Hello everyone! Ok so I am finally finished exams and this has been floating around in my head for ages but I just did not have the time to write it. But now that I do, I wanted to test the waters with it. I had been toying with this idea or a prequel to Gangster Squad of Jerry during the war and returning to L.A. Who knows I might run with that one too but for now I wanted to do this one. I hope you enjoy it and do let me know what you think :) I am currently working on updates for all my stories including all my Tom Hardy ones. I have recently updated Lawless and I'm working on the rest :) I also kinda want to do one about the Hangover just for kinda fun or something but I'll see how it goes :D Feels good to be back :D So I'll see ya'll next chapter :) ~Sailor

The day I arrived in Los Angeles in May 1949 I immediately felt at home. It gave me such a magical feeling, like anything could happen. The Golden Age of Hollywood was at its peak and I was a young naïve girl hoping to make it as an actress, earn lots of money and marry a movie star and have a fantastic life. I grabbed my case off the overhead bin as soon as I saw the station off in the distance. The excitement was getting to me and I couldn't wait to start my new life in L.A. I got a flash back in my head as the train began to pull into the station.


It was last Thursday evening. I was up in my room flicking through the latest vogue magazine I had bought gazing and day dreaming of Hollywood and practicing my poses in front of the mirror so when the cameras are taking pictures of me I'll know how to stand. I heard my mother's angry footsteps come up the stairs but I was hoping she was storming off to her room after she realised my father was, once again, not returning home after work. He had found solace in the company of other drunks at the local bar after a hard day's work of selling bonds rather than returning home to his family. I can't really blame him; my mother was a tyrant in her own way. A very critical woman who resented being back in the home after getting a taste for the work force during the war, there were no men so the women had to fend for themselves and being handcuffed back to the cooker when my father returned was not something she had wanted to do. Most of the time she was ok but if something tipped her off she would lose her temper over everything. That's why, usually when I come home from work I would go straight to my room. Now, don't get me wrong my life was far from deprived. We lived in a nice suburb where everyone knew each other and my father's connections had gotten me a job in the local vegetable shop but I knew from an early age this small town existence wasn't for me. I had always dreamed of bigger and better things and with my 19th birthday fast approaching the wheels for my plan were gaining motion.

Except for now, I was still at home. My mother bounded up the stairs and I heard the footsteps approach my door and throw it open before I had the chance to put away my magazine.

"Your father isn't home yet Kelly!" she shrieked.

When I didn't respond she whipped the magazine out of my hand, flinging it across the room.

"What are you reading that trash for?!"

I didn't respond.

"You think you're gonna be famous one day! You ain't, you're a small town girl who will grow up only knowing the bus route to and from your menial job" she hissed.

"Well at least I got a fucking job" I mumbled.

"How dare you" she sneered before reaching out and pulling a clump of my hair.

"I want you to go down and get your father!"

"I can't go down there mom, it's a bar that's full of drunks I'll be like a Turkey on Thanksgiving there!" I shrieked.

"Well he needs to come home!" she yelled dragging me to the stairs.

I then heard the cries of my little brother in the next room. I glanced up and saw the rage leave my mother's eyes suddenly. Joey was her baby and his cries could take her out of whatever foul mood she was in. I always wondered if she had the same time for me when I was a baby like she does with Joey.

"Mom, Joey's crying" I said and I felt her grip loosen from my hair before she rushed into his room. I took this opportunity to run into my room and lock the door. I picked up my magazine and opened my closet stuffing it into my pre packed bag that I had covered with a blanket. This time next week I would be starting off my new life in L.A. I just needed to pick up one more pay check and I would be off the station first thing Wednesday morning. Joey stopped crying and I heard my mother quietly sobbing as she soothed him.


I shook that reminder out of my head as the train slowed down and the doors opened. I was the first off so I rushed to the exit to breath the new L.A air. The sun hit my face and I pulled my sun glasses over my eyes and pulled out a small map I had bought at the small station before I left. My plan was to stay in a small apartment complex for a few days while I worked on a job. But something dropped in my stomach looking around at all the people and the buildings. I was a far distance away from the vegetable shop now. I noticed a man glancing at me as I looked at the small map I had. I looked again and he winked. I got a bit nervous so I picked up my suitcase and decided to walk down the street a bit. I looked behind and I saw he was following me.

"Miss!" he called.

I didn't stop, I kept walking.

"You've dropped something" he called and started to jog towards me.

He caught up to me and I suddenly didn't know what to do. He grabbed my arm and started asking me where I was from, that I reminded him of an actress and would I go with him to this open audition he had on now since he worked for a big studio. My instincts kicked in and I struggled to get away from him. But before I had the chance to free myself fully, two men appeared behind him and slapped their hands on his arm.

"Malloy, you just keep popping up on our radar, harassing young women" one said as he spun him around. His grip released my arm and I took a few steps back.

The younger of the two men stood beside me while the other dragged him off to a nearby parked car.

"Are you ok Miss?" he asked.

He was in his thirties I'd say, long sort of face, green eyes and dirty blonde hair.

"Yes I'm fine" I coughed still suspicious as to whether or not he was part of this.

He reached out to put his hand on my shoulder but I backed away.

"It's ok, I'm a cop" he said reaching into his pocket before pulling out a badge.

I glanced at it but I was still shook up so I wasn't prepared to take any more chances.

"Ok" I said trying to steady my voice.

"You're not from around here are you?" he chuckled before taking out a cigarette case and offering me one.

"No…well thank you officer" I smiled before picking up my suitcase.

"Wooters, officer Jerry Wooters" he smiled.

"Yea ok" I said as I turned and walked away.

"You know where you're going?" he called after me but I kept walking, the voice in my head now taking over. Ok this was just a slight set back, nothing to worry about. We've planned this for a long time and we can't just go running home just because some bad guy tried to talk to us. This is what it's like in the big city. Just concentrate on where we're going


I had gotten directions and was told this apartment complex was only a ten minute walk from the station. My faith was restored when I looked up and saw the huge "Hollywoodland" sign looking down at me. I glanced at the street signs and back at my directions, it was down this street. I continued to walk as the sun beamed down through the trees. Before I realised it, Ocean View apartments had just sprang in front of me. I mentally applauded myself at my tiny accomplishment of finding it even after that little hiccup. I went into the reception and smiled brightly at the slumped woman behind the desk reading her magazine.

"Hello" I squealed.

She didn't even look up. See where I come from, everyone knows everyone else so greetings like this are just part of the course. I reminded myself I wasn't at home anymore.

"I would like a room" I said trying to appear professional after my greeting crashed and burned.

"10 dollars deposit" he said promptly flicking her page.

"Ok, no problem" I said fishing for my envelope.

She closed her magazine seeing I had actual money, she was suddenly interested.

"How long are you staying?"

"Em, I don't know to be honest. I'm looking for a job at the moment…"

"The restaurant across the street is looking for a waitress, have you got any experience?"

"Um…yes" I lied. I figured it couldn't be that hard.

"Well go over and apply when you drop your things" she said scribbling something on a form. "Sign here" she said shoving the paper in my direction. "You're in apartment four" she said sliding the keys over"

"Great, thank you" I smiled.

I opened the door to my new home. It was basic but it was mine that was the important thing. I was making a new life for myself and there was no one to criticize what I was doing. So far, so good.

I dropped my suitcase and left to go across the street to apply at the diner for the job, Oscar's diner. Seemed like a nice place. But unfortunately, L.A had a dark side and so did the business I had wanted to get into, one that had not made it into my romanticised view of life here but where there are bad people; there have to be good people to balance it out, right?