Chapter Eight

The next week, Will and Lizzy got back into the schedule they had established before her weekend away. That meant he was there early in the morning to pick her up for school, a luxury she was definitely getting used to. It was about midweek that Lizzy started hearing second hand about Will becoming good friends with Wickham and Rob, and was happy to hear he was making a name for himself. The quicker he became integrated into Wickham's inner crew, the quicker she hoped he would be able to take him down. Although she didn't yet know how they would keep her safe once his identity was known, the constant stress of always watching her words and thinking about how she should be acting was starting to get to her.

After school that Friday, Will dropped her off at Charlotte's diner with the plan to meet up at Wickham's bar in an hour or so. She needed to spend some time with Charlotte and he needed someone on one time with Wickham. Rob planned on meeting them at the bar a little later as well, and for whatever reason Rob was always more supportive of Will with Lizzy there. She agreed to show her face and grease the wheels, sort to speak.

"I'll walk over in about an hour, okay?" she left her backpack in the car and circled around the car to the sidewalk

"I don't like you walking the streets alone, especially this close to sundown," Darcy told her through the open window. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his caution.

"Do I have to remind you that I grew up in this neighborhood again?" Lizzy asked.

"Then you should be aware of the danger, and not make yourself vulnerable just to prove you're not afraid," he frowned back at her.

"I am aware of the danger – I am aware that nothing is going to happen in the three blocks I have to walk to get there. Don't worry so much," she had to cut herself off from adding 'detective'. They were alone on the street, but he didn't even like her calling him that when they were totally alone and in the privacy of his or her apartment. He continued to frown, his hand gripping the steering wheel tight and releasing, tight and releasing; she softened her tone "I'll be fine, okay?"

He nodded tensely, and she turned to walk into the diner, not giving him a chance to change his mind and insist on driving the few blocks to pick her up.

"Charlotte," Lizzy greeted.

"Hey, girl," Charlotte called back, filling someone's coffee at the counter. "Go on back to our table, I'll bring us some drinks."

The place wasn't packed, but it was fuller than she was used to. Not many people in the neighborhood came to the diner on Friday nights; most of them were getting their weekends started with drinks or drugs somewhere. Still, there was a good amount of people in the diner. Luckily, it looked like Charlotte got someone to pick up a shift. She couldn't remember the girl's name, but she recognized it as someone who mainly worked at a different restaurant further away, one of the girls who had picked up a shift at Charlotte's in the past for the extra money.

"You still haven't found anyone permanent?" Lizzy asked unnecessarily as Charlotte set down a plate of nachos and two margaritas, their usual Friday night treat.

"A few takers, but no one who wants the odd hours and low pay," Charlotte replied with a frown.

"Well, here's to better luck with the next applicant," Lizzy raised her glass and Charlotte mirrored her. They focused on the nachos for a moment before Charlotte asked her if she set up a meeting with the school yet.

"Next week," Lizzy replied, happy she found time that week to do just that. Charlotte would not have been understanding if she had put it off. "I have to get my most recent transcripts to them and dig up my SATs and all that."

"Good," Charlotte nodded. "You know the neighborhood is talking about your boyfriend," Charlotte always attached special meaning to the word.

"Anything more than the same old stuff?" Lizzy wondered, not rising to the bait.

"Wickham's got something big in the works, so they say. Good money. People are scrambling to be picked for the draft and word is Will O'Mara is one of the top picks," Charlotte paused, taking a drink. Lizzy let her take her time; she could tell by the tone there was more to the story, although this was the first she was hearing about a big score going done. "A lot of people don't like it, him coming out of nowhere to be Wickham's best friend."

Lizzy frowned, catching the warning. A target was being painted on Darcy's back by those who had worked for Wickham longer and were being overlooked for the new guy. After a moment, she shrugged. "He can take care of himself," she replied, believing it, despite a twinge of fear in her stomach. Charlotte studied her for a moment.

"You like him," she commented. Lizzy sat motionless for half a second before cocking her head slightly to the side.

"Of course I do. He's my boyfriend," she said with a look. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Ok," she said, clearly wanting to say more, but glancing at the people in the diner, a lot of them eating alone and who could very easily overhear their conversation.

"How's your brother taking the news of this 'big score' Wickham has?" Lizzy wondered.

"He thinks it's all talk," Charlotte replied. "Maybe it is. Wickham is a methhead with a semi-decent crew, but he's not a criminal mastermind. He barely likes running his own crew."

Lizzy couldn't argue, having observed this herself. Her personal feelings, morals, and ethics on the subject of crime and drug dealing aside, she thought Rob would be a much better crew boss.

The conversation turned to more mutual ground and the friends spent the next hour in more pleasant conversation while they slowly finished off the food and drinks. Soon it was time for Lizzy to meet back up with Will and for Charlotte to get back to work. More people were trickling in for dinner and it was becoming too much for one person to handle alone.

"See you tonight?" Lizzy stood and helped Charlotte bus the table they just used.

"Maybe. I might go out after, let some steam off," Charlotte replied. Something about the way she said it, eyes down and shoulders hunched, left Lizzy a little suspicious, but then they all had their secrets and if Charlotte wanted to keep something to herself she was well within her rights, especially considering how good she was being about keeping Lizzy's secret.

"Alright, have fun. You deserve it," Lizzy smiled. Charlotte waved her off and Lizzy set off down the street, making her way to Wickham's bar.

Downtown was just starting to come awake, but there were still not that many people out yet. As she suspected, she made it the three blocks without incident and walked into the bar ready to tell Darcy I told you so. She spotted him, Wickham and Rob sitting at the bar and made her way towards them.

"Hey, sweetheart," Will gave her an easy smile; one Lizzy couldn't help but return. She recognized this relaxed side of him as having a few drinks under his belt. He was lounging casually with his back against the bar next to Rob and Wickham, both of whom turned at his greeting. She walked up to him, stopping about a foot away but Will leaned forward, his hand going behind her neck to pull her into a kiss. Besides the first night at Wickham's party, he had only put an arm around her in the company of Rob and Wickham, so she was momentarily surprised at his actions. The feel of his warm lips against hers quickly chased any thoughts she might have had on the subject and she chose to just enjoy the feeling. It was a chaste kiss, but the affectionate smile on his face when they pulled apart and the way he pulled her possessively into his side was almost as good as the kiss itself.

The three of them continued whatever conversation they were having before she got there. At first, she was happy she wasn't required to talk for a few moments, but when she got her thoughts under control once more she scolded herself for being so affected. She had to learn to be as casual as he was, or Jane wouldn't be the only one who noticed her odd behavior in the presence of her supposed 'boyfriend'. She relaxed into his side, reaching over to take his mug off the bar and take a healthy drink from it. He looked down at her with another easy smile, encouraging her familiar actions.

"Sales are going well, O'Mara," Wickham pulled his attention from her. "Keep this up and you have a permanent spot on the crew."

"Sounds great, man," Will smiled. "Maybe then you'll finally let me in on all the secret handshakes."

"Eh, one day at a time. You haven't proven yourself that much," Wickham grinned back, polishing off his beer. "Keep up the good work and we'll talk."

"Will's a good man to have around," Rob spoke up. "He saved my ass yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" Lizzy asked curiously.

"Sorry little sister," Wickham jumped in before either man could reply. "But just because you're dating O'Mara doesn't mean you're loyal to the crew," Lizzy wanted to let Wickham know that Rob and Will had more loyalty to her than him, but controlled her temper. It wasn't worth it to get into a pissing match over something so trivial – something that Will would tell her later if she asked anyway.

There was an awkward pause, then Rob said. "Before I forget – I have that package you wanted to see."

"Right," Wickham pushed his empty glass against the bar and slid off the stool. "Tag along, O'Mara."

"I'll be right back," Will murmured into her ear, sliding his arm off her shoulder. The three boys left her to head to a back room in the bar. She was not surprised he had an office here; it was a known front for a lot of Wickham's business. Lizzy sat on the stool at the bar, debating whether or not to finish Will's drink. If he was as inebriated as he seemed, he was probably counting on her to drive them home.

"Get you anything?" the bartender- a young, attractive blonde with big hazel eyes, asked her.

"Just a coke," Lizzy sighed. She couldn't help but watch the girl as she got a glass and filled it with soda. "You look familiar."

"You tutored me in algebra when I was a kid." The girl smiled. "Not for very long, I'm not surprised you don't remember."

"Allison," Lizzy's mind finally supplied. She looked a little surprised but nodded.

"That's right," she confirmed. "I'm still in school; I just work nights to pay the bills."

"Is it tough?" Lizzy wondered, sipping her drink. Alison hung out a minute, another waitress was helping the patrons sitting in the tables and booths, but the bar was still practically deserted.

"It's alright," she winced. "I get by."

Lizzy thought her expression spoke volumes. She wondered if it was the job itself or the fact that she worked in, let's face it, a sleazy bar. She couldn't be more than eighteen, and with her good looks and low-key personality, Lizzy could well imagine getting hassled by all kinds of scumbags.

"You know Charlotte's place, the diner?" Lizzy questioned.

"Lucas's sister?" Allison asked. "Yeah."

"She's been getting more business; going to need a waitress soon. You should talk to her if this place isn't working out," Lizzy suggested. Allison looked intrigued, then apprehensive.

"I don't know. Wickham might see it as jumping from his crew to The Family." Allison chewed her lip. Lizzy shook her head.

"Charlotte may be JJs sister, but the diner is off-limits, it has nothing to do with The Family," Lizzy assured her.

"Maybe." Allison hedged, clearly still uneasy.

"Hey broad." A tall, broad-shouldered man who was visibly drunk had just stumbled his way up to the bar with two of his friends. They all chortled at his nickname for the bartender. "Three beers, pronto."

Allison and Lizzy exchanged looks; Lizzy thought that this moment had more potential of convincing her she would be better off as a waitress at Charlotte's than anything Lizzy could say to change her mind. Allison headed over to fill their order and Lizzy checked her watch, wondering how much longer she would have to wait for Will.

"And what about you, pretty lady." Suddenly, loudmouth was right next to her. His friends had stayed where they were, but they were both following the exchange eagerly. Lizzy mentally groaned. "How about I buy you a drink?"

"No thanks," Lizzy replied simply. "I'm not drinking."

"Not drinking?" the man laughed noisily. "Honey, you are at a bar."

"I'm just waiting," Lizzy said calmly, and then added "For my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend." The man scoffed, obviously not believing her. She frowned; figures the one time she was telling the truth about a boyfriend to get rid of a guy that he wouldn't believe her. "Why don't you take a ride with me, honey, and I'll make you forgot this boyfriend of yours?"

"I doubt it," Lizzy couldn't help but smirk. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm roughly, making her face him.

"You think this is funny?" he snarled at her, suddenly irate. Lizzy froze, surprised at his quick mood swing. "I offer you a drink and a good time and you laugh in my face?"

"Let go of me," Lizzy glared at him with more confidence than she felt, pulling her arm back to try and break his grip.

"You need to learn some manners," he frowned.

She could guess what he would do; in fact, a myriad of things was going through her mind at a mile a minute, but she still had no idea exactly what he planned on. Despite having been in tough situations before, the suddenness of it all threw her off balance - his unexpected and irrational anger left her unsure of what move to make. She would never survive a fight with him – he had at least a hundred pounds and several inches on her. Her best option was to knock him down, or at least off-balance enough to get away, and then run for it. They were both immobile for a moment, she still on the stool and he standing next to it, her arm in his tight grasp, while they both glared at each other. They both seemed to be planning their next move; out of his immediate view, Lizzy slipped her hand over to the glass mug. A good hard hit might be her best shot. Before either could act, however, Will suddenly materialized next to her and elbowed the man in the throat.

Lizzy's eyes widened at the action. Her fingers, which had just wrapped around the glass handle, wobbled and dropped the cup. The man immediately loosened his grip on her arm to clutch at his throat, but Will wasn't finished. He grabbed the man's head and slammed it into the bar, planted his fist in his ribcage a few times, and then kneed his stomach on the way down. He leaned down to grab the man's shirt, pulling up slightly to look him right in the face.

"I assume you have a very good explanation for laying a hand on my girlfriend?" Will's voice was controlled, low and angry as he crouched next to the man. The fierceness of his tone sent a shiver down Lizzy's spine; there was something about his violent actions coupled with the calm tone he used that spoke volumes of how dangerous he was.

The two friends stumbled over to help; Will gave the man one more punch to the face before straightening up in anticipation. As one came close enough, he kicked him hard in the shin - hard enough that he went down and his friend stopped in his tracks with his hands in a surrendering motion, backing up a few feet and clearly not willing to take him on.

"What happened here?" Rob's amused voice came from behind Lizzy but she still hadn't taken her eyes off Will.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, reaching out to graze her arm where the man had grabbed her. She nodded.

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks," she mumbled awkwardly, her heart still pounding with a fight or flight sensation in her stomach. His mouth quirked in a small smile.

"What? No speeches about how you could have handled this yourself?" he teased gently. "No fight about how you didn't need any help?"

"Oh, I totally had it handled," she gave a shaky smile. "But you know, it's still polite to say thank you."

"Will, Rob," Lizzy didn't know when Wickham had shown up, but he was there now, taking in the situation. "Clean this mess up," he waved generally to the man lying on the ground. His friends had already taken off. "It's scaring off the customers."

"Sure boss," Rob nodded. He touched Lizzy's arm and gave her a look to show he was glad she was okay, then helped Will pull the man off the ground. Upright, she could see he was bleeding from his nose and holding his side in pain. Although he hadn't really done anything to her, she felt a certain satisfaction in his pain. From the quickness of his anger, she was sure she wasn't the first girl he had hassled in his life and hoped for any future girl's sake that he had learned his lesson tonight.

Rob and Will stumbled momentarily under the man's dead weight, but eventually got him walking on his own. Wickham headed back to the office while they led the man outside and down the street a bit, out of Lizzy's view.

"That boyfriend of yours." Allison was back and refilling her soda. "He's a good man to have around."

"Yeah," Lizzy took a breath her heart finally slowing down to a normal tempo. "Listen, if you're at all interested, I'll give Charlotte a heads up to look out for you."

Alison hesitated but nodded. "I'd appreciate that," Lizzy wrote down Charlotte's number on a napkin and handed it to Allison before she headed down the bar to fill a drink order.

Will and Rob were back. "You're quick, man," Rob was saying, looking at Will with admiration. "You go to teach me some of those moves," he gave a few mock punches to Will's arm.

"Sure," Will pretended to throw a punch at Rob's face, but when Rob threw an arm up to block, landed it in his ribcage instead. "It's all about adaptability."

"You used to box, or something?" Rob grinned, rubbing the spot Will had just hit, though Lizzy could tell he barely touched him. Will picked up Lizzy's soda and drank from it, putting an arm around her.

"A little, actually," Will nodded. "Years ago."

"I ran track you know," Rob threw up a hand to gesture to Allison that he wanted a refill. "Back in school. I was pretty good."

"Pretty good?" Lizzy poked him teasingly. "You were the fastest on the team. The state was going to give him a full ride."

"Yeah, once upon a time," Rob attempted an unaffected tone, but Lizzy could tell he still regretted never getting to go and wished she hadn't mentioned it. "But I would have never made it without Lizzy doing all my homework for me," he grinned, poking her back. She flinched away from him and closer into Will.

"Maybe we could have gone to state together," Lizzy grinned at the thought.

"Yeah, if we hadn't screwed up so bad," Rob laughed self-deprecatingly. Allison dropped off a mug for both Rob and Will. Lizzy reclaimed her soda from Will, who picked up the beer but didn't drink.

"Rob…" Lizzy rebuked.

"Ah, come on Lizzy. We both know I would have never made it in college anyway," Rob shrugged. "And you didn't screw up so badly that you'll never have a chance again."

"Forget it," Lizzy shook her head. "It's Friday night. Let's talk about something else."

"Her dad really did try to get us out of this neighborhood," Rob told Will, ignoring Lizzy. "He was a good guy, always trying to get us little bastards to care about our lives," Rob paused a moment, looking into his beer. "He got Jake Mullins out of this neighborhood, and everyone figured the only place that guy was going was upstate for life, remember that Liz?"

"Yeah," Lizzy said automatically. She remembered, but it was still too painful to think of her dad.

"It's too bad you didn't get a chance to meet him," Rob still addressed Will. Lizzy wondered if this was Rob's passive-aggressive way of getting back at her for making him remember what could have been if he had gotten to go to college. "He was real tough, real hard on you, but it was when he didn't care what you were doing that you felt worthless," Lizzy gripped her mug filled with soda and mechanically took a drink, hoping the subject would pass.

"This one time I pulled Lizzy into some stupid prank I was doing on another teacher," Rob smiled while reminiscing. "And when Principal Bennet found out," he paused to whistle "I had never been more scared," he elbowed Lizzy. "Remember that?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her face tight. Will still had an arm around her; he squeezed her shoulder, then addressed Rob about his plans for this weekend to change the subject. Once again, Lizzy was in his debt.

"You know where we should go?" Rob asked, eyes suddenly bright. "We should take Will down to the cabin."

"We are way too old to be going to the cabin," Lizzy shook her head right away, still a little mad at him for bringing up her father like that.

"Oh come on," Rob took a big swig from his beer.

"What cabin?" Will asked.

"It's this shitty little cabin a few hours from here. It's kind of like a timeshare," Rob laughed.

"Because no one really owns it, but a lot of people use it; mostly to hide out from the cops," Lizzy explained to Will.

"Why would you want to go to a shitty cabin in the middle of the woods?" Will questioned.

"Oh, you know, get away from the city for a few days. Please there are caves, and this rock slide into a lake, and a rope swing off this giant tree," Rob looked like a kid, talking excitedly. "We haven't been in forever."

"Because last time we went, I got lost in the caverns and was convinced I was going to die there," Lizzy reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Rob laughed. "That was hilarious. We couldn't find her for hours," Rob launched into the story of what had happened for Will's sake. How they had gone up with a group of friends, how they all had been drinking, how Rob had told a totally fictitious story of someone dying in the caves, and how it was now haunted. It had freaked everyone else out, but Lizzy called him on his bullshit and said she didn't believe it. He challenged her to go in alone if she was so sure. She immediately took a flashlight and a beer and headed out to where the caves were.

"More brave than smart," Rob teased, still laughing.

"I was drunk," Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Give me a break."

"So we all waited for a little bit for her to come running back, but then someone put on the movie of The Ring, you know, and we kind of…" Rob trailed off looking sheepishly at Lizzy.

"Kind of totally forgot about me!" Lizzy added, hitting him in the arm. "Some friends."

"Well anyway. You shouldn't have gone," Rob shrugged. "But we should definitely go back. What do you say, Will?"

"A shitty cabin in the middle of nowhere with caves and a frozen lake; How could I say no?" Will rose an eyebrow, making Lizzy smile and Rob roll his eyes.

"I'm talking to Sherry about it when she gets here, we're all going," Rob said with certainty.

"Yeah, I'm sure Sherry of all people is going to want to go to some shitty cabin in the woods. That so seems like her kind of thing," Lizzy laughed.

The conversation kept on for a while as Rob and Will continued to drink. They talked about past trouble they've gotten into, and Lizzy was impressed with what Will was coming up with on the spot. It was jobs that were exciting but sounded real as well. She was sure Rob believed him, especially considering the skill Will had shown in front of him thus far. Sherry eventually showed up and, much to Lizzy's surprise immediately agreed to the plan of heading out to the cabin some weekend.

"Seriously?" Lizzy asked, incredulous.

"Sure," Sherry grinned. "Springs just around the corner, and I've never been out of the city. It'll be fun," Lizzy and Will exchanged looks. Neither one looked particularly excited at the prospect.

"The water's going to be freeing, if not frozen. The caves are going to be freezing too. What's the point?" Lizzy countered.

"Don't be such a downer, Liz," Rob reprimanded. "Don't forget about the hot springs."

"Oooh. Hot springs!" Sherry repeated excitedly. "I can't wait!"

The four friends hung out for a few more hours; they even got a table and ordered dinner, but eventually, Sherry decided she wanted to go to the club and dance before it was too late. Rob agreed to take her and the couple spent some time trying to convince Will and Lizzy to go along with them. Lizzy claimed she was too tired and was ready to go home for the night. This caused Sherry to direct a few harsh but playful comments about how lame Lizzy was, but eventually Rob and Sherry were on their way out.

"You really want to go home?" Darcy questioned as he laid out some bills on the bar to take care of their tab.

"I don't know, why? Did you have something in mind?" Lizzy questioned curiously.

"I don't know. You feel like hanging out and watching a movie, or something?" Darcy asked. Lizzy was suspired, to say the least; she expected something about how they should hang out longer to see if they could get anymore face time with Wickham, or how they should catch up with Rob and Sherry to cement their friendship a bit more. Watching a movie home alone on a Friday night seemed so much like… a date. She couldn't see the benefit from it, and something Charlotte said was making her think twice about his motives.

Earlier in the week, Charlotte had mentioned something about how he was trying to keep her as happy as he was keeping Rob and Wickham. It started with Lizzy commenting on how relaxed Darcy was becoming in her presence and how he may still be the frowning man-on-a-mission detective, but he was also a little bit like Will- teasing, funny, caring Will.

It was then that Charlotte warned her that he had a lot of reasons for wanting to keep her happy. Despite the fact that she held the power to make his case against Wickham blow up with one word of his true identity, she was also making an effort to put him forward as Wickham's new best friend. Lizzy had dismissed Charlotte's theory at the time; Darcy knew she would never blow his cover as much as he knew she didn't need to be pampered. He knew she wanted Wickham out of the picture as much as he did.

"Uh, sure," Lizzy answered. "That sounds fun."

"A lot more fun than spending the weekend in a cabin in the woods," Darcy smiled, leading her out of the bar with a firm hand on her back.

"Can't argue with that," Lizzy smiled.

Since he had been drinking, Lizzy took the keys and drove. Instead of her place, however, he directed her to his apartment. It wasn't far from the bar; it was maybe a mile in the opposite direction of her house. At his direction, she pulled up alongside a meat shop.

"So," she looked at the closed shop warily. "You may be drunker than I thought."

"What?" he asked, his brows drawn in confusion. "Oh," he laughed, catching up to her train of thought. "No, I live in the apartment upstairs," she glanced up to see there were windows above the shop that looked like an apartment.

"Don't the people who own the shop usually live upstairs?" Lizzy asked, following him out of the car and into an unmarked door to the right of the front of the deli.

"Yeah, I think so," he said with a shrug, taking his keys back from her to unlock the door and led her up a flight of stairs. After unlocking one more door, he ushered her into a small apartment and took her coat, hanging both his and hers up in a small closet next to the door. She glanced around the apartment with curiosity. The furniture was sparse but comfortable. He had a big screen TV and some kind of gaming console next to a shelf full of games and movies. There were no personal artifacts to be seen, however. Lizzy guessed this was his apartment only for the time of his undercover work.

"Why don't you pick out a movie? I have a few I rented on the coffee table there. I'll get us some drinks," Darcy directed her to the couch while he stepped into the kitchen.

She glanced over some of the titles of the movies he owned; mostly action movies, a few classics. There were three movies stacked neatly on the coffee table next to a few magazines that he had apparently rented recently. The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, and The Avengers. She had already seen the Dark Knight Rises but hadn't seen The Avengers yet. She had only seen a handful of the superhero movies that led up to The Avengers, but she figured she would be able to keep up. Besides, she'd heard good things about it.

"Find anything you like?" Darcy asked, sitting down with a few more beers and a bowl of chips. "Sorry, no popcorn."

"Have you seen this one yet?" she asked, holding up The Avengers.

"Nope," he answered, taking it from her and putting it into the DVD player. They both relaxed on the couch, sipping their beers and lapsing into a comfortable silence for the next few hours, broken only by a few comments during the movie. Eventually, the movie ended, and they chatted about school, Rob and Wickham, and how dealing drugs in the school was going. Once they had exhausted those topics, they fell into silence again.

"People talk about your father like he was a God," Darcy commented after a minute. She felt a familiar pain in her chest that accompanied the reminder that she would never see her father again. Vaguely, she wondered if she would ever get used to the finality of being without him, as well as wondered why everyone was so eager to bring him up tonight.

"Yeah," she finally replied. It always hard to talk about him, her hero in every way, but talking about him with Darcy with no warning really threw her.

"It seemed like he was the father of the whole neighborhood," Darcy added after another minute of silence. She cocked her head towards him, gauging his curiosity. He met her gaze evenly, and, though she couldn't fathom why he seemed generally interested.

"Yeah," she replied again, turning her head back towards the television. She paused a moment, then added, "He really cared about them. Most of them had no fathers and, I don't know… he took it upon himself to treat them all like his children. He pushed them to work hard in school and stay out of trouble. He also lived in the same neighborhood they did, which I think made a difference. He spent his money fixing up the community center and keeping the gangs out of it so we'd have a place to go when we weren't in school."

"Which explains why everyone treats you like their little sister," Darcy observed and she shrugged.

"I guess so. I mean, he made us into a gang, in a way. He knew joining a gang meant belonging to something bigger than them, something like a family, as well as protection within the neighborhood. So he made us think of each other like a family, or even closer. We weren't allowed to fight with each other; he told us loyalty and respect was one of the best things we could give someone so we better give it to each other and never disrespect one another," she paused, remembering. "He said it much better than that. Not so cheesy. His gift was his voice," she shook her head, turning to look at him again. "I've never met anyone like him; you would really have to see him in action," she smiled, saying "He could have been one hell of a conman if he wanted."

"I'll count my blessings he worked for the good side," Darcy smirked. "He sounds like a natural leader."

"Yeah," she said for the third time. She had a faraway look on her face as she became introverted with things she hadn't thought of in a long time. "He wanted us to think we were special. He would find out what each person excelled at and work on it with them if they were good at sports or math, or whatever, he would help them get scholarships to go to college; if they just couldn't hack school he would make sure they got decent jobs and set them up with apartments out of the neighborhood."

"That's amazing. I'm surprised he never got recognition for his work," Darcy said. He shifted slightly and she felt him flush against her side.

"He didn't ever want any. I don't know why, I told him he might get donations and scholarships for them, but..," here she shrugged. "JJ was terrible at math," she paused to laugh, relaxing more against him and resting her arm on his leg. "So bad. He just hated it too much, I think, but he loved history and then eventually philosophy. He wanted to be a professor and travel the world," she shrugged again. "It didn't always work out for us."

"What about you?" Darcy questioned in a quiet voice.

"I don't know," she leaned her head back against the couch, just brushing his shoulder. "I'm still trying to get my life together. I'm in college, but I don't know what I want to do, really. I remember my dad," she paused again to swallow a lump forming in her throat. "I remember him and I think how he dedicated his life to this neighborhood and the people in it, and how he made a difference, but only for so many. I look at these kids growing up without him and wonder how different their life would be if he were still alive. His only legacy is the youth center; the way they honor him is by keeping the gangs out of it, for keeping it a place where kids can go to be safe, but for how long will that even last? I'm not so naïve to think it will stay that way forever."

"It sounds like you feel guilty for that," Darcy observed. She turned to look at him, frowning and tense.

"You think I should be doing something?" she asked him, angry.

"No.," he said, as calm as he ever was. "I think you think you should. But from what you just said, it sounds like what your father really wanted was for you to do what you wanted to do," she absorbed his words, feeling the truth in them even if she couldn't completely eliminate the guilt she felt that she wasn't following in her father's footsteps.

"Yeah," she sighed, turning her head back so she didn't have to see the earnest look on his face and concentrating on the weight of her head against his shoulder so she also didn't completely lose it in front of him. "I just wish I could have at least honored him with a passion for something. He always valued education, and I do love school, so I try to honor him that way."

"It's a step," Will said, shifting to put an arm around her and pull her closer to him. "Don't be so hard on yourself." This caring side of Darcy only caused further confusion.

In these times when it was only them, she expected him to turn off the boyfriend mode, but he only seemed to become more intimate. Maybe not turning it on and off was the way he coped with being undercover, with being a different person. She compared him to the man she met the first day, at the diner, whom she thought of as the real Darcy. Maybe, like Charlotte suggested, he was only keeping her happy. She was opening all the doors for him to taking down Wickham and although she knew he wasn't doing it for the recognition but for the sheer fact that Wickham was a dangerous man that needed to be put behind bars, it didn't help that he thought he needed to placate her.

She wanted to tell him she wasn't that self-centered, that didn't need him flirt with her, to feign interest in her to keep her content so she didn't go running to the street telling of his true identity. Still, she could be honest with herself enough to admit that she enjoyed the attention from him. He was smart and, despite his innate reserve, eventually opened up to her teasing enough to begin teasing her back. They shared similar values and humor and the trouble was that she was feeling more and more comfortable around him. In moments like these, she found herself having to constantly remind herself that it was all an act. In these moments, cuddling on the couch and speaking about her father, it was the hardest to separate real from fantasy.

"What about you?" she asked to remind herself that he was only here to take down a murdering drug dealer. "When did you know you wanted to be a cop?" He didn't answer for so long that she thought she must have offended him and despite feeling like she made a misstep, she was also indigent that he was allowed to ask about her father and she couldn't ask a simple question he could choose to give a simple answer to.

"When I was ten, my mother was murdered," he finally said in a quiet voice. She gasped, lifting her head to turn and look him in the eye but he gripped her shoulder to stop her; while it wasn't so hard that it stopped her physically, she took the hint and leaned her head back down.

"I'm so sorry, Darcy," she murmured, placing a hand on his knee, desperate for a way to comfort him. "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay," he replied gruffly. "They never found out who did it and I… I think I decided then that I would be a cop, that I would dedicate myself to helping families like mine."

"You are a great cop. Take it from someone who never liked cops," Lizzy replied, then winced, cursing herself for not knowing what to say; he let out a huff and rubbed her shoulder a little, and she took it as a good sign. They sat in silence, staring but not seeing the television as both tried to think of something else to say to ease the tension in the room.

Before either could think of anything to say, however, there was a knock at the door. Lizzy and Darcy sat up, and Darcy stood to answer the door, pausing to check the peephole. He sighed, turning to give her a look and she frowned, guessing whoever it was it would be bad news. Darcy opened the door, leaning casually against it, blocking whoever was on the other side from seeing her.

"What's goin on?" he asked in a bored voice.

"You think you can just come into this neighborhood and take my spot on Wickham's crew?" the other voice said. She didn't recognize it, but a knot formed in her stomach. "No one knows you and suddenly you're everyone's best friend? Well, that's bullshit man. I earned that spot."

"Apparently not," Will said calmly. "If you have a problem with who Wickham has on his crew, take it up with him."

"I'm taking it up with you," he said and suddenly Will had a gun in his gut. Lizzy stood, arms crossed, and trying not to show how panicked she was as she took her cues from Will. The man pushed him back slightly and took a step into his apartment. Another man stepped behind him; this one Lizzy recognized. Sammy had been part of their group but left around the same time JJ did to be a runner for a drug dealer that had died a few months back. Most recently he had worked for Wickham before he bruised Wickham's ego and got set up to be jumped for it. He made eye contact with her, his eyes widening at the sight of her. She cocked her head to the side in a 'Really?' motion and he rolled his eyes, but put a hand out towards her, signaling her to stay put.

Both turned back to the scene between Will and the man with the gun. Now that Lizzy had a better look at him, she realized he was probably doped up on meth and cursed to herself.

"Well, well," he had finally seen her back by the couch and pushed Will forcefully towards her. "I heard the Ice Queen finally found a piece of shit worthy of her," he laughed, ignoring the dangerous look in Will's eye. "I also heard it's thanks to you that this loser took my spot on the crew. If I'd have known all it took to get an introduction was to thaw you out, I would have done it a long time ago" he added with a leer.

"Really?" Lizzy sneered. "Cuz I heard you were tossed since more of the product went up your nose than on the street," he had a crazy look in his eye and brought the gun up as if he were going to pistol-whip her, but Will was too fast for him. In a move Lizzy couldn't have duplicated if she tried, Will got the gun out of his hand and was, instead, hitting him in the head with it. The man who had just threatened him was down on the ground, and Will was now pointing his gun at Sammy.

"Wait, he's ok," Lizzy put a hand on Will's arm and he reluctantly lowered the gun to train it on the guy howling in pain on the ground. "What the hell Sammy?"

"I didn't know you'd be here. I didn't know he was your…" Sammy trailed off. The meth-head reached out a hand to grab onto Lizzy's ankle and Will immediately kicked him hard in the stomach. "I just needed back into a crew," he said over the meth head's cry. Lizzy took a step back as Will gave him a few more kicks for good measure and went around the coffee table to get close to Sammy.

"You have other friends besides this loser," she said. "Why didn't you come to one of us?"

"I like to save my favors for when I need them." They both paused as Will crouched down to talk to the meth head on the ground. His voice was low and neither of them could make out the words, they just saw the meth head nodding vigorously.

"I'll give JJ a call," Lizzy told him. "He's more of a businessman than Wickham. You won't have to jump through so many hoops."

"Won't that get you in trouble with Wickham?" Sammy asked.

"Trouble?" she scoffed. "I'm not part of Wickham's crew."

"You vouched for your boyfriend," Sammy said simply. Lizzy understood the implication, but she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone knows my deal. I'm not part of anyone's crew," Lizzy replied forcefully just as Will was pulling the meth head to stand up. His face was bleeding from a nasty cut on his forehead, and from the way he was grasping his side, she wouldn't be surprised if Will had broken a rib.

"So we're clear?" Will was saying and meth head was still nodding. "Take your friend home," he pushed meth head towards Sammy. "And if I ever see either of you around my apartment again, I will shoot first and ask questions later," he paused to let that sink in before asking "Do you understand?"

Both Sammy and Methhead nodded, making their way towards the door. Lizzy caught Sammy's eye just before he left and he gave her a nod of thanks before they were both gone and Will was bolting the door back.

"Jesus," Lizzy breathed, leaning against the wall. "Is it a full moon or something?"

"Who was that?" Darcy asked, pulling the clip from the gun grimacing down at it and sliding it back in.

"Was it loaded?" she asked, ignoring his question. He gave her a look and she let out a breath. "Jesus," she repeated. "Did you think it wasn't or are you really that calm when someone's pointing a gun in your face?"

"Panicking does nothing to help. I was busy thinking of how to get the gun away from him and trying to guess if your friend was carrying too," he was putting the gun in the back of a drawer in his desk while explaining this to her.

"Oh yeah, panicking does nothing to help. I'll try to remember that next time some methhead is about to blow my head off," she laughed weakly. He gave her a look to let her knew he was not amused. "Thanks for saving me again, by the way."

"You shouldn't have been here. I don't know what I was thinking," Darcy was saying, more to himself than to her.

"Well, Wickham is paranoid. It's not crazy to think he has someone watching you and if we're supposed to be dating then we should be hanging out at each other's place," Lizzy rationalized, unusually nervous, afraid he would suggest they shouldn't see each other.

"No more," Darcy said, chin tight and Lizzy felt a pain go through her chest. "From now on we only hang out at your place. I don't want you coming around here anymore, okay?"

The relief that flowed through her at his statement that they would still keep the charade of a couple should make her worried, but all she could do was smile and nod. He had a quizzical look on his face at her reaction but thankfully didn't comment.