A/N: VK, my favorite little reviewer, don't worry, I will continue working on this fic in all my spare time until it's finished so please feel free to resist threatening me. lol But seriously I appreciate all your reviews! Your dedication melts me. And also, as usual, thank you to everyone else who reviews my mind's crazy gibberish! It's as you know, appreciated beyond words.

CAUTION: This chapter contains violent and CORNY material!

Having said what I needed to... ENJOY!!!!

Velma walked along State Street with her head in the clouds. In less than 24 hours her life had been turned completely upside-down...and she never felt better. 'I used to think that love was an overrated fantasy. Now I can see what everybody's always goin' on about.' She thought.

She didn't feel much like going home. All that was left for her there were three loads of laundry and a sink full of dirty dishes, and Velma was in much too good a mood now to weigh herself down with a Sunday afternoon of irksome chores. With fifty dollars in her purse and an entire day to do whatever she felt like, Velma decided to take advantage of the rare golden opportunity and get some quality much anticipated self-shopping done.

As each hour introduced itself to the next, Velma could not stop thinking about Roxie and how much it ate her up inside just to be away from the little fool, even for the shortest amount of time. As she entered Burke's soda shop, in the window she noticed the current cover of Nash's magazine. 'ROXIE HART & VELMA KELLY: From Slayers to Celebrities, and still goin' strong', read the title. Velma's face erupted in a luminous smile. 'Things officially cannot get any better.' She thought. For the first time in her life Velma's heart was opening it's petals, for once not afraid to take pleasure in life for what it was.

As she approached the counter to order her coffee and bagel, Velma suddenly remembered that she had left her fox stole at Roxie's house. 'Shit.' She glanced at her watch to see that it was almost eight o'clock. 'Well, I could always get it tomorrow when I see Rox at rehearsal, but even if I call her and remind her, knowing the little ditz, she'll forget it. Anyway, I'm sure she's home from the doctor's by now.' Thought Velma as a mischievous smirk slinked across her face. All in all, Velma knew that her musings were just an excuse to devise another play-date with her precious Roxie.

Velma again made her way back up State Street, past Carmelina's and onto Halstead Drive. It was just getting dark by the time she had reached the corner of 4th and Swan. From across the rotary she noticed that Roxie's front door was wide open. As she proceeded closer she could hear a familiar voice screaming with all the power and rage of a canon in combat, a voice that was definitely not Roxie's.

She quickly ascended Roxie's front steps and discreetly peered in through the screen door so as to remain unseen.

Velma gasped at what she saw. Furniture was strewn through out the place and Roxie's clothes were thrown all over the bed and floor.

"You stupid skirt...Tryin' to leave me now after all I done for you!" A man bellowed out at Roxie.

Velma squinted hard through the glass screen in the dark. 'Oh my God!' Velma couldn't believe her eyes. "Tony!" she said aloud to herself.

"You gave me your word, you little bitch! You didn't have a problem takin' the fuckin' ring!" He roared as he slapped her hard across the face.

"Here you bastard! I don't want your goddamn ring!" Roxie cried as she threw the ring in his face. She scrambled to get free of his grip that was getting increasingly tighter and tighter around her by the second.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again, you hear me?!" He screamed as he shook her violently.

"I won't marry you, Tony!" "YOU WILL!!!" He shouted, slamming her against the wall hands tight around her neck. "Listen to me, you little hussy. I could have any dame in this whole goddamn city...even your pal Velma there...and I picked you! And now you're tryin' to brush me off like some two-bit newspaper boy?! Do you know who I am? I FUCKIN' own this city...The woman I pick is gonna live with ME, or SHE AIN'T GONNA LIVE AT ALL!" he laughed menacingly smacking her around and stealing her breath away as he began to choke her.

By now Velma's blood was stewing in her veins, and she could almost feel steam spouting from her ears. This time, it was not herself that was being attacked. This was far more important...It was Roxie. Suddenly she was struck with a tremendous though somewhat familiar stabbing pain to the head, and when she looked up everything was projected in red.

She had to help Roxie, she knew it, but how could she? No longer in control of any of her physical functions, she felt like she was living a hallucination. She could sense that her body was moving, but she didn't know what she was doing. Pictures, sounds, and movements were all cloudy to her now, and in a rage she acted.

At once she burst through the door, and without even looking she ripped open the desk drawer and yanked out the Colt .45.

"Velma!" yelled Tony. Startled, he released his grip on Roxie, and the blonde collapsed to the floor.

"YOU FILTHY SON OF A WHORE!!!" she cried out as she shot madly into the air five times before the clip was done.

Velma looked around the room dazed, everything still blurry and abstract. She didn't know where she was nor what she had just done. All she knew was that there was some one on the ground in a pool of blood...Blood that again was on her hands.

She was shaken out of her vengeful dream state when she saw Roxie gagging and convulsing on the floor. She ran over to her. "Roxie are you ok?!" she asked trying to hold back angry sobbing. Seconds melted into minutes as Velma held her in her arms without a word. She felt limp and her breath was heavy. When Velma looked her over she could see that her dress was ripped down the middle, and that she was plagued with massive bruises and scrapes throughout her face and body from her encounter with Tony.

"Roxie, it's over. PLEASE speak to me!" she squeaked through her tears.

Velma felt arms softly wrap around her. "Thank you." Roxie murmured, her throat still weak. Velma smiled in relief, though still shaking from nerves. "I can't let you outta my sight for a minute." She said half joking, half more serious than she cared to be.

Just then Roxie propped herself up on Velma's lap. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Velma." She whispered. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I knew I was gonna end it with him when he came over today, I mean after everything that happened between you and me. I just...I didn't wanna ruin the moment between us, Vel. I couldn't risk loosing you by telling ya about him." She bowed her head in shame.

"Oh just shut up about it Roxie! You've done far worse to me in the past, and if I could forgive you for that... Look, all that matters is that we're together now and you're OK!"

Roxie put her head on Velma's chest and sighed. "Who woulda thought getting involved with a gangster would turn out to be such a disaster?" "Yeah," said Velma. "Especially Tony Polcarri. He seemed so mild-mannered at fir-" "You knew Tony?" Roxie interrupted her.

Velma chuckled. "Remember 'my bootlegger'?" "Oh God." Roxie cupped her face in her hands. "Great minds think alike, huh Vel?" she said facetiously. "Yeah, either great minds or incredibly stupid ones." Velma kidded somberly.

They held each other in silence in the dark for almost ten minutes before either one said anything. Finally as passionate as Velma had ever seen her, Roxie started up, "I have to say, I had no idea he was gonna react like that." Her eyes began to well up. "I was so scared, Velma. I saw my whole life flash in front of my eyes. The moment I knew I was gonna die, I couldn't think of anything else but you. I hated him more than I've ever hated anyone, not for killing me, but for ending my life just as it started...my life with you."

"Nobody is ever gonna hurt you again. I mean that...Not while I'm alive." As a single tear trickled down the delicate curve of Roxie's cheek, Velma removed it gently with her lips. "I love you, Roxie. Nothing is ever gonna come between us." Said Velma tenderly. Their lips united and their bodies met, neither girl thinking or caring at all about the surrounding situation.

Suddenly out of the corners of their eyes they could see the all too accustomed flash of a camera. They turned in horror.

"Miss Kelly, Miss Hart, I see we meet again..."

TBC...SOON!