Alright y'all, I'll apologize in advance, because this chapter is long. This will by no means be a common chapter length in the future, but with the way things fell as I write, there just wasn't a good breaking point.
Hope you guys enjoy this next one, and be sure to leave reviews to let me know your thoughts!
Two days after Maroni's funeral, CJ was up in her childhood bedroom packing her suitcaseㅡshe was set to head back to university that evening and put the last few emotional days behind her. Her family certainly didn't hold back their obvious upset that she was leaving so soon; after all, it did come off a little heartless of her. How could she return to her normal routine so quickly after the death of her own father?
But she knew it to be pointless to argue or reason with them. No, CJ just had to continue focusing on her own life and not stress about the judgment her brothers, cousins, and everyone else placed on her. Of course, CJ hated to see the upset in her mother's face when the younger announced that she was leaving again, but the five days she'd been back in Gotham were more than enough for her.
As CJ closed up her bag and set it beside her desk, her eyes fell to the winter coat thrown over her lounge chairㅡit was the one Victor had loaned to her just a couple days prior, but he and Don Falcone had left the funeral reception before she could find them again. She recalled Victor's wordsㅡ"you don't have to forgive your dad just because he's dead"ㅡand couldn't help her subtle, almost sad smile. The way he'd said it sounded as if he knew from experience and it was a comfort to know that maybe someone else understood what she was going through, but it also left CJ curious to know what exactly Victor had gone through that made him relate to her circumstance.
CJ realized she should return the coat. It was silly to think that Pino would notice or care that she had it, but if he did manage to find out who it belonged to, he'd surely make a scene of it. On top of that, CJ still felt a little upset about the way Pino treated Don Falcone at the funeralㅡsure, she had apologize once already, but admittedly, she had a small soft spot for the old man. And she also realized she wanted to say goodbye to him before heading back to Brooklyn.
So, CJ called for a cab once her belongings were all set to go, making a quick leave so to avoid her brothers before they returned home from wherever they had been the whole day. Now, she'd have more than enough time to spare to stop by Falcone's estate and grab dinner before heading for the airport.
The drive to the Falcone Manor was thankfully a silent one, the cab driver showing CJ no interest. The only times the silence was broken was whenever CJ spoke up to give a new direction; it felt almost silly to have to guide him, but admittedly the young woman didn't actually know Falcone's address. In fact, in her recent memory, CJ could only recall having visited the home a handful of times before, and that was years ago, so she was lucky at all to remember the roads there.
The Falcone estate was large and beautiful, much more so than the Maroni one. Don Falcone's home was further outside of the city in a neighborhood of old money; Maroni's, though also a rich neighborhood, wasn't nearly so flashy, but it had the benefit of being a much more convenient location. CJ couldn't imagine having to drive more than thirty minutes into the city just to pick up a few groceries; her family home was within a ten minute drive of nearly every necessity, and she'd become very accustomed to such a convenience.
The expensive home that they were finally driving up to was a little too much for CJ's liking. She could only imagine how lonely such a home could be for Don Falcone without his family there to keep him company, though she imagined the old man was used to it; Mario and Sofia had both left Gotham years ago, and the thought nearly caused CJ to laugh. There was a growing trend with mob kids, it seemed, to leave the city as soon as they could (though, when Sofia left it was her father's decision, and CJ remembered the other girl wasn't entirely fond of it at the time).
The cab driver let out a low whistle as he eyed the mansion, commenting on the grandeur and speculating the owner. CJ, brushing off his curiosity, didn't catch the way his eyes bore into her in his rearview mirror as he began to wonderㅡif she kept such expensive friends, maybe he could scheme more money out of her for the cab fare.
Once the cab driver had pulled around in front of the entryway steps, CJ slipped her purse over her shoulder and stepped out once the vehicle came to a halt. She reached back into the car, collecting her travel bag just in case (after all, you couldn't really trust anyone in Gotham, and she was not in the mood to have her belongings stolen) and set it at her feet for a moment to stretch across the seat to grab Victor's jacket. She turned back to eye the mansion for a long moment, telling the driver it'd only be a few minutes before she returned.
With Victor's coat looped over her arm, CJ began up the front steps, slight heels clicking delicately against the worn stone. Funny enough, she felt a little nervous as she rang the doorbell, though she couldn't exactly pin whyㅡperhaps she was worried that her unannounced arrival would disturb Falcone's afternoon, that he'd be less excited to see her than she hoped.
Within less than thirty seconds, the door was opened and CJ's eyes fell onto Falcone's butler, whose gaze remained professional as she gave a courteous smile.
"Is Don Falcone in?"
"Sorry, Miss..."
"Maroni," CJ interjected, and the butler gave an obvious look of what may have been confused disdain.
"Miss Maroni. Don Falcone isn't available, nor is he particularly fond of unannounced guests." CJ's eyes narrowed just slightly at the man's tone before she glanced at the jacket in hand, sighing slightly.
"What about Victor Zsasz, he doesn't happen to be here?" The butler opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before he could start.
"Today's your lucky day." The familiar voice spoke from inside and the door was pulled open wider by Victor himself. He nearly looked complacent as he and CJ met eyes, and he quickly gave the butler a look that simply instructed 'leave.' Within a moment his gaze was back on the young woman, face relaxing into a straight expression, "Hi."
It didn't matter how many times she interacted with Victor (which wasn't often at all), CJ still could never tell exactly how he'd behave. Sometimes she'd catch him cracking jokes, others he seemed generally disinterested in everything. Sometimes, it was as if he was both simultaneously. And on the very rare occasion, CJ was able to see his underlying aggression, usually so well hidden under his typical unidentifiable demeanor. Regardless, she was always slightly thrown off when left alone with Victor, even if those occasions were few and far between.
"Where's Don Falcone?" The question came out a little more blunt than she had intended, and Victor's head tilted with a nearly amused look in his eyes as he let her into the home.
"He's a little caught up at the moment." He drew out the last word just slightly as he led CJ into the front hall; she knew she'd get no more information out of him on the topic, not that she in any way needed it.
"Well, could you tell him something for me?"
"Last I checked I'm his bodyguard, not a messenger." CJ quirked her brow in what may have been mild irritation, staring into his dark eyes until he casually shrugged, "If I remember it."
His words seemed like they could have been a joke, yet his expression was unreadable. Caught off guard by his strange antics yet again, CJ gave a dubious huff of what might have been laughter as she eyed him with uncertainty.
"Right…" His lips tugged up into a small, cheeky smirk, "Just let him know I'm sorry again for the way Pino acted a few days ago. I, um… I'm heading back to Brooklyn tonight, so I wanted to say goodbye."
"Really?" Victor's brow rose, head tilting down slightly, "You came all the way out here to say 'bye?'"
CJ narrowed her eyes at his critical tone, gaze falling back onto the coat still in her arms. She practically shoved it into his chest, finding his eyes once more, "I believe this is yours."
Victor perked up slightly, "Ah, and here I thought I'd never see it again."
"Is that your way of calling me a thief?" CJ questioned, nearly amused as the man grabbed hold of the jacket.
"Well, you did keep it for two days, so…"
CJ huffed out a laugh, "Right, because my first priority at my father's funeral was to return your coat."
For a few stretched out moments, they stared at each other until Victor's eyes narrowed and shifted back and forth once.
"So, are you leaving now, or…?" CJ was only slightly surprised by his question, but gave a quick nod.
"Yeah, yes." She awkwardly turned back to the front door, the pair of them silently walking toward it and then pausing to meet eyes for another moment, "Bye."
"Bye." Victor drew out in a flat, nearly sing-song voice as he pulled open the door for her, to which CJ briefly threw him an estranged glance. But upon turning forward, she and Victor both halted as their eyes fell onto the empty patch of drivewayㅡher cab was gone, and she furrowed her brow in confusion at that. She didn't even pay the driver yet, so why would he just leave her? Warily, she glanced down at her travel bag, making sure everything was closed and secure, then to the purse hanging from her shoulder, eyes widening slightly as she realized it was open. Quickly, she rummaged through it, realizing a few items, including her wallet and plane ticket, were missing; they must have fallen out when she leaned across the seats to grab Victor's coat, and she stupidly didn't even notice. The cab driver had to have found the wallet and decided to take off.
"Fuck me." CJ hissed under her breathe, jaw clenching in annoyance. She turned to look up at Victor, who'd been watching the last minute and figured out what had happened. He sucked in his lips with raised brows.
"Well, that's a shame." CJ narrowed her eyes at his tone, a frustrated frown on her face. They stared at each other for a long moment before CJ sighed.
"Can I come back inside while I call for a new driver?" Victor shrugged, but nonetheless stepped aside for her.
CJ put her belongings down on a bench in the front hall and sat beside them, digging her cell phone out from her jacket pocketㅡbefore anything else, she had to call her bank to cancel the cards she had. She'd have to wait until returning home to talk to Pino about buying a new plane ticket, which only added to her frustrationsㅡshe'd be in Gotham for at least one more night.
As CJ waited on hold with the bank, Victor disappeared down one of the halls without a word, leaving her alone with her stress. Luckily, canceling her cards wasn't as lengthy a process as she had anticipated, and after the fifteen minutes on the phone with the bank, she was able to begin dialing the cab company.
Just as CJ put the phone back to her ear on the first ring, Victor returned, pulling his dark coat on over his suit and pausing in his strides to give her a look.
"You like Thai food?"
She gave him a quizzical look, "What?"
"Thai. Food." He replied slowly, "Do you want dinner?"
"I… yeah." CJ closed her cell phone, confused look still in place as she returned it to her coat pocket and stood. Victor was already heading to the front door, so she quickly scrambled to grab all of her belongings to follow after him. Soon they were walking across the driveway to a dark 1960s Cadillac, but CJ paused for a moment to stare at his back. Why the hell was Victor Zsasz offering her dinner and a ride?
As Victor opened the driver door, he turned to look back at her, quirking his brow and staring for a few long moments.
"You getting in the car or not?" CJ quickly nodded, collecting herself and making her way to the vehicle.
Sitting across from Victor Zsasz at a casual dinner was admittedly far more than just odd for CJ, given the fact that it was only the two of them and they had essentially never been alone together. In the three and a half years since they'd met, they'd only spoken maybe a total of five times, including their discussion from earlier this afternoon. Just the drive to the restaurant made up more time together than most of their previous conversations combined. And now to be sat across from the man, to be staring at him mulling over the menu and looking so ordinary, left CJ perplexed.
She knew Victor could feel her watchful stare, though neither of them was phased by that knowledge. Neither was CJ phased when his gaze suddenly flicked up to bore right back into her hazel eyes, and for a few long moments, they simply observed one another (and it seemed to CJ that they always stared more than they ever spoke).
"You gonna read that menu?" Victor questioned, eyes looking to the closed menu sat in front of her on the table before finding her gaze again.
"You gonna tell me why you took me out to dinner?" At her taunting question, the man smirked.
"You needed a ride, I was hungry; feeling generous." He shrugged as the waiter approached.
"Are we ready to order, Mr. Zsasz?"
CJ nearly snortedㅡMister Zsasz was an odd thing to hear, for some indiscernible reason, but it made her wonder if the man was a regular customer here. And that thought also seemed funny, imagining that Victor regularly spent however many dinners at this Thai restaurant. The corner of Victor's lip pulled up at the amusement in CJ's face.
"If you're not ready, I'm ordering for you." Victor addressed her, to which CJ simply lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug, her "date" returning attention back to the waiter.
Once the young man had walked away with their orders, Victor looked back to CJ.
"So, running off again only a few days after daddy's funeralㅡseems a little cold." CJ's face immediately hardened at the unexpected statement, "Relax; you think I care what you do?"
"Sounds like you care." She countered, to which Victor gave a slight shrug, "I'm not explaining myself to you."
"Never said I was asking you to. I'm just making an observation." Victor answered nonchalantly, picked up his glass while motioning with his eyes toward the wine sat in front of CJ, "You look like you need a drink."
CJ took a deep breath, agreeing wordlessly before picking up her own glass. The pair fell silent again, watching each other over the rims of their glasses, studying one another's gaze.
"You know, most people don't tend to look me in the eye the way you do." Victor spoke, setting aside his drink, "I can tell you're a mob kid."
"Thanks?" CJ's tone was unsure, eyes still following him. After another minute, she decided to lead the conversation, "What's Don Falcone's plan now that dad is gone?"
Victor looked away almost boredly, "Retiring and heading south once he gets some final business all in order."
"And what about you; you going with him?"
Victor scoffed out a laugh, "No."
"Why? I mean, you're practically his son, wouldn't you want to go?" CJ looked on with genuine curiosity.
"He already has his real kids there. Besides, a guy like me belongs in a place like Gotham." He said as if it was enough of an explanation, though CJ continued to stare, wondering what he meant by that. What type of people belonged in Gotham, after all? Did she possibly belong here? CJ certainly didn't think so, but she had yet to find anywhere that she felt as if she belonged.
CJ nodded smally, deciding to accept the answer for now, "When does he leave?"
"Few weeks." He studied her gaze for a few moments, "If you want to say bye, you should stay in Gotham a few days longer."
CJ rolled her eyes, "I can't do that, Pino makes life hell."
"I've noticed." Victor spoke evenly, "Real asshole, isn't he?"
CJ's eyes saddened for a moment, the assassin easily catching it, "You don't know the half of it."
"Takes after his father." Victor's expression hardened slightly, something suggesting that he knew more than he let on, and CJ gave him a fretful look, "What, you think I haven't been paying attention? You think Falcone hasn't been?"
"I…" CJ inhaled, "… I mean, I know he's not stupid, I know he sees what goes on, but I assumed he never cared all that much. I especially didn't think you'd give it much notice."
"If your father was anyone else, Falcone would've had him killed years ago." His blunt tone caused CJ's eyes to widen in shock, an odd nervous feeling bubbling in her stomach.
"Because of… the way he treated me?" Victor nodded while shrugging a shoulder all too casually for the type of conversation they were having.
"Among many other things." At that moment, their meals were brought over, and Victor's mood did an immediate 180ㅡthe almost unsettling look in his eyes was suddenly replaced by an eager one, and he was all smiles as he picked up his fork. He looked down at his plate for a moment, meeting CJ's eyes once more briefly before he started his meal.
CJ stared as he ate, still in a state of surprise. It was a shock to know that Falcone seemed to care enough about her, the daughter of a man who'd been his rival for years. She recalled once, back when she was seventeen and at a party, that Falcone had caught she and Pino once mid-fight, and the threat in the older man's eyes went nearly unnoticed by the teenager. At the time, it just didn't click what the look could've been about. She didn't understand why Falcone interrupted their fight, and for whatever reason she'd never really understood until she heard Victor's words.
"Are you gonna eat that or not?" Victor pulled her out of her thoughts, speaking around a bite of food, "If you don't, I will."
Mouth slightly agape, CJ looked between Victor and her meal before thoughtlessly reaching for her fork.
The drive to the Maroni house was relatively silent between CJ and Victor, neither having much at all to say. While Victor drove and bounce his head to the music (which, to CJ's complete surprise, was an 80s pop artist she didn't recognize), she stared out the window, feeling a little heavy-lidded from the wine she drank earlier; she had been a lightweight ever since she started drinking, and all it took was one or two glasses for her to begin feeling the alcohol, especially when it was wine.
Dinner with Victor was strange, to say the least. It was a lot of silence turned sporadic conversation turned silence again. Victor was the type that seemed rather unphased by lack of conversation, meanwhile CJ felt a little awkward in the stretched out silence.
It was funny that, despite the fact that they barely knew each other, there was something about one another that they seemed to enjoy. It was tough to pinpoint if they actually had fun together or if it was simply temporary amusement. Victor certainly had a surprisingly funny way about him, and CJ had an entertaining balance of seriousness to humor. There was something they could appreciate in one another's personalities, which they both had a sense for since the first time they met, though they still couldn't quite understand it.
When Victor finally pulled into the Maroni driveway, CJ paused to look at him briefly, offering a small, friendly smile.
"Thanks." She said simply before making sure all her belongings were in order before opening the door and stepping out. Victor watched as she lifted her travel bag, stumbling just slightly as if over nothing.
"Don't tell me you're tipsy off of one drink." Amusement shone on his face as CJ narrowed her eyes at his teasing tone.
"Shut up." Her voice was in no way harsh as she shook her head, causing Victor to grin slightly. CJ closed the door with a little smile, beginning to walk to her home's garden.
"Bye." Victor called almost dully from behind her, to which CJ looked back one last time, giving a single, brief wave, and as she continued forward she could hear Victor turn up the volume on the radio.
As CJ walked up to her family home through the front garden, she spotted Umberto sat at the patio table, his eyes cast up to study the stars. CJ raised an eyebrow as she approached him, and the sound of her heels lightly clicking on the cobblestone grabbed his attention.
"Sup, Berto?" She greeted before noticing the serious look in his eyes as he adjusted his glasses, causing her to halt.
"Was that Victor Zsasz?" He questioned, nodding his chin toward their driveway where the assassin's car was parked only a minute prior. CJ opened her mouth, but no words came out, causing Umberto to sigh, "A couple of guys called about an hour ago, said they spotted you two in the East End."
CJ set down her bag, moving to sit with her brother, "They didn't call you… they called Pino, right?"
Umberto nodded slowly, staring ahead of himself as he bit the inside of his cheek, "He doesn't know you're home yet, I wanted to catch you first before he tried to start something." He turned his gaze back to CJ, eyes looking between hers, "I thought you were supposed to leave?"
"My wallet and ticket were stolen."
"So, how does Zsasz come into that picture?" Umberto's brow furrowed, his tone accusing, which caused CJ to sigh.
"I… stopped by Don Falcone'sㅡ"
"Why?"
"I'll tell you why if you don't interrupt me." She snipped, glaring slightly. Umberto lazily raised his hands in surrender while leaning back in his seat, "I went to apologize for the way Pino acted at the funeral. I dropped my wallet in the cab, and the driver took off with it, so Victor gave me a ride."
Umberto's eyes narrowed slightly with a small smirk, "Why were you in the East End?"
"He wanted food." CJ's expression was one of confused amusement, thinking back on her evening.
Umberto gave a puzzled laugh, "I'm sorry, food? You went on a dinner date with Zsasz?"
CJ rolled her eyes, "Don't start, Berto. I'm already gonna get my ass chewed out by Pino, I don't need this from you, too."
"Well, sorry I'm a little shocked, I didn't think sociopathic killer was your type." CJ's jaw clenched in annoyance.
"You know it wasn't a date, shut up."
"Did he pay? Buy you a nice glass of wine?" His sister's expression confirmed Umberto's questions, and he pointed at her with a grin, "Good luck explaining that to Pino."
"Oh, fuck you." CJ rose back to her feet abruptly, taking a few moments to inhale deeply, "Time to face the music."
Umberto stood as well, giving a slight consoling look as he picked up CJ's bag for her. They wordlessly entered the house, and CJ thought maybe she could just run upstairs before Pino noticed she was home instead of gone to Brooklyn. But no such luck. Pino could see her enter from where he sat in the living room.
"CJ!" He called after her, rising to his feet and causing her to halt. He walked out to the front hall, aggressive eyes acknowledging Umberto with a brief glance before focusing back on his younger sister, "The fuck is this I'm hearing about you and Zsasz?"
"Pinoㅡ"
"Nah, I'm not done!" He glared, "Dad's dead a week and you decide to start fucking around with one of Falcone's guys? The hell is wrong with you?"
"You don't even know what you're talking about!" CJ countered, to which Pino practically charged forward to grab her face the way their father used to. CJ gasped as his sudden grip squeezed roughly on her chin, tugging her face forward.
"You think because he's gone you can do whatever the fuck you want? You were always a pain in dad's ass, but you won't be a pain in mine." CJ couldn't help but glare back despite the fear she was feeling.
"Pino, let go of me!" Her hands reached up to grab hold of his wrist, "Can we just talk about this like normal fucking people?"
"When you start cooperating, maybe we can." Pino released CJ's face with such force that she stumbled back, her eyes slightly fearful out of worry of what Pino might do next.
"Can I just explain?" She attempted to relax her tone, putting on her well-practiced sorrowful face; crying could do the trick about half the time with Pino, so it was always worth a shot.
"What's there to fucking explain?"
"Hey, Pino," Umberto spoke up almost hesitantly, stepping forward, "Cool it, man, ma's upstairs and she's probably sick of this fighting."
"There wouldn't be any fighting if CJ wouldn't act out."
"Me? You're the one that's been shouting." CJ attempted to defend herself.
"Because you're fucking around with Zsasz!"
"I'm not doing shit with Zsasz, he just gave me a ride!" She paused to take a deep breath, rubbing at her temple for a moment, "Pino, my wallet was stolen, I missed my flight, he was just helping me out."
The oldest Maroni still glowered, eyes not breaking away from his sister's. His jaw clenched as he thought for a few long moments until a slight dark smirk tugged at his lips.
"Look, CJ, I don't think you should go back to schoolㅡ"
"What!?" She interrupted, eyes widening, "Pino, you can'tㅡ"
"Like hell I can't!" He moved to loom over her, "I'm in charge of this family now, and I say you're done with school, you don't need it."
"Pino, please!" Real hurt took over CJ's gaze, "You can't just do that."
"Why not? It was dad paying for it, and now its me, and I say I don't want to pay for it. You should be here with the family instead of running off and pretending we don't exist. You don't need a fucking education."
"Then what do you expect me to do, sit around this damn house all day?" CJ threw up her arms in exasperation.
"I expect you to show some fucking respect." Pino's eyes hardened, "Dad started getting soft with you, and I'm not gonna let the same happen to me."
"Pino, you don't have to be like this." Umberto interjected again, resting a hand onto his brother's shoulder, "Come on, there's no need to force her to stay."
"You're taking her side?" Pino turned his glare onto Umberto, smacking the younger man's hand off of himself.
"I'm just sayingㅡ"
"I don't care." Pino looked between his siblings, "I've got shit to deal with trying to stop that Penguin asshole from taking control of the families, I don't need you two giving me trouble."
CJ suddenly barked out a laugh, "You stop him? You really think you could run Gotham?"
And suddenly the back of Pino's hand made contact with her cheek, causing CJ to gasp as she stumbled back. She immediately set a hand to her stinging face, wide eyes giving Pino a hurt look as his fiery eyes glared her down.
"Get the fuck outta my face, I'm done with you." CJ sucked in her lips, looking between Pino and Umberto, whose eyes were cast down. She took in a large, shaky breath before marching up the stairs, maintaining her composure until she was safely behind her bedroom door.
CJ collapsed onto her bed, screaming into a pillow before weakly punching it a few times. Angry tears pricked at her eyesㅡhatred for Pino bubbled in her as her lips quivered and her eyes glared ahead of her. Until she could work out a plan, she was effectively trapped in Gotham, and something about that scared her immensely.
~one year ago~
The first time Pino really hit CJ, she was eighteen and they were outside of a church. And ironically enough, the situation also pertained to one Victor Zsasz.
The family was attending Midnight Mass just like they did every Christmas, and, like almost every Christmas before, CJ wasn't looking forward to it. She wasn't particularly keen on religion. Despite being raised in a Catholic household and despite her own agnostic beliefs, religious traditions had never been something she took very seriously. And in coming home for Christmas, it was inevitable that she would be bombarded by prayer and tradition; exactly what she did not care to have after stressful finals. Still, she was determined to tough it out for a couple of days so that, at the very least, she could have time to see her mother to make sure she was doing alright and catch up a little with Umberto.
The Church of St. Rita di Cascia was one of the oldest and largest Catholic churches in Gotham; it was as imposing as it was beautiful. Each year, CJ never ceased to be amazed at how utterly packed the church was during Christmas Eve. People from all walks of life, poured into the church for Midnight Mass. In such a godless and corrupt city, CJ found it ironic that crowds of people practically lined up to attend the annual service.
Nearly all of the mob families of Gotham could be found intermingling already by the time the Maroni family arrived. CJ eyed the crowd warily and was overwhelmed by the buzzing throngs of people, knowing she was unfamiliar with nearly everyone there. Her family had already broken off in separate directions, leaving CJ alone in the entry hall. She sighed slightly, removing her coat and going to hang it up while her eyes wandered. It was still about thirty minutes until the start of Mass, and it had CJ wondering if they'd even be able to find decent seats, not that she cared enough to see what was going on at the altar.
Briefly, CJ's eyes wandered back toward her father; before arriving to the church they, unsurprisingly, got into another fight. After having been away at college for months, her defiance only increased, her stubbornness slowly growing. All those months she felt a new kind of freedom, and being back home for the week of Christmas only felt more restricting. Frankly, it was making her claustrophobic. Though CJ certainly feared her father's temper, she was nonetheless losing her patience with him. And so when he yelled at her earlier for trying to wear red lipstick to church (because, according to her father "only sluts wear red"), she nearly snapped back. Any respectable young woman wouldn't wear red lips, especially not in a church on Christmas Eve. An anger bubbled just below the surface, but she knew better than to fight with him. Not during the holiday, and certainly not before attending church; she didn't want to be sporting any kind of new bruises for Christmas.
That growing obstinance in CJ is what made her swiftly walk toward the bathroom once her parents were occupied with mingling, digging around in her small purse until she found the tube of red lipstick that she was wearing earlier. She paused to stare at herself in the mirror, that small fire in her hazel eyes burning defiantly as she gave herself a reassuring smirk. She began to slick on the matte ruby color, cleaning up the edges briefly before taking a deep breath and staring at herself one final time. She could already imagine the look her father would give her, but at least she wouldn't have to deal with the consequences until they returned home.
When CJ exited the restroom, she couldn't spot her family anywhere among the crowd gathering in the front hall of the churchㅡthey'd probably already gone searching for decent seats. She decided to wander the crowd on her own a little longer, politely greeting anyone that turned their attention on her. Though there were some things that CJ, rightfully so, disdained about religion, she could say that the energy within the church on holidays was warming. There was a sense of comfort to be found standing among the crowd, to feel like she was a part of a community. She felt welcomed and wanted in the church, and that feeling she didn't experience nearly enough in recent years.
It was as she mingled in the crowd that CJ spotted Victor Zsasz, and the sight of him gave her pause. To say she was surprised to see him in a church was an understatement; of course, she hardly knew the man, but she had an inkling he wasn't one to practice religion. In fact, she was sure that the conservative Catholics looked upon him like he was the antichrist, what with his harsh appearance and intimidating eyes.
Realization dawned upon CJ as she watched Victor move to stand alongside Don Falconeㅡof course Victor would be here, he was, after all, like Carmine's personal bodyguard. She had also heard before from Umberto that Falcone had taken the assassin in as a ward when he was only a preteen, so by that she assumed it was also out of respect that Victor attended holiday events with the older man every now and again. And probably because Falcone's own children rarely, if ever, came back for holidays anymore, and it appeared that, in some ways, Victor was like another son to the Don. Briefly, CJ wondered if he had always attended Mass with Falcone and that she simply had never noticed him before.
As if on cue, both Don Falcone's and Victor's eyes spotted CJ, causing her to sharply take in a breath; this was only the third time she'd seen Victor, and once more she was caught staring. Falcone gave a warm smile that she gauchely returned, her eyes flicking towards Victor to find that small, amused glint in his eyes. For a moment, she thought the two of them may approach her, but instead Falcone's gaze returned back to the company around him, continuing in on a conversation. CJ exhaled, turning away to begin searching for her family as Victor's eyes remained trained on her for a moment longer.
CJ began toward the pews, eyes scanning the crowd until she spotted her father halfway up the nave, standing beside the row the rest of their family sat in as he spoke with another unfamiliar face. She decided to stand back and wait for her father to take his seat, that way he wouldn't have a chance to notice her make-up change until the last minute. And it was as she waited that Falcone and Victor approached Maroni, making brief small talk before shuffling down the row to sit in the pew right behind her family. Of course, CJ thoughtㅡVictor sat behind the open space next to her family that she knew was intended for her.
Finally, Mass was set to start in a few minutes, and so CJ approached, head slightly cast down. She paused, creating the shape of a cross over herself and meeting Victor's eyes once more while doing so, and the two stared blankly at each other for a moment until she was sat and facing the altar. CJ could practically feel someone staring at her and slowly looked toward her family, glancing over the stares of Pino and Umberto to meet her father's lethal eyes almost warily. His brow knitted just slightly, challengingly, and with a clenched jaw CJ looked forward again.
As Mass was about to start, CJ had already forgotten who was sitting behind her, mind now stuck on the looks her father and brothers had given her. Though Umberto had only given her a confused look, Pino's expression had mimicked their father's, and that unsettled CJ some. Pino had always been a mean kid growing up, but ever since she graduated high school, it seemed as if her oldest sibling was only becoming more and more like his father with every passing day. In fact, in some ways he was already worse. At least to some degree, Sal had a handle on his anger, but Pino, however, hadn't refined that talent. He was always disposed to aggression, ever since they were young, and that wasn't at all improving with the passage of time.
Finally, the priest began the prayers, "May the Lord be with you."
But as he spoke those first words, CJ heard the faint sound of Victor's voice whisper behind her, an echo of the priest's, "May the force be with you."
As everyone gave the customary response, CJ snorted out a small laugh, causing her to quickly clap a hand over her mouth in hopes that no one heard it. Her father, from his seat at the opposite end of the family, leaned forward until he could lock eyes with her again, sending her a warning glare. Her eyes widened when she realized her family (and who know how many other people) caught her laugh, and she took a deep breath to compose herself.
In the next few minutes following that, CJ laughed once more when Victor's joke crossed her mind again, but quickly composed herself; what was it about being in a church, a place where she shouldn't burst into laughter, that made her only want to laugh even more?
The fact that church was such a bore had CJ yawning through the service, which she had progressively begun to tune out more and more. Eventually, she was so distracted by her own boredom that it was as if CJ wasn't even hearing the prayers anymore; instead, she ended up thinking about Victor's stupid Star Wars joke again, despite the fact that she had been trying to forget it, her gaze staring down at the pew in front of her as she grinned.
Pew.
CJ nearly slipped up again as she recalled the ridiculous blaster sound effect from the films and its close similarity to the name of the bench she sat on, and she dipped her head down while shaking for a slight moment with silent laughter.
She could only wonder the expression on Victor's face right now.
When it reached time for everyone to participate in the Sign of Peace, a part of the evening that CJ had honestly forgotten about, her eyes widened slightly as she realized she had to turn around and look Victor in the face while somehow keeping her cool. She nearly skipped over him entirely, taking her time to greet and shake hands with the people around her. But as she realized she had to turn around and shake hands with Don Falcone, CJ knew Victor was unavoidable.
So, a little hesitant, she reached her hand in his direction and, against her better judgment, CJ made eye contact. As they took each other's hands, they stared for a few long moments, Victor's straight face helping CJ to maintain her composure. But then he had to give that knowing smirk and a wink, a subtle mischievous glint in his dark eyes, and a laugh nearly erupted from CJ again. Once more, she had to throw a hand over her mouth to quiet herself. This time, though, a number of people around them heard her, and CJ's entire family snapped their gazes to her. She looked between their eyes rapidly, tugging her hand from Victor's grip as she quickly tried to calm herself. Her father's glare had settled onto Victor (who, of course, met the gaze head on), meanwhile Pino's glare was solely focused on CJ. She quickly turned around in her seat, but could still feel his eyes trained on her.
As Mass approached its close, CJ prayed that Victor wouldn't speak again. She knew the priest would say a final "the Lord be with you," and if she heard Victor speak one more time behind her she knew she'd laugh again. She could practically feel nerves growing inside her, anticipating the man's shenanigans.
"May the force be with you."
And one final time, CJ had to clap her hand over her mouth, leaning forward in her seat as she lightly shook with laughter. And sure enough the glares of her family were trained on her again.
Once Mass finally ended, CJ practically darted out of her seat, quickly scurrying off to the restroom to get out all of her laughter (and, admittedly, to hide from her family, at least for a moment). As she sped past Victor, she didn't take any notice of his amused look nor did she see her father glaring between the two of them.
For a few minutes, CJ leaned up against a sink, back to the mirror as she finally took calm breathes. She was nearly kicking herself for having laughed so much over such a stupid joke, but she couldn't help it. Victor's dry delivery in itself was comical, but then for her to feel the pressure to maintain her composure somehow made the situation funnier. Why was it that in trying not to laugh, it made her only want to laugh out more?
As a couple of women entered the restroom, CJ decided she couldn't hide out forever and quickly exited, looking up and down the hall for a sign of anyone familiar. As she walked back into the crowd, her eyes searched, well aware that Victor had to be somewhere nearby. And sure enough, she spotted him across the way, though he was unaware of her gaze. She quickly turned away before she could give him the chance to notice her, attempting to walk back in among the crowd.
It wasn't even a minute later that her brothers found her weaving through the crowd and, before Umberto could stop him, Pino was making a beeline for the young woman, his eyes glaring with frustration. Unluckily, CJ didn't even notice them until a hand was suddenly grasping at her arm, turning her around roughly to face him.
"Pinoㅡ" But he gave her no chance to speak, beginning to pull her toward the exit. CJ shot a pleading look toward Umberto, whose worried eyes only gave her a sympathetic look, unsure what to do for her as he followed.
From where he stood near the front doors, Victor spotted the siblings as Pino practically drag CJ through the crowd, Umberto close behind. His brow furrowed slightly, noticing the darkness in the oldest brother's gaze as he quickly tugged CJ outside. He suspected a fight was about to break out between the siblings, whether physical or verbal, though, he wasn't sure.
"The hell, Pino?" CJ tried to shake her elbow from his hold as she glared up at him. His grip didn't even budge until they were in the parking lot, away from prying eyes and ears. Without warning, he turned to land one solid slap on her cheek, causing CJ to yelp before gaping in shock. This she learned to expect from her father, but from Pino? Sure, she knew he'd get to this point eventually, but she had at least hoped it wouldn't be until after their father was gone and CJ was safely out of reach.
"Were you trying to be a total embarrassment back there?" Pino's tone suggested it was a rhetorical question, "The hell you laughing about in a church with that creep, anyway?"
"It was nothing…" CJ's tone was small, fearful in fact. She was still in shock that her own brother had laid a hand on her.
"Nothing, sure." His annoyance was obvious as he paced in front of her. CJ's eyes quickly turned to Umberto, but he was simply watching in shock, nearly worried, "Dad's pissed, you know that?"
"Pino, it's notㅡ"
"Shut up, Berto!" Pino's eyes were sharp as they turned on his brother, shoving the younger man in the shoulder, "Dad doesn't need another kid acting like an ass tonight." He whipped around to face CJ again, eyes hard, "Just wait till dad gets to you…"
His tone struck fear into CJ, her eyes widening as she stood stock-still. Other families began to trickle out of the church then, cutting the Maroni family fight short. Soon, CJ's parents were approaching, her father looking a little less angry than before, lucky for the young woman.
"Camila, hon, you forgot your coat." Her mother said while quickly helping the teenager slide into it. Briefly, CJ wondered if her mother was truly oblivious to the fight that had just occurred or if she was choosing to ignore the situation, "You'll catch cold out here."
"Silly me…" CJ muttered, meeting her father's eyes wearily. Sal knew something had just happened between his children, after all he had asked Pino to give CJ a talk while he went to address Don Falcone and Zsasz. The defiance in CJ's gaze from earlier was entirely gone, and he nearly smirked at that.
"We're gonna have a talk once we get home." Sal hissed in a near whisper as the family finished the walk to their vehicle and piled in. He gave Pino a nod in thanks, and CJ looked away from them nervously and stared out the window.
A part of her wasn't even surprised to notice Victor standing across the parking lot and staring right at her.