AN: Here we are at the final chapter of Heller the Bodyguard. We find out what Clara's idea was to deal with Asa Sweet after the attack in the last chapter amongst other things. I'd like to say that a couple surnames chosen for a couple characters introduced in this chapter were taken from Tv shows I like. The surname Goldberg comes from The Goldbergs while Wolowitz comes from The Big Bang Theory. Before we start, here's the definition of a few foreign language words and statements.

Mein Junge: German for "my boy".

Mutti: One German word for "mother".

Putz: Yiddish for "jerk".

Shiksa: Yiddish for "non Jewish girl".

Chutzpah: Yiddish for "audacity".

Oy vey: Yiddish for "woe".

Herr: German for "Mr".

With all that out of the way, here's the end of this story.

Ch 13: A Better Life

Mordecai and Clara are sitting beside each other on a train.

A conductor passing by calls out "Next stop…New York!"

It has been one week since Marigold Club tried to wipe out Lackadaisy. Clara had come up with the idea of contacting her father in Chicago and telling him of Asa Sweet conspiring with Will and Doug to kill her.

Mr Henry, of course, was furious at the betrayal. He quickly contacted St Louis Police to have them raid the Marigold Club. Officially, Asa Sweet was reported as attempting to run from the cops and fired at them. So, they gunned him down. The only ones living who know the truth are the officers who did the deed and Mr Bartholomew Henry.

Since then, Mordecai and Clara have been hastily setting up their wedding. They wish to be married before the baby shows, which would lead to judgement from the general public if the unmarried Clara was seen with a baby bump. They have the venue set up, the honeymoon suite's reserved, and most intended guests have been invited (Clara's father has been invited, but it isn't certain he'll show due to him still being upset with Mordecai for getting his daughter pregnant in the first place). There's only one group that hasn't been informed of the wedding and the couple are going to see the group in person. That group is Mordecai's family.

As the couple makes their way through the streets of New York, the tuxedo cat is terrified at the prospect of seeing his family again. It has been over a decade since he was anywhere near them. He suspects they might have figured out what work he was doing all that time. One major reason he didn't try to visit them to seek comfort after Clara left was because he'd feared that his family would reject him and turn him away. If that had ended up happening, Mordecai wouldn't have had the will to go on living. Of course, if his family rejects him today, he has Clara to keep him going. Actually, there's also everyone at Lackadaisy, who the tuxedo cat now finally admits to himself that he views as friends.

"We're here," Clara informs her fiancé.

Mordecai looks at the building they are in front of to find it's definitely the one where his mother, Tzipporah Heller, is the landlady. Being so close to it has the tuxedo cat almost shaking.

"Do you need me to go with you?" asks Clara.

"No. I should begin this alone before introducing you."

The white cat gives the tuxedo cat a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be close by."

With that, Mordecai begins to slowly ascend the stone steps to the front door. His heart is pounding, threatening to burst the closer he gets. With the wooden door right in front of him, the tuxedo cat raises a fist (it feels heavy at the moment) and knocks.

There are a few seconds of silence before a voice is heard. "Coming!"

Mordecai recognizes that voice. Though sounding much older, he'd be able to recognize that German accented voice anywhere. It was ingrained into his mind from his first memories.

Answering the door's an older lady tuxedo cat with graying hair. She starts up a prepared speech. "Welcome, Sir, I—" The older woman stops once she gets a good look at the man that's standing in front of her.

"Hello, Mother."

Tzipporah Heller stares at her son in stunned silence.

"Mom!" comes the somewhat annoyed voice of a younger woman. "Dinner is just about ready!" Walking into view is another lady tuxedo cat, bespectacled like Tzipporah and Mordecai are. At the sight of her older brother, Esther glares.

"What's going on?" an even younger woman's voice asks with concern evident. Entering the front hall is a third lady tuxedo cat, no glasses on her face. Seeing her older brother standing at the door, Rose beams with pure happiness. "Mordecai!" Before she's able to run over to him, Esther grabs her arm and holds her back.

Mordecai clears his throat. "It has…been a long time."

Silence.

Fearing what that could mean, the long lost son looks down at his feet. "I know I left you suddenly, but I never wanted to leave you." As he continues on, Mordecai's New York accent is gradually slipping back in. "Every moment I was away, I missed you all and ached to come back with all my heart. Still, even when the obstacles keeping me from seeing you were gone, I chose to stay away. I was just afraid. I love all of you and the thought that you might not want me here after what I did broke my heart and—"

Tzipporah Heller wraps Mordecai in a warm embrace. "Welcome home, mein Junge."

Hearing the old German pet name from his childhood, the male tuxedo cat can't keep the tears away as he returns his mother's gesture. "Mutti," Mordecai says, a German word for mom he'd used for her when he was a child.

Rose breaks free of Esther's grip and rushes over to join in the hug.

The usually averse to touch Mordecai revels in the embrace of family. Opening his eyes, he sees his eldest sister nearby.

Esther is still glaring angrily at her older brother…but she's also crying. "You, Sir, are an absolute putz."

Pulling out of the embrace, Rose gasps and Tzipporah's ready to scold her eldest daughter for using that word.

Mordecai chuckles. "Yes I am."

Esther grabs her older brother and hugs him. "Don't ever leave like that again."

The male tuxedo cat pats his eldest sister's back. "I promise."

Just then, two individuals who had been watching the proceedings approach.

An orange tom with green eyes nods to Mordecai. "Dr Saul Goldberg. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

Mordecai returns the nod. 'Esther's husband. He is a quiet and reserved man. I am able to understand why Esther would choose Saul as a companion in life. As a doctor, he is dedicated to his patients. Letters have told me he believes children would divide and lessen his dedication, so he does not wish to have any. Considering Esther has never wanted to be a mother, this union must be a relief for her.' The eldest Heller sibling is suddenly pulled into a bone breaking hug.

The perpetrator is a broad male tuxedo cat with a jovial smile. "Noah Wolowitz. Thanks for finally coming back. You've made my Rose so happy."

Once Mordecai is released, he can breathe again. 'Rose's husband, the owner of a deli. A friendly man, fitting for the ray of sunshine that is Rose.'

Noah steps aside and brings forward a young boy. "Don't forget about your nephew. He shares your name after all."

Little Mordecai Wolowitz is a toddler tuxedo cat who's sucking on his thumb.

Mordecai Heller crouches down to be closer to the child's level. "Hello there, Little One. I am your Uncle Mordecai. Your parents named you after me."

The little boy takes his thumb out of his mouth and glares at the older man. "Your fault!"

That confuses the adult Mordecai. "What?"

Noah laughs. "Should've warned you. He hates his full name."

"He thinks it's too big and fancy," Rose adds in. "We only use it if he's in trouble. Most of the time, we call him Mordy."

Adult Mordecai has to chuckle. "How ironic. I cannot stand whenever someone shortens my name and my nephew with the same name prefers a shortened version." He smiles at the kid. "We are quite the pair."

Mordy just goes back to sucking his thumb.

Tzipporah clasps her hands together. "Mordecai, join us for dinner now. We have plenty of food for one more."

The Heller son stands up. "Actually, is there enough for two?"

On cue, Clara comes up the stairs and places herself beside her man.

"Everyone, this is Miss Clara Henry." Mordecai takes the blonde woman's hand. "She is my fiancée."

All in the room are staring.

'Was this too much? Returning after so many years is one thing. Bringing some strange woman I proclaim as my fiancée may have been a step too far. Clara is not Jewish either. She is a shiksa.'

Rose smiles at the new arrival. "Welcome to our home." She takes the white cat's hands in hers. "And to our family."

Clara gives a big smile back. "Thank you."

Rose starts leading the blonde to the dining room. "Convincing Mordecai to get married deserves a special place at our table."

The front hall clears out until only Mordecai, Tzipporah, and Esther are left.

Esther glares at her brother again. "Thanks a lot. Now, I owe Rose five dollars."

That confuses Mordecai. "What for?"

Tzipporah places a comforting hand on her son's shoulder. "Don't be mad. All the adults had a bet."

"What were you betting on?"

Esther smirks. "On how your personal life would turn out."

Mordecai is both offended and embarrassed. "Excuse me?!"

"Saul believed you'd go to the grave a celibate bachelor."

'If this was three months ago, I would have agreed.'

"I, on the other hand, believed you'd give yourself to men."

"Why on Earth would you assume such a thing?"

"Simple. You're prissy."

Mordecai is furious. "I am not prissy! I am simply particular about how certain tasks are carried out and I have a preference for order!"

"So…prissy." Esther walks away laughing to herself.

The eldest Heller sibling growls out of frustration. 'Same old Esther.' "What about you, Mother?"

Tzipporah smiles. "I believed you would marry…but to a Jewish girl."

"Understandable assumption to make. Most people would seek out partners with similar backgrounds. Taking comfort in the familiar and all that. So…Rose was able to correctly guess that I would marry a non Jewish girl. How?"

"We do not know. You would have to ask her."

"Very well. What of Noah? What did he bet on?"

"That you would have the chutzpah to die unmarried and leave behind a child."

Mordecai is unsettled by that one. With a lot less luck on his part, that might have ended up being the case. However, he can't let his mother know that. She'd lecture him for conceiving a child out of wedlock until the end of time. "That is quite the claim. You know, I am famished. I should join the others." The male tuxedo cat walks briskly away.

Tzipporah stares after him, suspicion setting in her mind.

Once everybody is situated at the dinner table and eating their meal, Mordecai leans over to speak with Rose on his immediate left. "How did you know?"

"Know what?" asks the younger sister.

"The bet."

"Oh. I'm not sure about that. If I had to guess, I'd say I'd believed it would take a loving girl with a Christian's faith to get through those walls you put up."

Mordecai chuckles. "Have you always known my heart?"

Rose shrugs. "I know one thing. Mom can't know about the baby."

The eldest Heller sibling freezes. 'Oh no. Did Clara let it slip? Have I given something away with some completely unintended action? Does Mother already know?!'

"I am a recent mother with friends who have gone through or are going through the same thing. I know the signs. The only reason Mom didn't see it is because it's been so long for her."

Mordecai sighs with relief. "We will simply let the birth inform Mother. That way, I may get through this without her ever knowing what I did."

Saul, having gotten up earlier, sits across from Mordecai. "I must warn you of something important. Your mother came to me with suspicions and asked for my expertise to clarify them."

Clara, at one end of the rectangular table with Mordecai on her left and Saul on her right, overhears this. "What suspicions?"

The orange tom looks over at the white cat. "Suspicions about you. Observing you with the eyes of a doctor, I noticed the signs of your condition and reported them to Mrs Heller as she requested."

Clara is mortified.

Rose grimaces at the terror on her big brother's face. "Be prepared to have the echoes of Mom's lecture ringing in your ears hours after it ends."

Mordecai glances over at the head of the table where his mother is sitting.

Tzipporah Heller is giving her son a stern look of disappointment.

'Oy vey.'

One week later…

Mordecai is standing in a church back in St Louis. His family and other guests are sitting in the pews.

Thought the tuxedo cat is Jewish by heritage, he's doing the Christian ceremony since he doesn't want to force Clara to convert. The celebration that's after the ceremony, however, shall be Jewish. A little mixing of the cultures.

The priest presiding over the ceremony is the gaunt and quite reluctant Abelard Arbogast. "I can't believe I am being forced into this travesty."

Mordecai glances over at the reverend. "You, your sister, and your brother in law happen to be suppliers for Lackadaisy. It was the easiest way to acquire someone to officiate considering Clara and I are of different religions and most others would turn us down."

"Mark my words, Heller, you've worsened your destined eternity damned within hellfire and are dragging that poor girl into it."

The tuxedo cat glares at the priest. "I ask that you cease such talk."

"Or what? Threaten violence against me in front of your family? At what is supposed to be your wedding?"

"Not at all. I will simply suggest to Mitzi that Lackadaisy drop you as a supplier."

Abelard scoffs. "How is that a threat?"

"Think about it. With Marigold Club gone, all of its previous suppliers are now working with Lackadaisy. Many originally were Lackadaisy's suppliers before Atlas May's death, which included your funeral home. Lackadaisy has returned to being the most financially successful of all speakeasies within St Louis if not all of Missouri. No one even comes close."

"Your point, Heller?"

"I am well aware that you and your brother in law, Mr Bobby Bastion, tend to spend both your legitimate and illegitimate earnings rather quickly. I do not recall the existence of any other speakeasy located even remotely close to where you live that could keep you paid well enough to support your lifestyles. Do you wish to lose out on us essentially providing for you?"

The lanky Abelard Arbogast looks ready to blow up, he's so angry. "No."

"Then I suggest you drop your hypocritical, holier than thou attitude now and perform the duty that is expected of you."

The priest thinks about just walking out of there when he sees Bobby and Elsa (Abelard's sister) sitting in the front row. The gaunt man knows those two would never let him hear the end of it if he lost their greatest source of income. So, Reverend Arbogast opens up his Bible and he focuses on the words inside. "Let's just get this over with."

"Agreed," says Mordecai.

Meanwhile…

Clara is waiting outside the church in her wedding dress.

Closer to the doors are those chosen as bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Freckle and Ivy are getting in nuzzles and kisses whenever they can.

Rocky is laughing with glee at his cousin finally embracing a relationship while Mitzi has a smile suggesting she isn't even paying attention to what's going on around her for some reason.

Viktor (the best man) is annoyed at Freckle and Ivy's displays of affection, but he's being kept distracted with topics of conversation from the ever pleasant Rose (chosen as maid of honor due to being the very first to welcome Clara into the Heller family).

Clara glances over to the man giving her away…Zib. 'I can't believe Father didn't come. I know he wasn't fond of the idea of me marrying Mordecai, but this…' The white cat sighs.

"Don't let your old man not showing up here ruin the day for you," Zib says to the bride. "It's his problem, not yours."

Clara nods, then notices something about Zib. "You seem oddly happy."

The jazz cat shrugs. "What can I say? Life feels good right now."

The white cat would've just accepted this but despite not knowing Zib for that long, she's aware that the jazz cat's natural state is being pessimistic. Then, she notices another thing that is off about him. "There's…lipstick on your neck."

"Like I said, life feels good."

Right then, Mitzi looks back and winks at Zib.

The jazz cat winks back.

Clara realizes what this means. 'Mordecai told me they used to be a couple. It looks like they're back together now.'

A man's voice comes from behind. "Excuse me, Sir, but a bride should be given away by her father."

The white cat gasps. "Father, you came!"

Mr Henry nods. "Had a little last minute business to take care of."

"She's all yours," Zib says to the businessman as he walks off. The jazz cat taps Rocky's shoulder to signal he's taking over with Mitzi (the brown tabby being a provisional groomsman). Once the violinist leaves with a bow to join the other guests inside the church, Zib takes his place beside Mitzi with a light peck to her cheek.

Mr Henry looks at his daughter feeling concerned. "Clara, when I was first told how you were…with child, I called Maxwell first thing to ask if he was the father. He denied it while also revealing a particularly nasty side to his personality. Did he ever act that way with you?"

"Worse," Clara admits.

That revelation disturbs Mr Henry and makes his imagination come up with many terrible situations. "He…he didn't…"

"The night Maxwell came to St Louis, he tried to." Seeing her father becoming faint, the white cat reassures him. "Don't worry, Mordecai stopped him."

Mr Henry recovers. "Well, I'm certainly grateful to Mr Heller for that." Clasping one of his daughter's hands, the gray tom appears devastated. "Why did you never tell me how horrible Maxwell was?"

"Marrying him would've been good for the business."

Mr Henry places his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "No, Clara. If I had known what Maxwell was really like, I never would have allowed him to marry you. You mean everything to me. So much more than any job ever could." The older man cups Clara's face. "Aside from the blue eyes, you are the very image of your mother. We may not have been in love, but Madeleine was such a comfort when I was exhausted after work. Losing her was devastating and I couldn't bear to lose you too." Mr Henry steps back from his daughter. "It may have been to protect you, but I'm sorry for keeping you indoors all those years. You must have been so unhappy."

Clara hugs her father. "We're okay."

Bartholomew Henry holds his daughter tightly. "I'm still so ashamed of myself for never noticing the signs with Maxwell. What was I thinking?"

The white cat lets go. "Maybe you were ignoring them because we were both in the same trap. We believed the only way for me to marry was to someone of the same social class."

"And he was the only one willing. You were going to marry that fiend for my sake. And you…would've bared his children all so I could arrange for Mr Heller to safely see his family. It wasn't even two weeks and you already loved that man with all your heart."

Clara smiles thinking of Mordecai. "I did and I do."

Though still having doubts about the marriage, Mr Henry doesn't want to ruin this day or risk his daughter estranging herself from him. "I wish you a lifetime of happiness, my dear little girl."

The bridesmaids and groomsmen start moving into the church.

Mr Henry takes his daughter's arm. "Ready?"

Clara beams. "Absolutely."

Later…

Lackadaisy is in the middle of quite the party. The jazz band is in full swing, the crowd is cheering and dancing to their hearts' content, and the newlyweds are sitting in chairs currently up above the heads of the crowd.

Clara is laughing and having the time of her life.

Mordecai, on the other hand, clearly regrets going through with this. He wants to be back down on the floor and to take his new bride away for their honeymoon.

Off to the side are the only ones not engaging with the partying, Mr Henry and Tzipporah Heller.

The gray tom turns to the woman beside him. "You do not seem very happy, Mrs Heller."

The older lady tuxedo cat sighs. "You know what this place is, Herr Henry. The people's kindness does not change that they are criminals. It hurts a mother to know her son is associated with this kind of world."

Mr Henry decides that it's for the best not to tell the woman just how involved her son is. "I understand completely. That is why I have doubts about our children having a long and happy marriage."

Mitzi suddenly appears in front of the two. "Allow me to put both your fears to rest right now." She looks at the gray tom. "Remember our recently departed…friend…Asa Sweet?"

Mr Henry scowls. "How can I forget?" Tzipporah Heller's presence keeps him from any overt talk about the traitorous wretch.

"Were you aware Asa and my late husband, Atlas, were friendly rivals?"

"My sources did inform me of that."

"They were so friendly, they even had each other in their wills. Course, Atlas went ahead and changed his when he married me. Turns out Asa never took time to change his own will."

Mr Henry starts to catch on. "Meaning that your husband's name is still there. However, with Atlas dead, all of Asa Sweet's assets go to you."

"Including Maribel Hotel. Now, I've already got my hands quite full running Lackadaisy and the Little Daisy Café above us. Still, it'd be a mighty shame to allow such a nice building to go to waste. I'm thinking I'll keep it as a hotel, rename it to Little Daisy Hotel, and hire a certain somebody to manage it for me."

The silently listening Tzipporah is now beaming. "You choose Mordecai!"

Mitzi smiles at the other woman. "That's right." She turns back to Mr Henry. "The best part, with all the new hires coming in now, managing that hotel's the only job I'll have him do."

The gray tom smiles. "Hotel manager. It seems that I've gained quite the son in law with Mordecai Heller."

That night…

Mordecai opens the door to a hotel room with Clara in his arms. "Welcome to our private honeymoon suite…Mrs Heller."

The white cat giggles as her new husband places her on the bed. "Happy to be here. I'm excited to be the wife of a hotel manager."

The tuxedo cat smirks as he sits down beside his wife. "Having the title of hotel manager does hold a certain appeal. I think I will come to enjoy this occupation."

"Somehow, I know you will."

"Do not think I would have you uninvolved in any way, Clara. As a first suggestion, does greeting customers at the front desk appeal to you?"

The blonde beams. "That sounds wonderful, seeing all of the different people coming in and going out." She hugs her husband feeling elated at such a social job after all the years spent trapped in her house without much companionship. Once she pulls away, the white cat sees that the tuxedo cat has an expression of worry and apprehension. "What's wrong?"

"Clara, I know what is expected of me at this moment, but I now fear if I am capable."

"Why? We've done this once before."

"I am well aware, but do remember that both of us were quite emotional that night. Now, with little to nothing at stake, I find myself worrying if I am able to please you on demand."

Clara pats her husband's cheek. "If you're that worried, don't try forcing it. It should be natural. Tonight, why don't we start coming up with names for our child?"

Mordecai smiles. "That is a wonderful idea." The tuxedo cat becomes thoughtful. "I do not wish to name a son Mordecai Heller Jr, just to start things off."

"I understand that. As much as I love my father, I'm not sure I want to name our first son Bartholomew Heller."

"Perhaps we name a second son after your father if we are able to have one." Suddenly, a name pops into the tuxedo cat's head. "We should name our first son Isaac."

Clara is surprised by this. "After your father?"

"I unfairly disrespected and placed so much blame on him for far too many years. Giving our firstborn son that name is the greatest apology I can think of as well as being a way to honor a man that always placed his family first."

The white cat smiles. "Isaac Heller it is."

"Very well. Now, what to name a daughter? Giving her your name would just become a confusing mess."

While her husband goes on, Clara already has an idea. "Why don't we name her Hannah after the sister you lost?"

Mordecai stares at his wife. Then, he gives her a passionate kiss. After releasing her, the tuxedo cat shows the white cat the biggest smile she's ever seen from him. "I love you so much, Clara."

"I love you too, Mordecai."

Right then, the mood naturally hits them.

That night, Mordecai discovers he not only is able to please Clara immensely, but he can also enjoy every single moment for himself.

The End

AN: With that Heller the Bodyguard is done. However, don't think for a moment that I'm done with Lackadaisy yet. I've already got a sequel in mind. The focus of this new story will be our favorite grinning violin player, Rocky. The title will be Chaos, Thy Name is Rocky. In it, we'll be introduced to a multitude of new characters for the people at Lackadaisy to deal with, especially Rocky. For those wondering, Mordecai will have a role, he just won't be the main focus. Before I go, I'd like to say that the scene where Mordecai chewed out Arbogast is probably my favorite scene in the entire story. I can't explain why, it just is. Anyway, here's hoping that you all had a wonderful time and are excited for the eventual sequel. This is Purkso Livin signing off. See you later!