A/N:

italics flashback, bold Joey observations

Don't worry about the future of this fic. It will continue, despite NBC's dumb decision to have the TBD episodes only be online from now on ;)

I yawn and open my eyes to blaring sunlight. It takes me a few minutes to remember where I am. Jimmy's apartment. I smile. We usually always stay at my place, but things were going particularly well for us since yesterday and we definately did not hide it in the bedroom. I close my eyes, groaning. The soreness below the waist was killing me, but so worth it.

I had two days off in a row from the Diner and promised Jimmy I'd help him paint the bar. Joey was going to be helping too, but I wasn't expecting him to do anything but complain about when they'd be finished. I actually wanted to do it. Painting was always fun for me for some reason.

I stand up and stretch and slip off Jimmy's three sizes too large t-shirt, but not before putting it up to my nose. It still smelled like him. This was when I knew things were good between us. When I could still smile at the way his shirt smelled. My smile quickly fades, and I throw the shirt into the hamper. I didn't want to jinx anything.

I start walking into the bathroom when I hear someone walk into the room. I whip around and cover myself. First instinct. Kevin is standing there with his mouth open. I stare at him for a few seconds and awkwardly look away from him. "Kevin, what are you doing in here?"

His head snaps away from my naked body. "Umm-- yeah. I'm-- uhh.. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were-- you know."

I take the comforter off the bed and wrap it around me so no body parts are showing. "Safe to turn back around now."

He doesn't move. "You're-- covered, right? You're decent?"

I roll my eyes. "No, I'm still naked. It's a ploy to flash you again."

He turns back around and his eyes are on the floor. "Sorry. Jimmy wanted me to come up and see when you were coming down."

I smile and walk into the bathroom. "Joey isn't doing anything, I'm guessin'?"

"No, he's doing stuff. He's just gettin' on Jimmy's nerves. Plus, they got the wrong paint."

I stick my head out of the doorway. "Green instead of Clover?"

Kevin nods, looking up now. I was in my normal clothes again. I shake my head. "See, I told him to take me instead of Joey. Idiots."

I walk back out into the bedroom and run a brush through my hair. I look up when I notice Kevin is still standing there. "He want you to tell me anything else?"

He quickly shakes his head, turning to leave. "No, no. That's it. I've gotta get goin' anyway. I have to collect from this guy Newton by two-thirty or Whitey's Uncle Bob's probably gonna kill all of us. Or just brand me and Jimmy with his waffle machine.. or whatever the hell it is." He runs his hands over his face. "Neither of those sound like alot of fun."

I look at him worriedly. "You serious? Kevin, you're gonna find this guy who owes the money, right? You know where he is."

Kevin gives me a strange look. He was acting like he knew exactly where he was, but he wouldn't be able to get the money. "I know where he is, but it's complicated."

I inch closer to him. He looked like he had a million things going through his head. "Tommy going with you?"

He shakes his head. "No. I'm going alone. I can do it. I just-- you know.."

I had no idea what was going on, but the least I could do was offer to help. "I'll come with if you want. Jimmy can do without me until three."

He raises his voice. "I don't need anyone to come with me! Jesus, what is it with everybody always thinkin' I can't do anything by myself?"

He steps back a little and takes a deep breath. I put my hand on his arm. "Kevin, I didn't mean it like that. You just look nervous." I smile, "And I can be really persuasive."

He smiles back at me shyly. "Yeah, I know you can. I was there when you bought the beer for me and Seany when I was sixteen. I know how persuasive you can be."

I smack him in the shoulder and laugh. "Okay, that is not fair! You guys begged me!"

He rolls his eyes. "Uh huh."

I throw a pillow at his head from the bed. "You did too! You knew I couldn't say no to Sean. That's why you put him up to it."

He catches it after it hits his face and throws it back at me. I look over his shoulder and Jimmy is standing in the doorway with a brush in his hand. "Kevin, you leavin' anytime this century? Come on, you've got to be back here by two-thirty. I'm not dealing with Uncle Bob just because you can't collect ten fucking grand."

Without saying another word, Kevin shuffles past Jimmy. I straighten the pillows. "What the hell were you guys doing? I could hear you all the way downstairs."

I shrug, "Just having a few laughs. You didn't have to yell at him like that. He's nervous enough as it is about collecting that money."

He walks over to the dresser and changes his shirt. "It's ten grand! What the hell's he so worried about? He said he knew the guy."

"I don't know, Jimmy. I just know he looked worried is all. Maybe you should ask Tommy to go with him?"

He glances back at me. "What for?"

I pull the sheet up on the bed and tuck in the corners. "I don't know. Forget it."

He comes up from behind me and wraps his arms around my stomach. I smile. "Go paint the bar."

"You know, I don't think I've seen somebody actually look sexy makin' a bed." He nibbles on my ear. Not fair. I love it when he does that.

He takes my shirt off and kisses my neck. Through a moan, "Jimmy you said we had to--"

I turn around and we lower down to the bed. "Joey can handle things. We've got a few minutes."

I should only have been thinking about Jimmy, but I wasn't. I just hoped that Kevin got that money before all hell broke loose.

I'd been painting for almost two hours and Joey and Jimmy wouldn't stop fighting. They'd been at eachother's throats since we came back downstairs.

Joey throws the trim brush down on the table. "I told you I use the trim brush! It's easier. The bigger brushes are too heavy, Jimmy. What do you want?"

Jimmy puts his hands on top of his head. "How many times have I gotta tell ya? You can't use the trim brush. The strokes are too narrow."

Joey looks at the door, cocking his head to the side. "It looks fine to me. It's perfect. Look at that. You could put it in a magazine."

Jimmy shoves the large brush in his face. "Use the bigger brush or I'll knock all your teeth out. How's that?"

I step in between them, putting both hands on Jimmy's chest. "Cut it out. Both of you." I turn to Joey, "Just use the bigger brush, Joe. Please?"

He rolls his eyes, and snatches it from Jimmy. "See how I respond when someone isn't hollerin' at me?"

Jimmy tries to step towards him to beat him senseless but I pull his arm in the opposite direction. "Ah, ah, ah.. not a good idea. Come on."

He takes a deep breath and mumbles, "I'll holler at him all I want in my fuckin' bar."

I glance behind him and see Sean walk in. I smile at him. "Hey Sean."

He nods at me and asks Jimmy to talk. "Yeah Seany, hold on a sec." He turns back to me, "Watch him. I don't even know what the hell his problem is today. He's gone special needs on me."

"Yeah, Jimmy I can hear everything you're saying." Joey says, still painting.

I continue to paint when Jimmy comes back from talking to Sean. He drapes his arms around my neck. "Me and Seany are gonna go buy a jukebox. Coming with?"

I turn around and face him. "A jukebox? Why?"

"Sean's idea. He's my new beverage manager."

I laugh, "You're Ma's gonna love that. What happend to going back to school?"

Jimmy pulls me to the side. "I figure he'll get bored with this and go back. He came in here talkin' crazy shit about Ma driving him nuts-- moving out of the apartment-- working for Dokie if I won't give him a job. What was I supposed to say? Beverage manager's all I could think of. No way in hell he's working for Dokie. Not while I'm above ground."

Joey steps in, "So you guy's are taking off? What about me?"

Jimmy takes my hand and we head to the front door. "Someone's gotta stay here and paint. Door's almost done anyway. We'll be back."

I lean against the jukebox, trying not to laugh at Sean's blatant attempt to get the salegirl's number. Maybe he would actually talk her into giving us the jukebox instead of having to pay for it. Could he be anymore obvious?

I look out the store window at Jimmy talking to Whitey. They'd been out there for almost ten minutes talking frantically back and forth and both using their cell phones. Something had to have gone wrong with Kevin and the money. Tommy was with him. It couldn't be that bad.

Whitey walks away and Jimmy starts pacing. I walk outside and stare at him. He's leaning against the window. "What happend with Kevin?"

"He didn't show with the money. That's what happend with Kevin! Damn it."

I move next to him. "I thought you said that Tommy went with him to collect?"

He scoffs, and roughly runs a hand through his hair. "Alot of good that did. He can't even babysit Kevin. Who can't babysit Kevin? Easiest job in the whole damn world. Hold his hand, feed him, and keep him on a short leash. How hard is that?"

I roll my eyes. "Don't blame it on Tommy. Maybe the Newton guy just wasn't home."

He looks up at me and his expression is emotionless. I watch as the muscles in his jaw start to twitch. "What did Whitey say?"

He looks down at the ground. "Don't worry about it. It's not important. It'll work itself out."

I stand in front of him. "You didn't answer my question. What did Whitey say?"

He looks up at me, furious. "Why do you always wanna know everything, huh?! What do you want from me?"

I close my eyes briefly and take a few steps back from him. "Whitey's Uncle, right? He's gonna kill you for not getting that money?"

He nods and adds sarcastically, "You guessed it. Sucks, don't it? What I get for trusting Tommy and Kevin to do anything."

I walk away from him down the sidewalk. I don't know what bothered me more. The fact that he was stupid enough to get involved in this collecting scheme with Whitey in the first place or that he was actually making fun of this whole situation that would probably end up getting he and Kevin killed. He pushes off the wall and follows. "Where the hell are you goin'?"

I don't answer him. He rushes up to me and grabs the back of my arm. "Hey!"

I shrug him off and whip around. "Hey, what?! I can't believe you were actually about to lie to me about something like this!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't gonna lie to you. I was--"

I stop him. "No! You were." I put my hand on my forehead. "After the other night-- you still don't learn do you? You never do."

"Whitey wants me to come with him to talk to his Uncle tonight."

My face contorts and I turn around, hands on my head. "And you're seriously dumb enough to go?! Jimmy, he'll kill you! The guy's a nut job, you said it yourself."

He puts his hands firmly on my shoulders. "Look at me. I've been up against tougher guys than Bob The Mouth. No one's killing anybody."

I shake my head. "I don't trust Whitey farther than I can throw him, Jimmy. He's setting you up! I can't believe you can't see that! I'm goin' with you and Sean. You're taking Sean, aren't you? As a lookout?"

The look on his face told me that there was no way in hell he was letting me go. He had that half-annoyed, half-protective look he got sometimes when I asked him for things he really didn't want to do, because he knew something horrible was about to happen.

He removes his hands and chuckles slightly. "What's the point in askin' me questions if you already know what I'm gonna say? No way in hell you're gettin' within a hundred feet of that place. That's it! End of discussion."

I give him a fake smile. "Okay, you know what I say to that? Fuck you, I'm coming with you guys whether you like it or not."

He's an inch away from my face now. "Maddie, you're not coming. Understand? Don't do this to me right now."

The fight went on like that for the next several minutes, until Sean pulled himself out of the salesgirl's ass, and decided to intervene. Long story short, I walked off pissed as hell, and Jimmy and Sean went on their merry way with a new jukebox that they didn't have to pay for. He had said no. There was no way I was going and that was it. It was too dangerous and I would just do something to fuck it up. Plus, he'd just be worrying about me the whole time and he couldn't concentrate.

Short version? I didn't agree.

"Wait a minute-- stop! So you're telling us that Jimmy Donnelly killed Robert Kelley, and the girlfriend and Sean Donnelly were witnesses?"

"Actually I'm not saying that. I can't even tell you how what happend happend next or even why. But I can tell you what happend. Jimmy and Whitey went up to see Uncle Bob and they left Sean outside as a lookout to keep him out of harm's way. The next thing was a little unexpected to say the least.."

I watch from behind the street corner. Sean was standing in front of the building by a parked car. I debated for about an hour before I got the guts to follow Jimmy, Whitey, and Sean the six blocks to the building from the Firecracker. I was freezing my ass off and had forgotten my coat-- yet again. It wasn't supposed to be this cold in April.

I realize that my body is too noticeable when Sean jerks his head in my direction. I quickly duck back behind the corner and a girl passes by me. She looks back at me strangely and I give her an innocent smile, trying to seem like I was doing something semi-normal. I turn back to see what's going on when someone steps in front of me.

I jump back when said someone's hand grabs my wrist. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

My heart slows when I see Sean. I lean against the wall. "Seany-- hey. What are you doing out here? I was just walking by. Funny."

He smiles, but tries to stay serious. "You shouldn't have followed us. That was stupid-- especially around here at this time of night."

I look around, and notice for the first time what a bad area it actually was. "I told Jimmy I was coming."

"He told you not to though."

I knew how to get to Sean. It was the same way with all of the Donnelly brothers. "Look, I'm not leaving. If you go back over there without me, I'm just gonna stand here, and if something happens to me it's gonna be all your fault, and you're gonna have to live with that for the--"

Sean holds up a hand, "Okay, alright. I'll play Kevin for the night. Come on."

He takes my hand, and we cross the street, and wait in front of the building. "How long did he say they'd be?"

He shakes his head, "He didn't. He just told me the stand here and if something happens to--"

Before Sean could finish his sentence, I feel his arms instinctively shield my body, and push me back, and a huge smashing sound. I push his arms down and stare at the sight in front of us.

Bob The Mouth. What do you know? Jimmy cheats death again.

I open my eyes slightly when I hear my front door close. I look over at the clock. 2:30 a.m.

After a few seconds, I feel his body press against me from behind, and his arm rest on top. He looks over my shoulder and scans my face and body. Kissing my arm, "You okay?"

He knew I had been there. I wasn't going to try and hide it from him. "No permanent damage."

I shift to my back and he lies back on the pillow. "Sean was worried about you after he walked you home. That was the only reason he told me."

I roll my eyes. That wasn't the reason. Maybe he was a little worried, but Sean knew me. He knew that all I cared about was that Jimmy got out alive. It was that he hated lying to him. "I told you I was comin' with you, and I came. I belonged there. I did what I thought was best."

He looks up at the ceiling and stays quiet for awhile. I turn his cheek towards me. "Don't be mad, okay? This once?"

He runs a hand through my hair. "I'm not mad, Maddie. I'm just wonderin' if you're ever gonna just shutup, trust me, and do what I tell you."

I smile and enlace his hand with mine. "Jimmy, I'd trust you with my life any day of the week. But the shutting up and doing what you tell me part? Not likely, no."

He doesn't smile back. He's staring at me seriously. It felt like we were back in the basement of the Firecracker. "I need you to listen to me. I'm building a business, and sometimes it's gonna get messy like it did tonight, and like it's been gettin' lately."

I nod, inching my body towards his. "I know all that."

"I can't do what I have to do in the right way if I'm worryin' where you're gonna pop up every second. I can't do it. It's too much."

I groan, "Jimmy, it was one time."

"Maddie, it's not and you know it. I want you in one piece more than I love who you are, you know?"

I kiss him and lay my head on his chest. "I can't promise that I won't show up, Jimmy. It's instinct. You'd do the same if our roles were reversed."

"In that moment of what Maddie thought was bliss, Jimmy was coming up with a plan of his own to keep her safe by any means necessary. If he couldn't keep her from showing up when the heat was on, he'd get someone else to do it for him-- to be her shadow really. Remember when I mentioned that things got rocky between them? Believe it or not, that hasn't happend yet. Mere child's play. This is when it happend.. Jimmy and his thinking.."