A/N: Hi, friends! Let me say this. I love this chapter. I love when Rei grows a giant pair. It makes me weirdly happy. Now, if you'll excuse me, my littlest nephew is coloring on my floor and I'm a tad nervous. Love you! x

Well…Here we are. Is this when I find out if I got the balls to play with the big dogs or am I just a whiny mutt with a pedigree? This is what's going to separate the men from the boys. I got this. It's not like I'm going into this clueless. Daddy made sure I knew how to handle myself around bosses. Granted, the last time I even had contact with any of the local bosses was…Daddy. I can do this. I got this. Or at least I sure as hell hope so.

"Hey, Rei…" Ritsu kept his voice down, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," I nodded, not totally sure how true that was., "I got this. Come on, Ritsu. You can't tell me Ryoichi didn't teach you how to deal with shit like this."

"Yakuza, not mafia."

"Mori," I gave him a nudge, "Can you talk some sense into him?"

"He's your boyfriend," Mori argued.

"Amateurs," I rolled my eyes, "I'm working with amateurs."

Don't let them see me sweat. It got me thinking, though. I wonder if Daddy was like this when he first got into this with my uncles. We all have to start somewhere. Maybe this is just my starting point. The Piccolo's manager came back out to get us. He looked over at Ritsu and Mori with great distrust, "He says he'll see you if you leave your muscle here."

"No," I wasn't budging, "Wherever I go, they go. No exceptions. Be sure to tell him that."

Tell me I don't know how to handle myself or how to throw my weight around. I knew I had this. The manager didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't sure whether to piss himself or honor my request. Is this what power feels like? Because I like it. But a voice thundered over him from the office, "When Francisco Mendoza's daughter grows a pair enough to come here in person. I know better than to ever lay a finger on her. Your Majesty…Keep your dogs on a leash and you can come in. I'll give you that much. As a professional courtesy."

"I can do that," I brought Ritsu and Mori in with me. It's nice that he indulged me with my title. But it's going to take a lot more than flattery to make me comfortable. There he was. Dominic Aguilar. The big boss of the Bronx. The man to see about any acquisitions on this side of the city. I faintly remember him being at Mama's funeral, but I had other things holding my attention. That was one of those times when the whole damn underground came together. Unfortunate circumstances, but it was a beautiful thing to see.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Reila," Dominic stood up. All damn near seven feet of him. He was a big son of a bitch. It's a good thing I brought backup, "These two don't look like Tony and César. Aren't they your usual security detail? Where did you find these two yakuza looking mother fuckers?"

"Only one of them is yakuza," I told him. And I don't think he thought I was serious. Oh, well. That'll be his fault, not mine. I was honest, "But they're none of your concern. They're here for my protection."

"Understandable," he backed off, "I would keep extra security around, too, if I were you. Speaking of, how is Frankie doing?"

"That's not your business either," I snapped.

"Hey," Dominic picked up on my hostility, "I mean that with sincerity."

"After one of your guys shot him?"

"Look, Reila," he started hardening up, "That wasn't one of my guys. Yes, he was one of my guys, but I'm not fucking stupid. I know better than to put out a hit on your old man. If you're in good with the Mendoza family, you can get away with a lot of shit in this town. I'm not taking him out and throwing away my newfound protection. And if it weren't for your last name, sweetheart, your ass would've been thrown out of here for talking to me like that. Honestly, one would think Frankie would've taught you better manners than that."

Alright. I was starting to see his point. I lost a little bit of temper there, "Forgive me. I've been a little on edge lately."

"Apology accepted," Dominic relaxed, "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of having the Queen of Diamonds herself come to my piece of New York?"

"One of your guys tried making me an orphan," I growled, "I'd like to know his name."

"I'm sorry, Reila," he shot me down, "I can't tell you that."

"And why the fuck not?!"

"Because it's not your jurisdiction," Dominic was ready to throttle me. Probably not a position I want to be in, "He's already been dealt with. This isn't your place, Reila. I'm sorry."

"I want his ass in the Narrows!" I squeaked.

"It's still not your place," he pointed out, "Besides, unless I hear it directly from your father, I don't need to answer to your orders."

"My word is just as good as his," I argued, "It might not be my place now, but it will be. And it will be soon. Don't we share territory now?"

"It's not quite us sharing territory," Dominic explained, "When your old man and I sat down and talked this out a couple weeks ago, it's more like you're subletting. You get to move about the Bronx freely. If you need to bring something through us, that's fine. That's as far as it goes."

"But it's still a way of us sharing territory," I countered, "Despite it being like subletting. That makes this our jurisdiction, too."

"Not quite," he held back a little smile, "You know, Reila…I've talked to people who have met you through either business or casual conversation and they all say you are obviously your father's daughter and that Frankie taught you well. But I don't think they see the real scary part of you. And that's just how much of Vanessa is in you."

"You…" I hardly spoke above a whisper, "You knew my mother?"

"Not too many of us didn't know your mother," Dominic nodded, "But only a few of us have had the pleasure of seeing her in court. She could have anyone believing the sky was green and the grass was blue. Vanessa worked in the art of bullshit better than anyone I've ever seen and she knew it."

"And she knew when it was being used on her," I didn't have too many memories of Mama, but I knew exactly what he was talking about. Mama could smell lies from miles away. I remember nights where Mama and Daddy would leave me home with Uncle Tony or Uncle César (more often, Uncle César because Uncle Tony couldn't keep a goldfish alive for longer than a week, let alone a human baby) and in hindsight, I'm pretty sure they were in the Narrows, running interrogations.

"Look, Reila," he put a hand to my shoulder. Not a threatening hand, but a gentle hand. And I knew he wasn't going to do anything because I noticed Ritsu and Mori get twitchy out of the corner of my eye. That's comforting, "I'm sorry. I'm not just going to out one of my guys. I promise he's been taken care of. But I really didn't have anything to do with him taking matters into his own hands. Hell, I was the one that brought Frankie to the hospital. I even called César for him."

"And Uncle César probably called me shortly after," I thought back to that day. That one day that if I had my way would be scrubbed clean from my mind, "Thank you for that. Really. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Dominic put his arm around me, "And I will say this. It took a big pair for you to come up to my office and go toe to toe with me. And I respect you for it. But we're done here. Unless you're planning to jump ship on your old man and come work for me."

"I don't think so," I giggled a bit, "And have Daddy on my ass? I couldn't do that. Nor could I betray the family like that. Thank you for seeing me."

"Call first next time," he insisted, "It's nicer when I'm not being blindsided."

"Sorry. I'm still new at this."

"But you handle it like an old pro," Dominic helped me onto my feet, "Go on. And send your father my best."

"I will." And just like that, the three of us left the back room of Piccolo's out the back door. Fuck, I'm exhausted.

"Rei?" Ritsu held me up, "You doing ok?"

"I'm tired," I leaned into his shoulder, "I'm thinking coffee. Coffee might help."

"Ok," he kissed my forehead, "All things being equal, you did good back there. That was amazing."

"I'm just glad it didn't have to result in bloodshed," I admitted, switching to the arm of my other security guard, "Thank you, Mori. I'm sorry I had to tear you away from Honey for nothing, but it was better to have you and not need you."

"Of course," Mori put an arm around me, "And I'd do it all again if you needed me."

"So," I already knew what his answer would be, but it wouldn't hurt to ask, "You're saying that after I graduate…and after I move back to New York…"

"Don't make a habit of it." Shit. I should've known. But the smile on his face was reassuring. I can just about bet the family fortune that if I asked Mori and it came down to it whether or not my life would be in danger, he'd totally come be security for me.

"You know what, Rei?" Ritsu decided, grabbing my car door for me, "I know exactly what you need."

"A series of B-12 shots and a cocaine addiction?" I grumbled, sliding into my seat.

"No," Ritsu slid in next to me and Mori on the other side of him.

"Where to, Miss Mendoza?" the driver asked.

"Red Dragon, please," Ritsu ordered.

"Ritsu, I fucking love you."

"I love you, too," Ritsu pulled me into his shoulder, "I get you."

"I know you do," I shut my eyes. I knew how long it would take to get us back to Brooklyn. That's about half an hour I can spend taking a nap, "Ritsu, I'm so tired."

"I know you are, baby," he ran his fingers down my arm, "I know."

"I still want that asshole's name," I growled. But then, a lightbulb turned on in my head. And I hated myself for not thinking about this before. Maybe I shouldn't have brought Mori with me. Later, "But…My hands are tied."

I'm starting to see where Dominic was coming from. I did have a lot of Daddy in me. But I had a shit load of Mama in me, too. Like her ability to bullshit. And her ability to find a loophole. Reila, you're fucking brilliant. I'm sure that once I get some food in my stomach, I'll be able to even out a little. Dammit, why didn't I think to order something while we were at Piccolo's? I haven't had a Piccolo's sandwich in years. Because you had bigger fish to fry, Rei. That's why. You were there a woman on a mission. And that mission might have failed, but at least I got a little more context on the night Daddy got shot. It wasn't Dominic's fault. Things are still good with us in the Bronx.

"Hey, Morinozuka-senpai," Ritsu offered, "You want to come with us or are we dropping you back at your hotel?"

"I'll let you two be alone," Mori allowed, "I need to get eyes on Mitsukuni anyway. And I'd rather not third wheel you."

"Be sure to kiss him for me," I asked, "I know when we first met, I came off as a heartless bitch, but…"

"He has that effect on people," Mori understood. Of course he did. It's Mori. No one gets Honey better. And Honey's special brand of cuteness gets to me.

"Hey, Ritsu," I laid my head on his shoulder, "You do know what we're doing tonight, right?"

"Tell me we don't have prior engagements with the host club," Ritsu crossed his fingers, "No offense, Senpai."

"None taken." Mori's ridden the host club roller coaster. He gets it.

"No," I shook my head, "We have dinner with Abuelita tonight."

"Oh, God…" Ritsu groaned, "My stomach still hasn't recovered from the last time we had dinner with Abuelita."

"Wasn't that this past summer?" Mori asked.

"Yep," I nodded, "You've never been through dinner with Abuelita. She can and will stuff you past your limits. It's a special kind of hell, but she just doesn't want us going hungry."

"It's still hell," Ritsu whined.

"Could you imagine?" I giggled, "Us taking the host club to dinner with Abuelita?"

"No fucking thank you," Ritsu shot me down before that idea could manifest, "One thing at a time. I don't want to have to deal with Abuelita stomach pains and the host club at the same time. That will result in seppuku."

"I understand," I let it go. Besides, I wouldn't wish Abuelita and the host club on my worst enemies. There's too much excitable energy there. Either that or Abuelita would unofficially adopt Haruhi and keep her away from them. And I have a feeling Ranka wouldn't be totally cool with that.

"And that's tonight?" Ritsu thought.

"Yep," I confirmed, "Dinner with Abuelita tonight. I'm pretty sure it's written in your day planner. I left the memo with your secretary."

"I have a secretary?"

"Que bonito, Ritsu," I patted his cheek, "Que bonito…"

"That's still not nice, Rei," Ritsu pinched my thigh, "I know you're not meaning that with sincerity."

"There's a fine line between my sincerity and my sarcasm."

"And you always got one foot on either side."

"You're not wrong."

"And when the hell did I start keeping a day planner?" Ritsu squeaked.

"Yet again…" I awed, "Que bonito, cariño."

"Te amo tambien…" Ritsu thought for a minute, "I forgot. What was the word for asshole?"

"Pendejo," I held back a little smile. I love this boy. To think, I thought he was cheating on me. It's so nice to be over that.

"Wouldn't it be pendeja if I was calling you an asshole, though?" Ritsu wondered.

"I'll take the masculine," I let it slide, "I don't care. I'm not going to nitpick you too harshly on what you use. The fact that you're making the effort to speak one of my first languages is plenty for me. And it's kind of cute to hear you try to speak Spanish."

"I like it better when you do it."

"That's because I've been doing it longer," I kissed his cheek.

And after we dropped Mori back at the Lowell, I knew what was coming. The Red Dragon. And not using that as a euphemism. The honest to God Red Dragon. The best little hole in the wall ramen shop in the city. It wasn't our ramen shop near my building in Tokyo, but for all intents and purposes, this would do. And this would do nicely. I needed some hot food in my stomach and my loving boyfriend to share it with. But then…Something else dawned on me. Tomorrow's date.

"Hey, Ritsu," I let out a little gasp, "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"The twenty…" Ritsu's face lost all its color, "Your birthday's tomorrow."

"That's right," I felt his pain. Because I left Daddy and the host club alone to take care of that while I dealt with my own assorted bullshit (or taking Honey out for the afternoon because a bitch needed a break and some warm, fuzzy childhood nostalgia). I had no idea what was going on. Kyoya said he'd give me the final say in things, but I have a feeling that was just to pacify me. I never got a single fucking message asking any sort of approval. I could kill them. But I won't. They're my friends. They understand me. They love me, "Can I just say fuck the party and we drown ourselves in ramen instead?"

"Tell you what," Ritsu took my hand, "If the party tomorrow night gets to be too much for you to handle or you get homicidal tendencies toward any of the host club, we can come back here and not tell anyone."

"Except for Daddy," I stipulated, "He doesn't need to worry."

"Except for Frankie," Ritsu nodded, "I don't need him on my ass. Again."

Ring, ring.

"Speak of the devil," I figured. But once I looked down at my phone screen…It really was the devil, "Oh, shit."

"What's wrong, Rei?" Ritsu worried, "Who is it?"

"It's your dad," I couldn't let it ring. I knew I couldn't let it ring. Ryoichi would have my ass on a fucking silver platter for that. So, I answered, "Hello?"

"Reina," Ryoichi awed on the other end, turning my stomach, "How are you?"

"Good," I indulged him with the formalities while my grip on his son's hand tightened, "As good as they can be anyway."

"I miss you, bluebird," he whined, "It's time for you to come back now."

"Now?" I bit my lip, "I can't right now. The family's still going through a lot and I need to be here."

"And I'm losing money by the second," Ryoichi growled, "I need you back here. Look…How soon can I expect you back?"

"The beginning of January," I winced, hoping I'd still be able to be in town for New Year's.

"And you better be here," he demanded, "It'd be better if you were here sooner, though. I miss you so much…"

"I miss you, too." Reila, you lying bitch. It pained you to say that, didn't it? I'm sure it did. Because someone was about to mop up fifteen dollars worth of ramen off this floor, "But I have to go."

"As do I," Ryoichi let it go, "The first week of January, Reina. Your ass better be back here."

Click.

"Eww…" I dropped my phone on the table, "Ritsu, I feel gross."

"You feel gross?" Ritsu scoffed, "I can't blame you."

"I need a shower," I shuddered, "A long one. A hot one. Maybe one day will come when Ryoichi doesn't make my skin crawl, but today will not be that day."

"You and me both," he agreed, "But hey. Look on the bright side."

"Tomorrow, I'll be in my element amongst the most powerful families in New York and my idiot friends of whom I wouldn't trade for the world and my boyfriend that I've recently decided isn't a cheating piece of shit after all?"

"That, too," Ritsu played with the charms on my bracelet, "I was thinking more along the lines of how my dad isn't here and we have all the uninterrupted time in the world."

"At least until the first week of January," I laid on the table.

"Actually, Rei," Ritsu winced, "I'm going to have to head home early. If I come home the same time you do, that's going to raise suspicion. And that's kind of the last thing we need."

"Good call." I was going to suggest it if he wasn't.

"And…" he went on, "If it's not asking too much of you…Do you think I could introduce you to Sayori? Because she's really not that bad. I feel like you two would actually get along if it wasn't for…You know…The elephant in the room."

"For us sharing a boyfriend?" I assumed, "Yes, Ritsu. I know. You're fucking around on me with Sayori for the sake of business. I get that. But I know where you have your mail forwarded."

"When did you find that out?"

"When did you start forwarding your mail to my place?" I giggled, "That was a joke. Did you really?"

"No," Ritsu's cheeks turned red. Aww…That's so cute, "But I'd be lying if I said my mail went to the compound."

"You're fucking adorable," I gushed, "I hope you know that."

"Are you done?" he quickly changed the subject, "Because I got a feeling I should be getting you home soon or Frankie's going to have half the city looking for us."

"It wouldn't be Daddy sending out a search party," I got up from my seat, "It'd be Abuelita. She's the only one that knows we left. But Daddy trusts me to be out on my own, so it's not that big of a deal."

"Let's get you home," Ritsu took my hand.

"Ok." I knew what waited for me. I knew that I'd have to go through a dinner with Abuelita. And I'm glad I had Ritsu for this. At least I won't have to suffer alone.