On Kate's bench Cathy sat applying the makeup her mentor had laid out for her. Her dark hair was held back in a tight bun as delicate brushes worked to both enhance and hide her face. Her hands worked like an artist creating quarter-sized paintings. She worked up close to the mirror to focus on the details of her design as well as the entire piece. Cathy made magic with the powders and glosses available to her. Nothing in her possession went to waste; not even the mistakes.

Kate entered the room behind her so that she was visible in the mirror without Cathy having to turn her head. The woman stepped forward and placed a stunning teardrop sapphire necklace around the girl's throat as she leaned forward and demanded, "Tell me everything you know."

"Gustavo Fring owns a business by the name of Los Pollos Locos and uses it to move his meth around. Victor has worked for him since he was fourteen while Mike has worked for him for about eight years, maybe less. Heisenberg and Jesse are relatively new additions to the group and there seems to have been a massive problem with them."

"Problem?" Kate lifted her brown, "What kind of problem?"

"The kind of problem that left the old cook, Gale, dead. Victor was really broken up about it and didn't let anything else go after that. All he did was cry," Cathy shuddered.

"Hm…that's interesting," Kate sighed, "Did you confirm his involvement with the end of the Cartel?"

"Definitely him," she nodded.

"Anything else?"

"He's in with the DEA. He uses an anti-drug program to get them on his side. No one suspects he could be up to any illegal activity," she shrugged.

"Is Victor his son?"

Cathy froze in that moment and gazed into the reflection of her mistress' eyes, "If he is he has no idea."

It was in that moment that Kate pulled away and entered the closet.

"What's your interest with this man anyway?" she desperately questioned.

Kate was silent for a moment before entering the room with a dress and shoes that she promptly laid on the bed, "Do you remember that story of the woman that get left behind in Chile?"

Cathy nodded.

"I was that woman."

"Gustavo Fring is Negro," Cathy hissed.

"He is."

"Are you going to tell Elias?"

Kate let out a deep breath from her nostrils as she worked to organize the dress in a way that didn't give it wrinkles, "When it serves us best. I plan to wait until their deal is almost over before rushing to him crying and divulging all of my deep, dark past."

"What do you think he'll do?" Cathy wondered, having already stopped her makeup production to turn around and look at Kate.

"I have no idea," she smiled, "And that's exactly what I want. Are you still taking your fertility medication?"

"Of course, one pop and I'm prego," she smiled warmly but her smile faltered slightly as she gazed at the woman, "Is it necessary that he impregnates me? We aren't even sure he's Gustavo's son."

"He has to be. Those eyes can only come from him. But even if he's not," Kate sighed, "It's the only way I can ensure your safety. We aren't just going for revenge here. Everything we've been working for, all of it is going into this. We are going head first into this fight and if things go wrong no one knows you are apart of this and you still have a get-out-of-jail-free card. I need to know that you are safe, no matter what."

Cathy grinned without saying a word.

"You're the daughter I always wanted, you know that," Kate beamed.

Cathy nodded, "I do. Is that what I'm wearing?"

"Yes. No stockings tonight. I don't care how you do it but he must touch your legs. I don't care if you have to fake a sprained ankle. One touch of those cursed things and he is wrapped around your finger," Kate smirked.

"You got that right."

Breaking Bad:

Turning Tides

"What did you think of Mr. Heisenberg?"

The question was pronounced with a false amusement that was easily understood to be unreal. Elias sat coyly with one leg crossed over the other as he sucked on his cigar with a glass of scotch in one hand. He was leaning on the recliner in his old study with one of his oldest friends and his resident eccentric scientist—Joel Hammerstein.

The man wore loose basketball shorts, an old polo, and sandals that were worn under long white socks. His hair was combed back sloppily and though he was roughly the age of forty-five he tried his hardest to appear eighteen. He himself smoked a joint similar to that of Diabla who Elias had dropped off at her apartment. The man was a genius but had not yet mastered life. It was a miracle he had found that wife of his—deaf or not.

"He's smart. What else is there to think about?" he shrugged.

"I know that but is he our kind of smart?" Elias mused out loud.

"I doubt it. He's one of those guys that's really good at one thing but not pretty good at everything," Joel smirked.

Elias took a sip of his scotch, "How unfortunate."

Hammerstein jerked himself forward as he shook his head, "Fuck that! How very fortunate. That guy's a tool and he's got no imagination. Why I…"

"Yes?"

"I haven't told you what I've just finished in the lab?"

The atmosphere shifted as the two men leaned forward to listen to the secrets that would be divulged. Elias left his drink on the table beside him as he stamped out his cigar to focus on what was opening before his eyes. His brows raised as he questioned, "What did you finish, my friend?"

"I haven't tested it on anyone but myself but here it is," from his pocket came two thick vials of clear liquid, one tinted green and the other tinted blue.

As Elias grasped the two vials he questioned, "Is this what we talked about?"

"This is exactly what we talked about."

Arciniega leaned backward into his seat as he rolled the two thick vials between his fingers. His eyes were wide and filled with a dancing light that swayed between green and blue, green and blue, green in blue. A soft chuckle fell from his lips as he gazed back to his comrade.

Things were looking much better than he had anticipated.

In the hotel Walter sat on one of the large cushioned seats sitting out in the hallway of their rooms. He was dressed well mannered with his hat tilted upon his head and his glasses resting against his face so that he could read the magazine that was beside him. It was the New York Times that had run an interesting article on the possible legalization of marijuana. Many politicians were against it but some were considering that taxation on the substance could possibly get the country out of debt. There was even a poll that estimated a decrease in recreational use. Those against raised the question if marijuana is legal than why not meth?

Why not meth?

The door to one of the rooms opened and out came Jesse in some decent clothes. Walter was beyond thankful he had traded his old 'homeboy swag' for an improved wardrobe. Somehow in the process of nearly being murdered countless times he had been reborn into a seemingly grown man. Of course it was only "seemingly." Jesse plopped down on the chair beside Walt with that sniveling pout only he could commit to.

His eyes glazed over to focus on the young man fixing through his pockets in search of his pack of smokes. He knew there was no way he could positively push Jesse into a conversation but tried nonetheless with a half-assed attempt, "Have you seen this article yet?"

No answer.

"It's about the legalization of pot. Looks like it might actually be a thing."

"Yeah," Jesse drawled, "Whatever."

Walt slammed the magazine down angrily on the round table between them as he snapped, "We are going to have to talk eventually."

"There's nothing to talk about anymore. You wanted me here and I'm here. If you shove your hand up my ass don't expect me to smile," he responded in the same tone.

"Here we go," Walter rolled his eyes, "I didn't force you here. I thought it was a better opportunity than allowing you to keep holed up in that house of yours."

"I wasn't holed up."

"You're right. You weren't holed up; you were rotting in there. If I hadn't pulled you out of there you wouldn't have lasted one week."

"Maybe I didn't want to last a week."

Jesse's words faded down the hall along with their conversation. His eyes had trailed away to some unimaginable memory that haunted his expression entirely. Walter looked away and tried not to retreat back to the last time he had seen him in that house. He had been there for many ups and downs but the last one promised to be something Jesse could not return from. He was on the ground covered in his own vomit (wrists bleeding though he had left that part out of the report to Gus) with no breath left in his lungs.

It had begun with Combo, avalanched with Jane, there was the landslide with Gale, but Andrea and Brock had broken the dam. That was clear. That was way too clear.

"Well, how do you feel now?" it was a serious question, "Do you feel like dying halfway across the country?"

"What do you mean?" Jesse groaned as if he was over what ever plan or scheme that could be come up with.

"We talk to Elias. Mention that we have a family to return home t-"

"I don't have a family."

"Besides the point. We have done our part of the deal and if we both approach him respectably we can get out of it," Walter explained.

"Yeah, whatever," Jesse sighed, rolling his eyes, "Just…keep his crazy wife away from me."

Walter was suddenly very intrigued, "What did she say to you?"

In a mocking voice Jesse replied, "'I've got my eyes on you.'"

"The last thing we need is you to have an affair with this w-"

"What?!" Jesse repulsed, "It wasn't like that, bitch. And I'm not into milfs."

"Milfs?"

"You know?" he rolled his eyes, "Mother I'd Like to Fuck? Also meaning Older Woman."

"That's repulsive."

"I know."

In her vehicle outside of Elias' favorite Italian Restaurant Rune sat with her head against the steering wheel, hyperventilating. She was sitting in a new black dress that made her seem a lot slimmer than she was with long sleeves that sucked in her arms the right way. Her hair was folded upward in a fishtail bun but since she had left home her hair had gone a little too crazy. Because of the heaving of her shoulders her hair had fallen in disarray but because of the bobby pins still in place it had style to it. Her make up was still intact since she had not cried or touched her face but her eyes were bloodshot.

Totally.

Rune had gotten the message to meet at the restaurant so that she could return home immediately after dinner but for some reason on the way there she had gotten mixed up and arrived too early. For the past half an hour she sat in her car listening to music and trying to calm down until a massive vision struck her like a football in the face. It was the strangest thing she had ever experienced and left her way more winded than she had ever imagined a vision could. She would have gone home if the thing didn't immediately affect her and the life of her employer and his new visitors. It might not have been her dream but it was definitely something she didn't want to go through.

The black SUVs rolled up in sync to line the parking spots directly behind her. Before anyone could leave their vehicles she got out and rushed to Elias as fast as her tight skirt would allow her. Rune grabbed the door to his side and spat out, "You can't come here. Tell everyone else to follow you and get the fuck out of here right now."

Elias was already making the call as he furrowed his brows, "What's wrong?"

"There are cops in there. Staking out the place across the street. They don't know anything about you or what's going on here but you have to get out. We walk in there, all together, we'll bring too much suspicious and you know Diego's always holding. Just get out now!"

He didn't need to hear anymore. Elias began barking orders into his cell phone while Rune left to find the vehicle that contained the man Victor. She didn't know why she needed to follow through with the rest of her plan but the second part of the vision promised that if she didn't distract the cops with him the immediate exodus of all the black SUVs would certainly stir up their attention. Before she knew it she was pulling open another door and there was that bitch Cathy were her "perplexed" expression as she cozied up to the man. Elias had already made his way down the line and was speaking to Mike on the phone to tell him what's what but no one else knew for sure what was going on. And she certainly didn't care.

"I had a vision," she explained briskly, "I need you to come with me. We need to distract the cops by going in together and having dinner. If they watch everyone leaving at once they're going to be susp-"

"Why him?" Cathy snapped as woundedly as she could manage.

"I don't ask the spirits why I get the information I do I just follow through with it," Rune growled.

Mike had spent the early part of the afternoon talking with Rune. They had discussed many things other than her ability and had found much in common. They talked about movies, music, TV shows, and any thing else that could be talked about. Rune was chatty, that was for sure, but she was also a debater. When they disagreed on a matter she made a point to get the facts out on the table and discuss her opinion versus his. It was in a fun way though, not in a demanding and forceful way that pushed her thoughts on his so that he would conform. It was just for fun but it gave him an insight into how she thought and he trusted her line of thinking.

So when she demanded that Victor go with her he immediately looked over and urged, "Go with her, kid."

Rune shut the door and began her little walk to the restaurant while Victor angrily snapped, "Are you kidding? Why don't you go with her?"

"Because she asked you. Don't be difficult," he pushed, knowing that Victor didn't put up much of a fight when Mike ordered him to do something and somehow this had become an order.

Victor took in a deep breath and began to open the door but the young Cathy grabbed his arm and pouted, "Don't go! She's insane!"

Mike was on the verge of opening his mouth and telling her to be quiet but Victor had already made his decision. He was out the door and following Rune so quickly the door had yet to be slammed shut. Mike smiled to himself as he glanced at the other SUVs and followed their lead. Walter was sitting beside him with that look that obviously meant, "What do you think that's all about?" The only response he gave was a brief shrug and an eye roll. He would have to tell Victor to watch out with that girl. There was no chance she was up to anything good.

Though Jesse sat in an entirely different SUV with the woman he wanted to be nowhere near he was still able to catch sight of what was going on. That girl Rune had stormed her way to Arciniega only to drag Victor out with her to the restaurant. Before he knew it they were reversing out of their spots and getting the hell out of dodge all because of her warning. He found himself curious about the fact that such a small girl could demand such attention from the whole group but that wasn't all he wondered. He wondered why she picked Victor but he didn't stay focused on that thought for too long.

She was a pretty girl so that meant she could pick anyone she wanted to have that dinner with. She was short and thick and never looked too frantic about anything. The dress was short and tight against her body but it didn't look like she was trying hard. It looked like she was trying hard not to look like she was trying hard but still trying to look really nice. And it actually worked. It was a mystery to him how girls could manage to do the impossible like that.

Jane managed to challenge him without making him feel stupid. Andrea managed to make him feel like a man without having to be totally in control. Rune managed to make him feel all of the crap he had been trying his hardest to forget but that one he didn't really like. As the SUVs pulled onto the highway and drove at warp speed toward another location Jesse found himself cursing the fact that once again everything felt fresh and new. He didn't want to think about Brock and what he could have felt or seen. They deserved better; they all deserved better.

"Girl trouble?"

Jesse snapped his head toward the older woman dressed in her expensive fur and expensive diamonds. He narrowed his eyes angrily as he shook his head, "What?"

"I see that look on your face. I know what it means," she smiled all knowingly, "It means girl trouble."

He stared at her briefly then looked away, not bothering to respond.

"You might not see it now but one day we are going to be great friends," she encouraged.

Jesse shut his eyes and prayed for a car crash.

Kate knew the young man wanted nothing to do with her but she never gave up so easily. There was no way she was going to try to seduce him—he was a weak and pitiful man in her opinion and she would be physically repulsed to touch him—but still she needed some sort of relationship to stir. Already there was a plan that she, Cathy, and her girls were following but there was always room for improvement. Watching him cook with the famous Heisenberg proved that he was more than a contender and more than an adequate addition to her scheme. If she had him it would open up a whole new avenue of the drug trade by completing the deal that could never be finished.

The only trouble was that surrounding him was a dark cloud of blackness that prevented her from getting any closer. Kate had a charm that allowed her to come across as personable and welcoming though she was no such thing. She had her sex appeal that worked quite well on most men but that wasn't her only tool. It became clear to her early on that a woman that only relies on sex was a weak woman with no power and so she accumulated her own wealth of skills. She knew how to be the loving mother when she needed to be—to everyone but the one that mattered.

"I'm a powerful ally," she smiled only to herself, "I'm a good friend to have."

Just as she expected they were pulling into Eli's second favorite restaurant just a mile away from the old Ciao Bella that had suddenly been filled with police officers. The place they were pulling into went by the name of Old Joe's Steakhouse and mostly served as a tavern except for the back room that was reserved only for Elias. The deal had come not from any shady schemes but from the fact that somehow her husband managed to have a minimum bill of one thousand dollars in a place that had four-dollar burgers. She didn't mind the atmosphere, since it had dark lighting and regardless of anyone around she would no doubt gather their attention. The only trouble was that Victor had been taken out of the group which set their plan back a night.

But that didn't matter.

She would make sure they would return to the Luxury Palace.

They always did.