I did a thing. And when you get to the end of the chapter it will make sense.

For all those of you following this story and getting to lose your mind over everything that is happening, this chapter takes the cake.

Massive trigger warning. I think the darkness is pretty heavy in this chapter. The chapter title says it all.

aaaaaa

Niko observed the now overly crowded ICU room. Kate was passed out on the bed with Mallorie cuddling her side, her own IV giving her fluids and antianxiety medicine. He had kept up a silent vigil over them both, not wanting to leave the room for fear of another attack. Roman had dragged a chair over to the other side of the bed, constantly trailing his fingers over Mallorie's hair.

Georgi had returned to the hospital after depositing Mallorie's would be assassin. Vanya would be in charge of keeping her awake and breathing till Niko would get the chance to talk to her. And he planned on getting every scrap of information out of her that was possible. Aleksei had shown up with Francis and it had confused him for a second till they explained what had happened with Packie…

Patrick was really making him worry. He was drinking and hitting the powder too hard. Then there was the fact that he immediately gave the title to Gordon without hesitation. There was no thought process to it and Niko wasn't sure what to think of it. Sure he didn't like being in Kenny's role, but was that not the family right of passage? Francis had told him someone was watching over Patrick at his apartment, and that once he was sober, the three of them needed to talk.

That was as far as they got before Francis' phone started to ring with his boss' name flashing on the caller ID. He had stepped out into the hall to update Mitt of the situation and to get his ear yelled off for the shock of Gerry being found alive in the hospital. Thankfully the news networks hadn't started to blast the airways with the secret.

Ron sat on the couch and was furiously typing away on Francis' laptop, logging the addresses from the piece of notebook paper. They needed to figure out where the kill squad had been, and where they had been scouting. They had been sneaky in their approach and Niko did not like how unprepared everyone had been. Georgi had managed to see the attack at the last second and he would forever be grateful to him for saving Kate and Mallorie.

"Mitt said he emailed the Interpol list. IAA and FIB were sent a terrorist list this morning and I think we might see a familiar face or two." Francis rushed into the room, phone up to his ear, and waved at Ron to give him his laptop, "Yeah hang on boss, I'm logging in now to look at it."

Gordon entered the room after him and frowned when his eyes landed on Kate. The news of her getting attacked scared him and he had left the hospital once Gerry was in surgery and getting the care he needed. He wanted to see for himself what her injuries were and figure out what was going on. Niko had called for a meeting, and as the new head of the mob, he was obligated to attend and carry out whatever orders were handed down.

"Right- thank you Mitt. I will call once I know more. You too. Bye." Francis ended the call and stared at the email his boss had forwarded to him. Robert's overconfident smirk stood out to him from the six faces on the flagged list. He looked up at the tv hanging on the wall and decided it would be easier for everyone to see it on there than trying to crowd in around his tiny laptop.

"Roy just parked in the garage. He will be up in a minute." Georgi softly spoke from his place against the wall, letting Niko know that the last of their meeting attendees would be in the room shortly.

"How do we know he didn't help orchestrate this shitshow?" Gordon placed his hand on the foot rail of the hospital bed, his eyes fixated on the vibrant red lines on Kate's neck. He couldn't imagine how much force and pressure was needed to leave marks behind, and he absently rubbed at his own throat.

"We are about to find out. He will not be able to lie directly to my face, in a room full of my people, the head of the Irish mob, and the soon to be Police Commissioner." Niko crossed his arms and let his head fall back against the wall. There was much that needed answers and he was itching to get them. He watched as Francis unplugged the HDMI cord from the cable box and plug it into the laptop, the screen mirroring what was open on the smaller screen.

"Not to mention Ron will become Deputy Commissioner." Francis smiled in Ron's direction letting that little surprise out of the bag, "That is if he will accept the title and promotion?"

"Boss?" Ron met Francis' stare and thought he had heard wrong. He was getting a promotion to a title he had never thought would be possible. He had been trying out for NOOSE for so long that he never once believed he could get a higher title. And he honestly was okay with it because it allowed him to keep his partner. Would that mean Avia had to get a new partner? Would he be able to still work with her at the station? Did he really want to move up?

"You have some time to think it over, but Mitt promoted me to Commissioner and asked that I find my replacement. There is no one I trust more on the force than you." Francis turned back to his laptop and pulled up the encrypted email he had been sent. He would give Ron a chance to think and maybe later they could talk more about it. It would be nice to have someone he trusted watching his back.

"I still don't trust Roy completely. I know Gerry, Kenny, and him have an alliance. And that means I do now." Gordon glanced at Georgi knowing he'd get the support from him. Kenny told Georgi everything- his personal opinions, passwords, plans. If Kenny didn't like Roy, Georgi would know.

"You can speak freely Gordon. You are the head of the Irish Mob. I'm not about to get offended if you have suspicions. If anything, I need to know so I can make informed decisions when it comes to how we all interact and cooperate. Speak your peace before he walks through that door." Niko studied the man Packie had chosen to take over while Gerry was out of commission. He was starting to get annoyed with how long his eyes lingered on Kate. Just what was he staring at?

"I have just never trusted anyone who is part of the five families. The Commission wasn't ever a fan of the McReary's and after the whole Ancelotti fiasco I kind of wanted nothing to do with the Italians." Gordon shrugged and met Niko's glare. He drummed his fingers on the hard plastic foot rail and tried to hide his fear of being caught looking at Kate. He couldn't help it. Her neck looked horrible, and she was breathing shallowly. He was allowed to be worried about her…

"He is in the hall." Aleksei tucked his phone away and got ready to open the door. Anton was escorting him to the room, and then hopefully, they could discuss what to do next. He did not like having so many powers that be in the same room in public. The hospital was compromised twice already, and he didn't like the feeling that settled over his shoulders.

"Sure is one fine mess we all find ourselves in!" Roy shoved the door open and nearly hit Aleksei with how quick he entered the room. He set his eyes on Niko and took a couple of steps in his direction.

Georgi pulled Avia's pistol and moved in front of his boss, "That's close enough."

"We? I don't believe anyone attacked your family or organization." Niko narrowed his eyes at Roy and minutely leaned to the side to be able to see him better.

"As I am in an alliance with you and the McReary's- yes! We! Now will someone please explain to me why the Deputy Commissioner is present with all of us?" He did not like seeing the LCPD presence in the room. They were all technically criminals and sworn enemies of law enforcement. Not to mention he had seen someone take a shot at Francis on television.

"He is under my protection and my girlfriend's older brother. Roy, meet Francis McReary, soon to be Police Commissioner. Francis meet my other business associate, Roy Zito head of the Gambetti Family. Roy meet the newly appointed head of the Irish Mob, Gordon Sargent. Now that the introductions are out of the way, maybe we can now figure out who attacked us?" Niko nodded in the direction of Francis and Gordon letting Roy know the new roles and titles.

"Interpol flagged a group of people as high priority targets. Robert is on the list." Francis clicked on the link with the photos and lined them up so everyone could see the six faces from forged passport photos and one question marked box. There was a seventh person associated with the group, but they didn't send a photo. He would have Ron do some research on the name and see what came up.

"That's the man who attacked Kate." Georgi lowered the gun and moved to stand next to Francis and get a better look on the laptop. He used the touchpad and hovered the mouse over the person he had shot, "He was marked as the third in command."

"The male to the left is the one who shot Gerald." Aleksei pointed at the television screen, "He was listed as second."

"The sniper is below him. He put up one hell of a fight." Anton tapped the laptop screen with his index finger, "He will pay for shooting Avia. He had the mark of being numbered four. He is also covered in other slashed out titles. I believe he used to work for other gangs. He was heavily in debt by the looks of it." He met Francis' eye for a second before looking over the other people's faces, "This one attacked Bernie. Vanya sent us photos. He was their leader."

"So, who is the chick?" Roy jutted his chin out toward the screen. Normally these kinds of squads did not have females tagging along, and he was curious as to why she was listed with them.

"She tried to kill my wife and unborn child…" Roman spoke up from his place next to the bed and took Mallorie's hand when she reached for him. He was fascinated with the way everyone listened and obeyed his cousin. He could almost feel the weight these people carried. His cousin had the heads of very powerful organizations talking to him as if they were waiting for orders.

"How?" Roy turned to look at the man that clearly looked related to Niko.

"Poison. Probably the same kind that they gave to Kate." Every time Kate whimpered in her sleep it twisted the knife deeper into his chest. He had brushed away the few tears that came and went from her eyelashes. He felt his fingers twitch with the need to feel her but would refrain from showing too much in front of Roy.

"Still can't believe he somehow injected her. She looked hurt when I left here, but not sick. I also didn't see any needles in the room." Francis watched as his sister turned her head toward Mallorie as if trying to seek comfort. His own fear at nearly being shot wanted to surface and he darted his eyes back at the faces of who attacked them.

"I think it was built into a clipboard. I have it bagged and boxed up in the room. We have it locked and guarded so we can revisit the crime scene later. If there is anything left on the needle or empty syringe, we can figure out what to give her to help her recover." Ron remembered seeing the clipboard on the floor by a nurse's cart. It had nothing written on the paper and looked too far out of place to ignore it.

"Georgi, do you know if it's like what Bulgarin's men used back in the day? If it is…" Roy rubbed at his neck and grew concerned with the knowledge that these people were not only trying to gun people down, but ensure the task was completed if they failed with the initial strike. It was sneaky and right up Bulgarin's way of operating. As well as a few Albanian inner circles he was aware of.

"I do not know. And I am not going to jump to conclusions." Georgi pressed his lips together in a thin line and glared at Roy. He was not prepared to explain to Niko just what the side effects were or give his boss something else to worry over. 'Kate and Niko have suffered enough for today… They don't need to be told just yet…'

"Bulgarin used to test out things on his enemies. We were forced to watch some of them go insane as their motor functions deteriorated. It was a stark reminder to never cross him." Niko fisted his hands into his jacket sleeves and tried to not remember how the people would beg and plead for an antidote. The screams were the worst he had ever heard.

"Then you are aware that it can possibly sterilize her?" Roy's eyes widened and he turned completely around to address Kenny's stand-in.

The silence in the room was so heavy and thick a person would be able to hear a pin drop.

"What?" Niko whispered as all of Kenny's men avoided meeting his eyes.

Francis lifted a hand to his mouth and stared in horror at what he had heard, "And they were going to do the same to Mal?"

"Please… I-" Mallorie felt her stomach pitch and she shakily sat up on the bed needing to throw up. She blindly reached for Roman knowing he'd recognize the signs of her distress and help get her to a bathroom. Carefully Roman cradled his wife to him and pulled the IV tree along as they headed for the door.

Georgi hesitated and looked to his boss for permission. He didn't want them out of their sights, and he wanted to follow along and help if he could. She had paled quickly, and he recognized the way she clutched at her baby bump. It was her tell when something upset her greatly. Niko only nodded to him and that was all he needed before tapping his chest with his fist and disappearing from the room to keep Roman and Mallorie safe.

"Pakhan. There was an attempt on Kenny's daughter years ago- a different rival Russian Bratva sent someone to infiltrate her high school. They injected her with a cocktail of things we had never seen before. I am lucky I was standing outside the room. She had screamed when the person grabbed her. I killed the person and was able to get her our generic antidote, but it overworked everything inside her. We do not know if it was the original poison or a combination of that and what I gave her that killed her reproductive organs." Aleksei bowed his head and felt the failure rise up at not keeping his boss' daughter completely safe.

"Kenny had every one of the Bratva members killed. I only know because I happened to be at the hospital when Kenny received the news. I was visiting Jon. He was attacking the doctor and I helped pull him off the poor fellow. I offered to help find the ones responsible at the request of Jon. Gravelli had heard what had happened and understood his pain." Roy spoke softly and only slightly felt bad for dropping the information at Niko's feet.

"Niko, we have to find… We-" Francis started and couldn't finish his sentence. His own sister… 'I know they said it's possible. Not that it will happen. Try and stay positive.'

"I don't care if the bitch is Alexi Mikhailov's wife, she is going to suffer a slow painful death." Niko's voice held that tone and edge that caused everyone in the room to flinch or scoot further away from him.

"We will find out if this is everyone on their crew. They always have someone who provides cover for them while on the job." Anton felt brave enough to speak when the room fell into an uncomfortable silence once more.

"Would their phones be of any use? The dead guy down the hall had a pretty sophisticated looking cell phone. Maybe if we can hack in, we could get a phone number or name of this other person. Maybe even get a GPS log?" Ron tore his eyes off the tv screen and the face of the guy who had shot his partner. He was enraged over her getting hurt and his anger was reaching a boiling point knowing that Kate might have her dreams of being a mom taken from her.

"It's got a high level of security on it. Cyber says if they try and break in, it will wipe all the data from the device, and we will be back to square one. They said they have never seen anything like it. So unless one of you is some kind of tech wizard or knows the password, it's a dead-end on that front." Francis had seen the email from his cybercrimes tech when he opened the list from Mitt. It was baffling that the people after them had such resources.

"Anton call Sergei in here." Aleksei waved at his equal as an idea came to him. Anton opened the door and poked his head out into the hall, beckoning one of Kenny's enforcers. A middled aged man walked in and did the traditional greeting and show of respect in Niko's direction- hand in a fist over the heart and a bow of the head.

"Sergei, are you still friends with that submarine pilot? The ex-Russian Navy sailor. He gets around and might be able to get us a meeting with a hacker. He has the weirdest connections. It's worth a shot." Aleksei addressed Sergei and hoped that Sergei's weird and rather aloof friend could help them out.

"Pavel?" Sergei stayed in his position as he normally didn't get to talk in front of Kenny. He was not as high ranking as the others, and it was considered rude to conversate within the boss' hearing range.

"Yes, the man who lives on the submarine." Aleksei was going to take a shot in the dark on this and see if they could catch a break.

"I am still in touch with him. If the boss wishes, I can try to set up a meet. He could be anywhere in the world, but he is good about answering calls when it comes from someone he owes. Shall I call him?" He kept his eyes on the floor and asked Niko's permission to call his friend and set up a secured meet.

"At this point I could probably help get him out from owing Kenny if he is willing to help." Niko glanced down at Kate when she jerked slightly on the bed. Another couple of tears rolled down her cheeks and he reached out to brush them away. He would not let her know about the poison till they were one hundred percent sure it could be a possibility.

"Also have someone check the syringe or whatever it was that injected the poison into her. I need to know… I-" Niko used his knuckle to catch the next tear that broke free. Sergei silently left the room to make a couple of phone calls and locate his friend.

"Niko. Let my men handle the clean-up of the dead bodies. I am here to serve, and it will lessen the burden of more important tasks." Roy offered Kenny's replacement the help to alleviate what all his men needed to do. That way they could focus on finding the last person on the list on the tv screen. They could locate someone to get inside the phone. They could do what they need to do to keep Niko from chopping off heads and burning the city to the ground. He had seen the rage simmering away under the surface.

"Thank you. Have your men dispose of the bodies, and then work with Gordon on breaking down the timeline of events. I want to know how they knew where to strike, how to get to us, and who might have leaked our locations to them. There was no way they knew we'd be at this hospital today. Mallorie had a panic attack and is the only reason we are here. He knew names and ways to get Kate to walk out of the room alone without us." Niko gave Roy a pointed look as if to dare him to go against his request.

"Will do. Is there an update on the yacht?" Roy nodded his head and agreed to work with Gordon on the days events. He was rather curious to know just how everyone was easily found and attacked. It sent a cold shiver down his spine thinking they had been followed for days without noticing.

"It is a day or two out. The crew has gone dark to avoid radar detection and have their signals picked up. We do not believe these attacks are a response to taking out the people who attacked Kenny." Aleksei gave out the update he had received that morning from the crew on the yacht. They had also complained about the smell, but he wasn't about to elaborate on unnecessary information.

"And Kenny's captors?" Roy really wanted to know how Kenny's personal security team disappeared and Kenny fell into the enemy's hands. The level of security given to him was nearly as good as the people who protect the Mayor and politicians in the city.

"Apparently a lone gunman shot down everyone on the airfield he landed at and allowed Bulgarin's faction in Blaine County grab him. His plane is missing as well. We are not sure how he was flown into Liberty or how he ended up on the yacht. Details are hard to come by right now. Johnny is waging a war against some of the locals in Sandy Shores." Anton had been tasked with following up on it once Georgi was placed as head of security for their new boss and his family.

"Must be a good marksman in order to stay within cover and take out an entire team at an open airstrip." Francis mused. He was a little lost on what they were talking about as he still didn't know the exact reason Niko was parading around as Kenny Petrovic. But he understood now that someone had taken out a hit on the man.

"From what photos I got of the carnage- long range, high caliber rifle. They never saw it coming." Anton agreed with Francis on that assumption. He had seen the placement of the bodies and they were in formation for Kenny to enter the plane.

"And Antonia?" Now Roy was worried. He had sent her off with Kenny to get out of Liberty City.

"She arrived at the check point and is off the grid."

"Oh good. Poor thing has already had her life turned upside down, last thing she needs is having to dodge a hit." Roy sighed heavily and turned back to Niko, "If it is alright with you, I will head out and get to work. Gordon call me when you are free, and we will meet up at the compound."

"Sounds good." Gordon nodded and dreaded having to be alone with Roy, but he had been given a job to do, and he would do it to the best of his ability.

"Niko." Roy gave the respectful tilt of the head and headed for the door. He had a lot to work on and he would get his men rounding up the dead assassins, collecting evidence, and formulating a timeline.

Niko watched as one by one the room became more vacant. Anton and Aleksei headed to the hallway to get their own teams moving and following orders. Gordon hesitated at the foot of Kate's bed before letting out a soft sigh and taking his leave. Ron patted Francis' shoulder and silently asked to go back to the crime scene and help round up whatever these people needed to help Kate. He got a nod of the head, and he exited the room, going back down the hall toward where Kate was attacked.

As quickly as they had all shown up, they left just as fast.

"Niko… For starters- holy shit. Secondly, we might need to talk Packie off the ledge." Francis waited till the door clicked shut before speaking. He removed the cord from his laptop and put it back where it belonged.

"What's got him on a ledge?" Niko sat back down on the edge of the bed and slipped his hand under Kate's. Her skin was still so warm, and he trailed his thumb over the side of her hand. The tears were slowing but her breathing was still labored.

"Derrick. He knows without knowing. Guessed the events right down to you and me. Then he passed out from copious amounts of alcohol and drugs." Francis closed his laptop and sat on the uncomfortable couch. His grim expression evidence enough that they had one more major problem to handle.

"How did he guess?" Niko lowered his voice and gave Francis a warning glare. Kate may be out of it, but that didn't mean she couldn't hear them.

"He accused me of forcing you to shoot in his direction instead of me. He is convinced that Derrick called you to kill me and that when he called me about the journalist and about his so called plan- I handled the problem. He is getting close to the truth, and we need to find a solution and fast. He's going off the deep end. I'm legitimately concerned for his health and wellbeing. He was just so… He was far gone when I got to the house." Francis scrubbed his hands over his face and felt a decade older with everything going on in his life.

"I can get Georgi to find a fall guy. It's the only thing I can think of. Maybe tie it in to everything that happened with Natalya. She did have the Albanian's on her side that attacked the funeral and Kate later. It's not like he didn't have his own enemies." Niko knew it was a cheap solution. But besides just coming out and telling everyone he had shot Derrick in the head on orders from Francis- there weren't many options.

A timid knock came from the door and they both turned to see who was knocking instead of just coming in. When the door didn't immediately open Niko called out to let them know they could enter.

Doctor Ashley poked her head in and looked around before seeing the nearly empty room, "I uh. I need to change out her fluids and go over her blood results with you."

"Come in Doctor." Francis ushered her in the room and scooted over on the couch to give Niko a place to sit so the doctor could do what she needed to.

"Glad to see you unharmed Deputy Commissioner. Was scary seeing it on the news." She edged into the room carrying several plastic bags of various medicine.

"Thank you. Was surreal having lived through it." Francis rubbed over his chest and couldn't help but compare the two times he had nearly been sniped. And the man who could've done it was lowering down to sit next to him. The parallels between Derrick being shot mere feet from him, and having Avia jump in the path of the bullet- it spun his tired mind and soul around.

"Um. I know you are her brother, and we technically don't have a next of kin or anything, but… Is it okay to discuss her results with her boyfriend?" She awkwardly looked between the two males in the room and debated even asking about it. She had tended to Kate when Niko was in the room, having just been attacked, but now it felt like she needed to follow hospital protocol now that Kate was being admitted for the time being.

"Ma'am if you don't tell him he would just force you to. They are basically married anyway." Francis scoffed and rolled his eyes at the absurd question.

"Right. Well. The chemicals I can identify with our labs are fast moving, fast metabolizing poisons. It should flush out of her system within the next three to four hours. Whatever was given to her to counteract it, is causing her fever and shaking. But I can't pinpoint what is casing the rash. I was thinking of starting her on allergy meds to see if it will reverse the reaction." She hung the new medicine from the IV stand and worked on getting them connected to the line in her good arm.

"Would you mind printing those results so I can look them over?" Niko kept his tone nonthreatening. He could tell she was scared out of her mind being in the room with them. She nearly flinched every time he spoke, and she hadn't looked up to them once she entered the room. 'It's like she is hiding something… Or knows something she doesn't want us to…'

"I can…" She busied herself with flushing the line and twisting the connectors together on Kate's IV line.

"Was that everything doc?" Francis was starting to pick up on the awkward way Ashley kept trying to avoid looking in their direction.

"I'm not sure it is appropriate for her brother to be in the room for what else I found in her bloodwork." She meekly darted her eyes between Francis and Niko before turning toward the built in computer to log in the new medicine. It would keep her hands busy and help her get through the conversation.

"Uh now I definitely need to know!" Francis began to panic. What if the poison did something irreversible to his sister? What if she got a disease from the needle or a massive infection that would shut down her organs. 'What if- What if- What if- '

"Do either of you know the dates of her last cycle?" She chewed the inside of her cheek and pulled up the lab report to print for the intimidating looking boyfriend of her patient.

Niko felt himself freeze on the couch. Why would that information even be relevant? He could see the uncomfortable shifting Francis was doing next to him and felt his own weird feelings amass within him. Her brother was literally right there, and he honestly wasn't sure if he knew anything about her personal and rather private life. She had told him about being on birth control, but that no one else knew.

"Not that I- Well Niko? You live with her." Francis groaned and slapped his hands to his face. 'This is so not happening…'

"Honestly gentlemen this isn't that hard of a question. It's a normal everyday kind of thing women go through. But if I know when the last one was, I can better understand what came back in her lab results." Her face heated up and she paused in her typing. The feel of the room drastically changed and had she not been bossed around by the other man; she would've cracked a joke and lightened the mood.

"Uh. She said she is on birth control. It's some kind of thing in her arm…" Niko rubbed his now sweaty hands over the tops of his jeans. Francis most certainly would blow his top any second now.

"That explains some of the levels, but not why there is a slightly elevated level of hCG."

Francis shoved up off the couch and dragged his hand through his graying hair. He took several steps away and looked up at the ceiling for guidance and for his own panic, anger, rage, fear- everything to just go quiet for a minute. A dry laugh escaped his lips, "I swear to God Niko…"

"I'm not understanding…?" Niko's mind got eerily quiet on him, and he waited for the doctor to lay it out there.

"Well from what I ran, and I ran it several times and got varying results- I mean the poison masked the birth control. That makes sense now to me. But typically, when I check for pregnancy its either a for sure negative level of under 5 or its high enough to prove to me that it's positive. Her's is right at a 7, which is a weird gray area, and I can't know with certainty if she is or isn't, or if the labs are all messed up because of whatever was given to her." Ashley bent down to the printer and pulled several pages out of the tray, looking them over to make sure the full report got printed.

"I mean it could just be super early, or a false positive. That can happen with the type of birth control she is on." She shrugged and folded the papers in half, "But congrats if she is expecting."

Francis stormed toward the door and jerked it open surprising Georgi who looked like he was about to grab the doorhandle. He shook his head and slid past him and down the hall. He needed to get out of Niko's line of sight. He wasn't sure what he would do or say, but he wasn't about to explode in front of the doctor.

"Boss?" Georgi walked into the room cautiously and noticed the doctor standing beside Kate's bed, "Bad news?"

Niko couldn't move. His eyes were transfixed on Kate's face. There was a possibility he could be a dad. And out of all the perilous missions he took on during the war, the stunts he pulled in LC, and the fact that Bulgarin's crew was coming for everyone- none of that terrified him more than what could be growing inside the woman he loved.

Georgi rushed over and dropped down in front of his boss who was losing the color from his face, "Boss? Stay with me. What happened?" He grabbed Niko's shoulders and gave a small shake to snap him out of the panicked look he was sporting.

"I'm just going to leave this lab report here on the cart. Press the call button if you need anything." She had seen many a new dad lock up and go internal when the news was given. She'd keep an eye on him and check in in a little bit, but she had other patients to tend to, and it looked like he needed a minute to process it all. Silently she slipped from the room.

"Niko?" Georgi shook his shoulders again and decided he'd have to just try and figure out what was on the lab results that had his fearless boss frozen on the couch. He shot to his feet and went around the hospital bed to grab the folded over pieces of paper. Everything was labeled by test performed, the normal result and what was discovered, and a yes or no column. His eyes darted down the rows looking for anything that was bad-

Cancer- no

Liver failure- no, but elevated ALT

Kidney function, good.

Pregnancy Test results-

His eyes jumped back up to the test and reread the inconclusive result over and over again. His hands trembled as he folded the paperwork back up and laid it down on the cart. His boss… 'Kate… That poison will terminate it if you are…' He walked up to the edge of the bed and placed his hand down over her unaffected hand, "Boss…"

"Roy said the poison could sterilize her. They tried to poison Mal with the same stuff-" Niko could barely get the words out in Russian as he continued to stare at her restless face.

"Don't go down that road. The pregnancy test is inconclusive. They don't know for sure." Georgi squeezed her hand before coming over to sit at Niko's side. The far off look on Niko's face was starting to freak him out. He was worried about Kate, but maybe he was missing something.

"I- I could be…" Niko blinked a couple of times. It was like being slapped across the face with the realization. 'Dad.'

"A protective, and caring father. But we don't know yet. Do you need to go for a walk down the hall? I will stay with her. Ron is with Aleksei processing the room. Mal is waiting in the hall with Roman and Anton. I told them I would check to see if everyone had left the room before Francis stormed out of here. I can stay in the room with your family and let you take a break." Georgi clasped his boss' shoulder and tried to get him up and moving. The longer he sat there falling down the rabbit hole the worse he would be when he came to.

"Yeah- Yes. Watch over them. I won't be gone long. Just need to clear my head." Niko nodded slowly and stood on shaky legs. He would just take a lap, check on Bernie, find Francis and make sure he wasn't giving away secrets to random strangers, and then come back to the room and hold Kate till she woke up. Kenny's men were doing their jobs. Roy and Gordon would report back in at some point. Things were in motion, and he would focus on possibly being a dad later.

Georgi watched him nearly trip over his own feet as he left the room. Mallorie practically ran in after him and returned to her previous spot on the bed with Kate. Roman had to scramble to keep up with the IV tree so it wouldn't get pulled from her arm. His eyes met Anton's and he received a salute before he disappeared from view. It was moments like this that confused him.

Here in this hospital room, huddled around one another, was a family that welcomed him with open arms. That his boss so casually left him in charge of protecting and watching over. He wished he could leave his post once Kenny woke up and realign himself with Niko. And that wish had him torn in every direction. He was loyal to Kenny. Worshipped the ground he walked on. He had given his life to protecting Kenny and following orders. So why was he letting himself fall for the life that he was not meant to have?

"Erh. Georgi?" Roman noticed the conflicting emotions flick across the man's eyes. Niko had told him to trust this man and that he would protect them with his life if it came down to it.

"Yes? Can I do something for you?" Georgi snapped his head up and tore his eyes off of Kate and Mallorie on the bed.

"Thank you. For saving my wife and Kate. I'm sorry I didn't say it earlier." Roman lowered down into the chair he had used earlier and had to smile as his wife got comfy on the bed, cuddled up to her friend, and was starting to dose off. She always got tired around lunch time and would take small naps during the day. He just assumed it was from the pregnancy.

"There is no thanks needed. It is my job-"

"See? That's where you are wrong. It's not just a job. That may have been how Kenny labels it, but you put yourself in danger for complete strangers. You don't know us. You've only recently been thrown into Niko's life, and without missing a beat you had his back. I'll let you in on a secret- Niko gets very attached to people who show him loyalty. That's all he wants in this world." Roman started up his stroking of his wife's hair. It comforted him and helped taper off his own fear at nearly having her killed right in front of him.

"Why only loyalty?" He ignored the high praise and wished he could ignore the pride and hopeful feelings that filled his chest.

"He was betrayed in the wars. Lost almost his entire unit. Bernie is important to him as he is the last surviving member from his time in the war. So again, thank you to whoever saved him and got him here to the hospital. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're slowly winning my cousin over. You've gotten Kate and my beautiful Mallorie to adopt you into our makeshift family. If you want to stay within Niko's good graces all you have to do is stay loyal." Roman smiled when Mallorie cracked her eyes open and mouthed 'big softy' at him.

"I will remember that. Kenny has ingrained into all of us that betrayal is not an option. It is not hard to walk that path with Niko."

A strangled, broken scream echoed down the halls and Georgi shot to his feet, hand going for the pistol.

aaaaaa

"Francis- just listen!" Niko caught up to him and figured they needed to get this conversation over with and just deal with it.

"Oh no! You don't get to tell me shit!" He yelled out and had a couple of people look his direction startled.

"Boss?"

"Pakhan?"

Ron poked his head out of the room where Kate had been attacked in, and Aleksei had his hand reaching for his concealed gun not liking the perceived threat to Niko.

"You know I try my best to let go of my own personal feelings when it comes to her dating you- but this?! THIS? Niko! Were you using your head at all when the two of you- two of- ugh! I can't even right now!" Francis spotted an empty room across the hall from where his detective was working and marched into it. If Niko wanted to get the fight going, he was ready.

"We don't even know for sure! And you better not even dare to act this way around her if she is!" Niko shoved the door closed and decided it was time to get some things off his own chest.

"What? You plan to play house?!" Francis scoffed and began pacing along the far wall feeling like a caged animal.

"If you weren't about to be the Police Commissioner, I'd kill you- Should have! Then I wouldn't be dealing with trying to bury the truth over Derrick's death. But you and I need to come to an understanding right this second or I won't be able to keep everyone from busting down that door and shooting you. I make the orders around here! I am in charge. It would do you good to understand this." Niko hated playing Kenny's card, but he lifted his hand his ring rested on and made sure Francis looked at it.

"I love your sister. Gerry told me I'd have to kill Derrick's murderer in order to get his blessing to marry Kate. Not exactly the easiest task when her other brother ordered the hit. Packie has never once told me no or hinted at not being okay with it. But with the way he assumes I ended up shooting Derrick that will probably change. I- I…" Niko shook his arms out and turned away from Francis. He had just come to a startling realization.

"You plan to ask her, don't you?" Francis lowered his voice and dropped down to the empty couch. He figured they'd date for a time, Kate would eventually find out about Derrick, and that would be the end of that. He never once thought Niko would go through with a happily ever after with his sister.

"Yes. I don't know when… She has been through so much because of me. But Francis- I love her. I am willing to do anything for her. And if, and if I am going to be a father, I will marry your sister and raise that child in a happy home. I will provide for them and keep them safe. But I can't do that if you and I hate each other and put that strain on her. She loves her brothers, and it would destroy her to constantly be sticking up for me to all of you." He closed his eyes and rubbed over them with his hands.

"Niko you can't have a happy home if your freaking Kenny Petrovic. His enemies will come after them. Look at what happened today." Francis leaned forward on his elbows over his knees. He didn't want to imagine Kate trying to raise a child on her own, constantly scared out of her mind, and in danger every second of the day. They had nearly all been wiped from the face of the planet, and he wasn't sure if the hits would ever stop coming.

"I know Francis. I know. I'm working on finding those responsible. I will kill them. I will hand over the title the moment Kenny wakes up. My life is not this. My life is going to be in a quiet home, with Kate at my side, and whenever the time does come that we start a family, it will be filled with laughter and good memories. That is what I want my life to be, and I am going to fight for it." Niko turned back toward Kate's eldest brother and laid out his wishes and wants. He would find a way to make that happen for him and Kate. One way or another.

"Okay… Okay. But first we need to get her safe. All of us safe. Get Packie to somehow forget that we killed Derrick. Kenny needs to wake up. Then…" Francis sighed heavily and locked eyes with Niko, "Then you can marry my sister."

A knock came from the door and Niko took the couple of steps back to answer it, not letting his eyes drop from Francis. He had just been given permission, not that he truly needed it, from Francis to marry Kate. It should have felt more uplifting, more enjoyable, but he couldn't shake feeling like he needed all of her brothers to be on board. She wanted a family that celebrated holidays and got along. And right now, none of them really were.

The knock came a little more urgently, "Boss?" Ron's voice was slightly muffled from the other side of the door, but Niko could hear the hesitation and fear.

He pulled the door open and stopped when his eyes landed on the tears on Ron's face.

Francis stood up rapidly, rushing his steps over to his detective, then saw Mitt in the hall. The Police Commissioner stood in the middle of the now hushed and still hallway, still in his dress blues uniform. Nurses paused what they were doing and held still, not wanting to miss a thing. Francis stumbled around Ron and saw the LCPD chaplain standing next to his boss. They removed their dress uniform hats, looking solemn.

Niko hung back in the doorway not liking the way everyone was openly staring at the Police Commissioner and the Deputy. Aleksei met his gaze and shook his head negatively. Coldness spread through his body as the man with the crosses on his uniform walked up to stand in front of Francis.

"I'm so sorry boss…" Ron whispered as he held Francis' shoulder.

"Deputy Commissioner Francis McReary, it is with the upmost regret that I inform you-"

Francis let out a pain filled scream and sank down to his knees, Ron lowering down with him. Tears burned and blurred his vision, and he couldn't even register the rest of what the chaplain said. He didn't even feel Ron's arms around him as everything went completely numb in his body.

"-On the passing of Gerald McReary this afternoon during surgery. The doctors did everything they could to save his life. But his injuries were too severe. On behalf of the LCPD we give you our most sincerest condolences."

Niko couldn't believe his ears. Gerry? Gerry didn't make it? That couldn't be right.

His feet carried him into the hall, feeling like he needed to move- to do something. Francis was losing it. A hand landed on his back, and he looked to his side to see who had approached him. Georgi applied more pressure to his back, and he realized he was shaking and having difficulty standing.

"Pakhan?" Georgi whispered and nearly had to haul Niko upright.

"Call Gordon. Have him find Packie… The head of the Irish Mob has passed away…" Niko grabbed Aleksei's arm when he got close enough and let them help hold him up. When he had been told by Bernard of Gerry's passing last year, he didn't believe it. He wanted to hold on to the fact that it had been staged- that this was just another way to keep him underground. But with the way Mitt was looking, how even Ron was silently letting tears roll down his face- he knew.

Gerald McReary was dead.

aaaaaa

I did warn you I did a thing.

The next chapter is going to be heavy too. But for an entirely different reason.

Pour one out for me boy Gerry. I didn't think I had it in me to kill off a main character, but it fits with Packie's story arc.

And I do apologize if his death triggered any undue personal trauma.

And I swear I will get to the fluffy, romantic, over the top Valentine's Day stuff. But the story kind of took on a mind of its own and I gotta follow it to see where it goes. Lol

One Love!