A/N: Currently I'm not using beta readers, so I apologize for any roughness of the chapter. I haven't reached out to mine as I'm horrible at communication.

Canonization was an art, albeit a soon to be dying one, in this gang. These would be the last class of Saints to go through it this way. Like the Saints, canonization would be reborn but for now it was brutal as always. The dance floor, as every good base of operations needed one, was temporarily converted to a fight ring. The new floor was already graced with blood making me glad I had had a drain installed for quick clean ups. Aside from Johnny, a few other of the original Saints had shown up upon hearing about our resurrection and were helping break in the new people. Johnny had assured me they had rolled with us before, but to be honest, I couldn't have picked them out of a line up even with their tattoos. Tattoos. They would have to go. Troy had tatted himself up with our colors and in the end it had meant nothing. So many changes that needed to be done, I was glad that Johnny agreed to work with me, I was going to need him to swing people in my favor as I knew tradition was hard to change.

"Is the queen going to come down and grace us with her presence?" I was jerked out of my thoughts by the woman I had dubbed the annoying one. She was one of the ones that Johnny wanted for lieutenant, I was willing to trust his judgement, but I didn't even like to look at her. Honestly, those dreads were probably full of mold.

"Hey, you don't want to challenge Polyphemus there," Johnny said jokingly, "she'll eat you alive."

"Like anyone is going to understand that motherfucking reference."

"That's Oedipus, I'm talking Odysseus." I glared at him. I honestly didn't know if he realized I was missing my eye yet or if he really thought the eyepatch was a fashion statement but either way, I was not about to let him call me a cyclops, even if it was in an obscure roundabout way. My vision distorted slightly as I looked down to gage the height before vaulting over the railing. My body recognized it had been a while even if my brain hadn't as I landed, the shock made my jaw snap shut, I barely missed my tongue. Given the looks on the newbies faces, I hadn't betrayed how out of shape I was.

"In case Monsieur Gat has not informed you, one of our tenets as Saints is we do not fight each other, we settle things civilly here with our words, not our fists. But you are not yet Saints, thus this beating will be inspired by him and as I'm a generous leader, I'll allow the lot of you a go all at once," my speech didn't seem to register on any of the newbies until my fist collided with one.

XXX

Today I had learned a few things; I was out of shape, yes, I was still stronger than most but that was mostly from my height, I needed to regain control of my body and apparently you could still get a black eye despite not having one. I sat at the newly restored bar with a snifter of brandy and an ice pack on my face.

"Since when don't we fight to settle things, especially since I kicked your ass earlier?"

"Remind me to check out healthcare plans that deal in memory issues as you seem to have an odd gap in your memory." He took a long drink of his beer as he gazed at the newbies before digging in his pocket and plopping a pile of index cards on the bar. The cards contained all the information of the newbies that I required.

"Why you need all this shit?"

"Bend and unbend your left leg, if you would." He looked at me strangely but did so. Sitting so close, we could both hear the clicking it made. "That is why. Aside from the fact you have several grey hairs-"

"Fuck you, I do not."

"You already have one bad knee, how much longer do you think you'll have until you have two? There are no old gangbangers. You're lucky you lasted this long, I mean, you're what, thirty five?" I teased. I knew his age was a sensitive topic, if there was anything he was terrified of, aside from clowns, it was growing older. He approached aging the same way I did heights.

"Fuck you, I'm not even thirty yet," he growled. I squinted at him and reached out to pluck a hair. "Keep it up and I'll shove this bottle up your ass."

"I appreciate the offer, but that's not my thing," I said with a fluttering of lashes.

"Well you better get into it since you're fingerbanging my girl." I hated when my attempt at snark failed.

"At any rate, these are a part of my plan."

"I'm going to repeat this is a dumbass plan, we don't need all this shit." I swirled my brandy, pondering my words. He had already agreed to help me but I knew that it would take time before he would accept everything the way I wanted.

"And I am going to repeat, I don't care how stupid you think it is as long as you back me up in public."

"About that, you know, no one can know when we fuck, you being a chick, it'll ruin your image and everything will just think I'm using you like a puppet master." When we fuck. Not if, when. Honestly, the sheer audacity astounded me.

"Johnny, you have the confidence of a mediocre white man," I grumbled.

"Yeah but there's a difference, I have-"

"The cock to back it up," I interrupted him knowing he was going there. He waggled his brows at me. "I hate you," I grumbled.

"Yeah yeah, you ready to head home? Eesh wants to make sure you're eating and not drinking yourself to sleep here." I had been staying at the mission ever since that morning. While I hadn't 'finger banged' Eesh, when her lips touched mine, it was hard to stop. I stared at my drink. Perhaps that was part of the problem, the two of us had been drinking heavily. I would have to make sure to never drink around her like that again.

"Non, your teasing spoils my appetite."

"Oh now you're just being a baby, fine, I'll stop bringing up you doing my girl," he huffed and pouted. I almost felt bad for a moment.

"You can tease me about things I've actually committed, not things your overactive imagination has come up with."

"Fair enough." He downed his drink and got up. "Now stop being a bitch and let's get some food."

XXX

The house was locked. Why was it locked? We never locked the door in this neighborhood. I walked to the side of the house, the wall of flowers, wild now without someone to care for it, but still fragrant, blooming colorfully, and alive.

I trailed my fingers over the roses that clung to the wall where the secret key was hidden. They were so soft, the petals still damp with morning dew, had they always felt like this? The feeling was addictive, I couldn't help touching them, the dew wrinkled my fingers. I parted the petals gently, not wanting to hurt them as I pushed my fingers past to the crevice hidden in the bricks. The petals quivered in the breeze, the dew ran down like a light rain running over my fingers, my wrist, as my fingers searched between them for the key. I pressed my face into the honeydew, the scent of them calling to me, their petals caressed my face, my lips before the taste of them entered my mouth. Vines reached out exploring my body, pulling me tighter into them. I was being consumed by the flowers. I never wanted to leave them.

The dream fades slowly but the sensations remained. My body was on fire, my skin covered with sweat and the flowers were not flowers, my fingers not buried in between bricks, nor were the vines holding me, it was Eesh. I froze unsure of what to do, how to get myself out of this. My fingers were buried to the hilt inside of her, her clit pulsing against my thumb, her thigh rubbing against me, my face pressed against her neck, her flesh between my teeth, my other hand tangled in her hair.

"Don't you dare stop," she hissed before biting my earlobe. When I didn't move, she fisted my hair and moved me down to her breast. "Use your mouth," she commanded. Unable to think of another way to handle this, I obeyed. She rolled her hips pressing against me, reminding me to pick up what I stopped. "Good girl, keep going," she gasped. I didn't know what I was doing but I did like I liked. I could feel her tightening, her breath coming faster, her hand in my hair almost hurting. She kept calling me her good girl, her words made me dizzy. I left her breast and kissed her as her words became jumbled with frenzy, I vaguely recalled she was a screamer. I couldn't let her cry out or Johnny would investigate. Our tongues collided, she tasted sweeter than anything I had ever tasted, her body shaking against mine turned it sweeter, even as she grabbed my hips and made me ride her faster, her stern voice commanding that I come for her like a good girl. I saw stars as I came and collapsed on top of her panting. I cradled her in my arms kissing her again and again, I couldn't stop until she pulled away to kiss at my breasts as I had hers, I came again as her fingers entered me and then all was darkness.

xxx

It wasn't a dream. I was able to pretend it was one when I woke up alone. I was able to pretend as I rearranged my clothes. I was able to pretend as I ignored how wet I still was. Gazing at the hickey on Aisha's neck, I couldn't deny reality.

Oh my gods.

I had sex with Aisha.

I had had amazing sex with Aisha. Gods, she was amazing. She played me like Ravel.

She hadn't said a word about it, just put down a plate of cherry cheese crepes in front of me when I sat down. I shot a look at Johnny who was sulking over his oatmeal. Had he noticed? Her skin was almost as dark as mine making it easily missable. I could only hope that Johnny was as lousy as my father had been at noticing blemishes on skin that wasn't paler than paper. I ate silently, the food sticking in my throat as my nerves frayed while the two of them talked around each other using me as a barrier. It was familiar and almost comforting in a way, my own family had done this so often, perhaps all the youngest children experienced this. Either way, eventually the whole thing calmed me slightly. After breakfast, I helped her with the dishes while Johnny sulked away to spend the next hour on his appearance.

"Eesh, about last night," I started unsure of how best to approach the conversation.

"Angelique?" Her tone was almost innocent, there was a wicked gleam in her eyes. I waited for her to say something, the air between us charged, I was tempted to just kiss her again, damn the consequences, give Johnny a real reason to tease me. Gods, I could so easily pick her up and sit her on the counter behind her, she would be at the perfect height to kiss, or lay her out on the table behind me and taste her, I had never done it before but it couldn't be that hard right? Or maybe just touch her again and be able to see her face this time. I couldn't remember how to breathe as I slowly moved towards her, especially as she moved in sync with me, backing up to the cabinet, her eyes locked with mine, she licked her lips enticingly. "Angelique?" Her tone was as innocent as a succubus.

"Eesh where the fuck is my conditioner? You know that shit's expensive!" Johnny yelled as he entered the kitchen again in nothing but his towel and a green face mask. I quickly hurried back from Eesh, the guilt overwhelming.

"Honestly, you need to start getting things out before you take your glasses off. It's under the sink on the left," Eesh said as if nothing had been going on. She sounded so normal. Thank the gods he didn't have his glasses on. There would have been no way to convince him I hadn't been putting a move on his girl if he had actually seen us.

"Maybe stop moving my shit!" Johnny stomped off like a petulant child.

"Sometimes I don't know what I see in that man," despite her words she had that lovesick smile on her face which made my guilt cut like a knife. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I'm sorry about last night." I was such a fool. Love would always beat out lust, and lust could destroy love. The pair of them were madly in love with each other, they didn't need me to destroy it.

"Last night?" She gave me a confused look. "Oh sweetheart, you can't help it. I've tried to get Johnny to stop sleep cuddling forever. Some people just need to cuddle me like a teddy bear." There was that innocence again.

"No, the other thing." I waved a hand at her neck. "I shouldn't have done that, any of it." She tilted her head giving me a confused look.

"Ang darling, that's not from you."

"It's not?" Had it really been a dream then? Gods it felt so real.

"Of course not, Johnny got me while I was cooking breakfast. I tell you that man is worse than a cat in heat. Especially since he's still not getting any until I feel he's suffered enough." She laughed. "Why did you think it was from you?"

"I thought I had done it in my sleep." I lied. I didn't want to tell her I thought I molested her in her sleep. What else aside from a dream could have been if she had no memory of it.

"Now I would love to hear what else you dreamed." This time it was me backing up as she approached me. She was so small and yet somehow crowded me as my back hit the wall. Gods yes, I wanted it to be. I wanted to make the dream real. Had Johnny not entered when he did, I would have. I would have had her on that cabinet and figuring out the best way to make her sing with pleasure.

"Non, I was just worried I had done something so silly," the lie burned my throat. I had no reason to be upset over this, I wasn't gay. I didn't even like women like that. So then why did it feel like a hole was in my gut?

"Oh Angelique, you're never silly." Her smile killed me. I would die to protect that smile.

"You're just biased because I'm prettier than Johnny."

"Oh you have many fine qualities over Johnny."

"Speaking of, I'm stealing his viper. Keep him busy for a while for me." I had to get out of here before I did something stupid.

"Go get'em girl," she said as she slapped me on the ass before turning to get herself a drink. I walked away on weakened knees.

xxx

The war room, or prætorium as Johnny called it as he refused to let his latin classes go to waste, was attached to my office, as well as the lieutenants that I would eventually employ. It was supposed to be where we would plan our conquest but at the moment it was barren save for a few bean bag chairs and a map of the city that took up the entire wall opposite of the windows. The map was amazingly done, sections of the city had been color coded as to who controlled what territory, icons of shops, known activities, strongholds, and such. I realized the colors were done with dry erase markers while streetlines were done in permanent. Smart.

"What icon do you think would best fit hipster coffee shops?" I mused out loud as I sipped my coffee. Much to my delight there was a coffee shop across the street from the mission, unfortunately it was staffed by hipsters who had taken offense at my choice of drink. It wasn't my fault people had no taste.

"A coffee bean wearing a plaid beanie with a shitty mustache?" The woman Johnny had chosen for lieutenant piped up. I wasn't sure how long she had been standing there to my left. I'd have to learn to be more mindful of it. Gods, there was so much I'd have to relearn with this.

"Either way, I'm banned apparently," I probably shouldn't have chugged the maple syrup after one of the baristas mocked me for using it as a sweetener, it also didn't help I maintained eye contact while I chugged it, "Not that it'll stop me, non?"

"That coffee of yours is a war crime," Johnny quipped as he plopped in a seat, "I'd suggest we use that for canonization but we actually want people to join." I gave him the finger as I drank.

"You just have no taste."

"Have you seen my girl? I got great taste." I refused to look at him, I knew the moment I did he would waggle his brows at me. I could feel him staring.

"At any rate, let's get started," I said as I took the seat next to him while still avoiding his gaze which was easy enough to do as he was on my blindside. "Other side of the table please," I told the dreaded one when she attempted to take the seat next to me.

"Why?" I glared at her. I was going to have to deal with questions a lot, wasn't I? Gods, I hated explaining myself. Why couldn't people just do what they were told without asking me shit.

"Hierarchy," Johnny took a break from attempting a waggle to answer her. "She's the boss, I'm second in command, so we get this side, y'all get orders from this side, not give them."

"So how do we get on that side?"

"Death usually," Johnny had that carefree smile on his face that didn't match his tone at all, "So unless you want a go, sit your ass down Shaundi." She took a seat between the other two, her smile matching his.

"Hierarchy is a very good place to start, thank you for bringing it up." I pulled out the files that my godfather had prepared for me and handed them out. "These are your assigned crew. Organize them any way you want but remember, you are responsible for their actions. You are also responsible for handing out paychecks-"

"Hold up, paychecks?" The one named Pierce asked. "Is this a gang or a MLM?" He laughed.

"A gang is just a violence-based MLM," Johnny said.

"Oui, in a way that is true. Every Saint will receive a base paycheck and will earn extra based on their performance which you will be in charge of grading." I paused and took a drink. "Our gang will not be the way it was before, not entirely, we are going to provide for our own, we will keep our people safe from all threats, including legal. You will also find in your folder numbers to clean up crews and our legal aid. Keep killings to a minimum and call the cleaners to get rid of the bodies, then call our lawyer. The Saints will leave no bodies, no evidence we are what we are, the cops will not catch us again. You will also find keys to your rooms if you choose to live here." I almost smiled at the confusion on their faces.

"Are you shitting me?" Carlos asked as he tore through the folder to look at everything.

"Non. Once this place and the other properties are finished, we'll have boarding for the whole gang. We'll also have on-site healthcare and food provided for all. That is, of course, if we obtain funding, and I believe you had ideas Pierce."

XXX

"How the fuck are we paying for this again?" Johnny asked when the others left after Pierce's presentation. I picked up the figurine of Johnny. I wonder if he played those tabletop games with as much detail he put into it.

"Pierce's idea will bankroll us for a while and then we can move into the trades. Sex and drugs will always be big sellers, non?"

"You know what I mean." I did. I weighed my options. Telling Johnny how much money I actually had might change a lot between us. Only Jean Baptiste knew how much I was really worth.

"Jean Baptiste graciously gave me a small loan to get started." Technically the truth as he had gotten me all the documents for my pseudonym and helped portion out money for this venture.

"How much could chicken man have?" He laughed. I unlocked my file cabinet and pulled out the expense report made by our newly formed accounting department and tossed it over to him. After a few minutes he sat down. "How the fuck? Ang, that's a lot of fucking money! How are we going to repay this?" Poor dear looked panicked.

"His main clients were drug barons and he was well cared for by them. As for paying him back, that's my problem. Don't worry, he'd never harm me, I'm his darling god child and he is very excited for all the work this is going to cause him. He loves a challenge."

"Well, we'll work him to death, that's for sure," Johnny said as he got himself a drink and looked down at our little city forming.

"Oui, and we'll be glorious."

"Oh by the way, Shaundi wanted to know what's the rule on fucking because she'd like a shot at your orange grove." And just like that he ruined the moment.

"I hate you."