All Of My Heart

"Well they seem like really good kids." Shannon smiled to Scarlet as he drove. He thought for a moment on whether or not he had ever dated a woman with one kid let alone two and no one came to mind. After all, who wanted their kid around a gang leader and drug dealer. He was pleased that didn't seem to phase her though she never asked. "And good, I know this nice little place." He continued to drive closer to the edge of town with a grin.

"Are you sure you're taking me to a restaurant and not out of the city to kill me? It wouldn't be a very good idea, ya know. Alex knows I'm with you, and he knows what you look like," Scarlett joked, looking at him with a smile. She knew that he wouldn't actually do that, but she knew people that would, and she had had it happen to friends before. Some made it out, some didn't. It was a rough life. When you worked at a strip joint, you were always in danger of being gunned down or kidnapped and killed by your employer's enemies.

"No, Im not going to kill you." Shannon smiled and glanced from the road to her. "Way too pretty to kill." He continued as he pulled into a parking spot. "Some of the best italian food is found here." Shannon got out of the car and went to her side. Opening to door he offered her his hand. "Come on, my friend won't hold our table forever." He had friends all over that he sold to or helped and as such they owed him favors.

Scarlet chuckled and got out of the car, taking his hand and walking inside with him. "Your friend is holding out table, huh? And will he be joining us?" she asked, smirking. She had had threesomes before and she was quite alright with them, if that's what he wanted. She followed him as she entered, feeling like something was off but shrugging it off, thinking it was just her nerves from leaving her kids after the scare last night. It was pretty much a feeling she'd had since last night. She sighed as they sat down.

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When they got to the table Shannon held out the seat for her. "And share you?" He asked with a grin. He pushed in her seat and took the seat opposite her. The lights were dim and their table was towards the back. The waitress came over, set down the menu's and looked to Shannon.

"Anything to drink?" She asked and Shannon looked to the menu.

"Any of the best wine you have." He replied and off she went. He turned his attention back to Scarlet with a grin. "So, tell me about yourself Scarlet."

Scarlet looked over the menu as she pondered about what she could say. There was a lot, that was for sure. But she wasn't sure where to start, entirely. "Well, what I tell you depends on what you want to know," she said as she set the menu down, smiling at him. She could tell him about her life in Scotland, she could tell him about life after she got to America. The disappointment she felt when she got here and wasn't able to achieve the dreams she came here with. The happiness she felt when Andrew was born, and then again when Blair was born. There was a lot about her, but she couldn't just spit out everything at once.

Shannon sat back and just took a moment to look at her. He didn't know where she should start anymore than himself. He could tell she wasn't from here and though curious was also curious about the children she kept at home. It wasn't often a stripper had children and kept them seperate. Shannon knew if he ever had the pleasure of becoming a father he would want them seperated but wasn't dumb enough to know it would work all the way with his life.

"Tell me about where you're from." He supplied finally.

"Scotland," Scarlet said with a smile. "A beautiful place, it is. I'm from Ayr, which is on the west coast in the south. It's a port town, so there wasn't a whole lot for me to do there, which is why I came here. I came here with dreams that I haven't yet achieved, and I'm not sure I ever will. But my parents are proud of me for getting out and doing what I wanted to. They didn't want me to be like my sister and just stay there for fear of new things. My brother, though, got out, too. Sort of. I miss it and I hope to go back and see them soon. It's been 11 years, and I miss my family," she said as the waiter came back and she ordered her meal, handing him the menu.

Shannon placed his order with a charming smile before looking back to Scarlet. Scotland she said? He hated being away from his family even if it was only 12 or 13 hours. "I couldn't imagine being that far away from my family. I take it your children have yet to see where their mom is from?" He smiled a little that though she was Scottish he didn't hear the accent much unless he listened to her. Shannon sipped his drink. "What's it like being that far away?"

"No, they haven't. I'm hoping to take them there soon. I've been saving up and I think that I have enough to go home for a few days with them. And I'm sure I could swing a mini-vacation with Eric. He's usually pretty good about things, especially with me, seeing that most of the girls are new and I've been there almost three years now," she said. "It's hard. Drew comes to visit me now and then when he can, so the kids know their Uncle. Which is good. He's really good to them. But I'm hoping I get to bring them home soon and see the family. They should know their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and such," she added, taking a sip of her water.

"So you have brother." Shannon confirmed as the food arrived. To him it explained why she seemed so strong, girls with older brothers usually were tougher. He smiled and ate some of his pasta before sipping his water. "How many siblings do you have anyways?" He wanted to keep her and find out as much as she could. Shannon suspected it was just because he liked hearing her talk and all about her.

"Yeah, I have a brother. I have three, actually, along with a sister," she said, eating a bit of her food before taking a sip of her soda. "So that would be four siblings. Two of my brothers are older than me, one by 4 years, the other by two. My other brother is 2 years younger, and my sister is four years younger," she informed him with a smile. She ate more of her food, making a note to come back to this place again, because the food was pretty good. "How about you?"

Sipping his drink he set it down and nodded. "Sounds like a big family." He chuckled a bit. "Myself I have one sister. No brothers so it was pretty even in my house with two girls and two guys. My sister is younger than me though, she lives in the city actually." Shannon loved his sister dearly and was thankful that they were together. Unlike Scarlet he found he didn't like the idea of being far from his sister, they were far too close for that. Still he couldn't fault her for wanting a better life. "You two might actually know each other. She is a stripper as well."

"It's possible. I know a lot of the girls--and guys, for that matter--who work around here. But I tend to stay to myself most of the time. I don't have a lot of room in my life for friends or a life. I work, and spend time with my kids. It's a shock I got time for this date. But I glad that I did, because I'm having a great time," Scarlet said with a soft smile. "So you know what I do. What do you do?" she asked in addition. She was curious.

Shannon was smiling up until he asked what he did. What could he tell her? That he was a gang leader who made most of his earnings from drugs? It was the truth but he debated telling her and seeing the disgust in them. True he never really cared what people thought of him but with her he found he did. Shannon, who had long since given up on caring what other people thought, was scared of what she would think of him. With a heavy sigh he decided to tell her the truth. "Im a gang leader. One who makes his money from the drugs, that's why I was there that night. Making a deal with a guy." Shannon was a firm believer in the truth but looked down, not wanting to see the look in her eyes.

Scarlet nodded and continued eating her food, not missing a beat. In this life, you never knew who you were gonna meet, and Scarlet was never one to judge. Andrew's father was a mob boss, and she knew they were the dirty type. It didn't really matter to her, as long as they were good to her and her kids. "How long ya been doing that?" she asked him, taking a sip of her drink. She knew her brother was somehow involved with this life, too. Even if just slightly. He had told her so when he came to visit not long ago and asked her why she'd moved so many times. But he never judged her, seeing as they'd been best friends, making them closer than the average bother and sister.

Chewing his food Shannon thought about just how long he had been selling drugs and leading his gang. Finally Shannon organized his thoughts before answering her. "I think for about six years. I don't use but selling makes ends meet and is easy. Been leading the gang for about three, if you can call us a gang." Shannon had never really gave his reasons for why he came such a far way away but he felt he could tell her. Though no one ever believed he didn't use but hoped Scarlet would. "See my friend Jeff came up here before myself and my sister followed shortly after. We are all from a small town down in North Carolina and I didn't want to be there alone. So much like you, I packed up my bags and followed my loved ones." Shannon shrugged knowing there was more to it but instead sipped his drink not wanting to overwhelm her with too much.

"Why do I get the feeling that you aren't telling me something?" Scarlet asked, leaning back and crossing her arms, having finished her meal already. "There's more to it than that. There's always more to it than that. I didn't get out because Drew did. I got out because there was nothing there for me. Drew still lives in Scotland," she said and smiled at him. "So tell me all of it. I'm good at knowing when people are lying or holding back the truth."

Shannon smiled and tipped his drink towards her. "Well I guess you could say that Belle has a fire in her. She didn't leave so Jeff wasn't alone,she left angry at everything and everyone back home." He shook his head at the memory of the yelling and Belle storming out. "I always protected my sister,that was my job as her older brother and I never slacked on it. Even when she was wrong I always sided with her,except this time. She wanted to do something and my parents said no. I sided with them and I think that only added to her being angry. I knew she would be safe up here with Jeff but I couldn't have my baby sister being mad at me so I found myself here. We made up,Im evening going to be in her wedding to Wade Barrett." He smiled to her with a tilt of his head. "You're good at reading people aren't you? You're one of those people that just know." Shannon's smile widened with a nod. "I can tell,I like that."