An unmistakably cockney accent screamed over the radio.
"Oy Pierce! I hear something!"
"Oh yeah, and what would that be?'
"Is it…"
"Wild Cherry!?"
"Fuck yeah it is!"
"-And movin' to the groovin'! And just when; it hit me; somebody turned around-"
Wow. The Saints had nearly been destroyed, both literally and figuratively, just two days ago, and he was singing? Though it was to be expected; he wasn't the most mature person in the Saints HQ. By far. That title would go to herself, Viola DeWynter. Maybe Oleg. After all, Oleg had spoken up about Magarac. The fact that she talked to him about her sister's death, which she told no-one else anything about. And hopefully, it would stay that way. He hadn't told anyone yet, the Saints would definitely approach her about it. Why he wouldn't just talk… It was usually all he did.
"So still I kept on fight-"
The Boss turned around, feeling a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"You. Me. At the bar. Now," Viola demanded.
"Wait, what?" was the Boss' only reply.
"I said," Viola spoke through clenched teeth. "Come with me to the bar."
Pierce flashed a toothy, suggestive grin.
"Well it looks like-"
Both the Boss' and Viola's brown eyes hit Pierce.
"Right," said the Saint's right-hand, putting his hands in the air. "Not another word. Don't have to tell me."
"Alright V, what's this about?"
Viola had forcibly dragged the Boss into the penthouse's mini-bar, almost taking off a piece of his suit.
"Why?"
"That… doesn't really answer my question."
Viola rolled her eyes. "Why did you choose to save us? Killbane could be dead right now. So why did you let him go?"
"Bonnie Tyler."
"No, I want an answer. You might be able to pull that shit with everyone else, but-"
"You want the honest truth?"
"That's exactly what I want."
"Fine. Did you hear what that STAG lady said, up on the statue?"
"About letting your friends die? Yeah."
"She was right. Sooner or later, people I care about will die. I couldn't let it happen again."
"So you just let that man- no, that monster, get away?"
"You don't understand-"
"You're right, I don't! He killed my sister! You told me that you'd-"
"I never said that."
"You swore. You swore that you'd kill him."
"No, I swore that we'd kill him."
"So you let him go over a technicality."
"I let him go because I care about you, and trust me when I say that's a rare thing. It's even rarer when I mean it."
For once, Viola didn't have anything to say.
"You were the only reason I saved that statute. Shaundi has made it painfully clear that she would throw her life away to make Killbane suffer, and I wasn't going to refuse her that. Burt Reynolds would live on inside the Hearts of America, and the Saints could take down anything STAG had prepared for us. But you? I didn't even think about it, I was already going to the docks. So maybe I let him go, and maybe I'm an asshole for it. But I made my decision, and looking at you now, no matter how mad you are at me, no matter how bad I fucked up my chances, I know I made the right decision."
The Boss gave a half-smile, before walking towards the stairs.
"Wait!" Viola involuntarily reached out her arm. The Boss turned around, one eyebrow raised far above the other. "You said something about chances?"
"Oh, right, that. Look, V, promise me that no matter what I say you won't put the gun of yours against my head."
Viola glanced down at her pistol before folding her arms. "No."
"Wonderful. When I first met you; and by met you, I mean: was introduced formally to you; in the park, I hated your guts. I swore that I would always hate you. But learning about your sister, fighting Killbane, stopping the zombie apocalypse… something happened. I began to… like you."
"You sound like a seventh grader."
"And you aren't helping. The point is, I care about you, and-"
"Please shut up."
"Again, not helping. But I just want to-"
The Boss felt Viola's lips press against his. One of her arms had wrapped around the back of his neck, another was on his shoulder. Almost immediately, he loosened his lips, years of experience overcoming his surprise. Their bodies pressed together as Viola could feel her control slipping away. As the Boss slid his arms around her waist, he mentally asked Burt Reynolds' forgiveness for saying he didn't care.
