The Price We Pay

by CzechKris91

Things never went the way he wanted them. Sometimes it worked out, and other times it went horribly wrong. He paid the price when he decided to join his cousin in Liberty City. And now those around him would have to suffer for the choices he made. He only hoped he could keep those close to him safe when Death came to collect.

9. Mr and Mrs Bellic

(A/N): And here it is folks! In all its glory! I am so nervous and excited to post this chapter. After dealing with some major personal life issues that came up, I was able to finally get time to get this chapter finished. Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

The bike hummed beneath him as he approached Beachgate's main entrance. The brick security check-in arch loomed overhead and caused him to slow down as he passed beneath it. The dread that built every time he entered the neighborhood was hard to shake. Faustin's home was at the very end of Shinnecock Ave and he couldn't understand why Roman had wanted to buy a home so close to where they almost met their demise. Niko passed the low-rise apartment building and slowed his speed down further as he neared all the more established homes. There were few pedestrians out and about and he wondered if it was due to the chilly weather or the early hour.

The roofline of Faustin's home came into view as he rounded the curve and he had to fight the urge to turn around. So much had gone wrong since waking up in Mikhail's basement. He could almost pinpoint all his troubles to that moment in time. He had laughed and joked not really believing that their end was to be met in some dingey basement- all because he had shot Vlad. He wondered if Ilyena and Anna were doing alright, or if Ilyena had decided to move away and take Anna with her. She had seemed hopeful at starting over, but Mikhail's death had hit them hard.

Niko shook his head and snapped himself out of his thoughts as Roman's street came up. He turned down Claiborne Street and approached the three story paneled home that Roman had purchased. Carefully he maneuvered into the driveway in front of the detached two car garage. He shoved the kickstand out with his foot and took a moment to breathe, turning the engine off, letting his body slump slightly against the bike. 'That was too close. Not sure how many more of these I can walk away from unscathed…' He scanned around the immediate area for signs of a struggle, fight, or anything out of the usual. Everything held a peaceful glow to it, and he let out a shaky breath.

The quiet waves that crashed against the rocky cliff, the distant sounds of cars driving, and the birds chirping caused a small amount of calm to descend upon him. Now he could see why Roman had chosen this neighborhood to settle down in. It was like a small escape from the busy city and chaotic world that waited on the other side of the security gate. His heartbeat slowed to a normal pace the longer he rested on the bike and let the soothing sounds of Beachgate wash over him.

He glanced over the home, taking notice for the first time the shape the house was in. The light brown, almost white, paneling stood out against the bright orange and red leaves from the trees that grew on the lot. The windows were clean and free of dirt, and the front wooden porch looked freshly stained. The light was on that hung from the awning of the porch and he had to smile at Mallorie's way of letting him know someone was home. The well maintained lawn looked recently groomed and he wondered who Roman had hired to take care of the place, and if he needed to check this person out. He scooted the motorcycle up the driveway closer to the garage door to give Bernard room to park the SUV.

His body was starting to throb from the fight he was recently in and he wished he would have time to rest properly. He felt a pulling sensation as he dismounted the bike and he groaned at the pain in his back. 'If things keep going like they are, my body is going to age much faster than I will…' Niko scanned the street for anything out of the ordinary as he approached the front porch and waved as one of Roman's neighbors placed a bag into their trashcan.

The elderly lady waved to him and beckoned him over, "Young man! Do you know the couple that lives there?" She wore a thick, heavy looking, pink flowery robe over a frail frame. Her hair was silvery and pulled back into a loose braid.

Niko looked both ways before moving to the fence of Roman's yard, leaning into the sturdy wood, "I do. The man is my cousin." He nodded politely and took another glance down the street to make sure this wasn't some kind of distraction for other people to ambush the home. He dropped one of his arms down from the fence and slowly moved it to be able to grab his pistol if need be.

"You look rather on edge. Big day for them both! I just called my friend, Galina, who is making the wedding cake, and asked if she wanted me to drop off their wedding gift now since I saw you out here. She asked if I would. Would you mind if I go grab it really quick? Won't take but a second." She gestured to her home and waited for the man to answer her.

"Galina? Yeah sure I'll wait right here." He crossed his arms and leaned heavily into the fence trying to alleviate the pain in his legs. He had taken a rather rough tumble from the top of the SUV and he knew he was going to be feeling that one for a long time. His body was starting to feel all the punches and kicks he deflected and took. He watched as she hesitated to head back inside the house. She had mentioned his friend and it put him at ease for the time being. If there was one person, he could trust that he had met in Liberty, it would be the kind woman who owned the coffee shop in Middle Park.

"Okay. My old bones don't move like they used to, but I'll be fast." The elderly lady hobbled back toward the front door and disappeared inside the house. Niko watched her leave his line of sight and he let out a long breath. He wasn't sure what to expect to be getting from this lady or what Galina had cooked up as a wedding gift. As far as he knew he hadn't mentioned the wedding to Galina. 'Perhaps Roman knows of the coffee shop?'

The door creaked as it opened, and the lady emerged once more carrying what looked like a shoe box. She took the steps slowly and made her way across the street to hand the box over, "I may not understand why Galina put these items together. I've long since forgot tradition, or at least these traditions. Then again, I'm Polish so I have no idea the significance of it. But I adore Mallorie. She gives me loads of hilarious stories. I already gave her my wedding gift. But Galina was nonstop talking about the couple and I told her I live next door. So yesterday when I was having tea at her shop, I offered to deliver the gift. She's unable to make the ceremony but will be there at the reception!" The lady took a few deep breaths, slightly winded, and held out the box for the man to take.

Niko gave her a once over before taking the box from her, "Galina is a good friend. I'm sure what she put together will have meaning. Thank you for doing this for her." He went to tuck the box beneath his arm when the lady reached out and stopped him.

"Open it please. I'd like to know why those items. My kids are long married, and I have grandbabies galore. But this gift confuses me." She was going to place her hand on his arm but backed off with the way he flinched. "Unless this is some kind of personal thing and I should mind my business?" She had to give a slight smile at her words, hoping she hadn't overstepped.

"I might not even get the meanings. I am not married, nor have I attended many weddings back home." He could see the curiosity that built on the older lady's face and couldn't stop the chuckle at seeing her slightly rock on her feet wanting to know about the gift. He moved the box to rest against the top of the fence and lifted the lid to see what was inside. He peeled back a couple of pieces of tissue paper to revel an old wooden flask and a stemless wine goblet.

"Well?" The older lady peered into the box and waited for the young man to explain the items to her.

"If I am correct. The glass is for the bride. She should take a drink from this before the ceremony, make some kind of toast, then throw it. If the glass shatters, she will have a boy, if it stays intact, she will have a girl first. It's not the most reliable way to guess the gender of a baby." He lightly laughed with the lady as he explained what he knew, "The flask is meant for the groom's side of the wedding. Since I am probably the only one who understands this, I will need to offer guests of the wedding to take a drink from it. They are then supposed to decorate it with money." He shifted the box and lifted the wooden flask. He could tell it was very old and worn down. He could barely remember seeing one in a friend's home before a wedding. But those memories were few and far between now.

"Thank you for sharing. Now go get ready! There is no way that is what you are wearing to the wedding. Mallorie would have your hide!" She huffed playfully and patted the fence between them, "Tell them Eileen says congratulations and I'm always available to babysit when the time comes. Babies are such a blessing." She sighed dreamily and turned to move back toward her own home to get her day started.

"I will. Thank you again." Niko closed the box and felt the nostalgia leave him in a rush. It would be something special to show Roman once he got him awake. He turned to look out over the ocean and desperately wished his mother were with him. She would enjoy getting to see Roman tie the knot, meeting Kate, their friends, seeing Florian again- but she would not be safe here. He had people to deal with before he would offer his mother a place to visit. He would ensure that no one would be able to do her harm, that no one would be after him, and then he would invite her to come meet his girlfriend. 'She will adore a grandchild. Especially getting to tease Roman about being a father.' The thought placed a genuine small to his face.

Niko tucked the box under his arm and made his way over to the front door somewhat dreading having to wake a hungover Roman. As he approached the door, he noticed it wasn't pulled completely shut. The dread that seeped into his bones was not to be ignored. Niko reached behind him and pulled his pistol, removing the safety quickly. He had been chased this direction by a man on a motorcycle, and there was no way to know if this was yet another trap set for him. And after going through the same scenario at the McReary's home, he wouldn't take any chances.

He readied the pistol and tapped the door open with the barrel, checking for enemies as the wooden door slowly edged open. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darker interior as he crossed the threshold. He sucked in a steadying breath and tried to calm his now racing heart. He checked the blind spots of the foyer before quietly closing the door to the same position it was in. The entryway was dark, and he couldn't hear a single noise in the house- not a clock, not running water, not even the occasional snore. The same fear that pulsed through him at the McReary home rushed through him once more.

Softly he set the box down on a small table that was near the door, freeing his arm in case he had to attack someone. He was regretting leaving his rifle in Bernard's SUV now, and he swore in his mind at his unfortunate luck. He checked the corners as he approached the staircase that lead to the bedrooms, keeping his finger on the trigger, ready to fire at anyone who was dumb enough to harm his cousin. His heart was thundering away in his chest and he forced his thoughts to stay blank and not conjure up disturbing images of Roman getting slaughtered in his own home. Or seeing Maureen's dead body limply laid out on her bed... So far nothing seemed out of place, unlike the McReary home, and it caused him to have hope.

The backdoor jerked open and Niko swung himself around and prepared to shoot at the intruder who was rushing in at him.

"The fuck NB!" Roman shouted as he ducked down at the sight of the pistol and his cousin. The action caused him to drop his coffee cup and he cursed at the sound of the breaking ceramic against the wood flooring.

"What do you mean the fuck! Roman I thought someone had broken into your home!" Niko half yelled and glanced once more at the stairs before walking over to help his cousin clean up the spilled coffee and broken cup.

"Is this any way to greet your cousin on his wedding day?! I was outside enjoying the most beautiful sunrise, trying to nurse this damn hangover, and here you are pointing a gun at me!" Roman scoffed and moved into the kitchen to grab the dustpan and broom, "Mal is going to kill me when she realizes I broke another coffee mug."

"My bad. Your front door was partially open, and the last time I encountered a front door broken open, Kate was almost raped, and her mother was killed. I was not going to take any more chances." Niko clicked the safety back on and tucked the gun back into his waistband, "Want some help?" He felt bad for somewhat yelling, but he was balancing on the edge and was having a tough time keeping himself levelheaded. He sucked in a long breath and willed his blood pressure to lower. 'Roman is fine, Mal is at Bernie's, and the place is safe. Calm yourself…'

"I guess Mal left it that way. She said she was going to Bernie's to get ready. I think I said something to her about you coming to pick me up. She knows you don't have a key." He huffed and collected the broken pieces into the pan before walking over to the trashcan and dumping it inside. Roman sighed heavily and glanced toward his cousin, "NB sometimes I just can't shake this feeling." He motioned toward the pot of coffee offering him a cup.

Niko nodded and made his way into the kitchen, taking a seat at the large island, "What feeling?" He was not used to seeing his cousin so depressed looking. He was always so cheerful, expressive, and full of life. This was not how he should be acting on the day of his wedding. He gave his cousin a concerning look as their eyes met briefly.

"Nothing," Roman shook his head and pulled two cups from an upper cabinet, placed them down on the counter, before bringing over the pot of coffee. He poured them each a cup and moved over to the oversized fridge to pull out the creamer. He made his way over to his cousin and sank down on the stool next to him. Silently he made his cup of coffee, before getting up again and walking over to a different cabinet and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.

"You sure that's a good idea Roman?" Niko was adding creamer to his own cup when he noticed the bottle Roman had gone for.

"I need something to take the edge off for now. I'm not going to get drunk. But I need something to settle this pit in my stomach." He grumbled before taking his seat again and adding a healthy pour of the brown liquid to his cup. He brought it up to his lips and took a long drink of it.

Niko watched as he basically downed the entire cup. There was definitely something going on and he wasn't sure where to start. His melancholy attitude was grating against his own and he needed him to snap out of it. "Your neighbor and Galina sent a wedding gift." He figured he'd start with something neutral and work his way to what was really bothering Roman.

"Galina is wonderful. Best pastry café in all of LC. Could go for a few krofne right about now." He placed his coffee cup down and went for the whiskey bottle.

Niko grabbed the bottle from his grasp and placed it down on his other side away from Roman, "Cousin it is too early to be drinking." He picked up his own cup and took a sip of the coffee letting the warmth from the drink soothe his insides and settle his muscles. It had been chilly outside, and he hadn't realized how cold he was feeling till he sat down in their kitchen.

"Niko it is more than likely noon in the homeland. Now hand it over! It is time to start celebrating! Today is going to be the happiest day of my life. I'm getting married to the beautiful Mallorie." He turned to glare at his cousin who was keeping him from the bottle of whiskey.

"Yes, and I would think she would like a sober groom to marry." He pushed the bottle further away from them and took another sip from his cup. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see his cousin deflate before shoving off the stool and head for the backdoor. "Where are you going?!" Niko asked alarmed at the drastic change in personality from his cousin. He placed his cup of coffee down on the marble counter and swung around on the stool to face the backdoor of his cousin's home.

"Outside. The view is better out there." Roman grumbled opening the door and walked outside, not bothering to close the door knowing his cousin was going to follow him.

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" Niko muttered under his breath before getting up from his spot to follow him back outside into the sunny morning light. Roman plopped down into a lounge chair that was facing the ocean. The sunrise was absolutely breathtaking from their backyard and Niko had to pause for a moment to stare at it. He had been so consumed with everything going on in his life that he was missing getting to see the natural beauty that thrived in Liberty City. The sun was warm against his face and he felt some of his uncertainty leave him.

"Cousin I just don't know anymore." Roman spoke up as the silence carried on for longer than he could stand. He was watching the waves of the ocean and how the light reflected off its surface creating a pleasing mix of colors. He heard Niko move over to the other lounge chair and sit down, causing him to glance to his only family he had in LC.

"What don't you know?" Niko took his time studying him. He looked tired, worried, and scared. Things he couldn't remember ever seeing from his cousin. Unless he counted the basement fiasco, the warehouse kidnapping, or any other moment where Niko had to save him from harm. Now that he thought about it, Roman was easily scared, but always managed to bounce back almost instantly. For him to be this sulky worried him.

"I think Mallorie is hiding something from me. Something major. Not just a honeymoon surprise. It's like when I found out about Vlad. But this feels worse since we've both been so honest with one another and faithful. At least I've been faithful as of late. As soon as we had our talk, I stopped going to the clubs, I stopped seeing other women. I chose only her. I continue to only choose her." He waved his hand out toward the ocean hoping it helped get his words across to Niko.

"Do you have reason to believe she is hiding something?" His conversation with Kate immediately snapped to the front of his mind.

"I think she is pregnant. More than think really." Kate's words echoed around in his mind and he forced his face to stay neutral. If Mallorie had yet to confirm to Roman that she was pregnant, then he would not spoil that conversation. That was something meant to be shared between lovers and be something incredibly private and personal. He would not rob his cousin of that surprise. But if he spiraled any further, he would force Mallorie's hand in telling him.

"Not exactly. She's been somewhat distant. She says it's the stress from the wedding. Stress from working at my company. Stress from her family not wanting to come to the wedding. Stressed about going to see her family in a week. Stress. Stress. Stress. Am I not the one who is supposed to help shoulder that stress? Does she think I'm not capable?" Roman leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes, rubbing one of his hands over his face.

Niko was at a complete loss. He hardly ever dealt with his own feelings, let alone know how to voice them properly, and now his cousin was having a break down in front him? He let his words tumble around in his mind as he thought up what exactly to say. He shifted further into the chair to get more comfortable and went back to watching the sunrise. He had spent so much time away from Roman, and once he was back in his life, everything went to shit. Vlad, Mikhail, Dimitri, Bulgarin, Ray, Jimmy. He just kept replacing the person on the chopping block and his cousin had suffered for his decisions.

"Cousin when I suggested you come stay with me, I was worried you'd disown the idea. Mr. Big Man traveling the high seas, robbing Europe blind, killing the bad guys, getting the ladies. And what was I? Some low life chump who barely had a taxi service and was heavily in debt to every loan shark in Broker, Hove, and Dukes. There was no way you'd come if you knew the truth. So I lied. At first it was only a little, then it exploded into the emails you received. I am sorry I deceived you." Roman reached under his chair and picked up a half empty bottle of vodka and took a heavy swig. "And now Mallorie is going to be stuck with this low life scum."

"Roman! Enough of this!" Niko grabbed the bottle from his cousin and sat up on the chair, turning to face him, "Yes your emails were rather exotic and over the top. And yes, I was disappointed when I got here and all you had was large cockroaches. But you are my cousin. You are family. I wasn't going to let some jackass fuck your girl, ruin your life and business. You and me are going to take over this city, right? That was your plan, yes?" He needed to snap his cousin out of it. He was starting to legitimately worry about his wellbeing. "I have not been very supportive of you, and I'm sorry for that. I am proud of you cousin. You have a succeeding business, a beautiful home, a beautiful bride. What has you so down? Honestly?" He found the cap to the bottle on the ground and closed it, being sure to hold on to it in case Roman went for it again. He softened his gaze as Roman fidgeted before him.

"I guess I am facing judgement of my own. I am second guessing if I am right for Mal. You are right. I have been on the upswing. I guess I just fear that all of this will be taken away from me so easily. Just like when my original cab business and apartment was burned to the ground. I worked hard for those things. I got here and I had nothing, nobody. I worked my way up from the fucking dirt. I do not want to go through that again NB." Roman looked up at the sky and let out a shaky breath, "You ever get this unshakeable feeling like something is just so wrong and there is nothing you can do to fix it or change the course you are on?"

"Every day since the wars started." Niko grew quiet. He could relate what his cousin was feeling. He was dreading what was going on currently and what might happen if Natalya strikes first and succeeds in killing someone he cares for. He would not be able to live with himself if Kate or Roman were to be killed due to his choices. He studied the blades of grass around his feet wishing there was something he could say or do to help alleviate the way Roman was feeling.

"Niko one day you will need to share with me what they were like. Was I truly spared by not getting involved and coming to America?" He turned in his chair to look at his cousin. They had danced around the topic so many times but never once broached the subject. Perhaps it would remain so for the rest of their lives- something to be mentioned in passing, but never truly broken down and discussed.

"You do not have to live with the nightmares of having to kill your friends, your enemies, or women and children. There are many nights where I do not sleep because I see their faces. Part of me really does wish I had killed Darko. He does not deserve to live for what he has done to Florian and me. But what does that make me? A continuous killer. Bringer of death." Niko opened the bottle of vodka and took a swing, wincing at the taste before passing it off to Roman. Maybe one drink wouldn't hurt them. He could use the distraction for the moment. Opening old wounds always caused him to crave a drink.

"You can stop Niko. You don't have to stay on this path." Roman easily accepted the bottle and took a gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat up further on the chair, interested now that Niko might divulge on his time in the war.

"I have one more on the list. Then yes. I will be done. Truly done. I will be able to settle down like you. Maybe start a family of my own." He grew thoughtful and quiet, his eyes casted off back toward the ocean and sunrise. He really was almost done with everyone after him. And the happiness that rested on the other side of the trouble they were in was beckoning him. Kate waited for him, and he would do everything he could to give her a proper life with him. He would stop the killing. He would find constructive work, as she had put it, and make money the honest way.

"And together we will take over LC!" Roman sat up fully on the edge of his seat and took another long drink from the bottle before passing it off to his cousin, "You here that LC! We are coming for you!" Roman shouted out in the large backyard causing Niko to chuckle.

"Yes yes Roman. We will take over the city and rule the world." He shook his head and took another sip, "Now let's go get ready to get you married."

"You know Niko. I think I'm ready. To settle down that is. A family doesn't sound like too bad of an idea. Little Roman's and Mallorie's running around. We have the space for them." He laughed and clumsily got up off the chair, "But marriage first. Come I will need help squeezing into the suit vest she has picked out for me."

aaaaaa

"Kate you need to stop pacing. Bernie will be right back. You need to calm down too. If not for yourself then for me!" Mallorie tucked her legs up on the couch and tiredly watched as her friend walked back and forth in the living room of Bernie's apartment. Her hands kept resting just below her belly button as the realization that she was carrying Roman's child kept fluttering around inside her. She would catch herself and try to find something else to occupy her hands with, but they always ended up back on her stomach making soothing movements.

The thought of being pregnant was like a coin constantly being flipped around in her mind. She was elated, excited, and felt such an overabundance of love- but on the other side she was terrified, nervous, and sick. What if she wasn't ready? What if she failed at being a mother? What if Roman didn't want to be a dad? She closed her eyes and fought against the influx of emotions that bombarded her. There was so many scenarios running through her head about how to tell Roman that she hadn't even heard the first shot. Then it sounded like a full blown shootout and reality kicked in. The anxiety of hearing the gunfire had caused her to flinch for the first time in her life. She was used to the sound of guns. Drive by shootings happened all the time where she grew up, and she felt immune to the effects of violence, but hearing it so close and knowing she was responsible for another life caused her to feel scared.

Immediately Kate and Mallorie rushed into the bathroom at Bernie's insistence and were told to stay put till he came back for them. Bernie had rushed to get dressed and closed the bathroom door, before grabbing an assault rifle and rushing out of the apartment toward the shooting. Time seemed to stretch on forever as they sat on the edge of the tub before Kate started her pacing and wringing of her hands. Mallorie had suggested they finish getting ready to give them something else to focus on. She needed her friend to stay calm, otherwise she was going to start panicking along with her. And right now, her body needed to not be stressed out.

"I'm sorry! I just. Ugh!" Kate shook her hands out and moved over to the couch to sit next to her friend. She smoothed the soft fabric of her maroon dress down as she lowered onto the couch. They had a small scare when Mallorie passed out on them, but when she woke, she was all smiles, happy tears, and laughs. They had shared a special moment and embraced. But the moment was abruptly ruined by the sounds of gunfire.

"I'm positive Bernie is fine Kate. The firing hasn't started back up, and the cops will be here any second. If it makes you feel better why don't you call your brother? The one who is a cop? Maybe he knows about the shooting and can give us an idea on what's going on." Mallorie reached out and took Kate's hand hoping to help calm her down. She was surprised she wasn't as freaked out as her, but she blamed the shock of finding out about her pregnancy as a reason for not spiraling down into fear.

"Yes! I'll call Francis. He will make sure someone he trusts comes to stand watch or help out." Kate squeezed her hand back and hurriedly left the living room in search of her new cell phone. She entered the bedroom and pulled the phone from the paper bag that held all of her other clothes and belongings. Quickly she pulled up Francis' number and placed the phone to her ear.

"Deputy Commissioner McReary." She had to smile at how professionally he said his title.

"Frankie?" She bit her lip trying to figure out how to tell him about the shootout, but also to not freak out and have him send the army in.

"Kate?! Katie is that you! Oh my God. I don't have this number. Did you get a new phone? Is everything okay? Where is Niko?" He sounded panicked and rushed, and she could hear someone in the background talking. It sounded like Packie but was too muffled to really be sure.

"I have a new phone and number. But I need your help. Or at least. Someone's help." Her nerves started to fire off again and she resumed her anxious pacing in Bernie's bedroom, trying to ignore the large painting above the bed. She clutched the four leaf clover pendant of her necklace and wished she had just called Niko instead. Even if that meant him breaking almost every traffic law to get to her quickly.

"What's going on? Where are you? I'll be there as fast as I can." She could hear the absolute terror echo in his voice, and she sucked in a shaky breath willing herself to get the words out clearly.

'Keep it together. You just need someone else to be here in case the worst has happened…' "Niko had to leave to pick up Roman. I am safe!" She rushed her sentence as soon as she heard him about to retort about her whereabouts and Niko not being with her, "But I think there is a shootout or something that took place down the hall. Bernie left us in his apartment to figure out what's going on. And I just…" She felt tears spring to her eyes, and she forced them to stop. Now was not the time to cry. Especially after Mallorie had worked her magic to cover up all the marks and bruises. Her hair was also immaculate, and she would do her best to stay put together… Until Niko could get his hands on her.

"Address. I'll be there in five." Francis sounded like he wasn't going to give her a choice and would tear apart the city to come find her. The thought made her smile and she regained some of her resolve. She rubbed at her forehead as a small headache began to form, and closed her eyes wishing that things would just settle down for a day.

"I'll text it to you. And hurry. I don't hear any more shooting, but I just would feel better if you were here." She whispered wishing she didn't feel the need to always have someone around her. She used to enjoy the quiet and alone time she had. But now she almost dreaded being isolated and without someone she knew could protect her. The panic would start to seep into her mind the second she was left alone, but as soon as she was with someone, the panic would retreat to the recesses of her mind.

"I'm heading out the door and almost in the cruiser Katie. I have Packie protected. Send me the address and just stay hidden till I get there. I'll text when I park outside the building. Stay safe. Be there soon. Promise!" Francis ended the call and left Kate standing in Bernie's bedroom feeling more secure than she did a moment ago. But a small thread of doubt began to curl in her stomach. Why hadn't she just called Niko? Her protector? She glanced down at her phone contemplating sending him a text, when she heard what sounded like Bernie's voice joyfully calling out into the apartment.

aaaaaa

Francis flung the door to his police cruiser open and hurriedly climbed into the driver seat. He had rushed in telling Ron he needed to check on Kate and that he report in once his brother showed up to take over his post. He would need to call his cousin Vincent to make sure he took over his duties at the church till he got there. But all that mattered was making sure Kate was safe. He already lost one brother this morning, he was damned sure he wasn't going to lose her.

He buckled the seatbelt and turned the car on, putting it in drive he pulled out of the parking space in the garage. His phone buzzed, and he pulled up Kate's text message. Quickly he typed the address into his onboard computer, waiting for a clear route to appear on the screen. Several messages popped up from dispatch reporting a possible shooting and homicide. Dread filled his body and he peeled out of the parking garage on his way toward Middle Park West.

He pressed the call button on his sterling wheel and waited for the voice command prompt, "Call Special Agent IAA, secure line." He flipped on his cruiser lights and entered his passcode in the monitor to override the traffic lights to give him all greens as he sped up. He was not going to take any chances this morning, and he would not fail in keeping the rest of his family safe.

"Lead IAA Agent speaking." Bernard's voice calmly came over the speakers in his police cruiser, even if it sounded slightly winded.

"I just got a call from Kate saying there was a shooting at Bernie's place. Do you know anything about it?" He kept scanning side streets as he raced down Frankfort Avenue to Quartz Street.

"No. I have an agent in the building. I'll call to check in with her. Do you need back up?" Francis could almost detect a slight tremor in the man's voice. 'Is he worried like I am?'

"It's possible. Kate didn't give much info. She said she didn't hear any more gunfire, but with how crazy everything is, I wouldn't put it past people to start up again." Francis neared Quartz and slowed down his vehicle to be able to make the turn at an acceptable speed.

"It's a government protected building Francis. Do you have units responding? Typically, those calls get routed to FIB Headquarters in Algonquin. I can see who the responding agent is unless you want point?" Francis could hear sirens over the call and wondered if he was already at the apartment complex.

"I only have the dispatch call notes. Like you said, our jackets weren't dispatched. An agent name would be nice. Not sure what I'm walking into." He pulled up to the apartment building, turned off his lights, and witnessed several FIB armored cars parking along the sidewalk. A firetruck and ambulance were already on the scene with their lights going and their sirens turned off. Agents were marking off the entrances and exits with caution tape, while the medical team rushed into the building. "By the looks of it, it was a fairly large shootout. Hope your agent wasn't involved."

"Go to the parking garage entrance at the back of the building, I'll give you my code to get in. Should override the system if FIB has it locked down. FIB will more than likely keep the scene secure from here on out. You won't be allowed in the front entrance. Even with your rank. FIB is notorious for being dicks." Bernard suggested.

"Thanks. I'll take the stairs from the garage. Kate said the unit is 4A. I'll keep you posted." Francis pulled around the side of the building in search of the parking garage entrance.

"Can you check in on unit 14B? My agent should be there. I am-" There was a pause and Francis double checked to make sure the call was still connected.

"Don't worry. I will check once I make sure Kate is safe. I know the feeling." Francis pulled up to the iron gates and rolled down his window to enter the gate code, "What's the code?"

"101060 star. Thank you, Deputy Commissioner. Call in once you have eyes on her."

"Will do." Francis typed in the code and ended the call. He watched as the gates slid open silently, and he tightened his hands on the steering wheel. He was probably entering into another blood bath. And he was getting tired of constantly showing up too late to save the people he was supposed to protect in this city. He had somewhat hoped that Manny Escuela and his associates would have rid the population of criminals, and that was how he met Niko. He shook the thoughts from his mind as he pulled through the open gates. There was no use dwelling on past mistakes and opportunities missed.

The parking garage was rather full, and he had to descend a level in order to find a spot. Expensive looking cars lined the spots and he briefly wondered how one of Niko's friends could afford to live in a place like this. He parked in a spot that was away from other vehicles and quickly exited the cruiser. He removed his suit jacket and silently unbuttoned his dress uniform shirt, placed the clothing down on his seat, leaving him in an undershirt. He opened the backdoor and grabbed his bulletproof vest, carefully lifting it up and over his head. He worked steadily to do up the velcro straps and adjusted the heavy vest over his body. He shut the backdoor when he was satisfied that it was on correctly and would provide enough protection.

He leaned back down into his front seat and entered in his combination for the center console. The lid softly clicked open with the right code, and Francis removed his police commissioned sidearm. He rarely used it or carried it with him, but since he gave Packie his other pistol, he would use this as his primary weapon. He pulled the pistol and holster from the compartment and went to work on buckling it to his belt. Once he was satisfied that the holster was in accordance with his dress uniform policy, he put on his dress uniform shirt, tucking it in, and yanked the suit jacket over his body. He closed the door to the cruiser and used his reflection to straighten out all the medals, ribbons, and buttons. Last thing he needed was to be called out by other agencies for being out of code.

A door opened and closed loudly in the garage and he immediately went for his pistol. He ducked down below the profile of his car and checked his surroundings for a possible threat.

"Look I know you want me to star in the show, and you're going to pay me handsomely, or I walk! You hear that!" A young man, with a hot temper stormed out of the stairwell and was marching toward Francis' position. He had short light brown hair tucked into an FIB hat, a jogging outfit graced his toned body, and he was attempting to zip up a lightweight FIB jacket. He removed the phone from his ear and glanced at it before putting it back up to his face, "I'm here doing research. I'll be back in Los Santos by Sunday to start filming the next episode."

Francis cautiously stood up from his hiding place and figured he'd just let the man be. He had on the right designating clothing to let him know they weren't knock offs. He shoved the pistol back into the hip holster and headed off toward the door the man had exited. He kept glancing at the agent who was now starting to scream into the cell phone.

"Yes! The Lost MC! That's who I'm after. They've been on our asses for years and I'm not about to let them just simply disappear. I don't give a fuck if Billy is dead. There is always someone who takes over and I plan to catch wind of who that is. The suspected hideout was burned to the ground. Look I'm on vacation right now checking in with a friend. I'll call when I land back in LS." The man hung up the call and noticed Francis walking toward the stairwell door, dressed in a full dress uniform, higher rank clearly displayed. "Hey! I wouldn't go in! There was some kind of shooting or something."

"And as I am Deputy Commissioner for this city, it is my business to make sure the citizens I represent are safe. Thank you for the heads up." He only glanced over his shoulder as he approached the door. He didn't have time to chitchat with an obnoxious FIB agent who clearly had no idea how to keep his business private.

"I'll head back up with you then. I don't need my fellow agents messing with you." The agent zipped up his jacket and jogged back over to match Francis' stride. "Nice to meet you Deputy Commissioner...?"

"Francis McReary. And you are?" Francis slowed only enough to make sure the man caught up with him. He opened the door using the IAA agent's code and held it open for the agent to enter first. He wasn't exactly excited to have a tag along agent, but he might be able to keep the rest of the FIB from bothering him. His glare only hardened the longer it took for the FIB agent to answer him.

"Steve Haines. Special Lead Agent Steve Haines, FIB, out of the Los Santos office. You might have heard about me!" He stretched his legs using the first couple of stairs and turned to nod at the Deputy Commissioner once the introductions were out of the way. He took a longer glance at the stars on the shoulder boards, as well as the fancy golden cords looped over the shoulder. Jealousy bloomed to life briefly across his face before he controlled it.

"I don't normally associate with FIB. We all tend to stick to ourselves here in LC. Not sure how you work over in Los Santos." He returned the nod and started to climb the stairs, now sorely wishing the man would shut up. He had an annoying voice and it reminded him of the steroid junkies down in Dukes. He was much too hyped to be entering in a shootout in only a jogging outfit and jacket.

"I have my own TV show. It's called 'The Underbelly of Paradise'. I don't know if it's airing here yet or not. I'm trying to convince the local broadcaster here to pick it up. Great show." He ran up a couple of steps ahead of Francis only to turn back and bounce in place while he waited for him to catch up.

"Is that so?" Francis hummed out and glanced at the wall plaque showing he had only reached the ground level garage. He rolled his eyes once Steve looked away. "I thought you were here to find info on The Lost?" This caused the agent to falter in his bouncing around.

"So, you heard my phone call? Yeah, I'm after them. Well FIB is. Doesn't matter. You got anything to share?" He crossed his arms and took on a more professional tone, having the Deputy Commissioner's words catch his attention. If he could get some good intel from the police force, he might be able to chase down more leads, and return to Los Santos faster.

"Not really. They are more of a concern for FIB." Francis kept his pace steady as he worked up toward the fifth floor. He needed to lose the hyper agent before getting to Kate. He was distracting him from his mission.

"True. Anyway! About my show- I showcase how I singlehandedly take down the scum and crime in Los Santos. It's got amazing production value and it lets the people know their federal agents are working hard to keep them safe! One dirtbag at a time." He fell in step with Francis and felt a renewed excitement at getting to let someone know about his TV show.

"There was someone here in Liberty doing something similar." Francis glanced at Steve from the corner of his eye as they rounded another set of stairs.

"Oh yeah? I didn't know that. What's the show called?" Steve grew quiet at his words, not liking someone cutting into his territory.

"It's not a show anymore. Never made it very far." He sighed and looked at the wall for how much further he had to climb, wishing that their conversation would just end. It was making him more and more uncomfortable with where it was leading.

"What happened? Poor ratings? Not a good lead?" He was beyond curious now as to why a show like his didn't take off in Liberty City.

"One of the so called sum bags killed him on camera. It's in evidence on an ongoing case against said drug lord. Guess you could say the underbelly strikes back when pushed far enough." Francis stopped when he noticed that Steve was no longer following him. He could see a far off look on his face as if he had said something that had never occurred to him before. His skin was somewhat paler, but nothing to the point of being concerned. "Then again, he wasn't in law enforcement. Just a good doer citizen trying to clean up the streets." He grimaced with the thought of Manny and how he had been shot in cold blood while confronting Elizabeta. The footage had been rather grisly, and when he noticed Niko in the background, he immediately destroyed the tape, replacing it with a blank one in evidence. That was one loose end he was able to handle on his own.

"Huh. Aren't we all? I just remembered why I was heading to my car. If anyone asks why you got through the blockade, just tell them Agent Haines sent you. They should recognize the name. See you around Deputy Comish." Steve gave a two finger salute and jogged back down the steps to the parking garage.

Francis watched him till he was no longer in view before turning to head up the next flight of stairs. The whole encounter felt off to him and he forced the feelings to the side. There would be time to figure out who Steve Haines was later and why he was doing research on The Lost MC. He reached the landing for the fifth floor and typed in the code to get into the hallway. The door dinged when it took the code. He jerked the door open and realized he was at the end of the building where the shootout must have happened. Agents walked back and forth on the phone, while other's forced the residents back into their units. It was utter chaos.

He sighed heavily and edged his way into the madness. He unclipped his badge from the front of his shirt and lifted it above his head. He brought his other hand to his mouth and whistled as loud as he could manage. Everyone jumped and looked around wildly, some of the agents went for their guns. He fought not to smile at the rather comical look some of them were sporting, "I am Deputy Commissioner Francis, here on official business. Who is in charge here?" He watched as each agent glanced between themselves before looking back toward the apartment door that was open.

"Francis?" A small timid voice reached his ears and he turned to see Karen exit the unit wearing an oversized dress shirt and slacks. The shirt had a few drops of blood on it and he panicked briefly at the sight of it. She was pale and looked rather unkept, as if she had been in the said firefight.

"Your boss sent me. Everything okay?" He didn't want to waste any more time and needed to set his sights on Kate soon.

"You aren't in your jurisdiction here. This is a federal investigation." A lead agent spoke up from the group that stood outside the apartment unit.

"Fuck off. This is my city, my town, and this concerns my family. I can very well stick my nose where I damn well please. Agent Daniels report to your boss immediately. I'm going to go check on my sister." He gave her a rather hard look, while also checking for injuries, before turning on his heel and marching away. He clearly knew that the shooting had taken place down the hall from where his sister was at, and he desperately needed to know that she was unharmed. The door Karen had emerged from had 14B on the plaque, and he put two and two together rapidly from the brief conversation he had with the IAA agent on the way over.

"Francis, wait!" Karen shouted before moving back into the unit to grab her weapon, then hobbled down the hall after him, pushing agents off of her as they attempted to keep her at the scene of the crime.

Francis ignored her plea and kept up a steady, hurried pace down the hall toward unit 4A. He needed to see her and silently prayed he wouldn't have to be the one to tell her about Gerry's death. Having to tell Packie was hard enough, but his sister too? He wasn't sure he would be strong enough to do it. He rounded a corner where the main elevators were and pushed his way through the other group of agents who were loading boxes into the open elevator lift.

"Someone stop her! She's the main suspect!" Someone yelled out from further down the hall behind him, and he turned in time to see Karen shove the long edge of the barrel of her pistol into someone's throat as they attempted to grab her. He stopped in his tracks as another agent attempted to handcuff her.

"Let her go this instant or I will have IAA take all your badges. Steve Haines sent me up here to make sure you left her alone, while he gets in touch with his bosses back in Los Santos." He figured name dropping was going to be the only way to get through to them. Karen looked almost frantic in her attempts to get free and she turned grateful eyes his direction. He drew his own pistol and pointed it toward the agents, "And I will make sure FIB powers that be here in LC know how you harassed an injured female!"

Collectively all the agents backed away from Karen and lifted their hands up in surrender. Karen removed the open handcuff from her wrist and dropped it to the ground. She looked back toward Francis to see him moving back down the hall to where she knew Kate was… and where Gerry was currently hiding out. "Francis! Wait! I need to talk to you!" She forced her body to move as fast as she could to try and catch him before he walked into the surprise of his life.

"Not now Karen." Francis hissed out as he noticed he was getting closer to the unit. He pulled his phone out and went to text his sister letting her know he was there and would be entering the unit shortly. He holstered his weapon to free his hands in order to type the message out quickly.

"This is important! You don't understand." She closed the distance rapidly as he had slowed down to be able to type out a message on his phone. She reached for his arm to be able to pull him around to face her.

"I said not now!" He yanked her hand from his arm and jerked her around to be in front of him, firming his hold on her lower arm. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and caught her other hand as she went to press her own pistol to his chest.

"Francis you listen to me now. I don't think you need to open that door." She renewed her efforts to break his hold, but her body was exhausted, and she merely only shook in his grasp. Her body trembled with being on her feet and her leg was alight with a burning pain. She swallowed thickly and forced the tears down.

"You have no say what I do or don't do. For all I know you murdered someone down the hall and should be in handcuffs right now. How much trouble am I going to find myself in for getting those agents to set you free?" He was furious now that he realized what he had just done. He had threatened federal agents, while in a federally protected building, while possibly helping a murder suspect get free.

He saw her fingers move on the pistol to release the safety. He shifted his hold and dislodged the magazine. It clattered to the floor and he kicked it away toward the wall. She used his distraction to kick his knee out to the side and jerked her hands and pistol free from his grip. She ducked away from his attempt to get ahold of her once more and stumbled backward toward Bernie's door, accidentally thumping her hand that held the pistol against it as she tried to right herself. Her legs shook beneath her, causing her to brace against the wall next to the door, and she willed herself to keep her strength up for just a little bit longer. "Francis please! Just listen to me-"

Francis cupped her neck with his free hand and jerked her away from the wall and backed her into the opposite wall from the door with more force than was necessary. She cried out at the impact, completely dropping her defenses and pistol. He forced his gun against her cheek and held her still. He searched her eyes for any sign of betrayal, lies, or deceit. He had picked up bits and pieces from talking to Kate while Packie was recovering, and he did not like this woman one bit. She had attempted to harm his sister with her words. And from what he could tell, had somewhat hurt Niko, and possibly tried to come between his sister and Niko's relationship.

"You have exactly five seconds to explain to me what the fuck is going on, or the last thing you will hear is my gun going off." Francis felt cold and stiff looking into the slightly frightened eyes of the IAA agent. He wasn't sure why he was reacting so violently, but he couldn't stop himself as he firmed his hand on her neck. The morning news and events were catching up to him and he was about ready to just snap and let it all out.

"And the last thing you will ever know, will be darkness as I put a bullet into the back of your head, brother."

'That voice! It can't be…' His eyes widened when the voice registered in his brain, and his world stopped.

Everything was suddenly stripped away from him. He hesitantly released Karen from his grasp and backed up to give her some space. His hands shook, his legs quaked, and his heart thundered away in his chest. He could see Karen had darted her eyes to someone who stood behind him and she had a weird mix of emotions splayed across her face. His fingers lost their grip on his pistol and it clattered to the floor. He realized he was heaving in large gulps of air and was close to having a complete breakdown. 'It just can't be. He's dead… I saw on the news…' He trembled from head to toe as he turned to lock eyes with his younger brother who he had assumed was dead.

"Hey Francis. Long time no see." Gerry smirked at his older brother as he casually leaned into the open doorway of Bernie's apartment, an assault rifle was slung over his shoulder and rested against his hip.

He stood so nonchalantly that it almost made Francis believe he was seeing things. He blinked several times as he tried to register that his brother was standing there in front of him. Wild red hair, piercing green eyes, smirk firmly in place- there was no mistaking the leader of the McReary Mob Family. He suddenly felt lightheaded and dizzy. He placed a hand against his chest as his heartrate skyrocketed.

Carefully, he managed to form his brother's name, "Gerry?"

aaaaaa

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Bernard cursed rapidly as he hauled himself into the driver seat of his SUV. LCPD had arrived on the scene and was in the middle of taking his statement when Francis called him. He was not prepared to be told that his agent, their secret, and his apartment was going to be involved in a shooting. His thoughts were running wild with the possibility that Karen had gone off the deep end and had killed Gerry. Or that Gerry decided to leave, and it descended into a full blown gunfight. And then to top it all off Francis was about to walk into the surprise of his life if everyone was still alive. 'Fuck!'

He pulled his cell phone up to his face and scrolled through his contacts before landing on Karen's name. He pressed the call button and waited as it continuously rang. He hung up and re-dialed the number. This whole morning was going to shit quicker than he liked, and he usually was a fan of chaos and trouble- just not this kind of trouble. He chucked the phone down into the passenger seat and stumbled back out of the SUV as another IAA agent approached the vehicle. His stomach pain was starting to bother him more and it slightly worried him.

"Boss? Orders?" The young agent rushed forward and stood at attention, ready to set off on whatever task was handed to him.

"Clean this mess up. He is a former drug runner for Dimitri's old gang. Just cleaning up loose ends. Then be sure you check in with the ground team at Suffolk Church. I have another agent who was just involved with a shooting in Middle Park West. They were to oversee that operation. You are in charge till I call you to tell you otherwise. Here." Bernard handed over a folded up piece of paper that had the codenames and cell phone numbers of the ground team leads. "You call me the second you get a report in from the ground teams. Understood agent?" Bernard studied the agent before him and tried to rack his brain for his name. He thought he saw the agent in his office the previous night when giving the debrief of Bulgarin's demise.

"Right away boss. My partner will handle the cleanup with LCPD here, and I'll get to checking in with these teams. I'll report in as soon as I get the go ahead code words." He opened the paper and swiftly glanced over the numbers and names, noting the numerous teams in place this morning. "Get going boss. I got this." He saluted his boss before jogging off toward his own armored vehicle in the parking lot.

Bernard watched him go for a second before getting back into his bullet riddled SUV. He pulled his seatbelt around him and put the vehicle into drive. "Fucking nightmare of a morning." He muttered as he maneuvered around all the LCPD cop cars. He pressed the voice command and waited for the prompt, "Call Agent Daniels." The phone rang loudly over the speakers and he twisted the volume knob down as the ringing hurt his ears. His anger was growing steadily the longer she didn't pick up her cell phone, and he masked his fear at the possibility that she was killed in the shootout.

'What would prompt a shootout at Bernie's place? No one knows of my apartment here in LC, and I made sure the place was heavily secured before I left with Niko. Nothing was out of place. Something horrible must have happened…' He studied the busy streets in Hove as the phone continued to ring.

He ended the call and took off toward Beachgate knowing the conversation with Niko wasn't going to be pretty. "Fuck." He swore loudly at the situation he found himself in. "Might as well try Kate. At least that will keep the edge off of Niko…" Bernard turned onto another busy street and dialed Kate's new number, hoping beyond all hope, that she picked up. The only sound that filled the car was the constant ringing of an unanswered call. His nerves were starting to freeze the longer he was left without answers. He thrived on knowledge and being in the dark wasn't good for his health.

"This is one goddamn mess…" He darkly whispered in Serbian as he stopped at the red light and picked his cell phone back up. He really didn't want to make the next phone call but knew if he showed up at Roman's place with zero answers, he was as good as dead. Carefully he pulled up his own bosses number and pressed the call button. He glanced to the light and the other cars around him, noticing the stares from other drivers and pedestrians on the sidewalk. The SUV must be quite the sight with all the cracked glass and bullet holes.

"I was wondering how long it would take before you called." His bosses voice came over the speakers; Clam, cool, and collected as ever, with just the slightest edge to the words.

"I wasn't going to, honestly. But things are-" Bernard started.

"Fucked? That the term you looking for? I appointed you this position due to your skill and perseverance. And this is the shitshow I get in return?" Anger resonated in the voice.

"I apologize," Bernard gulped and forced his own anxiety down with the tone his boss took, "Target location is still unknown and there are too many players active to know the next move accurately. I have no favors to call in with FIB. Could really use one." He looked around the street one more time before accelerating once the light turned green. Beachgate's security check in arch was in sight and for once he was grateful to be close to the rather notorious neighborhood.

"I see your typical cash cow is dead. Jon Gravelli. So, you must be desperate to call me. Tell me, how far into the rabbit hole must I go in order to save this mess?" His boss mused, his voice grating against Bernard's ears.

"Not far. I need a FIB favor. There was a shooting at my safehouse. A talented agent was present, and I am unable to get ahold of her and her target." Bernard turned on Shinnecock Ave and pulled up alongside a brick home in order to finish the call before approaching Roman's house. He parked the SUV and turned the volume down so the voice wouldn't carry to the outside of the vehicle.

"You mean to tell me you are throwing away this favor to check up on an agent?" There was a delighted amusement that carried with the voice, and Bernard winced at it. He didn't want to throw away this favor, but he needed to know the fate of his agent, Gerry, Kate, Bernie, and Mallorie. Niko would surely kill him if any of them were dead or injured.

"It is important to everything else going on." He clipped his words trying to keep some things silent about what was happening. He had managed to keep everything under the table from his boss, but this was starting to border on breaking the laws of the agency he swore his life to. His fingers tightened their hold of the steering wheel as anger began to simmer in his blood.

"As I know most of everything, I can tell you that FIB responded to a shooting. One of your agents is dead. But it has also been brought to my attention that a certain Deputy Commissioner has threatened the FIB in his search for his sister. Dealing with the McReary's again are we?"

"You could say that. I'm closing some loopholes and cutting off the frayed ends. I'll have my full report to you by the end of the weekend." He scrubbed a hand over his eyes with the news. He didn't want to believe that Karen was dead. But that was the only agent he knew of in the building. He would need to try Kate's cell one more time before facing Niko.

"You best do that. I have another assignment in LS that needs your attention. Namely an agent in the FIB. Some other shitshow in Ludendorff, North Yankton or someplace around there has caught my attention. Call me Sunday night. Oh, and why don't you bother your other contact next time you need a favor? A real favor. This was a waste of my time." The line went dead, and all Bernard could do was let out a long suffering sigh, dropping his head back against the headrest.

"Yeah okay sure. Let me just call him on speed dial. Fucking asshole." Bernard sarcastically snarked out as he put the vehicle back into drive and drove off toward Roman's house. "Call Deputy Commissioner McReary." He used the hands free button to dial the only other person he knew to be alive in the building.

"I don't have much to say to you right now. Your agent is fine, but you're about to be dead next time I see you." Francis ended the call abruptly. He could hear how badly his voice wavered and could only come to one conclusion- Gerry had been discovered. Bernard pulled up into Roman's driveway, seeing the motorcycle parked up against the garage door.

"If she is alive, then who?" He mused aloud, turning the SUV off and clambering out of the driver's seat. He opened the backdoor and grabbed Niko's suit bag, the discarded rifle, and maneuvered the rocket launcher between the two captain chairs to keep it somewhat out of sight. The vehicle was a mess and would look utterly ridiculous pulling up to the nicest church in all of Liberty, but he would not chance their travel with an unarmored car.

"What took you so long? Lose your way?" Niko spoke from the front porch. He casually leaned against the wooden doorframe, two cups of coffee in his hands, giving off a rather calm demeaner, even with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"The typical bullshit. What else?" Bernard called out, kicking the backdoor shut. He slung the rifle strap over his shoulder to free up his arms, and shifted the suit bag to his less dominate arm, "Have you heard from Kate yet?" He kept his eyes trained on everything but his new comrade. He was trying to think of a way to get him to check in on Kate without it being weirdly suspicious.

"I have not. Should I have?" Niko's voice was lofty, but Bernard could hear the unasked questions that Niko was sending his way. They were getting better at somewhat trusting one another, and Bernard did not want to destroy that level of friendship between them. Especially now that they had fallen into an easier routine and could read the other better.

"No. But. Um. With a new phone I figured she'd be texting you like crazy. Not like she is paying the bill for it. Thank our lovely taxpayers." He attempted a smile and laugh, but it only came off sounding forced, "Let's get inside." Bernard approached cautiously, finally glancing to Niko's face to see how his features began to harden.

"Here." Niko held out one of the full cups of coffee, not moving from his relaxed position. He studied how haggard Bernard looked and wondered what took place at the beach in the time it took for him to get to Roman's and get his cousin ready. Something was nagging at him and he tried his best to ignore it.

"Poison?" Bernard half joked, taking the cup from Niko's grasp, and lifting it to his lips. He took an exaggerated sniff as if he could smell something amiss.

"Only if you consider a shot of whiskey to be poisonous?" He lifted his eyebrow at the jab not really in the mood to joke now that he was beginning to worry about his girlfriend and his friends. It also brought up unpleasant thoughts of Packie being poisoned and hospitalized because of Natalya's hatred of him.

"You spike it?" He lowered the cup and gave him a serious look. He was on the clock and not wanting to be even the slightest bit inebriated. It would take every ounce of awareness to keep him alive today, and he would not fail in keeping everyone else alive as well.

"No. But if Roman made it, it would be a cup of whiskey with a shot of coffee in it. Suit?" Niko held his hand out to take his suit from him. They had a few minutes before they needed to head out. And he planned on using that time to call Kate and check in. The voice in his head was starting to be more persistent that he call her. Bernard was giving him a weird vibe and he didn't like it one bit.

"Interesting choice in drink." He easily handed over the suit, "You want your rifle too?" He gestured to the assault rifle that was hanging from his shoulder, before taking a sip from the cup of coffee. There was no bite of alcohol in the liquid and he was thankful for it. The warmth immediately spread out in his body and he felt like he could take a deep breath for once.

"When we leave. Roman is in the kitchen. Can you keep an eye on him? He doesn't need to get drunk." Niko moved inside the house, held the door open with his foot and took another sip from his new cup of coffee.

"I can handle that. I have a couple of phone calls to make, but I'll keep him in my sights." Bernard nodded his thanks and entered the quaint home. He took in his surroundings, checking for blind spots, places that would make good cover, counted the windows and doors as he made his way into the kitchen. He carried out his usual routine when he entered a new place and he caught Niko's smirk as they found Roman sitting at the bar in the kitchen, gulping down another mug of coffee.

"Front, back, and one side door. The windows are locked and there is a security alarm beep for them. My cousin doesn't have any guns in the home. What you have on you is it." Niko paused at the foot of the stairs and tilted his head to the side slightly to study the IAA agent. He recognized the way he had scoped out the place and offered what he knew in order to ease Bernard's mind. He did the same thing every time he went out and into a new place. Having an exit strategy was a must with his line of work.

"Thanks. Get ready. I will want to head out soon." Bernard regarded him wearily, thankful that Niko hadn't blown up at him yet asking a million questions about Kate. "Hello Roman. Big day huh?" He turned away from Niko and took a stool at the bar with his cousin, hoping the light conversation will settle his own unraveling resolve. Things were so carefully balancing on the ledge and all it would take was a soft breeze before it all came crumbling down.

Niko only took one last glance before taking the steps two at a time to head back into the master bedroom to get dressed. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and immediately realized he didn't have Kate's new number. His phone buzzed in his hand with a text message from ULP containing her new number and he had to smirk with the way Bernard seemed to be just ahead of his thoughts and movements. They would've made a good team if their life circumstances were different.

Silently he crossed into the large master bedroom and dropped the suit bag down onto the massive king sized bed. He clicked on the number and waited for her to pick up. His number should have been programmed into the new phone, so she should at least know it was him calling. He wandered into the master bath and glanced at his reflection in the mirror, placing his now finished cup of coffee down on the marble countertop. He had shaved and showered while Roman and him waited on Bernard to show, and he couldn't remember the last time he had bothered to clean up his scruff. He looked younger, softer, and more like a man in a relationship, then some crazed killer out for large sums of money.

"You have reached the voicemail box of Kate McReary. Please leave a message at the tone." The automated voice crackled over the phone and Niko ended the call. 'Odd. Why didn't she pick up?' He smoothed over his stumble and tore his gaze away from his reflection. He placed the cell phone down on the counter next to the empty cup and let out a sigh. It wasn't like she would be glued to her phone. She should be getting dressed with Mallorie and laughing it up with Bernie. Possibly learning a few new words to say to him when they were alone. The thought caused him to gently smile. His thoughts were interrupted as a loud buzzing sound filled the bathroom.

The phone continued to vibrate with an incoming call and he immediately answered it, "Kate? Everything okay?" He turned back toward the entrance to the bedroom and leaned back into the counter.

"I- define okay." She sounded hesitant and he could hear several heated male and female voices in the background, "Hang on."

Niko's eyebrows furrowed at the sound of her voice. Something must have happened, and he was about ready to march down the stairs and have a word with Bernard. He knew leaving her alone at Bernie's was a risk, a fairly large unnecessary risk, and he was against the idea completely. He patiently waited for her to continue and every second that passed felt like an hour.

"Okay. So I. Niko, I don't know how to explain this." She sounded so unsure, timid, and scared. Things he wished she would never have to feel again.

"Try at the beginning. What's going on. Are you safe?" Niko shoved off the counter and was halfway across the master bedroom before she answered him.

"I am safe. Francis, Bernie, Mal… your ex-girlfriend is here and..." She paused and let out a long sigh, "And Gerry is here."

Niko came to a complete stop at the foot of the bed. Why would Karen be there, and how did Gerry get into Bernie's apartment? "Are Francis and Gerry okay?" He wasn't sure what all was said or explained to Kate, or how badly the mini family reunion went with the current circumstances. He knew Francis believed Gerry to be dead and he could almost picture the hostile situation they were in at Bernie's apartment. Francis had a temper, but Gerry was more willing to act on his temperament.

"Niko I'm not sure. They haven't talked. They are just staring at each other. Mal is on the couch with Bernie. I'm not sure what is going on. There was some kind of shooting."

"Shooting? In the apartment? Is anyone hurt?" Niko felt a new rage start to form in his chest and he hurried down the hall to the staircase. He was going to demand Bernard tell him everything. 'He must know something since he casually suggested I call Kate…'

"It was down the hall or somewhere in the building. It sounded muffled. Bernie forced us to stay put in his unit and he went to investigate. Next thing I know he comes back into the apartment with my brother." He could almost see her pacing back and forth in Bernie's apartment, hands running through her curly hair, eyes closing as she let out a long breath.

"Everything is okay Kate. I am sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He paused at the top of the stairs as the rage gave way to guilt. He had promised her he would not put her in danger, nor leave her alone. He felt like all he kept doing was breaking promises to her.

"I had- have Bernie. We were safe Niko. I called Francis soon after Bernie left the unit to see what was happening. I was hoping he would know about the shooting. He gets reports from dispatch all the time. I figured if I knew what was going on, I could calm down. I was going to call you next, but Gerry walked into the unit. And well…" She let out another shaky breath over the phone and Niko wished he had never left the apartment. He knew she was barely keeping things together as it was, and things just kept getting dumped on her.

"волим те лепото (volim te lepoto)." He whispered out the words as her silence continued on.

"I love you too. I'm okay. It was just a complete shock. I didn't know how to greet him. I was at home when he was hauled off to prison. I didn't think I'd get to see him again. I should have at least said something."

"Why don't you go see what's going on? I need to get dressed and get Roman to the church. Call me when you head out?" His hand tightened on his cell phone. 'I'll get ready once I have a few choice words with Bernard…'

"Okay. I'll feel better once I see you again." He could hear the smile in her voice.

"I will too. Keep your phone on you. Call if you need anything." He took a steadying breath knowing it would only be a little while longer before he could see her again. But the conversation that was about to take place was going to not be fun. He was swinging back and forth like a pendulum with his emotions. Rage, anger, relief, happiness, back to anger and rage. He just needed to kill Natalya and things could feel normal-ish again. Or at least what everyone told him was normal.

"Okay Niko. I will see you soon. I can't promise I won't be able to keep my hands to myself." He loved it when she teased him. She would poke at him every now and then and it would lift his spirits- if only for a moment.

"We will see who keeps whose hands to themselves." His mind started to shift toward more pleasing thoughts, and he forced himself to focus. They would have time later after the ceremony, or maybe they could sneak off at the reception.

"A challenge? I like it. I accept. See you soon Mr. Sophisticated European." She laughed lightly before ending the call. He remembered the day she had answered the door and was in a rather giddy mood. She had reached out and kissed his cheek. He thought they were going to be able to continue their conversation, or at least allow him to comment on it, but her mother interrupted them. It was a bittersweet memory for so many reasons. Things had rapidly changed since that day.

He shook his head and schooled his features, Bernard had some explaining to do.

aaaaaa

"Uh guys. We should probably discuss how we are going to get to the church. We have about thirty minutes before we are supposed to be there." Bernie quietly stated from his rather protective spot next to Mallorie. He had kept the assault rifle with him once he entered his apartment and had it resting across his lap. It may look like a relaxed position to be in, but he was more than ready to snap into action.

"Bernie is right. We need to come up with a plan quickly." Karen was slowly losing the battle to stay upright and was leaning heavily against the closed front door. She had reassembled her pistol and was holding on to it as if her life depended on it. She wasn't sure how badly things were about to turn, and she still had a job to accomplish this morning.

"You stay out of this!" Francis glared over to her before turning his attention back to his brother. Karen had all but shoved them into this apartment quickly once the initial shock wore off of seeing Gerry again. She had mumbled something about a mission or job but kept quiet once she shut and locked the door, leaving him to face Gerry alone.

"Leave her alone. You have her to thank for my ass still being alive!" Gerry coldly spoke. He was facing the front door with Francis and Karen both within his line of sight. He swept the room with his eyes making sure Bernie and the other female hadn't moved from their spot. Kate had disappeared into a room down the hall and he wondered if she was okay. They hadn't spoken a word to each other when he entered the apartment, and he regretted not saying hello at least. They had just stared at one another not giving the other any ground to speak on. His mind had conjured so many things to say, but nothing felt good enough to voice.

"Oh so I should thank some crazy IAA agent for breaking you out of prison?" He could barely figure out how to feel. He wanted to break down in joy for seeing not only his sister alive and well, but for having his brother returned to him. He was starting to feel hysterical with everything that kept happening in his life. It was difficult keeping his family out of trouble, and now it was proving to be more dangerous to keep them all alive. If he had it his way, he would keep them all under one roof and never let them leave.

"Drop it Francis. Now is not the time." Karen thumped her head back into the wooden door and tried to take a full breath. Every few seconds her leg would burn brightly before going back to the numbing throb it had been doing since Bernie patched her up.

"I said stay out of this! This is a family matter right now." He jabbed his pointer finger her direction, raising his voice slightly, getting annoyed at having her present at the most pivotal moment in his life. So many things needed to be said and shared, and he didn't feel comfortable having the federal agent listening in- even if she looked ready to pass out on them.

"For once I agree with Frankie." Kate stated as she emerged from the hallway, cell phone in hand. She trained her eyes on Gerry and tried to gain the strength to say what she always wanted to tell him. She loved all her brothers, but it was frowned upon to speak on those emotions. So much was kept bottled up inside and if she didn't get the chance soon to release some of the pressure, she was going to burst, and she was unsure on what that would look like. Francis shifted on his feet and nodded to her to let her know it would be okay.

"Gerry. I… I don't know where to start." She focused on one of her older brothers taking in his full appearance for the first time since seeing him walk into the apartment. He had on nicely pressed dress clothes; ones that resembled the color scheme Karen wore. He hadn't shaved in what appeared to be a long time, but he was more built than the last time she saw him. 'Probably all the spare time to work out now…'

His eyes were still the same ones she knew so well. Everyone else always commented on how cold they were, but she knew better. He held a wealth of love inside and only allowed a select few to see it. She was one of the lucky ones. They had been close at one point in time and drifted apart as they all grew up. He took the darker path, while she stayed in neutral territory. And on the few occasions where it was just them left at the house, they would enjoy drinking whiskey from Pa's stash and watching movies on the television. It wasn't till he started being careless in hiding what he did outside of the house, that she pulled away. He would carry guns around the house as if it was no big deal and that freaked her out to no end.

She involuntarily flinched when she saw him armed with a rifle of some kind. The strap was haphazardly thrown over his shoulder and having been around Niko long enough should have prepared her for the sight of it. But this was Gerry! Who should still be serving a very long sentence for Lord knows what kind of crimes. And it was eating away at her the longer they stood staring at one another as if discovering a long lost relative.

"Katie-bear. Look. Everything is very complicated right now." Gerry lowered his voice and softened his features. He slowly lifted the rifle strap off his body to show he wasn't a threat to her. He loved his sister and would do anything for her. He had killed for her, beaten people to a pulp for her, and kept her from seeing the darkness that was their family affairs. He always held a soft spot for his little sister and refused to let anyone harm her. High school had been rough, but they had made it through. As they got older, she started to berate him for the path he chose. The preaching and saintly talk shoved him away from her. He knew what had to be done in order to keep his family safe, the mob afloat, and the rest of the city from encroaching on their diminished territory. He prayed she wouldn't start a verbal bashing now. She was known to strip him down with her words over his life choices, and he wasn't in the mood.

"You don't say." Kate mumbled and hesitantly walked closer to Gerry, "How much do you know? Should I even be surprised if you know everything?" She absently rubbed at one of her wrists, thankful for the makeup Mallorie had applied to her. She at least looked like she hadn't been brutally attacked. The tiny voice in the back of her head warned her about letting him know about the bruises. They were all on edge and she didn't need her brother going off the rails like Francis had back at their Ma's place.

"I know enough. More than I wished. I'm so sorry Katie." He dropped the rifle to the ground and held out his arms for her. This was his little sister standing before him. The one who was violently attacked by some depraved men. There wasn't a single bruise or mark on her, but he knew better. She was wearing makeup, and she never did before now. And he could guess why she was using it- to hide behind it. To shield herself from the judgmental lens of the world. His heart broke all over again for her. His stomach knotted up as she continued to stand there before him unmoving.

She couldn't wait another second longer before collapsing into his hug. He always gave the best hugs and she sighed when he picked her up in a heavy bear hug. His arms were strong, secure, and violent in nature, but to her they were nothing but the safe space of her older brother. Her eyes closed and she snuggled into his embrace glad to be able to do this once more. They hadn't been very close the last year or so and she would be thankful for the few moments she was graced with now. He didn't ask questions, didn't need the details, but knew that she needed his comfort, and for that reason, she would let everything else go for now.

"Katie, Gerry- I am happy you two are okay." Francis spoke up from his place in the living room. If his sister were willing to set everything aside for the moment, he would too. This was his family and he would do good on the words he had given Packie at the hospital.

"Oh Frankie!" Kate maneuvered out of Gerry's hold and pulled her other brother in for a hug. "Thank you for coming to check in on me. There is just so much going on, and right now I am just overjoyed that we can see each other. How is Packie this morning?" She leaned out of the tight hug Francis had returned, but still didn't move completely out of his arms. Gerry moved closer to them and placed his hand on her shoulder in silent support.

He reached up and softly caressed his knuckle over where he knew the bruise rested on her cheek, "He will be better once he knows Gerry is alive. The news was reporting him dead this morning. I am just shocked to see him standing here in this random apartment building. After everything that's taken place, I was devastated to think we had lost another member of our family." He looked up from her eyes to lock on to his brother's gaze. It was mostly true. He was getting more chances than he deserved to make things right.

"Can't get rid of me that easily." He smirked and shook his head. They would have time later to settle their differences and possibly discuss hardships between them. He was looking forward to having a large homecooked family meal with all of them at the house and press the reset button on their pasts. They had too many close calls lately to not find time for each other.

"That's true. But more people are going to try to get rid of everyone in this room soon. Bernie do you know the route my boss suggested you take to the church? I am thinking we abandon that plan." Karen closed her eyes and tried to find the inner strength to keep her more bitter remarks to herself. She would try for Gerry's sake to be civil and keep the peace while she figured out a way to get ahold of her boss and the ground teams. Her phone had been damaged in the firefight and the monitors and radio had also been shot to hell. Her only way to reach the ground teams was via the established radio communications. 'I need to check in with them now… Something is going on and they had reached out before Johnson showed up…'

"It gives us the most protection from possible threats from above. It was also advised that we avoid major roadways as it would be easier to be ambushed." Bernie glanced between all the people in his apartment unit. He had his arm slung around Mallorie's shoulders, trying to comfort her. She had gone completely silent and internal and he was getting borderline worried about her.

"Yeah I would avoid a direct route. Even with the increased police presence in Suffolk, I would feel better if we took a backway in. I have my jackets on street patrol in their finest, and I was told IAA would be doing their own surveillance." Francis tucked a loose curl behind Kate's ear before looking toward Karen. He would put everything aside for the time being. They had a mission to complete.

"Okay. Okay. Wait just a damn minute here- HOLD UP!" Mallorie shoved off the couch and started to pace between the McReary family, "This is my wedding. Roman and I's special day. What the actual fuck is going on?!" She let out a couple of heated breaths, searching everyone's eyes trying to figure out what they were talking about. 'Safe routes to the church, avoiding threats from above, plans?! What in the world is happening?'

"Mal. There are some very dangerous people out there wanting to kill Niko and everyone that he holds dear." Bernie stood up and approached her slowly, arms out as a show of no aggression, "And unfortunately that means everyone in this room is in danger."

"No! No no no. This can NOT be happening today." A hand flew to her mouth and the other went to rest over the life growing inside her.

Kate moved out from Francis' arms and pulled her into a fierce hug, "Come on. Let's go into the other room for a minute. Make sure we are ready for the ceremony. Let the others handle this for a second. Okay?" She sent a glare to both of her brothers hoping they caught the underlying message she was sending them. Mallorie was not to be stressed out any further in her condition and they were NOT allowed to comment on it.

"Yes! I will stay here for a minute, then come make sure your hair is perfection love!" Bernie nodded toward the two females and motioned for them to go use his bedroom for a quiet moment. He would figure out what to do with their new situation and perhaps get Niko on the phone. Their plans had rapidly changed on them and he wasn't sure how to pull this off.

"Come on. Everything is going to be okay." Kate ushered her friend back into the bedroom, hoping that things would be more planned out once they returned to the living room. She would use these next few minutes to calm Mallorie back down and get her excited again for the upcoming ceremony.

"I say we take the more direct route. Francis has everyone out on the streets. The bitch will be thinking we'd be trying to stay hidden." Gerry watched as his sister comforted the other young lady into the hallway and disappeared in another room. He had to admit he was impressed with the way she was carrying herself and controlling the situation she found herself in.

"Interesting choice. But I like it. She would be anticipating our moves." Karen hobbled over and collapsed down on the loveseat needing to be off her feet, planting her face into one of the throw pillows. Her body was screaming at her for a break and her mind was running a million miles a second. 'Too much with little to no time.'

"Who?" Francis asked, keeping his distance from everyone, still unsure of what was actually going on. He folded his arms across his chest and shifted his weight from foot to foot. He glanced to Gerry when Karen flopped down on the couch, only to get a shrug in response. He was clearly missing something, and he removed his hat to run his fingers through his thick hair.

"Dimitri's cousin, Natalya Rascalov. She's the one who is behind all the attacks right now. We believe she is the one who sent the poisoned bottle of champagne and your forged note to Niko's apartment. Dimitri has wanted to eliminate Niko for a long time, and once Niko killed Natalya's lover, Lenny Petrovic, and now cousin in Dimitri, she has her eyes set on killing everything he loves and then him." Karen twisted around to her back on the couch and flung her arm over her eyes. 'God I am tired…'

"Why haven't we been notified of this? We could get her picture out to my units, have her brought in. Or is this some kind of big flashy task force that's disregarding the safety of the citizens in Liberty because someone needs a promotion?" Francis turned slightly red in the face with his renewed anger. He hated when LCPD was kept out of the loop when it came to FIB and IAA affairs. He knew of Dimitri and the hatred he held for Niko long before things went completely sideways. He was aware of Niko killing Mikhail Faustin. But he was unaware of Dimitri having a cousin in the city who was now on a revenge mission of her own.

"Pretty sure this is all new information. Niko more than likely doesn't know of her." Bernie pipped in. He may not know much of what was going on, but he knew who Dimitri was and why Niko felt the need to kill him. 'And good riddance. He wanted to expose Bryce and my relationship…'

"My boss probably told him on their way to go get Roman. Speaking of. Can I borrow someone's phone? I need to check in with him and figure out how to contact the ground teams at the church. Also! We need to figure out how to get us all there without it being beyond obvious." Karen lifted up her phone and removed her sim card, she would be able to switch it out on someone else's phone in order to make a couple of calls before getting her own replacement.

"I can take the ladies in my cruiser. Gerry should probably stay out of sight. You should be dead." Francis pulled out his own phone and removed his sim card for her to be able to make a couple of calls. He would also need to be reaching out to the Police Chief and let him know of a possible threat level. If Natalya was anything like her cousin, the city was in danger.

"I can help. There is no way I'm going to let some crazy bitch kill our sister!" Gerry sat down in one of the large armchairs. He was going to fight them on this. He had heard what happened to his family while he was behind bars, and he swore on his life that he wouldn't let anything else happen to them. And now he was given the chance to protect them, and people were trying to deny him of it.

"Gerry, we have gone over this. The world believes you are dead. You are safe this way, and our only ace up the sleeve." She glanced to him as she loaded her card into Francis' phone. They had been over this many times before Agent Johnson had interrupted them.

"We need all the extra guns we can get. This is one of the most secured buildings in Middle Park, and yet you were nearly killed in a firefight." Bernie added leaning over the back of the couch to look at her. He was going to side with Gerry on this one. The more people they had active and able to defend them, the better.

"I think we are all missing the point here." Francis said getting more agitated the longer they dragged out their conversation, "Kate is very well protected at the moment. But what about Niko? He's out God knows where while we are all in this apartment discussing the finer details of a plan gone to shit. Not to mention, we are all going to be in one single location- the church."

aaaaaa

"Wow cousin! Look at you in those fancy clothes. Trying to upstage the groom on his wedding day?" Roman smiled when his cousin reentered the kitchen after having a rather quick and intense discussion that he could barely keep up with in Serbian to the mysterious man that currently sat hunched over a second cup of coffee on the barstool. They had gone at each other in rather heated tones, speaking faster than Roman could translate or understand, then Niko had stormed back off up the stairs. The man in his kitchen had explained he had been the one to convince Niko to come pick him up and was why he was rather on edge. Roman had let him assume he dropped the subject, but he had heard specific words about a shooting and putting loved ones in danger.

"Never cousin! This is your day!" Niko pushed a button through the loophole of his suit jacket and glanced up to meet his cousin's eyes. He had rushed in getting dressed once he knew someone had been killed at the apartment complex and Bernard wasn't sure if there would be more. He had little information as it was, and Karen wasn't answering her cell phone. Bernard looked over his shoulder to him and gave a simple nod in return.

"Well you do make those snobby salesmen look like garbage. Very refined indeed!" Roman slid off the stool he was using and walked over to his cousin to place a hand on either of his shoulders, "Your brother would have been proud to see you now." He softened his voice with the mention of Niko's brother. They had all been extremely close growing up, and Roman regretted not getting to see him once he left for America. They had such a close bond with one another and he sorely missed having that connection.

"I miss him too… You probably would have picked him as your best man." Niko attempted to smile with his words, lowering his eyes to the floor to study the grain of the hardwood. If there was one thing he wished would never be brought up, was the topic of his deceased brother. As the silence dragged on he glanced up to his cousin to the affronted look Roman gave him.

"NB I swear! Let's get going, shall we? I am tired of waiting to make that beautiful woman my wife!" Roman patted Niko's shoulders roughly before walking over toward the front door. He was upset that Niko would think he would choose his brother over him as the best man. The sadness was not lost to him when he had seen Niko speak of his brother, and he would drop the conversation all together for now and try to move past his own guilt and anger. They never spoke about his passing, and he would remember to not bring him up anymore. He turned to look at the other two people in his home and waved his hands, "Well? Come on already!"

"You will have to forgive the mode of transportation. It's a little rough around the edges." Bernard took the last gulp from his cup of coffee and rose to his feet, following after Roman. He only briefly glanced toward Niko, not wanting to anger him more by offering his condolences for his loss. And he really didn't want to have another one sided conversation.

"A little? Try a lot." Niko muttered, picking up his rifle from the end of a couch in the living room. He didn't bother to loop the strap over his shoulder as he would just be removing it once he got into the vehicle. He shoved the thoughts of his brother to the recesses of his mind and refocused on the day ahead. Silently the three of them emerged back into the sunny and chilly morning air. The neighborhood was a touch noisier than it had been earlier, likely due to all the commotion down on the beach. But the SUV was as they had left it. Bullet holes punctured the sides of the black exterior, leaving silver frayed marks of the chipped off paint. The driver side windows, and some of the windshield was fractured, and the back windshield looked ready to crumble apart.

"The fuck is this! The actual fuck happened to you two?" Roman gaped at the state of the SUV and had to force himself to look over to his cousin and his friend. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he tried to form a coherent thought.

"We were attacked on our way over. The person has been delt with. There is a garage not far from here where we can swap out the vehicle for another one. But I would feel safer if we took this one over to the church. As you can see it can withstand bullets." Bernard gestured to the amount of damage inflicted on the body of the SUV. He had to wince at the slightly panicked groan Roman let out.

"Niko you swore to me there would not be a bloody wedding. How do I know we aren't going to be shot at on our way to the church where my fiancé is waiting for me?" He was getting manic the longer he spoke, and he turned abruptly away from them and headed over to the fence line that bordered the street. His hands fisted tightly as he dropped them to the top of the wooden fence. This was not how he imaged this day starting out.

Bernard's phone began to ring loudly and sighed, "Go calm him down, then we need to head out." He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered the call, turning to go walk a short distance away for some privacy, and hopefully get some answers.

"Roman. I am doing everything I can to keep you safe. You know this. I won't let anything happen to you or Mallorie. There is only one person to worry about, and she is running out of places to hide." Niko approached his cousin and leaned against the fence, mirroring Roman's stance. He needed his cousin to calm down and see reason. He was more than capable at keeping them safe. And he would give his dying breath to ensure they all made it out of it. Roman didn't know that Mallorie was pregnant, and he would make sure that child had both parents around to raise them.

"I am not as stupid as you make me out to be NB. How many times have I been burned because of your choices in life? How do you think Mallorie will handle all of this after the stress of planning the wedding? She is already keeping secrets from me, and you want to add danger and peril to that? She isn't like us Niko! She isn't prepared to be shot at, kidnapped, almost tortured, and have a wanted level hung over her. That may be the life you want to carry on with, but you can leave the two of us out of it!" He heaved with every breath and wildly looked around his neighborhood as if he were about to be hit over the head and rendered unconscious.

"I am sorry for what happened Roman. Not sure how many more times I will be required to apologize before you accept it." Niko tore his eyes away from his cousin and tried to bury the hurt over his words. He lifted the rifle strap over his shoulder and placed the gun in a more ready position. They were out in the open, exposed, and he wouldn't be caught off guard today. He watched as Bernard continued to talk quietly on the cell phone and make a short trek over to the edge of the yard.

"Niko I am just scared and worried. What kind of marriage will I have if the very beginning of said marriage is met with bullets, fire, and death? That is the complete opposite of how I want the next part of our lives to start." He checked his watch to see that their time was fast approaching to get to the church on time, "And if we are late, I might as well kiss this relationship goodbye!"

"I'll get my friend to drive. Sit behind me in the car. We will get you there on time." Niko's voice dropped and was devoid of emotion. He didn't bother to look at his cousin as he walked off to get Bernard. He was angry with what Roman had said, but he also was trying to incinerate the heavy guilt that sat in his chest. Roman had typically pulled his punches when it came to their confrontations but didn't hold back today. He had aired out how he felt, and Niko wasn't sure how to handle it. They usually exchanged a couple of heavy words then went on as if nothing was wrong. Maybe he thought incorrectly about how Roman felt about the past seven to eight months.

"See you there. ETA twenty minutes. Be safe." Bernard hung up his phone and turned in time to see Niko approach him, "Karen said they are moving out of the apartment to the church. Things have gone to complete shit. We have a mole in the IAA. We can't trust anyone. When we get there, take Roman inside, and I will approach the ground teams and figure out what's going on. I hand-picked them knowing where their loyalties lied. I will make sure that hasn't changed. Francis is going to shuffle the police force around to see if there are any weak links there. I will have eyes up in a sniper's nest for the front door. But we need to move now in order to get there in time." He tucked his phone back into his pocket and started to move toward the bullet riddled SUV.

"A mole? That what the shooting was?" Niko turned and matched Bernard's stride, moving toward the front passenger seat, noticing that Roman had already climbed into the backseat.

"I believe so. It's the working theory right now. Karen's partner attempted to kill her. Gerry managed to kill him first. At least the agent wasn't able to report back to Natalya. This wasn't a target for Kate or anyone else, only Karen, or so I think. FIB has the scene locked down, so I have no way to figure out the level of security at the church." Bernard started the vehicle and backed out of the driveway. He heard Niko and Roman both buckle their seatbelts before he took off for the large, ornate church in Suffolk.

"If there was a mole, how do we know they haven't given Natalya everything she needs to know?" Niko watched the people they passed, hoping to not have to enter into another car chase or shootout. Roman was barely holding on and the last thing he needed was to be in the middle of a firefight on his wedding day.

"Don't know. It was Karen's partner. They were paired up after she brought you in. So, there is no telling what was said between the two or how well Karen trusted him." He drove through the security check in arch and decided taking the Broker Bridge back over toward the Suffolk burrow would be the fastest route, so long as the wrecks didn't cross over onto the other flow of traffic. He would've taken the longer route but needed every second he could get. There was too much work to be done once at the church. "How you holding up back there Roman?" He could tell something was off between the cousins.

"Just great! There is some crazed psycho out there trying to kill us all again. And here I am feeling like we are about to walk into the biggest mistake of our lives. On my wedding day of all days!" Roman scoffed and leaned into the window watching the city pass them by. Something heavy rolled toward his foot and caught his attention, "And why the hell is there a fucking bazooka in here?!"

"You have the LCPD, IAA, and every friendly street gang out there making sure the place is safe and secure. You will be able to wed the love of your life and party the rest of the day without a care in the world." Bernard ignored his outburst about the rocket launcher. It was there for their protection and he didn't feel the need to explain that. He reached out and turned on the police lights for the vehicle and drove through a red light intersection. He flipped a switch overhead by the sunroof button and waited for dispatch to contact him.

"We will see about that…" Roman sulked back down in his seat wishing for his mood to change, kicking the heavy launcher away from his foot.

"United Liberty Paper, how can I help you on this glorious day?" A female voice echoed around in the vehicle, sounding sweet and kind.

"Hi Gloria. I fear I am running late to a meeting at the office. Would you mind green lighting the project so when I get in, I can immediately get the meeting started?" Bernard answered in their coded language, needing HQ to start scrambling their resources.

"Right away boss. Just the project? Or should I have refreshments ready as well? Also I can push back the start time fifteen minutes to allow for any unforeseen traffic incidents?" The cheery voice answered.

"Refreshments would be wonderful dear. You remember the meeting room number?" Bernard watched as Niko's eyebrows raised. He was sure this was going to bring on a host of new questions once he ended the call.

"It's in the Bank of Liberty meeting room at ten. Anything else I can help you with? Will there be any of the presenters I should be on the lookout for?"

"Just me today, Gloria. Last time I checked the guests liked the full spread for breakfast, including napkins. Don't need their suits getting dirty. Thank you for your help. I'll call in if I am running behind." Bernard reached up and waited for the correct sign off code before terminating the transmission.

"Understood. Enjoy your meeting boss. And have a wonderful, blessed day with United Liberty Paper." There was some static before Bernard flipped off the switch. The correct words had been said, and he wondered if the mole was more centered on Karen, or if they were smart and didn't involve too many others.

"You are not attending the wedding?" Roman listened fascinated to the way things were said. It was like there was an entirely different conversation going on.

"Oh no. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I just need a resupply ammo drop at a location not already pre-determined by the teams in place. That way if something really is wrong, I will have guns and ammo ready to go that they will not be aware of." Bernard watched as every single traffic light ahead of them turned green. He turned on his siren and floored it. They would make up more time this way.

"Interesting. But hopefully not needed." Roman was pushed back into his seat with the change of speed.

"You can never be too careful." Bernard trained his eyes on the road, wanting to get to their destination quickly and without incident.

aaaaaa

"You okay? Cold feet? Upset stomach?" Kate rested in the front pew of the church watching as Mallorie stood in place by the alter, trying to figure out the best angle to stand in. Francis was off to the side speaking to the pastor in whispered tones, while his fellow officers walked the perimeter of the cathedral. Bernie was leaning against the stone wall near the main doors keeping watch for people who came and went, weapons strategically hidden out of sight, but she knew they were there. She almost dreaded being back in this place- if not for the capacity of the situation. If she tried hard enough, she could see herself holding on to her mother as she wept over Derrick's death, Packie sitting on the other side like an unmovable statue.

"No. Just a little weirded out and worried this is going to turn into some damn gang war." Mallorie huffed and descended the couple of steps from the dais to stand before her friend, her hand softly smoothing down the front of her white suit jacket over her navel. She was probably imagining it, but there were small flutters where she assumed her little one was growing.

"Tell me about it. My brother's funeral, which was at this exact church, turned into one. Apparently, my brother's pissed off the entire Albanian mob. And for that reason, the mob decided to crash the funeral of my late brother. Took weeks of therapy before I felt comfortable attending service here again with Ma. Packie outright refused to join us." Kate looked up to the large stained glass windows above the pulpit. The colors were brightly illuminated from the early morning light creating a beautiful display of colors against the cold gray stone facade.

"I am sorry." Mallorie whispered as she noticed the faraway look that crossed her friend's face.

"It's in the past now. Niko and my brother Packie handled the situation. Derrick is now resting peacefully." She smiled regrettably and lowered her eyes from the windows. "Ma's funeral will probably take place here in a few days. She will be placed to rest next to Pa. Even though that thought feels wrong." And she really didn't feel comfortable laying her mother to rest next to the man who put them all through the ringer.

Mallorie studied her friend trying to come up with the right words. Flickering lights from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she noticed the side tables covered in votive candles. Some lit, others waiting for their time to be ignited. A vague memory of her childhood shoved its way to the forefront of her mind and an idea formed. "Come with me. I want to do something." She held her hands out to Kate and waited for her to take them, before hauling her up to her feet.

Silently she pulled along a thoughtful Kate toward the side tables, their heels clacking against the stone floors. Mallorie searched a couple of the cabinet doors before finding a new candle and a couple of matches. Carefully she placed the white candle down in a glass holder and turned toward her friend, "My mother taught me to light candles for those who have moved on from this world. I can't remember much of the prayers or how it's officially done, but I figured maybe we could light one for your Ma?" She held the match out to her and waited.

"I. Thank you." Kate was stunned into silence. She took the match from Mallorie and approached the votive table. Her eyes wanted to water with the kind gesture, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Do you have anyone you want to light one for?" She asked wanting to know if she could pray for someone in her family or group of friends.

"Oh. It's okay. I'm not that religious anymore and just…" She trailed off as she took in all the lit candles spread out on the wooden tables, "Yeah okay. Wouldn't hurt I guess."

"It's never a bad thing to pray for those who are gone. I'll get you one and we can light them together." She knelt down, careful of her shorter dress, and pulled out two more candles. The silence between them didn't feel awkward or strained but was peaceful and calming. Kate placed one candle down into a spare glass holder and passed Mallorie another match. Together they both ignited the matches and held them to the wick of their respective candles. Once the flame started, they extinguished the matches.

Kate bowed her head and took Mallorie's hand into hers. She wouldn't pray aloud, not wanting to disturb the serenity around them. She let her thoughts quiet before offering her prayers for her Ma. It would be harder to keep it together at the actual funeral service, and she would need to properly thank Mallorie for this moment later. It was giving her a chance to say goodbye before having to do it publicly in front of the congregation. She felt a squeeze and tug on her hand, and she released her hold. She felt a soft tender kiss to the side of her face before Mallorie's heels clicked as she moved away.

"Oh my goodness girl look at you!" Someone yelled from the entrance of the church, Mallorie's high pitched squeal reverberating off the vaulted ceiling.

Kate finished her prayer and turned to see a young female with long braids embrace Mallorie in the middle of the aisle. Little Jacob stood a few feet back with Badman, giving the females a minute to catch up. They were all as dressed up as they felt comfortable being and still allowed for weapons to be tucked into jackets and pants. She smiled at the sight of the friends before turning back toward the candles, picking up the discarded matches and spare candle she had left out of the way. She counted the rows before coming to the unlit candle she had placed for her brother Derrick shortly after the funeral fiasco. Quickly she relit his candle and said a silent prayer. The laughter and chatter of the people in the church caused a small smile to bloom on her lips. It was a welcomed distraction from the sobering thoughts that wanted to creep around in her mind.

A table further back, closer to the dais, and out of sight from the main cathedral caught her attention. 'That would be perfect…' As if in a trance she exited the main room to a side room that held only a few candles, their flames flickering away in the dimmer light. The room had an eerie air about it, and it sent a chill down her spine. The smaller, narrower platform had kneeling rests in front, allowing for longer prayer sessions. Mindful to be respectful of the space, Kate placed the other spare candle down into the stained glass candle holder and knelt down in front of the table.

"Niko had said he lost family and friends back in the war. I do not know the names or how many, but I hope this will be enough for now." She whispered out into the silent space before striking the match against the rough surface of the table and held it to the wick. The flame jumped to life and danced against the invisible breeze in the church. She blew out the match and once more bowed her head in prayer.

The wooden knee rest creaked and shifted as a weight was added to it. Kate's head snapped up alarmed, and fear stricken eyes darted around before landing on the person who had joined her so quietly. Bernie had taken the space next to her and was silently mouthing words she couldn't hear or decipher. She placed a hand over her heart and sucked in a lungful of air to try and calm her rapidly beating heart. Once she felt she had stayed off the heart attack she wanted to have, she resumed her original position and finished her prayers. She was beyond curious now as to what Bernie was doing in here or why he felt the need to join her. Once she uttered the quiet 'amen,' she let her curiosity get the better of her. Slowly, as to not disturbed Bernie, she shifted to be able to see him in the darkness of the room.

"You do not know the people we lost, nor have any reason to care for their souls, yet you light a candle for their memories. Why?" Bernie, who's voice had altered back to the more aggressive and deeper tone of Florian, echoed in the smaller room.

"They were, well are, part of Niko's life. And since I am in his life, I figured I would pray for them while I am here. It matters not to me what crimes they have committed. They are important to Niko, and therefore important to me. And from my understanding, didn't exactly have the opportunity to take a different path. I just hope they were able to find peace in the next life." Kate's voice trembled with the weight of her words. She always felt a small amount of fear whenever Bernie would drop his persona around her. But being back in church after so long of avoiding it, had started to pull deeper sentiments out of her.

"Still. The kind gesture was not lost on me. Thank you. But next time you decide to wander off, take one of us with you." His smile looked more sinister in the dim light and the flickering flames, but the softness of his voice had returned to him. "Niko would absolutely crucify me if I let you disappear on us and something happened."

Kate's nose scrunched up with his choice of words but nonetheless pushed on, "I won't do that again. I wanted to do this privately, as I did not know the names of those I was praying for."

"There are too many names, and not enough candles. Come. More friends have shown up, and it's almost time to get you and Mallorie ready to walk down the aisle. I need to add the flowers to Mallorie's and your hair." Bernie stood up from the knelt position he was in and held his hand out to her. He was back to the gentle and caring nature of Bernie, having shoved Florian aside once more.

"Right. The show must go on!" She gladly took his hand and stood back up. She took one last look around the room, noticing for the first time that Bernie had not lit a candle when he had joined her. She allowed him to pull her away from the private prayer room and back into the brightly lit cathedral. More people had shown up than she anticipated, and the butterflies started up in her stomach. Men in uniform, all properly done up for their rank within the LCPD, walked casually around the room checking for weapons or enemies. Francis had taken up position at the front with some of his fellow officers and was welcoming in people from the streets.

Little Jacob stood near the front pew laughing at something Mallorie had said and was holding on to the female that had greeted her earlier. Several other men waited around them as if waiting for a command or order to be given to them. Brucie had started to argue with Francis at the front door and Bernie excused himself to go save the idiot from being shot. As she took in the massive room, she noticed other people in suits walking along the balconies, earpieces in place and armed with rifles. 'This is either going to be the safest place in Liberty or the most targeted one…'

"It is quite the sight isn't it?" Karen pushed up off from the wall she was resting against and limped over to her from her post, she maintained a decent distance between them, not wanting to set her off in front of her other agents. She casually used the nearest pew to prop herself up.

"It sure it. Is this what it is like when you are famous?" Kate forced herself to quit counting how many agents she saw along the upper floors and looked to Karen. She tried to make it look natural, but she shifted away from the federal agent to be closer to the middle of the pew Karen was using to hold herself upright. She didn't trust her completely and was somewhat defenseless against the gun she saw strapped to her hip.

"Yes and no. I'd say this is more like witness protection for someone about to stand trial. Famous people get the illusion of having no one around." She tucked her loose hair behind her ears and folded her arms over her chest. She had managed to change into some proper fitting dress slacks and uniform dress shirt and couldn't be happier to be clothed decently for once. Her sidearm was strapped to her side for all to see and she turned to be able to keep Kate from staring at it. She had seen the flash of concern cross Kate's face and internally groaned at the reaction.

"And just whose trial are we preparing for?" She didn't like talking to her, honestly hated the idea of even being in the same room as her, but she was grateful to her for saving her brother. They had all talked about what was going on as they headed off for the church. The gaps were filling in quickly for her, and it was about time that she get the full picture. Karen had been fairly integral to the mission at hand, and like it or not, would be around for the foreseeable future. She swallowed thickly and willed her nerves to settle. Karen had plenty of opportunities to simply abandon them and walk away and yet she continued to fight for them. It was the small redeeming quality that Kate clung to when it came to dealing with the ex-girlfriend of her man.

"Dimitri's cousin of course." She shrugged as she swept the room with her brown eyes, once more counting the weapons present, the ones hidden in plain sight, and extra ammo she had stashed in certain pews. She hesitated before moving around the pew to sit down right in front of Kate. It was a sign of trust. She was in the more vulnerable position, giving Kate the upper hand. 'Plus, I needed to be off my feet.' She mentally told herself.

"I think that would be more of an execution than a trial. But then again what do I know? I'm just some helpless princess. Right?" She sighed and decided to just get this over with. Carefully she sat down next to Karen and fixed her glare to the female that had once held title of girlfriend to her boyfriend. She no longer felt scared of the woman that had intimidated her in the restroom at Jerkov's. Niko had more than quelled her need for affirmation on who he wanted in his life. And she desperately clutched to his words and actions every time she was close to his ex-girlfriend.

"Look I'm sorry for what I said. And for what it's worth, I don't think you are completely helpless. Just ill informed. It is not your fault that the evil in this city wanted to harm you." She offered her best apology. It was partially true and got her point across without being nasty about it. She half shrugged her shoulders feeling the need to move under the unwavering stare sent her way.

"You shouldn't lie in the house of God. But I accept the apology for the face value of it." She hesitated to bring up the next subject, but knew she would need to broach it at some point, "Just promise me something?" Kate lowered her voice as more people filed into the church and began to take their seats. She leaned in closer as to let her know this was meant to be a private conversation.

"You shouldn't make promises either with someone who might outright lie to you at church." Karen quipped back, letting the corners of her mouth lift in a genuine smile. Maybe if they had met on different terms, they could have been friends. Their banter was easier now that things had been settled between her and Niko. She knew where his heart lied, and she would respect his choice.

"Touché." She grumbled out turning away to watch as Mallorie started to head their direction with an overly excited Bernie in tow, "Don't break my brother's heart. I have seen that look on him three other times. And as you probably already know, he was married three times before. You end up hurting him, you won't have to worry about Niko coming for you, it will be me you will need to deal with." She sent her own hardened glare Karen's direction before letting her smile bloom as Mallorie approached their personal space. She watched the recognition set in on Karen's face before giving the bride her full attention, standing up and catching her as she flung herself at her. The hug was a welcomed distraction.

"Girl we must get ready! Francis just saw Niko and Roman pull up in a SUV. Come on! We have to get out of sight." Mallorie practically bounced in her excitement, leaned out of her arms, grabbed both of Kate's hands, and was about to drag her off to the staircases by the main entrance. Bernie laughed lightly at the rather comical scene they must all be making. He met Karen's eyes and shrugged knowing there wasn't much he could do to keep them from expressing themselves. He attempted to usher them away and to their secluded space to finish getting ready.

"Congratulations, really, congrats. Best of luck to you both." Karen spoke up to Mallorie as she tried to haul the McReary sister away, "And Kate?" The trio stopped moving away to glance back to the federal agent who had been friend, foe, then ally, "I promise." She sincerely smiled to let her know she wasn't joking this time and meant what she had said. There would be no ill intent going forward in her actions.

"Thank you. I'll talk to you later?" She smiled back and nodded to the deeper meaning behind their words. If they were able to find common ground and move on from recent events, maybe they could have a mutual respect form between them. Mallorie tugged a little more insistent on her hands causing her to focus on her friend instead, huge smile forming on her face.

"Perhaps. Now go! Get ready! I'll be out back making sure no one tries to sneak in. Send Roman my regards as well. Have fun!" Karen waved as the two girls practically floated down the side aisle toward one of the staircases that lead to the balconies, Bernie poorly attempting to keep them in check. It would keep Mallorie out of sight for Roman to make it down to the alter and would also be good cover should someone strike before the ceremony. Her eyes traveled along the expansive upper floors making sure to maintain eye contact with every one of the agents present.

The ground team had been trying to report Agent Johnson missing and that the ammo had been blanks, not live ammunition. She had called HQ to get new firepower delivered and was thankful to Little Jacob for being close by to help resupply them before their own ammo arrived. She hauled herself up off the pew and made her way toward the back entrance, satisfied that everything was in place and operating the way it should. People had taken their seats in the pews, armed dressed officers lined the lower level, federal agents along the balcony, and the pastor was making his way to the pulpit to begin the service and ceremony.

She looked around one final time as she neared the back door and felt herself feel hope for the first time in several long years. 'It will be alright. Things will go as they should…' She tapped the earpiece to talk to the first team in place, "Overlook to ground team one, what's your status?" Silently she made her way outside and allowed the door to close behind her.

aaaaaa

Bernard parked the SUV out front of the church on the street. The three of them only blankly looked at the looming building in the bright morning light. The street was lined with marked and unmarked police vehicles, and even if it gave off the impression of being guarded, Bernard knew better. Their enemies had gained confidence and had no qualms of striking in broad daylight, and no less at a church. They had ambushed a hospital and the prison, and he wasn't sure there would be any truly safe place left in the city.

"Well. At least Mallorie will be getting a large wedding ceremony." Roman was in awe at how many people he saw lined up to enter the church. He didn't think he had that many friends, but maybe he was wrong. Mallorie was a socialite in Broker and Bohan- which meant she talked about people he had never met before in his life. And he recognized several of Little Jacob's friends waiting their turn to be checked in to the entrance.

"Last time I checked Yardies do not have territory here in Algonquin. So, I am pretty sure they are here for the wedding and protection detail." Bernard watched as the line was growing shorter as Francis checked people and let them in. He waved to the Deputy Commissioner who returned the gesture before ducking inside the church. "Looks like Francis is making sure Mallorie is out of sight. That must be our cue buys." He turned the key in the ignition to off and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Let's get me married!" Roman removed his seatbelt and flung open the car door. The fresh air greeted him, and he hungrily sucked in a few deep breaths. He stretched his arms out and shook them slightly to remove any last minute nerves that had been building up on the ride over to the church.

"Can you give us a minute? We need to talk about something before going inside. Just give us the signal when they are ready for us." Niko watched as Roman bounced slightly in his dress shoes as if he were getting ready for a marathon run.

"Sure. Just don't take too long. No one likes it when a wedding starts late." Bernard gave him a small smile before exiting the vehicle and made his way to the open church doors, immediately engaging Francis in a conversation. He pointed to a couple of people at the end of the line and nodded before entering in the church.

Niko took a long fortifying breath before pulling himself out of the vehicle. Roman had been rather all over the place today and he figured he needed to get some things off his chest and hopefully make a few things right between them. He adjusted his pistol in the back of his pants to be more accessible should he need it and pulled the strap to his rifle over one of his shoulders. He would need to have it placed somewhere within reach as he didn't want to have it on him for the ceremony.

The orange Infernus was parked a few spots down on the street and he wondered if his sniper was still in the trunk or not. He figured Bernie must have driven the thing to the church with the girls, or had Francis follow them in it. He shook his head trying to get rid of all the what ifs and scenarios that led them to this point. They were here, moments away from having his cousin tie the knot, and he found himself wondering about who drove with who and where everyone's position was inside the church. He moved a few paces closer to his cousin and let him continue in his weird stretches and warmups.

"Roman?" It was now or never, and he would force himself to say the right things and not ruin his cousin's wedding day.

"Yeah NB?" Roman stopped pulling on his arms and turned to face his family.

"You were spared coming here. The wars were horrible, and it is why I am who I am now. You may not have had the best circumstances getting established here, but you did not have to watch your- our- village burn to the ground. People we grew up with murdered one another over the smallest of differences. You have an optimistic outlook on life, and I am glad you did not have that destroyed by staying home." Niko couldn't bring himself to lock eyes with his cousin, and instead studied the concrete of the sidewalk. It took every ounce of strength to speak about the wars and he hoped Roman recognized that.

"This bitterness and coldness is just a byproduct of war cousin, it is not who you are. I remember when we were boys, dreaming of moving away and living out our wildest fantasies. I see glimpses of that boy in you every now and then. I am sorry for what I said earlier. I am just scared. This is my dream Niko. Mallorie is my dream girl, and I want to start a family with her, and do the whole stereotypical bullshit that is the so called American dream. I have never been this close before." He titled his head slightly to the side and for once didn't feel the need to over exaggerate his movements to get his words across to him.

"And I do not want to be the reason that dream is ruined. You are happy when you are with Mallorie and I will not let that be dampened today. One day we will need to talk about everything, but today is not it, today is your wedding day. Our friends are here to celebrate with us." He shifted the rifle on his shoulder to be more comfortable, "What could be more authentic then having a bunch of guns at your wedding?" Niko had to hide the smirk that wanted to form when Roman let out some surprised laughter.

"Perhaps rice being thrown at us instead of shell casings? I do love fireworks though." Roman wiped at his eye as a tear had formed with his laughing, "And no Niko. I would have asked you to be my best man if this took place back home. You are my best friend and cousin. And more a brother to me than cousin. We grew up together and now are taking on the world together. Who better to have at my side when I get married?" He flung his arms out wide and pulled his cousin in for a bear hug.

"Thank you, cousin." Niko retuned the hug and tried to let go of any lingering doubt about where they stood with one another. He patted his back when the hug started to last longer than he was comfortable with. They backed away and kept their hands on each other's shoulders, "Now. Let's get you married!" He clapped his cousin's shoulders before turning to head into the church.

"Let's do this!" Roman shouted rubbing his hands together. He was ready to commit to one woman, start that family they spoke about randomly, and begin the next chapter of their lives. Niko would one day be an uncle of sorts to his children and the thought warmed his heart and caused a brilliant smile to cross his features.

Together they made their way up the steps to the large oak doors of the church. Bernard nodded to them from inside the church to go on and held his hand out for Niko's rifle, "I'll place it down in the front pew on the groom's side. It will be within reach but won't frighten the ladies." He smirked when Niko only shook his head in mock affront.

"That will have to work. Does the minister have a problem with it?" He glanced into the large cathedral and watched as the pastor greeted a few people as they took their seats.

"Doesn't have much of a say, does he?" He took hold of the assault rifle as Niko handed it over, "Francis wanted to have a quick word. I'll go get this in position and take my seat. Congratulations Roman, it will be a beautiful ceremony." He tucked the rifle down along his body as to not make a scene of it as he walked down a side aisle toward the front.

"Uh thanks." Roman and Niko both watched as he slowly made his way toward the front right pew, nodding and smiling to officers that greeted him. "I never got his name."

"He doesn't give it out. Must be an IAA thing." Niko muttered as Francis approached them. He was in the most exuberant police uniform they had ever seen. The deep navy of the suit and pants was overshadowed by the numerous bars and medals that clung to his chest. Golden ropes looped over his left shoulder and through the shoulder boards. Three gold stars graced each shoulder and smaller ones were placed along the edge of his white collared dress shirt. Beneath the many ribbons and medals was the police badge with the last name McReary etched in black lettering.

"Hey. Uh. Congratulations Roman. Mallorie looks amazing and it will be a sight to behold once she walks down the aisle." Francis stood just inside the cathedral and ushered them inside, "We are ready to start the ceremony, if you are? Did you remember the rings and everything?"

"I have them." Niko patted the breast pocket that was tucked inside his suit jacket, "Wouldn't want to fail in best man duties today."

"Great! Then I have been instructed to alert the pastor to start the proceedings, and to let you know that you will walk down the aisle first, followed by Roman. You will stand on the bottom step slightly off to the side of Roman. Roman you will be on the same level as the pastor. Any questions?" Francis glanced around the room before looking back to the two men who had finally made it inside the building.

"Just that this hurries along so I can get to the fun part of kissing my wife!" Roman was practically beaming in his excitement. He couldn't figure out where to look as the room was buzzing with small conversations and people. He noticed the organ player take her seat and glanced their way waiting for her cue to start playing music. 'This is just too good to be true!'

"Okay then. I'll let the pastor know and get this party started. I'll be standing by the wall where Kate will be. Good luck, and uh, God bless." He flattened out his suit jacket out of habit and tucked his hat up under his arm in a more relaxed position. He turned toward the dais and regally nodded to the pastor who waited at the end of the main aisle. "Here we go." Francis whispered out to himself as he began the slow march down the aisle. Every police officer snapped to attention and saluted their boss as he moved gracefully down the aisle. Their heels as they clicked together echoed out in the large space, causing the crowd to fall into a hushed awe.

Roman turned to look to Niko as his joy reached an all-time high, "Cousin thank you for being here with me." He kept his voice low as to only have them hear the conversation. Organ music began to play and caused him to jump slightly with the barrage of noise.

Niko watched as Francis made it to the front pew, the pastor moving to be in the center of the dais on the ground level. Francis slightly bowed his head to the pastor and turned toward the left-hand wall. He finished his walk by turning toward the alter and clicking his own heels together. Every other officer in the room relaxed their position and lowered their salute. The guests all turned in their seats to face the front as the ceremony officially began. The organist held the last few chords for a couple of seconds before ending the song.

He turned his eyes to meet those of his cousin and smiled for him, "I will always be here for you cousin. Ready?" He placed a hand on Roman's shoulder and gently squeezed it.

"As ready as I can be." Roman's smile got impossibly huge and Niko couldn't stop his own from growing.

Niko released his cousin and turned to face the pastor at the end of the long main aisle. His stomach churned inside of him and he wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or nervous fear. So far nothing had seemed out of place. He recognized most of the faces in the room, and he would have to have blind faith in Francis and Bernard to have their best officers and agents present. The news of a mole being in the IAA worried him greatly. Bernard had been his biggest support in all this, and now their slight advantage could have been spoiled. His legs locked up on him and he closed his eyes to take a calming breath.

'Everything will be alright. You just have to believe in that. Trust yourself to do the right thing.'

He let out a long silent exhale and released all the pent up nerves that had been brewing inside. Slowly he made his way toward the closest pew, which allowed him to see up into the vast ceiling and upper levels of the cathedral. Beautiful organ music started up again, reverberating off the stones that lined the floor, walls, and ceiling. The sunlight that burst through the stained glass windows drowned out the dreary gray of the place. It gave it life and set an air about the sacred ground. Niko hadn't spent much time in churches, but this one was by far the most breathtaking ones he had ever stepped foot in.

He let his mind quiet and his eyes wander. He could see agents stationed every couple of feet along the upper balconies, assault rifles hung around their bodies at the ready. Police officers were placed every other pew along the outer rows, sidearms tucked into holsters, and rifles deftly slung over their shoulders. This place was screaming of beauty, but also of violence. He had killed many people out on the front steps and street outside in order to protect the McReary family.

A noise from above him caught his attention and he looked up over his shoulder toward the back corner where the balcony reached the staircase to the lower level. Beautiful blue green eyes greeted him from the most loving smile. Kate was peaking from around the corner pillar, watching as the ceremony started. Her fingers were curled around the stone and she wiggled them slightly in a small wave. His eyes softened getting to see her again and he wanted nothing more than the barge up the steps to pull her into his arms. He sent her his reserved smile before turning back toward the alter.

The music was gentle, but with an underlying purpose to it, as if it were asking him to move it along. The distance may have only been a dozen or so pews, but to him it seemed to stretch on forever. He met the eyes of everyone he passed- Little Jacob and his girlfriend, Badman, Dwayne and Cherise, Brucie, and several members of the Yardies gave him a slight nod out of respect. He recognized some of the regulars from the Steinway Beer Garden and figured that either Packie or Francis asked them to come stand watch. Bernard was in the front pew, leg crossed over his other, giving off a rather comfortable look. But he knew better. They shared a look of understanding before Niko reached the open space at the foot of the dais.

The pastor greeted him with a warm smile and held his hand out to the side to let him know which direction to walk to. As Niko turned to look back out over the mass of people, law enforcement, and his cousin, he took one last glance to the upper back corner where he had seen Kate. She was still hiding behind the pillar, but Bernie had joined her and waved to him. Then they ducked back behind the pillar from his view. He let his eyes trail down the pillar to the entrance he figured they would emerge from and waited for the moment that he would get to see her again.

The music ended before the next song began, and Roman practically ran down the aisle, causing the poor organ player to skip a verse or two in order to finish the song decently. A few laughs danced above the crowd at Roman's show of enthusiasm. Little Jacob let out a holler causing more people to join in their laughter before a couple of people applauded.

"I see we are eager to marry the young miss." The Pastor chuckled as he addressed Roman and the crowd. "Please, take your position." He guided the bobbing cousin to stand off to the side of him. The pastor tucked the book he was holding under his arm and removed the pocket square from Roman's suit jacket. Lightly he dapped across Roman's forehead to remove a few beads of sweat, "There. Now you look ready to meet your bride!" The audience went up in more laughter as the pastor refolded the silk and tucked it back into the suit pocket.

"Yes! Where is she?" Roman pulled on his jacket to make it lay right. He was nervous and so beyond ready to kiss his bride. He kept looking across the crowd at all the familiar faces and never once let his smile falter.

The pastor moved back toward the center of the aisle and nodded to the organ player to start the next song. A more feminine tune began to waft through the lofty cathedral as the front side door creaked open. Kate emerged from the doorway and slowly made her way to the edge of the aisle.

Her insides were tightly wound together. She never liked being the center of attention and this ranked right up there with her more uncomfortable moments. Reading aloud from a textbook in grade school, the piano concert in high school, speech classes, graduation, the few fundraiser dinners she attended with Francis- and now walking down the aisle in church for her new friend's wedding. Her palms shook around the small bouquet of flowers Bernie had made for them, and she desperately wanted to wipe away the sweat that had accumulated on them.

Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that she could image everyone could see it as it tried to escape through her ribcage. The rush of blood in her ears dimmed the booming organ music and her vision momentarily tunneled. She rapidly blinked her eyes to regain control. Her throat felt incredibly dry and she tried to swallow to wet it. Her knees felt like jelly and like her feet were made of lead weights. She glanced behind her to see Bernie and Mallorie give her the thumbs up. 'I can do this. I can do this. Just got to make it down the aisle. Everyone is here for Mallorie. Not you…' She steeled her spine and squared her shoulders, 'Just a simple walk down a dozen rows of pews and then I will no longer the center of attention.'

'You have no idea the sight you make…' Niko felt the rest of the world fade away from him. Kate's rich brownish red hair was craftly braided into a crown around her head, wispy curls that weren't long enough to be included in the braid framed her face, and tiny white flowers were woven throughout. Her eyes shone in the light that streamed in from the stain glassed windows, and not a single bruise was visible on her porcelain looking skin. The dress had a small scoop neck and it allowed him to see some of the creamy skin that he knew rested beneath the soft silk of the dress. The deepest of reds caused her skin to almost shimmer in contrast against the fabric that clung to her small frame.

As she crossed into a ray of sunlight the necklace and earrings glimmered and projected their own mini rainbows across her face and body. She was the definition of beauty in his book, and he had to force himself to stop from leaving his position next to Roman. Her eyes landed on him and she absolutely glowed. Her smile lifted the corners of her lipstick covered lips and caused the creases of her eyes to form.

'Good Lord he is one fine man!' She dragged her eyes over his body and felt a renewed need pull in her stomach. The dark black material of his suit practically absorbed the light that dared to go near him. The white dress shirt was pressed and crisp and was a stark contrast to his slightly tanned skin. The red tie caught her attention as it stood out against the more muted color tone of the overall suit. She could see the suit vest that the tie tucked into beneath the jacket. And while the suit was cut to form a specific shape, she could see the way his muscles moved under the smooth fabric.

The closer she got, the more she felt the need to simply walk toward him and into those solid arms of his. She had eyes only for him and prayed that one day they could officially join as one. Perhaps in this very church she would be able to form a union with him before their friends, family, and God. She would get Mallorie to go dress shopping with her and get to know Jacob's girlfriend and invite her along too. They would celebrate the start of their new lives together and have that fairy tale ending she always craved. The knight and shining armor, or black suit in this instance, would sweep her from her feet and carry her over the threshold of their home together.

She was shaken from her thoughts as the pastor leaned into her line of sight, "Ma'am take your place please?" He guided her to the opposite side of the alter to stand on the same level as Niko. She felt her face flush bright red at having been lost in her own musings of a brighter future. Their eyes met again, and she saw him mouth the words, 'I love you'. She felt her eyes water greatly as she silently mouthed the words back to him. The song ended as she turned to look back out across the pews and felt her heart stutter at the amount of people that stared back at her.

The familiar cadence of the wedding march started from the organ pipes as the next part of the ceremony began. The pastor lifted his hands to let everyone know to go ahead and stand up. As one the group rose to their feet and turned to look for the bride as she emerged from the same door Kate had walked out of. Mallorie walked out of the small room they had used to stay out of sight in, on Bernie's arm. He had offered to accompany her down the aisle and be the one to hand her over to Roman. They glanced to each other before Mallorie sought out Roman's loving gaze.

"My God, my beautiful, beautiful, woman!" Roman softly exclaimed as he got to see the love of his life move down the aisle on the arm of one of his best friends. The room was abuzz with soft murmurs about how beautiful the bride was, how lucky the two were, how wonderful it is to see true love, the remarks went on and on, but all they could hear or see was each other in this moment.

The walk was rather rushed, and Bernie had to squeeze her hand in the crook of his elbow to get her to slow down a touch. He didn't want her to rush through these precious moments they were gifted. She pinched the fabric of his second favorite suit jacket in retaliation. If she wanted to get up to Roman quickly, then she would damn well run if she wanted to. The curls from her updo bounced with each excited step she took toward her future husband. The bright, white, daisies stood out against the dark brown of her hair. She had decided long ago that a big poufy wedding dress was not going to be in her future. So, she settled on a simple plain white suit jacket, tight fitting black jeans that stretched like leggings, and knee high black boots. It was a relief to her since the stress of staying a certain weight to fit into a dress she picked out would have pushed her over the edge. This way she was comfortable and would be able to go to the bathroom without the help of someone needing to hold her dress.

They approached the pastor as the last few chords bellowed from the brass organ pipes. The silence that descended upon the gathering was rather deafening, as the pastor opened the bible he had tucked under his arm, "May we bow our heads in prayer," He bowed his head and started the ceremony he had conducted so many times before, "Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of marriage. For all the joy and love that it brings us. We thank you for Roman and Mallorie. Thank you that You have brought them together for this special day, and that You hold them safely in Your hands. We pray that You would richly bless them as they exchange their vows and their wedding rings, and from this day forward they would walk hand in hand into everything that You have destined them to be. We give our hearts and beings to You now in adoration and welcome Your Holy Spirit amongst us. Amen."

A few people in the pews repeated back a soft 'amen' before the pastor climbed up the dais to stand behind the alter, placing the book down to an open page. He glanced around the room briefly before continuing on with the ceremony, "Who here gives this woman to be married to this man?" He focused his attention to the pair that stood directly in front of the alter on the stone floor.

"I am here today to hand this wonderful woman off to be wed to my good friend Roman." Bernie placed his hand over hers that rested in the crook of his elbow. They exchanged smiles before looking back up to the pastor for the next instructions.

"Very well." He smiled to the pair and nodded his thanks, "A successful marriage is made up of two people, each putting the other before themselves and giving to that person one hundred percent first, last, and always. However, as Mallorie and Roman's journey unfolds there will be opportunities and challenges that will strain, and perhaps even weaken them. They may move back and forth between the season of their love, sometimes strong as the autumn harvest time, and sometimes tender, tentative, and fragile as the springtime shoots that brave the frost."

He paused to glance between the small party gathered before him, "In those times they will need the support and caring of all of you who have come to celebrate this joyous union. So, in the joining of these two families, I ask all of you to take a vow in their presence and in the presence of each other. Do you pledge to honor and support their marriage? Do you pledge to be neutral and support them equally? And will you always be there for them and embrace them with the love of family and the joy of sharing your lives with them?" He looked to the best man and the maid of honor, as well as the gentleman who waited to hand Mallorie off, then to the gathered group standing before him in the pews.

"We will."

"I will."

"Yes"

A chorus of similar declarations rang out among the gathered group of friends and family, Brucie's voice a little louder than most. Mallorie smiled gently toward Roman itching to be able to stand before him and take hold of his hands. Roman returned the smile and held his hand out for her to take. Carefully Bernie removed her hand from the crease of his elbow and placed it down into Roman's waiting one.

"Congrats my friend. May you keep your happiness and love always." Bernie's joy was so contagious at getting to hand off his friend to be wed, that he almost forgot to let go of the now joined hands.

"Thank you, Bernie. I will be forever grateful." Roman clasped his fiancé's hand gently and guided her to stand next to him before they took the couple of steps to stand before the pastor. As one they turned to face one another to continue the ceremony. Mallorie turned to hold out her bouquet of flowers to Kate, who quickly moved forward to take them, before returning to her spot of honor. Bernie moved to the opposite pew of Bernard so that he would be able to protect Mallorie and Kate better, and gracefully took his seat.

"Thank you, please be seated." The pastor spoke to the still standing crowd. The room was filled with rustling and creaking as people sat back down in the old wooden pews, "Today we gather to lift Mallorie and Roman up in celebration of ever-lasting love. In the presence of their beloved family and friends, Mallorie and Roman will pronounce their love through this ceremony and begin a lifelong journey together." The powerful, strong, voice filled the air from the pastor as he spoke from the alter. One could tell he was used to speaking in the cathedral as he paused between sentences to allow the echo to cease before continuing.

"On this day, we offer gratitude for the blessings that have been bestowed upon Mallorie and Roman. In this fast-spinning, always-changing world they have at least found peace and comfort in one another. Their love is a testament to their faith: both Mallorie and Roman always maintained faith that they would find their other half. This ceremony is a tribute to their most unique love story and a promise of a beautiful future ahead. There are no limits that love cannot surpass, and we see that here today."

Kate shifted her eyes over to see Niko, who was staring back at her intently. She locked her knees to keep them from shaking under his heated gaze. She could almost make out the words she knew he must be thinking, 'Once this is over…' And truly, once she was able, she would be pulling him aside for some much needed attention. The distance and time apart built up a craving to be held. A craving to be kissed. A craving to be loved. A way to forget all her troubles and just live in the moment.

Niko caught her eyes, and he matched her gaze. The words seemed to seep into his soul as the pastor commented on the commitment that his cousin was making today. He was never one for words, declarations of love, or for grand gestures, but so far what had been said was hitting the nail on the head for them. And like his cousin's love story, his was just as unique in nature. It was never meant to be, yet here they were- fighting to keep what they had alive and going.

"We are gathered here today in the sight of God and these witnesses to join together Mallorie and Roman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted by God, since the first man and the first woman walked on the earth. Therefore, it is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Both Mallorie and Roman looked out at the gathered crowd hoping no one would be trying to pull a joke or prank and give a half-hearted 'yes'. As the silence stretched on for several moments, their fears began to quiet down. Even as Brucie made to stand up only to readjust on the pew. Roman shot him a rather evil glare.

Satisfied that no person would be speaking up he continued, "Mallorie and Roman are you ready to exchange vows?"

"Yes" They answered in unison.

"Did you have specific vows you wished to exchange first?" He flipped a couple of pages in the book to the next section and glanced up to the couple before him.

"I have." Mallorie offered, glancing to the pastor before turning her bright smile to her soon to be husband, "Roman, you are the light in my life and the beat in my heart. I take you just as you are and in every form you may ever be. I promise to tend to your weaknesses just as I applaud your strengths. I promise to show you, day in and day out, that you are my everything. On this day, I give you my heart. You shall be my forever." Her eyes watered slightly, and she blinked back the tears not wanting to have her mascara run.

"Ah my sweet love, I have one prepared as well!" Roman firmed his grasp on both of her hands as he recalled the vow to his mind that he had worked on for the past month or so, "My beautiful Mal, you and I both know how indecisive I can be at times. I simply don't like to make decisions. But if there is one decision in my life that I know is the right one, it's to spend the rest of my life with you."

He took in a deep breath and stilled the shaking in his hands, "There is an infinite number of things I love about you. I love your thoughtfulness and your ability to keep me grounded. I love your loyalty to me and our relationship. I love the way you sometimes forget English when you get excited, and I love how when you laugh really hard, your eyes squint. I promise to be patient with you, even if it means I have to listen to how much you hate answering the phones at the office." A few chuckles could be heard from the audience.

"I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you were my forever. Someway, somehow, I was determined to make you mine. And from this day forward my heart is entirely yours. Mal, you are my everything, and this is my promise to you." His voice never wavered even as his beautiful bride let a few tears slip down her cheeks.

Kate fought hard to not let the sweet words get her crying, 'but damnit Roman!' Her sight was obscured with tears as she listened to him declare his undying love for Mallorie. She sniffed quietly as the tears welled up too great to be held back. One lone tear made the trek down her cheek, closely followed by another one. A tap on her shoulder almost made her jump out of her skin. She turned abruptly to find Francis standing behind her holding out his handkerchief. He offered her a sincere smile and held it out further for her to take. She accepted it gladly and dabbed the corners of her eyes to not mess up the wonderful job Mallorie did on her makeup. She passed him the two bouquets of flowers so that she could use the handkerchief better. She mouthed her words of thanks to him before he moved back to his vigilant place against the wall, holding the flowers in his hands.

Niko couldn't believe that Roman had managed to put the words together in order to make people feel strong emotions. He had the bride crying, his girlfriend almost weeping tears of love, and had several other females in the audience reaching for their purses to pull out tissues. Bernie was completely engrossed in the words and didn't even bother to wipe the tears from his face. He observed the room as they all soaked in the heartfelt words his cousin had produced. 'Maybe he does know English better than I do…'

The pastor stood absolutely floored behind the alter as he hadn't heard a man give that great of a written vow in years, and he did this on the regular almost every weekend. He coughed slightly to get everyone's attention again and back to the task at hand, "There is nothing more romantic and sacred than standing before all those dear to your hearts to declare your love to one another. This time-honored tradition is carried on only by those committed to a true life-long love story. I can feel that desire burning bright today." He smiled gratefully to the young couple that seemed so lost in one another's eyes.

"As requested from a friend of the couple a reading shall be done from the Apostle Paul, the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verses four through seven;

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Let us pray for the man and woman as they make their marriage vows." He raised his hands and bowed his head to being the prayer, "Father, as Mallorie and Roman pledge themselves to each other, help them and bless them that their love may be pure, and their vows may be true. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

"Amen." A few of the people in the pews answered back.

"Mallorie and Roman you have come together this day so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of this minister of His word and this community of family and friends and so, in the presence of this gathering, I ask you to state your intentions: Have you both come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to each other in marriage? If so, answer by saying 'I have'."

"I have." Mallorie breathlessly answered, trying to slow her breathing and control her emotions that were starting to overcome her.

"I have." Roman declared proudly. He smiled to his bride hoping to help calm some of her tears.

"Roman please take the ring you have selected for Mallorie. As you place it on her finger, repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed." The pastor waited for Roman to find the ring in order to continue the ceremony. Roman turned around to Niko who had reached into his jacket pocket to pull out the two wedding bands Roman had purchased. The audible gasp from Mallorie confirmed to him that she still had no idea about the wedding bands. Roman slipped his into one of her hands and lifted her left hand in order to place the ring against the engagement ring he had purchased for her.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Roman repeated the words as he slipped on the diamond encrusted band that matched her engagement ring on her finger. Her eyes immediately darted down to see the set in its full glory resting on her ring finger. More tears escaped down her cheeks as the ring sparkled in the dappled light from the large stained glass windows.

"Mallorie, please take the ring you have selected for Roman. As you place it on his finger, repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." Her voice trembled as she shakily slipped on the simple gold band onto Roman's left ring finger.

"As you have exchanged your rings today, you are also reinforcing your faithful commitment to trust, love, and romance. Each ring serves as a constant reminder that you are loved. Your beloved is giving you the most precious gift on earth through love." He moved from behind the alter to stand before the couple. He reached for both of their left hands and folded them together, so that they were holding their newly ringed hands together.

"Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. In so much as Mallorie and Roman have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, having given and pledged their faith, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of rings, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He released their hands and clasped his own together over his chest. He prayed internally that the two would be able to hold on to this powerful love for the years to come.

Mallorie gave a watery laugh as Roman's hands slid around her frame. He dove right in and kissed her soundly on the lips, tilting her head to the side in order to deepen it. He released her lips and crashed her body to his and held on to her in a passionate hug. She squeezed him back just as hard before leaning out of his embrace to jump up and down in place with her overwhelming delight shining through. Loud, joyous music started to blare from the large organ to begin the procession out of the church.

Roman reached for her face and gently brushed away the few tears that continued to tumble down from her eyes. She had chosen to wear her contacts today and he was enjoying the new look. He smiled for her as she searched his eyes as if looking for something that would have changed his mind about her. "I choose you, love." He whispered to her as the room was filled with shouts of congratulations and thunderous applause.

"And I choose you Roman." They kissed once more before turning to face their friends and family. She felt him tug her closer and wrap his warm arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his body and let out a long breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. They had made it. They were wed. And now the only thing facing her was having to tell them about their little miracle growing insider her.

"YES!" Roman loudly exclaimed as he threw his free arm up over his head as a sign of victory. The people who they were closest to, continued to clap and cheer as they stood up from their seats. Little Jacob whistled loudly as a couple of his friends gave shouts of happiness. Brucie kept flexing his arms and screaming his head off in his own way of congratulating his friend. Bernie wiped the tears from his own face and stood up yelling "Bravo! Bravo!"

Together the pair began the first few steps as a newly married couple down the aisle. Mallorie clung to his body as more tears spilled down her already damp face, lifting her hand to rest over his heart. Roman tightly kept her to him to help comfort her and support her as she leaned heavily into him. They moved toward the first row of pews and turned to accept the hug from Bernie who threw himself at them. Bernard patted Roman's back before his phone started ringing and he excused himself to stand by the further end of the pew to answer the call.

Niko moved forward toward Kate as she walked closer to the center of the aisle. Her eyes sparkled with all the unshed tears she wanted to release. He held his hand out for her when she was within reach and she greedily took it with her left hand. He lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed the knuckle of her ring finger, the one that would one day host her own wedding ring. He quickly winked to her as her eyes widened with the gesture.

"Oh Niko!" Kate breathed out as she caught the more hidden message behind the kiss.

"Yes Лепа (Lepa)." He smirked as a fierce blush overtook the pale skin of her face.

"Did you? Do you? Um." She shook her head slightly trying to get her brain to work properly and form a coherent sentence.

"Cat got your tongue?" He chuckled as she flushed a new shade of red under his penetrating eyes.

"Something like that." She placed her free hand over her forehead swiped at the few loose strands of hair that continued to brush against her eyebrows, "Or maybe I am just lost for words on you." She smiled with her words and turned to see that Roman and Mallorie had moved down another row and was getting many hugs and high fives from Little Jacob and Badman, Bernie had decided to follow along behind them, his rifle now resting across his back.

"I could teach you some new words? Maybe enrich that vocabulary you have." His smirk turned darker and it always caused her knees to weaken.

"Niko! We are in a church. Behave yourself." She lightly slapped his shoulder and felt the heat start to pool between her legs with the way he was undressing her with his eyes, "I did have Bernie bring your car, so that we could ride together to the reception hall." She had to cough to clear her suddenly hot throat and face. 'What is wrong with you?!'

"Now who needs to behave." He leaned forward and whispered the words against the shell of her ear before lightly kissing it. Her words had started to warm his blood and he was looking forward to getting her into the Infernus. Maybe he would be able to find a darkened alley between here and the place Mallorie had rented out for the reception party.

A small tremor ran the length of the floor and had Niko been less observant he might have missed it. He glanced behind him to see if the pastor had felt it too.

"What the?" Kate asked as a few tiny pieces of ruble and dust fell into her hair and on her face. She released Niko's hand in order to brush away some of it that had gotten close to her eyes. That's when another slightly stronger tremor shook the entire stone building. The noise immediately halted inside the cathedral, including the organ music, as everyone glanced around to one another.

"Heh. God must really approve of the marriage if he is making the ground dance." The pastor joked lightly as he moved down the steps toward one of the backdoors to see if anyone else outside had felt the light shaking of the ground.

Then a muffled explosion sounded, followed by a more powerful one that sounded much too close for comfort and the entire building rocked. Kate stumbled backwards away from Niko as the ground lifted before dropping back down. The thrust of the movement from the floor forced her to lose her footing and she collapsed down to her backside. Niko fought to stay upright, but eventually lost against the constant shaking beneath him, and fell down to his hands and knees.

"Earthquake!" Someone screamed terrified from the crowd of people.

"Niko!" Bernard yelled from his spot on the floor by the pew he used to be sitting on during the ceremony, phone up to his ear, and a panicked look across his features. He chucked the rifle Niko's direction in hopes that he would grab hold of it, "That's no earthquake!"

The sounds of explosions grew closer, rattling the windows, and causing pieces of the roof to fall to the stone floor. People screamed out in terror as larger parts rained down from the ceiling as the shaking continued to slowly tear the building apart. Glass fractured in place as the walls were shifted back and forth. Then what sounded like a train derailing- twisting metal, bricks smashing, and glass shattering rushed toward the church.

Kate frantically looked around as she was lightly tossed against the ground with every new quake the ground provided. Francis was desperately trying to make his way to her and was technically closer to her than Niko was. The noise was unbearable, and she covered her ears as some kind of roar tore through the windows of the church causing shards of the stained glass windows to shatter from their place. She covered her head best she could with her arms and tucked her legs to her body. Glass rained down around her and Francis and shattered into millions of little sharp pieces as they struck the ground.

Niko grabbed his rifle and pulled it closer to him as a large chunk of stone collapsed from the upper balcony near him. It would have mangled the rifle beyond repair had it landed on top of it. He had to roll back toward the dais as another piece fell down where he had been laying. He scrambled to his knees in time to see the ceiling spiderweb crack right down the middle. He snapped his eyes to the middle aisle trying to see where Roman and Mallorie had ended up and couldn't see anyone as they had all ducked into the pews for cover.

The smell greeted him first before the exterior wall closest to him exploded inward in a large fireball. Stones were launched everywhere and the enormous boom that followed a split second later caused the collapse of the upper balcony. A high pitched ringing drowned out the chaos around him as his ears popped from the decibels the explosion created.

The floor shook so violently that he was powerless to move out of the way of the flames, debris, or force that was thrust against his body. His sight landed on Kate's frightened eyes and Francis' concerned look before the floor beneath them gave way and they disappeared from his sight before his world went dark.