She had awoken at the sound of the door, but laid still, her eyes shut in the lingering traces of sleep. She could feel his weight on the bed as he leaned in close, whispering in her ear, "You're safe now." Somehow, she knew exactly what he meant.

It was nearly an hour before she felt his breathing slow and his body settle into peaceful stillness. She opened her eyes, examining the undamaged half of his face while the other remained buried in his pillow. His high cheekbones and graceful jaw begged to be covered in kisses, and she dutifully obeyed, careful not to wake him. He truly was her knight in shining armor, her hero in a world with few to offer a girl like her. And she loved him, more than she had ever loved Nick. She loved his light as well as his dark, loved the comfort waiting in his embrace and the thrill that had coursed through her veins at the sight of standing before her, brave and statuesque, clutching a gun to Nick's head. It was the latter that worried her, no matter how enticing it may have been.

She remembered their first day together, when he had told her of his beloved sister, Emma. The way he told it, they were still close, but something in the wistful quality his voice took on when speaking of her gave Lucia the distinct impression that there was more to the story than Richard let on. Though she had grown so close to him in recent days, so much of his life was still shrouded in mystery. She thought of Julia, and understood what had driven them apart: it had been Richard, and his insistence that he was somehow separate from the rest of the world, unable to accept the love that he deserved because of some misguided sense of guilt. She could feel it in the intensity with which he made love to her, the immediacy of his movements and the selfless way in which he attended to her needs first while only reluctantly accepting her attention to his in return. He was begging her to love him, but unable to accept that she did.

He had so much growth ahead of him. They both did, but a part of her knew that their paths were leading them in different directions. She was finally free of Nick's control, and now needed to find her own way in life, whereas Richard had been independent for far too long and desperately needed someone to come home to. She wished that could be her, but now was not the time.

Quietly as she could manage, she rose from the bed and took a seat at the small desk. She turned on the lamp with a jolt of fear that it might wake him; he did not move a muscle. She carefully pulled open the desk drawer and retrieved a sheet of stationery, on which she began to write.

Morning came, as it is wont to, all too soon. Richard enjoyed the buttery feel of his muscles, for once unburdened by the tension they were normally forced to hold. He opened his eyes, hoping to reach out to Lucia, perhaps kiss her awake. But her place in the bed was empty.

He sat up and looked around the room. All was still, with no sign of her. Her clothes—the ones she'd brought and those he had purchased for her—were nowhere to be found. It was almost as if she had never been there in the first place.

Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention; a piece of paper lay folded on her pillow. He pulled it slowly towards him, less than eager to read its contents but knowing that he must.

"My dearest Richard,

Words cannot express the love I have for you, but nevertheless I'll try. You saved me from a life I didn't know I did not deserve, and for that I can never thank you enough. But now is not our time. I've decided to go to California, on my own. Maybe I'll become the next Garbo, or maybe I'll just find a little bungalow on the beach and try to figure out who Luciana Morici really is. I feel like my whole life is ahead of me, and I know that is because of you.

I know you believe that you cannot be both a killer and a savior, but I am telling you that you can, and that you must. It may sound crazy, but your skill is one that you should not run from. You are still the sweet, wonderful man that you say you left behind before the war, but you are also a soldier, and a good one at that. I hope you can find a way to accept who you are, and to find peace within yourself.

You deserve more love than you realize, my darling. Promise me that you will let it into your heart. I do not know the circumstances behind your parting with Julia, but I can only assume that she loves you as much as I do. If she does not, then she does not deserve you, but just promise me that you'll try.

Please know that I will always cherish the memory of our time together. I have never felt more alive than when I was in your arms, and I will remember you fondly all the days of my life.

With all of my love,

Your

Lucia

PS: Perhaps it is time to pay Emma a visit—you didn't think I really believed that you two are still close, did you?"

He read the note twice, his eye clouded with tears. He did not blame her for departing without him; on the contrary, he admired her willingness to take such a leap of faith, all on her own. California would look good on her.

As he packed his belongings and prepared to leave the hotel for the last time, he thought about Capone and how angry he would doubtless be at the way in which the events of the past week had panned out. He had assumed Richard would deliver him a new girl, and Richard had stolen from him both the girl and one of his lackeys, instead. But Capone did not strike fear into Richard's heart, volatile though he had proven himself to be. Whatever the outcome of his actions, Richard was ready to face them head-on, with the fearlessness of a soldier heading into battle and the serenity of the quiet Wisconsin farm boy deep within.

He considered the road ahead. One led back to Atlantic City, where Nucky would be waiting (no doubt aware of the mess Richard had made), and where Julia and Tommy were safely tucked away. The other led to a place he hadn't considered revisiting in years, but perhaps Lucia was right. It was time for him to accept himself, for better or for worse. He just hoped that he was up to the challenge.