"Moderation" by Florence + The Machine

Eunice drove us to the bar in silence. She didn't seem to be the type to require constant, incessant talking. I was thankful for that at the moment. When we got to McGinty's, there were three police waiting outside.

"They're actually on time, I'm impressed," Eunice smiled to herself. She glanced at me. "You ready?"

"As much as I can be," I nodded, grabbing the grocery bags from the back seat. She let me lead the way. Doc grinned as soon as he saw me, ushering me to the back room to put stuff in the refrigerator.

When we came back out, Murphy and Connor were spraying down the cops while laughing hysterically.

"Old friends," Doc informed me. I nodded, watching the situation play out.

"Yes, yes, we're all friends here," Eunice laughed as the three cops realized that she was working with us.

"Ye look like ye need a drink?"

I looked back at Doc, nodding again. Their jovial mood was doing nothing to lift my sour one.

"Fuck-ass! What'll ye have?"

"Whiskey, double, neat," I said. He nodded, pouring a generous amount of whiskey into a short whiskey glass. I drank it like it was a shot, tapping it. He raised his eyebrows but filled it again, putting his hand over it.

"Moderation."

I laughed, taking a small sip to prove that I was a reasonable adult with restraint.

"Ye okay there, Cec?" Connor questioned as he held one of the cops in a headlock.

"I'll be better," I raised my glass. Eunice shook her head.

"You're just as bad as them sometimes," she chided. I shrugged, taking another drink. Being overly social wasn't exactly on my list of things to do right now. She raised an eyebrow at me but said nothing else.

Murphy gave me a questioning look but Eunice cleared her throat.

"Now, I wanted us all to have a pleasant working relationship. You help us, we help you. And we can take turns babysitting," she said, looking at me.

"Babysitting?" Murphy questioned, offended on my behalf. I shook my head at him to say that he shouldn't be.

"It seems that Cecilia has a hit on her head from the Yakavettas."

The boys exchanged glances, neither looking like they really understood exactly what she was saying.

"What? Why would Cecilia have a hit on her?" Connor questioned.

"Because my family used to belong to them," I grumbled. I was mad all over again. Mostly at my mom for just never telling me any of this. It felt like a betrayal. Worse than anything Aidan had ever done.

"Ye belong to them?" Murphy questioned.

"I don't think I should," I said thoughtfully, feeling pleasantly drunk by that point. "Apparently my dad met my mom, who was the daughter of one of the mid-level bosses or whatever. And he joined the mafia to be able to marry her but then he wanted us to have a normal life so he moved us to Pennsylvania." I hiccupped and took another drink so that I wouldn't do it again. "But that wasn't good enough so they murdered him and then my grandfather went to prison and was also murdered."

"That's about the thick of it," Eunice said after a moment of silence that was only broken by me hiccuping again and finishing my drink. I was very drunk by this point. "The Yakavettas had someone following her today when I was following her while she was getting groceries. It would be wise to not allow her to wander around alone until the Yakavettas are dealt with."

"Any idea who it was?" Connor asked as I laid my head down on the bar, just trying to shut out the entire bar. I sat up straight and then immediately put my head back down as I realized that that had been a mistake.

"Doc, I need your phone," I told him, swatting vaguely without looking up.

"I've got it," Murphy sighed. "Who am I calling, love?"

I reached into my pocket and waved the piece of paper with Klaus' number on it. Murphy punched the number into the receiver, stretching the cord over to me to put my hand on it and helped me hold it up to my ear. Klaus answered on the third ring.

"Niklaus?" I greeted him. "I need your help. I've got an idea."

"Cecilia? Are you drunk? Where are you?"

"McGinty's. I'm with Murph and some other people."

Romeo made a noise of indignation, which I responded to by shushing him.

"Anyway, it's too much to explain on the phone and I'm really tired-"

And there is apparently where I passed out. I'm told that Detective Greenly caught me before I fell onto the floor.

My head was pounding when I woke up the next morning. And I was terribly thirsty. I was back in the apartment. There was a glass of water and some aspirins beside my side of the mattress and Murphy was sleeping peacefully beside me. I was in pajamas somehow. Connor and Romeo were also sleeping.

I bit back a groan and took the pills, drinking the entire glass of water immediately. After a few seconds of making sure I wasn't terribly dizzy, I stood up and stumbled my way into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Klaus said quietly, scaring the hell out of me. He was sitting at our dining room table reading a newspaper. I must have looked very confused and startled because he chuckled. "I spent the night, Murphy explained what you told them last night. Or what you tried to tell him. It sounds like that Eunice woman may have filled in some details."

"Why are you here though?"

"You called me."

"I did?"

"Well, Murphy did. You slurred some words at me insinuating that you had a plan and then passed out."

"That sounds more like me," I admitted. I propped my elbows on the table, holding my head with my hands. "You slept here?"

"I did unfortunately."

"Sorry."

"I've done worse things for less important people. Have you talked to your mom?"

"No, I decided to fixate on it instead yesterday."

"That sounds about right. You should probably call her. At least to let their father know what's happening anyway."

I raised my eyebrows.

"They filled me in on a lot of things you left out."

I shrugged. "Fair enough." I retrieved my cellphone before realizing I couldn't really go outside by myself. I turned to look at him but he was already standing beside me.

"Just to be safe." I nodded before leaving the apartment as quietly as I could.

Once I was outside, I dialed the number for Noah's house. He answered on the third ring. "Hey, Noah, it's Cecilia. Is my mom around?"

"Yeah, I'll get her for you."

"No, I need both of you for this. No kids. Don't mention it's me."

There was a long pause. "Okay." I heard him speaking in Italian with my mother, who then told Tyler to take the kids outside for lunch.

"Cecilia? What's wrong?" Mom asked. She sounded so concerned that I felt my anger waver and tears sprung to my eyes.

"I know what happened to Dad in Boston," I admitted. She sat there quietly. "You should have told me."

"I should have, Killian didn't want you to ever know. You thought the world of him-"

"I still do, Mom, that's not the point. They're dissatisfied with the agreement now."

"Because of the Saints?"

"That's my guess. You did know?"

"Of course I knew. I still have some old contacts who keep me updated on things. They haven't told me about this though."

"I'm not sure they'd know if they're just associates. They have me tagged though. It's only a matter of time before they track you down. Or the kids." I glanced at Klaus. He looked relaxed, but he was looking around casually. He shook his head slightly. We were fine right now.

"They'll be safe," Noah spoke up. "You have my word."

"I appreciate it, Noah."

"Are you...safe?" Mom asked softly.

"The boys will keep her safe."

"Yeah, I've got help. Klaus is here, too."

"Oh, tell him I said hello. I always liked him." Noah cussed in Italian, causing me to laugh.

"Yeah, everybody likes Klaus."

"Except for Murphy," Klaus grinned.

"Murphy likes you just fine," I rolled my eyes. Klaus stared at me. "Okay, he'll come to like you just fine. Mom says hi."

"Hello Gabriella."

"I could listen to him talk all day," Mom sighed. Noah scoffed indignantly, sounding like the boys. I smiled. "I'm sure Murphy is just as lovely. More lovely? The loveliest? Oh, per l'amor di Dio, Noah, stop making that face."

"Alright, I'm going to let you go before you kill each other."

"This is just how Irishmen are. Give the boys my best," Mom said dismissively. "Ti amo, Cecilia."

"Ti amo, anch'io, madre," I replied.

"Stay safe, Cecilia."

"You, too, Noah." I hung up, feeling much better now. We went back inside just as Murphy was getting up out of bed.

"Ye look like hell," Murphy noted.

"I fucking feel like it," I replied, putting my phone back in my bag. "Mom said to give you her best."

"She said I'm her favorite though," Klaus smirked. I gave him an unamused look.

"That's just because you're polite. Your dad had a few choice words in Italian for her."

"Oh?" Murphy questioned, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

I reiterated them, causing Murphy to laugh. "Yeah, my mom was not at all phased that your dad threatened to bathe in her blood for insulting you. So it's probably a regular occurrence there."

"I see where ye get it from now," he kissed me, tapping the tip of my nose playfully. I tried to look annoyed but failed miserably and smiled instead.

"Shut up."

"Ye both shut up," Connor mumbled into his pillow. "I don't wake up this early."

"Connor it's eight."

"Cecilia, I love ye as much as I could love a sister, but-"

"C'mon Connor, time to get up," Murphy announced, flipping the mattress Connor was on right on top of Romeo. Connor yelped as Romeo continued to sleep peacefully, snoring into Connor's ear.

"I am going to kill ye, Murphy, so help me god," Connor hissed, struggling to get up.

"Is this a regular occurrence?" Klaus questioned as the twins began assaulting one another.

"Yeah, you get used to it. Coffee?" I asked, turning to make some.

"Please."