A/N: Alright, babes. You may need a snack for this one. It's a long one. But it's worth it. Also, the chapter title? Highly appropriate. Even for me. Particularly now and it's fucking noon. But I digress. And I'm just going to go on record here. Sometimes, Reila needs a mommy. Sometimes, it's not always the most conventional mommy, but whatever works. K, love you, bye! x

Alright. Maxwell can stay. Maxwell can definitely stay. If not because of him being the beautiful creature he is, because of him being a hell of a shoulder to…totally not cry on. I did not shed one single tear in that chair. Because Daddy always said assholes weren't worth the tears. That asshole in particular. But I remember when he was my asshole. No. Reila. Don't do that to yourself. Don't tear yourself up inside because you don't need that stress. You're under enough already.

But Maxwell. He may end up in the regular rotation of people I see when I'm in town. I needed to call Rosco later and gush. You hid him from me, you dick. And all because Rosco wasn't here when I needed him. However, one little gripe. Apparently, it's easy to mix up the bright, blood red dye with the hot pink dye, so once the blue was gone, it turned a bright ass shade of pink. Honestly, though? I was feeling it. Black and hot pink always worked well together. I'm not complaining.

Although, the weird part came after I jumped out of Maxwell's chair. Despite being incredibly depressed when I came in here and in desperate need of getting back to ok again, I was nearly a hundred percent again. And it only took an hour in here. Yeah. He's getting put into regular rotation. I wonder if he's down for house calls. I bet if I asked him nicely and bat my eyelashes at him, he might actually agree to it. But when I bounced out of his chair, without another thought, his arms were around me.

"I'm glad you came in here today, Reila," he hugged me tight, "I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances, but you'll be ok. I promise. You seem resilient."

"I wish I felt it," I fell into his chest. His…Incredibly rock solid chest…Goddamn, Maxwell, what don't you have?

"No, no, no," Maxwell lifted my chin up to his face, "I don't want to hear that. You are, Reila. You are strong and wonderful and resilient. And if you don't mind me saying this, you're not going to take a man's shit as long as you live. Am I right?"

Ok. This guy was making a really good case for himself. I could hardly get the words out, "Yeah…"

"Come on," he demanded, "I need a little more enthusiasm than that. Give me some confirmation."

"Yes," I grew a bigger pair.

"That's my girl," Maxwell kissed my head and walked me out, "Go on, Reila. You need a good night of fun. And dammit, you deserve it. Go on."

"That was the plan!" It's amazing. I was with the guy for an hour. He had me figured out. He had my problems reduced to almost nothing. And he made me cuter than hell. Oh yeah. The Queen is going to reclaim her crown. Her territory. Her home. The fight with Daddy had me hyped. The visit with Mama put me on the straight and narrow. Seeing Maxwell? That was the hot bath after a long day my soul needed.

So, I poured my ass into the back of a cab and headed home. I knew the boys were going to have questions. Then, sneaking into my own house would probably be the best. Instead of taking the elevator to the first floor of the penthouse, I took it to the second instead. I needed to get into my bedroom undetected. Home sweet home. I noticed Hikaru and Kaoru left some clothes out for me on my bed. Aren't they sweethearts?

And fuck, if they didn't do a good job. My boys got me. They knew I had an appreciation for leather and they exploited it. God bless them. My bondage top, a pair of black leather pants, and my white leather jacket. A little monochromatic for my taste…Who am I trying to bullshit? I'm a slut for monochrome. Always have been and chances are, always will be. A little bit of color here and there wasn't terrible, but the hot pink in my hair took care of that. But I told Hikaru and Kaoru to play up the femme fetale. I looked like a fucking assassin.

It's too bad they didn't pick out any shoes for me, though. That's alright. I might as well have a little input here. Let's see. Heels…or boots…? I did have some killer platform boots that gave me six inches. But I also had a strappy pair of heels I loved so much. They were cute and looked like they came out of a crime scene. But it's also Brooklyn in December. I'm going to have to give those a hard pass. What a shame. But then, I got to thinking about it. Am I really going to be outside in lines? Me? Is my last name suddenly not Mendoza? Even if I threw Mama's name around, I sure as fuck wouldn't be waiting in lines. Before Daddy took over for the Old Man, Victoria practically owned half this town. Then…Well…Daddy happened. And people respected him more than they feared her, so…We win.

Strappy heels, it is! It's only me getting in and out of a limo (because, let's be honest. God forbid the host club doesn't ever travel in style) and into a building. A heated building. I'd be fine. You'll live, Rei. Hang in there, kiddo. I'm counting on you. Even though I looked like I was out to find a man tonight (or out for blood, if we're being honest), I really and truly just wanted to have a good time with my friends. Was that so terrible? Of course not.

I walked out of my bedroom and into the elevator. Once the elevator emptied out on the first floor, I reveled in the clack of my heels on the hardwood floor. Oh, yeah. The bitch is definitely back. That's for damn sure, "Alright, boys. You ready yet?"

And as all of them turned to look at me, their jaws hit the floor. Except for Mori. Mori might have turned to stone. But if he had completely turned to stone, then why would there be a little blood trickling out of his nose? Aww…It reminded me of the early days of my relationship with…No. Just out to have fun with my friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But if Mori and I didn't have the familial relationship we had going on, I might actually give him a chance. I mean, it'd be a total revenge fuck, but I couldn't do that to him. I had a moral code.

"My God," Hikaru got up to look me over.

"You look amazing, Rei," Kaoru gasped, in the same, sorry state as his brother.

"I know," I nodded, "I look fucking incredible."

"Yes, you do," Tamaki managed to gather himself just enough to wiggle his way between the twins. He started pulling up the zipper on my jacket, "There. Perfect."

"Tamaki," I rolled my eyes, pulling my zipper down, "I'll be fine."

"You're right," he grabbed the zipper again and pulled it back up.

"Tamaki," I growled, "It's not like you're covering anything up. Trust me. I'm fine."

"Yes, ma'am," he backed off. Good boy. It's so nice when they listen.

"Alright, Uncle Tony," I started heading out with the others following behind, "If Daddy asks, I went out with my friends. I'll be back tonight. Love you. Bye."

"Hold on, Reila," Uncle Tony stopped me at the door. Shit…And his eyes grew four sizes too big…Fuck, "No te voy a dejar salír así."

Shit…And I know I'm fucked when he's pulling out old family tricks on me. Luckily for me, Uncle Tony is a massive pushover. I put on my big sparkly eyes and my big pouty lips and he's fucked, "Por qué no, Tío?"

"Me estás cagando?" he chuckled to himself, "Tu papá me mataría."

"Pero me veo linda…" I pouted, my head on his shoulder.

Instead, Uncle Tony let out a heavy sigh, "No digas que no te lo advertí."

"Gracias, Tío," I kissed his cheek, "Te amo. Hasta luego!"

"Te amo, kariña," he sent me off on my merry way and I leaned against the back wall of the elevator.

And I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, "Mamón…"

"Rei-chan," Honey wondered, "What was that all about?"

"That was an old family trick at work," I explained, "Every time we'd need to have a private conversation, but we can't manage private arrangements quickly, we start speaking to each other in Spanish. I learned it quickly. Don't worry, Honey. It's not you. Just me getting into a minor argument with my uncle. To give you the gist of it, he didn't want me going out like this, but I managed to convince him otherwise. He's a sucker for my cute little face. Most of the family is. Even Daddy wouldn't have ridden me that hard about it. But like I said, no worries."

"So, Rei," Haruhi asked, "Where are we going tonight? We haven't seen much of the city, so this is pretty uncharted territory."

"You know what?" I thought it over, "I could use a life hug. And a drink. And there's only one place in this town where I could score a drink. We're going to my territory."

"You have territory?" the twins looked at me strange.

"Aww," I melted inside, "You guys are so cute when you forget who and what I am. Of course, I have territory. The Brooklyn Narrows. Or simply put, the Narrows. That, my dear friends, is my home. I grew up in the Narrows. Pretty much. It was kind of a shithole for a while, but that's because it was mostly neglected. Then, I took over and…Now, it's one of the best undercover spots in town. Back in the day, you couldn't take a walk through the Narrows without catching something. And because of that reputation, that's what keeps it an undercover spot. Once people realize the Narrows aren't nearly as sketchy as what they used to be, it's all over, but for now? It's the best spot in town."

I could gush for hours over the Narrows. I remember being five or six and running around the Narrows. Everyone knew who I was. And they knew better. Don't fuck with Francisco Mendoza's daughter. That's when people end up missing. Or better yet, that's when said people end up in the warehouse. That might as well be worse than a death sentence. Especially now that the little girl better left alone is all grown up and wicked with a baseball bat. Just don't catch her in a bad mood. And she might go easy.

Once we all got to the Narrows, I could see the spoiled rich kid souls float out of their bodies. That's what separated them from me. Granted, I, too, was the spoiled little rich kid, but I also had the Narrows to ground me. I was spoiled, but I also knew where I came from. Well…Mostly where Daddy came from. And that's what kept me in check. Daddy's upbringing was considerably different from my own. Mama grew up in the penthouse. Daddy grew up on the streets. Then, there's me…Who grew up on both.

When we got settled, I was weirdly proud of the way the boys came into their own. As much as their skin crawled when they walked in, Tamaki was already spinning on a barstool (while Kyoya kept him in line to the best of his abilities). The twins were dancing their little hearts out. Honey had found a cozy booth with Mori. Only one tough nut to crack. And this one was strangely difficult. Given what her father did for a living, I'd think Haruhi would be a little more comfortable in places like this.

"Haruhi?" I gave her a little nudge, "You ok?"

"I don't know, Rei," she fidgeted a bit, "I didn't think we'd be hanging out in a bar tonight."

"This isn't just some bar," I assured her, "This is home."

"This is your home," Haruhi clarified, "I've never stepped foot in a bar before."

"Seriously?" I looked at her strange, "Never seen your dad perform?"

"Have you?" she gasped.

"No," I shook my head, "He's seen me, though."

"How?" Haruhi wondered, "You don't perform anywhere."

Oh, shit…Was this how that was going to come out? Well…I mean, it's Haruhi. And I'd be surprised if Ranka hasn't told her yet. But since the boys were in their own respective corners, I guess now would be as good of a time as ever, "Have you noticed I've been kind of tired in homeroom during the week?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Then, Kasa…Then, you'd get some coffee in you and you'd be fine."

"Well," I came clean, "I've also been working nights in Shinjuku. I work a few doors down from Ranka. And he's already bitched at me for it, so please don't waste the energy. Having Ranka take me over his knee was enough."

"Why would I judge?" Haruhi let it go, "You're making an honest living. But Rei…I thought you didn't have to do that."

"I wasn't doing it for the money," I went on, "I was doing it more so to keep an eye on Ritsu. But…Turns out I wasn't watching him close enough. But that's mess for another day."

"What do you do?" she quickly changed the subject.

"I'm a dancer," I sat at the bar.

Immediately, one of the bartenders recognized me and made a beeline. God, I love quick service, "Yes, Miss Mendoza. What can I get you?"

"Can I get a seventeen Hibiki?" I ordered.

"Um…" the bartender looked at me weird. Shit…I keep forgetting. I'm back home. It's not like I can get Hibiki out of nowhere, "What's that?"

"Never mind," I brushed him off, "Gentleman's Jack. Straight up."

"Yes, ma'am!" he brought me a glass of whiskey and slid it across the bar. When I took my first drink, it didn't hit like I hoped it would. It's not the same…

"Hey, guys!" I called out to the boys, "What are the rest of you drinking?"

"Um, Rei," Tamaki piped up, "We don't…"

"Tamaki," Kyoya cut him off, then turned his attention toward the bartender, "Can we get a bottle of your best merlot, please? Anything local is fine."

That kind of caught me by surprise, "Thanks, Kyoya…"

"Never said it was for you," Kyoya gladly took the bottle and started pouring, "But I'm not going to let you drink alone."

"I didn't know you drank at all, Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi admitted, "Since when is that a thing?"

"Oh, Haruhi," Kyoya awed, "You, of all people, should be able to understand. You only see a fraction of what I deal with day in and day out. Can you blame me?"

"Oh, hell no," I shook my head, well aware of some of the bullshit Kyoya deals with.

"That's why you don't drink alone, Rei," he raised his glass to me, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you alone."

"No," Mori snuck up out of absolute nowhere, sufficiently scaring the shit out of me.

"It's alright, Mori-senpai," Kyoya promised, "It's nothing objectionable."

"I'm not leaving her," Mori stood his ground. I'm not surprised Mori's protective of me. After the bullshit with Ritsu, no one's going to know my current state of fragility better than him. Nor how to handle it. Right now, there's a glass on the bar that's going to help me handle it. But it's nice to know I had back up.

I slipped my hand into Mori's, "I'll be ok. Promise. If shit goes down, I'll yell for you. Ok?"

I knew Mori didn't like it, but at the end of the day, it's Kyoya. What's the worst he can do? Other than exploit my current depression. But at this point, it's just two friends sharing a drink, "Alright."

Mori went back to his booth with Honey and I started to question Kyoya's motives. Tamaki had already taken Haruhi off to ease her mind. Hikaru and Kaoru were already getting into shenanigans of their own. Everything was fine. For the most part. As far as I knew, "Ok, Kyoya. You sent my guard dog away. You sent your bullhorn away. What do you want to know?"

"What exactly happened with you and Kasanoda?" Kyoya didn't fuck around with foreplay. He just went in. And much like any other time when there's no foreplay involved, it hurt at first. But nothing I can't handle.

"You really want to go down that road?" I growled a bit, "Fine. Ritsu cheated on me. Some bitch named Sayori. It wasn't Ritsu cheating on me that got to me. The fact I had to find out from his dad? That got to me. That pissed me off more than anything. And then, to find out my dad went into the hospital with a gunshot to the chest the next day was more on the shit cake I didn't need. So, needless to say, I've been a little out of sorts for the last week. Excuse the fuck out of me."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rei…" his voice softened. And holy shit, if I didn't know any better, I'd think Kyoya's become a real boy here. He noticed my whiskey was gone and hit me with some merlot. And he's trying to make me feel better? What the fuck kind of weird timeline did I just walk into? Because I'm not sure we have the right Kyoya here. Still…I'd be lying if I said his sentiment wasn't appreciated.

"Thanks, Kyoya…" I smiled a bit, but it didn't last long. No. I'm not crying in front of Kyoya. He doesn't need to deal with that, nor do I want to know how he'd deal with that. Pull it together, Reila. Pull it together, "Shit's been hard, you know?"

"And you miss him," he assumed, "Don't you?"

Fuck…He backed me into a corner. But for once, I let him. Maybe it's the whiskey getting to me. Maybe it's the wine. Maybe it's the fact that I needed to vent to someone and even though Maxwell was nice, Kyoya actually had perspective. It's time I stopped holding shit in, "I do…I miss him so bad. I fucking hate myself for missing him, but I miss him, Kyoya. I miss him when I go to sleep and my bed doesn't have the same warmth. I miss him when I wake up and his chest isn't on my back. The whole flight here…If I wasn't making peace with God about Daddy, I had Ritsu on the brain. Every time I've come home since I've lived in Japan, I've always had Ritsu with me. And this time? When I'd need him the most, he fucked me over and I had to go on my own. But you want to hear the really fucked up thing?"

"What's that?"

"Daddy asked about him when I got to the hospital," I remembered, an ache in my chest, "He asked me if Ritsu came. And I didn't have the heart to tell him he wasn't coming back."

"Have you ever thought about winning him back?" Kyoya asked.

"I don't beg," I scoffed, "And I sure as fuck don't beg at some asshole's feet."

"You also don't cave so easily, Reila," he argued, "I've known you for a while now and I like to think I've got a pretty good grasp on reading people. Especially you. You're better than this. You know it. I know it."

"I know," I slinked down onto the bar. When did I ask for the ass chewing from Kyoya? Or the life advice? How's he supposed to know what this is like? What our lives are like? He doesn't come from what Ritsu and I do. We're a whole different ballgame. Kyoya's trying to place chess during a paintball match.

"If he were here right now," Kyoya wondered, "What would you do?"

"Beat the ever-living shit out of him," I said bluntly, "End of story."

"Really?" If I were a little more sober, I'd think I saw a lightbulb turn on over Kyoya's head, "Interesting."

"Ok," I jumped down from my barstool. Ok…I'm a little wobbly. But not too bad, "I'm going to go check in with my dad. It's been a while since I've heard anything. I'm going to go give him a call."

"Ok," Kyoya sent me on my merry way.

I managed to get into the office and have a little peace and quiet. I did need to check in on Daddy and make sure he was alright. The fact he went out tonight had me worried, but Uncle César should be plenty to keep him safe. At least I hoped so. But still, it never hurt to check in. I know I worry too much, but in light of recent circumstances, I think my worrying is totally justified.

"Hi, baby." It's always a good sign when he answers right away.

"Hi, Daddy," I let out a quiet sigh of relief, "Where are you?"

"I'm dealing with someone in the Narrows," Daddy reported, "You've been through enough and I had a little fight in me. Thought I'd take care of this one."

"Hey!" I squeaked, "I'm in the Narrows, too!"

"What are you doing down here?" he wondered, "You didn't seem too interested when I left you."

"My friends from Japan kind of jumped me at the cemetery," I giggled a bit, "And I needed a drink. Like you said, I've been through some shit in the last week. I think I earned it."

"Never said I was judging, Rei," Daddy let me have that one, "Tell you what, princess…I'm in the warehouse whenever you're ready. K?"

"Really?" I perked up, "I get to beat the shit out of someone?"

"That is your job, Your Majesty…" Just when I think I can't love Daddy any more than I already do. What can I say? The man gets me.

"I'm on my way," I beamed, "See you soon."

"Love you, Rei."

"Love you, too."

Click.

Oh, I was all full of energy now. Whiskey kicked in. Wine kicked in. I got the world off my chest. Oh, I'm ready to beat a motherfucker with another motherfucker. I just hope my blackwood's waiting for me. But before I go to the warehouse, I'm not going to leave the kids here with the sitter. My respect for the sitter went up a little bit tonight. I'm not going to do that to him. So, I might as well show them exactly who I am tonight. Might as well.

"Alright, kids," I rallied them all, "Time to go."

"Time to go?" Hikaru whined.

"It feels like we just got here," Kaoru followed suit. And if they keep that shit up, I'll line them up like a fucking Newton's cradle.

"Where are we going, Rei-chan?" Honey asked. By the looks of it, he was ready to call it a night. Poor baby must be jetlagged.

"I just got off the phone with my dad," I told him, "And Her Majesty needs to go handle business. Now, you guys can wait outside…Unless you want to see how I handle it."

"I do," Kyoya admitted, "For strictly educational purposes, of course. You genuinely fascinate me, Reila. And I'm sure watching you handle business in the way only you could might be an excellent learning experience. Wouldn't you agree, Tamaki?"

"I have a certain image of Rei in my mind," Tamaki winced, "I don't want that tainted."

"Tamaki," I reminded him, "When we first met, I damn near beat the shit out of you."

"But you didn't."

"You cried," I rolled my eyes, "Where's the pride in that?"

"I'll go," Mori agreed, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Really?" I got even more excited, "Finally ready to see me go all out on someone, Mori?"

"Yeah…"

I love my friends. But even Haruhi shared Tamaki's sentiment, "Maybe we shouldn't watch you handle business, Rei. That might not be something we should see."

"Relax, Haruhi," I groaned, "I'll be fine. And so will you guys. It's not like I'd ever use this on any of you unless you had it coming. But as much of a hairline trigger as I got, it takes a lot to truly piss me off. To land yourselves in the Narrows anyway. I'll have Mori as backup and Kyoya as a curious shadow. I told you this was going to be a fun night."

"If you say so."

And so, we all headed down the street and into the warehouse. Mmm…The smell of blood and anguish. I am home. Fortunately, we were greeted so nicely at the door. And I melted inside. It's good to know he's still ok, "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, baby girl," he kissed my cheek. But then, he noticed the shadows behind me, "Um…Reila…? Care to explain what's going on here?"

"This is Kyoya and Mori," I reminded him, "You've met before. When I take the family, I'd love to have these two at my side, but Mori said no and I have a feeling Kyoya would try to usurp me. So, they're just here to watch."

"Alright," Daddy let them have their fun, "Whenever you're ready, your Burmese blackwood is in the office."

"Thank you, Daddy!" I love him.

"Rei," Kyoya wondered as he and Mori followed me like lost puppies. Aww…Aren't they cute? "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask all you want, Kyoya," I allowed, "This is your one shot you get to ask all the questions you could ever want to know the answers to. I'm the right amount of buzzed and the right amount of hyped. Go ahead."

"What is your Burmese blackwood?"

"My Burmese blackwood is my everything," I found the case on the desk and popped that bitch open, "Hello, gorgeous."

"A baseball bat?" Kyoya peeked over my shoulder.

"Yep," I gave it a little spin, "This beauty right here is why I could kick the shit out of Mori in kendo."

"Cheater," Mori shot me a quick glare.

"And why do you call it a Burmese blackwood?" I'm surprised Kyoya's not taking notes.

"Because that's what the wood it's made out of is called," I explained, "It's one of, if not the hardest wood in the world. I used to have a simple oak bat, but the Burmese blackwood is so much nicer."

"Then, why wouldn't you go with a metal bat, if you're looking for something harder?"

"I don't like the way metal bats feel in my hand," I shrugged, "Besides, more often than not, they're hollow. This beauty is solid. More force. More weight. More injury."

"Interesting…"

And the feeling of my blackwood made me feel all good inside. I missed you, sweetheart. What do you say? Let's go get some rage out. Let's see what you look like covered in blood, yeah? I bet you're very pretty. It's not like you're not already. Just a little something, something to add to you. Come on. You deserve a little taste of blood tonight. When I actually got into the warehouse, the lighting was much better. And Daddy got a better look at me.

"You're awfully cute tonight, Reila," he gushed, "You get your hair done recently?"

"A few hours ago," I melted inside, "It's cute, huh?"

"It suits you, baby girl," Daddy gave me a nudge, "But you're always cute. Now, go ahead. Go play nice."

"That was not the plan," I had the biggest, sadistic grin on my face. And I was ready. Beyond ready. Until I noticed who was already bruised in the middle of the floor. And I didn't like it. The grip on my bat started to loosen, "…Ritsu?"