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Felipe gazed at him.

"My, my," he commented. "How heartless."

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Felipe turned his head.

Sami was there again.

"He couldn't talk much over the phone," she told Felipe. "He said we'd have to go down there and talk to him face to face for us to get anything settled."

Felipe nodded.

"A wonderful idea, mi amor! That would be a fine time to introduce Tony to hm!" He nodded to the Mafia member before looking back to Sami. "Have Senor Tony fitted with a disguise and take him with you. It will be fantastic!" Turning back to Tony, he smiled and stood, smoothing out the creases in his suit before holding out a hand to Tony. "Well Senor Tony, it has been wonderful chatting with you! I'm sure you and our contact will hit it off nicely."

((Question, Prince. Did you even bother reading that last post? xd ))

((Lawl, maybe.))

They shook, and Felipe nodded to Sami.

Sami nodded back, and walked forward, past Tony.

"If you could follow me, please," she stated simply. Apparently it was all business with her right now as well. She looked over a little more to Felipe. "I'll tell you how it goes."

Felipe nodded, his arms crossed.

"Don't fail me, my lovely," he stated firmly, something strange flashing across his eyes.

No expression on her face, Sami held his gaze for a moment before turning and exiting the room out of the solid doors Tony had entered, the doors opening for her and staying open so Tony could pass through.

"Have a good day," Felipe called to their backs as they exited, the doors closing behind them.

Smiling, he sat on his couch and sipped his unfinished glass of wine.

"And so it begins..." he cooed, smiling to himself.

((Lawl. That sounds so funny. xd ))

After a few moments of walking in silence, Sami paused, staring ahead. After a moment, she cleared her throat, obviously a little uncomfortable. One could see that she was treating her entire body with care.

"Um, hey..." she began, a little unsure. Turning slightly so Tony could see part of her face, she refused to look at him, but continued anyway, staring doggedly at the ground. "If Felipe did... or said anything to offend you, please just ignore it. He... he often says things he doesn't mean."

Sami closed her eyes, not moving. She was battling with herself for a single, heart-wrenching moment.

I can't be weak don't seem weak-

You weren't made to be weak.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze and turned to fully face him, locking eyes with him.

There was something intense about her gaze. Something intense but yet oh so tired. Like those eyes that could see through souls were ready to close at any moment.

If one looked closely enough, they could see that her very irises were shaking.

Either she was nervous, about to cry, or she was finding it very difficult to focus fully on Tony. Like she was trying so hard to be strong and be something worth being proud of but at the same time knowing she would eventually, utterly fail. A dogged attempt, fighting until the last breath was taken, expelled. Stolen.

Either way, that wasn't a look people saw everyday. It wasn't a look many people saw in their entire lives.

It was... heart-breaking.

Sami blinked, her arms rising a little bit in surprise.

No...

She closed her eyes, and set her hands lightly on Tony's back, as if hugging him too hard would insult him and make him pull away.

"So he told you..." she breathed softly. She shook her head. "No, don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. It was all mine. Please don't... beat yourself up about it."

Please don't seem so weak around me.

But wasn't that what she wanted? Wasn't being in love also being weak around the other person? Letting down their guard? It was finally happening - why didn't she want it?

Because this isn't love. This is only pity.

Her fingers twitched.

I hate pity.

But she resisted the urge to shove him away.

What did he... see?

Sami lifted her chin and gazed at him for a moment with a mixture of mild awe and bewilderment.

Either way, that strange, dead glaze was gone.

After a moment she smiled too. Though it was small, it was there.

"Of course," she replied.

Turning, she lead him to a hidden door that led to several flights of rather poorly lit stairs.

"Be careful here," she told Tony. "The steps are steep and far apart. Not to mention the lighting doesn't help. Take it slow."

Stepping lightly on the steps, she began to make her way down the spiraling staircase.

((Yeah, I was wondering when you would say that, lol. Good night/morning.))

They made it down the long, endless stairs without incident, thank God, and they came upon a heavy wrought iron door.

"I don't know while Felipe needs to be so over-the-top with these things," Sami commented, rolling her eyes and stepping over to it. She seemed a little more alive than before. "I mean, really. It's just a fancy costume closet."

Entering the code, and giving the computer her fingerprint, the door unlocked its five different locks and swung inwards.

There was a long hallway made entirely out of machinery that led to a circular room at the end. In the room was a chair and a massive screen.

Sami walked along the hallway to the circular room.

At her entrance, the entire room - which was entirely machinery - activated.

"Well, hello hello hello," a mechanical, female voice said as the screen lit up bright blue. "How may I be of service?"