"Gracias, Senor Boris. I will let the Young Master know. Uh, the Head Maid is still abiding by the Young Master's orders. You have a great day as well Senor Boris, adios," Fabiola placed the receiver back on the base.

She took a deep breath. She was not a fan of this city, not a fan in any way shape form or fashion. She could feel the slime on the air, and hated how it threatened to choke her as she stood there. It terrified her that such a place could even exist, and horrified her that her Young Master had to ever cross the borders of the city.

"Fabiola? Is everything ok," Garcia asked as he walked into the room, Roberta close behind him.

"Oh, nothing. Senor Boris just called. Apparently Senor Rock was able to convince his coworkers to do the security for the meeting. I, have my misgivings of all this still, are you sure that this is a good course of action," she asked the young man.

"Fabiola, we are not going to be criminals. I began thinking about the best way to ensure that we did not have to deal with anything that we have dealt with since my family's fortunes have turned. We have seen what the people here are capable of doing, and it scares me. Which makes me think that it would scare others," Garcia walked over to a chair and sat down.

Fabiola walked over to stand next to him as Roberta walked out to get them something to eat, "So, you want to make them, uhhh. You want to use them as a shield against others that may try to come after us?"

"Si. Sometimes, the threat of force, can be more effective than the actual application. The Colombians at least respect Senorita Balalaika and her men. I am hoping that her reputation extends far beyond South East Asia. I am tired of the hardships that my family has endured over the last few years, and hopefully this ends it. I hope to god it ends it," Garcia sat back covering his eyes.

"You sound like you are so much older than you are now. Would you like me to get you something to drink while we wait for the Head Maid to return," she was worried about Garcia, a teenager shouldn't have had to think in such terms.

"No, I am fine. I don't have any choice, I am the patriarch of my family, the only living member of my family. Regardless," he stood and walked to the window, "I have learned that it is good to make friends wherever you can, and it doesn't hurt if some of them walk in the shadows."

"If someone must walk in the shadows, then how could they be worthy of any kind of friendship with decent people," Fabiola disliked the idea that her Young Master suggested.

"My father believed in it. When I was an infant, he took in a wounded boy for a while. He was apparently a mercenary, the only survivor of an ambush that took place in Colombia, and somehow ended up crashing the truck he was driving on our estate. My father believed that God had intervened and brought him there to be safe, and to heal. While he was there, he helped deal with a group of petty criminals that were attempting to shake down the plantation workers. I can't remember his name, but I was told that should I ever meet him, that I was to treat him like a member of the family. He was there only a short time, but was able to make that kind of an impression on my family through a kindness, that wasn't necessarily kind in and of itself. Also, by saying that, aren't you saying that Roberta is not worthy of such care and consideration,"Garcia turned back to face her at his last sentence.

"I would never say such about the Head Maid. I apologize for my ill considered words," the girl was quick to apologize.

"Fabiola, I know I have said it in the past, and you have denied it out of propriety of your position, but I wish you would lighten up on the formality. I am not opposed to you using my name, as much as you are a servant, you are also family to me."

"I just cannot. Oh, it sounds like the Head Maid is returning."

Roberta had been hesitant to do this. There was a great chance that it could cause a great commotion, but she felt that she must do it. So great was the chance of conflict that she was even willing to don more civilian clothes in order to not cause a panic in her usual dress.

"Huh, you look different. Must be the fact you aren't trying to kill everyone here. So, what the fuck do you want, and why did I have to meet you in this far flung shithole," the person she was here to talk to, was still as vile as ever.

"Senorita, Revy, I believe it was. I must apologize, in all our previous meetings I was more intent on harm, than making sure of your name. Are you doing well," Roberta was going to make her best effort to be civil, which was going to take the patience of God himself.

"Suuuuurrreee. You can't possibly have just asked me to come all this fucking way, just to make sure I'm not about to drop dead. So, again, just what the fucking hell do you want?"

Roberta dropped her eyes to the table momentarily, "I want to make amends the best I can for what I have done in the past. El Commadante Caxton, started me on a path to find some peace after what happened. I, met with the family of the first man that I murdered, and I, gained some clarity. I, wanted to give whatever penance I could, for the injuries I have caused to you."

Revy looked at the woman for a second not understanding what was going on, "Say what?"

"I attempted to kill you, and your friends, both during my initial visit here, and after the death, of my former master. You, I know now that you were not after my head during that confrontation, and had I taken your life, no justice would have been achieved for anyone."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you at least did the world a favor by cleaning up all those socialist dipshits that were after you. Honestly, I don't give a shit. You didn't kill me, so fuck it. That's the way it works around here, if you die, you die. You got closer than anyone else ever has, bar some dude in Japan with a giant fucking butter knife, and I give you respect for that. As far as justice, I don't give a fuck about shit like that, doesn't really mean anything to me. I don't see how putting bullets in the back of someone's head does anything for that though. Only thing I see, is a bunch of blood being spilled, just to be spilled," the words that the other woman spoke, didn't match what she remembered.

"I see, that is, an unique way at looking at things. I still feel remorse for my actions.," Roberta spoke after a moment.

"Shit, I think you are pretty much doing the punishment on your own if you feel that bad about it. I've learned something over time, just get the fuck over shit. You do it, so fucking what? Maybe there is some sick fucking pervert in the sky watching all the shitty things we do. If so, I hope he has enjoyed some of the shows I put on, but I say worry about that when he has the chance to stare at my tits in person. Me, I ain't changing jack shit," Revy leaned her chair back and put her feet on the small cafe table, showing that she still didn't care for manners.

Alarm bells started going off in Roberta's head, everyone telling her that she should not allow for this pathetic woman's insults to stand. However, she did her best to ignore them. This was why her Young Master didn't want her to carry weapons anymore, so that she didn't fall back into the bloodhound again.

"Maybe there is something to your words, but not everyone has the same feelings about what may lie past the grave. One day you may find yourself, struggling with what is happening before you, to you, or to one that you care for. Senorita Revy, I hope that you can find peace in such a moment,"Roberta made to stand and leave.

Revy took on an uncharacteristically solemn look, "Hold on Glasses Bitch. Don't assume, that I haven't faced something like that. I had to deal with it the only way I could in the moment. How doesn't matter, just the fact I faced it," she let her feet to the ground and stood, "is what truly matters. So you can take that holier than thou shit, and suck my cunt. I don't care, I won't care, and if that bothers you, fuck you."

Roberta watched as she walked off. She felt her fist start to tighten, and through sheer force of will made it relax. Maybe not everyone held her actions against her. In fact, she should have seen such a thing coming. She could only have been maybe two or three years older than Revy was, maybe there wasn't that much wisdom she could have gained in that time.

She thought back again to Manuel. He had always said, that those like themselves, that took lives, shouldn't worry about their souls. It was up to God to determine if their acts were just or not. A person couldn't know the content of another man's soul, to know if he was good or evil, worthy of life or death.

"So, that was quick. Also, you didn't shoot her. I'm amazed, you talked like she was the biggest baddest thing to ever walk the Earth," Roberta turned her head to look in the direction that the voice had come from.

The movement had almost made the large sunglasses she was wearing fly off her face. The voice sounded a little ways off, so it was harder to pick out.

"She isn't armed, isn't that much fun to blow her brains out if she can't fight back even enough," she was able to locate Revy easy enough.

The man she saw talking with her, was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen. It was far enough away that she couldn't see every detail of his face, but the hard look it had to it, drew her eyes to it. She tore her eyes away quickly before they might have noticed her staring.

"So, that was the Bloodhound. She looks solid enough for the rumors, not a bad body either. Oh well, I'm hungry. What was that place that you wanted to try out that just opened," the rest of the conversation was lost as they got into a car.

Her breath was quick and shallow. She hadn't felt like this in so many years, she almost didn't recognized it. It felt the same as when she had seen the boy in the jungle during the ambush. She was almost thirty, and in a position of great responsibility, she didn't have the luxury of such infatuations anymore.

She calmed herself and caught her breath. Beyond anything, she was damaged beyond what any man would want. She was little more than a killer, a beast to be pointed at something, and her cage opened to unleash her upon whatever offended her masters. That wasn't the make of a wife, or a mother.

"So Ethan, you commented she had a good body? You don't have a fetish for women who could put you in the dirt, do you," Revy asked, chuckling as she reclined the seat as far as it would go.

Ethan barely rolled his eye in her direction, "Is that the best you can do? Honestly, that was as fucking weak as it gets. My dick works, and of course I am going to notice if she looks like she might be good bent over something. I'm not a fucking queer."

"Yeah, unfortunately I had to see that sight. I'm going to have nightmares for weeks. I think the weird bitch has a thing for the kid she is working for, which I guess fucking happens, but it weirds me the fuck out. Then I remember that she is way more fucking dangerous than I am in the right situations," the female gunslinger closed her eyes.

"You actually said that someone is more dangerous than you, that, actually concerns me a little. Then again, no, I am pretty much just on par with you I would say. I just know how to be smarte... hey, what the fuck is nightmarish about my dick? I haven't ever had any complaints about it before," the first part of Revy's statement finally hit him.

"Are you kidding, any chick that sees that has to start running. That is a fucking murder implement hanging there, and it probably gets scarier the more it grows," Revy broke out into a fit of uncharacteristic giggles.

"It isn't that fucking big, and I haven't killed anyone with it, as far as I know. Makes me think you are just afraid of dicks," Ethan snorted as he stopped at a light.

"Go fuck yourself, its long enough to anyways. Hey, Ethan," Revy let her demeanor change.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever actually thought you were in love with someone," the question was quiet.

The silence that ensued was thunderous. Revy looked at the expression on Ethan's face. She didn't really know why she has asked him that question. He may have been like her brother now, but that still wasn't really any of her business.

"At one point. It didn't end well, and I don't like thinking back on it now. Just, where is this place?"

A/N: I appreciate everyone who has kept up with this fic, especially given the email issues that are currently going on with FFN. I appreciate all the reviews, though I would prefer they had more meat to many of them. I really do want to know what your thoughts are on how things are going. Also, I have to disappoint many of you, because Ethan is not banging Balalaika.