I own nothing but Nicki

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Expectation is the root of all heartache."

Nicki took off her helmet and shook out her hair, doing her best to fluff it back up after it had been pressed down for so long. Normally she wasn't too concerned with having helmet hair, but this was a special day. She was finally going to be able to sit down and talk with Don Falcone.

After all of their interruptions and such, it was beginning to feel as though this moment would never come. But here she was, and there was his black Cadillac parked outside of Fish's club, and there was the door. The threshold to her new life.

Well let's not go getting too poetic, she thought to herself as she smoothed her outfit and made her way to the door. She caught sight of her reflection in the glass and allowed herself to indulge in a quick once over before entering. Her hair looked… ok, but her black pants and blouse barely showed any dishevelment from the ride over on her motorbike so she called that a success. Entering the club, she found herself immediately scanning the room for one particular familiar face. She spotted him by the stage, attempting to coerce a guitar player into…something…God knew what in this place. She huffed a laugh to herself as she placed her helmet on the bar and took a seat to observed him. He had to look up at the taller man he was speaking too but seemed unfazed by this. His head was tilted up to meet the other mans eyes with his sparlking green ones which were currently alight with pleasantness as he smiled and spoke, the picture of the perfect host, even holding out his hands like Vanna White as he showed him where the dressing rooms were.

The man he was speaking to had an arrogant air to him and she could tell by the way he smirked when he spoke that whatever he was saying was far less than polite. Oswald seemed unfazed by this all the same and simply placed a hand on his arm, rather awkwardly, in comradeship and motioned towards the dressing room. To her surprise, as soon as the guitar player turned to walk away, the inviting look on Oswald's face slid off, as easy as mask, quickly replaced by a look that consisted much more of a cold glare and pursed lips. Nicki shook her head as she saw the sharp nosed man transform in seconds into someone she hadn't met yet, a version of Oswald that looked cold and even a little dangerous. Or maybe she had seen this before. She thought back to his exchange with Victor that night she had her run in with Neeko.

"He should pay for this" he had said, his voice as cool as ice and his twisted expression not much warmer. Yes, this Oswald was a good guy, a sweet kid, but there was still something about him that made her heart beat a little faster.

As she watched him straighten his ill-fitting suit and march after the musician, head held high, she couldn't help but notice how nicely it still seemed to hang on his thin frame and how the black made his pale features seem sharp. The kind of cheekbones you just want to trace with your fingers. Perhaps he made her heart beat a little faster for more ways than one.

"Nicki." She turned to see Butch in the doorway of Fish's office, motioning for her to come in. Prying her attention from the fascinating young man, she hurried to his beckoning. Entering the room and closing the door she was immediately comforted by the low lighting and comfortable furnishing of the office. Fish sure knew her way around aesthetics.

The lady herself was standing by a less than scenic window to the side, and Butch moved to join her, seating himself on a red, velvety chair beside his boss. Don Falcone sat behind Fish's desk, clearly having made himself at home in her office. He offered Nicki a warm smile and held his hand out towards the chair in front of the desk. Taking his cue, Nicki sat herself in the seat, immediately settling into its plush cushion and rigid mahogany back and arm rest.

"So, the moment finally arrives," Don Falcone offered, leaning forward and folding his hands on the desk. "And not a moment too soon. Your contract ends today yes?"

Nicki nodded, giving the old man a soft smile. She was ecstatic, but it was still bittersweet. Falcone had been good to her and her brother, even though she was a part of a rival family. And Fish and Butch had been a huge part of her life, she wasn't afraid to admit it. Part of her would miss this. This life and these people. But her resolve held firm. She never wanted to be a criminal, and now, after years of waiting, she was finally breaking free of that bondage.

"And you want out of all of it?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Out of the family, out of our circles. Out of this way of living?"

"Yes sir."Her heart was already pounding in her ears. This was it, her moment of freedom after all of these years. She wondered what it would feel like. What the words would sound like coming from Falcones lips.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible my dear."

Apparently she would never know.

She stood stock still, her expression blank as she locked eyes with the man in front of her. Her mouth worked for a moment as if she were trying to speak but her voice had vanished. Not possible. No. She had heard him wrong. Hadn't she? She felt confused, and betrayed, and a variety of other things that all gnawed at her insides and made her heart go numb as if it were no longer beating at all.

Don Falcone simply observed her for a moment before finally commenting, very simply, "You seem surprised."

You seem surprised, he said, as if he had just told her that he had recently discovered that he preferred green tea to chai. Not at all as if he had just sent her dreams of eleven years crashing all around her.

"Why is that 'not possible'?" She had found her voice, and it was much angrier and louder than she remembered. "The contract said-"

"The contract ended when you turned 21," Don Falcone cut over top of her, his voice remaining smooth and calm. "That means that you are free to leave the families, as you have decided to do. However, you see why we can't just let you walk off into the sunset yes? You know too much and are far too valuable to lose my dear." He said this with such an air of matter-of-fact calmliness that went straight through her.

Nicki snarled and leaped from her chair, slamming her hands on the desk in front of her. "We had a deal-"

She almost fell over backwards as Falcone also rose from his chair and slapped the table with his own hands, his head hovering over hers in a way that intimidated her more than she cared to admit. "And that deal is off. Meaning that you are no longer under the protection of either family, especially now that you have chosen to leave." She struggled to hold her ground but her expression faltered to one of fear. Falcone was not a man to be messed with and if what he said was true….

"You are free from being a family member which means that we are no longer required to respect the laws governed by the contract. This includes the stipend that is keeping your precious underground orphanage alive. The Flea is it? We aren't obligated to continue with that funding…"

And here came the catch, she saw as she caught the glimmer in his eye. "Unless you come and work for us."

She wanted to spit in his face. Throw something. Scream. She could feel her teeth clench together and her body nearly shake with rage. She glared daggers into the man's eyes and was only more infuriated by the fact that he met her gaze with nothing but cool indifference. Glancing at Fish she saw the woman staring out the window as if the neighboring brick wall were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Beside her, Butch was staring at his shoes, looking extremely uncomfortable but not a bit surprised. It only fueled the burning fury in Nicki's stomach even more.

She turned back to Falcone with the most defiant look she could manage. "Don Maroni will NOT stand for this-"

"And how did Sal take the news of his 'Bella's' decision? That is what he calls you right?"

Nicki's face flushed. Her guardian had been less than happy with her decision for sure. She felt guilt wash over her. "He…was fine with it-"

"He wasn't. You know that." Falcone said sharply, sitting back down and reclining in the chair. "The girl he raised as a daughter wanting to run off and leave? He was heartbroken. He expected you to take his place you know."

Nicki shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting back tears. She didn't need to be reminded, she was well aware that Sal had expected her to "take on the family business" and even though he was ever-supportive of her, she had failed to miss the sadness in his eyes when she had talked to him about her decision.

"Yes even after you threw back all of his kindness in his face, I'm sure that Sal would still take up for you. But I'm afraid it isn't quite that easy my dear. You see, we need the Maroni family for booze, but they need the money we pay for it more. I've seen to it that we are well stocked in the off chance that we come to an impass like this one…but how prepared is Maroni for that kind of standstill? You're father is a powerful man, but I'm afraid he is still beneath us, financially anyways, and money is power my girl. How would he fair off of a couple of months without that particular cash flow?

Nicki leaned forward and propped her elbows up on her knees, covering her mouth with her hands and trying desperately to hold back the frustrated tears welling up in her eyes. Her mind was racing, grasping desperately for a solution, but white hot rage was making it difficult to think.

"I don't need your money. My dad can just-"

"If he funds you we'll take it as an act against us and proceed as I just said."

She took a breath to steady herself and with a new calmness said, "I'll find a way to keep the Flea going myself then."

Falcone snorted. "Good luck."

"I'll think of something." The reprssed rage clawed out with a vengeance as she snapped at him, well aware of how pathetic and childish she seemed with tears on the brink of spilling down her face.

"And what will you do if it becomes more than a money issue?" The threat hung ominous in the air. Nicki was taken aback, unsure of where he was going with the statement. Falcone heaved a sigh. "To be honest, sometimes the street kids you and Victor hold so dear are quite a nuisance. They rat to the cops, steal from the wrong people, and ultimately cause unnecessary trouble. Perhaps I decide that they aren't worth dealing with anymore? They can be removed, or put to work by us-"

"No!" The tears were now streaming down her face. Nicki tried her best to look defiant, but her tears and cracking voice landing somewhere near helpless instead. "Victor won't-"

"Victor is loyal. He'll do whatever is necessary for the family. A trait you are sorely lacking my dear."

"Those kids are my family," she choked out, unable to look at Facone anymore. She turned her eyes to Fish and Butch and could see that Fish had now completely turned her back to her, content with staring at the wall, while Butch's eyes were squeezed shut, his meaty fist rubbing his forehead.

Falcone fixed her with a sagely look. "Then do what is best for them."

For a moment the room stood still, waiting to see how the desperate girl would react. After a long moment, a watery voice whispered, "I want to back to Sal." All of the fight had left her. "I want to back to them."

Falcone looked at the girl in front of him. All of the defiance had fallen away, leaving a broken homesick girl in its place. As hard as he tried to appear indifferent, he couldn't help the pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry my dear…but you've already made your choice."

She sobbed and the discomfort in the room grew tenfold. Fish looked over her shoulder to exchange a look with Don Falcone who had put on a stony expression. A mask.

The crying subsided after a moment and, sniffing and wiping the mascara from her face. Nicki finally looked up. Locking eyes with the man behind the desk. "When do I start?"

Oswald's head perked up from the cash register at the sound of Fish's office door opening. He had seen Nicki go in there earlier, unable to pay her much attention at the time due to his dealing with the jerk musician who "couldn't bear to be kept in a holding room without a mini fridge full of gin and a couch for 'recreational purposes'". Oswald felt his face contort at the mere memory of dealing with him. This was soon forgotten, however, as he caught sight of Nicki exiting the office. Her head was held up like a queen, but her eyes were red and puffy, all traces of makeup gone, except for a few spots of black on her cheeks. With a stone in his stomach that he couldn't quite understand he realized that she must have been crying.

Butch was following her, rubbing the back of his neck and looking like a kicked dog. Neither of the two noticed Oswald, Nicki's eyes focused on the door and Butch's on his feet as he walked behind her. As they crossed the room, Oswald abandoned his task, moving to the end of the bar where he could better hear and see them as they paused, her hand already on the door knob, it evident that she was more than ready to leave.

"So uh…yeah…just be here bright and early at nine pm." Butch tried a sad attempt at a joke as she slipped past him and gave her a weak smile that came nowhere near reaching his eyes. She looked up at him with a dark look that would have made her brother proud. The smile slid right off his face.

"I wasn't really going to leave the family you know. Just the family business." Her voice sounded so hollow. Oswald felt a pang in his chest at the sound. "I was still going to be at Belmontes for dinner every Sunday…now I don't suppose I'm even allowed in the same district."

Butch was the picture of discomfort as he averted his eyes, looking over her head and rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll call you cab," was his only reply.

Sorry for taking so long with the update guys! But here it is =) Thank you all for reading! Also...THAT GOTHAM FINALE! Penguin and Zsaz make the top of the list of "people who shouldn't have a cooking show together". I loved that scene where they infiltrated Loeb's kitchen. And the Joker is AMAZING!