A/N:

italics flashback, bold Joey observations

Sorry the last chapter was so short. They'll get like that when Jimmy doesn't have much airtime/storyline in episodes. This one will definately be longer.

Thanks to everyone who's been leaving reviews. I really appreciate the feedback ;)

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I take the morning muffins out of the oven and spot Tommy sitting across the street holding a box. I actually noticed him half an hour ago when I walked in for my shift. I debated whether or not to cross the street and say something to him, but decided against it. He had that deep in thought look on his face, and if you were smart, you didn't bother him when he looked like that. That only meant one thing-- something happend between him and Jenny. I'd seen that face more times than I could count over the past fifteen years.

To name a few, there was junior high when he would watch Jenny talk on the bus with Brian almost every day. High school when Max asked Jenny to the prom before he got a chance to. And of course who could forget when he found out she was engaged. That was the biggest disappointment of his life. Or at least I imagine it was.

Jenny finally spotted him across the street. She came inside and flipped the sign over to open. I walk to the end of the counter. "He was here when I got here."

She wipes down the cake holder. "Really? Weird."

I toss an apron to her. "That sounded convincing, Jen. You gonna tell me what happend?"

She tied it around her waist. Tommy was crossing the street to the Diner. "Later, okay? He's coming in I think."

I walk out from behind the counter and head towards the back. "I'm gonna make myself scarce. I'll make the inventory list for tomorrow. May as well get a head start."

Smiling sadly, "Thanks. That'll help Dad out. He hasn't been feeling himself these past few days."

Mr. Reilly hadn't been acting himself. Jenny was telling me the other day that he put boxed frozen hamburgers in the oven. Hopefully nothing was wrong with him.

Ten minutes later, I was already done with the list. I walked back out into the front and Jenny passed me with a panicked look. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She shakes her head, heading to the back office. "Everything's good. Keep an eye out front, okay? I've gotta make some calls."

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"Kevin introducing Jimmy to Whitey was gonna result in one of the most gruesome and violent deaths the neighborhood had ever seen. But what did Kevin know? He was only trying to help. Was Whitey gonna kill Jimmy, or was Jimmy gonna kill Whitey? But the knife fight was later. In the beggining, Jimmy and Whitey looked liked a marriage made in heaven. Of course, Maddie didn't think too much of this new marriage. In fact, she wanted to cut it off by the balls, if you know what I mean. I do mean that literally, by the way."

"What Jimmy?"

"Nice hello. Still pissed?"

I switched the cell phone to my other ear, crossing the street. "Pissed, no. Annoyed, yes. You and Joey left me with all that inventory yesterday."

"I said I was sorry about that last night when I came back. Listen, remember the numbers on Louie's phone I was trying to figure out?"

I unlock my front door and throw the keys on the table. "Yeah, you wouldn't shutup about it. Look, is there a point to this conversation, because I've gotta sort through two weeks worth of dirty laundry?" I stop in the hallway. This conversation suddenly seemed familiar. "You're in jail aren't you? Jimmy, I swear to God--"

"Why is it whenever I call you-- know what? Forget it. I'm not in jail. I'm with Kevin. We're on our way over to your place."

I take two full hampers out of my closet and throw them on the bed. "Because--?"

Whitey points to himself and Jimmy waves him off. "Want to make two hundred bucks a week?"

That was a bad sign. "I don't know, do I?"

"We just have to use your apartment. You don't have to do anything-- just ignore us and do whatever. We won't be in your way, promise."

I roll my eyes, thinking about it. "Yeah, okay. But Jim, no screwing around. Tell Kevin I said so. He leaves a trail over here whenever he comes over."

"Tell him yourself. We're coming up now."

I hang up the phone and make a mental note to hide the Lucky Charms when Kevin isn't looking.

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It happend so fast I couldn't have stopped it if I'd wanted to. In order of appearance... Jimmy kisses me and rushes into the apartment, some creepy guy I'd never met passes by carrying two laptops, and Kevin follows him inside, after he asks me if I have anything to eat besides Fig Newtons. I hate that the Donnelly brothers know me so well. I try to ask Jimmy who the guy is, but he's already in the living room helping set up.

I finally get him cornered. "Who the hell is he? You said you and Kevin were coming over. You never said anything about whats-his-name."

"His name's Whitey and he's one of Kevin's friends. He's helping us out."

"I don't care what his name is. He gives me the creeps. I want him out."

"What the hell do you mean he creeps you out? The guy hasn't said one word to you. Anyway, you can't change your mind. We already stole everything."

"Excuse me? You don't live here, remember? So you keep reminding me. You should have told me about him before I agreed to anything. I don't like this thing with collecting Louie Downtown's bets either. I want out of it. I don't want any part of it."

He shakes his head, putting both hands on my shoulders. "Baby, you're not in anything. All we're doing is conducting business in your apartment. That's it."

I shrug him off. "No, that's not it. Not even close. I'm telling you, I don't like this guy. How does Kevin even know him?"

Jimmy grabs an apple from the counter. "Who cares? He knows how to make book."

Yeah, Whitey was a really nice guy. A real Prince Charming. So nice that when Jimmy and Kevin stepped out for a minute to talk, he helped himself to a little sneak peek down my shirt when he offered to explain exactly what he was doing on the laptop. He also called Jimmy a gimp. But everyone did that. Not to his face of course. For some reason, I took both things worse than I usually do.

Jimmy ducks when the coffee cup smashes against the front door. "Whoa! What the hell's goin' on?!"

I clutch another cup in my hand. I try to stop myself from swaying back and forth. This only happend when I was really pissed. "I'll tell you what's goin' on. Your new friend over here's a fucking pervert! The whole time you're out there he won't stop staring down my shirt! Four times I caught him doing it, and that's only when I caught him."

Whitey is hiding behind the enterance to the kitchen. "I wasn't doing anything!"

"You were staring at her chest, Whitey?"

Whitey shakes his head, throwing up his hands. "Jimmy, no. Jesus-- I know this is your girl. You told me that coming up here. I'd have to be out of my mind!"

I should have decked him after I got off the couch. At least then maybe he would have just left instead of trying to lie his way out of it. "Lying piece of shit! Get out of my apartment! Jimmy, I want him out now! I swear I'll throw you both out if I have to." I turn to Whitey. "You know what you did you little son of a bitch!"

Jimmy puts a hand up, and steps between me and Whitey. "Maddie, hey! Stop yelling, alright? Relax."

"You're seriously taking this asshole's side over mine?! You've known him less than twenty-four hours, Jimmy!"

"Baby, I'm not taking anyone's side, I'm trying to figure out what's going on. I come in here and you're throwin' things! That's all I know."

"I want him out of here now! I'm not gonna say it again, Jim."

"No one's going anywhere-- just stop! Everyone."

He turns back to Whitey. "Now Whitey, were you checking her out or not? Just set it straight."

Whitey's eyes flicker from me to Jimmy nervously. "I wasn't. She's a beautiful girl, don't get me wrong--"

I cut him off. "Beautiful girl my ass! Jimmy--"

Whitey continues, "--but no. I wasn't. I'm still confused how this even got started. I was just sitting there and she went off on me. Maybe she saw something I didn't."

Jimmy turns back to me. Fuck. He believed him. "He says he wasn't staring at your act, Mad. Maybe you made a mistake?"

This was unbelieveable. I was pulling out the big guns now. "So, it was a mistake when I heard him call you a gimp?"

He turns back, "You do that, Whitey?"

Whitey looks at him wide-eyed. "Come on, Jimmy! She doesn't like me. She's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since I walked in here. I don't know why. Maybe I remind her of an ex-boyfriend she used to have or something. I don't know."

Jimmy steps closer to him and puts a finger in his face. "Watch your mouth. I'm the only ex she's ever had."

I roll my eyes. Yeah, that was what he thought. I knew differently.

"Now, you sure you didn't say that, Whitey? Because people say that about me behind my back all the time. Never bothered me then and it don't bother me now. I know I've got a limp. It's not a big deal."

I spoke over them. "I'm not deaf. He called you a gimp. I was right here."

Whitey stammers, "Jimmy, I swear. I didn't do--" He ducks when the other coffee cup flies towards his head.

As it shatters on the front door, I yell, "You're a lying piece of shit!"

"Mad, no more throwing cups across the room! No more screaming, that's it! Stop!"

I angerly cross my arms over my chest, and back up to the counter. "I can't believe you believe a piece of trash like that over me."

He puts his arms on either side of me. "Mad, he's my new business associate. I explained to him who you were before we got here. If the scumbag was checking you out inappropriately he'd tell me. Right, Whitey?"

Whitey nods quickly. "Right, yes. Definately. Absolutely."

The cell phone rang and they left together right after the phone call.

For the next few days, Jimmy let me know when they were going to be in the apartment so I could make it a point not to be there.

Hey, it was better than Jimmy doing business out of the bar, getting caught, and going to jail. I'd just have to bail him out. Tommy sure as hell wasn't gonna do it, and Kevin would probably be in there with him.

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I inched closer toward the Firecracker and when I looked up Tommy was crossing the street with a large bundle of money in his hand. I stop in front of the door and wait for him. I ask sarcastically, "Do I even want to ask?"

He runs a hand through his hair, opening the door for me. "Jimmy and Kevin."

That was all he had to say. Then my expression went sour. That scumbag Whitey was the first thing, well the only thing, I saw when I walked inside. I pass him and shoot a death glare he doesn't dare meet. He hadn't picked his head up since I walked in. I reach Jimmy and kiss him. "What the hell's he doing here?"

He runs his hand down my hair, and drapes an arm over my shoulder. "He'll be gone in awhile. I thought you were coming by earlier? I called you like five times."

Kevin looks up from his beer and laughs. Whitey pipes in. "Five times? Since when are you clingy?" They were obviously drunk. Big surprise.

Jimmy smacks Kevin on the back of the head. "Shut it."

Tommy slams the money down on the bar. Jimmy smiles, unhooking his arm from my shoulder. "Look at you!"

Tommy looks away from him, as if he's somewhere else. "I want a cut."

I look up from making myself a drink next to Joey when he tells Jimmy he wants half. It had to be for Jenny and her Dad. Unless he was in some kind of trouble which was unlikely. Without arguement, Jimmy hands it over and Tommy turns to leave. "See ya, Tom." He nods at me and keeps going.

Whitey gives me a once over and again Jimmy is clueless. I roll my eyes and turn around to try and find the Whiskey that I like on the shelf. If I was going to be oogled by some guy I couldn't stand in front of my boyfriend, I was going to be drunk. He turns to Jimmy, slurring his words. "Dude what's the deal with this jerk? Why we lettin' him get away with this?" Then to Kevin, "You let him get away with that?"

Kevin waves him off, draining his drink. I reach higher trying to get to the bottle. Just my luck. I knew I should have worn the higher jeans. "Jimmy, will you tell your friend Joey over here to get me a stool? I've asked him six times and it's not registerin'."

Joey pulls down the lever of the keg, refilling his drink. "I heard you, Mad. Still don't know where it's at. Kevin had it last."

"I put it in the store room--" Kevin stops mid-sentence and so does Jimmy after he starts arguing with him about the location of the stool. Their eyes were on the same image. Whitey's drunken, lazy eyes directly on my ass. And no, I did not plan this. Not completely anyway. But if I did, it worked like a charm.

Joey even got quiet. I am still trying to reach the bottle. I turn my head after a few seconds when I notice no one is talking. Jimmy shatters his glass over Whitey's head and he falls to the floor instantly. Kevin chucks not one, but two glasses and they shatter. Then Joey does the same from behind the bar, which surprises me.

Whitey is crumpled in a ball on the floor, trying to shield himself. "Jesus! What the hell'd you nuts do that for?!"

Jimmy stands up and kicks him hard in the stomach. I jump a little. I was not expecting that. My assumption that Jimmy would just kick him out was wrong. Whitey turns away and coughs from the pain. Jimmy walks to the storeroom and hands over the small stool to me. He shurgs, meeting my wide eyes. "Okay?" All I could do was smile. He had admitted I was right in his own twisted way. He tucks a few of my curls behind my ear and calmly returns to his seat.

I look over, and to my surprise, it isn't over yet. Kevin is standing over Whitey with his foot pressed against his throat. Not hard, but hard enough. I wasn't about to do anything to stop it either. I was happily enjoying it. "Let me ask you a question. I know you can't talk so just nod or shake your head. You look at your sister like that?"

Whitey slowly shakes his head the best he can. "You don't, huh? Well, guess what? When you're here with us or anywhere else for that matter, that's what she is. Here's a tip limp dick. Next time you see her show a little respect, and if you get the urge to look at anything other than her face, think about my foot choking you to death and two others being shoved up your ass. Got it?"

Jimmy glances back at Kevin and he eases his foot off. Whitey starts to get up, but Jimmy shakes his head. "No, stay down there for awhile. Cool off. You're lucky it was him and not me. I wouldn't have bothered trying to choke you. I woulda' just blown your head off and make it look like an accident."

He slumps back down, afraid to move. "Joey get me another beer, and get Whitey a towel. He's bleedin' all over my floor." To Kevin, "I had him you know."

He shrugs, "Don't worry about it. I felt like doing it." Glancing at me, "He deserved it, anyway."

Jimmy starts laughing. "You know it would be hard as hell to choke somebody to death with your foot, right?"

He looks down at the bar. "Well-- yeah. I mean, yeah. I just said that."

I lean over the bar and give Kevin and then Jimmy a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's the thought that counts."

Joey looks disappointed. "What about me? I threw a glass at him too."

Jimmy glares at him. "Will you shutup and pour me my beer, please?"

"Me? I wasn't afflicted with the help disease like Tommy was, and I certainly wasn't as dumb as that idiot to stare at Maddie's assett like that-- in front of Jimmy no less. I don't care if he was drunk off his ass. Anyone that dumb deserves to have more done to 'em than glasses smashed over their heads. So, I let Whitey stew a bit. Oh, and stopping Jimmy from killing Whitey wasn't the only reason Kevin stepped in and threatened him. But that comes later, too.."