A/N: I want everyone to know I love, love, love all the kind messages you leave on my wall - and I try and respond to everyone - but please, do not talk about specifics of this story (i.e. - Someone dying) on my wall. Just in case some people have yet to read the story. If you do that, I will delete your message and I really hate doing that! Thank you!

Warning: Grammatical errors, signs of my imperfection, shirtless Liam, and angry Rico.

- - - -

Screams; they were infinite, deafening, and chill inducing. The moment Ryan Costello's body hit the ground with a distant thump, hell broke loose. People scramble from their metal chairs, knocking them over in the process as they trip over others to reach the isle. Everyone's face read the same emotion: fear. It was honestly hard to process anything with the noise; so for a few short seconds, I just watched.

Liam grips my hand, enlacing our fingers together as he pulls me up from my seat and leads the way; but we don't head towards an exit, instead, we head towards the stage. A group of people clamber up the steps, dropping to their knees as they take in the sight before them.

Not only did I feel nauseous at the sight, but my fear for Federico De Santis grew. Ryan Costello lay on his back, his eyes still open. They didn't sparkle or shine with life like they had a few minutes prior. I couldn't tell where exactly the bullet had hit, considering half of his forehead was blown off. I squeeze Liam's hand harder and turn my head, using his back to hide myself from the scene in front of me. Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I hear a high-pitched woman's voice ring out.

I pull my head away from Liam just enough to see Costello's widowed wife clutching her husband's head, bowing over him in grief. Her lips were moving, but I could hardly understand a word she said.

"A sniper," One of the men that was bowing over Costello, closely examining the perfectly executed headshot, pulls back and glances at his men, Liam, and even Peter Corinelli, who managed to sneak up behind us. "Clear the building, inform security, and have them check everywhere. I want this person dead." I assumed he was the head of Costello's security detail for the evening. My heart was racing as Luciano pulled back, walking us away from the grim sight.

"Liam, Faith, police and an ambulance are en route... I'm going to pull around back. Meet me there." William's serious tone breaks the quietness in our head as he speaks.

Luciano nudges me gently and nods towards the side door Rico and I had gone through earlier. Fighting against the flow of people was hard, and under the circumstances, an 'excuse me', wouldn't help. Liam pushes through the doors first as I follow and suddenly, everything is peaceful and quiet.

The sound of faint screaming, rushed chatter, and heels clicking against the hardwood floor slowly fade as we make our way to another side door. A brisk wind blows through my hair as Liam steps out first, closely followed by me. But it wasn't the harsh breeze that immediately slaps me in the face that startles me, but it was Liam. He stops abruptly and attempts to warn me, but fails to.

He drops to the ground quicker than a girl at a Justin Bieber or One Direction concert.

I hardly had time to even process what had happened, before I'm staring into the barrel of a gun; my heart lodges itself in my throat at the sound of a click - then there's silence.

"Jesus, you two scared me."

Once the gun is lowered and Liam slowly pulls himself back to his feet, my vision clears and all I see is Rico standing in front of me, smiling widely. His hand slides behind his back and once he brings it back around, the gun is gone.

"What the fuck were you trying to. . ." Liam's voice falters as his hand rubs his cheek. At his growing silence, I glance around Liam and freeze, shivers running up and down my spine. Five security guards lay scattered around the alleyway, their bodies lying in pools of their own blood. Rico takes a step to the side as Liam and I inspect the scene silently. "Rico," Luciano breathes, "What the fuck."

It wasn't until I drew my attention by to Federico that I notice he has one hand shoved underneath his suit jacket, a pained expression on his face. He probably got hurt during the tussling, but his smile never wavers.

"I'm sorry!" He runs a hand down his face as Liam takes a step further into the alley and checks the damage. I follow him closely, holding in a breath as I eye each and every one of the guard's faces. Their eyes remain open in shock; most of them have multiple bullet holes in their chest, while a couple had their necks twisted at an odd angle. "They just kept calling for back up," Rico states softly from behind us, "I didn't know what else to do. . ."

"Maybe not kill them?" When Liam whirls around, I have to stop abruptly to avoid from bumping into him. His eyebrows were furrowed and his facial features were portrayed as if he were angry. Liam's accent was much more defined the angrier he got. "Federico, I am not a murderer, do you understand me? I told you about killing innocent people - "

"I felt as though my life was in danger and I acted on it."

"Killing isn't always the solution!" Liam politely pushes me towards the side as he stalks up to Rico. I bit my lip and glance down, taking another step as to get away from one of the dead security guards staring up at me. It was truly frightening. "Violence isn't always the answer!" Federico looks down. Liam wasn't done, "You could've knocked them out, put them to sleep, but no. You had to end innocent people's lives that haven't done shit to you!" Luciano points at one of the bodies, "He has a family waiting for him to come home tonight."

"Liam," Rico raises his head and plasters another forced smile across his lips, he rests an assuring hand on his friend's shoulder and continues, "Unfortunately, now is not the time for a therapy session. Maybe next time, okay?"

Sarcasm noted.

I watch awkwardly as Rico steps over a dead body and proceeds down the alley. Tearing my gaze away from Federico's back, I eye Liam and sigh. He clenches his jaw multiple times, his bottom lip moving as he grinds his teeth together drastically. I was certain their mini-fight was over, until Luciano spoke again.

"Just because you had a shitty childhood doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else."

Oh, Liam. . .

Rico stops and turns around; even from here, I was positive his eye was twitching. For the first time since we landed outside, Rico pulls his hand out from under his jacket and I nearly gasp. Blood stains the side of his shirt and covers his hand as he points angrily at Liam. "Violence, violence is always the fucking answer," He addresses a statement Liam made earlier, "You, Liam, you were raised in a rich ass family with a big ass home and a shower bigger than some people's bedroom. I don't even have a place I can call home, I never knew when my next meal was coming, and the only shower I received was when nature decided it was time to rain. So shut the absolute fuck up; because nothing, absolutely nothing was handed to me. I had to work for this; you, your pathetic figure of a father handed you the Family. You didn't have to work for shit."

Within his tangent, Rico had gotten awfully close to Liam. He completely broke the personal space bubble rule that I love to live by with Liam before stopping and tilting his head. His last sentence echoes through the still air, along with the distant cries of emergency vehicle sirens. I was absolutely positive that Liam would just walk away, but he didn't. The words that linger through the air must've hit close to home, because Liam hit him.

Liam hit Rico right across the jaw.

"Um, guys?" I take a cautious step forward, unsure what my next move should be. "Quite personally, I don't want to take sides," I squeak out again, "I mean. . .obviously I would lean towards Liam's side because he's Liam, but then again I might lean towards Rico's side because I don't want to be killed in my sleep..."

My rambling went completely unnoticed.

Blood appeared on the corner of Rico's lip as he brings his head back, facing Liam. Federico laughs softly, before growing serious. His mouth falls open, but words don't begin to spew out of them until a moment later, "Let me tell you something, in this very moment I have analyzed three ways I could kill you," Rico speaks slowly, his tongue running along his lips as he gathers his words together, "But because you're my friend, I won't. But what I will do, is say this." He takes a daring step closer to Liam, their noses nearly brushing as Rico finishes in a hushed whisper, "If punching me makes you feel like a man, then do it again."

Quite honestly, I was ready to sit back and watch Liam beat the crap out of Rico, but that never happened. Liam's eyes drop from his friend's face, before eyeing his attire, then his wound. His eyebrows twitch into a frown as he pushes Rico's unbuttoned suit jacket out the way and inspects the injury. I inch closer towards the two; my eyes squinted as I take a look myself.

His white dress shirt is soaking in blood near the right side of his abdomen. A piece of the fabric is torn, ripped by a sharp objet and the long, jagged cut in Rico's flesh indicates he was swiped at with a knife or something very sharp. Rico inhales sharply as Liam presses against his stomach, near the cut, causing it to open up even more. Blood oozes around his pink flesh, causing my knees to shake a bit. That's disgusting.

"He needs to go to the hospital."

"No!" They both reply in unison, causing me to take a staggered step backwards. Liam stands up straight once again as Rico presses a hand to his wound. Luciano just sighs, quietly apologizing for his quick answer.

"No," He repeats again, "Rico can't be going to the hospital, giving them information that could stay on record forever; that can't happen. I'll call a doctor I know, he works from home - he's helped me and a few of my guys before. Rico will be good as new by tomorrow." He shoots Federico a worried glance as we slowly make our way closer to the van, "If he doesn't bleed out first," Liam adds softly.

"I heard that," Rico groans from ahead of us, "I can bleed for a couple hours, Liam. Women do it for a whole fucking week; I can do it for a few hours."

"Technically, it's five days."

Liam eyes me with a weird expression as we walk quietly, "I really don't want to hear about your menstrual cycle, Fi."

"I do!" And just like that, Rico is back. "Do you bleed heavy on your first day, or last day. I've heard bo - ow!"

"Oh, sorry," Liam shrugs, "I was aiming for that rock to hit that dumpster over there; not your head. I guess my finger slipped. You know how that works, right Rico?" The two snort, and just like that, everything's normal.

The alley that we walk through most certainly gives me the creeps. Some areas are dark, while others are only lit up by streetlamps overhead. Recycle dumpsters sit near corners, and occasionally I hear the sound of rats scurrying whenever we get close. The sound of car horns, faint screaming, ambulance sirens, and gravel being crunched underfoot fills my ears for the longest minute. We continue to walk in silence; the never-ending alley seemed as if it were only getting longer as we trudged on.

I glance up at Liam every so often, the side of his face only eliminated by the dim street lights. His expression is hard to read, but his lips remain pursed in a straight line. The only time Liam and I actually make eye contact is when Rico starts to slow down and his breathing becomes a little heavier; the way he was behaving, made it appear as though we were attempting to climb Mount Everest, not walking in a straight line. We both knew that it was the injury and lack of blood that was causing Rico to slow.

"William..." Rico stops and turns back to us, using his dangling hand to point near an upcoming fence, "The van should be over that fence and about a block down. He said he had to move due to all the police activity." Liam and I both nod, indicating that we heard him, and just as I went to take another step; we heard it.

It was a scream that would've made any horror movie producer proud. It was a scream that made your toes curl and your blood halter its circulation. It was a scream that couldn't be hit by a girl who had hit puberty.

It was Rosie.

I saw the recognition flash across Liam's horrified face as he whirled around and took in the scene about to unfold behind us. I only turned once Rico did, my stomach dropping slightly at the paleness of his face and the growing stain on his shirt. But it wasn't until I too turned, my eyes falling on the same situation Liam was taking in, that my heart decided to lodge itself in my throat - again, this couldn't be normal.

There were three of them; all dressed in black suits. Two of them had their heads shaved, while the other supported a military styled buzz cut. The man with the buzz cut is the one who had Rosie; the other two flanked him from either side, their hands on their hips, readying themselves to pull their weapons. Buzz - whom I will refer to as the man who had Rosie in his arms - smiles a crooked smile as they heed their walking, stopping a good few feet from us.

Rosalie's cheeks were beat red, stained with tears. Her arms were wrenched above her head in discomfort, but that didn't stop her from trying to break free. She kicks and flails her legs, twisting and turning her body in every direction, but to no avail. When Liam attempts to take a step forward, the man whips out a gun and presses it against the little girls head in a threatening manner.

Liam squats, something I had seen him do a million times whenever he was with the little girl. I was informed that it helped him connect with her better, being able to speak with her at her own height. I felt Rico's presence even closer behind me, but neither of us talked; we just waited and watched.

"Rosie, babe. . ." Liam smiles softly, "You'll be okay, alright? I won't let them hurt you, you know that." Buzz cut man grips her hands tighter, causing a cry to leave her lips. Rico tenses.

"Rosalie, tell your brother what we told you."

Another tear slides down her face as she speaks softly. For just a second, everything seemed to stop; the background noise faded and it was as if Rosie was the only person in the world speaking. "F-faith, they want M-miss Faith."

I watch Liam's shoulders fall, his head ducking as he takes in the realization of what these men want. They want me; Me for Rosie. I tense, not just from her words but from Rico. His hand grazes along the back of my dress, the familiar scent of his cologne from earlier filling my nostrils as he closes the gap between us.

He speaks four words; four words that cause me to freeze. "Do you trust me?"

I can feel the heat rush to my face as Liam turns around looks at us for help. He looks at me, then Rico; and although I don't want to, I know I'm going to have to. Despite the position I find myself in, I answer honestly.

"No."

It all happened in the blink of an eye. One moment I was standing there, Rico's hand dangerously close to my ass; the next, he had his arm wrapped around my collarbone, a large hand clamped down on my shoulder, and a gun pressed to my temple.

"Really, Tony," Rico laughs at one of the men, "Using Rosie as a negotiation piece; nice, I never thought of that." I am utterly useless as Rico takes a step back, dragging me along with him. "Did Corinelli set you all up for this or what?"

"He saw the little brat and told us to take her, said Luciano went out this door," The man identified as Tony nods behind him at the door we had walked out of previously. "He said this bitch," He points at me, "Was with him."

"I have a na - "

Rico digs the gun harder against my temple, making me squeal. Despite my attempts to loosen his grip, I failed. "Did he say anything about me?"

"He did say you were taking way to fucking long pulling off this hit. He paid you three months ago to do this and she's still alive."

"Well," Rico laughs, "It takes a while to befriend a whore."

"I have a fucking name, people!"

"Look," Rico nods towards Rosie, who is still being held captive by buzz cut. "Give the little girl back to her brother; she hasn't done shit to you or anyone. If she makes it back into Liam's arms safely, I'll kill Faith. However," Federico adjusts the grip he has on the gun, causing my body to turn slightly. I squirm for a second, wincing and cringing in disgust as I feel his blood gathering on the back of my dress, "If Rosalie does not make it back to Liam safely, not only will I still kill Faith, I'll also kill all three of you."

"So, basically I'm dead either way," I quip.

"Si."

"Italian bastards," I mutter.

"Fine," Tony turns and yells something in Italian to the two men. They nod before Buzz cut throws Rosie to her brother. She had her arms extended, but her feet couldn't keep up with the forward momentum that her captor had caused, causing her to trip.

Her head hits the concrete with a resounding crack, her eyes roll into the back of her head and just like that, she's still.

Awfully still.

Liam is the first to her aid. Her drops to his knees once again, pulling her body onto his lap. His hands are all over the place; first her forehead, where blood gathers from the impact, then her face and her arms. "Rosie?" His voice cracks on the first try; and we all watch in silence as he draws the back of his hand down her cheek. "Rosalie? Rosie, answer me." The sight pulls at my heart as he wipes her damp hair away from her forehead and shakes her softly "Rosie, please." Even from where I stood, I could see his hands shaking from nervousness. Gently he presses two fingers to the bottom of her wrist, checking for a pulse. He shakes his head and brings the same fingers up to her neck and presses down, repeating the process. When Liam pulls back and looks up at us, my heart shatters. His eyes water as he shakes his head, glancing between Rico, me, and his little sister. "I - I can't... her pulse... I can't..."

Rico and I take a precautionary step backwards as the vein in Liam's neck bulges. He rests Rosie down to the side and stands, whipping his head in the direction of the three men. "I can't find it!" was all he screamed, before he let it all go.

He reaches Buzz cut first, his momentum was enough to knock the both of them off their feet. The other man that had yet to talk took a step back, surprised; while Tony yanks out his gun. But it was too late, too late to save their friend; with a sickening crack, Liam slams the man's head against the concrete one last time before speaking loud enough that the whole block could hear him.

"How does that feel?!"

Rico had run over to assist Liam in beating people up, freeing me just enough that I could run towards Rosie. Her head rolled around as I pulled her onto my lap and eyed her injury. She felt cold at the touch, so I wrap my arms around her and squeezed; anything I could do to help, I would. When I lifted my gaze, Liam had shot the quiet man; leaving just one to go.

Tony had his back against the wall, his gun sitting uselessly behind Liam on the ground. Rico manages to stay back and let Liam finish the job. I rest Rosie down and stand, approaching quietly as Liam fists a handful of Tony's head, preparing to reel back and slam his head against the wall repeatedly.

"P-please, I-I have a family. Don't kill me, I swear. I do, I have a family," Tony's words spew out of his mouth in a ramble as he presses his palms against the well. His knees are practically shaking. Liam hesitates, for just a moment, before turning his head to the left and getting Rico's attention.

Federico just smiles, "Violence is always the answer." And as if that was all the answer Liam needed, he reels back.

But I stop him.

"Wait!"

Tony breathes out a sigh of relief as I lunge past Rico and grab Liam's arm. He let's go immediately and turns around; something much stronger than just anger is surging through his veins, but I can't define it. He looks detached from all reality as I scan his eyes for just a second, suddenly feeling frightened. I take a step back and swallow. "Liam, don't kill him. Killing him will not help Rosie; and what she really needs is a hospital. She needs medical attention, and what you're doing now... you're delaying it. If we don't hurry. . .she really could. . .die," I whisper.

I felt as though my words went in one ear and out the other, but when Liam turns and faces Tony once more, his shoulders relax. He utters four words before turning around and approaching Rosie.

"She saved your life."

I join him in picking Rosie up and wrapping her with his jacket gently, but a gunshot rings out from behind us, making us both turn around.

Tony slides down the wall, where blood stains the brick as Rico chuckles darkly.

"She saved you from Liam, not from me.

- - - -

I hate hospitals.

The waiting room is packed at this hour as I stand beside Federico, who sits very still in a small seat in the corner. The smell of sterilization makes me sneeze multiple times before I finally become accustomed to it. A steady sobbing fills the room as we share it with multiple different families and people; all from different cultures.

Rico adjusts himself in his seat, but not quickly enough that I can ignore his breathing. I eye him for a few moments, watching him scan through a Vogue magazine before speaking, "How are you holding up?" I whisper politely, not wanting to draw any attention to him as he looks up and shoots me a pained smile.

"I'm fine," He winces as he shifts once again in his seat. Rico slips his blood covered hand into his dress jacket once again and applies pressure to his wound. I found it silly that he wouldn't seek help, considering we were standing in a hospital filled with highly educated and trained medical doctors, but I wasn't going to question his methods any more.

I shift my weight to my opposite first once again as I feel myself getting tired. We had only been inside the waiting room for about fifteen minutes, yet I could already feel myself crashing; the adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins suddenly wearing off. The same thing was happening to Rico; the longer we sat still, the more I saw him wince, inhale sharply, and curse underneath his breath in pain.

"Oh my God, my baby!"

The entire waiting room glances up as Melanie Luciano scrambles towards the front desk. Her hair was a mess, her dress appeared to have been dragged in mud, and her makeup was severely smeared. She exchanges a few words with a very bored looking receptionist before nodding and turning her attention towards the rest of us. Her eyes scan every inch of the room for a seat, before finally falling on Rico and I. Her eyes light up as she sees us, before making her way in our direction.

She pulls me into a bone crushing hug first before pulling away and smiling at Rico. He waves awkwardly, but makes no intention of getting up. Melanie didn't seem to care. "Where's Liam?" She sounds like she just ran a marathon as she glances around the room a second time.

"He's in the back," I nod towards a locked door. I squeeze Liam's suit jacket in my hands and sigh; despite knowing he was perfectly fine, not counting a couple cuts and bruises, I still worried about him - and Rosie of course. Mel's face falls as she turns and looks at me; she seemed like she was about to cry.

"One second, Rosie was with me and the next, she wasn't," She drops her head into her hands, "and then when William...calls and tells me that you all were at the hospital, I wasn't sure what to think!" She brings her face up out of her hands, "W - what happened? Is both Rosie and Liam hurt? I don't have any details..."

Rico and I make eye contact for a split second, and I allow him to take over. "Liam is fine," He says, "Rosie got hurt."

"How?"

We make eye contact again.

"I accidently knocked her into someone else while we were walking. You know how intense those crowds were," He sighs and shakes his head, "I'm so, so sorry. Liam is pissed at me, Mrs. Luciano. I really didn't mean for it to happen, really I didn't. . ." He lies smoothly.

For now, the lie would have to work. Rico simply didn't want Melanie to freak out, not under these circumstances - but eventually, the truth would slip.

"Oh," She sighs, "It's okay, Dear. Just be more careful next time, yes?"

"Si, Mrs. Luciano."

Within the next five minutes, another doctor comes out and calls Melanie back. My hopes were raised for just a few seconds when the door opened, but they fell when Liam didn't come out with him. I sigh as carelessly sit on Rico's knees.

The pages of the magazine is flipped again before I watch it being tossed to the side. Rico clears his throat, "So, you don't trust me?"

"I do."

"You're a terrible liar, Faith."

"You've given me no reason to trust you," I whisper sharply. We were begginning to get rude glares from other people.

"Sacrificing my life isn't enough for hoes these days?"

I huff and fall silent, ignoring his ignorant statement. A few silent moments pass between us as I squirm to get comfortable; a phone rings somewhere in the distance, a child coughs quietly, and a mother fans herself down in the corner.

"I hope you know, you took my first kiss - or, should I say, stole." I refuse to look him in the eye as I speak. I can feel Rico's gaze on my back, making me slightly uncomfortable.

"No I didn't."

Is he serious. . .

"I definitely know for a fact that your crusty, old lips, met my beautiful lips in a disgusting, nausea inducing, first kiss."

Rico laughs softly but doesn't speak. My back muscles tense as his fingers trace across the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to rise. When he wasn't doing that, he was playing with the ends of my hair. "Faith," He states softly, "Did you feel anything when I kissed you?"

"Well, no."

"Exactly," He says, "A first kiss is a kiss you share with someone special, someone you love and care deeply for. If you're a virgin, and you're raped, that can't be considered your first time. You may be kissed a hundred times before you actually have your first kiss. Your first kiss is special; it leaves your lips tingling, you smiling, and releases a hell of a lot of butterflies in your stomach. I didn't take your first kiss, Faith."

My eyebrows connect as I replay his words over and over in my head. He makes a point, a very valid point. I turn my head slightly, catching Rico's eyes in the corner. "Have you had your first kiss yet?"

"Yes, I have," He mumbles after a pause.

"Really?" I turn rapidly around on his knees, causing him to wince from my sudden movements. "With who?

"This girl I went out with," Rico answers honestly.

"Are you guy's still dating?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

Rico just laughs and falls silent. He speaks a moment later, "Look at me, Faith."

So I do, I look at him. Rico's lips, even while pursed, are naturally turned down in almost a frown. His eyebrows seem to stay pressed together. But other than that, he looks absolutely fine. The hazel color in his eyes are dim and he looks tired, but that's it. I frown. He tears his eyes away from me, casting them towards the ground.

"Who could love this?"

I wanted to tell him how wrong he was, but I couldn't. Federico was attractive, hell he was gorgeous; he was funny, kind in his own way, and maybe he was loyal - but the words: murderer, assassin, hit-man, and cold-blood killer seemed to stand out more than the others. He notices my hesitation; and in the moment, I stand and straighten my wrinkling dress.

The door to the back opens and Liam walks out, looking tired. His lips are pursed in a straight line as he nods to Rico, then me. Handing him his jacket, I question, "How's she doing?" Liam just shakes his head and shrugs.

"Um, she hasn't woken up yet, but she's. . .alive. They're keeping her overnight, so," When Liam looks up, his eyes are red and watery. He blinks repeatedly before turning his head. "Shit," he curses quietly, bringing a hand to his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rico chimes in.

"My eyes; they've been hurting since that one bitch punched me."

"Let me see," Rico stands as I take a step back and watch. Luciano turns and opens his eyes wide as Rico analyzes. "You should just take them out. Your eyes are probably irritated or something."

"He can't take his eyeballs out," I pitch in cluelessly.

Rico glances at me, then at Liam, and speaks in a foreign language. I groan and roll my eyes. I seriously need to pick up on this Italian. "No," was the only thing Liam said in English. Federico just laughs as their conversation dies down and they turn to me.

"Mel is going to stay with Rosie tonight; so let's go..." Liam addresses me as he heads towards the exit. I wave softly at Rico before jogging to catch up with Liam.

"Sleep tight you two! And use protection! I'm only twenty-two, I'm not ready to be a role model to little Liam's and Faith's,"

I laugh and blush softly at Rico's departing words. Liam is quiet our entire journey towards the car. He walks ahead of me briskly, his jacket thrown lazily over his shoulder. I clear my throat and call his name twice, but I don't receive an answer. We both climb into the car and again, it's silent. The key hangs from the ignition, but Liam doesn't start the car. I watch him silently as he lays his head back and closes his eyes.

When Liam doesn't say anything, I sigh and stare out the window. Traffic builds up at a light while pair of teenagers turn the corner, smiles on their faces. Luciano's voice brings my attention back to him.

"This is what I've been afraid of; Rosie getting dragged into this life. I never wanted this life for her. I want her to have a normal life."

"She goes to school like normal kids," I offer up quietly. Liam just shakes his head and starts the car. He doesn't speak again until we're barreling down the highway at top speed.

"Last year, she came home the day before Christmas break with a pin; the teacher had awarded her with being the President of the class. She was ecstatic," He sighs, keeping his eyes on the road, "Michael found out; he told her when she went back after break, to tell the teacher she couldn't be President anymore. She cried for hours."

"Why couldn't she? That's stupid . . ."

"Because, as class president, when the teacher leaves the room, you are the person that writes all the kids name on the board that talk. In short, Rosie would've been a rat, a mole . . . a snitch," Luciano glances at me out the corner of his eye, "The mafia doesn't deal with snitches."

"But she's seven!"

"A fucking K-9 unit couldn't even find a fuck for Michael to give."

I shouldn't have laughed at that.

I sigh as I rest my head against the door, the sound of the car rattling above the road causes my eyes to droop. Liam speaks a moment later. "You can sleep; I'll tell you when we're hom - at my place."

Never had sleep overcome me quicker.

- - - -

I was positive I was floating on a cloud when I woke up. The sound of running water intruded my thoughts as I peel my eyes open and press my palms against the mattress beneath me. The colors of Liam's duvet flashes across my eyes making me sigh and sit up. Luciano's room is dimly lit by a light on his nightstand, but more protruding light comes from the bathroom, where the door is cracked. Liam stands by the sink, leaning forward for a better look in the mirror.

I blink repeatedly, taking in more of my surroundings. I was no longer dressed in my grimy, sweat covered dress; but a pair of men's joggers and a dress shirt that was way too big for me.

Holy shit.

The clock read, 11:54pm as I scrambled out of bed, my face reddening. A door creaks and Liam's voice echoes throughout the room. "You're up. Did you want to use my shower? It's definitely better than any of the - "

"Did you see me naked?"

"Excuse me?"

"Unless I'm very talented and dressed myself in your very comfortable clothing, I think you changed me," I point towards my clothes.

"Would it make you feel better if I said I didn't look?"

"Oh my God, you could've seen all my shit," I mutter, "Just so you know, I usually shave down there but I just... I'm almost off my period so I haven't yet, just a warning. I mean... I don't want you to think men get lost when they go down there."

Liam's eyebrows raise, his mouth drops open, then a series of laughs slip past his lips. "Faith, Fi, relax . . . " He chuckles, "I just threw on a pair of clothes for you because I didn't really want that dress on any bed. But now that you're up, feel free to change." He smiles politely before turning and heading towards his nightstand for a glass of water.

It wasn't until he started drinking that I realized he was shirtless. A pair of basketball shorts hung on his hips and his hair was spiked up in every direction.

"Well, thank you." I nod, running a hand through my hair. "I'll go take a shower I suppose. Goodnight!" I smile softly in his direction and turn to leave.

"Wait," His voice is soft, but calls me back before I even turn to leave. Before I know it, he's standing right in front of me again; his face is cleanly shaven and he smelled of aftershave. Little water droplets stick to his chest, some running down his neck from his damp hair; Lord have mercy. . .

When I draw my eyes up from his chest, I stop the minute our eyes meet and inhale. I raise a shaking hand to the corner of his eyes, drawn in by the unusual color. The white in his eyes were red, and if I didn't know better, I would've assumed he just finished smoking marijuana.

But the grey was gone; replaced with the prettiest shade of light brown eyes I had ever seen. My mouth falls open, but no words can express what I'm feeling. I shake my head slowly as Liam leans his head in closer, allowing me a better look.

My life is a lie.

"Contacts," He answers my un-asked question softly, "They were contacts."

For the first time since I met Liam Elijah Luciano, I felt as though I was looking at him - truly looking at him - for the first time. The grey eyes were gorgeous, of course they were, but there was something distant and un-connecting about them that always resonated through me when I looked at them. With grey eyes, Liam came off as distant, disconnected, and unable to feel or understand. I liked the brown eyes.

"I hope you don't think I'm ugly now," Liam laughs, pulling away slowly. I shake my head, laughing at his statement.

"No! I. . .I like them, they're pretty."

"You hesitated."

I let out a loud laugh, throwing my head back. "You and Rico really do watch too much Frozen." Luciano chuckles.

"I don't mean to quote Olaf."

Liam smiles, causing me to do the same; on the rare occasion, his dimples show once more - and as I tilt my head and glance at him, I feel myself getting nervous. My palms felt sweaty and my heart was racing. I clear my throat and hook a thumb towards the door. "I'm going to go. Goodnight, Liam."

But before I can even turn, Liam snags my hand and pulls me dangerously close to him. My hand hits his chest with a smack as he smiles down at me. "But I'm afraid of the dark," He whispers.

"That sounds like a personal problem," I turn once again, taking one step before I yanked by like a yo-yo. I hit his chest again.

"I'm really, really, afraid of the dark."

"You're a big boy; deal with it," Again, I turn towards the door, before I'm drawn back into Liam's chest. "I'm really tired of being a Yo-Yo."

"I really, really, want to kiss you."

My heart: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

"Uh. . ." Think, Faith! Think! "You can't," Liam raises an eyebrows, "I have to ask my mom." A slow smiles creeps onto his face, and as my mouth drops - readying itself to spill another useless, pathetic excuse, he leans down, dangerously close and laughs.

"Just," He whispers softly, our lips brushing together, "Shut up." I lean my cheek against his hand as he presses our lips together.

His lips were soft and I could feel myself slowly melting. Liam's hand grips my waist as the other cups my cheek. He tilts his head to the side, slowly capturing my lips in his repeatedly. My hands find the way to his chest, which only causes for more distractions. Our kiss deepens and his lips move quickly against mine; I feel my heart rate picking up, along with the butterflies in my stomach. He pulls away quickly without warning, causing me to drop my hands that had wandered their way around the base of his neck. Liam breathes heavily as he turns away from me, running his finger along his bottom lip.

I breathe deeply, my hands shaking as I try and regain control of my breathing rate. I rest my hands on my hip and tilt my head. "How the hell did you hold your breath for that long?" Liam frowns, then breaks out into a smile.

"Fi, when you kiss someone you don't hold your breath. You breathe through this," Luciano taps a finger on my nose, making me laugh.

"Oh." I ponder the thought for a moment, before agreeing with him, "Welp," I clap my hands together, "You're a good kisser. So...goodnight, I'm going to take a shower." I awkwardly spin on my feet, Liam laughing behind me as I head towards the door.

"You're cute; goodnight, Fi.

"Night, LuLu."

"Don't even. . ."

I shut the door behind me and let out the longest breath. I rest my head along the door and sigh. Bringing a hand up to my lips, I smile as the sensation of Liam's lips still linger. I catch myself smiling and the butterflies in my stomach have yet to go away.

Rico was right; he didn't take my first kiss.

Liam Elijah Luciano did.

- - - -

A/N: edited, i'm barely coping

Sorry for the long wait! I literally wrote this chapter over 10 times because I didn't care for how it was turning out! I legit sat in front my computer from 5pm EST and finished this at 11:18pm EST. *sigh* I definitely wanted to give out another chapter before the week started so... I have a hell of a lot of questions for you all so... Answer what you like!

Comments on the chapter?!

Rico and Liam's mini-argument?

Do you think Rico likes Faith? Does anybody ship them?

Ship names! My favorite if #Fiam - what do you all think?