Baleor Breakspear: I know, FFN fucks up sometimes. Yeah dude, you're totally getting the point of the story, I love readers like you! I like Boyle a lot. I think he's a funny, quirky, character, but he's just… okay, in most shows in existence, there's the "best friend" characters where one's super cool, and one is super lame, and B99 is no exception. We see this with Boyle and Jake, so I wanted my version of Charles to still be… well Charles, but not so hellbent on Peraltiago, and not so focused on Peralta, and Jake's betrayal does a good job of that, because we see Boyle not wanting to get too attached to him. Yeah, I totally wanted to incorporate Gen, but not the Gen we know and love. I wanted this AU version of her so I could play around with her character a little, just so her title isn't, "Female Boyle". I feel like she has a lot of potential, but she's limited to 'Female Boyle', which kind of irks me. Like she's in the show just so Boyle has a wife or girlfriend, or just romantic interest in general. They did do a good job with her first episode, with her case and all, but it goes downhill, so I hope the B99 writers get on top of that :)
Leila: Thank you! I love these kinds of positive reviews!
Guest: Don't forget to leave a review! I love reading them :))
pineapples: YOUR USERNAME LMAO! Yeah, the second I saw "Undercover", I knew I wanted to do the mafia AU. XDD, I'm sorry, but dw, Jake's going to see less than a bikini in a few chapters! ;))) And yes, Bianca is going to show up in this chapter! I wish we had seen more of her, and I hope B99 does bring Freddy and the mafia back, because we've never heard about him or Bianca after he escaped. And don't forget to review, your username made my day :D
Chapter 7! :D
ooo
The alarm blared through his room, and Jake groaned and rolled over, slamming his hand down on the clock to shut it off. He rolled back over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes as his brain took it's time to wake up. He turned his head, and after seeing that it was 9AM, he couldn't help but groan. Sundays were normally his sleep-in days, but of course now that he had company, he had forced himself to set an alarm last night. In fact, he could already hear his friends outside in the kitchen, talking and watching the morning news.
He had to admit, he was surprised they had settled down so fast and felt comfortable enough to be themselves around him again—well, that was the situation for Boyle and Gina's case, Amy, though friendly, seemed distant. It seemed as though the 6 months apart didn't really bother them, or at least not enough to change them completely… unlike him. He was still taking his time adjusting to having the people he'd distanced himself from for the past half year, suddenly come back into his life again.
But in their defence, Jake did ask them to come here… well he had asked Amy to come here, but he should've known a trained police officer wasn't about to come to a mafia alone with no backup. So it shouldn't have been a surprise when Gina and Charles showed along with her.
After a few more minutes of aimlessly staring at his ceiling, Jake eventually forced himself up and stumbled towards his bathroom. Once inside, he immediately stripped down, hopping into the shower and turning it on. Soon, steam filled the bathroom air as he let the warm shower water hit his face and run down his body, waking him from his half-slumber and relaxing his body for the day to come. After drying himself off, Jake returned to his room and grabbed some random clothes to throw on. He also remembered that tonight was the party so he put aside a nicer set of clothes; a nice collared shirt as well as a pair of dress pants for tonight.
Returning back to the bathroom, the first thing he did was look at himself in the mirror, immediately spotting the dark rings around his eyes. He frowned, running a hand through his brown hair as he inspected his eyes closer, seeing a pair of dark, wounded eyes that he no longer recognised as his own—it'd been this way for some time now and everyday he looked in the mirror to find a different pair of eyes staring back at him.
With a deep sigh, Jake quickly brushed his teeth and trimmed his beard, before doing his hair, applying a little bit of gel to shape it, and using a hair brush to clean up the rest. It's taken some time for him to adapt to his short hair, but he'd gotten to like it more than his previous one. It was much less time consuming than his previous hair, and he'd been told that his shorter hair and scruffy beard made him look a lot more rugged, which was good. The tougher he looked on the outside, the less people question what's happening on the inside.
With one final glance in the mirror, he left his bathroom, closing the lights and leaving his necessary evil hidden away from all wandering eyes.
Or at least he hoped that was the case.
ooo
Later that day, Jake found himself stepping out of his car with his friends around him, all with eager looks on their faces. The girls were wearing nice dresses, and Charles was wearing a dress shirt and slacks, all of which they had bought the day prior. As Jake turned around to look at his friends, he couldn't help but notice the looks of anticipation in their eyes. He understood though, since they rarely went to large parties, such as this one back in Brooklyn, and the only reason he didn't have the same look they did was because he had gotten used to the party-style life of southern Canada.
"So, where is this party?" Boyle asked, looking around the street to see if he could spot it.
"Yeah Jake, this place looks dead," Gina remarked.
"Relax guys, it's just around the block," he answered, chuckling slightly as he locked his car door and began walking. "Follow me."
Sure enough, about a block away, the group could already hear the muffled sounds of the club's music blaring through the streets. After another block, the club finally came into view, and the reason they knew was because of the large line that extended all the way down the block.
"Holy crap, look at that line," Amy commented, standing on her tippy-toes to try to see the end of it.
"Jake, you sure we'll be able to get in?" Gina asked, worried that she'd have to stand outside.
"Yes, I'm sure," he chuckled, leading them towards the entrance and ahead of everyone in line to get into the club.
As they neared the entrance, the group immediately spotted a very large man who was presumed to be the bouncer. He hadn't noticed them yet, but with the way he was looking at the people in line trying to get in, the 3 friends immediately became incredibly intimidated.
"Uh, Jake, don't you think we should wait at the back of the line?" Charles whispered, carefully eyeing the bouncer.
Jake couldn't help but chuckle again. "Relax Charles. Yo, Wendell!"
At the call of his name, the bouncer turned towards the approaching group and to everyone's surprise his fierce, intimidating look was replaced by a large smile.
"Jake, my man! Haven't seen you in a while, bro!" Wendell chuckled as Jake greeted him with a handshake.
"Yeah, been a little busy lately, but everyone told me if I didn't show up tonight, they'd come to my house," Jake replied as the large man bellowed a laugh.
"Hey, you gotta party one in a while…" That's when Wendell noticed the 3 people crowded behind Jake, each of them remaining quiet. "And who are these people?"
"They're friends of mine visiting from Brooklyn," he explained. "They're with me tonight. Is it alright if we go in?"
"Yeah, no problem man," Wendell replied, unhooking one of the red ropes. "Any friend of Jake is a friend of mine."
"Thanks Wendell, you're the bomb," Jake smiled, removing his hand from his pocket and giving the large man another handshake. When they ended the handshake however, Wendell flashed a toothy grin as he held up the bill Jake had slipped him through the handshake.
"Come on in guys, have some fun," the large man smiled, gesturing in as he placed the bill safely in his pant pocket.
The group murmured their thanks and goodbyes before following Jake into the club.
Stepping in, the group immediately stopped and stared in awe at the size of this nightclub. There was a bar to their right, and a large dance floor in the middle with a DJ busy mixing his music, lights flashing all over the place. There were couches, tables, and chairs for people to relax at, and off to the side, a large staircase led to the second floor of the nightclub.
If the place didn't scream party, then the atmosphere and the noise level certainly did. The group couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed as the girls flattened out their skirts, and Boyle pulled at his sleeves.
"EY! CHECK IT OUT, JAKE IS IN THE HOUSE!" the DJ yelled into his microphone as a large cheer erupted through the club. Jake just smiled and waved before turning to his friends behind him.
"So yeah, this is what Canadian parties are like. They're pretty crazy sometimes."
"Yeah, we can tell. I wasn't expecting sweet old Canada to… well be this loud." Gina responded, almost yelling just to hear him over the music.
Jake laughed. "Don't worry, we'll go somewhere quieter in a second. I just want to establish some ground-rules for tonight."
His friends looked at each other strangely, before Jake continued.
"Number one: if you're going to drink go ahead, but try not to get wasted. There's no way I can carry all of you back to my car afterwards."
"Relax Jake, we're not in high school. We're grown adults," Charles commented and Jake rolled his eyes.
"Alright, number two: don't leave the club with anyone. If you're going to hook up with someone, whatever, but don't leave with them. I'm looking at you Gina," he said, and she just smiled and nodded. "They've got rooms in the back if you need, and the bathroom is always an option."
"Oh yeah! I'm getting laid tonight!" Gina exclaimed, and the group rolled their eyes.
"Anything else?" Charles asked.
Jake shrugged. "Nope, just don't do anything stupid and we'll be good." The group nodded in agreement and he smiled. "Great, now come on. I'll introduce you to my new group of friends."
As they walked through the busy nightclub, Amy couldn't help but feel a little nervous as they were about to meet his new friends. The question of whether he had a girlfriend or not was still lingering in the air, but she was also concerned with the people he's gotten to know since he moved here. Already, just by walking through the club, he was being greeted left and right. She, along with the rest of the group, still didn't understand how everyone seemed to know him; the mafia wasn't exactly a Hollywood movie. What she did know was that typically girls liked well-known guys, and from what she's seen tonight alone, he was a prime example of that type of guy.
A few moments later, the group found themselves wandering towards one of the corners of the club, where a group of people were sitting around on a couple couches and chairs, talking and sharing drinks. One of those people was a man leaning on one of the high tables which the group immediately recognised as Marco.
Marco turned to his left, and immediately spotted Jake with the rest of the group following close behind. With a large smile he took a swig of his beer, and motioned to them.
"Look who finally showed up." Marco grinned, folding his arms.
"Jake!" a higher, more squeaky voice called.
The 3 friends immediately turned to where the voice came from, and saw a small brunette woman jump off the couch and rush towards Jake. When she got closer, she practically jumped into his arms, the two laughing as they embraced in a large hug. Amy felt a sharp pain in her heart when Jake kissed the woman on the forehead.
"Where've you been? I haven't seen you all week!" the woman exclaimed in a sweet, little voice, playfully slapping him on the arm.
"I know, I'm sorry. I've been busy at the mafia lately, cleaning up whatever this guy messes up," Jake joked, motioning to Marco, who sneered back at him.
Meanwhile Amy stood there, watching this playful interaction with a heartbroken expression on her face.
"Babe, come back to bed!"
That was Bianca's voice. Amy was sure of it.
She resisted the urge to punch anything: Jake loved her. That letter proved it. Why would he write a passionate letter, only to get handsy with another girl? Amy let out a small sigh, inaudible to her friends—was Jake planning something? Did he lure her in for some other reason? No… despite being a mafia man, he was still humble. He wouldn't stoop so low, and mess with her feelings for the fun of it.
Amy glowered at the girl: without even knowing her yet, she immediately felt threatened by her. Not only was the way she embraced him already enough to tell her that she should be intimidated by her, but the woman was incredibly beautiful. With her luscious brunette hair, incredible smile, and perfect body, further accented by her tight black dress, she was beautiful and sexy in a cute-innocent way. Most women tried to pull off that shy-innocent act from time to time, Amy included, but this girl seemed to have embodied it. But what intimidated her the most was the girl's eyes. They were the most gorgeous pair of striking hazel eyes she had ever seen, large and filled with colour. If the girl at the beach wasn't Jake's type, Amy knew for a fact that this type of girl was, and that's what worried her the most.
"Ahem," Gina cleared her voice, noticing Amy's reaction to the little interaction as she got her childhood friend's attention. "Are you going to introduce us?"
"Oh right, of course," Jake replied with his arm still wrapped around the woman's shoulders. He looked down at her and smiled as the two of them locked eyes. "Well I guess I'll start with this one. This is Bianca Jean, Marco's sister."
"Hi!" Bianca greeted cheerfully, as the friends politely waved back, knowing too much enthusiasm would probably upset Amy.
"Correction, little sister," Marco added and she turned around, sticking her tongue out at him.
Jake laughed. "You guys already know Marco Lanucci, our own private comedian."
At that, Marco immediately stood up straight and gave them all a salute. "At your service."
Jake rolled his eyes, before continuing on to two people sitting together at one of the tables. One was a large man with messy black hair, and intimidating eyes, while the other was a skinnier white woman with curly dark hair. She looked friendly, and laid back. Both looked Italian, and shared similar features.
"Over here's Freddy Maliardi, and his twin sister, Angie Maliardi. But she's going to become a Lanucci, soon, as she's Marco's fiancée." Jake said with a goofy grin, and Angie blushed.
"Good to meet you," Freddy whistled in a deep voice, nodding in approval as he stared at Gina and Amy.
Jake shot him a glare.
"Stop drooling, idiot," Angie warned, rolling her eyes.
"Watch it," Marco warned as well. "Try anything, and Jake will kill you."
"Duly noted," Freddy commented, and he changed his greeting into a simple wave.
"That's Valerie," Jake continued, pointing at the women sitting on one of the couches; she wore a skimpy shirt and ripped jeans. "Marco and Bianca's little sister," Jake said. "These are my friends from Brooklyn by the way," Jake mentioned. "They're just visiting for a couple weeks. This here is Boyle, and next to him are Amy, and my sister Gina."
Gina blushed. She secretly liked it when Jake called her that.
"Oh, the one who hates authority?" Valerie asked.
Gina threw her hands up in the air. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Jake chuckled, nodding his head. "Yup, that's her."
Just then, someone yelled Jake's name over the music, and Jake turned to see a couple of older men sitting around the bar waving for him to join them. He nodded to them before turning to the others.
"Sorry, I'll be right back. I've got to go and greet a couple of people. You guys should talk and get to know each other."
With that, Jake left to join the group of men at the bar, and leave the Brooklyn gang in a little awkward position. Luckily Jake's friends were very friendly, and gestured for them to take a couch.
"Here, have a seat," Angie offered, moving over to sit on the other couch with Valerie and Freddie, while Bianca took a seat on one of the high chairs.
"So, you guys are from Brooklyn? That's pretty cool," Freddy said, striking up some conversation.
"Yeah, it's a bit like Canada except a lot busier and louder," Gina answered.
"You forgot to mention that we have no beaches over there, so compared to here it's pretty lame," Charles added.
"What? Are you kidding? It sounds great! I hate having beaches everywhere and the burning sun blinding you wherever you go," Marco said, making a couple of his friends roll their eyes.
"Oh shut up. You're just mad that you can't tan in the sun because of your skin condition," Marco revealed.
Freddy scowled at his soon to be brother-in-law.
"So, how long have you guys known Jake for?" Bianca asked the group.
"Quite a while actually," Gina said, looking at everyone else. "We grew up together."
"I'm his best frie—err friend," Charles mentioned, unsure of the title now.
"We were partners on the force… for 8 years." Amy added shyly.
"Really? That long?" Valerie asked. "For people he's known for so long, he's never mentioned any of you except for Gina."
The group all shared a look.
"Well… what about you guys? When did you all get together?" Gina asked, turning the question back to them.
The group glanced at each other, as if trying to figure it all out.
"Let's see, I think it was Marco who first met him when he was undercover," Valerie started, pointing at her brother.
Marco nodded. "Yeah, it was his first day here at the mafia, and I showed him around."
"Okay, what about the rest of you?"
"Well, Freddy had to mentor him," Angie mentioned. "And since Marco was my fiance, and Freddy's my brother, I knew Jake from there."
"And Marco's our brother, so I met Jake too," Bianca and Valerie added, taking a sip of their beer.
Marco shrugged, taking a swig of his own beer. "We all saw each other once in a while. Jake was the one who brought us all together, and now here we are."
The friends nodded, turning around. They spotted Jake still talking and laughing with a large group of people, as a couple others went over to greet him as well.
"You know, it's weird to see Jake so popular and well known," Gina commented, finally saying what's been on everyone's minds since they've gotten there. However her comment seemed to surprise everyone else.
"Really?" Freddy asked.
"Yeah, back in Brooklyn no one knew who he was," Boyle clarified.
"Well, to be fair, no one knows anyone in Brooklyn," Amy said. "But compared to here, it seems like everyone knows him."
Once again, the group seemed surprised at this revelation.
"That's hard to believe," Bianca said, speaking out for the first time. "Jake is practically a local celebrity around here."
Now it was their turn to be surprised.
"Jake? A local celebrity? Why?"
The group of seven looked at each other as if they were wondering how to answer the question.
"Well we're not really sure," Freddy finally spoke up. "He just kind of took the city by storm ever since he got here. Everyone knows him and he gets a lot of exposure from working with the mafia."
Something felt very unsettling about Freddy's response. It was almost as if he was not telling them something and with the initial reaction the group had to the question, it seemed like all seven of them preferred to keep quiet.
Before they could question it a little further, however, Jake came back over, and ended their conversation.
"I hope we're all being happily acquainted over here," he said, taking a sip of a beer he was given. He looked at it and offered it to Boyle, who gladly accepted it, before sitting on the highchair next to Bianca.
"You've got some great friends over here Jakey," Bianca said.
"Yeah, why haven't you mentioned them before?" Valerie asked.
Jake just shrugged. "It never came up," he responded simply, ending the question there.
"Oh, I forgot to ask," Bianca said suddenly. "What do all of you do for a living?"
The trio looked at each other, and tok deep breaths.
"Well I'm an assistant to a police captain," Gina answered first.
"I'm a detective," Amy said, pointing to herself.
"That's a hell of a title," Marco commented.
"It sure is," Amy answered proudly.
"What do you do Charles?" Marco asked.
"I'm also a detective for the NYPD."
If the mafia guys were surprised, or even angry, they didn't show it. The two groups talked for a little while longer, getting to know each other, and breaking that awkward first introduction barrier when all of a sudden the music changed and the lights dimmed down. A slower song started to play through the sound system as couples flooded the dance floor.
"Oh, I love this song! Come on Jake, let's go dance!" Bianca exclaimed, hopping out of her seat and taking Jake's hand as she pulled him towards the dance floor. Amy watched helplessly as they disappeared into the crowd of people.
The rest of the group looked at each other.
"You want to dance Charles?" Gina offered.
"Sure," he smiled.
"Well if Jake's going too…" Feddy started, standing up. "Come on Val, let's go dance."
"Alright… but if I start dancing with someone else, don't complain," Valerie warned, and she led him towards the dance floor, leaving Amy, Angie, and Marco as the last two behind.
"Can't let them have all the fun," Marco said, taking Angie's hand, but she giggled, and gently shoved him away.
"I'm all danced out, hon."
Amy immediately felt an awkward tension rise, knowing what was to come. She didn't really know Marco well enough, and also that's not to mention the guy she wanted to dance with was already on the dance floor with someone else. Her eyes just kind of awkwardly stared at the ground as she shuffled her feet.
"Amy, would you like to dance?" Marco asked kindly.
His straightforward offer surprised her, but she still didn't really know how to respond. "Oh, uh… um…"
Marco laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not into you, especially not while my future wife is right there. I'm just asking to be polite so we don't look like losers sitting here alone."
She glanced at Angie, who smiled and nodded.
At that, Amy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Alright, let's go dance."
Marco took a last sip of his beer, before leading her to the dance floor. Once there, he gave her a friendly smile, and placed his hands on her waist as her hands went around his neck. Slowly they swayed to the music, with Marco making a funny face from time to time that made her laugh, breaking the awkwardness between them.
As they moved around the dance floor, Amy suddenly spotted Jake and Bianca in the corner of her eye and she turned her head to watch them dance. She watched as Jake twirled her around, her giggles filling the room until he pulled her back in, engulfing her in a large hug as they're eyes locked together. Amy felt another wave of immense jealousy fill her body as she couldn't help but watch the cute little moment that was happening.
When she turned back to her dance partner, she noticed that Marco was watching them too and she suddenly felt embarrassed to be caught staring at his younger sister dancing with Jake.
"Um, they have a strong connection, don't they?" she commented. He already caught her watching them, so there was no use in hiding that.
Marco turned back and smiled. "Yeah, they do. It's been like that ever since they met. When they're having fun like that, they're practically inseparable."
That one hurt, but she kept it to herself. "They seem to really like each other."
"Yeah, they do. Like I said, they bonded almost instantly when they first met." Marco looked at the pair and chuckled. "You know, I think she might have a crush on him."
Amy found this surprising that he'd say that so directly. "That doesn't bother you?" she asked, genuinely curious.
He just shrugged. "Not really. I don't care who Bianca dates as long as they don't hurt her and she's happy, and Jake is one of the best guys I've ever met. I'd be overjoyed if those two got together, but I highly doubt that'll happen."
"Really? Why not?"
Marco looked over at and shrugged. "I don't know… I just don't think Jake sees her the way she sees him. He takes care of her so well, but I think he sees her more as a friend than someone he'd date."
Amy looked over at the pair, feeling a small spark of hope in her chest as she now saw them in a different light.
Maybe there still was a chance.
ooo
Later that night, everyone had returned home, tired and all partied out. It had been a long night, though a fun one at least, and they had enjoyed meeting Jake's new friends, and setting plans to spend some time later in the weeks to come. All the dancing, talking, and drinking had left them all drained of energy, so when they arrived back to Jake' house, one-by-one they had all gone to clean up and go to bed.
Amy had been the last one to clean up and get ready for bed. She had a lot on her mind, and after a night like this so felt a long, warm bath could help clear her head, so she had waited patiently and said goodnight to everyone, before hopping into the vacated washroom. The warm bath definitely did help calm her thoughts. All night she had been wondering all these things, mostly about Jake, and though the status of his relationship with other girls, especially Bianca, was still unclear, Amy knew that she wanted to know if he still held feelings for her before she revealed her own feelings.
After a few more minutes relaxing in the bath, Amy dried herself off and brushed her teeth, leaving the bathroom ready for bed in a pair of sweatpants and soft NYPD sweater.
Walking into the living room, she turned off the TV and dimmed the lights. With a yawn, she slowly climbed into bed, fumbling around with the covers before plopping down on her pillow. Closing her eyes, she slowly started to drift off until she felt a soft, cool breeze make her shiver.
Sitting up, she realized the slider door to the balcony was open. Walking over with her blanket wrapped around her, she started closing it shut until she noticed someone standing outside, their back turned to her.
Curious, she took a few steps forward, having trouble seeing who it was in the dark. She approached the figure.
"Jake?" she asked.
Upon hearing his name, Jake turned around to see Amy standing a few steps behind him, her blanket tightly wrapped around her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he asked kindly.
"Oh no, I just got out of the bathroom," she answered and he nodded, turning back around, looking at the night sky.
Unsure of what to do, Amy slowly walked forward until she stood next to him against the railing. She looked up at what he was looking at, and saw a beautiful night sky shining above her, with stars glimmering in the distance and the large moon lighting up the dark sky.
"Wow," Amy whispered in awe, mesmerized by the view. A view like this was rare back in Brooklyn.
To her surprise, Jake didn't respond like he normally would do. She looked up at him, noticing him staring outwards with a straight face with the moon glistening in his eyes. He seemed to be lost in thought and it was almost as if she wasn't even there.
"Jake?" she asked, snapping him out of his trance. "Are you alright?"
Jake looked over at her, locking eyes for just a second before turning back, something she caught onto.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." he said dismissively.
Amy suddenly realised this was the first time in a long time they had been so close to each other. She could almost feel the heat coming off his body as her arm brushed his side, but she didn't dare move closer. It was still unclear of where they stood in terms of their friendship, and though a part of her wanted to ask him about that, she knew now was not the time.
"Are you sure you're fine?" she asked, unintentionally showing some more concern in her voice than she wanted. "You can talk to me Jake if something's bothering you."
"No, no, it's nothing. It's just…" he trailed off, closing his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. With a sigh, he looked back up at the night sky. "…everything's changed…"
Without another word, Jake turned around and headed back inside the house, leaving Amy outside alone. She turned to watch him disappear inside, her eyes trying to figure out what has caused him to become so mysterious.
Everything's changed.
What did that mean?
ooo
Alright kiddos, I'm going to wrap it up here. I am loving the reviews, I love responding to whatever you guys have to say, so leave some! I'll reply to each one :D
Until next time!
—Jordan