Claudia and her co workers and boss were chilling at the bar they worked at. It was last call and the day was super draining as the cubs vs sox's were playing that night. All Claudia wanted to do was to lay on her bed and sleep. Working the late night shift at the bar was her favorite but she did miss her days in the kitchen. But bartending was close enough.

"What is this?" Her boss Adam and others smelled the alcohol drink that Claudia had made to see if it was worth putting on the menu. It's pretty much them all messing around behind the bar and making some science experiment or they play a guessing game of name that drink.

"You gotta drink it first." They were sketchy at first at the shot glass that was red. They all prayed and took that shot like a man. They all made faces and coughed.

"You trying to kill us?!" They coughed again.

"Pussies." She laughs. "Its a Negroni, man up." She takes the glasses and cleans them. "I know you absolutely cannot hang out with my family if you think thats strong." They all laughed with her.

"Adam, theres a guy here, won't leave." Kent drums the table as he told the boss. Adam gets up and goes to the door to see whats up.

"Claudia, for you." She frowns and sees the man behind her boss.

"Carmy?" He still looked the same, but he looked more drained, like life was suck out of him even more. If it wasn't for those blue eyes, she wouldn't have recognized him.

As for Carmy Berzatto, Claudia was extremely different. She wasn't the braided hair, braces, glasses chef he remembered. Her hair was now pitch black, shes now wearing makeup, she never did back in Ever's, her arms are covered in tattoos. Looks like leaving Ever's kitchen changed her.

"Hey Audi." Claudia forgets her clean up and heads to him. "Can we talk?"

"Go ahead Claudia, we got you." They start doing her clean up.

"You fucking owe me anyways assholes." She turns to look at Carmen, to give her a second to get her things. Its been what? Years? Fuck. They worked together long ago as chefs. They stayed in touch as Claudia quit Ever's and started working for Anthony Bourdain. But drifted away when things went south for the two of them, work, life, family. "What are you doing in Chicago Carmy? I thought you were out doing moves? Mr. Hot Shot." She digs through her messy black bag, looking for her box of cigarettes.

"Came back two months ago, took over the restaurant my brother left me two weeks ago, after he..." They stayed quiet. "You? I thought you would be around the world right now."

"After Anthonys death, I just couldn't be in a kitchen without him. I had to come back home, help my parents, my sister." She lights up her cigarette and gives the lighter to Carmy so he can join her.

"So bartending is your new thing now?"

"If it gets the bills paid, sure." She takes a drag "How did you find me?" She frowns at the scrawny man next to her.

"Your sister." He scratches his head, saying with embarrassment. "She said you worked here."

"She still has a crush on you." She elbows him. Claudia's sister Mariah, when she came to visit her during her time working, she would always drool over Carmy. As for a teenager, she was always try to get his attention. She would do anything for him. Still will.

"You look different." He really tries to keep the conversation going. She knew something was up. He needed something but didn't know how to ask.

"My braces are off." She flashes a smile. When she started school and headed off to that restaurant where she met Carmy, she had braces, a little shy. Everyone thought she was quiet and would break within the first month but fuck no. She had one hell of a temper. She was an angry chef, the one who yells and throws stuff, all because one guy there always pushed her buttons and one day she snapped, but she was a reasonable, talented chef as well. Claudia was and still is very competitive but her dishes were outstanding and thats when a certain someone told her that he wanted her to work for him. When you get to know Claudia, all that doesn't matter. She can be very sweet and kind, only if she believes you deserve it.

"Hows your dad?"

"Why are you stalking me Carm?" She finally cuts him off. He sighs, he can finally stop.

"I want you to come work for me." She chuckles a bit. "We worked well together."

"We did not. We were competitive." She corrected him.

"This restaurant my brother left me, I have a vision, a dream. I see you working with me. Im giving you the opportunity to do this." Claudia sighs, her back presses against the brick cold wall. "I wouldn't be here if i didn't respect you."

"This so called restaurant, what is it?"

"The beef." She nods. Just nods. Her living in Chicago for pretty much her whole life, she has never heard of 'The Beef'. "Don't you miss being in the kitchen?" She did. Growing up, her grandfather and mother were also chefs back in their homeland. She wanted to carry on that tradition. She loved being in the kitchen, cooking her soul out and just be surrounded by people who were doing the same. She misses that.

But when things came crashing down as her mentor passed away, she lost her way of cooking, lost all sight and moved back home and just find herself again. It crushed her. No matter how many words of wisdom that Luca gave her, her mom, her dad, it wasn't the same. So maybe this was a sign, Maybe.

"I don't know Carm." She scratches her cheek.

"I need you." He tells her. "I really need you." Claudia stands there, really debating. "Anthony would be proud of you." Thats what got her. Fuck.

"Ill be there when i can." She closes her eyes. "Im not signing or doing shit yet, i want to see what you have working with. No promises Carmy." She sighs.

"I owe you."

"Fuck you." Carmy smirks as he looks down at his feet. "Don't make me regret this." She pats his arm as she gets ready to leave.

"Ill see you tomorrow. Its going to be busy." He prepared her.

"My favorite." She yells out as she walks away. Claudia plugs in her earphones and starts heading to the her train station, waiting for the blue line to come by. She stares at the nasty floor as the gush of wind blows by, talking a seat and listening to her music. She counts the stops, watching people come and go.

She gets off at Damen. She walks past the crowds of people that were there having a fun time. Wicker Park. Claudia gets to her apartment and shrugs off her belongings and hangs them on the hangers. The first thing she starts to do is to go to the kitchen and find that knife set. Pans and pot clinked together as she goes through the cabinets. A bit of panic over came as she couldn't find it.

"A little late to cook huh?" Her roommate Sade walks over, looking over the table. Her and Sade go back. They went to high school together, did gymnastics together and went to the same college until Claudia went to do her thing. As she came back, Sade let her stay and well, they were the bestest friends again.

"Looking for something." She said without looking up.

"What is it? Maybe I can help?" She walks over to help. Claudia's head drops. If she looses that knife set she will kill herself.

"My knife bag." She stands and pinching her nose. "Im going to check my room before i head to storage." She shuffles to her room. Sade starts looking around in the kitchen. Claudia enters her room, heading to her closet and looking around. She pulls down a tiny box. She sits down, looking through the memory box. There were photos of her and Luca, her and Carmy. She starts to tear up as she pulls out a photo of her and Anthony, cooking and drinking a bottle of Guinness in a middle of a rush. Then one of them smoking and sticking the middle finger up, showing off their dishes.

The next life cannot be better than this

She smiles at her late mentors handwriting behind the photo. She finds the black bag and sees the knives. Idiot for leaving them in that box. She heads in the kitchen and sharpens them. Sade looks at Claudia, she changed. The moment she had a knife in her hand, she turned into a whole different person, serious.

"Chef Claud?" Sade smiles as she takes. seat.

"Maybe." She tests her sharpness as she cut onions. Perfect.

——

Claudia wakes up from her phone alarm. She told Carmy she will stop by around 2. She still has her other job. She rolls on her back and looks at the ceiling, its go time. She gets up, getting all dressed and shoving stuff into her bag. She grabs her change of clothes and her non slip shoes and took off. She takes her car for some time to think and calm herself down. Its going to be a busy day.

Her early shift was slow, Adam cut her early so she went to grab something to eat before she headed to Carmy. She drove around Rivernorth and just tried to keep those thoughts away from her head. Its been awhile since she was in a kitchen and she didn't want to mess up. She didn't want to mess with Anthonys work, she didn't want to crap on his name. She didn't notice that she was already in the parking lot behind the restaurant. Her mind was racing, worrying. Shes got this. Blow off the dust, rip the bandage. She slams the door as she gets out.

"Fuck." Her stomach turns. She grabs the box of cigarettes and starts puffing away. Fucking nerves. She flicks the butt of the cigarette and walks to the front. The front was filled with people in costumes, chanting. She frowns, what the hell is this? She opens the door and sees nobody around. She looks around, peeking at the small kitchen.

Richie, in the middle of eating, sees this woman, tattoos, looking all badass and emo, in the restaurant. She looked like a coloring book that Eva has with those tattoos. He rolled his eyes and walks up. She wasn't like the nerds outside, she was...hot. A hot nerd?

"Sweetheart, the nerds are outside waiting, don't think coming in and working your charm will not help." Richie walks in, munching away. "So go back with the nerds-"

"Im not a fucking nerd." She crosses her arms. Richie now thinks, who the fuck is she? He will grab that nose ring and drag her out.

"Well, we are not open so you can-" He tries to push her out. Claudia backs up, arms up. "Wait with the rest."

"Don't fucking touch me." She takes her arm back. Yeah maybe no longer hot...

"Im not going let a pretty face in here, you wait your turn!" Richie and Claudia start arguing in the front. "Cousin!"

"Carmy!" They both yelled. Richie looks at her with a face of surprise as she called out for Carmy. Theres no fucking way that she's going to work here. Carmy walks in.

"Claudia, fucking yes." They bump fists. "Look, let me get you to speed, meet everyone and we have to get ready for this." He pointed at the line of people.

"Woah woah!" Richie stops. "You hired another one?" Richie leans. "Again cousin, you need to tell me these things!"

"This is Richie." Carmy scratches his neck. Claudia looks at the tall man, wearing the beef shirt and horrifying tracksuit pants. This is going to be a great start. "Richie, this is Claudia."

"Sorry sweetheart, i didn't know but shouldve told me." He reaches out to shake her hand. "Richie Jerimovich. Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart."

"Don't say sweetheart, you fսcking weirdo." Carmy tells him. Smacking his hand away from her.

"Oh sorry, Carm, you're so woke. I meant nothing by it, Claudia. Saying sweetheart is just part of our Italian heritage."

"That's beautiful. Thank you." She rolled her eyes back to Carmy. "Kitchen." Carmy takes her to the back. Richie laughs to himself. Damn what a bitch. Mikey would've hated her.

"Sorry about him, he's a bit-"

"As long hes out of my way, i have no problem." Claudia looks around the small place. Its small and messy but manageable. Shes used to work in bigger kitchens but oh well. She sees the meat out, looks good. Carmy picks at his fingers as she makes her way around. He had everyone clean and ready for her. If he wanted Claudia here, he had to step up and not mess up. She went out to be one of the greatest. Better than him. It was a pleasure for her to be here.

"So?"

"You need help Carmy." She sighs, looking at his knife on the table. "Give me the week and ask me again." He nods. He takes her to the back to meet the others. They were sitting around chatting but it fell silent when they stepped in.

"Chefs, this is Claudia Vargas, she will be helping us out. Please make her feel at home. Do not scare her off, because she's one of the best." One girl frowns at Claudia when Carmy said her name. It sounded familiar. "This is Sweeps, Marcus, Ebraheim, Fak, Manny, Tina, Angel, and Sidney." They all waved and nodded their heads to greet her. Richie rolled his eyes already.

"It's going to be nice to work with you all." Claudia smiles and it falls as she locked eyes with Richie. He was moving around like a child. This is going to be a rough week.