"So that's how we end up in the present day," Niko said finishing his American story, or his sordid tale of his life in America. It was so long it took almost two whole days to tell. Kate only sat on the bench with her mouth ajar, only slightly, with awe. Her eyes were not focused on Niko. They were not focused on his tight fitting jacket or his tight fitting pants, or that massive package. Wait what? "Kate, stop coveting," she chided internally. She was trying mightily and pointlessly to focus on the gray and white seagulls that were making that joyful laughing, or cackling noise. They, those damn birds, were taunting her, as another question, something more personal, left her lips and made itself known.

"So you mean to tell me, Niko Bellic, that you did all of that and still had the time to hang out with your friends? To do go and eat and see shows with me?" She was astonished by the amount of effort put in or the lack of sleep this man endured.

"Well, it's not like I worked everyday of my life in America, sometimes I went days, weeks between work," He tried his best to explain.

"I know that you poured out your guts to me, but how can you just refer to it as 'work'?" She, in her heart of hearts, wanted to know how the man she loved coul-. Damn she'd done it again, "We're just friends, dammit. Pull yourself together," she thought. She had begun to tune out whatever he was saying. Had she not she would have been dismayed and horrified.

"When you're just a twelve years old and you watch a man kill and burn an eight year old girl, your neighbor's daughter, you realize that there are people out there who don't have souls. The work I did, for the most part dealt with the scum of the earth like that man," he said seriously, looking down into the face of the woman sitting next to him on the bench at the seaside. He spoke with a softer tone this time, "You're doing it again," he said with a well-meaning grin and relieved gracing his face.

"What?" She said almost screamed. He actually cringed in embarrassment at her volume. Wow, Niko Bellic cringing.

"You're црвењење," He said trying to mess with her.

"I am not blushing," she protested vehemently. Although, she knew acutely that she was.

"How did-" His eyes and mouth were comically gaping.

"I've been taking some classes. Alright? It wasn't easy but I found a Serbian class in Algonquin, in Easton. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night, after work, I go and learn your native language. I figured that it was something useful. I could get a second language, and surprise you on your birthday."

"I don't know what to say." He was flattered and surprised that she took the time."

"And another thing, my penmanship in that Cyrillic alphabet is just, terrible," she was smiling.

He chuckled heartily.

That night, when Kate had arrived home, Packie noticed something different about his sister. He didn't know exactly what it was, but there was certain that it was different.

So in his Packie way he got down to the bottom of the situation. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He asked his sister, rudely.

"Whatever it is, it's none of your damn business." Fight fire with fire.

"It is my business when you come strolling in with that retarded look on your face so late."

"Patrick," she knew that he hated it when he used his name, "First of all," she said looking at her watch, "It's 8:30. Second, since when do you care about my goings and comings?" She slapped herself mentally, immediately knowing where her brother was going to go with that.

"There shouldn't be any coming. Not from my little sister." He looked fierce, "Why have you been hanging out so much with Nikolai Bellic?"

"Nikolai?" she asked to irk Packie, "I have been with Niko just talking. We've been going to the beach and talking and that's it."

"Talking about what?!" He demanded.

"If you must know, talking about everything that happened since Niko arrived in this God-forsaken country.

"What do you mean everything?" His voice softened considerably, fearing what she was going to say next.

"Everything. Like the way she saved your ass when that drug deal for Elizabeta Torres went bad. Or when you robbed that bank in Algonquin."

"SHIT!" Packie figured that Niko must have been serious.

"Exactly, so please mind your goddamn business from now on." She said as she prepared to ascend to her room. She was smiling as she climbed the stairs, knowing that she was victorious.

Packie watched her walk up the stairs and waited for the click of her door closing. When the door was shut, he went immediately into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone. He went to the third contact on his favorites list.

"Hello?" An accent came across.

"What the fuck are you doing telling her about the bank?"

"She already knew."

"WHAT?!" Had Packie been high right then, he would have died.

"She noticed all of the extra money. She noticed that new car and the new computer and all of the cocaine." Niko would have gone on, but he knew that he didn't need to go on.

"But why the fuck—"

"Look, Packie, she's not a little girl anymore. She wanted to know about me, so I told her about me. She's one of the few people I cannot lie to."

"Well, when did Niko get so damn serious?" He asked. He actually sounded as if he was talking about him not to him.

"I got serious when I realized that I—"

All Packie could hear was a dull thud. He wasn't sure if it was a gunshot. Then there was the sound of a struggle. Panting. Coughing. Groaning. Another thud like a punch making contact. Someone, not Niko, shouting in a lot of profanities, not that that made him shudder. A grunt and another thud, like someone hitting the ground.

"Niko?" Packie sounded a little frightened, though he would say he didn't.

NOTHING

"Niko, answer me dammit."

A voice that wasn't Niko's crackled over the phone. "We got this nigga."

"What the fuck is going on?" Patrick was just plain confused now.

"If you wanna see this Pollock again it'll be in hell, mothafucka." The gangster replied.

"Who sent you?"

"X, mothafucka." He hung up. 'Mothafucka' seemed to be that particular gangster's favorite word.