A/N: Hi, friends! So, a quick history lesson, Catherine the Great ruled over Russia around the nineteenth century, I think? She was a badass. You'll learn more as we go on here, so enjoy this week's chapter. Or as I like to call it, Lumi gushes over Catherine the Great through Rei for a hot second. Love you! x

As much as I loved going to the Narrows…As much as I loved going to visit Mama…As good as that food truck Daddy showed me was…There's still no place like home. This penthouse would always be home to me. It's where I grew up. It's where my best memories are, both Mama and Daddy alike. And now, it's where I take my beaten, broken, and bruised boyfriend, not boyfriend to get fixed up by Daddy's possible new girlfriend. For now, she's still the woman who helped save his life, so I had no room to hate her. And if shit smooths over with Ritsu, she fixed up my boyfriend, too.

Ritsu and I rode the elevator without a single word between us. He used me as a crutch, but that's as close as we were going to get. But still, he felt the need to break the tense silence, "Hey, Rei…"

"What?" I grumbled, highly looking forward to my bed.

"It's you and me in an elevator," he pointed out, "What's running through your mind right now?"

"That I'm exhausted, I want this day to end, and I want this throbbing headache to go away," I shot him down. I knew exactly what he was trying to get at. We normally couldn't keep our hands to ourselves in an elevator. But it's weird what kind of a buzzkill lying to me about your arranged marriage is on my libido. It keeps that bitch in check.

"Oh…" And I think that message was more than received.

By the time we made it inside, I could've sworn I heard a woman's voice. That was fast. I told Daddy we'd only be gone for an hour. I didn't come home late. And with Ritsu in the same amount of pieces he was in when we left the Narrows. Everything was fine…As fine as it could be anyway. I was still a little hot from tonight, but I'm not going to be all smiles quite yet. Which made me curious. Exactly how long has Clara been here?

"Daddy!" I called into the living room with Ritsu limping behind me, "We're back!"

"In the kitchen, baby girl!"

The second Ritsu and I walked into the kitchen, Clara shot out of her chair, her eyes the size of my fist, "Jesus Christ, Frankie! What did you do to him?"

"That wasn't all me," Daddy got defensive, "A lot of that was Rei. She can get kind of testy."

"Kind of testy?" I looked at him strange, "Daddy…Come on. Give me some credit."

"Yeah…" Ritsu agreed, slowly sitting down, "I wouldn't call this kind of testy."

"You know," Clara admitted, "It's not often I ever make house calls, but…Even when I do, they're never this messy. Remind me to never fuck with you in a dark alley, Rei."

"I'd say this is an eloquent reminder," I assured her. Not that I would. I had no reason to. And next to Daddy's word being law, that's one of the family's biggest rules. Don't throw the first punch, but always throw the last. And never in cold blood.

"I told you what I did, Clara," Daddy explained, "Sometimes, it can get a little messy. And this is what constitutes as messy."

"What did he do?" she wondered, "I mean…That is, if you don't mind me asking."

"He pissed me off," I stepped in, "That's as far as that needs to go."

"Ok," Clara didn't push. Maybe it was the state Ritsu was in that scared her off, but there was something else, too. Maybe she wouldn't be the worst to keep around. Even if shit with Clara and Daddy doesn't work out, maybe having her on hand when I take over in case one of ours gets banged up like Ritsu did would be a good idea, "So, what's in places it shouldn't be?"

At this point, Ritsu's just lucky his balls didn't end up in his throat. I wanted to, but I wasn't going to be that heartless. Love him or hate him, speaking objectively, he needs to reproduce. He's too pretty not to. But I digress. I didn't remember much of the damage I did. Most likely because of the blind rage he put me in. However, that blind rage got focused. And it wasn't pretty.

"I'm pretty sure my shoulder's out of place," Ritsu explained, "My knees are all fucked up. My ankle on my right foot is fucked up. And there's something not right in my left hand."

"Well," I kissed Daddy's cheek, "I'm going to bed. It's been a long ass day and I could use the sleep."

"What?" Ritsu wondered, "You're not staying here?"

"You're a big boy," I rolled my eyes, "I don't need to be here to hold your hand."

"Alright, baby," Daddy wrapped his arms around my waist, "Good night."

"Good night," I managed a little bit of a smile, "And thank you for doing this, Clara."

"Not a problem," Clara smiled back, "But next time you think about doing this, go a little easier on him, maybe? This is going to take a few minutes to put back together."

"I'll think about it." That was all depending on him. Hopefully, this would serve as a hell of a lesson in what to do when Ryoichi tries to meddle in our affairs. Even though I was still mad at him, it's too bad Ritsu had to be the one to pay the price for it.

I took the elevator up to my bedroom and crawled into bed. When I said I've had a long ass day, I wasn't lying. I did, in fact, have a long ass day. Gorging myself with Daddy early this afternoon, hanging out with the entirety of the host club tonight, meeting Maxwell, then beating the shit out of Ritsu on top of that? A bitch needs some sleep. It's too bad it was freezing balls out tonight. I could stand a little quiet time on the roof. Well…As quiet as it could be anyway. They don't call this place the city that never sleeps because it was a catchy slogan. Regardless, I pulled my blankets over my shoulders and shut my eyes. It wouldn't take me much to fall asleep.

Even though the thought of Ritsu being engaged made me queasy. Arranged, though…That was weirdly comforting. That meant there's still hope. There's still hope that he's still mine. Hell, he wouldn't even fight me back when we were in the Narrows. He knew he'd have some sort of punishment waiting for him when I find out. He just didn't know how severe it'd be. But still, I had to admire him for taking it as well as he did. And yet, we could still look at each other from across the table at our ramen restaurant away from home. You need to get some sleep, Reila. Because tomorrow would likely drain the hell out of me, too.

The next morning, I woke up and grabbed my phone off my nightstand. To no surprise, a couple of texts from the boys and a missed call. I didn't have that kind of energy in me quite yet. Yet another Sunday morning. I pushed myself out of bed and started heading downstairs. Coffee. I needed coffee. I know we live in Williamsburg and a good cup of coffee is always a stone's throw away, but I needed something closer. Something more…Readily accessible. And I knew where there was always a pot on.

I walked into the kitchen and got a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest. Daddy, Sunday paper…All is well, "Morning, Daddy."

"Morning, baby," Daddy put his paper down, "So…?"

"So…what?" I grabbed my usual cup from the cabinet. A bright green one I've had since…God, forever. I remember going into a secondhand shop with Mama and grabbing this. If we didn't come out with that damn cup, someone's head was going to be on a fucking pike. And Mama always had a hard time saying no to me.

"You doing ok?"

"Ok-ish," I shrugged, "As good as I'm going to be. What about you? Pain meds still fucking with your head?"

"Not as bad as what they were," Daddy reported, "The dosages were a little off, so Clara grabbed me something else."

"Isn't she a peach?" I took the empty seat across from him. The same one Ritsu had last night.

"Hey," he nudged me under the table, "She fixed your boyfriend up, didn't she?"

"I'm sure she did," I let that one go, "I never doubted that."

"The fixing part or the boyfriend part?" Dammit. I knew that'd be coming soon enough. Ever since they met, Daddy had a soft spot for Ritsu. The day Ritsu admitted to him that he was in love with me was the day Ritsu gained Daddy's respect. Although, I'm sure the day Ritsu landed his ass in the warehouse was when all of it went out the window.

"Daddy…"

"Alright," he backed off, "So, what do you got planned this morning?"

"For this morning," I figured, "I have a feeling my friends are going to drag me out whether I want to go or not."

"You know…" Daddy thought, "You should go. Have fun with your friends."

"I came here to get away from them for a while," I giggled to myself, "They're really not that bad, but damn, they're exhausting."

"Or…" he went on, "If you don't want to be with them…"

"Daddy…" I knew what he was getting at. And I had no doubt he'd love nothing more, "I know you got attached to him, but that's not something I'm quite ready for yet. I need some time."

"I wasn't going to say anything about Ritsu," Daddy lied through his teeth. One of the first things he ever taught me was to find someone's tells. And when he starts picking at hangnails, he's lying to me. He wants nothing more than for Ritsu and me to get back together. I could smell it, "I was going to suggest going to church this morning, but you had to get snip snappy with me."

"Seriously?" I looked at him strange, "Daddy, we only go to church when it's either Christmas or Abuelita's in town. What's got you wanting to go now?"

"Really?" he mirrored me, "You don't think we don't have plenty to be grateful for? You don't think there wasn't some divine intervention bestowed on us recently? Me, in particular?"

"You're not wrong," I sighed out, "It's been a while."

"If you go," Daddy bargained, "I'll go."

"I don't know, Daddy," I shook him off, "I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to pass."

"Alright." That was the thing with us. Ever since Mama died, Daddy understood that it might have shaken my religious convictions a little. And that walking into a church these days made me a tad queasy. And he'd never push me. Bless him.

"Well," I got up from the table, "I need to be going."

"Really?" Daddy wondered, "And where are you off to?"

"Ballroom," I filled up a water bottle and finished off my coffee, "I need to clear my head for a while."

"Alright, baby," he let me go, "Be careful. Don't hurt yourself. I don't think Clara's going to want to make too many more house calls unless they're life and death after last night."

"Speaking of last night," I asked, "Where did Ritsu end up?"

"Second floor, first door on the left," Daddy told me, "Far enough away from you?"

"Perfect," I nodded, "You know where to find me."

"Got it."

I left Daddy at the table and went off to my sanctuary. I know I told Daddy that I wasn't feeling up to church, but that didn't mean my soul wasn't feeling heavy. We had one place in the house where I could go to find peace. And that was in this ballroom. Bitterness still clouded my thoughts. I didn't even bother putting any music on. I just needed to be in the air. No sound. No thoughts. Just…Quiet. I pulled myself up about fifteen feet in the air and hung there. I made myself a hammock and got comfortable. This was all I needed. The one place in the world I was truly at peace. If I'm not careful, I'm going to end up falling asleep up here. But I had too much caffeine surging through my body and nine hours of hard sleep. Still, I liked it up here. Nothing could hurt me up here unless I fell. And I had too good of a handle on this to fall.

Quiet. Peace and quiet. I shut my eyes for a brief moment, taking in my bliss. Not that the quiet wasn't sorely needed, but maybe I should put some music on. Quiet is nice. Silence is maddening. I slid down the silks and looked for a piano piece on YouTube. Nothing too fast, but nothing too slow. Just something to kill the silence. I found a playlist of nothing but Russian waltzes and let it play. Once I got back up to my original position, I lost myself again. Thoughts of a different ballroom ran through my head. Maybe an eighteenth-century ball. As the music played around me, Catherine the Great came to mind.

She overthrew her asshole husband (and allegedly had him killed, but again…Allegedly. I like her style.) and went on to kick ass ruling over Russia? Who's to say I couldn't do the same? Who's to say that I couldn't take my boyfriend to the Narrows, beat the fuck out of him for doing me wrong, and then, go on to rule all of Russia? I say Russia…I suppose taking over the family would do, too. I threw myself around the room for a while, truly embracing that energy. And at that ball in my head, I dance with my enemy. I glare into his eyes all the while keeping a graceful and pleasant disposition. Because that's when they let their guard down. That's when I make my move. That's when the ball turns bloody and I come out on top.

Jesus Christ, Rei…Who hurt you? I know who hurt me. But I don't have it in me to mention it out loud. Not even in my head. Fuck that.

Knock, knock.

"Rei?" Daddy's voice thundered over the gentle orchestral movement coming to a close.

"Hi, Daddy," I swung back and forth, shaking out the thoughts of becoming the Empress of Russia by force. Did you need me for something?"

"Someone wants to talk to you…" he treaded lightly. I didn't like where this was going.

"And who's that?" I really didn't like where this was going. Please surprise me. Be one of my uncles. Be one of my friends. Fuck, if you really wanted to surprise me, be Abuelita and make everything better. But don't fucking be…

"Me…" Him. Of course. Why should I have expected anything different?

"Yay," I grumbled.

"Reila," Daddy took on a more authoritative tone, "Don't be like that. You don't know the whole story."

"Really?" I stayed high up, wrapped up in my ribbons, "Do tell."

"Ritsu called me when he landed," Daddy explained, "He asked to meet me in the Narrows, well aware he fucked up. He turned himself in, Rei. I know he cut you deep, but don't be like this."

He…Turned himself in? He knew what that would've gotten him, but he did it anyway. Holy shit, maybe I am being too hard on him…And maybe he's being too hard on himself…I know I told him he could've grown a pair and told Ryoichi to fuck off, but…This really was something out of his hands, wasn't it? As much as it went against my grain, I took in a deep breath and pulled myself together, "What do you want, Ritsu?"

"Can we talk?" Ritsu spoke softly. He still knows he fucked up. But…That could also be the guilt talking.

I know I needed to ease up on him. Yet something in me wouldn't allow it. Not yet. He flat out kept another woman from me. That's not ok. But maybe it's time I stop holding this against him, "On one condition."

"Anything." And he's looking for atonement. Damn, maybe I should've gone to church this morning.

"Hold on," I spun down from the silks, "If we talk, we're talking while you're upside down."

"What?" Ritsu squeaked, "No. Rei, we've been over that."

"And that was before you pissed me off," I argued, "If you really want to talk, we need the blood flow going to the right head."

"Oh, I have to see this," Daddy pulled up a chair.

"Frankie!" Ritsu whined, "Can't you do something about this?"

"You made your bed, kid," Daddy pointed out, getting his phone from his pocket to, undoubtedly, open the camera, "We had this conversation last night. You knew Rei was going to be pissed. You said you were good with any punishment she'd throw at you. And you knew damn well the little shit's a sadist."

"Thank you, Daddy," I took my due bow.

"This just happens to be part of it," Daddy shot me a quick wink.

I could see it in his eyes. Ritsu was calling me every name in the book in his head. Or further beating himself up. One of the two. Unless it's an unhealthy mixture of both. That wouldn't surprise me either, "How do I do it, Rei?"

"First," I took my fabrics and got them started for him, "We tie a sturdy knot. One strong enough to support your weight. Personally, I only tie them once, but considering you have more muscle density than I do, I'd tie them twice. Just for the added security. We really don't need Clara coming back for house calls and we sure as hell don't need to be taking you to the hospital."

"That's comforting," he grumbled to himself, taking the knotted fabric from me, "Now what?"

"Lay back on the knot," I instructed him, slowly guiding him back, "And lay back all the way. Once you're upside down, wrap your legs inward one at a time and you'll be able to let go."

"Let go?" Ritsu gasped, "Yeah, no. Fuck that. I'm not letting go."

"Ritsu," I rolled my eyes, "Do you trust me?"

"Can I?" he hoped.

"Of course," I swore, "I know it's scary at first, but it's alright. I won't let you fall. Promise."

"Ok," Ritsu went all the way back and wrapped his legs up in the fabric. I could see it all over his face. This scared the shit out of him. Yet he did it for the plain and simple fact that I asked him to. And that's all he needed. Yep. Deep down, that's still my Ritsu. I'm sorry for putting you through all this, but we need to know that this isn't going to happen again. Because god forbid we start at square one again, "Rei, this is weird. This feels really weird."

"That's blood rushing to your head," I steadied him, "It's going to make you a little dizzy at first, but you'll get over it. Now, what did you want?"

"I wanted to know if we could hang out today," Ritsu asked, his cheeks turning pink, "Please?"

"I don't know," I took him by the hand and started gently turning him.

"Rei, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"I told you," I settled him, "Trust me. You'll be fine."

"Hey, Rei," Daddy ordered, "Hold him still for a second."

"For what?!" Ritsu squealed.

"Posterity," Daddy started snapping pictures.

"Send those to me," I giggled a bit. Turns out I'm not the only one with sadistic tendencies here.

"You know, Rei…" Ritsu's face started going from that adorable pink to a tad green, "I know you have your moments where the petty bitch needs to come out…But…"

"I know," I slid down into a split on the floor and got on his level, "You said you wanted us to hang out today, right?"

"Yes, please…" Alright, I needed to get this boy down before he starts throwing up.

"Give me a few minutes," I told him, helping him get back upright, "Ok?"

"Ok," Ritsu regained his sense of equilibrium, "Hey, Rei, where's the nearest bathroom? Or potted plant? At this point, I don't care which."

"A little nauseous, Ritsu?" Daddy assumed.

"I don't do silks," Ritsu gagged, "Bathroom?"

"Across the hall, baby," I directed him.

"Bless you," Ritsu bolted out of the ballroom, leaving Daddy and me alone to deliberate his fate.

"Well?" I wondered, taking a seat on Daddy's lap, "Qué estás pensando, Papí? Debería hacerlo?"

"Creo que sí," Daddy nodded, "He's done enough, Rei. There's justice and then, there's overkill. You, mi querida hija, are teetering that line."

"You think so?"

"Rei, your boyfriend is puking in our bathroom because you made him hang upside down in order to get a conversation with you. If that's not overkill, I don't know what is."

"You're right," I agreed, resting my head on his shoulder.

"But," Daddy assured me, "If you need them, you know you got warehouse keys, too."

"I know," I let that go, "But I don't think we'll need the warehouse today. Unless you put me to work. But I think we'll leave the warehouse alone for today. If it's ok with you, though, I want to go play with my favorite piñata."

"Go ahead, sweetheart," he kissed my cheek, "What are you two doing?"

Let's see…What could I possibly want to do with my boyfriend with his two left feet and inability to be upside down for longer than a couple minutes? But it's still lighthearted fun, "I think we'll go ice skating."

"Ok," Daddy sent me off, "You kids have fun. Be careful."

"We will."