustling club where secrets could be yelled and still unheard. Now the quietest confession hung in the stale and humid air. A door slamming, though she didn't know if bursting open or flying shut, caused her to lift her eyes from the paperwork that held her gaze all night. The shifting light made her squint and she knew a break was needed to save her eyes and her sanity. Via pushed back her chair, stood and walked out of her office with the imprint of the books etched into her mind. 

When she reached the top of the stairs and finally focused on where she was going, she saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs, doing nothing but leaning against the banister and stealing her breath away.

"Will."

He'd heard the office door upstairs, and then the creak of the floor as she walked toward the stairs.  He stood, at the bottom, leaning against the banister, and waited.  As soon as he saw her, he simply could not repress the smile.  

"Hi Via.  I knew I'd find you here."

He watched her as she slowly descended the stairs, and as she almost reached him, he held out his hand and waited for hers.

"just came by to see if you were busy.  I missed you."

How the simplest words seemed anything but when they came from him. She looked away, not avoiding his gaze, and not even realizing it as a slight color rosed her cheeks and her smile crept wide. She bit her lip to stop the smile from overtaking her face, but he could tell regardless. He always did. She lifted her chin and let him see what he'd done.

"Busy? No. Right now, I'd love a break. I'd love to take that break with you."

Her hand found his and she stepped down the remaining three stairs. He didn't let go of her hand when she stood firmly on the floor. Each step seemed to echo in the empty hall. If she were a normal businesswoman, that would worry her. 

"I've missed you, William."

It had been a long time since he had walked the streets of Detroit. The air smelt the same, the nostalgic comfort of an easier life. In his adolescent years he fled, with no real direction, only to be brought back under his own agenda. A short investigation had pointed him in this direction, a name dropped in his lap, and a whisper on the streets.

Now he stood inside the door, scanning a room of faces he was unwittingly associated with.